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For eight hours, Durandal fiercely battled alongside the frontline troops.
Only when nearly half of the elite force was decimated, and those remaining showed signs of exhaustion, did she finally issue orders to retreat.
The reserved long-range weaponry provided cover as soldiers, carrying severely wounded comrades and retrieving fallen bodies, slowly withdrew from the blood-soaked lakebed.
With her disfigured left arm immobilized to stem blood flow, Durandal wielded her sword in her right hand, passing Kiana en route.
"Hold out until dawn."
"Yes, ma'am!" Kiana saluted with a confident smile.
At that moment, skilled warriors from the central army emerged amidst the battered retreating soldiers, approaching from all directions.
These experts carried themselves with pride; after all, they were renowned heroes accustomed to feats of greatness. Each possessed commendable abilities, naturally fostering an air of superiority.
However, as these battered soldiers—some dragging broken swords, others carrying severely wounded comrades or even deceased ones on their backs—passed by with stoic expressions, an unspoken sense of solemn respect and awe emerged among the assembled heroes.
The widely known saying—"Recruits, recruits, no man worth his salt enlists"—may have been mistaken. Or perhaps, it was simply that times had changed?
Amidst this subtle shift in mood, Kiana raised her arm high.
"Stick to the original assignments: ten members per team, ten teams per battalion. Maintain separate units for the vanguard and reserves. Engage if capable; retreat when injured or exhausted, rotating continuously... Remember, you don't need to give your lives here. Our goal is to contain Huo Dou, preventing its escape and allowing it no respite!"
Without waiting for acknowledgment from the central army's heroes, Kiana seized the momentary pause in long-range bombardment and charged forward immediately after her speech concluded.
Huo Dou bore numerous wounds, yet many were slowly healing. It was impossible to gauge how much blood it had lost, but its vitality seemed boundless. Still formidable, it spewed scorching sparks angrily as it lunged towards the swiftly approaching Kiana.
"BOOM!!"
Kiana flew backward nearly a hundred meters, her feet skidding across the ground, leaving deep tracks behind. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, yet her eyes blazed with intense determination.
"General, are you all right?"
"I'm fine. I picked up a few moves from an immortal—just scratching the surface, but they're quite handy! Keep at it; this beast still has plenty of fight left!"
The battle between the central army and Huo Dou presented a stark contrast to that of the frontline forces.
The frontliners were highly disciplined elite soldiers with seamless coordination. They could swarm around Huo Dou, maintaining relentless pressure while systematically rotating positions and evacuating wounded comrades without missing a beat. For eight continuous hours, their assault never wavered in intensity, steadily encircling and whittling down their foe.
In contrast, the central army comprised disorganized jianghu heroes. While individually more formidable, demanding them to avoid accidental harm or hinder each other's movements amidst such dense combat was asking too much. Consequently, the central army's frontline fighters spread out thinly, prioritizing not impeding their allies, resulting in a notably weaker overall attack against Huo Dou.
Durandal sat on the edge of the dried-up lake, observing the situation below. Beside her knelt a weary female medic, frantically tending to Durandal's wounds and her severely damaged left arm, which seemed almost beyond salvage.
"Don't rush. Focus on injuries that might impair my ability to continue fighting. As for my hand, bandaging it now won't help much, and amputation would only decrease my combat effectiveness. Let's leave it be."
"Yes ma'am!"
With Durandal's soothing, albeit hoarse voice, the medic hastily wiped away her tears and snot, resuming her work on the heavily wounded body.
Durandal smiled faintly before turning her gaze towards the battlefield, her expression gradually becoming solemn.
'The frontline troops cannot continue; their physical strength and morale have reached their limits. Pushing them further will render these brothers permanently unfit for battle... We can't rely on the central army to exhaust Huo Dou either. They are not soldiers, and we shouldn't ask them to risk their lives recklessly. Our hope lies with the rear forces, despite their lower individual capabilities but greater numbers. But how many more brothers must perish?'
'Huo Dou is far superior to the previous two xenobeasts.'
'Fortunately, it emerged now rather than during the late emperor's reign.'
'However, the biggest issue is...'
A deputy rushed over from afar, handing Durandal a Long-Distance Communication Talisman.
"Guanxing-sama, this is Durandal."
"I heard you. Do you need assistance? If cost is no concern, I could strike another blow!"
"No, maintaining control over Huo Dou is crucial for its defeat. Without that suppression, our efforts would be futile. Guanxing-sama, how long can your side sustain this control?"
From Zhuge Kongming's end, there was a brief silence.
Durandal furrowed her brow, patiently waiting. After a moment, she heard Zhuge Kongming sigh:
"Sigh! Huo Dou's power far surpasses the previous two xenobeasts; maintaining the Mountain-River Formation is draining resources beyond my initial estimates. Among the three thousand mages, some have already succumbed to exhaustion and fallen. The pressure on our side will only increase from here. I cannot predict how long we can hold out."
"I understand. The rear forces must prepare for their final assault, launching at dawn. Guanxing-sama, please endure one more day for Huang Country—can you manage it?"
"Of course!" Durandal's calm and resolute tone elicited an equally determined response from Zhuge Kongming.
To defeat the xenobeast, they relied on the strategy of attrition. With an endless sea of soldiers, even if five or six perished just to land a single blow, the relentless surge of millions would gradually wear down the xenobeast. Combined with key interventions by powerful individuals, this approach could slowly deplete its vitality. However, such a tactic undoubtedly required significant time. Given Huo Dou's current vigor without any signs of weakening, Durandal had no confidence that the battle could be resolved within a single day.
Similarly, each mage falling meant increased burden on those remaining, accelerating the depletion of the mage corps. To maintain the Mountain-River Formation continuously for a day, suppressing the xenobeast's extreme Yang energy, Zhuge Kongming also lacked certainty.
Nevertheless, both Durandal and Zhuge Kongming knew they had to succeed, even if it cost them their lives.
"The maximum mobilization of 120,000 troops is already en route. The conscription order attracted not only martial artists but also some hidden experts from the Profound Gate sects, which should help prolong the Mountain-River Formation's stability... However, everything that could be done has been done. Now, all we can do is wait."
Rita leaned over the dynamic sand table, her bloodshot eyes intently scanning every detail on the map. After a long moment, she pursed her dry lips, shifting her weight onto her hands and lowering her head, exhausted.
A cup of water was offered to her.
"Drink this; it will replenish your strength," Zeke said softly, his voice carrying a rare note of comforting warmth.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Rita accepted the cup, tilted her head back, and drank. A faint sweetness touched her tongue, bringing a slight sense of relief to her weary body.