Chapter 116: Chapter 115: Elven Version: Surrounding the Cities from the Countryside

Zhang Yi’s plan was to first send out Elf Scouts to get a clear picture of the situation in this Moonlight Forest,

then to continuously gather the small Elf Tribes that were dissatisfied with the Moon Elves,

form an Elf Alliance,

and then raise the banner of restoring faith in the Elf God!

After that, as long as the Clan under Zhang Yi’s command didn’t actively reveal themselves,

the Elf Tribes of this plane

would never know that the Elf God they believed in and the Elf God the Clan under Zhang Yi’s command believed in were not one and the same!

According to the intelligence provided by the university, faith in this world was still very rudimentary.

There were no symbols or organized religions to represent the Divine Beings,

nor were there any established objects of veneration for the Divine Beings they worshipped.

It was all faith that came straight from the heart.

Once the Elf Alliance was successfully formed,

he could have the Clan under his command subtly teach these Elves to use objects of veneration during their worship,

for example, by carving statues in the likeness of the Elf God (Zhang Yi) and then worshipping them;

placing these statues where the other Elf Tribes prayed;

The faith provided by these Elves would then have a clear target,

directed at Zhang Yi, the Elf God.

This would allow the source of their faith to be redirected from the original Elf God to himself, the *new* Elf God.

After that, he would codify the wording of the Elves’ prayers,

reducing mentions of the "Elf God" and increasing mentions of the "God of Nature."

This way, Zhang Yi could simultaneously seize the faith meant for the original Elf God

while also uniting the small Elf Tribes into a formidable Power, and finally launch a counterattack against the Moon Elves!

If Zhang Yi’s plan succeeded,

the original Elf God’s faith would be stolen. Without faith to heal its body, its injuries would only grow more severe.

Meanwhile, the Elves under Zhang Yi’s command, fighting under a righteous banner, could accumulate enough Power to counterattack the Moon Elves,

kill the new god the Moon Elves had created, and seize the faith of the Moon God!

After that, Zhang Yi’s strength would undoubtedly soar.

After refining the Power of the Moon God,

Zhang Yi would then kill the original Elf God.

If he could pull all that off, Zhang Yi was certain he could place first in this final exam and secure a spot in the University Alliance Training Camp!

...

「Five days later, in Gourd Canyon.」

The small missions Zhang Yi had originally accepted,

such as establishing a small outpost and scouting the surrounding terrain, had all been completed,

earning Zhang Yi over 100 Points!

And now, with the first step of his plan complete and the outpost established,

it was time to begin the second step:

sending out Elf Scouts, expanding the scope of exploration, and thoroughly investigating all the Elf Tribes, large and small, in the vicinity.

He needed to find the location of the Moon Elves,

and at the same time, he also needed to pinpoint the locations of the smaller Elf Tribes in more remote areas.

Otherwise, if he provoked the Moon Elves at the very beginning when his Power was at its weakest, he would be in grave danger!

And this was a mission the Elf Scouts had carried out many times before.

Their Stealth Skills had basically all reached Level 5 or Level 6!

One had to understand that the Level of a Skill mastered by a typical member of a Clan was tied to their personal Level.

A typical Sixth-Level Clan member, before reaching old age, could at most raise a Skill’s proficiency to match their own Level—Level 6.

But these Elf Scouts were still in their prime,

and although they had the help of the Skill Tree,

for them to reach a level of skill that surpassed the limits imposed by their age

showed just how hard they worked in their daily training!

As the intelligence gathered by the exploring Elf Scouts was continuously compiled and reported to Elf Legion Commander Feiyana,

the War Fog surrounding the troops under Zhang Yi’s command gradually dissipated, revealing the world as it truly was!

Initially, Zhang Yi had chosen his location based on the map provided by the university.

Gourd Canyon was located in the southernmost part of Moonlight Forest.

Although this location was a bit remote and out of the way,

it was safe!

He wouldn’t encounter a large-scale Elf Tribe right at the beginning, expose his position, and get bogged down in the mire of War!

And according to the Elf Scouts’ explorations during this period,

the gourd-shaped canyon had an opening at its top that faced north, and an opening at its bottom that faced south.

Passing through the southern "mouth" of Gourd Canyon led to the coast,

but unfortunately, a massive chasm stood in the way, preventing a direct connection to the coast.

Even so, the interior of Gourd Canyon received a large amount of rainfall every summer!

The legion under Zhang Yi’s command relied on the pools that collected inside Gourd Canyon for their daily drinking water.

Although they couldn’t pass directly through Gourd Canyon to get to the coast, there was a natural harbor located to the southeast, just outside the canyon.

It was a shame, however, that Zhang Yi’s current Clan had no experience in shipbuilding.

So, even with such an excellent harbor, all Zhang Yi could do was harvest salt, search for rare species, and supplement the ecological cycle within his Zhang Yi Divine Realm!

And so what if his Clan had no experience with shipbuilding?

It didn’t matter.

The Beastman Clan and Elf Clan of this plane definitely had shipbuilding experience!

’When the time comes, I’ll just have them build the ships for me!’

Heading north from the canyon’s upper opening, other Elf Tribes gradually began to appear.

Farther north, beyond the small Elf Tribes above Gourd Canyon, lay the original Main City of the Elf Clan—

the very same Main City now occupied by the Moon Elves.

’Now that I have a general understanding of the situation, the next steps will be much easier!’

The legion under Elf Legion Commander Feiyana, adopting an approach of diplomacy before force, appeared before these small Elf Tribes bearing wave after wave of gifts and accompanied by Elf Warriors. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

When these local Elf Warriors, who were still armed with Wooden Spears and Wooden Arrows and clad in simple Vine Armor,

saw the opposing force clad in armor forged from Magic Metal and wielding weapons engraved with Magic Runes,

and witnessed their elite bearing,

if not for the still-recognizable features the newcomers displayed,

which told them that these were also Elves,

they would have probably mistaken them for a foreign invading army!

But it was precisely because they recognized them as fellow Elves

that a powerful sense of inferiority bloomed in their hearts.

It was like a country child visiting the big city for the first time; the towering skyscrapers all around would leave them utterly shocked and lost.

The more dazzling and well-dressed everyone else was, the more inferior it would make the child feel!

When the Elf Scouts from the small tribe saw this scene, they knew it was a situation they couldn’t handle on their own.

The appearance of Zhang Yi’s Elf Legion alarmed the small Elf Tribes,

and when their Elf Elders and Elf Priests came out,

they took one look at the scene

and immediately assumed that their secret worship of the great Elf God had been discovered.

They thought the Moon Elves from the Main City had sent troops to capture them.

Ready to fight for their faith, these Elves prepared to take up their weapons and resist.

But before their resistance could even begin, they were all brought under control by Elf Legion Commander Feiyana’s forces.

When they learned that these were not troops sent by the Moon Elves,

that it was all a misunderstanding,

the Elf Elder of the small tribe offered an awkward yet polite smile!