The sky was not yet light, and the outside of Red Tide City was still shrouded in a thin mist.

When Louis opened his eyes, the ceiling reflected a faint morning light.

He hadn't slept well, with the eerie sounds before the Brood Nest was burned down echoing in his mind.

He closed his eyes but couldn't dispel the unease and agitation.

The Red Tide Territory is safe now, but "now" never means "future."

He slightly turned his head, his gaze falling on the girl beside him.

Emily was quietly asleep, her long azure hair spread like water over the white pillowcase, her eyelashes slightly trembling, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.

As if she was still immersed in the afterglow of last night.

Her hand tightly grasped the corner of his pajamas, like she was relying on him in her dreams, unwilling to let go.

"Last night, perhaps we were a bit too determined." Louis smiled wryly.

After all, whether for emotional reasons, responsibility, or political significance, the Red Tide Territory urgently needed a "symbol."

An heir to put those nobles, soldiers, and citizens at ease...

But as the lord, he couldn't truly get a peaceful sleep.

He gently reached out, carefully prying Emily's fingers from the fabric, trying not to disturb her dreams, then quietly sat up and donned his clothes.

At that moment, he moved his right hand slightly, his fingertips traced through the air.

Accompanied by a slight "buzzing" resonance, a translucent light screen slowly unfolded before him, the blue and white interface hanging like an icy surface in the air.

He took a deep breath, and his eyes instantly became clear and calm.

It was as if, in an instant, he transformed from a husband and lover back into the young lord maneuvering between the battlefield and crisis.

"Come on... what news will today bring?"

[Daily Intelligence Update Complete]

[1: The mage sent by the Mage Forest to investigate the insect corpse attack case will arrive in the Red Tide Territory this evening.]

[2: Vic Glanser was turned into a special insect corpse by the 'Desperate Witch.']

[3: A group of 'Fire-Scaled Vipers' discovered in the deep geothermal area of the Red Tide Territory.]

A slight dripping sound fell, and the icy blue interface appeared exceptionally stern in the morning light.

Louis glanced at the first piece of intelligence, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"That's good news."

The Mage Forest would certainly not send ordinary mages, they could definitely provide some assistance.

"At least it's better than sending some armor-piercing knights to search the mountains for corpses." He muttered, a hint of sarcasm in his smile.

Knights may be brave, but when it comes to finding the Brood Nest, mages are far more professional.

Since his Brood Nest had already been destroyed, he might as well guide this batch of mages to investigate other nests...

If he really wanted to lead this group off track, it wouldn't be a difficult task.

Hopefully, they'll uncover something.

Even if it's just a clue.

But when his gaze slid down to the second piece of information, the smile instantly faded.

[Vic Glanser was turned into a special insect corpse by the 'Desperate Witch.']

In an instant, the air seemed to freeze. Louis stared at the line, silent for a long time.

Vic, the high-tier knight who unhesitatingly gave the order to "retreat fully" while holding the line alone against the Brood Nest...

He had only spoken with him once, but that composed presence and sense of responsibility still left a deep impression.

"Even he couldn't find peace."

But what sent a chill down Louis's spine wasn't just Vic's death, but another fact.

The Desperate Witch was still in the Northern Territory.

Not only that, perhaps... he was near the Red Tide Territory.

"A creature capable of creating a Brood Nest... what exactly is this thing?" He gazed at that line, exhaling only after a long pause.

The intelligence only used the title "Desperate Witch" without more details, but it was precisely because of this that it was more unsettling.

Capable of silently creating such monsters as a Brood Nest...

Just that fact alone was enough to send chills down the spine of every lord.

"I don't think my men are capable of defeating her." Louis smiled wryly, his tone carrying a touch of self-mockery, but it was also the truth.

If they really encountered her, it was better to arrange patrol lines and leave multiple escape routes early.

If it doesn't work, just run.

Surviving was more important than dying a brave death.

Before his thoughts could settle, the third piece of information appeared on the screen.

[A group of 'Fire-Scaled Vipers' discovered in the geothermal area of the Red Tide Territory.]

This actually made Louis's eyes brighten.

"...This is good news."

The Fire-Scaled Vipers were coppery red all over, their bodies covered with a silicon-based oil film that could withstand temperatures of up to 800 degrees Celsius.

Once refined, it could even burn for more than six hours at high temperatures.

Intelligence had previously mentioned the possibility of them being in the geothermal area, but by the time Louis had the chance to search for them, they were nowhere to be found.

However, with this intelligence coming out again, he naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity; after all, such important resources needed to be secured, especially with the threat of the Brood Nest looming.

For dealing with the Brood Nest, which feared fire, it was simply heaven-sent.

"If I can systematically collect and refine them, perhaps I could develop a continuously burning type of field weapon." He mumbled, already beginning to design blueprints and associated strategies in his mind.

But the joy lasted only for a few moments before being overshadowed by the previous piece of intelligence.

Even with a new weapon direction, the presence of that "Desperate Witch" was like a sword hanging over his head, ready to drop at any moment.

No matter how useful the Fire-Scaled Vipers were... they were just for dealing with the 'Insect Swarm.'

"Sigh..." Louis sighed lowly.

The gloom of the intelligence still hung heavily in his heart, but he also knew: anxiety wouldn't bring any change.

To control the situation, there was always only one crucial thing—become stronger.

So he stood up, walked towards the corner of the room where a meditation mat was laid out with animal skin, and sat down with a calm cross-legged posture.

The air seemed to quiet down at that moment, leaving only the echo of heartbeats, breaths, and the flow of inner strength.

The fighting energy within him flowed like a gentle stream through his bones and muscles, hot yet steady, with occasional minor obstructions which he swiftly smoothed out with his skilled techniques.

