Chapter 201

The third day after the Corruption Tide battle ended, the internal cleanup and preliminary recovery work within the Guangtan Alliance had basically been completed.

The casualty statistics were finally confirmed: twenty‑seven soldiers killed, fifty‑four seriously injured, and light injuries not counted; for a defensive battle of this scale, it was already a fortunate outcome amidst misfortune.

The list of material consumption is staggeringly long, especially the fuel and molten iron reserves of the Dwarf furnaces, which almost need to be accumulated from scratch.

Under the command of the dominant vines standing in the forest, the Shadowy Thorns became unusually diligent, not only devouring the corruption remnants on the battlefield cleanly but also beginning to actively expand outward; the deep‑purple thorn forest's range visibly enlarged by a circle, emitting a ferocious aura that warns strangers to keep away.

Li Qingxuan tried to communicate with his spiritual power and could sense the vague thoughts they transmitted—satiety, loyalty.

He felt somewhat relieved, but still warned everyone not to approach the core area of the Thorn Forest lightly.

Also on that day, Li Feifei handled the piled‑up communications requests.

Following Li Qingxuan's instructions, she adopted a neither humble nor arrogant attitude and made initial contact with forces such as Elizabeth Camp and the Iron Wall.

Indeed, the other party's attitude changed dramatically, their words full of admiration for the Guangtan Alliance's strength, and they proposed multiple cooperation intentions, including resource trade, technical exchange, and even strategic collaboration.

Li Feifei responded cautiously, agreeing to conduct small‑batch basic resource trade, but for core technology exchange and strategic collaboration she postponed them on the grounds of "post‑war recuperation, internal affairs are numerous," neither refusing nor accepting, leaving room for maneuver.

However, among all the communications, one message from the Dark Elf Camp stood out as particularly special.

After expressing congratulations, they subtly proposed that they hoped to have a solitary "high‑level talk" with Lord Li Qingxuan to discuss the positioning and choices of the elf race in the new era, and hinted that they possessed some information about the "Ancient Covenant" and the "Life Mother Tree."

"Life Mother Tree?" Upon hearing those words, Li Qingxuan's heart stirred.

Queen Aister had once mentioned that the Tree of Life of the Shadow Moon Tribe was merely a sapling split off from the mother tree.

The true Life Mother Tree is said to be the origin and source of power for all elves, long lost in the annals of history.

This news undoubtedly possesses tremendous appeal.

"They are cunning, throwing out a bait we find hard to refuse," Li Qingxuan mused. "We can consider a reply and talk, but the time and place must be set by us, and we must ensure absolute safety."

"Understood," Li Feifei noted, then a strange expression crossed her face. "There's one more thing, Qingxuan. That anonymous message… we found no information about it; it had not interacted with anyone, as if it had appeared out of nowhere in the system. But just now we received a second one."

"Oh?" Li Qingxuan's eyes narrowed. "What does it say?"

"Shadow is not monolithic; the Corruption Root lies beneath the ice glacier. Cooperation, or mutual destruction?"

This message is even more straightforward than the previous one!

Not only does it again emphasize the link between the Corruption Root and the northern ice glacier, but it also throws out the intention of cooperation!

Even inside the Shadow Hall, it seems not to be a monolithic block?

Li Qingxuan fell into contemplation.

This suddenly extended olive branch—behind it lies a trap, or a genuine opportunity?

If there are divisions within the Shadow Hall, that is undoubtedly a breach we can exploit.

But the other party is so mysterious that even their communication channels leave no trace, indicating just how dangerous they are.

"For now, do not reply; remain silent," Li Qingxuan finally decided. "We need more information to judge its truthfulness."

While he was handling these external messages and contemplating his next move, the elf scouts responsible for outer patrols and reconnaissance, together with the Icefield Magic Wolf Pack, almost simultaneously brought back a shocking piece of news.

It was not an enemy attack, nor a resource point, but a group of wretched… refugees.

About fifty or more, their clothes tattered, faces yellow and emaciated; most were humans, with a few Dwarves and goblins mixed in.

They came from the northwest, each bearing wounds, their expressions terrified and exhausted, as if they had just fled from some extremely horrifying environment.

They were stopped by the outer Shadowy Thorns and the patrolling wolf pack, not daring to approach, merely frantically waving their crude weapons— or simply sticks— shouting hoarsely for "help" and "refuge."

