After clarifying everything with Alexander, Liu Hui ended the call, instructing Alexander to fully commit to preparing for war.

For the next twenty-four hours, Liu Hui remained intensely focused on the battle unfolding in the Magic Plane. Regrettably, he could not join the fray to slay enemies himself, so he could only cheer Alexander on in his mind. Furthermore, Liu Hui dared not summon Alexander for an update, fearing he might disrupt his subordinate’s command structure.

The agonizing wait finally lifted only when Alexander called him via the Plane Trade Device the following evening at eight o'clock.

On the screen of the Plane Trade Device, Alexander appeared somewhat weary, yet his demeanor was buoyant, his spirits soaring; he looked remarkably pleased.

The moment Liu Hui saw Alexander's expression, a wave of relief washed over him. The fact that Alexander was standing there meant, at minimum, that the Human Race had not been defeated. And given Alexander's joyful mien, there was likely good news.

“Esteemed Teacher, we have annihilated the invading Bi Giant Beasts. We slew four hundred and sixty-five of them and captured five hundred and seventy. Incidentally, we also took ten Fox Clan spies prisoner,” Alexander declared with excitement.

To have completely wiped out the powerful Bi Clan with the comparatively frail strength of the Human Race felt utterly unbelievable to Alexander. In the past, a single Level Two Magical Beast could inflict heavy casualties upon the humans, making this victory feel like a dream.

Only when he heard Alexander confirm the total destruction of the Bi Giant Beasts did the massive weight lift from Liu Hui's heart; his investments in the Magic Plane were secured.

“My dear Alexander, I must congratulate you on winning such a grueling battle. I was right about you after all,” Liu Hui praised.

Alexander laughed. “This is largely thanks to your help, Teacher. Without the mysterious weapon you provided me, there is no way I could have annihilated those Bi Giant Beasts. Teacher, did you know that even their formidable Bi Chieftain fell victim to that mysterious weapon?”

Liu Hui instantly became interested and asked, “Walk me through the detailed course of the battle.”

Alexander happily recounted, “Yesterday, after receiving your weapon, I practiced with it several more times until I mastered its use. Then, I led the Sacred Guard Warriors and Sacred Guard Mages of our Church of Light to the ambush site we had previously selected, setting traps all around in preparation for the Bi Giant Beasts. The ambush location was a small valley with only one exit at the front and one at the back, flanked by steep cliffs on both sides. As the latter half of the night approached, the Bi Giant Beast warriors finally entered our trap. However, once they were inside, the Fox Clan spies sensed something was amiss. They warned the Bi Chieftain that they suspected an ambush and urged him to be prepared. But the Chieftain was dangerously arrogant, supremely confident in his own strength, and utterly contemptuous of Human combat power. He completely ignored the spies’ warnings and marched boldly into our kill zone, maintaining formation.”

Liu Hui grew tense listening, quickly interjecting, “And then?”

Alexander continued, “As soon as the Bi Giant Beast warriors were inside, our soldiers sprung into action. They used several massive boulders to seal the valley’s only ingress and egress points, trapping the beasts squarely on the flat ground in the center of the valley. Next, we rolled burning Fireballs into the valley. The fireballs tumbled down, igniting the dry grass we had spread everywhere, and immediately, a raging inferno erupted. The Bi Giant Beast warriors were caught completely off guard, entirely unprepared. As a result, more than a dozen were crushed instantly by the boulders, and another dozen were engulfed in flames, certainly doomed.”

Liu Hui gasped in admiration. Alexander’s tactic for this ambush felt strangely familiar. He suddenly recalled explaining ancient Chinese military strategies to Alexander, which included specific ambush maneuvers. Unexpectedly, Alexander had managed to apply that learning practically, successfully setting up the fire attack against the Bi Giant Beasts in the Magic Plane, delivering an immediate stunning blow.

Alexander went on, “With the exits blocked by boulders and under attack by fire, the Bi Giant Beast warriors panicked. Their assault formations began to break apart, and some started fleeing in disarray. At that critical moment, their leader—that Bi Giant Beast Chieftain—let out a sky-shattering roar that stunned everyone. He then executed several fleeing subordinates, successfully stabilizing the entire Bi Giant Beast force and preventing a rout. Once the warriors regrouped, they cautiously avoided the ground fires and began scrambling up the cliffsides toward the mountaintop. Seeing the Bi Giant Beast warriors regain their fighting spirit and counterattack, I activated the mysterious weapon you gave me. A beam of red light shot out from it, striking the Bi Chieftain. But the Chieftain was incredibly powerful; the instant I powered the weapon, he sensed danger and initiated a rapid evasion. Yet, his movement was slower than my beam; he only managed to dodge a fatal blow, but his arm was instantly pierced by the crimson beam. Just as I prepared to sever his arm, the Chieftain pulled a nearby Bi Warrior toward him, using that warrior’s body to intercept the beam’s cutting edge. By the time the beam sliced the soldier in half, the Chieftain had already retreated, shielded by an earthy-yellow glow that enveloped him. When I aimed the beam at him again, it could no longer penetrate his body.”

