Kodwen didn't care about the strange looks from others, sitting cross-legged in front of Pei Yan and taking out a jug of wine from his bosom. As he unscrewed the cap, he muttered, "Your concerns are valid. Had we been more cautious back then, perhaps fewer would have died."

He raised his head and took a swig, then sighed a bloody breath before saying, "The battle for the Goat Horn Disaster Pillar — the terrain there is even harsher than here. The territories of the two Disaster Pillars are set atop the main peaks of Goat Horn. We chose to strike there because the ravines between the mountains hindered the enemy's large forces from deployment. Before the surprise attack, we secretly buried a large amount of Demon Fire between the two locations using excavation techniques and organized three defensive lines to prevent enemy breakthroughs and support."

"Sounds like thorough preparation. Did you fail?" Pei Yan studied Kodwen's face, which was filled with memories and sadness, and probed.

"We succeeded but at a huge cost! My nephew… he died in that battle..." Kodwen said as he sighed heavily and pointed to the gap in the middle of the screen, continuing, "Once a Disaster Pillar is attacked, the adjacent one will forcibly activate, expanding the range of the Red Disaster until the two territories link."

"Ah, the worst-case scenario!" Pei Yan gritted his teeth bitterly. He had seen the speed of the Red Disaster before, and at that rate, it wouldn't take long before the Red Disaster of the two territories would merge into one.

"There's no need to be so pessimistic. The forcibly activated Red Disaster expands much slower than when fully activated as per its preset configuration." Kodwen tapped the connecting point between the two territories on the tablet, "If it expands to here, it'll take about half a day, by then, their advance support troops will arrive alongside the speed of the Red Disaster's expansion."

"Oh, so our time frame is somewhat lenient. We just need to resolve the battle within half a day!" Pei Yan, calculating the chances of success, blurted out.

Upon hearing this, Kodwen showed a helpless grimace and shook his head, "Don't be so optimistic. Even if you manage to destroy the Disaster Pillar, the enemy will temporarily set up a phantom pillar, which you cannot destroy."

Kodwen ignored the fire burning in Pei Yan's eyes and continued, "I know you're confident in your power, but it's useless. The temporary phantom pillar is intangible, just a shadow. Any attack will pass through it without destroying it, but it will disappear after an hour."

"But it's that hour that cost us greatly!" Kodwen said painfully, his head lowered. "We thought we had a sure victory; the enemy's Disaster Pillar was destroyed and the remnants atop Goat Horn were surrounded. We were about to annihilate the enemy and claim a great victory, but the sudden appearance of the phantom pillar thwarted our offensive forces' momentum. Enemy counterattacks and reinforcements plunged us into chaos, surrounded from all sides. If not for the Demon Royal Guard and Legion Commanders responsible for destroying the Disaster Pillar fighting valiantly to stave off the enemy's advance and survive the hour, the battle would have ended in defeat. Even so, the plan to counter-attack and seize the other corner following this deployment failed due to excessive troop losses, forcing a withdrawal."

"Phantom pillar? Damn Qiao Feng, why didn't you inform me of such crucial intel earlier?" roared Pei Yan, furious. Then he turned to Leohard and loudly questioned, "You knew all along? Is this your way of collaborating?"

Before Leohard could respond, Kodwen answered first, "Don't blame them. The lady lord of the Kataraga Autonomous Territory, preoccupied solely with the lives of her people, didn't send anyone to partake in that battle. Due to the morale-crushing truth of the battle, a strict ban was issued against its disclosure. Furthermore, since the battle for Goat Horn, the main legion has been gradually retreating to the final Holy City, severing their connection with higher-ups, leaving only those like me, who experienced the battle firsthand, with clear understanding of its details."

As he finished, he stopped Pei Yan from speaking, "I didn't mention it earlier because I completely don't believe you can destroy the Disaster Pillar. If you wish to blame me for that, I'm willing to accept it."

Looking at Kodwen, who ended with a thud of the wine bottle onto the ground, adopting a stance of readiness for punishment, Pei Yan shook his head helplessly. Although Kodwen's words seemed flawless, if Pei Yan truly believed the excuse of blocked communication and message blackout in the Kataraga Autonomous Territory, he would've been tricked a hundred times over.

How could such a large battle achieve a complete information blackout? But Pei Yan was in no mood to pursue these matters now. He tapped the screen and asked, "Are there any other details I should know that you haven't mentioned? I hope you don't hide anything anymore."

"What remains is the current situation being far better than during Goat Horn operations. Through reconnaissance, you've discovered that though there is considerable troop deployment, no high-ranking Disaster Legion is stationed here. Our massive losses at Goat Horn were due to the unexpectedly rapid and intense action from the high-ranking Disaster Legion," Kodwen replied after a pause.

"Ah, so we have a slight advantage. How long will it take them to reestablish the Disaster Pillar after the phantom pillar disappears?"

"Three days. As long as we don't exert any means, they'll need at least three days to reestablish a Disaster Pillar." Kodwen eventually said, his voice dropping as though realizing he might have misspoken.

"Means, what means? What are your measures to impede the reestablishment of the Disaster Pillar?" Pei Yan focused on the question and asked, frowning.

"Uh… it's just a preventive measure. If, if you can indeed take the Disaster Pillar, leave the rest to us!" Kodwen mumbled, head down.

Pei Yan and Ye Ruozai exchanged a glance, then suddenly stood up, grabbed Kodwen's throat with his right arm, simultaneously Ye Ruozai's Longsword was at Leohard's neck as a cold voice commanded, "Don't move!"

"Listen, I'm about to lead my team on a life-risking mission. I don't want any detail about this battle operation to be concealed from me. You either choose to reveal it or end the collaboration here, I'll slay you all and take my people back to the real world!" Pei Yan, exuding a deadly aura, glared at Kodwen with the eyes of a predator and enunciated.