Chapter 684: Departure for the Eastern Region

Lin Feng and his two companions followed the messenger out of the square and headed east.

On the ice and stone buildings lining both sides of the street hung eerie blue lights that cast swaying shadows on the ice walls.

Occasionally, city guards clad in ice-blue armor would hurry by, their expressions serious, hands on their sword hilts, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

A majestic ice palace stands at the end of the street, its roof inlaid with a huge silver moon disc that emits a soft moonlight halo, enveloping the entire ice palace in a silver glow.

Upon reaching the entrance of the Ice Palace, the messenger stopped and bowed, saying, "Please wait here, three barons, while I report to the authorities."

After saying that, he strode into the hall, his figure quickly disappearing into the depths of the icy crystal corridor.

As soon as the messenger disappeared, Balor slammed the ground-splitting stake into the ground, rubbed the thick hair on the back of his head, and muttered, "I wonder which garrison officer in Coldmoon City wants to see us. We're just passing through. I hope they don't send us any more missions."

Snik rubbed his hands together, his small eyes darting around anxiously: "Hopefully it won't take too long. According to the plan, we should leave Coldmoon City immediately... Sigh, I thought about it last night, and Ice City isn't such a good place either."

The lost troops cannot be replenished in time; they will only dwindle with each battle, and may very well become the first place to collapse.

Balor glanced at him, then pulled the earth-shattering stake from the ground and hoisted it back onto his shoulder.

"That's still better than going to the Central Region. After all, the Blood Demon Sect isn't the main force in Xuanbing City. If the Demon Sect launches a five-region all-out attack, we can just take a detour and run away."

Snik thought for a moment, the wrinkles on his face relaxed a little, and he chuckled.

“That’s right. After the Demon Sect breaks through Xuanbing City, they will most likely attack other core areas immediately. If we don’t go towards the core areas, but instead choose remote places to go around, we will definitely be safe.”

Lin Feng remained silent until the two had quieted down before asking, "Lord Balor, Lord Snik, do you two know what benefits the Demon Sect will gain after occupying the Snow Mountain Pure Land? Is it worth all this trouble?"

Furthermore, why can't we proactively disrupt their core operations and thwart their plans?

Balor scratched his head, his thick eyebrows furrowing: "What exactly is the Demon Sect after? Neither Snik nor I can say for sure, but one thing I do know is that the Snow Mountain Pure Land is a medium-sized Pure Land, and the core areas can influence each other."

"So if we can't destroy all five cores of a medium-sized Pure Land and unlock the occupation rights within a month during the attack, then the Pure Land will be completely ruined and cannot be restored."

"So neither the Blood Demon Sect nor the Viscount wants to go that far."

He paused, as if recalling something, a solemn look appearing on his rugged face: "Actually, the Snow Mountain Pure Land was also occupied in history, but it was later recovered by us."

The Demonic Sect didn't actively destroy the core when they withdrew; this must be some kind of tacit understanding between the higher-ups of both sides, though I can't say for sure what the specifics are.

His tone became more serious: "Moreover, the Viscount has given a death {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} order: anyone who dares to destroy the core will be hunted down to the death."

Snik whispered in the background, "So no matter how fiercely the two sides fight now, they won't completely destroy the Pure Land."

Lin Feng seemed to be deep in thought.

It seems that the destruction of a medium-sized Pure Land could potentially cause some irreparable damage.

Such an impact is unacceptable to both the Blood Demon Sect and Viscount Eternal Night.

Just then, a messenger came out of the hall and stepped aside to clear the doorway: "Please come in, three barons. Garrison Commander Han is waiting for you."

The three of them stepped into the main hall.

The interior of the hall was much warmer than the outside, and the walls were inlaid with warm-colored soul stones, which illuminated the entire space.

Behind the long table stood a human man in his early forties, tall and robust, with broad shoulders and a thick back, thick eyebrows and large eyes, high cheekbones, and a short, stiff beard on his chin.

