Ning Song was preparing to leave, but Qian Ye couldn’t hold back any longer. He grabbed him and asked, “Explain things clearly before you go.”
Ning Song brushed off Qian Ye’s hand and said, “It’s not something that can be explained clearly. If the time comes, there will be no way to avoid it. Whether you’re willing to save me or not is up to you.”
“What trouble have you gotten into again?”
“What kind of trouble could I get into? If it weren’t for your dream of ascending to the Sacred Mountain, would I even be here?”
Qian Ye was momentarily at a loss for words, unable to continue his questioning.
Ning Song patted Qian Ye on the shoulder and said, “You should focus on your cultivation first. The stronger your combat power, the more you’ll be able to help me in the future.”
Qian Ye, realizing he wouldn’t get any answers from Ning Song, gestured towards the door again. With one foot already out the door, Ning Song suddenly remembered something and said, “Kuang Lan asked me to tell you that he needs a few days to study the Murky World’s Insight. Once he understands it, he’ll come to teach you.”
Qian Ye frowned. “Why should I learn that?”
“You’ll understand its use once you get accustomed to divining fate. But I haven’t seen it either, so I’m not sure how useful it might be for you.”
After Ning Song left, Qian Ye calmed his mind and resumed his cultivation of the Yao Chapter, refining his primordial force. This was a task that required patience and could not be rushed. Since it seemed Ning Song had no intention of explaining, it was better to stop asking.
Days passed in a blink. Qian Ye spent them in continuous cultivation, forgetting the passage of time. It was only after he had refined all the accumulated primordial force that he slowly concluded his practice and got up to move around. After the intense battles, this period of focused cultivation brought him a sense of clarity and comfort, both internally and externally.
Qian Ye pushed open the door and was greeted by the brilliant sunlight. He was taken aback, then realized that everything in South Green City had been unusually quiet. There hadn’t even been a single alarm. As Liu Gonggong had mentioned, the surrounding major forces had been warned. For the time being, no one dared to risk an incursion into South Green City.
Sensing the area, Qian Ye found that Ning Song and Kuang Lan were not in their usual places, and their whereabouts were unknown. Having completed his cultivation, he decided to take a walk around the city.
South Green City had transformed. Although Dark Flame had suffered heavy casualties, the compensation for the fallen mercenaries had been provided. The various large and small mercenary groups had their own savings, which were used for compensation. When Jitian Qing took over these mercenary groups, she also seized their wealth. Thus, although the compensation was significant, it did not cripple Dark Flame.
The construction sites in the city had mostly returned to normal operations. Many facilities were nearly complete, and those still under construction were close to completion. However, while the Dark Flame mercenary facilities were mostly finished, the new shops and workshops of the major merchants were just beginning, making the city resemble a large construction site with dust and noise everywhere.
This bustling scene was like a beautiful painting and sweet music to Rui Ji. Each construction site meant a large amount of gold coins added to his pockets. In the future, when these projects were completed, they would be sources of wealth, continuously pouring in gold.
Qian Ye could feel the city’s growing prosperity and vibrancy, admiring Rui Ji’s capabilities. What Qian Ye didn’t know was that his relentless pursuit of Chao Cheng to rescue Ning Song had restrained almost all the mobile forces of both Chao Cheng and the Ancient Totem War Fort, ensuring South Green City’s peace.
Without the support of regular armies, ordinary mercenary groups were no match for Rui Ji’s elite city guards, and the main army of the Wolf King had been defeated by Ning Song. Although Dark Flame had suffered heavily, South Green City itself remained unscathed. Mercenaries, as long as there was money and wine, could be found in abundance in the Neutral Zone, and it wouldn’t take much time to replenish Dark Flame’s losses.
On the training ground, Qian Ye found Ning Song. The young master was busy organizing and training the newly joined mercenaries, distributing uniforms. The training ground was bustling with at least several hundred people, a mix of six or seven small mercenary groups. It was unclear whether they came willingly or if they were coerced by Jitian Qing, as in the past.
Looking around, Qian Ye realized it had been a long time since he last saw Jitian Qing.
