Players in the world of Turin understand one thing: not all maps are open to the public. Some maps in battle are always hidden behind the scenes, always shrouded in the fog of war.

On each massive mountain peak, the image of a vampire castle reappeared.

Su Yue stared at the scene, his expression puzzled:

An imperial rebel leader named Berg was in a terrible state, covered in blood, with four fingers broken and a gruesome wound on his neck, but this did not arouse Su Yue's sympathy in the slightest.

His compassion had long since been exhausted within the city of Cloud City, Karl.

"What's going on with this vampire fortress?"

Above the enormous, towering mountain range of the Heradanfalas region, clouds drifted intermittently. If the imperial rebels hadn't already had nowhere to retreat, Su Yue would have even thought they still had a way out.

The vampire leader's voice came from afar:

"Your Excellency, Lord of Canaan, I think we should have a talk."

A young and beautiful vampire woman named Emma Walden flew down from the sky. The rout of 80,000 Imperial rebels stretched for several kilometers before being blocked by the towering stone wall in front of them. Through her back, Su Yue could clearly see a large number of vampire troops gathering.

He laughed and said, "This is my Canaanite territory, and also the land of the human empire. How can I allow you foreigners to occupy it?"

How did you manage to climb this mountain?

The dwarven northern fortress was already outrageous; the mountain range was actually a vast canyon. The mountain's surface was completely flat, towering like rows of trees forming a wall, offering no foothold and making it impossible for a large army to pass through. Su Yue knew the situation on the other side; there was no road there either, as it was an isolated peak.

Since it was an isolated peak, he naturally thought that the group of vampires posed no great danger. But that was just Su Yue's usual thinking. Now he understood that the entire abyss was right beneath his feet. Who knew if the other side had a portal inside the vampire lord's territory?

"How can I allow others to sleep peacefully on my own bed?" This was a principle and reason that Su Yue had always upheld. Naturally, he would not allow the other party to break such a rule. They were either enemies or he would kill them.

The massive 8th-tier flying hydra and the 7th-tier Sos Star griffin gave Su Yue the confidence to launch such an attack.

“My lord, we are vampire hermits…we…we have lived and multiplied in this castle for 700 years. Back in the time of Henry V, we were also nobles in the court…we just hope to stay here now.”

Su Yue laughed and said, "Why would your men be acting as commanders and generals within the rebel army?"

Emma said sadly, “My brother, Flora, was deceived by these textile workers from Bruj. He thought he could make a name for himself by joining the Imperial Legion. Now the army has been defeated and he has died on the battlefield... Please forgive my brother’s sins.”

In Su Yue's view, this was all to defend himself and clear his name.

It is well known that vampires also need to drink blood, and they need a large number of humans to serve as blood slaves. Without the blood slaves to supply them with blood resources, they cannot survive, let alone live for thousands of years. In this respect, the vampire race is quite different from the long-lived elven species.

Su Yue looked up at the troops on the high ground. He had learned about the vampire race's troops from the player forums. The first-tier troops were zombies, the second-tier were crypt ghouls, the second-tier were wolves, the third-tier were ferocious bats, the terrified orcs, the fourth-tier were Königstein Lurkers (giant skeletons), the fourth-tier were bloodthirsty ghouls... At this moment, more than 800 vampire troops appeared on the cliff and were observed by Su Yue.

"attack!"

"grown ups!!!"

It turns out that Su Yue was talking to this vampire's messenger in order to buy time.

The next moment, nearly 25,000 troops flew towards the cliff. The catapults fired at the highest possible angle, but it was all in vain, as the isolated peak was simply too high.

The Tier 4 human Pegasus force, with griffins leading the way, looked as if this Canaanite lord was about to attack the vampire territory.

Emma Walden, the beautiful vampire girl, quickly said, "My lord, we are willing to surrender to you!! Please don't start a war, we have no intention of starting a war with you!"

After all, they were a vampire family that had lived in the "Kavrwit" territory for seven hundred years. How could they possibly stop Su Yue's powerful Canaanite army? Therefore, a large number of vampire troops laid down their weapons before even engaging Su Yue's troops in battle.

