"Hahahaha, Mr. Zhuge, double the rations for General Ye from now on, hahahaha..." Luo Ruofeng burst into loud laughter, immediately resolving the fodder issue for those Qilin Rhinos for Ye Jingyu...

Four hundred Qilin Rhinos, enough for eight thousand men, surely that suffices?

"Yes..." Zhuge Yishi, standing nearby, also stared at the dense array of Qilin Rhinos in stunned silence, shock etched across his face. Such behemoths, even ten of them, if utilized well, could be enough to tip the scales of a battle; yet here were four hundred appearing all at once—what need was there for him, the strategist?

If these four hundred Qilin Rhinos charged and gored simultaneously, who on the battlefield could possibly withstand them?

"Thank you, Young Master..." Ye Jingyu immediately bowed respectfully to Luo Ruofeng...

"Hahahaha, how much merit I can claim this time relies entirely on you, Brother Ye. I should be the one thanking you; why the formality?" Luo Ruofeng gazed at the towering Qilin Rhinos, his affection for them growing ever stronger...

His confidence for the upcoming campaign soared to its absolute peak...

It wasn't just Luo Ruofeng whose eyes shone with dazzling light; Liang Xiaoke, standing beside Ye Jingyu, was also alight with desire, though his gaze wasn't fixed on the Qilin Rhinos, but rather on the Chi Yi Xiu, standing taller than ten feet... it was as if he were staring at the most succulent feast, a string of saliva trailing so long from the corner of his mouth it nearly reached the ground...

For a zombie like him, the blood of the Chi Yi Xiu—a creature whose power rivaled a five-level warrior—was undoubtedly the most delectable meal. Such a prize was impossible for him to ignore... Had he not known the creature belonged to Ye Jingyu, he might have already lunged forward without restraint, desperate to devour its vital fluid...

The Chi Yi Xiu, who had just finished speaking with Ye Jingyu, suddenly felt his body freeze, involuntarily shivering. He turned to glance at Liang Xiaoke, and his massive frame instinctively took a step back...

Ye Jingyu turned his head and saw his elder brother's drooling countenance, causing his own brow to furrow sharply...

"Heh heh, it’s nothing, nothing..." Liang Xiaoke seemed to finally notice his own state, wiping the saliva from his mouth and forcing his gaze to look elsewhere. But immediately, an even longer string of drool began to flow... For him, the temptation of the Chi Yi Xiu's potent blood was like a man starved for days suddenly spotting a roasted chicken drumstick—how could he possibly resist...

"Xiu, how will these Qilin Rhinos cross the river?" Ye Jingyu stopped paying attention to Liang Xiaoke's obsession. Although he didn't understand why Liang Xiaoke so desperately craved the Chi Yi Xiu's blood, with him present, he certainly wouldn't allow such a thing to happen...

"Isn't that simple? We just walk across," the Chi Yi Xiu replied matter-of-factly...

Ye Jingyu finally realized: right, although the water level of the Wei River was high and somewhat swift, it was at most three meters deep. The shortest Qilin Rhino stood at least four meters tall—what was there to worry about?

They might not even need to build a pontoon bridge; couldn't they just lay wooden planks across their backs?

The moment this idea formed, Ye Jingyu immediately shared it with the Chi Yi Xiu...

The Chi Yi Xiu agreed without hesitation. Perhaps for other knights, allowing a Rank-Four Desolate Beast to serve as a bridge, letting ordinary soldiers pass over them, would be the ultimate insult. But for the Chi Yi Xiu, it amounted to nothing. They lacked that knightly spirit; among the Chi Yi tribe, no matter how high the rank of a Desolate Beast, once tamed, they existed only for servitude...

Instantly, the problem that had been troubling everyone’s minds was solved. Led by the Qilin Rhino King, the four hundred beasts marched directly toward the Wei River...

The fierce current of the river could not disturb their massive forms in the slightest. Instead, as the Qilin Rhinos entered the water, the overall water level rose slightly. As the four hundred creatures submerged, they inadvertently formed a colossal river embankment...

Excluding the two exceptionally large Qilin Rhinos, the rest stood around four meters tall, five to six meters long, and about two meters wide. Since the Wei River was less than two hundred meters across, only forty Qilin Rhinos would be needed to create a bridge two meters wide...

With over four hundred submerging together, they spontaneously formed a bridge nearly twenty meters wide. The massive army rolled across, and even the heavily laden grain carts traversing their backs did not make the Qilin Rhinos seem fatigued; it was as if only a swarm of ants were passing over them...

Such formidable power nearly drove Luo Ruofeng into another frenzy. The pontoon bridge, which was expected to take until nightfall to construct, was completed ahead of schedule thanks to the arrival of these Qilin Rhinos...

The eight-thousand-strong force completed the crossing in just one afternoon. And the Qilin Rhinos, having stood in the river all afternoon, showed no ill effects other than some hunger...

As dusk approached, the army rested for the night on the opposite bank of the Wei River before resuming their march toward Blazing Flame City. Perhaps because two armies were already advancing, they encountered no resistance along the way. As for common rebels or local populace, seeing such a colossal army, no one dared to seek death by confronting them...

Ye Jingyu kept the four hundred Qilin Rhinos positioned near his central command; these were his secret weapons, best not deployed too early...

After three days of marching, the army met no resistance at all. On the contrary, the poor commoners displayed joy upon seeing their arrival; some even bravely offered provisions for the soldiers to eat and drink. This greatly perplexed Ye Jingyu...

In the end, they were invaders; why were they not resisting but welcoming them instead?

He finally understood: for years, the rulers of the Tianyuan Empire had been tyrannical and oppressive, imposing ever-increasing heavy taxes, making life miserable for the common folk. In contrast, Luo Xiaofeng, the Sovereign of the Shu Yun Kingdom, implemented reforms for the people's welfare and was known as a benevolent ruler. Many citizens who had fled the Tianyuan Empire for Shu Yun lived flourishing lives, and they naturally communicated with their relatives. Through these exchanges, Luo Xiaofeng’s reputation as a benevolent ruler had long since permeated the hearts of the Tianyuan Empire’s populace...

The commoners did not ask for much; they merely needed a peaceful life. They cared little who governed them, though being ruled by a benevolent monarch was certainly preferable... With war rampant, they had long awaited the arrival of the Shu Yun Kingdom's army to deliver them...

Indeed, if Ye Jingyu knew this now, he would secretly praise Luo Xiaofeng’s astuteness, recognizing the principle that to conquer the world, one must first win the hearts of the people...

On the fourth day after Ye Jingyu’s army crossed the river, the vanguard, led by Ye Jingyu and his company, encountered opposition from the Tianyuan Empire’s forces for the first time. It was a cavalry force of forty thousand men, composed entirely of cavalry, all clad in silver armor...

As far as the eye could see, a dazzling expanse of silver light stretched out. Yet, Ye Jingyu, riding his Ni Bo atop the Qilin Rhino King, looked upon the silver cavalry ahead and a cold sneer curled his lips...