At nine in the morning, sunlight slanted in from the high windows, staining the dark brown tables and chairs in the Hangu Pass Council Hall a warm orange.

Lin Feng sat in the main seat with a proposal spread out before him; the handwriting was neat and the logic clear.

The proposer was Su Yuehua, and the content was as follows:

The Night Whisper Legion and the New Moon Legion had recently screened one hundred loyal and reliable Awakened, all of whom had obtained the qualifications to change class to Great Qin Elite Soldiers. Now, all had successfully changed classes and returned to their units.

Su Yuehua suggested arranging for these one hundred people to enter the Lucky Town Dungeon for an eight-day leveling plan, aiming to raise their levels to nineteen within eight days to form combat effectiveness as quickly as possible.

Lin Feng read it through, then picked up his pen and wrote a line at the end of the proposal: "Arrange fifty in the Lucky Town Dungeon, and the other fifty in the Annan Kingdom Dungeon."

He put down his pen and picked up his teacup to take a sip. The tea was warm, slightly bitter upon entry, with a very faint sweet aftertaste.

Lin Feng silently grumbled to himself: "Still need to consider sustainable development. These are all renewable resources, so I have to use them sparingly; can't pluck them bald all at once."

Just as he was about to pick up the next document, a Beacon Guard from outside pushed the door open, knelt on one knee, and pressed his right fist to his chest: "Report, Lord, Bureau Chief Liu Zhaowan requests an audience."

Lin Feng put down the teacup and nodded: "Show her in."

The Beacon Guard acknowledged the order and retreated. A moment later, Bureau Chief Liu Zhaowan walked in from outside.

She wore a dark blue uniform, her ponytail tied meticulously, and she held a stack of documents in her hands. Her expression was much more grave than usual.

She walked to the long table, bowed slightly, and her voice was crisp but carried an unmistakable weight: "Lord Lin."

Lin Feng nodded and motioned for her to sit: "Bureau Chief Liu, what is it?"

Bureau Chief Liu Zhaowan sat down in the middle seat on the right, placed the documents on the table, and took a deep breath: "Lord Lin, half an hour ago, the final battle at Red Earth City in the Central Plains Region was decided."

"The human race was defeated. Except for those who fell in battle, the experts from various countries have all fled to other regions. The Central Plains Region... has been completely occupied by the Orc Army."

There was a moment of silence in the Council Hall.

Lin Feng's fingers paused on the teacup, then he set it down and asked solemnly: "When will the Orc Army arrive in the South Pole Region?"

Bureau Chief Liu Zhaowan turned to the next page of the document, her speaking pace slow but clear: "According to the joint calculations of the various countries' staff groups, it is estimated that in eleven to twelve days, the Orc Army will arrive at either Dongzhi City, Qiandai City, or Jialou City."

"Which one specifically cannot be determined yet; we need to wait for real-time intelligence from the reconnaissance teams."

Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, silently calculating in his mind.

The Eye of Probability would refresh in twenty-five days, and the best time to consume the gold-grade potion, dragon blood heavenly brew, was in fifteen days.

Even if the Orc Army arrived at the northernmost part of the South Pole Region in eleven days, even if they rushed straight for Hangu Pass, it would take at least five days before they could reach the city walls.

By the time the Orc Army arrived at Hangu Pass, he would have already consumed the gold-grade potion and could use the Heavenly Destiny Beacon Fire at any time.

By then, no matter how many orcs came, they would all die. It was even possible that under the siege of the South Pole Region's allied forces, these three hundred thousand orcs would be completely wiped out.

It was in the bag. He was secretly pleased, but his expression remained unchanged. He picked up his teacup, took another sip, put it down, and said in a calm tone: "Bureau Chief Liu, I am aware of the orc situation. I will have to trouble you and the General Bureau to expedite the leveling of the Awakened within Hangu Pass as well."

"Every bit of extra strength now means a better chance. As long as the reduction in monster resources does not cross the red line of sustainable development, it will be fine."

Bureau Chief Liu Zhaowan quickly jotted down a few notes on the document, closed it, and bowed slightly: "Understood. Rest assured, Lord Lin, the leveling plan for the Awakened in Hangu Pass will be implemented as soon as possible. I will arrange it as soon as I return."

She turned to walk toward the door, then stopped after two steps and looked back: "Lord Lin, take care."

Lin Feng nodded without standing up.

Bureau Chief Liu Zhaowan pushed the door open and left, her footsteps gradually fading away in the corridor.

Not long after Bureau Chief Liu Zhaowan left, a Beacon Guard trotted in from outside: "Report, Lord, City Lord Paul from Russia and City Lord Lu from Zhenyue City are requesting an audience outside!"

Lin Feng stood up abruptly, picked up the Wildfire Spear from beside his chair, strapped it to his back, and strode out of the Council Hall.

On the stone steps outside, two figures stood side by side.

Paul was wearing a suit of heavy grayish-white battle armor, with a short-handled battle axe hanging at his waist.

Seeing Lin Feng come out, the corners of his mouth curled up, revealing a hearty smile.

Lu Dingchuan stood beside him, wearing a suit of purple battle armor with a leather belt cinched at his waist. His expression was calm, and his gaze was as steady as ever.

Lin Feng walked down the steps and cupped his hands: "City Lord Paul, City Lord Lu, you have come from afar, and I have failed to welcome you properly. Please, come inside."

Paul laughed heartily and returned the salute: "Lord Lin is too polite! Since we parted at Thang Long City last time, I have missed you dearly!"

The corners of Lu Dingchuan's mouth turned up slightly, and he cupped his hands: "Lord Lin, sorry to disturb you."

The three of them walked into the Council Hall side by side.

Paul strode in front, his gaze sweeping over the furnishings of the hall, and he couldn't help but praise: "This Council Chamber of yours is much more imposing than the one I have in Silver Pine City."

After speaking, he sat down in the first seat on the left, leaned his battle axe against the chair, and sat in a bold, wide-legged posture.

Lu Dingchuan smiled slightly, said nothing, and walked straight to the first seat on the right to sit down. His back was straight, his hands were folded on the table, and his gaze was steady.

Lin Feng finally took his seat in the main position, leaned the Wildfire Spear against the chair, and nodded slightly toward the two, a hint of a smile on his lips: "Welcome, both City Lords, for visiting at the same time. Welcome."

Paul laughed, took a long wooden box from the bundle on his back, placed it on the table, then stood up and walked to Lin Feng, handing the box over with both hands, his voice loud and clear.

"Lord Lin, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ I said I would personally deliver the gold-grade equipment to you in a few days. See, we in Russia keep our word. This belt is one of the treasures at the bottom of our national treasury. Handing it to you today can be considered making the best use of it."

Lin Feng stood up to take the wooden box. It felt heavy in his hands; the surface of the box was warm and smooth, carved with intricate runes.

He opened the wooden box, and a gentle emerald green light spilled out, appearing exceptionally soft under the morning sun.

The belt was forged entirely of pure gold, with fine vine and leaf patterns embossed on the surface. Embedded between the patterns were twelve glowing green life crystals, like fruits growing on a vine, with pale green light slowly circulating inside the crystals.

Lin Feng picked up the belt, and the attribute panel unfolded before his eyes.

【Belt of Life's Lament (Gold)】 Slot: Waist. Equipment Requirement: constitution ≥ 40. Base Attributes: Defense +150, constitution +10, Health +2000. Special Effect 1: Vitality Burst (Active, Cooldown 60 minutes): After activation, restores 4% of max Health per second for the next 10 seconds. Special Effect 2: Eternal Vitality (Passive): Max Health increased by 20%.