"Impressive. The immortal sects truly cannot be underestimated. Their heritage is immense and unfathomable. Even with tens of millions of Icecrystal Clan warriors launching a full-scale assault, they couldn't break through the mountain-protecting array and ended up being utterly suppressed. While they had home-field advantage, stepping into their territory means we must tread with utmost caution. It's possible… everything is already within their control."Huang Chengyan let out a sigh of admiration after reading the report.
The immortal sects had clearly fortified their territory like an impenetrable fortress—fireproof, waterproof, and unassailable. After all, it was their foundation, the root of their survival. Not putting effort into managing it well would be unthinkable.
"These Icecrystal beings are indeed formidable. Not only do they possess immense individual strength from adulthood, but they also have innate control over frost power—highly troublesome in combat. And with their ability to form war formations and battle bodies, they're undoubtedly deadly weapons on the battlefield. No wonder they were able to dominate the entire Snow Continent. Plus, the environment there grants them overwhelming natural advantages."Zhuge Liang spoke solemnly.
The environment itself was a form of geographical advantage. Controlling it meant having the upper hand.
However, he quickly added: "Since the Icecrystal Clan is already locked in a life-or-death battle with the Greenmount Immortal Sect, determined to destroy it entirely, this is the best time for the Great Yi Dynasty to intervene in Snow Continent. I believe we must act swiftly. We should dispatch our forces immediately and strive to occupy Snow Continent before the Dragon Gate opens. Even if we can't take all of it, securing a large portion will suffice."
His voice carried a hint of eagerness.
This was the glory of expanding the empire—a monumental achievement.
"Indeed, the main reason I summoned all of you today is to discuss this exact matter," Yi Tianxing said. "According to the intelligence passed on by Minister Jia, the Icecrystal Clan does have weaknesses. Their eyes are their greatest vulnerability."
Yi Tianxing then detailed the weak points of the Icecrystal Clan.
This revelation visibly excited the court ministers. A strong enemy was nothing to fear as long as they had a weakness. With that, strategies could be tailored to exploit it—achieving twice the result with half the effort. This could significantly reduce the time needed to conquer Snow Continent.
"They actually fear True Sunfire? Your Majesty, the Firecrow Corps volunteers to serve as the vanguard! With our ability to generate True Sunfire, we are the perfect counter to the Icecrystal Clan. We shall earn glory for Great Yi and strike terror into the Icecrystal Royal Court!"Mu Guiying stepped forward immediately, her voice full of confidence.
The Firecrow Corps were closely related to the Three-Legged Golden Crows, and some could potentially evolve into true Golden Crows through opportunity. The flames they produced already contained traces of True Sunfire. If the Icecrystal Clan's weakness was genuine, then the Firecrow Corps was undoubtedly their natural nemesis. Wherever they went, the Icecrystal warriors would have no choice but to flee.
Their advantage was too significant.
This could become the defining moment of their careers—eternal glory awaited. For Mu Guiying, this was the day she had been waiting for since enlisting.
"Indeed, General Mu's Firecrow Corps is a natural bane to the Icecrystal Clan. However, if they are aware of their own weakness, once they identify the Firecrow Corps' abilities, the initial advantage may be short-lived. They will adapt and respond accordingly," Zhuge Liang nodded, though not overly optimistic. "Still, that doesn't mean we can't work around it."
His tone lightened, clearly already having a plan in mind. As he elaborated, the court ministers' faces lit up with delight, nodding in agreement—they found the strategy quite sound.
"Your Majesty, I also request to join the battle. My Snowrabbit Corps is perfectly suited to icy conditions. In snow-covered terrain, we will be no weaker than the Icecrystal Clan. We are willing to serve as the vanguard in the Snow Continent expedition,"Xue Kunlun stepped forward.
His Snowrabbit Corps was tailor-made for snowy battlefields. Their snowrabbit mounts could traverse snow with ease and had a unique camouflage ability. When standing still in snow, they could become nearly invisible—even if someone walked past, they might remain undetected. This gave them a tremendous advantage in icy combat.
"Hold up, old Snow! You trying to hog the glory?"Cheng Yaojin jumped up like a cat with its tail stepped on."What do you mean only your Snowrabbit Corps is good at fighting in snow? We're not scared of snow either. We came up through snow disasters ourselves! If you want the vanguard spot, you'll have to fight us for it. Your Majesty, my Demon-Slaying Corps is fearless—be it ice or fire. Just give the order, and tens of thousands of my warriors will take that mountain without blinking."
"Step aside! What's the Demon-Slaying Corps compared to us?"Yang Ye barked."My Vermilion Bird Corps was the first military unit established in Great Yi. We've been through countless battles. There's no way we're missing out on this expedition!"
The other corps commanders chimed in one after another.
Clearly, morale was high and the desire for battle strong. Wars of expansion were guaranteed to be remembered in the annals of Great Yi, sung for thousands of years to come. No one wanted to be left behind.
"Enough arguing," Yi Tianxing chuckled, raising his hand. "The enemy is powerful, and Snow Continent is vast. All corps will take part in the campaign. Jia Xu and Master Kongming will form a strategist corps to coordinate operations and deployments. I want Snow Continent fully occupied in the shortest time possible—integrated entirely into Great Yi's territory."
This was a race against time. The Dragon Gate's imminent opening would introduce too many variables—none could predict what was to come.
Most importantly, the Icecrystal Clan's numbers were insane—virtually the entire population was combat-ready. If they didn't deploy enough corps, it would be like throwing a river against the sea. Even if they could win, the time needed would be unimaginable.
Upon hearing this, the corps commanders all smiled—though a chill ran through their hearts. They knew this war was no game. Any slip-up could be catastrophic.
"How long will it take to produce the equipment Lord Kongming mentioned earlier?"Yi Tianxing turned to Lu Master for confirmation.
"Those are easy to produce. With our capabilities, we can use the Universal Printer to replicate them quickly after making prototypes. We'll have them ready within a day,"Lu Master replied confidently.
These were auxiliary tools meant to support the Firecrow Corps—not technically complex and easily mass-produced in a short time.
"Excellent. Proceed at once."
"How many Immortal Cities have we forged so far?"Yi Tianxing asked next.
The Immortal Cities were the cornerstone of the campaign—used to stabilize and govern the newly conquered territory. Without them, it would be difficult to hold the land securely.
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty,"Gongshu Lin reported."Production has never ceased. In fact, we've brought in more artisans recently. Also, the Heavenly Fire Furnace has evolved. With four types of exotic flames integrated, its smelting speed has increased tenfold. Materials are abundant, and production is proceeding at full speed."
The Heavenly Fire Furnace had long been a bottleneck. To evolve it, various exotic flames had to be absorbed. With four already integrated, it had ascended from Yellow Grade to Profound Grade. Its power had skyrocketed—hundreds of times stronger than before.
Now, it could smelt massive quantities of materials simultaneously and manage different types of materials in separate layers of its internal space. This was vital for creating Xuanhuang Bricks, bone crystals, and other refined components at the same time.
"Good. Production of Immortal Cities must not stop,"Yi Tianxing said, clearly satisfied.
"Your Majesty, there's one issue," Huang Chengyan added. "Forging Immortal Cities requires a large supply of Village Establishment Tokens. I recommend acquiring them in bulk now—otherwise we risk facing a shortage in the future."