Chapter 1512: Thoughts of Retreat Begin to Sprout
On the Great Night Empire's side, almost all of its high-ranking officials had arrived in a short span of time. The reason for using "almost" was that not every senior figure from the Great Night Empire was present; a very small number, such as the upper echelons of the Medicine God Society, had not appeared.
This situation wasn't due to the Medicine God Society's higher-ups being timid before the battle even began; rather, it was by Yang Haoran's command. Yang Haoran did not permit anyone from the Medicine God Society to go to the front lines. Their sole responsibility was to ensure the rear's safety. Once wounded individuals were sent back to the Medicine God Society, they were to immediately treat them. This was the Medicine God Society's primary mission for this great war, not to kill enemies on the front lines.
Yang Haoran issued such an order not because pharmacists lacked combat power. In fact, quite the opposite was true: pharmacists not only possessed decent combat capabilities, but some experienced ones, relying on various special medicines, could exhibit terrifyingly formidable power. Therefore, Yang Haoran's order wasn't out of disdain for pharmacists' combat prowess, but because having them secure the rear was far more meaningful.
With pharmacists guaranteeing the rear, constantly ready to treat the injured, wounded personnel could receive timely care, and the Great Night Empire's losses could be minimized. The value demonstrated by this far exceeded anything they could contribute on the front lines. With the Medicine God Society ensuring support from the rear, the frontline combatants would also feel much more at ease.
Furthermore, cultivating a pharmacist was incredibly difficult, and training a truly formidable one was even more troublesome. It required not only substantial time and resources but also ample talent. If pharmacists were sent to the front lines, casualties would be inevitable. The fall of each pharmacist represented a massive loss for the Great Night Empire, and Yang Haoran naturally wished to avoid such occurrences.
To welcome this great war, the Great Night Empire had prepared for over a decade. Thus, when the Yin Division descended, the combat personnel from every organization and department rushed to the scene at the first possible moment.
The most eye-catching force was undoubtedly the Flock of Demons Society led by Bai Xue. Not only did the Flock of Demons Society boast the highest number of combatants, but it also contained the most experts. There were as many as ten Demon Saint-level existences alone: in addition to the eight subjugated Sea Demon Saints, there was also President Bai Xue and Vice President Huang Sha.
Ten Demon Saints, coupled with a staggering number of Demon Kings, and a massive horde of Great Demons, with countless Sea Demons and Monsters below the Great Demon rank—such an immense power made it difficult not to draw attention.
It was no exaggeration to say that the power of the Flock of Demons Society alone overshadowed the force the Yin Division had mobilized for this operation. What's more, the Great Night Empire was far from being just the Flock of Demons Society; the Myriad Ghost Grotto, the Iron Blood Demon Hall, and the Funerary Division, though their combat power might not match that of the current Flock of Demons Society, also boasted numerous experts and a vast number of combatants. Adding them all together, the total indeed far surpassed the strength deployed by the Yin Division for this operation. Faced with such a formidable Great Night Empire, it was no wonder some Yin Division agents were too shocked to speak, even regretting their participation in this action.
The Great Night Empire's combat personnel were fully assembled, but Yang Haoran, their Great Emperor, had yet to appear. Therefore, the Great Night Empire did not immediately strike at the Yin Division but instead watched its every move with a predatory gaze.
Under the countless, wolf-like, and tiger-like gazes, not only were the ordinary Yin Division agents unnerved, but even the three Great Emperors of the Yin Division couldn't help but feel a shiver of dread.
"The disparity in strength is too great; there's absolutely no need for this operation to continue. I suggest we retreat immediately, or else we might all perish here."
The three Great Emperors of the Yin Division stood at the very front of their forces, with twenty Guardians behind them, and then tens of thousands of Yin Division agents further back. There was a distance separating these three echelons. The one who spoke now was Luo Yao. To prevent the Guardians behind them from hearing his words, he not only deliberately lowered his voice but also employed a minor trick, so only the three of them could hear his statement.
"If we retreat now, we'll lose immense face, not only being mocked by outsiders but also by our own people."
