The heritage of the human sects is no weaker than that of the foreign tribes. If powerful beings of the foreign races are awakening from their slumber and breaking their seals, so too are the mighty cultivators of the human race. This is a contest of background and foundations. Powerhouses at the Nascent Soul Realm level have begun to awaken and emerge from their seals. It is clear that the full shattering of the Heavenly Dao's seals is not far off.
"No, those checkpoints must remain,"
"Even at great cost, the human race must pay. Let Da Yi know that our Beast King Court is not to be trifled with."
King Behemoth shook his head. One must not shrink back simply because the opponent is powerful. The orcs can die, but they must never fear death. That is the core principle of their survival.
He intended to use these nine fortified checkpoints to continuously wear down Da Yi's forces. Furthermore, these were not all deployed by the Beast King Court alone, but rather set up by various major foreign tribes, filled with killing arrays and traps. Even if losses occurred, they would primarily be borne by other tribes, not the Beast King Court itself—completely acceptable in his eyes.
The Beast King Court's true combat strength was reserved for the final decisive battle.
So long as they could whittle down Da Yi's forces, they would do so relentlessly.
The checkpoints must never be withdrawn.
Otherwise, wouldn't those one billion human refugees be handed to Da Yi for free? That was unacceptable. Absolutely out of the question.
"Indeed," said an elder of the Foxkin tribe with a smile."The Great Yi Dynasty has gained unstoppable momentum. This is the only chance to counterbalance it. These nine checkpoints exist to sap its strength and slay as many of its soldiers as possible.Though each of us suffers losses, if we ultimately defeat Da Yi, the price will have been worth it."
"You're not escaping either. If we fall, your Beast King Court will be next,"sneered a foreign powerhouse.
Since it was the Beast King Court that initiated this national war, it wouldn't end until one side was utterly defeated. The other foreign races could potentially retreat, but the Beast King Court had no such luxury. Nor did the other tribes fear them reaping the spoils from behind.
Da Yi's top priority was to crush the Beast King Court.
The war pressed on.
After passing through the second checkpoint, they again discovered a massive group of human refugees ahead—about one hundred million. Without hesitation, Da Yi dispatched personnel to safely relocate them into its territory.
Afterward, the War Tiger Corps and Vermilion Bird Corps replaced the Divine Crow Corps and the Demon-Breaking Corps, pressing forward to face the next checkpoints.
Each checkpoint was terrifying in its own right.
For example: the Volcanic Battlefield.There, hordes of lava giants surged forth, and the ground churned with magma. Volcanoes erupted continually, and earth flames roared from beneath. These flames were so intense that contact would either cause instant death or leave the victim severely burned.
Then came the Three-Eyed Tribe's checkpoint, centered on a top-tier Nascent Soul Realm elder who had awakened his third eye: the Eye of True Illusion (真幻之眸). It conjured endless illusions, indistinguishable from reality, severely hindering Da Yi's forces and causing significant casualties.
Yet, each checkpoint, no matter how formidable, was eventually overcome.
Each breakthrough rescued another massive group of human survivors, and with each, Da Yi's foundation grew stronger. In Xuanhuang City, the sea of national destiny clouds expanded visibly, fed by the gratitude and loyalty of the rescued refugees.
This prolonged campaign also gave Da Yi a clearer understanding of the hidden heritage of the foreign tribes—some had top-tier experts, others had clan-guarding artifacts, and all had laid devastating traps on the battlefield.
Fortunately, human sects also joined the fray.
Strategist Jia Xu gladly accepted their assistance. In fact, in later engagements, he often had the sects take the lead in breaking formations. This reduced Da Yi's own losses while revealing the true strength and value of each sect—a scenario welcomed by both sides.
Breaking through traps and rescuing billions of humans also earned these sects karmic merit, national destiny, and popular will.
Before they knew it, they had shattered all nine checkpoints and reached the edge of the Beast Plains.
"The Beast King Court was clearly prepared in advance. Look at those numbers!"
When images of the Beast Plains were transmitted to the imperial palace, the assembled ministers could not help but twitch at the corners of their mouths.
The Beast King Court had waited calmly and gathered its forces. On the plains, endless ranks of orc warriors had assembled. Their numbers were staggering—an endless sea of soldiers.
Wolfkin Cavalry: elite mounted warriors, numbering in the millions.
Minotaurs (Bull Demons): wielding massive totem poles, their towering frames radiated terrifying power. Their snorts filled the air with thunder.
Leopardkin Assassins: sharp-eyed and clawed, elite Shadow Panther Corps, perfect for battlefield assassinations.
Jackalmen: carrying volleys of throwing spears on their backs—deadly as archers, even more destructive.
Kobolds: cannon fodder, countless in number, bred with terrifying speed.
Ratfolk: another cannon fodder race, even more prolific than kobolds, wielding bizarre weapons like rat-head spikes, bone spears, and skinning knives.
Elephantmen: bearing giant shields, like walking fortresses.
All these orcish armies radiated killing intent. And in front of them were endless wild beasts—wolves, rats, feral dogs—covering the plains. Their numbers were incalculable.
The orc army alone numbered in the tens of millions. Clearly, the Beast King Court had mobilized nearly all of its power.
Many orc warriors were clad in armor forged by dwarves, and though not every soldier was equipped, all elite troops were. Their presence alone created an unimaginable aura of intimidation—like standing before a tidal wave or an avalanche.
"They mean to fight Da Yi to the death,"whispered the ministers in the court. This was a total war, a national confrontation to the death.
"I request to go to battle!"
"Let me serve as vanguard!"The generals of the Military Council stepped forward, fearless despite the enemy's massive numbers. Fighting for Da Yi was their mission—an unshirkable duty.
"All troops, hear my command—march out in full force!!"Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and issued the command without hesitation.
The generals responded solemnly, took their military seals, and turned to the Military Soul Battle Realm. Even the Divine Crow and Snow Rabbit Corps returned to prepare.
Any prior losses were instantly replenished from reserve troops. Da Yi's army never lacked elite soldiers. Even the standing army was qualified to join any corps.
At the frontlines of the Beast Plains—
A towering rainbow of seven-colored light tore across the sky like a celestial bridge, descending before the Beast Plains. In the flash of that brilliance, Da Yi's army appeared, corps after corps falling from the heavens in orderly formation.
Compared to the orc army, Da Yi's troops were visibly more disciplined and orderly.
Though they were outnumbered, their momentum was unified, as solid and unshakable as Mount Tai.
The two armies faced each other.
An invisible collision of momentum erupted between them. The pressure was so intense it seemed like the air itself froze, making it hard to breathe. The entire void was steeped in killing intent.
BOOM!!
Suddenly, a loud rumble echoed from the center of the Beast Plains.
The Golden City, standing proudly at the heart of the plains, erupted in blinding golden light.