148: Chapter 148 The Storm Is Brewing

"Two days." His voice was steady and firm.

"Within two days, we need to reinforce the city wall, strengthen the Frost Defense Line, extend the Nature Trap, replenish our stock of elixirs, and complete the unit training.

Xuner will cover the entire village with Moonlight Blessing, Frost Mage Lin Shiyun will seal the Lingxi River ferry crossing with the Frost Defense Line, Su Mengyao will extend the Spirit Garden defenses to the south gate, Murong Xue will conduct assault training for the Holy Light Cavalry at the Training Ground, Liu Ruyan will lead the Light and Shadow Legion in assassination training, Zhao Linger will keep Spirit Sound Detection covering all frequencies, Hua Jieyu will refine potions and increase our elixir reserves, and Heavenly Strategist Shangguan Xuan will handle tactical deductions."

He turned and looked at the faces of everyone in the council hall.

Shen Xun'er's moonlight was gentle, Frost Mage Lin Shiyun's frost was cold and sharp, Su Mengyao's nature was gentle, Zhao Linger's Spirit Sound was firm, Murong Xue's Holy Light was sharp, Liu Ruyan's shadow was like smoke, Hua Jieyu's Hundred Herbs was gentle, Heavenly Strategist Shangguan Xuan's tactical mind was astute, Xiao Yuqing's rainstorm was swift and efficient, and Warm Sun Warlock Wen Qingxue's warm sun was comforting...

"Zhao Mang's Blood Wolf Tribe has a thousand men, but there won't be more than three Barbarian General-level warriors, and all of them have talents below A-rank.

Our class almost entirely consists of high-level talents: myself at SSS-rank, Xuner, Frost Mage Lin Shiyun, and no fewer than twenty others at SS-rank...

Our tribe has 526 people, with thirty Holy Light Cavalry, five members of the Light and Shadow Legion, twenty Rainstorm Archers, and fifteen Elf Archers. We have two Barbarian General-level combatants: myself at Tier 2 Barbarian General, and Murong Xue, who just broke through to Tier 1 Barbarian General." Wang Sheng's voice was steady and calm in the council hall.

"In a direct confrontation on the plains, we might not be able to defeat a thousand men.

But Zhao Mang's thousand men need to cross the Lingxi River to attack the Bright Tribe.

We can do a lot, such as using the Frost Defense Line to block the ferry, using the Nature Trap to delay their crossing, having the Holy Light Cavalry charge and tear apart the vanguard, and having the Light and Shadow Legion assassinate their officers..."

His fist slowly tightened, and the golden spiritual energy of a Tier 2 Barbarian General flowed slightly between his knuckles.

"We don't need to fight a thousand men head-on.

We only need... to deliver a fatal blow to Zhao Mang's thousand men while they are crossing the river, making them retreat before they even see the walls of the Bright Tribe."

"As for Ying Wuyue..." His voice lowered by half a degree, and the golden spiritual energy within him retracted slightly.

"If Ying Wuyue really comes in person, then let me give it my all; no matter what, I must stop her.

The Power of Holy Light of a Tier 2 Barbarian General, combined with two holy light amplification elixirs, Light Wing Flight combined with Holy Light Judgment, plus the passive effect of triple damage against the Shadow Clan.

It's equivalent to the explosive power of a Barbarian General 3rd Rank combined with Holy Light Judgment. I don't know if it can cause damage to a Barbarian King-level Shadow Clan warrior? I don't know. But..."

He looked at the faces of everyone in the council hall, revealing a quiet but firm light.

"I will give my all to protect you."

After the council ended, the Bright Tribe fell into a tense but organized preparation for war.

Upon receiving Heavenly Strategist Shangguan Xuan's orders, Rune Forgemaster Xu Mohan's Weapon Refinement Workshop began rushing to produce repair parts for the Savage Beast silk armor.

The Rune Caster's spiritual energy condensed precise reinforcement patterns onto dark iron runes, the horseshoes for the Barbarian Horned Horse were reforged, and the tips of the silver spears were ground to a sharp edge on whetstones.

Xiao Yuqing led the Rainstorm Archers to reinforce the stock of spiritual energy arrows on the city wall.

The silver-white light of every spiritual energy arrow shimmered with astonishing sharpness amidst the warm yellow light of the spirit lamps.

The Frost Mage's Frost Defense Line condensed frost at the Lingxi River ferry crossing that was thirty percent thicker than yesterday.

The ice-blue light spread across the surface of the Lingxi River, creating solid ice.

The Spirit Garden's Nature Trap extended denser vines outside the south gate, and the emerald-green Power of Nature spurred the growth of tough thorny bushes in the spirit fields.

The Holy Light Cavalry conducted final assault training at the Training Ground, and the Light and Shadow Legion trained in stealthy assassination.

After returning to the Medical Tent, Hua Jieyu knelt back down on the Savage Beast hide cushion.

The speed of spiritual energy recovery after the awakening of Hundred Herbs Affinity allowed her Power of Hundred Herbs to recover nearly ten percent within half a day.

Her slender fingers ground an improved version of the purification potion in the bluestone mortar.

Pale green spiritual energy blended with the spirit herb powder in the bluestone mortar between her fingertips.