His cultivation was now close to the threshold of a Low-tier Elite Knight.

Yet, he was still one step away from it.

Whether it was the quantity of fighting energy, muscle fiber density, or internal circulation speed, all were close to the breakthrough standards required.

But... it was just a little short.

"Relying solely on accumulation, it might take another month." Louis opened his eyes, his gaze falling on a small bottle with a wax seal on the desk.

It was a Knight Growth Potion concocted by Hillco, which he had saved for this bottleneck period.

Made with the rare Frost Blood Redberry and Azure Patterned Honey, it emitted a viscous purplish-red glow, pulsating slowly like a heartbeat, as if some kind of intense vitality was sealed within the bottle.

"Why not just now." He murmured, picking up the potion.

There was no unnecessary ceremony, nor any hesitation.

"Pop." The cork was pulled off, a strong sweet-and-sour smell mixed with a medicinal fragrance assailed his nose.

It was quite unpalatable.

Louis forced down the swirling sensation in his throat and gulped it down in one go.

At that moment, it felt as if a fiery line ignited from his throat, instantly rushing into his entire body!

Like pouring water on hot iron, his blood and energy inside boiled instantly, and the previously stable flowing fighting energy suddenly became agitated.

"Hiss..."

The next second, the energy of the Frost Blood Redberry erupted like a volcanic explosion at the center of his abdomen.

A scorching torrent exploded fiercely, seemingly wanting to char his internal organs, surging through his blood vessels to his entire body!

His muscles twitched violently, his bones quaked like war drums, his breathing was momentarily disrupted, like someone suddenly threw him into a burning furnace!

But he wasn't torn apart; it was the Azure Patterned Honey at work.

That naturally sweet essence, thread by thread, flowed into the wild waves like a clear spring, slowing, diluting, and softening the fierce flames, eventually converting it into a purifiable pure energy.

He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth to stabilize his breath, quickly entered a cultivation state, and the internal operating methods within him were swiftly activated, his breathing syncing with the pulse, resonating with the heaven and earth.

The violent forces, under the suppression of his will, gradually turned gentle, ultimately settling within his meridians!

At that moment!

The core of his fighting energy shook violently, and the bottleneck that had been suppressed for a long time suddenly loosened!

Within him, it seemed like war drums were pounding, waves of fighting energy stormed like torrential waves, constantly washing over that critical barrier!

Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!

It was as if the drums of heaven were echoing, fighting energy erupted and coursed throughout his body!

His skin emitted an abnormal red glow, as if illuminated by firelight, or as if a blazing radiance was emanating from within.

The air gently trembled, like barely perceptible ripples breaking across a water surface.

His eyelashes quivered lightly, his eyelids slightly lifted.

When he opened his eyes again, that sharpness lurking deep in his pupils was no longer concealed.

Mid-tier Elite Knight, breakthrough!

He slowly exhaled a breath of white mist, the fighting energy within him surging like the sea, his entire being felt like it had been tempered in a furnace and then immersed into the cold water of the Snowfield.

"Indeed, it's a stage that can't be crossed by effort alone." He chuckled softly.

Just as Louis managed to stabilize his breathing, the searing energy within him still hadn't completely settled.

At this moment, there was a soft sound from the bed: "Hmm..."

He turned his head.

Emily sat up, rubbing her eyes, her slender shoulders half-covered by her nightgown, with a sleepy yet alluring dishevelment to her blue hair.

"Did you just... have a breakthrough?" Her voice carried the remnants of sleep, yet couldn't hide her delight.

Louis turned towards her, a suppressed smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, "Yes. Just now."

"That's great!" She jumped off the bed and leaped into his arms, wrapping him tight, her face full of pride and happiness.

He paused momentarily, then leaned closer to her ear to tease softly, "It's thanks to your nourishing last night that I could break through."

"You, you, you...stop talking nonsense!" Emily's face instantly turned as red as a boiling kettle, her voice climbing half an octave as she let go to hit him.

He dodged with a laugh, "I meant the dinner you made was nourishing. What were you thinking?"

"...!"

She shot him a fierce glare, pouting angrily, her face flushed to her ears.

The two bantered back and forth, creating a warm and slightly irreverent atmosphere.

But Louis quickly put away his smile, glanced at the sky, and said softly, "There's still time, how about... we continue cultivating?"

Emily was slightly surprised, and before she could respond, Louis was already sitting cross-legged, meditating with his hands forming seals.

She knew this wasn't simply resting meditation.

On their wedding night, Louis secretly told her—he was cultivating magic.

"You... can use magic?" She was indeed surprised that night, but she didn't doubt him.

She just wondered why this man always kept so many secrets, and yet always used these secrets to quietly protect everything around him.

She walked over, sitting quietly beside him.

To outsiders, the Meditation Technique appeared very similar to a knight's Breathing Technique.

However, each inhalation and exhalation seemed more serene; that deep mental stability felt like a lake under the moonlit night, bottomless yet calm and still.

"It's not that magical, really."

Emily murmured, hugging her knees, pondering for a moment, before she simply sat cross-legged like him, starting to cultivate the Blue Radiance Breathing Technique belonging to the Edmund Clan.

She also had fighting energy flowing within her, blue glimmers appearing on the surface of her skin, as if the moonlight was gently brushing against her, calm and clear.

It intertwined with the faint white magic flow within Louis, like two parallel galaxies running alongside each other.

In the quiet room, one breath was strong and the other gentle, one blue and one white, resonating silently.

The wind was gentle outside, the sun not yet breaking through the clouds.

Yet the light from their cultivation in the room had already illuminated the journey they were about to embark on together.

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