Chapter 68: The Rising Smog of War

In the land of Yue, a calamity was spreading like a plague.

The locals could hardly remember the source or the beginning of the disaster. Their memories were filled with countless monstrous beasts that had burst out from the forests and deep mountains, leaving nothing but desolation in their wake. These beasts possessed extraordinary combat abilities, far surpassing any ordinary savage creatures. Lone human hunters were no match, and even small military units were overwhelmed by the relentless attacks from all directions—air, ground, and behind.

At this moment, chaos reigned in the Nan Gong clan. In the main study, a scholarly man in his early thirties, with a furrowed brow, stared at the pile of urgent documents on the desk. The latest few documents had yet to be opened and read.

He sighed, picking up one of the urgent reports when the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside. His attendant, forgetting to knock, rushed in and shouted, “Clan Chief, disaster! Luoyin City has fallen!”

“Luoyin City!” The man felt a sudden rush of dread, and his mind went blank.

Forcing himself to regain composure, he asked, “How did it fall? What about the defenders, what were they doing?”

“The beasts came too quickly and in overwhelming numbers! The defenders couldn’t hold them back! As the city was about to fall, Lord Xu Zhe declared he would die with the city and sent a trusted man to break through the siege, delivering these documents.”

The man opened the documents and saw hastily drawn sketches of various beasts, each accompanied by brief descriptions. The handwriting was extremely messy, clearly written in haste. Half of the document was soaked in blood, indicating the dire circumstances under which it was delivered.

“What about the messenger?” the man asked.

“He died at the entrance.”

The man nodded slowly. “Luoyin City has nearly ten thousand defenders and two power towers. It is our most fortified stronghold, yet it fell in one battle. I didn’t expect to face such a crisis right after taking over as Clan Chief. This is beyond my ability to handle. Call the Council of Elders.”

The attendant took the order and was about to leave when the man added, “Any news from the capital?”

“No, sir.”

“How many days have passed since we sent our messengers?” the man asked, frowning.

“Today is the fifth day.”

“Strange… Go and call the elders for a meeting.”

Moments later, the elders of the Nan Gong clan gathered in the council chamber. The man sat at the head of the table and said, “I am deeply honored by your trust in electing me, Nan Gong Duangfang, as the new Clan Chief. I may lack the experience, but in this critical moment, I seek your wisdom and guidance. The survival of our clan is at stake, and I need your help to make a decision.”

With that, he distributed the urgent documents and materials.

Some of the elders, still maintaining their composure, sipped tea before opening the files. After a single glance, they spat out their tea in shock.

“Luoyin City has fallen?”

“Is it an incursion from Evernight?”

“Look at these, what kind of monsters are these? I’m eighty years old, and I’ve never seen anything like them.”

“How could we lose so much territory? Our family assets, have we lost half of them?”

The elders debated fiercely. After a brief silence, an elderly elder said, “Duangfang, you are now the Clan Chief. You should have a decision in such a grave matter. What are your thoughts?”

Nan Gong Duangfang sighed. “I believe this is the greatest crisis our clan has faced since the Heavenly Demon Iron Curtain battle.”

The elders nodded in agreement. While the battle at the Heavenly Demon Iron Curtain had cost the Nan Gong clan reputation and some elite warriors, this time, it was a matter of survival. The lands under attack had been associated with the Nan Gong name for centuries, and Xu Zhe, who fell with Luoyin City, was one of the clan’s true strongholds.

Observing the elders’ reactions, Nan Gong Duangfang said, “My suggestion is to evacuate the entire clan to the central part of the continent, where we can ally with the Hou, Liao, and Changsun clans. We can defend a small area and wait for imperial reinforcements.”

Before he could finish, the elders erupted.

“Evacuate? That’s like giving up our ancestral lands!”

“Since the Nan Gong clan set foot on the Yue continent, we’ve never faced such humiliation!”

“Exactly! Without our base, how can we claim to be a first-class clan?”

Nan Gong Duangfang waited for the elders’ anger to subside before saying, “The land won’t run away. By evacuating, we’ll only lose this year’s harvest and some buildings. With our centuries of wealth, rebuilding will not be difficult.”

“What about the people, our subjects?”

Nan Gong Duangfang replied calmly, “The people are easier to deal with. They don’t bear the Nan Gong name, and their loss won’t cripple us. When we return, we can buy more slaves, especially young women, and encourage our clan members to reproduce. In a generation, our population will recover.”

