Chapter 76: To Become a King?

Qian Ye slowly descended, supporting himself with his sword, his eyes half-closed as he panted heavily.

At that moment, Carol rushed out from the depths of the forest and gazed at the six-armed creature lying on the ground, exclaiming, “You took it down already?”

With his eyes still closed, Qian Ye weakly replied, “It was easier to kill than I imagined.”

“Wasn’t our original plan to chase it away together?”

Qian Ye, too exhausted to speak, merely nodded in response.

“You rest for a while. I’ll check this creature out,” Carol said, putting away her lightning whip and axe before approaching the corpse of the six-armed creature to inspect it.

The six-armed creature’s body was massive. Carol plucked off some small ornaments from its body, examined them, and then stored them away. She then picked up a long saber and returned to Qian Ye.

After resting for a while, Qian Ye finally recovered a bit. He took the long saber from the six-armed creature and examined it carefully. The saber was three meters long and incredibly heavy, weighing several tons. Its material was unique, appearing to be a blend of metal and rock, seamlessly integrated without any trace of discord.

The blade had a serrated edge, not particularly sharp, but given its weight and the extremely sturdy material, it could cut through almost anything under the monstrous strength of the six-armed creature. Only the East Peak in Qian Ye’s hands could block it; any other weapon, even the East Peak before it was refined in the Great Vortex, would have been smashed to pieces.

After a moment’s thought, Qian Ye said, “Let’s take this saber back.”

“Alright, I’ll carry it,” Carol, as a divine general, had no trouble lifting a few tons of weight.

“How is the tree?”

“I cut several marks on it, but I didn’t concentrate my strikes in one spot, so I wouldn’t accidentally kill it.”

“Let’s go take a look.”

Carol helped Qian Ye up and flew him to the giant tree at the center of the forest. The tree bore many axe marks, some of which were particularly deep, and sap continuously flowed from the wounds, dripping into the blood-colored pool, slightly diluting its color.

For some reason, the giant tree gave off a sense of despondency, like a wounded animal. When Carol appeared, it immediately emitted a feeling of fear and panic, and the massive trunk began to lean away from her.

Carol explained, “I didn’t dare to cut it too hard at first, but I realized it was ineffective. It didn’t attract the six-armed creature, so I had to be more forceful. The tree let out a howl when I did.”

Qian Ye was surprised. “It can speak?”

“No,” Carol pondered for a moment before answering, “It was a sound that appeared in my mind.”

Qian Ye looked at the giant tree, took out a bottle, and filled it with the pool water. “It’s about time. Let’s head back.”

“Agreed.”

The two surveyed their surroundings once more before leaving the forest and returning to the gate.

On the high slope outside the gate, the basic outline of a camp had taken shape. Numerous werewolves and human warriors were busy fortifying the defenses. With the experience from previous battles, the camp was built without any blind spots, with equal defensive strength on all sides. The watchtower being constructed in the center was clearly designed to counter aerial threats.

In the face of the real threat to their lives, neither the werewolves nor the human warriors shied away from the hard work. Under Xu Jingxuan’s coordination, those who were too exhausted or severely affected by the environment were sent back through the gate to be replaced by fresh troops.

Everyone knew that the more solid the defenses, the better their chances of survival against the monster horde.

Once the basic fortifications were in place, supplies were continuously transported through the gate and stored in a temporary warehouse. A field hospital was also set up to handle environmental adaptation issues and potential injuries.

When Qian Ye returned, the various reconnaissance teams were returning, though a few had not yet reported back. Qian Ye first returned to the Emerald Sea and ordered the long saber, the ornaments, and some tree sap samples to be sent to Qin Continent, to be handed over to Zhao Jundu.

Then, he arranged for some werewolf slaves and human convicts to consume different amounts of the tree sap, and after half a day, they were sent back through the gate. In the new world, most of those who consumed the sap moved freely, except for one who had consumed the least amount and felt unwell, needing to be sent back.

This proved that consuming the sap was better for adapting to the new world’s environment than the blood glands, and it was not comparable to the effects of the beast blood.

The world beyond the gate remained cold and desolate, with no signs of beast activity. This made the supply of beast blood glands a bottleneck for the army entering the new world, forcing them to wait passively for the unpredictable appearance of the beast horde.

Now, with the tree sap, the problem was resolved, though care had to be taken not to take too much and damage the tree. However, the pool of sap around the tree was sufficient for tens of thousands of soldiers.

