Chapter 351: Chapter 323: A Sure Win

East of Steelmane City, in the Thundering River Basin.

On a wide landing field, the upper echelon of the Steel Mane Tribe had been waiting for some time.

Chief Uerk stood at the very front of the crowd, with Chief Shaman Zul half a step behind him. Behind them were the tribe’s elders.

The entire group watched an airship slowly descending in the distance.

It was a dark gray airship, its hull a size smaller than a typical commercial vessel, but its lines were clean and sharp. Inlaid on the bow was an emblem: a claw print as red as blood.

It was the symbol of the Blood Claw Race.

The airship landed smoothly. The boarding ramp lowered, and a figure emerged from the hatch.

He was an incredibly burly member of the Wolf Race, a good half-head taller than his average kin. His shoulders were as broad as an anvil, and the gray-white fur on his neck and wrists was especially thick, as if coated in a layer of frost.

The wind kicked up by the airship’s landing had not yet died down, but Uerk was already striding forward to greet them with his entourage.

"Lord Ska, thank you for making the journey."

Uerk’s face was all smiles, his posture exceptionally deferential.

For the leader of an entire tribe, a peak Legendary Powerhouse, to be so solicitous was a testament to the esteemed status of the Wolf Race member before him.

And indeed it was so.

Ska was not only a core member of the Blood Claw Race’s leadership, but he was also a true Saint.

On the Dawn Continent, the very title of "Saint" represented an insurmountable peak.

Faced with such a great personage, even Uerk did not dare to be disrespectful.

Ska gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings as he remarked casually, "Uerk, this place of yours seems to have expanded since my last visit."

Uerk laughed. "The number of visiting airships has increased quite a bit in recent years, so we expanded the field."

Ska glanced at him, a faint smile touching his lips. "It seems the Steel Mane Tribe is developing quite well."

"It is all thanks to your clan’s full support," Uerk said with a smile.

This was no empty platitude.

If not for the backing of the Blood Claw Race and the large quantities of weapons and equipment traded from them, the Steel Mane Tribe could never have grown so quickly.

Following Ska down the airship’s ramp were several other familiar faces.

Byron was in the middle of the group. His eyes swept over Steelmane City below, his expression one of relaxed superiority.

Uerk then smiled and nodded at Byron. "Lord Byron, it has been a long time."

Byron grinned. "Indeed. It’s been a few years since I was last in Steelmane City. I plan to stay for a few days this time. I hope you don’t find me a nuisance, Lord Uerk."

Although he was only a senior Legend, as a high-ranking member of the Blood Claw Race, his status was not much inferior to Uerk’s. Thus, his attitude toward the Chief was relaxed and casual.

"Of course not. We couldn’t be more pleased to have you," Uerk replied with a smile, turning to the side and gesturing for them to follow. "The wind is strong here. This is no place to talk. Please, come with me."

The group then walked toward Steelmane City, passed through the gates, and followed the main road, soon arriving at the inner keep.

Upon entering the keep’s council hall, servants brought in golden ale and then retreated, closing the door behind them.

After the heavy wooden doors closed, only the core figures of the Steel Mane Tribe and the Blood Claw Race remained in the hall.

Ska leaned back in his chair and picked up the earthenware cup before him. He didn’t drink immediately, his gaze instead falling on Uerk’s face.

"Uerk, I’m sure you’ve guessed the purpose of my visit."

Uerk set down his cup, his expression growing somber. "It’s about the Ancestor Totem, isn’t it."

Ska nodded, his expression neutral. "The Golden-backed Ape-man’s Ancestor Totem was intercepted. What happened?"

Uerk and Zul exchanged a glance before Zul took over the explanation. "Our tribe handled the matter poorly. We had already set up an ambush on the Tide Sound Plain and were on the verge of success, but we never expected the Silver Moon Race to show up out of nowhere."

"And it was the Fallen Dragon Sword Saint himself who acted. We even lost a Legendary Powerhouse because of it."

At the mention of Anton’s name, Byron, who was sitting to the side, subconsciously clenched his fist for a moment before relaxing it.

Back at Darkness Fortress, he had clashed with Anton over the matter of the Golden-backed Ape-man. It was only because of Grant’s appearance that it hadn’t escalated into a physical fight.

At the time, he had really looked down on Anton.

’Just some Clan Leader from a remote Elf Clan, and he dared to challenge the Blood Claw Race head-on. He was simply courting death.’

But he never imagined that Anton would later rise as swiftly as the morning sun, his fame echoing across the continent, even becoming a peak Legendary Powerhouse in a single leap.

In their later encounters, he had lost all his former pride, not even daring to step forward and challenge Anton.

Whenever he recalled this experience, Byron’s heart would fill with both jealousy and vexation.

This was precisely why he had volunteered to accompany Lord Ska to the Thundering River Basin after hearing that the Steel Mane Tribe was going to war with the Silver Moon Race.

Ska didn’t notice the subtle shift in Byron’s expression. His full attention was on what Zul was saying.

"Anton Silver Moon." Ska’s gaze flickered. "The Fallen Dragon Sword Saint... I’ve heard that title in the north as well."

