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I circulated my Nine Yin True Qi for several cycles to temporarily suppress my internal injuries and immediately ordered the team to set off, hoping to reunite with Katherine as soon as possible. Although I knew it was impossible to catch up with Flame Saint Levis, I still held onto a sliver of hope. However, on the very next day, Winter Night sent a battle signal. I immediately activated the power of our mental contract and sent Za to assist Katherine in the battle.

Winter Night, Za, and I share a mental contract, but if the distance is too great, we can only sense very vague signals, with only slight differences in intensity. This limitation was incredibly frustrating. However, Winter Night later informed me that dragon knights usually establish certain codes with their dragons, using intensity and intervals to convey information. Although it's challenging to control the mental link, making it impossible to transmit longer messages, simple communication is still feasible.

The signal I sent to Winter Night was "Fire, strong enemy, Katherine, danger," believing he would understand I was referring to the attack by Flame Saint. My command to Za was "Katherine, close, prepare for battle." I made several more attempts to communicate with them along the way, briefly outlining our defensive strategy, and now it finally paid off. Within half an hour, I received Winter Night's signal: "Victory, safe, fire, escaped, lightly wounded."

Several days later, I finally reunited with Katherine's main force. After leaving around 30,000 orc troops and approximately 50,000 restructured troops of the Duchy of Langton, our army of over a hundred thousand returned to the Duchy of Langton in a grand procession. It was only then that I learned the details of the entire war.

The Red River Four Nations Alliance's army was practically useless. Having long been oppressed by Langton, their trade routes were blocked, leaving their military under-equipped and poorly trained, ranking in the third tier. The only notable asset they had was a navy built within a lake in the Red River basin. However, this advantage crumbled when faced with our two aquatic Beamon, who excelled in water combat. Using this as a breakthrough point, Katherine's forces crushed the alliance within days. Unfortunately, the subsequent mopping-up operations were troublesome since the four nations were mountainous, and their cities, though small, were built in precarious locations with sturdy stone walls. Fortunately, the yak warriors and Minos bull-headed fighters, adapted to mountainous terrain, along with Katherine's "Wolf Smoke on the Earth" tactic, eventually subdued these resistant cities after considerable effort.

When I sent my warning, the battle was mostly over. Katherine, being as sharp as ever, and Winter Night, with his experience, quickly understood what I meant. Thus, while organizing the return march, they remained vigilant and dispatched Siegfried with the golden eagle riders to contact the strongest Za in Langton, preparing for reinforcements. Za, though his memory was wiped, wasn't made foolish. Upon receiving my order, he immediately set off to join Katherine and set a trap for Levis, exploiting the enemy's ignorance of his existence.

The arrogant and impulsive Flame Saint Levis, unlike the serene and clear-hearted Blade Saint, had no interest in formalities or courtesy. Upon locating the main orc force, Levis unleashed several wide-area 'Flame Sword Rain' attacks, intending to force Katherine out. Fortunately, Katherine had prepared in advance, and the orcs, known for their survival instincts, avoided significant casualties. With the tenfold power boost from the Emperor Martial Overlord Art and Winter Night's air support, Katherine focused on defense, making it difficult for Flame Saint to make a quick victory. However, even the tenfold power boost from the Emperor Martial Overlord Art could only last for half an hour. Knowing this, Levis wasn't in a hurry. He simply used his flame sword to pressure Katherine, waiting for her to exhaust herself before delivering the final blow. But Katherine had anticipated this and pretended to be exhausted earlier, luring Levis into Za's ambush. As Levis, confident of victory, relaxed his defense and attacked with all his might, Katherine ordered Za to strike from behind while she counterattacked with full force. Winter Night seized the opportunity to attack from the air, putting Levis in a deadly situation.

However, Levis, formidable as he was, proved to be a formidable opponent. In such a dire situation, he forcibly exploded his massive flame aura and used the ability of the fire elemental giant sealed within his divine weapon, "Ten Realms Crimson Lotus," called "Lotus Substitute," to take the hit from Za's ultimate move, "Trajectory of Fate." He escaped with only minor injuries and managed to evade the three powerful foes. Nevertheless, facing the combined assault of three fighters nearly as powerful as him, even the arrogant and furious Levis didn't dare to linger and had to retreat in frustration.

"Fire and ice elements are natural enemies, so the 'Trajectory of Fate' from the Ice Plane couldn't predict the appearance of the 'Lotus Substitute' from the fire plane. However, we weren't without gains. After each use of 'Lotus Substitute,' it takes a hundred days for the power to recover before it can be used again. Thus, our ambush has effectively crippled Flame Saint, leaving him at half strength, which counts as a significant victory," Katherine concluded. "According to the alliance's planned operation, in two months, the lion tribe from the Viking side will join forces with the main army at the War God Corridor. By then, we will engage in a decisive battle with the humans that will determine the fate of this war. If the humans don't intend to abandon the Golden Great Plains, they will have to face us head-on. At the same time, Master Lei Men will settle his score with the human Sword Saints. Even though Flame Saint narrowly escaped this time, he will face a far greater reckoning when he confronts Master Lei Men."

Meanwhile, in the Holy Os Kingdom, the two unsuccessful top-tier experts finally met.

"A newly risen 'Emperor Martial,' a mysterious ice-wielding expert nearly as powerful as the Orc King, alas, Levis, if we follow the information you provided, then, adding the wolfman I encountered who wields the Saint Ice Thorn Aura, this small orc territory of Fontainebleau has gathered three top experts who can threaten the supreme realm. Truly, this small orc territory has become a gathering place for some of the most formidable warriors in existence," said Blade Saint Arshu, sitting in a corner of a small, unassuming tavern, looking at Flame Saint across from him. No one would have expected such a small, unassuming tavern to host two legendary powerhouses.