Chapter 131: Kingdom and Flames of War

"Success, it's a success!"

In Jadeite, Ange had only just woken up when she heard a chorus of cheers outside.

"What is going on out there, Xiao Qian?" she asked her handmaiden.

"Your Majesty, it seems the cultivation program has been completed," the handmaiden replied. The night elf mages in the palace had been celebrating since before dawn.

"Completed?" A flicker of joy crossed Ange's eyes. Cultivation was of immense significance to the night elves; not only was it powerful, but Hera and her team had discovered during their research that *qi* might potentially reduce their dependence on the Cycle of the Twin Moons.

For five hundred years, the bodies of the night elves had been eroded by the power of the Cycle of the Twin Moons, but *qi* could potentially replace that force. Achieving cultivation meant they had taken a vital step toward self-reliance.

"Take me to see it!"

Ange wanted to visit the Hall of Guardians, but just as she stepped out of her room, a transmission from the City of Twin Moons arrived.

"Congratulations, congratulations! I've heard the news—you've taken the first step on a long, long journey!"

Winnie's holographic image was projected onto the floor. Ange took the opportunity to eat her breakfast. "Your sources are certainly well-informed."

Winnie raised her eyebrows triumphantly. "Of course, I am your mother, after all; my information is naturally reliable."

Ange's hand, holding a piece of bread, trembled slightly. "What did you say?"

"Mother, why have you stopped calling me Mother?" Winnie covered her mouth and chuckled while watching Ange. "You used to be so adorable; how did you become so cold since moving to the Night Elf Kingdom?"

"Haha..." Ange laughed. "Mother, have you finally acknowledged me?" Her smile vanished, and she gave a cold snort as she looked at Winnie. "Did you think I would say that?"

She stared at Winnie with cold eyes. She had only ever been deceived by Lin Lei; when it came to rhetoric, Winnie was no match for her son. Aside from Lin Lei, the royal family of the forest elves had long since ceased to recognize her identity. To come out now and speak of familial affection was nothing short of ridiculous.

"Aha."

The emotional appeal failed, but Winnie was not annoyed; she had expected this result. Ange's status was special, and the forest elves could not acknowledge her.

"I have something to discuss with you," Winnie said, her smile undimmed. "Now that the night elves have mastered cultivation, our two kingdoms should reach a consensus."

The fact that the night elves had mastered cultivation meant they now had the perfect bond with the forest elves. A shared goal was a bridge that could quickly close the distance between them and resolve their differences. The war outside had drawn everyone's attention, providing the perfect environment for both kingdoms to implement their cultivation reforms without causing external alarm.

"We must seize this opportunity to form an independent council and promote cultivation among the common people," Winnie said. This council would be composed of the royal families and lords of both kingdoms. If the forest elves and night elves each did their own thing regarding cultivation, two separate cultivation councils would emerge, which would be detrimental to the unification of the kingdoms.

"I see..."

Ange understood. No matter how much other work she did, nothing could make the hatred disappear faster than cultivation. Lin Lei had thought of this long ago, which was why he had prioritized it. Winnie suggested using the combined power of both kingdoms to research cultivation—pooling resources to achieve great things—but Ange preferred to conduct her own research.

"I'm afraid that we night elves..."

"I wonder if I should tell Lin Lei a story," Winnie suddenly sighed. "Back in the day, there was a girl who filled her room with images of her sister..."

"Stop!" Ange quickly shouted, her face turning from pale to flushed. "I'll cooperate with you, just don't tell him about that!" That dark history was something she needed to keep sealed away.

Along the coast of the Sea of Mists, the sky had just begun to brighten. A damp sea breeze swept up the hills, blowing into the Human Alliance's command tent and extinguishing the candles inside. Lin Wen sat in the tent, contemplating the news he had received yesterday.

The City of Twin Moons had instructed him to keep Lin Lei on the battlefield, using this war to temper him. The order was simple enough; Lin Wen had already received reports that Lin Lei had been influenced by Holy Light, and the mages had wept as they described how his personality had been affected. With his current disposition, keeping him out of the war would be the harder task.

However, Lin Lei was only fourteen. Was it too early to throw him into the fray?

"Sigh..." Lin Wen sighed, his brow furrowed.

The other commanders in the tent turned to look at him with concern upon hearing his sigh. The commander looked physically fragile, and he hadn't slept for two nights, obsessing over the front-line situation every moment. They wondered if his body could hold up.

A carrier bird flew in. The intelligence officer pulled a report from its leg, his face brightening.

"Commander, the First Victoria Cavalry has successfully evacuated from Ashia!"

"Excellent!" Lin Wen looked up and ordered, "Have them head immediately to Sloka, the dwarven capital. I have analyzed the werewolves' offensive route; their target is Sloka."

The commanders were stunned. "Is it not Morinaer?"

"No!" Lin Lei said decisively, standing up. "Morinaer is not a transportation hub; there is little value in occupying it. It is definitely a decoy."

He walked over to the map, where the positions of the werewolf armies were marked with red dots. Their advance into the dwarven kingdom suggested they were heading toward Morinaer. However, this was a facade. Lin Wen had noticed that the werewolves were gradually sealing off the roads leading to Sloka—their target was the capital.

A grave expression crossed Lin Wen's eyes. "It can't be helped. The Second Victoria Cavalry and the Third Malfa Legion must also rush to Sloka... Move quickly. If we are too slow, Sloka may fall."

The other generals gasped. How was it possible? Sloka was one of the most fortified cities in the world, easy to defend and hard to attack; the werewolves couldn't possibly take it so quickly! However, they had seen footage of the werewolf war; it no longer resembled a conventional conflict. The werewolves had obtained technology from the demons, and their offensive was ferocious.

The commanders, heavy-hearted, issued orders according to Lin Wen's instructions while preparing for the worst. If Sloka fell, they would still use those legions to immediately block the werewolves' path north.

Lin Wen looked down to continue studying the map, which still held some tiny red dots—the small squads the werewolves had dispatched.

"Have you figured out the objective of those wandering werewolf units?" Lin Wen asked, frowning. He couldn't grasp the purpose of these small detachments.

The commanders shook their heads one by one. They had been investigating, but those werewolf units were acting independently, with no common pattern.

"Keep investigating!" Lin Wen said. He had a premonition that the purpose of these small units might be the key to the entire war.

"Commander," a soldier entered, "your ship is ready."

"Then let's depart!"

Lin Wen picked up his longbow and walked out of the tent. The Alliance had mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops at great speed, sending them to the front in batches; two thousand were already here. Dense crowds of ships were floating on the Sea of Mists, and the soldiers were boarding without wasting a single second.

"I must win."

Watching the vast, imposing army before him, Lin Wen tightened his grip on his bow. This war had to be won; if the human kingdoms fell, the elves would not survive either. Both elven kingdoms needed peace, and he had to protect that peace from here.