Chapter 201
The Tiger-Chasing Dynasty’s unstoppable momentum gradually slowed three months later.
This occurred when the two princes of the Eastern Wilderness finally recognized the urgency on the western front, hastily recalling troops and cultivators from the eastern region for defense. They were stunned by Tiger-Chasing’s swift eastern advance and bewildered by the remarkable performances of Tiger-Chasing extraordinary talents like Yang Lingrui.
Like the Four Sects of the Northwest that had previously visited Tiger-Chasing territory, the princes’ knowledge of their enemy remained frozen decades in the past. Back then, the Zhuhu Dynasty had relied entirely on a single True Intent Realm national master. Beyond this supreme combat strength, both the numbers and quality of their cultivators lagged far behind the Eastern Wilderness. Even an average lower-tier Eastern Wilderness cultivator could rank mid-tier in Tiger-Chasing—the disparity was undeniable.
Thus, the princes had dismissed the western conflicts as minor border skirmishes, never deploying their main forces. After declaring themselves kings, their focus remained solely on battling their elder brother, who controlled half the Eastern Wilderness.
Unbeknownst to them, Tiger-Chasing had spent decades preparing relentlessly. Through the dragon vein fire method, they cultivated core talents and young geniuses rivaling major sect disciples. Nearly bankrupting their treasury, they repeatedly opened secret treasure sites over the years, boosting their cultivators’ overall strength.
These efforts bore fruit. Tiger-Chasing now matched major sects in both quantity and quality of cultivators. They even produced a genuine prodigy—Shen Yue. Across northwest Canglan, only the Lanyue Sect’s Immortal Fairy of Bi Hua could challenge him.
While impressive, this success came at immense risk. As Yang Lingrui and his companions had privately discussed, Tiger-Chasing had staked everything on this gamble. Had the Eastern Wilderness remained stable, the dynasty would have crumbled within two decades. They’d sacrificed royal bloodlines to ignite dragon veins and emptied their coffers on secret treasure sites and cave heavens. Failure to replenish these losses would bring catastrophic collapse.
Most rulers would have balked at such peril. Yet decades earlier, Tiger-Chasing’s emperor had boldly seized this path. He’d foreseen the Eastern Wilderness’ inevitable turmoil—a golden opportunity mirroring his own rise to power amidst wolves. His ambition stretched far beyond ruling a petty kingdom.
Preparation met opportunity when the great Eastern Wilderness fractured. Years of planning finally bore fruit as Yang Lingrui’s group reached the border. Shedding all pretense, Tiger-Chasing began devouring Eastern Wilderness territory.