Chapter 331 – A Legend Visits

Two days had passed in the blink of an eye since the great battle at Wolfhead Mountain concluded.

Thanks to the intelligence shared by the elves and giants, Mu Yuan had identified six large tribes under the jurisdiction of Jackal Fang.

He did not launch an attack.

The timing was no longer suitable for an offensive, as it carried significant risks. Moreover, Jackal Fang still retained more than ten Legendary Realm existences, and their overall strength far surpassed that of Tianyuan Territory.

Whether the emperor of Jackal Fang had advanced to the second stage of the Legendary Realm, or whether they concealed more Legendary Realm experts or devastating weapons—these were details even the elves and giants were unaware of.

Their reconnaissance missions in the outside world already entailed great risks, making it difficult to uncover the true power of Jackal Fang.

Under such circumstances, a measured counterattack was feasible. However, pushing Jackal Fang too hard and provoking this Monster Overlord into an all-out war would only result in heavy losses for them. Ultimately, it boiled down to Tianyuan Territory’s weakness—their situation was far from secure, and they lacked the strength to crush Jackal Fang.

And Jackal Fang was merely one of the overlords in this region.

Tianyuan Territory needed time to develop.

Time was on their side.

“Currently, the nearest large monster tribe to Tianyuan Territory is several hundred kilometers away. Jackal Fang’s control over our area has significantly weakened. In fact, several tribes to the south are now closer to the territory.”

“According to Heavenly Eye’s reconnaissance, Jackal Fang appears to be conducting construction at the Blood Pool. It’s unclear whether they plan to relocate it or set a trap there, waiting for us to walk right into it.”

In either case, they simply needed to avoid going.

The primary significance of attacking large tribes for Tianyuan Territory lay in the Blood Pool.

Slaying high-tier monsters? That was of little use. Monsters were like giant cockroaches, reproducing rapidly and impossible to eradicate completely.

Jackal Fang had no shortage of tribes or mining laborers under its command.

There were plenty of monsters to handle such tasks.

“However…”

“Aside from these tribes serving as scouts and enslaved miners, according to intelligence from the two major factions, Jackal Fang also maintained a highly important and heavily fortified stronghold in plain sight. Its location was…”

Mu Yuan stood on the outer corridor of the Scepter of Heavenly Authority, his gaze extending beyond the City Walls and over the mountain ranges. In the distance, he could faintly glimpse a Black Colossus Mountain, its height immeasurable and grandeur indescribable, looming intermittently through the clouds and mist.

That location was quite far from Tianyuan Territory, over a thousand kilometers away.

Yet, during periods when the white mist was less dense, he could see it from afar.

Beneath the Black Colossus Mountain lay Jackal Fang’s stronghold. Though it was said to be in plain sight, it was far more concealed than the large tribes scattered across the region and relatively small in scale.

Without the prior intelligence from the elves and giants, even if Mu Yuan had Asun scan the area repeatedly, it would have been difficult to detect this stronghold.

It was shrouded in thick white mist, almost blending into the surrounding landscape.

But under the observation of the Heavenly Eye, Jackal Fang’s stronghold was clearly revealed.

The stronghold was modest in size, surrounded by towering brown-red City Walls. At its center stood a majestic crimson structure, and aside from that, there were only a few dozen Flesh Towers similar to those he had seen in monster tribes.However, these Flesh Towers appeared even more magnificent, and the enormous eyeballs atop the towers were even more sinister and eerie.

“The fortress covers an area equivalent to only about a dozen football fields. Whether there are more expansive underground spaces is uncertain. According to the elves, the Black Colossus Mountain seems to harbor secrets of great value, which is why Jackal Fang has stationed elite troops in this Black Colossus Fortress. There is definitely more than one Gnoll Legend stationed within this fortress!”

The elves were very certain.

To obtain this intelligence, they had sacrificed dozens of Third-Order and Fourth-Order Experts in the past.

They had paid a heavy price.

Unfortunately, they were also unaware of what lay atop the Black Colossus Mountain.

The Heavenly Eye could not observe it either, as the mountain seemed shrouded in a black mist resembling a barrier. The mist obscured the Heavenly Eye’s observation.

However, the mist above the Gnoll fortress was almost transparent to the Heavenly Eye.

Therefore, Mu Yuan was certain that the elves’ intelligence was correct but far from accurate.

“The number of Gnoll Legends stationed in this fortress is not just two, but a full five!”

If Nature’s Garden were to launch a surprise attack on this fortress, assuming only two or three enemies of this caliber, they would be utterly doomed.

Looking at the large red dots representing the Legendary Realm on the Heavenly Eye’s surface, and then glancing at the control button next to the central console for launching large-scale spells, Lord Mu felt a growing urge.

He really wanted to press it and unleash a nuclear blast on this fortress!

But in the end, Lord Mu, relying on his powerful will that had already ignited the Willpower Light, forcefully suppressed the burgeoning thoughts in his mind.

He couldn’t attack.

At least not now.

One strike like that would force Jackal Fang into an all-out war with Tianyuan Territory, and it might even provoke Blood Serpent Embrace from the south. Tianyuan Territory needed time to develop.

