Originally, it would've taken Tucker and his army two days to get back to the Tiger Whisker Pass.
However, by passing through a dug tunnel, they managed to reach their destination in half the time.
There, they rendezvoused with the remaining two thousand guards.
Although they had retaken the Tiger Whisker Pass, there was no time to relax. Knowing the spiritual
race was going to launch a counterattack at any given moment, Tucker hurriedly deployed his defense.
It took him a day to get his troops in position. By that time, the spy Tucker sent forwarded some
information that the army of the spiritual race was three miles away. According to the spy, it seemed
that their enemy didn't plan on resting on the way there.
"Hasn't Spiritual King Basil come back yet?" Tucker asked Deputy Commander Ma as soon as he
heard the news.
"Not yet." Deputy Commander Ma shook his head.
"Did something bad happen to him and his army?" Tucker looked nervous. He was worried that he
wasn't strong enough to lead his soldiers to triumph over the incoming enemy. In his eyes, Rocky was
their only hope.
"I don't think so. Spiritual King Basil is a smart and resourceful man. He'd be able to get himself out of
any kind of danger. Besides, he has an army of a thousand soldiers. If they didn't take the shortcut,
they should arrive at the same time as the army of the spiritual race," Deputy Commander Ma
concluded upon analyzing the situation.
"I hope he gets here in time. Otherwise, I'm afraid we won't be able to guard the Tiger Whisker Pass,"
Tucker murmured.
Unbeknownst to Tucker, Rocky and his army were not far from them. However, Rocky did not intend to
return to the Tiger Whisker Pass just yet; he still needed this army to complete another task.
"Maxwell," Rocky called.
"What can I do for you?" Maxwell asked. Judging from Rocky's grave expression, he could tell that he
was about to tell him something important.
"The army of the spiritual race will arrive at the Tiger Whisker Pass soon. If I'm not mistaken, they don't
plan on stopping to rest. Instead, they'll launch their attack on the Tiger Whisker Pass as soon as
possible, knowing Commander Wang and his men haven't had the time to settle down yet." Rocky
paused. Then, with a glint in his eye, he continued, "If that's the case, they must've left their food and
provisions unguarded!"
"Well, do you plan on cutting them off from their food and provisions?" Maxwell immediately understood
what Rocky was trying to say.
"Yes, but I have to go back to the Tiger Whisker Pass to help Commander Wang, so I need someone to
lead the team that will complete this task for me!" Rocky said seriously.
"What? Are you saying..." Maxwell's eyes widened.
"I need you to help me lead the team. Can you do it?" At present, the only person Rocky could trust
was Maxwell, and moreover, he believed in him.
"I..." Maxwell faltered hesitantly. It seemed he wasn't confident in himself.
"Quit stuttering! Can you finish the task or not?" Rocky asked in a stern voice. There was no time for
hesitation.
"Yes, I can. I won't let you down, even if it means risking my own life," Maxwell said determinedly,
puffing out his broad chest.
"That's what I wanted to hear. Don't worry. I won't let you fight alone. I'll leave the Purple-flaming
Phoenix to you. You just need to seize any opportunity to distract the troops guarding the food and
provisions. The rest will be up to the Purple-flaming Phoenix," Rocky assured him.
"Yes, sir!" Maxwell nodded resolutely.
After that, Rocky summoned all of the soldiers to explain the situation. At this point, the soldiers
admired Rocky so much that they had no objection to his orders.
"Everyone, whether we can defend the Tiger Whisker Pass or not depends on you," Rocky said,
locking eyes with the soldiers around him.
"We will guard the Tiger Whisker Pass!" All the soldiers shouted in unison.
Then, Rocky and Maxwell parted ways. Maxwell and his army went to ambush the area where Rocky
estimated their enemies' food and provisions were located. On the other hand, Rocky himself
continued heading towards the Tiger Whisker Pass.
Rocky arrived at the Tiger Whisker Pass, and so did the army of the spiritual race led by Phelps. As
expected, they launched an attack immediately without stopping to rest.
"Spiritual King Basil, you are finally back!" Tucker said excitedly. Seeing that Rocky had come to their
aid, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"What's the status report?" Rocky asked immediately.
"The entire army of the spiritual race is on the battle ring. They've already attacked our city walls. It's
estimated that our defenses will fall in four hours," Tucker said grimly, his expression darkening.
"The number of their soldiers is about triple that of our army, so we can't fight them head on." Rocky
scratched his chin, analyzing the situation carefully. "Besides, we're not strong enough to guard the
entire city. Our goal is to stall for time and wait for reinforcements."
"Do you have any ideas, Spiritual King Basil?" Tucker asked expectantly.
"The terrain of the Tiger Whisker Pass is flat, and there are few houses. Therefore, it is definitely
impossible to play guerrilla warfare in the underground way." Rocky was deep in thought, wracking his
brains for a solution. What he needed to do now was create a very advantageous condition for his side.
On one hand, he needed to resist the army of the spiritual race, and on the other hand, he needed to
buy time.
Just then, Rocky caught a glimpse of the rocks arched like eaves on the city walls. The Tiger Whisker
Pass was narrow on the outside and wide on the inside, and the rocks around the city walls were
protruding. The place was like a tiger's mouth and whiskers, hence its name.
Right now, the Tiger Whisker Pass's entrance was like a tiger's bloody mouth. What was the most
terrifying moment in a tiger's mouth? The answer was when it chomped down.
"I have an idea." Rocky's eyes flashed.
"Let's hear it!" Tucker felt a glimmer of hope.
"Aim for the rocks on the city walls!" Rocky's eyes narrowed as he spoke.
"The rocks on the city walls? Are you serious, Spiritual King Basil? Then the city walls will be destroyed
as well!" Tucker was dumbfounded. The city walls were the most important barrier for the Tiger Whisker
Pass. If they destroyed the rocks on the city walls, they would be left defenseless.
"Yes, the city walls will certainly be damaged, but once the rocks on the city walls explode, the pass of
the Tiger Whisker Pass will also shrink. The army of the spiritual race won't be able to come inside in
large numbers. Also, the enemy troops in the vicinity of the gates will suffer heavy casualties," Rocky
explained his plan to Tucker.
"What?" Tucker hesitated. He found that Rocky's strategy was not bad, but it was also risky.
"Commander Wang, if you don't think it's a good idea, we can think of other solutions. But I'm afraid
that we are running out of time!" Seeing that Tucker was still hesitating, Rocky warned him.
"Well, I'll do whatever you want us to do." Tucker had no other choice but to listen to
Rocky.
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