Chapter Summaries

Zhuo Ge and Zhou Chongshan led the Great Zhou cavalry in a ferocious charge while the Lizardmen activated 'Boiling Blood' to stop them. Li Ce tried to kill the retreating High Priest with Three-bow Ballistae, but the High Priest halted one bolt with an invisible force and escaped; the battle descended into a chaotic melee.

• Zhuo Ge and Zhou Chongshan cut through the Lizardmen ranks as the High Priest ordered his infantry to activate 'Boiling Blood.'
• Soros advised the High Priest to retreat, and eight Blue Lizard Guards carried him toward the Rainforest in a palanquin.
• Shilke called out the High Priest's escape, but the 'Boiling Blood'-fueled Lizardmen kept fighting and blocked the cavalry.
• Li Ce ordered the Crossbow Soldier Unit to fire seven Giant Crossbow Bolts at the High Priest, who stopped the closest bolt with an invisible force before fleeing.
• The Lizardmen infantry slowed the Great Zhou cavalry until the Raptor Cavalry caught up, and both sides entered a chaotic melee.
• Zhou Chongshan slaughtered Lizardmen in a frenzy, his mind going blank as his attacks became increasingly fluid.

Li Ce reversed the battle’s momentum by coordinating the Elf Knights and Diak’s Centaurs against the Lizardmen, whose ‘Boiling Blood’ frenzy left them unable to retreat. Soros tried to recall the Giant Lizards, but Li Ce answered with signals of his own, refusing to let them leave freely.

• Soros withdrew toward the Rainforest as the Lizardmen’s ‘Boiling Blood’ state made them stronger but impossible to command.
• Li Ce shifted Shilke’s exhausted Elf Knights to the flank and searched for a way to break the Great Zhou forces out of the melee.
• Li Ce signaled Diak to return and help the Centaur tribe lure away the Giant Lizards, while Shilke led the Elf Knights to support them.
• After the Giant Lizards were drawn away, Diak’s forces defeated the remaining Raptor Cavalry and charged to support the Great Zhou army.
• Diak’s arrival turned the stalemate against the frenzied Lizardmen, and Soros realized the battle’s outcome could no longer be changed.
• Soros ordered the Giant Lizards recalled, but Li Ce responded by signaling his troops, making clear that the Lizardmen would not be allowed to leave without paying a price.

Li Ce’s forces defeated the Raptor Cavalrymen and then joined with the Centaur Tribe to hunt down the Giant Lizards. They returned to find their camp destroyed by the Shield Dragons, but Li Ce had already moved the supplies and the logistics troops began setting up tents for the wounded.

• Soros failed to recall the Giant Lizards with conflicting signals and withdrew after giving up on them.
• Li Ce ordered Zhou Chongshan, Zhuo Ge, and their exhausted troops to pursue the Giant Lizards, while Diak and the Centaur Tribe followed to settle their score.
• The Great Zhou cavalry and Centaur Tribe encircled and slaughtered the Giant Lizards after the beasts grew tired from being led around.
• The cavalry returned toward camp and passed four Shield Dragons without fighting them.
• Li Ce found the camp razed but remained calm because the logistics troops had already moved the supplies, and they set up tents nearby for the wounded.

After the battle, Li Ce arranged for the exhausted soldiers and wounded to shelter in greenhouses while keeping guards visible to hide how weakened his forces were. The Lizardmen's High Priest considered attacking the shelters but abandoned the plan, then avoided taking responsibility for the defeat as Soros and Gruul stayed silent.

• Li Ce sent the wounded to the medical teams and had the exhausted Zhou Chongshan, Zhuo Ge, and other soldiers rest inside guarded greenhouses.
• A Wyvern Rider surveyed the human camp and reported its defenses and apparent condition to the Lizardmen's High Priest.
• The High Priest considered sending the Shield Dragon to attack the greenhouses but decided the risk from the Crossbow Soldier Unit outweighed the benefit.
• The High Priest ordered the Wyvern Rider to continue monitoring the enemy, and the rider left immediately.
• The High Priest glared at Soros over the defeat, but then skipped assigning blame while Soros and Gruul remained silent.

After the Lizardmen’s defeat, the High Priest left Soros and Gruul to defend the Rainforest with depleted forces while Li Ce organized the Great Zhou army’s postwar work. The casualty report showed heavy losses among the cavalry and allied centaurs and elves, but the soldiers’ scale armor had prevented far worse casualties.

