Lanling had been away from the Flame Demon Tribe for more than half a month.
Previously, Lanling had asserted that within this half month, no one would join the near-human race. But he was wrong. After news spread that the Silver Alliance was assembling a great army preparing to exterminate the Flame Demon Tribe, people still continuously joined in a steady stream.
Every day, more than five hundred people.
So after Lanling had been away from the tribe for half a month, the tribe’s population had actually exceeded fifty thousand people, already becoming a medium-sized tribe in the entire Southern Wilderness.
Nowadays, throughout the entire tribe, apart from large numbers of manpower being placed on burning lime, building giant catapults, and giant crossbows, the remaining manpower was almost entirely used on this seven-li city wall.
Every day, more than thirty thousand people were building the city wall.
Whether Lanling or Suo Mo, both felt that completing the wall within one month was absolutely impossible. After all, one month ago, this wall was merely a rammed earth wall, and the outer stone slabs had hardly begun to be laid.
According to normal estimates, at least another three or more months were needed to complete the entire wall’s construction.
However, what was unexpected was that the wall’s progress was actually so rapid.
Thirty thousand people built a seven-li long wall. One third of the people were responsible for digging stones and dressing stones, one third were responsible for transport, and one third were responsible for masonry.
Every day, more than ten thousand people were at this seven-li long wall construction site.
There was basically no concept of work and rest time. Eating and sleeping were all done right beside the wall.
When food came, with hands full of dirt, they picked up wooden spoons and devoured it ravenously, eating dust and mud into their stomachs together with the food. When they were truly too sleepy to bear it, they simply slept on the ground nearby, and after waking continued to work desperately.
Day and night, they worked frantically.
Ten thousand people were divided into one hundred groups. Each group of one hundred people was responsible for thirty-five metres of wall.
This was a massive construction project. After all, this wall was a full ten or more metres high and six or seven metres wide.
The original earth wall was already more than four metres thick and more than nine metres high. That is to say, on the original wall body, stone slabs had to be used to thicken it by more than two metres and raise it by more than one metre.
Although no one actively said it out loud, everyone had set a goal in their hearts: they must complete the task before the great battle arrived.
That is to say, one hundred people had to complete a target of 1.2 metres per day.
Now, half a month had passed.
Among these one hundred groups, the group with the lowest progress had already completed twenty metres, and the group with the highest progress had already completed twenty-five metres.
All had exceeded their targets.
If this continued, before the great battle arrived, this seven-li long wall could absolutely be built.
This construction speed could truly be called astonishing, even faster than when Lanling built the Thunder Fortress defensive line at Tianshui City. The Thunder Fortress defensive line was only four or five li long, yet it had mobilised a full one hundred thousand people to build, took several months, and consumed over one hundred thousand of Lanling’s gold coins.
Yet building this seven-li long Flame Demon Tribe wall, from start to finish, had not exceeded three or four months, and not a single gold coin was spent, only providing food and clothing.
This was the result of fighting for one’s own home.
In the human kingdom, Lanling had always used money to pave the way. In the end, he did not harvest much loyalty. Even the subjects of his Tianshui City territory had mixed love and hate for him.
Yet in the Southern Wilderness, Lanling had not spent a single gold coin on his own people, but had harvested countless support and loyalty.
…
To welcome the approaching great battle.
Apart from the wall, the Flame Demon Tribe had several secret weapons.
One was large catapults.
More than eight thousand people participated in building the catapults and giant crossbows, almost completely felling the surrounding forests.
From the start of building giant catapults until now, more than three or four months had passed, but only half a month had passed since seven or eight thousand people were mobilised to participate in construction.
Nowadays, the entire Flame Demon Tribe had built large and small catapults, more than fifty of them.
Giant crossbows, more than one hundred.
Various types of crossbow bolts, more than several hundred thousand.
What weapons did the catapults throw?
First, fish oil.
The Flame Demon Tribe lacked many things, but fish was truly available in whatever quantity was needed. Every day, more than three thousand women participated in boiling fish oil.
Moreover, although the fish meat after boiling out the fish oil was not as fragrant, it could still fill the stomach.
In this half month’s time, one hundred thousand jin of fish oil had already been boiled, using up more than one million jin of fish. During this half month, the brothers of the Flame Demon Tribe did not need to eat anything else, only eating fish, two or three jin per person per day.
By the time battle commenced, the entire Flame Demon Tribe would have more than two hundred fifty thousand jin of fish oil, enough to make more than ten thousand fish oil bombs.
The second type of weapon was quicklime.
Lanling had discovered more than one limestone mine around the tribe, and had started burning lime very early.
Lime had great uses. It could be used for disinfection, for building walls, and for paving roads.
Nowadays, all the roads in the Flame Demon Tribe were paved using lime mixed with sand and gravel. Although not as smooth as cement, they were much better than dirt roads.
