Chapter 283: A Natural Advantage

Chapter 283: A Natural Advantage

November 15, 2024

Wolf Tide Plane, Dusk Valley.

Countless Black Wolves lay on the ground, covering the canyon like a carpet, spreading out to the distant horizon beyond the canyon, and blanketing the mountains and plains. Surprisingly, an eerie silence prevailed.

High above the canyon, Xie Man, Cole, and Artur looked down upon the wolf pack below, their expressions filled with emotion.

"After all this time, we're finally seeing some results."

"Now, the wolf pack should be ready for the battlefield."

After gaining control of the Wolf Tide Plane, the Star Alliance immediately began developing the plane, primarily by opening secondary mana veins and researching the Dusk Valley.

The former was already on the right track, with over fifty large secondary mana veins opened in the Wolf Tide Plane, making the annual production of secondary mana stones a significant source of income for the Star Alliance.

However, the progress of the latter was relatively slow.

Initially, the Dusk Valley could only hatch forty-five Black Wolves per day and one Dusk Wolf per year.

This pace was far from satisfactory for Su Nan.

So, Su Nan set out to research and modify the Dusk Valley.

Research and modification of biological lairs fell under the domain of biological modification, and among Su Nan's four skills, biological modification happened to be the lowest-level one, currently at only level 5.

Fortunately, he also had the means of Magic Cube Synthesis.

The entire modification process still utilized the method of bloodline fusion.

By extracting bloodlines from a vast number of wolves and synthesizing them, then feeding them back into the Dusk Valley.

Although the progress was agonizingly slow, after over two hundred years of modification, the Dusk Valley had shown significant improvements.

Nowadays, the Dusk Valley could hatch sixty-two Black Wolves per day, and the time to hatch a Dusk Wolf had been reduced to a little over seven months.

While the increase in hatching speed was not particularly impressive, the change in the hatching limit was remarkable.

The original Dusk Valley could control a maximum of 434,800 Black Wolves and 285 Dusk Wolves.

Beyond this limit, any newly hatched wolves would not be under the control of the Dusk Valley and might even pose a threat to it.

However, this limit had now increased to 913,200 Black Wolves and 602 Dusk Wolves.

This was more than double the original number!

This quantity was already astonishing.

It was roughly equivalent to an Automaton Army.

Not to mention the additional 602 Dusk Wolves, each with the power of a Sorcerer.

Undoubtedly, this would be a valuable addition to the Star Alliance's military might!

"It's a pity that the hatching time for Dusk Wolves is still a bit short. The Black Wolves have reached their limit, but we're still quite a few short for the Dusk Wolves, with only over three hundred of them," Artur said with a hint of regret.

"It's close enough," Xie Man smiled, "With over three hundred Dusk Wolves and over nine hundred thousand Black Wolves, the wolf pack's strength is no less than two Automaton Armies. With this additional force, the upcoming battles should be smoother."

After a brief pause, Xie Man turned to Artur and asked, "Speaking of which, is the Codex of Wisdom really going to go to war with the Dark Throne?"

Mentioning this, Artur's expression turned solemn as he nodded, "It's almost certain."

"The Dark Throne has allied with the Blackthorn Tower, the Pale Mask, and several other Dark Sorcerer forces. They've been frequently moving their troops and secretly sending spies to gather intelligence in the Celestial Tree Plane Cluster. It seems they're preparing to wage war on the Codex of Wisdom."

"I heard that His Excellency Cyril visited today, probably regarding this matter."

Xie Man sighed and said, "I thought it would only be a small-scale battle, but I never expected it to escalate to this extent."

"When it comes to a new Plane Cluster, no Sorcerer force can afford to let it go. War is the only way to decide its ownership." Artur explained.

At this moment, Cole, who had been silent all along, spoke up, "This might not be a bad thing for the Star Alliance. Remember the captured Sorcerer Towers."

Xie Man was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"That's true."

Currently, the Star Alliance possessed eighteen Sorcerer Towers, seventeen of which were spoils of war.

If they had to rely solely on their own construction, it would probably take thousands of years to acquire so many Sorcerer Towers.

From this perspective, war might not be a bad thing for the Star Alliance.

The main advantage was the Star Alliance's ability to extract substantial profits from mana stone trading. Even if they suffered heavy losses of Automaton Puppets and Flying Fleets during the war, they could quickly replenish and recover.)



Despite all this, Xie Man still had no idea where the Star Alliance obtained its endless supply of mana stones.)

