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The embattled city is called "Vilselan," which translates to "Spider-Eyed Lily" in the dark elf tongue. Among the dozens of dark elf cities scattered across the underground world, it ranks as medium-sized, home to roughly eight thousand dark elves. It’s not among the nine largest dark elf cities, so it’s jointly ruled by the matrons of several larger families. These female leaders, all high priestesses of the Spider Queen, often battle and slay each other to please their goddess, who finds joy in their cunning and cruelty rather than their devotion. In return, she bestows power upon those dark elves who excel in such treachery.

However, today’s conflict is entirely different. It does not arise from infighting among these great families but is directed outward.

Indeed, the six largest families in Vilselan have united to face a common enemy.

A newly emerging family that has yet to earn a name, heraldry, or the recognition of the goddess.

This is unprecedented in dark elf history.

Ye Ge marches forward.

Her gear has evolved from the simple traveler’s attire she wore when she first entered the underground. Now, a mithril circlet studded with sixteen black diamonds rests on her brow, and she is clad in a magnificent set of top-tier adamantine full-body armor. Her crimson cloak is adorned with intricate magical runes, and an "Evil Aura" constantly surrounds her, enhancing her battle prowess.

The only constant is the massive "Tiger Soul Blade" in her hand, still radiating a wild and imposing aura.

The battle in this city was sparked by her.

After a month of exploration and training, the dark elemental power within Ye Ge, infused with the essence of the Tiger Soul, has ascended to the level of a Dark Elemental Lord. Combined with the external martial arts she has mastered, her combat prowess now rivals that of a human Sword Emperor, and her magical power matches that of a ninth-tier mage. When she wields the "Tiger Soul Blade" in full combat, even an ordinary orc Sword Emperor would retreat. With such power, she moves unchallenged through the underground world.

Since her reputation for astonishing slaughter spread across the underground, various forces have sought her out. Some weaker underground races or wandering creatures have pledged to follow her and establish a family, including formidable beings like Minotaurs and beholders. Meanwhile, several dark elf families have attempted to recruit her, employing endless threats and bribes.

However, with Chen Xuanfeng backing her, Ye Ge refuses to bow to any force. Those who come to pledge allegiance are selectively organized into troops; those who come to recruit are flatly rejected, and if they persist, they are cut down without hesitation.

Her iron-fisted methods, formidable cultivation, and subsequent acts of plunder and destruction have further elevated her reputation. Since then, many solitary dark elves, and even entire small families, have joined her ranks, quickly forming a massive force of several hundred dark elves and thousands of warriors from various races.

Originally, these hastily gathered subordinates were of mixed quality, and their combat effectiveness was unremarkable. However, Ye Ge, or rather Chen Xuanfeng, had another solution. The "Tiger Soul Blade’s" ability to absorb flesh and blood essence proved invaluable during the founding era. After slaying hordes of underground beasts like giant wolf spiders, Ye Ge shared the absorbed essence with her followers, boosting their strength by a level in a short time. This gave them the means to truly establish themselves in the underground world.

With an army under her command, Chen Xuanfeng urged Ye Ge to abandon her wandering ways. After several training sessions, he began actively preparing to conquer cities. The nine largest dark elf cities were naturally not prime targets, so his attention turned to the next tier of medium-sized cities.

Coincidentally, several dark elf families from Vilselan approached her.

Dark elves show little courtesy—deference to superiors, dominance over inferiors, and rivalry with equals. Thus, the envoys sent by the major families of Vilselan assumed a superior attitude toward Ye Ge’s forces, delivering threats like "submit or die." With Chen Xuanfeng pulling the strings, a full-scale war erupted.

Outside Vilselan, Ye Ge’s forces ambushed the main armies of the six major families. She even harnessed the light-based power within the Tiger Soul Blade to unleash a ninth-tier light spell, "Holy Light Burst," instantly disintegrating more than half of the enemy’s forces. This light power is utterly lethal in the underground world, far exceeding its rank in destructive capability. Though Ye Ge herself suffered erosion from this power, derived from the soul of a light angel, she did not hesitate. The ensuing battle was a one-sided rout. Countless family alliance warriors, blinded by the holy light, could not fight and caused widespread chaos. None of the six families were willing to step forward to buy time for their allies. Instead, they all tried to withdraw, resulting in a complete collapse as Ye Ge’s forces pursued them into Vilselan.

After establishing a stronghold in the city, Ye Ge naturally attracted several weaker families. Though their strength paled in comparison to the six major families, their local influence helped compensate for Ye Ge’s shortcomings. She then launched a purge against the six major families.

Thus, the darkness of Vilselan was engulfed in slaughter and bloodshed. Streets, squares, and alleys became close-quarters battlefields, while various magics and divine spells were unleashed. Fortunately, due to the limited combat space in the underground world, dark elf magic and divine spells have evolved over millennia toward small-scale, rapid, and precise lethality. As a result, this city-wide war of succession did not bring about the large-scale destruction that could have devastated the entire city.