As news of Xu Qing's suppression of the Full Spirit Race spread, his reputation soared to new heights. Not only that, but the provision of resources from various clans became noticeably smoother, with no clan daring to demand exorbitant prices anymore.
After all, the human race hadn't fallen yet.
After all, Xu Qing had found the power to exterminate an entire race.
It was only right for the collection of resources to be smooth.
"Shuiming Race provided 180,000 Sea Spirit Healing Pills and three war magic artifacts."
"Listening Ears Race sold 130,000 drops of their blood. This blood contains medicinal properties and can suppress serious injuries for a short period of time. They also provided a war magic artifact."
"Ghost Lane provided medicinal pills for free and is willing to send malicious ghost troops to the battlefield. Their request is to let them collect the souls of the Holy Wave Race in the battlefield."
"There's also the Full Spirit Race. This race… took the initiative to give out a million excellent-grade medicinal pills. They don't want a single coin."
Qing Qiu's heart was filled with tumultuous emotions. She keenly sensed the apprehension and wariness from the various races in Fenghai County towards what Xu Qing did recently.
As a Sword Holder, Qing Qiu was very clear about the concept of the Sword Holding Palace.
This was especially so after Xu Qing arranged for her to be in the Secretariat Department. This allowed her perspective of the overall situation to broaden quite a bit and she obtained a rare experience.
All of this allowed her to understand that what Xu Qing had done this time was actually what the Palace Master had wanted to do back then.
However, the timing and difficulty were different. Before the war, they were restrained from all sides. If they tried to do this back then, it would definitely cause a backlash. Moreover, the Holy Wave Race was eying the county covetously, so it would have been unwise to take such measures at that time.
The situation was equally challenging when the war started. There were multiple factors at play and their delicate balance was crucial. It was like navigating through a maze or a quagmire. If one rashly rushed in, it would disrupt the overall situation and could lead to disastrous consequences in the war.
Only in this situation where the frontline was in a tense situation and the experts of most races were conscripted could they truly cut through all the shackles and be swift and decisive.
Of course, the prerequisite was that one had to have the strength to crush everything and negotiate on equal terms with the powerful races.
'This kind of game of standing on the shoulders of giants looks simple but the requirements for the person executing it is very high. Not only do they have to be tough and determined, but they also have to be ruthless and bold. They also have to be crazy enough but without losing their rationality. They have to cleverly give others a way out. Using offense as defense, retreating to advance…'
Qing Qiu glanced at Xu Qing. Even though she hated him, admiration for him still rose in her heart.
'An ordinary person won't be able to achieve all these factors. If it were me… I might possess determination, ruthlessness, and madness, but when it comes to how to exercise discretion, make calm judgments, and engage in rational negotiation, I am not as competent as him."
Xu Qing didn't know what Qing Qiu was thinking. He slowly replied after some thought.
"The medicinal pills given by the Full Spirit Race are not enough. What I saw in their race was definitely not this little. Ask them to provide more, but we should not excessively exploit them. It's not the right time for that. So, for the rest, we will buy them."
"As for Ghost Lane's request… I can agree with it in principle, but inform them that it needs to be confirmed with the Palace Master. Ask them to send the malicious ghost troops to the battlefield first and communicate with the Palace Master."
"All the supplies must arrive here within three days. We will send them to the battlefield all at once."
"As for the money, get them to look for the Deputy Governor after they deliver the supplies."
Qing Qiu nodded in agreement. Just as she was about to leave, Ning Yan arrived outside the Secretariat Department.
"Reporting to the edict bearer!"
Xu Qing looked at Ning Yan. Facing Xu Qing's gaze, Ning Yan instinctively shuddered. He stood up straight and spoke loudly.
"The Wood Spirit Race's envoys have come to visit and request to see the Lord."
Almost at the same time that Ning Yan spoke, Xu Qing's voice transmission jade slip vibrated. Xu Qing scanned it with his divine consciousness. The old man's voice echoed in his mind.
"Xu Qing, I have brought the second batch of the Wood Spirit Race to participate in the battle of the human race!"
Xu Qing's expression changed. He immediately stood up and walked out to personally welcome them.
