Chapter 68: The Calm Before the Storm
Western Region, Chimney Mountain Area, Blackmelt City.
This great city had stood here for many years, its black city wall surface eroded unevenly by time.
Unlike the newly built great cities, Blackmelt City had no underground drainage channels. The semi-melted black snow within the city caused the environment to be extremely damp. If bedding wasn't aired for a few days, it would feel moist to the touch.
These weren't the biggest problems. The most deadly was the volcanic ash flying everywhere. During the most active season of volcanic eruptions, one couldn't even see the sky within Blackmelt City.
But all of this had become a thing of the past. The Chaos Legion had largely migrated, settling in areas near the central part of the Northern Region, while some had gone to the territories of the Southern Region.
Even so, Blackmelt City could not be dismantled. This ancient city, which had existed for a thousand years, had undergone a total of twenty-three renovations. It had witnessed the rise and fall of the Chaos Legion.
At this moment, within Blackmelt City, the Infernal Demon army was stationed here, and Wolf Cavalry legions guarded the surrounding city walls.
Clack, clack, clack…
A huge and crude wooden wheel was located at the center of Blackmelt City. This wooden wheel had a diameter of several hundred meters, with connecting points covered in metal rivets. On the giant tower below, Serpentfolk craftsmen were swinging massive hammers, sweating profusely as they pounded away.
At the edge of the wooden wheel were connected giant logs nearly two meters thick and dozens of meters long. The shape of this wooden wheel resembled an oversized ship's helm.
Several hundred Ancient Treefolk stood on the giant tower beneath the wooden wheel, pushing it in one direction to make it rotate.
A metal pipe several meters thick, covered in black rust, used the power of the wooden wheel to draw glowing red magma from underground, which flowed into a nearby giant pool.
Infernal Demons, carrying large metal tanks, transported magma from the pool to a giant stone pillar a kilometer away.
Snap~
A whip wrapped with steel wire cracked through the air. Wolf Cavalry soldiers holding long whips supervised the Infernal Demons from high places, ensuring they didn't just stand still in a daze. To accomplish a certain task, a large amount of magma needed to be stored.
Demon Specters flew overhead, monitoring the surroundings for any disturbances. Viewed from a higher altitude, a spectacular scene unfolded: the entire Blackmelt City was like a huge, crude machine running at full speed.
Inside the Black Ring Fortress on the inner side of Blackmelt City, Su Xiao sat before a fireplace. Flames rose within the hearth. A Demon Specter maid floated respectfully in mid-air. Bubu Wang, Amu, and Baha were all fast asleep, exhausted from the past few days.
Thump, thump, thump.
The door was knocked. When it was pushed open, the noisy clamor of the city poured into the room.
"The person from over there has arrived."
A hoarse voice came from outside the door, and then the presence dissipated. This was a Serpentfolk skilled in assassination.
"Tanyatan, go bring the 'guest' in."
"As you command, my lord."
Demon Specter Maid Tanyatan floated out of the room. Before long, heavy footsteps sounded from outside, and the door was pushed open with a bang.
"Lord Bai Ye, the person is here."
Orc Hero Wobol seemed to be sulking. With a shove of his large hand, he pushed Diplomat Difton into the room.
Diplomat Difton stumbled a few steps before steadying himself, with a noticeable bruise around his eye. Su Xiao glanced at Wobol, and Wobol wilted.
"Go receive your lashes yourself."
"Hmm."
Wobol strode out of the room. This guy got lashes every few days, always admitting his mistakes very sincerely but never changing.
"Sit."
As soon as Su Xiao spoke, Demon Specter Maid Tanyatan poured black tea into a teacup across the table.
"Great Lord Bai Ye, how have you been lately?"
Diplomat Difton's expression was calm. It must be said, daring to come to Blackmelt City at this time showed his courage.
"What message does King Duoyin have you bring?"
Su Xiao was well aware of the current situation. A decisive battle with Duoyin was inevitable, but before that, there would be a calm before the great war, like the stillness before a storm.
Diplomat Difton smiled without speaking. He took out a gemstone and placed it on the table, a gemstone covered in runic patterns.
Woo~
It was as if a ripple spread through the air. Diplomat Difton stood up, vacated the seat, and knelt on one knee beside it.
A phantom figure appeared. This phantom was very old, covered with a blanket. Its aged eyes seemed clouded, but looking into them gave an inexplicable sense of pressure. It was King Duoyin.
"We meet again. Last time was over a decade ago."
