After waiting at the entrance of the tribe for a quarter of an hour, Su Xingyu finally saw the army returning under Ye Zhan's command.
A great number of soldiers marched behind him, their synchronized footsteps thunderous and precise, moving as one unstoppable force.
Compared to the chaos before their departure, this returning army was clearly more disciplined, more powerful—refined by blood and battle.
It was obvious. After enduring the test of war, these new recruits had transformed. No longer were they green and untested. They had become real soldiers.
Ye Zhan stopped ten meters in front of Su Xingyu, dismounted without hesitation, and strode forward with firm, confident steps.
"Chief, we have fulfilled our mission. The group of monsters in the Bloodfang Forest has been wiped out."
"Well done," Su Xingyu replied. "I've prepared a celebration banquet in your honor. Go and enjoy your victory. But first, you must visit the temple and receive the blessing of our Lord."
Ye Zhan's face lit up with awe and surprise. "Thank you, Patriarch. Praise our Lord!"
"Go on," Su Xingyu said, waving a hand. "Once you've received the blessing, report to the conference room."
"Yes, sir," Ye Zhan answered, bowing respectfully.
…
With the Bloodfang Forest secured, the Night Tribe launched into a new phase of expansion.
The path from the forest back to the tribe was treacherous and wild. Even with carriages, transporting blood crystals through it was exhausting and slow.
Add to that the challenges of mining, manpower, and security, and the costs soared sky-high.
But abandoning the Bloodfang Forest? Unthinkable.
The forest contained a medium-sized blood crystal vein—at least five times richer than a small one. Even under the most basic mining conditions, it could yield between 7,000 to 10,000 units of blood crystal per day.
And that wasn't all. Rare spiritual herbs were abundant in the region, a natural treasure trove.
With benefits that vast, giving up was never an option. The only path forward was to build roads and establish a fortified stronghold.
The stronghold didn't need to be a fortress. Its real defense would be the thousands of seasoned warriors stationed there. They were far more reliable than any wall.
Currently, the Night Tribe was planning to build four major strongholds: Giant Tiger, Wild Bull, Black Soil, and Blood Fang. Each one would be defended by no less than a thousand elite warriors.
These weren't mere outposts—they were full-fledged military bases, each anchoring the tribe's territory. Like an iron ring encircling their city, these fortresses ensured that no hostile army could strike at the Night Tribe without first passing through a wall of steel.
Constructing the first three strongholds was relatively simple. Those regions had fertile land and their own crystal veins. Just sending settlers was enough to get them operational, capable of supporting tens of thousands.
But Blood Fang was different.
That land had nothing—no food, no homes. Everything had to be transported in from the tribe. Until the new fields there could produce crops, the stronghold would depend entirely on external supplies.
Still, it couldn't be helped. The forest was too rich in resources to ignore.
Thankfully, the tribe now had access to the City of Gods and could engage in trade. Without it, Su Xingyu would have had no choice but to delay Blood Fang's construction until spring.
Building cities, reclaiming land, establishing strongholds, forming legions, and scouting the dark heart of the Black Soil Plains...
Half a month passed peacefully, and the new tribesmen, after witnessing the power of the gods several times, finally accepted their fate—and more than that, they began to feel true belonging.
What began as submission born from helplessness had shifted into genuine gratitude.
After all, they had lived under the whip for so long. Now, comparing their past to the present was like night and day. What they had now felt like a life truly meant for humans. Their old existence? That was slavery—fit only for beasts of burden.
Though the Night Tribe required them to work, most of it was safe physical labor. And in return, they were fed three solid meals a day, with meat served regularly.
Beyond food, their chief, Su Xingyu, even came to meet them personally to ask about their well-being.
At one such meeting, a small child had blurted, "It's too cold to sleep at night." His parents had gone pale, terrified that the child's words would be taken as disrespect.
Was cold really a problem? Compared to the winters they'd known—where people froze to death under open skies—this was paradise. At least now they had homes to shelter them and straw mats for warmth.
No one took the boy's complaint seriously. Many even thought Su Xingyu would punish the child for speaking out.
But to their astonishment, just days later, the chief sent messengers to the square. There, they distributed thick quilts and bundles of raw cotton. The quilts were for immediate use, and the cotton could be made into insulation.
Quilts, of all things! No one sold them anymore. Only weapons and food were in circulation. If Wang Dong hadn't known so many merchants, even Su Xingyu wouldn't have been able to buy any.
The gesture moved everyone to tears. It wasn't empty talk—the chief truly regarded them as his own people.
Su Xingyu himself didn't think much of it. The stronger and more numerous the tribe, the better for him. Helping others ultimately helped himself.
Besides, who doesn't want to sleep more comfortably?
Was that too much to ask? Of course not.
This was simply a matter of perspective, and the gap between the two sides was vast.
…
Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, another half month went by.
A full month had passed since Su Xingyu first connected to the "Internet." During that time, the Night Tribe hadn't expanded territorially, but its internal strength had transformed completely.
They had absorbed all the gains from the unification of Red River.
If the Ye Tribe had once been a bloated giant, swollen and inefficient, it had now become a lean, muscular warrior. Its size remained the same, but its power had grown beyond comparison.
With Red River now under control, Su Xingyu began to set his sights on the next phase: expansion.
Right now, plundering was far faster than production.
The Night Tribe needed more people. More resources. More land.
Over the past month, Su Xingyu had mapped out the major powers across the Black Soil Plains.
At the center of those vast lands lay three dominant forces.
The first was a barbarian tribe, fierce and brutal, living atop a medium-sized blood crystal vein. They grazed herds, grew blood spirit flowers, and survived through raids and robbery.
They were based in the Red Iron Valley and, bizarrely, consumed ore as food. Though small in number, each one was a semi-metallic giant, elite and terrifying.
The second was a cunning and savage gnoll tribe that made its lair in the Dark Cave.
All three forces dwarfed previous opponents like the Giant Tiger and Wild Bull tribes.
Fortunately, mistrust and constant infighting among them had kept them in check. The chaos of the Red River region had further dissuaded them from moving in. Apart from occasional barbarian raids in winter, the other two powers largely ignored the area.
That uneasy balance was the only reason the Red River tribes had survived so long.
But everything had changed now.
With the Red River under his banner and new power flowing like a flood, Su Xingyu no longer feared these looming enemies. If anything, he was ready to strike.
Many warriors, especially the new recruits, were itching for battle. The scent of war stirred something ancient in their blood. They longed to sacrifice enemy lives to their god.
And after years of suffering under barbarian raids, the rage in their hearts had finally found an outlet.
Before, they could do nothing. But now…
Now, it was different.
Barbarians—prepare to die.
But just as Su Xingyu began planning his assault into the Black Soil Plains, the barbarians made their move first.
The raiding parties had arrived once again.