Chapter 378 – Mature Troops Should Learn to Work and Support the Family

At the Tianyuan Grand Hotel, formerly the site of Tianyuan’s First Canteen, Mu Yuan hosted the guests who had traveled from afar.

This was a necessary courtesy.

Even if others might not need it, it couldn’t be omitted.

He was also contemplating how to make use of Minister Qin and the others. Since they had come all this way, it wouldn’t do to let their trip go to waste.

For instance, they could launch an assault on the Bloodtree Forest to the west and later joyfully divide the spoils. This would eliminate the nearest threat around Tianyuan City while ensuring the Legendary Realm combat power wasn’t squandered.

However, this was merely a fallback plan.

Mu Yuan had a more suitable approach in mind, though he needed to discuss it with Old Qin first to clarify certain details he wasn’t entirely sure about.

Minister Qin and his companions were indeed hungry, as their journey had been physically demanding.

The Wind King’s Wings, serving as both his elite combat force and means of transportation, also needed a brief rest to recover. Only then could they face any potential battles at their peak condition.

Despite their hunger, Minister Qin specifically instructed Tianyuan to keep things simple.

Their purpose here was to help Tianyuan Territory overcome its predicament, not to add to its burdens.

Having just endured a major battle, everyone from the lord to the soldiers and civilians was likely overwhelmed. They couldn’t possibly impose additional pressure.

Those who frequently operated on the front lines never cared for pomp and ceremony.

Efficiency was their only priority.

Had he not observed that Tianyuan City faced no immediate danger or impending conflict, he would have refused the meal altogether.

Noticing this, Mu Yuan instructed Chef Pao Tu to forgo his signature delicacies and instead focus on serving hearty, filling dishes that could be prepared quickly.

Of course, high-grade ingredients were still essential.

Lords Crushed Rock and Flying Flame surveyed their surroundings.

During their approach, they had noticed some damage within the city and traces of thunder and fire scorching the land outside, evidence of a recent fierce battle.

They had even spotted numerous craters outside the city walls—ones that could only have been formed by Legendary Realm power.

The conflict had been intense.

The earlier precarious state of Tianyuan Territory was no exaggeration.

Yet, Tianyuan City was more magnificent and prosperous than they had imagined.

Lord Crushed Rock compared it to his own Rock Crusher City, which he had developed over more than a decade. Tianyuan City paled in comparison, but without prior knowledge, no one would guess it had been built in just a year.

The city was densely packed with Arrow Towers, and he also noticed many Thundercoil Towers, Wrathflame Cannons, and Multi-Arrow Turrets.

The entire Tianyuan City resembled a fortress, already fortified to the point of impregnability.

Only such defenses could explain how the city, despite its limited forces, had steadfastly repelled the monster invasions.

Yet, Tianyuan City wasn’t solely a military stronghold.

Within the city, Lord Crushed Rock observed patches of greenery, small gardens, and several simple teahouses, taverns, bathhouses, and an Academy along the main road. Many lords would not—or could not—allocate resources to such low-yield constructions.

Providing enlightenment education for school-age children within the territory was an even rarer practice among lords.

—At least among early-stage and minor lords.Although the Taixuan Alliance continuously advocates for it, they are well aware that many small territories lack the necessary conditions.

As for Tianyuan, despite facing difficult circumstances, he never neglects the development of his territory or the improvement of his people’s living conditions. This shows he is not only an outstanding Lord but also a good one.

Rock Crusher’s impression of Tianyuan kept changing. Before arriving, he had assumed Tianyuan was the type of young man who poured all his energy and resources into nurturing powerful individuals, with his head held high in arrogance.

He had indeed encountered such outstanding Lords, and more than one.

Perhaps this is the difference between being excellent and being the top figure among the younger generation of Taixuan.

Flying Flame, seated beside Shen Linglong, asked, “Have you already clashed with the monster forces in the surrounding area?”

Shen Linglong’s lips curled slightly upward. “How did you know I slew a Monster Legend here and have defeated two, three, or even four Legendary Realm beings?”

Flying Flame: “…”

Was that what he had asked?!

But Shen Linglong had actually slain another Monster Legend? Hadn’t she just broken through not long ago? This woman was terrifying!

Flying Flame said, “Let’s get back to the main topic. What kind of enemies did you actually repel? From what you said, it seems there were quite a few Legendary Realm attackers.”

Shen Linglong nodded. “That’s right. The Monster Legends attacking Tianyuan City the day before yesterday numbered at least… well, at least over a dozen? I don’t have the Lord’s perspective, and the battlefield was a complete mess, so I couldn’t count the exact number.”

