The job change is a bizarre and calamity; the nation begs me to tone it down.

As time went by, the sun over Sunset Forest gradually moved from the distance to its zenith.

The efficiency of the engineering corps goes without saying.

In just two hours, the once abandoned elven settlement had been completely transformed.

The reinforced fortress has raised its flagpole again, and the battle flags of the Calamity Army and the Qiongqi Legion flutter in the wind. Energy shield devices are arranged in an arc around the perimeter of the camp, forming a visible light blue curtain.

The supply vehicles were parked in an orderly fashion, and the indicator lights in the medical pods flashed regularly. Everything seemed perfectly organized, as if this place had always been Sheikha's territory.

At this moment, Gu Xu stood in front of the temporary command platform, gazing listlessly at the lush forest and mountains.

Just then, Lin Yuan led over a trembling elf scout.

The elf was short, dressed in dark green scouting light armor, with several unhealed abrasions on his face, and his hands were tightly bound by specially made restraint locks.

Even the fluctuations of magic power were suppressed to the point of being completely eliminated.

"Commander, we've caught the prisoner."

Lin Yuan pushed the scout forward and said in a calm tone, "We've interrogated him. He's quite stubborn, but he couldn't hold out for long against Staff Officer Jiang's methods."

Jiang Shu peeked out from the side, her face displaying an innocent expression.

"Commander, please don't misunderstand. It's not that I'm ruthless, it's just that I'm a patient person. I asked the question three times, and the person couldn't hold back any longer."

"Oh? I didn't realize Chief Advisor Jiang had this skill?"

Gu Xu glanced at Jiang Shu, raising an eyebrow in surprise, before his gaze fell on the trembling elf: "Tell me, where have your elven army gone?"

The scout gritted his teeth, remained silent for a moment, and finally spoke under Jiang Shu's cold gaze.

"Most of the troops... have retreated towards Luoyun City."

"That is the second largest city in the northwest of our Elven race, and also the gateway to the heart of the Elven Forest."

"The city is guarded by three commanders: General Eland, Priestess Celine, and Commander Dorn. All three of them have reached the rank of Great Sage."

The moment the word "Great Sage" was uttered, the deputy legion commanders around the command platform exchanged glances without realizing it.

According to the conversion of human occupational systems, a great sage is roughly equivalent to a saint.

They can already be considered the top combat force that the Elven race can truly boast of.

The fact that three Saint-level beings were stationed in a single city at the same time demonstrates that the Elven race had truly invested heavily in this defensive line.

"It seems that Luoyun City will not be so easy to take."

Upon hearing this, Song Zhiyao spoke softly, her brows furrowing slightly.

Su Qiong nodded in agreement: "Three Great Sages, even in our Divine Xia, would be equivalent to a legion commander. If the legion commander doesn't intervene, they would indeed be quite difficult to deal with!"

Gu Xu smiled upon hearing this, but did not respond: "The situation is clear. The Elven race has withdrawn its main force to Luoyun City, intending to use its geographical advantage and numbers to wear us down."

"Since they've laid out all their assets, there's no need for us to dawdle here."

Gu Xu raised his hand and waved towards the southeast: "All troops, march! Target: Luoyun City!"

As soon as the order was given, the soldiers, who had been waiting impatiently, sprang into action.

The entire army, like a black tide, slowly advanced towards the southeast.

……

Meanwhile, in Luoyun City.

The elven capital was built on a high ground, surrounded by several winding rivers. The city walls were made of the trunks of some kind of giant tree and emerald crystal, gleaming with a faint silver-green luster.

In the past, this place must have been a very prosperous place for the elves.

But now, the city streets are crowded with evacuating clansmen and their supply wagons, noisy and chaotic, a stark contrast to the tranquility of the past.

The atmosphere was even more so inside the city lord's mansion.

The commander, Elland, stood before a giant crystal, his face quite grim.

He was over three hundred years old and a rare veteran among the elves.

He has been stationed on the border since he was young and has experienced countless battles, but never before has he been so unable to muster the confidence to start a war.

"My esteemed sages, news from our scouts indicates that the main force of the Divine Xia army has begun its advance this way!"

"They are extremely fast; they will probably arrive in Luoyun City in less than an hour."

Shortly after, a messenger rushed into the hall, his voice urgent.

Eland didn't speak, but simply closed his eyes and nodded.

"General Elan, are we really going to face the Sheikh's army head-on?"

"Based on the current intelligence, even if the three of us join forces, we probably wouldn't last three moves against that young powerhouse who summoned the unspeakable creature."

Celine, standing beside him, also had a solemn expression, and the anxiety in her eyes was impossible to conceal.

"What else can we do but fight?"

Dorn suddenly spoke, his eyes filled with determination: "The main force is still retreating, and the clansmen in the main city have not yet been completely evacuated."

"This Luoyun City is one of the few defensive lines we can hold off the enemy."

"We know we can't stop them, but if we don't, all the tribesmen who haven't evacuated yet, and all the supply wagons that are still on their way, will be trampled to pieces by the iron hooves of the Divine Xia."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment.

Elland took a deep breath and reopened his eyes: "Dorn is right, we have no other choice."

"Send the order to gather all available garrison troops outside the city and set up another defensive line in the open area thirty miles in front of the city. At the same time, have the elves fight in small groups to delay as much as possible."

"As for the clansmen within Luoyun City..."

He paused, his voice tinged with sorrow: "We'll evacuate as many as we can, hoping that the gods will bless our people."

The three exchanged a glance, and without saying anything more, they turned around to prepare their final lines of defense.

Knowing it was impossible, yet still doing it, was the last thing they, as the defending generals, could do.

……

Between Sunset Forest and Falling Cloud City lies a hilly area called Silver Fern Valley, where tall silver ferns grow everywhere.

When the wind blows, it makes a fine rustling sound.

The vanguard of the Calamity Army advanced for more than ten minutes and encountered the Elven blocking force head-on at the edge of this hilly area.

The enemy force was not small, roughly estimated to be over ten thousand.

Archers, mages, rangers, elven warriors, and elven knights formed their own ranks, scattered across the hills and forests, occupying extremely advantageous terrain.

Su Qiong stood at the front of the army formation and raised her hand to signal the entire army to stop.

Her gaze swept across the terrain ahead, and she immediately understood its intricacies.