Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 307 The Chaos of Xiyue, The Battle of Changting, The Last Stand of the Xiyue Imperial Court

The warm April breeze swept across the southern plains, but it couldn't dispel the growing smell of gunpowder at the border between Silvermoon Forest and the Stream Moon Federation. As the Ironflame Flowers bloomed in succession across the fields, the Third Silvermoon-Stream Moon War finally began once again.

The first was the Elf's surprise attack, the second was Xiyue's counter-attack, and now, for the third time, both sides have finally issued a proper challenge, declared war on each other, and started fighting openly.

During this war, the attitude of the Thirteen Tribes of Xiyue became very ambiguous.

Zegen was right. This old fellow was indeed very mobile. He moved between the tents and halls of various tribal chiefs, like a tireless old spider, diligently weaving an invisible but quite sticky web.

Many of the extremely precise and vicious propaganda strategies targeting the core of the Creek Moon Council, such as the rhetoric in the video of the Linde Legion Commander, came from this old man's balding head.

Old Zegen showed an amazing talent for designing dirty tricks.

Through Elder Zegen's active coordination, the already weak will to resist of the Xiyue Council quickly collapsed, rendering it a mere shell of its former self.

The most conservative tribes chose to passively avoid war, refusing to send troops, provide food, cooperate, close their doors, and stand by and watch.

The reason they could do this was because these tribes were located in the eastern and southern parts of Creek Moon, far from the area attacked by the elves. They were not directly affected and even doubted whether the elves could reach their own territory. Therefore, strengthening their defenses and staying out of the fray was the best option.

This is a unique scene in the Third Silver Moon-River Moon War, known as the "Southeast Self-Defense".

Meanwhile, the Spear, Blackwood, and Ice Needle tribes, who had already broken ties with the royal family, went to the other extreme. They decisively announced their withdrawal from the Streammoon Council, completely severing their ties with the Federation and choosing instead to cooperate with the elves.

During the negotiations in the Vast Ocean, the distribution of interests among all parties was taken into account. As a result, these tribes transformed into the elves' guides and the vanguard of the Vast Ocean!
When the elven army entered these tribal territories, they strictly adhered to the principles of not entering cities, not killing people, and not destroying anything. They only planted flags and took photos in remote places such as some mountain peaks and forests to express their nominal "conquest".

These tribes were responsible for providing supplies and provisions to the elven army, pacifying the local residents along the way, organizing guides, providing intelligence on the enemy, and assisting the elves in successfully moving to the next region.

The three major tribes even deployed troops to help the elves control the areas they had seized by force.

However, throughout the entire process, these tribes did not deploy troops to fight alongside the elves against the Central Army of the Stream Moon.

It's not just a matter of whether these tribes are willing to turn their swords against their former kin. Even if they were willing to send troops, the elves couldn't rest easy. If they were fighting side by side and things were going well, and suddenly one of them bumped into the other, the elves' physique might not be able to withstand it.

Despite some reservations, this widespread cooperation was enough to change the course of the war. The way these tribes were dealt with was known as the "Merger of the Essence Streams."

Incidentally, following behind the elven army were also the battlefield teams from the Vast Ocean...

Does this involve Han Hai? Of course it does.

In this temporary deal, HanHai acted as an observer and supervisor, responsible for urging both parties to fulfill the agreement while providing phased intelligence support across a wider battlefield.

The Hanhai team is also responsible for monitoring the "human rights situation" on the battlefield to prevent a recurrence of large-scale humanitarian disasters similar to those in the previous two phases of the war.

Well, according to the supplementary terms negotiated by Han Hai, the Han Hai territory's battlefield teams have the right to inspect archived materials and documents in cities along the way, without taking them away, only recording them, and will pay the corresponding access fees for this purpose.

Han Hai can purchase magical materials, scrolls, special resources, and minerals from various trading markets at fair market prices.

Hanhai is qualified to recruit certain skilled professionals in forging, repair, enchanting, etc., and will leave a sufficient "talent recruitment fee" as compensation to the local area.