This was an unexpected boon, but Qian Ye’s joy was short-lived. Xu Jingxuan hurried over, saying, “Sir, four reconnaissance teams have not returned.”

Qian Ye raised his eyebrows. “Which direction?”

Xu Jingxuan handed over a hand-drawn map, explaining, “This is a recently compiled map, using the highest point of the sun at noon as the south. You can see that these four reconnaissance teams were all in the southeast, adjacent to each other.”

The map showed various terrains, including rolling hills, a dry riverbed, and some ruins. The most prominent markers were the stone pillars and the forest with the giant tree that Qian Ye and Carol had discovered. From the map, it was clear that the other reconnaissance teams had not ventured too far, returning after a few dozen kilometers.

After studying the map, Qian Ye looked up at the sky. A massive, dark red sun hung in the air, visually several times larger than the sun in the Evernight world. This was the sun of the new world, not as intense or blinding, and those with even a little strength could look at it directly.

Qian Ye narrowed his eyes, staring at the sun. The timekeeper they brought from the Evernight world showed that a day and night had passed, but in the new world, the sun had only traveled halfway across the sky and showed no sign of setting. It seemed there might be no night in this new world.

As he pondered, the sun suddenly dimmed, as if covered by a thin veil. The entire new world grew darker, as if entering twilight. Qian Ye was momentarily stunned, observing closely. The sun’s movement in the sky showed no visible anomalies, yet it had inexplicably dimmed, unlike the regular day-night cycle of the Evernight world.

Qian Ye turned, pointing in the direction where the reconnaissance teams had disappeared. “Is this the correct direction?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Alright, I’ll go check it out. You stay here and maintain vigilance. Don’t be careless.”

Xu Jingxuan assured, “Rest assured, Sir. The werewolves have a natural keen sense, and with them, it’s almost impossible for the beasts to ambush us. And they are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the beasts! It’s hard to imagine how we fought such an enemy for over a decade.”

Qian Ye smiled, patting Xu Jingxuan’s shoulder. “We humans are not bad either. How else could we have resisted the dark races for so long and even expanded our territory?”

Xu Jingxuan whispered, “But you are a son of darkness, not purely human.” As soon as he spoke, he was startled, wondering why he had voiced his thoughts.

Qian Ye heard the admiration in his words and laughed. “Actually, it doesn’t matter much where one’s bloodline comes from. What matters is where your heart lies. My heart is with the humans, so I am human.”

Xu Jingxuan cautiously said, “Sir, your subjects are mostly werewolves. Those words might not be appropriate.”

Qian Ye nodded, asking, “What do you suggest?”

Xu Jingxuan replied, “The werewolves and humans living together is a fact. They are loyal to you. Though their reasons seem strange, they are not without merit, and they have proven their loyalty. Only someone like you, with dark origin power, can earn the loyalty of the werewolves.”

“In my opinion, the werewolves in the Emerald Sea and the Great Corridor are currently very primitive because of their past lack of civilization. Their ignorance prevented them from supporting their clans, and to support their clans, they shortened their development period at the cost of future potential, creating a vicious cycle. The former Duke of White Bone was nearing his end and didn’t care, perhaps even thinking that compressing the werewolves’ potential was good, as it kept his position safe.”

“Now, with you providing enough food and introducing the Empire’s agricultural and livestock techniques, these werewolves can regain their potential. Two million immortal werewolves are a significant force. Controlling them, Sir, you will be invincible on Yong Continent.”

“So, to have werewolves and humans coexist, not just fight side by side but live together, there is only one way: do not mention race, treat all subjects equally, and make them loyal only to you. Your word should be supreme.”

Xu Jingxuan had obviously thought about this for a long time, speaking without pause.

After hearing his suggestions, Qian Ye smiled. “You’re not just suggesting I become a king, but a god!”

“If you can reach the realm of Heavenly King, with your combat power, becoming a god is no problem.”

Qian Ye shook his head. “Heavenly King is too far. Let’s deal with the new world first.”

“Even if not a god, becoming a king should be on the agenda, Sir. In my humble opinion, it should be done before the full exploration. Only then will both werewolves and humans follow you wholeheartedly and be willing to die for you!”

Qian Ye said calmly, “There’s no rush. A king is just a title, whether I have it or not makes no difference. Even if I don’t, would anyone in the Emerald Sea dare challenge me?”

“Of course not.”

“Exactly. Now, I’m off.” With that, Qian Ye vanished over the horizon.

Xu Jingxuan watched his back, sighing deeply.