Chapter 137: A Once-in-a-Century Crisis, The Peril of the Blood Alliance

After Onuo left, he held a long discussion with the Mercenary Association, after which he began to busy himself throughout Red-Gathering Town. The entire city defense system was mobilized.

At this time, Xu Wen gave a brief instruction to Old Xie before retreating into seclusion once again.

The other towns within the Blood-Colored Alliance followed suit, significantly bolstering their defenses. Mercenaries entering and leaving the towns began to inquire everywhere about the truth behind this unusual military mobilization.

In the Blood-Colored Alliance, where so many experts gathered, what could possibly withstand the prying eyes of seasoned mercenaries?

Gradually, rumors began to spread.

It turned out that across several different regions of the Alliance, multiple mountain ranges inhabited by magical beasts had experienced large-scale beast tides, many of which included the presence of eight-star magical beasts.

Ordinarily, for the Blood-Colored Alliance, such occurrences were considered normal.

However, according to the accounts of official mercenaries, these tides had arrived with extreme suddenness. There had been no prior signs of a gathering, completely defying the typical process of a beast tide’s formation. If this had occurred in only one location, it might have been dismissed as a coincidence. But it was happening in several places simultaneously.

Dozens of mercenary groups had already suffered varying degrees of severe casualties, with a few being completely wiped out, leaving no remains. A handful of towns had also been affected.

The matter had reached a level of high concern for both the official mercenary groups and the Royal Mercenary Corps.

Yet, many understood from the alliance-wide high-alert order that the situation was far more complex than it appeared on the surface. A few large-scale beast tides were not enough to push the Blood-Colored Alliance into its highest state of readiness. There had to be another reason.

At the border of the Qingyun Empire, the Dark Empire, after a long, silent standoff, launched an invasion. Several Necromancers of "Magister" rank appeared on the front lines.

The following day, the "Magic Night City," a border stronghold housing millions of troops, mysteriously fell. The flames of war began to spread into the territory of the Qingyun Empire.

No one had anticipated that the once-mighty Blood-Colored Alliance was now teetering on the edge of a cliff, in a state of precarious peril.

The increasing frequency of beast tides and the sightings of nine-star magical beasts within them placed the Blood-Colored Alliance in an impossible dilemma. On one hand, the Qingyun Empire’s pleas for help grew increasingly urgent; without the immediate deployment of top-tier experts, the Qingyun Empire could not withstand the encroachment of the Dark Empire. If the Qingyun Empire fell, the Blood-Colored Alliance would inevitably find itself in an isolated and helpless position.

On the other hand, there were signs of a super-scale beast tide, the likes of which had not been seen in the Alliance for centuries. The last time a nine-star beast tide had occurred, the Alliance’s national strength had been severely depleted before it was finally quelled. To deploy troops now would undoubtedly plunge the country into a state of extreme passivity, anxiety, and turmoil.

Furthermore, this wave of beast tides was far too bizarre; it was clearly being orchestrated by artificial means. If the Dark Empire were to strike from within the Blood-Colored Alliance during this time, the consequences would be irreversible.

To reach a decision, the Blood-Colored Alliance convened an emergency meeting in the capital’s legislative hall. The elite commanders of the Royal Mercenary Corps, representatives from the official mercenary groups, the newly emerged Phillip Luo, and Notting, the Vice Dean of the Qingyun Academy, gathered for a morning of urgent consultation.

In the martial-culture-driven Blood-Colored Alliance, every official held significant cultivation, with the lowest being seven-star and the number of nine-star experts totaling over twenty.

"Calling you all here was a last resort. I had assumed that with the three Hall Masters presiding, the Magic Night City would be impregnable, but unexpectedly... not only did the city fall within two days, but we have now lost contact with them as well. We underestimated the strength of the Dark Empire."

Sitting at the head was a white-haired man nearly ninety years of age, draped in court robes embroidered with two vivid, blood-red flames. His noble aura carried an added weight of gravity.

"The three Hall Masters are peerless experts capable of holding their own. Now that even they are missing... one can imagine the current plight of the Qingyun Empire, which has only a handful of nine-star experts. I implore Your Majesty to send troops to rescue them as soon as possible. Any later, and it may be too late."

The speaker was, naturally, Notting. Among those present, he was the most anxious. The Emperor raised a hand in silence, his brow deeply furrowed.

"Dean Notting, please remain calm. We are currently discussing the most appropriate solution. The Blood-Colored Alliance and the Qingyun Empire share a fate; we are well aware of this, and we have an agreement with your Emperor."

Notting nodded immediately and ceased his interjection.

At this moment, a Magic Swordsman seated to the left opened his eyes.

"Actually... we have been monitoring the Dark Empire’s movements since they launched their surprise attack on Qingyun City, trying to understand their true intent. Only recently, with so many events occurring simultaneously, has it become clear: the Dark Empire must have infiltrated our territory, and they possess at least four or more nine-star experts."

