"Jiangbei... witness the birth of your King!"
A pitch-black darkness enveloped the Sinkhole.
The Cave behind the City Wall was brightly lit.
One light and one dark.
The Rocking Chair swayed gently, its creaking sound like a lullaby. Chen Fan had been under immense pressure since arriving in this world, gradually relaxed as he listened to the laughter and chatter of Zhou Mo and the others in the Camp.
A night breeze caressed my face.
The cool rain calmed my restless heart.
Even Chen Fan, lying in the Rocking Chair, unconsciously drifted into a dream, his chest rising and falling slightly with his breath, his body greedily enjoying this moment of tranquility and relaxation.
Upon seeing this, the people inside the Cave in the Camp instinctively lowered their voices.
They looked towards Chen Fan's figure, lying on the Rocking Chair on the City Wall.
The glow emanating from the Eerie Fire outlined a soft halo around his profile.
This scene.
Zhou Mo subconsciously stopped Roast Meat the meat, straightened up, and looked around in a daze. He seemed to see the Station Master, alone with a chair, splitting the Eternal Night in two. Behind the Rocking Chair was the Camp that the Station Master had built himself, and in front of the Rocking Chair was the Eternal Night that devoured everything.
Just like...
The person sleeping soundly in the Rocking Chair is the true City Wall the Camp.
Keep the darkness outside the city.
Northbank City.
Tonight is the 12th night since the start of the Rainy Season.
The Wild Wolf Gang Leader stood on the City Wall, gazing at the darkness outside the city with a complicated expression, remaining silent for a long time. Several days had passed since the last "Meatworm Wraith Tide" attack, and Northbank City had finally withstood this disaster.
But...
The losses were devastating.
The Wild Wolf Gang has lost almost half of its resources. Even with the support of ordinary people and merchants, it is not enough to make up for the losses. Those precious Rare Exotic Treasure are difficult to replenish and need to be accumulated through opportunities and time.
However.
The Rainy Season is not over yet; there are still nearly twenty days left.
"Boss."
Trusted Aide stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "The Wild Wolf Gang's resources are insufficient to defend the city. We may have to retreat back to our gang's territory, unless... we spread the news that the Chen North River Chen Family impersonated us to receive supplies on the night of the Flesh Ghost Tide, so that the people and merchants in the city can put pressure on the Chen North River Chen Family to join us in defending the city."
"..."
After a long silence, the gang leader finally spoke in a hoarse voice.
We've done our best.
"This matter doesn't need to be spread. Even if all the people and merchants in the city put pressure on them, as long as the North River Chen Family hides inside the Level-3 City Wall in their own courtyard, no one can do anything to them. On the contrary, it will completely turn the two sides into adversaries."
"The city... most likely can't be defended."
"When the city is about to fall, according to past customs, the North River Chen Family will shelter some people, and at least a group will survive."
The Trusted Aide nodded emphatically and continued, "So, should we continue defending the city?"
"Keep defending."
The gang leader shook his head and sighed softly, "If we don't encounter a major crisis, we'll continue to defend. But if we encounter another major crisis like the 'Flesh Demon Tide,' brothers, take your families and retreat to the gang's territory."
"I can use the gang's resources to defend Northbank City."
"But we cannot sacrifice our brothers' lives to defend the city."
"Clear."
The Trusted Aide responded again.
And at this moment--
Elsewhere, in the darkness.
A man wearing Cloak, sitting cross-legged on Jade Platform, slowly opened his eyes. A blinding light burst forth, and the Crimson Triangle in his pupil slowly rotated, making him appear extremely eerie.
The area around him was littered with broken, Eerie Stone.
"It's just one step away from success."
The man sat in the rain, arms outstretched, greedily inhaling the rain-laden air, his eyes filled with longing as he murmured, "The Rainy Season really Cultivation progress faster. Now I'm just one step away from advancing to the Wraith King!"
"Jiangbei..."
"Witness the birth of my king!"
The next moment--
"Um?"