Liu Hui was shocked. He hadn't expected the Bi Chieftain to be so powerful that even a laser weapon—capable of slicing through one meter of specially made steel plate on Earth—couldn't kill him. Just how strong was this Chieftain? Although he saw Alexander standing before him, and knew he had ultimately won, a flicker of worry crossed Liu Hui’s face as he asked, “What happened next? Did the Chieftain die?”

Alexander replied, “Although the beam couldn't wound the Bi Chieftain, it immobilized him once he was targeted. Moreover, I noticed the earthy-yellow energy surrounding him was slowly fading. It turned out my beam’s energy was being consumed in a direct contest against his protective energy; it was a race to see whose reserves would deplete first. Meanwhile, the Bi Giant Beast warriors, guided by their minor captains, were climbing the steep rock faces around us, preparing to assault our soldiers positioned on the summit. Our warriors rained arrows and spells down, but these projectiles and spells were utterly ineffective against the Bi Giant Beasts due to their incredible defense. The warriors quickly reached the top, and upon engaging our soldiers, they proved unstoppable. In a short span, we lost over twenty men. So, I swung the muzzle of the mysterious weapon around and began sweeping the Bi Giant Beasts scaling the peak. Even though the beam couldn’t cut the Chieftain, the Level Seven Bi Giant Beast warriors couldn't withstand its damage. As soon as the beam touched them, it pierced their bodies instantly. With a flick of my hand, I sliced over thirty climbing warriors in half, forcing the rest of the ascending beasts back down into the valley. My soldiers then reformed, surrounding the remaining beasts and locking them tightly within the encirclement.”

Liu Hui listened, gripped by the intensity, and asked, “What about the Bi Chieftain?”

Alexander answered, “When the Chieftain saw me divert my weapon to deal with his subordinates, he attempted to climb to the summit for close-quarters combat, aiming to eliminate me, his greatest threat. But as soon as I dispatched the warriors climbing up, I immediately redirected the beam back onto the Chieftain. Cornered, the Chieftain was forced to stand firm and channel his inner power to resist my attack. After I depleted some more of the Chieftain's protective energy, I quickly shifted the beam to eliminate the dozen or so Bi Giant Beasts standing immediately around him. When I detected the Chieftain preparing to move again, I attacked him once more. In this manner, while constantly attacking the Chieftain, I managed to eliminate all three hundred-plus Bi Giant Beasts positioned near him. Eventually, no other beast dared to stand beside the Chieftain. Stuck absorbing damage without the ability to retaliate, the Chieftain’s rage and despair caused a flaw to appear in his defense. The crimson beam finally pierced the earthy-yellow protective energy, striking the Bi Giant Beast squarely in the chest, severely wounding him. His defensive energy then completely collapsed, and I sliced the Bi Chieftain in half with one quick shot.”

Liu Hui asked, “Did the Bi Chieftain die just like that?”

Alexander laughed. “Indeed. Under the cutting force of that weapon, the Chieftain’s body was instantly severed into two pieces. But I wasn’t completely reassured, so I sliced him vertically as well, cutting him into four segments. That ensured the Chieftain was utterly dead, with no chance of recovery. Upon seeing their Chieftain dead, the remaining Bi Giant Beast soldiers became utterly disorganized. Under the ferocity of my assault, they finally broke rank. My original intention was total extermination, but I then noticed how immense their size was, and how limitless their strength. This sparked an idea in me: to subdue them. If these Bi Giant Beasts surrendered to us and served as mounts for our Human warriors, the combat power of the Human Race would increase exponentially. Thus, I decided to pacify them rather than wipe them out completely.”

Liu Hui’s heart stirred. He was impressed that Alexander so quickly grasped the formidable potential use of the Bi Giant Beasts. If Alexander’s plan came to fruition, Human warriors mounted on these beasts would be terrifying—a result far exceeding a simple one plus one equals two scenario.

Alexander continued, “So, I donned the Sacred Crown of the Pope and held the Staff of Divine Punishment, summoning a Sword of Divine Punishment in the air simultaneously. I also summoned a Twin-Winged Angel, and all three hovered above, acting as a deterrent to the remaining Bi Giant Beasts. Then, I began my plea for their surrender. Although the Bi Giant Beasts were highly curious about the Sword of Divine Punishment and the Twin-Winged Angel, they were unwilling to yield. So, I used the Sword of Divine Punishment to execute one of the most defiant beasts.”

Liu Hui inquired, “Can that Sword of Divine Punishment kill a Bi Giant Beast on its own?”

