Chapter 109: A Stiff and Stern Letter

However, Qian Ye had clearly become too complacent a bit too soon.

Sosa was indeed cautious and did not rashly pursue. But just as Qian Ye was about to relax, a thought filled with intense resentment still managed to cross the vast distance and land upon the Ancestor’s Hall.

Qian Ye was taken aback, never expecting that Sosa would have such a move. Having inherited the Blood River, he knew that at the level of the Overlord, battles of will could not be taken lightly. The consequences could range from serious soul damage to inadvertently revealing one’s true capabilities.

Sosa’s will was like a colossal wave, crashing down from above. Qian Ye willed, and a hazy layer of light suddenly enveloped the Ancestor’s Hall, protecting the entire ship. It then confronted Sosa’s will head-on.

A clash of two immense wills, which should have been silent, turned out to be a grand spectacle. The shields of the Ancestor’s Hall exploded with countless sparks, resembling a dazzling fireworks display that refused to fade.

After a moment, the fireworks finally dissipated, and the Ancestor’s Hall dropped several meters in the air, showing the sheer strength and horror of Sosa’s will.

A low, authoritative voice suddenly rang out in the air, “I will find you, Qian Ye!”

Qian Ye paid no heed and simply drove the Ancestor’s Hall away. Of course, even if he wanted to respond, he couldn’t. By merging his will with the Void Dragon, he barely managed to defend, but he couldn’t project his will over such a great distance.

In the distance, at the “Gate” of Mosar, Sosa, dressed in traditional werewolf hunting attire, stood in the air above the ruins, slowly opening his eyes. Outside the ruins, countless werewolf elites knelt on the ground. They were so far away not out of disrespect, but because the soul storm Sosa had just unleashed was terrifyingly intense, making it impossible for anyone to approach.

Sosa glanced at the large number of his subordinates, then looked at the fortress burned by fierce flames, and said, “Halve its size, rebuild it as soon as possible. All of you stay and help. Additionally, dispatch a few warships to see how long they can hold.”

Sosa’s voice was calm, but his subordinates all knew that this was when Sosa was most terrifying. If he raged, it was generally better; he usually wouldn’t kill recklessly.

Although werewolves were straightforward, these elites who had followed Sosa for a long time had naturally learned to be more cunning. No one asked about the result of the will battle that had just occurred. Sosa had unleashed such a terrifying soul storm yet said nothing about the battle, indicating that the outcome was not good. Anyone foolish enough to provoke him at this time would be courting death.

Only a few of the true powerhouses were curious. They now knew that the one who attacked the base was Qian Ye. However, Qian Ye, who had risen to fame during the Iron Curtain Blood War just a few years ago, how could he suddenly contend with Overlord Sosa?

They all secretly looked at the Margrave, the only one who had truly encountered and interacted with Qian Ye. But the Margrave was expressionless, avoiding eye contact with his colleagues, seemingly determined to accept punishment quietly.

Seeing him like this, the werewolf powerhouses couldn’t help but feel frustrated, and their thoughts of pleading for him vanished. Yet, they couldn’t help but be curious about what the Margrave had experienced to make him look so despondent.

Sosa did not linger much in the New World and directly returned to the continent of Mosar. After entering his hall, he dismissed everyone and went alone to the Ancestor Altar. This was a common occurrence, as Sosa often practiced here, sometimes secluding himself for years.

In Sosa’s palace, the Ancestor Hall was the most magnificent building, nearly 200 meters high. Such a grand hall could accommodate a Void Beast. At the end of the hall stood a nearly 100-meter-tall statue of a werewolf, depicting the first ancestor who paved the way for the rise of the werewolves, the former Supreme of the Holy Mountain, the Wolf King.

Standing in the hall, Sosa’s mind gradually calmed. In the brief confrontation in the New World, surprisingly, he encountered an unprecedented massive will.

This will was not stagnant. When Sosa, enraged by the resistance, increased his willpower crazily, aiming to crush or severely wound his opponent’s soul, he met a genuine counterattack.

It was like a reef, a mountain peak, a cliff, or something similar. Sosa’s will waves shattered against it, yet it remained unmoved. That moment felt like facing a true giant, and Sosa’s repeated provocations finally woke him from his slumber, casting an indifferent glance at Sosa.

That indifference, like a giant looking at a small beast, viewing its aggressive behavior as mere playfulness.

Even now, Sosa could not forget that feeling. He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and frowned, muttering, “Qian Ye, Ancestor’s Hall… interesting, very interesting!”

In Qian Ye’s view, it was just a clash between Sosa and the residual will of the Void Dragon. Even dead, the Void Dragon’s will was not inferior to Sosa’s. This kind of will battle in the void was essentially a stalemate, unless Sosa found a way next time to break the merged state of Qian Ye and the Void Dragon.

From the Gate of Mosar to the forest of the Four Sacred Trees conquered by Qian Ye, the distance was vast, and a slight deviation would cause a significant difference. In the New World, all traces would be quickly erased by the harsh environment, and Qian Ye was not worried that Sosa would catch up anytime soon. If he could, he would have already done so.

In the Evernight World, the reach of an Overlord’s will was also the reach of their dignity, but in the New World, it was not so simple. The rules of the world were unfriendly to every outsider.

