The alien races had no shortage of spies and scouts. Their means of gathering and transmitting intelligence were unique and effective.
When the Vermillion Bird Legion swore its oath and set off on its expedition, the alien tribes had already received the information. Of course, this was because Yi Tianxing had no intention of hiding the deployment. He had deliberately made it easy for the information to reach the enemy—a show of force laid bare.
A righteous and overwhelming display of power.
Anyone with access to the reports could easily deduce the formidable strength of the Vermillion Bird Legion. Each soldier was a seasoned elite, and when such individuals came together as a unit, their combined combat strength increased exponentially. This wasn't some ragtag militia—it was a fully trained and highly disciplined regular army. Their coordination and teamwork only served to magnify their power.
A ratman warrior who had personally experienced the orc tribe's siege on Xuanhuang City understood all too well the terrifying combat strength of the human race.
Facing a fully organized army of 200,000, all he felt was dread.
If that army came crushing down on them, he wasn't sure if his tribe would be able to withstand the impact.
"Yes, the humans are here this time to expand their territory. Once an immortal city is established in the area, the power it emits will radiate for hundreds of miles. That will suppress us all. But if we want to stop them, facing them head-on—no one can be certain of winning, let alone driving them back."The werewolf warrior shook his head as he spoke.
The werewolves were ferocious and brave, but they could still recognize a superior foe.
After several clashes with Xuanhuang City, none of the tribes or clans had ever come out victorious. Not once had they even managed to gain the upper hand. Repeated defeats had severely dampened their morale. Deep down, a silent dread of Xuanhuang City and the Great Yi Dynasty had begun to grow.
"No matter what, we can't just let the humans get what they want. Otherwise, they'll think our tribes are easy to push around."A snake demon sneered coldly.
His triangular eyes gleamed with chilling malice.
The snake demon tribe, true to their serpentine nature, were cruel and vicious. Assassins of the dark, they inherited the venomous bloodline of snakes and thrived in grim, harsh environments. Their survival ability was formidable, and they preferred to live in the shadows.
They absolutely didn't want humans settling near their domain—much less ruling over it. That would spell disaster for their tribe.
"So what now? How do you stop an army of 200,000 Vermillion Bird troops? From the intelligence we've gathered, they're fully outfitted in elite armor, and it's all standard issue. My kobold tribe isn't about to take them head-on. That's suicide. If anyone wants to go die, be my guest."The ratman chieftain jeered.
Clearly, he was just as frightened of the human army.
"What about the elves? What's your position?"The two-headed ogre turned to look at the elven representative—a female elf in a flowing green dress. Her entire being radiated a pure, natural aura, and her beauty was mesmerizing, gentle, and brimming with the essence of nature.
She was Princess Anerya from a nearby elven tribe.
Hearing the question, she replied softly,"We elves revere nature. The wilderness is our home. We hold no grudge against the human race, nor have we ever clashed with them. If their immortal city brings order to a region, as long as they do not interfere with our forests, we have no wish to fight them or escalate unnecessary hatred."
Her voice was lovely, clear like the sound of a mountain spring, soothing and pleasant. It evoked the feeling of being immersed in nature.
That was the unique charisma of the elven race.
With her words, she clearly expressed that the elves had no intention of getting directly involved in this conflict. The forests were their sacred homeland, and that would not change for anyone.
"If you elves don't want to interfere, you'd better stay far away from the humans. Otherwise, don't blame us if things turn ugly."The werewolf growled, a glint of menace in his eyes.
It seemed the elves couldn't be relied upon, but at least they shouldn't be allowed to side with the humans either. Remaining neutral was the best outcome.
Anerya remained silent at that, offering no rebuttal. She had no intention of helping either side—getting involved would only invite disaster.
"Hmph. Since no one here has any ideas, let's bring in someone who understands humans. Someone who knows their ways and can advise us."The two-headed ogre sneered."Mr. Fan, come meet everyone."
As he spoke, he turned to the inner chamber of the tent.
