Watching Jiang Feiyang and Wang Wenze stumble and scramble into the off-road vehicle, Pei Yan couldn't help but chuckle just like Xia Yu. When the two saw the opportunity to ride the towering eight-legged giant beast, they eagerly abandoned the usual cars and embarked on their dream knightly adventure. Unfortunately, neither of them possessed Xia Yu's stubbornness nor her astonishing resilience. They barely lasted two hours on this knightly journey before the army set off.

Inside the vehicle, Jiang Feiyang couldn't help but gaze outside at the seemingly endless column of marching troops, occasionally using his combat hat to fan himself, saying, "This really proves the saying, a thousand men are a wall of steel, ten thousand men blot out the sky. How many people are there?"

Not just him, even the well-experienced elders like Gu Shenghui and Elder Lin were taken aback and deeply impressed by the grand military formation upon departure. Though Pei Yan and others, having the last battle experience, were shocked by the army far surpassing the previous one, they appeared more composed. Pei Yan glanced out the window and casually said, "There are only about one or two thousand here."

"Only one or two thousand? Wasn't it said there were over ten thousand gathered?" Wang Wenze asked, perplexed, while rubbing his thigh.

"This road cannot accommodate a troop of over ten thousand people, and since each shelter is at a different distance, they didn't all start simultaneously, gathering only outside the battle launch point." As Pei Yan said this, he remembered something and continued, "The Demon Race has a trait in their warfare; using vassal troops, the fourteen thousand are only the formal Demon Race army. Including those bizarre vassals, this time, the number participating might exceed thirty thousand."

"My god! Thirty thousand! I'll have bragging rights for a lifetime after this battle!" Jiang Feiyang, dumbfounded and bright-eyed, continued, "Oh, doesn't that mean the combat ratio is nearly ten to one? Is the Demon Race that useless?"

Wang Wenze glanced at Jiang Feiyang and irritably said, "You fool! How did you even listen to the pre-battle briefing? The Disaster Legion also has vassal armies; the real confrontation is between the Demon Race soldiers and the Red Armored Warriors, while the rest are cannon fodder."

Cannon fodder! Hearing this, Pei Yan placed a hand on the car window, looking at Kodwen and his team at the forefront of the marching troops. These were the old soldiers Samikina allocated to Kodwen. Judging by their appearance, they didn't seem as old as Pei Yan initially imagined. They seemed much younger than Samikina, akin to Bailang, appearing merely in their forties or fifties in human terms. When setting out, noticing Pei Yan's confusion, Bailang explained that these people were low-ranked Demon Races who had reached the limits of their lifetime, finding it hard to achieve any breakthroughs. Although they didn't look that old on the outside, their capabilities had started declining, entering a phase of exhaustion.

Pei Yan had thought these old soldiers, given their role as sacrificial pawns, would harbor resistance towards the battle. But as they marched on, he noticed this group was not only impeccably disciplined but mostly calm, with some appearing even eager. In a brief chat with Kodwen, he learned these veterans displayed astounding enthusiasm when they realized they were to partake in a battle that could be deemed epic.

They knew they were old, so old that even the Demon God considered sending them to the frontlines sinful. Participating in such a battle at the twilight of their lives, leaving their descendants a sliver of hope to live on, seemed to them the best end they could hope for.

The endless chatter inside the car interrupted Pei Yan's train of thought, pulling his gaze back. He picked up the radio and called to the rear car, "Liang, is your defensive line successfully constructed?"

After a brief pause, Liang Qian's voice came through the radio: "All the ambushes are laid exactly according to the diagrams you calculated, but the third line of defense needs additional support once we enter the Red Calamity Territory." Liang paused before adding, "Also, at Kodwen's request, I've placed arrangements beneath his originally planned defensive position."

"What?" Pei Yan exclaimed, puzzled, as Liang continued, "He said he doesn't plan to walk off the battlefield in this battle and aims to share the same fate as the front line. Before the line is breached, he'll send Xia Yu away; once breached, I'll trigger the ambush below the position to bring down the Disaster Legion with them."

The words transmitted over the radio abruptly ended the laughter inside the car, dragging those using light-hearted banter to ease pre-battle tension back to reality.

"Has the situation on the Hell Plane become this dire?" Wang Wenze couldn't help but sigh upon fully grasping the situation.

"Indeed, what we need to do now is ensure our homeland stays far from the flames of war." Pei Yan, lowering the radio and rubbing his forehead, observed the heavy atmosphere within the car and quickly changed the topic, saying, "Old Jiang, what do you think are the odds if the Demon Race army engages us?"

Jiang Feiyang glanced at the marching formation outside and smirked dismissively, "The Demon Race is indeed strong, but, excluding the top-tier fighters, their army's marching style and pace are such that they'll be destroyed by concentrated fire even before hitting the battlefield. Those Demon Race Knights on the arena during that day, they all would be destroyed post-bombardment. For real battlefield engagement, group operations won't work for them. They're best suited for infiltration, and once such capable soldiers disperse into..."

As he spoke, the thought of the consequences if such a scenario materialized sent a chill down his spine, making him close his mouth.

Pei Yan nodded, this matched what both he and the intelligence division feared. It seemed lending full support to the Demon Race to block the Disaster Legion was needed; otherwise, just dealing with the cornered and desperate Demon Race would be enough trouble.

After three days of marching, Pei Yan and his group finally reached the gathering point of the grand army. Even Pei Yan was in awe at the sight before them. The expansive plain was nearly filled with tents of the Demon Race army stretching to the horizon, with harpies above continuously forming a blockade to the sky each time they flew overhead. The air was filled with the neighing of warhorses, the clinking of armor amidst busy traffic, and the incessant barking of dogs.

Smelling the air mixed with various animal odors, Liang Qian pinched his nose and frowned, "Isn't this far from Wodun Valley? Why set camp here?"

"Firstly, the terrain outside Wodun Valley can't accommodate so many army troops. Secondly, the Disaster Legion isn't foolish; they'd immediately be on guard seeing such a large army suddenly appear outside the valley." Pei Yan said, eyeing his companions donning snow combat gear. Through previous recon, they discovered that upon entering the valley, temperatures plummeted drastically, thankfully they were well-prepared, equipped with gear suited for various terrains.

"With the army camped here, a portion of elite troops will launch a night raid on planned targets. If successful, follow-up forces will launch a comprehensive assault."

Bending over to tie the lace of his snow boots, Liang Qian murmured, "That Star Lord's out of luck; no matter the war's outcome, he's destined to die. You think the Disaster Legion will just flee with him if things turn south?"