Chapter 361 – The Epics of Tianyuan

At the foot of Wolfhead Mountain, Shen Linglong was leading her troops back from the wilderness for temporary rest.

She was never one to stay idle. Having come here, she certainly couldn’t just be a guest in Tianyuan Territory, drinking tea and waiting to act only when enemies attacked. She directly led her troops into battle—if they could eliminate large numbers of high-level monsters, wouldn’t that help relieve some pressure on young Tianyuan?

She also kept thinking about adding another achievement to her legendary kill record.

“Today marks my fourth day in Tianyuan Territory. The sky is cloudy with Level 0.3 Crimson Mist.”

“My luck was good today—I finally caught a monster legend. However, this Gnoll Legend was surprisingly cautious, retreating quickly after just a few probing moves. Otherwise, this Lord would definitely have slain another legend.”

Shen Linglong felt somewhat frustrated.

Were the monster legends here a bit too cowardly? They hadn’t even properly fought yet. Still, she understood that monsters capable of reaching the Legendary Realm possessed intelligence no less than humans and wouldn’t recklessly fight to the death like ordinary monsters. Many legendary monsters valued their lives highly, and the one she encountered likely belonged to that category.

During these two days of campaigning outside, although Shen Linglong hadn’t achieved the glorious feat of slaying a Legendary Realm being, she and the generals and elites under her command had eliminated countless high-level monsters.

Her expression grew increasingly solemn.

She might be a bit reckless, preferring to convince others with her fists, but that didn’t mean she was stupid or incapable of thought. Sometimes, she could indeed demonstrate insightful perspective.

“The battlefield has multiple hotspots centered around Wolfhead Mountain, with Tianyuan Territory, elves, and giants battling the Monster Overlord. Legendary Realm figures of the Monster Overlord are rarely seen, and high-level monsters mostly hide in mountains, forests, and wilderness, but…”

“One can glimpse the whole picture from a part—this Jackal Fang Overlord’s forces are even stronger than I anticipated.”

As a veteran Pioneer with at least two and a half years in the Pioneer Group, her experience alone allowed her to sketch the rough outline of Jackal Fang’s strength.

The number of legends under this Overlord likely… exceeded ten.

Even with the support of elves and giants, Tianyuan ultimately bore the main pressure. How did he withstand it? How could he possibly withstand it?

However, Shen Linglong had to admit that Tianyuan’s generals were exceptionally outstanding. Both Sophia and Sickle Moon, who had entered this region with her through the violent dangerous lands, possessed the bearing of legends in her eyes.

Given another two or three years of accumulation, these two Tianyuan Generals might achieve both Domain and Willpower Light, advancing to the Legendary Realm in perfect form.

Even without yet stepping into the Legendary Realm, Sophia and Sickle Moon were undoubtedly top-tier experts among the Fourth Order.

Such powerful individuals could each confront and slay multiple Fourth Order bosses alone, capable of influencing the outcome of local conflicts.

Most importantly…

“The Tianyuan family has legends!”

That Tianyuan had Peak Fourth Order experts, multiple Peak Fourth Order experts, didn’t surprise Shen Linglong. After all, Tianyuan had once represented Taixuan and undergone baptism in the Pure Soul Source Pool. The recent Blue Star Fusion had also produced numerous rule upgrades throughout Taixuan.Alongside Tianyuan, other representatives like Youshan and Wuji had seized the opportunity presented by Blue Star’s fusion to catch up, cultivating several peak Fourth Order powerhouses. In terms of sheer numbers of strong individuals, these lords like Youshan were nearly on par with their group.

However, while peak Fourth Order seemed just a step away from the Legendary Realm, that step was a chasm apart.

Shen Linglong had reached peak Fourth Order two and a half years ago, and her family had no shortage of retainers who had been honing their skills at peak Fourth Order for one or two years. For these several, or even over a dozen retainers, she could only say they had made some progress—but not much. The Legendary Realm remained a distant dream.

Even for those ‘Legendary Seeds’ who had already ignited their Willpower Light and created their own Domains, breaking through the chasm was no simple feat.

And yet, Tianyuan had quietly cultivated a Legendary powerhouse!

The birth of this Legendary was far too low-key. If she hadn’t overheard an elf powerhouse mention it casually, she wouldn’t have known that Tianyuan was now a lord with a Legendary under his command.

“I was planning to give Tianyuan some guidance as a newly advanced Legendary after the war ended, but who would have thought…”

Before she could even show off, the opportunity to do so was gone.

If she hadn’t considered the situation and personally met Tianyuan’s Legendary, witnessing it with her own eyes, she would have found it hard to believe that Tianyuan’s household had a Legendary.

If word got out, no one would likely believe it.

She also knew this Legendary from Tianyuan’s territory. In fact, this individual had always been the most renowned powerhouse in Tianyuan Territory.

She had once, at First Order, defeated a Second-Order Elite Tier powerhouse in a Resource Secret Realm.

