CHAPTER 368: CHAPTER 325 THE DECISIVE BATTLE OF THE HEIZE WEREWOLVES_1

While Yan Xing led the Eternal Territory Air Force to protect the transport planes carrying heavy weapons to the front lines, a somber atmosphere permeated the command tent of Heize City’s leader.

Ironhead and numerous Werewolf Clan Leaders who defied the Eternal Domain’s rule had gathered there, each remaining silent, none able to articulate how to resist this invasion by the Eternal Domain.

A single air battle had cost them almost half of their Bipedal Flying Dragons, while the opponent suffered virtually no damage.

Such a high casualty ratio made the Heize Werewolves’ Beast Tamers afraid to mount their Bipedal Flying Dragons again, even as they watched the Griffons and Pegasi of the Eternal Domain circling overhead.

With the defeat in the air battle, ground confrontations were equally unrewarding.

Upon discovering that Werewolves from the Eternal Domain were approaching Heize, Ironhead ordered his subordinates to ambush these enemy forces.

Somehow, the enemy used some form of Magic, often turning the tables on the attackers themselves. Their own Poison Flies were almost powerless against the enemy’s Carnivorous Birds, while the enemy’s Poison Flies, making use of the jungle environment, bit them when they least expected it.

After losing a number of warriors, the Heize Werewolves no longer dared to leave the Heize region on a large scale, allowing the Eternal Domain’s Great Army to build various fortifications around them.

The two defeats in battle had severely undermined the morale of the Heize Werewolves.

Some Werewolf Heroes believed they had miscalculated the disparity in strength between Heize and the Eternal Domain, leading to a very pessimistic forecast for the war.

Ironhead sat on a "throne" made of a tree stump, within a command tent built of trees and leaves, with dozens of Werewolf Clan Leaders seated on much smaller tree stumps.

All the Clan Leaders wore reasonably fine armor.

After a period of silence, a Werewolf Clan Leader close to Ironhead loudly said, "I knew it! Qiao She’s tribesmen have been running to Blood Crown City; they must have betrayed us. Among the enemy surrounding our Heize are these traitors! Otherwise, the main forces of the Eternal Domain couldn’t have reached the outskirts of Heize so easily. All these traitors should have their heads chopped off and thrown into the black waters."

Another Werewolf Clan Leader said, "We’ve known for a while now that Qiao She and the rest have betrayed us, but now is not the time to discuss how to deal with traitors. Clan Leader Ironhead... We heeded your call to Heize to oppose the Eternal Domain. Now we’ve lost the sky, as well as all areas outside of Heize. The defeat in battle has caused some to lose faith in victory. If you still wish to win, then tell us how we can overcome the Eternal Domain."

At that moment, all Werewolf Clan Leaders turned their gaze towards Ironhead.

Many Werewolf Clan Leaders were worried about this war.

Ironhead sat firmly on his throne, his fierce gaze deterring other Clan Leaders from meeting his eyes.

He looked around at the Clan Leaders allied with him, chuckled scornfully, and said, "How to fight? Haven’t we discussed this already? The entire Thunderous Swamp knows of the Eternal Domain’s might, and we never planned to fight the Eternal Domain outside of Heize. So what if we’ve lost the sky? The dense jungle provides the best cover for us. Have you seen the Eternal Domain’s Griffons and Pegasi flying low over the ground? No! They dare not. Superiority in the air will not have a major impact on the outcome of the battle. As for the ground... The traps within Heize are more reliable than the walls of any city in the world. As long as we hold the few narrow passes, not a single enemy will get close to Heize City. War is a contest of courage and equipment between armies. Werewolves are the finest warriors in the world. We fear nothing, not even a Giant Dragon; Werewolves dare to charge with flails swinging. Our equipment is not much inferior to that of the Eternal Domain’s main force. Our wolf pups also have steel flails; we have Snakehide Buffalos, Swamp Lizards, Poison Flies, and Bipedal Flying Dragons. In this war, we don’t need to defeat the Eternal Domain. All we have to do is hold them off. Lizardmen like Red Eye and Green Tail will never willingly submit to the Eternal Domain. Those watchful Werewolves and Lizardmen, seeing that the Eternal Domain is not as powerful as they imagined, will surely attack Blood Crown City. At that time, the entire Thunderous Swamp will be the Eternal Domain’s enemy. No matter how strong they are, they are bound to drown in the quagmire here..."

Ironhead’s motivational speech was passionate and stirring.

The somewhat dazed Werewolf Clan Leaders regained their confidence in victory.

Yes... No matter how strong the Eternal Domain’s aerial power, it couldn’t exert too great an advantage in the dense forest. No matter how strong the Eternal Domain’s ground forces, they would be swallowed up by Heize, leaving nothing behind. The safe paths into Heize were very narrow, requiring only a small force to defend. And inside Heize, there were forty thousand wolf soldiers, whose weapons were not much inferior to those of the Eternal Domain’s army! Even if they fought stubbornly inside the passageways, the Eternal Domain wouldn’t be able to breach Heize within a year. Once the Swamp Werewolves and Lizardmen lost their awe of the Eternal Domain, their greed for wealth would embolden them. As long as one tribe attacked Blood Crown City, other tribes would surely join the attack for the sake of plundering. The Heize Werewolves didn’t need to fight this war beautifully; they only needed to hold out and prevent the Eternal Domain from breaking through!

The atmosphere in the command tent became lively again. The Werewolf Clan Leaders did not believe the Eternal Domain could easily invade Heize, each making bold claims and vowing to make the Eternal Domain’s forces bleed their last drop of blood in Heize. Morale was restored.

Ironhead asked the Werewolf Clan Leaders to go back and keep their own tribesmen in check, so they wouldn’t carelessly offer their heads to the enemy.

"All warriors, retreat inside Heize and wait for the Eternal Domain’s assault."

With the Heize Werewolves’ Clan Leaders meeting concluded, the Werewolves of Heize City made final preparations for war.

Ironhead, looking at the empty tent, suddenly asked the empty air, "Is the sacrifice ritual ready?"

An old Werewolf dressed as a Shaman appeared, his fur already grizzled, leaning on a cane and hunched over.

"Respected Clan Leader, the sacrifice ritual is ready. However... we can’t be certain that it will awaken the Nine-Headed Dragon beneath Heize. After all, no one has ever been successful."

The Shaman Werewolf’s answer silenced Ironhead for a moment, then he asked, "Is there really a Nine-Headed Dragon beneath Heize?"

"Clan Leader, our tribe has lived in Heize for generations, all for the day we might awaken the slumbering Nine-Headed Dragon. While our summoning rituals have consistently failed, the very fact that we can draw upon the Nine-Headed Dragon’s power through sacrifice is proof... there truly is a Nine-Headed Dragon beneath Heize."

The Nine-Headed Dragon beneath Heize was Ironhead’s last ace in the hole.

Yet, no Heize Werewolf Clan Leader in the lineage had ever successfully awakened the Nine-Headed Dragon.

Ironhead did not have high hopes for the success of the ritual, but gaining the power of the Nine-Headed Dragon through the ritual would add a significant variable to the war.

"Have the Jackalman Shamans prepare the sacrifice ritual. I’ll use the power of the Nine-Headed Dragon at a moment’s notice."

With longevity comes transformation into a Jackalman.

Though Jackalmen lack the strength of Werewolves, they practice mysterious arts unknown to Werewolves.

The Shaman bowed to Ironhead, then turned invisible and vanished.