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"Excellent, I’ve finally obtained this item," Chen Xuanfeng said as he stored the crystal, along with Jia Ruoling's magic book and staff, into his spatial pocket. He then turned to pursue the other mages, who had already begun to flee.

However, just as Chen Xuanfeng killed a few more mages and was about to seize the second mark crystal, he suddenly sensed danger. Without hesitation, he immediately retreated. As he did so, a curved black shadow suddenly lashed out from the air, striking the ground with a loud "crack," leaving a deep mark. The shadow did not vanish but instead appeared to come to life, flying through the air and tracing countless trajectories, relentlessly pursuing Chen Xuanfeng.

"The Dragon Whip? Has the kid from Tiele returned? If so..." Chen Xuanfeng, having fought against the previous Dragon Whip master Chi Wulie, immediately recognized his opponent. He also thought of another person who had traveled with Xian Lan. With a sudden twist in the air, he successfully dodged a cold, lead-gray sword qi that stabbed at him from behind—a sneak attack from the Death Knight Hades.

"Werewolf, we won't let you succeed," Xian Lan, who had also arrived on the mountain, shouted.

"Huh? You two actually returned. It seems the Arrow God of the elves isn't as powerful as I imagined. Though, you two do look rather battered," Chen Xuanfeng said casually, ignoring their intense hostility.

Indeed, the two young sword saints were not in great shape, each bearing wounds from arrows or magic—a price they paid for retreating under the combined attacks of two elven Arrow Gods backed by the Golden Tree.

"But let's end it here for now. After all, I've killed a Flame Sword Saint and obtained a Water Forbidden Spell Mark. I didn’t return empty-handed," Chen Xuanfeng smiled slightly, glancing at Tan Yueer, who had just arrived from the foot of the mountain, as well as Carol and Xi Luo, who were still making their way up. Despite his confidence, he had no intention of facing the combined assault of five Saint-level experts.

"What? You killed Morova?" Xian Lan and Hades, who had just returned, were unaware of Morova's demise and asked in shock.

By then, Chen Xuanfeng had already leaped down the mountain before Tan Yueer could encircle him, his voice still clearly echoing back: "That's right. He fell to my second sword technique, 'Mourning the Void.' This move was created specifically to slay Saints. You will surely experience its power firsthand in the future."

Heroic Werewolf Scroll, Chapter 72: The Beast King's Resolve Ignites the War Clouds

A month had passed since the largest magical duel in four centuries erupted in the Sealed Wasteland.

This duel, later called the 'Return of the Imperial Capital' by the elves and the 'War of Conspiracy and Magic' by humans, became a landmark event for the elves' resurgence in the southern continent. After the duel, the elves completely freed themselves from the threat of human Forbidden Spell mages, united the three elven races, and amassed a force of 170,000 regular elven mages. With overwhelming superiority, they crushed the allied forces of the southern nations, swiftly occupying over a million square kilometers of land. They officially raised the banner of the Ninth Dynasty of the Elven Empire, declaring their capital at Xilin Meilidania. In the coming years, they planned to fully integrate the original elven territories and the forests inhabited by wood elves and moon elves, effectively declaring dominion over the southern continent.

The hundreds of kilometers of land around the elven capital, which had been ravaged by Forbidden Spells and should have remained barren for thousands of years, seemed to be recovering rapidly. The chaotic remnants of the Forbidden Spells were vanishing at an astonishing rate, and it was believed that within a year or two, the entire area would regain its vitality. As for the method they used, the higher-ups of various factions had a good idea, as rumors that "the northern Blizzard Werewolf Lord possesses a divine artifact capable of eliminating the remnants of Forbidden Spells" were no longer a secret among human elites.

Of course, the biggest difference between the elves and the beastmen was that the elves did not have a large population, nor would they experience significant growth in the foreseeable future. Therefore, they did not need to occupy so much land. Ordinary humans could continue to farm and live on their own lands, with the real losses falling on the royal families and nobles of various nations. Meanwhile, many of the major merchants from the southern continent's commercial alliances were reportedly already secretly negotiating terms of surrender with the Elven Empire.

Compared to the establishment of the Elven Empire, another piece of news remained a secret known only to a few high-ranking individuals: a Forbidden Spell Mark Crystal had been seized by the beastmen.

Possessing a Mark Crystal meant having access to a Forbidden Spell, which was inherently terrifying. However, in the context of both beastmen and elves vying for dominance on the continent, most people were not as alarmed. After all, the elves had already regrouped, and their combined strength was sufficient to unleash several Forbidden Spell-level super-combination magics. Thus, it didn’t matter much if the beastmen had one more Forbidden Spell Mark. Moreover, the beastmen, who traditionally lacked mages, would find it far less convenient to use a Forbidden Spell compared to the elves' tens of thousands of mages coordinating a super-combination magic. Besides, even if the beastmen used a Forbidden Spell, it would be a problem for the western continent, not something for the southern continent to worry about.

Thus, this significant event was quietly accepted by the people.

Or rather, no one actively concerned themselves with this potential threat anymore, because just a month after the magical duel, another great war erupted in full force: the Battle for Saint Spirit Mountain.

A decisive battle that would truly shape the future of the western continent.

After seizing a Forbidden Spell Mark, Chen Xuanfeng immediately set off to return to the northern city of Fontainebleau. With the great war looming, he could not afford to linger in the south for long. Naturally, Ye Ge and Xue Li, the elven maiden who had lost the "Dream Star Crown," accompanied him on his return.

Although Xue Li had voluntarily relinquished the 'Dream Star Crown' as part of a behind-the-scenes deal between Chen Xuanfeng and the Elven Queen Rolantia, she did not come out empty-handed. Every female elf who possessed one of the "King's Three Regalia" and participated in the Elven Queen's selection would receive the blessing of the Nature Goddess, enhancing her spiritual power with the purest divine energy. This blessing was not limited to the ultimately chosen queen; the other two elves would also receive the same benefits. Unlike the Elven Queen and the "Sniper Arrow God," who had already reached the peak of their powers, Xue Li, whose strength was still in its early stages, had greater potential for growth. Thus, she gained more profound and significant benefits from the blessing. Moreover, to compensate for her loss, Rolantia personally dispatched six elven grand mages over two thousand years old to infuse Xue Li with the power of the six elemental lords, making her strength comparable to her sister Ye Ge's. Additionally, with the sword techniques personally taught by the "Sniper Arrow God" Karin Ling, it was almost certain that this elven maiden would ascend to the rank of Arrow God in the future.