"Ding Hao, I now have an opportunity for you to perhaps earn both Capture the Flag and Slay the General military merits at once. Are you willing to go?"
As soon as those words fell, Ding Hao's expression immediately turned excited, questions firing from his mouth like a string of cannonballs.
"What?!"
"Really?"
"There's actually an opportunity like this?"
Ding Yishan said solemnly, "Since I came to find you, it is naturally true!"
"Do you know why Army Lord Luo has been frequently engaging the Northern Barbarian Army head-on these past few days? It is to wear down the Northern Barbarian Army's strength!"
"After attack upon attack, the Northern Barbarian Army has already grown accustomed to clashing with our forces on the frontal battlefield every day!"
"According to our investigations, whenever night falls now, the Northern Barbarian soldiers, after fighting for an entire day, fall into an utterly exhausted sleep!"
At this point, a clear trace of admiration rose on Ding Yishan's face. "Tonight, Army Lord Luo will lead an Elite Force that has been secretly resting and gathering strength for several days to launch a night raid on the Northern Barbarian camp. The targets are the Great Military Banner in the Northern Barbarians' central command tent and the Northern Barbarian commander, Man Potian. Then—Capture the Flag and Slay the General!"
"Once this succeeds, the Northern Barbarian Army will be like a flock of dragons without a leader. At that time, the main force of our Divine Phoenix Army will wipe out the Northern Barbarian Army in one fell swoop!!"
"Mm!"
Ding Hao's eyes could not help but light up. He truly had not expected the past few days of frontal fighting to be merely one part of Luo Shenhuang's plan!
Tonight was the true—decisive battle!!
"Ding Hao, I have to say, Army Lord Luo truly treats you well!"
"She knows full well that you still need the last two kinds of military merit to shed your death-row status, so before setting out, she specifically had me come summon you!"
At this moment, even Ding Yishan's face showed a trace of envy!
He had never seen Luo Shenhuang take such care over a soldier. Even if the other party had once saved her life, it should not have gone this far!
"Hehe!"
Ding Hao did not dare mention that he and Luo Shenhuang had that sort of relationship between them.
He merely smiled without speaking. Fortunately, Ding Yishan did not pursue the matter and spoke again.
"Of course, although this is an Elite Force's night raid, the danger of penetrating deep into the Northern Barbarian Army goes without saying. And the military merits of Capture the Flag and Slay the General are not so easily obtained!"
"Army Lord Luo can give you this opportunity, but whether you can seize it will depend on yourself!"
Ding Hao's expression immediately turned grave. He nodded solemnly and said in a deep voice, "Rest assured, I will do everything in my power to win this battle. I will never disappoint Army Lord Luo and General Ding's high expectations!"
"Mm. Follow me!"
Ding Yishan said no more and immediately led Ding Hao out of the Death Row Camp!
Soon, the two quietly left the Divine Phoenix Army's main camp and arrived at a hidden valley thirty miles beyond it!
From outside, the valley appeared pitch-black and silent. But the moment the two stepped inside, torchlight illuminated the scene!
Three thousand Tough Soldiers had long since assembled in formation within the valley, clad in heavy armor with War Sabers at their waists, mounted on three thousand strong, well-fed warhorses!
At the front of the formation stood Divine Phoenix Army generals of the True Martial Realm. Zhang Dalong, known as the Divine Phoenix Army's number one fierce general, was among them.
And at the very forefront—
Golden armor and red robe, silver saber and white horse—it was none other than the army lord, Luo Shenhuang!
"Army Lord!"
"We're here!"
Ding Yishan brought Ding Hao before Luo Shenhuang, and the latter saluted her.
Luo Shenhuang gave Ding Hao a slight nod without any unusual emotion, then waved her hand. "Armor up and mount. We leave immediately!"
"Yes!"
Ding Yishan and Ding Hao began donning their armor and mounting their warhorses!
Naturally, many people noticed Ding Hao, the death-row soldier.
