Only You - Chapter 4: Chapter 4

‘ Is it? Why does the Deputy Commander in Chief want to set her eyes on me that badly?’ Ana enquired with a baffled face.
Although she had no slightest idea about what Sara wanted to do, she could tell that it must be something emergency.
‘ It may interest the emergency that the Timber Deity Empire has thronged round the Rough Slope.’ Louis didn't find out from Sara why she desired to see Ana, but he fathomed that it was presumably about the Rough Slope.
‘ How's that developing?’ Ana sought out of turmoil. Her mind was yet a surging perplexity.
‘ Half a month ago, we lost the Rough Slope. Commander Marin guided the northeast army to take it from the Timber Deity Empire. However, two days later, the Timber Deity Empire came back and hounded the Rough Slope with twenty thousand soldiers. Commander Marin and the northeast army are still under their encirclement till now. I was made aware yesterday that the northeast army had no more food already. I presume they could not bear any longer.’ Louis responded to Ana.
‘ Then why doesn't the Deputy Commander in Chief send them any reinforcements?’ Ana inquired.
‘ I am clueless about that. You can go ask the Deputy Commander in Chief later.’ Louis nodded his head and added, ‘ You'd better go to the front-line headquarters first. I'll prepare a horse with immediate effect.’
She then departed from the tent instantly and assigned a soldier to lead a horse out of the stable.
Ana rode on the horse and reached the front-line headquarters before nightfall.
As Sara received the information about Ana's appearance, she directed her subordinate to take Ana into her tent and released the others. However, as she watched Ana stride into her tent, she was raging with outrage.
She displayed a glum expression while peering at Ana.
As shortly as Ana strutted in front of her, she yelped at her, ‘ Why is it so hard to locate you, huh?’
Ana peered the vivid frenzy on her face, but she yet maintained her serenity.
With a mild smirk, she sat down on a chair beside and again swung to gaze at Sara and asked, ‘ Don't consume your precious time going wild at me. Why don't you deliver reinforcements to the Rough Slope?’
‘ Well, you have gotten wind of that already.’ Sara shook her head and then proceeded, ‘ It's not that I don't want to. It's that I can't! It is a setup arrayed by the Timber Deity Empire. That's why they now enclosed the Rough Slope. If I send the reinforcement there, the army forces on our front line will become faulty. That's specifically what they crave. Then they can inaugurate raids at the Crimson Dragon Group.’
‘ So you propose to leave aside the northeast army and do nothing at all?’ Ana inquired, squinting her eyes.
‘ How can I turn my back on them? Of course, I want to rescue them. I want to rescue Marin! But I am perplexed about what I should do at all! Otherwise, why would I desire to see you so seriously?’ Sara howled at Ana with wide eyes. Anger sparks were blazing in her eyes.
‘ Why do you make me take all the responsibility?’ Ana's eyebrows knitted together.
‘ Of course, you are accountable! If you had shown up a day earlier, the northeast army could have been rescued one day earlier.’ Sara roared like a burning devil at Ana.
‘ Why are you so certain that I can come to aid the northeast army?’ Ana sneered seeking to figure out when she turned into being omnipotent in her eyes.
‘ You and my father are the only two people who popped into my head when I ponder about who has the capability of tackling this problem. But before the Rough Slope had been encircled, my father set off to the Imperial City and can't return to rescue them in such short notice. You are the only one I can put my trust on now.’ Sara was exceedingly quick-witted and was always considered a military talent, but she was not all-powerful, after all.
To twist the knife, Alyssa well seized the opportunity of her feebleness this time-that was Marcia.
‘ If we can't unravel anything till tomorrow, Marin will steer her army to flee from the encirclement and give up the Rough Slope. But, the Timber Deity Empire has twenty thousand soldiers. How could Marin disentangle them? I'm nervous that...’ Sara said to Ana, as her eyes reddened as the blood-drops from a wounded heart and became moist.
Ana frowned slightly while gazing at Sara in a state of upheaval expression. Giving it some thought after a while, she proposed, ‘ Now that Marin and the northeast army are like drawing blood from a turnip to break out of the encirclement, we should deliver them some food initially.’
‘ It's almost hare-brained for our soldiers to slip away through the army of the Timber Deity Empire around the Rough Slope. And they will never let our soldiers send food to Marin. That's much more arduous than breaking out.’ Sara shook her head.
‘ If our soldiers fight straightly against them, of course, it will be impossible as holding the wind with a net. Don't forget that our primary task is to send the food to Marin. We should play smart,’ Ana said, her eyes squinting.
‘ Are you filled with aplomb with your plan?’ Sara peered directly right into Ana's eyes.
‘ Not one hundred percent, but it's worth a shot. Well, let's converse about what I will get in return if my plan bears fruits. I don't want to do free of charge job,’ Ana said, astuteness gleaming in her eyes.
‘ What do you hanker after?’ Sara asked while glaring at Ana .
‘ I yearn for you!’ Ana suddenly drew closer to Sara, an evil smirk lurking over the corner of her lips.
Apprehending that, Sara flushed at once. She inhaled so hard that she could even hear her heart pounding like a blacksmith's hammer in her chest.
‘ Stop kidding!’ Sara yelled.
‘ Nope! I'm serious! What do you just say?’ Ana smiled in a cold tone.
‘ You!’ Sara thought Ana was daydreaming.
‘ Don't be impulsive! You still have time to contemplate my condition. Tell me your response after I handle with this issue about the Rough Slope,’ Ana said. Of course, she didn't mean it.
All she yearned for was to see this demeaned Sara.
‘ Well, if you can triumph, I will guarantee you your desire, as long as you don't cross the line. But if you fail, I would allocate you to the worst area to serve in the army!’ Sara threatened. After all, she was not a person to be trifled with.
Ana shrugged her lips upwards in a joyous smile, she then asked, ‘ How many soldiers I can have?’
‘ I can organize three thousand soldiers at most for you. If you succeed in delivering Marin the food, she and her army could hold on for three days. By then, our reinforcements from the headquarters would have arrived and we would be able to fight straight against our enemy,’ Sara answered after pondering for a while.
‘ Only three thousand? Are you serious?’ Ana responded with her wide eyes.
The Timber Deity Empire had twenty thousand soldiers in the Rough Slope, after all. How could she lead a three-thousand army force to issue Marcia food?
‘ That's the most soldiers I can provide for you,’ Sara responded weakly.
‘ Okay. Three thousand is fine by me. Deliver a word to Commander Marin ahead. I require her to work with me then.’ Ana nodded after some reluctance.
‘ You are our only hope now!’ Sara declared as she was a little affected by Ana. She knew thoroughly it still had some compromises to put all the confidence on Ana, but she had no choice right now.
Ana cast a glimpse at Sara before stepping out of her tent straightly.
Sara soon allotted three thousand soldiers to Ana over a night, and also two squads of spirit manipulators, whose average power was at the Earthly Stage.
After the food provision for the northeast army was prepared, Ana headed her team to the Rough Slope instantly.
It was not until on the next day that Sara summoned the Commanders together and announced to them of that. Without hesitation, all the Commanders were hit like a ton of bricks.
‘ Madam, are you toying around? How could you give consent to  Ana Frank to transport provisions and fodders to the Rough Slope with only three thousand troops? It's equivalent to courting death.’
‘ Precisely! After all, Ana Frank doesn't have any practical experience in war. Besides, it's impossible for three thousand troops to transport provisions and fodders to the Rough Slope under the nose of twenty thousand enemies.’
‘ Madam, please instruct Ana Frank to come back with the troops as promptly as she can.’
All the Commanders believed Sara was too ill-conceived to make such an abrupt resolution.
‘ As long as Ana can muddle through to send the provisions and fodders into the Rough Slope, we'll be likely to unscramble the entire dilemma. Our reinforcement troops will come in three days. By then, the Timber Deity Empire will have no choice but to withdraw their troops, because their supply of provisions and fodders will be running out,’ Sara said, unrelenting. She had an austere look. Hearing her evaluation, the Commanders glanced at one another in silence.
They admitted Sara's interpretation made sense, but they didn't acknowledge the precondition of her reasoning.
None of them admitted Ana could send the provisions and fodders into the Rough Slope. In their eyes, it was just an unattainable task.
At the same time, Marcia received the word from the main camp in the front line. That instant, the news also took her and others by tremendous awe.
‘ Madam, do you imply that Ana wants to transport provisions and fodders to this place by the strength of only three thousand troops?’ Deputy Commander Chen inquired in a dumbfounded voice.
Marcia simply nodded, tongue-tied as she remained mute.
‘ She's too hare-brained! Does she view it as a nickel and dime matter? It's just like herding cats!’ Deputy Commander Chen sighed, swinging his head frequently.
‘ Of course it's far-fetched for anybody else to do that, but as for Ana...’ Marcia paused. Presumptions were evident in her beautiful eyes. Her eyes were utterly spellbinding. And a mysterious gentle smile bloomed on her lips.
One day thereafter, Ana, in unison with three thousand troops and horses, two squads of spirit manipulators, as well as provisions and fodders, reached at the foot of the hill with a distance of two and a half kilometers from the Rough Slope.
They stopped and encamped on the spot. One and a half kilometers in front of them, the Timber Deity Empire's twenty thousand troops blockaded the Rough Slope tight. Like a metal bucket, they intercepted every passage to the Rough Slope.
It was so impenetrable that maybe even a fly could not pass through the siege.
After encamping, Ana conveyed several spirit manipulators to scout the condition of the rival in various directions.
Four hours later, the spirit manipulators came back one after the other. They presented the information they had gathered to Ana.
The twenty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire were dispersed in four camps, comprising two camps in the east of the Rough Slope and two camps in the west of the Rough Slope.
There were more than four thousand troops in each camp. All the four camps were based at places of high altitude, so that they could look down and have a commanding view of all the passages to the Rough Slope.
In other words, whichever route was preferred by Ana to try to break out by force, she would be deterred and ambushed by the troops from at least one camp.
At the same time, the troops from other camps would converge promptly to assail them together.
Undoubtedly, it was impossible for Ana to prevail in breaking out the barricade with the three thousand troops under her control. However, such a strength of defense of the Timber Deity Empire troops didn't go beyond Ana's prediction.
As a matter of fact, it was never part of her proposal to break out by force. After roughly scrutinizing the topographic map of the Rough Slope, Ana in a squint of an eye established an optimal route to transport the provisions and fodders to the Rough Slope.
With the lowest gradient, the route was convenient to the ridge of the Rough Slope. But the excellent trail was located between the two camps in the east of the Rough Slope. If Ana came down in favor of this passage, they might be barricaded and deflected by the troops from both camps.
In a blink, Ana revealed a relatively dense grove on the left of the ridge and a comparatively gradual level slope on the right of the ridge. Both sides could be judged as favorable terrains, which she could create use of them to her superiority.
Nevertheless, in the ordinary understanding, it was preposterous like jumping away from your shadow for only three thousand troops to tie up two camps of forces of the Timber Deity Empire and to transport the provisions and fodders to the Rough Slope at the same time.
‘ As long as Marcia contains the troops of the two camps in the west of the Rough Slope, I can issue the provisions and fodders to them successfully unless something unpredictable occurs.’ Ana muttered to herself.
A complete and perfect plan was already stuck in her mind. Post-haste, she had a spirit-manipulated beast convey a message to Marcia, who was now in the camp at the Rough Slope.
Ana's plan was utterly conveyed in detail. When Marcia got clued up about the plan, she summoned the two Deputy Commanders together and briefed them about Ana's master plan.
‘ I think she's too swashbuckling. Maybe our several thousand troops of the northeast military are able to subdue two camps of the Timber Deity Empire. But how could she contain the other two camps with only three thousand troops?’ Deputy Commander Chen said. He was wonder-struck, which was written on his face.
‘ Anyway, now we have no choice but to give credence to her,’ Marcia answered, recognizing that there could be no turning back.
Now that Ana dared establish such a strategy, she believed that Ana must be sure to succeed. Therefore, it was no time to be on the fence. Instantly, Marcia conversed with the two Deputy Commanders about how to contain the enemy. Then they began making preparations for the emergency attack and containment.
The northeast military had run out of food for a couple of days. Most soldiers hadn't indulged anything since last night. In effect, all of them were in a low spirit. Depression overwhelmed the whole camp. But instantly as they were told that the food and provisions would arrive very promptly, they all got up steam, as if they could feed on fancies.
At the same time, Ana finished organizing the troops. She divided the three thousand troops into three groups.
One group of troops, simultaneously with all the horses, were dispatched to the level slope on the right of the ridge. They would await orders from Ana on the gradual level slope. Then Ana assigned the second group of troops to layin ambush in the dense grove on the left of the ridge. Besides, she instructed everybody to cover themselves with tree branches with leaves.
Meanwhile, Ana arranged one hundred soldiers to create about a dozen piles of woods as swiftly as feasible on the edge of the grove near the wind zone.
Ana herself headed the last group of troops. After ordering five hundred troops to safeguard the provisions and fodders, she instructed the rest five hundred troops to march towards the optimal route between the two camps of the enemy openly.
Very soon, they cropped up within sight of the two camps in the east of the Rough Slope, and the enemy spotted their sight. Simultaneously, in a tent at the left camp of the Timber Deity Empire in the east of the Rough Slope, the Commander was well briefed of the information.
‘ Commander Zuo, something transpired,’ a Deputy Commander in yellow reported as promptly as he strode into the tent.
‘ What transpired?’ Commander Zuo scrutinized while leaning against a grand chair covered by tiger skin and picking his ear in a laid back manner.
‘ The sentry established that a group of Crimson Dragon Army troops were advancing towards the Rough Slope,’ the Deputy Commander in yellow answered.
‘ Wow! Finally, the Crimson Dragon Army dispatches troops here when they could not bear hanging on. It implies that Princess Alyssa's strategy is going to come to fulfilment,’ Commander Zuo sighed, peeking his tiny eyes.
Then in a scornful voice, he inquired, ‘How many people has the Crimson Dragon Army shipped here? I presume at least ten thousand. Otherwise, if there are less than ten thousand troops here, I can beat them with as much ease as whirlwinds move feathers.’
‘ About five...’ the Deputy Commander in yellow began humming and hawing while speaking as soon as he heard what Commander Zuo said.
‘ Five thousand? I can beat them all with only one hand.’ Commander Zuo remarked in a haughty voice.
‘ Sir, actually there are about five hundred people...’ The Deputy Commander in yellow clamped himself to answer in the conclusion.
‘ Five hundred? You must be kidding. Does the Crimson Dragon Army envisage to utilize five hundred soldiers to brawl against my two military camps with more than ten thousand soldiers? Do they look down upon me? Are you free from ambiguity there are only five hundred soldiers?’ Commander Zuo raised his voice as he stood up abruptly.
His facial expression displayed outrage, with all guns blazing for being treated with hatred. Fires of fury and hatred were smoldering in the small, narrowed eyes.
‘ I'm sure. They have only five hundred soldiers.’ The Deputy Commander wearing a yellow robe nodded weakly.
‘ Despite the Crimson Dragon Army being fragile, they shouldn't consign just five hundred soldiers. I guess this is a setup. They contemplate in sounding out our military burliness.’ Commander Zuo analyzed while his eyes turning around, and again he sat down.
