Dragon Monarch System Chapter 1285:- Anti Emperor Faction Camp Discussion [III]

"Just look at how many Seventh Order cultivators we have gathered here. Including everyone, our side has close to six or seven Seventh Order cultivators."

This was one of the main reasons why Malakor felt so confident about tomorrow’s battle. Not only did the Anti-Emperor Faction possess an enormous advantage in the number of ordinary soldiers, but they also had more Seventh Order cultivators than the Emperor Faction, at least according to the information currently available.

Furthermore, the Seventh Order cultivators on their side were not weak individuals. "Let’s not forget that Aditya alone has three subordinates who have reached the Seventh Order." Malakor said. What he did not know was that soon that number could change from three to four.

He then glanced toward Lou Han and the other powerful cultivators sitting inside the tent. "Each of them is extremely powerful in their own right. They have enough strength to fight against the strongest cultivators serving Ren."

"And if we include Boris and myself, that means there are already five Seventh Order cultivators among the people closest to Aditya." In other words, even without counting the other powerful cultivators who had joined the Anti-Emperor Faction, Aditya already had five Seventh Order cultivators who were personally loyal to him or closely connected to him.

Three of them were his own subordinates, while the remaining two were Boris and Malakor Harrington. This was an extremely powerful group. After all, most Empires would consider themselves fortunate to possess even a few Seventh Order cultivators.

Yet Aditya had managed to gather several such powerful individuals around him. And when the other Seventh Order cultivators supporting the Anti-Emperor Faction were included, their total number increased to approximately six or seven.

"Now compare our strength with Ren’s remaining forces. Even if he has four Seventh Order cultivators left, we still have the advantage in numbers. And if our information is correct and he only has three, then our advantage becomes even greater."

"As long as we fight carefully and don’t make any serious mistakes, I don’t see why we should be so worried about tomorrow."

Several commanders nodded in agreement. From their perspective, Malakor’s reasoning made perfect sense. Their army was much larger, their soldiers were in better condition, and they appeared to possess more Seventh Order cultivators than the enemy. Furthermore, the Emperor Faction had already suffered enormous losses during the first day of the war.

Under such circumstances, it was difficult for the commanders to imagine how Ren could possibly turn the situation around. However, Boris did not appear convinced. Instead, the old man slowly nodded his head.

"What you’re saying is true." Boris admitted.

Hearing this, Malakor looked at him. "If we only consider the information currently available to us, then yes, our side has a massive advantage. We have more soldiers, more Seventh Order cultivators, and much better chances of winning tomorrow."

"However, there’s something my years of experience have taught me. War is not something that always goes according to our expectations."

Hearing the sudden seriousness in his voice, everyone became quiet. This line becomes even more significant because it was Boris who said these words; the very same man who had ruled the Celestial Dragon Empire for more than 20,000 years.

"When a person realises that he is about to lose everything, he can become extremely desperate. And when someone becomes desperate enough, he might be willing to do things that he would never normally consider."

Boris looked toward Malakor. "Ren is currently facing that exact situation."

"Think about it. Today, he lost approximately three hundred thousand soldiers, with another fifty thousand suffering injuries. On top of that, four Seventh Order cultivators from his side were killed. His army has suffered terrible damage, and his chances of winning this war have decreased significantly."

"Do you really think Ren will simply accept defeat after everything he has done to obtain the throne?"

He knows that if he loses this war, he will lose his position as Emperor. And considering everything he has done, surrendering might not even guarantee his survival."

"Because of this, I believe he will be willing to take enormous risks to avoid losing. And that’s exactly what worries me."

One of the commanders slowly frowned. "Lord Boris, are you saying that Ren might have some kind of hidden plan?"

"That’s certainly possible." Boris replied.

"But there’s something even more important that we must not forget."

Boris’s expression became even more serious. "Ren has connections with that mysterious organisation."

The atmosphere inside the tent immediately changed. Everyone knew that Ren had received support from a mysterious organisation whose true strength and intentions were still not completely understood.

Although they had gathered some information about this organisation, there were still many things they did not know. Most importantly, they did not know exactly how many powerful cultivators the organisation possessed. "We already know that Ren has been working with them. However, we don’t know how much support they’re willing to provide him."

"What if that organisation decides to send its own Seventh Order cultivators to help Ren tomorrow?"

"Right now, we’re assuming that Ren only has three or four Seventh Order cultivators remaining. But what if the organisation sends another three or four to support him? Or what if they send even more?"

Nobody immediately answered. After all, they had no way of knowing how powerful the mysterious organisation truly was. If it possessed several Seventh Order cultivators and decided to send them to the battlefield, the balance of power could change very quickly.

"The possibility of that organisation sending powerful cultivators to help Ren is quite high. After all, they’ve already invested time and resources into supporting him. If Ren loses this war, whatever plans they have involving the Celestial Dragon Empire could also fail."

"Because of this, I don’t believe they’ll simply stand aside and watch him lose without doing anything."

Hearing this, Malakor slowly narrowed his eyes. He had to admit that Boris had raised an important point. A point that he had almost overlooked because he felt like victory was just within their reach.

"This is why I’m telling everyone not to become too relaxed simply because we currently have the upper hand. Yes, we have the advantage. At least, that’s what we believe based on everything we’ve seen today. However, we don’t know how many more cards our enemies are still hiding."

"Today’s battle was only the first day of the war. Just because Ren didn’t use something today doesn’t mean he doesn’t have it. He might have been saving some of his strongest forces for a more important moment. Or perhaps he’s already asking that mysterious organisation to send him additional support."

"We simply don’t know. And that’s exactly why we need to remain careful."

"I would rather prepare for an enemy who turns out to be weaker than expected than underestimate an enemy who suddenly reveals enough strength to destroy our entire army."

Hearing this, Malakor remained silent for a few seconds. Then, he slowly nodded his head. "You’re right."

He let out a small sigh before continuing. "I was only considering the strength that Ren currently has available. I didn’t properly consider the possibility of that mysterious organisation sending additional cultivators to help him."

"If they decide to interfere directly, tomorrow’s battle could become much more difficult than we expect."

"Then we should prepare ourselves for that possibility. Even if Ren doesn’t receive any additional support, there’s no harm in being ready."

"That’s what I’ve been trying to say."

The other commanders also nodded their heads. After listening to Boris’s explanation, everyone understood why he had been so cautious.

However, just as Boris was about to continue discussing tomorrow’s preparations, one of the Dukes sitting near the end of the table suddenly raised his hand.

"Lord Boris, may I ask something?"

Boris turned toward him. "Of course. Go ahead."

The Duke hesitated for a moment before speaking in a very respectful tone. "May I ask where His Majesty Aditya is? I noticed that he hasn’t attended tonight’s meeting."

Hearing this question, several other nobles also turned their attention toward Boris. Although nobody had mentioned it until now, they had all noticed Aditya’s absence. After all, Aditya was the supreme commander of the Anti-Emperor Faction.

Normally, someone holding such an important position would be expected to attend a meeting where the plans for the final battle were being discussed.

Not to mention, Aditya did not attend the first meeting that was held before the first battle started. He was the supreme Commander, yet he was absent both times that a meeting was held. However, none of the nobles had dared to question his absence without knowing the reason. Boris smiled slightly after hearing the Duke’s question.

"Oh, Aditya?"

"He’s currently resting in his tent."

"After everything he did on the battlefield today, he was simply too exhausted to attend this meeting. Not to mention the serious injuries he suffered while fighting Andris. Although he’s receiving proper treatment, his body still needs time to recover."

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