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Due to a complete lack of understanding of the speed of my subordinates, the military department of the Kingdom of Os could only estimate based on past intelligence when faced with a mountain of battle reports. The final conclusion was naturally that the orcs had dispatched a massive army, silently infiltrating the kingdom. The number reported to King Os was still an underestimate; in fact, the military department's estimate should have been between two to three hundred thousand. However, these generals could not fathom why, if the orcs truly had such a large army, they did not gather to attack cities. Moreover, how were supplies managed for such a vast force? Despite these questions, the generals could only order the armies originally preparing to assemble at "Qingfuluo City" to hold their positions and await reinforcements.

Later, I learned that perhaps my battle plan was so outstanding that it greatly alarmed the king of Holy Os, who mobilized forces without hesitation, even diverting the reserve corps originally intended to confront the orc main force in the "War God Corridor" to deal with me. This made my subsequent advance into Holy Os much more difficult. The gains and losses here were indeed intricate and thought-provoking.

The "Wolfspeed" plan had progressed to its twentieth day, and I knew I had largely achieved my strategic goals. Now, the six northeastern provinces of Holy Os were in chaos, with major cities crowded with fleeing nobles and civilians. Local armies dared not move, and over forty percent of mid-level officers had been eliminated by me. Sixty percent of the war supplies stockpiled for the conflict had been lost. Even with the national strength of Holy Os and the support from behind the Temple, it would take at least half a month to restore combat readiness. Meanwhile, Katherine's campaign against the four-nation alliance upstream of the Red River was nearing its end, with the allied forces already routed. It would be a matter of at most ten days before my main army could besiege "Qingfuluo City," not only avoiding being caught between human forces but also potentially taking this fortress first, making it one of my forward bases for conquering the Kingdom of Holy Os.

At this point, the humans gradually stabilized the situation. Although they were still at a loss against my elusive wolf knight army, the command system, which I had initially disrupted, was gradually returning to normal. With the arrival of reinforcements from the rear, they began to reclaim the areas they had abandoned. At the same time, experts from both the military and civilian sectors started to mobilize, using small elite teams to intercept my subordinate wolf knight squads, leading to increased casualties among my troops. I couldn't help but sigh inwardly; after all, such a large country could not be so easily thrown into disarray. Initially, they were unprepared for the orc invasion and did not understand my capabilities, which allowed me to catch them off guard. Now, as the country's vast potential began to manifest, my surprise attacks should come to an end. If I had had a large army following my initial assault, perhaps I could have swept through the six northeastern provinces of Holy Os by now. Ultimately, conditions were limited, and things could not go entirely as planned.

Knowing it was time to pull back, otherwise, when the two sword emperors and the dragon rider of Holy Os arrived, though I was not afraid, my subordinates would face the risk of slaughter. Therefore, I issued orders for all units to return and regroup the army. Of the ten thousand wolf knights who entered this human country, nearly nine thousand were still capable of fighting. In these twenty days, we had inflicted casualties on the humans numbering up to one hundred thousand, including no less than fifty thousand regular troops. In terms of battle achievements, this was extremely glorious.

However, even now, returning to Landon would not be easy. Our initial smooth infiltration into Holy Os was due to the lack of vigilance on their part. Now, "Qingfuluo City" had gathered a human army of one hundred and fifty thousand, setting up a tight net to deal with us. Even if I could break through their blockade, the losses to my subordinates would be unacceptable. Therefore, I chose another route, planning to move westward, crossing the small principality of Tania, which had close ties with the Kingdom of Holy Os, then crossing a snow-capped mountain on its border to enter the territory of the four-nation alliance upstream of the Red River, where I would join forces with Katherine's victorious army and return to Landon together.

Chapter 95: The Heaven Blade, the Demon Blade, the Silent Blade

The Principality of Tania is a small country nestled in the mountains, lacking abundant resources and a large population, and similarly, having neither excessive ambition nor conflicts. It is the kind of country that does not appear in any intelligence agency files for decades, relying on the protection of Holy Os to live in peace. Thus, when my wolf knights crossed this country, they encountered no resistance. The locals, upon seeing us, merely closed their doors without much reaction.

The Tania Snow Mountain is a branch of the Never-setting Mountains, spanning between Tania and the four-nation alliance upstream of the Red River. Though it is covered in snow year-round, it is not particularly difficult to cross. Merchants occasionally use this route to trade between the two sides, although it is unsuitable for a large human army. For the Snow Wolf clan, which can live in snowy regions, this route, while not ideal, is passable. Once we cross this mountain range, we can reunite with our forces.

However, at this moment, we had to stop, and I even ordered my subordinates to retreat several miles away, forbidding them from advancing any further.

All because of one human.

The Blade Saint, Arshu.

Among billions of humans, there are only two titles that would draw the attention of orcs: one is the Forbidden Spell Mage, and the other is the Sword Saint. Arshu, as one of the seven great sword saints of humanity, is one of the two surviving top-tier experts who participated in the battle at Saint Spirit Mountain against the "White-haired Magic Lion King" Leimen. This master, who has long resided in the southern sky, suddenly appeared before our army, forcing us to halt our return.

Although I have never seen the true face of the "Sky-splitting Blade Saint," I once witnessed his confrontation with the "Black Jade Sword Saint" Bing Qinglie of the Yellow Dragon Empire and the "Burning Heaven Flame Saint" Levis of the Mercenary Empire in the desert. I felt the layered, condensed, and boundless blade intent that seemed like an endless mountain range. So when I saw a single human sitting atop the mountain, giving me the feeling of facing the entire Never-setting Mountain Range, I knew it was the "Blade Saint."