To put it bluntly, the big spender has arrived with real money.

For most tribes, this was an incredible stroke of luck, and they naturally treated it with great care. Amidst the chaos of war, some towns even experienced a distorted prosperity due to the arrival of the Vast Ocean Battlefield Team.

Finally, the largest group of tribes chose to adapt to the changing circumstances.

They retained their seats in the Creek Moon Council, vaguely responding to the limited conscription orders issued by the royal family, and providing limited old war supplies.

Until the elves' army reached the borders of their tribe, they remained "loyal subjects" of the Federation, at least in name.

However, once the elven army invades, they will immediately switch to self-preservation mode, handing over the prepared supplies to the elves, respectfully and politely sending them out of the country, to ensure that the flames of war will not burn on their own land.

This batch was later referred to as "flexible neutrality".

The way the Thirteen Tribes of Xiyue handled the situation turned the entire battlefield into a battle between the Elven Restoration Army and the Central Army of the Xiyue Federation.

They'll help whoever wins!
During this third war, the air force of the Han Hai Territory also withdrew from the battlefield.

The explanation given to the elves was that the cost was too high!

Whether it's the continuous Sky Eye or aerial bombing, it has placed a huge burden on the Vast Ocean Territory. Previously, it was necessary to spare no effort to save the elves from their disadvantageous and critical situation, but now that the elves have turned to the offensive, it is no longer appropriate to continue investing in them without limit.

But the elves were not fighting alone. The troops of the Vast Ocean still stood with them. These were the new reinforcements sent by Lord Chen Mo, the undead troops from the Returning Cemetery.

There are over two hundred low-level necromancers. Each necromancer controls twelve low-level "Resurrected Spirits," and each Resurrected Spirit controls twelve skeleton soldiers.

The necromancers, in teams of eight, would enter the battlefield under the cover of elves in a light wheeled armored personnel carrier dropped from the air. They would then summon a resurrected necromancer, who would then summon skeletons.

In theory, these mages can summon an army of nearly 30,000 low-level skeletons every two to three days.

Of course, the skeletons summoned by the resurrected psychic are much weaker than ordinary skeleton soldiers. On the battlefield, a team of a hundred professional warriors could easily crush these tens of thousands of skeletons and send them back to their underworld home if they spent a little more time.

However, the situation is completely different when these skeletons are armed with the compound bows of elves.

The low-ranking skeletons among these undead creatures have completely reverted to their original value—cannon fodder!
They shuttled back and forth between the Underworld King and the Starry World, using their fragile bodies to draw Xi Yue's attacks, thus creating a safe environment for the elven army behind them to deal damage.

A landmark battle was when the elven army captured the "tree toad" legion, which was in a panicked retreat.

Within the Royal Guard Regiment of Creek Moon, the "Tree Toad" Regiment is considered one of the more disciplined and honorable units.

Unlike the neighboring "Radiant" Legion, which arrived late and left early, never staying on the main battlefield for even a minute.

After retreating to the east of Changfeng Hills, the "Tree Toad" Legion stopped in place and sent back military reports continuously, awaiting orders from the Xiyue Imperial Court.

The first order that arrived was to continue pressuring Whitestone City and look for an opportunity to strike.

The second order was to hold the front line and await reinforcements.

Without a third order, the elven army didn't even request to use the Heavenly Eye. Guided by the local Blackwood tribe guides, they captured this overly "honest" army east of the Longwind Hills.

At the start of the battle, the elven forces pressed down on the enemy from the west and south, while the elven air force harassed them from the east, leaving only one gap for the enemy to reach the north.

That place is the Dark Forest, the stronghold of the elves.

As armored personnel carriers carrying necromancers entered the battlefield first, wisps of smoke rose from the burning magical materials, and summoning altars opened at the edge of the battlefield. The chanting of incantations gradually merged into a deep sonic wave, and black underworld energy surged like a tide towards the open area in front of the battlefield.

