Mist Lord

"Master, is there anything I can do for you?"

Upon hearing that the Avengers had their eyes on the territory, Satie immediately went on high alert, determined to protect her master no matter what.

The debt of gratitude for her rebirth, the kindness shown to her, the reliance she received—she could not repay even a fraction of it, not even with a hundred deaths. The insect armor she wore now was practically inscribed with honor. She was just a slave; even the heroes of the territory didn't receive such treatment.

The only effective way is to die.

"Bone-winged bats and shadow assassins are both troublesome. Do you have any suggestions?"

The Yingzhou Alliance went to great lengths to eliminate Xia Yuan. The avenger they found, Nakamura Teppei, though only a level 3 lord, not only possessed the rare flying unit, the Bone-Winged Bat, but also a level 4 Shadow Assassin—a natural-born rookie killer.

Bone-winged bats can leap over city walls, and shadow assassins are kings of assassination; who can withstand that?

Fortunately, Xia Yuan obtained the relevant information in advance and had three days to prepare, otherwise he would definitely have been doomed.

"I've heard of bone-winged bats. Their bone wings are enormous, and their skin is so tough that only armor-piercing arrows can penetrate them." Satir's expression was also solemn. "Shadow assassins are adept at using shadows to conceal themselves. By the time they are discovered, they have often already launched a fatal attack, making them extremely difficult to deal with."

"Armor-piercing arrows?"

Xia Yuan breathed a sigh of relief; it was good that they could handle it.

Even with ample armor-piercing arrows, Satir and Elua alone couldn't handle nearly 80 bone-winged bats. Since the enemy had come for revenge, they would surely be limiting their population to 80.

The newly acquired "Technical Manual for the Manufacturing of Crossbows" is like water from afar, unable to quench an immediate thirst.

Ideally, we should purchase a batch of archer soldiers.

Unfortunately, archers are expensive and scarce, so it seems we'll have no choice but to ask the Alliance for help.

With Vice Leader Pei Ye extending an olive branch, Xia Yuan was no longer a nobody in the alliance. As long as his demands were reasonable, the alliance had no reason to stand idly by. He was now the face of the alliance's newcomers, even if only temporarily.

However, if they were to actually ask for help, there was no guarantee that the great lord wouldn't take the opportunity to plant spies. It all depended on how they decided to do so.

However, now is not the time to consider that. The most urgent task right now is to finish today's territory upgrade trial, successfully reach level 3, and then see what new troop buildings we can draw.

Having suppressed his thoughts, Xia Yuan, accompanied by Satir, went up to the gate tower to inspect the area.

Since yesterday afternoon, Mingguang Village has been busy building defensive fortifications to deal with today's beast tide.

While Mingguang Village might lack experience in dealing with the impending Avengers, it has accumulated considerable experience in dealing with the beast horde composed of mist monsters. In particular, the novice trial battle showcased their defensive tactics to the fullest extent.

Of course, I'll continue copying homework.

Dig traps, bury thorny grass, and then concentrate the bramble vines on the south side.

All done!!!

Around 8 a.m., Blade & Shield No. 1 led the Blade & Shield dogs to line up behind the gatehouse, with pre-sharpened javelins at their feet, ready for battle.

As a standard defensive weapon, the javelin is not something that can be made on the spur of the moment. For the past week, the woodworking workshop has been systematically producing javelins as a strategic resource reserve. The sword-and-shield dogs also practice javelin throwing from time to time; they are no longer the rookies they once were.

[Time's up, the beast tide is about to arrive...]

As the gray mist text reappeared, three mist demon grasses suddenly sprouted next to the black stone altar.

"Three plants..."

Xia Yuan was also slightly taken aback; this level of difficulty was equivalent to the hellish mode of the beginner's trial. In a normal level 2 territory, without adequate preparation, it was quite possible to fail.

As the gray mist surged, the first to fly out was, as expected, the scorpion-tailed fly, followed by its usual friends: the gray mist rat, the gray mist wolf, the gray mist mantis, and the gray widow.

The grand finale was still a giant worm at the peak of the third tier.

Looking at the vast herd of beasts, Xia Yuan saw them as nothing more than a group of deliverymen. In the past week, with the surge in the number of sword-and-shield hounds, the territory had fallen into a double shortage of meat and mist crystals.

If we don't replenish our supplies soon, we'll run out of food.

