Night fell, and they were still one thousand kilometers away from the northern border of the South Pole Region.

The camp of the three hundred thousand-strong Orc Army spread out in the darkness, stretching for dozens of miles, disappearing from sight.

Gray tents were packed densely, extending from the hills in the east to the west, resembling a forest of gray-white mushrooms.

Thousands upon thousands of campfires illuminated the entire camp as bright as day; the firelight lit up the low-hanging clouds, and from afar, it looked like a sea of burning fire.

Orc Infantry sat around the fires; some were gnawing on bones, some were sharpening axes, and others were whispering to each other.

Ten miles outside the camp, Direwolf Cavalry stood guard every hundred paces, riding gray Wolfmounts the size of oxen, patrolling back and forth in the darkness.

The green eyes of the Wolfmounts were like flickering ghost fires in the night, their nostrils puffing out white mist, occasionally emitting a low whimper.

The cavalrymen crouched on the wolves' backs, double-edged battle axes hanging at their sides, their tusks protruding outward, their eyes scanning every movement in the darkness like falcons.

In the center of the camp, a massive tent stood three times higher than the others.

The walls of the tent, made of mammoth hide, were as thick as a wall, shimmering with a dull luster under the torchlight.

Dozens of battle flags were planted on the roof of the tent, featuring a white wolf on a black background, with its mouth wide open and tusks protruding, flapping loudly in the night wind.

On either side of the tent entrance stood an Orc guard nearly three meters tall, holding a double-edged battle axe, their tusks protruding.

Their breathing was heavy and slow, like two tireless bellows.

Inside the large tent, the candlelight was bright; three thick candles made of animal fat burned on a bronze stand, their flames flickering slightly in the draft, casting long and short shadows on the tent walls.

In the center of the tent was a huge round table covered with a sheepskin map, on which every city-level territory, mountain range, and river in the South Pole Region was marked with black ink.

The candlelight shone on the map, making those black markings stand out starkly.

At the head of the left side, Blood Axe Gorong sat upright on a stone chair.

He was nearly three meters tall, with his giant axe, Bone Crusher, standing beside his chair; his fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, his gaze fixed on the map on the round table.

At the head of the right side sat another burly Orc chieftain, Hammer Skull Salgar.

He was half a head shorter than Gorong, but his shoulders were broader, and his body was covered in knotted muscles.

Leaning against his hand was a giant beast bone club; the club was entirely pale, with several blunt tusks embedded in its head, emitting a faint golden light.

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze lowered, like a dozing beast.

The stone chair in the main seat was half a foot higher than the other seats, and the back of the chair was covered with a whole white mammoth ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) hide, the fur shimmering with a silvery luster in the candlelight.

The Orc sitting on it was a size larger than both Gorong and Salgar, nearly four meters tall.

His face was largely obscured by the shadow of his crown, revealing only a pair of dark red eyes, like two burning charcoal fires.

Orc King Saruk folded his hands over his abdomen, his gaze fixed on the map on the round table, and after a moment of silence, he spoke.

His voice was deep and resonant, carrying an unquestionable pressure: "How many more days of marching until we reach the South Pole Region?"

Gorong straightened up, pressing his right fist to his chest, his voice booming: "Lord Saruk, our army is currently marching fifteen hours a day; we expect to arrive at the northern border of the human South Pole Region in five to six days."

He paused, walked to the map, and traced a few lines with his finger, "There are three optimal routes from the north of the South Pole Region to Beacon Fire Territory."

"Among them, the route passing through Dongzhi City is the shortest, followed by Jialou City, and Qiandai City is the furthest. Which route should our army take?"

Saruk stood up and walked slowly to the giant round table in the center of the large tent.

He rested his hands on the edge of the table, his dark red eyes sweeping over the three cities marked on the map, his voice steady and decisive.

"The main army will first attack Qiandai City in the far east. On the first day, we will feign an attack to draw all the human main forces over."

Gorong and Salgar leaned forward simultaneously, their eyes fixed on the map.

"At dawn on the second day, our army will launch a full-scale attack. I will personally lead the team to hold back the high-level human main forces."

