Chapter 998: Chapter 998

Ling Feng moved steadily through the camps, inspecting his new army unit by unit. While memorizing every face in such a vast force was impossible, he committed each commander's name to memory. Forgetting an officer's name during battle would be unforgivable humiliation for any general.

The inspections proceeded smoothly until he reached the reserve battalion. There, standing behind the vice commander, was an unmistakable face. His eyes narrowed in recognition.

The green-robed girl from the Hundred Battles Arena met his gaze. Though he still didn't know her name, that impish face was unforgettable.

Yan Chuchu tilted her head, her crescent-moon eyes sparkling above standard-issue armor that somehow made her look more vibrant than her usual robes.

"Heehee! Didn't expect to see me here, did you?"

Ling Feng's expression hardened as he turned to the reserve battalion's commander. "Commander Bai. She's under your command?"

"Yes, General," Bai answered immediately, not daring to hesitate.

Before Ling Feng could respond, Yan Chuchu interjected with her characteristic playfulness: "Why the frown? I'm a dual earth-thunder cultivator who meets all your recruitment standards!" She stepped forward, grinning shamelessly. "How about promoting me to vice-general right now?"

Ling Feng gave her a sidelong glance of pure annoyance. "If you qualified, serve under Commander Bai. Promotions are earned in battle." Without another word, he turned and walked away.

Her strength was adequate for the reserves, and he had no time to investigate some reckless girl's background. More pressing matters demanded his attention.

"Hey! I helped you defeat Linghu Yudao!" Yan Chuchu stomped her boot as he disappeared between tents, her cheeks puffing in frustration. "What an infuriating man!"

Commander Bai offered a strained smile, whispering: "Young mistress, please reconsider. If you anger General Ling, I'll be the one punished."

She shot him a glare that made him recoil. "Hmph! You took ten thousand elemental crystals to enlist me. If punishment comes, endure it like a man."

Bai's bitter smile spoke volumes. The bribe had seemed worthwhile until today. With the reserves' lax checks, he'd assumed one extra soldier wouldn't be noticed. But Yan Chuchu's combination of wealth and audacity made her impossible to control.

"Very well," he gritted out. "You're on your own now."

"Not so fast." She crossed her arms. "You still need to tell me about General Ling's habits and preferences."

"So Miss Chu has developed feelings for General Ling?" Commander Bai chuckled. "As the saying goes, fair maidens always favor heroes!"

Indeed, many female soldiers had joined specifically to admire Ling Feng. Was this some new trend of women pursuing men?

I'm truly getting old, he mused. The times have left me behind.

"Bah! Who says I like him?" Yan Chuchu's glare could kill. "I simply find him... intriguing. Nothing more."

"A sage once observed," Commander Bai said with knowing smugness, "that all great romances begin with curiosity."

"Rubbish!" Her cheeks flushed unexpectedly. "Which sage claimed that?"

"This unworthy commander, of course."

"Get lost!" Her murderous aura sent Bai scrambling into silence.

The next day, Ling Feng's Tianfeng Battalion marched from Tianmang Fortress alongside thirty thousand Black-Armored Cavalry, forming a formidable host of two hundred thousand.

Commanding at this scale for the first time, Ling Feng felt tension coiling in his chest. Fortunately, his Northwestern Army experience and capable lieutenants steadied him. By dusk, they reached Canglang Ridge, the final waypoint before Blackwater Plains.

The army encamped, preparing to advance at dawn. By noon they would meet Blackwater's remnants, though after repeated defeats, only scattered defenders remained. This battle would depend entirely on Ling Feng's forces.

"All troops, rest and fortify positions!" Ling Feng's orders spread efficiently. Despite the numbers, discipline held as sentries established perimeter security. With the battlefield just half a day away, vigilance couldn't lapse.

The Blackwater River basin was more than just a swift, churning current on the surface.

Beneath those dark waters lay a hidden world of dense stone dwellings where countless water-based demonic beasts and Demon Race clans made their lairs.

On the battlefield of Blackwater Plains, these river dwellers were the true backbone of the fighting force. They lurked below the surface, able to slip through the water without stirring a sound. Even a king-tier expert would struggle to detect the faintest trace of them until it was far too late.

Relying on this hidden advantage, they had slain more commanders from Tianmang Fortress than anyone could count. Each time, they struck from the shadows and vanished back into the depths, leaving the human army shaken and leaderless.

Inside a lavish crystal palace built beneath the river, a middle-aged man with a stern and commanding presence sat listening as his scouts delivered their latest report.

This man was the chief of these water clans, the one who called himself the Black Jiao Demon King.

In truth, this title was nothing more than his own invention. At best, he was a water serpent that had managed to grow a pair of small dragon horns and borrowed the name of the Jiao Dragons. Any trace of dragon blood left in him was so thin it hardly counted for much at all.

His bloodline might have been weak, but as long as he held the Blackwater River under his control, he remained the undisputed overlord of the region around Blackwater Plains. Answering the Silver Wolf Demon Emperor's call, he had led his river clans to kill more than a hundred thousand human soldiers in this territory, earning himself a measure of fame and standing among the other demon tribes.

"Two hundred thousand human soldiers. They even brought the Black-Armored Cavalry."

The Black Jiao Demon King's brow furrowed slightly as he absorbed this piece of news. From the look in his eyes, he understood that this time the humans had come ready for a real clash with his river clans.