Crushing Rot and Pulling Down the Decayed! You Call This Elite?

The one who spoke was Thousand Jun.

Because Qian Renxue was currently in a disguised state.

He deliberately changed his form of address, speaking in the name of Martial Soul Hall to propose what seemed like an excessive demand.

In reality, he was secretly warning his young mistress that the enemy's strength was too great, and there was no need to risk everything for the Heaven Dou Empire.

"What do you all think?"

Hearing this, Qian Renxue focused her gaze, frowning as she looked around.

Although she agreed with Thousand Jun's suggestion one hundred percent, she was, after all, wearing the identity of "Xue Qinghe."

She still had to put on a show of abandoning her own legion, shifting the blame onto Ning Fengzhi and Yu Yuanzhen.

"Although it sounds harsh, making a proper sacrifice is indeed for the best. Your Highness, please prioritize the big picture!"

Ning Fengzhi's eyes flickered as he was the first to agree; there were dozens of sect soul masters in the legion, and naturally, he did not want anything to go wrong.

"I second that. Ordinary soldiers can be recruited again if lost, but cultivating soul masters is not so easy. The cost of such a loss is too great!"

When it came to making excuses, everyone present—aside from Chen Xin—was essentially a seasoned veteran. Yu Yuanzhen nodded hurriedly; he had no desire to fight to the death either.

"Very well, let it be done."

Qian Renxue sighed, feigning regret.

Immediately, she issued deployment orders in rapid succession.

Taking advantage of the fact that the legions belonging to the [Holy Demon Federation] had not yet arrived in the Sunset Forest, she ordered the soul master teams to be pulled out.

This bizarre arrangement immediately caused a minor commotion, but fortunately, the troops stationed here were the elite of the Heaven Dou Empire, so they did not collapse entirely.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

A vast and mighty army had completely emerged.

Approaching the camp, they halted several hundred meters away, leaving space reserved for the cavalry.

An imposing old man with white hair and beard, clad in silver armor, stood at the front riding a unicorn, his deep gaze scanning the distance.

"Is that our enemy ahead? The intelligence clearly stated that this was the elite force specifically dispatched by that so-called Heaven Dou Empire. Is this it?"

Han Qian's tone was filled with disdain.

The enemy was right in their faces, yet they hadn't even set up a formation.

If the opposing commander were placed in the [Holy Demon Federation], they wouldn't even qualify as third-rate.

Not to mention, the thousands of troops that met his eyes contained few cultivators and lacked any fighting spirit or killing intent.

"A rabble!"

Han Qian ultimately gave his assessment.

Coincidentally, it was exactly the same thing Yu Yuanzhen had muttered about the freelance soul masters earlier.

Beside him, a much younger-looking man rode his warhorse closer, grinning at the remark.

"This continent is divided by three powers; they can't even achieve unification. I suppose this is the level of their so-called elite."

This man was named Sheng Lingxin, the father of the assassin Sheng Cai'er from the Dawn of Light squad, currently serving as the deputy general of the legion.

"Indeed, but we must not let our guard down."

"I heard that the Demon Race has already completed His Majesty's mission."

"We are a step behind, so we cannot afford to capsize in the gutter. Everyone, give me your full attention!"

"I do not wish to be nailed to the pillar of shame in history due to some mistake. All troops, hear my command! Prepare to attack!"

Despite his dismissive words, Han Qian was very cautious in his actions.

He quickly relayed his orders, and the Human First Legion stood ready.

As the mage phalanx in the rear gathered thick spiritual power, they were the first to unleash destructive magic.

The "first shot" of the war between the Divine Seal and Douluo officially rang out as dazzling, colorful energy attacks slammed into the camp.

Suddenly, a violent "earthquake" erupted.

The summoners struck in unison, and the cannon-fodder magical beasts charged in a frenzy.

As they tore into the camp, screams and sounds of slaughter echoed, making the scene appear even more chaotic.

