144. The Outbreak of the Diamond Continent War

Udos was well aware that the greatest impact fell upon himself.

“Then let’s wait until my elder brother finishes handling matters here, and we will continue our cooperation. As for the security of the new base, rest assured, I will personally oversee it—nothing will go wrong.”

Pausing briefly, Udos continued, “The Tauren in Stormwind have reconciled with our Bear Clan, but many Tauren hidden elsewhere have yet to emerge. They might be unable to resolve this conflict. I’ve also heard that three of their original elders survived. Rumor has it they intend to unite all Tauren across the continent. Moreover, they are strongly opposed to the newly established Tauren Council of Elders. They declared that any council formed without their consent is illegitimate; they will neither recognize it nor hesitate to petition their chieftain to take action against these unauthorized councils.”

“Is that so?” Mo Fei felt a deep unease stirring within. Those ancient relics, long overdue for extinction, had suddenly reappeared. Why hadn’t Stormwind informed him? Had this just come to light? Regardless, Mo Fei dismissed those outdated elders with disdain. Their past negligence had reduced the Tauren from a formidable force to a weakened faction. Now, they still had the audacity to make such claims.

“Elder, dispatch someone over there and have our people meet with the Tauren elders settled in Stormwind. Tell them we support them. The original council elders must be held accountable for their past mistakes. They have no right or qualification to criticize. If they act recklessly, hmph, Elder, I trust you will instruct our stationed troops on how to respond, won’t you?”

Elder Orf, fully understanding the implications of Mo Fei’s words, nodded. After several fierce battles, casualties among the imperial soldiers had risen significantly. The Emperor’s heartache had only intensified his resolve for retaliation, giving rise to the subsequent counter-landing operational plans. These old Tauren elders were about to find themselves in serious trouble.

“Your Majesty, rest assured. I will handle this matter promptly.” Elder Orf knew this was no time for idle talk. “It’s likely that intelligence on this has already been reported. However, recently, Wade was assigned by Your Majesty to oversee the new recruit training camp and hasn’t had the chance to brief you.”

“That makes sense,” Mo Fei replied, absolving Wade of any blame. “We selected several officers from the Dorma Gardens, didn’t we? Have Wade review them, and if suitable, assign the responsibility to the most capable among them. Wade himself cannot be overwhelmed—I don’t want to see you all exhausted.”

“Your Majesty, Wade has long wished to delegate some tasks, but many procedures remain undefined. Thus, he hesitates to relinquish responsibilities prematurely. Perhaps we should let Wade establish a clear protocol first?”

“That’s true; that’s my fault.” Mo Fei chuckled modestly. Few emperors enjoyed leisure as much as he did, yet he had to shoulder much of the blame for the empire’s current mess.

“Then, elder brother, I won’t stay longer. I’m eager to resolve matters at the base. I’ll come by again later, or when you arrive in Stormwind, remember to notify me so we can discuss further,” Udos said, somewhat frustrated at being treated like an invisible presence. Better to focus on matters concerning his own people.

The Bear Clan chieftain, younger brother to the Emperor of the Death Empire, had come to his elder brother’s domain without even a sip of water before leaving. If anyone ignorant of the situation found out, who knew what they might say about Mo Fei?

Fortunately, Mo Fei understood his younger brother’s sincerity, and that was enough.

After returning to the Demon Continent through the magic array, Udos took Mo Fei’s words seriously. In response to the urgent redeployment, an elite force originally guarding the Bear Clan’s sacred land—seventy thousand strong—was immediately mobilized. Within days, they were fully armed and assembled before the magic array in Stormwind.

Udos had always believed things to be as they appeared. So, when he personally led his troops near Stormwind, he was taken aback to find the city already under martial law. The heavy gates were tightly shut, and the massive defensive ballistae along the walls were primed and ready. When he and his army were ordered to halt far outside the city, he could only smile wryly. He hadn’t expected such caution from Stormwind, but he understood it was not his elder brother Mo Fei’s doing—it was his own impatience.

...

When Stormwind finally received the imperial clearance, Udos grimly entered the city.

Fortunately, shortly after his forces arrived on the Diamond Continent, war erupted anew. It was unclear who had ignited the first spark, but after a rare period of peace, chaos had once again descended upon the land.

Udos witnessed two armies enter territory demarcated by Mo Fei, and near the docks, he noticed several individuals disguised as ordinary civilians. Yet, upon noticing their flickering eyes, he quickly determined they were enemy scouts. They clearly had their sights set on the equipment.

Though Udos dared not declare war on the Death Empire, that did not mean he feared these foes. Upon discovering their reconnaissance, he decisively ordered an attack. The Bear Clan’s previous performance had disappointed him. This war would serve as valuable training for his troops—a rare opportunity he refused to squander.

Aside from over ten thousand reorganized imperial garrison soldiers, the rest of the Bear Clan’s forces were deployed en masse. Thanks to the excellent scouting capabilities of the Death Empire, Udos had precise knowledge of enemy numbers, distance, and movements. He outright refused to believe that his one hundred thousand elite Bear warriors could be defeated by a mere eighty thousand opponents.

The army on the Diamond Continent, likely seeking quick gains, was unprepared for their meal to be denied.

They never expected this foreign force to strike first. Their local warlord had assumed their thirty-thousand-strong force would be enough to intimidate or evade with ease. What harm could these invaders do? He was wrong. If Mo Fei had been present, perhaps the losses would have been limited to material goods. Unfortunately, they faced a Bear Clan madman intent on honing his army through battle. Moreover, his intelligence was clearly outdated.

After the Bear Clan launched their attack, the warlord leading the enemy realized the magnitude of his error—beyond anything he could have imagined. Although the continent’s armies often engaged in warfare, that did not mean each was a seasoned, battle-hardened force.

Stationed far from the docks in a mountain bend, this local army had underestimated their foes. Even after dispatching scouts, they neglected basic defenses around their temporary camp. A single Bear Clan charge scattered their main camp. Under relentless assault by elite Bear warriors, the local forces failed to mount any effective resistance; only a handful escaped. The Bear Clan achieved a decisive victory.

However, when Udos tallied his own casualties, his face darkened. Despite the surprise and the enemy’s lack of organized defense, the cost was high. When another Bear commander reported losses, Udos’s excitement turned to gloom.

Over twenty-one thousand Bear warriors had perished, forty thousand were lightly wounded, and more than sixteen thousand were severely wounded and incapacitated. They had killed a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of their own. How could this not cloud Udos’s mood? What had become of the Bear Clan’s army? Were their warriors no longer capable?

Gone was the joy of victory. As Udos sighed to the heavens, the remaining Bear soldiers began reflecting on the battle.

There had been no coordination—just a chaotic charge matching the enemy’s own disarray. Though few enemies escaped, the Bears’ own disorder was costly. Only after victory did they realize the price paid was far too great.