• The High Priest ordered Soros and Gruul to hold the Rainforest defensive line and returned to the temple, leaving them to manage the weakened forces.
• Li Ce coordinated the front line’s postwar work through the night and resumed his duties after a short sleep.
• A soldier reported that a Wyvern Rider was circling the camp while the Lizardmen showed no movement from the Rainforest.
• Li Ce reviewed the weapons report and learned that the Enchanted Weapons used in the battle had exhausted their power.
• The medical department reported that thirty-four Great Zhou soldiers had died, sixteen were severely wounded, and thirty-seven had other injuries.
• The report noted that Zhuo Ge and Shilke’s elven soldiers were wounded, while the scale armor had saved Great Zhou soldiers from worse casualties.

Li Ce learned that the Lizardmen had defeated the Ratmen in the south but could not tell whether the Ratmen could counterattack, leaving his front line in danger. Meanwhile, Zhou Xu discovered that a plant found in Dashan’s region was corn.

• Li Ce summoned Diak to learn about the battle between the Lizardmen and Ratmen in the south.
• Diak told Li Ce that the Lizardmen had won and the Ratmen had retreated, though he knew little about what happened afterward.
• Diak recalled that both armies had fielded so many troops that they could have overwhelmed his forces and Li Ce’s outright.
• Li Ce reasoned that the Lizardmen’s main force likely remained in the south and worried that the Ratmen’s condition would determine the danger to his front line.
• Zhou Xu examined the fruit of a plant Shi Lei had found in Dashan’s region and recognized it as corn.

Zhou Xu welcomed the discovery of corn and approved further exploration and tribal incorporation to expand Great Zhou’s population. A report of another miscarriage left him instructing a village chief to provide food and recovery leave while he continued to worry about the costs of childbirth.

• Zhou Xu assigned Zhao Geng to cultivate corn and rewarded the soldier who brought it and Shi Lei, who had discovered it.
• Zhou Xu reflected on how the expedition against the Lizardmen had slowed development in Great Zhou’s rear and how dangerous an invasion would be.
• Zhou Xu approved Shi Lei’s request to explore deeper into Dashan and continued incorporating tribes to gain soldiers and laborers.
• Zhou Xu reviewed reports of pregnancies, reduced labor capacity, and miscarriages among women in Great Zhou’s villages.
• Zhou Xu instructed a village chief to send food to a woman who had miscarried and approved leave for her to recuperate.

Li Ce used troop movements and Psychological Warfare to make Soros believe Great Zhou was preparing to attack the Rainforest region. Soros strengthened his defenses and sent a Shield Dragon to destroy Li Ce’s camp, unknowingly helping Li Ce buy time.

• After recovering for a week, Li Ce sent cavalry on patrol and staged an infantry buildup to make the enemy expect an attack.
• A Wyvern Rider reported Great Zhou’s movements to Soros, who strengthened patrols and defenses along the Rainforest line.
• Li Ce advanced toward the Rainforest with infantry, wagons, and two cavalry units, and the Wyvern Rider reported the advance to Soros.
• Soros decided his depleted Raptor Cavalry could not safely harass the advancing force and ordered his troops to hold the Rainforest line.
• Li Ce’s troops camped near the Rainforest at night, and Soros sent a Shield Dragon to destroy their camp.
• Li Ce welcomed Soros’s interference because it helped sustain the illusion of an attack and gave his forces more time.

Li Ce used controlled retreats and repeated crossbow attacks to wear down the Lizardmen’s Shield Dragons while Soros countered with round-the-clock harassment. After receiving Li Ce’s report, Zhou Xu ordered increased recruitment and weapons supplies, then announced that he would personally lead the next campaign.

• Li Ce ordered the Crossbow Soldier Unit to attack the Shield Dragons while his troops packed up camp at the last moment and withdrew safely.
• Soros retreated after the exchange, then divided the Shield Dragons into day and night groups to keep Li Ce’s troops under constant pressure.
• Li Ce borrowed Centaur troops with night vision to patrol, then feigned exhaustion and retreated so Soros would continue the costly harassment.
• When the energy passage opened, Li Ce sent a report to Zhou Xu, who judged that the Ratmen’s inaction could endanger the frontline.
• Zhou Xu ordered more recruits and shifted resupply toward armor, weapons, Giant Crossbow Bolts, and other equipment, then declared he would lead the next campaign himself.

Zhou Xu dismissed his ministers’ objections and decided to lead Great Zhou’s troops to the front line when the energy passage opened again. He told Wang Pengfei that his greatest desire was to conquer the world.

• Zhou Xu rejected the ministers’ pleas not to risk himself and dismissed the court.
• Zhou Xu hurried back to his office to handle documents and make arrangements for his departure to the front line.
• Wang Pengfei asked whether he would have to accompany Zhou Xu, and Zhou Xu insisted that his personal attendant must go with him.
• Wang Pengfei suggested sending Shi Lei instead, but Zhou Xu explained that Dashan needed Shi Lei and that the crisis required Zhou Xu himself.
• Wang Pengfei asked about Zhou Xu’s apparent lack of fear and personal desires, and Zhou Xu said he wanted the world.