After pondering over the matter, he proceeded, ‘ Lead two thousand soldiers and a squad of spirit manipulators to apprehend the five hundred soldiers and take them back to oppression. I demand to know the exact sum of soldiers sent by the Crimson Dragon Army.’
‘ Yes. Should I mention the mission to Commander Zhou?’ the Deputy Commander in yellow inquired, saluting to Commander Zuo.
‘ Are you numbskull? Do you want Commander Zhou to take my credit? With the military strength of my two military camps, even if they have thousands of soldiers, I could tackle them!’ Commander Zuo caterwauled, giving bloodthirsty gawk to the Deputy Commander in yellow.
The Deputy Commander in yellow, lowering his head and bowing down, abruptly turned away. Promptly, the Deputy Commander in yellow took two thousand soldiers and a team of spirit manipulators, got out of the military camp and with overwhelming momentum, went like a bat out hell towards the five hundred soldiers led by Ana marching towards the Rough Slope.
‘ Commander Ana, rival armies showed up in front of us,’ the soldier that walked foremost reported when he saw a dark mass of figures charging at them and came back to Ana.
‘How many are they?’ Ana inquired.
‘ About two thousand.’
‘ Just two thousand? That's not a significant number. Well, let's draw them away,’ Ana said with her eyebrows lifting.
Then she waved her hand and bellowed her lungs out.
‘ Everyone, retreat! Cast away your helmets and weapons. Tell them nothing matters to us except saving our skin.’
After Ana issued the order, she led the five hundred soldiers to pull back towards the right side of the mountain ridge, purporting to run like sheep.
When the Deputy Commander in yellow showed up, merely to encounter the five hundred soldiers backing down to the right side of the mountain ridge like deserters.
He drew them for the small troop dispatched to scrutinize the way. Therefore, without procrastination, he headed his soldiers to trail after them.
Meanwhile, the five hundred soldiers headed by Ana had appeared at the gentle slope at the right side of the mountain ridge.
On the spot, they waved a flag to signal the army waiting on the gentle slope. Setting their eyes on the signal, all the spirit-manipulated beasts of the teams of spirit manipulators started to drive the hundreds of horses in the army.
Out of heebie-jeebies, they ran helter-skelter in a great hurry like a torrent through a strait on the gentle slope in a crease.
In an instant, a massive cloud of dust rose on it. Then the one thousand soldiers there also shuttled back and forth in the dust, hollering vehemently. Besides, seven to eight spirit manipulators displayed the spiritual martial arts to violently shoot the ground, sand, and stones splashing as if there were hordes of troops and horses.
When the two thousand soldiers and the team of spirit manipulators led by the Deputy Commander in yellow arrived at the gentle slope, sweat trickled down their backs, free-flowing like condensation on a windowpane, it beaded on their forehead and dripped from their chins as they supposed that the Crimson Dragon Army had sent tens of thousands of soldiers.
‘ Move and instruct Commander Zuo and propose to him to deliver reinforcements here...’ the Deputy Commander in yellow commanded.
Since the rival had been taken in, Ana led the five hundred soldiers and went in a roundabout way to join another five hundred soldiers convoying army provisions.
Before long, the Commander Zuo was notified that the Crimson Dragon Army had issued tens of thousands of soldiers to attack the Rough Slope.
He turned serious at once and dispatched five thousand soldiers from the right military camp to support the Deputy Commander in yellow at the gentle slope, while the three thousand soldiers of the left military camp would remain to safeguard the highland.
‘ I perceive the Timber Deity Empire won't assign all their soldiers. Fortunately, I have a plan in reserve.’ Ana muttered to herself in cold eyes, an evil smile creeping in the corner of her lips.
After that, like before, Ana led the army of about a thousand soldiers and army provisions to impose a deceptive front to break through the Rough Slope to get to the place where their military camps were stationed.
When Commander Zuo who led the rest three thousand soldiers in the left military camp at east side perceived that an army of the Crimson Dragon Group was marching towards the Rough Slope with army provisions, he burst into a glee.
‘ I know it is their trick to make us flee our base. Their real purpose is to escort army provisions to their military camp at the Rough Slope. Humph. How dare they make a progress under my nose with only a thousand soldiers? Let me take command in person to wipe them out unawares.’
With no soldiers left at the highland, Commander Zuo immediately assembled all the three thousand soldiers of the left military camp and confronted the army led by Ana.
During the dog fight, Ana led the three hundred soldiers escorting army provisions to retreat to the grove at the left side of the mountain ridge, ruled the other hundreds of soldiers to withdraw to the right side of the gentle slope to meet with the army cooling their heels there.
Discerning their movements, Commander Zuo branched out the second thousand soldiers into two columns to chase after Ana to loot the army provisions. He sensed once they looted the army provisions, the Crimson Dragon Army would fail to make the final effort.
In a short while, the three hundred soldiers and the army provisions had entered the grove at Ana's command.
At the point, the second thousand soldiers led by Commander Zuo also swarmed into the grove. The grove was crowded with people instantaneously.
‘ The beer and skittles commence!’
Ana chortled as she gave a signal. After a second, several high heaps of firewood in a dash were ignited, smoke smudge produced.
In the gale, the smoke smudge floated into the grove. A moment afterward, the grove was shrouded in smoke fog.
Commander Zuo supposed that there were ambushes, so he gathered the two columns of soldiers. In this way, the grove was filled with a dense mass of soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire.
All of a sudden, the trees and leaves around them shuddering, figures scurrying around, imaginary fears bedeviled them.
‘ The soldiers from the Timber Deity Empire, listen. Now you have been sieged. Put down your weapons and take off your pants, or we will shoot arrows to kill you all.’ At the point, a poke mullock voice became apparent.
‘ Commander, what measures should we undertake?’ a Deputy Commander beside Commander Zuo asked.
‘ What else can we do? Can't you make good use of your eyes and see that we are in an ambush?’ Commander Zuo shouted while making a glare at the Deputy Commander, and he bellowed, ‘Damn it. I never predicted that the Crimson Dragon Army would assign more than tens of thousands of soldiers to charge our two military camps on the east side. I should have instructed Commander Zhou to take up the cudgels for us.’
‘ Make it fast. Put down your weapons and take off your pants, or this will be your fate!’ Ana shouted.
Wee!
Several formidable arrows were shot into the grove, a few soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire tumbling down.
Witnessing the collapse of their comrades, the soldiers were all frightened as a duck being shot out of the sky.
The morale of the army of the Timber Deity Empire began to slump. The soldiers turned ghostly pale at the figures sieging them, gradually losing their fighting spirit.
Many of them started to put down their weapons and even take off their pants.
Commander Zuo, still reeling in his opinion, whose head was in a cold sweat, was reluctant to give up resistance and to be seized without putting up a fight.
Meanwhile, something took place in the military camp at the right of the west side of the Rough Slope.
‘ Commander Zhou, it has become apparent that something is awry in the military camps on the east side. There is a lot of smoke...’
A spirit manipulator reported to a middle-aged man with a moustache after he wended his way into the tent.
Apprehending his remarks, Commander Zhou, without further ado, was on his feet and trod out of the tent to lift his head to peer at the east side of the Rough Slope.
As the spirit manipulator had said, wisps of dense silver-grey smoke curled and danced their way through the thick, hazy air as if excited to escape from the military camps.
‘ Appeal to the Deputy Commander Lan to take three thousand soldiers to inspect about the situation there and address to me as soon as feasible...’ Commander Zhou instructed hastily as he became cognizant that things were not okay.
Marcia, who was left behind in the military camp at the Rough Slope, always glimpsed over the movements of the military camps at the west side. Since they were emotion-charged around, Marcia saw it the initial time and recognized that they might have spotted the unnatural situation in the military camps at the east side.
Thus, it was high time that the northeast army should perform themselves. When the military camps at the west side were about to dispatch soldiers to the military camps at the east side, Marcia commanded the northeast army with thousands of soldiers shot out and charged into the left military camp, which didn't assign any soldiers to watch the situation.
As it should be, the left military camp of the Timber Deity Empire at the west side was immensely bewildered to shield themselves against the military vigor of the northeast army tantamount to that of a squadron.
Besides, the soldiers of the northeast army had been starved for a few days. Thinking of the approaching army provisions, they went as wild as beasts, who were too voracious for the left military camp to resist.
In a blink of an eye, sanguinary massacre broke out; howling and shrieking rent the air.
‘ Commander Zhou, the Crimson Dragon Group are ambushing the left military camp...’ One spirit manipulator reported to Commander Zhou in the right military camp.
‘ Do they contemplate taking a grip on the right set of circumstances to embark on launching a rude awakening raid?’ Commander Zhou said in worried tone.
But he was conscious that the military burliness of the left military camp solely wasn't efficient enough to deal with the northeast army, he then ordered, ‘ Ask all the soldiers of the right military camp to support the left military camp. Stop the Crimson Dragon Army.’
‘ What about the military camps at east side? ’ the spirit manipulator asked.
‘ This may be a ploy to enrapture the tiger from the mountain. I guess the military camps at the east side are fine,’ Commander Zhou analyzed as he supposed that the dense smoke was a false impression made by the Crimson Dragon Army.
‘ Yes, sir,’ the spirit manipulator said.
Then all the troops and horses of the right military camp of the Timber Deity Empire at the west side hurried like the leaf in a roaring whirlwind to lend a helping hand to the left camp.
‘ Commander Marin, the reinforcements for the left military camp are approaching.’ Deputy Commander Chen, who was accountable for overseeing the condition of the left military camp, reported to Marcia.
She was commanding the soldiers to invade the right military camp at the west side now.
‘ Wonderful. They appear to have been taken in. As we have game planned, request the soldiers to attack while withdrawing. Don't let the Timber Deity Empire see through that we are playing a game of bluff...’ Marcia ordered, a luminous light sparkling her eyes.
Thus, when the reinforcements from the right military camp at the west side turned up, the northeast army commenced to fasten down the enemy and withdraw towards their military camp at the Rough Slope.
As the northeast army successfully put a brake the military strength of the two military camps at west side, Ana's subterfuge also bore fruit. After she captured Commander Zuo and two thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire in the grove, she grabbed the chance to lead hundreds of soldiers to escort army provisions quitting the grove and progressing through the two defenseless military camps at east side.
Even though they ran into one to two hundred soldiers in the way, they broke through them effortlessly and succeeded in dispatching the army provisions to the military camp of the northeast army stationed at the Rough Slope.
‘ Transmit the signal! Inform them to retreat!’ Ana commanded loudly as the trumpet rolled its sound after she set foot in the military camp at the Rough Slope.
Instantly, a red signal was sent into the sky. Except Ana and hundreds of soldiers with her, the two thousand soldiers who had confined tens of thousands soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire commenced to retreat from the routes that had been designed beforehand.
At the west side of the Rough Slope, at the sight of the signal, the northeast army under the command of Marcia knew Ana had made it, so they withdrew to the military camp at once.
When the soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire realized that they had been tricked, it was too late to regret. When Marcia returned to the military camp at the Rough Slope, she peered that Ana and hundreds of soldiers plumped themselves and recharged their batteries around more than lorries of army provisions.
‘ You are too daring!’ Marcia said pretending to be angry as walked up to Ana.
‘ Soldiers, what are you holding your horses for? Make a fire and set a cauldron! Go and hunt some wild beasts...’ Ana hollered to the soldiers flooded into the military camp.
The next moment, the northeast army bristled with excitement, and some of them even shouted Ana's name loudly.
In their eyes, Ana was so magical that she had managed to dispatch army provisions to them under the nose of tens of thousands of soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire.
In this way, they all commended her.
Seeing this scene, Marcia couldn't help but shake her head and give a sardonic smirk. It implied that Ana was more prominent than her now in the northeast army. However, she recognized completely that the army provisions meant a lot and brought hope to the northeast army whose spirit had been ghastly before.
‘ Come with me,’ Marcia announced as she gave a glare to Ana.
Then she asked a Deputy Commander to organize the army provisions and also nodded to Deputy Commander Chen.
Ana, staring at Marcia, twitched her shoulders, smirking. Then she followed Marcia to one of the tents in the military camp, and Deputy Commander Chen went after them.
When they took seats in the tent, Deputy Commander Chen couldn't help but sigh in perplexity, ‘ Ana, it's so far-fetched that you could escort the army provisions to the military camp under the nose of the tens of thousands of soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire.’
‘ Deputy Commander in Chief asked us to linger for another three days. When the reinforcements of the headquarters arrived, she will assign armies to appear to our rescue.’ Ana said seriously.
‘ Three days?’ Marcia responded with her eyebrows furrowed.
‘ But the stumbling block is that perhaps the Timber Deity Empire won't grant us time,’ Ana stated instantly.
‘ What do you imply?’ Deputy Commander Chen inquired, for he didn't fathom the current situation they got grips with.
‘ Because the substantial intent of the Timber Deity Empire is to starve the northeast army to death and force the Deputy Commander in Chief to dispatch troops here. Once the Deputy Commander in Chief sends armies here, the fronts will reveal pitfalls which the Timber Deity Empire could make good use of to their advantage. However, if the Deputy Commander in Chief doesn't do that, the northeast army and the Rough Slope will be apprehended by the Timber Deity Empire. However, it suggests that the Timber Deity Empire is confident that the Deputy Commander in Chief will send troops here, so they haven't instituted any attacks until you get to the situation where you can't stand. If so, the Deputy Commander in Chief will be forced to deliver armies then...’ Ana analyzed.
‘ It seems that I should thank you.’ Marcia said.
‘ My pleasure.’ Ana smiled like the cat who got the cream.
The Deputy Commander Chen beside totally got muddled about the strange atmosphere between Marcia and Ana .
‘ Thus, once the power-holders of Timber Deity Empire were notified that the northeast army had obtained provisions, they would conceivably change the military strategy. They would have their army invade Rough Slope directly, instead of blockading it,’ Ana added.
‘ The motive of Timber Deity Empire is to force Deputy Commander in Chief to send the army into battle, isn't it? So why would they make up their mind to alter the set of tactics to start the invasion?’Deputy Commander Chen asked.
‘ Because the army of twenty thousand soldiers of Timber Deity Empire have besieged Rough Slope for a long time. The consumption of provisions and supplies of an army is strikingly large. Now the army is going to run out of what they owned. Assuredly the power-holders of Timber Deity Empire dare not to organize for other soldiers to transport provisions and supplies under the nose of Crimson Dragon Group. So the inadequacy of provisions of the army beleaguering Rough Slope was what the power-holders of Timber Deity Empire undoubtedly perturbed about. If I were the Commander in chief of Timber Deity Empire, I would not continue besieging hard, but start to ravage the whole Rough Slope as promptly as possible, otherwise the army would become unflappable in the war when the provisions and supplies run out.’ Ana shed some light about the situation at the moment.
Hearing what Ana stated, both Marcia and Deputy Commander Chen totally complied with Ana with an acknowledgment.
‘ Once the army of twenty thousand soldiers of Timber Deity Empire commences the invasion, we could hardly be impervious to it even for one day. This is what we might encounter next. That is to say, the situation now is actually severer than that of lacking provisions...’ Ana wore a no-nonsense look.
