Lin Feng hovered in mid-air, glanced at the battlefield below that had ended, turned and flew west, landing on an open area in front of the group.
Meng Yi strode over, the bloodstains on his halberd still wet: "Lord, the orc army has been completely defeated. No organized remnants escaped. Our army suffered more than 2,000 dead and more than 8,200 wounded. Three mammoth war elephants were lightly wounded, which will not affect subsequent operations."
Lin Feng nodded and glanced at the northern horizon: "Half an hour later, the entire army will continue northward and reach Jinyan City before nightfall."
Meng Yi accepted the order, turned around, and quickly left.
...
Five hundred kilometers north of Thang Long City, outside the south gate of Kim Aam City.
Night had completely fallen, and the torches on the city wall flickered in the evening breeze, casting the outlines of the city tower and battlements on and off.
The south gate was wide open. Meng Yi stood in the center of the city gate, with Bai Yi to Bai Liu behind him. The seven men stood in a row, their halberds resting on the ground.
On the streets of the city, the indigenous people and county soldiers who were waiting in line had already lined up in an orderly manner, with torches arranged in two long lines on both sides of the street.
At 10:10 p.m., the vanguard of the army appeared on the road one mile outside the South Gate.
The ranks of the black-armored elite soldiers maintained their orderly steps even in the darkness of night, and the firelight extended outward from the city gate, illuminating the visors of the soldiers in the front row.
The mammoth war elephants walked slowly at the back of the procession, while Fengxue did not fly above the city, but hovered low in the air outside the city.
Upon seeing this, Meng Yi quickly stepped forward over a hundred paces, his right fist pressed against his chest: "Lord! Jinyan City, Shenglong City, and the eight surrounding county towns have all been recovered, and the original inhabitants have been initially resettled."
The garrison has taken over the city defenses, and the core territories of all ten cities have been transferred to the Beacon Fire Territory.
Lin Feng nodded, his gaze sweeping across the city gate: "You've worked hard. Two cities and eight counties in one day, well done."
From the group behind them, Scarface Liu's voice rang out first, not loud, but just loud enough for the people around him to hear.
"Two cities and eight counties were all taken back in one day. Who would have dared to do that a few months ago?"
Zhao Hu walked beside him, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Have you taken those four county towns around Jinyan City too? General Meng's efficiency is impressive."
Tie Dun immediately chimed in: "Good heavens, is this what they mean by swallowing the world whole? I think in a few more days, we can establish a nation."
"By then, I'll have earned my place as a founding hero, and I'll have plenty of confidence to brag about back on Earth. Everyone will call me 'Iron General' when they see me."
Before he could finish speaking, several people around him laughed. Feng Qingyan laughed so hard that his shield swayed: "General Tie! That's a nice name. I'll call you General Tie from now on!"
Arrow Eye peeked over from the side and asked in a serious tone, "General Tie, when you command thousands of troops in the future, will you step forward with your left foot first or your right foot first?"
Tie Dun was stunned: "There's a reason for this?"
Awang said calmly, "Of course there are. If you take the wrong step, the whole army will follow you astray."
Tie Dun looked down at his feet, thought carefully for a moment, and said, "Then I'll step in with my right foot first."
Everyone burst into laughter, and even Su Yurou's lips curled into a smile.
Lin Feng walked at the front of the army, and the laughter behind him made the corners of his mouth curl up slightly.
He then suppressed his smile, turned his head and said, "You're all quite eloquent, aren't you? Okay, after we finish fighting Dongzhi City, I'll organize what you said today and send it to Director Zhou. Just say that someone in Fenghuo Territory is planning to establish a country in the Nightmare World, and ask the General Administration to approve it."
Tie Dun's laughter suddenly caught in his throat: "No, no, no, my lord, please don't! I was just saying it offhand! Can I not establish a country? Please don't tell Director Zhou!"
Lin Feng glanced at him sideways, and the corners of his mouth curved up again: "Just kidding."
