Chapter 61: The Clash

“Great Chieftain!” The surrounding werewolves were shocked, but no one dared to step forward and stop him. The Wolf King’s brutality was not only well-known among the humans but also renowned throughout the entire tribe.

Ignoring the voices around him, the Wolf King continuously absorbed the power of his ancestors. The High Priest’s body trembled incessantly; his cheeks began to cave in, and his eyes gradually lost their luster. Only when he was about to lose consciousness did the Wolf King finally release the totem.

The High Priest collapsed, gasping and struggling, unable to rise.

With a stern face, the Wolf King radiated a dark red glow, surveying his kin. He bellowed, “I will not allow our tribe’s honor to be trampled upon. The fallen warriors must be avenged! Now, let us fight. I will lead you to tear apart all our enemies! Our ancestors are with us!”

“Our ancestors are with us!” All the werewolf warriors roared, quickening their march.

Within the carriage, the stricken High Priest was almost forgotten. If he could not recover, a new High Priest would soon be chosen. After the former High Priest died unexpectedly, without passing on the power of the ancestors, the few candidates were more or less equal.

Empowered by the ancestral force, the Wolf King grew even more impatient, forsaking the carriage and flying directly towards South Azure City, intending to assess the city’s defenses first.

Inside South Azure City, the atmosphere was intense yet filled with sorrow and suppression. Of the nearly four thousand men who followed Song Zining into battle, only a little over half had returned. Despite having a significant advantage in both the ambush and the surprise attack, and with Qian Ye’s initial strike decapitating the enemy commander, the mercenary casualties were nearly as high as those of the Wolf King’s vanguard, indicating the vast disparity in combat strength.

A battle where more than half of the troops perished was cruel, even for mercenaries accustomed to bloodshed and death. Almost every survivor had friends or brothers who remained forever on that smoky battlefield.

Yet, despite the cruelty, the mercenaries’ morale did not waver; instead, it surged. This time, they saw victory and hope.

Before this, they were merely the dregs of the mercenaries, let alone defeating the Wolf King’s vanguard, they would likely scatter at the mere thought of facing them. It was only due to Ji Tianqing’s formidable influence during the formation of Darkflame that made it possible for Song Zining to bring out three thousand men.

Amidst the great victory, everyone witnessed Song Zining’s tactical brilliance and Qian Ye’s heroic defeat of the werewolf baron. Moreover, Ji Tianqing, who often toyed with them, had not yet joined the battle, remaining behind to defend the city.

The mercenaries, with their simple wisdom, knew that following such leaders meant a future and hope.

The surviving mercenaries, including strong figures like Ice Wolf, finally embraced their identity as Darkflame mercenaries.

The returning soldiers needed rest and treatment, tasks Song Zining left to Guan Zhongliu, who had years of experience managing the city’s garrison. His arrival also hinted at Ji Rui’s subtle change in stance. Though the fat man had not fully aligned, one foot was already in.

In the war room, Song Zining showed no joy from the initial victory, his brows furrowed as he intensely studied the map, marking the route of the Wolf King’s army. Ji Tianqing stood by, arms crossed, deep in thought.

The heavy casualties were expected. Song Zining’s plan was to forge these mercenaries through a series of battles, allowing them to grow quickly in blood and fire. Those who survived the fierce battles would naturally become stronger. The neutral territories lacked everything except daredevils.

Song Zining suddenly raised his eyebrows, saying, “Given the Wolf King’s style, if he absorbs the ancestral power, he will likely lack the patience to wait and will come to South Azure City first, ready to fight.”

Ji Tianqing rolled her eyes, “Do you need to think about this? Can’t you just calculate it?”

Song Zining frowned, “Something unexpected happened a few days ago. I can’t use my divination technique temporarily.”

Ji Tianqing was surprised, glancing at Qian Ye and Song Zining, “You guys, relying on your little tricks, always calculating this and that, will get into trouble sooner or later. Especially this guy, anything related to him is best avoided. You didn’t listen and got your lesson, right?”

Qian Ye, pointed at by Ji Tianqing, was stunned, “What does this have to do with me?”

“You know what you’ve done!”

Qian Ye was even more confused, but he was concerned about something else. “Are you alright?”

The Seventh Young Master smiled calmly, “Just a broken fan and a small setback in my divination techniques. Maybe after a few months, it’ll be fine. Why worry?”

