Battle for Northern Frontier: The game begins with the grassland woman buying him.

The roar of the Nascent Soul cultivator exploded in the sky above the swamp. He brandished his golden sword, abandoning some of his defenses, and charged towards Su Zhan. Each strike was imbued with a resolute determination to perish together with him.

The dozens of assassins around him also unleashed their last strength, ignoring Harbala's Black Feather Riders, and entangled Su Zhan's personal guards from the side, trying to carve a bloody path for their leader.

"Su Zhan, prepare to die!"

The golden blade, wielded by a Nascent Soul cultivator, slashed straight at Su Zhan's head with a whooshing sound.

Su Zhan's pupils contracted slightly as he parried with his blood-stained steel knife. A deafening clang rang out, and sparks flew everywhere.

The immense impact caused both horses to lose their front hooves, their forelegs sinking into the soft mud, the icy water instantly submerging their bellies.

"A cornered beast's struggle, a death throes!" Su Zhan roared, his steel blade swirling in his hand, the blade flashing like a venomous snake as it slashed at his fingers, which were gripping the golden blade of the Nascent Soul stage.

The Nascent Soul cultivator staggered backward, nearly dropping the golden knife, and a bloody gash appeared on his cheek from the blade.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he was completely insane. Ignoring Su Zhan's blade as he pressed forward again, he thrust the golden knife straight at Su Zhan's heart, wanting to exchange his life for Su Zhan's.

At the critical moment, a black-feathered arrow struck precisely the arm of the Nascent Soul cultivator wielding the sword; it was shot by Harbala.

The Nascent Soul cultivator felt a sharp pain in his arm, and his aim veered off course, the golden blade grazing Su Zhan's armor.

Su Zhan's blade had already fallen, striking the armor on the chest of the Nascent Soul cultivator with a sharp "crack," shattering the hard armor.

The Nascent Soul cultivator was struck as if by a heavy hammer, spitting out blood as he flew backward and crashed heavily into the murky mud.

The remaining assassins, their eyes bloodshot with rage, desperately tried to rush over to their aid, but were held back by Su Zhan's personal guards and the Black Feather Cavalry who charged forward.

Swords pierced flesh, and agonizing screams filled the air.

Su Zhan spurred his horse forward, its hooves pounding through the mud.

The Nascent Soul cultivator struggled to climb out of the mud, blood mixed with filth gushing from his horrific wounds.

He stared intently at Su Zhan, his eyes filled with resentment, hatred, and madness.

"The White Cloud Alliance, which has reached the Nascent Soul stage, has come to an end." Su Zhan's voice was icy cold and ruthless.

The Nascent Soul emitted a "gurgling" sound from its throat, as if it wanted to utter some curses, but only more blood foam gushed out.

Su Zhan gave her no further chances. He raised his steel knife high, drawing a cold light in the air. With a "whoosh," the blade fell, and blood shot into the sky.

The head of the White Cloud Alliance Leader, now a god, rolled into the muddy water. His wide-open eyes were filled with endless despair and disbelief.

"The leader of the Divine Transformation Alliance is dead, those who surrender will be unharmed!" Harbala raised his scimitar and roared with all his might, his voice echoing across the swamp.

"The Alliance Leader is dead! The Nascent Soul cultivator has been killed!"

Having witnessed their leader beheaded, the remnants of the White Cloud Alliance instantly collapsed, their will to resist vanishing.

Desperate fear gripped the surviving soldiers of the White Wolf and Black Wolf tribes after the battle, who threw down their weapons and knelt in the cold mud to surrender.

Those who resisted were quickly slaughtered by the Black Feather Cavalry and the warriors of Stone City who rushed forward; they did not spare these people.

The smell of gunpowder and blood mingled with the putrid stench of the swamp, permeating the battlefield.

Su Zhan reined in his horse, his chest heaving as he fought a deadly battle with a Nascent Soul cultivator, sweat mixed with the enemy's blood streaming down his forehead.

He looked around at the ravaged battlefield, at the trembling prisoners kneeling on the ground, his eyes showing no sign of victory or relaxation, only a cold, ruthless intent.

"Harbala!"

"Your subordinate is here!" The Black Feather leader rode up, his face filled with the pleasure of revenge and awe for Su Zhan.

"Quickly inventory the battlefield, identify the prisoners, and leave no one alive who resists!" Su Zhan's gaze swept over the prisoners. "Disperse and reorganize the villagers; kill anyone who dares to make a move!"