The Jun Prefecture Great Emperor also lowered his voice, similarly employing a minor trick to prevent the Guardians behind them from hearing his words. His tone was fraught with conflict, containing both desire and apprehension.
"Is losing face not better than losing your life? Don't you understand this principle?"
Luo Yao asked, his voice lowered and tinged with urgency. The Jun Prefecture Great Emperor, after hearing this, furrowed his brow and did not immediately respond.
Although the two were at odds, often clashing publicly, they were, after all, on the same battlefront at this moment. They would either prosper together or suffer together. Thus, neither of them engaged in mutual opposition at this time, for their very lives were at stake.
Seeing the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor remain silent, Luo Yao's heart stirred with urgency, and he then addressed the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor.
"Do you know why the Great Night Empire hasn't immediately launched an attack against us? And why hasn't Yang Haoran appeared?"
Luo Yao's two questions caused the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor's brow to furrow deeply, for Luo Yao had hit the nail on the head.
Logically, with the Yin Division's arrival, the Great Night Empire should have retaliated immediately, striking first to gain the upper hand. The Yin Division hadn't moved at the first moment because they had concerns, especially when they discovered that the Great Night Empire's power far surpassed their own, their apprehensions grew even greater, fearing that if they acted, they couldn't win. Conversely, the Great Night Empire had no such worries, so their failure to act immediately was indeed quite strange.
As for the second question, why Yang Haoran had not appeared—this too warranted careful consideration. Logically, in such a situation, Yang Haoran, the Great Emperor of the Great Night Empire, should have arrived promptly to take charge of the situation, command the battle, and lead the Great Night Empire to victory in this great war, thereby raising his prestige. Yet, Yang Haoran had not appeared at the first moment.
Regarding these two questions, the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor had some conjectures in his mind, but he did not voice them aloud, instead posing a counter-question to Luo Yao.
"Why?"
In this situation, Luo Yao was in no mood to play games. To convince the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor to accept his suggestion, he immediately offered an explanation.
"In my opinion, the Great Night Empire not immediately striking at us must be because Yang Haoran issued a prior order. With the Great Night Empire's current strength, even without an immediate move, they would still pose an immense deterrent to us, creating enormous psychological pressure on our personnel. Furthermore, the longer the standoff, the greater the psychological pressure on our side would become. He intends to crush the will of our forces without expending a single soldier, so that we might wisely retreat on our own accord. To put it more directly, he also doesn't wish to engage in direct combat with our Yin Division; scaring us away would be the best outcome."
At this point, Luo Yao paused slightly, then continued speaking.
"As for why Yang Haoran hasn't appeared, in my view, it's certainly not because he was delayed by a trip to the latrine. Rather, it's intentional. He's likely building momentum for himself, wanting to tell us that the force our Yin Division has deployed this time doesn't even require his personal presence; the people under his command are sufficient to handle it. To put it plainly, he's looking down on us."
The last remark was difficult for even Luo Yao himself to accept, let alone the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor.
"These are all your unilateral conjectures. The truth might very well not be as you've guessed. The Great Night Empire not immediately striking at us might be due to their own concerns, which prevent them from acting rashly. And Yang Haoran's absence could also be because he was delayed by other matters, such as reaching a cultivation bottleneck, or perhaps he left the Great Night Empire for other reasons."
The Jun Prefecture Great Emperor's words ignited a surge of anger in Luo Yao's heart. Normally, he would have erupted, but at this moment, he didn't. Instead, he forcibly suppressed his rage and then asked.
"Then what's your meaning? Are we to fight this battle?"
Upon being questioned thus by Luo Yao, the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor was suddenly choked, unsure how to respond to Luo Yao for a moment.
"Heh heh, retreating like this would indeed be too humiliating. However, life is certainly more important than face. From the current situation, if we were to truly fight this great battle, we would definitely not win. But if we were to change the current circumstances a bit, then it might be a different story."
Huo Laoban, who had remained silent until now, offered a faint smile and spoke.
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