King Duoyin spoke in a calm tone. This sentence carried a lot of information.
"Fight in two days."
"Three days then. Two days is too rushed. Some things, even I cannot accomplish in two days."
King Duoyin's words carried many implications.
"..."
"Thanks to you seizing the Crown of Extreme Ice, I had the chance to eliminate him."
As King Duoyin spoke, he picked up a metal helmet exuding cold air from beside him. Clearly, Extreme Ice Lord had been killed by King Duoyin.
King Duoyin's meaning was simple: in three days, he could bring down the Northern Region, making the various power-holders there declare themselves kings. This way, the Northern Region would be unable to reunite as a whole for the next decade or more. This showed how dangerous this old man was.
Without Extreme Ice Lord holding things together, the second-tier power-holders of the Northern Region couldn't wage war externally. Given enough time, the "Yatade Wall" would eventually recover, and there was still the Ice Wind Belt in the rear.
With these two natural barriers, the Northern Region could maintain its mysterious aura of Eternal Winter. Moreover, they were about to fall into internal chaos, too busy with their own affairs to think about waging war outward.
What King Duoyin needed to do was, in just three days, make the second-tier power-holders of the Northern Region turn against each other.
King Duoyin's first step was to help the Northern Region quickly repair the "Yatade Wall."
Only then would those second-tier power-holders dare to start vying for power. Given the Northern Region's situation, it wouldn't calm down until a second Extreme Ice Lord emerged.
This way, no matter how badly Duoyin and the Chaos Legion fought, the Northern Region wouldn't be able to take advantage.
The Elf race was crippled. The Dwarf, Barbarian, and Lizard races were all in the Eastern Swamp, where resources were insufficient for them to rise.
At this point, Duoyin and the Chaos Legion were the two overlords dominating the Canglong Continent. Even if the two overlords fought each other to the point of severe injury, the other factions had no right to pick up the scraps.
"Three days?"
"Yes, three days is enough. Take care lately. My subjects have sent many assassins after you. Be careful."
King Duoyin spoke with a smile, his tone... surprisingly sincere?
"It's getting late. This old bones needs to rest early."
As soon as King Duoyin finished speaking, the gemstone on the table shattered with a crack, forming a spike of broken gems that shot straight toward Su Xiao.
Snap.
The spike stopped in front of Su Xiao, easily crushed to powder by his index finger.
Diplomat Difton collapsed to the floor beside him, his mouth opening and closing as if to explain something, but in the end, he just sighed.
"Great Lord Bai Ye, I have a request. Please send my corpse back to Duoyin."
"You want to die that badly? Did I say I was going to kill you?"
Su Xiao looked at Difton with confusion. The ambush just now was far too weak. King Duoyin wouldn't do something so degrading. Unless Difton was an idiot, he wouldn't do it either. Clearly, someone wanted to use Su Xiao's hand to eliminate Difton.
Su Xiao certainly wouldn't get involved in Duoyin's dirty dealings, let alone be used by certain people.
Su Xiao grabbed the gemstone fragments in mid-air and tossed them to the ground in front of Difton.
Seeing these gemstone fragments, Difton gritted his teeth in hatred. He took out a handkerchief and carefully collected every piece. Once back in Duoyin, he would use every means to kill the one who set up this ambush.
"Thank you, my lord. That despicable person, I will definitely eliminate him."
Soon, Diplomat Difton left. Before long, Female Wolf Cavalry Soldier Youya entered the room, carrying a large iron chest in her arms.
These were materials for making ordinary Apollo. Ordinary Apollo only required Sun Remnants + Fire Gold + Soul Crystal (Small).
Su Xiao still had 221 kilograms of Fire Gold and 113 Soul Crystals (Small). The only thing missing was Sun Remnants.
As for making [Blazing Sun's Wrath: Apollo], that required "Flowing Flame Crystal Blocks." So far, aside from exchanging them in Reincarnation Paradise using Hunter Authority + Soul Coins, Su Xiao had no other way to obtain them.
After each world progress ended, only 30 grams of Flowing Flame Crystal Blocks could be exchanged. Making one [Blazing Sun's Wrath: Apollo] required 26 grams.
Although he couldn't make [Blazing Sun's Wrath: Apollo], Su Xiao could now make many ordinary Apollos.
If one couldn't kill Agamemnon, then two. If two weren't enough, then ten. If ten weren't enough, then twenty. Unless he could arrange Agamemnon's demise thoroughly, Su Xiao wouldn't let the other party break free.