Flying Flame: Can we please be serious here!

Shen Linglong, innocent: Everything I said was a serious battle report, including how I wreaked havoc on the battlefield.

…

After the meal, Minister Qin and the others finally accepted the fact that Tianyuan City had repelled and defeated the Monster Overlord.

The number of attacking Monster Legends was at least over a dozen.

This number was what Mu Yuan had downplayed. Mentioning over a dozen was already hard to believe; saying twenty or thirty would have sounded like pure nonsense.

Mu Yuan had no choice but to downplay the scale of the battle repeatedly.

He emphasized that it was all thanks to a super trump card that turned the tide. And that was indeed the truth.

“A trump card capable of annihilating, injuring, or repelling over a dozen Legendary Realm beings in one go… Are young people these days just that incredible?” Flying Flame murmured.

Back when Han Yue made a name for herself in battle, he had been stunned.

Now, Tianyuan’s achievements were even more staggering and unbelievable.

He knew that such foundational trump cards were almost impossible to replicate, but not every Lord had the qualifications or ability to obtain such foundations. Foundations and opportunities were, in themselves, a reflection of one’s capabilities.

This was especially true in the era of Great Lords.

Minister Qin believed this account. If it had only been Shen Linglong saying it, he might have been skeptical, but since Tianyuan said the same and there were indeed numerous traces of Legendary Realm battles outside, he had no reason to doubt it.

The Tianyuan Territory already had the ability to protect its home from the incursions of the Monster Overlord.

When a Lord was capable of holding their ground, there was no need for them to intervene—Tianyuan was still growing, and these powerful enemies served as valuable tempering for him. There might be losses in troops and sacrifices among the strong during this process, but it was an inevitable part of a powerful Lord’s growth.

Besides serving as tempering, powerful enemies also provided loot from treasure chests.

It seemed they had come for nothing.

Minister Qin was not displeased.

What could be more gratifying than witnessing the continuous emergence of outstanding younger generations in one’s own country?Tianyuan was more outstanding than he had imagined and would become a pillar of the Taixuan Alliance within a few years, which greatly pleased him.

Minister Qin pondered for a moment and said, “Tianyuan, are you interested in joining our Pioneer Logistics Department? Don’t rush to decline…”

He was well aware that Tianyuan had already been recruited by General Cold Moon. If not for the incident of the territory shifting, Tianyuan would likely have led his troops to the defense zone where Han Yue was stationed.

He also knew that Tianyuan was aware that he knew this.

However…

A Lord was not so inflexible. With Tianyuan’s talent, he would not remain forever under the command of a single Pioneering General. As long as he did not fall, he would eventually rise to the rank of Pioneering General.

And before that, Tianyuan was not alone but a Lord—a Lord with many outstanding subordinates.

“I assume you have some understanding of the main tasks of our Pioneer Group.”

“The Pioneer Group primarily engages in wilderness exploration operations. Many perilous and treasure lands deep in the wilderness bear traces left by the strong members of the Pioneer Group.”

“In our Taixuan Territory, areas like the Stone Ridge Town region where you were before are the outermost fringes. However, north of Stone Ridge Town, hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of kilometers into the deep wilderness, there are scattered camps, small towns, and fortresses established by our Taixuan pioneers.”

“At the deepest reaches of the wilderness, at the edge of the Great Domain, the strategic points that hold back the spread of the Land of Red Mist are the defense zones overseen by Pioneering Generals. Countless strong individuals fight there, slaying the vanguard forces of Monster Overlords and even venturing deep into the Land of Red Mist.”

The Pioneer Fortress was extremely far from the Taixuan Territory, but in reality, it was the front line where the Taixuan Alliance confronted the Filth and monsters.

The Pioneer Fortress blocked the entrances and exits of the Great Domain or key strategic locations, instilling fear in the Legendary monsters, preventing them from crossing the line recklessly.

Time and again, it curbed the spread of the Land of Red Mist.

Occasionally, it even managed to reclaim parts of the Land of Red Mist, causing the Crimson Mist to dissipate and the Filth to recede.

But such instances were rare.

There had also been times when Pioneer Fortresses fell, and vast stretches of barren land were corrupted into Filth-ridden soil.

For example, the monster tides that surged south during the Crimson Mist Disaster Month were merely wild waves gathered from the surrounding wilderness, and Legendary Realm beings were seldom seen. Otherwise, how could the outermost territories of the Alliance, mostly small towns, withstand a true tide?

Mu Yuan was already aware of most of this information.

However, from Minister Qin’s words, he confirmed one thing.

