Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?! - Chapter 280

280: Secrets of Mount Skyhowl.

280: Secrets of Mount Skyhowl.

A tremor of excitement ran through the Azure Phoenix army and all their fear melted into feverish ambition.

The shouts began first in pockets, then spread like wildfire.

“For the Azure Phoenix!” “For glory!” “For His Majesty!” Their battle cries rose to meet those of the Qin soldiers, the two rival armies now charging side by side toward a single goal, trapped within the same killing ground, yet unwilling to yield to the other.

Shu Ji Shi watched them go, the faintest trace of satisfaction crossing his face.

Then he turned to his gathered generals, his tone lowering to something far more pragmatic, cold and deliberate.

“Prepare the legions that remain outside the barrier,” Shu Ji Shi commanded,”We march for Coldwind City while those caught inside…” his gaze flicked back toward the glowing dome of light, “…can keep the beasts company.” The generals around him exchanged uneasy glances.

Shu Ji Shi lingered for a heartbeat longer, eyes narrowing as he watched the chaos unfolding within the barrier.

“They will buy us some time,” he said softly, almost to himself, before turning to face his command staff.

“Generals,” his tone hardened, sharp and deliberate, “I know we share no love for the Qin dogs.

But until the Fang family is dealt with, we will tolerate their presence.

Once that’s done…” He let the rest of the sentence die in the wind, but the meaning was clear, deadly clear.

Then, with measured steps, the emperor adjusted his cloak and walked away.

Meanwhile, somewhere in a secluded region far away from the battlefield.

A quiet yawn broke the silence within Skyhowl.

Fang Yuan stretched lazily, his joints popping with faint cracks that echoed across the plateau.

Before him, Fang Lian sat cross-legged in deep meditation, her aura calm and steady, the faint ripple of qi swirling gently around her form.

He studied her for a moment, a faint smile ghosting his lips.

“Hard at work I suppose.” he murmured.

Then, with a light shake of his head, he rose to his feet and rolled his shoulders.

“Perhaps I should go enjoy the view on the summit while she’s busy.” A soft hum of energy rippled around him as he lifted off the ground, robes fluttering with the mountain breeze.

As he ascended, the air grew thinner, colder, yet cleaner.

Wild beasts prowled among the crags, their silhouettes flickering between rocks and trees.

One particularly bold wolf-like creature stepped forward, its fur bristling until Fang Yuan’s qi flared ever so slightly.

The pressure alone was enough.

The beast whimpered and bolted, vanishing into the mist.

Others followed, their distant cries fading into silence.

A few heartbeats later, Fang Yuan arrived on top of the mountain.

The world stretched endlessly before him.

The forest below rolled like a sea of green waves, stretching far beyond the horizon.

Shafts of sunlight pierced through drifting clouds, painting the valley in warm gold.

Streams glittered like silver threads, winding through the vast wilderness.

Fang Yuan breathed in deeply, the scent of pine, earth, and sun mingling together in tranquil harmony.

For a fleeting moment, his usual sharp gaze softened.

It’s been a while since I’ve taken the time to enjoy something this simple, he thought, his hands clasped behind his back.

But then, as he stood there watching sunlight ripple over the distant canopy, a faint crease formed between his brows.

“…I feel like I’m forgetting something,” he muttered.

The wind answered him with a gentle sigh, tugging at his sleeves making him feel that whatever it was, it didn’t really matter.

Fang Yuan lingered on the summit, letting the sunlight wash over his face, the mountain breeze ruffling his hair.

From this height, the world seemed still, an endless expanse of forests and winding rivers.

Just as Fang Yuan was about to turn away, a flicker of motion caught his eye.

He froze for a second as, far across the horizon, beyond the rolling forests and veils of mist, a mountain slowly shifted.

It was subtle at first but soon he realised this was no mere hallucinations.

The peak leaned forward by a hair’s breadth, the ridgeline sinking a few inches.

And then again, step by step, centimetre after centimetre, the mountain was truly moving.

Fang Yuan squint his eyes before his hand drifted toward his sword out of instinct.

“That’s… no illusion,” he murmured.

He rose into the air, robes fluttering softly, and slowly extended his divine sense outward like a ripple through still water.

The spiritual field spread across until it reached the moving mass.

And when it reaches, his divine sense slammed back into him.

The rebound brought back a message along with it.

“Human… we meet again.” Fang Yuan’s eyes widened, his hand unconsciously resting on the hilt of his sword.

Before his very eyes, the distant mountain shifted again, soil cascading down its flanks in thundering waves.

Trees toppled, boulders rolled, and then a head began to slowly rise from the mountain’s peak.

A colossal shell emerged from beneath the crust of earth, ancient and worn, veined with moss and stone.

Fang Yuan froze where he stood, his breath catching in his throat as he recognised who or what the mountain was.

He clasped his fists and bowed slightly, his voice steady but respectful.

“Emperor Beast,” he greeted, the title leaving his lips with weight.

“What brings you here?” The titanic tortoise turned its head, eyes like molten amber cracking open through layers of age and stone.

Its breath rumbled like a storm brewing deep beneath the earth, and when it spoke, its voice rolled out with a hint of dry amusement.

“An intruder…” The word dragged through the air like boulders grinding together, before the tortoise’s lips curled in what could only be described as a stony smirk.

“Trespassed into my domain… so I came… to see.” A few slabs of stone slid from its massive shell as it let out a low, rumbling sound.

“Imagine my surprise,” it added, “to find it was you again, little human.”