As a matter of fact, she had already known that the enemy would probably start an invasion. However, she still transported the provisions for the northeast army, giving the soldiers hope.
‘ What should we do now? You know that the situation would be like drawing blood from a turnip if you send the provisions here. Why didn't you halt it? Now you, together with the northeast army, would have to... Perhaps did you plan something ? ’ Marcia asked  Ana .
‘ Deputy Commander Chen, please look for one hundred corpses together with three hundred soldiers in the evening.’ Ana said to Deputy Commander Chen.
‘ Corpses? ’ Deputy Commander Chen was shocked and confused.
‘ Yes. Keep in mind, do not let the enemy be conscious of it.’ Ana answered with her lips quirked upwards in a joyous smile.
‘ Commander Marin, umm...’ Deputy Commander Chen called Marcia, and glanced at her. He had no slightest idea what Ana wanted to do with corpses.
‘ Just do as she says. By the way, tell all the soldiers that I will hand over the command of the northeast army to Ana...' Glancing at Ana, Marcia said.
‘ Commander Marin, I'm horror-struck...’ Deputy Commander Chen was immensely startled to continue his words.
At the left military camp of Timber Deity Empire at the east side, two Commanders looked pale.
They had never imagined that Ana had played a swindle on them, and had the northeast army get provisions successfully.
‘ Commander Zuo, if you had informed me earlier, how could the Crimson Dragon Army make their malevolent scheme triumphant? ’ Commander Zhou found fault with Commander Zuo right now.
‘ How could I know that the Crimson Dragon Army was deliberately mystifying?’ Commander Zuo nursed a grumble, but he could only control himself and suppress his indignation. He could not show his anger to Commander Zhou, who had a higher rank than him.
‘ It sounds that we should report to the princess that we would run out of the provisions and supplies soon.’ Commander Zhou looked serious. Having gotten enough provisions, the Crimson Dragon Army made their army of twenty thousand soldiers passive completely.
A half day later, the news came to the main military camp of Timber Deity Empire that the northeast army at Rough Slope had gotten provisions.
‘ The northeast army have gotten provisions? What did Commander Zuo and Commander Zhou do?’ Alyssa chided the two Commanders. Because of her resentment, strong air currents with the power of the Divine Stage burst out from her body, mauling the tent.
In a blink of an eye, the tent was heavily ruined. The Commanders of Timber Deity Empire present turned pale and even dared not take a breath. All of them could see that Alyssa was furious, and no one wanted to utter a word.
‘ How many soldiers were there for transporting the provisions?’ Alyssa asked the Commanders, looking at them coldly.
‘ Three... Three thousand?’
‘ What? Only three thousand?’ Alyssa was a little shocked. Her mouth opened and shut like a goldfish with no sound coming out, and she stood as gormless as a guppy. She couldn't believe that, but asked,
‘ Who commanded the three thousand soldiers?’
‘ No one has the slightest clue about that!’
‘ They just used only three thousand soldiers to transport the provisions successfully under the nose of our army of twenty thousand soldiers. How eye-catching the Commander was! I can't fathom there is such an extraordinary person in Crimson Dragon Army,’ Alyssa said in surprise, the shock registered on her face could not be concealed. She was inquisitive who the Commander was.
‘ Give my order to Commander Zuo and Commander Zhou that they should start an invasion of Rough Slope as soon as possible.’
Since the northeast army at Rough Slope had gotten provisions and supplies, the Alyssa's strategy fell short.
Crimson Dragon Army had wholly changed the situation right now. Even though she did not want to give up her original plan, now she had to make a new one. Alyssa required to make the invasion of Rough Slope, which might be of some aid now.
Very speedily, the news that the northeast military troops at the Rough Slope had successfully been brought in the replenishment of provisions and fodders was brought back by the more than two thousand troops that backed off to the front line.
When the Commanders in the Crimson Dragon Army learned that Ana had successfully transported the provisions and fodders to the Rough Slope, they were all flabbergasted, because everybody thought it was a task impossible to fulfill. To their great wonder, however, Ana had fulfilled it. It was a phenomenon in their eyes.
‘ She is really...’ Sara sighed. She could not conceal the jubilation coming from her heart. That being the situation, the reinforcement troops from the headquarters would show up here in three days as long as they controlled the prevailing condition during the same course.
‘ It's excellent news that the provisions and fodders have set foot there. But I don't assume the twenty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire would sit still lingering for death. Perhaps they would inaugurate an ambush towards the Rough Slope.’
A sophisticated Elite Commander cleared the air and tabled out his concealed distress abruptly. Finding out that, the other Commanders began mumbling to one another and exchanging points of view.
If the twenty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire instituted a charge from multiple directions at the same time, the northeast military troops could not control them out of the Rough Slope despite the fact it was a position pleasant to hold but complicated to assail.
That was because the significant disparity in the number of troops was the indispensable component in respect to this matter.
‘ I am of the same opinion. So let's hold our horses and get a glimpse on how Ana Frank can hold up for three days, ’ Sara said.
She noticed what the Elite Commander suggested made sense, but she supposed that Ana must have figured out about that and made arrangements correspondingly. Now that she had wagered on her wholly, she could do nothing but believe Ana would constitute another wonder.
During nightfall, a bleak, thin wind it was, like a fine sour wine, searching the marrow and bringing no bloom to the cheek. The Rough Slope looked quiet from outside, but there was a scene of jubilation at the camp. After being starved for a few days, finally, the northeast military troops had an abundance of eating.
‘ All the credit goes to you, and we don't have to be starved any longer,’ Marcia said while wending her way out of her tent together with Ana. She smiled at the sight of the soldiers and the spirit manipulators who were eating ravenously. Her smile was one of happiness growing, much as a spring flower opened.
‘ You inquired why I dug my own grave by showing up here. What will be your reaction if I inform you that I came here for you?’ Ana asked with a faint, placating smile on her face when she abruptly swayed her head to peer at Marcia.
‘ For me? Didn't you say...’ Marcia could no longer keep her countenance as if she was shocked somehow. When her wide-open eyes met Ana's eyes, her heart began beating fast like a drummer, keeping rhythm, and keeping beat. Her face flushed red as a brick. She could not help but let her imagination run wild.
‘ Because the Deputy Commander in Chief assured me she would marry me as long as I saved your skin. How could I turn down such a mouth-watering condition?’ Ana said. Her eyes gave out evil and attractive light.
Marcia was struck dumb by Ana's words. But very soon she glared at Ana and scolded her angrily like a raging storm.
‘ How could you threaten cousin Sara with me? You're crossing the boundaries!’
‘ Everybody is selfish. I can't help anybody without obtaining any personal benefit. As a matter of fact, if you don't want her to marry me, you can take that position and marry me instead!’ Ana suggested not so jokingly.
‘ You...’ Marcia was struck dumb again. She had no remark to mutter, neither did she know whether she should giggle or sob. She assumed what Ana said made sense.
Marcia hummed and hawed for a while. Then she said with a meaningful tone, ‘ Okay. If you can beat back the Timber Deity Empire, I will wed you in place of cousin Sara. Anyway, you're not allowed to have any erroneous intention towards her.’
Ana was regaled by her feedback and fascinated by the sentiments between the cousins. They were both enthusiastic to sacrifice for each other's sake.
Ana was aware precisely where to halt. She didn't utter any more regarding the subject.
‘ But what do you intend to do? Shouldn't you tell me in the first place?’ Marcia asked curiously as a fish. She wondered how to hold back the twenty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire.
As soon as Ana heard the quizzes, a smirk lurked up at the corners of her mouth. Shortly, she strode closer to Marcia and whispered to her ear.
They were so close to each other that Marcia felt she was swiftly surrounded by Ana's fragrance. She could not help but blush. However, when she heard Ana's plan, she was enormously dismayed.
‘ Now you are aware of my plan,’ Ana announced, treading backward and gawking at Marcia, her arms crossed over her chest.
‘ Are you with no doubts certain that you're going to do this?’ Marcia had no slightest inkling that Ana would establish such an audacious plan.
‘ It is the only way to hold back the twenty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire for three days.’ Ana responded with an acknowledgment.
‘ Are you confident it will be effective? If it doesn't work out, we will be wrecked,’ Marcia stated intensely, absence of certainty written in her charming eyes.
‘ That's why I need you to have confidence in me,’ Ana stated affirmatively.
‘ Of course I have confidence in you,’ Marcia blurted out.
‘ Then it's all right,’ Ana said with a toothy grin.
As recommended by Ana, Deputy Commander Chen tried his best to obtain one hundred corpses and deposited them in the center of the camp.
Setting their eyes on that, many soldiers and spirit manipulators of the northeast military army came and beleaguered them, looking at the scene in curiosity. None of them had the slightest idea what Ana would do to these corpses.
Ana instructed some soldiers to take off the upper clothes on these corpses. Then she seized a bottle out of the silk bag she was consistently carrying. As instantly as she opened the bottle, a puff of profoundly unpleasant odor exuded from it.
Standing by her side, Marcia could not help but cover her nose with her hand.
‘ What's inside? It stinks,’ Marcia inquired, looking sullen.
Ana merely beamed like the cat who got the cream, without answering her query. She strode to one of the corpses and put a drop of the liquid in the bottle on it. As soon as the liquid touched the corpse, the skin was corroded, followed by the bones. The corrosion stretched progressively. Very soon, the corpse turned into sloughs and stank heavily, as if it was suffering from a plague.
At the same time, quite a few surrounding soldiers ran away pumping their legs, gaining momentum with each push. And some of them vomited severely.
‘ Deputy Commander Chen, please do what I did just now to every other corpse.’ Ana handed the bottle to Deputy Commander Chen and said to him after demonstrating him what to do.
In a twinkle of an eye, Deputy Commander Chen's face turned deathly pale.
‘ I'm going out to have a walk. I hope every corpse will be similar to this one when I return. It's of the essence,’ Ana said with an impish smirk on her face, patting Deputy Commander Chen on her shoulder.
After giving Marcia a gaze, she spun around and left the camp. Before long, a figure that resembled a ghost slipped into the left camp of the Timber Deity Empire in the east of the Rough Slope, without being recognized by anybody.
After passing several guards, she entered a tent for soldiers. Again she took out a bottle and put a drop of the liquid in the bottle on each sleeping soldier's lips. Then she did the same in several other tents. Of course, she didn't turn a blind eye on the right camp in the east of the Rough Slope. She applied the liquid to the soldiers sleeping in several tents.
‘ It's done. Let's enjoy a good show tomorrow!’ the ghostly figure muttered and burst into evil laughter. Her laugh was like a pile of stones being tossed around, a low rumble. Then she disappeared in the night.
Ana came back to the stationed military camp late at night.
‘ Where have you been?’ Marcia looked petulant as she interrogated earnestly upon Ana's appearance. She had been waiting for Ana in the middle of the campsite. She sounded to be daunted witless that Ana would not come back. And the mere thought agonized her a bit.
‘ As I informed you before I took off, I went for a stroll.’ Ana twisted her lips as she responded. And again she sought from the Deputy Commander Chen, ‘ Are you done with what I assigned you to do?’
‘ Yes, everything is all set up.’ Deputy Commander Chen nodded his head as he took a glimpse at the hundred bodies that were laid beside them. Those bodies had been degraded beyond recognition.
Ana approached the bodies to look at them by herself in order to ward off any mistake. She found no foibles in the result. So she proposed to the Deputy Commander Chen to lead in person of several scores of soldiers to complete the plan.
They commanded the soldiers to stuff the hundred bodies on ten grain carts. They subsequently transported the bodies out of their stationed camp. They went on until they appeared to a small river which was adjacent to the two eastern camp sites of the Timber Deity Empire. They forced all the bodies into the stream.
They returned to the stationed camp under cover of the night after they had completed their tasks.
The next morning, inside the right camp of the Timber Deity Empire at the east side, two Commanders were debating about the schemes to beleaguer and apprehend the Rough Slope by one single battle since they received the order from their princess.
‘ Commander Zhou, Commander Zuo, we are in a tight corner!’ A Deputy Commander shrieked as he hastened like a hunted deer into the camp with significant perturbation at that moment.
‘ What is the matter there?’ Commander Zhou rapped over the knuckles.
‘ Many soldiers felt numb this morning when they woke up this morning. They were utterly paralyzed,’ the Deputy Commander reported straight away.
The two Commanders looked at each other in silence as a lamb for a few seconds before Commander Zhou asked hurriedly like lightning, ‘ What is the diagnosis of the military doctor?’
‘ The military doctor thought they might have been poisoned,’ the Deputy Commander replied.
‘ Poisoning?’  Commander Zuo looked grave upon the news. Again he inquired again, ‘ What did they have for supper yesterday?’
‘ They presumably had the same food as the others,’ the Deputy Commander responded.
‘ Is that possible that someone poisoned the food?’ Commander Zuo made suppositions.
‘ The military doctor recommended paying a visit to the river where we used to take the water from to have an investigation on the cause...’ The Deputy Commander continued his answer.
‘ Then what are you still twiddling your thumbs for? Send someone to find out what is the problem in a flash,’ Commander Zhou ordered in a dull voice. The Deputy Commander disengaged himself with the directive.
‘ Commander Zhou, what about the plan to blockade the Rough Slope? Shall we institute it in a dash?’  Commander Zuo fixed his gaze at Commander Zhou as he posed for answers.
‘ It will be appropriate for us to hold our horses for the result of the investigation. We cannot afford to fail this time. Otherwise, we will have to start digging our graves. The princess will not exonerate on one more out of the blue failure.’ Commander Zhou figured out that they had put themselves in grave jeopardy since they let the northeast army get the military provisions and supplies.
They would be incarcerated to death if they flopped in the capture of the Rough Slope.
Shortly thereafter, the squad that was dispatched to investigate delivered back the report promptly after they found a hundred rotten bodies on the upstream of the water source. They found the bodies were severely disgusting with overpowering malodor.
The news frightened the two Commanders. Unable to comprehend what had just occurred, they decided to go to the spot in person with the military doctor.
The military doctor concluded after careful examination and identification.
‘ They might have infected by some sort of plague which fatally festered their body. It seems that the soaked body resolved some kind of poison which contaminated the water of this river. That was why some of the soldiers paralyzed after consuming the water from this river,’ the military doctor judged.
‘ Then, why are the rest of the soldiers all in perfect condition?‘ Commander Zhou inquired.
‘ It probably has something to do with the constitution of the body. But what is imperative right now is whether the poison would develop into another plague. Everyone in the entire military camp would be infected once it develops into a plague. If that were the case, we'd be in big trouble,’ the military doctor acknowledged.
‘ What safety measures can be taken to deter it from occurring?’ The two Commanders were struck dumb to the diagnosis of the doctor. They stood as if paralyzed from the neck up. The tens of thousands of soldiers in the east campsite would have no lack of conviction that they would be infected if the plague were real.
‘ We have to burn these bodies in the first hand. Then we have to put the soldiers who were poisoned in an isolated room. At the same time, we need to collect some herbs that can discharge the toxic. Then, inculcate the herbs to medical liquid. Spray the liquid on every corner of the two campsites. And everyone from the military camp, include the two Commanders, has to be immersed in the medical liquid. As for the soldiers who had been poisoned, they would be all right if there were not any other symptoms by tomorrow evening,’ the military doctor said.
