Time passed unnoticed, and another year had slipped by.

In this year, the war situation across the entire Flamefrost Plane had not undergone significant changes.

Wizards and the monster tribes of the Flamefrost Plane clashed fiercely, both sides engaging in small-scale skirmishes and probing along the lengthy border.

The wizard legions, like steel behemoths rooted in scorched earth, continuously fortified their camps, radiating influence outward.

Meanwhile, the lava giants and snow beasts, relying on their familiarity with the native terrain, put up stubborn resistance.

Though forced to retreat under the wizards’ might, the monsters seemed unhurried, almost as if they had grown accustomed to the situation.

Everything appeared to have settled into a delicate balance, but Jie Ming knew this was merely the calm before the storm.

Today, he was not in his laboratory as usual.

Instead, at Viola’s invitation, he found himself in her office, perched high in the camp with a view overlooking the entire scorched plain, engaged in casual conversation.

“The latest news—you’ve heard about it, haven’t you?” Viola leaned back comfortably on a plush sofa, holding a glass of blue liquid emitting faint wisps of cold vapor, a stark contrast to the blistering heat of the Blazing Sun Realm outside.

“You mean… the matter about the plane’s geological structure changes?” Jie Ming sat across from her, his expression calm.

“Exactly.” Viola took a sip of the liquid, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. “Just yesterday, the frontline exploration team submitted their final report. The bold hypothesis about geology discussed in previous meetings has now been fully confirmed.”

Jie Ming’s mind stirred slightly.

The so-called geological hypothesis was the very topic he and Viola had once discussed.

It posited that, after countless years of warfare between the lava giants and snow beasts, the victorious side’s territory would expand, causing macroscopic shifts in the actual boundary line between the Frostshadow Realm and the Blazing Sun Realm.

Back when Jie Ming was preparing to head to the Blazing Sun Realm, this matter had drawn significant attention from the logistics wizards.

In fact, it was precisely because of this issue that the camp’s focus shifted to geological surveys, allowing Jie Ming to step away from his demanding research tasks and find enough time to travel to the Blazing Sun Realm.

“After a year of geological surveys and energy flow analysis, we can now confirm the truth of this matter with absolute certainty,” Viola continued, her tone tinged with excitement.

“The results of this investigation exceeded our initial expectations. Through energy residue analysis of ancient geological samples, the camp discovered that, in the endless history of wars on this plane, when the territorial disparity between the two sides was at its greatest, the losing side’s habitable area was once compressed to less than one-tenth of the plane’s total surface!”

“Less than one-tenth…” Jie Ming repeated the figure, a spark of realization in his eyes.

What did this mean?

It meant that whether it was the lava giants or the snow beasts, both native races had once faced near-extinction crises.

Their homelands had been compressed to the brink, their living spaces stripped away, yet they had endured and, in subsequent wars, managed to turn defeat into victory, pushing the boundary line back.

Jie Ming couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. “This is excellent news for us.”

Viola set her glass down, leaning forward slightly, her gaze intense. “Exactly! It proves that both elemental races possess remarkable civilizational resilience and stress resistance.”

For ordinary racial wars, such traits and resilience would undoubtedly be an advantage.

But for the wizards, whose initial goal was to conquer the plane, these racial characteristics became an advantage for them instead.

“This means we can employ more aggressive and ruthless methods in the upcoming all-out war,” Jie Ming added, “without worrying too much that they’ll mentally collapse in the short term and resort to desperate measures, like detonating the entire plane.”

“Absolutely correct!” Viola nodded approvingly. “A civilization capable of withstanding near-extinction pressure has a social structure and mental fortitude far stronger than we imagined. We can dismantle their resistance with more efficient, direct methods without holding back.”

She paused, lowering her voice slightly. “I’ve received internal information. Master Augustine, the commander-in-chief of this expedition, has formally sent a top-priority communication request to the ‘Intersection,’ asking for… reinforcements!”

Reinforcements!

Jie Ming instinctively pursed his lips.

He knew that this seemingly calm year was merely the wizard civilization biding its time, gathering strength, and waiting for a reason to launch an all-out assault without reservations.

And now, that reason had been found.

A will capable of enduring the loss of ninety percent of their territory meant that by the time the lava giants or snow beasts considered detonating the plane’s origin, the wizards would have already weakened the plane’s origin to a controllable level through widespread slaughter of its creatures.

