189: Southland Poker

Thunderclap Valley, Infinite City.

This magnificent city, which had warped from Youfeng Valley,

had quietly transformed into the absolute core and military hub of the Blue Star Alliance in the Southern Border War Zone over the past four months.

On the city walls,

Lord Su and General Xiang stood side by side, overlooking the sprawling military camps and permanent fortifications rising from the valley.

In the distance, in the center of the valley, the massive guiding array once again glowed.

Amidst the spatial distortion,

a legion equipped with frost-white power armor and exuding a bone-chilling cold appeared on the array.

“The ‘Frost Giant’ Legion from the Northern Border, tsk tsk, even these famously homebody guys have been deployed.”

General Xiang looked at the legion, a hint of awe in his voice.

“Lord Su, your city is a bottomless pit now, daily moving more troops than our Southern Border War Zone’s regular movements in an entire month.”

“General Xiang is too kind.”

Lord Su’s gaze swept over the Frost Giant warriors who were beginning to move to their designated camps under guidance, his tone teasing.

“It’s just that my place has huge utility consumption. Don’t you think the General Command should consider settling this bill?”

General Xiang was startled, then laughed.

“You rascal… don’t worry, Lin Yuan Commander said that all expenses for the ‘Lighthouse’ project will be covered by the War Zone.”

“When we win this war, I’ll give you a jar of my three-hundred-year-old ‘Dragon Blood Brew’.”

“Then I’ll thank the General in advance.” Lord Su smiled and accepted.

General Xiang’s smile faded.

He looked towards Youfeng Valley, a solemn expression in his eyes.

“The front lines are truly brutal. Several battalions of my Crimson Dragon Legion have been rotated out, all of them wounded.”

He paused, as if remembering something, and twitched his lips.

“I heard that old man General Wei is so worried his beard is almost completely white.”

“It was already half white, so that saves some trouble.”

Lord Su interjected, a smile on his face.

“After the war, I’ll have a Spirit Healing Physician from my territory prepare a secret formula for him, specifically for white beards.”

“I just don’t know if General Wei’s weathered face, paired with a black beard, will scare the Dark Star Empire’s sentinels to death on the spot.”

General Xiang was initially stunned, then let out a booming laugh, his dragon armor vibrating with it.

“You rascal… if it really works, I’ll thank you on Old Wei’s behalf.”

“However, he probably wants you to package up the Dark Star Empire Commander’s head and send it over as a congratulatory gift even more.”

The laughter dissipated in the chilling mountain wind.

General Xiang’s smile vanished, and he looked at Lord Su.

“However, the more realistic this play, the greater the chance of the fish biting. Our ‘anvil’ has been waiting here long enough.”

Lord Su said nothing, only nodded.

…

In these past few months, the war in the Southern Border has never ceased.

The Alliance forces adopted a desperate stance, fighting to the death regardless of casualties.

Using Youfeng Valley and other front-line hubs as a spearhead, they launched a relentless, tidal assault on the Dark Star Empire’s defenses.

The entire Southern Border transformed into a giant meat grinder, with a massive volume of battle reports flowing to both sides’ command centers daily.

At the same time, in the vast Molten Heart World,

Alliance armies in the Eastern, Western, and Northern Borders also made frequent moves.

Constantly creating skirmishes and posturing as if a full-scale assault could begin at any moment.

This firmly tied down the large forces the Empire had deployed in other regions.

Furthermore, several elite legions, through time-consuming and arduous short-range continuous warps, continuously flowed into the Southern Border battlefield like trickling streams.

All actions indicated that the Blue Star Alliance’s forces in the Southern Border

were at the end of their rope, relying on a surge of desperate courage to launch their final, frantic counterattack.

…

Dark Star Empire, Southern Border War Zone Command, “Dark Star Throne.”

This massive floating structure suspended in the sky was the Empire’s center of power in the Southern Border.

Inside the command hall,

eerie blue light outlined cold metallic lines, and dozens of imperial officers in black uniforms were busy at their respective posts.

In the center of the hall, on a huge holographic star map,

blue dots representing the Alliance and red dots representing the Empire intertwined, colliding and annihilating fiercely.

Southern Border Commander-in-Chief, Valerius,

a burly imperial noble with a stern face, was looking down at this burning star map.

“General, the Blue Star Alliance’s seventeenth charge has been repelled.”

An adjutant stepped forward, his tone anxious.

“But our front-line defenses have suffered 23% losses, supply stations number three and seven have been destroyed, requesting a tactical retreat! And our casualties…”

“Casualties are just numbers.”

Valerius’s voice was devoid of any ripple.

“Their casualties are far heavier than ours. Trading attrition for space is merely a death rattle before defeat.”

Another staff officer immediately agreed.

“The General is absolutely right.”

“According to intelligence, although the Blue Star Alliance has offensives in other war zones, their intensity is limited. This is clearly just to tie down our forces and prevent reinforcements to the Southern Border.”