"My lord, how should we handle them?" the captain of the elf hunter patrol asked via the communication stone, "They don't look like a threat, but their origin is unknown."

Li Qingxuan frowned slightly.

Taking in outsiders, especially when we have just experienced a major battle and have not yet fully recovered, carries certain risks.

"Bring their leader to me; I will question him personally. Arrange the others in a temporarily designated area outside the city, provide them with a little food and water, and keep them under strict supervision." Li Qingxuan ordered.

Soon, a middle‑aged man who looked like a leader was brought to the council hall of Guangtan Fortress.

His name was Marcus, originally the leader of a small human settlement.

Facing Li Qingxuan and several core members (Huang Rong, Tongxu, and Aister listening in via the communication stone), he appeared extremely nervous and reverent; especially upon seeing Li Qingxuan, his body involuntarily trembled slightly—clearly, the rumors of a "domain expert" had already spread.

"Speak, where did you come from and what did you encounter?" Li Qingxuan said in a calm tone that brooked no argument.

Marcus swallowed and began to recount their ordeal.

Their settlement had originally been located farther north, near an ice‑glacier area that was accelerating in its melt.

Initially, like many others, they tried to explore the ancient relics revealed beneath the melting glacier, hoping to find treasure or inheritance.

At first they did gain something, finding some strange metal fragments and energy‑depleted crystals.

But soon, the nightmare began.

"That's not a relic…… it's a tomb! A prison!" Marcus's voice trembled with fear. "After the glacier melted, inside…… inside crawled out some things! Not weird creatures, but more like…… living corpses! Their bodies were covered in ice crystals, movements stiff, yet their strength was astonishing, and weapons hardly harmed them! They killed anyone they saw, and those who were killed…… before long would also turn into that kind of ghostly thing!"

Frost Wraiths?

Li Qingxuan and Queen Aister, at the other end of the communication, exchanged a glance and saw the gravity in each other's eyes.

"Our camp was quickly overrun; only we managed to escape." Marcus's face was full of lingering fear. "We fled southward all the way, encountering other groups of refugees on the road, who joined together. Those ghostly things kept pursuing us…… until yesterday, when the pursuers seemed to suddenly dwindle, we managed to shake them off and caught sight of your…… this huge city."

His description of the "Frost Wraiths" immediately reminded Li Qingxuan of the anonymous message's "Corruption Root lies beneath the ice glacier" and the World Channel rumors about the northern ice glacier melting and unknown dangers emerging.

Could it be…… that the Corrupted Nest Mother is not the only threat?

Beneath the glacier, perhaps another kind of disaster is sealed—or, put differently, a disaster of the same origin but a different form?

And the arrival of this refugee group, together with that mysterious anonymous message, seem to be drawing his gaze northward?

"Did you discover anything special in the relics? Or did you notice any strange symbols or energy fluctuations?" Li Qingxuan pressed.

Marcus struggled to recall, then suddenly seemed to remember something, fishing from his pocket a palm‑sized irregular‑edged black‑gray metal piece, etched with a blurry symbol resembling a twisted eye.

"This…… I picked it up from the outskirts of the relics, thinking the material was special so I kept it. As for other things…… oh, right! While we were escaping, we seemed to see deep in the glacier crevices…… a green light, like the color of those corrupt creatures that attacked us before, but not quite the same—colder, and…… lifeless."

Green light?

Li Qingxuan took the metal piece, and when his fingertip touched the twisted‑eye symbol, a faint, familiar ripple stirred in his spiritual sea—similar to the aura he had previously sensed from the Shadow Hall, but older and more obscure.

The anonymous message, the northern refugees, the mysterious metal piece, the green light beneath the glacier…… these clues seem to be beginning to link together.

A massive vortex seemed to be slowly forming in the north.

And the Bright Flat Alliance seemed to have been pushed by an invisible hand to the edge of this vortex.

Li Qingxuan gripped the metal piece in his hand, his gaze seeming to pierce the fortress walls as he looked toward that ice‑snow‑covered unknown land.

A new storm was brewing in the north.

But this time, they might not be able to stay out of it.

(PS: Send some free love‑powered electricity; the author will be more motivated if you do. If you like this book, feel free to leave a rating. Thanks, everyone.)