This was the most basic combat strategy of the Human First Legion, designed to minimize soldier casualties to the greatest extent.

Mage bombardment followed by magical beast assault—by the time these two waves were over, even a force as strong as a Demon God Legion would be thrown into chaotic disarray.

Not to mention the already feeble Heaven Dou elite troops ahead, who looked as if they would be crushed by these two "appetizers" alone.

"All troops, hear my command! For the glory of His Majesty Lin Feng, charge!!"

Han Qian let out a low shout, squeezed his legs, and his unicorn bolted forward.

The thunderous sound of majestic hooves echoed once more at the edge of the forest, with hundreds of knights following closely behind.

Above, the Pegasus Knights coordinated with one another, responsible for reconnaissance and support to ensure the army's field of vision remained clear.

Further back, larger numbers of warriors moved in orderly, small-unit formations, their burning runes growling as they launched their assault.

Some of the assassin-class professionals continued to guard the rear, while others slipped into stealth, fighting alongside their teammates from within the shadows.

Han Qian was truly giving it his all, eliminating every possible risk and hidden danger so that even if the Heaven Dou Empire had intentionally hidden trump cards or traps, he could handle them with ease.

But as it turned out, he had indeed overthought things.

There were no trump cards, no traps—only incompetence.

When the first wave of knights charged into the enemy ranks, the so-called elite legion of the Heaven Dou Empire had absolutely no power to fight back.

They didn't even last until the warrior-class troops arrived; about half the soldiers were killed in action, and the other half surrendered decisively, as if the entire force had been nothing more than a punch into a pile of cotton.

Just like that... that was it?

It wasn't just Han Qian; the soldiers were equally bewildered.

Before they arrived through the rift, they had undergone rigorous training and gained an understanding of the Douluo Continent.

They were well aware that this world was controlled by the Martial Soul Hall and two great empires, consisting of only three major powers in total.

Logically speaking, even if the Heaven Dou Empire only ranked third, as an elite force, they shouldn't have been this pathetic, filled with such a large number of non-cultivators.

One had to realize that the First Legion of the Holy Demon Federation consisted of soldiers who were at least Tier 6, and even their ordinary legions would never use commoners to make up the numbers.

"If the Douluo Continent is truly at this level, conquering it will be effortless!" Han Qian gazed deeply at the battlefield, his tone both relaxed and regretful.

"Old Han, don't look so unsatisfied; this is a good thing! At the very least, our casualties will be minimal." Sheng Lingxin walked up to him, appearing particularly pleased.

The two chatted casually, their gazes falling upon the captives.

A simple interrogation revealed that the enemy's powerful figures had already fled.

The soldiers left behind were all cannon fodder, tasked with covering the retreat and stalling for time, while the cultivators known as "Spirit Masters" had long since departed.

With that, things finally made a modicum of sense. Just as Han Qian was preparing to establish a defensive line on the spot and burn array patterns to contact Lin Feng, a scout flew down from above.

"Marshal, we have discovered a large number of commoners and low-to-mid-tier cultivators on a distant hillside."

"They appear to be freelancers who stayed behind specifically to watch the battle. Should we eliminate them or drive them away?"

Han Qian thought for a moment after hearing this, then waved his hand dismissively.

By conventional logic, one certainly couldn't let them leave.

But one must not forget that Lin Feng wanted a propaganda offensive—the highest form of warfare is to attack the enemy's strategy.

This group of unofficial witnesses would be conducive to spreading word of the Federation's might, making it easier to implement subsequent plans.

"No need. Send a few men to warn them to leave; as long as they don't interfere with the troops, ignore the rest."

"The top priority is to use this camp as a base to rebuild our defenses, forming a pincer formation with the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."

"The Heaven Dou Empire may not be strong, but they are an empire nonetheless. Having suffered such a heavy loss, it is not impossible that they might attempt a comeback..."