You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

"As you know, at this critical juncture, no one can stand in the way without morale; they'll crumble at the first touch. Only I can go."

"Understood. Just stall for time. Avoid a direct confrontation and instead engage in hit-and-run tactics."

"Gengtana gave her instructions."

The two had worked together for a long time, were of one mind, and understood each other's considerations; this was the crucial moment.

They waved goodbye to each other, resolutely.

In a short time, the Great Khan had gathered the remaining forces of Linchun. The entire cavalry set off in a grand procession. Seeing their backs as they walked away through the snow gave me a sense of reassurance, and order was restored somewhat.

Every household sent its bravest warriors, who were entrusted with a critical mission to face the invincible might of the Daqian army.

"Don't just stand there, let's get moving. I won't allow anyone to dawdle."

Gedentana's authoritative command spread.

Yes, sir.

Everyone knew that the opportunity was fleeting, and who knew how long the Great Khan could hold out? Besides, their mission wasn't a real battle, but rather to harass the enemy like a hunter, ensuring they didn't rush straight to the Holy Land and thus buy time.

At this moment, every step is a matter of life and death, but courageous people take the initiative to face the test of life and death.

The earth roared, snowflakes fluttered, and we trod across the geothermal soil toward the south.

Although the Daqian army and the barbarians had not yet entered each other's visual range, they could see each other clearly from high above.

Two armies, each brimming with momentum, marched toward each other.

...........

Deep in the northern grasslands.

The ranks under the banner of the Great Qian Dynasty stretched out like a long snake, charging toward their target with the momentum of a sprint.

Thanks to the barbarian guides, they bypassed obstacles such as hills, cliffs, and lakes, and reached Linchun at top speed.

Meanwhile, the snow on the ground gradually disappeared.

The volcanic geothermal region truly lives up to its name; it feels warm underfoot, even the cold air seems gentler. The snow, needless to say, has long since melted and returned to the earth.

Feng Tianyin, who was at the front of the group, made a gesture, and everyone slowed down.

She gently pulled on the reins to steady herself.

The adjutant beside him, Zhang Zhongsi, relayed the order: "We're almost at our target. Slow down and rest first. We'll be charging forward afterward."

"Yes, ma'am."

The High Priestess was always sparing with words, and probably only Heavenly Dao was worth her time. So she simply gave a hand signal, but just to be on the safe side, she carefully relayed the message again.

As everyone gazed at the horizon, they could vaguely see a volcano towering into the clouds, its top emitting plumes of hot air.

"Looking at the mountain makes one's horse run itself to death"—it's actually still a long way off.

If it weren't for the use of the best horse breeds for this long expedition, many of them would probably be exhausted by now. They really need a rest; after all, cavalrymen can't just sit back and wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, they also need to move with their warhorses.

Feng Tianyin dismounted and picked up a lump of soil from the ground, rubbing it in her hands.

scanning.

The flood of related information made the girl's purple eyes light up.

"The soil was found to be rich in volcanic minerals, making it suitable for developing volcanic farmland agriculture. However, due to the high latitude, even with the presence of geothermal energy, there is a potential for damage from heavy snowfall in winter, and only one crop per year is expected..."

She tilted her head and said something that confused those around her.

Of course, it's not surprising to hear similar remarks from one's own boss; the wording may be strange, but it's still understandable.

It's a good place.

Unfortunately, this is not applicable to the current scale of Daqian, and besides, one harvest a year is not that remarkable; in some areas further south, there are two harvests a year.

The latitude here is too high, so it snows eventually, which inevitably damages some of the vegetation.

Therefore, while it's a pity, I don't feel any remorse. If it needs to be destroyed, destroy it anyway. The more potential this land has, the more thoroughly it needs to be dealt with. Now they're here to plunder our enemies like nomadic tribes.

"How many more days will we have enough food?" Feng Tianyin asked.

"At most 4 days, it's very tight."

"That is 96 hours. Considering the speed of warhorses and the delays caused by the war, we can at most retreat to the area around the pass of Kurong Mountain."

"Sir, if we calculate it this way, we'd better seize some of Linchun's grain reserves."

"Yes, but we need to hurry, they must be evacuating."

Both sides in the conflict are making their moves with their cards on the table, assuming that the other side knows their general intentions.

The grasslands are indeed vast, but considering suitable routes, the options are actually quite limited. There aren't many opportunities for surprise attacks, flanking maneuvers, or intrigues; you still have to rely on strength to fight your way through. Since there are clear paths to follow, the Daqian army was definitely exposed to the enemy.

It doesn't matter.

They had always hoped to inflict heavy losses on the enemy's manpower, and it would be even better if the northern barbarians were willing to gather their forces.

"We've rested enough, let's get started again."

At Feng Tianyin's command, the entire army sprang into action, spurring their horses forward once more.

