I walk sideways in the game world

Sweat rolled down the soldier's forehead, creating tiny dust clouds on the dusty ground. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently, as if he would faint at any moment. "Your Highness... This is bad... The Black Iron Empire... The vanguard..."

Prince Jin's face instantly turned livid. He grabbed the soldier's shoulder and demanded, "Tell me! What happened to the Black Iron Empire's vanguard? Explain it to me!"

The soldier's lips trembled as he spoke haltingly, "They... they've already breached the Lion Pass on the border and are heading towards the royal city..."

"What?!" Prince Jin exclaimed, and the wine glass in his hand fell to the ground and shattered.

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin exchanged glances, each seeing the barely concealed shock and solemnity in the other's eyes. The Black Iron Empire's speed of action far exceeded their expectations. Lion Pass was the last barrier of the Royal City, and its fall meant that the Black Iron Empire's iron hooves would soon crush everything in the Royal City.

"The Dark Iron Empire's army is well-trained and well-equipped, and..." Prince Jin took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, "and they also possess terrifying black fire weapons that can burn everything..."

"Black fire weapon?" Ren Xiaoyao frowned. This term reminded him of a terrible weapon, but did such a thing really exist in this world?

Prince Jin nodded, his eyes filled with fear. "The Blackfire Weapon is the secret weapon of the Black Iron Empire. It's incredibly powerful. Once, a city-state rebelled against the empire and was razed to the ground by the Blackfire Weapon. No one was spared..."

Charlene couldn't help but gasp. Although she didn't understand military affairs, she understood what this meant. The Black Iron Empire's ambitions were clear; they wanted not just conquest, but destruction!

"We must unite with other tribes and city-states to fight against the Black Iron Empire!" Prince Jin clenched his fists and said firmly, "Only by uniting together can we defeat the enemy!"

"But..." Charlene looked troubled. "Will other tribes and city-states be willing to fight alongside us? Their trust in foreign city-states..."

Prince Jin fell silent. He knew what Charlene said was true. For a long time, there had been estrangement and suspicion between the foreign city-states and other tribes. How easy would it be to get them to put aside their past grudges and unite against a powerful enemy?

"I'll go convince them," Ren Xiaoyao suddenly said, his tone calm but firm. "The Black Iron Empire's ambition won't stop here. If we don't unite, they'll defeat us one by one, and eventually drag the entire world into the abyss!"

Prince Jin and Xia Lin looked at Ren Xiaoyao in surprise. They didn't expect that at this time, he would take the initiative to undertake such an important task.

"Xiaoyao..." Xia Lin looked at Ren Xiaoyao worriedly. She knew the danger of this mission, but she also understood that this was their only hope.

Ren Xiaoyao patted Xia Lin's shoulder, gave her a reassuring look, and then turned to look at Prince Jin. "Your Highness, please prepare a list of all the tribes and city-states that might ally with us. Time is running out, and we must act quickly!"

Prince Jin nodded solemnly, a glimmer of hope igniting in his eyes. He knew that the outcome of this war might depend on the outcome of Ren Xiaoyao's trip...

"I will do my best to cooperate with you," Prince Jin said firmly, "I hope..." He stopped talking halfway and looked into the distance with a complicated look, as if he saw something terrible.

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin followed his gaze and saw a dark cloud appearing in the distant sky. It was not a naturally formed cloud, but... "...It's the flying cavalry of the Black Iron Empire!" Prince Jin's face was pale and his voice trembled.

The dark clouds approached rapidly, and Ren Xiaoyao finally saw their true appearance. They were a group of soldiers riding on huge flying beasts. They were wearing black armor and holding sharp spears. They were like the god of death, emitting a terrifying murderous aura.

"How could they get here so quickly?!" Charlene exclaimed, her tone full of disbelief.

"It seems we've been discovered." Ren Xiaoyao's face was solemn, but he didn't panic. Instead, he quickly calmed down and analyzed the situation. "Your Highness, please immediately arrange for personnel to protect the people in the city. Xia Lin and I will find a way to hold them back!"

"But..." Prince Jin wanted to say something, but was interrupted decisively by Ren Xiaoyao.

