26: Sweep the wolf riders, the elves appear!

More than ten days passed quietly.

On the edge of the Sunset Plain, in a sparse forest, the clang of metal and the roar of mounts broke the morning's tranquility.

Huo Jun, clad in silver-white armor, held a long spear wreathed in lightning, and sat atop a magnificent cloud steed, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's.

Behind him, five hundred Elite Azure Lightning Cavalry Guards formed a disciplined charge formation. Their silver-white armor gleamed with a cold luster in the morning light, and the warhorses beneath them restlessly pawed the ground, snorting white mist from their nostrils.

Opposite them was the last tracked Goblin wolf cavalry squad, numbering around a hundred riders. The leading Goblin, outwardly fierce but inwardly timid, brandished a scimitar, attempting to maintain the disintegrating morale.

"Charge!" Huo Jun ordered curtly, his voice cutting through the battlefield.

"War!" The five hundred Cavalry Guards roared in unison, their voices shaking the wilderness.

Huo Jun spurred his mount first, charging out like a silver lightning bolt.

"Thunderous Charge!"

The Azure Lightning Cavalry Guards behind him followed closely, activating their charge skill almost simultaneously.

In an instant, five hundred streaks of lightning converged, like a breached dam of thunder, sweeping towards the panic-stricken Goblin wolf cavalry.

Warhorses galloped, and the earth trembled.

The long spears in the Cavalry Guards' hands accurately pierced the Goblins' bodies, the immense impact sending them and their wolves flying.

Along the charge path, a crackling lightning domain rapidly expanded, pale blue electric arcs leaping, enveloping the Goblins and direwolves that had miraculously survived.

The paralyzing effect slowed their movements, rendering them powerless to struggle, and they were quickly harvested by the cavalry that followed.

The battle was over in less than ten minutes.

Charred corpses and broken weapons lay scattered across the ground, and the air was filled with a pungent burnt smell and the scent of blood.

"Clean up the battlefield, gather the warwolves, and return to Infinite City in half an hour." Huo Jun retracted his long spear, the lightning at its tip gradually dissipating. His tone was calm, as if he had merely completed a routine cleanup.

By this point, according to the intelligence provided by Grunak and confirmed by the Falcon's reconnaissance, all Goblin wolf cavalry that had entered the Nigu Forest's surrounding area to search for "variables" had been completely annihilated.

...

At the same time, within Infinite City, a scene of thriving prosperity unfolded.

Over half a month, with the influx of more than two thousand rescued individuals and the continuous recruitment of people through the refugee camp, the popularity of Infinite City visibly flourished. The once empty streets were now bustling with people.

Blacksmiths, lumberyards, quarries, and other buildings were successively completed. Even some simple stalls spontaneously appeared in the city, selling wild vegetables, game, or simple handmade items crafted by women during their free time. Although not large in scale, they already showed the rudimentary form of a market.

The more than two thousand people rescued earlier had, under Li Yi's proper arrangements, integrated into the life of Infinite City.

The able-bodied among them were assigned to the Engineering Corps, and under Li Yi's unified command, they gradually regained their sense of being "human," dedicating themselves to the city's construction and production.

From their initial confusion and numbness to now being able to work skillfully, and even occasionally humming off-key tunes while working, the change was undeniably significant.

"Before, I wouldn't have dared to dream of this..." A middle-aged man, who was repairing a road, paused his work for a moment and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

Not far away, a group of half-grown children were chasing and playing like wild things, their screams and laughter mixing together.

A sturdy boy ran too fast, tripped over himself, fell on his bottom, and burst into tears.

A woman busy at the construction site nearby immediately ran over, dusted him off, scolding him with a stream of curses, but her eyes were full of tenderness.

As the middle-aged man watched, a hint of moisture welled up in his clouded eyes.

He remembered those... those tiny figures he had seen in the Goblin Camp, who could not even be called "children," with numb eyes, emaciated bodies, who could disappear at any moment due to a small mistake.

"If A'Zai were still alive, how wonderful it would be... he would definitely like it here." Thinking this, the middle-aged man's sore eyes looked towards the Lords Manor, "Lord Su Jin will surely defeat those green-skins."

He abruptly turned his head, seemingly with a hatred for Goblins, and forcefully plunged his shovel into the earth, digging up a large chunk of soil and rock, and fiercely flung it aside.

"From now on, no one will be able to bully our human race again. A'Zai... I'm going to join the army, and then I'll avenge you, and carve out a path for our human race to live!"

...

