100: Chapter 100 The Coming Storm

Afternoon.

Shen Xun'er contacted Yan Wuyang through the Communication Spirit Stone.

A silver-blue shimmer flickered within the spirit stone, and Yan Wuyang's voice came from the other side, carrying the enthusiasm and forthrightness characteristic of the Chiyan Tribe.

"Guangming Village is about to be attacked by a Beast Tide? That big brute Chief Shi Ba is going to cooperate and launch a sneak attack?"

Her fiery red long hair seemed visible even through the shimmer of the spirit stone.

"My dad has long been annoyed with that brute of a barbarian. Just last month, he snatched three spirit stone mines from our Chiyan Tribe's trading posts."

"Yan Wuyang..." Shen Xun'er's voice was like moonlight falling into the Lingxi River, gentle yet carrying the composure unique to a primary wife.

"We don't need the Chiyan Tribe to send troops to Guangming Village."

"Then what do you want?"

"I need Chief Yan Lie to contain the Black Stone Tribe from the south." Shen Xun'er's moist almond-shaped eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness.

"If the Chiyan Tribe threatens the Black Stone Tribe's territory from the south, Chief Shi Ba won't dare to attack Guangming Village with his full force. He will have to divert troops to defend."

The other side of the spirit stone went silent for a moment, then Yan Wuyang burst into laughter.

"Besiege the Wei to rescue the Zhao! What a brilliant strategy!" Her laughter crackled like fire.

"My dad will definitely like this idea. He hates people who stab him in the back the most. Chief Shi Ba wants to launch a sneak attack during a Beast Tide? Hah, my Chiyan iron cavalry will just happen to flatten his nest."

"Give me an answer within two hours at most." Shen Xun'er nodded slightly. "The Beast Tide won't wait."

"One hour." Yan Wuyang's voice was decisive. "Wait for my news..."

The light of the communication spirit stone dissipated.

Heavenly Strategist Shangguan Xuan stood to the side, her clever eyes filled with admiration.

"The primary wife's thinking is more comprehensive than ours. I analyze from a tactical level, but Shen Xun'er lays out plans from a strategic level. The key to 'Besiege the Wei to rescue the Zhao' lies in the time difference.

The Chiyan Tribe must apply pressure at the same time Chief Shi Ba sends his troops, making Chief Shi Ba unable to attend to both ends."

"The issue of time difference," Wang Sheng looked at Shen Xun'er, "Can the Chiyan army make it in time?"

"Forced march, two days," Heavenly Strategist Shangguan Xuan calculated, "They can reach the southern border of the Black Stone Tribe, but they will be very exhausted.

However, they don't need to actually fight. As long as they pose a threat, Chief Shi Ba will be forced to divert troops."

Shen Xun'er nodded slightly. "Chief Yan Lie is a Warrior Tier 7. His name alone is the best deterrent.

Chief Shi Ba is a Warrior Tier 6. Facing a threat from a Warrior Tier 7 in the south, it's impossible for him not to return to defend."

Evening.

Zhao Linger's Spirit Sound Affinity had been operating for nearly a day.

Her complexion was paler than in the morning, her round eyes were bloodshot, and her doll-like face was filled with exhaustion, but her expression was more solemn than ever.

"Wang Sheng," she sat cross-legged on the Savage Beast skin mat in the East Chamber, her voice hoarser than in the morning, but still clear.

"A new code name has appeared in the Shadow Clan's communication: 'Ying Wuyue'.

They seem to be reporting to this person, and this person is issuing orders."

"Ying Wuyue..." Wang Sheng remembered the name.

"Also..." Zhao Linger's round eyes narrowed slightly, as if a Spirit Sound Master holding her breath before the most critical note.

"The Shadow Clan mentioned Zhao Mang in their communication. Their conversation sounds like Zhao Mang is requesting support from the Shadow Clan, and the Shadow Clan is using the Beast Tide as an exchange."

"Exchange for what?"

Zhao Linger's voice changed, no longer the calmness of intelligence analysis, but a kind of... anger, as if a Spirit Sound Master heard the most jarring noise.

"Zhao Mang... wants to give Guangming Village to Chief Shi Ba, and Chief Shi Ba... wants to give the women captured from Guangming Village to Zhao Mang."

