Chapter 309 – The Battle of Conquest

Two days later, in Tianyuan Territory.

Mu Yuan received intelligence from the scouting team.

Ever since the ambush and execution of the Goblin Prince, which restored stability to the region, Lord Mu had adjusted his strategy—he reactivated multiple scouting squads to maintain tight surveillance over the movements of several tribes, including the Gnolls, even if it meant sacrificing some concealment.

“Today, numerous Gnoll patrols from Gnoll Tribe One have emerged, seemingly searching for something.”

Mu Yuan pondered.

If the Gnoll Tribe conducted a carpet search southward, it would only be a matter of time before they discovered the location of Tianyuan Territory.

However, he had anticipated such a development back when they ambushed the Goblin Prince.

“Prepare for battle.”

“Roar~!” “Damn right!” “For Tianyuan!”

Sario, Bone Two, Uta, and other battle-hungry commanders roared with excitement.

But Lord Mu said, “Wait two more days.”

Sario: “…Roar?”

Mu Yuan waited two days, partly to buy as much time as possible—every day counted—and partly to continue preparations.

“Although the Gnoll Tribe is merely a watchdog and pawn left outside by the dominant forces, we don’t know what lies within. It’s even possible we might encounter a Legendary being. We must give it our all.”

During this period, Mu Yuan visited the Human Race barracks, summoned two outstanding Dragon Force Swordsmen who had shown exceptional performance, and bestowed upon them the power of evolution.

They quickly evolved into Epic One-Star beings, ‘Dragon Swordsmen.’

They possessed physiques no less formidable than that of a Dragon and could even transform into a draconic form when necessary, unleashing devastating Dragon Breath.

“Lord, there’s news from the Secret Realm. A lord has offered to trade an Epic-level corpse—the remains of the Epic lifeform ‘Infernal Fire Demon.'”

Xiliu, stationed at the Elven Courtyard, rushed out and reported, “The other party specifically requested to exchange it for the ‘Mountain Rock Giant’ Remnant Soul.”

The Infernal Fire Demon’s corpse likely had its most valuable Materials already extracted, significantly reducing its worth.

Mu Yuan didn’t mind.

If it were a complete Epic corpse, acquiring it would be far more difficult and expensive.

A remnant was just right for him.

He looked at Xiliu and said, “Tell them the trade is acceptable.”

Xiliu saluted, “Right away.” Then she added, “Lord, I want to participate in tomorrow’s battle as well.”

Very well.

…

The next day, in Tianyuan Territory, Mu Yuan was mustering troops.

“Speed is crucial in this operation. Our plan is as follows… and like this… and also this…”

Tianyuan Territory would deploy two forces: one, led by commander-level combatants, aimed to infiltrate the Gnoll Tribe and directly eliminate the Tribal Chief.

The other, composed of the main army, would focus on encircling and eliminating as many of the Gnoll Tribe’s combat forces as possible.

This was the general strategy.

Specific tactics could be adapted into 128 variations based on actual circumstances.

At the same time, in the Winged-People Kingdom.

The Queen frowned. “The Gnoll Tribe has been acting strangely lately? Could it be related to the human lord? Regardless, investigate further and keep a close watch on the Gnoll Tribe’s movements.””Moreover, do not underestimate this Gnoll Tribe. One of the overlord factions originated from Gnolls, and this tribe has received substantial support from the overlord forces, boasting numerous powerful individuals. Without my personal intervention, our Winged-People Kingdom would likely suffer significant losses in attempting to conquer this Gnoll Tribe.”

Several Winged Guard elites swallowed hard, remaining silent for a long moment before murmuring, “Understood, we shall remember this.”

……

……

The dawn light broke through, dispersing the white mist into clarity.

The residents of Tianyuan Town gradually emerged from their bedding, commencing another new day.

At the wide-open northern gate in the territory’s north, two well-equipped, battle-hardened legions marched out steadily. These were the Undead Legion and the Human Race legion.

By now, the Undead Legion had expanded to 800 troops, primarily composed of Bone Buriers and Malevolent Spirits. The Human Race legion had also grown to 650 soldiers, their collective strength multiplied beyond previous measures.

Mu Yuan stood at the vanguard of the formation.

Flanking him were powerful figures like the Undead General, General Dolai, Uta, Xiliu, Red Robe, and others.

Having simulated the battle plan numerous times and completed all preparations over the past two days, no further instructions were necessary. With a sweeping gesture, he commanded, “Move out.”

Silently, the elite forces vanished into the forest and mist with swift whooshes, leaving only the rustling wind in their wake.