Many of the top-tier Filth beings, such as Fallen Gods and Fallen God Attendants, could not leave the Land of Red Mist—at least not for extended periods.

Factions like the Nethergod Court, Heavenly Aberration Eternal Life, Shadow Tendrils, and Brood Nest sought to spread the Filth and expand the Land of Red Mist.

They wanted the entire world to be consumed by Filth.

The mission of the Pioneer Fortress was to block the spread and expansion of the Land of Red Mist.

Only in this way could humanity stand against the monsters.

Thus, the Pioneer Group gathered the strongest individuals in Taixuan.

Going to the front lines to confront the great enemy was the duty of every powerful Lord, and it also concerned their own interests. If the front lines fell and the Land of Red Mist spread, the entire Taixuan Alliance would be plunged into calamity.

When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact?Mu Yuan had originally planned to head to the defense zone under the jurisdiction of the Cold Moon City Lord. Since he had to go to war, of course he would choose a defense zone where he had acquaintances and powerful backers—after all, he was still a novice lord.

“The main task of our Logistics Department is to transport supplies to the front lines and establish various relay points.”

“Don’t underestimate this transportation mission. The front lines are extremely far from the Taixuan Territory, and using public Secret Realms or teleportation arrays to transport supplies incurs very high additional costs. Moreover, sometimes when the Crimson Mist surges southward, teleportation arrays and Secret Realms can be disrupted and rendered unusable.”

Minister Qin explained.

Dolai seemed to perk up at the mention of the word “transportation,” as if it had triggered a keyword. After all, it was the first-generation transportation captain of the Tianyuan Territory.

Transportation was indeed a critical task that had to be entrusted to reliable and capable individuals.

At this point, Minister Qin paused and added:

“In the future, you might be stationed at Cold Moon Fortress, but that doesn’t prevent certain generals from your Tianyuan Territory from working in our Logistics Department.”

“You must understand that a powerful individual’s cultivation and breakthroughs require vast resources. It’s difficult for a lord to support so many strong individuals, and keeping all of them within the territory would be a waste of human resources.”

“Of course, this refers to a choice you can make in the future, once your territory is stable. For now, the priority should be the security of your territory.”

Mu Yuan suddenly understood.

So that’s how it was.

He glanced at the Dragon Warrior Monk and the Gale Ranger not far away. These two were likely Legendary Realm experts from one or two powerful territories.

Working Legends.

Just as Minister Qin had said, a single territory doesn’t have enough high-level positions to offer to every powerful individual.

Take his Tianyuan Territory, for example. If it weren’t for the ongoing war, normal exploration and expansion wouldn’t require so many generals or so many top-tier Fourth Order experts.

This was an excess of combat power.

In such cases, it made sense to deploy these forces to departments within the Taixuan Alliance that needed them. This way, the Taixuan departments would gain manpower, and the lord would also earn additional income.

Of course, this wasn’t an easy task.

Only the most elite troops or Heroes possessed the ability to act autonomously and make sound judgments. Merely having self-awareness wasn’t enough—they also needed to be intelligent and mature.

But on the other hand, mature troops should learn to work and earn money to support their households.

Mu Yuan unilaterally believed that many of his own troops had already reached that level of maturity.

In the future, when the Tianyuan Territory’s combat needs diminished, it would indeed be feasible to dispatch some generals externally, which could also expand their information channels.

Perhaps noticing Mu Yuan’s interest, Minister Qin added with extra encouragement:

“Not only that, but deploying more powerful individuals can also help raise the Pioneer Star Rank of our Pioneer Lords more quickly.”

“This is a merit system independent of the Contribution Points system. In addition to earning Contribution Points from battles and completing missions, Pioneer Lords can also gain merit.”

“Merit is not a currency but a symbol of honor that can elevate a Pioneer’s star rank.”

But the Taixuan Alliance never just makes empty promises.

In addition to being an honor, the Pioneer Star Rank also grants discounts when exchanging for various Treasures.

A Two-Star Pioneer receives a 2% discount.

A Three-Star Pioneer receives a 5% discount.

Some top-tier Treasures and Materials can only be exchanged with sufficient status and rank. The Pioneer Star Rank symbolizes that status and rank.

As for Mu Yuan at the moment…

He was still a Pioneer in reserve.”Moreover, the Pioneer Star Rank also symbolizes authority.”

Minister Qin stated, “The reason why powerful individuals like Flowing Arrow, Han Yue, and Qingxin are each responsible for an entire defense zone isn’t just because they’re strong enough, but because they’ve accumulated sufficient military achievements. They’ve proven themselves through numerous battles and have already become Seven-Star Pioneer Lords and Pioneering Generals.”