‘ Tomorrow night? Then, does that imply that we have to bog down our ambush by two days?’ Commander Zuo glanced, making inquiries to Commander Zhou.
‘ These bodies should have been discarded here by the northeast army. I have the notion that the plague might have been spread in the entire northeast military camp. They also wanted the epidemic to spread over in our camp. If we take action to attack them, we may fall prey to their trap. What if it is what they want? Since they have only a few thousands of soldiers, they will feel it worth to die with our army of twenty thousand. So I think they threw the infected bodies to the source of our water to hook us up. We need to be on guard about it.’ Commander Zhou had a sneaking feeling with his concerns.
‘ Then we shall follow the military doctor's instruction.’ Commander Zuo could not help but nod in compliance.
The Commanders ordered the soldiers to incinerate the bodies immediately. The first thing they did when they showed up to their east campsite was to put the paralyzed soldiers in an isolated place.
Then, an army of several hundreds of soldiers were sent to the hills near their campsite to collect some toxic-expelling herbs. They subsequently infused the herbs into medical liquid. They sprayed the medical liquid to every corner of the military campsites very carefully, and used it to soak themselves as a preventive measure. But, the twenty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire were with one's stomach in knots in front of a mere possibility of a plague. The morale of the soldiers fell to zilch.
Meanwhile, Ana pricked up her ears to the report from the intelligence personnel in the camp with her legs crossing and yarning at the same time.
‘ They have fallen into the trap. They were convinced that there was a plague. Hah-hah...’ Ana laughed out loud. Her giggle was a stone bouncing across a glossy lake, creating ripples of mirth where there had been none.
‘ I can't believe we pulled a fast one on them.’ Marcia was also shell startled by the outcome. When Ana first came up with the idea, she did not perceive it would stand any chance to work out.
In case the dupe was seen through, the scorned twenty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire would take action to invade the campsite in Rough Slope. If that were the case, they would have been wiped out by the twenty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire.
‘ But, it would not take long for them to smoke out, right?’ Deputy Commander Chen worried. The Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire would not be so dumb to have been fooled by Ana for three days.
‘ That can at least buy us some time till tomorrow evening. In this case, we will have two days in hand. We will triumph the battle if we can hold on one more day.’ Ana squinted her eyes as she said, filled with confidence.
‘ But, what if the twenty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire perceived it is out ploy to buy us more time by tomorrow? And they preferred to assail us under the cover of the night. What shall we do then?’ Marcia wondered.
‘ That is highly possible. So we have to finish all our deployment before the dark of tomorrow. We will make a move before they could make a riposte.’ Ana awakened everyone by her comment.
‘ Make a move before they could respond?’ Marcia and Deputy Commander Chen marveled in a lack of credence.
‘ That is correct. We require to knock out the spirit of the army of the Timber Deity Empire. Let's call it a Move of Decapitation.’ Ana bowed her head.
‘ What is a Move of Decapitation?’ Marcia and Deputy Commander Chen were in complete bewilderment.
‘ You know, there are two Commanders. Each of them commands two campsites respectively in the Timber Deity Empire. If only we could eradicate either one of the Commanders, then the soldiers of the two campsites could go to rack and ruins due to the lack of leadership. The military force of the Timber Deity Empire would be forced to reorganize. That would take at least another day. Then we can make it for these three days.’ There was a cold look in Ana's eyes.
Marcia and Deputy Commander Chen were left in awe after they heard Ana's plan.
Evidently, the plan Ana was speaking about at the moment was much bolder than the preceding one. Maybe they could successfully deceive the Timber Deity Empire once or twice, but it would not be easy as falling off a log to pull their legs for the third time.
In fact, the two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire, who could lead twenty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire, would by no means be any mediocrities.
The reason why Ana had hoodwinked them for two consecutive times was only because they exhibited numerical power and underrated Ana. Since they had never interacted with Ana, they didn't know she was audacious to such an extent.
First of all, she drew the attention of their nearly ten thousand troops with her mere three thousand troops and transported the provisions and fodders to the camp of the Crimson Dragon Army at the Rough Slope openly.
Then she put on a play of fake plague so that the troops of the Timber Deity Empire dared not launch an attack right away in worries about their health. All in all, the two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire should not be to blame.
The reason why they had been fooled by Ana's schemes was not because they were silly but because Ana was too foxy. She was good at scheming, but what was more important was that she was very bold. Unlike her, the two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire were gannet like for military exploit and scared stiff of death.
Otherwise, the Rough Slope should have long been seized by them. Indeed, they had no slightest inkling the Crimson Dragon Army's reinforcement troops would show up very promptly.
If the Timber Deity Empire was briefed of that, perhaps they would spare no effort in blasting and taking over the Rough Slope in no time.
In such a war, occasionally intelligence would play a significant aspect in the result. The reason why Ana indicated an initial charge was precisely because she was apprehensive that the Timber Deity Empire would get the intelligence about the reinforcement before the Crimson Dragon Army's reinforcement troops showed up.
In such a case, the Timber Deity Empire troops would immediately launch a raid with all their courage, and the northeast military army could do nothing but defend. It would be very likely that the northeast military army was overpowered, and the Rough Slope plunged into the enemy's hand before Sara dispatched troops to come to their rescue.
Therefore, rather than finishing in this dreadful way, they would better launch an initial charge so that they might grasp the most convenient chance for the northeast military army. Of course, they had to take strong menace in doing that.
Once they commenced an initial raid, the northeast military army would encounter the twenty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire, which would be totally distinctive from pulling a fast one on them with schemes like before. Besides, after being made a clown twice, the two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire would by no means let it come into being for the third time.
They would extremely be on guard so as not to be twitted once again. Therefore, it would be challenging to grasp a shadow for Ana to carry out the decapitation strike, which would be sure to frustrate the Timber Deity Empire troops if successfully carried out.
‘ Ana, I don't agree with you on this plan. I think it's equal to letting the northeast military army dig their own grave.’ Deputy Commander Chen turned down the idea without the least reluctance.
‘ Indeed, your plan sounds too jeopardizing. Killing a Commander of the Timber Deity Empire amidst their twenty thousand troops is more difficult than drawing blood from a turnip!’ Marcia said seriously, solemnness written on her face.
‘ Nothing undertaken, nothing achieved! If we don't make a confident move, how do you think you could hold up for the last day?’ Ana asked, coldness  in her eyes.
She had never fought a battle in its real sense, but she knew it was like herding cats to beat the much stronger enemy with the weaker force of the northeast military in a normal way.
All that was because of the enormous gap between the numbers of troops of the two parties. However, if the northeast military army applied trailblazing strategies, they might strike the enemy vitally. That was the most crucial reason why Ana had planned the decapitation strike.
‘ Maybe we could hold up on the third day by contending with all our energies,’ Deputy Commander Chen said, though he himself was conscious of the low probability.
‘ Deputy Commander Chen, you have encountered many battles over these years. But have you forgotten about some common sense about war? We all recognize that the best way to defend is to strike the opponent by surprise, so that they will be utterly snapped off guard. At the moment, in fact, we have less burden on the mind than the troops of the Timber Deity Empire because we don't have anything to lose. Still, the two Commanders of Timber Deity Empire must be horror-stricken that their Commander in Chief would punish them if they fail to take the Rough Slope from us. Therefore, they are more waiting with bated breath to win the battle than us. However, the longing they are, the more likely they will stick their necks out,’ Ana said in a flat tone, but her face looked like Satan at the moment.
‘ I'm not seeking for your point of view. Now I'm the commander of the northeast military army. I will do what I desire to do even if you don't agree with me,’ Ana announced.
‘ Deputy Commander Chen, please take off for a moment.’ Marcia ordered Deputy Commander Chen after reflecting for a moment. Her brows furrowed tight. She figured out she had to communicate with Ana in private.
As instructed, Deputy Commander Chen left the tent.
‘ Ana, are you feeling okay? You are not acting like yourself.,’ Marcia asked worriedly. She felt like Ana had abruptly transformed into another individual.  The Ana in front of her eyes  acted in an imperious demeanor, as if she required to maintain everything under her control.
‘ Really? Maybe this is the real me,’ Ana said, a grim smile emerging at the corners of her mouth.
‘ No, I'm free from doubt this is not you,’ Marcia declared, shaking her head in incredulity.
Suddenly, Ana burst into laughter. Her giggle was an auditory hug. It wended its way through the frigid air enveloping even strangers in its tickling embrace.
In a wildly arrogant manner, she strode forward and held Marcia's slim waist with her arm. As she pulled Marcia towards her, her lips covered Marcia's featured cherry lips.
Caught off balance by Ana's sudden provocation, Marcia could do nothing but receive Ana's kiss despite her wide-open eyes in bewilderment.
It was not until some moments later that she recognized what was going on. Slowly, she tried to push Ana away.
‘ Never be deceived by my false appearance. Otherwise, what I will take from you next time will not be as straightforward as a kiss. Anyway, it isn't the first time we kissed. This is my revenge for the last time suprise kiss,’ Ana said while looking at Marcia with her evil and gorgeous eyes.
By now, Marcia was extraordinarily embarrassed . Her face flushed red like a red brick from cheeks to ears.
‘ You'd better try to compose yourself. When I come back, we should begin making the operation plan,’ Ana said. Then she released her grip on Marcia's wrist. With a cold look on her face, she left the tent.
‘ What the hell just happened?’ Marcia muttered, bewilderment was written on her face.
When Ana sauntered her way out of the tent, in a flutter of an eye, she vanished into thin air from the place where she stood.
Four hours afterward, she went back to the military camp and called for someone to take the topographic map of the Rough Slope.
Again she gathered Marcia and two Deputy Commanders to draw up a skirmish plan.
‘ The initial step of our decapitation strike is to make the rival be of the impression that we have cut off all channels of withdrawal and been dead set to fight to the death. So we should burn our military camp first,’ Ana said undauntedly.
‘ Burn the military camp? That's not a strategy...’ Deputy Commander Chen announced as he and the other Deputy Commander looked at Ana incredulously and thought Ana was teasing. Without the military camp, they would have no way back.
‘ After we burn the military camp, the armies of the Timber Deity Empire will surely take some actions. By my reckoning, they will gunge up these important paths at the east and the west side of the Rough Slope in case that we will break through,’ Ana explained, totally giving the cold shoulder to Deputy Commander Chen's question, as she pointed at the topographic map to show them the paths.
‘ Once the armies of the Timber Deity Empire seal these critical paths, they will waylay us from both sides so that we will be trapped in a predicament. At that time, we can start the second step of our strategy,’ Ana proceeded.
‘ In this way, won't we be put in a tight spot?’ Marcia questioned.
‘ That's right. That's what we want. Thus, the rear of them will show its weak spot. In order to seal the paths at the east and the west side of the Rough Slope, the armies of the Timber Deity Empire had to lay out at least three thousand soldiers on each side. Besides, to inaugurate charges to us, more than tens of thousands of soldiers will be issued here. As a result, no more than four thousand soldiers will be left in the rear of the east side and the west side in total. In other words, each of the Commanders in the rear has only fewer than two thousand soldiers.’ Ana nodded without giving a precise answer to Marcia.
‘ The third step is to review one way and row another. Seemingly, we are under pincer attack, but there will be an army to carry out a rude awakening raid in the rear of the enemy to fulfill the most momentous decapitation strike,’ Ana set forth precisely.
‘ However, though the decapitation is prosperous, the northeast army is nevertheless under the converging charge and easily to get completely exterminated.’ Marcia raised an objection.
‘ That's right. So when the decapitation strike is completed, someone will be assigned to burn the two military camps at east side to give them a fictitious perception that our reinforcements have arrived,’ Ana continued.
‘ What if the rival doesn't swallow the plan on the hook?’ Deputy Commander Chen asked.
‘ Apart from burning the two military camps at the east side, someone must dash into the enemy with the head of the Commander. Capture the ringleader first to arrest all his followers. Realizing that, they will be swayed. Consequently, at least half of the soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire will sway the spirit of the army and have no ambition to continue battling. If they don't withdraw, we can seize the golden opportunity to assault them with our armies inferior in number to fight our way out of the press...’ Ana went on.
‘ What if the decapitation strike doesn't work out as planned?’ Marcia inquired, gawking at Ana.
‘ I will try my level best to diminish the probability of fizzling out. But if we fail, you can retreat to the dense forest behind the military camp and set fire to it which can burn at least one night. Across it, there is a valley, easy to grip but complicated to charge. If you crumple down on defense, you are feasible to survive till the reinforcements appear,’ Ana replied as she drew an area on the topographic map.
‘ Since the area is in our best interest to our defense, why don't we retreat there directly? Why bother to take a decapitation strike?’ the other Deputy Commander asked higgledy-piggledy.
‘ If we retreat to this area directly, we will encounter the storm of the twenty thousands of soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire. We can combat them for no more than a day. However, if we take the initiative, we have a golden chance to earn one more day. Even in the horrendous situation, we have to retreat to the valley. At that time, only about tens of thousands of soldiers will assault us. With four thousand soldiers, as long as we can make full use of the geographical advantage of it, it is not back-breaking for us to take up cudgels for it for one day,’ Ana said with sharp eyes.
‘ Though the decapitation strike sounds like a battle chance, it works to buy time for us and disperse the military strength of the Timber Deity Empire...’ Marcia was suddenly enlightened after hearing Ana's warfare strategy.
‘ Do you still perceive that I make light of the lives of thousands of soldiers of the northeast army?’ Ana asked while fixing up her eyes at Marcia.
‘ I didn't intend that,’ Marcia replied beautifully.
‘ Now that you all understand, you can go and prepare for it. Deputy Commander Chen, pick up two thousand soldiers to the forest and the valley to establish preparations for the withdrawal and work out the route. Likewise, set some traps and issue the army provisions required from two days to the valley in case of need... Besides, inform all the soldiers to get ready and arm themselves lightly before the noon of tomorrow. Don't let the enemy have the slightest clue about our plan in advance. We will begin the operation tomorrow after dark.’ Ana ordered to the two Deputy Commanders. After catching a glimpse of Marcia, they turned away to prepare.
‘ Select an elite troop from the northeast army for me, and the decapitation strike should depend on them.’ Ana said to Marcia.
‘ For you? Are you going to command the soldiers to inaugurate the decapitation strike yourself?’ Marcia asked in an open mouth expression.
‘ Or who else can do that?’ Ana demanded, wriggling her eyebrows playfully.
‘ No, you can't depart from here. If you bid your farewell, who can command the northeast army? Moreover, the mission is too dangerous as the foamy race of ocean surges. I should go instead. The two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire are all beyond the Heavenly Stage. I'm scared witless you might get hurt...' Marcia denied unequivocally.
‘ Remember, you are the Commander of the northeast army. You're right. The mission is hazardous. This is precisely the reason you shouldn't depart from here. As the Commander of the northeast army, if you die, it will be a hard as a cobble-stone to hit to the morale of the soldiers,’ Ana declared, peering at Marcia.
‘ You think they have the power to kill me?’ Marcia asked amused.
‘ Ofcourse not! But aren't you concealing yourself? And if your real power gets exposed, it will get more difficult to give everyone explanation’ Ana answer calmly.
