Translator: AnubisTL
Another year had passed unnoticed.
During this time, the overall war situation on the Flamefrost Plane remained largely unchanged.
The wizards and the Flamefrost Plane's monster hordes continued their fierce battles, engaging in small-scale skirmishes and probing attacks along the vast border.
The wizard legion, like a steel giant beast rooted in the scorched earth, steadily consolidated its camps and expanded its influence outward.
Meanwhile, the lava giants and snow monsters, leveraging their familiarity with the native environment, mounted a tenacious resistance.
Though forced into a gradual retreat by the wizards' superior power, the monsters showed no signs of panic, even seeming somewhat accustomed to the situation.
Everything appeared to have settled into a delicate balance, but Jieming knew this was merely the calm before the storm.
Today, he had made a rare exception to his usual routine of staying in his laboratory.
At Viola's invitation, he was chatting with her in her office, located at the highest level of the Wizard Camp, which offered a panoramic view of the scorched earth plains.
"You've heard the latest news, haven't you?" Viola asked, leaning back comfortably on the plush sofa. She held a glass of blue liquid that emitted a frosty mist, a stark contrast to the blazing heat of the Blazing Sun Realm visible through the window.
"Are you referring to... the changes in the plane's geological structure?" Jieming asked, sitting across from her, his expression calm.
"Exactly," Viola replied, taking a sip of the liquid in her glass, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. "Just yesterday, the frontline survey team submitted their final report. The bold geological hypothesis we discussed at previous meetings has been definitively confirmed."
Jieming's mind stirred slightly.
The geological hypothesis Viola mentioned was the very one they had discussed before.
It posited that after centuries of war between the lava giants and snow monsters, the territory of the victorious faction would expand, causing macroscopic shifts in the actual boundary between the Frostdark Realm and the Blazing Sun Realm.
At the time, Jieming had been preparing to travel to the Blazing Sun Realm, and this matter had sparked considerable concern among the logistics wizards.
In fact, it could be said that this very issue had diverted the camp's primary focus to geological surveys, allowing Jieming to escape his demanding research duties and find the time to journey to the Blazing Sun Realm.
"After a year of geological surveys and energy flow analysis, we can now confirm the truth of this matter with absolute certainty," Viola continued, her voice tinged with excitement.
"The results of this investigation far exceeded our initial expectations. By analyzing the residual energy in ancient strata samples, the camp discovered that during the endless wars in this plane's history, at the point when the territorial disparity between the two sides was at its greatest, the defeated side's habitable area had once been compressed to less than ten percent of the entire plane's total area!"
"Less than ten percent..." Jieming repeated the figure, a flash of realization in his eyes.
What did this mean?
It meant that both the lava giants and the snow monsters, the two indigenous races, had once faced near-extinction.
Their homelands had been compressed to their limits, their living space stripped away, yet they had ultimately survived. Moreover, they had managed to turn the tide in subsequent wars, pushing the borders back to their original positions.
Jieming couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. "This is excellent news for us!"
Viola set down her cup, leaned forward slightly, and her gaze became intensely commanding. "Exactly! This demonstrates that both elemental races possess remarkable civilizational resilience and the ability to withstand immense pressure."
In ordinary racial wars, such traits would undoubtedly be advantages.
But for wizards whose ultimate goal was to conquer the plane, these very characteristics became their strategic advantage.
"This means we can adopt more aggressive and ruthless tactics in the upcoming total war," Jieming interjected, "without fearing the enemy will collapse mentally and resort to desperate measures like detonating the entire plane."
"Precisely!" Viola nodded approvingly. "A civilization capable of enduring near-extinction pressure has a social structure and spiritual fortitude far more resilient than we imagined. We can dismantle their resistance more efficiently and directly, without needing to hold back."
She paused, lowering her voice slightly. "I've received internal intelligence. Master Augustine, the supreme commander of this expeditionary force, has formally requested the highest-level communication with the 'junction point,' demanding... reinforcements!"
Reinforcements!
Jieming unconsciously pursed his lips.
He knew that this seemingly peaceful year had merely been the wizard civilization gathering its strength, waiting for a reason compelling enough to abandon all restraint and launch a full-scale assault.
Now, that reason had been found.
The will to endure the loss of ninety percent of their territory meant that by the time the lava giants and snow monsters attempted to detonate the plane origin, the wizards would have already weakened it to a level they could control through mass slaughter of the world's inhabitants.
An unprecedented, blood-soaked storm that would engulf the entire Flamefrost Plane was about to erupt in the near future!
After his conversation with Viola, Jieming's mood remained calm.
Compared to the grand war, his personal cultivation goals were clearly more important.
He politely declined Viola's invitation to lunch, turned, and left the command tower, returning to his private laboratory within the camp.
