Nie Yan didn’t have to mobilize his men; they gathered together spontaneously.
During Nie Yan’s absence, the Bull Tribe had been in chaos, struggling to cope. Although the chaos wasn’t enough to shake the foundation of the Bull Tribe, the members had been watching Nie Yan closely. If Nie Yan continued to tolerate the situation without launching a comprehensive counterattack, his men would inevitably lose heart.
All hopes of the Bull Tribe rested on Nie Yan.
However, Nie Yan understood the current situation better. Although the Bull Tribe was the dominant force in the Grail Kingdom, its foundation was not yet stable. It was still integrating its territories. If the situation stabilized, it would be a great time to make money. However, if a full-scale attack on Angel Dominion and Century Financial Group commenced, it would become a prolonged war. Unlike any previous enemy, Angel Dominion and Century Financial Group commanded millions of members and controlled more than two hundred fortresses. Swallowing them would be extremely difficult.
But the arrow was already on the bowstring; there was no turning back.
Angel Dominion’s forces had already entered the Abernathy Grasslands, the very heartland of the Bull Tribe, which could not be allowed to fall into others’ hands.
After a while, Cui Can Dao Guang (Cui Can Blade Light) and others returned. The leaders of allied guilds under the Bull Tribe, including Ai Qing Sha Shang (Love Wound), Ye Po Shen Gun (Night Breaker), Fa Lan (Falan), Ban Xing De Hu Li (Half-Awake Fox), and others, also gathered at the Bull Tribe guild headquarters.
“Brother Nie Yan, long time no see!” Half-Awake Fox saw Nie Yan and laughed heartily, patting Nie Yan’s shoulder.
“Long time no see.” Nie Yan chuckled, glancing at Half-Awake Fox. “Your gear looks great!”
“Three legendary items, six sub-legendary items. Took me a lot of effort.” Half-Awake Fox said proudly, “Of course, it can’t compare with yours.”
All the major leaders were present.
During this time, as the Bull Tribe gained control over the Grail Kingdom, five guilds—Sacred Roman Empire, Ji Lan Temple, Wild War Alliance, War God Tribe, and Light Holy Flame—also expanded their territories. Each occupied a city and controlled dozens of fortresses, becoming regional powers and reaping huge war dividends.
Nie Yan glanced at the report from Guo Huai. The Sacred Roman Empire had 270,000 core members, Ji Lan Temple 310,000, Wild War Alliance 160,000, War God Tribe 360,000, and Light Holy Flame 220,000. Altogether, they had nearly 1.2 million members. Although their members were not as skilled as those of the Bull Tribe, their sheer numbers made them formidable. And this was only the core members; during wartime, the total forces they could mobilize would be even more massive.
As for the Bull Tribe itself, it had over 500,000 members and nearly a million members across its five branches.
Nie Yan could imagine how much effort Guo Huai must have put into managing such a massive organization. During wartime, it would be even harder to control.
Unlike an army, a guild wasn’t easy to manage. Players weren’t as obedient as soldiers. With such a large number of members, even transmitting orders became very difficult. However, with such a massive force, once Nie Yan gave the order, millions of player troops would sweep everything away like a swarm of locusts.
Nie Yan understood that morale was crucial for the Bull Tribe’s invincibility. Once the morale of millions of players was mobilized, it would be like a mountain collapsing and the sea surging.
“Brother Nie Yan, just say the word, and the five guilds—Sacred Roman Empire, Ji Lan Temple, War God Tribe, Wild War Alliance, and Light Holy Flame—will follow you to conquer the entire Sather Empire!” Half-Awake Fox declared with great enthusiasm.
Nie Yan patted Half-Awake Fox and smiled, “If we really go to war, you won’t be left out!”
“Hearing that from you reassures us.” Half-Awake Fox chuckled.
“Guo Huai, brief everyone on the current situation.” Nie Yan turned to Guo Huai. He could see that everyone in the Bull Tribe alliance was eager to fight. The momentum was unstoppable, so war was inevitable. It was time to settle the score with Angel Dominion and Century Financial Group.
Guo Huai spread out a map—a 3×3 map of the entire Atlantis, with rivers and mountains clearly visible, looking particularly magnificent.
“According to intelligence, Angel Dominion has a total of 1.7 million members, including three branches with about 1.2 million members. However, their core combat strength comparable to our Bull Tribe is estimated to be around one million. Century Financial Group has more than twenty guilds, totaling 1.9 million members. They have been operating in the Sather Empire for a long time, and their hidden strength remains unknown. They control two hundred and thirty-six fortresses, all connected by teleportation arrays. Once we go to war with them, it will be a difficult war of attrition. Don’t expect to defeat them overnight. It will depend on who can last longer.” Guo Huai detailed the situation of Angel Dominion and Century Financial Group.