"There is no time to hesitate! This is an order!" Ren Xiaoyao's tone was unquestionable. He pulled Xia Lin up and ran out of the city.

"Want to run? Not that easy!" A sneer came from the air, and then several black shadows swooped down, blocking the way of Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin.

"You go first, I'll stop them!" Ren Xiaoyao protected Xia Lin behind him and stared coldly at the enemy in front of him.

"Xiaoyao!" Xia Lin knew that Ren Xiaoyao was very powerful, but she also understood that when she was fighting against many enemies alone, her chances of winning were slim.

"Trust me!" Ren Xiaoyao gave Xia Lin a firm look, and then faced the enemy rushing towards him without hesitation.

His figure was as fast as lightning, his palms were fierce and powerful, and every move he made was like a thunderbolt, knocking down several Black Iron soldiers in an instant. However, the enemy was outnumbered and coordinated well, and although Ren Xiaoyao was brave, he gradually felt that he was unable to cope.

"Hmph, you overestimate your abilities!" The leading Black Iron officer sneered, waving the spear in his hand and stabbing towards Ren Xiaoyao.

Ren Xiaoyao dodged the attack by leaning sideways, and slapped the opponent's chest with his palm, knocking him away. However, at this moment, another Black Iron soldier rushed out from the side, and the spear in his hand pierced Ren Xiaoyao's chest with a whistling sound.

At the critical moment, Ren Xiaoyao suddenly lowered his head and barely avoided the fatal blow, but the sharp spear tip still left a bloody mark on his shoulder.

"Damn it!" Ren Xiaoyao cursed inwardly. He knew he couldn't continue fighting and had to escape as quickly as possible. He seized an opportunity, used his skills, and turned into a shadow, breaking out of the city.

"Chase! Don't let him run away!" The Black Iron officer roared and led the remaining soldiers to chase Ren Xiaoyao closely.

Ren Xiaoyao ran all the way, relying on his familiarity with the terrain to continuously shake off the pursuers behind him. However, the flying cavalry of the Black Iron Empire were no pushovers either, they chased him relentlessly, always keeping a certain distance from Ren Xiaoyao.

He knew that this was not a solution and he had to find a way to get rid of them. He looked around and his eyes fell on a dense forest, and an idea suddenly came to his mind.

He changed direction and plunged into the forest. The dense trees blocked out the sun and provided a natural cover for Ren Xiaoyao.

"Chase him! He must still be in the forest!" The Black Iron officer roared and led the soldiers into the forest.

However, after entering the forest, they realized they were wrong. The dense trees blocked their sight and they could not track Ren Xiaoyao's whereabouts at all.

"Damn it! Where did this guy go?!" the Black Iron officer roared angrily.

Ren Xiaoyao hid in the crown of a towering tree, looking at the Black Iron soldiers below who were running around like headless flies, with a sneer on his face.

He knew that he was out of danger for the time being.

"Next, it's time to convince those tribes..." He took a deep breath, looked into the distance with a firm gaze, and set off towards the first target tribe.

Xia Lin was anxiously waiting for news from Ren Xiaoyao. She knew that his journey was extremely dangerous, but she believed that he would be able to overcome the difficulties and complete his mission.

At this time, an elderly witch doctor came over. He looked at Xia Lin, his cloudy eyes gleaming with wisdom. "Child, you are the translator, right?"

Charlene raised her head, looked at the respected elder of the tribe, and nodded slightly. "Yes, old man, what can I do for you?"

The witch doctor sighed and spoke slowly, "The Dark Iron Empire's iron hoofs have crushed countless homes. Their ambition, like a ravenous beast, knows no bounds. Now, they have extended their claws to this pure land. We cannot sit idly by and wait for death."

Xia Lin understood the old witch doctor's meaning. Before Ren Xiaoyao left, he had told her that there were still some ancient tribes scattered across this continent. Although they were aloof from worldly affairs, they possessed great power. If they could be persuaded to unite and jointly resist the Black Iron Empire, there might be a glimmer of hope.

"Old man, I know what you're worried about," Xia Lin said firmly. "Xiaoyao has already gone. He will convince the other tribes to join us in fighting the Black Iron Empire."