Though he said there was no need to worry, Qian Ye knew otherwise. At their current level, they were rapidly advancing. In a few months, Qian Ye could open another origin vortex and reach level fourteen. Song Zining, who usually matched Qian Ye’s speed, needing months to recover, indicated the severity of his injury.

Qian Ye understood the basics of divination. The more powerful or extensive the subject, the harder it was to calculate, often at a great cost. Against someone like Lin Xitang, divination was akin to a hidden battle.

Knowing the many connections he had, from Lin Xitang to Zhao Weihuang, Ye Qing, and the Blackwing Monarch, Qian Ye realized the risks involved if Song Zining tried to calculate anything related to him.

However, before he could speak, Qian Ye hesitated. Song Zining, though outwardly calm, was internally resolute, similar to Qian Ye. Once he decided, no one could persuade him otherwise.

“Enough of that, if the Wolf King arrives early…” Song Zining frowned again. He usually used both logical reasoning and divination, validating each other. Without divination, he felt uncertain.

“Fine, I’ll do it!” Ji Tianqing produced a black jade stick, tossing it onto the table. Glancing at it, she said, “He’s already on his way.”

Relieved, Song Zining regained some confidence. His eyes gleamed, “We must make sure he can’t leave, dealing a heavy blow here!”

Ji Tianqing couldn’t help but say, “He’s coming alone, clearly to scout. If he senses danger, he’ll flee. The Wolf King, being a hardened warrior, won’t surrender.”

“How to make him stay and fight to the death depends on Qian Ye.”

Qian Ye frowned, “What can I do?”

“I don’t know. If the Wolf King retreats and joins his army, it’ll be much harder to defeat them.”

As Qian Ye was about to reply, Song Zining patted his shoulder, “Think about it, I need to prepare.”

Ji Tianqing also left, telling Qian Ye, “Hurry up, the Wolf King is almost here.”

Alone, Qian Ye pondered how to provoke the Wolf King. Provoking and taunting were never his forte. After a while, he left for the city walls.

The sky was overcast, and a black dot appeared on the horizon, rapidly approaching South Azure City. In moments, the dot was a kilometer away, revealing the Wolf King. Overlooking the city, his blood-red eyes brimmed with murderous intent.

The Wolf King steadied himself, and the ballistae on the city walls turned, aiming at him.

Sensing the ballistae’s lock, the Wolf King felt a slight pain between his brows. In his eyes, the city seemed chaotic, still recovering from the previous battle. Yet, the unified flow of origin power and the presence of several powerful auras indicated a prepared defense.

The Wolf King’s expression darkened. The city’s defenses were far more stringent than expected, and the prepared stance clearly anticipated his arrival. The city’s mastermind had set a trap, waiting for him.

Hesitant, the Wolf King considered his options. With Qian Ye and Song Zining, whose reputation exceeded Qian Ye’s, the Wolf King was wary. After studying Song Zining’s background, he was impressed. Given his formidable background and strategic prowess, the Wolf King struggled to decide whether to kill the Seventh Young Master.

If the Seventh Young Master died, the Song Clan might retaliate. Although the Wolf King was unafraid, the loss of his covert connections with the Empire would be significant.

Determined, the Wolf King resolved to kill Song Zining if he resisted. Just as he decided, a figure rose from the city, none other than Qian Ye.

Qian Ye pointed at the Wolf King, shouting, “Wolf King! If you’re here, why hide? Fight if you dare!”

Prodded by Qian Ye, the Wolf King, unable to lose face, revealed himself. A dark red, towering shadow, dozens of meters high, loomed over the city, creating a menacing presence to intimidate the city and particularly Ji Rui. Such a large shadow, capable of moving in sync with its host, was no ordinary feat.

Ji Rui, cowardly, might back down after witnessing the Wolf King’s power, weakening the city’s main force.

But the Wolf King didn’t expect that, just as he posed, Qian Ye suddenly launched, delivering a powerful punch to his chest!

Furious, the Wolf King retaliated with an equally powerful punch.

The collision surprised the Wolf King, as the impact was greater than expected. He grunted, stepping back slightly.

Qian Ye retreated only ten meters, sneering at the Wolf King, then flew back to the city.

A commotion arose within the city, with countless people pointing at the Wolf King.

Realizing something was amiss, the Wolf King turned to see his massive shadow dissipating. Qian Ye’s punch had shattered his illusion!