Elven cultivators

Bloodhowl Fortress in the northern part of the continent

The greyish-white sky hung low like a canopy, with a few thin rays of sunlight struggling to seep through the gaps in the clouds, weakly falling on the city wall and staining the rough, dark stone surface with a pale gray hue.

At the city gate, a cavalry unit was filing in.

Rexxar, who was at the front, dismounted and casually tossed the reins to the approaching guards.

The edges of his dark leather armor still bore traces of dried mud and scattered bloodstains, marks left from a long pursuit across the wilderness.

The orc soldiers behind them also dismounted one after another. Among the ranks were seven or eight prisoners whose arms were tied behind their backs with ropes and whose mouths were stuffed with rags. They staggered forward as they were pushed and shoved.

A young officer guarding the city gate recognized the person and immediately strode forward to greet him.

"Lord Rexxar!" he bowed, his back straight, his voice booming.

Rexxar didn't stop, only tilting his head to signal the orcs guarding the prisoners beside him to follow.

"Just captured members of the Ring of Annihilation." His tone was brief and cold. "Take them to the dungeon and interrogate them thoroughly."

"Yes, Lord Rexxar."

The officer responded crisply and then waved.

Several burly orc guards immediately stepped forward, took the prisoners, and half-dragged, half-carried them toward the depths of the fortress.

Rexar didn't linger and continued walking along the main street toward the inner city.

He didn't really expect to get anything out of the prisoners.

These rats are bad at everything else, but they are exceptionally good at hiding and resisting torture.

He has arrested so many people so far, but he hasn't been able to extract any valuable information from them.

Once these guys are caught, they either grit their teeth and keep quiet, or they simply take their own lives, showing no regard for their own safety.

They feel no pain and are not afraid of death.

They're a bunch of lunatics!

Ever since Rexxar learned from Grant that the Ring of Annihilation planned to open the Abyss, this matter had been on his mind.

Although it sounds hard to believe, he knows Grant.

That person seemed casual and easygoing, but never made alarmist statements.

The fact that Grant takes this matter so seriously, even going so far as to travel extensively and personally send warnings to the five major powers, shows that it is indeed very serious.

But the chieftain and elders didn't seem to think so.

Perhaps due to insufficient evidence to corroborate the intelligence, they have yet to extract any information about the Abyss from the people of the Ring of Annihilation.

Or perhaps it's because the source of the intelligence was the Silvermoon Clan.

That elven clan that is currently gaining prominence in the eastern part of the continent and, in a sense, is already hostile to Bloodhowl Fortress.

If the intelligence came from somewhere else, the chieftain and elders might have paid more attention to it.

But the intelligence just happened to come from Anton Silvermoon, which makes people think twice.

Rexxar shook his head, stopped thinking about it, stepped onto the steps leading to the inner fortress, and pushed open the heavy stone door of the council chamber.

The light inside the hall was a bit warmer than outside.

Several oil lamps were placed in the grooves of the stone wall, their flames flickering on the table, casting shadows of people sitting around the long table that appeared to be either long or short.

Gormash sat at the head of the table, talking to Elder Kinna beside him.

Several elders sat around a long table, on which lay an open map of the mainland.

Hearing footsteps, Gormash looked up, a smile appearing on his rugged face: "Rexxar, you're back just in time. I have something for you to do."

Rexxar first bowed slightly to the High Chieftain before asking, "What is it?"

Gormash did not answer, but instead glanced at Elder Kinna.

The latter understood and pointed to the direction of the Silvermoon Clan on the unfolded map.

"After consulting with us, the Great Chieftain decided to send troops to attack the Silvermoon Clan."

Rexxar paused, then frowned and asked, "Why? Wasn't the war over?"

Elder Jinna narrowed his eyes and said, "The previous war served as a wake-up call for us. We must keep the Silvermoon Clan's fleet under our control, otherwise, if we go to war with the Emerald Court again, won't we be at their mercy again?"

"Furthermore, acquiring the fleet would greatly benefit our fortress."

Rexxar remained silent.

It must be admitted that Elder Jinna's words were indeed reasonable.

He understood the strategic value of the Silvermoon Clan's fleet better than anyone else.

If they could gain control of it, or even master the techniques for crafting the Flying Sun Tower and the Soaring Cloud Flying Boat, the improvement to the military strength of Bloodhowl Fortress would be immediate.

If they had had a fleet back then, they might have defeated the Emerald Court long ago.

"What about the Emerald Court?" Rexxar asked, frowning. "Once we take action against the Silvermoon Clan, the Emerald Court won't stand idly by."

Elder Kinna seemed to have anticipated Rexxar's question, and smiled meaningfully, "Don't worry about the Emerald Court; they're not a monolithic entity."

"The Silvermoon Clan has been acting ambivalent towards the Royal Court for years, quite unlike other allied races. Some within the Royal Court have long been disgusted by their behavior."

Rexxar's expression shifted: "What do you mean?"

Elder Jinna chuckled and said, "We just need to send out our troops. At that time, there will naturally be people within the Emerald Court to help us stop the reinforcements from reaching the Silver Moon Clan."

Upon hearing this, Rexxar immediately understood that the fortress had likely reached an understanding with certain core high-ranking members within the Emerald Court.

The other side also did not want to see the Silvermoon Clan continue to exist and wanted to use them to eliminate the Silvermoon Clan.

Even if it means risking the fleet falling into their hands.

Has the internal strife within the Jade Court become this intense?

Rexxar frowned and remained silent.

He is now more concerned about the Ring of Annihilation and the Abyss than the Silvermoon Clan.

Although he strongly disagreed with starting a war at this time, he couldn't give a reason to refute it.

The council chamber fell silent.

Ermash's gaze swept over everyone present, and he reached out and pressed down gently on the edge of the map on the table.

"Then it's settled. Mobilize the army and prepare to declare war on the Silvermoon Clan."

The Free Alliance has taken over the Holy Dragon Mountains, greatly increasing their strength. Their Bloodhowl Fortress cannot stand still; they must find a way to improve their own strength.

Taking down the Silvermoon Clan is the first step.

Seeing that the chieftain had decided to send troops, the orc elders around the long table nodded in agreement, their faces all showing calm smiles.

Unlike the Emerald Court, which is also one of the five major powers, the Silver Moon Clan is only a first-rate power.

Although it has made rapid progress in recent years and defeated many powerful enemies, it still lacks the foundation to compete with the five major powers.

Suppressing a mere elven clan was, in their eyes, a matter of course, a piece of cake.

If they can't deal with the Emerald Court, how can they not deal with the Silver Moon Clan?