CHAPTER 599: CHAPTER 367: PUSHING ONE’S LIMITS_2

"Hu Min is my rear guard commander. He is a peak-stage Emperor, on the verge of becoming a Saint. He is the strongest in my army," Lord Pan continued. Hearing this, Yan Xiaobao nodded. He made his decision on who would become Lord Pan’s Commander of Ten Thousand People.

Mr. Pan went through the four people in his group and introduced them all. There were a total of four individuals, and after the introductions, Yan Xiaobao frowned.

"These are four experts, but each army needs five specialists. We will divide some armies into groups of a thousand. Each of these groups will have a Thousand-man Commander. Other armies will be divided into groups of two thousand and five thousand. Some will remain as ten-thousand-man units. Each of these groups will be controlled by a commander. The stronger the commander, the more troops they will lead. The reason we need armies of various sizes is because they must handle different tasks during the war. I will let you choose which experts will serve as your commanders. Ensure there are five commanders present tomorrow for each group."

"Next is Lord Jiang," Yan Xiaobao called out, and another Lord stepped forward. This Lord, accompanied by five experts, came forward. Looking at this small group, Yan Xiaobao couldn’t help but nod. All of them were evidently killing machines. They were all the same type of magical beasts—large cat-like creatures with two prominent fangs, razor-sharp claws, and a bloodthirsty expression.

"Introduce yourself and your followers," Yan Xiaobao said, and the feline Lord did just that. Following him, another summoned expert appeared. Hours later, all the Lords were introduced to Yan Xiaobao.

The young man gave them all the same order: ensure the commanders appear at the training grounds the next day. Doing some calculations, he requested forty Forest Kings to take part in this war. Each Lord commanded ten thousand guards, totaling four hundred thousand troops. Each Lord’s army required eighteen commanders, summing up to seven hundred and twenty commanders. Yan Xiaobao had to ensure everyone was trained and ready for war. Watching the experts leave the training grounds, only one expert remained behind, letting out a sigh.

Yan Xiaobao sighed deeply, suddenly realizing the enormity of the task he had taken on—it was almost too much for him. However, as he stood still, watching all the Lords leave, he sighed again and turned around. In front of him now stood Wan Qiao, who had been waiting all along.

"You’ve done well," she said with a smile on her face. "I think you’re as excited about this war as I am, aren’t you?" she asked curiously. A faint smile appeared on Yan Xiaobao’s lips. Was he excited? Of course, he was. This was his chance to prove himself, but the sheer level of power he was tasked to command and train made him nauseous. He honestly doubted whether he had enough knowledge and skill to lead them all to victory.

"Wan Qiao, do we happen to have any very small magical beasts? Perhaps some from the rodent family, or creatures like bats?" Yan Xiaobao suddenly asked the slightly surprised woman, and upon hearing the question, she started to ponder deeply. After some thought, she nodded.

"We have some cultivators from the rat family," she responded. "The strongest is an Emperor, and the other three are Kings. What do you need them for?"

"While I hope the Siban Empire acts according to my plan, I don’t know if they will," Yan Xiaobao sighed. "Having some smaller creatures infiltrate the Imperial Castle could give us insight into what they are scheming." His suggestion made Wan Qiao nod. Their actions might deviate from expectations.

"Don’t worry about that part," Wan Qiao said after some consideration. "I will handle it. All you need to do is focus on forming an army from these guards. As long as we have a strong army, we will win this war. Intelligence gathering is my responsibility. Any information I gather will be sent directly to you," she said seriously. Yan Xiaobao nodded gratefully, knowing that if he had to both prepare the army and handle reconnaissance, he would be doomed to fail.

"Thank you for your help," Yan Xiaobao said as he was about to leave. But before he could go anywhere, his hand was grabbed by Wan Qiao, who, with a mysterious smile, began dragging the young man toward the castle. Confused about what was happening, Yan Xiaobao allowed himself to be pulled along. He knew Wan Qiao was far stronger than him, so even if he wanted to resist, it would be impossible.

Wan Qiao didn’t lead Yan Xiaobao toward his usual quarters. Instead, he was dragged toward the Wing Building where Wan Qiao’s room was located. All the Lords lived in the same area.

They rushed into a very luxurious wing, heading away from Wan Qiao’s room. After walking quickly for a few minutes, they arrived at a door carved from heavy wood, adorned with intricate artwork depicting various magical beasts.

"Who lives here?" Yan Xiaobao asked, looking at the massive door in front of him with curiosity. Contrary to his expectations, Wan Qiao immediately opened the door without knocking or showing any form of warning before entering. While Yan Xiaobao would have preferred to announce his arrival first, he had no choice but to follow Wan Qiao in, his eyes scanning the beautiful room around him.

They had entered what appeared to be a living room. Fine furniture occupied the center of the room: the highest-quality sofas, chairs, and tables. In one corner, a desk and a comfortable chair served as a small office space.

Yan Xiaobao walked through the room and discovered an adjoining bedroom and bathroom. Both were enormous and fully furnished. The bedroom contained a bed three times the size of any bed he had used before. The bathroom had a large pool, big enough to accommodate dozens of people. The water seemed to be heated by a hot spring beneath the room.

Once again, Yan Xiaobao wondered who lived here, but he said nothing. Instead, he looked at Wan Qiao, silently waiting for an explanation. It wasn’t long before she spoke: "You are the Great Marshall of our war. You can’t live in such a small room as before." She smiled as she held up a Memory Stone, the key to the room she was gifting the young man. "Welcome to the high society of Divine Domain experts." Her face lit up with a grin. Hearing her words, Yan Xiaobao couldn’t help but give a wry smile. Although he wasn’t a Forest King, he was indeed a prominent figure of the Divine Domain. He nodded gratefully and then moved toward the desk, immediately beginning his work. There was still much to do before tomorrow, as he would meet all the commanders for the first time.

....

The journey through the Siban Empire was a grueling trek for Li Meilin. Months ago, when she had visited the Divine Origin delegation, she had taken this same path; now, she was the lone survivor. She carried information the Emperor urgently needed and was racing back to the Capital. Determination burned in her eyes. For a long time, she had stopped fearing to act according to the will of the beasts.

As an Emperor herself, her speed was astonishing; however, while she could run exceptionally fast on the ground, her speed was nothing compared to the One-Horned Eagle that could have carried her to the border like a blazing candle. If it were with her, she would have reached the Capital in one or two days. Li Meilin dismissed her naive thoughts as absurd. She pushed herself to the limit, sprinting relentlessly toward the Capital without taking a moment’s rest.

As Li Meilin raced through rural Siban, a pang of sadness struck her heart, knowing that if war broke out, these small villages on the Empire’s outskirts would undoubtedly suffer immense devastation.

Seeing this thought solidify, the chill in her beautiful eyes turned to ice. She accelerated, determined to aid anyone who needed her, as she charged directly toward the Capital.

Reaching the Capital after running for a week non-stop, her only nourishment had been the essence of heaven and earth. Without resting, she pushed her speed to its limits. When she finally arrived at the Capital, many guards immediately recognized her and sent word to the Royal Palace: Senior Observer Li had returned.

...