Chapter 398 – Branches of Evolution

Inside the Gnoll Fang Lair, the Crimson Mist had thinned considerably. The soldiers of Tianyuan City were seizing the opportunity to pack up the spoils while figuring out how to settle the thousands of humans and elves who had been kept captive by the Gnoll Fang.

However, relocation proved challenging.

Tianyuan City possessed no treasure capable of creating a secret realm—while the Undead Holy Mountain and Undead Territory could accommodate life, ordinary people couldn’t survive in places saturated with death energy.

Moreover…

“I’ve examined them,” Mirena said with a heavy expression. “Most of these humans and elves were born within the Gnoll Fang Lair. They move about in a daze, their eyes almost devoid of Life Qi. As for the few others…”

Among the survivors were over a dozen explorers from Nature’s Garden who had gone missing recently.

To be precise, these were the only ones left alive among the missing.

The remaining elves all had some connection to their Nature’s Garden.

She had already contacted their elites.

Nature’s Garden was rapidly assembling a team to come retrieve them.

However, she currently possessed no secret realm treasures either, and while these elves were technically alive, many were practically… empty shells.

She never suggested abandoning them.

Whether they could be saved was one matter; whether to try saving them was another.

“Let’s evacuate these people first,” she urged. “If we wait for other Monster Overlords to arrive, we might lose our chance.”

…

Shortly after the thousands of survivors were evacuated, the entire Gnoll Fang semi-realm began to tremble.

The ground cracked and fractured.

The entire secret realm seemed on the verge of collapse.

Around the periphery, space gradually fractured, revealing voids leading to the outside world.

“The realm is collapsing.”

It appeared the Blood Pool core of the Gnoll Fang also served as the Foundation of the secret realm.

With the Blood Pool destroyed, the realm began its descent into ruin.

Like a tilting skyscraper, its walls crumbled away before the final collapse.

“Don’t collapse yet! Not yet!”

Dolai frantically gathered remaining spoils, its body continuously splitting off smaller slime duplicates that scurried toward more opulent-looking structures.

Deadbone sighed faintly at the sight, summoning a group of undead creatures from the Undead Holy Mountain.

With precise control, he directed the mindless undead to push valuable-looking items into piles, while conscious undead elites collected them.

Everyone worked tirelessly, and even Lord Mu rolled up his sleeves to gather some Remnant Souls.

Over an hour later.

No enemies remained in sight, and the vast Gnoll Fang Lair had completely collapsed.

Half the structures and land had fallen into the Spatial Rift, while the remaining terrain, building debris, and corpses were scattered across the surrounding hundred-kilometer range of the Black Mountain Range.

The Black Mountain Range seemed to have expanded slightly.

Deadbone returned with two reports.

The good news: Their swift salvage efforts had minimized losses to the spoils.

The bad news: The Gnoll Fang’s total assets were never substantial to begin with, with the most valuable items being the flesh structures and weapons—the Gnoll Fang had invested most of their wealth and resources into constructing these flesh buildings and armaments.

Precisely because their possessions were limited, they managed to recover most items within just over an hour.

As for whether any hidden treasure vaults remained undiscovered? Perhaps. Or perhaps not.Judging by Dolai’s posture, it seemed prepared to camp here for the next few days, digging for the ‘potential’ treasure trove.

Even so…

The entire Jackal Fang still contributed substantial rewards to Tianyuan City.

“The income from Soul Crystals and Remnant Souls may not match that of the Tianyuan City defense battle, but the income from other Materials and equipment far exceeds that of the previous battle, not to mention the gains from purifying the Blood Pool.”

The blessings of heaven and earth were the greatest harvest.

Fourth Order Unit Buildings, Epic Treasures, and the like were all invaluable treasures that could hardly be bought with any amount of gold.

Afterward, Mu Yuan handed a Storage Ring to Mirena Legend as compensation for this battle, or rather, a share of the spoils.

Everyone present deserved a share, and since a Legendary Realm expert had specifically come to assist, he couldn’t offer nothing in return.

Mirena did not accept it.

By convention, she was indeed entitled to a share of the rewards, but…

“In this battle, I made no contribution whatsoever. I truly feel undeserving of these spoils.”

Before arriving, she had thought about lending a hand when Tianyuan City was at a disadvantage, ensuring a retreat path for them.

At the time, she had also considered the possibility that Tianyuan City might reveal another trump card and actually manage to eradicate the dominant force of Jackal Fang.

As it turned out, Tianyuan City was not only unimaginably strong but also unimaginably fast.

Her sword hadn’t even had time to be stained with much Gnoll blood.

It was all over far too quickly.

She was astonished, she was wistful.

The hatred and pressure of the past seemed to dissipate at this moment.