Leading the expeditionary force were several squads rich in exploration experience, boasting high Ranks and grades. These included the Skeleton Champion squad and the Ghost General squad.

Whoosh~

A Ghost General indistinguishable from a human leaped between treetops at incredible speed, leaving no trace nor stirring the air. He was a specter.

His movement abruptly halted as he transmitted a signal through the mental link network using consciousness.

「Enemy, squad, elites.」

Through the foliage, a Gnoll squad of about fifteen to twenty members could be seen meandering forward.

Their military discipline was lax, as was typical for monsters.

However, this Ghost General, having attended general knowledge courses, recognized the lead Gnoll adorned in fine leather armor with two feathers mounted on his helmet.

A minor monster chieftain.

He was either at the Peak of second Rank or had already advanced to third Rank.

Though the Ghost General couldn’t precisely determine the enemy’s Rank through observation or perception, coordinating with his teammates, he quickly detected several Gnoll Nightstalkers moving with greater stealth in the vicinity.

As the scout team leader, he deliberated for two and a half seconds before communicating via the mental channel, “Tactic three, position six.”

Two hundred twenty-six seconds later, the Gnoll squad passed beneath the trees.

The Ghost General leaped face-down toward the ground, ceasing to suppress his aura mid-descent. The Gnolls jerked their heads up in alarm, just as the Ghost General’s eyes erupted with a brilliant, ghostly blue light.

Skill: Nightmare Eye Prison.

Over a dozen Gnolls immediately fell into a daze, while nearby bushes rustled and Bone Spikes shot forth like sharp arrows.

Simultaneously,

Thud, thud, thud—

In three other locations, three equally vigilant Gnoll Nightstalkers had their throats slit within a second of each other.

Similar scenes unfolded not only along the advance route of the expeditionary force.

Over the past two days, Mu Yuan had already dispatched several elite special operations squads to designated positions. Now, these squads converged from the periphery inward, systematically eliminating Gnolls.With careful planning against an unprepared enemy, combined with a righteous ambush and overwhelming force, the special operations team advanced rapidly.

The main forces progressed just as swiftly.

Half a day later,

Mu Yuan and his troops arrived ten kilometers outside the Gnoll Tribe.

Gnoll Tribe One was constructed amidst rolling mountain ranges, situated on a high and flat terrain. This location was spacious enough to accommodate a small city’s development while being easily defensible and difficult to attack—truly a strategic treasure land.

From a distance, only a single winding mountain path led into the tribe, ending at towering rock city walls.

On relatively flat land at the mountain’s base, scattered farmlands lay in disarray. The cultivators were goblins, dwarves, half-beasts, and others wearing shackles. Mu Yuan also spotted numerous ragged humans among them.

Nearby, gnoll overseers cracked whips as they patrolled.

The farmlands were poorly maintained, raising doubts about whether they could yield any harvest.

Down the mountain, the goblin overseers continued laughing heartily.

Up the mountain, the heavy city gates creaked shut, with more gnoll warriors visibly taking positions on the walls, scanning their surroundings vigilantly.

At higher elevations, elite gnolls rode black-feathered avian beasts patrolling back and forth, while some flew further into the distance.

“It seems the Gnoll Tribe has noticed something, however slight. But no matter—the plan proceeds as scheduled.”

With the gates closed and the terrain steep,

In a world without extraordinary powers, even hundreds of thousands of troops might struggle to conquer this small tribe. But this was the Eternal World, and Tianyuan Territory now boasted powerful forces. Far from the early days when they had to exhaust their wits against a mere camp.

Times had changed.

They could blast through the walls or simply fly over them.

However, Mu Yuan remained unaware of the internal defenses, the tribal chief’s whereabouts, or whether any Legendary Realm existences lurked within.

Even if Undead General attempted to infiltrate alone—a large tribe that had operated for decades with various traps and alert systems—the risks remained significant.

Specifically, the risk of failed infiltration.

Lord Mu possessed more reliable, efficient, and direct methods.

It’s your turn, Eye of Tianquan!

「Observation: 10.6 kilometers forward from my position.」

Inside the Eye of Tianquan structure in Tianyuan Territory, Mu Yuan and Isloria stood before the massive observation lens, adjusting and inputting commands.

「Prompt: ‘Scouting Heavenly Eye’ usage count -1, slowly recovering.」

Soon,

The mist on the giant observation lens gradually receded, revealing a bird’s-eye view of the Gnoll Tribe.

With physical positioning, the Heavenly Eye pinpointed the gnoll settlement accurately, capturing its complete layout.

