Chapter 909: Advance on the Plateau

A wise choice.

Lei En's face showed a faint smile, then he offered no further comment and suddenly asked, "Moserio, you've been in Osi'an Province for over thirty years; you must be familiar with the Sain Plateau, right?"

Yes, sir.

Moserio immediately fell into his own state.

Although he didn't understand why the Duke had suddenly mentioned the Sain Plateau, he replied in detail, "Two‑thirds of Osi'an Province is part of the plateau. Around Tianchi Lake there are several barbarian tribes; they don't consider themselves subjects of the Empire, but they fear the Empire's reputation, so generally they coexist peacefully, and barbarian figures are often seen in Qingtan City."

"Have you been to the Sain Plateau?" Lei En asked.

Moserio replied, "I've been many times, even as far as the central Gragur Mountains; I'm well acquainted with the entire northeastern plateau."

Very good.

Lei En nodded with satisfaction. "In the coming years, as the domain's steward you have two paramount tasks: First, help me govern the domain so that Osi'an transitions smoothly to the Duke's fief; I don't want discord within the domain."

"Understood," Moserio responded loudly.

"Second, I intend to start from the Duke's fief and its rear to unify the entire Sain Plateau. Since you're familiar with the plateau, join in and help devise strategies for me," Lei En continued.

Moserio's expression turned shocked; the news startled him.

Unify the Sain Plateau?

He hesitated, then said cautiously, "Sir, forgive my bluntness. Unifying the Sain Plateau is an ungrateful task, and the plateau is vast; subjugating those barbarian tribes isn't hard, but governing them is. Moreover, the Supreme Council…"

Lei En waved his hand to cut him off, "You needn't worry about those; I've already obtained the Supreme Council's permission."

"Yes, your Willpower is my Willpower," Moserio said without further doubt. "I will give my all."

"Come with me." Lei En rose and left the room.

Moserio hurriedly followed.

The two descended from the upstairs office toward the Governor's Office barracks. Moserio keenly heard sounds from the barracks; upon entering, he found it already under the control of the Duke's Transcendent Legion, while the Empire's Security Force transcendants watched the scene from outside the perimeter.

"Duke."

"Your Excellency the Governor."

People startled by the approaching pair quickly saluted.

Lei En gave a faint reply, led Moserio into the barracks, where the hall originally for meetings had been cleared by dwarf artisans, reinforced and transformed in an instant into a stone fortress.

A dozen or so Transcendent warriors clad in golden‑shimmering armor took mithril plates from dimensional rings and laid them across the hall's floor.

Their work efficiency was astonishing; they spoke not to each other, yet their coordination was flawless.

In just minutes, a teleportation array thirty meters in diameter took shape.

Dwarf artisans and Wizards also joined, cooperating with the Transcendent warriors to begin calibrating the array.

Suddenly, a figure in a black magical robe materialized at the array's center—very young, gaunt, pallid as if a gust could blow him away, steadied only by a straight mithril staff.

The unfamiliar black‑robed Wizard triggered the array's calibration.

A strong magical surge radiated outward; even at a distance only a faint trace leaked, yet the Security Force guards' faces turned pale, eyes filled with terror, and they involuntarily stepped back a few paces.

Moserio's eyes widened in shock as well.

He is a Legendary Peak, his perception sharper than ordinary legendary transcendants, and he sensed an unfathomable magical aura on this black‑robed Wizard.

Holy Soul Wizard?

Moserio subconsciously guessed; the figure reminded him of the Supreme Council's most enigmatic member, the low‑profile Black Robe Duke Tuz Lei.

But on further thought he dismissed it—given the Black Robe Duke's rank, he couldn't serve the Consul.

"He must be the one rumored to have appeared in the battle at Banbei City, the Duke's student Reslin."

Moserio sized up the young Wizard.

Reslin's staff flickered with rhythmic magical radiance; each flash set the teleportation array trembling, the mithril plates fused swiftly, sealing tightly, rune lines etched and linked, quickly becoming smooth, and a series of potent crystals snapped into the edge grooves.

When the final rune lit up, the golden‑armored Transcendent warriors and dwarf artisans all ceased work and withdrew from the array.

