NOVEL NEXT Chapter 286: Two months
Two months passed in the Southern Region in the blink of an eye.
In the outside world, anxiety and speculation spread rapidly.
It had already been three months since City Lord Grey vanished from public view.
Where had City Lord Grey gone?
Why had he never appeared again after abruptly shutting down the live stream following his battle with City Lord Albert?
Some began to question whether his declaration of conquering the Southern Region in a single day had failed.
Others went further.
Rumors spread that City Lord Grey had suffered severe injuries during his clash with City Lord Albert. That was why he had yet to show his face again.
These speculations continued to grow until they were abruptly silenced.
City Lord Albert, who now openly worked under Grey, released official statistics.
Everything aligned with Grey's original words.
The cities had fallen within a single day.
Only deserted cities and the High Order remnants remained.
Clearing them proved difficult due to the High Order members using abandoned cities as hiding grounds, causing repeated clashes and delays.
Even so, one truth became undeniable.
The entire Southern Region had been unified.
Its name changed.
From that day onward, it became known as the Ascension Region.
Grey's summons continued roaming the skies and lands. Travelers aboard aerial flights occasionally witnessed infernal figures gliding through the air alongside them.
The sight unsettled many at first.
Fear spread quickly.
That fear faded just as quickly once people realized the summons never attacked civilians or aircraft. An incident soon cemented that trust.
A flight traveling from the eastern sector of the Ascension Region to the western sector suffered a catastrophic malfunction midair.
An infernal descended from the skies.
It stabilized the aircraft and escorted it safely to the ground.
Every passenger survived.
After that, doubt vanished.
One conclusion became clear to everyone.
City Lord Grey was neither hiding nor injured.
He was waiting.
Waiting for the moment when his summons finished cleansing the Ascension Province completely.
This chapter of history would be told for generations.
People across the province began anticipating the day City Lord Grey would emerge once more and make his official announcement.
Until then, life continued.
People returned to their routines.
And quietly, patiently, the entire Ascension Province waited for that day to arrive.
City Lord Albert, City Lord Brown, and the people they trusted came together to handle the aftermath of Grey's conquest.
This coordination followed Grey's instructions. Through their combined efforts, everything remained tightly controlled and kept away from public chaos.
The Southern region, now increasingly referred to as the Ascension Region, fell under their management.
They honored the promise they had made to Grey and took responsibility for overseeing various sectors of the region.
Beyond that, they went further.
Additional effort was poured into stabilizing infrastructure, securing trade routes, and maintaining order.
Each of them understood the importance of standing firmly on Grey's side.
Gaining his favor mattered.
And none of them intended to waste that opportunity.
Within Grey's City Lord mansion, everything had quieted as well.
Gu Qianchen, who had originally descended to visit Werner and Grey, was abruptly recalled by the Floating Cities.
When he received the call, his expression turned grim.
He offered only a single sentence before leaving.
"Something major is happening on the other side."
After that, he departed without delay.
Before leaving, he warned them to remain vigilant, pay close attention to the movements of the High Order, and stay cautious in the coming days. He also left his contact information, telling them to reach out once Grey returned.
With Gu Qianchen gone, life within the mansion returned to a steady rhythm.
Everyone continued with their daily routines.
Lia and Alissa took responsibility for caring for little Hong. Together, they waited patiently for Grey's return.
For evolvers of their level, waiting several months carried little weight.
During this period, Lia advanced rapidly through the second rank. She resolved the instability in her energy on her own and successfully reached the sixth level of the second rank.
After reaching that point, she halted her advancement to solidify her foundation.
She devoted an entire month to this process.
A weak foundation invited disaster. At higher levels, instability could easily spiral out of control or even result in catastrophic failure.
During this time, Lia frequently went out hunting mutated beasts alongside Alissa.
They required a stable supply of life essence. With limited resources at their disposal, hunting remained their only option.
Alissa's progress remained steady as well.
She advanced to the fourth level of the second rank without difficulty. As a true dragon, she could directly devour life essence and assimilate it at an accelerated pace. This advantage allowed her to keep up with Lia, even in the presence of Lia's awakened Endless Potential Physique.
At present, Alissa began assimilating the Source Law of Frost.
She entered another phase of law transformation, preparing to advance further and step into the fifth level of the second rank.
During this period, Werner also achieved a breakthrough.
He successfully advanced to become a three star Formation Master.
Although Gu Qianchen's stay at the mansion was brief, the time proved invaluable. He engaged Werner in an in depth discussion regarding formation theory, structure, and stability. With that guidance, Werner navigated the process safely and completed his advancement despite remaining at the second rank.
Valeria showed steady progress as well.
She successfully completed another stage of bodily transformation through the Heavenly Fire Law. After witnessing the rapid improvement of the others, she devoted herself fully to cultivation.
Seeing Lia surpass her in direct combat strength placed pressure on her.
As a bearer of Heavenly Fire, falling behind was unacceptable.
The twin sisters, Meiling and Meiying, advanced to the second level of the second rank.
Their pace appeared slow compared to the others, yet this result aligned with expectations. The people around them simply operated beyond normal standards.
Throughout this time, contact with Grey never truly ceased.
Occasionally, Grey linked his consciousness through an infernal. He issued instructions, monitored developments, and then disconnected once more.
Even in seclusion, his presence continued to guide the growth of everyone around him.