After hearing Guo Huai’s report, everyone couldn’t help but draw a cold breath. This was the first time they faced a war of such scale.
“Can we directly attack their main fortresses?” Ai Qing Sha Shang asked beside him.
“The defenses of Angel Dominion’s Clemency Fortress are tight like a hedgehog, making it very difficult to capture. Moreover, it is located in a canyon, making large-scale battles impossible. Directly attacking Clemency Fortress would be costly and unprofitable. As for Century Financial Group, they are even more cunning. Among their more than twenty guilds, which fortress is their main one? Even if we capture one or two guilds’ main fortresses, it won’t significantly affect them!” Guo Huai explained. They were facing the rulers of the Sather Empire, Angel Dominion, and fighting a war far from home.
Only then did everyone realize that once the war started, the process would be far more complicated than they had imagined.
“We can only advance step by step, gradually wearing down Angel Dominion’s strength. How long would the war take if it breaks out?” Nie Yan asked, which was his main concern.
“If everything goes smoothly, it might take about three months. Otherwise, it’s hard to say. In fact, after the war ends, the real challenge begins. Angel Dominion and Century Financial Group won’t accept defeat easily. The players in the Sather Empire may also resist being ruled by a guild from the Human Empire. There will definitely be resistance. We need at least a year to gradually eliminate Angel Dominion and Century Financial Group’s influence in the Sather Empire.” Guo Huai said.
Guo Huai’s considerations were quite thorough. Previously, any war the Bull Tribe faced was an internal conflict within the Human Empire, which was of little concern to the players there. However, once they decided to attack Angel Dominion and Century Financial Group, they had to consider racial factors. The entire Sather Empire was filled with Angel Dominion members. The Bull Tribe couldn’t absorb a large number of players from the Sather Empire, and the players there might not be willing to accept the rule of the Human Empire. It was like imperial colonization; making the colonized people obedient wasn’t a simple task.
“What do you think?” Nie Yan asked Half-Awake Fox and others.
Half-Awake Fox, Ai Qing Sha Shang, and others looked at each other.
“Whether to fight or not is up to you to decide. We are responsible for execution.” Half-Awake Fox said, skillfully passing the difficult decision back to Nie Yan.
“Fighting is definitely necessary.” Nie Yan said. No matter how difficult it was, he had to break through it.
“Actually, if we do fight, we have advantages. First, the supply of consumables like potions, which is self-evident. Second, morale. If we really go to war, our morale will surpass theirs.” Guo Huai said.
“That’s for sure. What’s the third point?” Ai Qing Sha Shang and others asked.
“The third point is financial resources.” Guo Huai looked at Nie Yan. Seeing Nie Yan nod, he continued, “In terms of financial resources, we have a unique advantage. Angel Dominion probably has around seven or eight million in liquid funds. Even if they sell assets during wartime, they might only raise a few tens of millions of gold coins. As for us…” Guo Huai paused.
Half-Awake Fox, Ai Qing Sha Shang, and others looked at Guo Huai, puzzled why he suddenly stopped, feeling as if they were left hanging.
“What about us?”
“Around three hundred million gold coins have been accumulated recently, and the daily income is sufficient to cover the war expenses.” Guo Huai hesitated slightly before revealing the truth.
A deathly silence followed, and a few people drinking water almost choked.
“I’ve always known that the Bull Tribe was rich, but I admit I’m shocked.”
Hearing this number, everyone couldn’t help but breathe rapidly. That was a staggering three hundred million gold coins! How did Nie Yan manage to accumulate such a vast sum!
“Wow, three hundred million! We could buy out both Angel Dominion and Century Financial Group!”
They couldn’t describe their inner shock. The Bull Tribe’s expenditures on fortress construction and player welfare were not small, even more than other guilds. It was already great to maintain a balanced budget, yet they still had such a large surplus. It was unbelievable.
“Did all this money come from monopolizing potions?”
“Probably only enough for guild expenses from fortress income?”
“Star Pharmacy contributed a lot, along with income from auction houses and shops.” Nie Yan explained. The reason he allowed Guo Huai to disclose the Bull Tribe’s financial status was to stabilize morale. With sufficient funds, they had the confidence to engage in a war of attrition.
“We can exhaust Angel Dominion to death. If we can’t defeat them, we might as well all go and hit our heads against walls.”
Strong financial resources were a solid backing. With sufficient funds, they had the confidence to fight. Nie Yan could sense that everyone was significantly more confident than before.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage