Tinder Ignites

Under the cover of thick darkness, Lam Minh approached the abandoned ancient temple. From the outside, it was just a pile of ruins, gloomy and desolate. But his spiritual sense told him that beneath this layer of earth and rock was a network of tunnels and chambers reinforced with metal and energy—a true fortress.

He had no intention of using the main entrance. He moved around the perimeter, observing. The base was extremely well-guarded. Every few hundred meters, a pair of "Night Shadow" guards hid in the darkness. They moved according to a specific pattern, coordinating with each other perfectly.

In addition, he could sense countless energy traps set up everywhere. A single misstep would trigger the entire alarm system.

"The defenses are tight," he murmured. "But... no defense system is perfect."

He was not in a hurry. He spent nearly an hour just observing, memorizing the patrol patterns and the locations of the traps. He was like a leopard patiently stalking its prey, waiting for a moment of vulnerability.

Finally, he found his "window of opportunity."

It was the moment of shift change between two patrol teams. For about 10 seconds, an area on the west side of the base would be without direct surveillance.

He chose a pair of guards hiding in a dense thicket as his target. He needed to approach them, get the small bottle of incense they carried, and then retreat without leaving a single trace.

This was a true test of his control.

He began to move.

He didn't use speed, but skill. He held his breath, restrained his entire aura, and his body became one with the night. Every footstep landed gently, without making a sound, without rustling a single leaf. He employed the stealth techniques he had "learned" from the very "Night Shadows" he had killed.

He slowly approached the thicket. He could hear the steady breathing of the two guards inside.

Five meters... three meters... one meter...

He was right behind them. A single small movement and they would discover him.

He didn't make a move. He just waited silently.

At that moment, the next patrol team appeared in the distance. This pair of guards prepared to leave their post for the shift change.

This was the chance!

In the instant one of them turned, exposing the small utility pouch on his hip, Lam Minh struck.

He didn't use his sword, didn't use his fist. He just reached out his hand, as fast as a flash of lightning, yet as gentle as a breeze. His fingers brushed past, snatching a small vial from the guard's pouch.

The entire action took place in less than a tenth of a second.

The guard only felt as if a leaf had just brushed against his hip. He reflexively looked down, but saw nothing unusual. He shook his head, thinking it was just his imagination, and then left with his partner.

Lam Minh had succeeded. He had gotten what he needed without anyone noticing.

He slowly backed away, disappearing into the darkness as quietly as he had arrived.

After obtaining the most important "prop," Lam Minh returned to the area between the territories of the two monster herds.

He opened the vial of incense. A pungent, strong, and very distinctive scent spread out.

He began to "draw the path."

He didn't go straight to the temple. He followed a zigzagging, winding path, but the general direction was still towards the "Night Shadow" base. He carefully sprinkled a little of the incense powder on branches and rocks. He did it with extreme skill, so that the scent wasn't too strong, just enough for the two monster herds with their sensitive noses to pick up and follow.

After finishing the "pathfinding" work, he found a high mountain nearby and chose a spot with the best vantage point to observe all three parties: the territory of the boars, the territory of the monkeys, and the ancient temple.

He sat down, took out some dried bear meat, and nibbled on it while he waited.

Now, all he had to do was wait for the conflict between the two monster herds to reach its peak, and for them to "smell" the scent of the "third party."

The grand play was about to begin. He, as both the director and the audience, was greatly looking forward to the upcoming performance.

He didn't know that his act of "petty theft," though undetected, had caused a small disturbance in the "Night Shadow" base. The guard who lost the incense vial was terrified when he discovered it was missing. He didn't dare report it to Black Shadow for fear of being punished. He just quietly covered it up.

It was this concealment that would later make it impossible for Black Shadow to understand why the two monster herds had suddenly attacked his base, and would further convince him that some mysterious force was pulling the strings, making him even more fearful and cautious.

A small action by Lam Minh had inadvertently created an unforeseeable butterfly effect.

...