And lime had another huge use: destroying enemy eyes. Quicklime reacted upon contact with water, instantly generating high temperatures, almost boiling the water. Once quicklime powder entered the eyes, without washing with oil, recovery of sight was basically impossible. Moreover, the burning pain was unbearable, and there was even the possibility of being burned blind.
To welcome the approaching great battle, the Flame Demon Tribe had already prepared more than ten thousand lime bombs.
The third type of weapon was the most ordinary giant stones, nothing worth mentioning.
Whether catapults or giant crossbows, all were personally designed by Lanling.
Also, the fish oil bombs and lime bombs were personally decided by Lanling.
Once battle commenced, what would the effects be? No one knew, but Suo Mo had already tested the attack effects more than once, and they were very shocking, especially the fish oil bombs.
Originally, regarding this approaching battle, no one had any confidence at all, completely holding the mentality that death was the worst that could happen.
But with the construction of the seven-li wall, with the construction of large catapults and giant crossbows, with the formation of various secret weapons, everyone felt their confidence continuously growing.
…
According to Lanling and Suo Mo’s estimates, among the Silver Alliance’s allied army of over one hundred thousand, there should be more than two hundred griffin knights.
Two hundred griffin knights attacking from the air would bring huge trouble, especially a huge blow to morale.
At that time at Tianshui City, Lanling had used griffin air raid tactics to collapse the morale of Zhi Wei’s great army.
Of course, the Flame Demon Tribe now also had twenty griffins, but if Lanling were present, then even facing two hundred griffin knights would be no problem. But in case Lanling was not present, then these twenty precious griffins could not be sent into the air to die in vain.
For this reason, the plan Lanling set was to build high platforms.
Because griffin knights’ attacks had height limitations. Once exceeding four hundred metres, the attacks had no accuracy to speak of.
And the Flame Demon Tribe was built against the mountain, completely able to use the mountain’s original height to build high platforms, and then place giant crossbows on top.
Therefore, according to Lanling and Suo Mo’s design, over twenty high platforms were built at various positions throughout the Flame Demon Tribe. Each high platform was equipped with three giant crossbows.
Each giant crossbow could move freely, and could shoot more than ten arrows at a time.
If caught off guard, they should be able to inflict huge casualties on the enemy’s aerial legion, at least making them unable to arrogantly come and go on air raids.
…
Time continuously flowed by.
The time since Lanling left the Flame Demon Tribe had exceeded twenty days.
Exceeded twenty-five days.
On this day, the seven-li long wall was completely built.
Without doubt, this was a great day, a great miracle.
But there was no time for any celebration. These thirty thousand people only breathed a slight sigh of relief, then continued to reinforce the wall, continuing to perfect the wall’s defensive works.
Moreover, giant catapults did not need to be moved onto the wall, because they had parabolic attack trajectories. But giant crossbows had straight-line attacks, so it was necessary to move them all onto the wall to shoot from a commanding height.
Twenty-sixth day.
Twenty-seventh day.
On this day.
A young griffin knight flew to the sky above the Flame Demon Tribe, hovering one hundred metres above the city gate.
Looking at the Flame Demon Tribe where dust rushed to the sky, and the crowds like ants, every person covered in dust and dirt, this young griffin knight had a face full of arrogance and disdain.
“Base Flame Demon Tribe, the final deadline has arrived. Give your answer.” The young griffin knight said, “Hand over Lanling’s head, otherwise after three days, the entire Flame Demon Tribe will be completely exterminated, not even chickens or dogs left.”
The Flame Demon Tribe’s more than fifty thousand people were all working desperately. Hearing this young knight’s words, they merely looked up once, then continued to bury their heads in desperate work, reinforcing defensive works.
“Hand over Lanling’s head, otherwise after three days, the entire Flame Demon Tribe will be completely exterminated, not even chickens or dogs left.”
The young griffin knight shouted once more.
“Du Yan, kill him.” Suo Mo said.
“Yes.” Du Yan said.
Then, he suddenly drew his bow and nocked an arrow.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…” Ten consecutive arrows.
Although Du Yan’s archery was far inferior to Lanling’s, gritting his teeth to shoot ten consecutive arrows was still no problem.
And at such close distance.
This young knight’s fate could be imagined.
He desperately dodged, cursing angrily.
“Base near-human race, you dare…”
Then, before he finished speaking.
“Pfft pfft pfft pfft…” Five arrows in succession shot into his chest, his throat.
A miserable cry, and this young Silver Alliance griffin knight fell from the air, dying a tragic death.
And beneath him was actually also a golden-maned griffin, showing that his status was not simple.
This golden-maned griffin saw its master shot dead, and was about to turn and flee.
Du Yan shot another five arrows in succession.