Lord's Log: "The Vampire Independent Territory of 'Kavrwit' has sworn allegiance and surrendered to you. Do you accept?"

"The Walden family of Walden Peak, the vampire territory, surrenders to you: 437 Tier 1 Zombies, 312 Tier 2 Tomb Demons, 43 Tier 2 Dire Wolves, 54 Tier 3 Ferocious Bats, 20 Tier 4 Cornishan Lurkers (Giant Skeletons), and 12 Tier 4 Bloodthirsty Ghouls."

Su Yue smiled and said, "I accept."

Suddenly, the entire territory of Vampire Peak was illuminated. Su Yue didn't care if he didn't look, but when he looked down, he found that although the strategic value of this isolated peak was not particularly huge, it was not insignificant either.

The reason this isolated peak isn't considered to have particularly high strategic value is because it's not the kind of isolated peak standing alone at a strategic pass, meaning the enemy could easily bypass it; the reason it's considered valuable is because it's a perfect place to hide troops!

A normal lord's map and reconnaissance wouldn't be able to detect this misty area. Even Su Yue almost overlooked this hidden spot—any empire's territory can have some obscure corners, and if the other side doesn't expose themselves, no one will discover the location of Peach Blossom Spring. Such places are usually the sanctuary of hermits.

No one knows what the purpose of the hermits and those who hide in Peach Blossom Spring is. Is it to escape ancient family contracts, to escape pursuit, or simply to avoid the wars between various races in the Turin material plane? In short, they have countless reasons to live in seclusion.

The existence of such a secluded place provided Li Ye with a perfect foreshadowing and avenue for plot development...

"But we need to eliminate the danger first."

"We've gained another 800+ vampire troops. We need to see if there's any conspiracy among them. If they have some kind of large interdimensional portal, that would be quite interesting."

Su Yue gestured for Gregory to go and investigate. His true form was a large flying beetle; if he encountered danger, he could simply fly back.

Su Yue was also very interested in the new vampire army. These monsters were somewhat like undead, but Su Yue also understood that the vampire army was basically composed of half-undead and half-monsters, making them very difficult to recruit and train.

"There are quite a few forum players about vampires. This should be a special faction of monsters and undead. Normal vampire troops at the first and second tiers should be legions of blood slaves and servants. Their troops are obviously not normal."

Now that the territories of the Imperial rebels have been defeated one by one by Su Yue, it means that the "Kavrwit" Countdom and the Heradanfalas region are about to be completely liberated.

After the fighting here ends.

Su Yue could then send troops to reinforce Qiweier City. Since ancient times, strategic locations that military strategists have fought over include natural barriers and passes, as well as seaports like Qiweier City, which are also known as trading ports.

Because of the presence of Cthulhu creatures in the Barayamakan mudflats and the Devil's Reef, there is currently only one sea route open for transporting supplies with the Wood Elves. It is quite troublesome as it requires avoiding the detection of the High Elves and the attacks of the Dark Elf pirates.

"Wanting to trade freely on the high seas is indeed a troublesome matter; I wonder what His Majesty Henry VII of the Bathot Empire thinks of me now... Could it be that the one who is actually carrying a gun with Cal is the other side?"

At this moment, the lord's log beeped again:

"Vampire Lord Hero Emma Walden swears allegiance to you."

"This girl is a hero?"

Su Yue looked somewhat surprised. There were quite a few heroes. Most lords were not heroes at all. After surrendering, they were at most special NPCs with some strength and function.

Just like Walter at the beginning, Andy Arellfonnan who was captured and surrendered by Su Yue, and Ferdinand, Norma Keynes and other rebel leaders of the empire—most of them were poor laborers, artisans, or miserable laborers in the noble factories of the Bato Empire. A small part of them were serfs, who were farmers who cultivated the land for their lords and called them "Master," or who tended the farms, wineries, estates and fields for their lords.

"Emma Walden, Tier 4 Vampire Hero, Lord Skill: Intermediate Defense, Troop Strength: None. Hero Specialty: A-Rank Fortress Hermit: The probability of this hero leading troops in ambush being discovered by the enemy is reduced by 50%, and the defense of troops stationed in the fortress is increased by 25%."