Dawn broke, the first rays of sunlight piercing through the leaves, illuminating a forest still damp from a night of dew.

In the territory of the Poison-Tusked Boars, the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment sow woke up. It sniffed the morning air with its large snout. But today, there was a strange scent, a scent that did not belong to this forest.

It was the scent of the Demon-Faced Monkeys. A provocative scent, right on the path its herd usually took to find food.

It growled, anger beginning to rise. Those monkeys, did they dare to invade its territory?

Its anger reached its peak when a few other boars ran back, squealing in panic. They had just discovered the carcasses of several piglets, lying dead at the edge of the forest, with a few monkey hairs still clinging to them.

ROAR!!!

The sow went completely berserk. It let out a sky-shaking roar, giving orders to the entire herd. This humiliation could not be ignored. They had to have their revenge!

The entire herd of several hundred boars, led by the giant sow, began to move, the ground trembling beneath their feet. They didn't head straight for the monkeys' cliff, but followed the direction of the strongest scent, believing it to be the location of the enemy's main nest.

At the same time, high on the cliffs.

The white-furred monkey alpha had also discovered the unusual signs. The smell of the filthy boars was everywhere in its territory. And more horrifyingly, the bodies of several young monkeys had been found, bearing the distinctive goring and bite marks of the Poison-Tusked Boars.

KEE! KEE! KEE!

The monkey troop shrieked in anger. The alpha monkey, though intelligent and cunning, could not maintain its composure in the face of this blatant provocation. It also believed that the boars were trying to launch an all-out war to take their cliff, a place with abundant water and fruit.

It waved its arm, signaling the entire troop. They began to gather their weapons: large rocks, hard branches, and poisonous fruits. They were ready for a fight.

Just like the boars, the monkey alpha was also deceived by the scent. It led its entire troop down the mountain, following the strong scent of the boars, believing it to be the enemy's main direction of attack.

Lam Minh sat on the high mountaintop, chewing on a piece of dried bear meat, and watched with a smile. The play he was directing was proceeding exactly according to the script.

He saw two tides, one black and one gray, advancing from two different directions, heading towards the same point. And their meeting point was the very path that led to the ancient temple.

"There's going to be a good show to watch soon," he murmured.

About half an hour later, the two armies clashed in a large open area.

The moment they saw each other, without a single word of declaration, both sides charged at each other like sworn enemies.

ROAR! KEE!

The roars and shrieks were deafening.

The herd of boars, with their strength and tenacity, formed a charging formation, ramming straight into the monkeys' ranks.

The troop of monkeys, with their agility and cunning, didn't engage head-on. They climbed the trees, threw rocks, and used branches to attack from above, causing chaos among the boars.

The boar sow and the monkey alpha, the two Mid-stage Foundation Establishment creatures, also found each other. They lunged at one another, and a battle between strength and cunning erupted.

A corner of the forest turned into a chaotic battlefield. Trees fell, rocks and dirt flew everywhere. The blood and bodies of both species began to appear.

Lam Minh watched with rapt attention, occasionally nodding in commentary.

"That boar's charge is so stupid, it should be aiming for the flank."

"That monkey throws rocks well, but it should be aiming for their eyes."

He was like a spectator watching a classic football match, with no intention of interfering.

But then, he noticed something.

Both herds, though fighting each other furiously, were also moving in a specific direction as they fought.

It was the direction of the ancient temple.

The scent of the "third party" that he had spread had been deeply ingrained in their subconscious. In their rage, they saw each other as the enemy, but also unconsciously believed that another culprit was pulling the strings. And they had to find that culprit.

"Good! Very good!" Lam Minh smiled. "Keep it up. Lead each other right to the 'Night Shadows'' doorstep."

He stood up, no longer watching. He began to move, circling around the battlefield, heading towards the temple.

He needed to get there first, find a good spot to enjoy the climax of the play: when a herd of monsters, mad with hatred, suddenly attacks a heavily guarded assassin base.

He was very curious to see what kind of expression Black Shadow, that Golden Core commander, would have.