‘ But...’ Marcia still had the urge to utter something, but Ana covered her  mouth with her hand.
‘ What you should do now is to have confidence in me,’ Ana pointed out word by word, her eyes fixed on Marcia.
Marcia met Ana's eyes and acknowledged subconsciously, utterly bewildered.
‘ Good girl!’ Ana smiled teasingly. She then turned away after gently caressing Marcia's face.
Her face became serious because she knew clearly that the decapitation strike had little difference from a suicide attack. Thus, she was crystal clear about the outcome if she failed.
Nagged by the phony plague, the armies of the Timber Deity Empire fell into an augur of disorder.
Till the next day, they became tranquil as a virgin lake since the poisoned soldiers recovered and moved freely overnight after they had been segregated.
At the moment, the two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire suggested to have been up to the acceleration of something. However, for the sake of safety, they held their horses patiently after dark when the military doctor came and made certain there would be no more plague infection.
They came to understand swiftly that this might be a subterfuge to achieve a hiatus of the Crimson Dragon Army.
As foreseen, the two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire couldn't twiddle their thumbs anymore and concluded to institute a startling assault to the military camp of the Crimson Dragon Army at the Rough Slope late at night.
They had gathered the military energy of the four military camps to form the east army and the west army, bracing to barricade the Crimson Dragon Group from the east side and the west side.
The east army was commanded by Commander Zuo, who had been plucked a quick one by Ana's trickery, while Commander Zhou commanded the west army.
Meanwhile, the spirit manipulator sent by Ana to supervise operations of the armies of the Timber Deity Empire passed the intelligence back to her once she noticed their motions. The well-geared up northeast army evacuated from the military camp in an orderly way led by Marcia.
Thus, only Ana and a battalion with a thousand soldiers, comprising of two squads of spirit manipulators, remained. Before the action, Ana asked someone to hunt back a few wild boars. Then she instructed the soldiers to go into battle stripped to the waist.
In this approach, they smeared the blood of the wild boars on their faces and bodies to make themselves ferocious features. Since the achievement or collapse of the decapitation strike was the core to the war, they had no freedom of preference but to make it. When they were all set up, the night fell.
The Rough Slope was engrossed in the darkness laden with trepidation. In a flash, flames raging into the sky from the military camp of the Crimson Dragon Army at the Rough Slope.
In a blink of an eye, they licked the trees like a hungry kitten with a saucer of milk. Soon they were all burned up within a range of hundreds of meters. The fires were large and incredibly intense.
The armies of the Timber Deity Empire, being about to make a rude awakening raid to the military camp, opened and shut their mouths like a goldfish with no sound coming out. The spectacle before them was shaking.
While this time, the two Commanders wouldn't make the same stupid blunder, so they exchanged information the first time, and both perceived that the Crimson Dragon Army had cut off all means of retreat.
Therefore, both the east army and the west army sent soldiers to seal the essential paths at the east side and the west side of the Rough Slope so that they would encircle the whole Rough Slope.
After that, the two armies respectively handed over thousands of soldiers to march towards the center of the Rough Slope with constant strides, designed at snapping the northeast army in the bud.
At the moment, as the armies of the Timber Deity Empire marching from the east side and the west side swarmed to them, according to the plan, the northeast army under the command of Marcia had been bidding their time at a beneficial terrain hundreds of meters to the east of the military camp.
Based on Ana's surmise, Marcia should lead the northeast army to encounter the converging charge of the armies of the Timber Deity Empire and hold on for at least two hours.
Thus, the two hours were a tremendous challenge for the northeast army, with only four thousand soldiers.
To be affirmed of their prosperity, Ana had trained the basic principle of the Eight Heaven Locks Array to Marcia with two hours. Thanks to Marcia's brilliance, she learned it expeditiously. Though she didn't manage to adopt it neatly in such a short time, it could buy time for them at a pivotal juncture.
In the interim, Ana had led the troop with a thousand soldiers slipped under the nose of the east army of the Timber Deity Empire, which was marching towards the center of the Rough Slope wholeheartedly and exclusively, sprinting towards the rear of the east army.
However, they had to break through a blocked path before they could come to the rear of the east army. Whatever the trail was, a troop with no less than a thousand soldiers would defend there.
Thus, Ana was hell-bent on fighting a quick battle to sustain their vigor. In this case, they must get it done in one strenuous attempt.
Very promptly, Ana and her soldiers showed up on the blocked path that they were going to break through, only to identify that five to six powerful spirit manipulators and over a thousand soldiers had set an impenetrable guard. Without blowing hot and cold, Ana took out the Frozen Wind Dagger, her profound spiritual power on the spot lit up like flames burning around her body.
Besides, with the spiritual power, the Frozen Wind Dagger turned into a curve spiritual light similar in the form of a katana.
‘ Execute them all!’ Ana yelled her lungs out with her eyes wide open.
She dashed in a leading position, dozens of the spirit manipulators with their spirit-manipulated beasts going after her.
One thousand soldiers brought up the rear. The troop of the Timber Deity Empire was all hit like a ton of bricks at Ana and the barebacked soldiers and spirit manipulators from whom fresh blood was dripping. More than that, they were also thrown into a blue funk at Ana 's overwhelming momentum, which was compelling on towards them.
Boom! Boom!
The deafening noise of the collision of the spiritual power was picking up here and diminishing there.
At that point, Ana had scampered into the troop. She was waving the Frozen Wind Dagger at her hand, blood splashing like fountains to her face and clothes, making her look more vehement. Since no one could rival her, Ana's momentum surged even higher.
Though Ana went to the front for the first time, she revealed no jitteriness in her eyes. Faced with a dense mass of figures, she had never hanged back or halted. Wherever she went, blood splashed, and numbers fell, her lappet having been incarnadined by blood. This was the cruelty of the war.
A soldier must kill to survive.
Stirred up by Ana's powerful momentum, the dozens of spirit manipulators with their spirit-manipulated beasts also became driven by a crazed blood-lust.
In a blink of an eye, hundreds of corpses were piled high on the ground. Before long, the soldiers selected from the northeast army also joined the battle. Then, the battle turned white-hot. Since their momentum had gained predominance, the defense troop of the Timber Deity Empire fled pell-mell in less than an hour.
After dealing with the surviving forces, Ana successfully broke through the line of defense at a casualty of fewer than one hundred soldiers. Therefore, they managed to penetrate the rear of the east army of the Timber Deity Empire.
At the same time, in the east military camp, Commander Zuo, riding on a high horse, was accompanied by more than two thousand soldiers and many spirit manipulators with their spirit-manipulated beasts. Abruptly, a dark mass of figures appeared before him.
After a closer glance, Commander Zuo was astounded because he discovered the people all wore the suits of the Crimson Dragon Army. He had never had foreseen that an army of the Crimson Dragon Army would show up there.
‘ Originally, they don't plot to make a breakthrough. What they demand is to end my existence,’ Commander Zuo said with abrupt apprehension. However, he didn't get much overwrought for the army was only a thousand people.
‘ Humph. How can they have the impudence to appear here to invite ignominious with only such an insignificant number of soldiers?!’ Commander Zuo bellowed, his plump body palpitating.
‘ Commander, that's her. She brought five hundred men and beguiled us to the slop. She set us up,’ blustered a Deputy Commander beside Commander Zuo.
He was the one who had been given a bum steer into believing there were thousands of opponents and had summoned backup, but only to find out everything was a diversionary maneuver. So when he saw Ana again, he could barely suppress his eagerness to tear Ana into segments.
‘ So she is the one who delivered the supplies to the Rough Slope?’ Commander Zuo narrowed his eyes and regarded Ana from head to toe.
There was something peculiar about this individual. It was hard to explain from her appearance how powerful this individual was. But no doubt she had an aggressive aspect and demeanor of a leader.
‘ You, there. Identify yourself!’ Commander Zuo pointed at Ana, his voice thick with condescension.
‘ I'm just a nobody,’ Ana smiled disparagingly.
‘ Gratifying to realize that you are apprehensive of that. I will grant you an opportunity. You and your soldiers throw in the towel now; I will let you live. Otherwise, this place will be your graveyard,’ declared Commander Zuo, so arrogant as if he had an assured victory and the lives of Ana and her soldiers were in his hand.
‘ I was going to suggest the same to you. Since I'm here now, I'll see to it that you perish here.’ Ana pointed at Commander Zuo with her Frozen Wind Dagger.
Her commanding presence and authoritative voice could shake the hearts of the staunchest soldiers at the spot. Commander Zuo's face altered. He didn't expect such a response from Ana .
Ana's ranting making his hackles rise, he waved his hand and gave a command, ‘ Kill them all!’
All the two thousand soldiers and several spirit manipulators from the Timber Deity Empire swarmed in.
‘ Don't challenge them head-on. Just hold them off. Leave the rest to me.’ Ana turned to the spirit manipulators and soldiers behind her and gave her command.
‘ Progress!’
Ana narrowed her eyes and moved forward with her Soldiers  to engage in a fight.
Both sides of spirit manipulators and spirit-manipulated beasts were the first to get into contact with each other, and instantly the soldiers joined the contending.
They fought in a chaos of blood and mud. Solemnly declaring, bellowing, scraping of metals, forlorn cry filled the battleground.
Ana wove a trail through the brawling crowd, her eyes sharp and luminous like the point of a sword. Stride by stride, she was closing the distance between her and Commander Zuo, who was still on his horse.
From time to time, there were soldiers hopped out seeking to deter Ana, only to be swept away by the casual swings of her Frozen Wind Dagger.
Ana was not her normal self. Her face was hard and grim, her glance brisk and diabolical, her eyes sharp as swords. The bloodlust radiating from her was almost palpable, making the crowd chilled.
Commander Zuo saw Ana rushing toward him menacingly, and his face changed.
Ana sprang into his eyes like a predator who was bracing to pounce on her prey. Ana went on determinedly with bodies lying bleeding on her wake. Just before she was about to get to Commander Zuo, a figure scrambled out and thwarted her way.
‘ Who are you to duel with our commander? Let me take off your head and collect the bounty,’ in an outburst, a figure yelled, saliva drooling out with each jagged word in front of Ana.
It was the Deputy Commander in a yellow robe, who seemed incapable to combat the chance to make his bones. The Deputy Commander had reached the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage, and it showed in his aura. He could make pretty much a dreadful enemy compared to other common spirit manipulators, but he had no slightest inkling about Ana's power.
The Deputy Commander stared at Ana and braced to thrust forward, but in the blink of an eye, Ana vanished from sight. A shadow shot at the Deputy Commander with startling ferocity. For an instant, the Deputy Commander stood as gormless as a guppy. With a sort of hen-pecked look, he forgot to react. A frightening spiritual pressure swooped down on him, then he moved finally, raised his hand and shrieked,
‘ Hack!’
Spiritual power gushed out from his hands and constituted itself into something of a glittering axe. The axe whistled through the air and slashed the shadow in two.
‘ That's it! That's all she can carry out!’ The Deputy Commander announced triumphantly. The shadow dissolved into spots of light flying in the air and faded away.
At the same time, another figure glowing like fire emerged from the dark and brushed lightly past the Deputy Commander, as casually as picking a flower.
Splash! An arrow of blood flew into the air from the Deputy Commander's body. He peeked down, and there was a frightfully deep cut across his chest, blood trickling out.
The Deputy Commander turned to look at the figure a foot away, spiritual light swirling around it like a flaming fire. Then he slumped to the ground, his eyes wide open.
The soldiers and spirit manipulators from the Timber Deity Empire were appalled. Their Deputy Commander, who had already reached the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage, was slaughtered so easily by a women who seemed mediocre in every way.
Commander Zuo experienced the same awe. His brain desperately scrambled to make sense of it all. The spiritual light around Ana's body could rival that of anyone who had reached the preliminary level of the Heavenly Stage.
Only then did he recognize that Ana was a spirit manipulator who kept her talents pretty well camouflaged. But yet, there was something odd about Ana. Indeed her spiritual light had reached the preliminary level of the Heavenly Stage, but her spiritual power remained at the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage, very close to the Heavenly Stage.
It was confusing. Indeed, Ana was in a very perplexing state.
At the moment, the Commander Zuo, from the Timber Deity Empire, discovered the undeniable strength and power exhibited by Ana. And again, he realized Ana was a treacherous person. He had, but one thought in his mind: he must end the life of Ana!
If Ana made a breakthrough and set foot in the Heavenly Stage finally, which meant the Crimson Dragon Group would receive a master with immense spiritual power, it would be just like adding wings to a tiger. And this was not convenient for the Timber Deity Empire.
The Commander Zuo, from the Timber Deity Empire, would not make such a situation come into existence.
The Commander Zuo, from the Timber Deity Empire, suddenly slapped the back of the horse that he just rode with a rebound. And then he sprung up in the air. The horse was severely injured. It let out a loud painful scream. What a shriek that was.
It caused the hair to stand straight up on the back of one's neck. It was the vulgarest. Most piercing scream one had ever heard. It sounded like a howling of wild panic and fell onto the ground. The horse perished. The slap of the Commander Zuo was relatively compelling; it must consume some strong spiritual power.
The Commander Zuo had sprung up in the air, discharged all of his spiritual power in a short moment. He had already reached the second grade of the Heavenly Stage. The strong spiritual power, with a tremendous threatening air, flew in an interlaced way.
Boom!
The Commander Zuo, from the Timber Deity Empire, suddenly landed on the ground with a thud and stood in front of Ana, in an aggressive way after the resounding noise. The impact was so intense that the dust under the Commander Zuo was almost cleared. And the ground that suggested to be pounded by a considerable sledge-hammer was kind of below the level of its surrounding area.
‘ Bitch, are you scared stiff as a dog being attacked by a coyote of death? Do you still want to live? Want to plead for your life? But it was a melancholy. It's too late to plead for your life. You have already lost the chance, and you must be wiped out by my hand today!’ The Commander Zuo, from the Timber Deity Empire, responded coldly, as he beamed proudly and grimly, the top row of teeth was showing, and there was a faint curve to the lips.
It seemed to him that Ana was nothing. He was so dismissive of his vigorous power. It was just a piece of cake for him to deal with Ana. Because he had already reached the second grade of the Heavenly Stage, but Ana was a spirit manipulator who had just entered the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage.
There was a distinction of strength between Ana and the Commander Zuo. The variation of strength between each grade of the Earthly Stage was not significant. But once a spirit manipulator had reached the Heavenly Stage, there would be an immense disparity of the strength between each grade.
That was because, after an ordinary spirit manipulator had reached on the Heavenly Stage, he or she would spend three to five or six years to accomplish a higher grade of the Heavenly Stage. Also, it was achievable for some outstanding talents with the help of all kinds of incalculable and powerful treasures to reach on a higher grade of the Heavenly Stage within a shorter time. Therefore, it was no wonder that among the ordinary spirit manipulators who had reached the fifth grade of the Heavenly Stage, most of them were near forty years of age. Some of them were even over fifty years of age.
For those ordinary spirit manipulators, it took years to make noteworthy progress. But for the primordial spirit manipulators, it was another pair of shoes. With the strong backing of the spiritual race, the primordial spirit manipulators could reach on a higher grade of the Heavenly Stage as soon as possible.