Reslin installed an Astral Crystal Pillar at the array's center.

Buzz!

Vast currents of energy flowed into the Astral Crystal Pillar; as the power gathered, it tore the void, opening a light gate in the hall. The gate expanded rapidly, then steadied, forming a towering portal; beyond it lay a space resembling another teleportation chamber.

Moserio stared dumbfounded.

Constructing such a long‑range teleportation array is extremely difficult, yet from the Duke's arrival at the Governor's Office to now—under half an hour—the array was finished!

Bang bang bang bang…

Uniform hoofbeats rang out; Moserio and the Security Force guards saw tall bronze warhorses streaming out of the portal.

They recognized these magical beasts unique to the Sain Plateau; until now, no one had ever tamed such a mount combining endurance, defense, and flight.

Until now.

Each bronze warhorse bore a knight, all clad in identical enchanted armor that radiated a holy warmth, bearing a massive Soul Spear, swords at their waists; even the Empire's elite legions could not compare.

They are the Holy Spear Knight Corps forged single‑handedly by the Duke!

The leading knight, however, was not human; she wore exquisite armor without a helm, revealing a stunning face, dark‑red hair tied at the back, long pointed ears, eyes sparkling, radiating charisma.

Blood Elf!

No, she is also a Saint Rank elite!

Moserio glanced twice then looked away; he seemed to see a blinding blood‑red sun, its glare stinging his eyes.

Holy Lance Knights burst out of the teleportation hall, gathering on the open ground of the barracks, their numbers swelling with no sign of stopping.

The towering portal kept opening.

Five hundred, one thousand, two thousand…

Moserio was almost numb; each Holy Lance Knight far outmatched the Empire's Security Force transcendants, being well‑trained and superbly equipped. The Governor's barracks field quickly filled, while the portal kept spewing people.

Some Holy Lance Knights had to take to the air, hovering mid‑flight.

Finally.

When the number reached three thousand, no Holy Lance Knights emerged from the portal, yet the footfalls did not cease; instead they grew heavier.

One by one, tall warriors clad in blue armor emerged from the portal like metal fortresses.

Extreme Warrior!

Although there were only one hundred twenty of them, the Extreme Warriors' sense of oppression was stronger than that of the Holy Spear Knight Corps, almost suffocating.

Behind the Extreme Warriors, more troops emerged; this time a dwarf legion, not many in number, only one thousand.

Then came a Transcendent Army composed of humans, blood elves, and orcs, numbering over a thousand.

The Transcendent members of the Ossian Security Squad widened their eyes; for most of them it was the first time seeing elves, and the scarce blood elves, who indeed were as handsome and beautiful as rumors said, while the dark elves' dusky skin and wild ferocity also made them gasp in amazement.

The portal finally closed.

The Governor's barracks were designed for only two thousand, but the sudden addition of a five‑thousand‑strong Transcendent Army and three thousand bronze steeds instantly packed the camp to the brim.

Nevertheless, there was not a hint of chaos; everyone formed orderly ranks.

The camp soon fell silent.

Lei En walked to the center of the field, and everyone's gaze converged on him, awaiting his command.

"Moselio, the Overseer."

"Present!"

Lei En's voice rang through the camp: "You will guide the army; before nightfall, subdue the seven barbarian tribes around Heaven Pool Lake. Tonight I will hold a banquet at the Governor's residence for the seven tribal chiefs; they must attend, alive or dead."

"Yes, Title: Duke!"

Moselio shouted the order, yet could not hide his astonishment; Title: Duke acted with thunderous swiftness—his front foot told himself to unify the plateau, and his rear foot already began.

Moreover, Title: Duke had already verified that there are seven barbarian tribes around Heaven Pool Lake.

The Security Squad's Transcendent members looked at each other, puzzled why Title: Duke would start cutting down those barbarians the moment he arrived in the territory.

"Liflin, Kronuan, Yizite, decide the specifics of the attack and how many columns to split into; discuss it with Moselio, I only want to see the outcome." Lei En looked at the Holy Blood Angel, the commander of the fourth company of the Extreme Warrior Brigade, and the leaders of the orcs.