Rank A Dragonblood Girl: This hero possesses dragon blood, granting her +35 to all attributes.

"Hero's military allowance: 80,000 gold coins per week."

"???"

Su Yue's expression brightened with surprise. Double A-level talent? The Hermit of the Natural Barrier, the Dragon Blood Girl??

"Holy crap, this is amazing! This hero is incredible! Recruit him, we have to recruit him right now!"

At this moment, Gregory had already descended in shadow. His enormous beetle-like form caused no alarm among his troops and soldiers; he had even adapted to the war-torn Canaan. He respectfully reported to Su Yue, "My lord, it's just an ordinary vampire fortress up there, along with numerous cultivated fields, monster breeding facilities, and breeding pools..."

"Wait, a monster breeding room?"

"Yes, many of the vampires there are inbreeding...and many deformed children were born..."

Emma Walden, the "Hermit of the Great Barrier," wept, "We haven't left the cliffs for a very, very long time... My lord, it's because we were forced to."

"..."

Indeed, such chaos is more likely to arise when one lives in seclusion.

The product of consanguineous marriage.

They are all deformed.

Su Yue immediately understood the origin of these monsters... and said, "Emma Walden, I accept your allegiance. From now on, you are the Lord of Canaan. Go back and get a set of clothes."

"Greetings, Master!!"

Emma Walden is also extremely beautiful. She has long black hair and initially looks ordinary, but she is actually very beautiful. She is the kind of girl who surpasses a young girl and becomes more and more beautiful the more you look at her. Her long hair covers her forehead. Her figure is slender and does not appear too flamboyant or seductive. Her face is a standard oval face, and her movements and postures appear particularly simple and honest, after all, she is a recluse.

"Sir, could you please not disturb their lives?"

"..."

Su Yue said, "Your resource output is not enough, and you're starting to mix with your relatives. We still need to intervene. You seem to be hesitating, as if you haven't finished saying something?"

He seemed to have conquered the entire territory of "Kavrwit" with ease, but only he himself knew the hardships he endured and the arduous journey of traveling hundreds of kilometers. It wasn't a matter of encountering difficulties, but rather exhaustion.

After that, the power of the Canaanite territory would inevitably expand.

His army will grow from 30,000 to over 100,000, at which point he will truly be a powerful regional ruler.

This will be a massive, even radical, transformation.

Previously, with an army of less than 100,000, the Su-Yue forces felt like small-scale skirmishes.

He did not possess real power and influence; to put it bluntly, he had not yet reached the tables of the nobility and was not yet considered a figure of respectability. But now things are different; the achievement of subduing the entire "Kavrwit" has appeared on his title.

With the addition of nearly 500,000+ displaced people from the territory (estimated to exceed 2 million in the future, with many displaced people suffering defeats and their original homes being burned, destroyed, and looted, leaving them homeless), the entire Canaanite territory of Su Yue will unleash extremely terrifying war potential as these residents and population increase.

After the military uniforms were redesigned, Su Yue had completely embarked on the path of becoming a warlord.

Emma Walden said respectfully:

“My father, Jefferson Walden, has been hiding in the Lone Peak Fortress, ruling the entire ‘Walden Lone Peak’ by the rules. He has been asleep for nearly 40 years now, and I hope you can help me kill my father.”

"hehe……"

Normally, Su Yue might have felt wary and cautious about this, but now that he was a demigod, he said, "Europa."

"exist."

“Go and help cleanse his father, wake him up, and make him realize the cruelty of reality.”

"clear."

Seven hundred years ago, in Cloud City, Europa looked at Su Yue tenderly as Emma Walden led him to the deep bunker of Walden Peak... Su Yue was also curious about the vampire's coffin tomb, so he planned to take advantage of the necessary free time while the army was gathering prisoners and cleaning up the battlefield to go and secretly see what the territory above looked like.

Xiao Yi crashed to the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Don't make it dusty next time!! My clothes are all dirty."

"roar!!!"

