The retreat of the Beast Tide and the cheers of the soldiers made Wang Baole's blood boil. But the mountains of corpses and the sea of blood on the battlefield, as well as the countless corpses that littered the ground, made his blood boil.
After returning to the stronghold, Commander Big Beard gave the order to clean up the battlefield. The corpses of the soldiers and Cultivators were brought back to the stronghold. There were many corpses that couldn't be pieced together. The bloody scene left many people silent.
After three days of cleaning up, the entire battlefield returned to normal. The corpses of the Ferocious Beasts were preserved by the military as resources, while the corpses of their comrades were stored together. Their names were recorded in the military's Register of Martyrs. Their ashes and pensions were also sent to their families. As for the dead cultivators, they were given special compensation.
When everything was over, everyone in the stronghold, including Wang Baole, heard about the intense battle that had taken place in the seventh primary stronghold and in all the lines of defense.
The Beast Tide had come to an end after the Beast King in the seventh primary stronghold was killed by General Zhou. Although the number of Beasts that had been exterminated was innumerable, the strongholds had paid a heavy price.
In the face of this Beast Tide, which exceeded the Federation's expectations, almost thirty percent of the small fortresses at the seventh line of defense had been breached. Very few of the soldiers and cultivators within those fortresses had survived. Most of them had died in battle.
Of the remaining seventy percent, forty percent had not been breached. But because reinforcements had arrived in time, they had managed to hold on until the end. Even then, they had suffered heavy casualties.
Only about thirty percent of the strongholds had managed to hold on, even though reinforcements had arrived late. They had survived the Beast Tide. However, most of these strongholds were larger than Wang Baole's stronghold. They had more soldiers and Cultivators than Wang Baole.
Their stronghold wasn't the only stronghold that hadn't been breached, but it was still a rare sight in the entire seventh line of defense. That was why it stood out like a sore thumb.
In particular, even though reinforcements had come, in reality, even if reinforcements hadn't appeared, this battle … with Big Beard's ambush, the sacrifice of two of the four Foundation Establishment cultivators, and Wang Baole's cannon blast, the outcome of the battle had already been decided!
Wang Baole's name and that of many others spread far and wide in the stronghold. Big-bearded commander-in-chief spread the word, and the entire seventh line of defense heard of them as well.
Everyone who heard this was shocked. After all, they had personally experienced the beast horde this time. They knew very well how difficult it was to achieve such a great achievement in this beast horde.
Therefore, in the next few days, Wang Baole was treated like a hero.
In the entire stronghold, there was almost no one who didn't know his name. Almost every time he went out, every warrior who saw him would have enthusiasm and excitement in their eyes, saluting him.
Even the officers did the same. It wasn't just a formality, it was heartfelt gratitude. They were thankful for Wang Baole's service!
That was especially true when Wang Baole and Chen Yutong had clearly been able to retreat from the Fire God Platform in the face of danger. But in the end, they had chosen to stay behind. Word of the incident spread, and Wang Baole's reputation grew even more illustrious.
Even Chen Yutong and the others who had been protecting Wang Baole were treated with unprecedented enthusiasm.
Even so, Wang Baole's heart was heavier than his excitement. He couldn't forget the warriors who had died, and he couldn't forget the brutality of this battle. It could even be said that this battle had a great impact on his life.
It was difficult for him to adjust his emotions so quickly and return to his former optimism.
At the same time, because they knew that Wang Baole liked to collect beast teeth, Wang Baole received countless beast teeth in the next few days. These were heartfelt gifts from the soldiers. They were grateful to Wang Baole. They liked Wang Baole, but they didn't know how to express their feelings. Therefore, giving beast teeth became the only way to express their gratitude.
In the end, the storage bag was full. Wang Baole was touched, but he couldn't refuse. Therefore, Chen Yutong silently handed him two storage bags. Only then did they fill them up …
Even the disciples from the four Dao Colleges had experienced the battle of life and death together. They had become more familiar with this place, with Wang Baole, and with their fellow Daoists from the four Dao Colleges. They all visited and befriended each other. At the same time, the way they interacted with the warriors who had become comrades was also different from how they had been when they had first arrived.
As the entire fortress recovered and the beast tide completely retreated, Wang Baole busied himself with receiving an endless stream of visitors. A merit record was also sent to General Zhou of the seventh primary fortress by Commander Big Beard.
On this merit record were the names of almost all the disciples of the Dao Colleges, as well as a large number of brave soldiers. It could even be said that it included almost all the survivors.
As for Wang Baole and the two surviving Foundation Establishment cultivators, as well as Big Beard himself, they were listed at the top of the list to be awarded to the military.
Looking at this merit record, General Zhou smiled bitterly and raised his head to look at Big Beard.
