The Northern Army Corps, responsible for guarding the northern frontier, entered the highest level of military alert.
Not long ago, the atmosphere within the Northern Army Corps had been relatively optimistic. After all, they had witnessed the human coalition army surrounding Di Tian, holding a numerical advantage.
However, as the military communication signals were suddenly cut off, the entire Northern Army Corps found themselves in complete darkness regarding the battlefield situation.
Gradually, this darkness transformed into fear. The unknown had always been the most terrifying thing.
As the commander of the Northern Army Corps, stationed in the far north year-round, Guo Zhenfeng also felt uneasy.
Yet, on the surface, he had to remain calm, forcing himself to keep his gaze fixed northward, toward the Far North, instead of constantly worrying about the battle to the south.
After all, a commander must never show fear—that would have catastrophic effects on the morale of the troops.
Naturally, when it came to the battlefront under the Northern Army Corps' jurisdiction in the Far North, Guo Zhenfeng believed he had made the best possible decisions, ensuring flawless defenses.
At this moment, the highest level of wartime preparedness was merely the foundation.
Beyond that, Guo Zhenfeng ordered the majority of the Northern Army Corps to withdraw in an organized manner, leaving only a Soul Engineer Regiment of ten thousand soldiers to guard the sole pass leading in and out of the Far North.
Additionally, he carefully selected mecha pilots and battle armor masters from the entire Northern Army Corps who specialized in stealth, reconnaissance, and infiltration. Their mission was to venture deep into the Far North and gather intelligence on the situation in this unknown battlefield.
These two orders fully embodied the principle that "a benevolent general does not command troops"—meaning sacrifices must be made for the greater good.
Both the mecha pilots and battle armor masters infiltrating the Far North and the Soul Engineer Regiment defending the pass were considered expendable by Guo Zhenfeng. He was prepared for massive casualties, possibly even the complete loss of these forces.
The infiltration team consisted of nearly a thousand elite soldiers. Even if just one returned alive, even if they brought back only the slightest piece of information, it would be worth the sacrifice.
Meanwhile, the Soul Engineer Regiment stationed at the pass bore the arduous task of holding off the incoming beast tide.
There was no other choice. The conditions set by Di Tian in his negotiations with humanity included reclaiming lost territories, and the Far North was among them. A beast tide from the Far North in response to Di Tian's call was inevitable.
Such a beast tide clashing with human forces was highly likely to trigger avalanches.
Though the current strength of the Far North was far weaker than it had been ten thousand years ago, there were still powerful ice-type soul beasts in the region. The unnatural snowstorms they could unleash were not to be underestimated.
With extreme caution, Guo Zhenfeng modeled his strategy on the most catastrophic snow disaster recorded in human history. He withdrew the majority of his forces from the outskirts of the Far North, stationing them at the northern edge of Dragon City, the first fortress of the northern frontier.
Historical records stated that the largest snow disaster and avalanche in the Far North had been caused by the leader of the three great kings of the Far North from ten thousand years ago—Snow Empress. That disaster buried the entire Far North in snow, with the snowline extending all the way to the northern outskirts of Dragon City.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had chosen Dragon City as their new homeland based on this very historical precedent, rebuilding and thriving there.
By stationing his forces at the northern outskirts of Dragon City, Guo Zhenfeng ensured that most of his army would survive the impending snow disaster. Furthermore, in the event of a beast tide, the Soul Engineer Regiment's superior mobility would allow them to swiftly reinforce the troops guarding the pass before they were overwhelmed.
Aside from having to sacrifice over ten thousand comrades, the Northern Army Corps was now in a strategically advantageous position—they could attack if needed and retreat if necessary.
At that moment, a deputy general who had been observing the Far North through a soul tool telescope suddenly spoke.
"Commander, a battle armor master has successfully returned from the Far North!"
"Where?!"
Hearing this, Guo Zhenfeng's brows immediately lifted, and joy flashed across his face.
He quickly snatched the soul tool telescope from the deputy general, adjusting it to the highest magnification and clearest angle, focusing on the direction indicated.
The soul tool telescope was one of the most advanced pieces of soul technology developed by the Sun-Moon Federation. With his Super Douluo-level strength, he could clearly see the outskirts of the Far North from his position at the northern outskirts of Dragon City.
As the figure in his vision became clearer, Guo Zhenfeng's brows suddenly twitched violently, his pupils constricting.
A battle armor master, dragging his severely wounded body, was stumbling frantically out of the Far North.
His arms moved with an exaggerated range, signaling the military hand sign for "Retreat immediately!"
This man was a formidable warrior ranked among the best in the Northern Army Corps—an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo-level, Three-Word Battle Armor Master.
Yet at this moment, this battle-hardened warrior, who would normally remain composed even in the face of a collapsing mountain, displayed an expression of sheer terror as he ran for his life.
"Quick!"
"Order the forces guarding the pass to—"
But before Guo Zhenfeng could finish his command, his voice abruptly cut off.
Because there was no longer any need to issue orders.
The Three-Word Battle Armor Master who had been fleeing had already perished.
The weapon that killed him was a sword—one of an icy blue hue. Though the blade itself was small, its limitless sword light extended outward, carrying an aura of sovereign dominion over snow.
The Emperor's Sword: Ice Extreme Peerless!
With a single strike, the sword cleaved the Three-Word Battle Armor Master cleanly in two.
Above the Far North, Xueling stood proudly like an indomitable winter blossom, while behind her, a colossal snowstorm erupted, forming the most magnificent backdrop imaginable.
One after another, ten-thousand-year soul beasts positioned themselves at the leyline nodes Xueling had arranged, channeling the power of the Far North's natural forces. They served as the final trigger to alter the region's very geography.
"Boom! Boom..."
One after another, leylines erupted in a cascading chain reaction.
Like a harmonic array, the synchronized frequency of soul power reverberated toward the central node where Xueling stood.
Behind her, the snowstorm swelled like a rolling snowball, growing in intensity. Every leyline eruption seamlessly integrated into the storm, amplifying its ferocity.
Xueling's figure suddenly became translucent, expanding in size—transforming into a breathtaking ice and snow spirit, radiating an ethereal beauty.
Using the endless white landscape as her stage, she danced gracefully, while the roaring avalanches provided a deafening accompaniment to her performance.
At this moment, heaven and earth both paled in comparison to her radiance.
Her innate abilities, surpassing even the Snow Empress's legendary Three Absolutes with an additional absolute, were displayed effortlessly.
The ultimate essence of ice and snow—the pinnacle of absolute zero—was harnessed to perfection.
Her final ability, the fourth and strongest of the Xueling's Four Absolutes, gave her absolute control over even greater snowstorms.
A massive ice storm of interwoven white and emerald green spiraled into existence, further accelerating the avalanche's speed and intensity.
The roaring avalanche engulfed the Far North, its force reminiscent of a cataclysmic flood drowning the world.
Its sheer scale surpassed any previous snow disaster in history. In fact, only by combining all recorded avalanches could one even begin to compare.
Moving faster than any modern soul technology could react to or defend against, the avalanche swallowed the entire Northern Army Corps.
The ten-thousand-strong Soul Engineer Regiment guarding the pass was instantly buried beneath thick layers of snow, their life force rapidly fading—never to see the light of day again.
The main force of the Northern Army Corps, stationed at the northern outskirts of Dragon City, suffered the same fate, unable to escape the deadly embrace of the snow.
(End of Chapter)