Over the past year, the Wizard Camp had steadily expanded outward.
Countless alchemical golems and engineering wizardry constructs worked tirelessly day and night, erecting more defensive towers, energy hubs, and functional buildings.
By now, the camp's scale had nearly tripled compared to a year ago, and resources had become increasingly abundant.
Every logistics wizard finally had their own fully independent laboratory.
Hiss...
The massive metal door slowly closed behind him, sealing off all external noise.
Inside the laboratory, bright lights illuminated the space, and the air carried a mixed scent of disinfectant, metal, and a faint frost.
At the center of the operating table, a massive figure was firmly secured with metal restraints.
It was a snow monster.
Though smaller than the third-tier lava giant Jieming had encountered before, it was still colossal.
The snow monster's once pristine white fur was now matted and stained, streaked with dried blood and traces of unknown chemical potions.
Its limbs were pierced by rune-inscribed chains, pinning it to the surgical table. The eyes that should have burned with primal ferocity and icy killing intent now held only bottomless exhaustion and numbness.
Its body was crisscrossed with countless incisions and sutures. Patches of muscle had been peeled away, exposing the bone beneath, which radiated a chilling cold, and the surging energy meridians beneath.
The snow monster was on the verge of death.
Jieming calmly approached the surgical table, his eyes devoid of pity, filled only with cold calculation and scrutiny.
He extended his hand, and several alchemical probes, glowing with a faint light, automatically extended from the nearby instruments. They gently pierced the snow monster's flesh, extracting its final vital signs.
A holographic screen unfolded before him, displaying streams of complex data scrolling across its surface.
"Energy core activity below 3%, soul fluctuation nearing dissipation, Elemental Regeneration Ability completely collapsed... Hmm, the last experimental subject has reached its limit as well."
Jieming shook his head slightly as he studied the data on the screen.
Over the past year, he had acquired three living snow monsters through various channels for research purposes.
Instead of rushing to the Frostdark Realm, Jieming chose the most cautious approach: conducting a thorough and in-depth analysis of this entirely new creature within his laboratory.
He dissected their bodies, analyzed their elemental composition, and studied their energy circulation methods.
Through meticulous examination of three living specimens and numerous experiments, Jieming quickly integrated all the knowledge and intelligence he had gathered about snow monsters.
Now, the final experimental subject had fulfilled its purpose.
Without hesitation, Jieming activated the surgical table's self-cleaning sequence.
A high-intensity energy beam shot down from above, instantly vaporizing the dying snow monster, leaving not even a trace of ash behind.
In its final moments, the tortured creature even wore an expression of relief.
Afterward, he skillfully disassembled and sterilized all bloodstained "experimental equipment" on the workbench, including scalpels, energy extractors, and rune-engraving needles.
With this done, he activated the laboratory's Self-Purification Formation, thoroughly cleansing the entire room.
Only after ensuring the laboratory was completely clean, leaving no trace of biological residue, did he turn and leave.
All preparations were now complete.
He had acquired sufficient firsthand data on snow monsters.
He had also custom-made a complete set of alchemical equipment capable of withstanding the Frostdark Realm's extreme environment.
Viola's news had made Jieming realize that the wizard legion's impending strategic offensive would plunge the entire Flamefrost Plane into unprecedented chaos.
Therefore, he needed to complete his "experiment" before the full-scale war began.
Returning to his dormitory, he meticulously checked and organized all the supplies, spell artifacts, and newly refined magic potions he would need to carry. He then placed the crystal containing the detailed map of the Flamefrost Plane in the most accessible spot.
"It's almost certain now that the lava giants can't provide Mortal Dust Qi," Jieming murmured, standing by the window and gazing at the distant, hazy horizon—the border between the Blazing Sun Realm and the Frostdark Realm.
"Then let's see..." A flicker of worry flashed in his eyes. "...what the Frostdark Realm has to offer."
After much contemplation, Jieming had finally come to a realization.
He was no longer concerned about his own Mortal Dust Qi supply; instead, he was now worried about an even more troublesome issue.
"If the Frostdark Realm also fails to yield Mortal Dust Qi, then... this will be far too problematic..."
Jieming took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.
(End of the Chapter)
------------------------------------------------------
🔸 Read ahead up to Ch314 (WIZARD) on: CinderTL
🔸 Free chapters up to Ch234
🔸 No sign-up required!
🔸 Just search us on Google to find our official site.
🎁 GIVEAWAY ALERT! 🎁
💲 Want a Free 10-Day Baron Membership?
📆 You have until 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟭𝘁𝗵 to grab it before it's gone forever!
🌐 For details, go to the CinderTL site 🏃💨
------------------------------------------------------