He looked up at the two of them. "So you declared war on the Silver Moon Race, intending to take it back?"

"That’s right." Uerk nodded firmly, his tone resolute. "Rest assured, Lord Ska. In terms of military strength, our tribe outnumbers the Silver Moon Race several times over. As for top-tier combat power, while that Fallen Dragon Sword Saint is extremely strong, I am quite confident that Zul and I can defeat him together."

Ska nodded slightly at his words but offered no further comment.

Based on the intelligence he had, Uerk’s assessment was not without reason.

Although the Silver Moon Race had gained considerable influence in recent years, their rise was still recent, and their military strength was indeed inferior to that of the Steel Mane Tribe.

As for Anton, he was an outstanding figure among peak Legendary Powerhouses, but he was not a Saint. If he were to fight two-on-one, his chances of victory were slim.

No matter how you looked at it, the Steel Mane Tribe had the best odds of winning this war.

As Byron listened to their conversation, a flash of delight appeared in his eyes.

’He had lost face in front of Anton at Darkness Fortress.’

’Now, to see that Elf and his Clan take a fall... even if it didn’t completely settle the score, it would be satisfying enough for a good long while.’

’In fact, after this war, Anton and the Silver Moon Race might just be finished for good.’

"I have already mobilized troops from all over my territory to gather at the borderlands. Within ten days, the army will be fully assembled and ready to launch an all-out assault."

Uerk’s voice was firm, but then his tone shifted.

"However, according to our scouts, the Silver Moon Race shows no signs of assembling their forces at the Green Highlands border. They’re probably still holding meetings to figure out how to deal with this war."

"Perhaps the Silver Moon Race will surrender before our army is even fully assembled."

As he spoke, a mocking smile appeared on Uerk’s face.

"Rest assured, Lord Ska, I will soon retrieve the Golden-backed Ape-man’s Ancestor Totem and deliver it into your hands."

"Since you put it that way, I will look forward to it."

Ska nodded in satisfaction and took a sip of his ale.

’The five major powers were currently locked in a fierce struggle in the Holy Dragon Mountain Range and had no capacity to worry about other regions. This was the perfect opportunity for the Blood Claw Race to expand.’

’But the northern part of the continent had long been carved up and controlled by Blood Roar Fortress and the Heart of the Mountains, leaving little room for growth.’

’If they wanted to continue growing, their only option was to wait for an opportunity to expand outward.’

’To the west of the continent was the Freedom Alliance, and to the south was the Tide Hall.’

’The central continent was even more out of the question. Even without the Jade Royal Court, the Blood Claw Race wouldn’t dare get involved there now, for fear of being dragged into the war between the five major powers.’

’Only the east had enough territory for them to annex.’

’But marching an army thousands of miles to the east would stretch their supply lines too thin, creating immense logistical pressure.’

’The best solution was to find a reliable ally to cooperate with, solving the problem of material supplies.’

’The Steel Mane Tribe was precisely the partner they had chosen.’

’The Blood Claw Race would provide the military might, while the Steel Mane Tribe provided supplies. With their cooperation, dominating the eastern continent would not be just a dream.’

As he thought of this, an idea suddenly struck Ska.

’Perhaps he could personally take care of Anton. It would be an opportunity to demonstrate his power to the Steel Mane Tribe and pave the way for their future cooperation.’

The more he considered it, the better the idea seemed. He was just about to speak when he was interrupted by the sound of a rapid, shrill bell.

Ska frowned, but in the corner of his eye, he saw the color drain from Uerk’s and Zul’s faces.

"What is it?" Ska asked.

Uerk’s expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief. "That’s the alarm bell for an enemy invasion."

Ska and Byron were both startled, but they quickly understood.

’This was the very heartland of the Steel Mane Tribe. How could an army have possibly slipped past the surveillance of the outer towns and watchtowers to penetrate this deep without being detected?’

"Lord Ska, Lord Byron, please wait here for a moment. I will go and see what’s happening," Uerk said in a low voice.

Without waiting for a response, he and Zul hurried outside.

Ska watched them leave the hall, his eyes flickered, and he followed them.

"Come on, let’s go see what’s happening."

Byron snapped out of his daze and immediately followed.

They were only a few breaths behind Uerk and Zul, following them up onto the ramparts of the inner keep.

The moment they looked up at the sky, an expression of utter shock appeared on all their faces.

High in the sky, three behemoths were hovering over the capital city.

Their size was so immense it left one speechless.

Each one was like a tower magnified countless times, glowing with a cold, dark-gold light and casting a heavy shadow under the sun.

The three towers were arranged in a triangular formation, blanketing the entirety of Steelmane City beneath their massive silhouettes.

At that moment, all of Steelmane City fell silent. Everyone, as if by a single accord, stopped what they were doing and stared up at the sky, motionless, as if pinned to the spot by some invisible force.

Uerk stood on the ramparts, also staring up at the three behemoths. His eyes were wide and round, unable to utter a single word.

His face, which had been so full of confidence just moments ago, was now a mask of confusion and shock.

"...What is that?"

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