A cold light, never seen before, flashed in her round eyes, like a sunflower retracting all its petals before a storm, leaving only the toughest stem.

"They are trading humans..."

Wang Sheng's fist slowly clenched inside his Holy Light armor, golden light spilling from between his fingers, just like a suppressed fire licking out hot tongues from the cracks.

Chief Shi Ba wants to attack Guangming Village during the Beast Tide, not for territory, not for resources, but to... snatch people.

Zhao Mang wants to use the women of Guangming Village as bargaining chips to exchange for support from the Shadow Clan.

And the Shadow Clan is controlling everything from behind.

"Ying Wuyue", this name seemed like a dark purple nail, pinned into Wang Sheng's memory.

"Linger," his voice lowered, "Are there any new clues about the mole?"

Zhao Linger closed her eyes and listened for a moment, then shook her head.

"The content about the 'mole' in the Shadow Clan's communication was encrypted. I only heard it once: 'Execute after the assembly', but who specifically it is, or how to execute it, I haven't deciphered yet."

Her lips pressed into a line, her doll-like face filled with frustration. "If my Spirit Sound Affinity were stronger..."

"You've already done well enough." Wang Sheng's hand landed on the top of her head, the warmth of his palm coming through her soft short hair, like sunlight falling on sunflower petals.

"I will have Liu Ruyan keep an eye on the mole issue. You continue to monitor the Shadow Clan's communications. Any information about the 'mole', no matter how vague, notify me immediately."

Zhao Linger nodded, then her eyes turned red.

"Wang Sheng..." her voice was muffled, "I don't want you to go to war. But I know you are the Chieftain, you have to go."

She looked up, her round eyes like two gems soaked in tears in the twilight.

"But you must come back," her voice was very small, as small as the sound of a spirit flower petal falling.

"I will keep listening... keep listening. If you are in danger, I will be the first to know."

Wang Sheng squatted down to look at her eye-to-eye, then gently wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye.

"I will definitely come back."

Zhao Linger sniffed, then suddenly threw herself into his arms.

Her doll-like face was buried in his chest, the spirit vine casual wear clinging to her petite body, her slender waist like a willow branch in his arms.

"Then you owe me many, many songs," her voice was muffled, carrying a hint of coquettishness, "Play them for me after you come back..."

"Okay."

Late night.

Guangming Village was brightly lit.

Everyone was preparing for battle.

The runes on the defensive wall flickered in the night, like a glowing necklace encircling the village.

Frost Mage Lin Shiyun was setting up frost traps outside the northern and western defensive walls.

Ice-blue spiritual power surged from her palms like a tide, freezing into a layer of invisible frost on the ground.

The moment a Savage Beast stepped into the trap area, the ground beneath its feet would turn into a frozen swamp.

In the spirit field area, Su Mengyao was accelerating the growth of defensive plants. The emerald-green Power of Nature surged from her palms like a fountain of life.

Vines grew wildly at the edge of the spirit field, spirit flower thorn arrays were densely packed in the garden, and the petals of the moonlight rose were coated with faint toxins, which would cause one to fall into deep paralysis upon contact.

On the training ground, Murong Xue was leading the cavalry team in training. Her silver armor was like a flowing silver mirror in the moonlight.

The tip of her Holy Light spear was like a cold star, her voice crisp and song-like in the night wind.

"Don't panic when the Beast Tide comes. First row holds shields, second row holds spears, listen to my command."

"Thrust～! Retreat～! Thrust again～!"

The sound of metal clashing and uniform shouts echoed across the training ground.

Wang Sheng stood in front of the second-floor window of the Chiefs Tent, overlooking the entire Guangming Village.

The Lingxi River was like a silver ribbon in the moonlight, running through the west side of the village from north to south. The runes on the defensive wall were like the gentlest guards in the night.

Murong Xue's silver armor on the training ground was like the sharpest spear, and Su Mengyao's emerald green in the spirit field was like the toughest shield.

Shen Xun'er leaned in from behind.

The Moonlight Priestess's body pressed against Wang Sheng's back, like moonlight merging into sunlight. She was wearing a moon-white nightgown, the soft fabric clinging to her slender and graceful figure.

