A World Worth Protecting

by Stayrr

By the year 3029 CE, Earth’s technology has developed rapidly, borders no longer exist, and Earth has been unified, marking the beginning of the era of the Federation. At that time, a huge sword flew from the heavens, piercing the sun and causing a huge sensation on Earth. Perhaps because the scabbard of the sword was already in tatters, countless shards have broken off from it f

13. 373

Read A World Worth Protecting - Chapter 373 - Banging! online free - Novelfull

Chapter 373: Banging!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Of those people, there was Lin Tianhao, as well as Li Yi and Kong Dao!

During the period of Wang Baole's seclusion, Kong Dao and Li Yi both arrived. Kong Dao didn't do much, but Li Yi immediately interfered in the construction of the new city zone, even putting forth hard-headed suggestions in many areas, requesting that changes be made.

Those requests, which were unreasonable in Lin Tianhao's eyes, were immediately rejected by him. In front of Wang Baole, he had suffered and therefore yielded, which made him seem weak. However, as the son of a senator, Lin Tianhao was considered prominent regardless of which faction he was in.

Comparing his background, he didn't lose out, and comparing his Noble, he had caught up and was now a Secondary Rank Four Noble like Li Yi. Comparing his cultivation, even though he was merely someone who had perfected the early-stage Foundation Establishment realm, Li Yi was still nowhere near superior to him.

This way, Lin Tianhao's prominence was strongly conveyed. It wasn't a simple rejection, but outright disregard. During that period of time, the clashes between them grew.

Even so, with the sounding of the alarm, the group of them charged towards the area in all seriousness. When they saw the huge face within the seal, they jumped out of their bodies in shock. Suddenly, the face was no longer screaming and was instead slowly calming down.

The alarm also stopped ringing at this moment.

The instant the face sank, Wang Baole heard the alarm and retracted his Dark Fire. When he stood up, the chilliness around him visibly disappeared. When everything returned to normal, Wang Baole, who emerged out of seclusion, rushed to the Divine Armament seal, looking extremely serious.

He didn't know what the issue was, but according to his plans, the alarm would only sound when an extreme crisis occurs.

Therefore, even though the alarm had stopped ringing now, he was still charging at an extremely fast speed. He arrived not long after Lin Tianhao and company were inspecting the situation. He neared the area immediately, stepping out of the circular array formation. Lin Tianhao immediately noticed him, and hurriedly greeted him respectfully.

"Greetings, Mayor!"

Kong Dao and Li Yi stood looking coldly at Wang Baole without greeting him. If it were in another situation, Wang Baole would definitely throw them a death stare. However, right now, he didn't have time to think about all that. He hurriedly neared and immediately inquired.

"What's the situation!?"

Lin Tianhao didn't dare to cause any delay, immediately speaking in a hushed voice and telling Wang Baole everything they knew and saw. That shocked Wang Baole, as he looked at the Divine Armament Catacombs seal that had returned to a state of calmness, and he thought about the time…

That was the exact time when I achieved cultivation breakthrough, the moment when the Dark Art wasn't suppressed… When I heard the alarm, I immediately withdrew the Dark Art, and with that, the alarm stopped and the face sank. Wang Baole was deep in thought as he checked everything thoroughly. After that, he began inspecting the construction, ensuring that there was nothing wrong with it and that everything was going according to plan, before leaving.

From start to end, Li Yi and Kong Dao stood there without speaking to Wang Baole. Wang Baole also disregarded them and muttered under his breath as he left.

Putting on airs in my territory? With that thought, he turned to look at Lin Tianhao, speaking with a look of dissatisfaction in his eyes.

"Tianhao, I spent about a month in seclusion right? It's been almost two months since we've arrived here, hasn't it?"

Lin Tianhao estimated the time in his mind and immediately agreed.

"Yes, it's been almost two months. My three vice mayors haven't reported to work. That's interesting. It seems like they don't wish to suffer here. Tianhao, go to the Martian City to meet the Martian Colony Governor now to inform her about what happened. Tell them that if they're unwilling to come, I don't want them either!" Wang Baole spoke arrogantly, wanting to leave after that. However, Li Yi and Kong Dao, who were standing nearby, were immediately angered.

"Wang, are you blind!?" Li Yi had initially wanted to take over whatever Wang Baole refined, but since losing, she had lost all will, feeling that she must have been kicked by the donkey to have made Wang Baole fall in love with her. Listening to Wang Baole's words now, she grew even more furious.

"Oh?" Wang Baole turned around, throwing a glance at Li Yi, before turning to ask Lin Tianhao.

"Who's that?"

Li Yi was about to explode from anger. A fire was raging in her eyes, and she looked furiously at Wang Baole while speaking with gritted teeth.

"Wang Baole, don't go overboard and feign ignorance here. Do you think…"

"Shut up!" Without waiting for Li Yi to finish what she had wanted to say, Wang Baole bellowed, the late-stage of his Foundation Establishment realm cultivation exploding, instantly forming a strong force that directly suppressed Li Yi!

Li Yi trembled violently, feeling as if her eardrums were about to be broken apart. At the same time, she sensed the transformation in Wang Baole's cultivation and immediately gasped. Even Kong Dao, who was beside her, was shocked, his facial expression changing wildly. He hadn't noticed it with the alarm sounding previously. Furthermore, Wang Baole instinctively tried to hide it when he arrived, which made this sudden activation of Wang Baole's cultivation catch the attention of Kong Dao.

"You still know that I am Wang Baole? Vice Mayor Li, do you know then that you're just an assistant? You don't greet me when you see me and are instead waiting for me to greet you?" Wang Baole reprimanded, without a hint of politeness.

His cultivation, status, and responsibility were all superior to Li Yi. Right now, whatever he said reigned, putting so much pressure on Li Yi that she was aghast with shock and hyperventilating.

Kong Dao also fell silent, knowing that it was unwise for him to say anything right now.

Seeing that Wang Baole was reprimanding Li Yi, Lin Tianhao gloated in his heart. He had grown extremely annoyed at Li Yi during this period of time, and now, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Mayor, I would like to confess… After Vice Mayor Li arrived here, she made many suggestions that weren't in line with the foundational blueprint for the Eternal Fortress that was given by you. I didn't dare to apply them, which resulted in delays in the construction process…"

Wang Baole raised his brows upon hearing Lin Tianhao's words, and he looked towards Li Yi.

"Mayor Wang went into seclusion the moment he arrived and didn't care about how things were progressing over here, eventually resulting in chaos. As the vice mayor, I would naturally have to oversee the construction of the new city zone. What is wrong with expressing my opinion about it?" Li Yi raised her head, recovering from being reprimanded previously as she looked coldly at Wang Baole.

"You can. From now on, Vice Mayor Li won't only be in charge of the area of the seal, but also the construction of the entire Eternal Fortress. Tianhao, pass a copy of the blueprint for the Eternal Fortress to ViceMayor Li later on." Wang Baole spoke decisively, shocking Lin Tianhao. Even though he wasn't sure why Wang Baole responded this way, he still hurriedly nodded his head.

Li Yi was taken aback as well. She had originally planned to find a chance to interfere later on, eventually gaining the power to oversee the construction through a dramatic underhand scheme. Her goal was only to be in charge of twenty to thirty percent of the entire process.

However, she had never imagined that Wang Baole would hand over the entire responsibility for the construction to her. However, even though she was suspicious, she immediately accepted the power that she had been bestowed.

Without bothering himself further with Li Yi, Wang Baole turned to look at Kong Dao.

Kong Dao was silent. He thought about the time he made a pact with his foster father and the Mars military when he first arrived, and how Wang Baole had flipped between being the leader and relinquishing his power in a give-and-take manner, which gave him an indescribable gut feeling. He didn't know what it was, but he instinctively felt that there was danger lurking.

However, he still greeted Wang Baole expressionlessly.

"Greetings, Mayor Wang."

Wang Baole smiled vaguely, nodding his head before speaking calmly.

"Mayor Kong…"

"Say no more, Mayor Wang!" Kong Dao interjected Wang Baole mid-sentence.

"Didn't you already communicate my role with the military previously? I won't participate in any construction, and will only be responsible in guarding the Divine Armament Catacombs while periodically releasing the seal to do an internal cleansing. As for the resources, I have already reported to Mayor Lin, and I won't participate in any audit!"

"The alarm just sounded here, and I need to inspect in greater detail. If nothing's the matter, I will be taking my leave." As he spoke, Kong Dao didn't pay any further attention to Wang Baole. Instead, he turned and led his army of military cultivators and began stringent inspections outside the Divine Armament Catacombs.

Wang Baole looked at Kong Dao and squinted his eyes. He didn't say anything and turned to lead Lin Tianhao out of the Divine Armament Catacombs's seal. Li Yi threw a glance at Kong Dao before looking away. Thinking about the power she had just gained, her heart palpitated. Even though she was still suspicious, she was no longer hesitant. Even if there were to be anything amiss with this matter, she wasn't afraid!

Perhaps, this is a sign that Wang Baole is bowing down to the White Deer Dao College…

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Chapter 374: To Not Commit Oneself Until Success Is Certain

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

As he left with Wang Baole, Lin Tianhao had wanted to say something but stopped himself, until he could no longer bear it when the two of them reached the Mayor's Office in the new city zone—which now had its initial stage completed. He cupped his fists at Wang Baole and spoke.

"Mayor, this Li Yi must be plotting something. Furthermore, when she came, she brought along thousands of escorts, behaving in an imposing manner as she interfered with each and every matter…"

"Now that Mayor Wang has given her control over the new city zone's construction, I am worried that… problems will arise." Lin Tianhao couldn't understand what Wang Baole was thinking. Even though he felt that Wang Baole wasn't one to let others take advantage of him and that those who opposed him wouldn't be any better off either, he was still worried about Li Yi's presence, and he softly reminded Wang Baole.

Seeing how much effort Lin Tianhao had put in, Wang Baole was heartened as he patted his shoulder. He sat down and took out a bag of snacks, cheerfully speaking as he munched on them.

"Tianhao, I know what I'm doing in my handling of the matter. What I need you to do next is to keep a close eye on Li Yi. Don't stop her for anything. Instead, report everything to me as soon as you can."

Lin Tianhao blinked in a confused manner. He wasn't ignorant, and after hearing Wang Baole's words, he thought about what Wang Baole had been through. Immediately, a look of realization flashed across his face as he finally understood that Wang Baole was trying to trick Li Yi into making a mistake.

Therefore, Lin Tianhao heaved a sigh of relief and agreed. He then discussed matters regarding the construction of the new city zone and left after receiving instructions from Wang Baole.

As he watched Lin Tianhao leave, Wang Baole patted his stomach in a satisfied manner and chuckled.

Li Yi, right now, the cave has been dug for you. What's next is to see how you would jump into it yourself.

While Wang Baole was basking in delight, Li Yi was leading the escorts arranged by the four Dao Colleges, arriving at her designated workplace. She fell silent, as she still felt that something was amiss, but was excited to start work at the same time.

She understood that this was a golden opportunity for her!

In reality, she was extremely unhappy that Wang Baole had become the mayor. To her, she found it easier to accept Kong Dao as the mayor instead. However, as fate would have it, that pig became the person in charge of the new city zone, which made her feel indignant and disgusted.

This time, her goal wasn't to become the vice mayor. Instead, it was to kick Wang Baole away and take charge of everything. This wasn't approved by the White Deer Dao College, but Li Yi felt that the Dao College would support her if it became a reality.

The people from the Dao College obviously hate Wang Baole to the core. However, they are too pedantic, giving excuses about stability, and about how the time isn't right… Everything is in the control of our own hands, and that is the greatest form of stability. As for the right time for things to happen… that is created by humans too! Li Yi sneered, unhappy that the Dao College didn't support her views.

As a result of her goal and attitude, she immediately took initiative and grabbed hold of power when Wang Baole went into seclusion previously. She wanted a part in every matter, as her goal was to remove Wang Baole from power.

She had planned to do everything step by step and estimated that she would need a year's time to slowly and successfully reach her goal. However, now that Wang Baole had relinquished his authority to her, Li Yi was agitated, her eyes revealing a look of bewilderment.

She was very clear that Wang Baole had become the mayor with the entire Federation as his witness. That meant that he had a strong backing and foundation, which made it difficult for the situation to change, unless…

"I just have to prove that his Eternal Fortress isn't as perfect as others have imagined, and is no match for my Global Dharma City!" Li Yi mumbled. She understood that in order to achieve this, she couldn't do it in an obvious manner, and should instead appear to abide by the rules on the surface while going against them in secret. It would appear that she was constructing the Eternal Fortress, but was actually waiting to ambush.

At the same time, she belittled the Eternal Fortress. In her opinion, she was the representative of the four Dao Colleges. Even though her Global Dharma City had failed in the assessment, it still lasted until the end. Wang Baole may have won, but his stronghold was destroyed eventually as well.

That was what made Li Yi so confident.

Once I have proven this point, the Dao College would naturally take action and collaborate with other factions to kick Wang Baole away, in order for me to smoothly ascend to the position of the new mayor! With that thought, Li Yi grew even more passionate as she immediately pushed aside her suspicions and became determined. She secretly made plans to pretend to be constructing the Eternal Fortress on the surface, while building her own Global Dharma City in secret!

However, she also didn't dare to make her movements too obvious. Therefore, she focused her attention on a corner of the Eternal Fortress, designating it as an area for the Global Dharma City. There was something that she wasn't too clear about, and that was that Wang Baole seemed to be responsible for constructing the stronghold, but was actually facilitating the Qi Fostering Spirit Array Formation!

After all, this new city zone was constructed in order to form the array formation. This matter was considered a secret, and people who were Secondary Rank Three or below didn't have the authority to know about it. Wang Baole was an exception, as he had a unique identity and was informed by the Martian Colony Governor.