“I have to think of it this way.”

“These Gnoll Legends’ lives are merely temporarily held by Jackal Fang. Yes, that’s it.”

“Only when Tianyuan Territory has accumulated sufficient strength, and the expeditionary corps cooperates with the Tianquan nuclear blast, can we achieve the best strategic effect.”

…

Time passed slowly. A week had already gone by since they repelled the tide stirred up by Jackal Fang.

During this period, the exploration team had once again set out toward distant lands.

After defeating the powerful enemy and cutting off Jackal Fang’s external claws one by one, the Tianyuan exploration team faced almost no natural predators within hundreds of miles.

The elite exploration team soon discovered one outdoor treasure after another.

“Snakeblood Fruit (Rare)”, “Dragonblood Fruit (Excellent)”;

“Stardust Steel (Excellent): Materials, commonly used for forging high-tier equipment”;

“Sage Fruit (Excellent): Treasures, consuming it allows one to enter a month-long state of desire-free Sage mode”;

After all, this region was controlled by Jackal Fang, so there weren’t many outdoor treasures.

Instead, the exploration team found quite a few Roots of Filth or some special Treasure Lands.

The former were swiftly purified by the Heroes, who received rewards bestowed by the heavens. These rewards were mostly ordinary or rare-grade treasures, but among them were some blueprints that, while not highly valuable, could enrich the territory’s construction.

Such as luxurious bathrooms, advanced mansions, gardens, and so on.

But among these ‘ordinary treasures,’ one precious advanced item appeared—the Hero’s Token.Purifying the Root of Filth does have a probability of yielding the Hero’s Token—in fact, the vast majority of Hero’s Tokens come from the gifts of heaven and earth. However, the drop rate for such purification rewards is extremely low.

Mu Yuan’s exploration teams have already purified quite a number of Roots of Filth.

The latter are special Treasure Lands rooted in various wilderness locations and cannot be relocated. The exploration teams can only conduct protective harvesting.

For example,

Xiliu’s squad discovered treasure trees growing the special treasure known as ‘Divine Radiance Crystal Prisms.’

There were a full six treasure trees, naturally formed by heaven and earth.

Mu Yuan brought Isloria to test transplanting them but didn’t dare proceed. The roots of the treasure trees extended deep into the earth’s veins, much like mineral deposits, and they currently lacked the technology for transplantation.

They could only harvest the ‘fruits’ from the treasure trees one by one.

The quantity wasn’t large, clearly indicating that the Gnolls had already harvested some.

This was a Treasure Land that remained relatively well-preserved.

Along their journey, the exploration teams also discovered many Treasure Lands that had been violently exploited and destroyed, making Mu Yuan’s heart bleed at the sight.

“Even for these remaining Treasure Lands, my Tianyuan Territory has no means to occupy or garrison them, and they face the constant risk of being destroyed by monsters.”

After all, Tianyuan Territory was still the weaker party, barely able to survive at present.

Forget these wilderness Treasure Lands—even the mineral deposits located within the ruins of several large tribes were difficult for Tianyuan Territory to secure.

Occupation would require deploying troops for defense.

However, Tianyuan Territory had only one Legendary Realm expert, Dolai. How could they possibly defend areas beyond Wolfhead Mountain?

Most importantly, Jackal Fang didn’t care about losses among the lower-tier monsters, but Mu Yuan cared about his own soldiers.

On the eighth day after the Battle of Wolfhead Mountain concluded,

Mu Yuan discovered that to the north, the three large tribes they had subjugated after the war were beginning to rebuild.

New tribes were being established.

A Gnoll Tribe, a Half-Orc Tribe, and a Troglodyte Tribe.

These three tribes were far smaller in scale than before and hadn’t constructed Blood Pools or Flesh Towers, but they still possessed considerable strength, enough to crush some surrounding monster groups with ill intentions, mine mineral deposits, and offer tributes to Jackal Fang.

Deadbone conducted tentative raids but achieved minimal results.

They didn’t care about death or losses.

Even if a Legendary expert attacked, they could resume mining afterward.

However, during Deadbone’s raids, he faintly sensed a Legendary Realm presence secretly observing. Moreover, Deadbone, Lu Liu, and other commanders needed to cultivate to advance into the Legendary Realm as soon as possible—how could they afford to waste so much time tangling with these monsters?

After the three tribes were rebuilt, the exploration teams encountered significantly more powerful enemies and ambushes in the wilderness.

Exploration began to face obstacles.

This was within Mu Yuan’s expectations.

He had originally seized the opportunity to plunder a batch of wilderness resources.

Afterward, the elite squads of Tianyuan Territory shifted their primary mission from exploration to guerrilla warfare. They engaged in constant clashes with the elite monsters controlled by Jackal Fang amidst the mountains and dense forests.

In such confrontations, Tianyuan Territory naturally won more often than they lost.

However,

Mu Yuan still felt immense pressure.

As the saying goes, Jackal Fang didn’t care about losses, but they couldn’t afford to.

