Ahead lay a series of continuous mountain ranges, with a total of five fortified mountain cities spread across the area. The most time-efficient and effective strategy was to draw the enemy out and eliminate them all at once.
The 150 warships formed a straight line, advancing steadily towards their target.
If too much time was spent here, it would undoubtedly disrupt the entire battle line's rhythm.
Therefore, it was crucial to conquer these cities as quickly as possible, ensuring the coherence of the entire horizontal front.
With a lazy expression, Liu Chaochao stepped onto the deck and said, "Follow me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Chaochao left the deck, speeding towards the city ahead. In just a few moments, he arrived in the sky above the city.
Whoosh!
A sound of wind-breaking echoed as Wang Qiongxing, responsible for this area, also flew over from a distance.
Earlier, he had received Lin Qian's orders to assist in this area and to strike as soon as the Blackhorn soldiers emerged, working with the Imperial Army to resolve the battle swiftly.
Despite Lin Qian's orders, Wang Qiongxing was puzzled. How could the enemy possibly come out voluntarily without their formations being breached?
Nevertheless, he followed orders and arrived at the scene.
The Imperial Army's movement from the warships wasn't unusual, but what caught Wang Qiongxing's attention was a lone figure hovering close to the enemy's mountain fortress.
"What's he doing? Is he planning to break the formation by himself?" Wang Qiongxing was utterly confused, unable to grasp the situation.
Not only him, but within the mountain fortress, the Blackhorn soldiers stationed there had also noticed the figure.
The Blackhorn commander, standing at the forefront, narrowed his blood-red eyes, his face showing a hint of agitation as he stared at Liu Chaochao, who was hovering in the sky. He couldn't fathom what the opponent was trying to do.
"Ahem, Blackhorn soldiers in the fortress," Liu Chaochao cleared his throat twice, adjusting his voice before amplifying it with soul power to shout towards the fortress, "I'm not singling you out, but you're all trash, you know that?"
Cough, cough... Wang Qiongxing, hovering in the distance, couldn't help but cough awkwardly at Liu Chaochao's words, feeling both amused and helpless. "You just called them trash directly, and you say you're not singling them out?"
The Blackhorn commander and his troops around him were visibly displeased, their faces darkening.
"You human—" the Blackhorn commander began to retort, his voice amplified by soul power, but Liu Chaochao rudely cut him off.
"What do you mean, 'you'? What right do you have to speak to me? You're nothing but a coward hiding in a fortress."
"That's right, living in a turtle shell suits you Blackhorn soldiers well. After all, stepping out to fight is no different from walking to your death, right?"
The Blackhorn commander's veins bulged in anger, a nameless fury rising within him as he growled, "You damned human—"
"Hahaha! You're hilarious! You can't even muster the courage to speak up. Or maybe you're all a bunch of women, speaking so softly that I can't hear you?"
"Of course, I don't expect you to argue. After all, you've been cowards for so long."
"Look at your angry faces, clearly enraged because I exposed the truth. I'm just someone who speaks his mind. If you're upset, come out here and fight me!"
"I—"
As soon as the Blackhorn commander opened his mouth, Liu Chaochao interrupted with feigned regret, "I'm sorry, I almost forgot you're all weaklings. Coming out to fight me is probably something you don't have the guts to do."
"But let's say you do come out to fight; it would be no different from walking to your deaths. After all, you're too weak. I could easily take on ten thousand of you alone."
"How about this, I'll be merciful and give you a chance to run away. Go on, scram!"
"Arrrrgh!" A furious roar erupted from the Blackhorn commander, his soul power flaring up as he seethed with rage. "Everyone, follow me! I'm going to kill that bastard, I swear I'll slaughter this wretch!"
The Blackhorn commander charged out of the fortress's protective array, leading the charge with the rest of the Blackhorn soldiers following in blind fury, rushing towards Liu Chaochao.
"Did... Did that actually work?" Wang Qiongxing's jaw dropped in disbelief. In all his years, he had never seen anything like this—a single person provoking an entire city's worth of Blackhorn soldiers into a blind rage, driving them to charge out.
"Wait a minute!" Wang Qiongxing quickly realized something wasn't right. No matter how harsh Liu Chaochao's words were, it shouldn't have driven the commander to such madness.
Inside the temporary war hall, Lin Qian reached out and summoned a general's data card, displaying Liu Chaochao's information.
This general was one Lin Qian had named himself, obtained during an April Fools' event because of his unique abilities. As a result, Lin Qian hadn't disbanded him, keeping him as a trump card for specific situations.
Liu Chaochao's special ability was particularly effective in unexpected ways, a surprising tactic at times.
When activated, Liu Chaochao's skill could rapidly increase the enemy's hatred towards him, pushing them into an uncontrollable rage. The skill's name was quite fitting too: "Five Taunts Per Second!"
As he saw the army charging towards him, Liu Chaochao spread his hands innocently, turning back to signal, "Go ahead."
"Same old trick, but it sure works," one of the soldiers chuckled while shaking his head, then his expression turned serious as the battle was about to begin.
However, without the protection of their fortress's array, the Blackhorn soldiers were nothing but lambs to the slaughter against the Imperial Army, especially with Wang Qiongxing overseeing the battle.
The massacre began.
After the battle ended, the warships moved past the mountain fortress. Wang Qiongxing glanced at the Windbreakers who had begun cleaning up the battlefield and then at the untouched fortress array, sighing in amazement. "This is the first time I've seen a battle won without breaking the array."
When they reached the next nearby fortress, Liu Chaochao once again flew ahead alone, stretching lazily before cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting towards the fortress.
"Hey, you Blackhorn garbage—"
"Who dares to spout such nonsense?"
Liu Chaochao grinned, activating his "Five Taunts Per Second" skill. "I'm your father, and I'm here to beat you down."
"Your father is here. Come out and meet your doom."