Chapter 1: Red River Dominator

Night fell.

A bright moon hung high in the sky, casting its pristine light over the verdant grasslands. A brutal War raged on.

Flames illuminated the sky above a crude settlement built of wood and mud. Roars of battle filled the air as two forces clashed. One side consisted of soldiers clad in Black Armor, wielding glinting blades. The opposing side wore animal hides and wielded a chaotic assortment of Weapons. Dazed expressions clung to their faces; they seemed to have just woken up, still entirely oblivious to what was happening.

The Black Armored Soldiers maintained perfect formation. Even in the dead of night, they showed not a hint of panic, fighting as if they possessed night vision. In stark contrast, the hide-wearing Warriors were in utter disarray. Despite fighting on their home turf and having a superior understanding of the terrain, they were steadily losing ground.

The two sides were simply not on the same Level. Whether it was discipline, coordination, physical prowess, or their Weapons and Armor, the Black Armored Soldiers vastly outclassed the tribal braves. They slaughtered their way through the settlement with unstoppable momentum.

The battle raged for fifteen minutes, leaving nearly a hundred tribesmen dead.

"Your Clan Leader is dead! Lay down your Weapons! Those who surrender will be spared!"

A burly man, towering at a full two meters and clad in black Armor, stood in a brightly lit area. He held a bloody, severed head high with one hand—it belonged to the settlement's Clan Leader.

The settlement erupted into a shocked uproar. The Warriors' morale instantly plummeted to rock bottom. Anyone capable of becoming a Clan Leader was rarely weak; they held deep-seated authority and the profound respect of their people.

Already caught off guard and terrified by the invaders' overwhelming strength, the tribesmen turned ashen at the sight of their dead Clan Leader. They were on the verge of dropping their Weapons and falling to their knees in surrender. However, the thought of the impending harsh winter made them hesitate.

Winter was fast approaching. If their food was taken, it would be impossible for them to forage enough rations to survive the cold given their current state. Without food, starvation would be a death sentence anyway. Realizing this, the sharper minds within the settlement tightened their grips on their Weapons. They quickly explained the dire reality to their peers, readying themselves for a fight to the death to protect their provisions.

Right then, another of the Black Armored Soldiers stepped forward. He looked to be around twenty years old. While not as towering as the previous man, he possessed a lean, muscular build that exuded a refined strength rather than brute force.

"Clan Leader."

"Clan Leader."

The surrounding Black Armored Soldiers respectfully cleared a path, allowing the young man to step to the front.

Su Xingyu looked at the wary tribesmen and offered a reassuring smile. "We will not take your winter food. In fact, if you surrender, I guarantee you will never go hungry again. You will eat meat every three sunsets..."

The opposing crowd erupted into an uproar of murmurs and clamor. Su Xingyu's words had successfully tempted them. Not only keeping their food but getting to eat meat as well... it sounded entirely too good to be true!

In an instant, their will to resist sharply diminished. They never had much sense of belonging to this settlement anyway. Many of them originally belonged to other tribes and had merely been plundered and brought here as captives. If the opposition was genuinely offering a way to survive, surrendering wasn't an unacceptable option. Furthermore, they were well aware of the Night Tribe's reputation. They were known to be trustworthy and never went back on their word.

"Who are you? Can you speak for the Night Tribe?" one of the more astute tribesmen shouted out.

"I am the Clan Leader of the Night Tribe, so naturally, I represent them," Su Xingyu replied. "As long as you surrender, we will all be family. Look at the braves beside me. They are no physically stronger than you, but they possess far superior Weapons and Armor. That is why they could defeat you.

"If you join the Night Tribe, we will provide every valiant Warrior with a set of Armor and a Weapon, making you just as powerful as they are."

Su Xingyu's words were incredibly enticing, striking right into the hearts of both the common tribesfolk and the Warriors. Warriors lusted for strength. The sheer power just displayed by the Night Tribe Warriors left them incredibly envious. They felt that their base physical capabilities were not far off from the Night Tribe Warriors, but the gap in equipment was simply monumental. If given the exact same Weapons and Armor, even if they still couldn't defeat the Night Tribe Warriors, they wouldn't have been so thoroughly steamrolled.

The ordinary tribesfolk, on the other hand, had much simpler desires: a full belly was enough. In an era like this, simply having enough to eat was considered a profound blessing.

For a moment, all the tribesmen turned their gazes toward the few most prestigious figures among them.

An elderly Wizard glanced at the yearning expressions of his people, then looked back at the imposing Black Armored Soldiers. After a brief hesitation, he followed the choice in his heart: "We surrender... I hope the esteemed Night Race Leader keeps his promise and treats our people well."

Su Xingyu didn't bother correcting the flawed title. Hearing the old man's words, a heavy weight lifted from his chest, and a brilliant smile broke across his face. "Rest assured. The Night Tribe's credibility is known to every tribe across the Black Soil Plain. Since you have surrendered, we are family now. I will treat you all equally."

Hearing this, the settlement's Warriors slowly lowered their Weapons, waiting for further instructions.

"Ye San, I leave this place to you." Seeing that the enemy had officially surrendered, Su Xingyu grew slightly impatient and instructed the middle-aged man beside him.

"Rest assured, Clan Leader. I will bring every last one of them back to the Night Tribe intact," the middle-aged man hastily replied.

"Mhm." Su Xingyu nodded. He had great faith in this capable and trusted subordinate, but he still added a note of caution, "There's no need to rush. It doesn't matter if you take your time, just make sure there are no casualties on the way."

With everything arranged, Su Xingyu immediately mounted his black horse and, leading a hundred or so soldiers, galloped furiously along the river. Before even returning to the settlement, he eagerly checked the system's rewards.

[Red River Dominator: Annex the Giant Tiger Tribe and Barbaric Bull Tribe to become the largest settlement near the Red River. (Completed)

Rewards: One thousand acres of Spirit Fields (location freely selectable), Spirit Gathering Tree seeds, Divine Domain Building 'Tier Two Cavalry Battalion Building Plan', Divine Domain Building 'Tier Two Infantry Battalion Building Plan', 'Dark Slaughter Blade Blueprint', World Origin x1000 units.]

[System Prompt: Congratulations on unifying the surrounding tribal forces. Unlocking the City of Gods. Unlocking the Gods Communication System. Unlocking the Plane Reconnaissance System. Unlocking...]

[System Prompt: You are the 16,876th Deity to enter the Elementary Realm.

Rewards: Small Magic Crystal Ore x1, Small Blood Crystal Ore x1, Small Dark Crystal Ore x1 (Choose one of three)]

[System Prompt: As this is your first time entering the Elementary Realm, you will receive system protection for one month (Main World time). Other Deities are forbidden from invading your Plane. Note: If you actively invade the Plane of another Deity, the system protection will immediately terminate.]