Everyone drew their weapons, prepared to battle the monster. Even Bai Qi unsheathed a blood-red longsword, as if it were forged from human blood. In reality, it was a top-tier diamond-grade weapon crafted from blood crystal ore.
"Whoosh!"
A dark silhouette appeared before them. As they prepared to engage, Bai Qi recognized it and quickly said, "Wait!"
Everyone else looked at the dog-sized monster with curiosity, astonished that such a creature could emit such a powerful aura.
"What kind of monster is this? It looks rather peculiar. How can something so small radiate such a strong aura? I almost thought it was a colossal beast."
"This must be no ordinary monster!"
"It looks quite ferocious."
"It has wings and can fly."
"It appears very young."
Bai Qi showed a hint of surprise and stepped forward, but Meng Tian quickly blocked him. "General, you are the commander of the entire army. You cannot risk yourself. Let your subordinate handle it."
Bai Qi shook his head and said, "Don't underestimate it. This is the Qiong Qi, a fierce beast from the primordial era. Rest assured, it cannot harm me."
Hearing Bai Qi's words, the others said no more.
However, when they learned this small creature was the Qiong Qi, a fierce beast from ancient legends, they were utterly shocked.
The Qiong Qi!
Its combat power was terrifying, no less than that of a divine beast. To encounter such a monster!
Bai Qi approached the Qiong Qi and unleashed a fearsome killing intent. A bloody aura enveloped the heavens and earth, plunging the entire sky into darkness in an instant.
All the soldiers watched Bai Qi in stunned silence. They had never imagined their general could unleash such terrifying killing intent. This aura was not directed at them, yet it already made them feel a sense of danger.
If it had been aimed at them, they likely wouldn't have even mustered the courage to attack.
As the killing intent enveloped the Qiong Qi, it seemed to quiet down, becoming like a well-behaved pet. Bai Qi then said to it, "From now on, you shall follow this general!"
"Roar!" The little creature flapped its wings and nodded. It had been subdued by Bai Qi so easily.
All the soldiers were filled with immense admiration for Bai Qi. Even Meng Tian and the others were astounded. Bai Qi had managed to subdue such a fierce beast with such ease, which was undoubtedly a blessing for their territory.
A fierce beast paired with a god of war.
This was a nightmare for their enemies!
Bai Qi stood on a massive boulder, his eyes deep as he gazed into the distance, lost in thought.
The little creature stayed by his side, constantly sniffing him with its nose, as if it had found a father.
Bai Qi pondered for a moment, then produced a contract talisman and signed an equal contract. The talisman flew into the Qiong Qi's mind. Once the Qiong Qi agreed, it established a telepathic link with Bai Qi.
"You are still young and cannot help me much. Enter the pet space to grow." Bai Qi sent the Qiong Qi into the pet space and then retrieved a large quantity of rare heavenly treasures from the territory to provide for its use.
The Qiong Qi was quite happy in the pet space. It sensed that this place would greatly benefit its growth, and with the abundance of heavenly treasures, it liked it even more.
A few hours later, Zhang Liang dispatched a contingent of troops, escorting hundreds of miners. Bai Qi left a portion of his forces behind and then departed for other regions.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yan, engaged in intimate activities within the Lingxiao Palace, received a message from Zhang Liang. Zhang Liang reported a shortage of miners in the territory and inquired if the soldiers could also participate in mining.
Zhou Yan immediately rejected this suggestion, recognizing the vast difference between someone with a mining skill and someone without.
He told the two women to rest well and then proceeded to the [Hall of Heroes].
Upon upgrading this building to level 60, it would allow for the summoning of mining talents.
Each mining talent, with an S-grade quality, could be summoned for one thousand soul coins. This was a significant advantage for him.
He summoned five thousand mining specialists, including one top-tier RRR-grade miner and one hundred SS-grade and fifty SSS-grade miners to serve as management for the entire mining operation.
Their levels did not need to be very high; level 20 was sufficient. After the summoning was complete, Zhou Yan asked Zhang Liang to meet him.
Upon seeing the large number of miners, Zhang Liang was filled with relief. "With this, we will be able to excavate many crystal ore veins. We have discovered numerous ore deposits in the vicinity, and we can now dispatch them to begin excavation."
"If you need more personnel, tell me. I can summon another five thousand," Zhou Yan stated.
"For now, this is sufficient. We cannot spread our mining operations too widely at this moment. There are still many people in this area, and we must remain vigilant," Zhang Liang replied.
Then, Zhang Liang added, "There is something the Lord should be aware of."
"What is it?" Zhou Yan inquired.
Zhang Liang recounted how Bai Qi had previously destroyed a territory and massacred fifty thousand people.
Zhou Yan was taken aback and speechless. This was the first time Bai Qi had commanded a battle, and he had already presented such a 'surprise.'
"Zhang Liang, what are your thoughts?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at Zhang Liang.
Zhang Liang considered the matter and replied, "I believe General Bai Qi's actions were a bit too radical. Our objective was merely to obtain the crystal ore veins. The Lord did not intend to destroy other territories at the outset."
"Of course, even if General Bai Qi had not destroyed that person's territory, he would have undoubtedly sent more people if he knew his ore deposits had fallen into our hands. General Bai Qi's approach was a 'one-and-done' solution, but he should not have massacred those fifty thousand who surrendered."
Zhou Yan nodded and said, "If we are mistaken for a warlord territory that exclusively attacks other lords, it will not be good. We will be hunted across the entire continent of territories."
"Since we have seized their ore deposits, let's not concern ourselves further. The territory is gone, and it is gone. I will discuss this matter with Bai Qi later."
He also felt that Bai Qi should not have massacred those fifty thousand. Sometimes, slaughtering enemies was acceptable. However, as the aggressors, their actions were somewhat excessive.
But then again, if Bai Qi had not acted this way, he wouldn't be Bai Qi.
He was inherently a ruthless individual.
A ruthless person who never showed mercy to his enemies.
He instructed Bai Qi not to initiate attacks on others from now on, unless the enemy struck first, in which case he could retaliate with full force.
Bai Qi naturally responded with an affirmative.
Seeing that the Lord did not blame him for the previous incident, he smiled, knowing that the Lord did not hold his past actions against him.