As the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment mobilized with unstoppable momentum, Huo Yuhao's New First Army also departed for the battlefield under his personal command.
Before they set out, Huo Yuhao stood atop the central command platform of the basin where the army was stationed, facing the thousands of soldiers below. His voice was steady and powerful as he addressed his troops with a war-time mobilization.
"Soldiers of the New First Army! Our target lies in the northern territories of the Sun Moon Empire—Shuanghan City! There, on the edge of the Extreme North, sits the proud stronghold of the Northern Duke's Second Soul Engineer Regiment. And that, is the opponent we face today!"
The moment Huo Yuhao's voice echoed across the basin, the air seemed to still. Every soldier drew in a breath, their eyes filled with anticipation and tension. They had heard the name of the Soul Engineer Regiments long before setting foot on this battlefield.
These elite regiments were known throughout the empire, renowned for their unmatched firepower and nearly impregnable defenses. For any conventional army—especially one composed mostly of ordinary humans—clashing with a Soul Engineer Regiment was tantamount to suicide. Those who had survived past wars knew the terrifying truth: no regular army ever wished to face one of these monstrous military forces head-on.
When activated, the linked defensive soul barriers created by a Soul Engineer Regiment could deflect artillery and soul tool strikes alike. With such a shield deployed, they could rain down destructive attacks while remaining nearly invulnerable. Even soul masters and low-tier Soul Douluo would hesitate to engage, let alone ordinary infantry.
But despite that, not a single soldier in the New First Army showed fear. In fact, after a moment of breathless stillness, their hearts surged—not with dread, but with a fierce fighting spirit.
Because they trusted in Huo Yuhao.
Because they trusted in themselves.
"I'm not going to say much more. I have only one request for this battle." Huo Yuhao's voice became sharper, slicing through the cold morning air. "Everyone survives. The enemy is completely wiped out. Is that clear!?"
At first glance, it seemed absurd. Impossible even. But no one laughed. Instead, thunderous cheers erupted from the assembled soldiers, echoing across the mountainous terrain.
Huo Yuhao watched them from above, flames of war igniting in his own heart. His words hadn't been just for morale—they were entirely possible, so long as one crucial condition was met.
Everyone knew that a Soul Engineer Regiment's true strength came from its large-scale soul tool formations. Without time to deploy their formation arrays and activate their soul barriers, they were vulnerable—just like any other force. Their individual soldiers were not exceptional; it was the combined might of their soul tools that made them formidable.
Therefore, if the enemy was struck swiftly and with overwhelming precision before they could form up, then victory was not only possible—it was inevitable.
And the New First Army had the tools to do it.
Once the excitement began to die down, Huo Yuhao raised his voice again, this time lower and more solemn.
"The northern frontier is distant. Unlike the Guardian Hands, we don't have high-speed deployment capabilities. But I possess a unique solution—one that will grant us the mobility we need. This method is drawn from my personal strength and must not be shared beyond these ranks. I ask you all to keep it secret."
The soldiers exchanged looks, curiosity piqued. What sort of soul master ability could allow them to move an entire army so quickly? There were over a thousand of them—surely no one could fly that many troops in one go. Using flying-type soul tools on such a scale would deplete their sealed milk bottle reserves in a flash.
Half a day later, under cover of darkness, bitter northern winds swept across a black forest near the empire's border. Hidden in its depths, a massive gray gate shimmered into view.
From within, soldiers emerged one after another—clad in full armor, eyes burning with resolve.
The gate stood tall and ominous: the Gate of the Necromancer's Subspace. Huo Yuhao had opened the entrance to his necromantic demi-plane, allowing his entire army to travel within its pocket dimension. Once the last soldier exited and the army regrouped, he closed the gate with a deep breath, visibly drained.
To transport over a thousand men in and out of the subspace had cost a great deal of his soul power and spiritual energy.
But it was worth it.
It explained how the New First Army had crossed vast distances in less than a single day and arrived at the northern frontier with no warning. Huo Yuhao had used this trick once before in the original timeline—and now, with the stakes even higher, he had no reason not to rely on it again.
For Huo Yuhao, it was almost routine. But to the common soldiers, what they had just witnessed defied belief.
If Huo Yuhao had once been their benefactor—lifting them out of powerlessness and teaching them to wield strength—now he was something more. Something closer to a deity.
A personal dimension? A place that seemed to exist between life and death, filled with eerie energy and terrifying creatures? That wasn't something even Title Douluo could control, much less enter at will. To the soldiers, it was divine.
And the inside of the necromantic demi-plane had left them speechless.
The eerie silence, the swirling gray skies, the skeletal beasts roaming its plains… for a time, many of them froze in fear. If not for the sight of their commander casually playing with a massive undead bone dragon, they might have lost the nerve to ever fight again.
But when they saw Huo Yuhao, their god of war, treating the bone dragon like an obedient puppy, the fear melted into awe.
Now, back in the real world, as they crouched in the woods, their morale was soaring. They were no longer mere soldiers. They were the elite chosen by someone who could command death itself.
Once the last soldier had adjusted and the ranks were re-formed, Huo Yuhao activated wide-scale spiritual detection and shared his voice through spiritual transmission.
"Comrades, the enemy's camp is stationed just five li from our current position. Fortunately for us, they do not possess advanced detection soul tools. If they had, our strategy would already have failed."
These high-end detection tools were exclusive to Mingde Hall. Only the imperial court's core institutions had access to them. A provincial noble like the Northern Duke had neither the authority nor the craftsmanship to acquire or build such rare instruments.
Even with a blueprint, constructing these top-tier devices required exceptional talent and knowledge—something only graduates of Mingde Hall could manage.
Huo Yuhao's tone grew firmer.
"Remember our tactics. If our surprise attack fails and the enemy activates their linked soul tool arrays, you are to withdraw immediately using your own link barriers. Preserve yourselves. A lost battle can be fought again. A lost life cannot."
The words struck deep. Hidden in the shadows of the black forest, every soldier felt their heart stir.
They would not fail.
They would strike hard, fast, and end this battle before the enemy had time to react.
Their commander had led them this far.
It was their turn to win the war for him.
(End of Chapter)
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