Chapter 327: Arriving at the Battlefield, The Church of Light’s Plan (6200)

Seeing the two system prompts, Cao Xing was stunned for a moment.

But soon he understood the reason.

This should be what was mentioned before, the balance of nature.

Although he saved the Mammoth, he also offended the Sabertooth Tiger clan.

However, he had no regrets.

Even if it happened all over again, he would still make the same choice.

Moreover, with his strength, as long as it was not a Tier 7 Sabertooth Tiger, it basically posed no threat to him.

The Mammoth "Po Feng" led the rest of the Mammoth herd and turned around.

Dabai, who was showing affection over there, also seemed to know that it was time to leave.

It strode forward with its elephant hooves, distancing itself from the two Mammoths.

"Moo— Moo—"

The parents of Dabai reluctantly placed their trunks on its body, seemingly reluctant to let it leave.

Dabai shook its head and gradually released the trunks of its parents.

It slowly turned around and walked toward the side of Cao Xing.

Walking while looking back, it seemed to be saying goodbye to its parents and its tribe.

Mammoths are gregarious creatures, and in this world, there are very few powerhouses capable of subduing such creatures.

At the same time, they are also arrogant.

They basically will not submit to humans.

However, they approved of this group of humans before them.

And they were happy to have found such a good master for their kin.

The Mammoth "Po Feng" walked over and comforted the parents of Dabai.

"Wuu—"

The parents of Dabai let out a sad sound, extremely reluctant to see Dabai go.

But they also knew that their child had grown up.

It would have its own life from now on.

A… Legendary life…

After bidding farewell to that group of Mammoths, the group headed straight to the location of Lake Doron City.

However, Dabai appeared somewhat reticent along the way.

After all, parting with family always brings a hint of sorrow.

Cao Xing and the others did not disturb it either, sitting on the back of the Frost Moose and letting it quietly be alone by itself.

At this time, Volibear walked over.

Then it extended its bear claw and gently touched the body of Dabai.

"Crackle~"

Electric arcs flashed across.

Dabai instantly shuddered, its elephant eyes widening as it looked at this snow grizzly bear.

Seeming not to know why it suddenly did this.

Volibear did not speak, directly raising its bear paw and standing upright on its hind legs.

Powerful electric light erupted from its body.

"Roar!"

Volibear let out a loud roar, then sprinted forward.

Dabai also seemed to know that Volibear was encouraging it.

Soon, it also raised its elephant trunk, strode with its elephant hooves, and sprinted along behind it all the way.

Watching those two sprinting behemoths.

Elisa happily said, "Dabai has cheered up, little Volibear is amazing!"

Seeing this, the faces of everyone also carried smiles.

Just as mentioned before, as time went on, the bonds among the territory residents under Cao Xing would gradually deepen.

And their relationships would become better and better.

The same went for these pets.

Through cooperation in several battles, Dabai and Volibear had already become good friends.

Cao Xing smiled, "Let us go, we will speed up too!"

In an instant, the pace of everyone quickened a bit more.

A group of powerful presences were advancing at high speed through the snowfield.

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, they had already arrived near Lake Doron City.

And on the system built-in mini-map, the pattern of a city was marked in the distance, alongside a broad lake.

Separated by over a hundred kilometers, everyone could still see the silhouette of that Giant City.

When they were still about thirty-plus kilometers away from Lake Doron City.

Cao Xing did not approach immediately, but instead looked around and found a few small peaks nearby.

"We will go to the top of the mountain to observe the terrain first."

"Sarah, you go look around to see if there is any place where we can hide."

Sarah nodded slightly and directly disappeared on the spot.

As for the others, led by Cao Xing, they quickly climbed to the top of a peak.

Gazing into the distance from here, the entire terrain surrounding Lake Doron City could be taken in at a glance.

The first thing that came into view was that Giant City covered by a golden barrier.

It stood like a silent giant, exuding an ancient and majestic aura.

Looking from afar, the outline of the Giant City was exceptionally clear under the pale skyline.

The tall city walls were built from huge blocks of ice and sturdy rocks, gleaming with a faint cold light.

Roughly estimated, the height of the city walls was a full seventy to eighty meters, and the thickness was nearly twenty meters!

It was like an indestructible barrier, resisting the howling winds and blizzards from the polar region.

Compared to here, the city walls of the territory of Cao Xing had far too big of a gap.

And this was only a Giant City.

The city wall area of the Eternal Frost Main City of the Ice Crystal Kingdom was probably even more exaggerated.

On top of the city walls, an observation tower stood every distance, and the torches burning on top of the towers swayed in the wind.

On the plain ahead, there was a dense, dark mass of figures!

That was the army of the King.

The most eye-catching were naturally the group of powerful knights at the very front of the formation, clad in frost-blue battle armor and riding warhorses.

