Chapter 91

On the vast, desolate plain, four thousand hunters in bright armor stood majestically like a surging tide. Lan River Valley's chief hunter, with a stern expression, stood at the edge of the high hunting platform, waving the array flags in his hands with a swift motion. The hunters' formation erupted in a boiling roar, and the iron-armored lions charged and clashed, spreading a vast and formidable aura of killing intent across the land.

The Iron Blood Army of the Tianyao Clan was fully prepared, from equipment to provisions. The hunters had long been brimming with pent-up energy, awaiting the order from the Elder Council to march into the wilderness and subdue Blackbeard Mountain in one fell swoop.

The atmosphere in the clan was thick with the tension of an impending battle.

In the center of the endless sea of tents, the dark gray Sacred Mountain stood like a lonely old man, its rugged spine towering, lovingly watching over the descendants on this land.

At the foot of the Sacred Mountain, eight tall hunting flags fluttered in the wind. Beneath the flags, a grand and solemn military tent stood majestically.

Inside the tent, red pomegranate wood tables were arranged in two rows. Alongside the tables, the seven most powerful elders of the Tianyao Clan were gathered.

A powerful aura subtly permeated the air.

Tie Mitao stood solemnly behind the Great Elder Ouye Tujiji. The crowd turned their heads and all focused on the small, fox-like Chief Hunter standing before the table.

In the presence of so many high-ranking elders, the Chief Hunter's forehead was slightly sweating. He pointed diagonally at a large military map hanging on the wall.

The map was made from a deep black animal skin, with a detailed mountain terrain map sketched in dark red lines. The dark red lines on the dark green background looked ancient and worn, yet strikingly clear. The map was densely marked with various place names.

"Here, this green area is our Tianyao Clan," the Chief Hunter pointed to a location on the map, turned to look at the elders, and swallowed nervously. His finger then moved forward on the map, where the terrain was rugged and undulating, and a large blank area was marked.

"These are the wilderness areas. Sadly, we know very little about the changes in power in the wilderness. It has always been a blind spot for our clan. On the map, apart from Blackbeard Mountain, we have not marked any other place names in this region."

The elders nodded in agreement.

The wilderness was barren and perilous, forming its own ecosystem, much like the treacherous sea beyond the island, with constant storms, tsunamis, and monstrous sea creatures. For a clan to expand into the wilderness would be extremely costly and unnecessary.

Living in peace and prosperity, which clan would be willing to venture into the unknown and dangerous sea? Over the years, as long as the clan could protect its borders, the people could live a prosperous and thriving life.

Seeing the elders listening intently, the Chief Hunter began to feel more at ease. He continued to point forward, to a narrow strip of dark green behind the blank area. This strip was partly in the fertile land outside the wilderness and partly deeply embedded in the barren and perilous wilderness.

"Here is the Guoying Clan."

Noticing the elders' sudden interest, the Chief Hunter continued:

"The Guoying Clan is a special clan with a dangerous and densely populated territory. Their population is about a quarter of ours, but their territory is only one-twentieth the size of ours, severely lacking in resources. It's like five people fighting over a bowl of porridge; how can they be satisfied?

Moreover, half of their land is deeply embedded in the resource-poor, disaster-prone wilderness.

It's like five people fighting over a bowl of porridge, and half of it spills. Therefore, the Guoying Clan is always in a state of resource hunger, and aggression is almost their nature."

The Chief Hunter, in his relaxed state, revealed his hunter's nature and inadvertently swore. The elders found his words amusing and all laughed. The Fifth Elder Wu Mu Gang slammed the table and sneered:

"A tiny clan dares to challenge our great Tianyao Clan? A rabbit, after eating some hollow grass, dares to block the entrance of a demon wolf? Afraid we won't eat it?"

The other elders nodded in agreement.