They just needed to spend about even one to two years. And the enormous talent that the primordial spirit manipulator was, the less time he or she would devote to reach on a higher grade of the Heavenly Stage.
Taking Sara as an illustration, she was a great talent. With the help of all kinds of priceless and powerful treasures, she had reached the fifth grade of the Heavenly Stage in her middle twenties. She was as strong as an eagle just like other ordinary spirit manipulators who had reached the same grade of the Heavenly Stage in their middle forties or fifties.
Besides, Edgar, the eldest son of the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, had reached the Supernal Stage in his thirties. Because he had fallen heir of the great talent from the imperial family, and that helped a lot. After all, many spirit manipulators spent their lifetime to reach the Supernal Stage. They yearned for this goal day and night. And it was like two peas in a pod condition for other spirit manipulators from other countries.
So, the winner, from a vicious confrontation between two ordinary spirit manipulators, must have already reached a higher grade of the Heavenly Stage than another ordinary spirit manipulator. The difference rested in a single grade of the Heavenly Stage, in the spirit power of spirit manipulators, and many other aspects.
That was why the Commander Zuo of the Timber Deity Empire was as proud as a lion when passion-stirred and smirked, a beam with a twist to it with complete confidence at this moment. But Ana was calm as the surface of a lake when the vulgar wind was laid when she was in the face of the treacherous situation - her powerful opponent was the Commander Zuo of the Timber Deity Empire, a spirit manipulator who had reached the second grade of the Heavenly Stage.
For Ana, there was nothing to be perturbed about, because she had fought against a spirit manipulator from the imperial family before. That spirit manipulator had attained a higher grade of the Heavenly Stage and was stronger than the Commander Zuo of the Timber Deity Empire. So she felt no butterflies in the stomach fighting against the Commander Zuo.
The Commander Zuo discerned that Ana didn't have cold feet at all, and she stared at him with sharp eyes. And then the Commander Zuo had a perceiving of being taken down a peg or two, so he was provoked by Ana immediately.
‘ Go to hell! ’  The Commander Zuo shouted at Ana boiling with anger, and his shouting rent the air.
What was once peaceful became polluted with exasperation. And then he moved his plump body and expeditiously made his way to Ana.
The Commander Zuo of the Timber Deity Empire was plump, but his weight didn't affect him to move speedily and dashed to Ana like a torrent through a strait in a concise time. He then shot out one of his arms and prepared to land a powerful punch on Ana's body.
All of a sudden, the released spiritual power from his fist was gathered together on Ana's head, and then directly rapidly felt down on Ana's body with a shape of tripod.
Bang!
With a deafening noise, the dust under the Commander Zuo was almost cleared, the ground was full of cracks and sank in a very short moment. The impact was so intense.
‘ Ha-ha!' The Commander Zuo laughed loudly as the trumpet rolled its sound in triumph. He had a crooked little laugh to match his small crooked smile--and his twisted little mind. He thought the shadow of his powerful punch submerged Ana, and she was hit and died. At the next time, however, a half-moon-shaped spiritual light suddenly broke open the shadow, and again speedily charged at its target: the Commander Zuo.
The Commander Zuo altered the face in a blink of an eye. His eyes and his mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of a stunning surprise, but he kept his head then and dodged aside.
Boom! The spiritual light exploded with intense impact, nearly hit him. Before the Commander Zuo maintained his stability, there was an ambush that was about to shoot at him.
‘ Nebula Arrow Force!’ Ana yelled all of an abrupt.
Then, another arrow-shaped spiritual light with great spiritual power also directly shot at the Commander Zuo, but this time, he had no chance to run away. With a vociferous noise, the Nebula Arrow Force then turned into a flickeringly light and covered the Commander Zuo completely.
‘ Did I achieve success?’ Ana thought questioningly as she scrutinized the situation and gawked at the enemy with sharp, crisp eyes. She must seize the initiative in this unequal battle. Otherwise, she would lose the fight and be killed by the Commander Zuo.
The flickeringly light was diminished, the Commander Zuo was still alive, and a spirit-manipulated beast stood by his side.
The spirit-manipulated beast was of the third grade of three-star level, and it was covered with rocks from head to toe. It looked like a monstrous dog and was as plump as its master, the Commander Zuo. There still some residual smoke hung in the dog's body, shifting like ghosts in the breeze.
The attack of the Nebula Arrow Force was resisted by the spirit-manipulated beast, not its master, the Commander Zuo.
‘ The Rock Armour Hound, which is recognized for its rock armour, has tremendous defensive capabilities...’ Ana promptly thought of the information about the Rock Armour Hound with a very sharp expression.
She recognized that it would be a soggy business to have a dust-up and beat the two strong enemies. That was because she showed up to the Rough Slope with the thousand soldiers in a haste and had no time to brought Ananta and Rubygon. The situation was not suitable for her at all.
She would in the face of two opponents, the Commander Zuo and his spirit-manipulated beast, the Rock Armour Hound.
The clamor was unequal. However, for Ana, the situation was not so dreadful. She still had a kick at the can to win this clamor. Because the Rock Armour Hound had excellent defensive capabilities but didn't have strong assault capabilities, Ana didn't get into a flap about how to deal with the Rock Armour Hound.
In fact, she just required to fight against the beast's master, the Commander Zuo, with all her firmness. But the Rock Armour Hound could block all of the attacks from Ana for its master, the Commander Zuo, just like a shield with legs. In other words, all of her charges would not prejudice Commander Zuo. On the contradictory, she would conceivably be forced into a nonviolent position.
At this moment, however, no one could lend her a hand. A thousand soldiers she brought were busy battling with the belligerent forces.
She could rely on no one but herself to fight against the Commander Zuo and massacre the opponent.
Ana had taken the situation into account. She had a notion and was absolutely ready to address this dilemma. Though it might not be successful, it could be bought time for her to finish her plan. And then, she took out a small bottle from her delicate silk bag. She opened the bottle and placed it on the ground, and then stepped back.
As promptly as Ana put down the bottle, Commander Zuo's Rock Armour Hound was mesmerized by the fascinating smell coming from the bottle. It drooled over the bottle with uneasiness and in a sparkling of an eye dashed up.
‘ Cease!’ Yelled Commander Zuo. He didn't just raise his voice, his muscles tensed, and he got right in close for maximum impact. As peering that his spirit-manipulated beast charged towards the bottle without his permission, Commander Zuo felt creepy and tried to stop it at once.
The Rock Armour Hound stopped as soon as it heard its master's order. It turned to glance at its master and then turned back to beam at the bottle in front of it again. Hum and haw filled its eyes. Commander Zuo was taken by off-guard and didn't have the slenderest inkling what on earth was in the bottle that could be so easy on the eyes.
Of course, in the bottle was the magical saliva, which possessed the same irresistible charm as spiritual crystals to every spirit-manipulated beast. What's more, something exceptional was included into the magical saliva in this bottle.
As long as the Rock Armour Hound ate it, it would pass out in a matter of seconds. If not, the magical saliva could still draw it away for a while. After all, no spirit-manipulated beast could be invulnerable to the magical saliva.
At this very juncture, a lightning figure charged towards Commander Zuo. The dagger in the figure's hand was glistening with radiant light and left a compelling arc in the air.
‘ The dagger in her hand is so tremendous. Is that a Spiritual Weapon?’ The charge's powerful aura caught Commander Zuo by dismay. One's spiritual power could not be funneled into an ordinary weapon unless a Spiritual Weapon.
A Spiritual Weapon was made from unique and rare material, and a spirit manipulator could strengthen their Spiritual Weapons' power through their spiritual power. Commander Zuo squinted as a broach of greed flashed in his eyes.
‘ If I could wipe out this girl, then her Spiritual Weapon would be mine. Ha-ha!’ he chuckled in a peal of cruel cold gesture. With that thought, he clutched his left fist and aimed it at Ana while squealing, ‘ Smashing Fist Strike!’ His powerful fist strike hit against the attack from Ana's dagger with a deafening bang, and the gigantic impact instantly gave out a dazzling light.
‘ Boom!’
Powerful forces from the two spiritual power attacks swept around and brought clouds of sand. Before the forces and light dissipated, a plume of fire exploded straightly and charged to Commander Zuo when he just withdrew his fist strike. The flame rolled outwards like the smoke of a mushroom cloud. The raging fire played amid the kindling like a child with a new toy. Its flames leaped in hysteria.
The furious flames blazed out of control as drawing closer to him and encompassed him in a matter of seconds. Commander Zuo was dismayed as the flames almost engulfed him.
He soon activated his spiritual power at the second grade of the Heavenly Stage, and uttered with wide eyes, ‘Spiritual Power Dome!’
In a split second, the surging spiritual power around him constituted a protective dome. The fire attack hit against the dome with a loud bang louder than harvest thunderstorm, and the roaring flames were split into two directions.
The sweltering heat could even burn the air into ashes. Although the dome shielded Commander Zuo from the fire storm at first, he instantly was pushed backward by its momentum, and the doom even began cracking. Commander Zuo was shocked, and his brain stuttered for a moment at the fact that his spiritual martial arts at the second grade of the Heavenly Stage almost failed to stand Ana's storm. When he peeked up, he quickly recognized that the fire attack was from a flaming pearl.
That was Ana's another Spiritual Weapon, the Dragon Flame Pearl.
‘ She has two Spiritual Weapons!?’ Commander Zuo stared at the pearl in incredulity. It was as if his brain was suffering a massive short circuit and was battling to compute. He found it arduous to swallow that Ana, only at the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage, could possess two Spiritual Weapons. Most of the spirit manipulators yearned for a Spiritual Weapon in their entire life but could not get or even touch one before their death.
Intense jealousy was boiling in his chest, yet his lips cursed upward evilly. His eyes were painted with vivid greedy because he was free from doubt that he could take away the two Spiritual Weapons from Ana.
While Commander Zuo was still engrossed in his thought, Ana was charging towards him again. After she took back her Dragon Flame Pearl, she instantly aimed the Nebula Cloud Transformation at Commander Zuo.
Commander Zuo was taken aback by Ana's charge, and he forthwith threw his Smashing Fist Strike at the Nebula Cloud Transformation. The earth even began palpitating under the formidable impact, and another bright beam dazzled their eyes.
‘ He is solid as an ox. That's the power at the second grade of the Heavenly Stage.’ Ana murmured to herself.
‘ It's only warming up, fellow!' Commander Zuo laughed a callous, cruel laugh. All of a sudden, his fat body got shrank and turned into firm muscle. As he clenched his fist, the muscles of his upper arms became noticeable. He then thundered, ‘Deadly Fist Strike!’
The fist strike, much more compelling than the preceding one, darted towards Ana with terrifying momentum.
Ana looked sullen, slightly facing the vehement attack. She trotted out the Frozen Wind Dagger to battle against the fist strike. However, her dagger failed to withstand its force. The fist strike passed through the dagger attack and settled right on Ana, sending her flying in the air.
Before Ana fell to the ground, Commander Zuo dashed to her like a cyclone. He then threw three more Deadly Fist Strikes at Ana. Every strike from his fist was intense and violent enough to make Ana perish.
Although Ana tried her best to withstand the fist strikes, she missed one, and her chest got attacked. As if an explosion took place inside her, Ana spat out blood and then smashed on to the ground.
‘ Girl, have you realized you are overvaluing yourself?’ Commander Zuo smiled disparagingly while glancing down at Ana, who was rolling on the ground.
When Ana stopped rolling, she stood up and wiped away the blood beside her lips. Her eyes were still glittering with a fighting will. After she got ambushed by Commander Zuo, she found that some anonymous power was spurred up inside her body. She suddenly perceived something and wildly ran to Commander Zuo with a smirk.
‘ Wow! You require an appropriate lesson, reckless bitch!’ Commander Zuo could not believe that Ana wanted to persist fighting despite she had witnessed the giant chasm between their vitality.
An all-out brawl started instantaneously. Both of them had wielded their full vitality and showed each other no sympathy. The ground under their feet was shuddering violently like withered leaves and even began cracking because of the impacts between their spiritual power attacks.
However, Commander Zuo's strength was still way superior to Ana. Ana had gotten bloody wounds all over her body, and she was even struggling to maintain her balance. Spitting out blood several times, Ana turned pale like a ghost as she stood in the center of a pool of blood.
Yet, Commander Zuo also encountered a lot from the fight against Ana. Summoning his spiritual martial arts attacks for so many times had consumed lots of his spiritual power. He was gasping for air as cursing Ana, ‘ Is she out of her mind? She perceives well she is not a contest for me. But why did she still fight like hell? Should she have been deadly injured right now? Why can she stand like that?’
‘ That's it!’ Ana tried so hard to hold on herself and took out a big bottle, which was loaded with ten drops of the magical saliva, and drank it up in a flash.
As soon as the magical saliva got into her body, her spiritual power began surging up wildly. The first of the nine-layer seal on the power of her Holy Dragon Bead finally began collapsing under pain and her surging spiritual power.
‘ Ahhhhhhh...’. Ana cried out loudly due to the acute pain.
The pain came out like an uproar from her throat in the form of a silent yell. She was in the precarious juncture to shatter the sealing power inside her body. She had to be swift as a bolt of lightning as she had a strong enemy in front of her right now.
The next second, a black light came out of her body and instantly spread all over her, forming numerous black strips, which constantly intertwined and then wrapped around her. Strong spiritual power like a windstorm soon burst out and spread the area around her, producing flying sand and stones and whistling wind.
Suddenly, an evil force that made people shake like a leaf with jitteriness emanated from the black light wrapping around Ana and quickly swept around. Finally, she managed to sabotage the sealing power inside her body, and had enhanced her strength a lot.
The two armies, who had engaged in a vicious fight all around, couldn't help but steer their attention on the precipitous transformations. All of them looked extremely stunned and began to think that what kind of power Ana had now.
The scene in front of them was so awkward and never had they expected to see it in their lifetime. The moment when they felt the evil power expended by the black light, they also felt as if death was approaching them.
Even when Commander Zuo of the Timber Deity Empire, Ana's current rival, set his eyes on this scene, there was also a dumbfounded expression on his face. His mouth was opening and shutting like a goldfish with no sound coming out. At the same time, he had an ominous premonition. Thus, he immediately galloped towards Ana, while the muscles of his right arm twisted and contracted, and instantly swelled up.
The next moment, an extremely fierce spiritual power was shooting out from his body.
‘ Ferocious Rock Fist!’ Commander Zuo roared like a lion. He just launched his most powerful charge, and he consistently felt proud of such a dynamic skill. Thus, he was sanguine that Ana could be murdered by it this time. He had to try his best as he abhorred to see any extraordinary incident happen on Ana again.
The bystanders then saw that the spiritual power rushing out of Commander Zuo's body immediately mounted up and was turned into a rock-like shape.
In the blink of an eye, it became a vast rock shadow, like an enormous mountain, and began to swoop towards the black light that wrapped Ana at a brisk acceleration.
Boom! Boom! Boom...
The vast rock shadow soon hit the black light violently. All at once, on the ground, the spiritual light was glistening brightly; a blast of cyclone spread around; the dust and sand were whirling up to the air, and the powerful impact of the collision immediately revealed. It was just so terrifying!
According to common sense, under the impact of such a strong spiritual power, even a spirit manipulator at the first grade of the Heavenly Stage might not be able to resist, let alone Ana who was only at the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage.