There, countless skeletons crawled out of the cracks of hell, their eye sockets glowing with eerie blue flames. They held rough bone spears and clubs, silently forming an endless, pale wave.

Soon, the summoning was complete, the altar was removed, and the skeletons began to slowly advance.

The commander of the "Tree Toad" Legion promptly issued the order: "Range units on alert! Cavalry regiment, clear out this trash!"

The "Tree Toad" cavalry, stationed on both flanks, launched a series of attacks, their hooves thundering. Their long lances swept across the chaotic battlefield, the crackling of shattering bones echoing everywhere. Large swaths of skull fragments flew through the air, clearing a vast area in an instant. The cavalry had won against the skeletons, but they couldn't return; the elves unleashed a barrage of fire upon the area.

The arrows from the composite bows formed a dark, overwhelming torrent. The elven archers ignored the skeletons on the battlefield, essentially bombarding both the enemy and their own front lines. Within minutes, the center of the battlefield was littered with corpses and broken bones.

The armored personnel carrier cautiously moved forward a little further, and the resurrected psychics began their resurrection summoning.

Also known as battlefield combination.

The underworld energy of the shattered skeletons did not completely disappear. Instead, under the silent control of the resurrected psychic behind them, it slowly flowed towards the skeletons whose main trunks were still intact and whose soul fire had not dissipated. The bone fragments on the ground also began to reassemble in another round.

Although the skeletons' strength decreases with each resurrection, it doesn't really matter for this battlefield.

As long as the skeleton line remains in front of the elven forces, the elven archers can unleash a barrage of magical arrows at the enemy with the most economical and effortless attack method.

The skeletons moved forward silently, their movements slow and clumsy, but their relentless advance, completely disregarding casualties, coupled with the enchanted arrows constantly flying overhead and crashing into the defenders' lines, put immense psychological pressure on the Tree Toad Legion.

The cavalry dared not attack again, and the commander had no choice but to order the ranged troops to retaliate.

Although it was a huge waste to use arrows on these skeletons—at least half of the arrows would just slip through the gaps in the empty skeletons and be wasted—the Tree Toad Legion couldn't afford to worry about that now; they had to stop the skeletons' advance.

"Don't panic! Maintain formation! These bones are no match for us!"

"Shoot, shoot!"

"Mage, create an obstacle!"

The junior officers shouted themselves hoarse, trying their best to maintain the front line.

This entanglement continued for another ten minutes or so. The area in front of the "Tree Toad" legion's position was covered with a layer of white frost. The rate at which the skeletons were being consumed gradually exceeded the rate at which they were being replenished. However, the elven archers had quietly entered their most comfortable firing range.

Throughout the entire process, they were not hit by heavy ballistae, nor were they harassed by assault cavalry. Even the sporadic magical attacks were easily neutralized by their own accompanying mages.

At the command of the elven commander, the elven archers, who had been gathering their strength and ready to fire, finally released their bows in unison.

It was a cloud of death that blocked out the sunlight!
The carefully calculated projectiles, with a sharp whistle, traced elegant arcs, precisely passing over the entangled skeleton army ahead, and falling towards the vanguard of the "Tree Toad" legion.

The elven archers, who have been like gods of death on the southern plains for centuries, can now draw their bows and shoot arrows with impunity!

"Raise your shield! Shake your spear!"

Unfortunately, these defensive methods used against regular archer units are almost useless against elven archers.

A dazzling array of magical effects flashed across the human battlefield like fireworks, arrows pierced through leather armor and tore through iron armor, piercing through the enemy's lines with shrill and desperate screams.

The high-ranking elven archers began to target the conspicuous officers, standard-bearers, and buglers in the Stream Moon army formation. Each precise sniper shot threw a section of the defensive area into chaos.

The Tree Toad Legion found themselves in an extremely passive situation; by holding their ground, they became easy targets for the Elven archers.

If you try to charge forward, you will be entangled by endless skeletons, and every step forward will result in heavy casualties.