An unprecedented, bloody storm was about to sweep across the entire Flamefrost Plane in the near future!

After his conversation with Viola, Jie Ming’s mood remained unruffled.

Compared to the grand war, his personal cultivation goals were clearly more important.

He politely declined Viola’s invitation to lunch, left the command tower, and returned to his dedicated laboratory in the camp.

Over the past year, the wizard camp had continuously expanded outward.

Countless alchemical puppets and engineering wizardry worked tirelessly, erecting more defense towers, energy hubs, and functional structures.

By now, the camp’s size had nearly tripled compared to a year ago, with resources growing ever more abundant.

Every logistics wizard could finally claim a fully independent laboratory of their own.

Hiss…

The metal door slowly closed behind him, sealing off all external noise.

The laboratory was brightly lit, the air filled with a mix of disinfectant, metal, and a faint frosty scent.

On the central operating table, metal restraints tightly secured a massive figure.

It was a snow beast.

Its size was slightly smaller than the third-tier lava giants Jie Ming had encountered before, but still imposing.

Its pure white fur was now mottled, stained with dried blood and traces of unknown chemical agents.

Its limbs were pierced and bound by runic chains to the operating table, its eyes—once likely filled with wild ferocity and icy killing intent—now reflecting only endless weakness and numbness.

Its body was covered in countless incisions and sutures, some muscle tissue peeled away to reveal chilled bones and pulsing energy meridians beneath.

The snow beast was on the brink of death.

Jie Ming calmly approached the operating table, his eyes devoid of pity, only calm scrutiny.

He extended a hand, and several faintly glowing alchemical probes automatically extended from nearby equipment, gently piercing the snow beast’s body to collect its final vital data.

A light screen unfolded before him, streams of complex data flowing across it.

“Energy core activity below 3%, soul fluctuations nearing dissipation, elemental regeneration capacity completely collapsed… Hmm, the last experimental sample has reached its limit.”

Jie Ming glanced at the data on the screen, shaking his head lightly.

Over the past year, he had acquired three live snow beasts as research subjects through various channels.

Instead of rushing to the Frostshadow Realm, he chose the most cautious approach, conducting an in-depth analysis of this unfamiliar species in his laboratory.

He dissected their bodies, analyzing their elemental composition and energy circulation methods.

Through meticulous study and numerous experiments on the three live subjects, Jie Ming quickly synthesized the knowledge and intelligence he had gathered about snow beasts.

And now, the final experimental subject had fulfilled its purpose.

Without hesitation, Jie Ming activated the operating table’s built-in cleanup protocol.

A high-intensity energy beam shot down from above, instantly vaporizing the dying snow beast, leaving not even a trace of ash.

In its final moment, the tormented snow beast seemed to show a hint of relief.

Then, with practiced efficiency, Jie Ming disassembled and sterilized all the blood-stained “experimental tools” on the workbench—dissection knives, energy extractors, runic engraving needles, and more.

After completing this, he activated the laboratory’s self-purification array, thoroughly cleansing the entire room.

Ensuring the laboratory was spotless, free of any biological traces, he finally left.

All preparations were now complete.

He had gathered ample firsthand data on the snow beast species.

He had also crafted a tailored set of alchemical equipment capable of handling the extreme conditions of the Frostshadow Realm.

Viola’s news made it clear to Jie Ming that with the wizard legion’s impending strategic assault, the Flamefrost Plane was about to descend into unprecedented chaos.

Thus, he had to complete his “experiment” before the full-scale war began.

Returning to his quarters, he conducted a final inventory and organization of all necessary supplies, wizard tools, and newly refined potions, placing the crystal containing the detailed map of the Flamefrost Plane in the most accessible spot.

“It’s basically confirmed that the lava giants can’t provide Mortal Dust Qi,” Jie Ming mused, standing by the window, gazing at the hazy horizon where the Blazing Sun Realm met the Frostshadow Realm.

“Then let’s see…” A flicker of concern flashed in his eyes. “What the Frostshadow Realm has to offer.”

After much contemplation over this time, Jie Ming had reached a realization.

He was no longer worried about his own Mortal Dust Qi issue but was now concerned about something far more troublesome.

“If the Frostshadow Realm can’t provide Mortal Dust Qi either… that would be… far too problematic.”

Jie Ming took a deep breath, letting out a long sigh.