Zhou Lu stood behind General Zhou. She seemed to be injured, and her face was pale. However, the light in her eyes was clearly sharper than before after experiencing the baptism of blood and slaughter. Especially when she saw Wang Baole's name on the merit record, her gaze paused.
Under General Zhou's scrutiny, Big Beard's expression remained the same, but he deliberately exerted force in secret, causing the wounds on his body to bleed. He did not say a word, but it was obvious that he was not leaving if General Zhou did not give him more credit than he deserved.
"Don't hide it, take it all out at once." General Zhou didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he pointed at Big Beard and reprimanded him.
Big Beard blinked and pulled out another Book of Merit from his bosom. It seemed to be incredibly heavy. His expression was solemn, and he held it with both hands. He did not place it on the table, but handed it to General Zhou.
General Zhou's eyes narrowed, and he seemed to understand something. His expression was a bit gloomy as he rose to his feet and took it with both hands. He opened it and looked at the names of the people who had died in battle.
He fell silent for a moment. At the top of the merit record were the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators who had died!
Big Beard lowered his head and said softly, "General, I understand that things aren't easy for the military, and I also understand the Federation's current situation. Even if the merit record is halved, it's fine. However, the compensation for the families of the deceased must be multiplied. This battle … was too tragic …."
General Zhou was silent for a long time. Then, he looked at Big Beard and spoke, one word at a time.
"How could the merit record be halved? All of the merit records will be multiplied by three. The compensation for the families of the deceased … will also be multiplied by three!" After he finished speaking, Big Beard trembled. He didn't say anything else. Instead, he saluted General Zhou, bowed deeply, and left.
After watching Big Beard leave, General Zhou stood in front of the table. After a long time, he spoke softly.
"Zhou Lu, make the arrangements. In three days, I will personally go to all of the strongholds … to see the soldiers."
Zhou Lu hurriedly shifted her gaze away from Wang Baole's name on the merit record. She lowered her head and acknowledged the order.
Three days passed in a flash. With the end of the Beast Tide, the disciples of the four major Dao Colleges began to leave and return to their respective colleges. Wang Baole, Chen Yutong, and the others also prepared to leave after bidding farewell to the soldiers. However, before they left, they received a notice from Big Beard.
"General Zhou wants to see me?" Wang Baole blinked. He now knew General Zhou of the Seventh Primary Stronghold very well. He knew that General Zhou was the high-ranking military official that he had seen in the Dao College. His name was Zhou Dexi, and he had once exterminated an entire tribe of ferocious beasts.
Wang Baole wasn't nervous when he didn't know his identity. However, now that he knew the other party's background and remembered that Zhou Lu was always with General Zhou, Wang Baole couldn't help but feel apprehensive.
"Could it be that Zhou Lu has become General Zhou's concubine?" Wang Baole's head hurt when he thought of that.
However, Wang Baole heaved a sigh of relief when he thought of his great contribution. However, he still kept his guard up and went to Big Beard's tent. As soon as he arrived, he saw Zhou Lu standing outside. When their gazes met, Zhou Lu's expression was obviously a little more complicated. She glanced at Wang Baole before looking away and speaking calmly.
"The General is waiting for you."
Noticing the complicated look in the other party's eyes, Wang Baole's eyes flashed, but he didn't say anything. He looked at the military tent and strode towards it, stepping directly into it. He immediately saw General Zhou, whose back was facing him, standing in front of a map, dressed in a black military uniform.
When Wang Baole saw the mountainous figure, he immediately felt as if he was facing a huge Vulcan cannon. His breathing quickened slightly as he lowered his head and cupped his fists in a deep bow.
"Wang Baole greets General Zhou!"
"Wang Baole, you're here." General Zhou didn't turn around. He was still looking at the map in front of him.
Wang Baole raised his head and looked at General Zhou. After a moment's thought, he stepped forward and stood next to General Zhou. He looked at the map. He had noticed it before. It was a topographic map of the Seventh Line of Defense. Beyond the Seventh Line of Defense was a stretch of primordial land. Beyond that was a vast expanse of ocean.
"In this battle, the Seventh Line of Defense seems to have been partially breached, but in reality … from a strategic point of view, we have won!" General Zhou spoke slowly, raising his right hand and pointing at the ocean.
"The four Dao Colleges, the Senate, and other factions have launched a surprise attack on the Sea of Fearsome Beasts. Although we have suffered heavy casualties, we have killed the nine Beast Kings. We have ensured that the borders will be safe for at least the next twenty years!
"However, there are pros and cons to everything. The internal conflicts within the Federation, after decades of suppression, will definitely erupt within the next twenty years. When that time comes, the four Dao Colleges will find it difficult to stay out of the maelstrom. Only our military will remain aloof, so …" General Zhou paused and suddenly turned to look at Wang Baole.
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