CHAPTER 449: CHAPTER 443: HUO QUBING’S DECISION_1

In the central army camp, the generals of the Bei Wei Army and the Overlord Cavalry were gathered, their expressions serious.

"General Huo sent a letter stating that three major forces have become vassals of the Eternal Temple. We may be attacked by the Eternal Temple’s experts at any time!" Yue Fei, clad in red armor, said gravely from the main seat.

Xiang Yu, seated beside him, remained impassive, though a faint glint of battle intent flickered in his eyes. With his temperament, he would never allow the enemy’s strength to cause disarray.

The name of the Overlord would never yield!

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the generals in the camp shifted slightly. They were well aware of the Eternal Temple’s reputation; it was a power capable of challenging the entire continent, possessing immense strength.

"General, should we notify General Huo to retreat?" a general asked, rising with a salute.

Yue Fei’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest. Ordinarily, he would order Huo Qubing to retreat and avoid a direct confrontation with the Eternal Temple. His hesitation stemmed from the fact that, in addition to the intelligence report, Huo Qubing had sent a personal letter.

The contents of that letter could only be described as astounding!

Huo Qubing intended to lead the Desert Long Army to pin down the main forces of the Qionghua Holy Land and the Thousand Demon Saint’s Court. This would create an opportunity for the armies on the northern and southern fronts to capture the strongholds of these two powers.

Undeniably, it was an excellent plan to revitalize the war effort. However, Yue Fei worried that experts from the Eternal Temple would intervene, especially the three Original Great Emperors. Any one of them could easily annihilate the Desert Long Army.

After some thought, Yue Fei disclosed Huo Qubing’s plan in full.

Upon hearing it, everyone present, including Xiang Yu, stared wide-eyed and swallowed nervously. To confront two major powers and experts from the Eternal Temple with just a single army was utterly insane!

The one who devised such a plan was either a madman or a genius!

"If we proceed with General Huo’s plan and it fails, the three million soldiers of the Desert Long Army will be annihilated!" Xiang Yu stated gravely.

"Indeed." Yue Fei naturally understood this, which was why he was worried and hesitant.

The atmosphere in the tent grew heavy with silence.

"Let’s proceed with Huo Qubing’s plan!"

Suddenly, a confident voice echoed in the generals’ ears. The familiar sound brought expressions of joy to the faces of Yue Fei and Xiang Yu.

The Void rippled, and Guo Jia’s figure materialized. He wore a gray robe and held a wine gourd. His face was flushed, and though his eyes seemed hazy from drink, they glinted sharply.

"Prime Minister Guo!" Yue Fei stood and asked in a solemn tone, "Do you think General Huo’s plan can succeed?"

"It can!" Guo Jia declared firmly. "As his comrade-in-arms, we must trust him! As generals of the Qin Dynasty, we have even more reason to support him! With Huo Qubing’s wisdom and strategic acumen, how could he not be aware of the dangers? Since he dares to undertake this, he must be confident!"

After speaking, Guo Jia sighed inwardly, leaving one thought unsaid: Huo Qubing is prepared to sacrifice his life for the peace of the nation.

For the good of the nation, they would forsake anything! Guo Jia understood this feeling deeply. During the battle at Bull Head Mountain, knowing it was a path to certain death, he had still forcefully activated the curse of the Dao.

This was a form of conviction!

Huo Qubing possessed this same conviction. That was why, upon recognizing the nation’s crisis, he had rushed to the very front lines without hesitation, shouldering all dangers and hardships himself.

Yue Fei looked into Guo Jia’s eyes, then returned to his commander’s seat without a word. On the scroll used for transmitting military orders, he wrote a single character: ’Approved’!

After a moment’s hesitation, he placed his own Tiger Talisman alongside the military order.

"Attendant, deliver this command to General Huo!" Yue Fei ordered loudly.

A Scout, responsible for relaying messages, entered. Seeing the Tiger Talisman accompanying the command scroll, he showed a baffled expression.

The Tiger Talisman was the symbol of the supreme commander! On the battlefield, authority lay with the Tiger Talisman, not the individual!

"General Huo is about to undertake a perilous mission, and we must support his every requirement fully!" Yue Fei explained solemnly, noticing the Scout’s hesitation.

His giving the Tiger Talisman to Huo Qubing signified that Huo Qubing now had supreme command over the central army and could issue orders to the Bei Wei Army and the Overlord Cavalry. This was Yue Fei’s way of showing his support.

Guo Jia, Xiang Yu, and the others looked on with approval.

"General, the Tiger Talisman is of immense importance! Your subordinate is apprehensive!" The Scout knelt, not daring to take the Tiger Talisman, fearing some mishap during its transit.

Yue Fei’s expression darkened, and he was about to reprimand him when Guo Jia said, "He has a point. Give the Tiger Talisman to me; I will deliver it to Huo Qubing!"

"Very well," Yue Fei nodded, handing the Tiger Talisman and the military order to Guo Jia.

「A day later, amidst the ruined edifices of the Purple Sky Domain.」

Huo Qubing stood with his armor never removed, tightly gripping his war spear, facing west. His black hair danced in the wind as he seemed to await something. The cold wind gusted, causing his cape to snap and flutter.

One man, one army, guarding this stretch of heaven and earth!

"So, you’ve truly decided to stay?" Guo Jia’s figure materialized out of thin air beside Huo Qubing, speaking casually as if to an old friend.

"Of course!" Huo Qubing replied with a faint smile.

"This is Yue Fei’s Tiger Talisman. He asked me to give it to you." Guo Jia waved his hand, producing the Tiger Talisman that symbolized authority. As for the military order with its single-character approval, he didn’t present it, as there was no need.

The symbolic roar of a tiger seemed to reverberate, shaking heaven and earth.

Huo Qubing turned. Gazing at the brilliantly golden Tiger Talisman, a grateful expression touched his features as he accepted it with both hands.

Guo Jia patted Huo Qubing’s shoulder and said softly, "Go all out. I’ll handle any Original Great Emperors from the Eternal Temple for you!"

His voice was soft, yet resolute.

Huo Qubing put away the Tiger Talisman. Just as he was about to express his thanks, he found himself alone, with only a banner of the Qin Dynasty fluttering in the wind nearby.

He knew Guo Jia must be concealed within the Void nearby, watching.

"Relay my orders! Prepare for battle!" Huo Qubing commanded, his voice resonant, his heroic martial aura surging skyward. Now that he had Yue Fei’s permission and Guo Jia’s protection, he would give this battle his all.

In my past life, I sealed the Wolf’s Den Peak! In this life, as the lone Silver Dragon, I shall devour wolves and tigers!

「Hundreds of thousands of miles away, on the border of the Purple Sky Domain.」

Two massive armies were force-marching. These were the frontline forces of the Qionghua Holy Land and the Thousand Demon Saint’s Court, led by Zheng Guiqiong and Xiong Lie respectively, each commanding an army of thirty million soldiers.

"Notify the Thousand Demon Saint’s Court! We will launch a joint attack at midnight tonight!" Within the Qionghua Holy Land’s army, Zheng Guiqiong commanded majestically from her phoenix carriage, which was borne by exotic beasts, Dao light flickering around her.

A Semi-Emperor elder saluted, then tore through the Void and departed.

On the opposite border of the Purple Sky Domain, Xiong Lie, having received the order, let a brutal glint show in his eyes as he increased his army’s marching pace.

From the south and north, the spearheads of the two great armies pointed directly at the Desert Long Army!

And behind these two vanguards, an even larger force, numbering up to a billion soldiers, was rushing to the front lines. The Evil Qi they exuded pierced through more than a dozen domains.