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"Can you recover one in just a month? That's wonderful! In a few more months, brother will be fully healed." Jin Luosha exclaimed joyfully upon hearing that Chen Xuanfeng's recovery speed could be maintained.

Chen Xuanfeng, however, shook his head. "That won't do. It's only because I managed to absorb a vast amount of dragon life essence with the *Tiger Soul* this time that I can restore the Dragon Vitality so quickly. Once I remove the damage from a few key internal organs, the remaining issues can heal naturally within a year. Each Dragon Vitality is crucial for survival on the battlefield—using them on injuries that can heal over time would be far too precious to waste."

As Leinster had surmised, this secret technique was immensely beneficial for Sword Saints who couldn't receive magical healing, undoubtedly doubling Chen Xuanfeng's combat prowess. However, the preparation cycle and recovery conditions were astonishingly complex. After each use, Chen Xuanfeng not only had to seclude himself to cultivate through various methods but also needed to absorb vast amounts of life essence from the outside world to serve as the foundation for replacing the Sword Saint's injuries. Moreover, the quality of this life essence varied—the life of a super magical beast, especially a dragon, was far more effective than slaughtering a hundred thousand human youths. This time, Chen Xuanfeng had slain over a dozen dragons on Sacred Dragon Mountain with his *Tiger Soul*, all of whose life forces were extracted by the demonic blade, amounting to an absolutely staggering total.

However, the energy required for the Dragon Head substitutes was also tied to the cultivator's own strength. Back when Chen Xuanfeng was merely a Sword Emperor, the life essence of a single dragon could restore six or seven Dragon Vitalities. Now, as a Sword Saint, his power had increased tenfold, meaning the energy from these dozen or so dragons would only suffice to regenerate eleven Dragon Vitalities—far too precious to waste.

Logically, with Chen Xuanfeng's current strength as a Sword Saint, he could be considered invincible, with little reason to fear anyone capable of severely injuring him, nor any need to prioritize restoring and preserving his Dragon Vitalities at full capacity. Yet, the Silver-haired Werewolf had been so thoroughly defeated by the First Sword-Saint last time that he instinctively remained deeply wary of the First Sword-Saint, who no longer possessed the power of a Saint Domain. Coupled with the lingering unease from the other party's theft of the forbidden spell mark crystals, Chen Xuanfeng preferred to slowly heal his injuries with the Nine Yin True Energy while preserving his life-saving Dragon Vitalities as a precaution.

On the other hand, Chen Xuanfeng was also supremely confident. Even with only forty percent of his combat power, he was certain he could face any challenge—such as the imminent, full-scale struggle for the throne of the Orc King.

*Heroic Werewolf Scroll*, Chapter 99: A Thousand Schemes for the Orc Throne

The Holy Light Temple's scriptures contain a famous saying: "Evil always turns on itself."

Of course, this phrase is a joke among all intelligent races, including non-believing humans. The reason it's laughable isn't because it's wrong, but because the word "evil" is entirely superfluous. Anyone with a true understanding of history knows that infighting is widespread among any communal intelligent species—it's a result of natural law, unrelated to good or evil. This applies not only to humans but also to the supposedly peaceful elves and the bold, straightforward orcs, none of whom can escape internal struggles for power.

The current Orc Alliance—or Orc Empire—stands on the precipice of a looming civil war.

Just as Chen Xuanfeng had predicted, after the assassination of the previous Orc King, Samantha, who was also the founding emperor of the Orc Empire, the suddenness of the event left no room for compromise or reconciliation of interests among the factions. The hundred orc tribes now teeter on the brink of total fragmentation. Samantha's descendants and relatives, who believe themselves the rightful imperial heirs, have raised the banner of the "Splitfang Imperial Family," uniting twenty-three tribes under the leadership of the lion clan, vowing to carry out the imperial reforms to their conclusion.

Opposing them are four of the five great warrior races—the bull, eagle, bear, and wolf clans. Though they once bowed to Samantha's overwhelming strength and unparalleled achievements, supporting his imperial ascension, now that the mighty king is dead, why should they submit? These four clans are long-established powers, each commanding vast numbers of subordinate tribes. Even if their forces aren't fully unified, they are far beyond what the lion clan alone can suppress or absorb.

The greatest flaw of the Splitfang Clan lies in Samantha's lack of a worthy successor. Though the mightiest Orc King had three sons and a daughter, only the second son, Beria Splitfang Lein, could cultivate the "Emperor Martial Overlord Art." Yet this lion youth, just over twenty, is only a sixth-rank Sword Master. While he might be a genius among his peers, he is far too green to shoulder the weight of his father's dynasty. Had Samantha not died during his coronation but instead had a year or two to consolidate his empire, restructure the old Orc Alliance's systems, establish sufficient laws, and placate the other four warrior clans with benefits, his heir would only need to master the "Emperor Martial Overlord Art" and stand out in intellect and martial prowess among his siblings to inherit the throne smoothly. But now, with his father dead before accomplishing any of this, Beria's task is to inherit Samantha's legacy and, through his own ability, compel the four warrior clans to acknowledge the legitimacy of the "Splitfang Dynasty"—a mission that is... exceedingly difficult.

For their part, the four warrior clans can't afford to openly rebel. Samantha's achievements are undeniable, and the Splitfang Clan's strength is formidable—their massive armies and terrifying beastman elites are enough to deter any rash actions. Though they pale in comparison to the combined might of the four warrior clans, they are more than capable of making any aggressor pay a steep price.

As for the War God Temple, it has been mediating between the two sides, striving to prevent the conflict from escalating into a mutually destructive civil war.

Yet their efforts proved futile.

The Splitfang Clan stubbornly maintains that Samantha, having received the War God's blessing, was the rightful emperor, and thus his throne should pass to his descendants. For millennia, every Orc Emperor or Orc King of the Orc Alliance has been a lion warrior. Now that the Splitfang Clan holds the leadership of the entire lion race, they argue, the succession is theirs to decide.

The four warrior clans counter with a different argument: "We have no interest in debating legality. Our only concern is the future of our races. Perhaps we could bow to the Splitfang for the sake of the hundred orc tribes, but could the Splitfang Clan truly bear such submission? It would be like four mighty predatory dragons swearing fealty to a sheep—even if the dragons were sincere—the sheep would never feel secure. A leader's capacity determines the strength of their followers. And after Samantha, the next generation of lions lacks the capacity to lead the four warrior clans."