CH 161.1

Dusk settled, casting a blood-like hue across the sky.

A massive army, numbering in the tens of thousands, moved across the land like a swarm of ants with perfect discipline and synchronization.

At the forefront of the army rode Huang Hui, astride a majestic alicorn. His golden armor gleamed brightly, emanating a powerful aura that kept nearby magical beasts at bay, preventing them from approaching.

However, Huang Hui furrowed his brow as he looked ahead. A disheveled and scattered group of soldiers was returning, led by none other than the legion commander.

Huang Hui's expression turned displeased. "It seems our surprise raid has failed!"

Prior to their departure, Huang Hui had believed that catching the enemy off guard would work in their favor. He had dispatched a squadron of light cavalry to launch a swift, nighttime assault, hoping to seize the fortress while it was least prepared.

Even if they had not managed to conquer the fortress, causing some disruption and confusion would have been advantageous for their main forces, while also serving as a test of strength.

For this reason, the legion commander had personally led the operation, mobilizing nearly ten thousand troops in total.

At this moment, the legion commander's advanced magical armor was shattered into scrap metal, and he had sustained four or five deep wounds. It was evident that the battle had been perilous.

Huang Hui asked, "How is the fortress defense? Approximately how many enemies are there?"

The legion commander, in a disheveled and frightened state, replied, "My Lord, the Bloody Fortress was well-prepared and had a much larger garrison than anticipated."

"This fortress is equipped with long-range surveillance facilities, which detected our army from a considerable distance. It also has several formidable magical assault structures capable of unleashing widespread thunderbolt attacks."

"In addition, within the fortress, there are five to ten thousand beholder creatures. These creatures possess a remarkable attack range of up to a kilometer. Their destructive power is astonishing. Even this humble one would struggle to withstand their concentrated attacks."

"......"

"According to my reconnaissance, the Bloody Fortress is garrisoned by tens of thousands of troops."

"Among them are elves, orcs, ogres, and uncommonly seen draconians. Their warriors are no less formidable than the empire's official forces!"

That many?!

Huang Hui was both shocked and frustrated.

Su Wenhao, that useless fool, had been clashing with the Dragon Demon King for so long and still had not gathered any accurate information about the strength of the Demon King's forces.

No wonder his previous attempt to launch a cavalry attack on the fortress with his family knight order ended in complete disaster.

The legion commander expressed his concern, saying, "The Demon King seems prepared to defend the fortress with all his might. Although our army outnumbers them four or five times, the Demon King's forces have the advantage of defensive terrain. If we launch a full-scale assault, even if we manage to win, the empire soldiers will suffer heavy casualties."

Although the surprise attack ended in a disastrous failure, what worried the legion commander the most was not whether they could defeat the enemy but rather the potential damage it could inflict upon the third legion.

Indeed, while the Demon King's Legion was formidable, the legion commander still believed that the empire army had the upper hand. Over 80% of the empire's official soldiers had reached the rank of elite, and their vast numbers and strength were undeniable.

A complete defeat seemed highly unlikely.

However, capturing the Bloody Fortress would be an arduous task. If they insisted on taking it by force, they would inevitably suffer significant losses.

And the siege outcome would result in a hard-fought victory.

Huang Hui said, "It doesn't matter. Even though the surprise attack failed, it's of no consequence. General, you have gathered enough intelligence on the enemy for me!"

"But now, I'm here!" he continued, "They are not worth worrying about! And they will be of no threat to us!"

The next day, the empire army, like a tidal wave, arrived near the Bloody Fortress. They halted about four or five miles away, out of range of the beholders' attacks.

It was both a secure position and an intimidating display.

A colossal force of nearly two hundred thousand soldiers stood assembled. Clad in standardized armor and wielding uniform weapons, their banners billowing in the wind, the thunderous beat of war drums filled the air. The shimmering glow of magical shields cascaded in a mesmerizing display. The sheer magnitude of their numbers alone created a profound impact and an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Unlike the previous endeavor, this time the empire was committed to taking the Bloody Fortress.

The legion commander proposed, "I suggest deploying a full defensive stance to withstand the onslaught from the onslaught from the beholders and elven mages. Once our main force breaches the barrier and successfully penetrates the fortress, we can effortlessly overwhelm them with our numerical superiority."

However, Huang Hui held a contrasting view.

"Why the rush?" he questioned.

"Capture the leader first."

"As long as we can kill the Demon King."

"Why should we fear these lackeys?"

"You all stay here. I'll head up and give it a try."

