With Shi Feng opening the Northern Fortress, Zero Wing and the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion quickly spread the news throughout Dragon Heart City and the entire Geoheart Mountain Range.
"The Northern Fortress is opening so fast!"
"They're probably trying to get a head start, but Blood War has already made their stance clear — even if it's open, who dares to go?"
The major adventure teams throughout the Geoheart Mountain Range all shook their heads when they saw the news. Previously, there had only been a single fortress belonging to the Thirteen Royal Courts, which was nowhere near enough for the players of Dragon Heart City to rest at. Having an additional Northern Fortress would naturally be a good thing, but Blood War had already declared that anyone who set foot in the Northern Fortress would be considered their enemy.
For the smaller, less influential adventure teams, nobody dared to provoke the Blood War Adventure Team.
Over at Rock Nest Fortress, Sworn Blood War Spirit and Nine Dragons Emperor received the news almost immediately.
"Team Leader Sworn, it seems Zero Wing has gone desperate. Instead of making full use of the fortress's three-day protection period, they've gone and opened the fortress already. I'd wager that before we even make a move, the Northern Fortress will be overrun by the beast tide." Nine Dragons Emperor's face lit up with delight at the news.
Every major superpower on Dragon Heart Island understood that compared to conquering a fortress, holding one was far more difficult — especially when facing the very first beast tide upon opening the fortress. That was why the three-day protection period existed: to allow defenders to bolster the fortress's defenses as much as possible before opening it once the protection expired.
Yet now Zero Wing, in their rush for immediate gain, had opened the fortress after only a single day, letting the protection mechanism dissolve on its own. While this move might attract some players during the window before Rock Nest Fortress opened, the beast tide would show no mercy.
"Zero Wing is certainly quick off the mark, but I won't even give them the slightest sliver of hope." Sworn Blood War Spirit's gaze turned cold. "Xin Yu, spread the word immediately — announce that our Rock Nest Fortress will open tomorrow. That will crush whatever remaining notions those adventure teams and guilds might have!"
Nine Dragons Emperor was taken aback. He hadn't expected Sworn Blood War Spirit to be this ruthless, leaving absolutely no room for Zero Wing.
Zero Wing's move had already been a gamble. With the player population in the Geoheart Mountain Range growing steadily, a single fortress at the Thirteen Royal Courts' location was nowhere near sufficient. Even with the Blood War Adventure Team's influence and intimidation, some adventure teams and guilds might still secretly slip over to the Northern Fortress to rest — after all, traveling back and forth through the Geoheart Mountain Range cost both time and considerable resources.
But if the window was only a single day, then the major adventure teams and guilds on Dragon Heart Island would at least grant Blood War that much face. That meant no players would go to the Northern Fortress, rendering Zero Wing's entire effort meaningless.
Not long after Blood War released their announcement, Ku Rong at the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion's headquarters in Dragon Heart City also received the news.
"Feng Qing, what's your take on this?" Ku Rong looked up from the message in his hands and addressed the strikingly handsome woman seated nearby.
"I originally thought Zero Wing was genuinely impressive," Feng Qingyue Luo said from the sofa in the office, speaking at a leisurely pace. "But one can't twist an arm that's stronger than the thigh. Blood War and Star Ring wield far too much influence, and their foundations run deep beyond the ordinary. Even if Black Yan's combat power is staggering enough to take on a thousand, he can't change the tide of the greater situation. On top of that, I've heard the Thirteen Royal Courts are about to join forces with Star Ring once more, this time to conquer a medium-sized fortress. When that happens, Zero Wing will have absolutely no advantage left."
In her view, Feng Qianyu's choice had been rather naive. If Feng Qianyu had accepted Star Ring's overture back then, the position of Grand Pavilion Master would have been all but guaranteed. Unfortunately, that seat now belonged to Nine Dragons Emperor.
"Very well, I understand. Go make the necessary preparations," Ku Rong sighed and dismissed Feng Qingyue Luo.
The situation was now crystal clear. If the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion wanted to maintain good relations with Star Ring, then Feng Qianyu — who had once been Star Ring's adversary — was likely no longer fit to serve as Pavilion Master.
While the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion quietly made its arrangements, Blood War's decisive action sent waves of astonishment through every major power in Dragon Heart City. It served as yet another reminder to the city's vast player base of just how terrifying superpowers were and the methods they employed.
Even a major guild like Zero Wing — one that had managed to conquer the Northern Fortress — was nothing more than a grasshopper after autumn in the presence of a superpower.