Northern Border, Icewind Belt.
Gale-force winds howled past, carrying snow with them. The bone-chilling wind made it hard to keep one's eyes open. Amid the bitter cold, two cavalry forces marched at full speed.
The wind and snow ahead gradually weakened. After the Wolf Cavalry Legion marched several more kilometers, the snow stopped, and the temperature rose somewhat, reaching around -40°C.
The ground beneath their feet was no longer an ice field, but frozen earth covered in thick snow. Every step landed with a crunch, crunch.
With the low temperatures in the Icewind Belt, the civilians of the Northern Border could not live there. Apart from the Wall of Atad, it was the Northern Border's second natural barrier.
These two barriers were not without flaws, especially the Icewind Belt, which severely restricted the Northern Border's trade. At the same time, they kept outsiders from learning much about the Northern Border, adding a touch of mystery to the region.
On the dragon's back, Su Xiao glanced at the map in his hand. According to what Tu'erte had said, to launch a surprise attack on Winter City, they first had to break through several checkpoints.
The first was the sentry line. This defensive layer would be the easiest to break through. Along the edge of the Icewind Belt, an ice-built watchtower stood every five hundred meters. The Northern Border had no shortage of ice; with nothing but manpower, they could create a complete warning line.
Baja and Oufu would lead people in breaking through the sentry line. Baja excelled at assassination, while Oufu of the Holy Emblem specialized in poison and infiltration. Before becoming a physician, her father had trained her as an assassin.
Past the sentry line was the regular defensive line. The troublesome part was the hidden sentries. Once they