Xiao Yi opened his blood-red maw as if he could devour a Behemoth.

Su Yue climbed onto the back of the giant griffin, and the next moment, the griffin soared into the sky.

Su Yue felt as if he were riding the wind and wielding a sword, unaware that the players and the scouts of the Bato Empire were both incredibly surprised and in awe of the outcome of this battle.

Sleipnir quickly climbed onto Xiao Yi's back from a short distance away. Despite killing so many monsters, he still hadn't advanced and seemed to be brewing something big.

He looked anxiously at Su Yue and then at Xiao Yi, seemingly pondering when he would be able to fly.

The enormous griffin crashed onto the fortress in the sky. The clouds were only a third of the way up the solitary peak. The clouds and the height above were so great that even the catapults and engineering equipment could not reach them at an angle.

"This place is practically an insurmountable barrier. As long as we send a few soldiers to guard it, the enemy will have no way to enter this place except by sending air force units. Of course, magic is an exception."

Su Yue looked at the fortress above and climbed the steps.

It would take Su Yue at least several hours to clean up the mess and clear the battlefield from underground, but he wasn't in a hurry at all.

The majestic vampire fortress exudes a sense of age and history, with its stone walls resembling ancient rituals performed by Cthulhu creatures.

Upon entering the hall, one finds a grand palace.

All around were stones hanging down like bells. The sculptor had carved two rows of huge seats. The throne in the distance was proud and aloof. Su Yue walked step by step toward the throne and sat down. Roars and wails came from the distant cave.

Emma Walden soon dragged a pale-faced, bald vampire nobleman who looked as if he hadn't seen the sun for centuries, to the entrance of the hall.

Su Yue, resting his chin on his hand in boredom, chuckled and said, "Jefferson Walden."

"My lord, Jefferson Walden has been brought here. He is the vampire baron of Walden Castle."

"Just a baron?"

“Who…who are you?” The bald Jefferson Walden looked at Su Yue.

Su Yue snapped his fingers in boredom and said, "How do you want me to deal with your father?"

Although Emma Walden's loyalty has been fixed at 100% by the Divine Lord, her favorability still needs to be increased, as Su Yue is a wise and righteous man.

Emma Walden said, "...I wish I could imprison him permanently."

"Has he done many evil things?"

Emma Walden fell silent. She said, "Yes, many evil things. My mother and I were imprisoned by him in an underground cell when we were young. He didn't get close to anyone and had a kind of claustrophobic tendency to isolate himself..."

Su Yue thought to himself, "Indeed, without claustrophobia, it would be impossible for someone to run up this mountain alone and go mad and hide for hundreds of years. Vampires have long lifespans." He asked in confusion, "Where does your blood come from?"

Emma Walden said, "We were taking dirty blood."

What is dirty blood?

"It's the blood produced by monsters. The delicious blood produced by humans is fresh blood, called fresh blood. The blood of monsters, ghouls, graveyards, and the dead is called dirty blood."

"Did you cultivate it yourselves?"

Su Yue was somewhat surprised.

I thought to myself that you guys are pretty good at producing and selling your own products. It's a bit dirty, but as long as you can be self-sufficient, it's not bad to last for hundreds of years. This place is clearly a "vampire" version of Shangri-La.

It's quite interesting. The main point is that Su Yue thinks this place is very suitable for developing territory. He currently has a huge sum of money (34.7 billion gold coins) and is just about to decide where to spend it. Suddenly, a place called "Lone Peak Fortress" has appeared, which is extremely easy to defend and difficult to attack, and can only be invaded by flying units. It seems like he would be doing himself a disservice if he didn't turn this place into a fortress.

"It's a pity that the surrounding area is full of isolated peaks forming fortresses and natural barriers."

"But nothing in the world is perfect."

"Resource transportation in this area is extremely restricted, and everything depends on external supplies..."

As Su Yue weighed the gains and losses, Emma Walden said:

"Yes, all the dirty blood is cultivated by ourselves, because there are only a dozen or so vampires, so the consumption isn't too great. Later, whenever the supply of dirty blood was insufficient..."

"..."