.........

Yunyang City, Suiye Pavilion.

"Did Xia Yuan really say that?"

In the tea room, Pei Ye, who was originally waiting to meet Xia Yuan, was instead met with a cautious report from Wu Qianqian, who said that Xia Yuan was worried about a trap and dared not come.

"It's absolutely true, and everyone else in the group can testify to it."

It was thanks to Xia Yuan that Wu Qianqian was able to meet the faction leader for the first time. Before the meeting, she had already been reprimanded for getting involved in Li Mingyu's suppression campaign for a little bit of profit, only to get herself into trouble.

Now look what's happened. They can't even gain Xia Yuan's trust. What's the point?

"Isn't Xia Yuan being a bit too cautious?"

Chu Qianxun laughed and joked, "I just scolded Wu Qianqian, but now I'm defending her."

"This is not just about being cautious."

Pei Ye, however, seemed to have seen through Xia Yuan's intentions. "He is implying to us that if we want him to submit, we must first get the faction to deal with Li Mingyu, this troublesome person."

"Well……"

Chu Qianxun and Wu Qianqian were both stunned, clearly not expecting this. This was too insidious!

"Li Mingyu isn't one to back down easily; this might not be easy to handle..."

As a former Rookie of the Year, Li Mingyu, though only a Level 6 Lord, possessed prestige surpassing that of some Level 7 Lords. Advancing to Level 7 was simply a natural progression for him.

"Looks like I'll have to go have a talk with the alliance leader."

Pei Ye became increasingly interested in Xia Yuan. He was capable, shrewd, patient, and cautious. He was also willing to draw his sword at crucial moments and make demands. Wasn't such a talent the perfect assistant for Pei Shuang?

Even she herself was somewhat tempted.

"...Won't this cause a bit of a stir?"

Chu Qianxun was shocked. Pei Ye's suggestion to have a chat with the alliance leader was definitely not just a casual conversation; it was an attempt to force Li Mingyu to back down and admit his mistakes in order to completely resolve the matter.

However, this would offend Li Mingyu, and even the entire Lieyang System, to the point of no return.

"It's not a big deal."

Pei Ye, however, exuded an air of dominance, saying, "Li Mingyu went too far in this matter. As a dignified Alliance Deacon and a Level 6 Lord, he repeatedly tried to kill a newcomer. Isn't that shameful?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Qianxun said nothing more.

As the only woman among the three giants of the alliance, Pei Ye may be low-key, but which veteran in the alliance doesn't respect her? If she really loses her temper, even the alliance leader would have a headache.

I never expected that the vice leader would go to such lengths for a newcomer like Xia Yuan.

They really went to great lengths.

.........

[Successfully quelled the beast tide and passed the territory advancement trial...]

Mingguang Village has been successfully promoted to a Level 3 territory, with +150 merit points and +1 bronze treasure chest.

[Congratulations on becoming the first new lord in the Yanxia Alliance to advance to a level 3 territory! Bonus rewards include 300 merit points, 2 Bronze Chests, and one chance to draw one of three prizes.]

[The Tier 3 territory panel has been updated; please check it yourself...]

Regardless of the turmoil in Yunyang City, Mingguang Village maintained its own rhythm, skillfully suppressing the incoming beast tide and successfully passing the territory advancement trial.

Thus, he became the first level 3 lord among the newcomers, once again taking the lead.

Of course, the rewards are also generous.

I got three bronze treasure chests at once, but unfortunately I didn't get any silver treasure chests.

[Choose one of the three awards]

1. Undead Warhorse (Rare)

2. Life Dew (Legendary, can actively stimulate the bloodline within high elves)

3. Valiant Armor (Excellent)

The three items were prepared for Black Armor, Satir, and Blade & Shield No. 1, respectively.

Sword and Shield No. 1 is ruled out first, since the Hero's Helmet has already been obtained. The undead warhorse suitable for Black Armor has appeared twice already, but unfortunately, its quality is only Rare. Anyway, Black Armor doesn't seem to be in a hurry to find a mount; even he, as a lord, doesn't have one yet.

Satir is different. She has already reached the peak of the third tier. If she takes the Life Dew, she can activate the Elf King bloodline in her body and break through to the fourth tier to become a Wind Whisperer.

The Windtalker's Eagle Eye is the nemesis of the Shadow Assassin.

"Choose 2!!!"