The Wood Spirit Race was an ally of the human race. Previously, when the Palace Master was recruiting, they had sent a batch of clansmen to the northern battlefield with the alliance army organized by Marquis Yao.
This wasn't a large race to begin with, but they were actually sending out a second wave of reinforcements. This was the first time any race had done this in this war.
Very soon, outside the Sword Holding Palace, Xu Qing saw the old man from Panquan Road standing there and the thousands of Wood Spirit Race members floating in the air behind him.
Their tree-like figures were very bulky and emitted an extraordinary aura. Clearly, they were all elites.
Beside the old man from Panquan Road stood an elderly.
This old man was also a treant. His face was ancient and revealed wisdom. There were also extraordinary fluctuations emitting from his body. His eyes had a thousand dao threads, showing that he was at the first stage of Nihility.
"Xu Qing, this is the great elder of the Wood Spirit Race." When the old man from Panquan Road saw Xu Qing, he hurriedly introduced.
Xu Qing's gaze froze before quickly cupping his fists and bowing.
"Greetings, elder. Thank you for your support!"
"Edict Bearer Xu, there's no need to be so polite. You're a Spirit Venerable of my race to begin with. In terms of status, you're on par with our clan leader. Moreover, the human race has protected my race for many years. My Wood Spirit Race naturally has to repay the kindness."
"Previously, I was in closed-door cultivation and was about to break through. I owe it to the Sword Holding Palace's Palace Master for allowing me to be exempted from fighting. Now that I've completed my breakthrough, how can I stay back?"
Xu Qing didn't know what the Spirit Venerable meant but he guessed that it must be related to Ling'er. Hence, he bowed again and immediately ordered someone to help them settle down. He arranged for them to escort the supplies of the various races to the western war zone in three days and deliver them to the Palace Master.
The Wood Spirit Race was gentle by nature and this Great Elder didn't underestimate Xu Qing because of his cultivation. On one hand, it was because of Ling'er and on the other hand, it was because of Xu Qing's current identity in the Sword Holding Palace.
More importantly, he was aware that he could only befriend this young man in front of him and not offend him.
On the way here, he had also heard about the Full Spirit Race and knew about Xu Qing's negotiations with the Quasi-Immortal Race. Hence, he could see very clearly that Xu Qing was the one who had resolved the matter of the supplies required for the front lines.
This in itself was a huge battle merit.
If Xu Qing resolved the issue of military reinforcements, then after the two merits were stacked, the effect would be so great that it could allow him to have astonishing authority in the Sword Holding Palace in Fenghai County.
The prerequisite was that the human race won the war.
The two waves of support from the Wood Spirit Race had exhausted the entire race. This matter was a gamble. They were betting that the human race would win this battle and that Fenghai County would still be in the hands of the human race in the future.
If the bet was successful, it could protect the Wood Spirit Race for the next thousand years.
With their connection to Xu Qing, their status might even rise up by a level.
Hence, the Wood Spirit Race's great elder didn't have any objections to Xu Qing's arrangements. He knew that the Holy Spirit Protector still had something to discuss with the Spirit Venerable, so he bade farewell and left.
After he left, the old man from Panquan Road sized up Xu Qing a few times. His expression revealed satisfaction but he didn't seem to want to reveal his true thoughts. He quickly restrained his satisfaction and coughed.
"Although the Wood Spirit Race came here because they wanted to gamble, Ling'er's contribution is very great in this!"
"Ling'er is still in seclusion?" Xu Qing nodded. He took out a jade slip and instructed people to host the Wood Spirit Race, and also checked the resources sent by the various races.
"There's still some time. To Ling'er, the good fortune this time will take a long time to digest." After the old man finished speaking, he didn't know what to say. Xu Qing wasn't good at chatting with others and kept dealing with official business.
A long time later, the old man coughed.
"Um, don't you have anything else to ask?"
Xu Qing was surprised and glanced at the old man.
"For example, Ling'er's past, what the good fortune she obtained can change, whether she occasionally woke up during this period of time, aren't you going to ask!!" The old man was a little dissatisfied.
Xu Qing frowned.
"Why would I ask you about these things? I'll just ask Ling'er."
"Uh…" The old man opened his mouth and wanted to refute, but on careful thought, that did seem to be the case. However, he still felt stifled.