He was dressed in ice-blue garrison officer's armor, with a thick, heavy sword hanging at his waist.

Lin Feng was somewhat surprised that the first high-ranking apostle he encountered was actually a human.

When Han Dang saw the three of them enter, he immediately strode forward to greet them with a hearty smile on his face.

He first cupped his hands in greeting to Balor: "Balor! Goodness, you're even bigger than when I saw you in the snowy mountains last time. I heard you died once and lost all your equipment?"

Balor grinned and patted his breastplate with the back of his hand: "Nothing much! The Viscount granted me a few more! How about that, pretty impressive, right?"

"Of course!" Han Dang laughed heartily, then looked at Snik, "Snik, you're here too! Your territory is still dirt poor!"

Snik rubbed his hands together and chuckled dryly: "Commander Han, please don't bring this up."

We goblins can have a dozen offspring in one litter, and if that's divided among everyone, we're dirt poor.

Han Dang finally looked at Lin Feng, his gaze lingering on him for two seconds. The smile on his face faded, replaced by a serious scrutiny.

He extended his hand: "This must be Lord Lin Feng, I've heard so much about you."

The Tongxin Society is buzzing with the news that another remarkable rising star has emerged among the human race.

I've finally met you in person today. I am Han Dang, the garrison commander of Hanyue City.

Lin Feng reached out and shook hands with him: "Commander Han, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Han Dang then turned to Balor and Snik and patted them on the shoulder.

"You two died in battle last time, losing all your equipment. Others can at most put together a set of purple gear to get by, but you two dare to bring new equipment."

That spirit alone is far superior to those who try to profit from the chaos.

Snik was a little embarrassed by the praise: "Commander Han, you flatter us. We had no choice..."

"Alright, stop being modest."

Han Dang waved his hand, gesturing for the three to sit on the stone chairs in the hall, and then pulled out a chair and sat down himself.

"Enough with the small talk, I've called you three here for two main reasons."

Han Dang put away his smile and said seriously, "First, you must not go out of the city gate to support Xuanbing City."

There are many demonic sects monitoring the area outside the city. If you go out from there, you will be easily discovered. Therefore, I suggest you go north or south, crossing through the Winter Mountains.

He pointed to the ice field map on the wall, his finger landing on the mountains north of Coldmoon City: "The polar storm belt to the north is slightly weaker than to the south, and the distance is shorter if you go through it from the north."

The three exchanged a glance and nodded.

Although they hadn't originally planned to use the city gate, they felt obligated to appreciate the kind suggestion.

Han Dang then looked at Lin Feng, a hint of appreciation in his eyes: "The second thing is that I want to meet Lord Lin. I've heard of you before and have always wanted to find an opportunity to get to know you."

He picked up the wine bowl on the table, tilted his head back and took a swig, then wiped his mouth: "It really took guts to meet you in person this time."

Many powerful Apostle warriors are now on the battlefield, carefully considering even the equipment they wear. Lord Lin, knowing the dangers of supporting Xuanbing City, is still facing them with all his might. I admire him.

Lin Feng said, "Commander Han, you're too kind. I was just doing my duty as the Nightmare Baron."

The three chatted for a few more minutes, and Han Dang advised, "However, the three of you should still be careful. If you encounter any demonic sect apostles on the way, return to Hanyue City as soon as possible. Don't fight them head-on; your lives are more important."

"Understood." Lin Feng nodded.

Han Dang did not try to stop them any longer, and cupped his hands in greeting to the three of them: "Then I wish you all a safe journey. After this battle, I will treat you to drinks when we return to Eternal Night City."

The three of them took their leave and left the main hall.

Once outside the palace gates, Balor slung the earth-shattering stake over his shoulder and glanced in both the north and south directions: "Go north or south?"

Snik rubbed his hands together and whispered, "Han Dang said the storm is weaker and the road is shorter to the north, so let's go north."

Lin Feng nodded: "Then let's go north."

The three of them took to the air and flew north.