Commander Zuo generally held the same line of reasoning. He felt that Ana was definitely unable to bear his most potent attack and that even if she were not slaughtered by it, she would be intensely maimed. When Ana's troops who were clashing against the enemies of the Timber Deity Empire saw this scene, their faces changed dramatically.
They could not help but speculate that their task would fail after their top leader was executed. But in no time, they saw the black light that wrapped Ana suddenly vanished into thin air, and that a palm stopped the vast rock shadow.
The next moment, the palm was gently turned. Somehow, the enormous rock shadow was instantly broken down into infinite spiritual power, which was sucked into the palm at once.
The owner of this palm was no one else but Ana herself. Everyone on the site was dumbfounded again by what they had seen with their mouths agape. They stood as gormless as a guppy as if incapacitated.
‘ How on earth is that possible?’ Commander Zuo was talking under his breaths in mumbles. He was wearing an unblinking stare. The shock was registered in his face. He was utterly dismayed by the fact that his most vigorous spiritual martial arts could be shattered so easily. It was not until at this point that everyone recognized that the spiritual power emitted by Ana was distinctive from the usual spiritual power.
Her power was like black smoke, constantly lingering around her body, more like a ghostly demon. Plus with the evil and oppressive look on her face, everyone couldn't be more scared stiff!
‘ What? She is now at the first grade of the Heavenly Stage!?’ Commander Zuo whispered in a bewildered tone, and his tiny eyes popped out precipitously.
He now finally identified that Ana made such a significant, violent and awakening breakthrough within such a short time. However, he never heard that a spirit manipulator could complete such a breakthrough in the case that thier spiritual power was practically exhausted and she was on the fringe of death.
All in all, this was simply a matter that nobody had ever heard or seen. In addition, the color of the spiritual power emanated from Ana had never been seen before. Even the spiritual power of the primordial spirit manipulators never showed such a color.
‘ Power of the holy dragon, long time no see!’ Ana thought to herself. At that juncture, a bit of cold smile was added to Ana's evil look.
At the same time, she raised his eyes, and forthwith cast her attention on Commander Zuo. Commander Zuo was feeling increasingly puzzled by the scene. Soon, he looked around and found that the small bottle also attracted his Rock Armour Hound in front of it, which was filled with the magical saliva. Immediately, he moved his body quickly and appeared in front of the bottle. Without any hesitation, he stepped on the bottle, and the bottle was smashed into pieces.
Soon, his Rock Armour Hound returned to its normal state. When Ana saw that Commander Zuo crushed her bottle which was used to stop the assaults of the Rock Armour Hound, she had no reactions at all and just stood in situ with her two hands behind her back.
Commander Zuo then glowered at Ana ferociously. Even though he didn't have the slenderest inkling how Ana made a breakthrough and reached the Heavenly Stage, his strength was still stronger than Ana, after all. Besides, Ana didn't bring her spirit-manipulated beast.
Thus, Commander Zuo still was wholly beyond suspicion that it would be obvious for him to kill Ana.
‘Prepare to perish!’ Commander Zuo snarled to Ana angrily. Anger was boiling deep in his system, as hot as lava.
The next moment, he and his Rock Armour Hound dashed towards their enemy. Seeing Commander Zuo dashing towards her, Ana suddenly raised a hand and shook it tenderly. All of a sudden, the dragon mark on her arm flashed and got out of her arm.
It twirled and twisted. At once, it was instantaneously transformed into red and black flames, which completely wrapped her whole arm.
‘ It is the spiritual mark... Is... she... the royal spirit manipulator of the Holy Dragon Empire...’ Commander Zuo stuttered. When he saw the Dragon Spirit Mark on Ana's arm, he suddenly looked shocked, his face stuck in an incredulous expression once more. He was a little regretful now as he had evidently underestimated his rival before. If he had tried his most influential attack at the beginning, he would win the fight at a breakneck speed. But now, his enemy had grown so dominant within a short time. Meanwhile, he had no more powerful resort.
He was in absolute trepidation. However, without holding his horses for him to react, Ana had already popped up in front of him. With the big flames around her left arm, she threw a vigorous punch towards his enemy. Suddenly, a red-black flame roared like a fire dragon and dashed towards Commander Zuo.
Commander Zuo immediately summoned his Rock Armour Hound forward to combat the flame. Yet, after the red-black flame was smashed on the hound, the flame suddenly was enlarged and instantly spread over the hound.
In a twinkle of an eye, the hound seemed to be severely injured as it mourned painfully and collapsed on the ground with a thud.
‘ What kind of power is this?’ Commander Zuo asked, queries lingering in the back of his mind.
Seeing Ana's spiritual flame even could not be deterred by his spirit-manipulated beast, he was even more taken aback, and his face changed drastically.
‘ I don't believe I can't execute you!’  Commander Zuo yelled his lungs out indignantly. He was now driven into the most forlorn situation in his lifetime. Yet, he didn't want to give up fighting; otherwise, he would only face a dead end. Instantly, he gathered all his spiritual power and angrily launched a pretty violent charge against Ana by his Ferocious Rock Fist, in a desperate effort to give his enemy the most deadly blow.
At that moment, Ana was standing in front of Commander Zuo. The flame was still flashing in her left arm. Instantly she clenched her left hand into a fist and waved her fist without exhibiting any sign of weakness.
After the two fists collided with each other, the two waves of intense, strong spiritual power at the Heavenly Stage instantly burst out dazzling brilliance shining upon the two people.
Once again, the dust and sand were stirred up, and the airwaves of the collision spread out consequently.
The rest of the soldiers on both sides felt extremely shocked again. Shock leapt in the air as if a firecracker had gone off. But the next moment, Commander Zuo suddenly felt that the spiritual power inside his body was losing at a crazy speed as if it had been absorbed by something. Then he detected a peculiar light was flashing between his fist and Ana's fist.
In no time, he figured out what was happening and hurriedly wanted to withdraw his fist. Yet, before he could do that, a curved spiritual light had cut through his throat!
In the blink of an eye, blood was spewing out of his throat violently, like small pillars. Soon, he fell to the ground with his eyes still wide open. The last look on his face was full of jitteriness and bewilderment...
‘ Commander Zuo was killed!’
‘ Commander Zuo is dead!’
Panic-stricken, all the soldiers and spirit manipulators of the Timber Deity Empire looked at the head of Commander Zuo that was lying on the ground.
They were trembling with fear because Ana seemed to have satanic power. It was obvious that the morale of the troops of the Timber Deity began to slump.
On the other side, the troops led by Ana had dancing hearts as their morale rose rapidly when they found that Ana had fulfilled the decapitation task, despite the fact that there were only less than five hundred people left. Soon after the decapitation, a large number of troops of the Timber Deity Empire had no energy nor urge to continue fighting the battle.
They discarded their shields and armors and kept running like sheep as they fled away. Only a few stubborn spirit manipulators didn't give up, and fought bravely until they were all killed by Ana's troops.
A while later, Ana was surrounded by hundreds of overjoyed people who were dancing and chanting joyful melodies. Their cheers were so loud that they sounded like thunder. They were also playing football with commander Zuo's head instead of a ball.
‘ Attention, everybody! It's not time to celebrate yet. I want you to divide yourselves into two groups, and then burn the two camps of the Timber Deity Empire in the east of the Rough Slope,’ Ana ordered.
Despite Ana 's joy, she could still think straight. She looked calm and serious. The soldiers and spirit manipulators immediately left to carry out her order.
Ana walked to the bloody head of Commander Zuo, which was already covered in dust and sand. She picked it up by its messy hair, and disappeared on the spot.
Meanwhile, the troops of the northeast military army led by Marcia were attacked by two camps of troops of the Timber Deity Empire at the same time, and they were about to break down. They kept stepping backward, and their casualties were increasing, regardless of their use of the Eight Heaven Locks Array taught by Ana. However, due to the huge gap between the forces of the two parties, the Eight Heaven Locks Array could only block the enemy for a while before they could break through it.
After all, Marcia was not very familiar with the array, so she could not take full advantage of it.
By now, the northeast military army was badly besieged at a distance from the predetermined route for retreat. Therefore, they had to break out by force so as to retreat to the grove on the right rear of their camp according to Ana's plan. However, the current situation was more dangerous than they had imagined. It was almost impossible for the northeast military army to fight their way out of the siege, even if at a considerable cost.
‘ Commander Marin, you'd better surrender. You can never hold up till tonight with that little force you have left.’ Commander Zhou from the Timber Deity Empire shouted to Marcia after passing through the crowd and being escorted by several spirit manipulators.
Meanwhile, Marcia was fighting dauntlessly in the front of the northeast military troops.
‘ Sure, in your dreams sweetie!’ she snorted at Commander Zhou's comment, with a cold and disdainful glance.
‘ Go!’ Commander Zhou waved his hand at his soldiers after getting angered by Marcia's refusal to give up.
In an instant, thousands of soldiers and spirit manipulators rushed to the northeast military troops from all directions, just like a flood.
After hesitating for some moments, Marcia decided to show her ace in the hole. She made a crack in the air, and a giant dragon immediately came out of the crack. When it spread its wings, a gust of heavy wind came through like terrifying waves.
‘ Jesus! That's a dragon!’ the troops of the Timber Deity Empire exclaimed in astonishment. Regarded as a higher species among spirit-manipulated beasts, dragons could only be manipulated by the royal spirit manipulators of the Holy Dragon Empire.
Since there were not many royal spirit manipulators, and since not every royal spirit manipulator had such a spirit-manipulated beast as a dragon, seeing a dragon in such a small scale battle was something that had never happened before.
Also, dragons rarely appeared in the front line, so this was such an unpleasant surprise for the Timber Deity Empire. The dragon that came out of the crack was Snowy, Marcia's spirit-manipulated beast.
The sudden appearance of Snowy that kept flying in the air successfully shocked the troops of the Timber Deity Empire. Once it waved a wing, several dozen soldiers were thrown away and fell on the ground.
The imposing manner of Snowy immediately energized the northeast military troops.
‘ Break out!' Marcia shouted enthusiastically as she was led by Snowy, whose body was as big as a tank. She and the remaining people in the troop, who were less than four thousand, tried to break out towards the predetermined route for retreat. Sadly though, when they were about to successfully break out, a string of wood rattan appeared out of nowhere from the ground. It flew to Snowy and bound its left leg. As the wood rattan pulled hard, Snowy lost its balance and fell on the ground.
At that moment, numerous strings of wood rattan with varying sizes appeared from the ground.
‘ Snowy!’ Marcia called her spirit-manipulated beast's name with a worried voice.
She was about to move forward to help it when Commander Zhou from the Timber Deity Empire got in her way the same way a ghost would.
Marcia glared at the man in front of her eyes, and tried to use her dragon spiritual power of the second grade of the Heavenly Stage. When her eyes turned colder, the dragon mark on her arm showed itself.
Immediately, a dragon together with water roared past between her two hands, and rushed towards Commander Zhou.
Commander Zhou didn't seem to be scared at all. His reaction was to exert his power at the third grade of the Heavenly Stage. He drew a circle in the air and a spiritual ball immediately took shape.
It then moved towards Marcia's dragon. When it met the dragon, the collision resulted in a very loud sound and various dazzling sparkles. The two figures instantly began fighting.
A black figure suddenly appeared at the back of the troops of the Timber Deity Empire. Every soldier from the Timber Deity Empire who appeared by her side whined or screamed in pain.
Once the figure approached Snowy, who was bound by numerous strings of wood rattan that came from the underground, a dragon mark on her left arm showed itself.
Red spiritual flames rose from the dragon mark and rushed at the wood rattan around Snowy's body. With a loud sound, the wood rattan was burnt by the spiritual flames. It looked badly hurt to the extent that it retracted to the ground and quickly disappeared.
As soon as Snowy got rid of the wood rattan, it shouted to the figure in a way that showed that it was extremely happy to have seen its master. Then it stood up, stamped its right foot on the ground, and a big crack appeared on the ground. A weird spirit-manipulated beast that was as big as a tree came out of the crack. It didn't have any limb or head. There was only a ferocious eye on its trunk-shaped body that was twined by numerous strings of wood rattan, which kept wriggling and contracting. According to its power, it should be a four-star third grade spirit-manipulated beast.
Snowy opened its mouth widely, holding the wood-shaped spirit-manipulated beast by its teeth and flung it relentlessly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The wood-shaped spirit-manipulated beast rolled a few times on the ground. Then, several wood vines propped up the body, and the rest immediately squirmed.
‘ Is that timber spirit beast? You are timber spirit manipulator!’ Marcia was also rudely awakened when she noticed that wood-shaped spirit-manipulated beast, and she immediately glared at Commander Zhou of the Timber Deity Empire, who she was still battling against.
This fantastic timber spirit beast was an infrequent one. Only those timber spirit manipulators from Timber Deity Empire could contain it.
Admittedly, compared with some high-leveled dragon, this wood-shaped spirit-manipulated beast could not be considered as the strongest. However, it was unquestionably more dominant and ferocious than most of the spirit-manipulated beasts. Moreover, the timber spirit beasts were exceedingly efficient at controlling their opponents.
‘ You have just identified that? It's so grief striking!’ Commander Zhou smiled evilly and the next moment, a green tattoo twisted on his arm like vines. Suddenly, all the spiritual power that had just burst out was split into thousands of branches. These branches were also as flexible as vines, and they flew swiftly towards Marcia, tying her arms and body. What made the matter worse, the harder she endeavored, the tighter the bondage became.
‘ Even if you are a femme fatale, I will never be tender-hearted to you.’ Commander Zhou sneered, slowly raising one of his arms.
A bundle of aggressive and vicious spiritual power hit directly towards Marcia.
In that precarious moment, a figure which was turned a blind eye by everyone reappeared and bore the attack for her.
In the next moment, the spiritual power of the figure seemed to be engulfed and vanished into thin air. Everyone was jaw-dropping when they saw what had happened just now. They just did not understand if anyone could do that!
Their brain stuttered for a moment, and their eyes took in more light than they expected, every part of them paused while their thoughts tried to catch up.
Even Commander Zhou was also a little surprised since this unknown figure just defused his fierce attack without any defensive measures.
‘ I got a present for you guys from Timber Deity Empire!’ After stating that, a peal of tremendous booming laughter rolled from the figure's mouth. The laughter was bizarre. Unknown stuff was, then, thrown out.
It rolled on the ground a few times until it eventually halted in front of everyone. It's a head! A bloody head!
‘ Is, is that, Commander Zuo?’ Shortly, someone shouted on top of his voice, recognizing the owner of that poor head.
The whole army of Timber Deity Empire was in a great frenzy. They turned their brains to a mental soup of conflicting instructions.
Soldiers almost overlooked that they were still on the battlefield. They all crowded towards that head to figure out whether it was true or not.
It all happened in a second, but seldom anyone in Timber Deity Empire wished to fight. They had already been overthrown.
Meanwhile, the figure waved her arm again. A sword formed by spiritual power cleaved those spiritual vines which previously entangled Marcia. At the same time, the figure immediately dragged her waist and took a step back.
‘ Ana!’ It was not until the present that she understood it was Ana!
