Editor:Â EndlessFantasy Translation
All the elite forces had been mustered and stationed at the 16th ruin!
Under the Northern Armyâs dominion, 37 aboriginal cities were held, each fortified with its own garrison.
These cities provided the means to support one or two legions.
Moreover, the ten ruthless men of the Northern Army had marshaled their respective forces.
Cole Colbieâs 3,000 imperial guards.
Luther Cardenâs 800,000 hidden agents.
The white-robed Killing God Yuri Quallâs northern arts group.
Fourth Master Laird Xenosâ Northern King Cavalry.
Fifth Master Qadry Knight and Sixth Master Landry Knightâs soldiers.
They had all been mobilized long before!
Eighth Master Blake Matthewâs 8,000 sword slaves, Joshua Mandorâs Nine Nether Troop, along with Skylar Nealâs Ten Yama Kings, had all been discreetly relocated here.
It could be inferred that the 16th ruin served as the nucleus of the Northern Army.
Lutherâs orchestration of the 16th ruin was unmistakable.
The Northern Armyâs aim was certainly not the 37 aboriginal cities, nor the spirit herbs within the ruins.
This shrewd maneuver by Luther indicated that he had undoubtedly received Braydon Nealâs clandestine directive.
Otherwise, he wouldnât have dared to concentrate the Northern Armyâs might at the 16th ruin.
Even the five commandersâGordon Lowe, Bryan Goldman, and othersâwere transferred under Lutherâs authority, accompanied by a segment of the core elites from the five main teams.
The sole exception was the Northern Armyâs highly classified hidden agents.
Luther had effectively relocated almost all of the Northern Armyâs strength to the 16th ruin.
The capital had been long aware of these movements.
Hence, it had dispatched 132 inquiries two years prior, alongside 69 national decrees, with 49 of them issued by Heather Sage.
49 of them were issued by Heather.
The extent to which the Northern Army had shifted its strength was excessive.
What was even more alarming was that Luther wasnât holding back; he was actively redirecting forces from the country into the 16th ruin.
Take, for instance, the Sanguine Youth Institution and the Northern Military School, renowned for nurturing martial artists.
Under Lutherâs command, a significant number of children were forcefully transferred to the 16th ruin in the name of Braydon, with Ginny Neal among them.
What was the Northern Armyâs ultimate goal?
With the Northern Army engaging in such actions, the capital had been restless for nights.
What exactly was Lutherâs agenda?
Or rather, what was the Northern King aiming for?
It was ten oâclock in the afternoon at the 16th ancient city.
Martial law had already been imposed around Sorrell Nealâs city lord mansion.
The Black Armored Army was fully deployed, encircling the mansion with three layers of security.
Trespassers would be met with lethal force because the highest military assembly of the Northern Army was about to convene within the 16th ancient city.
Initiated by key figures of the Northern Army, the meeting boasted nearly full attendance.
As everyone gathered, Luther sat in quiet contemplation, accompanied by Lazlo Abbot, Lester Crawford, Cartley Yanagi, and Cora Yanagi, adorned in a Phoenix Robe.
Additionally, there was a rather peculiar sightâa little fool lounging with crossed legs, munching on a cucumber.
With each large bite, he grumbled, âOld man, whyâd you summon me back? I was living the high life over there!â
Luther couldnât help but feel a headache coming on as he glanced at the mischievous lad.
In Luke Yatesâ city, the boy acted like a tyrant, exploiting the aboriginal martial artists and establishing businesses ranging from brothels to casinos and loan sharkingâall for the sake of profit.
The once-prosperous aboriginal city had descended into chaos under the rule of the mischievous lad.
Now, half of the cityâs businesses bore the Yates surname.
Whatâs more troubling was that Luke had defied the Northern Armyâs prohibition by assembling a private army within the ancient city.
Despite being in the midst of recruiting aboriginal martial artists, he failed to seek prior approval from Luther, and even if he had, Commander Braydonâs consent would have been necessary.
Over the past two years, nearly all the intel provided to Luther by the hidden agent stationed in Lukeâs aboriginal city pertained to Lukeâs misconduct.
He desecrated ancestral graves, extorted and abducted elderly noblesâhis actions knew no bounds.
With Braydon absent, there was no one to rein in the unruly lad.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
If it were anyone else, Luther would have dealt with them swiftly.
However, the fact that the culprit was the mischievous boy rendered Luther powerless.
Though Luther could intimidate Luke, especially in Braydonâs absence, merely the thought of Luke seeking solace from Jonah Shaw and Harvey Lay was enough to give Luther a headache.
Despite Lutherâs ability to manage the troublesome individuals within the Northern Army, he lacked the authority to rein them in if they truly went out of control.
Harvey, for instance, was always headstrong.
He constantly clashed with Braydon and ended up on the receiving end of his wrath.
Yet, Luther lacked the clout to make Harvey submit.
As Luther surveyed the assembly of elders, he noticed that only a few paid him any heed.
Cora and the mischievous lad were engrossed in a playful scuffle over snacks, disrupting the solemnity of the meeting room.
âBig Brother will return soon,â Luther remarked helplessly, hoping for a semblance of order.
Instantly, silence enveloped the room as all eyes turned toward him.
âIâd rather believe in ghosts than trust your words,â the mischievous lad retorted with a disdainful shake of his head.
âItâs true,â Luther asserted, having received prior notification.
âWhen?â Frediano Jadanza inquired softly.
âToday,â Luther confirmed.
Luther didnât beat around the bush.
Was this the reason they were gathered here?
âI was just about to mobilize the Gray Wolf Army for an attack,â Jonah remarked casually.
âYouâre just bluffing. I donât buy it!â the mischievous lad retorted, straightening his neck to challenge.
Jonah simply glanced at the little fool, brushing off his remark.
In this room, who would dare treat Jonahâs words as mere jests?
The young Jonah exuded an air of supreme confidence.
When he first arrived in the capital, all the major families shut their doors, refusing to entertain guests.
Dominic Lowe was so intimidated that he secluded himself in his courtyard for half a month, afraid to venture out.
Now, Jonah had ascended to the status of an emperor.
Indeed, in this gathering, the lowest realm represented was that of an emperor.
Luke had also become an emperor, not to mention his brothers.
For over two years, nobody dared to slack off; they were all diligently cultivating.
It could be said that all the disciples of the Northern Army were engrossed in their training.
This commitment stemmed from the Northern Armyâs inability to resist the Oracle Palace two years ago, leading to Commander Braydonâs forced submission.
While it appeared Braydon volunteered to visit the Oracle Palace, everyone in the Northern Army understood the coercion behind the facade.
If the Northern Army had been formidable, the Oracle Palace wouldnât have dared to imprison its king.
From that day forth, the men of the Northern Army donned their armor and trained with a newfound fervor.
Over the span of two years, the Northern Army had forged a legendary reputation.
Jonahâs Sanguine Army boasted 9 legions and 900,000 elite soldiers, all equipped with spirit artifacts, battle swords, and armor.
As part of the Northern Army, soldiers could trade their battle merits for cultivation resources or spirit beast materials from the armyâs warehouse.
Within two years, the Sanguine Army had gained 30,000 pinnacle realm soldiers, and Commander Jonah had achieved the emperor realm.
With an emperor commander, it would not be difficult to help kings achieve the pinnacle realm.