"General Geng, this place is called Donggong, a city built by the Immortal Lord when he resided in Dongyao!"
"That's too far!"
Geng Yan looked at the map. The marching route was incredibly long. However, traveling from Dongyun City to Donggong meant crossing the entire territory of the Azure Dragon Hall. To lure the White Tiger Pavilion and the Fallen Immortal Dynasty's armies, who were entrenched in the Vermilion Bird Hall's territory, was no easy feat.
"Should we abandon the enemies within the Vermilion Bird Hall, or should we pacify the Azure Dragon Hall first!"
Geng Yan felt a pang of regret, seeing a great opportunity to enter the Vermilion Bird Hall slip away. But he quickly regained his confidence. If the Azure Dragon Hall could be swiftly subdued, entering the Vermilion Bird Hall afterward would not be too late.
"That is acceptable. General Geng, please look. This location is an important northern city of the Azure Dragon Palace. It is only a single Daozhou away from the stationed army of three million soldiers. If we capture this important northern city, we will only be less than three Daozhou away from the northern gate of the Azure Dragon Palace!"
Deng Qiang pointed at the map and said.
"A million soldiers stationed here!"
"An important northern city!"
"The northern gate!"
"The ancestral land of the Azure Dragon Palace!"
Geng Yan examined the distribution carefully. After about half an hour, he spoke, "The Azure Dragon Palace does not resemble a dynasty's reign; its armies gather very slowly. Thus, we can swiftly launch a fierce attack on the location where these three million soldiers are stationed!"
"Generals, please look!"
Geng Yan pointed at the map and said, "General Deng Qiang will lead an army to attack from the left, General Zhang Hao will command an army to fiercely assault from the right, and I will lead the central army straight to the front, leaving only a single retreat route in the rear!"
"With our three armies attacking in unison, if these three million soldiers are defeated, they can only retreat to the rear. Think, where can these routed troops go after their retreat?"
"They can only flee to this important northern city!"
Zhang Hao exclaimed, seemingly guessing something.
"Precisely! They can only escape to this important northern city. Along the way, the entire Daozhou region will be affected by the fleeing defeated army. Not only will the populace be terrified, but the disciples of the Azure Dragon Palace in numerous cities along the route will also be greatly alarmed, and they will flee south in droves!"
"As we advance, this news will only escalate, and by the time they reach this important northern city, they will likely portray us as terrifying as heavenly soldiers and generals, unstoppable!"
"With unstable morale and terrified populace, we can then advance southward, swiftly occupy this important city, and shake the northern gate of the Azure Dragon Palace!"
Geng Yan said with a smile, his eyes fixed on the northern gate of the Azure Dragon Palace.
"What is the General's next move?"
Deng Qiang picked up a cup of spiritual tea from his side, listening intently to Geng Yan's strategy. Within a few sentences from Geng Yan, the situation of the Azure Dragon Palace became clear, and it could be quickly annihilated.
"Further down?"
Geng Yan raised his head, glanced at Deng Qiang and Zhang Hao, and smiled gently, "Further down, the Palace Master of the Azure Dragon Palace will surely be alarmed. On one hand, he will transfer over a million soldiers stationed in the ancestral land of the Azure Dragon Palace to garrison the northern gate! On the other hand, he will continue to gather troops!"
"We only need to spread the word that we are about to lead a five-million-strong army to attack the northern gate. What do you think they will do?"
"What will they do?"
Zhang Hao's brow furrowed, "They will definitely send reinforcements!"
"Indeed!"
Geng Yan said, "The Azure Dragon Palace will definitely send reinforcements. And when the three million soldiers are routed and flee south, General Deng Qiang and General Zhang Hao, you will lead one million soldiers, disguised as refugees, and blend into the southward fleeing torrent. In the south of the northern gate, precisely on the inevitable route from the ancestral land of the Azure Dragon Palace to the northern gate, you will ambush the reinforcements!"
"If the commander of the reinforcement army is killed, and his head is displayed at the northern gate, do you think this northern gate will still need to be attacked? Once the reinforcement commander's head appears, the troops garrisoned at the northern gate will surely panic, and the city will fall without a fight!"
"By then, our two armies will merge. One will push south, directly threatening the ancestral land of the Azure Dragon Palace, while the other will pursue the routed and demoralized Azure Dragon Palace, whose morale is shattered and spirits are low. How can they resist our King's Army!"
"At that time, the Azure Dragon Palace can be destroyed in one battle!"
"With over a hundred Daozhou regions of the Azure Dragon Palace entering our Great Han territory, we can then turn our attention to the Vermilion Bird Hall!"
"Perhaps by then, formidable heroes will have emerged, and the credit for advancing into the Vermilion Bird Hall and defeating the allied forces of the White Tiger Pavilion and the Fallen Immortal Dynasty will not fall upon the three of us!"
"Hahaha!"
...
"Supreme Elder!"
On the border of the Azure Dragon Palace, at the location where three million soldiers were stationed.
An old man entered the command tent and bowed respectfully to the white-browed old man seated in the center.
"Hmm?"
The white-browed old man raised his eyes and said in a deep voice, "It's Jian Cheng. Why have you come north?"
"Reporting to the Supreme Elder, the White Tiger Pavilion and the Fallen Immortal Dynasty have joined forces and fought a great battle in the Vermilion Bird Hall, achieving significant merit and occupying many Daozhou regions. The Palace Master is enraged and has ordered us to accelerate our northward advance, lest we fall behind the White Tiger Pavilion and the Fallen Immortal Dynasty. Thus, he has sent me to assist the Supreme Elder!"
Jian Cheng said with a slight smile.
"Hehehe, it's not that simple. I have heard that the Human Realm and the Great Yin Immortal Dynasty have joined forces, repelled the White Tiger Pavilion and the Fallen Immortal Dynasty, and the Palace Master is making things difficult for this old man!"
The white-browed old man's expression darkened.
"Supreme Elder, you exaggerate. This northward advance is a great contribution. If the Yun Clan Immortal Dynasty is destroyed first, then the four great families of the Jiang Zuo region will surely reward you. If you can then enter the Central Province and cultivate for millions of years, perhaps you, Supreme Elder, will receive guidance from the Profound Venerable of Creation and step into the realm of Supreme Profound Venerable. It is not impossible!"
Jian Cheng said with a smiling face.
"Hmph, in this palace, you have the sweetest tongue!"
"Fine! Fine!"
"Since you are here, this old man has been idle in this tent for the past few days. After pressing the army forward for several days, there must be a resolution!"
"Drill the army. We will attack Dongyun City in three days!"
The white-browed old man glanced at Jian Cheng, then gave the order.
"Got it!"
"Supreme Elder, rest assured. In three days, I will surely forge a different army, one that can sweep through the Yun Clan and their ilk, isn't that simple!"
Jian Cheng was overjoyed.
"Having a goal is good, but we must not underestimate the enemy. The position I hold as the Supreme Elder of the Azure Dragon Palace was not obtained through arrogance and complacency!"
The white-browed old man's eyes flashed with divine light.
"Yes, yes! Jian Cheng obeys your teachings!"
"This is a cultivation method I brought from the palace that can lead to the Profound Venerable of Creation. I heard that a disciple from the sect obtained it from the battlefield of the Undying City!"