A miserable cry, and this golden-maned griffin beast was injured in the wing, falling down in a stumble.
Then, several dozen people from the Flame Demon Tribe rushed over like madmen, wishing they could catch this golden-maned griffin beast, fearing it was too badly injured.
Every griffin beast was a treasure, let alone a golden-maned griffin.
Just like that, a griffin knight sent by the Silver Alliance to show off his might was shot dead, and the Flame Demon Tribe also captured a golden-maned griffin beast.
…
Twenty-eighth day.
“Kill, kill, kill…”
The Silver Alliance’s leader, the Silver Tribe’s chieftain, flew into a thunderous rage, waving his great sword and smashing everything around him clean.
His rage rushed to the heavens.
Because the one shot dead by the Flame Demon Tribe was his son, his most beloved youngest son.
Yesterday, the Rakshasa King’s son-in-law Nai Shu asked who was willing to go to the Flame Demon Tribe to demand Lanling’s head. Everyone felt this was a good opportunity to show off their might.
Everyone felt that by now the Flame Demon Tribe had long been scared into pissing themselves, wishing they could squat on the ground crying every day, completely powerless to resist.
So, the Silver Alliance leader’s youngest son volunteered. After receiving Nai Shu’s approval, he rode his beloved golden-maned griffin beast flying towards the Flame Demon Tribe, even leaving the cavalry protecting him far behind.
However, no one had expected that the Flame Demon Tribe’s reaction would actually be so intense.
They not only did not hand over Lanling’s head, but instead shot the messenger dead. This messenger was also the Silver Alliance leader’s son.
This was his most, most beloved youngest son.
The Silver Alliance leader’s heart ached as if twisted. He had borne three sons and five daughters.
Nowadays, all five of these daughters had been slept with by Nai Shu. Three daughters already married, two unmarried virgins, without exception, all had been slept with.
And among the three sons, the one he treasured most was the youngest son, completely the flesh of his heart.
Now, he had actually been killed by the heaven-damned Flame Demon Tribe.
When two countries fight, they do not even kill the messenger.
The Flame Demon Tribe doing this was cutting off all paths of retreat.
That’s right, this was exactly Suo Mo’s meaning. Although at this time no one in the Flame Demon Tribe showed any signs of surrender, this possibility must be strangled in the bud.
This griffin knight who came to show off his might was the Silver Alliance leader’s son, whom Suo Mo recognised.
Killing him directly cut off any path of retreat for the Flame Demon Tribe, and no one would think of surrendering.
Of course, doing this was also an unprecedented provocation to the entire Silver Alliance, and even the entire Rakshasa race.
“Kill, kill, exterminate the Flame Demon Tribe completely, not even chickens or dogs left.” The Silver Alliance leader roared loudly.
Constantine had waited for this day for a very long time. He also raised his arm and shouted, “Exterminate the Flame Demon Tribe completely, not even chickens or dogs left.”
Alfonso, and all the remaining chieftains, all shouted.
The sound transmitted outside.
On the plains outside the entire Silver Tribe’s wall, covering heaven and earth, dark and dense, one hundred twenty thousand great troops were assembled.
One hundred twenty thousand barbarian great troops.
The entire Silver Alliance had turned out in full force.
Thirty thousand cavalry, ninety thousand infantry, three hundred griffin knights.
The Silver Alliance’s twelve tribes held nothing back, almost using their last soldiers.
Nai Shu warned surrounding tribal forces that whoever dared to invade while the Silver Alliance was empty, he guaranteed to exterminate their race and clan, killing them all.
The Black Demon Banner Lord’s heir, the Rakshasa King’s son-in-law Nai Shu, riding a royal griffin, suddenly flew out from the Silver Alliance’s mountaintop castle.
Circling above this one hundred twenty thousand great army.
One hundred twenty thousand barbarian great troops, covering heaven and earth, so dense that birds could not pass through.
“Exterminate the Flame Demon Tribe completely, not even chickens or dogs left.” Nai Shu shouted in a cold voice.
One hundred twenty thousand barbarian great troops shouted in unison, “Exterminate the Flame Demon Tribe completely, not even chickens or dogs left.”
“Kill the Flame Demon Tribe completely, burn them completely, rob them completely, rape them completely.”
One hundred twenty thousand barbarian great troops boiled with hot blood, shouting loudly.
“Kill the Flame Demon Tribe completely, burn them completely, rob them completely, rape them completely.”
At this time Nai Shu also could not help feeling somewhat excited. Although his status was noble, truly commanding a war of over one hundred thousand troops was still his first time.
“Advance.”
At the command.
The Silver Alliance’s one hundred twenty thousand great troops, mighty and vast, advanced towards the Flame Demon Tribe.
In the sky, three hundred griffin knights formed neat ranks.
The great battle that would decide the Flame Demon Tribe’s life and death officially began.