Chapter 304: Chapter 277: Missing

Chenxi Calendar, Year 9402. Winter.

Outside Darkness Fortress, the mooring field.

The sky was a hazy gray, with leaden clouds hanging low.

A cold wind howled out from the depths of the mountains, carrying fine ice crystals that rustled against the camp’s tents and banners.

As the main allied force pushed deeper into the mountains, Darkness Fortress—once a frontline camp stationed on the plain between the Subspace ruins and Holy Dragon City—had grown much quieter. It was now a logistics base for resupplying troops and treating the wounded.

The mooring field, however, remained bustling, with Flying Ships of all sizes coming and going daily.

The Cloud-Surging Flying Ship stood quietly in the mooring field.

Anton stood by the boarding ramp, facing the three people who had come to see him off.

"Anton, are you really not going to join the battle?" Ignatius frowned, a hint of regret in his expression.

Anton shook his head. "The Silver Moon Race’s foundation is weak; we can’t afford such turmoil. We won’t be participating in the upcoming siege."

Ignatius started to say more, but Grant stopped him with a raised hand.

"That’s enough. Anton has his own considerations, so don’t butt in." Grant’s gaze shifted to Anton, and he smiled. "Once things are settled here, I’ll come find you in Taichu City for a drink."

"Of course. You’re welcome anytime," Anton replied with a smile and a nod.

Alicia stood silently to the side. Only when Anton’s gaze fell upon her did a faint smile appear on her face.

"Safe travels."

"Thank you." Anton nodded. His eyes swept over the three of them before finally landing on Grant. "Holy Dragon City may be at the end of its rope, but a cornered beast will still fight. Be careful."

"Don’t worry, we know what we’re doing," Grant said with a laugh.

Anton said no more and turned to board the Flying Ship.

Soon, the hull of the Cloud-Surging Flying Ship trembled slightly. The Floating Array patterns on its underside lit up one by one, and a cyan-white light flowed like water beneath the vessel.

The Flying Ship ascended smoothly, gaining speed until, in the blink of an eye, it pierced the clouds and became a faint dot on the horizon.

On the ground, the three figures stood side by side, watching the cyan-white streak of light disappear into the distance.

Ignatius retracted his gaze and sighed. "What a shame. I wanted him to see the new Magic Crystal Cannon from the Heart of the Mountains."

Grant laughed heartily. "Anton might not even care for those iron lumps of yours."

Ignatius, of course, wouldn’t admit to that and immediately started to argue.

"Alright," Alicia interrupted their bickering. "It’s time to head back. There are still many preparations to be made."

Grant and Ignatius finally quieted down, and soon after, they walked off toward Darkness Fortress with their arms slung over each other’s shoulders.

...

Cloud-Surging Flying Ship, command chamber.

Anton sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his gaze passing through the porthole to the churning sea of clouds outside.

Though Holy Dragon City was called the Dragon Race’s final bastion, its fate had been sealed the moment the allied forces arrived at its gates.

It was only a matter of how long it could hold out.

’In the original history, Holy Dragon City held out against the allied siege for a full two years.’

’Now, because of my intervention, the war has accelerated significantly, and the Dragon Race’s strength has been weakened even more. Holy Dragon City will only be able to last for a shorter time, not longer.’

’Before long, Holy Dragon City will fall. The lord of the Dragon Court will die in battle, and the surviving members of the Dragon Race will break out and flee into the Storm Rift Abyss.’

’That is when I will truly become busy.’

’I need to hurry and finish refining the remaining five Guardian Divine Generals.’

Anton calculated silently.

’Fortunately, I won’t have to keep running back to the Holy Dragon Mountain Range. The Teleportation Array has also been dismantled, so I’ll have more time to devote to refining the Guardian Divine Generals.’

’At my current efficiency, two years is more than enough time.’

Moreover, he couldn’t neglect his cultivation.

The integration of the Earth Element Law was already more than halfway complete.

Anton could feel the embryonic True Seal changing little by little.

The abstruse Law patterns were like the roots of a plant, slowly spreading and taking hold within the seal’s core, imprinting the weight and stability of the Earth Element into every inch of the True Seal’s texture.

Once the Earth Element Law was fully integrated into the embryonic True Seal, even if he hadn’t activated the True Seal yet, his mastery and understanding of the Earth Element Law would surely improve by leaps and bounds.

By then, it might even be possible to use that to promote the fusion of the Profound Yellow Dragon-Grasping Hand and his sword light.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Cloud-Surging Flying Ship entered the Eldron Plain.

Looking down from high above, one could see the outline of the Taichu Spirit Realm from a great distance.

Straining his eyes, he could even vaguely make out a gigantic tree soaring into the clouds.

’The Taichu Spirit Realm has expanded again.’

Anton nodded to himself.

More than ten years had passed since the Great Derivation Five Elements Cyan Profound Array had been modified.

Nourished by the Mountain Protection Array, the Taichu Spirit Realm had expanded its area significantly.

Taichu City, which was once on the edge of the Spirit Realm, had now been shifted a considerable distance inward.

Perhaps one day in the future, the entire Eldron Plain would be absorbed into the Taichu Spirit Realm’s domain.

As for the factions whose territories had been occupied...

