136: Chapter 136 Neighbors

At this moment, high above a mountain tribe.

Long Ao rode on the neck of a black dragon over twenty meters long, with jet-black scales and an aura of terrifying dragon might, the strong airflow causing his cloak to snap violently.

Looking down at the Minotaur tribe below, currently being ravaged by the dragon breath and sharp claws of dozens of black dragons, plunged into a sea of fire and wailing, his face was filled with cruel pleasure and the satisfaction of total control.

He had deliberately made a high-profile provocation in the channel just now, precisely to achieve this effect!

The regions had merged, and heroes were rising; he had to immediately establish an image of being the strongest, most domineering, and most untouchable!

That "Lin Tian," who had made him lose face a few days ago, was the perfect stepping stone!

A nobody that no one had ever heard of was the perfect person to "kill the chicken to warn the monkey."

"Lin Tian... Hmph."

Long Ao clenched his fists, a flash of malice crossing his eyes.

He would never forget the humiliation of being ignored by the other party in the channel a few days ago.

Although it was just a small matter, in his eyes, this was a provocation against his dignity as a legendary Lord!

It had to be washed away with blood!

"I have the 'Troop Quantity × 100' reward from the beast tide!"

"I have the 'Troop +1 Cards' that I've been buying up everywhere these past few days!"

"Now I have a full one hundred and fifty black dragons!"

His heart was filled with confidence, bordering on arrogance, "At this stage, who is my opponent? That Titan? Death Knight? Hmph, they are nothing more than clumsy rocks and bones in the gutter! My black dragons are the true masters of the sky and destruction!"

"The person in charge after the region merger must be me, Long Ao! Only by consolidating the resources of the entire region can I climb to the peak faster! This Lin Tian... let your destruction be the prelude to my, Long Ao's, era!"

It was as if he could already see tomorrow, himself leading one hundred and fifty black dragons, blotting out the sky as they descended upon that "Lin Tian's" territory, and the scene of the other party struggling in despair under dragon breath, eventually kneeling and begging for mercy.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but let out a low, smug laugh.

"Keep killing! Leave no one alive! Use the flesh and blood of these brutes to sacrifice the flag for tomorrow's battle!"

He issued the cruel command to the black dragon beneath him, and to the massive dragon swarm behind him.

More dragon breath spewed down, and the Minotaur tribe below completely turned into a purgatory.

Meanwhile, in the city of Lin Tian, Lin Tian had already tossed Long Ao's provocation to the back of his mind and was considering where in the outer city would be the most suitable place to build the first large-scale market.

Sunlight fell on his earnest profile, calm and focused.

The morning of the ninth day quietly slipped away under these undercurrents.

The afternoon flowed by in peace, until the friend list flashed repeatedly, breaking the silence of the study.

It was Lord Su Wan, Chen Hao, and Master Blacksmith Li Zhenguo; they had sent messages one after another, the contents mostly the same, all carrying concern and hidden worry.

Clearly, they had all seen Long Ao's arrogant declaration of war in the regional channel.

Lord Su Wan's message was the most direct:

"Lin Tian, that Long Ao... did you see it? Do you need help? Although he has legendary troops, I believe in you!"

Between the lines, one could see her worry, but there was even more trust in Lin Tian.

Chen Hao was much more pragmatic:

"Boss Lin, that guy named Long has been talking tough! Damn it, just because he has a few big lizards, he really thinks he's the king of the world! If you're short on ore or anything, just say the word, I'll work overtime to dig it for you! Screw him!"

Master Blacksmith Li Zhenguo was relatively composed:

"Brother Lin, the trees want to be still, but the wind will not cease. After the region merger, I fear there will be few peaceful days. That black dragon Lord is not coming with good intentions, you must make full preparations early."

"If there is any place you need help, I will provide full support."

Looking at these messages sent during a critical moment, Lin Tian felt a warmth in his heart.

In this cruel Eternal Continent, being able to have a few "allies" you can trust and who are willing to support you at critical moments is a very luxurious thing.

He replied to each of them earnestly, his tone relaxed and determined:

"Lord Su Wan, don't worry, he's just a clown, it's just right for the new recruits to practice on. You just focus on planting your trees and ripening your fruits."

"Chen Hao, I appreciate the sentiment! Just keep supplying the ore as usual, once I deal with those big black bugs, I'll treat you to dragon meat barbecue!"

"Brother Li, thanks! I have it handled. If he dares to come, my ten-mile city walls and one hundred thousand troops are not just for show. As for the Refined Iron, I'll still have to rely on you, brother."

After reassuring his friends who cared about him, Lin Tian felt even more at ease.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the horizon a brilliant orange-red, also reflecting the black lines beginning to appear on the distant horizon, returning toward the city.

It was the army that had gone out to explore returning.

After four in the afternoon, the last batch of soldiers passed through the towering city gates.

Listening to the city become noisy and full of life again, the heart that Lin Tian had been keeping in his throat finally settled completely.

As long as the army returned safely, he had the confidence to face any challenge.

Soon, Lin Yin, Lin Feng, Lin Yan, and other generals arrived at the Lords Mansion one after another to report.

Lin Tian sat behind his desk, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the armrest, listening to the pieces of information they brought back.

Lin Yin's voice remained cool and aloof, but the content of her reports was heavier than the last:

"In the southern plains, continuing to push outward for over twenty miles, we discovered a Minotaur settlement with a scale far exceeding the Kamo Tribe."

"The estimated total population exceeds one hundred thousand, the number of warriors is unknown, but a powerful aura of at least the Platinum rank was sensed within, and there was more than one Gold-level fluctuation. To avoid alerting the enemy, no further reconnaissance was conducted."

Platinum rank! Lin Tian's eyes narrowed. This was definitely the strongest individual existence encountered so far.

A tribe of the hundred-thousand level, plus a Platinum powerhouse sitting in command, this was already a massive force capable of threatening the city of Lin Tian.

Lin Yin continued:

"In the southwest direction, about one hundred miles away. My Void Ranger, relying on 'Dimensional Insight,' discovered abnormally active and chaotic spatial energy fluctuations, suspected to be the emergence point of corrupted demonic beasts. The density of corrupted demonic creatures gathered around it is extremely high, visually estimated to be at least Silver rank, with high density. I have ordered the rangers to clear some of the demonic creatures on the side closer to us, without penetrating into the core area."

Abnormal spatial fluctuations, a gathering place for high-level demonic creatures... danger and opportunity coexist.

Finally, it was Lin Feng; the news he brought was the one that Lin Tian cared about the most:

"To the east, about twenty miles east of the abandoned mine pit discovered yesterday, near a large river, we discovered a territory established by another human Lord. The scale of the territory is very small, the city walls are crude, and the estimated radius is only about five hundred meters."

"Reconnaissance shows that the highest strength of their garrison is about Silver 6-star, and the main troop type seems to be the 'Horned Lion' of Excellent low-grade quality. This subordinate did not dare to act without authorization, and specifically returned to ask the Lord for a decision."

A neighbor! A real, close-at-hand human Lord neighbor! Lin Tian leaned forward slightly.