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"....The King has called for peace with humans. Has he lost his mind? Or has the Black Moon God cursed him? Even the most cunning fox cannot match human deceit, and the most shameless rats pale in comparison to human baseness. The King has gone mad..."

"....Tirelessly shuttling between humans and beasts, the King received ambiguous promises from both sides. Seeing his exhausted yet excited face, I was overwhelmed with sorrow. He knows hope is slim, but forces himself to believe in others' promised future, not because of foolishness, but out of his profound love for this race...."

"....The King is dead. Though I don't know the details, when the 'Scepter of Domination' was damaged and I returned to the War God Temple, I knew it was all over. From the Scepter, I sensed the divine spell 'Sea of Divine Grace' from the Light God and the 'Dawnstar Dragon's Might' from the Twelve Sages. Their combined effect on the Scepter could only have been to spread its influence among all the boars and terrify them with the dragon's might. The fate of the six hundred thousand on the Golden Plains can be imagined...."

"....Horrible taboo spells, terrifying Twelve Sages, destruction engulfed the entire Green Meadow Grasslands. The irony is that our protectors were the very magic arrays of the Twelve Sages. But the dragon crystals embedded in the array were shattered, and the chaotic elements began to dull the minds of the remaining Red Boar Guards. Fortunately, I discovered a strange silver crystal today. Its vibrations countered the curse of the taboo spell, preserving most of the Red Boar Guards' sanity. However, their descendants will still lose their wisdom in time. I must find a solution...."

Ah, dying before achieving one's goals, leaving heroes weeping. From this journal, I see a pig tribe chief vastly different from the one described by the War God Temple, stirring even my steeled heart.

What truly piques my interest, however, are the secrets recorded here.

Firstly, a detailed description of the urban magic defense array, 'Gates of the Twelve Constellations,' including component functions, installation and dismantling methods, usage instructions, and precautions. These were the main purpose of my mission, so they require careful study.

Secondly, the 'Scepter of Domination.' This artifact, allegedly bestowed by the Black Moon God, can control the consciousness of the boars, manipulating their actions and even brainwashing them. Yet, this is conditional. If the boars fully trust the controller, the Scepter can command tens of thousands; if they resist, the number controlled decreases significantly. Of course, a powerful mental strength or charm abilities in the wielder can increase the number of subjects. For me, lacking outstanding labor and infantry, this is a godsend. It seems I must also cultivate the Soul Transfer technique from the Nine Yin Manual.

Thirdly, the silver crystal that defies the taboo spell. According to the journal, the Great Shaman believed it to be another divine artifact, with divine power even more immense than the Scepter. However, no method could identify its deity. Found on the corpse of the deceased half-orc Shaman, I naturally claimed it.

Lastly, there are the four half-orc Sword Masters. Before his death, Great Shaman Vedrigus established a system to perpetuate the temple. Every few years, some Red Boar Guards would leave the temple to seek half-orc women for offspring. The gifted descendants would be brought back to the temple, with those possessing shamanic talent inheriting the silver crystal and the Scepter, while the others would be completely brainwashed, knowing only obedience and martial arts training.

These four Half-Orc Sword Masters were the strongest of their generation, having reached the peak of the Sword Master realm. However, they were stuck at a crucial bottleneck and had yet to ascend to the rank of Sword Grandmaster. But this was no issue for me. Though I hadn't reached the peak of the Sword Master realm myself, I knew that with ample Primordial Energy to support them, breaking through that barrier wouldn't be difficult. Thus, I purified the essence of the dozen Red Boar Guards I had slain in the temple on the surface using my Nine Yin True Energy, then channeled it into their bodies through their navels. I then instructed them to commence cultivation immediately. Since the Red Boar Guard's exclusive martial technique, "Bloodwashing Milky Way," was recorded in my journal, there was no need for me to worry about guiding them.

With everything settled, I began my seclusion to cultivate the Qigong chapter, hoping to increase my strength. The battle at the underground altar had been perilous, and I needed to enhance my martial prowess as soon as possible to ensure my survival in future conflicts.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, the four Half-Orcs successively broke through to the Sword Master realm, mastering the "Moon Flame Battle Qi" and ascending to the Sword Grandmaster realm. I named them Crimson East, Crimson South, Crimson West, and Crimson North. My Qigong chapter also advanced two levels, reaching the fourth tier. Now, I could wield "Swordsman Splits the Sea" without relying on White Tiger's Might.

Simultaneously, Icewind's evolution was nearing its conclusion. When the light cocoon shattered, I was astonished to see that Icewind had grown two heads. One head bore a white horn symbolizing ice, while the other sported a red horn representing fire. The dual-headed giant wolf looked majestic, radiating power with each movement.

"Icewind? How do you feel?"

Upon hearing my question, the ice-themed wolf head turned towards me, affectionately rubbing against me. Meanwhile, the fire-themed wolf head gazed at me eagerly but didn't move.

"Hmm... Are you not one consciousness, just like that mutated Hydra?"

Both wolf heads nodded in unison.

"Sigh, forget it. You're the fire element, so let's call you Flamewind from now on."

"Ao ao~~~"

Turning my head, I suddenly recalled that the first Iceberg Beamon I encountered, despite being an Eighth Rank Magic Beast, seemed to have lost much of its strength due to reproduction, leaving it at the peak of Seventh Rank. After consuming the crystal nucleus of another peak Eighth Rank Magic Beast, it evolved back to its original Eighth Rank status. Perhaps next time, it might devour the crystal nucleus of a peak Ninth Rank Magic Beast, growing a third head and advancing to Ninth Rank.

"Mm, if it were to consume the crystal nucleus of a Lightning Element Magic Beast next, its third head should be named... Thunderwind?"

Chapter 20: The Golden-Haired Warrior Goddess on the Altar