The fifth month of winter.
Clouds drifted and snow fell; all things flowed into form.
The weather grew ever more bitterly cold.
Su Changsheng devoted himself to cultivation. His eighth-level realm gradually stabilized, and the rate at which his five qi condensed slowly increased.
Although the ninth level remained far beyond reach, he was still making progress, drop by drop.
That was enough.
He had been waiting for the Wolf King to make his next move. At the same time, he openly searched for information about Fallen Dragon Ridge without concealing his efforts, but the various rare records contained nothing more than the name of the place.
Beyond that, all he knew was that the place was extraordinarily powerful, a million li from the Black Mountain Range, on the edge of the endless wilderness, and even home to existences above Great Yao.
Whether any of that was true remained unknown.
After all, the Black Mountain Demon Stockade was too far from it. Without special means of travel, even a Great Yao could not cross a distance of a million li.
And so, Su Changsheng kept busy cultivating while he quietly waited.
Yet in the end, he never saw the Wolf King make another move. All he received was an urgent order: the Right Stronghold was in imminent peril. White Snake King Xi was to organize the Yao of the Wolf Pack immediately and march to reinforce it!
"The Wolf King asks that you visit the Wolf Hall first. The other lords are already waiting there."
A Lesser Yao stood outside the door, speaking respectfully.
"Understood."
"Go back first. I'll come once I've made some preparations!"
Su Changsheng looked grave. After a moment's thought, he waved the messenger away.
Then he returned inside and briefly packed a few things, privately puzzled.