18 Frontlines

A fleet of ships can be seen on a river. This river, also known as the Solitude River, is about 4 days of travel from the sect. Solitude River goes near the capital, before it branches off to the Desolate Plains.

As Caol was riding on a horse with the soldiers, he saw this magnificent sight. Ship after ship were lined up on the river banks. Each one was big enough to accommodate 500 people, and there were, at the least, two dozen ships Caol can see.

Caol was escorted towards a bigger ship, and there were people waiting for him there. A man with a powerful physique which was not too much nor too little, was in front of a group of soldiers. When Caol approached the ship, this man walked towards him. Caol dismounted on the horse and gave a military salute. This man was General Yang, and he was the one in charge of the Soaring Dragon Regiment.

"As you may have been told, the war erupted in the Desolate Plains. The Black Tiger Army was deployed and massacred three villages before our scouts reported back the situation. More or less, 60,000 people got killed. Men, women, children, and the elderly. You were commanded by the Emperor to report back to the army and head to the Desolate Plains with me. We do not have much time." General Yang signaled Caol to follow him. When they were on the ship, they immediately departed and headed to the Plains. General Yang continued to talk to him, "The Emperor has also bestowed upon you the title of Captain. You, Caol Gwynt, will be given a group of 100 soldiers, picked out of the best from the Soaring Dragon Regiment, and observe the front lines for now before you are given further orders.

Caol nodded and accepted the rank promotion. General Yang knew that Caol was the disciple of the Grand Marshal, the most powerful man in the Empire. What a pity the Marshal did not want to actively participate in the war. The Marshal gave his word to defend the Empire when they are in need. General Yang remembered the Marshal's exact words. 'Conquest? Give that to my disciple. I'm too old for that.'

The soldiers escorted Caol to his quarters in the ship. He was told that they would arrive at the Plains in three days. It would take about two and a half months if they were travelling on the fastest horses.

Caol took this time to familiarize himself with the soldiers and his elite force. He was known by everyone in the Soaring Dragon Regiment, as he was the only level four talent. Unsurprisingly, Feng was also in his elite force.

Feng was strong for his age. At 15, Feng is at the 8th stage of the Martial Artist realm. The weakest in the elite force was a 3rd stage Martial Artist, and she was also the youngest, if they did not count Caol.

"What are your thoughts about this war, Caol?" Feng sincerely asked him.

Caol looked at him, before saying, "Honestly, I think the war is pointless. A lot of people will die. Lands will be destroyed. Immense hatred will be born on both sides, but for what? It is because of greed. Not being satisfied with what they have, they want more. It is not a need, as the two Continents were getting along just fine. Thousands of people have already died. The only reason why I'm standing here is to broaden my horizons. I have never seen a war with my eyes before. I have no idea why, but I want to participate in it. I guess I'm also greedy, greedy and longing for more fights, with just my mind set on improving myself." Caol was almost whispering the last lines. He looked towards the soldiers. They were all happy and smiling, but what awaited for them on the Plains was chaos, bitterness, and even death.

Feng seemed to also comprehend some of Caol's words. Feng was participating because he was ordered to. Feng glanced at Caol deeply, before he left, returning to his quarters.

The three days passed by quickly. A ghastly plain can be seen in sight. A city with its walls was the only thing in the middle of this plain. The group disembarked from their ships and headed to the city.

There was no official name for this city. It was only called the 'Gate City' by the people, as this city greatly resembled a gate, with its long walls. Caol saw this and couldn't help but think about the Great Wall of China. He had been there once and thought that it was majestic. The wall kept the invaders away and protected the Chinese people.

Gate City was strangely similar to the Great Wall, but it was bigger. The walls were about 60 meters tall, to prevent profound martial practitioners to climb it easily.

One can hear metals clanking inside the city. Food were being brought over by caravans, blacksmiths were making or repairing weapons. Patrols can be seen almost every five seconds within the city and on top of the walls.

Caol escalated a section of the wall and glanced at the view. He was atop a watchtower. Caol could see tents and moving people about 4 to 5 kilometers away. This was the Black Tiger Army, composed of the fiercest soldiers and militia in the Tiger Continent.

The Dragon Army did not know when the Tiger Army will attack. It might be tonight, tomorrow, or it might not even happen at all. Nonetheless, they needed to prepare than be caught off guard.

The Soaring Dragon Regiment was not ordered to mobilize yet as they are one of the elite forces of the Dragon Continent. The Soaring Dragon Regiment had about a few thousand martial practitioners in their ranks.

Most of the Dragon and Tiger Army depended on mortals. When the quantity reached a certain number, an individual martial practitioner can only ask to be killed. This can also happen in reverse, as when an individual was powerful enough, he or she can decimate a whole group of people alone.

At this part of the battlefield, immortal practitioners weren't allowed. They had an unspoken rule in which immortal practitioners will only battle against immortal practitioners.

Seeing that there was nothing to do, Caol looked for General Yang and asked to be put as part of the patrol. General Yang could not say no, as they really needed manpower at this time. It was a serious job, but it would not be too dangerous based on Caol's strength. He just needed to alert the army if the opposing enemy forces chose to attack.

The elite group under Caol heard about his patrolling duty, and asked to join him. Together, they guarded a section of the walls and watched vigilantly.

The enemy was very silent and chose not to attack that night. As morning came, new patrollers replaced their positions, while they went to their designated rooms in the barracks and rested.