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Translator: CinderTL
In the days that followed, the Old Day City East Supply Zone remained outwardly calm, but undercurrents of tension surged.
All the factions aware of the bloodstone's existence were restless and eager to seize it.
The recruitment hall was attacked multiple times, and despite Li Duo's best efforts, he couldn't transport the bloodstone back to Old Day City.
During this time, the Lord of the Mist devised a plan to seize the bloodstone.
He decided to use the power behind the Technology Research Institute to help him secure it.
When reinforcements arrived, he would undoubtedly become their central figure.
Requesting support from the Technology Research Institute was equivalent to getting a free supply of cannon fodder workers.
Feng Qi expressed his support for the proposal.
After the discussion, the Lord of the Mist immediately contacted the Black Shadow Faction, the shadowy power behind the Technology Research Institute.
Upon learning that a miracle item was located in the Old Day City East Supply Zone, the Black Shadow Faction decisively agreed to his request and prepared to dispatch forces for support.
However, due to the current mission assignments of various battle groups, it would take some time for the reinforcements to arrive. They promised to arrive as soon as possible.
The timeline was once again corrected.
Knowing this, Feng Qi was certain that the battle group likely to be dispatched for support would be similar to the one from the previous Sacrifice Line—the Wolf Domain Battle Group.
In truth, the Wolf Domain Battle Group was far from weak at this stage, ranking among the top-tier battle groups.
During the previous Sacrifice Line, he had risen to leadership of the Wolf Pack Battle Group because the group's high command had been mysteriously assassinated, leaving no one to step into the position of group leader.
The black shadow had then chosen to recruit a new leader from the core circle of the Technology Research Institute.
By the time he took command, the Wolf Pack Battle Group's combat strength had been severely diminished, completely lacking its former top-tier capabilities.
After securing the Technology Research Institute's assurance, the Lord of the Mist began discussing further plans with Feng Qi.
With support secured, seizing the bloodstone remained a formidable challenge, especially within the Old Day City East Supply Zone. This area was heavily garrisoned by numerous domain combat teams, with Domain Forces lurking in the shadows, watching for opportunities.
To seize the bloodstone, they would need combat power equivalent to the entire supply zone—a seemingly impossible task.
Alternatively, they could attempt to seize it outside the supply zone, but this would significantly increase the risks, moving the operation beyond their control.
After much deliberation, the Lord of the Mist devised a plan: he would personally volunteer to escort the bloodstone to Old Day City and seize it en route.
With this idea, he approached Li Duo, the researcher responsible for the bloodstone. Li Duo immediately thanked him, revealing that he had been planning to discuss the same escort mission with him.
Just as the Lord of the Mist thought his plan was halfway to success, an unexpected development occurred.
The next day, Li Duo informed him that he had already submitted a joint escort mission request to several renowned battle groups. Several had responded and were now en route.
Hearing this, the Lord of the Mist realized the situation had spiraled out of his control. With multiple battle groups involved, he could no longer dictate the operation alone. Seizing the bloodstone would now depend on the other domain combat teams' willingness to cooperate.
Yet, with the joint escort mission already initiated, the Lord of the Mist could do nothing but helplessly accept the circumstances.
Two days later, at the Death Star Third Battle Group's garrison manor.
Feng Qi pushed open the door to the Group Commander's Office, holding a document.
He approached the Lord of the Mist and handed him the paper. "Eight battle groups have responded to the call. The situation looks grim."
The Lord of the Mist took the document and began reviewing it. The paper listed the domain combat teams that had already answered the call. When his gaze fell upon the Dawn Battle Group, his pupils visibly contracted.
"Should we give up? We might encounter her," Feng Qi asked tentatively.
The Lord of the Mist shook his head, his expression troubled. "No. The Dawn Battle Group accepting the mission doesn't mean she will definitely come. So many years have passed—even if she does, she might not recognize me."
The Lord of the Mist's heart burned with an insatiable desire for the miracle bloodstone. This craving far surpassed even his former longing for the Miracle Bracelet.
Having the ability to control blood, he knew the bloodstone in the underground laboratory beneath the recruitment hall was perfectly suited to him.
Obtaining the bloodstone and implanting it within his body would essentially grant him the ability to cultivate and grow automatically.
The bloodstone, which periodically produced Primordial Blood Qi, would steadily increase his strength.
Even if he did nothing, his power would improve every moment.
Acquiring the bloodstone would be a tremendous boon to his future development and significantly increase his chances of reaching the pinnacle.
Faced with this opportunity, he felt he had to try, even with the risks involved.
Such a chance might only come once in a lifetime.
Failure to try would surely lead to lifelong regret.
He sat down at the chair before the desk, brewed himself a cup of tea, and then asked with a solemn expression:
"If Mu Qing arrives, and considering the Domain Forces lurking in the shadows, what are your odds of seizing the bloodstone?"
"As long as Mu Qing doesn't recognize me, I have a 20% chance."
"Only 20%?" Feng Qi was astonished.
The Lord of the Mist nodded.
"When I was in the underground laboratory, I discovered something: my blood control ability also works on bloodstones. If the battle for the bloodstone descends into chaos, I might be able to seize the opportunity to absorb it into my body."
"Don't 'might.' This is a suicide mission."
"Let's take a gamble. High risk, high reward. Let's do this." The Lord of the Mist gritted his teeth.
He immediately supported the Lord of the Mist's decision and then said with a smile:
"Actually, I had a few encounters with Mu Qing at Star City Academy. Back then, I had no idea her strength was so terrifying. She was so low-key at the academy."
"You know her?" The Lord of the Mist's curiosity was piqued.
"Not really. I just spent some time at Star City Academy, so we crossed paths a few times."
He chose to "casually" mention having seen Mu Qing to inoculate the Lord of the Mist.
In the days to come, the Lord of the Mist would gain increasingly higher levels of authority.
According to the established timeline, once the Lord of the Mist infiltrates the Tiger Soul Research Institute, he would obtain a vast amount of privileged information.
At some point, the Lord of the Mist would inevitably learn of his time at Star City Academy.
Mentioning Mu Qing now, seemingly casually, was actually a preemptive measure.
This would prevent the Lord of the Mist from becoming suspicious when he later stumbled upon that piece of information.
"What kind of person was she at Star City Academy? Why didn't you ever tell me before?" the Lord of the Mist asked, suddenly curious.
"People change as they grow up. She was completely different back then, and besides, we weren't close—just casual acquaintances."
The Lord of the Mist nodded at his explanation and didn't press further.
Next, they began discussing the details of the escort mission.
Their only advantage now was this:
The mission was initiated by the Old Day City East Supply Zone. With the home-field advantage, the Lord of the Mist, as the leader of the Death Star Third Battle Group, would undoubtedly become the overall commander of the joint escort operation.
Command authority would grant him greater room for maneuver, allowing him to create conditions favorable to himself.
Everything was now in place; they just had to wait for the escort mission to begin.
(End of the Chapter)
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