The night sky gradually faded away, and a hint of paleness appeared faintly on the eastern horizon, but the battlefield was still shrouded in heavy shadows.

The first ray of dawn had not yet completely torn through the night sky, and the entire battlefield was covered in a hazy darkness, as if it was the boundary between night and day, quiet and full of unknowns.

“Whoosh–” a rocket streaked across the sky, trailing a bright tail flame, shooting into the sky from a distant battlefield, making a sharp “crackling” sound.

It was like a meteor, breaking the silence of the night, announcing that a new round of battle was about to begin.

Then, a rumbling sound of war drums came from afar, as if the earth was shaking.

The drum sound is the horn of war and the signal for the soldiers to charge. It echoes in the air and stirs the hearts of every soldier.

Lin Zhongyun was crouching in a low bush, watching the war in the distance calmly.

There was no panic in his eyes, only determination and calmness, as if he was a rock, standing firm in this chaotic battlefield.

His face was covered with dirt and sweat, but his eyes were still bright and determined.

Even in such a harsh environment, his eyes still revealed an unyielding light, as if he could penetrate the darkness and see the dawn of hope.

“The war has started again…” He whispered, with a hint of calm analysis in his tone, “It seems that the main force of the Northern Barbarians has begun to act.” His voice was low and powerful, revealing a deep understanding of the situation and his prediction of the future.

He turned his head to look at the team behind him. Several of his confidants and guards were hiding in the bushes, holding their breath and not daring to make a sound.

Their eyes were full of trust in Lin Zhongyun, as if nothing was impossible as long as he was there.

Lin Zhongyun slowly raised his head and scanned the surroundings. His eyes were as sharp as a hunter’s, not missing any details and predicting every possible danger in advance.

They had already lurked at the edge of the front line, only a few hundred steps away from the Northern Barbarians’ defense line.

However, compared with the previous time, the patrols of the Northern Barbarians have obviously become more frequent, which means that the enemy’s vigilance has increased, and any negligence may lead to the annihilation of the entire army.

“The patrols of the Northern Barbarians are becoming more and more strict.” Lin Zhongyun said in a low voice, with a solemn look in his eyes, “It seems that they have noticed our intentions.” There was a hint of worry in his voice, but more of it was a calm analysis of the battle situation.

He looked up at the distant sky. The night was about to be replaced by dawn, and the arrival of dawn meant that their actions would become more dangerous.

The cover of night is their cover; once day breaks, they will be exposed to the enemy’s sight.

“We must break out of the encirclement as soon as possible.” Lin Zhongyun said in his heart, with a hint of coldness in his eyes, “Otherwise, when the sky is bright, we will have nowhere to hide.”

His determination was as firm as steel and would not tolerate any hesitation or retreat.

He turned his head to look at the team behind him, and saw fatigue written all over the faces of several of his confidants and guards.

The long period of lurking and marching had pushed their physical and mental strength to the limit, but even so, their eyes still shone with an unyielding fighting spirit.

“Find a secluded place and rest for a while.” Lin Zhongyun ordered in a low voice, with a hint of calm majesty in his tone.

His orders were concise and powerful, and every word revealed his care for the team and his control over the battle situation.

Several confidants nodded, and then followed Lin Zhongyun to move quietly to a low-lying grassland.

The terrain here provided them with natural cover, allowing them to temporarily avoid the enemy’s sight.

The terrain here is low and surrounded by bushes and weeds, making it a good place to hide temporarily.

Lin Zhongyun looked around and confirmed that the place was safe. They could take a short rest here and recover their strength.

“Let’s rest here for a while.” Lin Zhongyun said in a low voice, then leaned against a big rock, his eyes still scanning the surroundings vigilantly.

Although his body was relaxed, his mind was as tight as a bowstring, ready to deal with any situation that might arise.

Several confidants sat down one after another, some leaned against the tree trunk with their eyes closed, and some lowered their heads to check their weapons and equipment.

