As the Grand Marshal of the Dali Dynasty, Xia Houfeng had led troops into battle before, but conquering a massive force like the Jiuqu League was a first.
To ensure no mistakes and achieve complete success, he changed his somewhat arrogant demeanor and became much more cautious.
Their position, where Xia Houfeng and Qing Gu True Monarch were stationed, was still some distance away from the Jiuqu League's defensive line. The ordinary patrolling cultivators on the other side wouldn't generally fly to such heights.
As long as the defensive line wasn't under attack, the Primordial Spirit True Monarch couldn't be bothered to personally intervene. Xia Houfeng and Qing Gu True Monarch could observe the situation below undisturbed.
With Xia Houfeng's abundant experience in leading troops, he quickly assessed the enemy's defensive setup.
"In half a month, I will personally lead the army and flatten this so-called Yellow Lotus Sacred Mountain," Xia Houfeng said firmly. It was both a declaration of the next operational plan and a reminder to Qing Gu True Monarch.
Qing Gu True Monarch sincerely replied, "Then I wish Your Highness success in your campaign."
"At that time, I will still need your efforts, True Monarch," Xia Houfeng said with a smile.
The two didn't linger and flew back to the main camp.
He chose to act in half a month not only to wait for reinforcements to arrive but also to allow enough time for mobilizing troops and arranging formations.
Facing the defensive lines formed by the various forces of the Jiuqu League, Xia Houfeng had two choices.
One was to select a breakthrough point, forcibly penetrate, and advance step by step, steadily dismantling the Jiuqu League's defenses layer by layer, like peeling an onion.
The other option was a full-scale attack, with the entire army advancing from various directions to launch a total assault and destroy all resistance of the enemy.
Xia Houfeng almost didn't hesitate and chose the second method of attack.
Firstly, before leading the troops, Ba Wudi of the Dali Dynasty specifically instructed him to achieve a quick victory and swiftly pacify the Jiuqu League.
When the Dali Dynasty conquered the Crossing Severing Mountain Range and defeated the Three Sects Alliance, it took over a hundred years.
This time, with Qing Gu True Monarch's assistance, Xia Houfeng only spent less than half a year to subdue all resistance in the southern region of the Jiuqu League and occupy nearly half of their territory. Compared to the conquest of the Crossing Severing Mountain Range, the efficiency was astonishing.
However, in Xia Houfeng's view, due to some unexpected circumstances, he had already spent too much time trying to preserve the southern territory of the Jiuqu League intact.
He was unwilling to get entangled in a protracted attack-defense war in front of this defensive line.
Secondly, if he chose the first method of attack, when the Jiuqu League couldn't hold on any longer, they might retreat in an organized manner and resist step by step.
Therefore, he decided to launch a full-scale attack, annihilate all resistance in one go, and crush the morale of the major cultivation forces within the Jiuqu League, making it easier for the subsequent conquest of the northern region.
As the supreme authority in the military, Xia Houfeng's decision was unquestionable.
Although Qing Gu True Monarch's cultivation base was not inferior to Xia Houfeng's, as a newly surrendered individual, his status and position were awkward, so it wasn't suitable for him to oppose Xia Houfeng's decision.
Half a month passed in a flash, and the various forces of the Dali Dynasty had already arrived in their positions, waiting for Xia Houfeng's command.
The Dali Dynasty, having been established for so many years, has been in a state of continuous warfare, and both before and after battles, they have a well-established procedure.
There was no need for Xia Houfeng to give any cliché pre-battle speech. With each of his military orders, the troops moved towards their designated targets.
"True Monarch, if I weren't occupied with commanding the army, I would have liked to meet this so-called number one Sword Cultivator of the Jiuqu League, Jade Sword Old Man."
"Since I can't spare the time, I'll leave him to you."
Upon hearing this, Qing Gu True Monarch didn't hesitate and readily agreed, "Your Highness can rest assured. As long as I'm there, that sword maniac is no threat."
After all the troops were deployed, the strongest central army, led by Xia Houfeng himself, marched directly towards the Yellow Lotus Sect's Main Altar.
Following their departure, the various armies of Dali Dynasty launched a comprehensive attack on the Jiuqu League's defensive lines.
Suddenly, fierce battles broke out, flames and smoke filled the sky, and bloody slaughter descended upon the land.
During this half month, cultivators from Taiyi Sect and Hanhai Dao League arrived one after another, greatly bolstering the defensive lines.
Several nearby sects sent representatives to establish contact, hoping to coordinate with Taiyi Sect, seeking their support in case of unfavorable situations.
Meng Zhang couldn't be bothered to deal with them personally, so the elders of the sect handled the reception.
Facing formidable enemies, Taiyi Sect couldn't guarantee its own defense, let alone helping others.
Still, Taiyi Sect's Gold Core elders did their best to appease these visitors with ambiguous words.
Great Wind City's Gu Yue Family had long been friends with Taiyi Sect, Fire Cloud Sect had recently become a vassal under Taiyi Sect, and Clever Machine Sect had been a business partner of Taiyi Sect for many years.
Taiyi Sect didn't flatly refuse the requests of these sects; instead, they tried to reassure them. Having neighboring sects nearby would help alleviate the pressure Taiyi Sect was facing, and thus, they also needed their support.
Dali Dynasty didn't resort to sneaky nighttime attacks. Both sides were on high alert, and a surprise attack was unlikely to succeed.
As soon as the Dali Dynasty's army moved, the Jiuqu League quickly received the news and immediately entered a state of combat readiness.
Countless flying boats and warships filled the sky, almost covering it entirely, surging towards the Jiuqu League's defensive lines one wave after another.
The flying boats and warships opened fire, and various colored beams of light rained down on the ground. Multicolored radiance shimmered as firepower storms formed by fireballs, wind blades, and earth bullets swept through the front lines.
On the ground, the Dali Dynasty's army formed orderly formations and launched a fierce assault on the enemy's defensive lines, advancing step by step, steadily capturing strategic points.
Brave generals emerged from the ranks and directly targeted key positions in the enemy's defense, seeking battles with their high-level cultivators.
Dali Dynasty's strength and prowess were displayed in full force as they launched their overwhelming attack, showing extraordinary power.
Large-scale battles were Dali Dynasty's forte.
With such an array, they had defeated countless strong enemies and suppressed numerous rebellious cultivators.
The battle-hardened Dali Dynasty's army skillfully launched attacks, systematically breaking through the enemy's defenses, steadily pushing forward.
Faced with Dali Dynasty's fierce onslaught, the outermost layer of the defensive line crumbled within moments.
The cultivators of various major cultivation forces stationed here had no chance to surrender and were blasted into pieces by the enemy.
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