Five thousand Highlander warriors, three hundred mercenaries.
Ji Xinghuo looked at each Highlander, fully armed and mounted on six-legged horses, their eyes blood-red. The troops had long spears raised vertically, Red Emperor Flags with red backgrounds and black patterns fluttering atop them, and a bloodthirsty aura gathered, sending a scarlet smoke straight into the clouds.
"Burn my flesh, sacrifice for the Red Emperor!" He Yan shouted loudly.
"Burn my flesh, sacrifice for the Red Emperor!"
Five thousand Highlander warriors roared in unison, and the Red Flame Star in the sky seemed closer.
Everywhere in Blood Fury Castle, the Red Emperor’s Emblems had been activated, glimmering faint red light. The blood on the emblems turned vivid, exuding a scent of blood.
He Yan led the charge out of the military camp, running along the streets of Blood Fury Castle, passing through the stone gate walls, leading the army westward.
As the terrain to the west of Blood Fury Castle gradually rose, Ji Xinghuo looked back.
Under the cover of night, five armies burst out of Blood Fury Castle, each numbering between five thousand and ten thousand, and each including several hundred mercenaries, advancing in different directions, like five blazing dragons slithering through the night.
He looked up at the Red Flame Star, which grew redder.
"This is a night of slaughter."
In the rumble of horse hooves, the five-thousand Highlander army advanced at full speed, each person bathed in a faint red glow, the effect of the Blood Priest’s blessing that aided in recovery and allowed clearer vision in the dim environment.
These five thousand Highlander warriors were at least Second Rank Evolvers, a proportion reaching seventy percent.
More than twenty-five percent were Third Rank.
Less than half a percent were Fourth Rank, roughly one out of every twenty Highlander warriors, totaling over two hundred individuals—this proportion was already quite high.
However, compared to the fully Fourth Rank mercenaries, there was still a significant gap.
Wars in the Star Realm differed from the cold weapon era on Earth; the quality of armies surpasses their quantity, and individual strength is more crucial than the number of soldiers.
Although Highlanders outnumbered the Biao Clan by several times, in terms of individual strength, Highlanders were lower.
In small-scale wars, the elite could compensate, but in a full-scale war between two tribes, this weakness would be magnified.
Thus, the Blood Fury Tribe had to hire mercenaries from other tribes for the war.
After sprinting westward for several hours, several small Highlander armies joined along the way, bringing the total number to ten thousand.
They rested two or three times.
Entering Star Night, with over two hours till dawn, He Yan ordered to slow down and let the mounts recover.
"We should be close now," Xia Qingyu said beside him.
Highlanders and Biao Clan were both followers of the Red Emperor, their wars and hatred spanning countless years. Both sides were exceedingly familiar with each other’s tactics, incapable of tricking or concealing their army’s movements, resulting in direct confrontations.
This blood battle was actively initiated by the Blood Fury Tribe, gaining the upper hand by striking first.
Target set, then straight to the battlefield.
The army led by He Yan was medium-sized among all forces, targeting a Biao Clan settlement on the western side of Blood Fury Tribe.
The border between Blood Fury Tribe and Skullcrusher Tribe stretched for hundreds of kilometers.
Tonight, they struck at five targets simultaneously.
He Yan raised his hand to halt the army, looking towards a mountain peak about ten kilometers ahead. The peak soared beyond ten thousand meters, its snowy cap visible even during Star Night, with the massive mountain range spreading out of sight on either side.
On the mountainside of this Giant Peak, numerous fires were lit.
That was the Biao Clan’s settlement.
Biao Clan preferred living atop treacherous high mountains, shunning construction and labor, relying on their innate strength for hunting.
Thus, their dwellings could hardly be called tribes, merely settlements.
He Yan’s orders cascaded down.
Ji Xinghuo sat on Qing Hong’s back, his gaze fixed on the Biao Clan settlement on the mountain. Even from this distance, he could see the blood-eyed Biao figures. They lived in various caves and simple wooden huts, now mobilizing, gathering in groups and surging down the mountain.
Electromagnetic induction spread out.
After upgrading Electromagnetic Induction to the Fourth Level, Ji Xinghuo’s sensing radius expanded to over five thousand meters, detecting dozens of Biao hiding within this range.
Clearly, the Biao Clan was prepared.
He Yan knew this, too; he had sent Highlander scouts before departing to probe the Biao’s movements.
The blood-eyed Biao on the mountain had finished assembling. They left a portion to defend relying on the tough terrain, but most opted to strike first.
Over three thousand strong and large Biao formed up at the foot of the mountain.
They occupied a steep slope, an open terrain. If the Blood Fury Tribe were to attack, they’d have to face an uphill battle against the high-ground assault.
Once the Highlanders and their horses had recovered, He Yan immediately gave the command.
The ten-thousand-strong, mounted on six-legged horses, moved towards the foot of the mountain. Amidst the advance, He Yan’s subordinates continuously adjusted the formation, splitting into three echelons. The flanks spread out, forming a rough fan shape, with the central force as the main and the flanks supporting, advancing towards the Biao Clan’s formation.