He paused, then continued, “But if we stay here, the beasts will be at our gates in three days. No one will be able to escape. Elders, please carefully examine the materials. What characteristics do these monsters possess?”

The elders studied the documents for a while. One elder commented, “They can attack from the air, ground, and even underground. Some are fast, some are strong, and those with thick armor are for sieges. But they lack ranged attackers…”

Another elder interjected, “With so many flying monsters, why do they need ranged attackers?”

A third elder suddenly exclaimed, “Isn’t this an army?”

Nan Gong Duangfang confirmed, “Yes, they are an army, at least from what we’ve seen so far.”

The elders fell silent, knowing the difference between a mere horde and a disciplined army. Each of these monsters was equivalent to a warrior with force cultivation, with clear divisions and coordinated tactics. Their numbers were as high as a hundred thousand. Such an army could easily sweep through the Nan Gong territories.

The elderly elder said, “The Nan Gong clan is fortunate to have Duangfang as the Clan Chief. Yuanbo, alas, let’s not dwell on him. Let’s vote. Should we abandon our territories?”

Soon, a sea of hands rose.

Seeing the somber mood, Nan Gong Duangfang stood up and declared, “What is there to fear? Our clan has centuries of wealth, countless secrets, and a treasury full of ancient techniques. Our kin are spread across the world! As long as the Nan Gong family endures, within fifty years, we can rebuild a first-class clan!”

His passionate words ignited the elders’ spirits, rekindling their long-lost passion.

“Exactly! This is the foundation of our being a first-class clan.”

“Back then, when Zhao Gong led the entire clan to the Western Continent, wasn’t it a case of burning one’s boats? Without that, how could the Zhao clan have reached its current prosperity?”

“If the Zhao clan can do it, why can’t we? If we don’t have the courage, what use is our dream of rising? If we can’t stay on the Yue continent, we can go to the Western Continent, where there are still vast lands held by the dark races.”

Seeing the boosted morale, Nan Gong Duangfang issued a series of orders, initiating the evacuation. Among these orders was a seemingly minor one: conscripting young and strong men from the territories to join the defense forces, arming them from the armory, and having them defend their homes.

This order seemed insignificant, but after reading the beast information, the elders knew that these ragtag forces were no match for the monstrous army. Allowing them to resist would only buy time for the Nan Gong family and their branches to evacuate.

With this order, the subjects would suffer heavy casualties, and provoking the beasts might lead to their annihilation. However, the elders deliberately overlooked this detail, each going their way to prepare for their own evacuation.

Without the Nan Gong barrier, the monstrous army on the Yue continent marched unimpeded, heading towards the heart of the continent. In the center, several clans had already gathered around key fortress cities, establishing a comprehensive defense system to await the incoming horde. The number of casualties among the subjects, whether in the millions or tens of millions, was no longer a concern.

Compared to the devastation on the Yue continent, the situation on the Western Continent was better. The portal appeared between the Zhao clan, the dark races, and the Northern Army. This region was a hotbed of conflict, with both the Empire and Evernight deploying significant forces.

Lin Xitang’s promotion and subsequent disappearance were abrupt, leaving the Northern Army without reorganization or relocation. The decision on the army’s fate was not easy, and it remained under the temporary command of the Duke of Cheng’en, Zhao Wei Huang, who ensured their supplies.

When the monstrous army appeared on the Western Continent, they demonstrated indiscriminate attacks, splitting into two groups to assault the Empire and Evernight. However, this division weakened their offensive. The Evernight side, led by renowned figures, managed to retreat systematically, inflicting continuous losses on the beasts.

After days of fierce battles, although the Empire lost over ten thousand soldiers, they managed to destroy the majority of the beasts, with only a few escaping inland. The loss of the most elite troops from the Zhao clan and the Northern Army was a significant setback, but the good news was that the number of strong fighters was relatively low.

On the Floating Land, portals also appeared, but the well-fortified positions and elite troops quickly eliminated the emerging beasts. The location of the portal, the Misty Forest, made it unclear where the beasts originated.

As the mainland faced repeated disasters, Qian Ye, who had personally entered the portal, knew what lay beyond. He made thorough preparations, and when the portal’s barrier disappeared, the emerging beasts were met by a force of nearly half a million!

Although the troops lacked training, with many werewolf soldiers knowing only basic commands, their numbers were overwhelming. Werewolves were natural warriors, particularly effective in wild combat, with two or three werewolves able to hold off a single beast. Qian Ye had also set up defensive positions with ample anti-air capabilities.

The monstrous army, once it emerged, was eradicated within a day.