March Out! Grayglow Mountain!

Western Legion, conference room

The atmosphere was as oppressive as the sky before a storm. The enormous conference table had been forged from a single piece of refined steel, its mirror-smooth surface reflecting Dong Zi'an's furious face.

Dong Zi'an sat at the head of the table, his gaze blazing as he stared straight at Zhang Zhaoyan before him. "I remember you, Zhang Zhaoyan. Lieutenant Colonel. Warehouse supervisor of the Logistics Department."

His voice was low yet powerful, every word landing on Zhang Zhaoyan's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Since enlisting twenty years ago, you have served in the Western Legion all this time, climbing step by step from a raw recruit to lieutenant colonel today. More than eighty percent of the Legion's veterans do not have seniority equal to yours. Why? Why did you betray us?"

By the end, he could no longer restrain his emotions. He slammed his palm down on the table, making the teacups atop it hum and tremble. He roared himself hoarse, his shout echoing through the empty conference room for a long time.

Zhang Zhaoyan stood ramrod straight, his head slightly lowered, not daring to meet Dong Zi'an's furious gaze. His shoulders trembled faintly, his hands clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, yet he felt not the slightest pain.

Hearing Dong Zi'an's questioning, scenes from when he had first enlisted rose uncontrollably in his mind.

Back then, filled with burning passion and yearning for a soldier's glory, he had resolutely joined the military. On the training grounds, he had crawled and rolled through the dirt, pouring out sweat. On the battlefield, he had charged into battle and fought drenched in blood. Every injury and every victory had strengthened his conviction as a soldier.

Yet that day, while he was busy organizing supplies in the warehouse, he had suddenly received a mysterious call.

A cold, threatening voice came from the other end. "Zhang Zhaoyan, your wife and daughter are in our hands. If you do not want anything to happen to them, do as we say."

The cries for help of his wife and daughter also came through the call.

He had shouted into the phone in terror, "Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

But all that came from the other end was a burst of cold laughter, before the call was disconnected.

From that day on, he had fallen into endless pain and struggle. He had wrestled with whether to report it, but whenever he remembered the anguished cries of his wife and daughter, he had ultimately yielded.

At this moment, upon hearing Dong Zi'an's accusation, the emotions he had suppressed for so long erupted all at once. His shoulders convulsed uncontrollably, tears welled in his eyes, then finally spilled over.

He raised his head and looked at Dong Zi'an with eyes full of guilt, his voice choked with sobs. "General, I'm sorry! I've let you down! I've let the brothers down!

"I never wanted this. My wife and daughter are in their hands. If I didn't do as they said, they would kill them."

His voice rose ever louder, carrying a trace of despair and pleading. "General, it's all my fault! Kill me! I no longer deserve to be your soldier, but my wife and daughter are innocent. For the sake of all the years I've served under you, please save them!"

As he spoke, he dropped to his knees with a thud, then slammed his forehead heavily against the floor, leaving a streak of blood across it.

"Alas!"

Dong Zi'an looked at Zhang Zhaoyan, who was kneeling on the floor and weeping bitterly. He seemed to want to say something, but when the words reached his lips, only a sigh remained.

Just then, the conference room door was violently shoved open, and a fierce gust carrying the stench of blood rushed in.

The one who entered was Staff Officer Zhang from the Intelligence Department. There were still bloodstains on him from the interrogation. He hurried to the conference table, first glanced at Zhang Zhaoyan kneeling on the ground with tear tracks across his face, then gave Dong Zi'an, seated at the head of the table, a crisp military salute.

He said to Dong Zi'an, "Commander, we have gotten the full story. They are members of the Holy Spirit Cult. Not only did they abduct Zhang Zhaoyan's family, they have also seized many civilians one after another for use in their cultivation. They are currently being held at a stronghold on Grayglow Mountain. Furthermore, according to their testimony, there are not only several thousand evil soul masters stationed there, but also three Titled Douluo guarding it."

"The Holy Spirit Cult? Weren't they wiped out long ago? Have they actually risen from the ashes?" Upon hearing this, Staff Officer Liu dropped his pen onto the table. His face was full of shock, and disbelief showed in his eyes.

"What? Three Titled Douluo? How is that possible?"

The conference room immediately erupted into an uproar. Everyone whispered among themselves, voices buzzing with discussion. Some worried whether their own strength could stand against the enemy, some were enraged by the Holy Spirit Cult's atrocities, while others considered how to respond.

Xie Jiayun, standing to one side, could not help but think, So it really is the Holy Spirit Cult? But I never expected them to begin gathering soul-guided artillery shells already.

Everyone's gazes gradually converged on Dong Zi'an, who had remained silent at the head of the table. Dong Zi'an sat there with a cold, stern expression, like a statue forged from steel.

Suddenly, he slammed his hand down on the table. The sound boomed through the conference room like a thunderclap.

"I don't care whether they are the Holy Spirit Cult or whatever they are! Since they dared set their sights on my Western Legion, there is only one end waiting for them: death!" Dong Zi'an's voice was deep and forceful, filled with unquestionable authority.

He rose to his feet, a powerful aura radiating from him as his voice rang through the entire conference room.

"Attention, all troops!"

At those words, everyone immediately stood.

"All soldiers, prepare your equipment! Destination: Grayglow Mountain! March out!"

As Dong Zi'an's order was issued, the entire Western Legion camp sprang into motion, like a slumbering behemoth suddenly awakening and beginning a well-organized operation.

The aerial reconnaissance units, equipped with the military's latest flying soul tools, were the first to take off from the airfield. Several thousand mecha units took flight close behind them.

The soul-guided war chariots carrying the rapid-mobility units were like steel behemoths, their tracks crushing across the ground with deep, rumbling roars.

The chariots' shells were cast entirely from thousand-forged metal, their surfaces engraved with soul-guided defensive arrays capable of withstanding attacks at the level of a Soul King.

The commander of the rapid-mobility unit stood atop a command chariot, constantly communicating with the various squads through a communications soul tool to ensure the army maintained its speed and direction.

Like arrows loosed from a bowstring, they sped toward Grayglow Mountain along the predetermined route.

Throughout the march, the soul-guided cannons on both sides of the chariots stood ready to provide fire support. The moment they encountered enemies, they could unleash dense firepower in an instant.

The soldiers boarded the troop carriers in orderly fashion. These massive transport vehicles were like mobile fortresses. Their interiors were spacious and equipped with soul-guided arrays, ensuring that the soldiers remained in good condition throughout the long march.

The soul-guided war chariots and soul-guided artillery platforms were also activated at this time. They had been placed upon specially made transport platforms, pulled forward by one steel behemoth after another.

The barrels of the soul-guided artillery platforms glimmered with a dim light, as though gathering the power of destruction.

Along the march, the logistics soldiers continuously checked their equipment and supplies, ensuring every weapon could play its part at the crucial moment.

They all knew that they were the solid backbone of their comrades on the front lines, an essential guarantee of victory in this battle.

Very soon, intelligence returned by the aerial reconnaissance units showed that the terrain around Grayglow Mountain was complex, with numerous valleys and karst caves that very likely concealed the Holy Spirit Cult's secret weapons.

As the troops gradually approached Grayglow Mountain, a great battle was on the verge of breaking out. The officers and soldiers of the Western Legion surged toward the Holy Spirit Cult's stronghold like a torrent of steel, determined to uproot this evil force completely.