A curtain lifted, and a man stepped out.
He was a middle-aged scholar dressed in traditional robes, his face pale and gaunt. Upon stepping forward, he immediately knelt before the ogre with unwavering submission.
"Your humble servant Fan Wencheng greets the Chief."His prostration was performed without hesitation, smooth and practiced—there wasn't even a shred of resistance.
"Greetings to all the chieftains."Fan Wencheng bowed again to the others present.
"A human? You actually made a human your subordinate? Aren't you worried he'll stab you in the back?"The snake demon leader narrowed his eyes, half smiling, half threatening.
They had slain countless humans and feasted on their flesh. None among them fully trusted humans—any sign of betrayal, and they'd kill without hesitation.
Especially now, with the rise of the Great Yi Dynasty, no one wanted to risk having some turncoat human stabbing them while their back was turned.
"Yeah, you keep humans here as livestock, eating them daily—gods know how many corpses are buried outside your camp. And you still dare to employ a human? You must have a death wish."The ratman leader sneered.
This was no laughing matter.
One misstep could lead to disaster.
Even the elven princess gave Fan Wencheng a curious look.
Humans were truly strange: some were noble and unyielding, others were cowardly and weak, some were greedy, and some bloodthirsty. The most diverse and unpredictable of all species.
This Fan Wencheng had knelt without hesitation—clearly, he was a man who feared death above all else.
"Don't worry. Mr. Fan is one of us now. He's eaten human flesh and drunk heart-and-liver soup. More importantly, I gave him a blood crystal I obtained long ago. He's no longer human—he's a vampire. A true bloodkin. He drinks human blood every day. He's one of us."The two-headed ogre laughed heartily.
He looked at Fan Wencheng with admiration."Mr. Fan is highly intelligent and knows humans better than anyone. He's the perfect strategist."
"Gentlemen, I am now bloodkin—no longer a lowly human. I possess the noble bloodline of the vampires. We share a common enemy... the human race."Fan Wencheng smiled, his pale face devoid of color, yet oddly attractive in a haunting way. The bloodkin were among the most elegant-looking races.
He had eaten human flesh, drunk human blood, and now carried the bloodline of a vampire. He was no longer a human—he was something new.
Yet his experience among the humans had not vanished.
Those memories were knowledge—accumulated wisdom.
Whatever he had once been, he was now the enemy of humanity.
"A human traitor, huh? You don't even see yourself as human anymore. Not bad. Being a human traitor has a bright future ahead."The kobold leader laughed mockingly.
But the look he gave Fan Wencheng was full of scorn.
Hearing the words "human traitor," Fan Wencheng's expression froze for a moment but quickly returned to normal. After all, he was no longer human—there was no need to cling to the past.
"Gentlemen, if you want to stop the Great Yi's expansion, facing them head-on is unwise. A direct clash with a well-trained army like the Vermillion Bird Legion is a losing battle. But… why not approach the problem from a different angle?"Fan Wencheng's eyes gleamed dangerously.
"A different angle? What do you mean?"The werewolf chieftain frowned.
"Why must we clash head-on with them? Our goal is to halt their advance—not destroy them outright. There are many ways to achieve this. Sometimes, going around an obstacle is more effective than confronting it directly."
Fan Wencheng explained, eyes shining.
"Go on, pretty boy. Tell us more!"The ratman leader's eyes lit up.
"It's simple. We can use other means to hinder the humans—delay or even cripple their advance. For example, what if a massive swamp suddenly appeared in their path? Or what if they were blocked by waves of lethal poison? Or what if we ambushed them in secret and crippled their forces before they even engaged in battle?"
"Humans are complex creatures, easily swayed by their emotions and desires. If we exploit their weaknesses, we could dismantle their army from within. Even the strongest force is no match for calamity."Fan Wencheng spoke confidently.
His deep understanding of humans—especially human nature—was his sharpest weapon. Human downfall rarely came from external enemies. More often, it came from internal collapse.
The human heart—so easily influenced—was their greatest vulnerability.