Although their bodies were exhausted, their expressions were still full of vigilance, for they knew that the cruelty of war would not be alleviated in the slightest because of their fatigue.

Lin Zhongyun’s eyes swept over the team around him. Although their faces were full of fatigue, he knew that these people were his most loyal subordinates and his most reliable force at present.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. Although the current situation was full of danger, he knew that as long as he could break through the encirclement of the Northern Barbarians and join forces with the army outside, all problems would be solved.

“The closer we are to the flames of war, the closer we are to breaking out of the encirclement.” Lin Zhongyun whispered, with a hint of determination in his tone, “As long as we hold on for a while longer, we will be able to escape from danger.”

He paused, a cold light flashed in his eyes: “Although the Northern Barbarians’ defense is tight, their attention is more focused on the battlefield. As long as we seize the opportunity, we will definitely find a breakthrough.”

At this moment, an indescribable complex emotion emerged in Lin Zhongyun’s heart.

He was deeply aware that the reason these soldiers who had followed him until now were able to persevere was not only because of their loyalty to him, but also because of their firm belief in the rebel army and their beautiful hope for the future.

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard.” Lin Zhongyun gently expressed his condolences to them, and his tone revealed a soothing power. “Hold on for a while, we will soon be able to reunite with the main force.”

Although his words were simple, they contained a powerful persuasive power, like lighting a bright lamp in the darkness, bringing the light of hope to everyone present.

Hearing Lin Zhongyun’s words, several confidants couldn’t help but nod in agreement, and the fatigue on their faces seemed to have eased.

They firmly believed that as long as they followed Lin Zhongyun, they would be able to find a way out and escape their current predicament.

Although the war was still raging in the distance, the rumbling of war drums and the sound of rockets streaking through the sky intertwined together, as if playing a prelude to the upcoming fierce battle.

Lin Zhongyun looked up at the sky. The first ray of dawn had begun to shine on the earth, and the entire battlefield gradually emerged from the darkness.

“Time is running out.” Lin Zhongyun muttered to himself, his eyes revealing a hint of determination and coldness, “We must act immediately.”

He stood up and whispered an order: “Rest time is over, prepare for action. Remember, we must remain absolutely quiet and not let the enemy discover our whereabouts.”

Several confidants quickly stood up, they quickly and orderly arranged their equipment, and returned to the battle state. Although there was a hint of tension in their eyes, there was more determination and determination.

Lin Zhongyun took a deep breath, and his eyes swept across the defense line ahead with a firm and cold look. He knew clearly that every step forward would be a dangerous challenge, but he had no other choice.

“The encirclement of the Northern Barbarians will never be able to trap me, Lin Zhongyun.” He whispered to himself, his tone full of unshakable confidence, “As long as I, Lin Zhongyun, am still alive, I will definitely be able to lead everyone out of the encirclement.”

……

After a short rest, Lin Zhongyun slowly stood up and glanced around coldly.

His figure appeared particularly tall and straight in the faint light of dawn. Although his body was already exhausted, his every move still revealed a sense of calmness and determination.

“Everyone, get ready to go.” Lin Zhongyun said in a low voice, with a hint of unquestionable majesty in his tone.

Several trusted men stood up, quickly put their equipment in order, and returned to combat.

Their expressions were still tired, but there was more determination and trust in their eyes.

“Crawl forward and be sure to keep quiet.” Lin Zhongyun continued, his voice was very low, but it was clearly heard by everyone, “We don’t have much time left, we must break through the defense line as soon as possible.”

Several confidants nodded, then lay down silently, close to the ground, and slowly crawled forward.

Lin Zhongyun walked at the front of the team. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s, and he was always alert to the movements around him.

As the team moved forward, the surrounding environment became more and more dangerous. Northern Barbarian patrols frequently appeared in sight, holding spears and torches, and scanning the surroundings vigilantly, as if any slight movement would attract their attention.