At the same time, in the Lords Manor, atop the high platform.

Su Jin leaned on the railing, gazing into the distance. A gentle breeze wafted by, carrying the bustling sounds of the city and a faint scent of everyday life.

"Li Yi, this fellow, he's really doing a good job." Su Jin greatly admired Li Yi's abilities.

In just half a month, he had not only initially settled the more than two thousand people but also quickly integrated them into the territory's production system.

Opening up farmland, constructing workshops, reinforcing city defenses—everything was progressing in an orderly manner.

The population continued to grow under the influence of the refugee camp, and the entire Infinite City exuded a vigorous momentum of development.

Li Yi was indeed a treasure, but thinking about the Sublimation event from a while ago, Su Jin couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth now.

During that time, seeing Li Yi's hard work and knowing he had enough merit points, he gave him an "Sublimation" ceremony.

As a result, after the light of the Sublimation ceremony dissipated, the originally fifty-something-looking, weather-beaten, white-haired old man instantly had his white hair turn black, and the wrinkles on his face faded by more than half. He looked at least twenty years younger!

Su Jin was stunned at the time, wondering if his "Sublimation" talent also had hidden effects of beauty enhancement and rejuvenation?

If this were developed, wouldn't it be more profitable than recruiting soldiers and horses for... ahem... anything else?

Only then did he realize that Li Yi's actual age was less than forty... his previous decrepit appearance was purely a result of the hardships and excessive toil of his first half of life.

Su Jin's mood at that moment was simply indescribable. In the end, he could only silently lament in his heart: This world... truly pushes people to their limits, making a man under forty look like he's almost in the grave.

But this "Sublimation" function indeed had immediate effects; at least now Li Yi looked much more energetic and worked with more vigor.

Recalling his thoughts, Su Jin brought up the territory information panel. It was time to take stock of his assets and plan for the next step:

Lord: Su Jin

Territory: Infinite City

Level: 3

Buildings: Warehouse (Level 3), Archer Barracks (Level 3), Cavalry Barracks (Level 3), Infantry Barracks (Level 3), Engineering Corps (Level 3), Refugee Camp (Bronze Tier Upper) (Level 6) (Max Level), Lingshu Sword Pavilion (+), Walls (Level 3), Arrow Towers * 12 (Level 3), Freezing Arrow Tower (Defense Building) * 1, Grand Void Azurewood Palace (Special Building) * 1

Resources: Wood (1.8 W), Stone (1.1 W), Iron (3W), Soul Coins (768)

Population: 18678

Exclusive Troops: Spirit Pivot Sword Servant * 50

Reputation: 0

Evolution Points: 78 (Exclusive)

Normal Troops: Elite Strong Bow Soldier (Bronze - Upper) 500, Elite Heavy Shield Guards (Bronze - Upper) 300, Elite Halberd Warrior (Bronze - Upper) 400, Elite Azure Lightning Cavalry Guards (Bronze - Upper) 500, Elite Mithril Heavy Shield (Silver - Lower) 9, Elite Riftwind Archer (Silver - Lower) 9, Elite Zhenyue Halberd Guard (Silver - Lower) 9

The military strength was approaching eighteen hundred, and because there were enough evolution points, Su Jin did not hesitate to strengthen all troops that could undergo Sublimation.

Now, looking across, the lowest were Bronze Upper tier, and at least Level 3 veterans.

It could be said that any team pulled out now could crush the Infinite City from half a month ago, excluding Bai Xiao and himself.

And in the center of the territory, a palace-style building infused with the charm of immortal heroes—the Grand Void Azurewood Palace—stood quietly. This was a random blueprint rewarded from the last city defense battle, advanced into a special building through the power of "Sublimation."

It was not only the new landmark of Infinite City but also the central hub of the entire territory's defense and early warning system.

Countless Sky-Peering Vine sub-bodies, imperceptible to the naked eye, spread like a neural network beyond the territory, disguised as ordinary vines, providing real-time feedback of any detected disturbance to the Grand Void Azurewood Palace.

With it, at least they would no longer be caught off guard by enemies reaching the city walls.

Just then, a Spirit Pivot Sword Servant appeared silently behind him, kneeling on one knee.

"Reporting, Lord!" The Sword Servant's voice was steady. "The Grand Void Azurewood Palace just sent an alert. Approximately thirty kilometers southeast of the city, the Sky-Peering Vine detected abnormal energy fluctuations and active units. Based on preliminary image analysis, we found... suspected signs of Elf activity!"