Even though Li Yi also knew about it, she didn't have a complete view like Wang Baole did. Naturally, she couldn't possess the blueprint for New Mars Region's array formation like Wang Baole!

In reality, minor adjustments had been made to Wang Baole's Eternal Fortress so that the stronghold and the array formation could integrate with each other perfectly!

That meant that no matter how powerful Li Yi's Global Dharma City was, it would be difficult for it to integrate perfectly with the array formation. This way, errors would be obvious.

Right now, however, Li Yi didn't seem to realize that and was instead very excited for the day to arrive when she could prove that her Global Dharma City was superior to the Eternal Fortress.

Just like that, time passed. The construction of the new city zone officially began, with transformations visible every day. Areas of construction and plots of land were constantly being constructed at an astonishing speed.

It was also at this moment that Jin Duoming finally arrived. As the last vice mayor, he may be late, but he brought along an astounding amount of resources and manpower. The speed at which the new city zone was being constructed had visibly increased by the second day he arrived.

After meeting Jin Duoming, Wang Baole relinquished more of his power, passing Jin Duoming the responsibility to act like a housekeeper responsible for the internal affairs of the new city zone. He even told Jin Duoming that this was a chance for him to prove himself!

That surprised Jin Duoming. He felt that what Wang Baole said made sense, and since he had nothing better to do, he was enthusiastic about his job. However, after a few days, he felt tired and bitter.

There were simply too many things to handle and oversee in the new city zone's construction process. If everyone worked equally hard, it wouldn't feel so miserable. However, Wang Baole was the one who became the freest, having time to either cultivate or bring the donkey walking in the new city zone. Therefore, after bearing with it for a few days, Jin Duoming finally exploded in unhappiness, realizing that he didn't even have time to flirt with the ladies anymore.

However, the way he expressed his unhappiness wasn't to argue with Wang Baole. Instead, he sent an order to Trilunaris Corporation, assigning hundreds of management elites from Mars to become his assistants, helping him to manage the internal affairs of Mars. This way, he could relax and had the time to pursue Li Yi…

The way Jin Duoming went after girls in the past was to give them a ton of money until the other party gave in. However, this time, he decided to try a different method to see if he could move Li Yi, not by giving money, but by pursuing her with his capabilities.

He already had this idea when he was in the Martian City, and this thought had remained now that he was in the New Mars Region. He was around Li Yi every single day, which made Li Yi extremely annoyed. However, when she thought about Jin Duoming's status, she rolled her eyes and bore with the annoyance, occasionally stirring discord between Jin Duoming and Wang Baole.

In response to Li Yi trying to sow discord, Jin Duoming always appeared to be angry at Wang Baole, wanting to go against him. In reality, however, he wasn't the least bit affected, as he understood the implications of the matter, and didn't want to be part of the battle between the two of them.

However, he still hinted to Li Yi that as long as she became one of his Dao partners, he would immediately roll up his sleeves and bash Wang Baole up.

This attitude of not committing oneself until success is certain made Li Yi grit her teeth. Seeing Li Yi's response, Jin Duoming was heartbroken, as he felt that it was a beautiful sight. He decided to secretly support Wang Baole!

That was because the more he supported Wang Baole, the more powerful Wang Baole would be. At the same time, Li Yi would become more angry and annoyed, and that would perhaps make Li Yi agree to become his.

In order to agitate Li Yi even more, Jin Duoming didn't hide his support for Wang Baole and instead made it very obvious to Li Yi.

"Can you see that with the resources I hold, whoever I help would be at an advantage. How's this? If you become one of my three hundred Dao partners, I will help you!"

"You a*hole! Get lost!" Li Yi exploded at Jin Duoming angrily.

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Chapter 375: The Sound From Within the Catacombs!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

It's so troublesome to pursue a girl. After Jin Duoming was hurled out of Li Yi's office, he entered his luxurious cruiser, leaving dejectedly with his bodyguards surrounding him.

Jin Duoming lay in the embrace of one of his servants while snacking on fruits that had been peeled by the other beautiful servant ladies surrounding him. He was filled with emotional thoughts, as he felt that Li Yi was a challenge to pursue. Therefore, he was thinking about whether to adopt his previous method, which was to overwhelm her with money…

No, I should move her with my sincerity and let her know that she would be safest in my arms. Jin Duoming put on a look of seriousness, thinking about how he needed to plan carefully before executing anything.

While Jin Duoming was in deep thought about how to improve the relationship between himself and Li Yi, Wang Baole finally managed to completely stabilize his cultivation. In reality, during this period of time, he appeared to be inspecting the construction of the stronghold, but most of the time, he was searching for a place where the speed of his Dark Art cultivation could take place at a faster speed.

He realized that even though the speed of Dark Art cultivation increased the nearer he was to the Divine Armament Catacombs, similar effects could be obtained at a few other areas as well.

However, the Divine Armament Catacombs still afforded the most convenience. It could also be imaginable that once he entered into the seal, the extent of his cultivation there would reach an unimaginable state.

It was similar to there being a giant cake that was inaccessible for Wang Baole to eat. It wasn't out of bounds, it was just… too dangerous.

Caught between a mix of struggle and disappointment, the initial stage of the new city zone's construction gradually reached completion. There was still other construction work to follow, but according to Wang Baole's plans, this was the time to test out the degree to which the array formation integrated with the stronghold.

Not only was there only three months left before the deadline set by the Martian Colony Governor to relocate the people would arrive, but these three months were also crucial for Wang Baole to ensure that there were no issues with his New Mars Region. Even if problems were to surface, they would need to be rectified immediately.

Never should he wait until after the hundred million people had moved in to solve the problems. Otherwise, if he didn't do a good job, disaster might occur.

Wang Baole placed a lot of emphasis on this matter. Therefore, after the initial stage of the New Mars Region's construction had been completed, he immediately notified the Martian Colony Governor. Eventually, the Martian Colony Governor bestowed Wang Baole with authority over the seal, and after all the preparations had been made, Wang Baole tried to activate the Divine Armament seal.

As a loud boom reverberated and all the necessary protective measures had been put in place, a corner of the Divine Armament Catacombs seal was opened. Immediately, a roaring noise resounded in all directions, and numerous Beast Tides emerged without control.

The moment they emerged, the invisible array formation threads suddenly became obvious in the sealed area where the Divine Armament Catacombs was located. The threads slashed in all directions, and immediately, painful screams reverberated, and flesh and blood flew in all directions. Countless limbless bodies fell onto the ground after being cut into pieces.

Wang Baole, Li Yi, Jin Duoming, Kong Dao, Lin Tianhao, and all the other people put on a serious look as they stood inside the command center, watching everything unfold through the spirit screen.

No one said anything. Their eyes were all fixated on the spirit screen. They saw the flesh and blood flying in all directions and also noticed how the corpses and flesh dissolved rapidly upon falling to the ground.

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. The other people didn't have a full understanding, but Wang Baole knew very clearly that the corpses and the flesh had all become the driving force and energy of the array formation.

Before long, the continual acts of defense and killings going on in the Divine Armament Catacombs ended, and everything returned to normal. Wang Baole tried to increase the opening of the seal, releasing even more powerful ferocious beasts. Tests like these took place for several days. During that period, they discovered many problems. After that, Wang Baole immediately shut the seal and gathered manpower to rectify the issues immediately.

Three days later, all the repairs were completed, and the seal was lifted once again. This cycle continued for an entire month. As the repair and improvements happened continuously, the protective covering outside the Divine Armament Catacombs was perfected. Sometimes, Core Formation realm ferocious beast could also be killed by the force of the array formation there.

It was only at that moment that Wang Baole could fully heave a sigh of relief. At the same time, the lifting of the seal that happened the past two months significantly reduced the number of Beast Tides that emerged. Therefore, after asking for permission, Kong Dao began carrying out his actual role, and that was to periodically inspect the melting process of the chilly iced barrier in the catacombs.

Even though danger still lurked within the seal, the military had arranged significant manpower to enter the seal during relatively safer times to begin the inspection and discovery process.

It was only relatively safer, as the bizarre-looking face had reappeared twice. It wasn't present all the time, and according to the Federation's judgment, the faces that were transmogrified previously while the barrier was present were merely formed by other gods.

As the masses watched the situation nervously, Kong Dao gritted his teeth and led the men into the seal. No one knew what it was like inside, and after five minutes, Kong Dao and company rushed out. Following them was a large crowd of ferocious beasts that were chasing after them while roaring, who were then killed by the array formation.

This happened again and again for half a month. With every inspection, information regarding the Divine Armament Catacombs was summarized and reported to Wang Baole, who then relayed them to the Martian Colony Governor.

Wang Baole felt solemn looking at the information. Even though Kong Dao and company entered the seal during safer times, there were still many deaths and injuries. At the same time, until now, no one had managed to reach the location where the barrier was located. There were just too many ferocious beasts, and they grew in numbers the deeper they went.

At the same time, Wang Baole sensed that each time the seal was opened, the Dark Fire in his body burned more furiously when he stood near the Divine Armament Catacombs. If there weren't so many people around, Wang Baole wouldn't have controlled his urge to cultivate.

In the end, Wang Baole didn't manage to control his urge. He released the mosquitoes to follow the military personnel as they entered the seal once again for inspection.

The moment they entered, Wang Baole immediately saw the deep tunnels within the catacombs through the eyes of the mosquitoes. The surrounding mud was of a dark red color, and a sinister vibe continuously stimulated Wang Baole's psyche. The deeper they went, the brighter the red color of the mud grew. In the end, it appeared as if blood was circulating within.

At the same time, he noticed the ferocious beasts as well. They were in the form of uncountable globs of flesh wriggling non-stop on the mud walls. Every time one of them broke open, either ferocious beasts or frightening corpses that could move appeared.

That was extremely similar to the blood-colored cave in which Lin Tianhao had met with danger and gone missing. It was little wonder that the Martian Colony Governor, as well as others, had thought that the blood-colored cave was somehow related to the Divine Armament!

Holding his breath, Wang Baole controlled the nine mosquitoes to follow the military cultivators to an assembly point. That was the deepest point that the military, under the lead of Kong Dao, could reach. Even though it was still a distance away from the barrier, there were just too many flesh globs. The slightest movement would awaken them, and unless they were all cleared, it would be difficult to advance further.

Therefore, after placing Dharmic Artifacts all around them, the military quickly retreated. However, the mosquitoes controlled by Wang Baole stayed behind. Wang Baole was silent, and with a look of determination, he controlled the nine mosquitoes and charged deeper within the catacombs!

Without the military cultivators, the nine mosquitoes charged forward at an even greater speed. Even Wang Baole didn't know how far they went, and could only depend on a rough estimation. With his current level of cultivation, he still almost lost all connection with the mosquitoes. When he reached the limits of control, he finally saw the end of the cave.

There was a gigantic piece of chilly ice seal, which gave off a frightening cold. At the same time, even before Wang Baole could take a detailed look, the chilly ice suddenly vibrated, and a huge face that looked extremely frightening appeared. It stared intently at the nine mosquitoes controlled by Wang Baole as it suddenly spoke.

"Dark Child…"

That voice didn't speak in Earth's language and was instead a language that Wang Baole had never heard before. It sounded like a curse, and the moment it emerged, it blasted loudly inside Wang Baole's mind through the mosquitoes, causing him to tremble and his breathing to quicken. Even the Dark Fire in his body was almost out of control.

What made him even more shocked was that even though he had never heard the language used by the other party before, for some reason, when it reverberated in his mind, he found out that he actually understood it!

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Chapter 376: An Unforeseen Turn of Events!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

There was no need to overthink the matter. Wang Baole knew why he could understand what was being said. He was practicing the Dark Art!

Wang Baole was at the new city zone's command center, and there were people all around him. The Dark Fire inside his body had stirred suddenly and summoned chills inside the command center.

The sudden chill startled Li Yi and everyone else. They were about to investigate its source when the sealed Divine Armament Catacombs suddenly rumbled. A shocking chill erupted from the catacombs suddenly. The giant face appeared again, pressed against the seal. It seemed different from its previous appearances. It seemed to be howling. It howled the same few words repetitively.

"Dark Child!

"Dark Child!"

The unexpected and sudden eruption drew the attention of everyone instantly. The sudden chill didn't affect only the Divine Armament Zone. It spread outward with the appearance of the giant face and led Li Yi and the others into instinctively concluding that it was the source of the earlier chill!

They didn't give the matter further thought. Alarm and terror flashed across their faces, and Wang Baole grew stern as well. He immediately formed a series of hand seals and sealed the catacombs shut. He intensified the defenses as well. The layers of array formations interwove with one another rapidly. The hordes of numerous beasts that had surged out alongside the sudden appearance of the giant face shrieked in agony as they were sliced into pieces.

It took a long moment before the giant receded. The area around the sealed catacombs descended into silence once more. The people in the command center released a sigh of relief. They continued to monitor the situation for a while longer before scattering off.

Wang Baole hadn't spoken a single word throughout the entire ordeal. He headed straight back to his residence, then he started heaving. There were shock and alarm in his eyes. He knew why he could understand what the other creature was saying, and had known that there was some sort of connection between the Dark Art and the Divine Armament Catacombs, but he had still been shocked and alarmed when he had been called a Dark Child.

That's a form of address. Are all cultivators of the Dark Art called a Dark Child? Wang Baole began to grow uneasy. He took out the mask hastily and went in search for Little Missy to answer his doubts. However, Little Missy seemed to have vanished without a trace. He didn't know why that had happened. It didn't matter how many times he called out for her; she didn't reply or show herself.

