52: The Allied Forces Formed, Their Strategic Maneuvering Begins to Show Its Power (Part 1)

Lin Zhou's "Anti-Lich Alliance" initiative was like a giant boulder thrown into a calm (but actually turbulent) lake, causing massive ripples throughout the entire Assessment Astral Realm.

Lich! phylactery! The Silent Temple!

These terms combined were enough to make any even slightly knowledgeable examinee’s scalp tingle. This meant they were facing not just a natural disaster, but a Lich Monarch who possessed intelligence, power, and was extremely difficult to deal with! Without destroying the phylactery, even if they temporarily cleared the Valley of the Dead, they could not root out the source of the trouble. Instead, it might invite insane retaliation from the Lich's true body.

Panic spread among some of the weaker examinees. But more examinees, after the initial shock, began to coolly consider the deeper meaning in Lin Zhou’s proposal.

An alliance?

This word seemed somewhat foreign and luxurious on the path of gods, which advocated individual power and fierce competition. But facing a Lich that was at least high-tier Lesser Divinity, along with its massive army of high-tier undead, fighting alone was no different from suicide. Lin Zhou’s proposal was almost the only way out at present, and also a huge opportunity to obtain a higher assessment evaluation!

Furnace Fortress, a place that had risen to fame because of Lin Zhou’s reputation for "Benevolence" and his special medicine, once again became the focus of the entire astral realm.

On the first day after the proposal was issued, a few scattered examinees brought their remaining Divine Kin, arriving at the outskirts of Furnace Fortress with apprehension and hope. They did not dare to approach easily, merely watching from a distance, waiting for more responses.

Following Lin Zhou’s instructions, Elwin maintained a cautious but open attitude toward the incoming examinees. She sent out messengers to contact these early arrivals, reiterating the alliance's purpose, and provided small amounts of Plague Clearing Soul Stabilization Powder as a gesture of goodwill, while warning them not to cause conflicts near the castle.

These small acts of kindness, like sparks of fire, began to ignite hope in more people's hearts.

On the second day, the number of responders began to increase. Some examinees who had previously received medicinal aid from Lin Zhou and were already grateful were the first to express their intention to join the alliance after weighing the pros and cons. They brought their recovered Divine Kin and stationed them in designated peripheral areas of Furnace Fortress. Although these Divine Kin were a mixed bag with varying strengths, ranging from LV15 Forest Werewolves to LV22 Rock Golems, they formed a force that could not be underestimated when gathered together.

[Early Alliance Composition (Partial)]:

Examinee Wang Yan (Mountain Giant Divine Domain): 8 remaining Mountain Giants (LV25, Strength 55, extremely high Defense, slow movement).

Examinee Liu Qian (Flower Fairy Divine Domain): 150 Flower Fairies (LV18, specialized in healing and nature Spells, weak combat power).

Examinee Zhang Tao (Wolf Rider Divine Domain): 40 Steppe Wolf Riders (LV20, high mobility, specialized in guerrilla warfare).

(Anonymous) (Shadow Leopard Divine Domain): 12 Shadow Leopards (LV23, stealth and ambush experts).

The alliance was beginning to take shape, but everyone understood that these forces were far from enough. The true key lay with the two core allies Lin Zhou had high hopes for—Su Yueyao and Zhao Hao.

On the afternoon of the second day, two distinctly different powerful auras came from the sky outside Furnace Fortress.

From the eastern horizon, first came a scorching, domineering, and oppressive Dragon Fear from far to near! A massive Young Golden Dragon with scales shimmering with a dark golden luster and a wingspan of over twenty meters was tearing through the gray mist, flying toward Furnace Fortress! On the dragon's back, a tall figure wearing magnificent armor was vaguely visible—it was Zhao Hao!

[Hero Unit]: Young Golden Dragon (Zhao Hao's mount/partner)

[Rank]: LV 35

[Attributes]: Strength 70, Agility 45, Physique 65, Intelligence 25, Spirit 30 (Lawful Neutral)

[Traits]: [Dragon Fear] (Area Deterrence), [Dragon Breath] (Cone Fire/Holy Damage), [Damage Reduction], [Magic Resistance]

[Skills]: [Dive Attack], [Rending Dragon Claws], [King's Command] (Boosts morale of nearby allies)

"Hahaha! Lin Zhou! You're pretty good, kid! Quietly pulling off such a big scene!" Before the person arrived, Zhao Hao's familiar loud voice had already resounded over Furnace Fortress via Divine Power transmission, carrying a hint of excitement and Battle Intent. "A Lich? Sounds exciting! I, Zhao Hao, am definitely in on this fun!"

The Golden Dragon circled over Furnace Fortress once and slowly landed on an open space in front of the castle, kicking up a cloud of dust. Zhao Hao leaped down from the dragon's back; he looked even more burly and fierce than in high school, with surging Divine Power all over his body. Clearly, he had also had some fortuitous encounters during this time, and his strength had improved significantly, likely approaching the Peak of Faint Divinity.

Elwin had already led people to wait here.

"Your Excellency Zhao Hao, welcome. My master is waiting," Elwin bowed neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Zhao Hao looked Elwin over, a flash of surprise in his eyes. He could feel the pure and powerful force of Order on Elwin, which was not at all inferior to his Golden Dragon partner, and even more threatening on certain levels.