The outermost section featured crudely constructed yet substantial rock walls. From the outside, the tribe merely appeared large but otherwise ordinary. However, the aerial view revealed…

Within the tribe, several Blood Pools bubbled with eerie gases, seemingly producing massive body parts.

Mu Yuan noticed a barracks-like area on one side where over a dozen giant gnolls with reddish-brown hides crouched.

‘Gnoll war machines,’

He thought.In addition to these, he also saw towering structures made of flesh and blood standing tall in many areas within the tribe. These towers were eerie, filled with danger and ominousness.

‘These are probably the special defensive structures of the Gnoll Tribe. I must be cautious.’

‘Indeed, this tribe is far from ordinary as it appears on the surface.’

Having observed this with the Heavenly Eye, Mu Yuan now had a relatively clear understanding of the entire tribe.

This method of reconnaissance was clearly a hundred times more efficient and safer than infiltrating alone or using War Falcons for scouting.

And this was still not the limit of the Heavenly Eye’s reconnaissance capabilities.

Mu Yuan continued inputting commands on the control panel. Soon, the map zoomed out, and various light spots of different sizes appeared on it.

These were energy level reactions.

His greatest reliance lay precisely in this.

Even the Undead General had initially failed to evade the detection of the Heavenly Eye, let alone the Gnolls.

“There are 122 Third Order monsters in total, each a minor commander or leader.”

“As for Fourth Order leader-level monsters, there are 33, mainly concentrated in this area… Hmm, only 33?”

Mu Yuan felt it was a bit few, or was he getting overconfident?

When they were clearing the Foul Nest, the number of Fourth Order monsters they faced simultaneously was more than just thirty-three. Of course, there were differences even among Fourth Order monsters—most of what he had faced before were the standard Fourth Order types, wild Fourth Order, or low-intelligence Fourth Order. The Fourth Order monsters in the Gnoll Tribe were likely to include some powerful ones.

Additionally, there were some energy reactions within the tribe that differed from the norm, possessing immense “quantity.”

But there were no legendary-level beings.

After confirming this several times, Mu Yuan took a deep breath and declared, “The operation to subjugate the Gnoll Tribe… begins now.”

Roar—!

A fierce wind howled, and dark clouds blotted out the sun.

A colossal figure spread its wings and flew beneath the clouds, its deep blue scales gleaming with a cold light, as if freezing the very heavens and earth.

Vanguard Commander · Invincible Dragon of the World · Sario, entered the battlefield.

Instantly, it attracted a massive amount of attention and firepower.

Soon, from two different areas, the Undead Legion and the Human Race Legion charged out, with arrows piercing the air from afar.

The fields at the foot of the mountain were thrown into chaos as Gnoll overseers roared. The slaves, shackled and bound, charged forward without a trace of fear.

Mu Yuan showed no mercy.

Among them were some human slaves, ragged and wild-eyed. The Filth had corrupted their bodies and minds. They were no different from monsters now.

War erupted instantly.

On one side was the Tianyuan Legion, with few in number but each soldier a super-elite;

On the other side was the Gnoll Tribe, which had occupied this land for countless years. They were numerous, their eyes blazing red, and they were completely enraged.

At this moment, Deadbone, Dolai, Uta, and others were “infiltrating” the tribe in a relatively low-key manner.

…

In the central area of the Gnoll Tribe, inside the Chieftain’s tent.

Chieftain Wolfbane was drinking. He was well-versed in human culture, having dismembered dozens of humans years ago and learned the intricacies of their splendid civilization from the process.

After that, he personally oversaw the construction of this luxurious mansion.

He had originally wanted to call this place the City Lord’s Mansion and rename the tribe the City of Gnolls. But he couldn’t.

“I don’t know why those old fools in the tribe are so cautious. Who in this region would dare provoke us Gnolls?”

He drank elegantly, holding two strong and beautiful female Gnolls by his side.

Suddenly, a trusted subordinate burst in.”Chief, enemies are approaching.”

“I am already aware. Thirty minutes—I want results in thirty minutes.”

“Yes.”

Two minutes later,

“Chief, the enemies have breached the City Walls and slain our Fourth Commander.”

Chief Wolfbane frowned slightly. “Summon the Third and Second Commanders.”

Another two minutes later,

“Ch-Chief, the enemies have broken through the Flesh Fortress, crossed the Bloodwater Bridge, and are heading this way.”

The chief abruptly rose to their feet, about to speak.

Boom—

The luxurious structure shattered as if crushed by some immense force.

Under the exposed sky, several silhouettes stood against the light.

“You—are you the chief?”

(End of Chapter)