The fact that there had been no conflict between Soul Merchant and the Glory Army in the past two years didn’t mean Ye Zhongming had forgotten about them. On the contrary, it was precisely because these forces—who would have normally besieged Cloud Peak—had either disappeared or kept their distance for so long that made the situation particularly abnormal.
Cloud Peak’s continuously growing strength was undoubtedly a major reason they hadn’t caused trouble, but it couldn’t be the only explanation.
The reality was this: if Cloud Peak ever became weaker than those factions, they would undoubtedly seize the first opportunity to eliminate this enemy. If Cloud Peak grew stronger, they might not act immediately, but alongside their hatred, greed would emerge—another driving force compelling them to strike.
Therefore, peaceful coexistence was impossible. Both sides were merely recuperating and building strength for now, but conflict was inevitable in the future.
As Cloud Peak gradually became prominent, Ye Zhongming often reflected on these old adversaries. Chameleon had a long-term mission: collecting intelligence on them. Ye Zhongming wouldn’t claim to be the most knowledgeable about Soul Merchant and the Glory Army, but he was among the best-informed in the post-apocalyptic world.
When the monster commander proposed cooperation in the secret realm, Ye Zhongming’s first thought was to redirect the calamity—to drive the invading monsters toward his enemies.
But now, with the emergence of these two alliances, Ye Zhongming had to consider the potential consequences of such a move carefully.
Before the alliances formed, ten million monsters would have been an insurmountable challenge for any faction. Even Cloud Peak, with its gene warriors and crystal weapons, wouldn’t dare claim it could face such numbers.
Dealing with five million monsters was one thing; ten million was entirely different. When numbers reached a certain threshold, each additional million might require double the previous effort to counter. This was the qualitative change brought by sheer quantity.
This was a very concerning matter that weighed on Ye Zhongming’s mind.
The Blue Secret Realm grew increasingly unstable, and the monsters’ migration was imminent. He needed to make a decision soon.
To gather information, Ye Zhongming utilized every available channel. Chameleon, Cloud Peak’s own intelligence network, operated at full capacity. Five Ring Money, Cannibal Chain, and even small-time information brokers received secret commissions from Cloud Peak.
Intelligence was one of the most valuable commodities in a world without networks or telephones.
After compiling intelligence from all sources, Ye Zhongming gradually formed his plan.
The Resistance Zone-Glory Army-Black Star alliance was formidable. Individually, none of these factions could match Cloud Peak, but combined, they far surpassed Cloud Peak in sheer numbers of evolved. Moreover, the Resistance Zone and the Glory Army were the most well-established factions from the beginning of the apocalypse. Their alliance would compensate for each other’s weaknesses, leading to rapid progress in many areas.
In truth, while others might not realize it, Ye Zhongming understood clearly: Cloud Peak’s current position as the number one faction in the national rankings was largely due to Five Ring Money’s emphasis on evolution levels, equipment quality, and similar metrics. This wasn’t wrong—these were the most critical factors in the apocalypse.
However, in other areas—such as industrial infrastructure, controlled territory, population, resources, traditional technological capabilities, and talent—Cloud Peak lagged far behind the Resistance Zone and even the Glory Army.
There was no helping it. Those factions had known about the apocalypse in advance and made preparations. They had inherited the most from pre-apocalyptic civilization.
If “comprehensive” strength were truly evaluated, Cloud Peak would need at least five more years to catch up.
Now, these two factions had joined forces. The synergy in these areas would undoubtedly unleash tremendous power, driving progress across the board. With other factions adding their strengths, this alliance had already surpassed Cloud Peak’s coalition in overall power, claiming the top spot.
Intelligence also indicated that they had mobilized a million evolved for a single battle—and this was with limited preparation time. Given more time, their numbers could multiply several times over.
Ten million monsters? With their full strength, they could probably handle it.
They might suffer heavy losses, but the sheer number of demon crystals would allow them to recover and advance further.
Clearly, directing the monsters into their territory wasn’t a viable option.
That left only the Pin Palace-Soul Merchant-God Hall alliance.
In his heart, Ye Zhongming was more inclined to deal with them first.
After all, he had despised Soul Merchant even in his past life.
This time, their alliance and subsequent consolidation had also exposed their primary operational regions.
Ye Zhongming studied the map for a long time before making his decision. Then, he turned and entered the warehouse filled with materials. Now was the time to craft equipment.
Faced with the establishment of the two alliances and their shocking, high-profile actions, Cloud Peak—the very faction that had triggered this chain of events—remained eerily silent. Many found this strange. Shouldn’t they be responding to such targeted alliances?
Whether it was the Resistance Zone, the Glory Army, Pin Palace, or Soul Merchant, none of these factions wanted Cloud Peak to dominate unchallenged. They all harbored hostility toward Cloud Peak.
Yet Cloud Peak stayed silent, offering no reaction—not even their affiliated teams within their territory made moves.
Just as people wondered if Ye Zhongming had lost his nerve, Cloud Peak suddenly issued a bounty.
Previously, Cloud Peak had once released a bounty that shook half the nation—a call for any information on the “Assassin Heart” organization. The highest reward was a six-star evolution potion, with the lowest being a three-star.
That had happened two or three years ago, and many had profited greatly from it.
Now, Cloud Peak had publicly announced a new bounty.
This one wasn’t targeting any individual or faction. Instead, it was a… materials bounty. And it was issued through Five Ring Money, making it public across the entire nation.
Cloud Peak listed over a hundred types of materials, ranked by value. Every faction that received this bounty list was stunned—even the leaders of the Resistance Zone, Glory Army, and Pin Palace.
Because the total value of all the materials listed in this bounty… exceeded the worth of three eight-star evolution potions.