Chapter 328: Witchcraft

After the Bloodmoss Clan, the Bares Clan, and the Ogota Clan pledged allegiance to the Icy Sea Clans, Vaughn, the chief of the Broken Horn Clan, personally witnessed the aftermath of their withdrawal and the nearly forty hostages left behind. In the end, he and Daryl also officially swore allegiance to Nagrand, joining the Icy Sea Clans.

The Broken Horn Clan, due to their connection with the Silvermoon Wolf Clan, was exempt from providing hostages. However, after spending two days in Nagrand, Vaughn had completely dispelled his previous notions of it being some kind of sinister land. On the contrary, aside from the strange bison and moose, Nagrand seemed far more vibrant than any place around the Icy Sea.

The towering Xuanyuan Temple, which had been under construction since spring and was finally completed, still filled him with deep unease, prompting him to avoid it cautiously. Yet, when it came to other areas—especially the vast fields surrounding Nagrand—he found it hard to tear himself away.

“You can cultivate similar fields along the northern shore of the Glacial Sea,” Ram, the Icy Sea Clans chief steward, told him. “Nagrand can help you build windmills for irrigation, while tree planting and land reclamation are tasks you can handle yourselves. It might not fully sustain the entire Broken Horn Clan, but at the very least, you’ll have enough food to get through the winter without struggle.”

The suggestion deeply tempted Vaughn, though with winter fast approaching, it would have to wait until the following year.

The Icefield Rice planted around Nagrand had fully ripened, its heavy golden ears stirring a sense of heartfelt excitement in all who saw them. Meanwhile, the golden alfalfa grown around the perimeter had been carefully harvested while still green, compacted, and stored in warehouses as winter fodder. All the seeds had been meticulously set aside for future planting.

During this period before winter’s arrival, Nina and Daryl were busy resettling the newly assimilated members. They worked to dispel their lingering attachment to their former chiefs and elders. Seizing the opportunity, Morin led the young rabbitkin priests to replace the slain shamans, offering spiritual guidance and comfort.

Among the original members of the Skude Clan, roughly half had gradually fled. Yet nearly ten thousand ultimately chose to formally join the Silvermoon Wolf Clan. As a result, the clan—now officially bearing the name of the Tecks Clan—had grown to nearly twenty thousand members. Once fully integrated, the Silvermoon Wolf Clan would finally begin to recover its former strength.

Following Wu Qingsong’s instructions, Ling and Liuli led several experienced beastkin to search for coal and iron mines around the Icy Sea. Ram and Harold focused on organizing the Icefield Rice harvest, ensuring it was dried and stored under the last rays of autumn sunlight. Feya continued planting trees around Nagrand to improve the local environment, while Alice led the girls of the Beastkin Sisterhood in assisting Morin’s missionary efforts among the Silvermoon Wolf Clan. Meanwhile, Xeila kept a close watch on the so-called guests who were, in reality, hostages.

As for Wu Qingsong himself, he spent long hours secluded in a small room within the temple, locked in an ongoing struggle against Master Boulder’s fragmented soul.

Only now did he truly grasp the terrifying power of the Crimson Demon Lord and the Flame Demon Lord, both of whom had easily invaded his consciousness. Even with the aid of the Batisians’ sacred artifact, the Book of the Dead, and centuries of accumulated knowledge, it still took him nearly ten days—and the endurance of countless backlashes and excruciating pain—to finally wear down the hatred, obsessions, and pride within Boulder’s soul fragment, leaving it purified.

Afterward, he expended the full energy of an entire soul stone to reanimate the decaying corpse, making it sit upright before him.

Unlike the undead creatures he had summoned before, this lich showed no signs of submission upon awakening. Instead, after cautiously surveying its surroundings, it silently entered a state of meditation.

“Ahem…!” Wu Qingsong cleared his throat to assert his presence.

The lich only slightly raised its head, its pallid eyes radiating an eerie chill as it silently regarded him.

“Do you know who I am?”

The lich nodded, expressionless.

“Do you remember your past?”

It shook its head.

“Your name is Boulder,” Wu Qingsong said. “I hope you understand your responsibilities.”

“I will fight according to your will,” the lich finally spoke, its voice hollow and detached. “But beyond that, grant me the peace I deserve, so I may continue my cultivation.”

Wu Qingsong blinked in surprise. A lich seeking cultivation?

“I’ll leave this room to you,” he replied after a moment’s thought. “And I’ll respect your wishes. But I hope you’ll share your wisdom and knowledge.”

“As long as it is within my understanding,” Boulder agreed, closing its eyes once more.

“I’d like to know about your spell,” Wu Qingsong said.

“Spell?”

“The one that made the beastkin grow larger and significantly more powerful in battle.”

“That is not magic,” Boulder corrected. “It is witchcraft. Advanced Bloodlust.”

“Bloodlust?” Wu Qingsong froze. That was entirely different from what he had expected. “Explain in detail.”

Though visibly reluctant, Boulder gave a concise explanation.

Simply put, magic and witchcraft were entirely separate systems. Magic harnessed the power of the world’s four fundamental elements, while witchcraft drew upon the innate strength within beastkin themselves.

This distinction led to fundamental differences between the two.

Magic relied heavily on external conditions. For instance, powerful fire magic was difficult to wield in damp environments, while water magic would become far more effective. Conversely, in a desert, attempting water magic would only waste energy. The advantage of magic, however, lay in its efficiency—great power for relatively little cost. Magic elements could even be stored in enchanted items, and legendary mages could reshape the surrounding environment to favor their magic.

Witchcraft, by contrast, depended entirely on the user’s mental and physical strength. Take Bloodlust as an example: it forcibly stimulated the latent power within a beastkin’s bloodline, granting immense strength, speed, and reflexes for a short time. However, if the recipient’s bloodline was weak, the effect would quickly wear off and could even cause severe injury or permanent damage.

Magic valued intelligence, memory, and affinity for magical elements, while witchcraft prioritized spiritual sensitivity and bloodline inheritance. In a way, the elves’ systematic slaughter of powerful bloodlines among the beastkin had already greatly diminished the strength of witchcraft.

Hearing this, Wu Qingsong couldn’t help but furrow his brow.