Pioneering Generals are undoubtedly high-ranking officials within the entire Taixuan Alliance.

Wielding great power.

Commanding immense strength.

The vast majority of Pioneer Lords remain at the One-Star or Two-Star levels. Without achieving major accomplishments, relying on the accumulation of ordinary merits for promotion would require a relatively long time.

What constitutes a major accomplishment? At the very least, it must be a contribution capable of influencing the war situation in a specific defense zone.

Although Shen Linglong is a Legendary Lord, she is only a Two-Star Pioneer Lord, still somewhat short of reaching Three-Star status.

The two Legendary Lords who came to assist—Flying Flame is a Three-Star Pioneer Lord, while Crushed Rock is a Four-Star Pioneer Lord.

As for Minister Qin… he’s a civilian official, but he inadvertently revealed that his pioneer merit star rank is as high as seven stars, equivalent in status to a Pioneering General.

He almost explicitly said: Come on, I’ve reserved several important positions for you in the Logistics Department.

If he can’t recruit the Tianyuan Lord, he’ll start by poaching from his subordinate commanders.

No, this shouldn’t be called poaching.

This is called providing a platform for young people to realize their self-worth.

Minister Qin isn’t in a hurry though; he’s just leaving an impression for now. In the future, when the Tianyuan Lord dispatches powerful individuals, he’ll give more consideration to the Pioneer Logistics Department.

This would likely happen one or two years from now at the earliest.

Whether it’s pioneer missions or other tasks, they must all be undertaken under the premise of ensuring territorial security. Given the Tianyuan Territory’s current special circumstances, there’s certainly no obligation to go to the very front lines.

Old Qin then inquired about the situation regarding the Monster Overlords around the Tianyuan Territory.

One was Jackal Fang, the other Blood Serpent Embrace.

They didn’t sound particularly extraordinary.

Gnolls and Snakemen are both relatively common races.

But when he heard about the appearance of the Crimson Dragon, Old Qin’s expression turned more serious.

“A dragon entirely crimson, as if pieced together from countless flesh? And you saw other legendary dragons with different forms but similarly seeming to have revived?”

“This description… somewhat resembles the Overlord faction Dragon’s Slumber Valley.”

Shen Linglong and the others widened their eyes.

This Overlord faction is quite renowned, much like the Goblin Kingdom in the Gloomy Forest region—they’d all heard of it. Lord Crushed Rock had even participated in wars against Dragon’s Slumber Valley.

But how could there be traces of Dragon’s Slumber Valley in this Great Domain as well?

Or is it just a coincidence?

After all, dragons… are a relatively common type among epic lifeforms.

“Dragon’s Slumber Valley?”

Mu Yuan felt more confirmation regarding his previous speculation, now about 99% certain.

He said, “Not only that, but we also destroyed a Filth Nexus under construction atop the distant Black Colossus Mountain.”

“What? A Filth Nexus!”

Old Qin frowned. “A Filth Nexus is absolutely not something an ordinary Overlord faction can construct. Being able to build a Filth Nexus also means this Great Domain borders the Land of Red Mist. Now it’s almost certain—it must be Dragon’s Slumber Valley!”

This Monster Overlord has been putting considerable pressure on the front lines.

Especially recently with the southern advance of the mist tide, Filth lifeforms of legendary second and third realms have been appearing frequently. The defending forces have been pushed back into their fortresses, finding few opportunities for counterattacks.Of course, it was nearly impossible for Dragon’s Slumber Valley to breach the Pioneer Fortress and spread the Crimson Mist.

Old Qin had great confidence in the Taixuan defense line.

But what if…

“What if Dragon’s Slumber Valley occupies this Great Domain, transforms it into the Land of Red Mist, and uses it as a stepping stone to enter the Twilight Plains, completely bypassing the front-line fortresses?”

By then, the Land of Red Mist would spread directly within the Twilight Plains, reaching straight into Taixuan Territory.

Thinking of this, Minister Qin broke out in a cold sweat.

If not for Tianyuan Territory coincidentally relocating here, if not for Tianyuan Territory possessing sufficient combat strength, this defensive line of the Alliance would likely have collapsed, and every city, town, and village across the Twilight Plains Great Domain might have become mere history.

Fortunately, there was Tianyuan.

He was truly Taixuan’s lucky star.

Wiping his sweat, Old Qin suddenly thought of another matter. “Since Dragon’s Slumber Valley can bypass our defense zone and penetrate deep into our heartland, then conversely, it seems we could do the same and deal Dragon’s Slumber Valley a heavy blow.”

(End of Chapter)