He looked at the four life stones placed in front of him, his brows furrowed, and his face instantly darkened. One of the life stones was already shattered; it was the life stone of "Thousand Throats." Before going into seclusion, Thousand Throats obeyed his orders to lead his subordinates to destroy the City Wall of two City in the Wasteland.
It now appears that something unexpected happened.
"How so..."
Anger and confusion flickered in the man's eyes. He had been to Jiangbei last year Rainy Season, and the Defensive Structure of those two City were not strong enough to kill Thousand Throats. Given Thousand Throats's ability to split, it would be difficult to kill him if he wanted to escape.
He didn't speak again.
His expression, however, kept changing.
This means his plan went wrong.
Without Thousand Throats destroying the City Wall, he would have needed to lose a significant number of men to breach the city walls.
Most importantly...
He was going to set up Blood Sacrifice Formation in the Jiangbei Wasteland to help him break through to the final stage before becoming the Wraith King. The materials for setting up the array and the Eerie Stone were all carried by Thousand Throats. Thousand Throats died, these things would be gone.
Everything else is negotiable.
However, the "Mountain-Skeleton Embryo" is an extremely precious item and the main material of the Blood Sacrifice Formation. Without this Heaven and Earth Exotic Treasure, the effect of the Blood Sacrifice Formation would be much weaker, and it would not be possible to guarantee that he could break through to the Wraith King.
Next year?
Prepare for another year, and then break through the Wraith King during next year's Rainy Season?
The moment the plan popped into his head, he extinguished it instantly. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and he couldn't let all his previous efforts go to waste. No matter the cost, he had to advance to the Wraith King level during this Rainy Season!
The man glanced at the army of Strange Entities lying quietly on the ground around him, a determined look flashing across his face.
He picked up the two life stones from the ground and said hoarsely.
Millennium.
"You are hereby ordered to awaken from the Desert, take the Eerie Stone you have collected over the past year, lead your men north to the 'Jiangbei Wasteland,' investigate the cause of Thousand Throats's death, find the lost Mountain-Skeleton Embryo as much as possible, assess the extent of damage to the City Wall of the two City, and spend the remaining time hunting freely."
"Thousand Lakes."
"I command you to lead your men across the 'Dead Sea,' carrying the Eerie Stone accumulated over the past year, and head south to the 'Jiangbei Wasteland.' Go to the 'Nameless Mountain' to search for the Mountain-Skeleton Embryo. If you cannot find it, go to the Wasteland and meet with Millennium, awaiting my arrival."
Every word he uttered materialized and floated in the air, slowly seeping into the life stone in his hand.
Soon.
The two life stones in his hand lit up simultaneously, and tangible characters floated out from the life stones and appeared on the blank Wraith Hide beside him.
One of the Wraith Hide only had two words on it.
"Yes, sir."
The text on the other Wraith Hide is somewhat complex.
"Your Majesty, Nameless Mountain is where That One being secluded himself 180 years ago. Over the years, all the Wraith King born in the Jiangbei Wasteland have tacitly forbidden their subordinates from approaching Nameless Mountain, fearing they might offend that That One's taboo. Shall we... go?"
"..."
The man's face was gloomy, and he seemed hesitant for a moment.
180 years ago.
The That One had been cultivating in seclusion on the Nameless Mountain, Cultivation breaking through to a higher level, casually swung his hammer, mobilizing the power of Heaven and Earth, nearly sinking the entire Nameless Mountain, leaving behind an extremely clear... hammer crater.
Even if he were to advance to the Wraith King, there would be absolutely no way he could withstand this blow.
It's not about the same level of power.
He didn't witness this scene firsthand.
However, over the years he has followed the rules passed down from his predecessors and has never gone near the Nameless Mountain. Even though he knew that the Nameless Mountain was likely to contain Mountain-Skeleton Embryo, he never had any intention of doing so. Instead, he went to the Jiangbei and found a Mountain-Skeleton Embryo elsewhere.