Though the initial joy of his strength soaring was gone, the feeling of a slow, steady stream was rather nice too.
Only by proceeding steadily could the road broaden, and this method of growing stronger did not leave him burning with anxiety.
Over the past few days, Chen Qianqiu had flown several circuits around the encampment and gotten a rough grasp of the surroundings.
The Four Great Clans he now commanded were roughly situated along the Heaven Dou Empire's border, in a rather unusual location.
To the south lay Silves City, the capital of the Silves Kingdom. With its enormous population, it was the region's economic and transportation hub.
Farther to the north lay Sunset Forest. Entering it meant entering the Heaven Dou Empire's territory.
On either side of the encampment stretched wastelands inhabited by countless Soul Beasts. Apart from a handful of scattered sects entrenched there, human tracks were rare. Under normal circumstances, the Breaking and Defense Clans hunted Soul Beasts there to meet their daily quotas.
Their current encampment stood atop a large hill, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Overall, it was a good plot of land.
Over the past few days, however, Chen Qianqiu had noticed parties of Heaven Dou Empire knights appearing in the surrounding area from time to time. Though they remained far from his encampment, their furtive behavior suggested they were up to no good.
Chen Qianqiu could not be bothered with these small fry and had simply sent Lor Diarra to investigate. Judging by the time, he should have news today.
At dusk.
Yang Wudi returned with the members of the Breaking Clan, their bodies stained with quite a bit of blood. Clearly, they had just been through a fierce battle.
"My lord."
Yang Wudi strode up to Chen Qianqiu and bowed respectfully.
"How was today's haul?"
Chen Qianqiu asked lazily.
"My lord,"
A trace of excitement appeared on Yang Wudi's face.
"On our way back today, we actually ran into a small herd of Soul Beasts. It was an absolute bumper harvest!"
"All told, we killed six Thousand-Year Soul Beasts on this trip, one of them close to three thousand years old."
"Mm, not bad."
Six Thousand-Year Soul Beasts already exceeded the quota he had set for the Breaking Clan. It seemed they had not been slacking lately, but had been working for all they were worth.
Chen Qianqiu looked Yang Wudi over again. Compared with when he had first joined Spirit Hall, his presence had clearly become sharper, and murderous intent surged from his every movement.
A flawed Martial Soul. What a pity.
Chen Qianqiu thought to himself.
Yang Wudi's Martial Soul was the Soul Breaking Spear. Its attack power was tremendously formidable, far superior to that of ordinary Martial Souls. That was why he could repeatedly fight above his rank and even hold his own against certain Titled Douluos. Unfortunately, he would never be able to break through to the Titled Douluo realm in his lifetime.
Still, Chen Qianqiu merely felt a little pity inwardly. He was no bleeding-heart saint who wanted to help everyone he met, casting Holy Light Illumination over all.
At the end of the day, his current relationship with the Breaking Clan was merely one of use.
"Well done."
Chen Qianqiu raised a claw and pointed at the supplies piled nearby.
"Take two extra crates of bread today, and a few more jars of jam."
"Thank you, my lord!"
Yang Wudi let out a sigh of relief.
It might have sounded paltry, but jam was a rare commodity among the Four Great Clans now. Even if they wanted some, they could not get it. Today, their Breaking Clan could finally enjoy a change of flavor.
"Go on."
Chen Qianqiu waved a claw. Yang Wudi's reaction left him feeling a little embarrassed. Had he turned into an evil capitalist?
Not long after Yang Wudi withdrew, Lor Diarra arrived as well.
He was carrying several roast chickens, steaming hot and giving off a mouthwatering fragrance.
"My lord, I just bought these in the city to the south. They're still hot."
Lor Diarra said with a chuckle.
Though he did not know why, he had discovered that his current superior seemed quite fond of this sort of human food.
After learning of Chen Qianqiu's preference, Lor Diarra had made sure to bring back a few roast chickens every time he went out.
"Mm."
Chen Qianqiu's nose twitched, and he nodded in satisfaction. What made a good subordinate? A subordinate who needed no prompting was a good subordinate.
"Thoughtful of you."
He opened his mouth and tossed a roast chicken straight in.
"How did the investigation go?"
Chen Qianqiu asked as he ate.
Lor Diarra answered respectfully.
"My lord, I've gotten to the bottom of it. Those knights who appeared a little while ago were a scout squad from the Heaven Dou Empire."
"The Four Great Clans have been operating over an increasingly large area lately. The Heaven Dou Empire probably noticed something unusual and sent scouts to investigate."
Chen Qianqiu narrowed his eyes. That was only natural.
The forces now under his command were undeniably powerful. With the Soul Saint squad led by Lor Diarra, plus the Four Great Clans, their strength was no less than that of some long-established sects.
With such a powerful force suddenly rising along his own border and continually expanding its range of operations, it was only natural for old Xue Ye to grow restless.
"What's their stance?"
Chen Qianqiu asked.
"They're only probing for now."
Lor Diarra thought for a moment before saying,
"But the Heaven Dou Empire's border garrisons have begun assembling. They seem to be waiting for orders from above. It could lead to a clash."
"Pay them no mind."
Chen Qianqiu said indifferently.
He did not care in the slightest about the Heaven Dou Empire's attitude.
In a fantasy world, wanting to maintain an unbroken hereditary monarchy without sufficient personal strength was simply laughable.
The entire Heaven Dou Empire did not have a single proper Titled Douluo. Apart from those few guest elders, the imperial family itself was pitifully weak, yet he still dared to put on airs?
A trash force like that should have been swept into the rubbish heap long ago.
Yet that old dog Xue Ye insisted on putting on the appearance of someone worried for his country and people, determined to act as though he would fight Spirit Hall to the death for his homeland and subjects.
Heh. It was not his descendants charging into battle anyway, nor was he the one dying.
Whether it was for the common people or to keep his own throne secure, that old dog knew perfectly well himself.
"Keep doing what you're doing. Nothing needs to change."
"Tell the squad that if the Heaven Dou Empire makes any suspicious moves, they needn't hold back."
"Yes!"
Lor Diarra answered.
"Also, set your other business aside for the next few days and personally visit the surrounding forces."
Chen Qianqiu spoke calmly.
"Silves City, Sunset Forest, and the clans and sects in the wastelands on either side. Visit every one you can and sound them out."
"I want to know their Martial Soul characteristics, their levels of strength, and the size of their forces. The more detailed, the better."
Chen Qianqiu paused, then continued.
"Don't get into conflicts unless necessary."
"Understood! I'll see to it right away!"
Lor Diarra withdrew respectfully, his eyes shining brighter and brighter, his heart brimming with drive.
This was the second time his superior had assigned him a task individually. What did that mean? It meant his superior valued him! He had to perform well. Once his superior put in a few good words before the Supreme Pontiff, wouldn't he be able to change his fate?
A bright moon shone upon my feelings, my sorrows like white snow...