In the Holy Clan Alliance, the Tianyao Clan held nine seats, while the Guoying Clan held only two. Historically, in the eyes of the Tianyao Clan, such small clans were like grandchildren. However, a few days ago, the Guoying Clan issued a declaration of war, harshly condemning the Tianyao Clan for killing their young lord, Ye Liuhuo, and demanding that the Tianyao Clan hand over the murderer, or face an invasion.

It was like a grandson pointing at his grandfather's nose and threatening to kill him if he didn't listen.

When the declaration of war arrived, the clan's elders were both amused and angry. The hot-tempered Fifth Elder kicked over the table on the spot.

What was even more infuriating was that after issuing the declaration of war, the Guoying Clan sent a team of special envoys a few days later, claiming they wanted to personally escort the murderer back.

The envoys were bullying the Tianyao Clan right at their doorstep, just as the Fifth Elder said, a rabbit blocking the entrance of a demon wolf and shouting insults. This left the elders both angry and puzzled, wondering what the Guoying Clan was up to.

And that wasn't all. After arriving in the Tianyao Clan, the envoys loudly accused the Tianyao Clan of scheduling the Tianyao List competition, which would take place in two months, on the same day as their Tian Gui List, calling it a disgrace.

They also claimed that everyone knew the Guoying Clan's ninjutsu was the best in the wilderness, and their descendants, skilled in the art of ninjutsu, were extremely powerful, far surpassing the Tianyao Clan's young elites. Scheduling the two competitions on the same day would be a laughingstock.

Later, the envoys even formally submitted a declaration of war to the Tianyao Clan's Elder Council, rudely demanding that the Tianyao List and Tian Gui List competitions be held together, with the young people of both clans competing against each other, and asking if the Tianyao Clan dared to accept.

First, they demanded the immediate handover of the murderer, then they pointed their fingers and challenged the Tianyao Clan to a competition. These two incidents caused a stir in the Tianyao Clan, and the people were indignant, with many shouting insults to the "devils" while drunk.

While the Tianyao Clan's elders were both angry and surprised, they also took the matter very seriously.

When something unusual happens, there must be a reason.

The Guoying Clan, though not as large as the Tianyao Clan, was by no means to be underestimated. Compared to the small clans in the wilderness, the Guoying Clan was a giant. If the two clans went to war, it could drag on for months without a clear winner, plunging the entire western border into endless warfare.

Even if they won, the Tianyao Clan would suffer heavy losses.

Moreover, why had the Guoying Clan suddenly become so aggressive?

The Great Elder Ouye Tujiji frowned deeply and asked the Chief Hunter, "Old Dao, do you mean to say that the Guoying Clan's boldness lies in the wilderness?"

"Yes!"

The Chief Hunter respectfully bowed and carefully replied, "During the interrogation of the Blackbeard Mountain chief, I noticed a very important situation..."

The Chief Hunter paused, secretly looking up and seeing that the elders were all listening intently, feeling somewhat pleased, and continued:

"We know that Ye Liuhuo went to Blackbeard Mountain to pursue the Second Chief, Red Demon. We also know that the Blackbeard Mountain chief was eager to court Ye Liuhuo, even willing to let his sister marry him, to attach himself to the Guoying Clan. We always thought that Blackbeard Mountain was actively seeking a protector. But what if this was part of the Guoying Clan's wilderness strategy, and they had long been eyeing Blackbeard Mountain as a target..."

The elders were all moved, and they had also thought of this, but the Chief Hunter's words made the idea clearer.

The Chief Hunter continued:

"If the Guoying Clan really had the intention to annex Blackbeard Mountain, then this matter is serious. Half of their land is deeply embedded in the wilderness, and they know much more about it than we do.

If they have been planning to take over the wilderness, over the years, the Guoying Clan could not have just recruited Blackbeard Mountain. In the wilderness, they may have already recruited and consolidated many more mountain strongholds, and developed a formidable force. Now, they are like rabbits with two fangs, thinking they are wolves, and are eager to steal porridge from others.

And the closest clan with plenty of porridge to spare is none other than our Tianyao Clan..."