Boiling Beast Bloodline
Chapter 1022 - 257: Persistence Pays Off_3

Chapter 1022: Chapter 257: Persistence Pays Off_3

The "Dragon Horn Strength Legion" of the Southern Province also dispatched two brigade’s worth of troops for the campaign. As a region with unique characteristics, the Southern Province originally had a mixed brigade configuration, consisting of Buer Warrior and Archer teams, collaborating in the woods. However, for unified command, this time the "Dragon Horn Strength Legion" was reorganized, with Centaur Archers and Tauren Warriors forming two new brigades starting from the grassroots officers, all appointed with warriors from the Pier Race.

Since the entire Southwest Province is composed of a Marine Force, the list for the Bimon Army campaign in the desert, just like last year, did not include a single soldier from the "Tempest Legion." However, Mourinho, the chief of the Smey Clan, volunteered his personal guard, a squad of forty Griffin aerial Cavaliers made up of Elves Archers. His children, Gomes and Golinny, were also involved in the ritual groups.

In last year’s desert war, the Bimon Army’s scouts had suffered immensely. Aside from the dangers of venomous snakes and scorpions buried in the sand, the sprawling dunes also greatly obstructed their vision. Once scouts expanded their search radius too far, it was all too easy to get lost— which in the desert equaled death.

The inclusion of Griffin aerial Cavaliers and Biao warriors was undoubtedly tremendous news. In the vast desert devoid of vegetation and mountains, the aerial Cavaliers were unarguably the most outstanding scouts.

Additionally, a mixed brigade of Ostrite Tribe Ostrich Warriors and Buer tribesmen, originally stationed at the border in "Cambridge Oasis," would also draw half of their forces to assist the main army’s logistics, baggage, and most crucially, as guides. If necessary, the remaining forces would also engage in combat.

Eventually, the Bimon Army assembled exactly enough troops for a corps’ strength—twenty thousand in total. The nobles from the royal city of Sabak also gathered a private military force of about a thousand, preparing to move to the desert area alongside the regular army.

According to the military department’s plan, the armies from four provinces were divided into a "品"-shaped marching formation. The vanguard comprised two Piegel infantry brigades, the main force consisted of the Imperial Guards, with the valorous Wolf Cavalry protecting both flanks, and the rearguard made up of Pier forces along with the nobility’s private military. Whether mobile or static, the front, middle, and rear kept an interval of about twenty miles between them. This distance was absolutely safe, allowing the flanking Wolf Cavalry to use their high-speed mobility for support. Once engaged, the subsequent Imperial Guard would tear through any adversary like a hot knife through butter.

The ritual groups followed the army’s movements, thus the entire group was also divided by High Pontiff under into four, with three chief priests and the Shaman of Divine Songs each leading a ritual squad as needed within the armies of the four provinces. Under High Pontiff’s arrangements, Liu Zhenhan was most fortunate to be allocated with his own clan—the two Piegel vanguard brigades. He led the smallest squad of only five, all of whom were promising young followers, starkly contrasted to high-profile clerics like Liu Zhenhan, akin to comparing bean sprouts to carrots.

The High Pontiff’s allocations left nothing to be said even if the War God himself were present—who would dare complain when the "Shaman of Divine Songs," "Grand Priest of Cambridge," and "Cangqiong Prophet" were grouped together?

Liu Zhenhan saw nothing inappropriate with this arrangement. To him, it mattered little whether or not he was assigned any Staff Shamans because the sheer strength of Acathurte itself was enough to support two brigades. The three military chief priests were Master Qi Dan, Master Tony of the Naidi Tribe, and Master Woods of the Taige— all direct disciples of High Pontiff. Liu Zhenhan recognized precisely where his true position lay. As for being assigned to the vanguard, Liu Zhenhan was indifferent; although the vanguard was indeed the first to enter battle, equipped with robust prisoners in an assault group—somewhat cannon fodder—Liu Zhenhan was confident in his ability to quickly detect enemy movements across the vast desert—after all, the Expeditionary Army wasn’t short of aerial scouts.

Thus, Liu Zhenhan readily accepted this assignment.

Once the responsibilities were confirmed, the shamans’ loyalties were celebrated by their clans, which organized various salons and balls to bid farewell to their vassals about to depart. The kingdom, elder council, and temples subsequently held grand send-off parties for the shamans in the following days, bringing the city of Sabak to life with songs, lamps, and revelry.

Liu Zhenhan declined several dining invitations, taking advantage of this relatively free period to carefully gather his recent acquisitions and pack his gear. With the Vajra Teleportation Array available, it would be a grave waste not to send these belongings back to Acathurte for advanced processing.

The shells of five Acathurte scorpion lions contained sturdy Blue Shadow Lustrous Crystals—materials coveted by Difeng Giant blacksmiths. Two Mechanical Gao Cens were already perfectly forged, and if the precision gear drive structures were also completed, coating them with a layer of Blue Shadow Lustrous Crystal would allow the Mechanical Gao Cens to formally be employed in battle.