She had effortlessly subdued a large group of Heroes at the Festival Grounds. If not for Tianyuan’s dazzling divine radiance at the end, she would have been the most brilliant star.

She was publicly known as Tianyuan Territory’s first Hero. ‘Daughter of Stars, Isloria,’ whom Tianyuan recruited at the Festival Grounds, had to settle for second place.

Now, it seemed this Blue-haired Girl was very likely an Epic Life! The fact that she had easily made even Outstanding Three-Star Heroes submit at the Festival Grounds should have clued them in.

But at the time, no one dared to imagine it.

Tianyuan had recruited such an Epic Hero less than three months after entering the Eternal World—possibly even earlier.

This… was absurd!

“Is this the caliber of Tianyuan? Even Epic Heroes would submit to him.”

But then, remembering how countless Heroes at the Festival Grounds had competed to pledge allegiance to Tianyuan, Shen Linglong no longer found it so unbelievable.

Perhaps this was just the world of great prodigies, something beyond her own comprehension.

“An Epic-tier Legendary Realm, even if just newly broken through, her combat prowess must be extraordinary.”

“What a pity. If not for the impending war and the poor timing, I’d truly love to spar with her.”

…

The monster tide was gathering.

Tianyuan Territory, Nature’s Garden, and Boulder Mountain Ridge were employing various methods to weaken and strike the enemy.

Beyond that, Tianyuan’s retainers maintained their usual pace—preparing for battle where needed, cultivating where possible—without panicking despite the formidable enemy ahead. Time could not be wasted.

Mu Yuan dispatched his perfect Incarnation to Wolfhead Mountain to temporarily take over Dolai’s post there.

Upon returning, General Dolai immediately Devoured the large stockpile of ‘war preparation Treasures’ in the warehouse. It began slowly digesting these Treasures so that, when needed during the war, it could instantly Devour and dissolve them to enter Limitless Devour mode in a flash.

After finishing its feast, it headed to the Black Wasteland Secret Realm.

Whale Swallow!Body Forge!

Within Dolai’s slender frame lay a vast internal space. It rapidly digested the energy and elemental forces swallowed through Whale Swallow, converting them into bodily energy it could wield as effortlessly as moving its own limbs.

It served as a conduit for cosmic energy, the lungs of heaven and earth—with each breath, the energy of the entire cosmos surged and ebbed in rhythm with its respiration.

Far away in the heart of Jackal Fang, the Undead General swiftly returned and seized his rest time to absorb materials, cosmic forces, and treasures, cultivating to expand his Domain.

Deadbone’s Domain had a radius of only 1,410 meters.

Compared to when he first broke through, it had expanded by just over two hundred meters.

His progress was limited.

Firstly, unlike Dolai, he lacked the advantage in Devour abilities, which would have allowed rapid expansion as long as no bottleneck was reached.

Secondly, and most crucially, Deadbone had been frequently away on missions—scouting enemy intelligence and preparing for war—sacrificing much of his cultivation time.

In contrast, Dolai, while stationed at Wolfhead Mountain, couldn’t practice Whale Swallow or Body Forge freely, but cultivating its Domain alone was unaffected.

Within the Skull Graveyard, the Domain of the Dead rose and fell like tides, expanding inch by inch at a slow yet visibly perceptible pace.

Deadbone was in the rapid growth phase immediately after his breakthrough; as long as his Domain hadn’t reached a certain limit, he would maintain this swift advancement.

It was like a pool that was far from full.

Once the pool was filled, progress in the Legendary Realm would enter the ‘normal phase,’ requiring continuous expansion of the pool itself.

At this stage, the expansion of the Domain would become closely tied to one’s Comprehension Ability.

After several hours of cultivating his Domain, the black tides began to recede. This wasn’t him retracting his Domain, but rather condensing it.

The Domain of the Dead, spanning over 1,400 meters in radius, seemed to be forged and kneaded by some immense force, quickly transforming into a Heaven-Earth Bridge, then further condensing into a small ark.

The ark had a foundation of white bones, with black mist forming its wings.

Standing upon it, Deadbone seemed to hover above heaven, earth, and the world itself.

…

Within the territory, Mu Yuan presided over the City Lord’s Mansion, weaving his spirit into a vast network that linked all external troops.

He issued orders for the elite units outside to return one by one, in an orderly manner.

Elite squads and corps couldn’t withstand the impact of the tide. Even if they could hold out temporarily, it wasn’t sustainable—they might endure one or two waves, but not indefinitely.

In a battle of attrition between living beings and the monster tide, the former would inevitably suffer heavy losses. Only by leveraging geographical advantages and city defenses could they stand a chance.

However, this withdrawal couldn’t be rushed, lest high-level monsters seize the opportunity.

Now, only a few strong individuals like Sophia remained outside, scouting enemy movements and seeking opportunities.