Wang Baole's anxiety grew. However, he could sense his cultivation of the Dark Art growing significantly just by releasing his mosquitoes into the sealed catacombs. His three Dark Fires burned fierce and strong. He could imagine the speed at which his cultivation would grow if he stepped inside the catacombs personally. It would be so swift it was unimaginable.

Based on the typical rate of progression, I'll need a year or so to progress to the perfected Foundation Establishment realm, regardless of my natural talents and proficiency. That's still a secondary concern. The main concern is progressing from the perfected Foundation Establishment realm to the Core Formation realm. That would be a giant leap… Wang Baole's eyes were bright. He was no longer an inexperienced beginner in the ways of cultivation. He had read up on plenty of materials and information on breaking through the Foundation Establishment realm.

Wang Baole knew very well that every political force in the Federation had Core Formation realm cultivators. From the perspective of the entire cultivator population, a Core Formation realm cultivator stood at the pinnacle. Regardless whether one kept their Core Formation realm cultivation a secret or made it public, there were likely about a few hundred of such cultivators in the entire population.

Most were at the early-stage of the Core Formation realm. The number of mid-stage and late-stage Core Formation realm cultivators tapered off sharply. As for those at the perfected stage of the Core Formation realm… they numbered less than ten across the entire Federation.

Compared to the Core Formation realm cultivators, the number of perfected Foundation Establishment realm cultivators in each political force was significantly higher. There were multiple scores more. However, most of them had reached their limits. It was simply too difficult to achieve another breakthrough in their cultivation.

This was why Wang Baole had been agitated to find out the effects the Divine Armament Catacombs had on the Dark Art. He didn't act recklessly though. Wang Baole knew that as the mayor of the New Mars Region, he held partial control over the native array formation as well as the seal over the Divine Armament Catacombs. He could enter the catacombs anytime to practice.

He had the right to do so. However… the dangers within the sealed Divine Armament Catacombs were unpredictable. Wang Baole's eyes flashed. He shoved down his strong desires and decided to wait for a while longer, until things had stabilized and gotten safer inside. It wouldn't be too late for him then.

He weighed the pros and cons of the matter. Time passed steadily, day after day. The construction of the new city zone continued, and Li Yi became more brazen as she carried out her secret plans. She started to believe that if she were able to modify the defenses of the Divine Armament Catacombs, it would display a greater effect.

This wasn't something she could interfere with, though. The seal and defense of the Divine Armament Catacombs fell fully under the jurisdiction of Wang Baole. Even Kong Dao would find it difficult to interfere.

The six-month mark approached. The waves of beasts escaping from the Divine Armament Catacombs shrank after repeated exterminations, and the array formation grew stronger, forming an endless cycle.

Kong Dao and his party of military cultivators still suffered casualties in the repeated exploration of the catacombs. However, they had also brought back firsthand information that deepened the overall knowledge about the Divine Armament Catacombs. Wang Baole sent the information back to the Martian Colony Governor for analysis and evaluation.

The repeated explorations led to Kong Dao and his team progressing further and deeper into the catacombs. They were now able to accurately time their exploratory exercises. They would approach the wall. Despite being unable to venture near it, they were able to observe the rate of erosion from afar and document the changes.

However, the Dharmic Artifacts installed inside the Divine Armament Catacombs only worked for a short period of time. Otherwise, the exploration exercises would be significantly less challenging.

If everything went according to plan, Wang Baole would be able to submit his evaluation report to the Governor in two weeks' time. Then, they would be able to arrange for a mass migration of residents to the new city zone. The entire new city zone's infrastructure had been completed. Be it residences or industrial estates, they had all been built and equipped with basic necessities. What the new city zone lacked now was a population.

Even though the new city zone had approximately a few hundred thousand workers, it was still a vast space waiting to be filled. Wang Baole decided to monitor for another two weeks before arranging a mass migration.

They were seven days away from the half-year mark when something unexpected happened. Wang Baole's training was interrupted by a sudden, hasty alarm. He opened his eyes abruptly. Lin Tianhao's voice transmission seemed to arrive swiftly, at the same time.

"Mayor, Kong Dao ran into danger while exploring the Divine Armament Catacombs. We don't know if he survived the encounter!"

Alarm flashed across Wang Baole's face. He rose to his feet and rushed to the sealed Divine Armament Catacombs. Lin Tianhao and Jin Duoming were already there when he arrived. The two had grave expressions on their faces. Through the defense barriers, they could see hordes of beasts howling inside the sealed catacombs. They were being sliced into bits by the numerous strands of the array formations.

They saw Wang Baole's arrival and immediately approached Wang Baole, reporting the situation in hushed tones. There were numerous military cultivators around them with anxious and panicked looks on their faces. They all turned and looked at Wang Baole.

"Mayor, everything had been running smoothly, but soon after Kong Dao brought a party of people into the catacombs, there was a Beast Tide. We hadn't expected it. Based on our records and forecasts, it arrived a lot earlier than expected. When the Beast Tide erupted… Kong Dao was…" Lin Tianhao didn't finish his sentence. It was clear what he was trying to say, though. It was likely that Kong Dao had met his death deep inside the Divine Armament Catacombs.

"Have we informed the Governor?" Wang Baole's head started throbbing. Kong Dao held a unique position. Despite that, he continued to helm the exploration teams personally. Wang Baole had no idea what he was busy with. He had tried asking a few times, but the other man ignored him completely.

Now that there was a problem, as the mayor, Wang Baole wouldn't escape unscathed. He couldn't help his growing agitation and frustration. Jin Duoming observed Wang Baole at his side and whispered.

"We've blocked the news, but it's not going to stop the news from leaking…"

"How can you block it? We should report it immediately!" Wang Baole frowned. The military cultivators around him immediately started speaking.

"Mayor, the danger posed by this wave of beasts isn't high. I believe Vice Mayor Kong is alive and is awaiting our rescue!"

"Mayor, please issue the order. We're willing to brave the Beast Tide and enter the catacombs to mount a rescue!"

"Mayor, you can't just watch him die!"

Wang Baole was already agitated. He became furious as he listened to the cacophony of voices from the people around him. He roared.

"Silence!"

His voice boomed like thunder, exploding in the ears of the people around him. Wang Baole released his mosquitoes. They rushed into the Beast Tide and followed the path deep into the catacombs. They flew speedily, in search of Kong Dao.

He soon found Kong Dao and three other military cultivators in the middle segment of the catacombs. They were inside a sunken segment of the catacombs that had been dug up earlier, and they were fighting off the hordes of beasts trying to rush in.

From the look of it, they wouldn't be able to hold off the beasts for long. The beasts in the sunken pit were too many. They had no chance of survival if they were to rely only on themselves to fight off the beasts. They were all injured and were straddling the line between life and death!

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Chapter 377: Rescue!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole had two options before him. He could wait for the Governor to arrive, or he could… make haste and mount an immediate rescue. There was no need to deliberate further. Once he found out that Kong Dao and his team were in a life or death situation, he couldn't find it in himself to leave them to die.

He didn't hesitate. He immediately maneuvered his mosquitoes, and they dashed into the horde of beasts surrounding Kong Dao and team. At the same time, Wang Baole opened his mouth and said inside the command center.

"Mount a rescue!"

As soon as he said that, the military cultivators erupted. Their cultivation surged, and they rushed towards the sealed catacombs without hesitation. Wang Baole barked an order, and Lin Tianhao and Jin Duoming immediately issued commands and gathered their servants, joining the rescue party.

Wang Baole could choose not to enter the catacombs, but if he did that, the others wouldn't be able to determine Kong Dao's exact location. They wouldn't be able to find Kong Dao immediately when they entered the catacombs.

Wang Baole didn't want others to know he had the mosquitoes and was able to rely on their vision. He was silent for a few moments. Then, he gritted his teeth and personally led the team into the catacombs!

"Mayor!" Lin Tianhao and Jin Duoming were stunned. They saw Wang Baole dash out hastily from the command center and straight into the region of the sealed Divine Armament Catacombs. The array formation erupted and exterminated numerous beasts. An opening presented itself then, and Wang Baole and the thousands of military cultivators charged into the catacombs.

The sight of Wang Baole charging into the catacombs didn't only shock Lin Tianhao and Jin Duoming. It also moved the military cultivators. They started seeing Wang Baole in a different light. There was no need for words as they quickly gathered around Wang Baole in a protective cluster as they descended into the catacombs in a rush.

Lin Tianhao took a few deep breaths. His eyes were slightly red, colored by uncertainty. Eventually, he gritted his teeth and charged in as well. At his side, Jin Duoming grimaced. He didn't hesitate too long before he also entered the catacombs with his army of guards.

An army of more than ten thousand people rushed in, rumbling, and fought their way through the Beast Tide. Even more cultivators who had received their orders rushed over from all directions and entered the catacombs as well. The flow of cultivators into the catacombs was ceaseless.

Li Yi had rushed over by then, but she frowned at the sight and sneered.

Fools! She was clearly disdainful of their actions. It was clear she wouldn't choose to enter the catacombs. She clearly felt it a losing bargain to risk so many lives in order to save a few.

As a vice mayor, it wasn't right for her to enter as well. She viewed the actions of Wang Baole and the rest as irresponsible and immature.

At that thought, a flicker flashed across Li Yi's eyes as she stood inside the command center. A thought arose in her mind…

If Wang Baole perishes inside, I'll naturally become the mayor…

As Li Yi was deep in thought, inside the Divine Armament Catacombs, tens of thousands of cultivators began their furious extermination and rescue efforts under the leadership of Wang Baole, Lin Tianhao, and Jin Duoming.

The influence of the array formation was present inside the catacombs, but it was severely weakened. This meant that the array formation couldn't provide that much help. Fortunately, many of the beasts had already been killed. In addition, under Wang Baole's leadership, the party was able to progress steadily without any breaks or delays. They were like a torrent of waves sweeping through the catacombs, rumbling and thundering, pulling everything that stood in their path under.

Howls continued thundering throughout the slaughterings and collisions. Shrieks of pain pierced the air. The beasts grew fewer in numbers. The ceaseless killings brought them deeper into the catacombs until they reached its middle segment. They weren't far from where Kong Dao and his party stood, fighting for their survival.

It was then that a sudden howl thundered from the end of the catacombs. It rang out suddenly, and as it resounded in the catacombs, a sudden chill exploded.

It was a strange chill like winter had suddenly descended—a layer of ice formed on the walls all around them. The cultivators who were mounting the rescue started to shudder violently. Alarm and shock flashed across their faces. It was as if an invisible force had descended alongside the chill and was eating into their bodies, assimilating them, and making them part of the catacombs.

When the chill descended, the beasts around them started to spiral into a mad frenzy. They seemed to grow mindless with violence. They lunged forward unthinkingly and attacked.

Wang Baoles breath stilled for a moment in the face of danger. Others might not know what the chill signified, but not Wang Baole. As soon as the chilly presence appeared, he could feel the Dark Fire inside his body stirring awake. He could feel the Dark Fire's hunger, as if it desired to devour the aura!

Negative Spirit Body… maybe this is the Dark Qi that Little Missy mentioned before? Wang Baole had no time to deliberate. He saw everyone's faces around him growing paler. Some began to look dazed as a layer of ice started to form on their bodies. Wang Baole clenched his teeth at the sight. He didn't hesitate and activated the Dark Art and started sucking!

The chilly presence around them seemed to falter; then, instead of spreading itself across the entire area, it headed straight for Wang Baole. Wang Baole shuddered suddenly as the Dark Qi surged into his body. The Dark Fire inside him burned brighter and fiercer than it had ever burned. It was as if a parched land had just received an unexpected first rainfall. His cultivation grew exponentially. There was a light in his eyes that brightened. He was moving faster and fighting more fiercely, better.

His blade landed and slashed a beast that had lunged itself at him into halves, but Wang Baole was still wrought with anxiety. Even though he had begun absorbing the chilly Dark Qi in the catacombs, he alone was still not enough to save everyone. All around him, the rest were infiltrated by the chilly presence. What he was doing was only slowing it down, and it wouldn't take long before everyone fell to the chilly presence.

Wang Baole had never personally witnessed the aftereffects of being completed taken over by the chill, but he could imagine it. It was a transformation from the living to the dead. If the tens of thousands of people who had entered the catacombs fell to this extreme injury, Wang Baole's decision to mount a rescue would become a grave mistake.

Damn it!

In his panic, Wang Baole knew that he could either choose to retreat immediately or… increase his speed of absorbing the Dark Qi…

Devouring seed! Wang Baole roared inwardly. He threw caution to the wind in the face of danger. The devouring seed inside his body erupted, and the eruption had been spurred on by the Dark Fire. Its absorption intensified, and the chilly Dark Qi in the air started racing madly towards Wang Baole, in greater quantity and speed than it had before.

It was as if Wang Baole had transformed into a black hole invisible to an outsider's eyes. He absorbed the chilly presence furiously, causing the cultivators around him to shudder and slowly begin to regain their conscious minds. Shock and alarm flickered across their faces. They were still recovering from the danger they had escaped when Wang Baole roared.

"Follow me! Our priority is to rescue the men!" Wang Baole's holler shook the people, including Lin Tianhao and Jin Duoming, around him. They charged forward in a race against time, pushing forward another short distance. Finally, they saw Kong Dao, grievously injured, covered in blood, shaking while struggling to fight back!

His servants had become mere dead bodies…

Kong Dao had been prepared to die. He knew that there was still a chance of someone mounting a rescue to save him, but he also knew that his relationship with Wang Baole was tense and distant. Wang Baole would likely choose to report the matter to the Governor and await the Governor to mount a rescue mission.