The assembly fell silent, the atmosphere thickening. This data was not a mere conjecture. The power required to incite a nine-star beast tide necessitated nine-star strength. To maintain such secrecy beforehand required an absolute advantage in power. Four nine-star experts was a conservative estimate.

However, for the Blood-Colored Alliance, having four Dark Empire nine-star experts lurking in the shadows was a significant problem. Beyond leaving personnel to guard against surprise attacks, they had to prevent a repeat of the Qingyun Empire incident and dispatch additional forces to quell the multiple beast tides. Even for the powerful Blood-Colored Alliance, it was difficult to find a sufficient number of top-tier experts to address everything at once.

It had to be said that this move by the Dark Empire had caught them completely off guard.

Just then, someone spoke up. "I wonder if any of you have heard a rumor that has recently surfaced?"

"A rumor? What rumor?" Everyone looked toward the speaker: an elderly man with a black beard, a Vice Dean of the Blood Academy and Vice President of the Mercenary Association—a super-expert with immense power in the Alliance.

Coming from him, this "rumor" was likely not as simple as it sounded.

"Dean Luo, you must be referring to that groundless rumor about a divine artifact, correct?"

"It is not merely a simple rumor!" Dean Luo glanced at the man. "Although those spreading the news have not revealed specific details about the artifact, and the source remains untraceable, one can infer from the information that it explains why the Qingyun capital was suddenly attacked. If the artifact appeared in Magic Night City, it also explains the disappearance of the three Hall Masters and the bizarre mystery of the city’s rapid fall."

"It is also possible that the Dark Empire released false information intentionally to incite chaos, force us to lose our footing, and delay aid to the Qingyun Empire," Phillip Luo added, casting a shadow of doubt over Dean Luo’s assessment.

The latter lowered his eyelids. "Commander Phillip is right; every possibility has its reasons for existing."

"Regardless of the outcome, a conclusion must be reached today. Luo, I want you to take two regimental units of the Royal Mercenary Corps into the Qingyun Empire to assist in repelling the Dark Empire's invasion, while simultaneously investigating the situation of the three Hall Masters. Dean Luo and Commander Li are both mid-level nine-star experts; they will assist you. Dean Notting will accompany you."

The Royal Mercenary Corps consisted of five official regimental establishments, each comprising ten thousand experts of seven to eight-star rank. This force was five times the size of the initial deployment.

"Understood," Phillip Luo nodded.

Notting, however, showed a fleeting look of shock at this news before quickly regaining his composure.

The Emperor of the Blood-Colored Alliance—or perhaps more accurately, the rotating Regent—exchanged views with those beside him and spoke again. "Commander Luo, you may select ten official mercenary groups to take into the Qingyun Empire. You have full authority to coordinate them. We will not move the regular army for now; against the Dark Empire, human-wave tactics are useless."

"Understood," Phillip Luo nodded once more.

"By the way, remember to bring Jones. He has also advanced to eight stars; it is time he was let out for some training."

Phillip Luo smiled. "The boy is naturally arrogant, and I intended to use this opportunity to bring him along..." He looked toward Notting, implying, "I will also let the boy build a rapport with Princess Qin Qing. It has been years since I last saw the little girl; I wonder if she is still as mischievous as before... haha..."

Notting managed a forced smile, his expression tinged with bitterness and helplessness.

As expected. Phillip Jones had not given up on Princess Qin Qing. And Phillip Luo was preparing to bring up old matters while the Qingyun Empire was in a position of need.

"Sigh." With a sigh, the Emperor’s dismissal reached his ears. "In that case, Dean Notting, you may go and prepare for your return."

Notting knew when to be tactful and, realizing that the subsequent topics were not meant for him, bowed and withdrew.

Once Notting left, the atmosphere in the hall became much more lively.

"Dean Luo, instruct your people to strictly investigate the rumors of the Dark Empire’s divine artifact. Find those spreading the news and uncover the source and its veracity!"

"The three Vice Commanders of the Royal Mercenary Corps, you will have your work cut out for you during this time. The beast tides must be quelled within ten days. If you lack manpower, draw from the official mercenary groups as needed."

The men responded in succession. The Emperor seemed like a different person, his tone and mannerisms vastly different from before, his commands becoming much more decisive.

"During this time, I want the Mercenary Association to closely monitor the movements of the top ten civilian mercenary groups!"

"These ten groups dared to unite in defiance of orders, openly refusing to participate in the task of suppressing the beast tides. They must have reached some agreement behind the scenes. This warrants our serious attention!"

His sharp gaze shifted to the commanders of the official mercenary groups. "These wealthy upstarts with too much military power should have been divided and eradicated long ago... they have had constant friction with your official groups, deep-seated grudges, and have even been building their own private order. I do not want them to seize this opportunity to rise up. Do you understand?"

"We know what must be done, Your Majesty."

"If you know, then go." The Emperor’s voice became ethereal, and then his figure flickered in the hall and vanished without a trace.