Zhou Xu led an expedition through the energy channel to reinforce Zhou Chongshan, arriving in a strange world with Wang Dong, Wang Pengfei, and Thousand Sui. When a Wyvern Rider came to investigate, Zhou Xu released a flock of crows and used Beast Soldier Control on them.

• Zhou Xu received custom composite armor before setting out for the border garrison with fifty Mountain Soldiers and the logistics troops.
• When the energy channel opened, Zhou Xu led the expedition through it and arrived in a strange world, where Zhou Chongshan greeted him and reported that his injuries were no longer serious.
• Thousand Sui came through the channel after Zhou Xu, and a Wyvern Rider flew overhead to investigate the arrivals.
• Zhou Xu ordered Wang Pengfei to open the cages, then used Beast Soldier Control to send a flock of crows scattering across the new land.

Zhou Xu arrived at the front-line camp after capturing an enemy wyvern and its rider with his abilities. He organized the incoming reinforcements, supplies, and enchanted weapons, then prepared to visit Li Ce at the front.

• Zhou Xu used a flock of crows to overwhelm the Lizardman rider and control the wyvern, allowing Zhou Chongshan’s soldiers to bind it.
• The Great Zhou soldiers praised Zhou Xu, and he promised Zhou Chongshan a set of composite armor for distinguished service.
• Zhou Xu entered the garrison camp and learned that Li Ce was still commanding the stalemated front against the Lizardmen.
• Zhou Xu decided to visit Li Ce himself after the reinforcements and supplies were settled, and ordered the new Enchanted Weapons distributed to the soldiers.
• Zhou Chongshan sent a soldier to guide Wang Dong to the Enchanted Weapons, while Zhou Xu organized the camp’s preparations before resting.

Zhou Xu recovered from his journey and considered how to use the living wyvern he had captured, while Soros realized the Lizardmen’s missing Wyvern Rider had likely met with disaster. Zhou Xu then checked his officers’ improved attributes and assessed their combat strengths.

• Zhou Xu recalled that skeletonizing a wyvern made it useless on the ground, and explained how he had used the True Word Beast Soldier Control to capture a living wyvern.
• Soros grew anxious when the Wyvern Rider failed to return and stayed awake through the night, eventually concluding that something had happened to him.
• After resting, Zhou Xu checked his officers’ panels and found that Zhou Chongshan and Shilke had each gained a Three-star attribute.
• Zhou Xu judged that Zhuo Ge remained his strongest fighter despite making no recent attribute breakthrough.

Zhou Xu arrived at the frontline and observed the Lizardmen’s Shield Dragons retreating after their shells were badly damaged by the Great Zhou army’s Three-bow Ballistae. He discussed the situation with Li Ce and concluded that the Lizardmen were likely preparing to shift troops against them while the Ratmen waited for their defenses to weaken.

• Zhou Xu chose Zhuo Ge to escort him to the frontline while Zhou Chongshan remained at the garrison camp and Shilke continued recovering.
• Zhou Xu and Zhuo Ge circled around to observe the battle, where the Crossbow Soldier Unit’s attacks had heavily damaged two Shield Dragons.
• The Lizardmen ordered their Shield Dragons to retreat after forcing Li Ce’s troops to break camp, and Zhou Xu then rendezvoused with Li Ce.
• Zhou Xu told Li Ce that the Lizardmen’s continued harassment suggested they were mobilizing troops to attack the Great Zhou army.
• Zhou Xu reasoned that the Ratmen were waiting for the Lizardmen to transfer troops away from their front, and said they would address the Ratmen after dealing with the Lizardmen.

Zhou Xu and Diak agreed that the war against the Lizardmen had to continue, while Zhou Xu reaffirmed his promise to give the centaurs land. At a frontline council, Wang Pengfei proposed burning the Rainforest, but Zhou Xu explained why fire would be impractical and costly.

• Zhou Xu told Diak that the Lizardmen remained a threat, and Diak decisively rejected ending the war after the losses his people had suffered.
• Zhou Xu reaffirmed his promise to reserve land for the centaurs and offered to let some of them cross through the next energy passage.
• Zhou Xu discussed battlefield plans with the frontline officers and warned that fighting in the Rainforest would favor the Lizardmen and disadvantage the centaurs and Elf Knights.
• Wang Pengfei suggested setting the Rainforest on fire, but Zhou Xu explained that the wet climate and available oil made the plan unreliable and that burning the forest would cause lasting damage.

Zhou Xu and Li Ce planned an offensive designed to lure the Lizardmen into leaving their defenses, while withdrawing the frontline camp to protect exhausted soldiers from the Shield Dragons’ harassment. After several quiet days of recovery, Zhou Xu approved Li Tie and the Hong Shi Tribe’s request to join the operation as infantry.