After Xu Qing's gaze swept over, he sensed the other party's emotions.
He was very familiar with such things. The captain was always like this. He looked into the old man's eyes and spoke seriously.
"I actually can't trust the Wood Spirit Race completely. The transportation of supplies is very important. I hope that Senior will pay more attention and ensure that there's nothing wrong. Right now, in the capital, the only person I can trust is Senior."
When the old man heard this, he was instantly satisfied. He laughed and spoke proudly.
"Don't worry. When the supplies arrive later, I'll personally activate my innate art and seal them heavily. I'll also do my best to keep an eye on them on the way and make sure nothing goes wrong."
Xu Qing cupped his fists and bowed deeply.
Seeing Xu Qing like this, the old man was incomparably happy. He felt that this brat Xu knew how to respect him and wasn't that hateful anymore.
Three days passed.
The supplies from the nonhuman races arrived as scheduled. Finally, under Xu Qing's gaze, the Wood Spirit Race, the old man, and the others escorted the supplies to the western battlefield.
Although there were teleportation arrays on the way, teleportation couldn't be used in some areas for various reasons. The overall time needed to reach the western battlefront was about five to six days.
After sending off the Wood Spirit Race, Xu Qing stood on the stone slab at the edge of the Sword Holding Palace and looked at the sky.
Behind him were Ning Yan, Qing Qiu, and a group of Sword Holders from the Secretariat Department. They looked at Xu Qing with deep respect in their eyes.
This was especially so for Qing Qiu. All kinds of emotions rose in her heart as she tried to suppress her respect for Xu Qing. The scythe on her shoulder sighed faintly in her mind.
'Ah Qiu, stop resisting… I can already sense the conflict in your heart. What's there to be unconvinced about? Isn't it a very normal choice to lower your head to the great and handsome Edict Bearer Xu?'
'Shut up. Ever since you were caught and knew that there was an artifact spirit beside Xu Qing, you started to speak like this. It's disgusting!'
'In the past, you kept on saying you wanted to perish together with the enemy, so why not just die already!' Qing Qiu snorted coldly in her mind.
'How can a disgusting person like you understand what I'm thinking? I, Qing Qiu, will never be like you, easily bowing down to others!'
'It's the same with Xu Qing!'
Xu Qing naturally didn't know what Qing Qiu was thinking.
At that moment, it was early in the morning. A refreshing wind blew over, lifting Xu Qing's long hair. He looked at the sky and earth for a long time, his eyes filled with contemplation.
During this period of time, he had been thinking about a question.
How to provide troops for the battlefield.
Just a few thousand people from the Wood Spirit Race wasn't enough for the front lines.
This was a protracted battle. Facing the Holy Wave Large Region that surpassed Fenghai County by a lot, even with the resistance of the entire county's Taboo magic treasures, casualties still appeared at every moment.
Supplies could only slightly improve the tense situation at the front lines. However, if they wanted to continue the war, the demand for troops would continue to increase.
A long time later, Xu Qing suddenly spoke.
"Qing Qiu."
"Ah, here!" Qing Qiu was mentally reprimanding the scythe. Her heart was filled with pride, but when she heard Xu Qing's voice, her body couldn't help but tremble. She hurriedly took a step forward and stood upright.
"Organize all the information on the Quzhao Prefecture's Cloth Forbidden and the Yinghuang Prefecture's Corpse Forbidden for me in fifteen minutes." Xu Qing's expression was calm as he looked in the direction of the Yinghuang Prefecture.
"I will follow the order! I guarantee that it will be brought to you in fifteen minutes!!" Qing Qiu puffed out her chest and instinctively spoke loudly. Her voice was filled with passion, just like when she had faced the Palace Master before.
'Who was it who said that she won't submit?' The scythe's sarcastic tone reverberated in Qing Qiu's mind.
'Shut up. I'm feigning civility. I'm doing this for the sake of the war!' Qing Qiu reacted and immediately scolded.
"Aren't you going?" Xu Qing glanced over when he saw that Qing Qiu was still standing there.
"Yes!" Qingqin's posture was upright. She instinctively spoke loudly again and quickly left.