Even if the process was carried out swiftly, it was unlikely that he would live to see the rescue party. He watched as his guards fell one after another, his eyes reddened in his despair. He had amassed great knowledge about the catacombs during this period. There were many things he hadn't told Wang Baole. He knew that if he didn't self-combust, perhaps… before long, his dead body would become a part of the Divine Armament Catacombs and a part of its army. Then, his subordinates and his friends would see his corpse appearing in the Beast Tide, like any other beast.

At that thought, Kong Dao watched the beasts surrounding him attempting another lunge. He smiled a tragic smile, howled, and was about to trigger a self-explosion.

It was then that… suddenly, he heard gasps of shock. He heard human breathing and explosions. He hadn't the time to see clearly what was happening when spell after spell erupted around him in a blinding glare. Dharmic Artifacts shot into the pit he was at and exploded.

The beasts, who had the pit surrounded and had been trying to charge inside, screamed amidst the series of explosions. They were torn into pieces, their flesh bloodied. Kong Dao, who escaped death narrowly, saw Wang Baole, Dharmic Armament in hand, charging towards him and appearing before him. Wang Baole grabbed at him. Behind Wang Baole were hordes of cultivators with varying degrees of injuries.

"You…" Kong Dao was dazed. He struggled instinctively. Before he could finish what he wanted to say, Wang Baole shut him up with a glare.

"Kong Dao, did you knock yourself too hard in the head?" Furious, Wang Baole swept his large hands and snaked around Kong Dao's instinctively struggling arms. He grabbed Kong Dao's robes and flung Kong Dao towards the military cultivators behind him.

"Quickly, retreat!" Wang Baole was wrought with anxiety. He had a bad feeling. He could feel that a presence inside the catacombs was slowly stirring awake with his arrival.

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Chapter 378: Points Added and Points Deducted!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Just as Wang Baole and the group were about to make their escape, a howl that seemed to come from the depths of the catacombs rang out suddenly. It erupted without any warning from the deep end of the catacombs.

It thundered and deafened, shaking everyone to their core. Blood spilled from everyone's lips, and Wang Baole shuddered violently as the three Dark Fires inside his body wavered and became unstable. They almost extinguished.

As he lowered his head, he thought he could vaguely see a warped, translucent giant hand reaching out from the depths of the catacombs. It seemed to stretch endlessly towards where Wang Baole was, reaching out for him!

"Dark Child…" The voice howled. Its howl thundered and rang in the catacombs and drained all color from Wang Baole's terrified face. He shouted back angrily.

"To hell with your shouting!" Wang Baole's skull was about to explode with the terrible howling. He and the rest around him charged madly towards the catacombs' entrance, but they were too late. The giant hand was too swift. It had been a distance away a moment ago, but in the next moment, it was but a hundred yards away from Wang Baole!

Everywhere it passed, it left catacomb walls frozen in ice. There would be waves of crackling as the giant hand approached, then after, ice everywhere.

It approached him and was about to catch up…

Wang Baole started heaving and was about to silently chant the scripture to fight back. It was then that they heard a snort over their heads. It erupted suddenly and without warning. Three silhouettes leaped across the crowd of people like lightning bolts, appearing behind their backs and before the giant hand that was about to grab them!

They were the Martian Colony Governor, the giant tree, and a red-haired elderly man dressed in military uniform. The three of them were all at the perfected Core Formation realm. Their cultivation erupted, and they joined forces as they clashed against the giant hand.

A thunderous boom erupted. It was deafening. The giant tree and the elder grunted under their breaths and retreated hastily. Only the Governor stood firm, raising her right hand. An enormous war hammer was instantly summoned and appeared in her hand. As soon as it appeared, its presence shook the heavens and earth. A force that paled only in comparison against the Divine Armament erupted. It was… a ninth-grade Dharmic Armament!

One hit from it seemed to shatter heaven and earth. The giant hand shuddered violently and split apart instantly. Only the howling remained, echoing in the catacombs. It seemed to be filled with hate and resentment, and it contained fury and madness.

"Go!" The Governor's face was stern. After that single blow, she didn't speak again and fell back hastily. She flung her sleeves and, together with the giant tree and the elder from the military, guarded Wang Baole and the tens of thousands of cultivators as they fled with increasing speed.

Their journey back was smooth and without obstacle. They immediately reached the entrance and charged out. When they reappeared in the open again, the Governor quickly formed a series of hand seals. The seal over the Divine Armament Catacombs erupted and once again sealed the catacombs shut.

Wang Baole's heart was still racing after they escaped outside. He couldn't help but stare at the Governor and her accompanying duo. He knew that the Governor had immediately teleported over after receiving his notice. If she hadn't done so, the rescue mission would have been a complete disaster.

Supported by his fellow cultivators, Kong Dao swallowed a pill that prevented him from passing out despite his serious injuries. He knew that he had made a misstep this time and had narrowly avoided death. He also knew that if Wang Baole hadn't come for him, it was likely… that he would have died in the catacombs.

He felt a complicated array of emotions regarding this. He didn't know what to say to Wang Baole when he looked at him. He chose silence instead.

"Wang Baole, you've gone too far!" The Governor sealed the catacombs and turned on Wang Baole. There was fury in her eyes, and she had an extremely stern and disapproving expression on her face.

Wang Baole grimaced. He was about to speak when Kong Dao clenched his teeth and said softly.

"Governor, this entire incident is a result of my recklessness. It has nothing to do with Wang Baole…"

"Silence! So, you do know that you've been rash? What did I tell you before you came?" Without giving the Governor a chance to speak, the red-haired elder in military uniform flew into an instant rage. As the primary priest of the Martian military, he had a close friendship with Duan Muque. The reason Kong Dao was here on Mars was that he and Duan Muque had found him in the Sea of Beasts when he had been only a baby.

Kong Dao was clearly very important to the elder. That was why when he heard that Kong Dao had fallen into danger, he had immediately left his seclusion and joined the rescue party. Whilst he raged at Kong Dao, the elder still spared the occasional glance at Wang Baole. The expression he showed Wang Baole was different from what he was showing Kong Dao. It was colored with approval as well as gratitude.

The elder knew that if Wang Baole had waited for them to arrive before taking any action, Kong Dao… would have been dead by then.

Wang Baole blinked under the elder's gaze. The Governor glared at Wang Baole again, then scolded Jin Duoming and Lin Tianhao. Finally, she said…

"This will never happen again!"

Wang Baole finally released a sigh of relief when he heard that. He realized that there was nothing he feared in the entire universe, except the Martian Colony Governor. He didn't understand why…

He stepped forward hastily and was thinking about how best to suck up to the Governor when she snorted.

"You can stop that now. Put away that pitiful look on your face. Since I'm here, I'm going to check out how far the construction of the new city zone has progressed. If there's anything not in order, you're going to be punished!"

"Don't worry, Governor. I won't dare to make guarantees for anything else, but this definitely is in order. Your humble subordinate has been forgoing sleep and food for the past six months…" Wang Baole thumped his chest and immediately started rattling off. A glare from the Governor stopped him mid-track in his exaggerations. She didn't say anything else, only walked ahead and started her inspection.

It was a detailed inspection but hardly slow-moving. The Governor's cultivation often allowed her to identify any flaws or oversight with a mere glance. Within an hour, the Governor had found a few problem areas and instructed Wang Baole to resolve them quickly. She ended the inspection and left.

During the entire process, she hadn't spared Li Yi a single glance, nor had she spoken a single word to the latter. She had seemed to have completely disregarded her presence. Li Yi, who had been expecting praise, had been stunned.

The red-haired elder had done the same. He had been stern towards Kong Dao, but towards Wang Baole, Lin Tianhao, and Jin Duoming, he had shown apparent approval. He had smiled and displayed friendliness towards the trio. He similarly ignored Li Yi. Before he left, he had given her a deep, meaningful look and snorted.

Li Yi had grown nervous. She hadn't been able to control herself from sneaking a glance at the giant tree, but he remained silent. Then, just before they left, he sighed. He looked at Li Yi with an unfathomable look in his eyes, filled with thoughts he found difficult to express. There had been slight regret and a certain sense of speechlessness.

When he first arrived and noticed that Wang Baole and the others had entered the catacombs while Li Yi alone had remained outside, he had immediately known… that Li Yi had made a grievous mistake!

It would have been fine if there had been no basis for comparison, but that hadn't been the case. Everyone knew that the relationship between Wang Baole and Kong Dao was strained. However, despite the tensions between them, Wang Baole hadn't hesitated to put his life at risk in order to mount an immediate rescue.

Even though his actions might have revealed an impulsive nature, they were all young men and women. Some passion and impulse was essential. His actions might not have been appropriate, but he had gained points for his character in people's hearts!

Li Yi, on the other hand, regardless of the reasons she might have had, chose not to follow them. She seemed to have made the right decision from the grand scheme of things; however, in reality, while what she had done wasn't exactly wrong, she had lost points in the hearts of the people. In fact, she hadn't simply lost a few points…

In the political landscape of the Federation, one's character was key. Others' impression of them were equally important. Often, it was important to accumulate points for one's character.

This was especially so because of the special status Kong Dao held…

Li Yi started trembling under the giant tree's gaze. She had grown pale gradually. Then, she had come to her senses and snuck a glance at Kong Dao. She then saw the look that Kong Dao had been giving Wang Baole. It was one filled with complicated emotions.

Even Jin Duoming had shaken his head inwardly. He had wondered if Li Yi had directed all the nutrients towards nourishing her body and had left her brains malnourished and inadequate.

Everything seemed to revert to normal after the Governor and the other two cultivators left. However, Li Yi could clearly feel herself being ostracized… Kong Dao hadn't said anything, but the military cultivators under his supervision treated Li Yi more coldly compared to how they treated Wang Baole.

Lin Tianhao had been like this from the start. Though, Jin Duoming's attitude towards her seemed to have grown less fervent…

Wang Baole, you must have done this intentionally! A sullen Li Yi returned to her residence. She gnashed her teeth as her eyes shone bright with hate and resentment. She swore that she would kick Wang Baole out and take his place!

While Li Yi swore vehemently under her breath, Wang Baole had just returned to his residence. He released a sigh of relief as a strange light glimmered in his eyes. He recalled what had happened in the catacombs earlier. The absorption by his devouring seed had enhanced his cultivation tremendously during that short period of time.

He couldn't control himself. He started thinking. Then, he realized that while most of his mosquitoes had been destroyed after they had rescued Kong Dao, two remained… they were alive and were inside the catacombs right now!

Wang Baole relied on the two mosquitoes' vision and saw the chill inside the catacombs rapidly dissipating. After everything returned to normal, he maneuvered the two mosquitoes, with slight difficulty, and got them to rapidly fly deeper into the catacombs. Slowly, they reached the end of the catacombs… where the wall was!

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Chapter 379: The Bigger the Territory, the More Powerful Baole Was

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Inside the Divine Armament Catacombs, silence reigned.

It was as if the Governor's ninth-grade Dharmic Armament had destroyed everything with a single blow. Within a short period of time, there would be no beasts in the catacombs.

Even the meatballs previously hanging on the walls had all been destroyed and disintegrated into dust. Wang Baole's mosquitoes flew ahead, their journey undisturbed. They easily reached the end of the catacombs.

Wang Baole had reached the limits of his control by then. He could vaguely see the wall. His eyes widened, and his breathing stopped. Incredulity colored his face.

It wasn't that he hadn't seen the wall before. It was true he had never seen it with his own eyes, but he had seen images and videos of the wall through the mosquitoes' eyes and via the reports that Kong Dao submitted on a regular basis.

He remembered the wall as a thick wall of ice that exuded a frightening chill. It was like a hardy fossil resistant to erosion, one that required the constant wearing down by the array formation all hours of the day and night in order to chip away slowly at it.

The rate of erosion was indiscernible to the eye across a brief period of time, and changes were only apparent after decades.

Now, however… the wall appeared before Wang Baole's eyes. It was clearly more eroded than what he had seen a week ago in Kong Dao's reports. The erosion seemed like the result of months of wearing down.

This shocked Wang Baole. A strange light glimmered in his eyes, and his breathing quickened. He couldn't pinpoint the cause that sped up the rate of the wall's erosion.

Is it because of the appearance of the giant hand? Or maybe the blow from the Governor's ninth-grade Dharmic Armament? Or perhaps… it's because of the Dark Qi that I absorbed at an increased rate using my devouring seed? Wang Baole was unclear of the exact cause. However, he could sense that this was an opportunity.

Even though he couldn't say for sure what sort of opportunities the quickened erosion opened up for him, he had studiously read the high officials' autobiographies and through that honed a keen instinct. His instincts were telling him that… he could try exploring further on this matter.

With that thought in mind, Wang Baole immediately summoned Kong Dao. Kong Dao hadn't yet fully recovered from his injuries, but he had healed well and was in fine condition currently. If it had been in the past, he might not have given great consideration to Wang Baole's summons and got a deputy to respond in his stead. Now, however, he fell into momentary silence and made a personal visit.

He heard Wang Baole's inquiries regarding the wall. Kong Dao didn't attempt to conceal what he knew. He shared everything he knew about the wall, including the video recordings he had taken during his observations of the wall yesterday, with Wang Baole.

Wang Baole watched the video, and his eyes shone. Yesterday's wall and today's wall were completely different creatures. This allowed Wang Baole to narrow his scope of investigation. However, it was difficult to replicate the appearance of the giant hand or the blow from the Governor's ninth-grade Dharmic Armament as and when Wang Baole wanted so that he might test and verify his hypothesis.

Based on Wang Baole's analysis, though, the giant hand's appearance shouldn't be the key to solving the mystery at hand. It also seemed improbable that the blow from the ninth-grade Dharmic Armament had been the cause of the wall's rapid erosion. If that had been the case, the various political forces in the Federation wouldn't have chosen to set up an array formation here. They could simply take turns unleashing the power of their ninth-grade Dharmic Armaments at the wall.