“This precisely proves that their Southern Border forces are making their final struggle.”

“Indeed.” Valerius nodded, quite satisfied.

“Our previous plan was perfect.”

“Destroying the ‘Windbreak Corridor’ was equivalent to cutting off the main artery of their Southern Border forces.”

“Now all their actions are just madness before bleeding out.”

“They think that by concentrating all their forces, they can tear a hole in the Southern Border and make a desperate last stand. How naive.”

He walked to the star map, his finger tracing across it, his voice filled with the arrogance of certain victory.

“Where are our reinforcements?”

“Reporting, General, the ‘Blades of Shadow’ fleet has passed the third warp point and is expected to arrive in thirty-seven days.”

“The Third, Fifth, and Eighth Expeditionary Legions dispatched from the imperial homeland are currently assembling and are expected to be fully deployed to the Southern Border battlefield within three months.”

“Three months…” Valerius murmured, his smile growing brighter.

“Very good, issue my order: all front-line forces are to transition to a full defensive posture.”

“We can appropriately abandon some non-core positions to lure the enemy deeper, make them bleed more, and exhaust their last bit of spirit.”

He surveyed the officers in the hall and declared loudly:

“Gentlemen, the Blue Star Alliance is actively sending their last living forces in the Southern Border directly under our butcher’s knife.”

“We only need to hold out for these final three months, until reinforcements arrive.”

“Then we can launch a general offensive, capture the entire Southern Border in one fell swoop, and ultimately expel the Alliance’s forces completely from the Molten Heart!”

“For the glory of the Empire!”

“For the glory of the Empire!”

Inside the hall, all officers shouted in unison.

Every person was filled with an almost fanatical confidence.

In their eyes, victory was already within reach.

The war in the Southern Border would conclude in three months with their glorious victory.

…

Blue Star Alliance, Molten Heart War Zone, Supreme Command Meeting.

Four towering figures and an elder with an aura as deep as the sea, seated at the head, shared a room via holographic projection.

The Commanders of the Eastern, Western, and Northern Borders, Lin Yuan Commander of the Southern Border, and the supreme Commander in charge of all military power in the entire Molten Heart War Zone, General Qin Wu.

“Western Border reports, ‘Desert Storm’ plan is progressing smoothly. Enemy Seventh and Ninth Army Groups have been tied down in the Sand Sea Starfield by our feint attack forces, unable to move.”

“Northern Border reports, the enemy’s ‘Icefield Bulwark’ defense line is under immense pressure and has requested reinforcements three times from their command, all denied.”

“Eastern Border reports, our First and Second main fleets have formed a standoff with the enemy’s core fleet. Their Commander is very cautious, with no signs of dividing forces.”

The three Commanders finished their reports in turn, and everyone’s gaze turned to Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan’s face was calm. He brought up a casualty report, the numbers shocking.

“Southern Border, within one hundred and thirty-one days, our side has suffered a total of one million four hundred and sixty thousand fallen soldiers, and over seven million wounded.”

“Ninety-seven main legions have entered rotation for rest and recuperation, of which twelve legions have lost their organizational structure.”

The atmosphere in the conference room instantly became heavy.

General Qin Wu looked at the report, silent for a long time, then finally let out a soft sigh.

“The blood of our soldiers will not be shed in vain.”

His voice was calm, yet carried immense weight.

“What is Valerius’s reaction?”

“Exactly as we expected.”

A cold arc formed at Lin Yuan’s lips.

“He has already contracted his defense lines, adopting a turtle shell posture, preparing to wait for his reinforcements. He thinks he still has three months.”

General Qin Wu stood up and walked to the giant holographic star map.

The red areas representing the Dark Star Empire were intricately interlocked in the Southern Border.

Seemingly powerful, yet due to the stretched front lines and contracted forces, countless fatal gaps were exposed.

“They think we are on the first layer, fighting to the death.”

“They think we are thinking of the second layer, besieging a point to draw out reinforcements.”

“But they will never realize that from the very beginning, we were in the stratosphere.”

General Qin Wu’s hand pressed heavily on the star map, his target directly at the heart of the Dark Star Empire’s Southern Border forces.

“‘Lighthouse’ has gathered enough power.”

“We have been playing this game in the Southern Border for so long; it’s time for the endgame.”

He looked at Lin Yuan.

“I authorize the Southern Border War Zone to activate the ‘Decapitation’ plan. This time, I do not want to defeat, nor to expel.”

General Qin Wu’s eyes gleamed with killing intent.

“I want you to leave Valerius and his Southern Border Army Group of over twenty million people on that land forever.”

“I want their annihilation to sound the horn of our Blue Star Alliance’s counterattack in the Molten Heart World!”

Lin Yuan slowly stood up and gave a standard military salute to the elder in the main seat.

“Mission accomplished.”

The card game had reached its final chapter.

One side believed it held the winning hand, awaiting the final showdown.

While the other had quietly revealed a trump card capable of overturning the entire table.