Five miles behind the orcs, Saruk and dozens of high-ranking orcs had just landed and were recovering their strength.

Several prophets were casting spells to accelerate their physical recovery, while the other powerful individuals sat in a circle, chewing on chunks of roasted meat, their mouths glistening with oil.

"We've taken another county!" A swordsman casually tossed the bone he'd finished gnawing on behind him, grabbed a wine flask, and took a big gulp.

"Those lambs from Japan didn't even put up a decent fight. They scattered as soon as they were charged, like a flock of sheep being herded!"

A general standing nearby grinned and said, "Including the one from last night, this is the twelfth one."

"All that's left of the Sakura Kingdom is this dilapidated city. Once the detachment and the 5,000 men from Goron's northward advance join forces, and the 40,000-strong army surrounds us, let's see where they can run then."

A prophet replied in a hoarse voice: "Crush the human race, grind their bones into powder and soak them in wine!"

Laughter echoed in the morning breeze. Some people slapped their thighs, some pounded the ground, and some even stood up and waved their fists. A frenzied determination to win filled the air.

Saruk kept his eyes closed and didn't make a sound, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Just then, a figure sped across the horizon.

He was an orc prophet, his gray robes tattered, and the bone fragments at the top of his withered wooden staff rattled in the wind.

He stumbled as he landed, clearly having flown a great distance and in a great hurry. He quickly walked to Saruk's side, bent down, and whispered a few words.

Before he could finish speaking, a muffled, loud bang rang out, and the golden greatsword was slammed into the ground by Saluk.

The blade sank half a foot into the rock, and cracks spread outwards along the edge, sending fragments of rock flying.

The entire gentle slope suddenly fell silent, even the distant bugle calls for the siege were drowned out by this sound.

All the orc warriors immediately shut their mouths and lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

Saruk did not speak immediately; his dark red eyes slowly swept over the crowd.

Every orc swept by the sweep seemed to be nailed to the spot, their backs tense and their Adam's apples bobbing up and down.

No one dared to ask what had happened.

After a moment, Saluk finally spoke, his voice not loud, but it was so powerful it was hard to breathe: "Pass on my order, all twenty-six third-level warriors left behind in the Central Plains must arrive at Qiandai City within three days. Those who are late will be executed without mercy."

The prophet dared not linger a moment longer, bowed to accept the order, and turned to fly away.

Saruk withdrew his gaze, pulled the large knife stuck in the rock with one hand, and pebbles fell down.

He suddenly stood up, slung his broadsword over his shoulder, and swept his gaze across the crowd: "You've all rested enough, follow me!"

The moment the last word fell, he pushed off the ground and soared into the sky, his golden armor drawing a sharp arc in the morning light as he hurtled towards Chiyo Castle.

The dozens of orc warriors behind him dared not ask a single question, and they all grabbed their weapons and took to the air to follow closely behind Saruk.

No one dared to speak, no one dared to laugh; only a chilling, ominous atmosphere filled the air.

Everyone could feel the suppressed, silent anger. At this moment, anyone who messed up would definitely suffer a terrible fate.

...

At seven o'clock in the morning, sunlight slanted in through the window, turning the dust in the air into a golden beam of light.

Lin Feng opened his eyes, sat up, and his gaze fell on the large box at the foot of the bed, where a purple-gold light °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° leaked out from the gap in the lid.

The items seized yesterday are all inside.

His senses extended outwards, and he saw that the council hall was already full of people. The sounds of talking, laughter, and chairs being moved were all mixed together, making it as lively as a New Year's celebration.

"These guys probably haven't slept all night, just waiting for this."

Lin Feng smiled, stood up from the bed, bent down to pick up the large box, pushed open the door, and strode down the stairs.

The hall fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the box he was holding.

Ironclad's eyes shone like two stars, and Feng Qingyan's shield also shone brighter.

Lin Feng walked to the head of the table, placed the box on the long table, and it made a dull thud.

He patted the dust off the box, his gaze sweeping over everyone, a slow smile playing on his lips: "Have you been waiting long?"

No one answered; they just laughed even more broadly.

Lin Feng opened the box, and a purple-gold light poured out, bathing the entire council hall in a warm glow.

He straightened up, glanced at both sides, and said solemnly, "Everyone contributed to yesterday's battle. Without you, Hangu Pass could not have been defended. Therefore, today's spoils will be divided into two parts."

Part of it will be directly allocated, requiring no merit points, as a reward for this battle; the other part will be provided as territory support, which can be paid off on credit later.

Upon hearing the words "direct allocation," Tie Dun straightened up abruptly, and the chair legs shifted back an inch.

Those around him were amused by his commotion, but their attention was drawn back to the purple-gold light emanating from the box.

Lin Feng took out two pieces of headgear from the box.

One of them was a yellow headband, the same yellow turban he had always worn for the sacrificial ceremony.

The other was a light blue headband, the fabric of which looked like thin ice, with a faint frosty pattern on the edges.

He then took out two golden energy crystals, each the size of a fist, shimmering with light, and placed them on either side of the two headbands, dividing them into two sets.

"Ye Lan, Lord Jiang, this is for you."

Lin Feng pushed the Yellow Turban Libationer's headband and a golden energy crystal toward Jiang Yelan, and the Frost Mark headband and another crystal toward Jiang Zhaoyue.

"The intensity of the battles will increase, and the purple weapons are no longer sufficient. These two golden energy crystals can help you upgrade your weapons to gold quality."

Jiang Yelan stood up, walked to the main seat, and accepted the yellow turban sacrificial wine headband and the golden energy crystal with both hands.

She looked down for a moment, then looked up and said, "Thank you, lord."

Jiang Zhaoyue also stood up, took the Frost Mark Headband and the Golden Energy Crystal, her fingertips lightly gliding along the edge of the light blue headband, and a beautiful smile curved her lips: "Thank you, Lord Lin."

The two returned to their seats.

The atmosphere in the hall became noticeably warmer.

Tie Dun rubbed his hands together, craning his neck as if he wanted to stick his head directly into the box.

The flame crystal on Feng Qingyan's staff jumped twice, its eyes flashing.

Lin Feng took out another giant shield from the box.

The shield is wide and thick, dark gray in color, with a silver-white iron band around the edge, and the outline of a mountain peak is embossed in the center of the shield.

He placed the shield upright on the table, then took out a purple-quality leg guard and pushed it towards the iron block.

"Tiedun, you did a great job protecting the back row this time. Four sword saints took turns charging, but you didn't retreat an inch and withstood the fiercest wave. Here, take these two items."

Tie Dun suddenly stood up, almost tipping over his chair, and rushed to the table in three quick steps.

He took the giant shield and leg guards with both hands; they felt heavy in his hands. He glanced down at the shield's attributes.