The reading materials from the Governor said before… only a Divine Armament could forcibly break through the wall! Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. His heart started racing. The only thing that remained before him that required his verification and testing was… whether his devouring seed had an influence on the wall!

The idea burned like a scorching fire inside his heart, fierce and bright. He had no idea why he had to test this theory. His instincts simply told him that if he could indeed verify that the devouring seed indeed was the cause, this would present an unprecedented opportunity for him!

Wang Baole shoved the burning heat inside his heart down and sent Kong Dao off. Then, he raced towards the sealed Divine Armament Catacombs. The area was controlled by the military. However, Wang Baole's rescue efforts had won the respect of all military cultivators. He was also the mayor. No one would try to stop him, and some even volunteered to escort him in.

Wang Baole didn't want others to witness his attempts. He turned them down politely. Then, with a racing heart, he sent his mosquitoes out first to scout out the area before entering the catacombs alone.

He didn't venture too deep into the catacombs and stopped at an appropriate section. He checked that there were no dangers around, then, controlled his excitement as he used the Dark Art as a foundation while activating his devouring seed. Instantly, a rush of chilly aura erupted from within the depths of the catacombs and surged towards him. Wang Baole transformed into a vast whirlpool that drew the chill inwards. At the same time, he allowed part of his attention to settle on the mosquitoes that had ventured near the wall at the end of the catacombs, pushing them to investigate the area swiftly.

Wang Baole shuddered at what he saw. He could see, clearly, the wall eroding at a rapid rate as his devouring seed churned.

It was the devouring seed all along! Wang Baole perked up. He stopped the churning of his devouring seed before turning and leaving hastily. He soon exited the catacombs and sealed it shut. Wang Baole returned to his residence. He wasn't in the mood for meditation. Instead, he started pacing in his residence.

This is an opportunity…

Let me think, how should I play this so that I can fully utilize this opportunity to my maximum benefit…

How should I do this… Wang Baole's Spirit Qi stirred as countless thoughts flashed across his head. He seemed to have exhausted himself with the intense thinking, so he pulled out some snacks and started eating while continuing his brainstorming.

Firstly, the Federation will definitely treat something that can increase the rate the wall is eroding with the utmost importance… Even though my individual powers are limited, and I'm not inclined to reveal the existence of my devouring seed, the mystic technique I taught the students in the Dao Mountain Mist Academy should be able to achieve a similar effect…

However, it has to be built on the foundation of the Dark Art… this can be easily done. I just have to convert the mystic art into an array formation and turn myself into the core of the array formation!

This way, the array formation will be able to amplify the powers of the devouring seed and absorb the Dark Qi inside the catacombs at a furious rate, increasing the speed the wall is eroding! Wang Baole paused in his pacing and slapped his thigh loudly before raising his head. His eyes shone with excitement and anticipation. He could hardly contain his emotions. He had combined everything he had learned from the high officials' autobiographies and came up with… a solution that was out of this world!

If I'm able to achieve that, I'll be able to gain complete control. The array formation… will need more resources and greater space. That's why… we need to expand the existing city zone extensively based on the existing infrastructure already in place…

We'll then be able to set up the Devouring Seed Array Formation on the foundations of the Qi Fostering Spirit Array Formation!

If the Federation approves my proposal, I'll have the final say on how much we will need to expand the city zone in order to accommodate the array formation. I can expand the city zone multiple times and turn it into a… new Martian city!

That's right, that's how this is going to work. That's the opportunity I instinctively sensed. If the array formation is successfully set up, this will present an opportunity for me to transform a city zone… into an actual city! Wang Baole's head started buzzing noisily. There was no doubt that his idea was an extremely bold venture, but if he succeeded… the new city zone would become a fully formed city. His Noble would naturally be elevated despite there being no chances of it happening previously. He would no longer be a Primary Rank Four Noble but rise to become a Primary Rank Three Noble!

After all, the Federation wouldn't allow a mere city zone to possess the structure and scale of an actual city, that would create chaos in the existing administrative system and structure. Once something like that happened, the city zone would be reclassified as a city!

Wang Baole was the key to building the city. He would have been the one who submitted the proposal. He would become irreplaceable, to a certain extent. What was equally important was also… the urgency the Federation would have in wearing down the wall inside the Divine Armament Catacombs as soon as possible. As long as his theory was valid and could be implemented successfully, there was a great chance of him being made a Primary Rank Three Noble without much quibbling!

What this means is that the more territory I have, the more powerful I will become! Wang Baole was overcome with excitement. He realized he was simply too clever. He actually came up with such a brilliant and crazy idea. He grabbed a bottle of Ice Spirit Water excitedly and took a huge gulp. The fire inside him burned brighter.

I won't share this with anyone at the moment. As for converting the simplified devouring seed mystic technique into an array formation… Wang Baole considered his options while his heart raced. Finally, the image of Zhao Yameng and the Ethereal Dao College surfaced in his mind.

I'll ask Zhao Yameng for help. At the same time, I'll get the Sect Lord to provide some assistance as well! At that thought, Wang Baole turned on his voice transmission ring hastily and called Zhao Yameng.

Zhao Yameng was stationed on Earth in the Federation Capital. Currently, she was sitting inside her office. A beautiful and dignified young woman, she had earned the adoration of countless male cultivators since she assumed office. However, her presence inspired shame and guilt in the opposite sex when they stood before her.

Before her stood a rather good-looking young man, he had adoration in his eyes and spoke softly.

"Minister Zhao, our department is holding a party tonight. Will you…"

Zhao Yameng lifted her head before he could finish saying what he wanted to say. She gave him a deep, meaningful look. The young man started to sweat profusely under her gaze. He grew nervous and awkward, started stuttering, and couldn't finish his words. He left silently.

Zhao Yameng lowered her head after he left and resumed reading her documents. It was then that her voice transmission ring rang. Wang Baole's loud voice rang out from the voice transmission ring.

"Yameng, did you miss me? Let's have a hug that stretches from Earth to Mars, across the vast expanse of space."

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Chapter 380: Death Comes to Those Seeking It

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Zhao Yameng's expression was that of exasperation as she listened to Wang Baole's shameless greeting. She had long since discovered that when others disrupted her in her daily routines, she needed only to lift her head and give them a long, deep look before they would lower their heads nervously. This tactic of hers had allowed her to drive away the many irrelevant people around her.

But Wang Baole was simply too thick-skinned. He seemed naturally immune to her tactics; they were useless before him. He had also saved her life. Most importantly, Zhao Yameng did feel more warmly towards Wang Baole than towards other people.

Zhao Yameng smiled when she heard Wang Baole's unpredictable words. Fortunately, no one saw her smile. If anyone in her department saw that smile, they would undoubtedly be dazzled and dazed by it. The Zhao Yameng of their memories was distant and dignified. She was composed and unfazed. Such an authentic smile that came from the heart was a rare display.

"Have you gotten yourself into some other trouble on Mars? Is that why you've come looking for me?" Zhao Yameng smiled and said casually.

"How is that possible? I'm the leader of the Adonis Association, beloved by all. Flowers blossom when I walk past them. Everyone's fallen in love with me since I arrived on Mars." Wang Baole coughed and thudded his chest.

"Is that so." Zhao Yameng picked up a file and continued reading it.

Wang Baole could hear the disbelief in Zhao Yameng's voice. He grew slightly unhappy and decided to list the various examples that proved his point…

"You don't believe me? Let me tell you a secret. You heard of the Governor of the Martian Colony? I realized that she's been looking at me in a funny manner…" Wang Baole whispered, pleased. He couldn't see Zhao Yameng, who had placed her documents down and had a strange expression on her face.

"My charm is just too great. I can feel that the Governor really admires me. She might be considering making me her son-in-law, but it would be hard for her to succeed. I'm just too popular. Do you know? So many young women on Mars are fighting to give me their transmission contact details. Girls these days are all perverts! I'm only the most good looking person on Mars. It has caused me so much trouble. If only I wasn't so good looking." Wang Baole got extremely excited. He didn't have anyone around him to talk to about such matters after all. That was why he couldn't control himself as he started bragging.

As he rattled on and on, he suddenly realized the silence on the other end of the voice transmission. He froze.

"Yameng?"

Zhao Yameng raised an eyebrow and looked at the voice transmission ring. Wang Baole couldn't tell if she was smiling or not as she narrowed her eyes. It was rare to see such expressions flickering across her face.

"Ah, how amazing you must be!" After a moment, Zhao Yameng spoke softly and was about to end the transmission. Wang Baole seemed to sense the change in her emotional state. He laughed awkwardly then went straight to business. He told Zhao Yameng about his views and about modifying his mystic technique into an array formation.

Zhao Yameng, who had graduated from the Array Runes Pavilion of the Ethereal Dao College, had extraordinary talents in the area of array formations. She started thinking after hearing what Wang Baole had said. She discussed with Wang Baole the finer details of his idea, and Wang Baole sent her the simplified version of the Qi Devouring Art.

They spoke for a while more. Wang Baole also told Zhao Yameng that he would be informing the Sect Lord of this matter and that he would study the array formation together with Zhao Yameng.

Their transmission ended. Zhao Yameng set her voice transmission ring down. She did not know why, but the voice of Wang Baole bragging appeared in her head.

She thought for a bit before turning on her voice transmission ring. She found a contact number and tried calling. After chatting for a while, she finally went away, pleased, to study the simplified Qi Devouring Art that Wang Baole had given her.

At the same time, Wang Baole had contacted the Sect Lord immediately. He didn't conceal his ambitions. The Sect Lord was surprised when he heard Wang Baole's ideas. He took a few breaths, and his eyes shone.

"Baole, are you sure this array formation will speed up the erosion of the wall?"

"Sect Lord, I swear on the lives of my four vice mayors!"

The Sect Lord grew silent when he heard that. He realized he shouldn't have tried to confirm whether the plan was feasible. He smiled wryly.

"That's alright, as long as you're sure. I will contact Zhao Yameng regarding the modification of the array formation and follow her lead. We will work together and help you keep this a secret!"

The conversation ended. Wang Baole was brimming with energy and excitement. He felt as if the doors had just opened to a brand new world. He had everything going smoothly. He only needed the array formation now. Once the array formation was deemed a success, he would become a Primary Rank Three Noble!

He walked out happily and did a round of inspection, catching sight of the donkey. Since he was in high spirits, he did the rare thing and didn't send a kick in the donkey's direction. He even patted the donkey on its head, his eyes shining with tender care for it.

The donkey, which had been prepared to be kicked, shuddered at the sight. Its eyes shone with shock and terror. It seemed to sense that Wang Baole was behaving abnormally at that moment, which made it nervous. It thought that some disaster was about to happen. It shuddered and didn't recover from his shock and alarm even after Wang Baole left. It thought for a while and finally crept away, deciding that it would avoid appearing in front of Wang Baole during this period of time.

Wang Baole ended his inspection and began his seclusion. The night passed. On the second day, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Wang Baole was about to continue his inspection when suddenly, he received a voice transmission from the Martian Colony Governor.

The Governor started by asking about Wang Baole's work, which took Wang Baole by surprise. She had just left yesterday and completed her own inspection. Why was she sending him a voice transmission and inquiring about the new city zone?

Regardless, Wang Baole patiently and respectfully reported everything again. Before he was done, the Governor caught an oversight Wang Baole had missed. She flew into a rage immediately and gave him a scolding over the voice transmission. He was reprimanded for half an hour before she hung up.

Wang Baole was dazed by the verbal lashing he had just gotten… only recovering after a long while. He stared in shock at his voice transmission ring. He found it incomprehensible. The Governor, who was busy all the time and could only afford half an hour to meet him then, had called and reprimanded him for half an hour. Why had she done that…

She specifically called so that she could scold me… could it be that someone has been talking bad about me behind my back? Has someone been passing along reports to the Governor secretly? Wang Baole gasped as violence flashed across his eyes.

It must be Li Yi!

Wang Baole thought Li Yi simply too despicable. She actually tried to stab him in the back. He was extremely displeased. It was then that Lin Tianhao came looking for him to report on the progress of their work. He had a stern expression on his face. As soon as Lin Tianhao saw Wang Baole, he spoke immediately, and his words made Wang Baole's eyes turn cold.

"Mayor, Li Yi has been unilaterally modifying the design of the city infrastructure. On the surface, it seems that she's building the Eternal Fortress, but she's actually secretly building the city model that she built during the trial!"

"Hmm?" Wang Baole raised his eyebrows. His eyes flashed. Lin Tianhao quickly shared the findings of his report with Wang Baole.

Li Yi had been very careful with what she was doing. However, she couldn't keep everything under wraps indefinitely. Her occasional carelessness was caught by Lin Tianhao, who had been watching her closely. He had then started to investigate further. The results of his findings had shocked even him.

Li Yi had used her authority and modified the design of quite of few areas in the new city zone. The external appearance of the city seemed to be based on the Eternal Fortress's design; however, the core of the design and its inner infrastructure had been tweaked to replicate the Global Dharma City.

She had been very careful, though. Many of her modifications had been difficult to spot. Lin Tianhao had watched her for a very long time before he had been able to retrace what she had been doing and got his hands on evidence of her tampering.

Wang Baole grew serious as he listened to the report. He had given Li Yi greater authority so that he could catch her making a mistake. He hadn't expected her to be so bold. She hadn't just made a simple mistake. What she had done would affect the smooth running of the array formation. The disaster that would befall them was unimaginable should any instability occur.

This was especially so with the imminent mass migration. If something went wrong with the array formation after the residents had settled in, the consequences would be disastrous!

