This battle… could very well be a journey of no return.
Today's soldiers were no longer without attachments. Many were already married, with wives and children. These three days were granted to them as a final farewell. Once they left, it would either be to perish on the battlefield or return victorious. Regardless, they had to prepare for the worst. This wasn't pessimism—it was merely precaution. One must always calculate with the worst-case scenario in mind.
Preparing for the worst was never wrong.
After these farewells, they would cast aside thoughts of life and death, turning their emotions into their greatest source of strength.
"Yes, Your Majesty!!"Cao Zhengchun answered with a firm nod and immediately went to proclaim the imperial edict.
"Dear husband, this decree is meant to protect the citizens of Great Yi," said Cai Yan softly. "But how many troops do you intend to bring into the battlefield this time?"
Yi Tianxing replied, "Of the six main legions, I intend to bring five into the Divine-Demon Battlefield, leaving only the Hundred Flowers Legion behind. If we fight, we fight with full strength. I will not allow the Human Race—or the prestige of Great Yi—to be diminished. One million elite soldiers. I want to see if even the Divine-Demon Battlefield can bury such a force!"
His eyes flashed with a fierce light as he gazed toward the void where the Divine-Demon Gate loomed.
The Great Yi Dynasty was founded on the people of the Human Race. This battlefield was not one that ordinary civilians could join. Even though many were cultivators, and some had even reached the Life Aperture Realm, stepping onto the battlefield would still carry a 90% chance of death. Great Yi was one unified entity.
The battlefield would be faced by the army first. When the soldiers fell, bounty hunters would follow. When even they perished, then and only then would it be up to the citizens themselves to fight for survival. But that time had not yet come.
Time passed quietly, and the three days went by in a flash.
In those three days, countless soldiers returned from leave.
On this day, outside the military camp, squads of soldiers marched in perfect formation. Outside the city, Yi Tianxing stood proudly atop the Command Platform, surrounded by his ministers on both sides.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
With the thunder of footsteps, legions arrived one after another.
"Your Majesty, the Vermillion Bird Legion is fully assembled. two-hundred thousand soldiers, two-hundred thousand present. Awaiting your inspection!"Yang Ye stepped out from his formation and saluted.
The Vermillion Bird Legion stood resplendent in crimson armor, exuding a blazing aura like a compressed volcano ready to erupt. Each soldier was a torrent of destruction.
Today, the minimum strength of a Vermillion Bird soldier was third-tier Sky Soldier, i.e., late Divine Sea Realm. Some had reached the Life Aperture Realm, becoming fourth-tier or even fifth-tier Sky Soldiers. Gathered together, their pressure was terrifying.
"That's the Vermillion Bird Legion. They've fought in countless battles. I heard that during Great Yi's early expansion, an ogre tribe tried to use human captives to stall us. The Vermillion Bird Legion stormed in and slaughtered tens of thousands of ogres in a sea of blood."
"I also heard they brought back all those ogre corpses and sacrificed them to the Iron-Blood Great Wall, making it grow significantly."
Around them, civilians whispered in awe.
The Vermillion Bird Legion was the shield of Great Yi, known across the wilds for its deadly victories.
"General Qi Jiguang reporting! The Azure Dragon Legion is fully assembled. Two-hundred thousand soldiers, all present. Requesting inspection!"Dressed in blue armor, Qi Jiguang stepped forward.
Behind him, soldiers wore Azure Dragon Battle Armor, forged by dwarf artisans and imbued with rune-based enchantments. When activated, it projected a Wind Shield, boosting both defense and agility. The armor also had healing properties, aiding recovery during battle.
"That's the Azure Dragon Legion. At first, no one knew what they were good at, but they've made a name for themselves in this last campaign. When the werewolves unleashed hordes of dire wolves, the Azure Dragon Legion skewered them with spear formations, turning the battlefield into a blood-soaked grave."
"They say General Qi exposed trap after trap laid by enemy tribes. Three battles, three victories—an unstoppable force!"
In this age of chaos, powerful armies were the people's hope—their true guardians.
More legions arrived in turn.
"Look! It's General Zhang Fei's Demon-Breaking Legion. I heard that when a herd of wild bulls charged the formation, one roar from General Zhang made the beasts flee in terror, some even dropping dead from fright! He's like a god of war!"
"Over there, it's the War Tiger Legion, led by General Wang Dahu—one of the earliest followers of the King from Xuanyuan City."
"And there's the Snow Rabbit Cavalry, led by General Xue Kunlun—our strongest cavalry unit! Those Scorpion Warhorses are magnificent!"
Each legion had its own unique armor, customized and powerful. All five legions stood now—one million elite soldiers, upright and disciplined.
A million eyes turned toward Yi Tianxing, gazing at him with fanatic devotion—the reverence reserved for legends. To these soldiers, Yi Tianxing was a myth, a god, their spiritual anchor.
He looked to the sky, toward the Divine-Demon Gate, its looming presence pressing down on the world like an invisible weight.
"Soldiers!"Yi Tianxing's voice echoed across the field. "Today, we march to the Divine-Demon Battlefield to fight for the honor of our Human Race! You are warriors who've survived seas of blood and mountains of corpses. I have nothing more to say. But—before we go—I will give you one last chance to choose."
He swept his gaze across the ranks.
"If any of you do not wish to go, step forward now. I will not blame you. A soldier should not be forced to kill and die."
His words rang out loud and clear.
But in response, the soldiers raised their voices together in a thunderous cry:
"Willing to die for the King!Willing to die for Great Yi!Willing to die for the Human Race!No regrets in a hundred deaths! No retreat until the blood runs dry!"
Their unified shout shook the heavens.
No one stepped forward. No one flinched.
They all knew—the road ahead led to death. Their enemies were unknown entities of immense power. Yet not one soldier hesitated. They had seen Great Yi rise. They had homes, families, dignity. Even if they died… it would be worth it.
"Very well!" Yi Tianxing shouted. "Then fight and die with me—into the Divine-Demon Battlefield. Blood shall not cease to flow. Death shall not end the war!!"
ROOOOAAAAR!!
A draconic roar echoed—but it was strange, unlike a true dragon's cry.
From behind him, a massive war chariot appeared on the platform.
It was savage in shape, yet noble in bearing. In front was the chariot, and in back, a mobile palace.
Pulling it were three terrifying beasts—not ordinary creatures, but true dragonspawn, sons of the Dragon God:
Chiwen (Prison Ox)
Yazi (Wrath Fang)
Suanni (Lion Dragon)
Three of the Nine Dragon Sons.
As they landed on the ground, their dragon aura swept outward. Even the Scorpion Warhorses trembled in agitation under their might.
This was the Nine-Dragon War Chariot, acquired from Darkblood Town and refined into a Heaven-grade artifact through the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda. It became the 22nd floor of the pagoda, elevating the chariot into a deadly weapon.
Yi Tianxing boarded the chariot, battle sword in hand, and faced the Divine-Demon Gate.
"Great Yi—march to war!!"