Alexander shook his head. “The Sword of Divine Punishment cannot kill a Bi Giant Beast alone; their defenses are simply too strong. I had to use that mysterious weapon concurrently to slay the beast I executed. I estimate that the Twin-Winged Angel might not even be able to kill a single Bi Giant Beast either, as my personal strength is only Level Eight, meaning I cannot summon the truly incomparably powerful Angel. However, I am certain that as my strength improves, I will be able to summon a far more formidable Sword of Divine Punishment and a Holy Light Angel.”

Liu Hui nodded. He knew those Pope equipment sets had a strange quality; their true power seemed directly proportional to the strength of the individual wielding them—the stronger the user, the more potent the summoned entities.

Alexander concluded, “After I summoned the Sword of Divine Punishment and the Twin-Winged Angel and made an example of one beast, the Bi Giant Beasts finally broke. One beast surrendered, and this wave of submission spurred the others. Very quickly, all the remaining Bi Giant Beasts yielded.”

Hearing that the war was finally over, Liu Hui finally relaxed completely. Although he had not fought alongside Alexander, he could sense the tremendous pressure Alexander had faced during the conflict. It was a great fortune that Alexander’s Church of Light had emerged victorious and that Alexander had demonstrated astonishing military acumen throughout the engagement.

“My dear Alexander, your performance in this war has greatly satisfied your teacher. What are your plans for the aftermath?” Liu Hui inquired.

Pleased by Liu Hui’s praise, Alexander beamed like a child as he replied, “Respected Teacher, we plan to follow the trail of these Bi Giant Beasts back to their tribe and capture all the remaining warriors there. I intend to turn the entire Bi Clan into slaves for humanity. As for the races that were already enslaved by the Bi Clan, we will absorb them too. Humanity, created by the God of Light, should not have only one subject race.”

Liu Hui silently admired this. Alexander truly possessed decisiveness and ruthlessness. Not only had he wiped out the invading Bi Giant Beasts, but he planned to press the attack, utterly destroying their tribe and seizing all their assets. Yet, it was precisely this type of character that allowed one to reap immense benefits in this Magic Plane. Under Liu Hui’s tutelage, Alexander had successfully inherited the essence of 'unscrupulous pragmatism.'

Liu Hui discussed several other matters regarding the war’s resolution with Alexander before finally closing the Plane Trade Device with satisfaction, ending the conversation. Having worried intensely for over twenty hours about Alexander’s war, Liu Hui finally slept soundly, content with the news of victory. Meanwhile, in the Magic Plane, Alexander was already busy deploying troops for his expedition against the Bi Tribe.

Back in the human realm, in Shuzhou, the Yan family was in the midst of significant turmoil, with Yan Hongyu feeling particularly troubled. Ever since she fled Hong Kong last time, she had been perpetually restless, unable to focus her attention. The imposing figure of the Black Knight kept flashing before her eyes. This wasn't due to any spell cast by the Black Knight upon her, but rather, imperceptibly, the image of the Black Knight had left an indelible mark on Yan Hongyu’s heart.

Yan Hongyu found herself utterly unable to forget the Black Knight. Several times in her dreams, she imagined living intimately with him, engaging in passionate lovemaking, only to wake up realizing her inner self was already in utter chaos.

The icy demeanor Yan Hongyu had cultivated since childhood began to thaw, her temperament slowly growing fiery. However, the boundless, unforgiving vengeance of the Yan family demanded an absolutely calm disposition to be properly executed. Under these circumstances, Yan Hongyu’s cultivation, which had previously advanced by leaps and bounds, had stalled completely, showing no progress whatsoever.

Yan Hongyu's stagnation puzzled the ancestral elders of the Yan family. But Yan Hongyu refused to share her intimate worries with them. Consequently, the elders remained completely unaware of what was troubling her. However, they were powerless to force her hand, as Yan Hongyu was a once-in-a-millennium genius in their lineage, indispensable for restoring their ancestral glory.

Today, the family elders summoned Yan Hongyu again, attempting to diagnose the reason for her static level of power. Yet, Yan Hongyu simply ignored them and kept her thoughts hidden. In the end, the elders failed to identify the source of her affliction. If they had known the crux of Yan Hongyu's problem—that she was lovesick, that she had unknowingly fallen for the Black Knight—one could only guess at their reaction.

Thus, the elders could only sigh in resignation. “Heaven blessed our Yan Family by granting two geniuses in your generation: you and your elder brother. Although your brother is a genius among mortals, you are a genius among geniuses. You two were the most likely candidates to restore our ancestral honor. But now, that mortal genius has completely fallen; he is beyond hope. You, the genius among geniuses, carry the entire hope of glorifying the Yan Family. Therefore, we implore you to find the cause of your internal hindrance yourself, elevate your strength, and do not disappoint our expectations of you.”

Gratitude to book friend: Sky’s Free Eagle for the monthly ticket support.