The tens of thousands of black-armored soldiers in the rear also had astonishing momentum.

Cao Xing slightly furrowed his brows.

"The army of the King has indeed arrived, I just do not know when they will launch an attack."

For Cao Xing, the best opportunity was to sneak in during the army attack, when the city was in chaos.

Then loot extensively; this could minimize the risk of exposure.

But looking at the current state of affairs, there seemed to be no inclination to wage war at all.

"What are they doing?" Cao Xing felt somewhat puzzled.

At the same time, the report of Sarah came from beside his ear.

"At the foot of this mountain, there is an abandoned mine cave. The temperature inside is moderate, and we can use it as a temporary sanctuary."

Hearing this, the doubts in the eyes of Cao Xing vanished, replaced by a look of joy.

"Well done, Sarah, we are coming right over."

With those words, he led his dozen or so subordinate experts and rushed all the way toward the foot of the mountain.

At this moment, in the legion on the plain below.

Tens of thousands of soldiers stood in place, looking at the Giant City before them yet delaying to launch an attack, which made them appear somewhat anxious.

After all, this time they had made sufficient preparations just to wash away their previous shame!

They wanted to capture Lake Doron City with the most aggressive posture.

However, without the orders of the general, all of them could only continue to wait in place.

Inside the chariot at the center of the army.

Two generals sat face to face, seemingly discussing the next plan.

That general named Kello asked straight to the point, "General Tasid, when will we launch our attack?"

"The army arrived this morning, and now the surrounding Orchid Kingdom and Nakrod Kingdom are watching us."

"The King is also waiting for our news."

However, this general named Tasid said calmly, "General Kello, do not be anxious."

"I am sending people to investigate the specific situation in the city to see if the Church of Light still has any hidden cards."

"Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win a hundred battles, is that not right?"

Hearing this, General Kello opposite him asked again, "Has it not already been confirmed that there is only the army of Otherworld Ghosts and three red-robed bishops in the city?"

"With this bit of strength, relying on the army we brought and the Frost Blue Knights, it is enough to crush them head-on."

"What else is there to investigate?"

Last time he dared to launch an attack with just over twenty thousand people.

This time, with preparations made, the other side brought over forty thousand heavy infantry, and yet they were still probing.

This made Kello feel that Tasid was being overly cautious.

Hearing the questioning of the other party, the expression of General Tasid showed a slight displeasure.

But he did not flare up, instead saying, "General Kello, my combat style is different from yours. I like to fight wars with a hundred percent certainty,"

"Only in this way can the casualty ratio be reduced to the minimum."

"Moreover, the Church of Light has a massive influence and has taken root in our Ice Crystal Kingdom for a long time. No one knows if they have any other backup plans."

"Could it be that General Kello still wants to be caught off guard like last time and send soldiers to their deaths?"

Hearing this, the general named Kello felt suffocated and frustrated in his expression.

The defeat last time incurred too heavy of a loss.

If it were not for the fact that the war at Lake Doron City currently needed him,

relieving him of his general rank would be light; execution was even possible.

The other party bringing this matter up also made his expression look somewhat unsightly.

Tasid did not push it too far and spoke again, "Alright, General Kello, let us wait a bit longer."

"Once the reconnaissance is complete, I will retake Lake Doron City with thunderous momentum."

Hearing this, General Kello sighed, but he could only leave this place.

A moments later, Tasid looked at Lake Doron City, and a trace of worry also appeared in his eyes.

He pondered inwardly: "Sigh… The Seed of Light asked me to delay the army attack time as much as possible, but I see this cannot be delayed for many more days…"

"And after this time, my identity probably will not be able to be concealed anymore…"

At the same time.

Led by Sarah, Cao Xing and the others had already arrived at the abandoned mine cave she mentioned.

Having Braum and Assam, the two strongmen, clear out the rubble at the entrance of the mine cave, they drilled straight inside.

Just as Sarah said, the temperature inside the mine cave was -12°C, much warmer than outside.

Lighting torches or setting up tents would make the temperature even higher.

Cao Xing praised, "This place is not bad, and the space is quite spacious. Let us use this place as a temporary stronghold."

He first dialed the communication with the side of Bjorn and told him the location of this abandoned mine cave.

Then he looked toward the rest of his team members.

"Sarah, there is another task I must trouble you with."

The Dark Elf assassin revealed her figure, then shook her head gently and said, "Serving you, Lord, is my mission; please feel free to command me."

Listening to her firm reply, Cao Xing also felt a pang of emotion in his heart.

Along the way, Sarah was responsible for reconnaissance, combat, and exploration, which could be said to be all-around.

And she bore hardship without complaint, never saying an extra word about any task issued by Cao Xing, always completing it at the fastest speed every time.

Cao Xing continued, "I need you to go near Lake Doron City now to investigate that barrier and see if there are any weak points."

