Upon arriving at the [Hall of Heroes], Zhou Yan surveyed his territory. He felt he had no urgent need for specific talents, yet at the same time, he felt a severe shortage in all aspects.
After some thought, Zhou Yan decided it was time to equip each legion with a strategist to further enhance their combat effectiveness.
Thus, Zhou Yan began to use the Hero Summoning Token to summon strategists.
The [Hall of Heroes] announced: "Using the Hero Summoning Token, a strategist talent has been summoned, Guo Jia!"
"It's Guo Jia!" Zhou Yan was extremely surprised.
He was the most brilliant strategist in the Three Kingdoms era, renowned as 'If Guo Jia lived, Wolong would not emerge.'
If Cao Cao hadn't relied on Guo Jia in his early days, it would have been difficult for him to establish such a vast empire. It was also because of Guo Jia's early demise that the entire Wei kingdom took many years to unify the chaotic Three Kingdoms.
A refined young man walked up to Zhou Yan and said, "Guo Jia pays his respects to the Lord."
"Mm," Zhou Yan nodded, very pleased.
As for who was superior in strategy between Guo Jia and Zhang Liang?
In truth, top strategists were all on par. It primarily depended on the timing, the terrain, the support of the people, the strength of the soldiers, the commander's ability, and rational allocation.
No one dared to claim a hundred percent certainty of victory over another. Even a strategist of a lower tier should not be underestimated; they all possessed their unique strengths.
Zhou Yan, after leveling up Guo Jia to the maximum, said to him, "I'll take you for a job change. After the job change, we'll find Zhang Liang. You can then serve as Zhao Yun's strategist."
A top commander paired with a top strategist was undoubtedly a powerful alliance.
Although Bai Qi was the territory's foremost marshal, he and Guo Jia were not a perfect match. If a cunning and ruthless schemer like Sima Yi, Jia Xu, or Li Ru had been summoned, they would have been highly suitable for Bai Qi.
But Guo Jia was not that type. He was a prodigy with a grand vision. If he hadn't died early, perhaps Zhuge Liang and others might not have become as famous.
Zhou Yan felt that using Soul Coins to summon heroes was a waste and that it was more appropriate to purchase more Hero Summoning Tokens. After all, anything that could be bought with Spirit Coins was not a concern.
Once that matter was concluded, Zhou Yan left the territory. However, during his class, Zhang Liang sent a message to Zhou Yan, stating that armies had once again gathered from several directions and were heading towards the territory.
Moreover, Zhang Liang mentioned that the assembled army was larger this time, numbering at least two hundred thousand.
"Two hundred thousand troops, hah. This is good. Are they planning to wipe out my territory in one go?" Zhou Yan chuckled instead of showing fear.
"This is a good opportunity. It's an excellent chance for training troops, so we mustn't waste it. You handle it as you see fit; I still have class." After giving his instructions, Zhou Yan paid no further attention.
If it were any other lord, upon learning that two hundred thousand troops were marching towards their territory, they would be worried, even terrified.
But Zhou Yan remained nonchalant, as if these two hundred thousand men posed no threat whatsoever.
In fact, the situation did not significantly impact them.
While two hundred thousand troops were indeed a large number, Zhou Yan's territory had more than three hundred thousand soldiers. Even if ten thousand [Guanghan Fairies] were excluded, there were still over two hundred thousand soldiers remaining.
With comparable numbers, Zhou Yan had no reason to worry. He even saw it as a valuable training opportunity.
Zhang Liang had anticipated Zhou Yan's response. He was merely reporting as per his duty.
Upon hearing Zhou Yan's words, Zhang Liang knew what he needed to do.
He would ensure that this battle resulted in a satisfactory outcome for the lord.
Zhang Liang first convened all the armies outside and ordered them to assemble.
The generals of the various legions seemed to be aware that a great battle was imminent, and each of them appeared excited and eager to showcase their abilities.
An hour later, all the troops had converged at Bai Qi's location. The commanders of the territory's twelve legions were all present.
Chen Qingzhi, commander of the [White Robe Ghost Army]; Gao Shun, commander of the [Camp of Assault]; Xie Xuan, commander of the [Northern Army]; Grelu, commander of the [Orc Warriors]; Longshan, commander of the [Ten Thousand Demon Soldiers]; Meng Ao, commander of the [Great Qin Black Armored Army]; Zhao Yun, commander of the [Wudang Flying Army]; Wei Qing, commander of the [Tiger Leopard Cavalry]; Qin Qiong, commander of the [Tiance Black Armored Army]; King Qin Guang, commander of the [Underworld Ghost Soldiers]; Owen Lars, commander of the [Spartan Heavy Infantry]; Huo Qubing, commander of the [Great Han Cavalry].
Twelve legion commanders, each legion with approximately twenty thousand men, totaling over two hundred thousand, had all arrived.
Bai Qi looked at his soldiers and declared, "Our enemy numbers two hundred thousand. They intend to attack our territory. Our only objective is: Kill!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!!"
The soldiers' roars shook the heavens, as if capable of shattering the world.
The morale of the soldiers within the territory soared, and a powerful aura of killing intent emanated from each of them.
Bai Qi then gave the order to march. It was rare for so many legions from the territory to mobilize together.
The reason for this war was simple: competition for resources. They had previously eliminated the enemy's vanguard, leading to this larger-scale deployment.
Two hundred thousand troops were not a small force, but this enemy army was not from a single territory; it was a joint operation by multiple factions.
The enemy had launched attacks from various territories, forming a vast army that was now advancing towards the territory. Zhou Yan's sole response was to annihilate them completely.
However, this enemy was not as easy to deal with as the last. They carried many special war machines, possessed diverse troop types, and even included armored cavalry.
But Zhou Yan's territory also had heavy cavalry, and they were not afraid of the enemy's heavy cavalry. Moreover, Zhou Yan's heavy cavalry were no ordinary soldiers; they were a formidable force.
"March!" Bai Qi, riding his now-grown Qiongqi, headed in the direction from which the enemy was coming.
This was to be a massive battle, involving hundreds of thousands of troops. There were no strategic choke points to defend, only dense forests.
The quality of the enemy soldiers was much lower than that of Zhou Yan's forces, but their individual cultivation realms were likely higher.
However, Zhou Yan's soldiers were better equipped, possessed more skills, and the commanders leading them were superior.
A reconnaissance aircraft, flying too close to the enemy, was sensed by one of the enemy's generals. It was directly bitten and destroyed by an enemy flying beast.
This indicated that the enemy had indeed dispatched powerful experts this time.
Zhang Liang also sensed that the outcome of this great battle was uncertain, but he was not worried about defeat. Even if all the soldiers were to perish, the territory could resurrect them.
However, such an event was highly unlikely.
Figures like Li Chungang and Zhao Xuansu were considered trump cards. Such individuals would naturally not be deployed unless absolutely necessary.