The thought made Wang Baole furious. He immediately summoned Jin Duoming, Kong Dao, as well as Li Yi. She was to see him immediately.

Kong Dao and Jin Duoming arrived first. They sat in his office, staring at Wang Baole's somber face with slight surprise. They noticed Lin Tianhao and the lack of expression on his face as well. Kong Dao and Jin Duoming looked at each other but didn't ask any questions. Soon, an annoyed Li Yi walked in. Before she could sit down, Wang Baole slammed his desk loudly.

"Li Yi, did you get your head kicked by a donkey? Or maybe some dog pissed on your guts, making it swell to such an extent! That's some guts you have!" His palm slammed loud against his desk. Wang Baole's furious roar descended like a storm, erupting in the room suddenly.

"Wang Baole, what do you mean by this!" Li Yi lifted her head, her eyes shining with icy hostility. She had a temper as well. She was emboldened by the support the four Dao Colleges were giving her and hence faced Wang Baole's anger head-on.

"What do I mean by this?" Wang Baole pulled out Lin Tianhao's jade slip containing the findings of his report and threw it at Li Yi.

"I made you responsible for building the new city zone. Instead of doing that, you went behind my back and secretly built the city model you had designed for the trial. Li Yi, are you trying to start a revolt? Or are you trying to sabotage the Martian project and go against the Federation's mandate?"

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Chapter 381: Trouble!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Facing Wang Baole's wrath, Li Yi narrowed her eyes and caught the jade slip that Wang Baole had tossed to her. Holding it in her hands, she took a look and turned solemn. She knew that what she had done would eventually be discovered, but didn't think that it would happen so quickly. In reality, to delay its discovery, she had already taken precautions.

Her plan to carry out her goals while appearing to abide by what she was assigned needed more time to be completely carried out. Once everything was settled, the time would be ripe for her to show her cards and battle it out with Wang Baole.

However, her acts had been discovered earlier than she had planned. That made her frustrated and angry, and as she grew even more solemn, Li Yi put the jade slip down and spoke calmly.

"This should be the act of those lower-ranked workers who made the decision themselves. I will handle this matter and turn the situation around."

Lin Tianhao narrowed his eyes but remained silent. Kong Dao furrowed his brows, while Jin Duoming looked at Li Yi intently. They all knew that she was trying to shift the blame to someone else.

Wang Baole looked coldly at Li Yi with unfriendliness in his eyes. He was about to erupt in anger, thinking about whether he should use this opportunity to beat Li Yi up when suddenly, he sensed three figures outside his office who were locking his Qi in.

The three figures who were locking his Qi didn't bother to hide their Core Formation cultivation. They had come from the four Dao Colleges and were the Dao guardians of Li Yi. To put it more accurately, they were the ones who would guarantee the interests of the four Dao Colleges in the new city zone.

The three of them had each come from the White Deer Dao College, White Deer Branch College, and Holy River Dao College. Ethereal Dao College didn't arrange for their elites to come over, apparently, as that was part of their plans to stop Wang Baole.

After all, the new city zone wasn't to be belittled. It was in a critical location, so regardless of whether it was Li Yi or Jin Duoming, they had people guarding them by their sides. Only Lin Tianhao and Kong Dao didn't have such guardians, as even though Lin Tianhao had a strong backing, he represented himself and not the Senate.

Kong Dao, on the other hand, was from the Mars military, which could be considered a local faction. With the convenience of being sent through teleportation, it naturally eliminated the need for guardians.

With his Qi locked in by the three Core Formation cultivators, a chilly look flashed across Wang Baole's eyes. Even though he had the means to forcefully teach Li Yi a lesson despite being locked in, he thought about it and buried the vicious thoughts deep in his mind. He didn't choose to act immediately, instead, speaking with a cold voice that reverberated.

"The issue of moving the people is most crucial now. There is also a need to draw divisions for the new city zone. Since everyone is here today, we shall divide the new city zone into four smaller zones, with each of you overseeing its construction. The eastern and southern zones shall be under Mayor Lin Tianhao and Mayor Jin Duoming's charge, the northern zone under Mayor Kong Dao, while Mayor Li Yi will be in charge of the remaining western zone. On top of that, Li Yi, you owe me an explanation for this matter!"

As Wang Baole spoke, Li Yi furrowed her brows slightly. Originally, having sensed that Wang Baole's Qi had been locked in, she felt superior as she had the support of the four Dao Colleges, which gave her a firm standing. However, she felt uncomfortable listening to what Wang Baole said.

Wang Baole didn't talk about relinquishing the power he had given her, but instead divided that power into four, such that she was only in charge of a portion of it.

However, Wang Baole had caught her wrongdoings. As such, even though she was unhappy, and despite having the support of the four Dao Colleges, she didn't have an excuse to reject the arrangement. In her silence, she sighed.

"I will definitely give you an explanation with regards to this matter. If there is nothing else, I will return to carry out my investigations, and will take my leave now!" As she spoke, Li Yi turned around like a proud peacock displaying her beautiful back and left the office.

Instantly, silence filled the office. Seeing what had happened, Jin Duoming seemed to be in deep thought. He felt that Wang Baole wasn't someone who could hide things in his heart. However, now that he was able to handle matters like these with dignity and lightness, he instinctively felt that there was something amiss, and had a premonition that a big scheme was forming in Wang Baole's mind!

This is part of the plan to completely annihilate Li Yi. Jin Duoming sighed. He had no intention to caution Li Yi about it, as if he were to do such things, it would equate to him burning the bridge with Wang Baole. Therefore, after thinking about it, he looked at Kong Dao and realized that Kong Dao had lowered his head, apparently disinterested in this matter. He then laughed, standing up with cupped fists as he left.

After he left, Kong Dao lifted his head, seemingly wanting to speak, but he stopped himself. He then left, and very soon, there was only Wang Baole and Lin Tianhao remaining in the office.

Lin Tianhao felt indignant, as to him, the way Wang Baole handled the matter this time around was too lenient. He then spoke with dissatisfaction in his voice.

"Mayor, you're letting her off just like that?"

Wang Baole flashed a profound look and hit the table several times, before speaking suddenly.

"Tianhao, transcribe all the conversations today, as well as the details of the entire matter into a jade slip, and send it to the Governor. Since Mayor Li Yi announced that she would correct it, we shouldn't dwell too much on it."

Without a choice, Lin Tianhao nodded his head and was about to stand up and leave when suddenly, Wang Baole spoke again.

"In addition, use this as an excuse to delay the time to move the people. At the same time, there is no need to keep an eye on Li Yi's western zone any longer. Instead, it is more important to return the areas in the other zones which Li Yi secretly messed up to normal!"

The meaning behind Wang Baole's words was clear. As Lin Tianhao listened, his breathing quickened. He sensed something sinister in Wang Baole's words and immediately abided to the commands before taking his leave.

When everyone had left, Wang Baole, who was sitting on the chair, shut his eyes, appearing to be deep in thought. As the skies darkened and began to shroud the office in darkness, Wang Baole blended within. Only his mumbles could be heard vaguely.

"Li Yi, it would be no big matter if you had stayed honest. However, if you still continue to court death, I will give you what you want!"

Just as Wang Baole had predicted, even though Li Yi sent instructions to carry out investigations after she had left, it was all surface work. She appeared to be making repairs and adjustment, but she didn't do anything to the core position, instead, increasing the speed of construction.

However, as her authority had been reduced, such that she was only in control of the western zone instead of the entire city zone, the most she could do was to transform the western zone into her own Global Dharma City.

She held onto the belief that she would eventually be able to prove that she, Li Yi, was the candidate most suitable to become mayor. Wang Baole, the pig, was merely trying to get into the good books of the public in order to trick them.

However, she also knew that whatever she was doing shouldn't be discovered again, at least before the Global Dharma City was completed. Therefore, she was even more vigilant and even replaced everyone she was in charge of to people from her own White Deer Dao College.

At the same time, she put in place protective measures that made it extremely challenging for outsiders to investigate the situation. That was a different case for the other three zones. With Lin Tianhao in charge, Jin Duoming and Kong Dao cooperated with each other, rectifying everything that Li Yi had secretly changed and rebuilding the area according to Wang Baole's blueprint.

Time flew by just like that, and half a month passed. The Martian Colony Governor seemed to have received the jade slip, but for some unknown reason, she didn't ask about it. Instead, the Martian Colony Governor delayed the moving of the people due to some procedural issues.

In addition, a new round of tests for the new city zone's ability to resist the Beast Tide took place several times within this half month. With each Beast Tide, the new city zone's array formation was activated in all zones, suppressing the Beast Tide each time. As for the western zone that Li Yi was in charge of, no issues surfaced.

That made Li Yi even more confident. That was especially so when there was one instance where the force of the Beast Tide rose significantly, and an illusory circular glow appeared in the western zone that Li Yi was in charge of. As the glow was reflected, it strengthened the array formation in the Divine Armament Catacombs, resulting in severe casualties to the Beast Tide.

That test significantly boosted Li Yi's confidence. She already had some evidence that her Global Dharma City was more suitable and more powerful than Wang Baole's Eternal Fortress!

It's time to take over! Observing the situation, Li Yi grew impatient. She summarized the advantages of her Global Dharma City, as well as its performance in resisting the Beast Tide, and planned to contact White Deer Dao College to issue a challenge to Wang Baole so that the Martian City would reassess the suitability of each of their cities. A sudden change occurred suddenly that very night, one that she wasn't prepared for!

A new catacombs entrance, one that appeared to be branching off the Divine Armament Catacombs, appeared in Li Yi's western zone!

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Chapter 382: Arrest Her!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Li Yi couldn't have foreseen the appearance of the catacombs. When the new entrance exploded into existence, she was deep in meditation. The thunderous sound of explosion rose to the skies, and the earth quaked. There had been a public square in the center of the western zone, but it had since collapsed and sunken in, forming a gigantic crater!

A chilly, eerie air surged from the crater, spreading an icy chill in the surrounding area. The waves of chilly air were accompanied by countless hordes of beasts!

This wasn't the first time a new catacombs connected to the Divine Armament Catacombs appeared. The Blood Cave where Lin Tianhao had met with danger had been a similar situation. Based on the Governor's analysis and assessment, she had guessed that such incidents would occur and had carried out the necessary preventive measures. The new city zone was one such measure to prevent and manage such incidents when they happened.

Wang Baole wasn't fully aware of the details surrounding the occurrence of the new catacombs. However, he could sense something had gone wrong through the new city zone's array formation. If the array formation had been constructed based on his plans and didn't have any loopholes or gaps, and if the entire city had been running correctly with all the cogs turning smoothly, it would have been difficult for a new catacombs to appear. Even if it did appear, it wouldn't be inside the city but somewhere else.

However, it was clear that the Global Dharma City that Li Yi believed to be perfect didn't fuse and mesh fully with the Qi Fostering Spirit Array Formation, resulting in problems. It might have been difficult to discover such incongruencies normally, as they were very well hidden; however, in such key moments, they would be exposed fully.

The new catacombs would never have been able to appear in the other three zones. The loopholes present in the western zone presented an opportunity for it to appear. Its explosion seemed to shake the heavens and earth. At that moment, the cheap tricks that Li Yi had been playing in secret were all exposed and laid out in the open for all to see.

The deafening explosions alarmed everyone in the new city zone. Li Yi's face was pale. The first thing that came to her mind wasn't how to fight off and push back the beast hordes, but the disadvantage she would suffer once this incident got out and people heard about it!

Defense and resistance came as an afterthought. She raced out hastily and immediately gathered the people from the four Dao Colleges to fight off the beast hordes. They were mainly from the White Deer Dao College and its branch college. There were some from the Holy River Dao College, while those from the Ethereal Dao College were few. The Ethereal Dao College cultivators had wanted to be here since Wang Baole was stationed in the new city zone; however, the White Deer Dao College, in its attempts to prevent Wang Baole's influence from growing too vast, had put a stop to that.

Li Yi tried frantically to hold back the Beast Tide. The sudden event had sent the entire city zone quaking. The other zones were faring well compared to the western zone though, which was seeing great casualties.

Fortunately, the Beast Tide had only just erupted. It would be fine if they could seal the catacombs. If efforts to do so were delayed though, the beasts could spread into other zones and result in calamity.

As soon as Wang Baole found out about this, his face turned dark, and a murderous aura erupted from his person. He dashed out and barked out an order instantly.

"Lock down the entire western zone. Unleash the full power of the array formation. Cultivators at Foundation Establishment realm and above, follow me into the western zone. We're going to seal the new catacombs!"

The city zone's array formation was instantly activated upon Wang Baole's order, and numerous cultivators lined up in their formations and awaited their orders. The western zone was locked down. It seemed that Wang Baole was prepared to abandon the western zone.

A similarly somber-faced Kong Dao and Jin Duoming followed Wang Baole and charged into the western zone. Lin Tianhao had been instructed to stand guard outside, and Wang Baole's concern for the rest meant they weren't brought along either.

At least ten thousand cultivators soon followed Wang Baole's lead and charged into the western zone. Amongst them were six to seven Core Formation realm cultivators. They dashed forward swiftly and approached the new catacombs in the western zone. Li Yi and her people were engaged in a fierce battle with the beasts. Her people were all injured and forced to fall back.

There were still more beasts surging outwards endlessly.

Wang Baole was about to spew fire at the sight of such chaos and danger. He had expected something like this to happen. However, Li Yi had simply grown too bold. She continued to do what she wished secretly, despite him clamping down on her. Her reckless actions had been the cause of the current predicament.

He didn't hesitate. As soon as he and his people arrived at the scene of battle, Wang Baole immediately headed for Li Yi, who was being protected by a circle of her people. A tinge of resentment and hate colored Li Yi's pale face when she saw his arrival.

