181: Chapter 181 Lin Yin Returns

He shook his head helplessly and sighed.

This kind of thorough brainwashing...

No, for a fellow whose bones were soaked in faith and honor, conventional threats, inducements, or even physical torture would likely fail to sway him in the slightest.

The trickery he had used against the Chief before was useless against Captain Luoyi, who had already seen through his identity and possessed a will of iron.

In the time that followed, Lin Tian tried several other methods, probing indirectly in an attempt to catch any clues from Captain Luoyi's reactions;

He even signaled the Golden Armored Spearmen nearby to use some methods that were not fatal but painful enough.

But Captain Luoyi either responded with even more vicious curses and mockery, or simply closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, allowing his body to tremble violently from the pain without making another sound.

That unyielding appearance, willing to face death, made Lin Tian feel a faint sense of... amidst his annoyance.

Admiration? Of course, this trace of admiration would not affect his decision in the slightest.

"Forget it."

Lin Tian waved his hand, signaling the soldiers carrying out the punishment to stop.

He looked at Captain Luoyi, who was nearly at death's door yet still glared at him with ferocious eyes, knowing that further questioning would be futile and a pure waste of time.

"He's a tough one; it's a pity."

He spoke in a low voice, whether in lament or as a summary.

Immediately after, his gaze turned cold, and he gave a slight nod to the Golden Armored Spearman beside him.

The spearman understood, raising his blood-stained spear and thrusting it out with precision and speed.

Captain Luoyi's final gaze remained fixed on Lin Tian; there was no fear in it.

Only endless hatred and a curse that "you will eventually be destroyed" remained, which then quickly dimmed and extinguished.

"Dispose of it."

Lin Tian turned around, no longer looking at that massive body.

He looked out at the quiet night, but his heart could not find peace.

Although Captain Luoyi hadn't spoken much, his attitude and the absolute confidence he revealed in "Great General Gru"...

...as well as his certainty that "death is at hand," all pointed to one issue: the Minotaur Kingdom's large-scale reinforcement army was likely truly close at hand.

Quite possibly... tomorrow!

"I cannot just wait to be attacked."

Lin Tian's eyes sharpened, and his mind began to race as he formulated a strategy.

First, consolidate the troops and prioritize the immediate threat. While training and resource acquisition in the alternate dimension were important, if the home base was taken, everything would be for naught.

Starting tomorrow morning, all main forces in the alternate dimension will be withdrawn in batches! Only a minimum force will remain to guard the entrance of the portal.

That spatial portal will temporarily be maintained in a basic state using the energy of the Void Rangers, so it can be quickly closed or reopened if necessary.

Second, continue with Fusion Evolution to address any weaknesses. While there is still one night left, use up all the Five Elements crystal stockpiled!

Furthermore, use the mirror of replication to replenish the numbers of the five core epic units—Golden Armored Spearmen, Pale Moon Hunters, Earth Spirit Guards, Holy Spirit Priests, and Crimson Flame Mages—to a full strength of one hundred thousand each!

This is the foundation for dealing with high-end combat power and legion confrontations!

Third, conduct forward reconnaissance to seize the initiative. The Void Rangers are the eyes; they must not be wasted.

Arrange for them to withdraw entirely, provided they maintain the portal energy and ensure its stability for four hours!

Then immediately dispatch them to the south to conduct forward reconnaissance along the route where the thousand-man unit was wiped out today!

The reconnaissance range must reach at least five hundred kilometers!

The mission is simple: keep a close watch on the south! If any trace of the Minotaur army is found, report back immediately, no matter the cost!"

Adjust deployments and wait for the enemy at leisure.

The thoughts became clear one by one, and commands quickly took shape in his mind.

Lin Tian quickly issued several core orders to the messengers:

"Pass this down immediately! To Lin Yin, Lin Feng, Lin Yan, and the Sky Hunter Ranger commander. I want to see preliminary feedback on the execution before dawn tomorrow!"

"Yes, Lord!"

By the time all orders had been dispatched and silence returned to the study, the night had grown very deep.

Lin Tian leaned back against the wide chair and rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling a deep fatigue surge from every part of his body.

Throughout the day, from the exhaustion of summoning and fusing troops in the early morning to the twists and frustrations of the evening interrogation, and finally to this series of tense decisions and deployments late at night...

...there hadn't been a single moment of leisure.

"Finally... I'm done with today."

He let out a long breath and dragged his heavy steps toward the bedroom.

As soon as his body touched the soft bedding, almost every cell let out a groan of comfort.

However, his mind could not fully relax for the moment.

In the darkness, he kept his eyes open, and Captain Luoyi's eyes, filled with hatred and certainty, along with the words "Your death is at hand," involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

"General Gru... the kingdom's main force... just how many will come? Two hundred thousand? Four hundred thousand? Or even more?"

He calculated silently.

The opponent was a long-standing indigenous kingdom with a complete military system; they surely had means to deal with powerful individuals and legions.

Although his side had many troops and generals, the time since the army's formation was short, and their experience in large-scale legion battles was almost zero...

"However, I have city walls, epic units, Lin Yin, Lin Feng, and... myself."

Lin Tian thinking of this, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

There was certainly pressure, but more so a sense of eager excitement and the fighting spirit to challenge a powerful enemy.

"Come then, let me see just how much weight a 'kingdom-level' power in this world truly carries."

He whispered to himself and closed his eyes, forcing himself to clear his thoughts. "Get enough rest; tomorrow... there's a tough battle to fight."

Amidst the faint sounds from outside the window of this massive war machine beginning to accelerate its operations, Lin Tian finally could no longer resist the onset of fatigue and fell into a deep sleep.

As the sky was just about to brighten, a hint of pale dawn appeared on the eastern horizon.

Lin Tian was already standing on the walls of the inner city, the morning breeze carrying a chill and the unique fresh scent of the distant farmland as it brushed against his clothes.

At this moment, his gaze was like a torch as he stared intently outside the city.

On the distant horizon, dust began to rise like a moving gray tide.

It was the first wave of the army withdrawing from the alternate dimension, marching majestically toward Lintian City.

The procession stretched endlessly, highly disciplined, maintaining a grim formation even after the night's withdrawal march.

Leading them was Lin Yin.

She rode upon a magnificent dragon horse, her posture as upright as a pine, her moon-white holy robe fluttering lightly in the morning breeze, spotless and pure.

She was the first to arrive below the city walls, reining in her horse and looking up at Lin Tian on the wall, her cool eyes still bright in the faint morning light.

"Brother Tian!"

Her voice, carried by a trace of energy, reached the top of the wall clearly, steady and concise.