They were all bald, with faint brown eyes and exceedingly high nose bridges, completely unlike the people of Shuyun Kingdom. They were mastiff-lions, over three meters long and covered in thick fur, each one pitch black, revealing sharp fangs and deeply shadowed eyes…

This army was precisely the most formidable legion of the Hu Kingdom: the Mastiff-Lion Battle Group…

At the forefront of this army rode a particularly conspicuous mastiff-lion, one entirely golden yellow. It stood over four meters long, appearing far more imposing than the average beast. Its demeanor was one of sheer arrogance, like a reigning monarch…

On the back of this golden mastiff-lion 1 Novel α..C compiled, sat a diminutive man. He had long brown hair and ordinary features, save for a long scar running across his jawline, which rendered his already plain appearance quite menacing. Within his eyes flashed a thirst for blood…

This man was Vihaya, the commander of the Mastiff-Lion Battle Group, a first-rate master who had already reached the Xiantian realm…

“Commander, what is it?” Two officers following closely behind him inquired when they noticed their leader abruptly halt…

“Xiao Hei is dead…” Vihaya stated coldly, yet a vein of crimson light flickered in his eyes…

“This… how is that possible? Xiao Hei could easily soar thousands of meters high; arrows couldn't reach him. Do they possess a formidable Soul Master?” exclaimed He Wei, an aide to his right…

“Impossible. Xiaogeng’s intelligence reported that this army has only one Soul Master, and at most, they are in the Ninghun realm. To kill Xiao Hei, it would require someone who has reached the Lingxian realm. There must be another reason,” Vihaya interrupted directly…

A Soul Master in the Lingxian realm was a more sought-after profession than a Grand Master. Any Soul Master achieving this level would be treated like an honored guest everywhere they went. Vihaya could not believe such an elite Soul Master would accompany a mere army to annihilate his Mastiff-Lion Legion…

“But General, that Xiaogeng is treacherous and cunning; we cannot put full trust in his words,” said the man named Di Shuai, positioned to Vihaya’s left…

“Of course, I understand. Him trying to scheme against me is nothing but wishful thinking. He will regret this day,” Vihaya sneered, his gaze brimming with disdain…

“So, the General already has a plan; my worries were unnecessary.” Di Shuai bowed respectfully, reassured by Vihaya’s confidence…

“You were merely doing your duty. Very well, since Xiao Hei was killed by them, they must be nearby. Speed up; I want them to witness the true might of the mutated mastiff-lions,” the man said, a smug smile spreading across his face…

Everyone assumed the mounts of the Mastiff-Lion Battle Group were Grade Two Desolate Beasts, the common mastiff-lions. But what they didn't know was that while the appearance of these beasts hadn't changed significantly, their strength had undergone a qualitative leap, truly reaching the Nth-grade Desolate Beast level. Furthermore, the five thousand soldiers behind him, after ingesting a secret elixir, possessed the strength of N-grade warriors. In one-on-one combat, they could easily tear apart a Martial Master, let alone being gathered in such numbers. Vihaya was supremely confident in routing the enemy, even if they were a disorganized mob of over ten thousand, or even the Yun Army numbering ten times their size…

After all, the average soldier possessed no true qi, remaining merely at the Wutu realm. Those who reached the Wushi realm were generally the junior officers…

This was the reason for the Mastiff-Lion Battle Group’s fame: an army composed entirely of warriors at or above the Wushi level was an unimaginable force…

This was precisely why Luo Xiaofeng intended to destroy this iron army completely. A sect might have a few experts, but unless they possessed someone as heaven-defying as Huangfu Yun, they posed no threat to a nation. However, an armed force comprising thousands of Wushi or Martial Masters could instill profound unease in any power…

Immediately, Vihaya led the five thousand evolved mastiff-lions charging toward Ye Jingyu and his men. His goal was total annihilation of the iron army. As for whether Xiaogeng might try to interfere, Vihaya wasn't worried, because his Mastiff-Lion Battle Group was not the only force present this time…

Ye Jingyu and his company were entirely unaware that the Mastiff-Lion Battle Group they faced had doubled its combat power. But even if they knew, under the current circumstances, he had no other recourse…

The only option was to minimize the losses suffered by the iron army as much as possible…

After advancing another ten kilometers or so, Ye Jingyu’s scouts finally spotted the shadows of the Mastiff-Lion Battle Group. Of course, the Battle Group had also detected Ye Jingyu…

Because the valley terrain was uneven, riddled with hills and dense foliage, Ye Jingyu’s mere two thousand cavalrymen found movement agonizingly slow; they had to dismount and lead their horses. A direct confrontation with the Mastiff-Lion Battle Group was impossible, as the beasts were agile, and the terrain posed no obstacle to their maneuvers…

Ye Jingyu immediately ordered the army to encamp on a massive mound. This way, even if the Mastiff-Lion Battle Group attacked, they would have ample time to prepare their defenses…

Now, all they could do was wait for the thousand men led by Ying Xiaoxiao to arrive atop the cliff as quickly as possible…

At this moment, the thousand soldiers under Ying Xiaoxiao’s command had endured immense hardship; only over eight hundred reached the designated location. Many had either accidentally fallen down the cliffs or been killed by venomous insects and wild beasts lurking in the mountains…

However, standing over a thousand meters above the valley floor, they had a perfect, clear view of everything transpiring below…

The location where Ye Jingyu’s main force was camped was less than five hundred meters from the cliff face, while the Mastiff-Lion Battle Group was only a few kilometers away. Perhaps wary of an ambush, the Battle Group was marching surprisingly close to the cliff edge. This suited Ying Xiaoxiao perfectly; otherwise, having them hurl oil tubes and flasks filled with crude oil hundreds of meters would have been exceedingly difficult, even for masters of the Wushi realm…

“Everyone prepare…” At this moment, the Mastiff-Lion Battle Group was less than a thousand meters from Ye Jingyu’s encampment. For the swift mastiff-lions, this distance was covered in mere breaths. Ying Xiaoxiao, hidden on the cliff, whispered the command using his A-Line Sound Transmission technique…

The remaining eight hundred-plus warriors immediately pulled out oil tubes and flasks filled with crude oil from the sacks they carried, poised and ready…

“Execute!” Seeing the Mastiff-Lion Battle Group about to launch its charge, Ying Xiaoxiao gave the order to attack…

In an instant, the more than eight hundred Martial Master-level experts threw the oil containers in their hands and beside them with all their might. Flames erupted as some containers collided in mid-air, bursting open, and drops of crude oil rained down like a torrential downpour…