Zhang Tie had returned to Xuanyuan Fortress less than a day ago.
Two months earlier, after the Torch Dragon Legion's forces arrived on the eastern bank of the Wei River, Zhang Tie had left Xuanyuan Fortress the very next day, venturing alone deep into Devil Race-occupied territory in search of an opportunity to advance to Phantom Knight.
As the Devil Race army drew ever closer to Xuanyuan Fortress, battles between the knights of both sides became more frequent and larger in scale. It became increasingly difficult to fish in troubled waters and capture or refine solitary Devil Race knights.
During those two months, the Devil Race knights Zhang Tie encountered in the occupied territory were often knight formations numbering in the hundreds. Under normal circumstances, he had no chance to make a move at all. Anyone else would have gained virtually nothing in such circumstances. Yet, relying on his formidable secret methods and the Castle of Black Iron, Zhang Tie had seized his opportunities over those two full months and harvested two Devil Race Earth Knights and six Devil Race Black Iron Knights.
After refining the two newly advanced Devil Race Earth Knights with Purgatory Reincarnation, Zhang Tie condensed another 7 scales on his water chakra.
Afterward, Zhang Tie used the Devil Race knights as blood sacrifices in the Castle of Black Iron, restoring Gao Tianzhao's water chakra to completion once more. After absorbing Gao Tianzhao's water chakra, Zhang Tie condensed another 26 scales on his own water chakra.
With 7 plus 26 scales, over two months Zhang Tie's water chakra had ultimately condensed to 357 scales. He was only three scales away from finally advancing to Phantom Knight; the realm of Phantom Knight was almost within reach.
If he refined one more Devil Race Earth Knight, he could advance