"Young Miss Elwin, long time no see. You look even more radiant than before!" Zhao Hao restrained his wildness a bit, adding a touch of respect to his tone. Strength was always the fastest way to win respect.

At that moment, another anomaly occurred in the western sky.

There was no grand momentum, no overbearing pressure, only a streak of cold and soft moonlight silently sprinkling down, dispelling the darkness and deathly silence of that area. Within the moonlight, a slender figure came stepping through the air. She wore a plain white dress, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, her face exceptionally clear and beautiful. She was shrouded in hazy moonlight, looking like a Moon Palace Fairy descending to the mortal world. It was Su Yueyao.

Her arrival caused the alliance camp, which had been somewhat restless due to the Golden Dragon's arrival, to instantly fall silent. That pure Moonlight Power made everyone (including the undead) feel a sense of mental tranquility, while also carrying a dignity that did not allow for desecration.

Su Yueyao's gaze swept over the Furnace Fortress and the alliance camp below, finally landing on Zhao Hao and Elwin in front of the castle. She nodded slightly as a greeting. Her gaze seemed to penetrate the castle's barriers, having a momentary intersection with Lin Zhou in his Divine Domain.

"Student Lin Zhou, I have received your invitation," Su Yueyao's voice was as cold and clear as jade, transmitted directly into Lin Zhou's consciousness through Divine Thought. "The Lich causes trouble and disrupts Order; my Moonlight Lineage has an inescapable duty."

She did not say much, but her attitude was clear—she agreed to join the alliance!

A heavy stone fell from Lin Zhou's heart! Su Yueyao's joining was undoubtedly the strongest shot in the arm for the alliance!

He immediately descended his consciousness, condensing it into a blurred Divine Power projection that appeared in front of the castle to welcome his two vital allies.

"Zhao Hao, Student Yue Yao, thank you both for coming so gallantly!" Lin Zhou's projection cupped his hands toward them, his tone sincere.

Zhao Hao waved his large hand: "Let's not stand on ceremony between brothers! Tell me, how are we going to take down that old bag of bones?" He was already impatient.

Su Yueyao merely nodded faintly, her cold gaze looking at Lin Zhou: "Share intelligence, formulate a plan."

"Exactly as it should be." Lin Zhou's projection stepped aside to lead the way. "Please come inside for a detailed discussion."

Inside the Central Command Room of Furnace Fortress.

The three deities—Lin Zhou (projection), Su Yueyao (projection), and Zhao Hao (projection)—along with Elwin as Lin Zhou's representative, sat around a large stone table. On the stone table were detailed maps of the astral realm, as well as all the intelligence regarding the Valley of the Dead, The Silent Temple, and the Lich.

Lin Zhou shared all the information analyzed by the Imperial Hospital without reservation, including the Lich's estimated strength, the composition of the undead army, and the traps and environment of The Silent Temple.

Listening to Lin Zhou's narration, even someone as arrogant as Zhao Hao turned solemn. A LV40-LV50 Lich, plus an organized high-tier undead army and bizarre Arcane Traps—this lineup was indeed a bit too luxurious.

"Damn! Is this thing really prepared for us freshmen?" Zhao Hao couldn't help but curse.

Su Yueyao’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her cold voice rang out: "The Silent Temple... there are scattered records of it in my clan's ancient books. It is suspected to be related to the end of the ancient 'Silent Era,' involving some kind of forbidden 'True Word' and 'Extinction' rules. The danger level of this place might be even higher than estimated."

Even Su Yueyao said so, showing how perilous this journey would be.

"Therefore, we need a thorough plan, and... to integrate all our forces." Lin Zhou's gaze swept over Zhao Hao and Su Yueyao. "You two are the pillars of the alliance. What are your thoughts on the command of the alliance?"

This was the most critical issue. If the alliance did not have a unified command and fought separately with scattered forces, they would only be defeated one by one by the Lich.

Zhao Hao scratched his head and said very straightforwardly, "I'm not good at commanding battles; you do the brain work! It's fine for Old Zhao here and your dwarf brothers to be the vanguard!" He trusted Lin Zhou quite a bit, or rather, he trusted that Lin Zhou could lead him to win this exciting battle.

Su Yueyao pondered for a moment, her clear gaze looking at Lin Zhou: "Student Lin Zhou was able to rise from insignificance, integrate three different Divine Kin, develop medicine to save the people, and perceive the source of the plague to initiate this meeting. This shows your strategy and boldness. Yue Yao is willing to follow your dispatch, but the Moon Elves and Moonlight Beasts under my command need to perform tasks suited to their characteristics."

Her words both affirmed Lin Zhou's ability and put forward her own conditions, handling the situation with great tact.

Lin Zhou's heart settled; both core allies had shown sufficient support and trust.

"In that case, I will take up the responsibility!" he said in a deep voice. "I propose the establishment of the Supreme Command of the Alliance. I will serve as the Commander-in-Chief, Student Yue Yao will serve as the Deputy Commander responsible for Spell support and special tactics, and Zhao Hao will be the Vanguard Commander responsible for the frontal assault! All participating examinees must follow the unified dispatch of the command! Any violators will be expelled by all of us!"

"Agreed!"

"Accepted."

Zhao Hao and Su Yueyao expressed their positions one after another.

The core command level of the alliance was thus established!