Mirena looked up at the sky, where the clouds seemed to transform into familiar figures, one after another, with familiar smiling faces.

Her companions who had perished at the hands of the Gnolls could now rest in peace.

She thought.

…

A short while later.

More human and elf elites gathered in the Black Mountain Range.

By this time, Lord Mu had already ridden A Sun Number back to his loyal Tianyuan City.

The first thing he did was clear a space in the city’s human barracks to place the newly acquired ‘Fourth Order Unit Building.’

No,

To be precise, he had already ordered his subordinates to carry out this task before he returned.

By the time he returned with the Unit Building, the site was almost ready.

“Go.”

「Prompt: The current area meets the conditions.」

「Prompt: Do you wish to place the Fourth Order Unit Building ‘Royal Marksman Association’ in the current area?」

「Yes!」

In the northern part of Tianyuan City, relatively close to the Treant Forest.

Rumble—

The earth trembled, and strands of heavenly light descended, so dazzling that it was hard to see clearly.

When the Skull Graveyard was established, the land withered, and black mist spread.

When the Treant Forest was established, the land sprouted anew, and trees grew and swayed.

When the Icy Spirit Cold Pool was established, solid ice rose from the ground, and a chill enveloped the world.

But the Royal Marksman Association…

The surrounding environment showed no change.

There was no dramatic alteration of the terrain, no flashy mist or illusions—only…

Smooth marble-paved ground and buildings rising from the earth across the area.

A domed association building!

Lofty defensive towers!

A vast archery range for training!

Landscaped gardens adorned with flowers and greenery!

And so on.

The entire Royal Marksman Association resembled an independent estate built within the city—a tranquil retreat amidst the hustle and bustle, with its own unique charm.

Something seemed off, though—this was supposed to be a Unit Building.

Yet it looked even more magnificent than his City Lord’s Mansion.”Notification: The Royal Marksman Association has been completed.”

Mu Yuan was just about to step inside for a tour.

However, the entire Royal Marksman Association was still trembling slightly, and the transformation was not yet over.

Deep within the association’s area, space began to extend and fold, gradually opening up a path leading upward.

“Is this… the creation of a semi-secret realm?”

“Can the Royal Marksman Association also possess its own semi-secret realm?”

“In other words… the benefits from the previous territory promotion trial were not a one-time occurrence but more akin to a form of authorization.”

Any unit building constructed within the Tianyuan Territory would be eligible for one promotion!

The scope expanded!

The effects upgraded!

The cultivation bonuses and rank bonuses of unit buildings would receive significant enhancements.

The vast amount of land generated out of thin air also allowed him to construct more buildings capable of housing, cultivating, and training human units.

Not only that…

“The territory power I wield has also been significantly strengthened. This is triple the joy.”

…

While Mu Yuan was rejoicing, the Legendary Realm experts of the Great Serpent Clan and the Black Crow Clan, who had already returned to their respective strongholds, were far from happy.

The Jackal Fang had been annihilated.

Although they were certain that the humans had relied on calling in a large number of powerful reinforcements from their backer, the Taixuan Alliance, to destroy the Jackal Fang.

Such an opportunity was likely a one-time occurrence.

Yet, it still made the Great Serpent Clan and the Black Crow Clan feel threatened.

The humans must die!

Of course, they had never intended to spare the humans in the first place—weaker living forces could be ignored, as they were merely wild ingredients in their eyes.

As for slightly stronger forces, especially those with Legendary Realm beings, they would not spare a single one.

“Previously, the Jackal Fang’s envoy mentioned that the humans and elves had established many mining outposts in the wilderness. However, the Jackal Fang acted too hastily, and we don’t have the specific coordinates or information about these mines.”

The Great Serpent High Priest paced back and forth.

After some thought, the first task he assigned was to investigate the locations of the human mines.

These were the humans’ exposed weaknesses.

Unfortunately, they had very few informants within the Jackal Fang’s territory, and it would take considerable time to thoroughly investigate these human vulnerabilities.

This was all because the Jackal Fang had acted too hastily!

Damn it!

“Leave this matter to the various tribes under our command. During this time, we must focus on covering our tracks and ensure our clan’s location is not exposed.”

“Yes, High Priest.”

The Great Serpent High Priest walked to the center of the clan.

Here, the Crimson Mist swirled, guarding a majestic giant serpent sculpture.

The High Priest knelt down.

“Praise the great Serpent God, the Great Serpent.”

“Praise…”

“Praise…”

After chanting for half a day, invisible ripples spread from the giant serpent sculpture.

A pair of mismatched eyes opened on the sculpture, gleaming with a cold and indifferent light.

The Great Serpent did not speak.

But the High Priest knew that the esteemed Serpent Attendant had descended.

