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"Well, Your Majesty Blizzard, the War God Temple’s position has always prioritized the interests of all the orc tribes. Although we were ambushed by humans this time, and the division among the Lion, Eagle, and Bear Tribes clearly shows signs of human meddling, after careful consideration, we still chose silence because we realized that such a split might not be a bad opportunity for us." The Pope stroked his sparse beard and replied calmly, "Setting aside all matters of interest, speaking purely from personal sentiment, Your Majesty the Orc King, do you truly believe the conquest plan we previously devised matches what you truly want?"

Chen Xuanfeng was taken aback. As he pondered the Pope's words, he replied, "If given a choice, of course, I wouldn’t prefer such a roundabout method, but..."

"Not just you—no orc in the entire Orc Alliance would like it," the Pope said gravely. "Even if this method is unavoidable, even if everyone would eventually accept the outcome, we orcs are not weak elves or greedy humans. The nature bestowed upon us by the War God makes us trust strength and prestige more than interests. A domineering and mighty king is far more respected than a leader who stabilizes his position through relationships and benefits—even if both are Sword Saints."

"I understand what you’re saying. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t resort to such a weak approach either," Chen Xuanfeng nodded.

"If you were from the Lion Tribe, even as a commoner, you could rise to power by force. If you were a noble of the Wolf Clan, you could rally the entire Wolf Clan’s strength to establish a ruling core. Although we orcs don’t place as much emphasis on class and origins as humans do, it still involves many interests and cannot be entirely ignored. Fortunately, you are from one of the Five Great Combat Races. If you hailed from a vassal tribe, you likely wouldn’t even have the chance to compete for the title of Orc King." The Pope spoke unhurriedly, "The Lion Tribe’s millennia-old tradition of kingship, the balance of power among the other four Great Combat Races—these are all stumbling blocks for us. The vast legacy and prestige left behind by Samantha in his lifetime also pose obstacles to your rise to power by force. Yet, we absolutely cannot afford to incite a civil war to disrupt the situation and then reorganize..."

"Wait, are you saying..."

"Exactly. Initiating war or purges proactively would tarnish your prestige, especially with the precedent of Leimen stepping away from power. Most orcs hold the belief that 'a Sword Saint’s dignity should not involve oppressing ordinary warriors to claim authority.' But... if the war isn’t started by us, it’s a completely different matter." At this point, the Pope’s solemn expression suddenly revealed a sly smile. "Isn’t it a rare opportunity for those disloyal factions to jump out on their own, giving you the perfect chance to prove your might?"

Chen Xuanfeng had already grasped the Pope’s plan. After all, changing the ruling race for the Orc King inevitably required internal reshuffling—the only difference lay in whether it was achieved through compromise or force. His foundation was insufficient to openly suppress the tribes with overwhelming power. If he relied solely on his Sword Saint strength to intimidate, it would only invite internal strife and infamy. Yet, compromise would make him appear weak, merely postponing conflicts that would erupt later. Though the current situation was severe, it also gave him a chance to deal with political enemies without bearing the blame, transforming political struggles into military ones—undoubtedly a hundred times more advantageous for someone with a shallow foundation like him. The only remaining issue was...

"Hey, hey, so according to you, I should be happy? But once civil war breaks out, what about the losses to the Orc Alliance? Won’t the humans seize the chance to interfere?" Chen Xuanfeng frowned.

The Pope slightly closed his eyes and said, "Even without civil war, would the tribes truly mobilize their full strength for you to command? Take the Riftfang Clan’s Warcraft Orc Warriors—can you deploy them? If the Warcraft Orc Warriors remain idle, wouldn’t the Eagle, Bear, Yak, and even Wolf Clans keep some forces in reserve to guard against them? Rather than letting the tribes grow estranged and suspicious, each holding back strength, it’s better for you to directly shatter them. There’ll be losses, but the power you can consolidate afterward will be far greater."

The Pope didn’t address the human threat, merely opening his eyes to stare at Chen Xuanfeng.

After a moment of silence, Chen Xuanfeng finally laughed and said, "The Pope is right. I was overthinking it. As for the human threat, as the Orc King, it’s naturally my responsibility to resolve it. However, post-war reconciliation will require the Great Shamans to contribute greatly."

The Pope smiled contentedly. "Heh, I’m relieved to hear Your Majesty think this way. But how do you plan to handle the rebellious tribes?"

"Nothing more than a lightning strike to assert dominance, divide and conquer, and gradually subdue them. As long as I can act freely, what can resist the power of a Saint?" The Snow-Wolf Orc King’s earlier agitation faded, replaced by a proud smile as he turned to leave.

Watching the Snow-Wolf Orc King’s retreating figure, the Pope shook his head and muttered, "It seems even without my words, Your Majesty had already resolved to act... He just needed to clarify the War God Temple’s stance, didn’t he?"

The year 1408 of the War God Calendar was destined to be a memorable one for the orcs, as the first major civil war in 400 years erupted in late spring of that year.

The Lion King Alliance, proclaiming the restoration of the Lion Tribe’s royal glory, established its capital in Lion Heart City and installed the second son of the late Orc Emperor Samantha as its leader. With twenty-eight tribes pledging allegiance, its armies surged forth within half a month, not only claiming the Floral Plains, the southwestern strait, and the former territories of the Viking Empire as their own but also ready to overrun the entire Orc Alliance in one fell swoop.

In response, the Eagle and Bear Tribes not only purged Lion Tribe influences from their own territories within days, solidifying control over thirty-three tribes, but also incited half the orc navy to defect, posing a threat behind the Lion Tribe’s back. They mobilized forces from all fronts to confront the Lion Tribe, even clashing in several small-scale conflicts that left thousands of casualties.

The initial skirmishes soon escalated into all-out battles. Across the northern wastelands, the Golden Plains, the southwestern hills, and various battlefronts, the three tribes’ armies waged war. Though no Sword Emperor experts or super magical beasts were deployed, the scale of mobilized forces exceeded a hundred thousand. The reason both sides hadn’t fully torn off the veil and unleashed all their elite forces was partly out of consideration for their shared kinship and the War God Temple’s presence, and partly due to fear of the new Orc King Chen Xuanfeng’s Saint-level Power.