The three answered in unison, "Yes."

Heaven Pool Lake is Empire territory, now his own domain, certainly not a lawless zone; the surrounding barbarians must submit to his rule. The seven tribes total only thirty‑to‑forty thousand people, so deploying five thousand Transcendent troops makes victory effortless.

Capturing the seven barbarian tribes on the first day marks both the start of the plateau's conquest and a show of force, delivering a stern warning to the local Ossian powers.

Lei En issued the order, turned, and entered the teleportation array to depart directly.

Reslin also vanished without a trace.

Moselio, still curious about Title: Duke's whereabouts, saw the beautiful, powerful blood elf, a hulking Extreme Warrior, and an orc bearing two green battle blades, all staring at him, and he instantly felt a surge of pressure.

"Three lords."

He took a deep breath to steady himself, thought quickly, and said, "I suggest…"

Lei En teleported to the Jin Gang Fort base; Reslin appeared beside him, cast a spell to open a portal, and the two stepped through, emerging several hundred li away.

Another five‑thousand‑strong Transcendent Army was stationed around them.

Three thousand Holy Lance Knights, one thousand dwarf warriors, five companies of three hundred Extreme Warriors each—including half a company's members—wearing powered armor, as well as blood elves, orcs, and Transcendents from Getan, were led respectively by Commander Marrius, Kuilu, and Kestajin.

Lei En and Reslin teleported directly to their side; Marrius called out, "Sir."

Kuilu and Kestajin also voiced their greetings.

"What's the situation?"

Lei En asked while gazing at a snow‑capped mountain ahead; from its mid‑slope to the foot, rows of houses built of timber and stone stretched endlessly, forming a massive tribal settlement.

This was the Outramu region of the southern Seain Plateau, and the tribe ahead was the dominant force of the southern plateau—the Dorak barbarians' stronghold.

Compared with Astat, the Dorak tribe appeared very shabby.

However, the Dorak outnumbered Makurag by far; the barbarians alone numbered over a hundred thousand. They had also subjugated neighboring tribes, enslaving tens of thousands of trolls, centaurs, and ogres, bringing the whole tribe's population above two hundred thousand.

Years ago, the Dorak attacked Astat, but Lei En repelled them and killed Caligula, the Divine Chosen of the Black Emperor Banluo.

This time it was Makurag's turn to attack.

Lei En's strategy for conquering the plateau, summed up in one phrase, was "Bidirectional Rush." Astat lay in the southwest of the plateau, Qingtan City in the northeast; the line connecting them ran right through the plateau's center, allowing simultaneous attacks from both sides, converging finally at Glagur Mountain in the middle.

There were no particularly strong foes on the plateau; with the power of the Extreme Warrior Brigade and the Holy Spear Knight Corps, plus several Saint Rank elites leading, no barbarian tribe could resist.

The troops split into two routes, advancing side by side.

First, pierce through the entire Seain Plateau, subjugate the few strongest tribes along the way, then expand fully, turning toward the weaker and more scattered tribes.

This strategy is both safe and efficient; it is expected to unify the plateau within two years.

At this moment, the Dorak tribe had already descended into chaos.

The horn in the stronghold blared continuously; Dorak barbarians leapt onto their cold‑toed gray lizards, gathering at a single point, kicking up clouds of dust as they ran.

Roars rose in waves, interspersed with God's Curse.

Marrius pointed to the corpses and blood strewn hundreds of meters away and reported, "A few minutes ago the Dorak organized a cavalry charge, which we shattered. Given Dorak's nature, they won't hesitate; the second wave will arrive immediately."

The Dorak army outnumbered us, yet against the absolute power gap, numbers were useless.

Marrius, however, gave no order to attack.

Lei En glanced at Marrius, understanding his concern: the Dorak tribe were followers of the Black Emperor Banluo, and a rash assault might draw His gaze.

"Attack."

Lei En looked up at the sky, then immediately lowered his gaze and ordered, "No delay; seize their chieftain and end the battle before nightfall."

"Yes!"

Marrius shouted, "Attack! In the name of Giliman, for Augustus!"

(End of chapter.)