"If there are not any, observe the guard situation inside the city."

To sneak into that Giant City, the barrier was a hurdle Cao Xing had to face.

But through the last campaign, everyone knew that the defensive power of that barrier was extremely formidable.

Even under the bombardment of those large siege equipment, it persisted for such a long time before shattering.

With the strength of Cao Xing, if he were to attack forcefully, who knows how long it would take.

Moreover, there was the risk of exposure.

Therefore, the task of Sarah was very important, directly determining the subsequent action plan of Cao Xing.

Of course, it did not matter if there really were no breakthrough points; after all, Cao Xing still had a [Dark Crystal Ball] that could open a portal.

But this portal only existed for 60 seconds, so he would have to figure out a way to get out by then.

The Dark Elf nodded slightly, and then disappeared on the spot.

When Sarah left, Cao Xing continued, "Herlie."

"Ah? I am here!"

A short figure nimbly jumped in front of Cao Xing.

Standing straight, a pair of beast ears twitching slightly, listening with all concentration.

"I have another task here, a very important task that requires strong reconnaissance capabilities. Do you have the confidence to complete it?"

Hearing this, Herlie was just about to pat her chest and say "No problem."

But having been in this territory for a day, she had seen too many powerhouses and had also learned to be modest.

"I will do my utmost to complete it!"

Cao Xing nodded slightly, then explained the details of the mission.

"Now, I need you to infiltrate the army, gather intelligence, and ideally find out the exact time of the army's attack."

For him, this timing was also very important.

It directly determined when Cao Xing would take action.

Hearing this, the beast-eared girl's eyes instantly lit up. "Gathering intelligence? I'm best at this!"

"Back in the Raven Spirit King City, this Scarlet Shadow sneaked into the mansions of those nobles every day to eavesdrop on their conversations."

"I even sneaked into the city lord's mansion!"

Cao Xing smiled. "Then go. After the mission is completed, I can consider letting Sarah teach you assassination techniques."

Hearing this, Herlie instantly trembled all over with excitement.

She said excitedly, "Understood, my Lord, task guaranteed to be completed!"

With those words, the beast-eared girl, like an agile cat, left the mine cave in a few bounds.

Cao Xing looked at the others and continued, "Everyone else, head inside the mine, clear out enough space, and wait for the other warriors to arrive."

"Then, a portion of you will delve deep into the mine, investigate every corner, and eliminate all possible hazards."

Hearing this, the crowd also began to take action one after another.

…

…

Time slowly passed.

Soon, four hours had passed.

At this moment, night had already fallen.

Braum and the others had also explored all parts of this abandoned mine.

And deep within the mine, they discovered the corpses of some miners who had already died.

It seemed they were crushed to death because the mine collapsed and they didn't have time to retreat.

A few wraiths had spawned among them, but they were all easily dealt with by Braum and the others.

All the dangers in this mine were cleared out by them.

Sarah and Herlie, the two assassins, were still scouting around Lake Doron City.

Meanwhile.

Cao Xing heard dense footsteps coming from outside the mine.

It was a large group of Dragon Blood Warriors led by Bjorn, along with Wild Boar Warriors, who had arrived!

Among them was also the old mage Tyren.

Several hundred people swarmed into the cave all at once.

Then they respectfully formed up neatly and stood before Cao Xing.

Bjorn, the shorter commander, stepped forward respectfully to report.

"My Lord, all 250 combatants have arrived safely, and no accidents occurred along the way."

"Please issue your next instructions."

Cao Xing nodded slightly. "Very well, go find a place inside the cave to set up camp for now. We will likely spend the night here tonight."

"Understood!"

With those words, more than two hundred soldiers entered the interior of the cave in an orderly fashion.

As for Cao Xing, he called out to the old mage dressed in an earth-yellow robe.

"Mr. Tyren."

Hearing the voice, Tyren turned around and said respectfully, "My Lord, please speak."

"I see that you possess Advanced Earth Element Control. Now I plan to use this mine as our sanctuary, and I want to make the entrance as concealed as possible so others can't see it."

"Do you have any ideas?"

Hearing this, Tyren pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "I do, my Lord."

"I can mobilize the surrounding soil, change the structure of the entrance, and block it up so that it looks exactly like the mountain outside."

"If anyone needs to go in or out, they just need to tell me, and I will move the soil at the cave entrance away."

"As for the oxygen issue, don't worry. I will open some hidden passages elsewhere to let fresh air circulate."

Cao Xing also smiled and nodded.

"Very well, then let's do it."

"Understood, my Lord!"

Tyren quickly came to the cave entrance and began his spell-casting actions.

Seeing this old mage raise his staff, the soil near the cave entrance began to stir.

"Swish, swish…"

This soil continuously swelled upward.

In an instant, it covered the entire cave entrance.