However, they maintained a steady pace. Entering the volcanic geothermal area was essentially entering the Linchun region, the enemy's absolute core area and the center of the northern desert. They had to carefully conserve their strength.

The enemy will definitely take action.

Therefore, the Daqian army slightly dispersed its formation, already in a charging stance, while simultaneously guarding its left and right flanks. They were prepared for battle, maintained visibility, and awaited the fight.

The barbarians on the other side also adopted the same formation.

At this moment, they deployed 3000 troops, divided into several small teams, to prepare for containment.

Great Khan Erbala looked around, while an adjutant added, "My lord, according to intelligence, the enemy has 4000 elite troops. We'd better avoid a direct confrontation."

He couldn't help but sigh and murmur:

"Even though we are fighting on home ground, we are outnumbered by the enemy."

It's not that the command was ineffective; the allied forces were in ruins after repeated blows, and their strength was diminished. Therefore, they couldn't muster a superior force. Their 1 elite troops, the most capable of breaking the stalemate, had already perished at Mount Kurong, and reinforcements were difficult to find.

Regardless, they must cover the retreat; only by preserving as many fresh troops as possible can they recover their strength more quickly.

rumble!

The earth echoed with a dull rumble, causing the barbarians to furrow their brows and immediately show a look of bewilderment.

Residents who have lived here for many years are familiar with the feeling of volcanoes and earthquakes.

Yes, an eruption is about to occur!

That's not all. At the same time, the rumbling underfoot became rhythmic, the sound of warhorses, a large number of warhorses, indicating that both sides had detected each other's footsteps.

"Misfortunes never come singly, this is troublesome." Erbala gritted his teeth.

He hesitated for a moment before abandoning the idea of ​​returning to Linchun, trusting that Gegentana would maintain order and successfully evacuate. He would take on the remaining cover; he couldn't retreat, for retreat would cause the entire team to collapse and fall apart.

Boom!

Another muffled roar followed, and everyone felt a tremor beneath their feet. Looking back at the volcano, they discovered that the rocks had crumbled.

Thick black smoke rose, accompanied by a pungent sulfur smell, and the air seemed to be boiling. The temperature inside the crater was likely rising rapidly, even melting the ice and snow; an eruption was probably only a matter of time.

"Based on my experience, it should be a volcanic ash eruption, not a lot of lava."

A shaman gave an affirmative answer.

Erbala nodded: "You're right, but it will definitely complicate the situation further. Be prepared to fight the enemy."

He gazed into the distance, where the banner of the Great Qian Dynasty rose on the horizon.

Even the turbulent volcano in front of them could not stop them in the slightest.

Feng Tianyin naturally noticed the violent natural disaster, but after some calculations, she confirmed that it wouldn't affect her own side, so it was fine. Besides, no large-scale disaster warning had been triggered, so she focused on the battlefield.

Seeing that the high priest was calm and composed, his subordinates had no suspicions. Whatever, it was just a volcano, and they might as well take a look.

"God bless you!"

Amidst shouts of unison, the bugle call sounded, and the two armies came into view of each other.

Although the mission was to hold the enemy back, Erbala couldn't just fight a direct attack and run away; doing so would only cause the team to collapse on the spot. So, even if the first wave of attacks was fierce, they had to grit their teeth and take the hit.

He responded in kind: "Charge—"

There was no probing or warm-up between the two sides; they accelerated to their maximum speed without hesitation and charged forward without dodging or avoiding.

boom!

At the same time, volcanic ash, along with red lava, flowed down the mountain peaks.

It was so magnificent and explosive, but no one had time to even glance at it.

The fiercest cavalry clashes began, a battle raging amidst the apocalyptic landscape of the grassland volcanoes, with the victor set to rule this geothermal land.

Chapter 75 Invading the Barbarian Holy Land (4K)

The cavalry at the very front were naturally Feng Tianyin and Erbala.

The two men exchanged glances, gripped their weapons, and locked onto their target without needing any further words or introductions.

Ping!

The spears and lances collided and sparked, and under their high-speed impact and force, the weapons bent at one point. The resulting reaction force was enough to overturn a person, but under their arm strength, they remained motionless.

The two passed each other in the next moment.

They all had the momentum to launch the next move, but their sprint speed was too fast, and they only had time for one round.

The battlefield is not a place for knightly duels; there's no way to circle around and fight back. So everyone has to blend into the battle formation.

That's it.

The girl's long, black and white hair fluttered in the wind, and her half-closed eyes radiated indifference. They didn't seem to be looking at the human world, but rather at the all-encompassing workings of the universe, scrutinizing it without any emotion, as if the life-or-death confrontation just now was insignificant.

Erbala, on the other hand, clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

"What a tricky attack..."

In reality, the opponent was not known for his strength, and I could sense a certain gap between us. However, the location where the spear in my hand was struck was quite special, and the force was not enough to withstand the blow, instead transmitting shockwaves, which was really uncomfortable.