Around three o'clock in the morning, Xiao Yunlong gave the order to commence the bombardment of Tianzang Mountain.
Of course, the terrain of the Tianzang Mountain range was extremely complex and vast. The two hundred thousand troops were divided into various legions and hidden in ambush. It was unrealistic to eliminate them through bombardment.
Xiao Yunlong did not intend to eliminate them by means of bombardment. The main purpose was to create chaos for the enemy while covering the smooth ascent of the five thousand elite troops from the Azure Dragon and Black Tortoise legions.
The bombardment lasted for a full half hour. Because the enemy troops had already dispersed and employed concealment methods, the effect was not very good. However, the two elite surprise attack units successfully reached the summit during this period.
Xiao Yunlong glanced at his watch. It was precisely three-thirty in the morning, and he then issued the order for the general offensive!
Instantly, the entire Tianzang Mountain range began to shake. The armies guarding the front and rear valley entrances launched their assault.
"Good for you, King Xiao Bei, daring to launch an offensive. You've got quite the nerve. I think you've gotten completely carried away lately, believing that a few low-class bombings could rout us!"
Bronnie emerged from the air-raid shelter, brushed the dirt off his head, jumped onto a large rock, and looked towards the valley entrance, snorting. "Pass down the order to immediately enter defensive status. All legions must hold their positions and annihilate the invading enemy!"
Several generals behind him also snorted, "Commander, there's no need to panic. We will conduct a favorable defense based on the terrain, holding the high ground. Even if the Town North King of Dragon Country personally leads the charge, he won't gain any advantage!"
"Damn that Town North King! This time, if he dares to come, I'll make sure he's buried here!" Bronnie gritted his teeth.
At the beginning of the great battle, it was indeed as Bronnie and his men had expected. The offensives launched by Xiao Yunlong's various legions immediately met with tenacious resistance and obstruction.
The enemy defended from advantageous positions on higher ground, and the various mountain peaks could coordinate and dispatch troops to each other, causing Xiao Yunlong's legions' attacks to fail. Especially Chu Tiange's unit of fifty thousand soldiers, who attacked frantically without understanding the situation, suffering immense losses.
Seeing this scene, Bronnie and other enemy generals couldn't help but smile smugly.
"How foolish, truly extremely foolish. Our army has already prepared its defensive formation, yet they still dare to launch an attack. Isn't this like a moth flying into a flame?"
"Exactly. They all say that the Town North King is the God of War of Dragon Country. I thought he was very powerful, but now he seems utterly stupid!"
Bronnie, at this moment, even opened a bottle of champagne, as if celebrating victory in advance. He took a small sip and smiled, "There's a saying that goes, 'Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.' Let them attack wildly. Once we've eliminated most of them, we'll launch a counter-offensive and annihilate them in one fell swoop!"
"Come, to celebrate the impending victory, let's have a small toast first!"
Commander Bronnie laughed heartily and raised his wine glass. The many generals also picked up their glasses from the trays brought by their subordinates, and then everyone clinked glasses and drank them down. The entire command tent camp was filled with joyful and excited laughter.
However, at that moment, a general ran in in a panic.
"Bad news, Commander! The first and second positions have fallen! The first highland defense line has been captured and occupied by the enemy!" the general shouted.
The previously cheerful and joyful atmosphere in the tent instantly froze. The generals present were stunned. Bronnie rolled his big blue eyes and said blankly, "The first highland defense line has been taken by the enemy? What kind of joke is this!"
"I'm not joking, Commander. How could such a thing be a joke? The northern and western mountain peaks have fallen, and our first defense line has been breached by the enemy. They are currently assaulting the second defense line!" said the dust-covered general.
"This... what in the world is going on? We clearly occupied advantageous terrain and had various defensive fortifications. How could they be breached by the enemy? How is this possible?"
Bronnie roared, still holding his wine glass with unfinished red wine in it.
Just as the dust-covered general was about to speak, another disheveled general rushed in again in a panic, shouting, "Bad news, Commander! Mountain peaks three and four have been captured by the enemy! Our second defense line has been torn apart by them, and the enemy is now charging towards the third defense line!"
*Crack...*
Bronnie angrily smashed the stemmed crystal glass in his hand onto the ground and roared, "Who can tell me what in the world is going on? What is going on?"
The generals present looked at each other without speaking. An uneasy and restless atmosphere had already permeated the tent.
This time, they had set up a total of four defense lines in the Tianzang Mountain range. However, in less than half an hour, the enemy had successively broken through the first two. At this rate, the third defense line would likely not hold for long either.
And if the first three defense lines were breached, the command center stationed at the fourth defense line would undoubtedly be isolated and completely surrounded and locked down by the enemy.
"There's no reason for it. Even the most elite and powerful troops in the world couldn't break through my two defense lines from the front so quickly. What's really going on?"
