The ceremony came to an end, and Qian Ye signaled for the battlefield cleanup to continue. The high priest raised his arms in a grand, operatic manner to announce the conclusion. The werewolves erupted into a frenzied celebration, dancing and singing while they collected their prey, as if it were an annual festival.
Qian Ye was speechless. If another horde of beasts were to burst out from the gate, it would lead to severe casualties. Organizing these tribal werewolves into a battle formation was already a monumental feat; expecting them to clear the battlefield to military standards was impossible, even for someone as capable as Eska who couldn’t control his own warriors.
Just as Qian Ye was about to order the mercenaries and human troops to set up another line of defense at the gate, a new wave of beasts surged out from the mist!
This wave wasn’t particularly large, but it numbered over ten thousand. Ten thousand beasts equated to ten thousand elite soldiers, and if they launched a charge, the still disorganized army of several hundred thousand could be scattered, resulting in devastating losses.
Qian Ye’s heart tightened as he gripped his weapon, Dongyue, preparing to intercept. However, the recent battle had drained him, leaving him unable to use spatial flicker, let alone fly.
To his surprise, the outermost werewolf warriors, upon seeing the new horde, did not panic. Instead, they let out a rousing howl, alerting everyone to the enemy. The entire battlefield fell silent, and all the werewolves turned toward the source of the howl.
“More food!” someone roared. Instantly, all the werewolves were ignited with excitement, roaring and surging like a tidal wave towards the new horde of beasts.
Ten thousand beasts were instantly overwhelmed.
The front lines were limited in space, only able to accommodate around a hundred thousand werewolves. The rest, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, could only pace restlessly on the outskirts.
Looking at the pile of werewolves, stacked mountain-high and in complete disarray within the narrow front line, Song Lun shivered involuntarily and muttered, “It’s best not to provoke these hungry wolves.”
Song Hui nodded in agreement.
As for the Dark Flame mercenaries and the human soldiers from the Kingdom of Zheng, they remained in a state of stunned disbelief. The battle had started grueling, but later, they hardly faced the front lines directly.
Finally, the werewolves dispersed, having reduced the fresh reinforcements of various-sized beasts to partially processed meat, carried back to the base by each warrior.
At least they knew to return. Qian Ye sighed in relief.
The high priest squeezed up to Qian Ye, somewhat hesitantly, and said, “Lord, our people have a wish, and we hope you will grant it.”
“What is your wish?”
“For the next battle, may Princess Zhu Ji watch from the rear. She is too young to be on the battlefield.”
Zhu Ji, unsuitable for the battlefield? Qian Ye recalled how Song Zining had used her to shield against a divine general’s punch in the city. These beasts, which could bite through warship armor, might not even be able to pierce little Zhu Ji’s skin.
Understanding the priest’s tactful words, Qian Ye replied, “You want more prey, don’t you?”
The high priest forced a smile, “Yes, yes. Her breath rendered thousands of prey untouchable. It was such a waste.”
“That’s the only way to minimize your casualties.”
Not only did Zhu Ji’s breath kill all the beasts in the area, but it also created a vast zone of toxic death. Before the poison fully dissipated, merely passing through that area would be fatal to most beasts. Had it not been for the weakening effect of the poison on the beast horde, Qian Ye’s side would not have recovered so quickly during the most intense part of the battle.
The high priest replied, “Dying on the battlefield is a warrior’s fate, but more prey allows more of our children to grow. For the harvest, we are willing to pay the price.”
After a moment, the high priest added, “For us, gaining something in exchange for sacrifice is a rare blessing.”
Facing the ravenous pack of werewolves, Qian Ye had no choice but to nod, feeling a weight in his heart. Seeing the high priest’s satisfied expression, he didn’t know how to feel. Yet, after such a massive use of her breath, little Zhu Ji needed several days to recover, so a break was indeed warranted.
By the time the battlefield was cleared, it was late into the night. Most of the beasts had been categorized and butchered. In the rear, tens of thousands of werewolf women and elders were summoned, lighting thousands of bonfires and setting up makeshift stoves to prepare smoked meat, hoping to preserve this precious food for the entire winter.
Upon returning to the warship, Song Hui found Qian Ye with a stack of documents. She placed them before him and said, “I have two pieces of good news. Which one do you want to hear first?”
Good news comes in different types? Qian Ye shrugged, “Either is fine.”
“The preliminary research results are in. Most of the beasts have a gland in their bodies, likely a hematopoietic organ. Consuming it grants resistance to the white fog. The test results show that any warrior with origin power can effectively resist the peripheral white fog and stay in the deep mist for about half an hour.”
“That effective?”
Song Hui explained, “Eating the gland seems to alter the body, making it adapt to the environment within the white fog.”
“And the other good news?”