Although at this moment, the enemy has attacked less than one-eighth of the entire army, as long as this situation cannot be reversed, the army will inevitably be gradually weakened, wounded, and scattered by the enemy!

"Commander, make a decision. Either charge in, smash those skeletons, and fight those pointy-eared bandits, or... retreat as soon as possible!"

"Withdraw!"

"Let the vanguard hold out a little longer, the magic legion retreats first, and the central army follows!"

At the beginning of the retreat, there was reconnaissance, formation, and rearguard cover. The harassment from the Elven air force was also met with engagements from our own troops. However, as we moved, the formation began to break apart.

After retreating from Changfeng Hills to Lingqiu Valley, the rear and right wings were the first to collapse.

From Lingqiu River Valley to Qingliu Township, the central army split into three parts, abandoning their supplies and fleeing for their lives.

As the remaining "tree toad" legion prepared to cross the small tributary of the Changting River, the elf forces that had been relentlessly pursuing them suddenly launched a large-scale attack.

Ignoring the scattered and disorganized ranged arrows and magical counterattacks, the elves maintained continuous fire as they charged at full speed. Meanwhile, the elven air force relentlessly swooped down repeatedly, coordinating with the troops that had been lying in ambush on the opposite bank of the river, to forcefully attack the pontoon bridge that the "Tree Toad" legion was building, blocking the massive human army at the mouth of the Changting River.

With a celestial eye and local guides, this is the battlefield that the elves have prepared in advance.

The "Tree Toad" Legion truly lived up to its reputation as an elite force within the royal army. Despite the relentless onslaught, they persevered and fought for nearly two and a half hours.

As more elven reinforcements arrived and more magic archers joined the attack, the "Tree Toad" legion suffered losses at an increasingly rapid pace. The final, fatal blow came from the local forces of the Blackwood tribe.

This brightly armored, banner-waving human local army arrived at the upper reaches of the river, standing on the sidelines outside the elven army's isolation line, looking ready to pounce and seize any opportunity.

The fact that friendly forces arrived but turned out to be enemy forces finally snapped the "Tree Toad" Legion, which had been on edge all along.

Many soldiers disregarded orders and jumped into the raging river, attempting to swim across and escape, only to be easily captured by the more mobile elven forces.

The battle lasted six days and involved seven large and small battles. This elite light infantry group of the Xiyue Federation was completely wiped out at the mouth of the Changting River.

Their demise bought the Xiyue Federation a precious respite.

The royal family gathered the remaining four legions and temporarily conscripted a large number of auxiliary troops from their territory, claiming to have two million armored soldiers. They deployed their forces along the royal territory in the middle reaches of the Northern Slope River, ready to fight the elves to the death.

Logically, as long as the elf doesn't try to forcefully attack the sturdy turtle shell, the opponent will be helpless. Come on, come out and fight me if you dare!
However, it is unknown which clever person in the royal court of the Xiyue Federation gave Emperor Gerhard Hein an idea.

"That Lord of the Vast Sea, isn't he known as the Holy Father of the World, loving his people like his own children? Yet he spent such a huge price just to save some lowly commoners."

"We'll just capture some civilians in our territory and kill them, then spread the word. He'll definitely urge the elves to send troops to our aid. Once we're on the battlefield, the advantage is in our hands, and we're sure to win!"

Although everyone found the whole thing extremely absurd, it was one of the few lifelines the imperial court could grasp at. So, the Huanguang Legion, which had previously retreated in disarray, took charge and began this "murderous performance" targeting the country's civilians.

They might not be good at fighting the enemy, but massacring defenseless civilians is what these thugs are good at.

As the news spread rapidly, the high-ranking elves, who had just finished defeating the "Tree Toad" army and were resting, were stunned.

After much deliberation, Elder Aiona invited Major Junzi to make a call to the "real-time communication" leading to the Vast Ocean and explained the situation to Chen Mo in detail.

Chen Mo remained silent for a long time on the other end of the communication line before finally letting out a helpless sigh.

"are you crazy!"

"Let them kill their way, we don't care!"

(End of this chapter)