"If the Dark Throne and the Codex of Wisdom were to truly engage in war, our Star Alliance wouldn't be able to stay out of it."

Xie Man's gaze drifted off into the distance, his eyes filled with a sense of foreboding.

"It seems we'll be joining the battle soon."

Cole spoke in a nonchalant tone, "Participating in the war will earn us more contribution points. Advancing to the Second Tier Sorcerer requires a vast amount of resources, and this war couldn't have come at a better time."

Xie Man and Artur were already accustomed to Cole's aggressive nature, so they weren't surprised by his words. They merely shook their heads and smiled.

"Let's go. We've been in the Wolf Tide Plane for many days now. It's time to report back and take a break to rest and prepare for the upcoming war."

In the reception hall, Su Nan, Li Ze, and Cyril sat facing each other.

"The Dark Throne is coming with full force this time, allying with seven second and third-rate dark sorcerer,. The Blackthorness,.. The Mask Guild, and Pale Mask.their combined strength is not to be underestimated.. Therefore, we've decided to take initiative and a sleep, we'll attack first. This is also a disadvantage. The Wisdom Society!"

Cyril's solemn voice echoed through the hall.

Su Nan didn't respond immediately but instead fell into a silent contemplation.

The situation was unfolding as he had anticipated, and the sorcerer civil war had indeed erupted.

Moreover, the war was escalating rapidly, and within just two short years, it was on the verge of becoming a full-scale civil war.

The Codex of Wisdom had numerous affiliated organizations, and the Dark Throne had also united many second and third-rate dark sorcerer forces.

If these two sides were to go to war, essentially all sorcerer forces in the sorcerer world would be involved, either actively or passively.

A comprehensive civil war was imminent!

As an affiliate of the Codex of Wisdom, the Star Alliance would inevitably be drawn into the conflict.

However, Su Nan had anticipated this and had made extensive preparations for the Star Alliance.

Compared to other affiliates of the Codex of Wisdom, who were caught off guard, the Star Alliance could be said to be well-prepared.

Su Nan had even harbored the idea of using this war to strengthen the Star Alliance's power.

"What does the Wisdom Society want us to do?"

Glancing at Li Ze, Su Nan asked calmly.

Cyril replied in a grave tone, "The Wisdom Society hopes that the affiliates will help deal with the dark sorcerer forces other than the Dark Throne. At the very least, we need to suppress them and prevent them from interfering in the battle between the Codex of Wisdom and the Dark Throne."

"Of course, we won't let the affiliates work for nothing. In addition to supplying some resources for the war effort, after the war is over, we will also provide corresponding rewards based on the affiliates' achievements."

Cyril waved his hand, and two lists floated towards Su Nan and Li Ze.

Su Nan took the list and raised his eyebrows slightly.

It was evident that the Codex of Wisdom had invested heavily.

The value of the initial resource supply alone was as high as ten million intermediate Mana Stones.

As for the post-war rewards, even if the Star Alliance gained nothing in this war and merely suppressed their opponents, they would still receive resources worth twenty to thirty million intermediate Mana Stones.

Furthermore, as the war dragged on, the initial resources and post-war rewards would increase accordingly.

And this was just the allocation for the Star Alliance.

For second-rate sorcerer forces like the Thousand-headed Bird, the resources and rewards would be even more substantial.

However, this was to be expected.

After all, the root of this war was the competition among large sorcerer forces for ownership of the Crystal Plane.

If the Codex of Wisdom won, they would get a share of the ownership.

But for second and third-rate sorcerer forces like the Thousand-headed Bird and the Star Alliance, winning would bring no benefits, and losing would result in heavy losses. If the Codex of Wisdom didn't offer some incentives, even with the affiliates' obligation to assist in the war, they couldn't expect them to truly commit.

Su Nan quickly scanned through the list, his expression unchanged, and said calmly, "Who is the Star Alliance's opponent?"

"The Blackthorn Tower!"

Cyril's voice was grave, and seeing Li Ze's face turn pale, he quickly added, "Of course, it's not just the Star Alliance against the Blackthorn Tower. The Thousand-headed Bird will also be involved."

Li Ze's expression relaxed slightly.

Even among second-rate sorcerer forces, the Blackthorn Tower was undoubtedly one of the top-tier ones. Asking the Star Alliance to face them alone would be an understatement of the challenge.

The Thousand-headed Bird, being of the same tier, could provide some assurance in dealing with the Blackthorn Tower.

Seeing that Su Nan didn't raise any objections, Cyril continued, "The Blackthorn Tower currently controls a total of twenty-two planes. The Star Alliance only needs to be responsible for attacking three of them."