He guided his flying steed and descended to a spot 2,000 meters in front of the fortress. As he dismounted from his horse, he immediately began to taunt and provoke.

"Dragon Demon King!" he bellowed.

"Don't hide like a coward!"

"I know you're inside the fortress!"

"Can you see it?"

"This is the empire's official army!"

"Each one of us is an elite unit!"

"Hahaha! Are you starting to feel despair? Are you trembling with fear? That's right! You have no chance of winning!"

"In front of me, in front of the empire, you're nothing but a joke! You're an insignificant, ridiculous clown!"

"For a mere Demon King, you've assembled an impressive army, but its size is nothing compared to the might of the empire!"

With these words, Huang Hui unsheathed his sword.

"A game without suspense isn't any fun!"

"Now, I'll give you all a chance."

"As long as someone can come out and defeat me, the empire's army will temporarily withdraw, granting you some respite!"

The legion commander immediately understood the intentions of the guardian knight. To serve as bait and lure the enemy out of the fortress, should the Demon King truly fall for the ploy, it would cost them their greatest advantage.

The gates swung open.

Thousands of draconians swiftly deployed from within the stronghold to its outskirts.

Magnificent! It actually worked!

The Demon King fell right into the trap!

How foolish.

Could the Demon King truly believe that he, alone, could contend against the guardian knight?

The legion commander had information about the Demon King.

The Demon King's power merely reached Level 4. Within such a short span of time, it was highly unlikely for any significant breakthrough to occur.

Even if their strength did improve, when facing someone of the guardian knights's calibur, the gap in strength would still be insurmountable.

"You boastful fool! Daring to spout such arrogant words! You know nothing of true power, but you won't have another chance to learn."

At that moment, Zhang San activated all of his aura skills and leaped forward.

"Die, fool!"

Zhang San, the Earth Drake Grand Marshal, possessed the pinnacle power of Level 4 overlords.

With the draconian legion buffing auras at full strength, Zhang San was capable of facing even Level 5 overlord units. Furthermore, Li Si's Blood Ritual empowerment nearly made him invincible.

A thunderous roar shook the air.

A colossal, dozens of meters long diamond earth drake emerged.

Zhang San had swiftly transformed into his earth drake form and charged straight at Huang Hui.

"Demon King!"

"It's the Dragon Demon King!"

"What a fearsome presence!"

"Does the Demon King really think he can stand against the guardian knight? How foolish!"

The empire legion generals had witnessed the memory crystal recording of the Bloody Fortress. They recognized this terrifying earth drake, the very same one that had led the charge to breach the fortress. To their astonishment, he had now brought his entire race's forces out of the fortress.

Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to surround and defeat them?

"A golden opportunity!" exclaimed a high-ranking officer. "We must seize this moment and launch an immediate attack!"

All eyes turned to the legion commander, awaiting his decisive command.

The legion commander responded, "There's no need for us to intervene."

A general questioned, "Why? This is a golden opportunity!"

The commander explained, "The moment the Demon King is exposed before the guardian knight, he is doomed to have no chance of survival."

"Is it true?"

"Is the guardian knight truly that terrifying?"

"The Demon King has nearly five thousand draconian warriors with him!"

The commander smirked, "It's useless. Just watch closely. You won't have many chances to witness a guardian knight in action!"

Huang Hui erupted with a radiant aura, the light gathered and coalesced around his body, forming a solid barrier of light.

In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a towering giant, standing ten meters tall.

This giant donned golden runic armor, wielding a colossal nine meters sword. His imposing presence was awe-inspiring, every inch of the giant was formed with his Qi.

"There it is!"

"The Guardian Golden Form!"

"It's the signature skill of the guardian knights!"

The legion commander's face was filled with fervor.

The "Guardian Golden Form" was undoubtedly an immensely powerful A ranked transformation skill. In this state, the guardian knight would temporarily gain advanced magic immunity and a substantial increase in both attack and defense capabilities.

The golden greatsword ruthlessly struck the diamond drake's body.

Boom!

Qi erupted!

Transforming into a ferocious storm!

It tore away a large chunk of the ground.

The diamond earth drake was sent flying, tumbling several times before regaining its footing. Although some scales cracked, it had suffered minimal damage.

"Truly formidable!"

"It barely received a scratch!"

Huang Hui's voice rumbled like thunder, "Not many Level 5 overlords could withstand this blow and survive!"

"No wonder Su Wenhao was left in such a sorry state by your forces. The Divine Sword Heroes are truly outclassed compared to you."