Bronnie roared, his demeanor suggesting he still found it hard to believe, or perhaps dared not believe it was true.
"The enemy did not break through our defense lines from the front. It turns out they had two elite units that secretly ascended the mountain beforehand, coordinating with their frontal assault, catching us completely off guard. That's how the first two defense lines were lost!" explained two generals.
"Damn it, are you all pigs? The enemy's two elite units secretly ascended the mountain, and you didn't detect anything?" Bronnie cursed.
"We also didn't expect there to be ancient paths in the depths of the back mountain that lead to the summit. Besides, the enemy used heavy bombardment as cover last night, so we couldn't detect anything!"
The two generals looked wronged, but Bronnie immediately kicked them to the ground, "Still trying to make excuses? As the main generals of the first and second defense lines, you should bear full responsibility for the loss of the front lines!"
A general stepped forward and said, "Commander, the situation is critical now. This is not the time to discuss this. It seems the third defense line won't hold for much longer either. We should think about what to do next!"
"What else can we do? Immediately contract the defense lines and pull all our forces back to the fourth defense line. No matter what, we must hold this last defense line!" Bronnie gritted his teeth and snorted coldly.
"But Commander, even if we all retreat, the fourth line is still too thin. It's completely isolated and helpless. In this situation, it won't last long either. I fear that before dawn, the enemy will break through and tear apart our last defense line and rush into the command center!" said a general with great worry.
Bronnie snorted, "Do you have any better suggestions besides this?"
The general was instantly speechless, standing there dumbfounded. Indeed, contracting the defense lines was the best course of action.
"Why are you all still standing there? Immediately contract the defense lines and retreat all your forces back to the fourth defense line!" Bronnie issued the order.
The generals present immediately sprang into action, leaving the tent one after another.
Bronnie furrowed his brow, then suddenly beckoned his adjutant over and whispered, "You immediately go and summon my five thousand personal guards to the valley west of the command center. Have them wait there and await my command at any time!"
"Commander, you mean..." the adjutant asked blankly.
Bronnie's face was ashen as he snorted, "Don't you understand? If this situation continues, this last defense line will be broken before dawn. We won't be able to hold it, so we must prepare a retreat route in advance. Those five thousand personal guards are our last hope. Once the situation turns unfavorable, we will break out forcefully from the west!"
"Understood, Commander. I'll go do it now!" the adjutant nodded.
"Remember, absolutely do not let the other generals know in advance, otherwise it will shake the morale of the troops!" Bronnie said.
"Don't worry, Commander. Your subordinate knows what to do!" the adjutant replied and turned to leave the tent.
Bronnie slumped into his chair, sighing, "The Town North King of Dragon Country is indeed formidable. This expedition is a complete failure!"
The offensive continued madly. Without incident, the third defense line was soon breached and torn apart. Then, under Xiao Yunlong's order, the army launched an assault on the fourth and final defense line.
The more than two hundred thousand troops surged like a tide. At this moment, the enemy's morale was low, and their combat effectiveness was greatly diminished. As soon as they engaged, they were in full retreat.
As the eastern sky began to show the first light of dawn, the army finally breached the enemy's fourth defense line and ascended the mountain. At this point, the enemy's main command center was already in sight.
Inside the main command tent, Bronnie was frantically burning important documents, then hurriedly rushed out of the tent and headed towards the western valley.
"Hurry up! If the enemy's vanguard catches up, it'll be too late!"
Bronnie's face was pale, and even his lips were trembling. At this moment, he had lost all semblance of a commander's authority.
The adjutant inwardly disdained him, but still supported him, leading a few trusted followers in a hasty escape towards the nearby western valley.
From behind, the sounds of artillery fire and fighting could be heard intermittently. Finally, Bronnie reached the valley and saw his personal guards, who had been prepared there in advance.
"Excellent, you're all here. Captain of the Guards, receive my order! Immediately take your men, and we will break out from the west. The enemy forces to the west are the weakest. While they haven't noticed this area yet, we will surely be able to break out successfully!" Bronnie directly issued the order.
If these were not his personal guards, such an act of desertion by the commander would have been scorned by the soldiers.
The captain of the guards nodded, then waved his hand, and the five thousand elite guards began to break out.
However, just as they were about to move, dense formations of soldiers suddenly appeared on both sides of the valley. A valiant female general stood on higher ground, sneering, "Bronnie, do you really think you can escape?"
This female general was none other than the Vermilion Bird General, Nangong Qingzhu. The soldiers who suddenly appeared were the Dragon Blood Guards, Xiao Yunlong's most elite troops.
"This is... the Dragon Blood Guards, the most powerful in the northern border of Dragon Country? It's completely over now!" Bronnie's face turned ashen, his mouth dry, and his legs suddenly went weak, almost collapsing to the ground.