Three days later.
When Ye San returned with the people of the Giant Tiger Tribe, Su Xingyu had already finished organizing the entire Night Tribe.
In truth, there wasn't much that needed arranging. Despite the Night Tribe's large population, it was still just a tribe—its infrastructure not much more advanced than the Giant Tiger Tribe's. The only real distinction was the wooden fence encircling its perimeter.
During the last expansion, however, Su Xingyu had already laid out a clear development strategy. The enclosed land had been deliberately oversized, leaving plenty of room to accommodate the influx from the Giant Tiger Tribe.
To prevent any unexpected unrest, he made the strategic decision to completely scatter the newcomers throughout various corners of the Night Tribe.
Better safe than sorry.
Tens of thousands of people grouped together could be dangerous—even within friendly territory. If a riot did break out, the Night Tribe would suffer dearly, even in victory.
Next, Su Xingyu hosted a grand banquet in honor of the warriors who had returned from battle. The gesture significantly boosted morale.
Following that, he organized an even more extravagant feast for the newly integrated members of the Giant Tiger Tribe. This move didn't just quell any lingering doubts among the new arrivals, it also planted the first seeds of loyalty and belonging.
Judging by how generous the Night Tribe seemed with food, there was reason to hope for a better life.
As the banquet drew to a close, Su Xingyu stepped onto the towering altar draped in a majestic animal fur cloak. Bathed in moonlight, he raised his voice to address the crowd.
"A hundred sunsets ago, the Night Tribe was just a speck on the map. We were only a few hundred people, our warriors too weak to even hunt monsters. We survived by planting and fishing, barely clinging to life."
He spread his arms wide, voice growing louder, bolder.
"But today, the Night Tribe numbers in the hundreds of thousands. You might not grasp how many that is, so let me tell you plainly—before our rise, the most powerful force on the Red River was the Giant Tiger Tribe, boasting around 40,000 members. Yet now, we stand at 430,000 strong."
"That's more than ten Giant Tiger Tribes combined!"
Gasps rippled through the audience. Some looked proud, others fearful, and many were simply stunned.
For years, the Giant Tiger Tribe had ruled as the undisputed overlord of the Black Soil Plains, feared and respected by all. With 5,000 seasoned warriors and a population that dwarfed most tribes, they had been untouchable.
And now, Su Xingyu claimed the Night Tribe had surpassed that number tenfold.
Whether his words were truth or bluff, few dared question them. After all, why would the patriarch lie when his power already spoke for itself?
"Do you know why our Night Tribe has risen so quickly?" Su Xingyu continued, smiling as he raised his hands to the moonlit sky. "Because we are blessed—not by simple totems, but by true gods."
His voice turned reverent.
"Gods greater than any creature of this world. They control the origin of all things. They have the power to shape reality."
The tribespeople looked at each other, puzzled.
"Spirits?"
"Are gods just another name for totems?"
"If we believe in this god, will we become as powerful as the Night Tribe warriors?"
In their minds, gods were no different from tribal totems—sacred beasts like the Giant Spotted Tiger or the Minotaur. Each tribe worshipped its own, and their power was measured by the strength of their followers.
To them, Su Xingyu's god was just a mightier totem.
Some elders still clung to their old beliefs and found Su Xingyu's words difficult to accept. But now that they stood within the Night Tribe's domain, and under the rule of its powerful warriors, they dared not argue.
The younger warriors didn't care much for the philosophy. They only cared about power. They didn't fully understand Su Xingyu's claims, but they could feel his energy, his conviction. Their blood stirred with the call to arms.
Just then, the sky darkened.
The radiant moon vanished behind churning clouds, and the Night Tribe was plunged into a suffocating darkness.
Before panic could set in, a force rolled out from the altar like a tidal wave—deep and vast, pressing down like a mountain. Everyone below felt the weight of it, as if gravity itself had thickened. Breathing became difficult. Knees buckled.
Then, all at once, a vision surged into their minds.
They saw a being whose form encompassed the entire world. The sun and moon were His eyes. The rivers, His blood. His breath stirred the storms. His steps made the earth quake.
"My name is @? %#…"
The divine name was incomprehensible. An ancient, alien sound that defied memory.
Yet in that moment, every soul understood.
They fell to their knees, unable to resist the pressure or the revelation. The Night Tribe warriors were first to cry out, their voices trembling with awe.
"Praise the King of Eternal Night!!!"
"My Lord is eternal!!!"
"Praise the King of Eternal Night!!!"
The newly joined tribesmen hesitated for a heartbeat… then they, too, began to shout, swept up in the storm of reverence.
The clouds parted.
The moonlight returned, illuminating a sea of kneeling worshippers.
High on the altar, Su Xingyu's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
"As long as you join the Night Tribe," he declared, "you shall be protected by the King of Eternal Night."
Before the murmurs could spread, he continued:
"And when you fight for the King, death is not the end. Even if you fall on the battlefield, as long as you display true courage, you may receive the King's blessing—ascend to the divine realm—and become one of His immortal guards."
The words had barely left his mouth when a towering black shadow—over three meters tall—emerged behind him. Majestic and oppressive, it radiated an aura of absolute dominion.
The figure raised a hand and swept it forward.
From his fingertips burst countless droplets of shimmering liquid, cascading into the crowd like divine rain.
Wherever the droplets touched, warriors roared with power. Their strength surged. Auras ignited.
They had been promoted—by divine grace.
"Praise the Eternal Night!"
Their eyes burned with fanatic devotion. For the first time, they felt the power of gods.
There could be no greater proof. No more hesitation.
In that instant, every person present made their decision.
They would fight for the King of Eternal Night.
"Welcome," Su Xingyu said calmly, as the divine shadow behind him faded, "to the Night Tribe. Let us fight for the Eternal Night—together."
"Fight for the Eternal Night!"
"Fight for the Eternal Night!"
"Fight for the Eternal Night!"
The roar surged like thunder, echoing across the Red River like the war cry of a rising empire—wild and unstoppable.