Of course, she was at a loss for words, but soon a great excitement swept her. To her, there was nothing but an impish glee, the kind that felt like the icing on cakes and splashing in the sea.
Obviously, Ana had already completed her task of decapitation. As for Commander Zhou, the moment when he saw his colleague's head, he could scarcely move his eyes away from it. It was hard for him to admit that Commander Zuo was assassinated. He glowered at Ana and thundered, ‘ You? You murdered him?’
‘ Yep!’ Ana nodded, smiling innocently.
‘ You, daughter of a bitch! I will murder you for Commander Zuo!’ Commander Zhou was bent out of shape.
The spiritual power of the Heavenly Stage immediately exploded with colossal force, frightening nearly everyone causing them to have watery eyes enlarged, and the hairs on the nape of their necks bristled. A gaggle of goose pimples laminated their frigid skin.
‘ You guys from the Timber Deity Empire had already lost. Our reinforcements had showed up, and your two military camps in the east were also occupied!' Ana shouted, taking a few steps forward and pointing to the east predominantly.
Hearing these words, soldiers from the Timber Deity Empire could not help to find out whether Ana was patting herself on the back or not. However, they found out the flames in the east camps, nearly bursting to kiss the sky.
‘ If you prefer to continue, we will still be your opponents. But you only had less than ten thousand soldiers. Are you confident you demand to do that?’ Ana stated the fact. Her voice remained as warm as early spring.
‘ Who are you?’ Commander Zhou had a lack of conviction since he observed that although Ana was in ordinary clothes, he could still feel that his rival was extraordinarily courageous with a strong sense of leadership.
‘ I'm your long lost mother,’ Ana replied.
‘ I see, you are my long lost mother . Well,  You are smart as a cunning fox, but your plans may not work as successfully as you imagined. You said...... wait..What? ’ Commander Zhou was shocked for a moment as he slowly realised what Ana just said.
‘  Aren't you too slow my son?’   Ana snickered .
‘ To all my soldiers, murder her! Fight for Commander Zuo!’ Commander Zhou ordered while trembling in rage. With a wave of his hand, morale of his soldiers was burnt again.
‘ Retreat!’  When Ana saw this, she gave her order to Marcia at once. She acknowledged and called back Snowy, breaking through together with the northeast army and withdrawing to the planned route.
Finally, they stopped in a forest not far from their camp. Meanwhile, just a few miles away, their enemies closely chased after them running so swift that one would think their legs were going to explode. And some soldiers and spirit manipulators had already set foot into the forest.
Since nearly everyone's centre of attraction was on this running feud, Ana, who had just hidden in the northeast army, abruptly summoned all her spiritual power. Along with the extraordinary heat, red and black flames immediately appeared on her arms, and two ferocious dragons rushed out respectively from two sides.
Those two dragons moved swiftly in the forest, and with a second, they lit all trees which had already been covered with a kind of flammable kerosene. Then, there was a massive sound of a bang!
Those trees on the outermost part of the forest suddenly burst into flames, up to a few feet high. Thick gray smoke was billowing into the sky. A fierce fire could be seen sneaking their way out from the rows of trees. And suddenly, the army from the Timber Deity Empire was intercepted outside the forest.
As for those who happened to pump their legs into the forest, they were burnt into ashes. This raging fire also illuminated the entire sky. When those soldiers and spirit manipulators who had already been in the forest realized what had happened, the fire had stopped their way of backing off.
They all fell into a sense of trepidation. Thanks to this golden opportunity, Marcia led the northeast army and massacred all her enemies.
‘ Let's depart from here!’ At this time, Ana showed next to Marcia and propositioned her to follow her. Both of them led the northeast army into a valley where the defense had been arranged.
Commander Zhou of Timber Deity Empire didn't foresee this and grimaced when seeing the force was blocked outside by the fire. He had to wave his hand and ordered to retreat to a kilometer away. Then he got the topographic map of Rough Slope and found the northeast military army was retreating in the direction of a valley with a dead road. An evil smile developed on his face.
He declared, ‘ The fire would keep burning until tomorrow morning. At that time, I will go to capture you and let me watch how you will run away!’ So he ordered his battalions to stay where they were and hold their horses for tomorrow. After they went into the valley, the northeast military army started to cure themselves and took a breather.
They were apprehensive that a vicious war was standing by for them tomorrow.
Ana's face grew solemn when she was standing at the edge of the valley and peering at the burning forest not far away.
‘ Just now... Thank you... If were late I would have been forced to expose my real power’ A gentle voice was floundering by the side of Ana.
‘  If you are proposing to marry me so that I will take care of your life. I shall undoubtedly save you again and again,’ Ana said with mischief in her voice.
Even if Ana didn't turn around, but she was conscious that this tender voice was Marcia. Then there was a hit like a ton of bricks silence.
Ana knew Marcia must be wearing a ridiculous and lively expression, although she didn't turn her head to have a look at it.
‘ Can we cling to life tomorrow?’ Marcia asked with a perturbed expression.
All the things went on as Ana planned; however, the northeast military army only had around three thousand forces.
‘ Who has the slenderest clue? We have worked out everything we could, and next, we just have to entrust luck,’ Ana said in an easygoing manner as the surface of a lake when the loud wind was laid and turned away.
‘ Ana.... I will go back to the capital after few months. I used war as an excuse to stay here. But it's been a year since the last time I had reported to His Majesty. I have to return to my real position soon . So, I won't be present here if something happens. So please be careful ’ Marcia suddenly said.
‘ Okay.... ’ Ana responded with a nod as a comfortable silence settled between them.
The fire outside the valley was burning for a whole night. The glowing embers leapt and twirled in a fiery dance. The fire was getting smaller until the next morning.
Timber Deity Empire forces after reforming at one night were bracing to go. They planned to attack the northeast military army behind the bare woods after the fire settled down. God might be lending them a hand.
A message spirit-manipulated beast landed on the valley when the fire settled down, and Timber Deity Empire army braced up to charge. Marcia took the message letter from the spirit-manipulated beast and opened it.
In a muddle for a second, she became jubilant. Her elation was like a cloudless spring day. Her face lit up brighter than a toothpaste commercial and she had that soft expression on her face.
‘ Are reinforcements reaching in?’ Ana asked serenely.
‘ The reinforcements shall be gathered from the nearest troops around Rough Slope. Deputy Commander in Chief couldn't twiddle her thumbs for a longer time and dispatched troops in advance.’
Ana was already conscious Sara would send troop in advance because she was getting steamed up about them. Anyway, Sara sent the troops to save their skin at that juncture.
It wouldn't affect the defensive lines of Crimson Dragon Army. Timber Deity Empire couldn't have sufficient time to gather their force within one day to invade their weak defensive line, even though their movement was swift. But when Timber Deity Empire wrapped their mind around the situation, Sara's reinforcements from base camp would have already turned up.
‘ How do you even be apprehensive of this? Do you have any prophecy of what would happen?’ Marcia stared at Ana with big bizarre eyes. As Ana described, Sara gathered forces from troops in the frontier and dispatched the forces to extricate them in advance.
‘ No, I don't have any prophecy, but I just know Sara in and out. Where are the reinforcements now?’ Ana asked in a pulling one's leg voice.
‘ They are going to reach in Rough Slope. Commander Cao and other two Frontline Commanders are leading the forces. Due to the limitation of the time, there are only ten thousand forces. But I think it's an amplitude for us. Commander Cao required to identify our location...’ Marcia gave Ana a  glare and responded.
‘ Well, it's beyond my scope and none of my business now,’ Ana shrugged. Then she added, ‘ Could I borrow your Snowy ?’
‘ For what?' Marcia looked sullen and asked.
‘ Of course, I have my purpose. Don't work yourself up. I will escort Snowy to the frontier by myself,’ Ana replied and disappeared before Marcia could utter anything else.
In a second, a huge dragon figure flew into and disappeared in the sky in front of everybody's eyes.
‘ Ana, you are a hijacker! Why did you even ask my permission if were not gonna listen! Give it back to me...’ And in high dudgeon voice was hollering in the valley.
At the same time, something was happening in Imperial City of Holy Dragon Empire.
‘Master!’ A tall and slim beauty whispered with a Letter in her hand. Her blue eyes, like the sea, were calm and emotionless. Long, wavy blonde hair, so smooth and silky, almost as if it was tailored from gold fabric. With the muscle of a footballer and the blessed fat of a baby. It seemed that she was appealing, but wasn't so straightforward to be gotten along with. She looked quite mellow, and her manner was substantial and relaxed.
‘ Master,  Why do you want me to protect a woman? Who is this girl?’ She was a little turned up for the books, because in her mind, her master always kept a reasonable distance from everyone, not mention that she requested her to protect  someone.
‘ Why does she want me to bring the Dragon Twined Wood ? Why does it crack like this?’ the girl found a crack on Dragon Twined Wood after collecting it. It was a rare spiritual treasure. It's said it would be used to suppress the evil monster, but only Marcia knew how to use it.
After sometime, the mysterious figure got up and left.
After kidnapping Marcia's snowy, Ana immediately let Snowy take her to the base camp. Kidnapping Snowy was an impossible task for others, but for Ana, it was just a piece of cake.
What was more, Snowy seemed remarkably thrilled to be kidnapped by Ana.
Four hours later, Snowy managed to get Ana at the base camp. It promptly took her to the beast farm.
‘ Kid, what brought you here?’ Sheridan, who was working in one beast stable, came to Ana happily when seeing her. Happiness flowed through him, warming his skin like the rays of the early summer sun. His customary cautious grin exploded into an ecstatic smile that he had never worn before.
‘ Sheridan, coach me how to open the Magic Spiritual Space,’ Ana said directly at the sight of Sheridan.
‘ The Magic Spiritual Space? Someone at the Heavenly Stage can only open the Magic Spiritual Space. Your strength now is not sufficient to open it, ’ Sheridan responded with an odd expression, guessing Ana's intention.
‘ If you don't teach me, I will go find others.’ Ana put a deceptive front to leave.
‘ Fine. I will train you.’ Sheridan compromised. Ana was his beloved apprentice, after all.
‘ That's marvelous,’ Ana uttered, raising her eyebrow.
‘ The foundation of the Magic Spiritual Space is its spiritual power and space it establishes, and the size of it is determined by the spiritual power you have. The stronger the spiritual power is, the bigger space becomes. The initiative usage of the Magic Spiritual Space was for people to carry their spirit-manipulated beasts conveniently. Then many other usages were developed thereafter,’ Sheridan said at a sluggish pace.
‘ Make it brief. Tell me precisely how to open the Magic Spiritual Space.’ Ana hurried Sheridan, stopping his patter.
‘ You need to be apprehensive of how to wield the Magic Spiritual Skill.’ Sheridan then imparted the Magic Spiritual Skill to Ana.
Ana memorized it and, in a twinkle of an eye, tried to use it. She assembled her spiritual power and reached out her left hand to discharge the spiritual power. Under the guidance of spiritual power, she speedily identified an imperceptible crack and transmitted her spiritual power through it. And the crack was ripped apart instantly.
‘ Great! You learn so fast as a bunny,’ Sheridan said excitedly. Excitement washed over him like sunshine through fine white linen; he glowed from the inside out. Then he recognized something and blurted, ‘That shouldn't be possible! You haven't reached the Heavenly Stage. Why could you open the Magic Spiritual Space?’
‘ Can I go inside and lay my eyes on it?’ Ana neglected Sheridan's question.
‘ Of course. Ana, how did you cultivate yourself? How could you manage to reach the Heavenly Stage in such a short time? But the Magic Spiritual Space you made must be extremely minor. It may be entirely adequate to accommodate one or two spirit-manipulated beasts,’ Sheridan said, self-assertive. He couldn't help but enter the crack, the access the Magic Spiritual Space opened by Ana.
Ana followed him in. As she stepped in, she heard Sheridan scream.
‘ Sheridan, what are you howling at?!’ Ana asked as she peered up. Then she was also rudely awakened to see that the Magic Spiritual Space she established was not small at all, but was substantially large.
It was at least the size of a farm. Such a Magic Spiritual Space could only be opened by spirit manipulators at least at the Supernal Stage typically.
‘ Kid, how did you open such a huge Magic Spiritual Space?’ Sheridan glanced at Ana with incredulity. His face dropped in an incredulous expression.
‘ I don't know either.’ Ana shook her head. But she was skeptical that it might because of the Holy Dragon Bead.
‘ Ha ha...’ At that time, Sheridan burst into laughter.
Ana rolled her eyes at Sheridan. Then she surveyed her Magic Spiritual Space. She had been worried that her Magic Spiritual Space might not be significant enough to accommodate many spirit-manipulated beasts. But now, she was reassured.
After having a glimpse, Ana and Sheridan left the Magic Spiritual Space.
‘ Kid, can you explain to me how did you reach the first grade of the Heavenly Stage so fast?’ Sheridan pestered Ana for the answer after leaving the Magic Spiritual Space.
‘ Keep it a secret for me,’ Ana said and sauntered towards Snowy. At this time, a sturdy figure entered the beast farm. When he saw Ana, he, in a dash, strode up and stood in her way. Ana found out it was Dunn.
‘ Commander Dunn, what's up?’ Ana asked with her eyes narrowed.
‘ I eventually got you. Let's go have a drink together.’ Dunn laughed. The sound of his laughter was bright and cheerful, like dandelions in summer days.
He then placed his arm on Ana's shoulder and dragged her away. Ana was confused but still went with him. After a while, Ana was dragged by Dunn into a tavern in Evian City.
After taking a seat, Dunn ordered two bottles of alcohol and some dishes. Dunn filled his and Ana's bowl with alcohol and raised the bowl, asserting,
‘ To our friendship out of blows.’ Then he emptied the bowl in one go.
Seeing that, Ana took up her bowl but only had a little.
‘ I presume you didn't come to fetch me up only to have a drink.’ Ana said to Dunn directly.
‘ Literally, I require to ask you something. You didn't intend to be the Frontline Commander, but why did you fight so hard in the competition? And why did you conceal your strength of the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage? But don't get worked up. I didn't tell a single being about this thing. I only want to know why you gave up such an excellent opportunity that many people crave for,’ Dunn said seriously.
‘ I'm not interested in it,’ Ana said indifferently.
‘ But I found out you became a captain in the logistic camp. It's so mysterious that you declined to be the Frontline Commander but became a small captain in the logistic camp. The Frontline Commander is in charge of thousands of soldiers. It's such a tremendous honor. Most men and women would respect you. Look at those Frontline Commanders in the base camp. They all assume important air in front of others,’ Dunn responded indignantly, suggesting to be a little drunk.
‘ If you don't have anything else, I will leave.’ Ana stood up and was going to take off, having no interest in wasting time with Dunn.
‘ Ana, I just wish to be allies with you. Aside from Sheridan, you are the only one congenial to me in the Crimson Dragon Group,’ Dunn said, then he continued, ‘ I'm going to the battlefront soon. I hope I can have the golden opportunity to have a fight with you when I come back.’
‘ We will discuss it later.’ Ana cast a glimpse at Dunn and sauntered out of the tavern.
A figure appeared beside Dunn the moment Ana left.
‘ Deliver the message that I already have an eye on Ana,’ Dunn said, looking sober. Then that figure disappeared immediately after Dunn finished talking.