But this enigmatic officer always moved mysteriously, and no one could keep track of her. Qian Ye made a mental note, then set it aside. After a tour of the city and finding everything peaceful, Qian Ye returned to his quarters to continue refining his accumulated blood energy. The intense battles had greatly advanced his Dawn Primordial Force, and the fifth vortex was on the verge of awakening, making future breakthroughs inevitable. With a solid foundation in Dawn Primordial Force, he could finally make some progress on the side of Eternal Night.
As South Green City flourished, the Ancient Totem War Fort was shrouded in gloom.
The Wolf King sat on his throne, frowning deeply, his face as somber as water. From afar, he appeared somewhat worn and lacked the usual intimidating presence. The respect and fear in the eyes of the werewolf generals below had also diminished.
Recently, Chao Cheng’s Lord Bīngfēng Lǚ had forcefully pressured the Wolf King to hand over Ning Song. Although Bīngfēng Lǚ compensated afterward and profited from the advance payment from Ning Zinan, the overall benefit did not outweigh the damage to the Wolf King’s reputation, which was irreversible.
Before this, the Wolf King, having challenged Zhang Bùzhōu, was considered the second strongest figure under Tianwang Zhang, far surpassing his peers. His constant expansion had forced others to yield wherever he went. No one, even other divine generals, dared to challenge him, except for Bīngfēng Lǚ, who never left Chao Cheng and thus never faced the Wolf King directly. To the public, this was seen as Bīngfēng Lǚ’s retreat.
No one expected that the first direct confrontation between Bīngfēng Lǚ and the Wolf King in over a decade would be so overwhelmingly one-sided. More surprisingly, the Wolf King was the one to yield. Despite taking advantage of the Wolf King’s injuries, Bīngfēng Lǚ’s fearlessness suggested his strength was at least on par with the Wolf King.
This situation sparked many dormant ambitions among those who had been suppressed by the Wolf King for years.
The Wolf King and his subordinates were well aware of the shifting dynamics. The atmosphere in the council hall was tense and unsettling. Breaking through to the divine general realm was both difficult and, with ancestral power, easy. For the werewolves, relying on ancestral power, it was often a matter of how much power they could access, not their natural talent. Therefore, the shamans, who could communicate with and distribute the ancestral power, held extremely high status, often above the chief. The shamans themselves were often the strongest figures in the tribe or among the top three.
Because of the rarity of ancestral power, the Wolf King’s recent consumption of it to accelerate his recovery caused discontent among the generals. The more the Wolf King consumed, the less was available for the generals, dimming their hopes for advancement. Only the Wolf King’s overwhelming combat power and lingering influence kept the generals in check.
The Wolf King knew the surface calm masked underlying turmoil. After a long silence, he lifted his gaze and scanned the generals, saying, “I’ve heard there are infiltrators in my territory. Is this true?”
The werewolf generals exchanged glances, none speaking up.
Growing impatient, the Wolf King pointed at one and said, “Tafeng, answer me.”
Tafeng, though not as robust as the others, was sharp-featured and exuded explosive strength. Stepping forward, he said, “Great Chief, there have been rumors of such activity, and an emissary may arrive soon. I’ve captured suspicious individuals and am interrogating them. According to what they’ve said, the infiltrators have only been active at the borders, influencing some of our people.”
The Wolf King’s expression softened, nodding. “Good work. Continue capturing anyone suspected of being an infiltrator. My territory will not tolerate their presence!”
Tafeng bowed slightly, saying, “Yes, Great Chief.”
The Wolf King’s eyes narrowed, sensing a slight lack of respect in Tafeng’s bow. Suppressing his reaction, he turned to another general and asked, “Any news from Emperor Zhubi?”
The general replied, “Great Chief, the messenger has just returned with no good news. Emperor Zhubi seems to be dealing with a significant problem and cannot spare any forces.”
Frowning, the Wolf King said, “Emperor Zhubi has numerous troops. He even sent war beasts against Suding Qian. What problem could prevent him from sending even a single unit?”
“According to the messenger, a mysterious woman recently appeared in Emperor Zhubi’s territory. She’s disrupting trade, intercepting caravans. No caravan can pass where she is. Emperor Zhubi sent several units to deal with her, but none returned. His losses are heavy, and his territory is in disarray, unlikely to offer us aid.”
Hearing this, the Wolf King thought of the white-clad girl with the greatsword, feeling a chill run down his spine.
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