“This alteration is temporary. We’ve observed its effects diminish over a limited time. So, after one consumption, the effect lasts for about ten days, after which it needs to be taken again.”
“That’s good news?”
“Of course! This means the changes to the body are minor and not permanent. Body alterations aren’t desirable, especially if they become permanent. You might adapt to that environment but not this one, affecting your training and everything else.”
Qian Ye finally nodded, “Alright, that’s one piece of good news.”
He left the command room and headed straight for the equipment area, where he put on a brand-new set of armor. Then he ordered, “Notify Xu Jingxuan and Eska to meet me at the front lines. Oh, and have they consumed the gland yet?”
Song Hui replied, “All the high-ranking officers have already taken it.”
Qian Ye paused, frowning. “What happened?”
“They wished to accompany you into the mist to raid the beasts’ lair. So, as soon as the test results were in, they all took it. You know, there’s no shortage of blood glands on the battlefield now.”
Continuing to don his armor, Qian Ye said, “Next time, don’t let this happen! Inform the generals to select fifty thousand soldiers, ready to consume the blood glands. I’ll start the attack once I return.”
Shortly after, Qian Ye met up with Xu Jingxuan and Eska, leading them into the mist, heading deeper inside.
Once they entered, Xu Jingxuan looked around, then took a deep breath. “Truly amazing, no more oppressive feeling.”
Eska, deep in thought, mused, “If this is so effective, perhaps we can find other methods.”
As they reached the mist wall, Xu Jingxuan and Eska felt a slight discomfort but could tolerate it. Qian Ye led the way through the mist wall, followed closely by the two.
Inside, the space became noticeably narrower. After walking just a few dozen meters, they emerged on the other side, greeted by the familiar scene.
This time, Qian Ye stepped forward swiftly, ensuring no opportunity for any lurking beasts to ambush them. But behind the curtain, there were no beasts. Eska and Xu Jingxuan joined him, awestruck by the vast new world before them.
Having visited once, Qian Ye immediately looked toward the valley’s end. The platform was still there, but without the swirling white fog, and the six-armed creature was nowhere to be seen.
Qian Ye jumped into the valley, crouching to inspect the ground. Many neat, evenly spaced indentations, of similar size, covered one area. A neighboring region had larger pits, clearly indicating a different, larger species of beast.
These beasts nearly ceased all life functions while resting, even lower than the hibernation of some Evernight creatures. Their skin had thick keratin layers, with hardened surfaces to lock in moisture.
Qian Ye had seen a hundred thousand beast legion resting. If they could maintain this state for long, their supply needs would be minimal. Maintaining such an army would be far easier than for the Empire or Evernight.
After inspecting the resting area, Qian Ye signaled Eska and Xu Jingxuan to return to the gate and await orders, while he headed toward the stone platform at the end.
The valley floor was vast, and Qian Ye moved quickly, soon reaching the platform. Built entirely of giant, perfectly stacked natural stones, the structure had a unique, indescribable beauty. No mortar held the stones together, yet they formed a nearly perfect cube.
Qian Ye leaped onto the platform, where the central stone chair remained, its height indicating the six-armed creature’s size.
Walking around, Qian Ye found no mechanisms or hidden doors. The chair, worn smooth from use, had several rows of inscrutable text and patterns etched into its back. Clearly, the chair was frequently used, suggesting the six-armed creature often frequented the area.
Yet, now, the beasts were gone, and the six-armed creature vanished. The environment was peculiar: the air cold and damp, the ground extremely dry. Qian Ye couldn’t understand this, but he foresaw that many traces would disappear, leaving no trail to follow.
After a thorough inspection, finding no clues, Qian Ye climbed down and sprinted to the far end of the valley. Climbing a hill, he stood atop the crest, the view suddenly broadening.
Before him lay a desert-like world, with uneven, rugged terrain, scattered tall, weathered stone pillars, and low shrubs or cacti with metallic-tipped thorns.
On the horizon, several enormous trees towered, each almost a kilometer high and with trunks a hundred meters wide. The leaves, table-sized and thick, dotted the landscape.
This world was eerily silent, devoid of any sign of life. It was unimaginable where the two beast legions that had appeared through the gate had come from.
Qian Ye took a deep breath, sensing the environment. The world’s origin power was chaotic and turbid, yet it contained an unusual proportion of Dawn Origin Power. However, this Dawn Origin Power was intensely violent, like glowing coals. An ordinary person absorbing it would burn their insides, rather than gain any benefit.
For Qian Ye, with the Chapter of Radiance, this was an ideal place to train. No matter how intense the Dawn Origin Power, it paled compared to the Radiance, and was far less destructive than the Void Origin Power. With the Tai Xuan Military Sutra’s dominance, Qian Ye’s cultivation progress here would be extraordinary, rivaling that in the Great Maelstrom.
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