Anton thought for a moment. ’I could have them relocate to the Green Highlands.’

’As compensation, I can select a piece of land in the Green Highlands to be their new territory and provide them with a certain amount of resources.’

As for whether they would be willing... Anton was confident they would make the wise choice.

Of course, he didn’t need to worry about such matters. He could just leave them for Eleanor to handle.

He only needed to focus on his cultivation and refining the Divine Generals.

Anton retracted his gaze as the Cloud-Surging Flying Ship passed over the forest and descended toward Taichu City.

...

Dark Nether Realm.

The passageway was deep and winding. Its rock walls were covered in fluorescent moss, whose faint blue-green glow traced a twisting path through the darkness.

Ye Tong walked at the very front of the group, her steps light and silent.

Behind her, seven figures followed closely, maintaining a loose formation.

The team’s composition was quite complex.

It included Catmen and members of the Ghost Scale Race, as well as a Sol Stone Monster and members of the Blade Claw Race.

They were out this time to investigate the whereabouts of a missing team from the Blade Claw Race.

About three days ago, while on an exploratory mission nearby, that Blade Claw team had discovered an area suspected of growing rare Magic Plants.

After sending back a message via a Sound Transmission Talisman, they went silent.

To investigate what had happened, Nine Nether City subsequently posted a mission.

Upon seeing it, Ye Tong accepted the mission without a second thought.

Normally, a Taichu City disciple like her should have teamed up with other Taichu City disciples for missions.

But her current situation was somewhat delicate.

On one hand, she was an object of admiration for all the Vassal Races, a living testament to the fact that "even an Alien Race can become a Taichu City disciple."

On the other hand, she didn’t quite fit in among the other Taichu City disciples.

Although the disciples from the main clan didn’t openly exclude her, they rarely took the initiative to get close to her.

Ye Tong didn’t want to force her way in, nor was she willing to offer a warm welcome only to be met with a cold shoulder. So, she simply recruited teammates from among the Vassal Races.

They didn’t look at her strangely; on the contrary, they were filled with awe and admiration for her.

The moment she expressed her intent to recruit teammates, many immediately volunteered.

Ye Tong selected a few skilled individuals and formed her current team.

"Captain."

The voice of Wyatt, her fellow Catman, came from behind, interrupting her thoughts.

Ye Tong stopped and turned her head to look.

Wyatt quickly walked to her side and said in a low voice, "We’ve been traveling for a whole day, and everyone’s energy is drained. Should we find a place to rest?"

Ye Tong pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright, let’s stop and rest in the cavern up ahead."

Using her powerful night vision, Ye Tong had already spotted a cavern at the edge of her sight.

It wasn’t large, only about a hundred square meters. The ceiling was no more than five or six meters from the floor, which was littered with some rubble and dried moss, appearing relatively dry.

Everyone entered the cavern and checked it over. After confirming there was no danger, they set up some security measures before finally sitting down to rest. They took out dried rations and water, eating and drinking in small bites and sips.

Harrison, the Ghost Scale Race member of the team, was a chatterbox who couldn’t sit still. He had barely sat down before he started a conversation.

"I heard that two members from the Vassal Races were accepted as Taichu City disciples."

With Ye Tong, the living proof, right there in their team, the members often discussed this topic.

Harrison successfully piqued their interest.

The words had barely left his mouth when someone asked, "For real? Which Vassal Races are they from?"

Harrison smiled smugly, building the suspense a little before saying, "One of them is a Treant Herder."

At this, the others were all shocked.

The Treant Herders were a race somewhat similar to wood sprites.

Their average height was only about 1.2 meters. Their skin resembled tree bark, rough and cracked, and their hair was as fine and soft as moss. They also had long, nimble fingers.

Treant Herders mostly lived alongside large herbivores like giant-horned sheep and long-haired oxen, and they excelled at animal husbandry and domestication.

This race was gentle and friendly, preferring a nomadic life on the grasslands and never actively making enemies.

Among the many intelligent races of the Dawn Continent, the Treant Herders were considered almost at the very bottom.

They had no great combat strength, no exquisite talent for Magic, and not even any decent crafting skills.

How could a member of such a weak race become a Taichu City disciple?

"You better believe it," Harrison said quickly, seeing his companions’ doubtful faces. "I heard it from someone at the Merit Hall in Nine Nether City. The news is absolutely true."

"Apparently, that Treant Herder worked in the Beast Garden for over twenty years and cultivated seven types of Tier One Spirit Beasts. He even contributed to the successful breeding of the Rock Armor Beast, accumulating a huge amount of merit."

"Then, in the recent aptitude test, he was found to have a Wood Spirit Root. So he applied to the higher-ups to become a Taichu City disciple, and Lady Eleanor approved it directly with a wave of her pen."

The Catmen looked at each other, the suspicion in their eyes gradually turning to envy and amazement.

"Even a Treant Herder can become a Taichu City disciple..."

"It seems the Clan is serious about this."

"As long as you have enough merit and a Spirit Root, you can become a Taichu City disciple!"

Everyone’s eyes lit up, their hearts burning with excitement.

Wyatt asked again, "Besides the Treant Herder, who was the other one from a Vassal Race?"

Harrison didn’t keep them in suspense this time and said directly, "It was someone from the Engraving Race."

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