As darkness fell, the fighting was about to end.
This sounds very unusual, since, logically speaking, darkness should only make Blood Corpse and vampires more frenzied.
Fortunately, the Soul Returner Legion led by Duma provided support.
As the last third force to join the battlefield, the Soul Returner Legion pierced the gap between the horde of corpses and the army of skeletons like a sharp blade, almost completely separating the two and leaving only a small space for Colin's troops to fight.
As for its purpose, it's obviously just for show.
This order, which originated from Ed, initially puzzled Duma.
But Ed said it was for a bigger plan, and once the plan succeeded, the Soul Returner Legion could inherit the Skeleton Alliance's well-located military camp, which would only need simple repairs to be put into use.
This greatly appealed to Duma, since eradicating the Blood Corpse was not something that could be accomplished in a day or two. The Soul Returner Legion had traveled thousands of miles to teleport here, so naturally they needed a camp with an excellent geographical location.
If the battle escalates further, Duma even plans to temporarily convert the camp into a war fortress.
Looking at the central part of the Demon Realm, the best place to set up camp is naturally this area that has been thoroughly plowed. Not only is there a well-developed water network here, but there is also a large amount of legacy from the Skeleton Alliance to inherit. It is also located in the central part of the Demon Realm, making it very convenient to go anywhere.
After much deliberation, Duma ultimately joined Ed's plan.
However, this four-armed demon stated that he could only hold the line for the Skeleton Alliance for a maximum of one day, as there were simply too many enemies, and their numbers were visibly increasing.
His overall operational strategy was to reduce the number of combatants and the area of engagement, and to have multiple units rotate in combat, so as to minimize losses while also gaining a lot of useful experience.
The three vampire grand dukes of the Demon Realm realm all perished in this battle ( York can also be considered to have perished), leaving behind a total of nearly two million Blood Corpse!
In addition to the Rosalind Lineage, which was already on the battlefield, there was the Wens Lineage, which arrived later, and the York Lineage, which had not yet arrived.
Led by the remaining dukes and marquises, these Blood Corpse are rapidly arriving to join the battle, following the trail left by their leader before his disappearance.
If the York Lineage were to arrive here as well, the intensity of the battle would only escalate further.
Therefore, tonight is the only chance for a "Feast at Hongmen".
If the conflict continues to drag on, the fighting pressure on the Soul Returner Legion will continue to increase, making it impossible to provide the Skeleton Alliance army with the same level of cover as it does now.
Ed shared the message with [ Ginseng Rooster ] and received the reply, "We'll have results tonight."
Meanwhile, Colin walked through the chaotic post-war military camp, where the skeleton soldiers he passed cast strange glances at him.
Why do they see me that way?
Colin asked in a low voice to the [ Ginseng Rooster ] beside him.
"Perhaps I was captivated by your magnanimity."
"To be honest."
"That's the truth, sir."
[ The Ginseng Rooster ] said with a smile:
"In such a chaotic situation, your courage to convene a meeting of military governors—isn't that enough to demonstrate your magnanimity?"
Colin paused for a moment and then said:
Do you think I can succeed?
"Sure."
[ Ginseng Rooster ] answered without hesitation, looking very confident.
This performance reassured Colin, but the skeleton didn't know that [ Ginseng Rooster ] never trusted him, but rather himself and the other Soul Returner.
As they made their way to the center of the camp, Colin spotted a flat area not far from the riverbank.
That was where the three councilors, [ Nether Crossing ], [ Whale Tail ], and [ Divine Wings ], used to discuss matters.
And now, I too must go there.
Colin took a deep breath and suddenly noticed that there were about twenty Soul Returner moving around busily in that area.
"What are they doing?"
He asked [ the Ginseng Rooster ].
"Of course, we're preparing for your arrival."
[ The Ginseng Rooster ] remains humble:
"This area is in the center of the camp, and the scenery is quite nice, so it naturally needs some appropriate decorations."
As he spoke, he pointed to a Soul Returner returned to its origin:
"My lord, please look—I brought these Plant Pathway Soul Returner here beforehand to build an architecture befitting the level of this meeting."
"The dozen or so warlords are going to have a secret meeting. They can't just sit on this drafty stone platform, can they? That would be too undignified."
"So I divided them into two groups: one group focused on building houses, and the other group made furniture like tables and chairs..."
At this point, the expression on [ the Ginseng Rooster's ] face suddenly changed:
"Please wait a moment, sir. I'll go ask about something."
Having said that, he quickly stepped forward and grabbed the two "birdwatching duo" who were using their plant-based abilities to Directed Alienation tables and chairs—the reliable [ Gu Gugu ] and [ Ever-Changing Master Ye ]—and whispered:
What are you guys doing?
[ Gu Gugu ] shrugged:
"Can't you tell, buddy? We're setting up the table."
"Of course I can tell it's a table, that's why I came to ask you—"
[ Ginseng Rooster ] is really a bit confused:
Why are the edges curved?
[ Ever-Changing Master Ye ] scratched his head:
"You didn't say there were any specific requirements, did you?"
[ Gu Gugu ] also chimed in:
"So this was a decision we made privately--"
"With so many warlords, we naturally need a larger round table, but one of us can't make such a large wooden plate, so we can only cut a bunch of parts like slicing a cake and then put them together."
[ Ginseng Rooster ] was stunned for a moment, and it took him a long time to understand what his companion meant:
"... You mean, you're planning to get a large round table for these warlords to use for meetings?"
[ Gu Gugu ] was also taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then nodded firmly and said:
"Hey bro, don't you think the Knights of the Round Table are awesome?"
"What a load of rubbish!"
[ The Ginseng Rooster ] grabbed his collar, both amused and exasperated:
"What we're planning is a 'Feast at Hongmen'!"
"Everyone should sit at a table around the perimeter, leaving the main seat for Colin, and the middle space empty so I can arrange for someone to perform the sword dance."
"You set up a giant round table with thunderous lights, and then I'll have assassins perform sword dances on it for everyone?"
[ Ever-Changing Master Ye ] seemed to have triggered a certain keyword, and his eyes lit up instantly:
"Assassins?! Served up?! Is this arrangement in accordance with the rites of Zhou?"
"Let's not talk about the Zhou rites yet!"
Although [ Ginseng Rooster ] was a little overwhelmed, he couldn't help but laugh at [ Ever-Changing Master Ye's ] cheap accent:
"Let's talk about the table first... Hopefully, there's still a chance to salvage it."
That's very difficult.
"Why?"
[ Gu Gugu ] said seriously:
"To actually build the Thunder Round Table, I even had two guys get their hands on the bearings and the rotating tabletop."
Why are you doing this?
[ Ginseng Rooster ] covered his face with his hands:
"How about you ask the guy in charge of bearings to make the bearings a little longer? Then we can change the sword dance to pole dancing."
With a tense, almost taut expression, [ the Ginseng Rooster ] asked the question that came from the bottom of his heart:
"No, we invited a bunch of skeletons. Are we going to serve them food?"