Moreover, the soil outside began to dry rapidly, turning completely identical to the surrounding earth in the blink of an eye.

Viewed from the outside, this was just an ordinary mountain, with no trace of a mine whatsoever.

Tyren's handiwork could be said to be quite impressive.

Cao Xing nodded in admiration.

After waiting for half an hour.

Sarah's voice sounded out.

"My Lord, I am back."

"But the entrance to the mine seems to have disappeared. Did I walk in the wrong direction?"

Cao Xing smiled.

The method Tyren used to hide the entrance was not an illusion, but a genuine alteration of the terrain.

Therefore, even beings with True Sight like them couldn't tell.

Because this thing was real.

"Wait a moment, I'll have Tyren open the door."

Soon, Tyren beside him raised his staff.

"Swish, swish…"

The soil parted automatically, revealing a passage wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

Looking at the suddenly appearing passage, Sarah squeezed in with a peculiar expression.

Then, the beast-eared girl Herlie also followed back into the cave.

The two came to Cao Xing's side.

Judging from their expressions, they both seemed to have made some discoveries during this scouting trip.

"Sarah, you speak first."

Sarah replied, "According to your instructions, I patrolled a circle around this Giant City."

"This barrier is all-encompassing without any loopholes, and once the barrier is attacked, it will be detected by the Hunters inside."

"The Hunters standing on the watchtowers will launch arrow attacks."

"I saw the king's army send a few waves of soldiers over to test the waters, but they were all beaten back."

Cao Xing frowned.

If there were no weaknesses at all, that would be a bit troublesome.

In that case, he would have to use the [Dark Crystal Ball] to enter the barrier.

Sarah continued, "However, although I didn't find a weak point in the barrier, I made another discovery."

"After nightfall, I lurked behind Lake Doron City and then saw a group disguised as mercenaries approaching the barrier."

"And they went straight into the barrier."

Cao Xing's eyes lit up instantly, and he pursued, "How did they get in?"

Sarah replied further, "I saw a white-robed priest walk unhindered out of the barrier, and then he led the other cultists into the city together."

A look of realization appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

"I see, just as I expected, this barrier is not completely sealed."

"Otherwise, it would be equivalent to trapping everyone inside the city as well."

This discovery was extremely important!

This meant Cao Xing had the opportunity to sneak into the Giant City and come out!

"Sarah, well done."

He praised, then looked toward the beast-eared girl beside him.

"Herlie, tell me about your intelligence."

Hearing this, the beast-eared girl immediately reported, "I also successfully infiltrated the army today, overheard a lot of news, and found out why the king's army hasn't launched an attack!"

"Oh, what is it?"

Herlie said, "I heard it's because two different voices have emerged within the current army."

"A general named Kulo advocates launching an attack immediately, while the second general, named Taside, says to seek stability and scout out all the methods of the Church of Light before attacking."

"But because Taside was sent later by the king, the greatest command authority is currently in his hands, and the army must act according to his orders."

"The specific attack time hasn't been determined yet."

Hearing this, Cao Xing pondered for another moment.

"The pro-war faction and the conservative faction, huh?"

"This second general sent by the king is simply too cautious."

Just at this moment, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck his mind!

"Wait a minute, what did you say? Taside?"

"Are you sure you didn't hear wrong?"

Cao Xing asked in surprise.

Herlie hurriedly nodded her little head.

"There's absolutely no mistake! This is what this Scarlet Shadow personally inquired about!"

Hearing this, the corners of Cao Xing's mouth suddenly curved into a smile.

"Interesting, to think it's him…"

"Of all people the Ice Crystal King could send, he sent this guy over."

"With him here, the king's army is probably going to be in trouble again!"

Among the [Black-Robe Priest List] that Cao Xing collected last time, the one with the highest position recorded was this general named Taside.

And this didn't make Cao Xing feel pressured.

On the contrary, it made him see a trace of decline in the Church of Light.

After all, a figure like Taside was already part of the kingdom's upper echelons.

If it were Cao Xing, such an important chess piece would never be used easily.

But now, they even sent Taside out, which showed that the Church of Light really didn't have many people left to use in the Gale Snowfield.

The king wasn't a fool.

If something went wrong with this battle, no matter what, Taside would face punishment and investigation.

And his identity would be exposed along with it.

In other words, the Church of Light had essentially sacrificed this important chess piece for this operation!

Cao Xing felt that he seemed to have vaguely grasped something.

"From the looks of it, Taside doesn't want to pull any tricks in the battle, but is rather buying time for the Church of Light, right?"

"However, why do they need to buy time?"

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it felt.

But soon, Cao Xing cast these thoughts to the back of his mind.

"Regardless of why they are buying time, I need to take action quickly now."

"The more the Church of Light wants to do something, the less I will let them have their way!"

…

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