The system is the proficiency panel

Canyon stronghold, inside the command post.

Carlos was bound with special restraining chains and thrown into a corner. His former arrogance was gone, leaving only fear and uneasiness. Lin Ji sat in the main seat, while Xiao Ningxue, Pu Jianxing, Pang Bin, Dao Yan, and others sat on either side.

"Carlos."

Lin Ji's voice broke the silence.

"Now show your worth. Start with all the secrets of the Ash Merchants in the Quicksand Forest, especially your secret dealings with the Embrace of the Corrupted Maw, other forces, and even with the elves and humans. Also, where are the items you looted, especially those imbued with the aura of the Abyss?"

Kalos swallowed hard, not daring to hold back a single word, and began to spill the beans. He discussed the Ash Merchants' organizational structure, the quirks of several powerful figures, their secret smuggling routes and warehouses, and the shady dealings with the Embrace of the Rotmaw, a partnership that both collaborated with and thwarted. He even mentioned a clue that a great noble of the Dust Throne was procuring certain specialized goods through the Ash Merchants.

When he mentioned the important cargo that was looted not long ago, Lin Ji's eyes moved slightly.

"Is there anything special in that shipment? Especially related to the Jones family of the Eldarin Arcane Federation?"

Carlos was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't expect Lin Ji to ask so specifically, and said quickly.

"Yes! There's a very special item, an ancient scroll sealed in an arcane crystal. The runes on it are very strange, emitting very ancient and obscure energy fluctuations. The mage of the Jones family who was killed was protecting it at the cost of his life! Because it seems the least valuable, yet the most mysterious, it left a deep impression on me."

Lin Ji and Xiao Ningxue exchanged a glance. The ancient scroll that the Jones family's Nine-Ring Mage had desperately guarded? This was definitely no ordinary item.

"Where is the scroll now?"

"It should still be in Ashes' Secret Warehouse No. 3. It's a very hidden place. No one knows its exact location except me and the boss. Before this operation, I just temporarily stored a batch of hard-to-get-out goods, including the scroll, there."

Carlos said hurriedly, as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

"I can take you there. I know all the mechanisms and guard arrangements!"

Lin Ji pondered for a moment, did not express his opinion immediately, and asked instead.

"What do you know about the remains of Morgaroth, the Maw of Corruption? Are there any records within the ashes or within the Maw of Corruption about how to use or fight it?"

Carlos looked embarrassed.

"My Lord, secrets at that level are beyond the reach of someone of my caliber. Harken may know, but he has already..."

He shrank his neck and stopped talking.

The questioning lasted for a long time, and Carlos told almost everything he knew without holding back.

After it was over, Lin Ji had Carlos taken away and kept under strict surveillance.

For the time being, only a few core members are left in the command post.

"Husband, it seems we need to go to Warehouse No. 3 of Ashes."

Xiao Ningxue said softly.

"The Jones family attaches so much importance to that scroll, I'm afraid it involves a lot of things."

Lin Ji nodded.

"Yes. Master Pu, your injuries have not yet healed, so you need to stay at the stronghold. Master Pang, the defense of the stronghold and the care of Carlos will be left to you."

Pu Jianxing nodded slowly, and Master Pang Bin responded with a smile.

"Don't worry, Daozi. I promise to keep a close eye on that kid and protect the family."

"Dao Yan."

Lin Ji looked at the female cultivator standing quietly beside him.

"Please come with Ningxue and me tomorrow. Your foresight can help you avoid many risks in unknown places."

Daoyan nodded slightly, a silver light flashing in his cold eyes.

"it is good."

"Yun Shitian, Fengtian."

Lin Ji took out two jade tokens engraved with cloud patterns and threw them at the two of them.

Yun Shitian grabbed it and grinned.

"Is there another fight?"

Feng Tian took the jade token, glanced at it with his red-gold eyes, and nodded.

"Now, in the Quicksand Forest, three legendary warriors, one dead, one captured, and one escaped, are at a time of power vacuum."

Lin Ji ordered.

"Take the emblem of the Elven Court and head to Emerald Shadow City early tomorrow morning to find a female elven scholar named Lilana Morningdew. Briefly explain the situation here and ask the elves to send personnel to assist you tomorrow in clearing out the remaining Rotmaw and Bloodthorn forces outside the Quicksand Forest. At the same time, clear out the Ash Strongholds that Kaloz revealed."

His tone turned serious.

"Remember, we must demonstrate our sincerity in cooperation. We will lead the attack, with Feng Tian as the vanguard and the elves providing support. Be extremely cautious. The Embrace of the Rotmaw has not yet been eradicated, the Whispering Roots still exist, and there may be powerful individuals hidden within the Ash Merchants' headquarters. Do not advance rashly. If anything unusual occurs, retreat immediately to protect yourselves."