Saruk tapped the map twice, "And the two of you, each leading ten level-39 subordinates and thirty thousand troops, will take Kara Holy City and Osaka Castle through the teleportation array."

He looked up, dark red flames dancing in his eye sockets, "After taking them, you can each replenish an additional ten thousand troops and one level-39 Orc Sword Saint."

"After regrouping, concentrate eighty thousand troops and twenty-four high-level combatants to attack Beacon Fire Territory directly, aiming to take it in one day."

A gleam flashed in Gorong's eyes, and the knuckles of the hand gripping Bone Crusher cracked: "Lord Saruk, this plan is brilliant! As long as we implement this plan, the humans in the South Pole Region can be wiped out in no time!"

Salgar also grinned, his tusks shining with a pale light in the candlelight: "Beacon Fire Territory is just a county-level territory; taking it in one day is more than enough."

Saruk waved his hand, a trace of gravity flashing in his dark red eyes: "We must also initiate the backup plan. Although Beacon Fire Territory is only a county-level territory, the Lord of Beacon Fire Territory should not yet be able to use Destiny Awakening."

"But what if, in these few days, Beacon Fire Territory upgrades to a city-level territory? Under the current situation where I cannot use Destiny Awakening, it would be impossible to conquer Beacon Fire Territory."

The smiles on Gorong and Salgar's faces froze simultaneously.

They, of course, knew what Destiny Awakening was; in the face of a powerhouse with Destiny Awakening, numbers had lost their meaning.

It was an existence that could easily kill dozens of Third Rank powerhouses alone.

Salgar took a deep breath and asked in a low voice: "Lord Saruk, what is the backup plan?"

Saruk took out nine dark red crystals from his bosom and held them in his palm.

The crystals were about the size of eggs, their surfaces covered in fine cracks, from which a dark red light shone.

He placed the crystals on the round table, the nine blood-colored crystals lined up on the map, their dark red light reflecting on the sheepskin paper like nine drops of solidified blood.

"According to intelligence, the wonder of Beacon Fire Territory has extremely strong defensive properties, and at critical times, it can quickly unify the South Pole Region, which is very troublesome."

Saruk's finger slowly slid over the crystals, "These are Sealing Blood Crystals. Each one can prevent territories within a thirty-mile radius from initiating surrender. There are fifteen human city-level territories in the South Pole Region; excluding Kara Holy City, Osaka Castle, Dongzhi City, and Zhenyue City, there are eleven remaining."

He looked up, his dark red gaze sweeping over Gorong and Salgar, "There are nine Sealing Blood Crystals here. You two should each send experts skilled in infiltration to place the blood crystals around the nine city-level territories."

"In this way, even if Beacon Fire Territory upgrades to a city-level territory within these few days, our clan can still conquer most of the human city-level territories and gain an absolute advantage in troops."

"When the seal is lifted—" He paused, his mouth slowly spreading into a grin, revealing a mouthful of sharp tusks.

"I will personally lead the team to destroy Beacon Fire Territory and cut off the head of the Lord of Beacon Fire Territory as a collectible."

Dark red flames ignited in Gorong's eyes, and he pounded his right fist against his chest, his voice as loud as thunder: "Lord Saruk is wise! Humans are best at infighting; if they had surrendered to Beacon Fire Territory early, we wouldn't have had a chance, no matter how capable we are."

Salgar also nodded and said in a low voice: "So these nine Sealing Blood Crystals are the key. Without a way out, those city-level territories will have to fight on their own, and then breaking them one by one will be easy."

Saruk's dark red gaze fell on the candle flame, and the smile on his lips deepened a little.

He did not speak, but he was already calculating in his heart that once the power of Destiny Awakening was completely unleashed and Beacon Fire Territory was taken, this world would ultimately belong to the Orcs.

Gorong and Salgar looked at each other, pressed their right fists to their chests simultaneously, and said in unison: "We will go and make arrangements immediately; we will certainly not fail our mission!"

The two turned and strode out of the large tent.

The tent curtain fell, and Saruk was left alone in the large tent.

He turned and walked back to the main seat, sitting down.

His dark red gaze flickered in the candlelight, like two flames that would never be extinguished.