"Understood!" A fierce glint flashed in Halbala's eyes. This was his complete pledge of allegiance to Stone City, and it would also allow him to eliminate the remnants of the White Wolf tribe.

He immediately ordered his men to raise their swords and charge at the prisoners, and screams filled the air.

On the other side, Su Zhan shouted to the remaining troops around him, "Pass on my order: everyone return to Stone City by the same route!"

Afterwards, the Stone City warriors followed Su Zhan back to Stone City, but he did not enter the city. Instead, he notified Wild Chicken Neck in front of the city: "Quickly gather three thousand men from the city and immediately follow me to the White Wolf Tribe's camp to completely crush the foundation of the Nascent Soul stage and eliminate future troubles!"

Golden light flashed in Wuyan Tu's eyes; clearly, this audacious idea shocked him as well.

But Su Zhan felt this was an excellent opportunity; if Nascent Soul cultivators could come, then they could go too.

What was that saying again? It was, "If the enemy can go, so can I."

Since the god-level being is dead, his tribe no longer needs to exist; waiting to be wiped out is the best course of action.

The fact that the Huashen tribe is currently vulnerable presents an excellent opportunity.

Therefore, Su Zhan immediately mobilized his troops, leading three thousand men to the tribe of Huashen.

Three thousand men rushed out of the city, riding horses, carrying knives, fifty-six portions of dry rations, and plenty of oil and arrows.

It only took about half an incense stick's time from start to finish.

Su Zhan was covered in blood, but his face lit up with excitement because of this bold order.

Bai Zhanqiu, standing atop the city wall, hurried to the crenellations. Looking down at Su Zhan, who exuded murderous intent, and the equally exhausted yet fierce-looking Black Feather cavalry behind him, he instantly understood Su Zhan's intentions.

"Third Brother!" Bai Zhanqiu's voice was hoarse. "We just finished a siege and then chased Baili. The brothers are exhausted. Although the Nascent Soul cultivator is dead, the White Wolf Tribe's stronghold still has a foundation, but we don't need to rush things!"

Su Zhan looked up and interrupted Bai Zhanqiu directly: "Second Master, this is an opportunity not to be missed! The Nascent Soul cultivators have all come out, and their main force has been lost here, so their stronghold must be empty. The remaining defenders are still in shock, and the defeated soldiers have not yet fled back to report the news. Now is the perfect time to launch a surprise attack and crush them with lightning speed. This is the perfect time to nip the problem in the bud and eliminate any future troubles."

If they were to regroup their defeated troops, hold their positions in fortified villages, or migrate en masse into the depths of the grasslands, the consequences would be dire.

His voice was resolute: "Stone City has been severely weakened by this battle and cannot withstand the repeated entanglements of a remnant of the Nascent Soul stage."

If we don't completely crush the White Wolf tribe's foundation today, tomorrow will be the time for them to lick their wounds and seek revenge.

"If Kou can go, so can I. Let's strike while he's weak and take his life!"

Looking at the flames burning in Su Zhan's eyes and feeling his sharpness, Bai Zhanqiu's worries were instantly dispelled.

He knew Su Zhan was right; the survival rules of the grasslands allowed no room for sentimentality or wishful thinking.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the sharp pain in his wound, and said in a deep voice, "Alright! I'll handle everything in the city. Wild Chicken Neck will gather all the most mobile people for you. Harbala will do too!"

Halbala Tattoo, who had been standing solemnly to the side, stepped forward, his face showing reverence and apprehension about the future.

Bai Zhanqiu said, "Now that your Black Feather tribe has submitted, this battle is your pledge of allegiance. I'm assigning you five hundred elite troops familiar with the terrain around the White Wolf tribe, to personally command as scouts and vanguard, guiding Su Zhan. If you harbor any disloyalty or act slowly, don't blame the Stone City's ruthless military law!"

Bai Zhanqiu's gaze was sharp as an eagle's; this was a test, but also an order to completely bind them to the war machine.

Harbala felt a chill run down her spine, realizing her predicament.

He pounded his chest violently and roared with all his might, "The Black Feather Tribe swears to follow Stone City to the death, and will be the vanguard to raze the White Wolf's lair! If anyone has a disloyal heart, may they be struck down by heaven and earth!"

The Black Feather Cavalry behind him also raised their swords in response, their shouts shaking the heavens.

This is their only option; they must make a name for themselves in the new camp.