"Haha, got it. I promise to do it beautifully!"

Yun Shitian rubbed his hands together, seeming impatient.

Feng Tian just nodded lightly and put the jade token away. Although he was unhappy about having to be used as a mine-clearing tool again, there was no other way. Rebirth from the Ashes was indeed too useful.

"Ningxue, Daoyan, you guys go get ready too."

Lin Ji said finally.

"Tomorrow morning, we will set out to see the so-called secret warehouse number three of the Ash Merchant Group."

Everyone took their orders and left, and soon Lin Ji was the only one left in the command post. He walked to the window and looked out at the canyon in the distance.

As the night deepens, the lights in the canyon strongholds light up one after another, illuminating the busy figures and the silently flowing undercurrent.

……

The next day, the sky was bright.

Feng Tian and Yun Shitian led twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators at the Yijing level and five hundred late-stage Qi Condensation disciples. They left the canyon stronghold in a mighty procession, heading towards Cuiying City. Despite their considerable numbers, their aura was restrained and silent as they moved.

As we approached Emerald Shadow City, we could already sense the unusual state of its defenses. The border outposts, once relatively relaxed, had seen their manpower increased severalfold. The elven rangers atop the city walls had become increasingly dense, their sharp gazes like hawks, constantly scanning the forest below. The aura of a magical detection barrier flickered in the air, and the atmosphere was as tense as a taut bowstring.

Yun Shitian signaled the main force to camp in a secluded valley outside the city and wait for orders. Then, he and Feng Tian emerged from the crowd and headed straight for the gates of Cuiying City.

"Stop! Who are you!"

A hundred meters from the city gate, a squad of elven guards shouted, their enchanted longbows instantly raised, their arrows flashing with a chilling cold light, locking onto the two men. The captain's eyes, sharp as a knife, were filled with vigilance and scrutiny. The Quicksand Forest had been experiencing frequent unrest recently, and rumors of the Rotmaw's elite infiltrating had the defenders on edge.

Yun Shitian grinned. Although he was a little impatient, he still remembered Lin Ji's instructions. He stopped and took out the mithril emblem of the Elf King's Court, which was shimmering with emerald light from the veins of leaves, from his arms and held it high.

"We are Lin Ji's subordinates. We have come to visit Ms. Lilana Morning Dew of Silverleaf Outpost to discuss important matters. This is a token of trust."

The captain's gaze was instantly drawn to the emblem. He signaled his men to remain calm and personally took a few steps forward, carefully sensing the emblem's unique natural magical fluctuations, which shared the same origin as the Silver Crown, and the authority it represented.

After confirming that everything was correct, his tense expression relaxed slightly and he saluted by placing his right hand on his chest, but the vigilance in his eyes had not completely disappeared.

"So you are the envoy of His Excellency Lin Ji. I apologize for your rudeness. The city is under martial law recently. I hope you will forgive me."

He stepped aside to make way and gestured for invitation.

"Scholar Lilana is at the outpost. I can lead you there."

"Good work."

Yun Shitian carelessly took back the badge, and together with Feng Tian, ​​who always had an expressionless face but exuded a faint sense of oppression, he followed the captain of the guard through the heavily guarded city gate.

The atmosphere in the city was equally tense. The usually bustling streets were much quieter, with residents hurrying about and patrols visible everywhere. The air was filled with an oppressive feeling of impending storm.

Led by the guards, the two once again arrived at the archway naturally formed by the roots of the ancient tree. After the announcement, Lilana Morning Dew, dressed in a pale green scholar's robe, quickly stepped out.

Her long, light-blonde hair was still bound in a vine headband, and her face was delicate, yet it carried a hint of fatigue and worry that was hard to conceal. Clearly, the dramatic changes in the Quicksand Forest and the tense situation within the city had also affected her. Upon seeing Yun Shitian and Feng Tian, ​​a flicker of surprise flashed across her emerald eyes, then faded into solemnity.

"Were you two sent by Lord Lin Ji?"

Lilana's voice was still gentle, but less calm and more anxious than last time.

"But are there any new changes in the Quicksand Forest?"

Yun Shitian took a step forward, lowered his voice, and spoke concisely.

"Ms. Lilana, Lin Ji sent us a message. Harken, the High Priest of the Rotmaw Embrace, has been killed, and the main force of his personal guards has been wiped out. The Bloodthorn Mercenary Group exists in name only, and its leader, Balk, has escaped with serious injuries. Carloz, the second-in-command of the Ash Merchants, has been captured alive by our forces."