• Zhou Xu dismissed Wang Pengfei’s argument and discussed how to make the Lizardmen take the initiative in battle.
• Zhou Xu and Li Ce devised a plan to attack, then feign retreat to draw out the Lizardmen, adding Zhou Xu’s fifty Mountain Soldiers to the operation.
• Zhou Xu ordered the frontline camp withdrawn so the Shield Dragons would have to approach the garrison, but Soros did not send them out to attack that night.
• The Lizardmen made no major moves for three days, giving Zhou Xu’s frontline troops time to recover.
• Li Ce reported that a hundred Mountain Soldiers were available and that Li Tie and the Hong Shi Tribe wanted to join as infantry; Zhou Xu approved their request.

Li Ce led the Great Zhou forces toward the Rainforest, where the Lizardmen prepared to fight on their own terrain. Zhou Chongshan’s infantry entered the forest and faced guerrilla attacks, ending with the Lizardmen commander Gruul appearing before him.

• Li Ce led a force of 120 infantry toward the Rainforest while Zhou Xu remained hidden from the Lizardmen.
• Zhou Chongshan led the infantry into the Rainforest as Li Ce’s cavalry provided support with a volley of arrows against the Green Lizard Infantry.
• The Green Lizard Infantry retreated deeper into the Rainforest, and Zhou Chongshan ordered his soldiers to maintain squad formations and watch each other’s backs.
• Green Lizard Infantry launched a surprise attack from the surrounding plants, revealing their guerrilla tactics.
• Zhou Chongshan killed an ambusher and moved to support his troops, but Gruul emerged nearby with a Crystal Sabre.

Zhou Chongshan and the Great Zhou troops struggled against the Lizardmen’s rainforest advantage as their planned battle turned into a losing fight. Zhou Chongshan ordered a retreat while still unable to defeat Gruul.

• Zhou Chongshan provoked Gruul by reminding him that he had fled before, but Gruul regained his composure and continued fighting effectively in the rainforest.
• Li Tie ordered the soldiers to form a back-to-back counterattack formation, blunting the Green Lizard Infantry’s ambushes but leaving the Great Zhou troops unable to pursue them.
• Blue Lizard Sword and Shield Soldiers charged Li Tie’s formation, drawing the Great Zhou soldiers into a direct battle.
• The Green Lizard Infantry attacked the Great Zhou soldiers from the flanks while they fought the Blue Lizard Sword and Shield Soldiers, causing heavy losses.
• Zhou Chongshan realized the Lizardmen were stronger in the rainforest than expected and, unable to overcome Gruul, ordered the troops to retreat.

Zhou Chongshan covered the Great Zhou army’s retreat through the Rainforest, cutting down pursuing Blue Lizard Sword and Shield Soldiers until Raptor Cavalry blocked their escape. As Li Tie’s troops scattered for cover and an urgent horn sounded, a powerful figure charged into the battlefield with a deafening roar.

• Zhou Chongshan used his True Word, Speed Enhancement, to attack the Blue Lizard Sword and Shield Soldiers pursuing the Great Zhou force.
• Zhou Chongshan avoided Gruul and repeatedly killed soldiers who tried to pursue the retreating main force, slowing the Blue Lizard soldiers down.
• Li Tie spotted Raptor Cavalry flanking through the Rainforest and cutting off the Great Zhou soldiers’ escape route.
• Soros resolved to encircle and destroy the Great Zhou force, but an urgent horn sounded from their position.
• Li Tie ordered his soldiers to spread out and use the trees for cover as a burly figure charged into the Rainforest and roared.

Zhou Chongshan’s soldiers were nearly overwhelmed by the Lizardmen’s Raptor Cavalry in the Rainforest until Qiansui arrived and drove the enemy back. After hearing the report, Zhou Xu and Li Ce assessed the Raptor Cavalry’s limits in the terrain and decided to hold their position while monitoring the Lizardmen.

• Qiansui roared into the Rainforest, frightened the raptors, and tore apart a Raptor Cavalryman and his mount.
• Zhou Chongshan ordered his soldiers to retreat while Qiansui rampaged through the Lizardmen’s ranks and kept them from pursuing effectively.
• Qiansui withdrew after Zhou Chongshan’s troops escaped, leaving Soros furious and stunned by the beast.
• A cavalry unit escorted Zhou Chongshan and his infantry back to the frontline camp, where Zhou Chongshan reported the encounter to Zhou Xu and Li Ce.
• Zhou Xu concluded that the Rainforest limited the Raptor Cavalry’s speed and prevented charges, then told Li Ce to reassure the soldiers and decided to wait for the Lizardmen’s response.