Even if Tianyuan Territory won 99.9% of ten battles, in his view, it was still a loss.

Sometimes, when exploration teams encountered ambushes, even elites would suffer casualties, with no time for rescue or revival.He had to remain vigilant against the legendary-level raids from Jackal Fang—even though their Legendary Realm experts weren’t among those who “didn’t care about losses,” as they too feared being counter-ambushed by Dolai. However, Tianyuan Territory couldn’t afford such mutual attrition.

“Perhaps the Gnolls are also waiting for Dolai to set up a counter-ambush, intending to strike Wolfhead Mountain directly once Dolai leaves. After all, traces of monster scouts have gradually been appearing around Wolfhead Mountain.”

Under these circumstances, Tianyuan Territory faced considerable pressure.

He needed time.

And allies.

The Taixuan Alliance was too far away to offer immediate assistance, and he still couldn’t determine his exact location.

Nearby, the Winged-People Kingdom remained isolated and lacked courage.

After waiting for over ten days, representatives from Nature’s Garden and Boulder Mountain Ridge finally arrived.

…

Outside Wolfhead Mountain,

A convoy slowly emerged from the mist. At its center was an exquisite and elegant carriage, its sides engraved with the emblem of Nature’s Garden, pulled by four pure-white, winged Pegasus horses.

Ten elven guards rode alongside the carriage, mounted on pure-white steeds with Pegasus bloodlines, stepping out of the mist together.

Inside the carriage, the Legendary Realm existence from Nature’s Garden—Pure White Sword Flower, Mirena—gazed through the window at the distant fortress faintly visible on the mountain. Her eyes swept the surroundings before finally settling on a peculiar canyon spewing thunder and fire.

“Humans, Tianyuan Territory.”

She murmured.

Mirena wore an opulent gown adorned with white roses. Her visit to a human faction required formal attire, after all—Nature’s Garden was a civilized power with a glorious history and ancient Legacy.

Yet even this formal dress couldn’t conceal her sharp aura.

Or rather, the gown seemed somewhat mismatched on her.

“Our old friend has arrived as well.”

Her gaze suddenly shifted to one side.

Where there had been nothing, several giants made a thunderous entrance as lightning struck down.

Among the elven delegation were the chief scout Tilly and the elven monk who had visited once before.

Naturally, the giants’ delegation also included Boulder Mountain Ridge’s chief scout, Qiang Er. However, this tall and burly giant now seemed like a child compared to the leading giant.

He stood tall and majestic, like an insurmountable mountain range, radiating an overwhelming sense of security.

Giant Legend—Absolute Barrier, Asoro.

The second-in-command of Boulder Mountain Ridge!

Though the giants’ delegation appeared simple, Elf Mirena didn’t dare slight them, stepping out from her carriage to greet them.

“It’s been twelve years since we last met, hasn’t it?”

“By the count, indeed it has.”

While interactions between the two major powers were frequent, meetings at the Legendary Realm level remained rare.

After all, they were Legends.

They had to be extremely cautious when venturing outside—their lives concerned not only themselves but thousands of others.

Previously, the two powers also lacked a neutral ground for formal discussions where they could sit down and talk. They couldn’t publicly disclose their home locations.

But now, the human faction had secured a formal territory in the outside world and repelled Jackal Fang’s frontal assault.

Not that the human faction was secure.

Whether Wolfhead Mountain Fortress could hold in the future remained uncertain.But for now at least, the great victory of the human Tianyuan Territory was joyous news for both elves and giants. With the opportunity to break the deadlock right before them, they had to consider whether this might be their only chance in this lifetime.

Even if it meant taking great risks.

They were willing to pay the price.

When they arrived, Mu Yuan naturally noticed them immediately.

Led by Isloria, a group of elites escorted two delegations up the mountain. The entire process was straightforward and direct. After all, everyone present was a decisive warrior. Compared to formalities and pomp, they all preferred to focus on negotiating strategies to counter the Monster Overlord.

Even the elven legend Mirena had put away her carriage and traveled light, appearing unburdened and relaxed.

Perhaps the meticulously arranged ceremonies earlier were the last stubborn insistence of the elves with their long-standing heritage and profound cultural connotation.

And now, the elves just wanted to…

“Look, these are the defensive structures of Wolfhead Mountain Fortress. With these powerful weapons, the human elites could fight one against a hundred, one against a thousand, completely shattering the massive monster hordes.”

“You should have seen it back then – such terrifyingly overwhelming monster waves actually couldn’t cross the Wolfhead Mountain defense line even one step.”

Tilly, who had been here before, was gesturing excitedly as she introduced everything like a host, making her siblings who hadn’t witnessed the epic battle themselves feel both envious and jealous.

“We know, we know, stop showing off your experience! You’ve said this dozens of times already!”

They were actually quite curious too.

How had the human forces, with such scarce defenders, managed to resist enemies that outnumbered them by hundreds or thousands of times?

Now they understood.

Just by looking at the seemingly unimpressive watchtowers in the distance and focusing on their dark shooting ports, they already felt… their hairs standing on end.

(End of Chapter)