Emma Walden: "He would kill some of our brothers and sisters."

Okay.

Su Yue looked at the bald vampire baron and vaguely felt that he was about to come into contact with the vampire faction and the main force. There was no source for this feeling; he just had this intuition.

Su Yue's intuition, as a descendant of a demigod, has always been very accurate.

Emma Walden asked, "Sir, is there anything else you need to do?"

"kindness?"

"I'd like to show you around here."

Su Yue smiled and said, "Okay."

Europa and Ragnar were busy, and Su Yue looked up at the palace.

Lord's Log: "You have arrived at the Vampire Temple on Walden Hill (Level 5 building)."

This thing is a level 5 building, not bad.

I wonder what the situation is with the monster pool for recruiting soldiers? But Emma Walden has already started leading Su Yue on a tour.

Around the farmland, monsters and hybrid half-human creatures raised their heads and slowly looked at Emma Walden and Su Yue. An ugly smile appeared on Emma Walden's face.

“These…are all our people.”

"..."

"Their intelligence and mental state are not normal."

Su Yue thought to himself, "It would be strange if your people were of normal intelligence and spirit." Just like many closed villages in his previous life, the more closed and secretive they were, the more likely they were to witness many inhumane scenes. But when Emma Walden led him towards the recruitment buildings of the monster hatching pool, from level 1 to level 4...

Su Yue stared at the distant cliff face in astonishment and exclaimed, "That's...?"

Emma Walden said respectfully, “Sir, this is a giant gold mine.”

"???"

So Su Yue doesn't lack gold coins anymore?

But even he couldn't escape the common fate...

He stared in shock at the charred skeleton beside him, then suddenly looked blankly at Emma Walden and said, "You...your territory is Dragoncliff???"

Outside the massive gold mine shaft lay the aged skeleton of a giant dragon…

The solitary peak is so massive and towering...

There was also a huge gold mine cavern. Emma Walden trembled as she said, "My lord, please forgive me for concealing this information from you... Every hundred years, dragons invade our territory... Now, it seems the time is approaching!!"

"!!"

Lord's Log: "Obtained a serendipitous encounter 'Dragon Cliff'. This territory has been occupied by vampires. A conflict has broken out between vampires and dragons. Every hundred years, a wandering dragon follows the bloodline trail to find this place, Dragon Cliff, intending to reclaim the territory."

"..."

The dragons could fly, but vampires usurped their nest, killed the dragons, and then occupied Dragon Cliff to live in seclusion... By this point in the story, Su Yueren was already a bit numb.

At first, he thought it was just a story of seclusion and refuge, or that the dragon had been persecuted by someone. He never expected that they were the villains. The dragon was resting peacefully on the lonely peak of Dragon Cliff when they were slaughtered and then they took over the nest and lived there in seclusion for more than seven hundred years.

"Huh? Something's not right. You've been living in seclusion here for so many years, how did you deal with the dragon?"

Emma Walden's face turned pale, and she said in a trembling voice:

"We will select the most beautiful vampire girl to be the dragon's wife."

"???"

"Then?"

"Then the dragon and his wife would give birth to many monsters... and Father would experiment on them, even doing it himself... In short, our lives were very chaotic and disorderly..."

"..."

Su Yue said, "I have a general understanding of your situation. Don't worry, I will handle the dragon problem."

Emma Walden took a deep breath and finally exclaimed, "Thank you, sir!!"

"Get up."

She looked at Su Yue with emotion. At this moment, Su Yue gained another territory, Dragon Cliff Territory!

And in places he hadn't imagined.

A crisis is beginning to brew.

————————————

The false pope, Innocent IV, listened to his subordinates' reports.

"The entire territory of Kafulwit has fallen... It has been breached by Canaan??"

"All seven generals were killed in battle or captured?"

"My lord, the existence of Canaan has already threatened our north. Our army is now advancing madly towards the capital of the Bathor Empire… I'm afraid we are powerless to deal with Canaan's influence!"

As Innos IV recited a prayer, a sense of resentment arose within him. He said, "In any case, we must first capture the capital of the Bathotid Empire."

"yes."