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Although these reinforcements will introduce variables, the determining factor in the war still lies with the main forces of the Holy Os. Once we mobilize them, the reinforcements will follow. If the main force is defeated, no matter how strong the reinforcements are, they won't be able to turn the tide. Over the past few days, the human armies have been steadily gathering, and I believe their patience has reached its limit. Antara's defeat will actually widen the discord between the human main forces and the reinforcements. So, the decisive battle will begin within the next three days, and we still hold the initiative. There's no need to worry." As the true soul of the orc legion, Katherine showed no sign of unease. With a smile, she unfolded a military map in front of us and began to explain the decisive battle plan she had designed.

An hour later, I summoned Winter Night, and we disappeared into the night, while the entire orc army began to mobilize, with hundreds of thousands of powerful warriors each embarking on their own journey.

Chapter 100: Red Sands Stabilize the Formation, Thunder Riders Sweep the Battlefield

Dragons, in my previous life, were considered sacred auspicious beasts, highly revered. But if you look at history, from the Yanhuang era to the Qin and Han dynasties, the image of the dragon was not uniformly defined. In many ancient jade and bronze artifacts that my master Huang Yaoshi collected, the primitive totems of dragons varied—some had no scales or claws, some had wings on their backs, and others had a single horn and one eye. It was not until the introduction of Buddhism during the Han dynasty, which was adopted by the Han rulers during the Wei and Jin periods, that the image of the dragon incorporated elements of the Buddhist dragon god, forming characteristics like the head of a horse, deer antlers, chicken claws, and fish scales. In other words, that was no longer the orthodox Chinese dragon.

In this world, the image of the dragon is completely different from the so-called five-clawed golden dragon of my previous life. However, if we compare ancient artifacts, the winged dragon that assisted Yu in controlling the floods and fought the drought demon was fierce and valiant. Therefore, when comparing the names of the two worlds, I still call them dragons. After all, no one in my previous life had ever seen a real dragon, so it's anyone's guess what they look like. Just as Buddhism could alter the image, so can I.

(This paragraph doesn't have much to do with the story, but recently I've been seeing people call Western dragons trash. Chinese dragons evolved from snake totems and aren't necessarily more noble or superior to Western lizard-derived dragons. Everyone says they are descendants of dragons, but do people even know which specific dragon? Which ancestral dragon's name? According to legends, the Yellow Emperor rode a dragon to ascend, and in other tales, Chinese dragons often pulled chariots for the gods, as seen in Du Fu's poem where he describes the gods riding on dragons. That is to say, dragons served a fairly lowly role, like horses for the heavenly emperor. In Chinese mythology, the highest status of the dragon race is only the Four Seas Dragon Kings, who aren't particularly powerful, well-tempered, or renowned. Another example is the White Dragon from 'Journey to the West,' who was transformed into a revered guardian in the Tathagata's pond.

The reason dragons have been revered by the Chinese, especially monarchs, and even claimed to be reincarnations of true dragons, is mainly because, for ancient agricultural China, droughts and floods were the only natural disasters that could shake the foundation of the state. The dragon's identity as a water god had immense spiritual appeal for an agricultural nation, thus contributing to the dragon's prestige. This is similar to how coastal residents revere Mazu, not because of any inherent nobility. It is said that Shun and Liu Bang were both born of dragons after their mothers were... violated, adding a charge of rape. As for Western dragons, they aren't just ordinary large lizards. For those who have read the 'Dragonlance Trilogy,' the three great deities of order, neutrality, and chaos actually have dragon forms and hold quite high status.)

Dragons in any world are creatures that soar across vast distances, and my contracted White Dragon Winter Night is no exception. It took less than half an hour to return from the frontlines to the former Duchy of Langton, which has now become my territory. Waiting there was little Jin Luosha, who had grown a little taller after months apart, and the ever-present artificial human Crystal Dragon Knight, Lica, disguised as a maid. Accompanying them were three crystal dragons, ferocious beasts with translucent red bodies resembling burning rubies.

"Brother, I missed you so much—" Jin Luosha gave me a tight hug as I dismounted the dragon.

"Lord Xuanfeng, according to your instructions, three crystal dragons have been brought here in their entirety," Lica, dressed in a black maid outfit, bowed politely behind her. By now, Lica had unlocked at least 80% of the abilities sealed by the Dark Sage, thanks to the crystal dragons. However, her delicate appearance and slim figure gave no hint of the immense power she possessed, and the undetectable magical fluctuations made it hard to believe that this humanoid body held such vast magic.

With complete technical data and ample resources, along with the expertise of both Lica and the 'King of the Undead,' Fontainebleau was able to manufacture crystal dragons within less than a year. These ultimate artificial war puppets could rival high-level super monsters and were indistinguishable from the originals crafted by the Twelve Sages. Moreover, with Lica, a Crystal Dragon Knight that even the Twelve Sages couldn't complete, many additional functions designed for the crystal dragons but never realized were added to these artificial beasts. Referencing the battle data of the past 400 years, these crystal dragons were further fine-tuned and perfected. According to the 'King of the Undead's' assessment, the three crystal dragons under Lica's command were more than a match for the combined assault of the four crystal dragons in the possession of the Radiant Temple.

The three crystal dragons, though slightly different in appearance, all stood about ten meters tall and twenty-five meters long in their earth dragon form. They had huge ramming horns on their heads, two twisted horns on each side for tearing, sharp dorsal spines along their backs, small and sharp forelimbs for cutting down smaller enemies, and thick, powerful hind limbs capable of leaping tens of meters high to deal with mighty monsters like beamon and dragons. On flat ground, they could reach speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour, and with their massive weight and sharp ramming horns, they could break through any defense. Their long tails, besides maintaining balance, could easily smash through thick walls. Their bright red translucent scales, treated with special forbidden curse crystals, were immune to all magic, including forbidden curses, and had the hardness of epic divine weapons. Even the top ten divine swords could only leave some scratches, which would soon self-repair. When necessary, sharp blades could be ejected from beneath each scale to cut nearby enemies into pieces.