"Child, your courage is admirable," the witch doctor's cloudy eyes seemed to see through everything. "But courage alone is not enough. You need wisdom, and even more so, strength." He pulled out an ancient animal hide scroll from his bosom and handed it to Xia Lin. "It contains some ancient defensive formations and weapon making methods. Perhaps it can help you."

Xia Lin solemnly accepted the scroll, her heart filled with gratitude. She knew that this was not just a gift, but also the old witch doctor's trust and expectations for them.

Over the next few days, Xia Lin traveled non-stop. Bringing interpreters with her, she visited various tribes and, using a language they could understand, explained the brutality and ambition of the Black Iron Empire, as well as Ren Xiaoyao's efforts to unite the tribes.

At first, many tribes were skeptical about Charlene's words. They had been isolated for too long and knew nothing about the outside world. They were also unwilling to get involved in this war.

But Charlene did not give up. She told the truth over and over again, telling of the atrocities of the Black Iron Empire and the stories of those who bravely fought for freedom and their homes. Her sincerity and persistence eventually moved the tribal leaders and tribesmen.

At the same time, Ren Xiaoyao also successfully persuaded the overlord of the desert, the Sand Wolf King, and the guardian of the top of the snow mountain, the Snow Girl. Their joining will undoubtedly add powerful strength to the alliance that is about to be formed.

As time went by, the army of the Black Iron Empire was getting closer and closer.

Under the guidance of the old witch doctor, Xia Lin and the craftsmen in the city, as well as the skilled craftsmen from various tribes who came to support them, worked day and night to make weapons and set up fortifications. The formations and weapons recorded in the ancient scrolls also began to show their amazing power.

Everyone is making final preparations for the upcoming decisive battle, and the air is filled with tension and anxiety.

"Is everything ready?" Ren Xiaoyao stood on the city wall and looked into the distance, where the army of the Black Iron Empire was already faintly visible.

"Ready." Charlene stood beside him and answered firmly.

In the distance, a dark army, like a black tide, slowly approached...

Ren Xiaoyao narrowed his eyes. The Black Iron Empire's army was approaching faster than he'd imagined. It looked like a battle was inevitable. "Where are the troops of the Sand Wolf King and the Snow Maiden?" he asked the messenger beside him.

The messenger knelt on one knee and replied respectfully, "Your Excellency, the Sand Wolf King's cavalry is on its way and is expected to arrive tomorrow morning. Lady Snow has also sent her elite guards, who are expected to arrive tonight."

Hearing this news, Ren Xiaoyao nodded slightly, feeling slightly relieved. The Sand Wolf King's cavalry was valiant and skilled in battle, the most formidable force in the desert. And the Snow Maiden's guards, each a formidable warrior proficient in ice magic, could at least withstand the Black Iron Empire's initial wave of attacks.

"Very good." Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath and glanced at the soldiers standing on the city wall, "Pass the order down. Everyone, prepare for battle and defend our homeland to the death!"

"We will defend our homeland to the death!" The soldiers on the city wall shouted in unison, their voices deafening and resounding through the sky.

As night fell, the city walls were brightly lit. The soldiers had resolute expressions, weapons in hand, and looked vigilantly into the distance.

Xia Lin came to Ren Xiaoyao, put a thick cloak on him, and said softly: "Xiaoyao, you haven't slept for two days and two nights. Rest for a while. I'm here."

Ren Xiaoyao shook his head, rejecting her offer. "I can't rest. Now is not the time to relax. The Black Iron Empire's army is coming with great force. We must be fully prepared to face the upcoming challenges."

He raised his head and looked at the dark night sky in the distance, where a meteor streaked across the sky, leaving behind a fleeting streak of light.

"Xia Lin," Ren Xiaoyao retracted his gaze and said in a heavy tone, "If we fail, this continent will fall into endless darkness. Therefore, we can only win, not lose!"

Xia Lin held his hand tightly and nodded firmly: "I believe you, Xiaoyao. We will win, we will definitely win!"

At this moment, a soldier hurriedly ran up to the city wall, knelt on one knee, and reported in a hurried tone: "Report! A large number of troops were spotted approaching outside the city!"

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin looked at each other, and a hint of solemnity flashed in their eyes.

coming!