But Ding Hao's name had long since spread throughout the Divine Phoenix Army. No one looked down on this death-row prisoner, who was known as the Divine Phoenix Army's number one Tough Soldier, any longer!
Only Zhang Dalong's rugged face darkened!
A chilling killing intent still flickered faintly in the depths of his eyes!
But with Luo Shenhuang's warning coming first, he no longer dared target Ding Hao openly!
"Set out!"
At last, with Luo Shenhuang's command, the three thousand cavalrymen—the Elite Force—charged out of the hidden valley and raced toward the Northern Barbarian camp dozens of miles away with the speed of thunder, too swift to cover one's ears!
Under the cover of night!
This cavalry force moved swiftly, yet the horses did not neigh and the men made no clamor. Like ghost soldiers from the netherworld, they avoided the many Northern Barbarian sentries hidden in the dark!
In just a quarter of an hour, the cavalry arrived outside the Northern Barbarian camp.
The Northern Barbarian camp stretched for over ten miles with rows upon rows of military tents, brightly lit by countless lamps.
"Kill!!"
All of a sudden, Luo Shenhuang let out a low battle cry!
The three thousand cavalrymen abruptly accelerated, reaching the Northern Barbarian camp in mere moments!
"Ah!"
"Enemy—"
Before the two watchtowers outside the camp could beat their war drums to warn of the attack, Luo Shenhuang at the forefront slashed out twice in an instant. Blazing saber light immediately tore apart and killed the barbarian soldiers atop the gatehouse!
Immediately after—
The three thousand cavalrymen smashed straight through the camp gates and slaughtered their way into the Northern Barbarian camp. The several hundred barbarian soldiers guarding the gates had not even drawn their blades before the War Sabers flashing with cold light cleaved them into cold corpses!
Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have picked up 10 points of vitality! Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have picked up 10 points of vitality! Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have picked up 10 points of vitality! ...
Ding Hao, meanwhile, charged and killed while conveniently collecting corpses along the way!
Of course, during tonight's night raid on the Northern Barbarian camp—
He had come mainly for the two great military merits of Capture the Flag and Slay the General, so he did not linger over the barbarian corpses that were too far away!
He could still distinguish which mattered more: collecting corpses or military merit!
After charging into the Northern Barbarian camp, the three thousand cavalrymen, led by Luo Shenhuang, sped straight toward the central command tent at the fastest possible pace!
Along the way, any barbarian soldiers on patrol were slain as they passed. The cavalrymen even hurled torches into the military tents lining their route, immediately setting many fires blazing!
"Ah!"
"Fire!"
"Enemy attack! The Divine Phoenix Army is launching a night raid!!"
Because the cavalry moved too quickly, by the time those exhausted Northern Barbarian soldiers were startled awake by the sky-filling cries—
Luo Shenhuang, Ding Hao, and the three thousand cavalrymen had already caught sight of the central command tent!
Ding Hao in particular stared fixedly at the Great Military Banner standing before the central command tent, fully three zhang tall!
"Follow this army lord—Capture the Flag and Slay the General!!"
At this moment—
Luo Shenhuang also gave a thunderous shout, and the three thousand cavalrymen accelerated with all their strength!
By now, quite a few barbarian soldiers had awakened from their sleep!
These barbarian soldiers clearly had not grasped the situation. Many had only just rushed out of their tents when the charging cavalrymen cut them down on the spot!
At that moment, within the central command tent—
As all manner of chaos erupted—
Man Potian, Commander of Northern Barbarians, was also awakened by the commotion all around him. He immediately donned his armor, seized his warhammer, and rushed out of the tent!
Yet the instant he emerged and looked up, he saw a vast mass of Divine Phoenix Army cavalry already charging to within five hundred meters of the tent!
His head exploded with a buzz, and he was furious beyond measure!
He never could have imagined—
That the Divine Phoenix Army's cavalry could actually charge all the way to his central command tent. What the hell were the more than two hundred thousand soldiers on the perimeter doing?!
Were they all dead?!
Before you continue