Subsequently, a force composed of exhausted elites from Stone City and vengeful cavalry from the Black Feather Tribe, led by Harbala and Su Zhan, once again tore through the dust of the grasslands and launched a desperate attack towards the northwest, towards the lair of the Divine Transformation White Wolf Tribe.

Thick white vapor billowed from the warhorse's mouth and nostrils, and its hooves splashed up mud smears that smelled of blood. The man and the two horses moved in a blur, pushing their speed to the limit.

The stragglers encountered along the way were wiped out by the Black Feather Cavalry before they could even react, leaving no survivors to leak the news.

Harbala was extremely familiar with the area. He sent out a small, elite team to explore the area, avoiding possible tribal camps and swamp traps, and choosing the most secretive and relatively fast shortcut.

Su Zhan lay prone on the horse's back, the wound on his shoulder tearing at him again.

His eyes were fixed on the front, as eagle-like as he was on his warhorse.

Just as Su Zhan had predicted, the massive Nascent Soul tribe was now extremely vulnerable.

Deep within the Ancestral Spirit Valley of the White Wolf Tribe, the cultivators who had ascended to the heavens took away the tribe's most elite young and strong warriors, leaving behind mostly the old, weak, sick, disabled, wounded soldiers, and a small number of guards to maintain order.

By this time, Su Zhan had already led his men to thoroughly investigate the situation in the camp.

The camp was built against the mountain, but its walls were high and it occupied a strategic pass, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Just a few days ago, this camp was filled with the dream that "the leader will flatten Stone City and dominate the grasslands," but now only suppressed weeping and whispers remain.

The Chichi Marquis, who was sent out to gather information, disappeared without a trace. The few scattered fleeing soldiers who returned brought only fragmented and despairing news such as "The Alliance Leader has been defeated, reinforcements from Stone City are about to arrive, and the Black Feather Tribe has betrayed us."

Batel, the centurion who stayed behind, was Huashen's cousin, a reckless and impulsive man.

He paced anxiously along the stockade wall, looking down at the desolate camp below and listening to his men's reports. His unease grew rapidly.

He ordered the gates of the stockade to be closed and increased the number of scouts, but that was all.

He couldn't judge the extent of the defeat, nor could he imagine that the fatal blow would come so quickly.

Around 2 PM, ten miles outside Zuling Valley, Su Zhan suddenly tightened the reins, and the galloping warhorse reared up.

The procession behind him slowly came to a stop, everyone drenched in sweat, the horses even more soaked and foaming at the mouth.

Su Zhan, gritting his teeth against the pain in his shoulder, pointed to the faint outline of the valley ahead: "We've arrived."

Yejibold immediately spread out his guard, and Harbala quickly stepped forward, lowering his voice: "Third Master, the mountain pass ahead is the entrance to Ancestral Spirit Valley. The mountains on both sides are densely forested, and the deepest part of the valley is the White Wolf Tribe's camp. The stockade walls are built along the valley, guarding the key passage. They must be heavily guarded at this time."

Su Zhan's gaze swept across the terrain map and the distant valley, his mind racing. A direct assault on the fortress? That wouldn't work.

The enemy is well-rested and ready, while our side has traveled a long distance and is exhausted, so our casualties will inevitably be heavy.

Moreover, it is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. Once the opponent organizes an effective defense or drags the game out until nightfall, the variables become too great.

A glint flashed in his eyes, and a final, bold, and risky plan instantly took shape.

"Halbala".

"Your subordinate is here."

"Select a few dozen reliable brothers under your command who can speak the White Wolf Tribe accent, put them in the tattered clothes of the defeated White Cloud Alliance soldiers that you just tore off on the road, smear them with blood and mud, and have them pretend to be deserters who have fought their way back from the battlefield. They should run to the city gate in a panic and say that the main force of the Divine Transformation Alliance has been defeated, the alliance leader and the third leader of Stone City have died together, and Stone City soldiers are chasing them closely. Quickly open the city gate and let them in to report the news."

Harbala's eyes lit up: "Brilliant! Take advantage of their panic and suspicion to blow open the gate. The Third Master is indeed formidable!"

Su Zhan nodded, his killing intent blazing: "As soon as the gate opens, the vanguard will seize it immediately. Wild Chicken Neck, you lead the archers to take the high ground on both sides of the hillside and suppress the gate guards. The rest of you will follow me into the camp. Remember, there is only one objective: burn and kill all the enemies, leave no one alive, completely erase the name of the White Wolf, and finish this quickly!"

