My Descendants Are My Power

Chapter 318 Prepare for battle! Part 1

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Danny had barely finished speaking when the woman representing the Fortune Sanctum Parkers posed a pointed question.

"If you're so certain of Azure Cloud's defeat, Danny, why involve the Parkers and the Carters?"

The Parker representative, an elder named Neil, exuded an air of serene detachment, her white robes pristine against the rugged landscape.

The Parker family, known as the Fortune Sanctum, had a knack for accumulating wealth.

Their founder had been a shrewd businessman, and over the generations, the Parkers had expanded their reach, their fingers in every profitable pie imaginable.

Pills, heavenly treasures, Psychic Gear, talismans... if it turned a profit, the Parkers were involved.

They even supported promising factions, securing their loyalty with generous loans and then reaping the rewards with hefty interest.

"What else could it be?"

Before Danny could respond, the young man representing the Carter Duke's Mansion spoke up, a predatory gleam in his eyes.

"Blackwood has grown fat off their secrets. The Roberts family can't possibly gobble it all up alone. We carve up Blackwood together, and who in Sunshine Mansion would dare question us?"

The speaker, Kyle, exuded an aura of barely restrained violence that made both Danny and Neil exchange wary glances.

The Carter Duke's Mansion, hailing from Golden Valley, was a different breed altogether.

They were the smallest of the seven great families, but also the most ruthless.

Their Forebearer had been a legendary assassin, and his descendants had inherited his ruthlessness in spades.

For generations, every Carter child, upon reaching the age of eighteen, underwent a decade of brutal training, honing their skills while simultaneously fulfilling their duty to expand the family line.

Then, they were cast into a secluded valley, forced to fight to the death.

Only seven survived each decade.

And every century, a new Duke emerged from the carnage, his claim to power built upon the bodies of his kin.

Every Carter expert had walked a path paved with the corpses of their own family.

Who wouldn't fear them?

"So, we're to be vultures, picking at the carcass of a fallen enemy," Neil said, taking a sip of tea.

She glanced at Kyle, her expression unreadable.

"Blackwood's demise... it's for the best, I suppose. I've heard whispers. They're a bloodthirsty lot. Sunshine Mansion could do without such a destabilizing influence."

"Neil, what are you insinuating?" Kyle snarled, his hand hovering near the hilt of his sword.

The Carters bowed to no one, least of all a bunch of glorified money lenders.

Neil, however, remained unfazed by his outburst.

She simply sipped her tea, her silence speaking volumes.

Danny, sensing the tension escalating, quickly intervened.

"Peace, gentlemen. We're here to cooperate, not to squabble amongst ourselves."

His words seemed to have the desired effect.

The two men fell silent, their animosity simmering beneath the surface.

Danny turned his gaze towards Cloudview County, his eyes hardening.

Five years.

Five long years he had nursed his grudge, the memory of his humiliation in Azure Cloud a constant burn.

He had planned for this moment, meticulously weaving his web of intrigue.

Blackwood would fall, and when they did, he would make them suffer.

He would make them experience the same humiliation, the same despair, that he had endured.

"Elder Danny!"

A young Developing Skill Psychic approached the table, bowing respectfully.

"The Crimson War God, Jessica, has led the Azure Cloud army towards Starlight County. They didn't even stop for a moment. They've already joined forces with Starlight County and are marching deeper into their territory!"

"Excellent!" Danny exclaimed, unable to contain his glee.

He turned to Neil and Kyle, both of whom were now wearing predatory smiles.

"The trap is sprung," he said, his voice laced with anticipation.

"The Druids are waiting. Once the Azure Cloud army is crushed, Duke Miles's Mansion and his six allied factions will be trapped, with nowhere to run. Cloudview County will be defenseless, ripe for the taking. The six Druid tribes that have been pushed back from the Azure Cloud border will sweep through and crush everything in their path."

He threw back his head and laughed, a harsh, grating sound.

"We'll be waiting, gentlemen. Waiting to claim our prize."

...

News of the Azure Cloud army's advance spread through Sunshine Mansion like wildfire, reaching even the most secluded corners of the land.

But the most apprehensive souls weren't in Starlight County, bracing for Blackwood's assault.

They were in the heart of Druid territory, among the six tribes who had long been a thorn in Cloudview County's side.

Apostle Mike, who had been enjoying a rare period of peace, his days spent sipping tea and exchanging barbs with Nathan, felt a chill run down his spine.

"To arms!" he roared, his voice booming across the Harris tribe's encampment.

He unleashed his power, his cultivation base at the peak of the Competent Force level, a beacon of strength that sent tremors through the air.

"Prepare for battle!"

The six Druid tribes had grown complacent over the years.

Jessica and Daniel's relentless campaigns had pushed them back, but they had grown accustomed to the rhythm of war, the ebb and flow of conflict.

They had grown soft.

"By the ancestors..."

The Harris High Priest, his face ashen, stared towards the horizon.

He could see it.

Border Town.

And it was swarming with enemies.

The Azure Cloud army, their crimson armor gleaming in the sunlight, their formations as precise and deadly as ever.

And behind them, a seemingly endless tide of Cloudview County Psychics, their numbers overwhelming.

They had fought the Azure Cloud army before.

They knew their ferocity, their unwavering determination.

He had seen an Azure Cloud Psychic at the Emerging Ability level charge headlong into their ranks, screaming defiance even as he drew his last breath, his name forever etched in the annals of Azure Cloud's heroes.

There were times, the High Priest mused, when he couldn't tell the difference between the humans of Cloudview County and the berserkers they faced in their nightmares.

Jessica, the Crimson War God, had instilled a deep-seated fear in their hearts.

She was a force of nature, a whirlwind of death and destruction.

There were whispers among the tribes, tales of her ruthlessness, of her utter disregard for life, even her own.

He had even attempted to negotiate with Daniel, a man he considered more reasonable, more open to diplomacy.

He had hinted at a truce, a way to end the bloodshed.

Daniel's response had been chillingly pragmatic.

He had demanded the surrender of twelve tribes, their lands forfeit as a price for peace.

Now, looking at the approaching army, the High Priest felt a cold sweat break out.

Panic spread through the ranks of the six tribes as reports of Blackwood's movements reached them.

"They're gathering at the border! Their numbers are growing by the day!"

"The outlaws, the ones Blackwood shelters in their lands... they're marching on Clark's territory! They're already setting up camps, digging for resources!"

"But... we were told the Azure Cloud army and Jessica were gone! How is this possible? It's a trap!"

"Apostle! You said we were going on the offensive! What's happening? Are we attacking or defending? Do you even know anymore?!"