Inside the main tent.

Xiao Jue sat in the main seat with his arms on the table, while Yun Ju stood up to clean and bandage his wounds.

On either side sat Eunuch Wu, Yun Xin, and several generals.

"We are truly grateful to Eunuch Wu for bringing the Dragon Guards and Phoenix Guards to our aid this time. Otherwise, we would have had to retreat another defensive line, which would have greatly reduced our morale and put us at a greater disadvantage," one of the generals said with a sense of relief.

Eunuch Wu nodded to the general and then said, "The military reports we received only indicated that the forces from the Ghost Continent and the Void Continent were attacking. We did not expect that the Underworld Continent would also be involved."

Xiao Jue glanced at Eunuch Wu and said in a deep voice, "I guess these three continents are cooperating. The Netherworld Continent sent two million people to the Sumeru Continent, but I found that the decision-making power is still in the hands of the Ghost Continent and the Void Continent."

Yun Xin asked in surprise, "General Xiao means that these three continents seem to be cooperating, but are actually not in harmony?"

“Yes, the Ghost Continent and the Void Continent are in cahoots. They look down on the Ninth Continent, the Abyss Continent, but they need their troops. So, under the guise of cooperation, they make the soldiers of the Abyss Continent fight for them.” Xiao Jue nodded and said.

Eunuch Wu frowned and asked in confusion, "How did General Xiao discover this?"

Xiao Jue chuckled lightly, "It's not hard to see. As the saying goes, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle.' I participated in both of these battles, and I found that in each battle, the vanguard of the opposing force was from the Netherworld Continent, not from the Ghost Continent or the Void Continent."

"The commander from the Netherworld Continent is actually willing to lead the charge?" Yun Xin asked, puzzled.

This person is either a sucker, kept in the dark and completely unaware, or someone who is ambitious and wants to show off their abilities.

But this battlefield was unfamiliar to them, so the latter was unlikely. Yunxin and Yunju exchanged a glance and both had a guess in their hearts.

“My men have already found out that the person sent by the Netherworld Continent is the Sixth Prince, not an ordinary general. Although I don’t know much about the situation on the Netherworld Continent, sending a prince to war is naturally to give him a prestigious title, so that he can have a foothold in the court,” Xiao Jue continued to analyze.

"So it seems the Sixth Prince has been deceived by the Ghost Continent and the Void Continent. He has no idea that the Netherworld Army is leading the charge at the front. This is indeed an opportunity." After a moment of contemplation, Eunuch Wu had an idea.

Xiao Jue seemed to have seen through Eunuch Wu's thoughts and said with a smile, "It seems that Eunuch Wu and I are thinking the same thing."

Eunuch Wu smiled amiably, “General Xiao thought of that before I did. Since they are at odds, let’s deepen their rift, which will be to our advantage.”

Xiao Jue nodded and looked at a general beside him. "General Tian, ​​I'll have to trouble you with this matter. Spread the news that the Ghost Continent and the Void Continent have sent the Netherworld Army to lead the charge. Once the Sixth Prince finds out, he will definitely argue with them, which will buy us more time to recuperate."

“That’s right. Their forces are now more than twice our size. All we need to do now is stall for time.” Eunuch Wu took a sip of tea and continued Xiao Jue’s words.

Xiao Jue was slightly taken aback and looked at Eunuch Wu, "Dragging out time? Does Eunuch Wu know anything else?"

Eunuch Wu was slightly taken aback, then slapped his forehead in annoyance. "Oh dear, I actually forgot such an important thing. Before I set off, the Grand Tutor had already dispatched a million troops to provide support. However, the Dragon Guard and Phoenix Guard are closer to here, so we arrived first. The million troops will probably take a few more days to arrive. What we need to do is stall for time, firstly to wait for reinforcements, and secondly to give the Ever Victorious Army more time to recuperate."

Xiao Jue and the other generals were overjoyed when they heard this good news.

"Excellent! The Dragon Guards and Phoenix Guards are already capable of taking on a hundred men each. If we add this million reinforcements, we will surely win. This time, we will ensure that the enemy never returns."

"Yes, one million Dragon and Phoenix Guards are more than enough to fight against four million enemy troops. With one million reinforcements and the Ever Victorious Army, we will surely win this time."

The atmosphere in the tent reached a joyous climax, as if a victory had already been won.

Just then, a report came from outside the door.

"Come in," Xiao Jue said to the outside after seeing that the wound had been bandaged and that he had put down his sleeve.

The one who entered was the strategist, Murong Zirui.

"Zirui? You've come at the right time. Let me introduce you. This is our army's strategist, Murong Zirui." Xiao Jue smiled as he introduced the newcomer to Eunuch Wu and the others present.

He then introduced the people present to Murong Zirui, "This is Eunuch Wu, the deputy commander of the Dragon Guard and Phoenix Guard. This is Yun Ju and Yun Xin. They are both from the Divine Doctor Valley. Yun Xin is also someone who serves the Empress."

After exchanging greetings, Xiao Jue immediately asked, "How are your injuries? You could have just sent someone to inform me if you needed anything, why did you come in person?"

When Murong Zirui entered, Eunuch Wu noticed that he was pale, his lips were dry and bloodless, and his breathing was unsteady. When Xiao Jue asked about his wounds, he quickly asked, "The strategist is injured? What happened?"

Even on the battlefield, a strategist will be protected by soldiers; he shouldn't get hurt.

Xiao Jue gestured for Murong Zirui to sit on an empty chair, then said with a hint of apology, "I was too stubborn about this. It was our first time fighting the enemy, and we wanted to show our national power, but we didn't expect them to outnumber us by more than two. We were outnumbered and lost ground. Zirui told me to retreat, but I hesitated, so..."

After listening to Xiao Jue's explanation, Eunuch Wu sighed, "It's not your fault. The enemy is too arrogant. If it were me, I probably wouldn't have been able to swallow this insult either. General Xiao, there's no need to blame yourself too much."

Murong Zirui also spoke up, "I've said it many times, it's not your fault. I was caught off guard and got hit by the enemy's arrow. This matter is over, don't bring it up again. What's important is the future."

"If I had retreated sooner, you wouldn't have been injured." Xiao Jue waved his hand, his tone heavy with self-reproach.

Eunuch Wu smiled calmly, “General Xiao, no one is perfect. If you dwell on self-blame and guilt, it will inevitably interfere with your future decisions, which is not a good thing for a commander-in-chief.”

Xiao Jue suddenly understood, and said, "Thank you, I understand now."

"That's more like it. We should be thinking about how to deal with the enemy next," Yunxin said with a smile as she poured tea for the group.

Murong Zirui nodded and thanked Yunxin before saying, "I have another matter to report. In the two recent battles, the Ever Victorious Army suffered heavy losses due to the vast difference in numbers. After this war, only 800,000 Ever Victorious Army members remain."