Mu Yuan entered the Lord’s perspective, surveying Wolfhead Mountain and various locations in Tianyuan Territory.

“The defense line is basically sound; after all, I’ve been preparing for this since long ago.”

He made a round of inspections.

Lu Liu and Deadbone would also conduct their own rounds to ensure nothing was overlooked.

Isloria was responsible for stabilizing the territory’s interior and maintaining order. While the main battlefield might be at Wolfhead Mountain, the existence of Tianyuan Territory would undoubtedly be exposed.

The reason was simple.

Previously, they had only faced Jackal Fang, with the monster tide surging from north to south, besieging the area outside Wolfhead Mountain.But now, the southern region ruled by Blood Serpent Embrace has also gathered waves of monsters. These tides, moving from south to north, will inevitably discover Tianyuan City concealed under the Night Sky Concealment.

For this reason, he will abandon the arrow towers, watchtowers, and farmlands outside the city.

A small number of residents from the outskirts are being organized to enter the city.

The Soul Sand Mine Outpost south of Tianyuan City is currently guarded by a few elite troops. However, Mu Yuan only plans to use this outpost to snipe and wear down the enemy before abandoning it and arranging for a swift evacuation.

The specifics will depend on the situation.

The Soul Sand Mine Outpost is inevitably indefensible, and its resources are being relocated.

“The enemy is advancing fiercely. The legends of Blood Serpent Embrace and Bloodtree Forest are baring their fangs. Compared to the battle at Wolfhead Mountain, our Tianyuan Territory has only gained one additional Legendary Realm expert: Deadbone.”

Even though Tianyuan Territory has advanced to LV5, even though he, Lord Mu, commands the power of the territory, and even with allies like Shen Linglong, elves, and giants, they remain at a significant disadvantage at the Legendary Realm level.

However…

“Below the Legendary Realm, our Tianyuan Territory has improved considerably since the Wolfhead Mountain battle.”

Mu Yuan opened the panel.

[Legendary Realm: Dolai, Deadbone]

[Fourth-Order Commander Tier: Isloria, Lu Liu, Tree Spirit Grandma, Rakshasa, Red Robe, Uta, Xiliu, Sario, Sophia, Sickle Moon, Seventeen, Asun, Tiff, Bone Two, Bone Three, Bone Four, Laney, …]

A total of 17 Peak Fourth-Order experts!

This number is already quite substantial, enough to rival many Great Lords. Moreover, all seventeen of these Peak Fourth-Order experts are Epic Two-Star!

These commanders are the T1~T2 tier experts of Tianyuan Territory.

Among them, Laney recently underwent baptism and evolution, awakening the Epic talent ‘Holy Light Walk’. She is the representative of Holy Light on earth, wielding the Scepter of Light. Even without reaching the Legendary Realm, she can command the light elemental particles in the world on a large scale. The most ordinary Holy Light skills, when performed by her, have the effect of turning the ordinary into the miraculous.

However…

Seventeen Peak Fourth-Order experts are far from enough.

Tianyuan Territory now also has a large number of T3~T4 tier experts!

All of these experts are Epic, with the weaker ones at Third-Order Warlord Tier, capable of confronting many Fourth-Order BOSSes head-on. The stronger ones, such as Cold Frost, Azure Frost, Niu Si, etc., are not far from reaching the Peak Fourth Order.

Mu Yuan continued scrolling down the panel.

[Wind King’s Wings: 2] (excluding Asun)

[Frost Lord: 12] (excluding Azure Frost and Cold Frost)

[Tree Lord: 14, Nature Spirit: 6]

[Holy Light Sage: 2, Dragon Swordmaster: 4, Fearless Warchief: 4, Valiant Warchief: 2, Polar Star Arrow: 12]

[Vampire Marquis: 2, Ghost General: 14, Skeleton Lord: 28.]

Tianyuan Territory’s T3 and T4 experts number a full 102 + 2!

Even excluding experts above Epic Two-Star rank, Tianyuan Territory still possesses 104 Epic units. This number is undeniably extravagant.

Even though these Epic units have not yet fully realized their potential, with more than half not having reached the Fourth Order, this is still an extremely formidable force.

Especially since nearly half of them have already advanced to the Fourth-Order Commander Tier.Fourth-Order Epic! Even the mediocre among them are still top-tier experts within the Fourth Order, capable of confronting and defeating monster chieftains of large Tribes in one-on-one combat. Against ordinary Fourth-Order opponents, they can defeat and annihilate their enemies in just a few moves during single combat.

The number of Legendary Realm experts in his Tianyuan Territory had merely doubled compared to the previous battle.

But in terms of Fourth-Order Experts and Fourth-Order combat strength, his Tianyuan Territory had increased by far more than just several times.

This was his reliance.

“Monster forces excel at winning through numerical superiority. Last time, Lu Liu and others were besieged by numerous Fourth-Order BOSSes and chieftain-level experts, but now, the times have changed.”

(End of Chapter)