Upon receiving the order, dozens of elite Black Feather Guards, carefully selected by the guards, quickly changed into their uniforms, disoriented and terrified soldiers. Supporting each other and crying, they stumbled and ran wildly toward the gate of Ancestral Spirit Valley.

When they reached the city gate, they immediately began shouting, "Open the gate! Open the gate now! We've lost! We've all lost! The alliance leader and the third leader of Stone City have perished together! The Stone City pursuers are coming, they're right behind us! Let us in! Help!"

A heart-wrenching cry echoed through the valley, instantly shattering the tranquility of Ancestral Spirit Valley. The guards on the stockade were startled and peered out, seeing their own men below, covered in blood and utterly defeated, and hearing the chilling news: their leader was dead, having perished alongside the third-in-command. The already uneasy garrison quickly descended into chaos.

Upon hearing the news, Batel rushed to the stockade wall. Looking at the fleeing soldiers below, he was both shocked and suspicious: "Nonsense! Get out of the way, or they'll fire arrows!"

He instinctively felt something was amiss, but the shock of the alliance leader's death left him deeply shaken.

"Chief, it's Xingtu and his men! I recognize them!" a sharp-eyed guard shouted, pointing to a fleeing soldier below.

Batel looked closely and saw that there were indeed several familiar faces crying out in the crowd.

Just as they were hesitating, the cries of the fleeing soldiers below grew even more mournful and desperate. Some of them even collapsed from exhaustion in front of the stockade, pounding the ground and weeping bitterly.

"The pursuers from Stone City! Look, there's smoke and dust over there, they're coming!" A fleeing soldier suddenly pointed to the horizon behind him and screamed in terror.

Batel and the guards instinctively looked in the direction he pointed, and sure enough, a considerable amount of smoke and dust rose in the distance.

Just as their attention was drawn to the smoke and dust behind them, the city gates were slowly opened, and the guards could no longer bear to watch.

Just then, Harbala's trusted confidant, who was mixed in with the fleeing troops at the forefront, suddenly shouted: "Attack!"

The seemingly collapsed soldiers suddenly sprang up, unleashing a barrage of short crossbow bolts from their sleeves, instantly pinning the two guards on either side of the doorway to the wall.

At the same time, several people immediately opened the heavy gate of the stockade.

"Enemy attack! Close the city gates!" Batel's shout was cut short when a poisoned arrow from below pierced his throat.

His eyes widened in disbelief as he clutched his neck and fell straight down the stockade wall.

With a creak, the heavy city gate was pushed open in an instant, and a deafening roar erupted from the ground: "Kill!"

Su Zhan flicked the reins, and his warhorse was the first to charge into the open gate of the stockade.

The Iron Steeds of the Sixteen Cities and the elite troops of the Black Feather Tribe behind him surged into the unsuspecting White Wolf Tribe camp.

Flames shot into the sky, igniting tents and haystacks. The flashes of fire and swords flickered among the terrified crowd, and cries for mercy and screams of the dying instantly replaced the previous silence.

Jejiberd led his archers to occupy the high ground on the hillside, where they accurately shot down any live targets that tried to resist or flee to the stockade walls.

This was a lightning strike, a crushing blow to the remaining forces who were completely unprepared, had lost their leader, and whose morale had completely collapsed.

Su Zhan took the lead, and no one could stop him wherever his blade pointed.

Heads rolled everywhere, and in an instant, the camp was covered in blood.

Harbala was in a bloodthirsty frenzy, leading the Black Feather Cavalry in a frenzied charge.

At this moment, the Ancient Spirit Ancestral Valley, once the proud foundation of the White Wolf Tribe, was completely transformed into a blood-red inferno under the afterglow of the setting sun.

The White Wolf tribe's totem collapsed amidst the raging flames.

Su Zhan stopped his horse in the center of the devastated camp, silently watching the towering flames and corpses everywhere. The pain in his shoulder was throbbing again, but he paid no attention to it.

After this battle, the White Cloud Alliance, the Nascent Soul cultivators, and the White Wolf Tribe were no more on the grasslands. The greatest threat to Stone City's flank had been eradicated. Now things can finally calm down.

"Quickly inventory the spoils of war! Take away all the grain, livestock, warhorses, weapons, and able-bodied male and female slaves. Whatever you can't take, burn it all, including the camps and houses. Don't leave a single tile or a single blade of grass behind!"

In an instant, the flames engulfed the last vestige of life in the valley.