Li Yi couldn't tell where her resentment came from. However, it was obvious that the emotion had only reared its ugly head when she saw Wang Baole. Wang Baole ignored her poisonous stare and said immediately, "The four Dao Colleges, listen to my orders. Fall back a hundred thousand feet. Lock down the perimeters and slow the Beast Tide. Seniors who are at the Core Formation realm, follow me to the heart of the new catacombs and stand guard while I seal it!"

"Li Yi, you are to transfer the control of the new city zone that you have been secretly modifying to me immediately!" Wang Baole said immediately, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

The shocked and alarmed cultivators from the White Deer Dao College hesitated and looked at Li Yi. Li Yi, on the other hand, only saw how Wang Baole had seized authority over her people upon his arrival and was now trying to seize her authority from her. If he were allowed to have his way, he would take control of all power and authority she had. She instinctively resisted the idea. She still couldn't accept the reality of things and still believed that her city infrastructure hadn't yet been perfected. Once it was completed, something like this would never happen!

"Wang Baole, what are you trying to do? This is the western zone that I'm in charge of. I, Li Yi, will be responsible for it. Leave us!" Li Yi's voice was shrill. She resisted vehemently. She knew clearly that things would turn out all right if she managed to control and handle the current situation. However, if Wang Baole were the one to resolve the situation, her future in the New Mars Region would be precarious.

"You will handle it? You big-bosomed, no-brain piece of trash. How are you going to handle it? By trading the lives from the four Dao Colleges?" The anger that Wang Baole had been keeping under control erupted. He didn't hesitate as he stepped forward and appeared next to Li Yi. He raised his right hand and sent it sweeping, his late-stage Foundation Establishment realm cultivation erupting. Li Yi wasn't his match, especially with her mind wrought with emotions and unstable. She was immediately sent flying with a single slap from Wang Baole.

She fell back with a loud thunderous boom and blood spilled from her lips. The Core Formation realm cultivators from the White Deer Dao College around her could have stopped that from happening, but they had witnessed what Li Yi had done, as well as Wang Baole's attempts to save the current situation. They had to consider the consequences if they tried to stop Wang Baole. They had to think about how their responses would affect the grand scheme of things.

After all… their concern was the White Deer Dao College's interests. What Li Yi had done and the consequences of her actions were clearly going to adversely implicate the White Deer Dao College.

That was why they hesitated. The result was Li Yi being driven back by Wang Baole. Li Yi didn't have a chance to scream her rage before Wang Baole's voice, cold and dispassionate, rang out.

"Arrest Li Yi!" Wang Baole's eyes fell on the cultivators from the four Dao Colleges around Li Yi when he said that. He specifically stared at the people from the White Deer Dao College.

Li Yi had no time to wipe the blood from her lips. Her hair had fallen loose, and madness and savagery colored her eyes. She shrieked.

"Wang Baole, you dare lay your hand on me!? Elder Zhou, Elder Wu, help me take Wang Baole down. I, Li Yi, will take full responsibility for everything that happens today!"

"Bullshit! I, Wang Baole, am of the four Dao Colleges as well. The White Deer Dao College also has my respect. Li Yi, you've made a huge mess of things here. Do you expect us four Dao Colleges to go down together with you!"

The White Deer Dao College cultivators fell silent. The comparison between Wang Baole and Li Yi was simply too stark. One was composed and the other raving mad. Furthermore, Wang Baole was right. Li Yi had clearly made a mistake. This incident would definitely create an uproar in the Federation. Li Yi was destined… to be held responsible.

If the White Deer Dao College insisted on siding with Li Yi, they wouldn't be able to escape scrutiny and criticism. They only had one choice before them. They understood very well… that Li Yi was finished. Wang Baole had become the only representative of the four Dao Colleges who held authority in the new city zone.

Even if the White Deer Dao College was unwilling to do so, they had no choice… but to support Wang Baole if they still wanted to have a presence in the new city zone.

Wang Baole was aware of all this. As soon as he finished speaking and stared coldly at the group, one of the two Core Formation realm cultivators from the White Deer Dao College said immediately.

"Arrest Li Yi!"

Alarm rose on Li Yi's face. Cultivators from the White Deer Dao College immediately stepped forward and brought the limp and pale Li Yi away. Everyone from the four Dao Colleges immediately bowed at Wang Baole.

It was a clear indication of the change in their attitude. Wang Baole had no time for relief though. He instantly issued an order and brought everyone with him to fight the Beast Tide. He swiftly manipulated the array formation in the new city zone and enveloped the entire area in array formations. He was going to seal the new catacombs!

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Chapter 383: Forever on the No-Hire List!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

It was no simple feat to seal the new catacombs. Fortunately, the scale of the current Beast Tide was small. It had simply taken them by complete surprise. However, with the battle capabilities the new city zone possessed, it wasn't impossible to fight the beasts off.

Wang Baole chose the simplest, most straightforward, and most brutal solution. He arrested Li Yi, took control of Li Yi's Global Dharma City, and locked down the entire city zone with the authority he had seized from her. Then, he ordered everyone to evacuate the area.

Wang Baole locked down the area around the new catacombs and had the beasts trapped within the area. Then, an icy glint flashed in his eyes. Without any hesitation, he ordered the cannons to fire!

Excluding this area, the rest of the new city zone had been built according to the design of Wang Baole's Eternal Fortress and was augmented by the Qi Fostering Spirit Array Formation. The power of the array formation roared to the skies. Numerous Baole Cannons and Fire God Cannons appeared instantly. They aimed at the western zone, targeted the new catacombs, and fired simultaneously.

The combined artillery forces from the other three zones threatened to wipe everything out. Cannon fire rained down on the Beast Tide. Shots thundered in the air. The array formation transformed into endless strands that criss-crossed and sliced through beasts, mutilating flesh and spilling blood. Howls of agony pierced the heavens.

A good half of the entire western zone was destroyed in the attack, buildings collapsing and disintegrating into dust. But Wang Baole didn't care.

He knew the key thing was to get the situation under control quickly. There were no workers in the area; only buildings remained. It was true that significant resources had gone into constructing the area, but since Li Yi had committed a wrongdoing, she and the White Deer Dao College would have to pay for the resultant destruction!

Explosions boomed as multiple cannon shots were fired repeatedly. The earth shuddered. Jin Duoming and Kong Dao stood beside Wang Baole, shocked. Their eyes fell on Wang Baole at the same time. Gone was the constant smile on Wang Baole's face; it had been replaced by a cold, emotionless look, and his eyes glittered with a cold light.

This guy is vicious! Kong Dao and Jin Duoming came to the same, deep understanding of Wang Baole's true character. They might have had similar assessments in the past, but Wang Baole's typical behavior was the complete opposite of vicious. It made it easy for others to forget what they knew about his true character.

At that moment, however, he had instantly chosen to abandon half of the western zone. It was true that the workers in the western zone had long since evacuated, but such a decision wasn't something everyone could have made so decisively.

After another round of cannon shots, when the Beast Tide was finally being pushed back by cannon fire, Wang Baole took a deep breath and immediately led a large army of cultivators charging into the western zone, where the beasts had been trapped and sealed in. They left death and destruction in their wake, exterminating whatever beast remnants they came across before they finally reached the location of the new catacombs.

Wang Baole stared at the eerie catacombs. A chilly air exuded from inside. He immediately formed a series of hand seals and used his authority to access the new array formation and seal the new catacombs.

Strands from the array formation appeared, dashing in from all directions and weaving themselves rapidly over the catacombs. It was then that a roar, brimming with resentment and anger, rumbled from inside. Seven to eight beasts exuding a Core Formation realm cultivation surged forward and tried to stop the seal from settling.

"Everyone!" Wang Baole's eyes narrowed, and he roared immediately. As his voice resounded in the air, the Core Formation realm cultivators from the various political forces dashed out from behind him and clashed with the beasts inside the catacombs.

The sounds of battle rose to the heavens. The glow and dazzle from spells lit the skies, visible from afar. As they fought against the beasts, Wang Baole continued to set up the array formation and seal the catacombs without interruption.

Kong Dao and Jin Duoming clearly understood the importance of what was happening. This concerned the security of the new city zone. If they failed to repair this loophole in their security, Li Yi wouldn't be the only one held responsible, both of them would be implicated as well.

Besides, they had chosen unanimously to keep the matter under wraps. They hadn't reported it to the Governor. Lin Tianhao had also carried out preventive measures to stop any news from leaking out.

Of course, with so many people as eye-witnesses, it was inevitable that the Governor would find out about this matter. However, if they could resolve it before the administration started questioning them about accountability, the only person who would be held responsible would be Li Yi.

Everyone shared the same understanding. They also knew that time was key. That was why everyone from every political force was unleashing their full power at the moment and fighting against hordes of beasts with everything they had. They were all fighting to give Wang Baole the time to seal the catacombs.

Just as everyone joined forces and was able to push the Beast Tide back, establishing a stalemate in the battle, a fearsome, thunderous roar louder than the previous suddenly erupted from inside the catacombs.

The thunderous boom was accompanied by the sounds of crackling, like the sounds of ice rapidly spreading through the catacombs. It was as if a giant hand was reaching outwards from the depths of the new catacombs. Where it passed, the surrounding walls turned to ice.

The beasts fighting to get out were all affected by the chill and immediately turned to ice. The giant hand surged forward, exuding a terrifying and overpowering aura. The surrounding cultivators, including those at the Core Formation realm, were all alarmed.

They were caught in a tight spot. Wang Baole's seal wasn't yet completed. Wang Baole's breathing quickened. He knew that if they couldn't hold back the beasts, they would have no choice but to notify the Governor.

He was unwilling to do that unless he had absolutely no other choice. An icy glint flashed in his eyes. He uttered the first few words of the scripture in his heart!

"Enlightened…"

Those words echoed inside Wang Baole's heart. A familiar presence suddenly erupted in the distant heavens. This was different from what had happened in the past. Wang Baole could sense clearly… eyes from the distant regions of the universe opening and gazing over suddenly.

My god… did I wake it? Wang Baole shuddered. He had no time to think though, as the awesome presence traveled through the universe and descended. The giant hand that had been stretching out madly and without fear suddenly shuddered violently. It seemed to be terrified and dared not move forward. Instead, it shrank back hastily, like a mouse that had just seen a cat!

Everyone was shocked at the sight. They released a breath of relief, and an indescribable feeling arose in their hearts. They had felt the unbelievable presence as well. They looked at Wang Baole with a strange and curious look in their eyes.

However, they were at a critical stage in their attempt to seal the new catacombs. No one had time to think further. They made use of the sudden oppressive presence and intensified their resistance against the Beast Tide. Wang Baole seized the opening as well and completed the sealing!

The strands of the array formation finally transformed into a complete web over the new catacombs. The beasts were trapped inside, and while they kept attacking the seat, they couldn't nudge it.

Wang Baole let loose a breath of relief. He quickly organized the cultivators to exterminate the beasts that had escaped. He also issued an order to Lin Tianhao to get the cultivators from the other three zones to comb through the western zone, starting from the perimeter and moving inwards in their search. They were to ensure that not a single beast remained.

From the start of the incident, beginning with the zone-wide hunt to the final verification that no beasts remained in the western zone, the entire incident spanned four hours. It was after the four hours had passed that the furious reprimand from the Governor finally arrived.

The Governor had clearly been informed that the danger had been resolved. She was therefore focused on finding out the cause of this incident. Wang Baole didn't speak a single word. Instead, he looked at Kong Dao and Jin Duoming.

Kong Dao had witnessed Wang Baole driving back the Beast Tide and resolving the situation. He was silent for a while before the scene of his earlier rescue by Wang Baole surfaced in his mind. His feelings and views towards Wang Baole were complicated, but he had to admit that he did have a certain degree of admiration towards Wang Baole.

He inhaled a deep breath and reported everything from his own perspective and stance: how Li Yi had unilaterally modified the city plans, how that had sparked off the Beast Tide, and how everything had been resolved. He shared everything he knew in detail.

Jin Duoming shook his head and smiled wryly. He didn't make any statements regarding the matter, but that in itself spoke volumes about what truly happened. Lin Tianhao, who had been standing at one side, handed over the evidence he had gathered to the Governor. He also handed over a jade slip that contained the contents of their initial meeting, which Wang Baole had instructed that he recorded. The facts were laid out clearly before the Governor.

The Governor remained silent for a moment. Then, she issued an immediate order to strip Li Yi of her vice mayorship. She was to be transferred out of Mars, and would never again resume office on Mars!

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Chapter 384: Everything Prepared!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Being stripped of one's office was already a serious punishment. To be blacklisted by the Martian administration from future positions on the planet was a more serious punishment. It showed the Governor's firm stance and attitude towards the matter.

It was clear that she was displaying her displeasure. This was also a stern warning to the four Dao Colleges as well as the other political forces. If they wanted to stay on Mars, they would have to play by her rules!

They were to quit playing dirty tricks and carrying out underhanded activities. In fact, in her opinion, Li Yi had it coming!

She was of the view that Wang Baole needed more monitoring. However, he was still the mayor she had appointed and recognized. To have vice mayors representing the other political forces entering the picture and creating all sorts of trouble was something that displeased her tremendously.

Especially… when Wang Baole, the kid, was so brave and responsible. He had gone ahead and led a rescue fearlessly when Kong Dao had gotten into danger. Li Yi, on the other hand, had been a coward afraid of death, who had continued fixating on wrestling power from Wang Baole during such critical times. That had made the Governor see her in a worse light.

The four Dao Colleges had remained silent in the face of Li Yi's punishment. The White Deer Dao College had been resigned. They were frustrated, but everything had been decided. Despite them wishing to resolve the matter more amicably, the Federation had approved the Governor's orders instantly. The swiftness of their response spoke volumes about the Federation's attitude towards this matter.