Her long neck was exposed from the neckline, like white jade formed by moonlight. Her moist almond-shaped eyes held tenderness and a trace of imperceptible worry.

"Are you ready?" Her voice was like a gentle anchor, landing in the deepest part of his heart.

"Ready." Wang Sheng held her hand, her slender, fair fingers tightening slightly in his palm, as if moonlight had found a reliance in the sunlight.

Shen Xun'er did not speak. She just pressed her face against his back, her moon-white nightgown clinging to his cold golden shoulder armor.

Warmth and coldness, moonlight and golden light, intersected in front of the window of the Chiefs Tent.

In the distance,

Zhao Linger was on the window sill of the East Chamber, her Spirit Sound Affinity operating at full capacity.

Her round eyes were closed, her long eyelashes like two rows of dense curtains. Her petite body sat cross-legged on the window sill.

The spirit vine casual wear clung to her devilish figure, but at this moment, her entire perception was like an invisible net, extending to the extremely distant darkness.

Then, her eyelashes trembled violently.

Spirit Sound Affinity captured the last communication of the Shadow Clan.

That frequency was more intense and urgent than all previous communications, like the most dense drumbeats beaten by war drums before the final charge.

"Tomorrow... Beast Tide, initiate. Chief Shi Ba... cooperate."

Tomorrow.

Zhao Linger's round eyes opened wide. She grabbed the communication spirit stone, the silver-blue shimmer like moonlight falling into an abyss in the night.

"Wang Sheng!"

Her voice was like a silver knife, cutting through the deepest night of Guangming Village.

"The Shadow Clan is launching the Beast Tide tomorrow. Chief Shi Ba will cooperate in the attack..."

The silver-blue shimmer spread from her communication spirit stone, like ripples on the water surface caused by moonlight. Ten communication spirit stones lit up at the same time.

Shen Xun'er, Frost Mage Lin Shiyun, Su Mengyao, Murong Xue, Xiao Yuqing, Bai Lu, Heavenly Strategist Shangguan Xuan, Rune Forgemaster Xu Mohan, Hua Jieyu, everyone received the alert at the same time.

The preparation for the battle of Guangming Village entered the final countdown.

On the training ground, Murong Xue gripped her Holy Light spear tightly. The Holy Light Resonance runes on her silver armor suddenly lit up.

Golden light spots merged into the silver light. In her brown eyes, tenderness and sharpness were like a silver double-edged blade.

Outside the defensive wall, all of Frost Mage Lin Shiyun's frost traps were activated. The ice-blue light in the trap area was like starlight beneath the earth.

In the spirit field area, all of Su Mengyao's defensive plants were fully grown. The emerald-green vines were like the most loyal guards.

On the second floor of the Chiefs Tent, Wang Sheng turned around. His golden Holy Light armor was like a flowing golden mirror in the moonlight.

His eyes were like cold stars. In the moonlight, he was like the coldest sword edge on the Savage Continent, but also like the warmest sun on the Savage Continent.

"Tomorrow." His voice was as steady as a mountain.

"We will face the enemy together..."

In the distant Savage Beast Forest.

In the darkness.

Countless dark purple pupils were slowly opening.

Those eyes were like gems soaked in shadows, without luster, without temperature.

Only a darkness like an abyss, bottomless.

One pair, two pairs, ten pairs, a hundred pairs, like the most terrifying stars, lighting up one by one in the deepest part of the Savage Beast Forest.

The Shadow Clan's low-frequency communication echoed in the Savage Beast Forest like a silent war song.

Tomorrow's Beast Tide was gathering.

And further away, in the direction of the Black Stone Tribe, Chief Shi Ba stood on the high platform of the tribe.

His grayish-brown stone skin was as hard as rock in the moonlight. His turbid, earthy-yellow eyes reflected the dark purple shimmer in the direction of the Savage Beast Forest.

He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Tomorrow, Guangming Village will be mine."

His fist slowly clenched, the stone skin rubbing against his knuckles making a fine sound, like rock grinding against rock.

"Those women..."

He licked his lips, his gaze like a beast examining its prey.

"Are all mine..."