He immediately explained the situation to the Great Serpent in the most concise and clear manner.

The High Priest felt somewhat anxious.

Contacting the Great Serpent was not difficult.

Unlike the neighboring flesh monsters, they had their own faith. Using this faith as a bond, he could easily bypass the barriers of the Great Domain and seek guidance from the Great Serpent.However, as one of the Great Serpent’s attendants, Great Serpent likely had numerous heavy responsibilities and might not have time to pay attention to their small regional Great Serpent Clan.

The High Priest felt somewhat uneasy.

Upon the sculpture.

The Serpent Attendant, who had projected a strand of consciousness, was deep in thought.

“A regional overlord being wiped out? What does that have to do with him?”

“Conflict between the Great Serpent Clan and human forces?”

This mattered to him somewhat.

After all, the regional overlord-level forces under his command, Great Serpent Venerable, were not many. He relied on their tributes to perform well before His Majesty the Serpent God.

Moreover,

Humans? The Taixuan Alliance?

Great Serpent Venerable seized the key point, his gaze growing even colder. An immense pressure seemed to emanate from the surroundings of the sculpture.

One of his eyes had been injured by a powerful member of the Taixuan Alliance and had not healed to this day, becoming an indelible disgrace.

He had also repeatedly suffered setbacks in a certain small Taixuan territory.

His incarnation had not yet descended when the anchor sculpture was destroyed. This was the first disgrace.

His incarnation had already descended but still could not defeat a mere Elite-level troop. This was the second disgrace.

He had launched a perfect incarnation across domains, only to suffer defeat once again. This was the third disgrace.

Thinking of this…

“Approved!”

A resounding voice echoed within the Great Serpent Clan.

Countless powerful members of the Great Serpent Clan knelt and prostrated.

The High Priest’s face showed excitement.

Next, as long as he thoroughly investigated the human situation, he would have the courage to take the initiative to attack. Perhaps he could seize the opportunity before the Black Crow Clan and take the leading position in the entire Island Domain.

It was settled.

Even if the humans could call for reinforcements, he was still firmly in control.

After all, the sculpture before them was forged with the entire Great Serpent Clan’s resources and even contained a strand of Great Serpent’s Divine Soul.

When Great Serpent descended across domains and stepped out of the Land of Red Mist, he would be able to exert…

80% of his power!

…

“Ding!”

“Prompt: You have recruited ‘Blazing Gun Ranger.'”

Thirty Royal Musketeers, Dual-Gun Rangers, and Blazing Gun Rangers stood in formation before Mu Yuan.

The Royal Musketeers wore cowboy hats, held muskets over half a meter long, and were dressed in exquisite uniforms resembling those of an honor guard.

The Dual-Gun Rangers and Blazing Gun Rangers had less flashy attire.

They all wielded dual guns but could also equip other firearms. They came with multiple firearm proficiencies.

The leading Blazing Gun Ranger bowed slightly.

He could not yet speak and seemed to lack self-awareness, possessing only higher intelligence.

Not as advanced as Tree Spirit Grandma when she was first born.

Mu Yuan felt somewhat disappointed.

But on second thought, he wasn’t lacking one or two powerful commanders.

If his subordinates weren’t strong enough, he could just evolve them.

He had eagerly recruited this batch of musketeers partly to satisfy his personal curiosity.

He patted the Blazing Gun Ranger on the shoulder.

“As the leading figure of the musketeer series, the organization will grant you a benefit.”

“A loan evolution with zero interest for six months.”

“Excited? No need to be excited. Just work hard.”

Though somewhat impatient, Mu Yuan still brought the new Blazing Gun to the evolution ritual site inside the Dragon Mound Secret Realm, equipped him with sufficient auxiliary Materials, and then prepared to begin the evolution.

He stared intently.

5,000 units of Evolution Points were now a drop in the bucket for him.

He drew a strand of evolution power and scattered it toward the distant Blazing Gun.

Suddenly,

Vague information surfaced in his mind.”Evolution: Holy Gun Ranger”

“Evolution: Master Gunsmith”

“Please choose?”

Mu Yuan was familiar with both these epic troop types – the Holy Gun Ranger and the Master Gunsmith – having seen their demonstration videos before.

The former possessed remarkably rapid firepower output, with its signature skill ‘Baptism of Holy Guns’ seemingly granting unlimited firepower for a short duration, capable of unleashing extremely powerful area suppression.

The Holy Gun Ranger offered substantial firepower, excelled at area damage, and could complement the Polar Star Arrow.

However,

when compared to the Master Gunsmith, the Holy Gun Ranger’s firepower became insignificant.

After all, how could a spear possibly compare to artillery?

(End of Chapter)