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Afterwards, with the help of the Wolf Clan and the Lion Clan controlled by Catherine, Chen Xuanfeng successfully summoned the chieftains and elders of the Eagle Tribe, Bear Tribe, and Minos Bull Tribe to Fontainebleau City for negotiations that lasted half a month. The discussions were filled with schemes, strategies, and heated debates. In the end, Chen Xuanfeng finally gained the recognition of the three tribes. Under the premise of signing various treaties, he obtained the authority to command their forces. By this point, he had finally managed to align the relationships among the five major combat races of the beastmen, truly exercising the rights of the Beastman King.

Given more time, Chen Xuanfeng could have continued to gather the weaker tribes among the hundred beastmen clans, strengthening his vassal forces and gradually becoming an undisputed ruler.

Unfortunately, his enemies would not grant him that time.

The beastmen civil war had been instigated and orchestrated by the human alliance, who naturally would not let such a golden opportunity slip. Although Chen Xuanfeng had successfully guided the dark elves and magical beasts from the underground world to attack the southern continent, temporarily curbing the humans' advance, the prolonged conflict had drawn large numbers of elite beastmen away from the frontlines into the civil war, significantly impacting the war situation.

"Last month, the southwestern front was harassed by human flanking forces. With the Eagle Tribe's garrison withdrawn, we could only dispatch two land combat legions to suppress them, only to fall into an enemy ambush. Twelve thousand warriors died on the spot, and the retreating forces were harried by human cavalry led by a Dragon Knight, resulting in the frontlines being breached. The entire army retreated two hundred kilometers, losing two fortresses and three towns."

"At the end of last month, the acting commander of the southeastern front, Shaktra, was assassinated by humans. Subsequently, the Sand Dune Cavalry of the Mercenary Empire swiftly infiltrated, coordinating with flame mages to disrupt the defensive lines. Five hundred thousand human reinforcements advanced in ten columns, surrounding our garrison forces with ten times their numbers. Without elite troops, our forces suffered consecutive defeats. By the time they retreated to the second defensive line, thirty thousand warriors had been lost. We also lost two major cities and a transportation hub, with severe losses in supplies and civilians."

"At the beginning of this month, the Tiele cavalry on the eastern front, supported by remnants of Sacred Dragon Mountain, mixed wyvern legions with regular cavalry and twice defeated the Minos Bull Tribe infantry legions in direct combat, breaching four camps and three strongholds along the frontlines. Though our losses were minimal, we forfeited many advantageous positions. According to intelligence, the Yellow Dragon Empire's forces have also gained the allegiance of several Dragon Knights and a wyvern legion. If the two sides join forces, our situation will become dire."

In Fontainebleau City, Chen Xuanfeng was listening to the war reports from various fronts.

"Alright, I understand." Chen Xuanfeng waved his hand, dismissing the reporting officer, then said, "Let's hear your thoughts on how to respond."

Those present were all Chen Xuanfeng's trusted aides—his disciple Antara, who had followed him from the beginning; his close wife Catherine; the most loyal maiden Jin Luosa; as well as the King of the Undead, Hai Ruo, Bai Lanling, and over a dozen other talents who had gathered around Chen Xuanfeng for various reasons.

A Wolf Clan officer stood and said, "Your Majesty, the frontline situation concerns the alliance's future. Now that the legions of each tribe have returned to the frontlines, we should launch a full-frontal counterattack as soon as possible to reclaim the lost territories."

A Bie Clan strategist nearby shook his head. "We must not act rashly. The stalemate on the frontlines exists precisely because both sides were evenly matched. After the civil war, our legions have suffered losses and have yet to fully replenish and recuperate. Even if we push them to the frontlines, they won't regain their former strength. The humans' counterattack was well-planned—we've lost many geographical advantages. Retaking the lost ground would require heavy sacrifices, and if we fail, it would deal a severe blow to morale and Your Majesty's authority."

A towering Minos Bull Tribe officer angrily retorted, "Are we to abandon our lands just because we might fail?"

The Bie Clan strategist denied this. "That's not what I meant. A full-frontal counterattack is simply too difficult. I propose concentrating our superior forces to reclaim one frontline first before addressing the others."

Antara, the commander of the Wolf Riders, chimed in, "But if we concentrate our forces, the humans might seize the chance to launch a full-scale counterattack. Remember, their total mobilizable forces outnumber ours a hundredfold. Their only constraint is the lack of broad enough frontlines and logistics to deploy their full strength. If we gather our elite troops on one front, they will surely use overwhelming numbers to pin down our main force while launching large-scale operations on other fronts. We’d be left scrambling, exhausted, and the outcome could be even worse."

For a while, the attendees argued vehemently, their voices rising as they debated.

Chen Xuanfeng remained silent, listening to the discussions. It wasn’t that he was being deliberately mysterious—beastmen didn’t engage in such political maneuvering—but those present were key commanders and advisors, each with their own understanding of the forces and national strengths involved. Only after hearing their opinions could he fully integrate the intelligence.

Once most had spoken, Chen Xuanfeng raised his hand to silence the debate and turned to his wife, who had yet to speak. "Catherine, what are your thoughts?"

The new Lion Clan leader smiled at her husband and said, "A full-frontal assault does risk dispersing our strength. But focusing on a single front doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll be stretched thin—if we can strike at the enemy’s pivot point, they won’t be able to avoid engagement."

Chen Xuanfeng immediately knew Catherine had a plan. "What pivot point do you mean?"

Catherine rose and walked to the map in the conference hall, pointing as she spoke. "Of the three enemy fronts, the southwestern one is the weakest—they are former vassals of Saint Spirit Mountain, relying solely on support from the southern continent via coastal routes to resist us. The southeastern front is the strongest, as the Mercenary Empire has now reconciled with the Kuta tribal alliance. Were it not for their wariness of the elven empire to the south, they could deploy even more forces. The eastern front, with the combined might of Tiele and the Yellow Dragon Empire, bolstered by the Dragon Knights and wyvern legions from Sacred Dragon Mountain, would be the strongest. Unfortunately, the eastern continent is too distant, making reinforcement of both troops and supplies extremely difficult, preventing them from causing greater trouble." "At first glance, these three fronts seem unrelated—failure on one wouldn’t affect the others. But upon closer inspection, there is a pivot point that could determine the advance or retreat of all fronts..."