"Which three?"

"The Ulam Plane, the Manro Plane, and the Xig Plane."

Su Nan recalled the names, having a vague impression of these three planes.

Unlike the Wolf Tide Plane, these three planes have been under the control of the Blackthorn Tower for four to five thousand years and each has its own indigenous intelligent civilization.

After the Blackthorn Tower's cultivation for millennia, these planes are well-equipped with formidable military might, far surpassing the Wolf Tide Plane.

Attacking these three planes is no easy task.

Su Nan's eyes flickered with a thought, and he asked, "What about the True Spirit Wizards of the Blackthorn Tower?"

"There are three True Spirit Wizards in the Blackthorn Tower. The Codex of Wisdom will dispatch two of their True Spirit Wizards to join forces with the Thousand-Headed Bird's True Spirit Wizard to restrain them, ensuring they can't interfere in the war."

Su Nan nodded silently.

True Spirit Wizards are akin to strategic weapons; when deployed at the right moment, they can effortlessly alter the course of a large-scale war, introducing numerous variables.

Therefore, in wars between wizarding forces, the first priority is often to restrain the enemy's True Spirit Wizards, preventing them from easily influencing the conflict.

After discussing for over an hour and finalizing some details, Cyril finally took his leave.

Once he was gone, Li Ze frowned and said, "The Blackthorn Tower is not an easy opponent."

Unlike the situation with the Crystal Plane, the Star Alliance, with Su Nan's methods, held a significant advantage in troop transportation, unafraid of the Blackthorn Tower.

However, outside the Crystal Plane, the Blackthorn Tower is a formidable giant to the Star Alliance.

Even with the Thousand-Headed Bird as an ally, the pressure is not insignificant.

"It's not an easy opponent, but most of the pressure will be on the Thousand-Headed Bird. We're only responsible for the three planes, and the pressure is still within manageable limits."

In Su Nan's memory, this wizard civil war lasted for a full five hundred years.

Although the current situation has changed and the civil war erupted three hundred years ahead of schedule, the overall situation shouldn't deviate too much.

After all, the wizarding forces of both camps are evenly matched, making it impossible to determine a victor in a short period.

Over such a long period, the Star Alliance, with the high profits from Mana Stone trade, can afford to fight and develop simultaneously, absorbing nutrients from the war to accelerate its growth.

This is the Star Alliance's unique advantage! However, Su Nan couldn't explain all these intricacies to Li Ze, so he could only vaguely express a portion of his thoughts.

"This war is likely to be prolonged, and we must prepare for a protracted battle."

"Don't stop the Mana Stone trade, and if possible, expand its scale. Use all the profits to procure resources and accumulate as many materials as possible, as the upcoming war will likely consume a vast amount."

Li Ze nodded and added, "With the outbreak of war, the Codex of Wisdom will likely face resource constraints, and they might tighten their supply."

"Then let's increase our procurement from the City of Plenty," Su Nan said without hesitation, "even if it means paying a higher price."

After all, the Mana Stone trade is almost a risk-free venture for him, and a higher price is acceptable as long as resources can be acquired.

"I understand," Li Ze nodded slightly.

"How's the army expansion going?" Su Nan brought up another topic.

"It's going smoothly," Li Ze replied with a faint smile, and continued, "The fifth Automaton Army has been assembled, and the sixth is in the process. With ample resource supply, the progress is swift, but considering that they will soon engage in battle, a significant number of personnel will be deployed, which might affect the pace."

"Regarding the Sorcerer Towers, in addition to the original eighteen, the three small-scale Sorcerer Towers we recently constructed have just been completed and were immediately claimed by our wizards."

"The number of Star Fortresses has increased to seventy-five, and the Flying Fleet has recovered to its pre-Divine Corpse Battle strength, totaling thirteen fleets."

Su Nan nodded slightly.

During the Divine Corpse Battle, the Flying Fleet suffered heavy losses, and the remaining demon ships could barely make up six fleets. Recovering to its pre-war strength in just two years is already impressive.

Overall, the Star Alliance's comprehensive war construct power is now among the top in the third-rate wizarding forces.

Of course, there's still a considerable gap between them and the second-rate wizarding forces.

After all, their development time has been relatively short.

Considering the formidable upcoming opponent, Su Nan couldn't help but contemplate whether he should prepare some measures to deal with the Blackthorn Tower's war constructs, ideally to turn the tide in the imminent battle.

After all, the confrontation of war constructs can significantly impact the overall war situation.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end