Every Black Flag City Lord must undergo the test of blood and fire. Unifying the northern mountainous area remains a dream. Every year, new tribes settle here, springing up like mushrooms after rain. The city lord's task is to make them obedient and not cause trouble in the mountains.

The leader is elected by a vote of a dozen or so Black Flag tribes and will not serve a second term.

Those who have passed the test will remain in the position of city lord until their death.

But the clever raiders also understood the principle that when the father dies, the son takes over, and each generation is worse than the last. Therefore, there has never been the concept of inheritance or direct succession in Black Flag City.

The city lords are all elites among elites.

He was the only one capable of leading the Black Flag tribe to grow and prosper.

When the remnants of the army fled to Black Flag City, they found him in the Chief's Building in the city center.

He was a middle-aged man dressed in expensive silk, portraying himself as a nobleman. His gaze was deep and imposing, and his bulging muscles and muscular build could be seen even through his clothes. He walked barefoot on the carpeted floor, and the maids around him were all the best of the raider tribes.

They knelt naked on either side of the city lord, serving him with utmost devotion...

The defeated eat dust, not daring to raise their heads before the city lord.

"You may all leave." Black Flag waved his hand, and the maids silently left, slowly entering the back room.

"Lift your head up and let me see."

The remnants of the defeated army in the eastern mountains knelt before the black flag, their faces still showing fear and tension.

Where is Black Tiger?

"Reporting to my lord, he's dead."

"Who killed him?"

"Across the eastern radiation zone, desert people."

Black Flag nodded, stroking his chin with his thick fingers: "How much more information do you have? Tell me all of it."

The defeated soldiers told Black Flag what they had experienced, the origins and course of the entire war.

"There are two extraordinary beings in the desert. Are they the ones who defeated Black Tiger?"

"Yes, sir!"

Black Tiger is the king of the eastern mountain region, the strongest individual, with an extraordinary body. He has been training for many years and has intimidated both the north and south banks. The tribes in the mountain region dare not provoke Tiger Leopard Peak. However, although he is powerful, he has no political ambition or wisdom and has not united the eastern mountain region into one.

This gave the desert people an opportunity to defeat them one by one, leading to their defeat.

Black Flag leaned against his high-backed wooden throne, tilting his head and resting one hand on his cheek, lost in thought.

Such beings, even two... Black Flag City dares not underestimate.

The problem now is that if he defeats the desert people, he can occupy the eastern mountains and the power of Black Flag City will grow stronger. He needs to find the tribal chiefs, gain their support, and start a war against the desert people.

If the top combat forces are held back, the Black Flag army can devour those vulnerable desert armies.

He does have his trump cards.

Powerful superhumans... will still die. They are merely long-lived, strong, and intelligent, but they are not immortal, nor are they indelible.

This made Black Flag feel deep down.

With just two extraordinary beings, they subdued the desert people and even established a regime.

They may not have relied on sheer strength.

They also have intelligence and wisdom.

In Black Flag's eyes, the desert people in the eastern mountains are a group of adversaries worth engaging with.

He settled the defeated men, found the tribal chiefs, and discussed the feasibility of the matter with them.

"Conquering the eastern mountains has been the wish of generations of Black Flag City lords, but the desert people are coming on strong..."

"They possess two extraordinary beings, and according to the descriptions of those who lost, even Black Tiger was no match for them, having been defeated at Tiger Leopard Peak."

"It's shameful that the weak from the eastern mountains dare to seek refuge with us."

"Forget it, they've already lost their homes. Recruiting them will make them our strength."

Black Flag stood before the chieftains with his hands behind his back: "I need the support of you elders to contact the Lord of the North. He himself is an extraordinary being, and I also need him to act as a bridge between the survivors and wastelanders outside the North and to pass on information. Black Flag City is willing to share the eastern mountainous region with the Cult of the Sun."

These words caused an uproar in the audience.

The chiefs gasped in surprise.

"The Sun God Cult? Are you perhaps planning to cooperate with those lunatics?"

"If the Northern Lords and the Cult of the Sun God bring in another force, we'll have to give up even more territory."

"Yeah, that's such a bad deal."

Black Flag replied, "Two extraordinary beings. If even Black Tiger was defeated, how could those pseudo-extraordinary beings in the city be his match? We do not have the power to fight against a true extraordinary being."

"That only means that one of them is a Great Transcendent, while the other may not be," a chieftain said.

"No matter what, it's too dangerous to bring the Sun God Cult in."

"Yes, everyone knows their ambitions. The mountainous area cannot be handed over to them."

The two chiefs' speeches immediately garnered the support of the crowd.

Black Flag said helplessly, "If that's the case, we can only continue to cower in the north and let those desert people build their new homes. Can you accept that outcome?"

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the chiefs were speechless and lowered their heads one by one.

"The Northern Lords and the Sun Cult have been locked in a standoff for many years. Their Pope's strength is unfathomable. As far as I know, even if he is not yet a Great Transcendent, he will soon be. The Northern Lords will be under tremendous pressure. If we wait until that day and the Sun Cult launches an invasion, it would be better to become allies from now on and let them enjoy the resources of the Eastern Mountains."

"You mean, we should wait for the Northern Lords' power to advance before dealing with the Sun King, right?" a chieftain analyzed.

"Give them a treat first, then wait for the right opportunity. Indeed... the Northern Territory is responsible for defending against the Sun God Cult, and they have been under a lot of pressure these past few years. Their attack frequency has started to increase. The intelligence says that the Sun God's spokesperson, the Sun Wheel Cult King, is about to be promoted."