“Stop!” Lin Zhongyun suddenly ordered in a low voice, and he quickly lay down and hid in the grass.

Several confidants immediately stopped their actions, held their breath, and huddled close to the ground, not daring to make any sound.

On the distant horizon, the figures of the patrol team gradually became clear. They approached this side slowly and steadily. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the empty fields, as if every step struck heavily on everyone’s heart.

A confidant clenched his fist nervously and prayed silently in his heart: “Let’s get out of here quickly…”

His forehead was already covered with nervous sweat, as if he could sense the impending danger.

Finally, after a long and tense wait, the patrol team began to slowly move away, and the light of the torches in their hands was gradually swallowed up by the darkness.

After confirming that the patrol team had left, Lin Zhongyun slowly raised his head, with a sharp light in his eyes: “Keep going, but be more cautious.”

The team started moving again, but this time they moved much slower, and everyone was careful to avoid making any noise that might attract attention.

Every step forward requires great effort and patience, because the density of patrols is increasing, and any carelessness may lead to being discovered, resulting in the annihilation of the entire army.

Although the progress was extremely slow, there was no trace of anxiety on Lin Zhongyun’s face.

His eyes remained calm and firm, as if everything was within his expectations and under his control.

“We have come this far, we must not be impatient.” Lin Zhongyun kept reminding himself in his heart, “The closer we are to the goal, the more careful we must be, and we cannot make any mistakes.”

He knew very well that being able to break through here was already an almost impossible miracle.

If it weren’t for the intensified conflict between Chagan Uli and Hailanhak, which caused cracks in the Beiman’s defense line, they would never have had the chance to approach the front line.

But precisely because of this, they must not give up at this critical moment.

“If we give up now, it would be a betrayal to Yuan Jingxin and the entire rebel army.”

He told himself silently in his heart, with a determined light in his eyes, “No matter what, I will lead everyone to break through the siege.”

He glanced at the team behind him. Although the movements of several trusted men had become slow, there was no sign of giving up on their faces. Everyone persisted silently.

At this moment, a complex emotion emerged in Lin Zhongyun’s heart.

He knew that the reason these people had been able to hold on until now was not only because of their loyalty to him, but also because of their belief in the rebel army and their desire for victory.

“Yuan Jingxin once led the army to rescue Li Zhongwu at the risk of his life. Every member of the righteous army has given everything for victory, and I, Lin Zhongyun, must not let them down.”

Lin Zhongyun told himself firmly in his heart, with a cold determination in his eyes, “As long as I am still alive, I will lead everyone out of this desperate situation.”

In the distance, the flames of war were still raging, and the sharp sound of rockets cutting through the sky could be heard from time to time, adding a suffocating sense of oppression to this originally silent wilderness.

Lin Zhongyun looked up at the sky. The first ray of dawn had already spread to the earth, and the entire battlefield gradually emerged from the darkness.

He realized clearly that they didn’t have much time left.

“We must find a breakthrough point as soon as possible.” Lin Zhongyun thought to himself, with a cold light flashing in his eyes, “Once we break through the enemy’s encirclement and successfully join forces with the rebels outside, all problems will be solved.”

He stopped and warned the team behind him in a low voice: “The patrols ahead are becoming more dense. Everyone must be careful and not make any noise.”

Several close associates nodded in understanding. Although there was a hint of nervousness in their eyes, there was more determination and resoluteness.

They knew very well that this battle was not only about their own life and death, but also about the future and destiny of the entire rebel army.

Lin Zhongyun took a deep breath and swept his gaze across the defense line in front of him with a firm look. His eyes revealed an unyielding will.

His hand slowly tightened around the long sword at his waist, and his tone was low and full of determination: “The encirclement of the Northern Barbarians will never trap us.”

“As long as we have a breath left, we will be able to fight our way out.”

At this critical moment, as if the heavens had heard their firm belief, the front line of defense suddenly became chaotic, and the situation seemed to be turning around. (End of this chapter)