With each word, Lilana's eyes widened, the shock on her face barely concealed. This news was too shocking, any one piece of it enough to cause a sensation in Emerald Shadow City and even the Eternal Glory Forest.

Yun Shitian ignored her shock and continued.

"Now that there's a vacuum of high-end combat power in the Quicksand Forest, it's a prime opportunity to eliminate the remnants and expand our victories. We hope to cooperate sincerely with the elves. Our troops are waiting outside the city, and we two will lead the main attack to eliminate the outer Rotmaw strongholds and the remaining forces of the Ash Merchants. We specifically request that the nobles send personnel to provide support and assistance for our joint operation."

He paused and added Lin Ji's original words.

"This is a good opportunity for both sides to demonstrate their sincerity in cooperation and consolidate trust."

Lilana took a deep breath and forced herself to suppress the turmoil in her heart. She quickly digested the information and glanced at Yun Shitian and the red-haired handsome boy next to him with a hot breath and indifferent eyes.

"I understand."

Lilana's voice regained its composure, and a flicker of determination flashed in her eyes.

"This situation is urgent. Please wait a moment. I will immediately report this to the outpost commander and the royal court. Upon receiving a response, Silver Leaf Ranger will be ready to assist you."

She turned and walked quickly toward the interior of the outpost, her figure quickly disappearing into the depths of the ancient wooden corridor. This matter was of great importance and required immediate authorization and deployment from a higher level.

Yun Shitian and Feng Tian exchanged a glance, then waited silently. Outside the city, hundreds of cultivators lay dormant. Inside, the elven outposts sprang into action.

……

The crown of the silver dome, the stargazing and meeting hall.

Starlight still flowed like water across the long Moonstone table, but the atmosphere in the hall was completely different from when Lin Ji's intelligence had arrived a few days ago. Back then, there was solemnity and shock, but now, there was more disbelief.

The Elf King Iselama sat in the main seat. He had just listened to the urgent message from Lilana Morningdew of Emerald Shadow City, which was relayed by Elder Seranville.

"Halken... is dead?"

A family patriarch whispered, breaking the brief silence, his voice full of disbelief.

"Bloodthorn collapsed, Carlos was captured..."

The Silver Leaf Ranger Commander's fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, his eyes sharp as an eagle, quickly calculating the suddenly unbalanced power balance in the Quicksand Forest.

"It's only been a few days? How did these people from other worlds do it? Could it be that the person behind them took action?"

"Impossible, the Silver Dome Crown has not detected any fluctuations in the power of the law."

Even the high-ranking elves, accustomed to the turmoil of their lives, found it difficult to maintain absolute composure. The chief priest of the Rotmaw's Embrace, the leader of the Bloodthorns, and the second-in-command of the Ashes... these three ruthless leaders, entrenched in the Quicksand Forest and causing unrest along the borders of the Eternal Glory Forest, had been eliminated and captured in such a short period of time! This was something no ordinary force could achieve. Even with the severe damage dealt to the Rotmaw's core, Lin Ji and his group's mobility and combat capabilities far exceeded their initial expectations.

"It seems that our previous assessment of this Lin Ji Daozi and the power behind him was still too conservative."

The Chief of the High Mage Council spoke slowly, the wrinkles on his old face seemed to deepen a little.

"There's a power vacuum in the Quicksand Forest right now. Lin Ji's proposal for a joint crackdown is indeed the fastest way to stabilize the situation. It also allows us to surround the Whispering Root, the core of the Quicksand Forest, and prepare to deal with it."

The high priest showed a trace of worry.

"But if they settle in the Main Sand Forest for a long time, I don't know whether it will be good or bad for the elves."

Then all eyes focused on the Elf King Yselama again.

The Elf King's gaze swept over every senior official present, and his voice, calm but with unquestionable decisiveness, echoed in the quiet meeting room.

"Who knows what will happen in the future? But right now, they've demonstrated sufficient strength and sincerity, taking the lead in eliminating this major threat and proactively inviting our tribe to share in the fruits of victory and coordinate their actions. This is a golden opportunity to solidify our alliance and demonstrate Yonghui Forest's jurisdiction over this area. We must not miss it."

"Selanville, you know Lin Ji, so you should lead the Silver Leaf Rangers to coordinate with their actions. Also, there are no legendary masters in Emerald Shadow City, so it would be good for you to take charge there."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The royal court's order was passed down swiftly and silently. Under the starlight, the ancient elves' war and political machine began to operate efficiently. Within Emerald Shadow City, the melodious horn signaling the Silver Leaf Rangers' mobilization soon rang out.

A large-scale cleanup led by Lin Ji and endorsed by the Elf Royal Court is about to begin in the chaotic Quicksand Forest.