The crowd laughed even harder, and Zhao Hu patted him on the shoulder: "Now you know fear."
Tie Dun shrank his neck: "Absolutely. If Director Zhou makes a move, how can I possibly withstand it?"
After Zhao Hu and the others' laughter subsided, they walked to Lin Feng's side and whispered, "Lord, in the Sakura Kingdom, the twelve county towns and Chiyo City are still in the hands of the orcs."
His tone was calm, but his meaning was clear: those territories were currently unclaimed, and once captured, they would be his.
Lin Feng nodded: "They can't escape. Once we deal with the main force of the orcs in Dongzhi City, we'll move east and take them back together."
Feng Qingyan caught up a few steps: "If we take them all back, with over forty county towns and seven city-level territories, wouldn't our Beacon Fire Territory become the largest territory in the Nightmare World? How vast would that be! How long would it take to reach the end?"
Following this statement, the group entered through the South Gate.
The streets inside the city were lined with natives and county soldiers. The torchlight cast flickering light on the faces of the crowd. Several children squeezed between the adults' legs, looking up at the tall mammoth war elephants with their mouths agape.
Tie Dun was walking at the front of the line when he heard Feng Qingyan's words and was about to reply.
Zhao Hu gave him a look, and he wisely shut his mouth, but the smile on his face was brighter than a torch.
Lin Feng walked at the front and turned to Meng Yi behind him, saying, "Let the soldiers rest on the spot. We won't travel today."
Meng Yi said in a low voice, "It's already being arranged, Lord. Don't worry."
Lin Feng didn't say anything more and stepped into the night of Jinyan City.
Behind them, the troops continued to enter the city, the sound of footsteps and the friction of armor gradually blending into the newly recaptured city.
...
At 2 p.m. the following day, a hundred miles south of Dongzhi City, on a gray-brown wilderness, a large army was marching north.
Twenty thousand Qin warriors marched in twenty square formations in the center, with the warriors at the rear.
Five thousand Kshatriya warriors and five thousand Kshatriya elite warriors were dressed in silver chainmail, with scimitars hanging at their waists. Occasionally, a few low voices could be heard in the ranks.
Five thousand Cossack light cavalry on each flank spread out in skirmish lines. Their short, stocky horses moved with steady steps, and the cavalrymen lowered their bodies, pointed their lances diagonally forward, and scanned the open fields on both sides.
Seven mammoth war elephants led the procession, their massive bodies casting seven moving shadows on the ground.
The thousand generals inside the elephant-backed arrow tower stood at the edge of the tower, their gazes fixed on the north.
Lin Feng sat on Feng Xue's back, hovering three hundred meters in the air.
The silver dragon's wings flapped slowly, casting a moving shadow in the afternoon sun, covering the marching procession below.
He glanced down at the army below.
The formation of over 40,000 men resembled a long river, slowly flowing northward under the protection of cavalry on both flanks.
Banners unfurled in the afternoon breeze, and deep blue beacon flags alternated back and forth in the ranks, rising and falling slightly with the marching rhythm.
The marching speed was even and steady, and they were already approaching the surveillance range outside Dongzhi City.
Feng Xue tilted her head slightly, as if waiting for him to give an order.
Lin Feng gave it no instructions, but continued to watch the marching formations below, his gaze shifting from one formation to another, finally settling on the northern horizon.
That's the direction of Dongzhi City, currently where the Orc King is located, and also their destination for this march.
He recalled his earlier thought about the Orc King.
He could have accepted the situation if the Orc King had simply led his remaining forces out of Antarctica.
However, the appearance of the "Nightmare Knight's Order" changed this judgment.
This thing is related to the direction of future upgrades. Even if I don't use it myself, I should still get my hands on it and take a look to confirm its mechanism and origin.
In addition, I am only level 39 now. Killing a level 49 Orc King will result in a very high drop rate bonus. I can't let this opportunity pass me by.