A “Gate” could expand in any direction. The wise choice, knowing that Qian Ye and the Ancestor’s Hall were on one side, was to change to an unexplored direction, accumulating strength first.

But Sosa, as an Overlord, was notoriously unpredictable. Qian Ye didn’t plan to bet everything on Sosa acting rationally.

After some thought, Qian Ye decided to accelerate the expansion, aiming to conquer more forests before Sosa arrived, gathering more resources. With enough bargaining chips, he could seek help from the Empire if necessary, ceding some benefits to invite an Overlord to take charge.

Given the Empire’s current difficulties in expansion, only Qin Continent was relatively stable. Once the two major factions clashed in the New World, the Empire’s Overlords would eventually arrive. From Qian Ye’s encounter with the Mosar werewolves, it was clear that even though he was better adapted to the New World and could travel farther, the day was near.

With his plans set, Qian Ye piloted the ship back to the base, picked up Carol, and instructed her to oversee the expansion, telling her to return if she encountered the Three Sacred Trees. Then, he left the New World and returned to Yong Continent.

Upon returning, Qian Ye locked himself in his study, penning a letter. He held the pen, hovering it in the air for a long while before finally writing “Ji Tianqing.”

He shook his head, feeling the tone was too formal, not at all like someone he had interacted with. Even without any intimate relationship, the two of them had faced life and death together in the Great Vortex, a bond stronger than most.

He wrote “Tianqing” again but still felt it was wrong, and tore it up. Just the name itself took him many attempts.

Gradually, the discarded paper balls piled up, and the stack of stationery dwindled. An entire afternoon was spent writing and tearing, and by nightfall, the letter was finally finished. During the process, Qian Ye broke into a sweat multiple times. A letter of just a few hundred words was more exhausting than a life-and-death battle with a powerful enemy.

Looking at the newly written letter, with many corrections, Qian Ye sighed, not wanting to rewrite it. Rewriting would only lead to more revisions, and he had no idea when it would end.

His feelings towards Ji Tianqing were complex. On one hand, Ji Tianqing had done all she could for Qian Ye, even going beyond what was expected. On the other hand, Qian Ye still struggled to understand her thoughts and intentions.

In short, she seemed to live in a fog, and most of the time, what Qian Ye saw was not her true self. How to deal with such a person, both familiar and strange, with a shared bloodline, whose connection he could never sever?

This letter should have been simple. Qian Ye intended to inform Ji Tianqing about the encounter with the Mosar werewolves and Sosa, and ask for her opinion.

Ji Tianqing was extremely intelligent in strategy, though not well-known. Her views could greatly help Qian Ye. There was also a private motive: to gauge the attitude of the Polar King.

Currently, Qian Ye could not face Sosa head-on, and dealing with an Evernight Overlord was at the level of an Imperial Overlord. The expansion in the New World was too important, and even the Polar King could not ignore it. If the elder could intervene, it would be ideal.

However, Qian Ye was not good at asking for favors, especially with the awkward relationship with Ji Tianqing. But at present, he could not think of a better alternative.

The Azure Sun King was the best choice, but he always traveled alone, currently without a fixed location, and his whereabouts were uncertain. Qian Ye was not close to the Zhang family, lacking a safe and reliable communication channel. Especially after the floating land battle, the Azure Sun King rarely appeared even at the imperial court, leading many to speculate that he might be on the verge of another breakthrough.

To ask for a favor, the letter needed to be as soft as possible, especially given their unique relationship. But whenever he was about to write, Qian Ye’s mind involuntarily flashed to Nighteye.

Even though Nighteye had left, and she was now a different soul, Qian Ye was unwilling to abandon the last thread of hope. He didn’t want to say intimate things to other women just because she couldn’t see.

In the end, the letter remained stiff.

Qian Ye decided not to change it, sealed it in an envelope with a force array, and wrote only his name on the outside. He then left the study, summoned a trusted follower, and ordered him to deliver the letter to the Polar King’s residence, specifically to Ji Tianqing, and to return immediately.

The follower agreed and hurried off. As he left, he crossed paths with Yin Qiqi. She watched him go, deep in thought, then entered the study.

“Is there something wrong?”

“Can’t I come just to see you?”

“Of course not, you can visit anytime.” Qian Ye smiled, hiding his earlier emotions.

Yin Qiqi stared at him intensely, making Qian Ye somewhat uncomfortable. She then asked, “You have something on your mind?”

“It’s nothing major.”

“Alright, if you say it’s nothing, then it’s nothing. I brought something you might be interested in.” She placed a document in front of Qian Ye.

He opened it to find a design for a suit of armor, primarily describing the armor plates. Surprisingly, the armor was made from wood from the New World.

“Our family’s master craftsman, after receiving the wood samples, discovered that if the holy tree sap is diluted and the wood soaked, then coated with a special paint and dried, the resulting boards would have significantly improved hardness and flexibility, comparable to high-quality alloys, and suitable for making armor, with the added benefit of being much lighter. Moreover, wearing this armor would enhance adaptability to the New World.”

Qian Ye thought he understood, “So, the key is the holy tree sap?”

“No, the key is the paint.”