The pain from excessive spiritual energy consumption pulsed slightly in her meridians, but it had eased a bit compared to yesterday.

The combo technique of the Holy Light Healing Herb allowed her to use the lingering warmth of the blended Power of Hundred Herbs and Power of Holy Light while grinding elixirs to alleviate the pain in her meridians.

That was the warm Light Healing Technique transmitted through the marital link.

Wang Sheng's golden spiritual energy as a Tier 2 Barbarian General flowed slowly into her meridians through the connection of the Light Healing Technique, warm and quiet.

Night fell.

Moonlight cast silver-white light onto the walls of the Bright Tribe, and the Lingxi River wound through the wilderness like a silver ribbon in the moonlight.

The spirit lamps on the city wall cast warm light into the moonlight, and the figures of the Rainstorm Archers patrolled quietly in the light of the spirit lamps.

Wang Sheng stood on the city wall, the golden spiritual energy of a Tier 2 Barbarian General flowing slowly within him.

After half a day of rest, his depleted spiritual energy had recovered to eighty percent.

His brown eyes gazed into the wilderness on the south bank of the Lingxi River in the moonlight.

Zhao Mang's thousand men were still two days' journey away, but the threat of the Shadow Clan was already spreading and diffusing in the air of the northern Central Wasteland Region.

Footsteps came from the stairs of the city wall.

Shen Xun'er walked up onto the city wall.

The Moonlight Priestess's moist, almond-shaped eyes held a gentle smile in the moonlight, her silver-white long hair fluttering slightly in the moon breeze, and her Savage Beast silk under-robe shimmered with a moon-white faint light in the moonlight.

Her beauty in the moonlight was of a quiet kind—not like Frost Mage Lin Shiyun's coldness like ice, not like Su Mengyao's profusion of flowers, and not like Murong Xue's sharpness like a silver spear, but rather like moonlight falling on the surface of the Lingxi River, silent yet illuminating everything.

The silk under-robe clung to her slender waist in the moonlight, outlining the curve that could be grasped in a handful even more gracefully.

Her fullness above the waist unfolded slowly, and the curves of her hips were indistinct under the moon-white Savage Beast silk, the full and rounded arc exuding a gentle silver luster in the moonlight.

Her long, slender legs, hidden under the under-robe, stepped onto the city wall with quiet but firm steps, her ankles as exquisite as delicate white porcelain amidst barbarian stone.

She walked to his side, her hand gently grasping his, and the gold-white light of the Moonlight Blessing flowed slightly in their clasped palms.

"Rest assured, I will always be behind you, protecting everything for you." Her voice lowered by three degrees, as gentle as moonlight falling on the surface of the Lingxi River.

"Jieyu, have you gone to visit her?"

"Yes."

"When she refines the holy light amplification elixir, the impact of the spiritual energy backlash needs special attention." Shen Xun'er's moist, almond-shaped eyes lowered slightly, her eyelashes trembling gently in the moonlight.

"I checked her meridians; the traces of the spiritual energy backlash spread from her fingertips to her shoulders, carving deeply painful marks in her meridians. She bore the entire backlash of three elixirs all by herself."

"I know."

"Do you know that she also hid from you that she refined a fourth one?" Shen Xun'er's voice was gentle, but carried a hint of severity never before heard.

"I found the material residue of a fourth elixir in her bluestone mortar.

She prepared the materials for a fourth, but the spiritual energy backlash prevented her from successfully condensing it.

If her spiritual energy recovers, she will risk refining a fourth. She has always been taking risks for you."

Wang Sheng's fist slowly tightened in the moonlight. "I will go stop her now, and tell her not to refine any more."

"She won't listen to you." Shen Xun'er's voice returned to gentleness, the Moonlight Priestess's almond eyes looking up at him slightly, and the gold-white light of the Moonlight Blessing flowed slightly in their clasped palms.

"She is the Hundred Herb Medical Immortal, and her duty is to protect the life of every tribesman.

You protect the Bright Tribe on the battlefield, while she protects you and every injured tribesman in the Medical Tent.

You cannot stop her from refining medicine, just as you cannot stop Murong Xue from charging at the front, or stop Liu Ruyan from shielding you."

She gently rested her head on his shoulder, the moonlight spilling onto her silver-white long hair, a gentle moonlight in the wilderness.

"So you can only... make yourself stronger. Strong enough that they don't need to risk their lives to protect you."

Wang Sheng's arm pulled Shen Xun'er tighter into his embrace.

The Moonlight Priestess's slender waist was a handful in the crook of his arm, the under-robe flowing with a gentle arc on her body, her curves indistinct in the moonlight.

Her almond eyes were half-closed, the corners of her mouth curved into a gentle arc, and the gold-white light of the Moonlight Blessing spread from her body onto his Savage Beast hide vest, covering the scorching sun in the wilderness with a layer of gentle moonlight at a warm distance.

"Xuner." His voice was deep and steady.

"Hmm?"

"After the battle with Zhao Mang is over, I will take you to the upper reaches of the Lingxi River to watch the sunrise."

Shen Xun'er's moist, almond-shaped eyes widened slightly, the gold-white light of the Moonlight Blessing trembling slightly in her eyes that held a gentle smile.

She smiled softly, the corners of her mouth curving into a gentle arc.

"Okay."