237: Chapter 237 Expanding Territory Southward

The corpses of Gos and Leo were buried in a hastily dug pit, while the totem pole that symbolized royal power was tossed into the still-burning fire as kindling. The captured weapons, armor, and provisions were piled into several small mountains.

Lin Tian stood for a while in the night wind, which was thick with the scent of char and blood, calculating the accounts clearly in his mind.

"Lin Feng."

He turned around and spoke to the fierce general beside him, who was also covered in soot and blood:

"Take the remaining men and return on horseback. Take it steady; there's no rush. Make sure to rest on the way and let the brothers catch their breath."

"Yes, My Lord!"

Lin Feng struck his chest in salute and immediately turned to gather the troops and arrange the return journey.

Lin Tian himself had no intention of moving slowly with the main force.

He walked to a relatively intact but dilapidated plaza in the Minotaur Royal City and took out the silver-gray space beacon that Lin Kong had left behind.

The beacon felt slightly warm in his hand, resonating subtly with the surrounding space.

"Open a gate and send me back."

He instructed the Space Hunter squad leader standing nearby, whose aura was somewhat flagging but whose eyes remained sharp.

Continuous combat had taken a significant toll on this newly formed space unit.

"Yes!"

The squad leader took the beacon and pressed it against a relatively flat section of black stone on the plaza floor.

Then, he and several other Space Hunters formed a circle, pressing their hands into the air as silver-gray space power surged from their palms and into the beacon.

"Buzz!"

The beacon shone brilliantly, and a stable portal about three meters in diameter, with silver light flowing like ripples around its edges, quickly took shape before Lin Tian.

The scene inside the gate twisted and shifted before finally settling on a familiar corner of the inner city plaza in Lintian City, illuminated by torches.

"Let's go."

Lin Tian nodded to Lin Yin, whose moon-white holy robe was still pristine as she stood quietly by his side, and stepped into the light gate first.

Lin Yin followed behind him without hesitation.

Stepping through the light gate felt like passing through a layer of cool water. Before the slight dizziness had even fully dissipated, his feet were already planted on the solid, warm masonry of Lintian City.

The entire process took less than a minute.

Behind them, the portal flickered a few times before slowly closing and vanishing.

"This speed..."

Lin Tian looked back at the empty plaza and smacked his lips, a look of undisguised satisfaction on his face.

"It’s so much better than riding a horse. From now on, this will be standard!"

Only after returning to his own territory did his tense nerves truly relax.

But he had no time to rest.

What was the purpose of fighting a war? Besides territory, wasn't it for resources?

Now that the resources were piled in the warehouse, if he didn't turn them into actual military strength, was he supposed to keep them to breed more?

Lin Tian dove into the core area of the City Lord's Mansion and began his most familiar 'troop explosion' process.

Considering that there were still many remnant forces in the Minotaur Kingdom that needed to be cleared out, and large areas of newly occupied land required army garrisons, his thirst for 'military strength' reached its peak once again.

"Recruit! Five million new recruits and five million Dayuan Steeds!"

The amount of spirit crystals seized in this great war was massive, enough to support such a grand gesture.

However, he soon thought of a more efficient arrangement.

Lin Yin was now a 'Hero' unit and possessed independent recruitment authority.

"Lin Yin."

"You take charge of this wave of recruitment. Five million soldiers and five million horses. I'll go prepare the Fusion Materials. We'll operate on two fronts to save time."

"Okay."

Lin Yin didn't waste any words; her moon-white figure flashed as she walked toward the militia recruitment altar.

Lin Tian, meanwhile, went to the super-massive training grounds in the outer city.

Following his orders, this place was also piled high with various types of evolution Materials brought from the warehouse, such as Refined Iron, moon birch spirit wood, and Five Elements crystals...

It was a dazzling array, with various colors shimmering under the starlight and torchlight.

Time flew by in a blur of efficient activity, and in the blink of an eye, it was past two in the morning.

When the last trace of the light of evolution vanished into the body of the final Dragon-Blood Steed, Lin Tian finally let out a long sigh of relief. He felt a bit lightheaded, a sign that his Mental Energy had been over-consumed.

However, as he looked at the newly born reinforcements before him, whose strength had skyrocketed, his fatigue was greatly diminished.

"Arrange the shifts, and everyone else go rest immediately! Tomorrow... there is still much to do."

He gave instructions to Lin Yin and the several generals who had hurried over, specifically emphasizing a few rules regarding the continued clearing of Minotaur remnant forces and the stabilization of the newly occupied areas.

Only then did he drag his heavy steps back to the Lords Mansion, where he practically collapsed and fell asleep instantly.

Sufficient sleep is the best replenishment.

When the sun was high in the sky, Lin Tian finally woke up naturally, feeling refreshed as the previous day's fatigue was swept away. He immediately sent for Lin Kong.

"That portal burns spirit crystals every time it's used; it's too troublesome and wasteful."

Lin Tian got straight to the point, his finger tapping on the table.

"Is there a way to make it... well, permanent? Like the functional buildings in our territory, so we can use it whenever we want without paying extra?"

Lin Kong tilted his head slightly, silver starlight swirling in his eyes. After a moment, he replied:

"My Lord, it is possible. However, it requires precious space-attribute Materials as a 'foundation' to construct a permanent space rune array, replacing the temporary energy supply."

"In this way, the portal can exist stably for a long time. It will only require periodic maintenance of the array, with no need to consume spirit crystals each time."

"space-attribute Materials?"

Lin Tian's eyes lit up, and he immediately pulled several fragments of replicated space law crystals from his Storage Ring. The silver-gray fragments spun slightly in his palm, emitting mysterious fluctuations.

"Will these work?"

Lin Kong felt the pure space power within the fragments and nodded affirmatively:

"Absolutely. The quality of these items is extremely high. Using them as a foundation will have a very good effect; the constructed portal will be exceptionally stable and can even withstand the passage of larger amounts of energy."

"Haha, that's great!"

Lin Tian was delighted. With a wave of his hand, he replicated enough crystal fragments to create a small, shimmering silver pile on the table.

"Here, use these! Right now, immediately, build a permanent two-way portal between here and Lindi City (renamed from the original Minotaur Royal City)! Make it big and stable!"

He was truly fed up with the hardships of long-distance travel.

The thought of having to ride a horse or burn spirit crystals for a temporary gate every time he went to the new territory made him feel uneasy. Since he had the means now, he had to get it done right once and for all!

"Yes, My Lord! Your subordinate will go select a site and begin construction immediately!"

Lin Kong took the crystal fragments, and his figure disappeared in a ripple of space.

Having arranged this major matter, Lin Tian finally had time to take out the communication stone he had scavenged from the Minotaur palace, which was used for contacting various parties. He injected energy into it and began to contact Lin Yan, who was currently sweeping through the south.

"Lin Yan, what is the situation?"

"My Lord, progress is smooth! We have already cleared twenty-seven towns that resisted and accepted the surrender of over thirty more. Resistance is weak, and the spoils are plentiful. We are currently pushing into more remote areas."

"Very good. Proceed steadily, focusing on subjugation and establishing order. For those who resist to the end, there is no need for mercy."

"Understood!"