The White Deer Dao College had only one option before them. It was… to support Wang Baole. Else, the White Deer Dao College would be kicked out of the contest for power, and the Ethereal Dao College would naturally rise in power, becoming the primary authority speaking for the four Dao Colleges in the New Mars Region.

After sighing in resignation, those of the White Deer Dao College discussed amongst themselves and eventually contacted the Ethereal Dao College. They carried out a series of communications and negotiations, finally reaching a consensus to support Wang Baole fully!

Their support was immediately seen in the attitudes of those in the new city zone who belonged to the four Dao Colleges. They complied to Wang Baole's every order. At the same time, the Ethereal Dao College, which had been prevented from sending more of their people to the new city zone, was finally able to send a great number of their disciples over to support Wang Baole.

Wang Baole didn't hesitate to designate the Ethereal Dao College disciples as the heads of various departments in the new city zone's administration. A round of eliminations and replacements was carried out rapidly.

This applied to both Jin Duoming and Kong Dao as well. They split the various positions which had been vacated after Li Yi's departure. Lin Tianhao was tempted to do the same. However, after some discussion with his father, Lin You, he decided not to arrange for more of his people to come over to the new city zone. He was to isolate himself and instead fully bind his fate with Wang Baole, as his follower.

No one cared about Li Yi at this point. Even though Wang Baole sometimes still missed her alluring figure, he spent more time lamenting over how brainless Li Yi had been.

The other person who often thought of Li Yi was Jin Duoming. He knew that this was his best chance to get Li Yi to yield to him. He was confident that he would be saving her in her dire moment. He only needed to provide some help to get her to surrender to him. However, he only smiled lightly at the thought.

It's time to switch targets. Li Yi no longer has anything that appeals to me. I think… Li Xiu's sister, Li Wan'er, should prove to be quite a challenge. Even though she almost castrated me in the past, but the more extreme her attitude is, the more motivated I become!

After most of the positions in the new city zone were filled, the White Deer Dao College contributed resources independently to repair the western zone. This was to smoothen the tensions between Wang Baole and the Martian administration. A gigantic glowing shield appeared over the newly constructed western zone, sealing the new catacombs. It would be activated from time to time to wear down the power of the catacombs.

Time passed steadily. A month later, a hundred million people moved to the city zone. Numerous large cruisers arrived, and the new arrivals settled down in the new city zone. They joined the various departments and started both their work and lives in the New Mars Region.

The Trilunaris Corporation expended tremendous effort in the entire endeavor. They set up branches for most of their major businesses in the new city zone, resolving the issue of reemployment for most of the new residents. The other political forces also started doing their part, and the new city zone started to slowly take off.

The increase in the population led to the growing strengthening of the new city zone's array formation. It became more powerful. The control it had over the catacombs, and the rate of erosion of the wall, started to stabilize, resulting in a stable cycle.

The New Mars Region had finally been established. It had both the structure and scale befitting a city zone. Wang Baole could finally feel the authority and power he was to have as a mayor.

In the new city zone, his one decision could decide the fate of countless people. Countless discerning people would read and study every one of his gazes carefully.

This made Wang Baole overjoyed, and he basked in happiness. Most of his subordinates knew his love for snacks, and soon, the retail industry for snacks expanded and prospered in the new city zone… The reception towards the donkey also changed because of Wang Baole's status.

Regardless of where it went and what it ate, no one tried to stop it. In fact, they were worried that it might not eat its fill…

No one knew who had started the trend, but increasingly, more people started rearing donkeys. Almost all of those pet donkeys were female donkeys… the donkey was increasingly seen as a valuable asset. It enjoyed an elevated status, and many in the Federation were interested in the donkey.

It was clear that they wouldn't be able to get their hands on the donkey, though. As a result, they began to come up with other ideas. That resulted in the prevalence of female donkeys. The donkey was overjoyed. However, it was still very devoted and loyal. Kong Dao protected his own White Phoenix religiously, though, and seldom allowed it to leave the house. The donkey found this unfortunate.

Heaven rewarded the donkey that waited, though. It could always find opportunities… as a result, as long as one saw a raging Kong Dao in pursuit of the donkey with his men, they immediately knew that the donkey had once again done the unspeakable to Kong Dao's White Phoenix.

Wang Baole could only express his exasperation. Despite giving the donkey a good thrashing numerous times, and regardless of how badly he had beaten the donkey up, it would recover the next day and continue its brazen ways. Wang Baole finally decided to ignore it altogether and focus on his cultivation. His communications with the Sect Lord of the Ethereal Dao College and Zhao Yameng regarding the array formation grew more frequent.

Three months passed. The new city zone began to grow prosperous. It was then that, due to Zhao Yameng's hard work and the support of the Ethereal Dao College's Array Runes Pavilion, finally… she was able to successfully convert the simplified Qi Devouring Art into an array formation!

The name had been thought of by Zhao Yameng. It was called Trees Hath Branches.

Wang Baole didn't think it sounded nice at all. He thought that even if Zhao Yameng started chasing after him on a flying sword, they would still be leagues apart when it came to naming things. He decided to change the name to the Great Baole Array Formation.

"How's that? The name that I came up with is quite good, right? Yameng, it's not that I want to brag, but you're really not that good at coming up with names," Wang Baole said, pleased with himself.

Zhao Yameng was silent on the other end of the voice transmission ring. Then, she hung up.

Is she embarrassed? Angry? Wang Baole blinked. He realized he shouldn't have spoken that way when she had helped him. He thought about how to go about bragging about himself in a tactful manner the next time they spoke.

Wang Baole made up his mind. Then, he tried to control his excitement. As soon as he got ahold of the array formation, he immediately set up a mini-version of the Great Baole Array Formation in secret to verify its effectiveness.

He found people to set up the array formation in his residence. After sending them away, when he was finally alone, Wang Baole immediately sat down and crossed his legs. He activated the array formation. As his cultivation started churning and the array formation started its activation, an undeniable suction force started spreading towards the earth. It had a clear effect on the Dark Qi inside the Divine Armament Catacombs. Wang Baole was instantly overjoyed.

With this array formation, my Primary Rank Three Noble is within grasp! Wang Baole laughed out loud. He got to his feet hastily. He started pacing in his residence, the gears in his head spinning furiously.

This is a good thing for everyone in the new city zone… that's why I should rope them all in. With everyone working together, we can turn the new city zone into a city! At that thought, Wang Baole made up his mind. He immediately called for Lin Tianhao, Kong Dao, as well as Jin Duoming.

The three appeared in Wang Baole's office after receiving his notice. Before they could speak, they saw Wang Baole's stern look and the excitement that he couldn't conceal in his eyes. He spoke hurriedly.

"Brothers, I have an extremely rare and fortuitous opportunity that I'm going to give you all. It can bring you a promotion to the next level of Noble. Do you want to take it?"

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Chapter 385: Unity is Strength

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole's spirits were high. He was extremely excited. He spoke with great excitement, holding back his impulse to share everything with them. He waited for his three vice mayors to question him.

However… Kong Dao glanced at Wang Baole, sat down on a chair beside him, and grunted. Even though the tensions between himself and Wang Baole had lessened during this period, and even though he had a refreshed perception of Wang Baole, every time he remembered how his White Phoenix was constantly bullied by Wang Baole's donkey, he couldn't control his desire to fly into a rage.

The donkey was extremely fast, though. He had been able to catch up with it in the past, but now that it had grown even faster, he could only simmer in frustration. That wasn't all. What drove him mad was how his White Phoenix had gradually grown from its original resistant self to its current subservient attitude…

As a result, Kong Dao experienced mixed feelings every time he saw Wang Baole.

Jin Duoming, on the other, always seemed like he didn't care for anything in other people's eyes. He yawned and sat down as well and started massaging his own waist. He nodded at Wang Baole as a form of greeting, then grabbed Lin Tianhao into a hug, his face expressive while whispering.

"Tianhao, the picture book you gave me a while ago. Where did you get it from? Is it accurate?"

Lin Tianhao originally had a serious expression on his face. He had been thinking about how to react when he had heard what Wang Baole said. Now, he was being hugged by Jin Duoming, and he grew embarrassed instantly when he heard what Jin Duoming said.

Wang Baole's head immediately started throbbing. A donkey must have kicked him in the head. There was no other reason for why he had chosen these few as his vice mayors. It must not have been for their resources. He was, after all, a righteous man of principles.

He decided to give the three guys another chance.

"Brothers, I just said that I have an extremely amazing opportunity that is out of this world, that will benefit all of us. Don't you want to know what it is?" Wang Baole's expression remained serious, and his eyes shone threateningly as he spoke.

The hint of threat immediately got Lin Tianhao to struggle out of Jin Duoming's arms. He spoke hurriedly, with a mad joy in his expression.

"Mayor, what sort of opportunity? Is it really that amazing?"

Jin Duoming resigned to his fate, following up with a question with superficial interest. Kong Dao seemed like he couldn't be bothered to say anything. He glanced over to indicate how uninterested he was, as if saying that this was all he was going to give Wang Baole if the latter forced him to ask…

Wang Baole saw that the three were still kind of playing along and decided to forgive them. He coughed and took out a bottle of Ice Spirit Water. As he drank, he whispered.

"I have a way to turn our new city zone into a new city…" Wang Baole said. He continued to explain his plans, sharing what he had discovered earlier, how he had gotten someone to invent an array formation and how he had tested the array formation to be a success, with Kong Dao and the rest.

As there were aspects of the story that concerned his secrets, he did some necessary concealment and covered up certain truths. Regardless, as he continued to speak, the eyes of the other three young men widened.

Jin Duoming's head had been filled with the picture book that Lin Tianhao had given him a while ago, but now, the picture had vanished from his mind. His breathing quickened slightly. Even though he generally displayed a carefree and lackadaisical attitude before other people, what Wang Baole had just said was a rare opportunity for anyone.

Even he was moved. Countless thoughts flooded his head instantly.

Jin Duoming wasn't the only one. Beside him, Kong Dao's initially stern face had transformed as he listened. He gasped, his eyes widened and brightened. Wang Baole's words were like a bolt of lightning that had struck him speechless. In his mind, he saw a ladder leading upwards. If he could simply take a step, he would be able to ascend and almost reach the heavens!

Lin Tianhao's eyes almost popped out. He stared at Wang Baole like the latter was the devil. His head buzzed. He couldn't imagine how Wang Baole had managed to create such an astonishing opportunity for all of them!

Pleased with their reactions, Wang Baole finished speaking, waited for a while to give them enough time to digest all that he had said, then continued.

"That's why, as long as we succeed, all of us will at least raise a level in rank. In fact, all our comrades in the entire city zone will enjoy the same promotion!

"Even if we fail, there's nothing to it. We'll simply be back where we started. There's no loss in that. That's why… don't you think we should fight for this chance?"

As soon as Wang Baole finished speaking, Jin Duoming straightened his back and had a serious look on his face. It was a rare look for him. There was a bright light in his eyes. He immediately said.

"Baole, could you let us take a look at this array formation that you speak of?"

Wang Baole had expected that they would say that, so he didn't hesitate. He brought them to where he had set up the array formation and allowed them to inspect it. He personally activated the array formation to show that it was effective.

Kong Dao even proposed to make a visit to the Divine Armament Catacombs and get someone to set up a small scale of the array formation so that they could perform another round of tests. When the results came back, both Jin Duoming and Kong Dao grew excited. Lin Tianhao's breath quickened as it never had before.

Their eyes shone brightly. They hadn't yet recovered from their shock; however, they immediately understood very clearly that should they succeed in this endeavor, Wang Baole would immediately advance from a Primary Rank Four Noble to a Primary Rank Three Noble!

Similarly, they would advance in status and rank alongside Wang Baole, and rise from their Secondary Rank Four Noble to a Secondary Rank Three Noble!

In the entire Federation, they wouldn't be the only ones who would go crazy for such an opportunity; countless others would feel the same. That wasn't what made this an extremely rare opportunity. After all, this matter required both the Federation's and the Martian administration's approval.

Even if other people wanted to elevate their city zones to become cities, they would be met with the Federation's lack of approval. However… in this New Mars Region, the possibility of something like that happening was extremely high!

Wang Baole's proposal would save a great deal of time. Even though it would exhaust a great deal more resources, the greatest challenge the Federation and the Martian administration faced now wasn't a shortage of resources but a shortage of time!

The earlier they could excavate the Divine Armament, the earlier they would possess this immense power. This would benefit the Martian administration greatly as well. After all, as long as the Divine Armament remained unstable, more unforeseen disasters would occur. The faster the excavation progressed, the greater the resources and human labor they would save in tackling said disasters.

The three young men stared at one another. They were overcome with excitement, as they knew very well… the chances of success were very high!

They couldn't help but extend their respect towards Wang Baole. Amidst their excitement, they also realized something. Wang Baole's strength and the array formation as proof alone wouldn't suffice.

"I'll contact the military immediately and ask for their full support!" Kong Dao took a deep breath and declared instantly. His enthusiasm towards this endeavor surpassed everything else. In fact, after saying that, he clenched his teeth.

"I'll contact my godfather shortly!"

"That's what a good brother should do. Let's all work together and use everything we've got to fight for our future!" Wang Baole was overjoyed. He patted Kong Dao on the shoulder, his eyes bright with encouragement.

After a moment of silence, Jin Duoming spoke in a low voice as well.

"We have to use all our connections for this matter… I'll discuss with the master of my family in a while. Tianhao, you too. You should speak to your father. We'll need support from the senators!

"As for the other political forces… I'll think of something!"

"Baole's right about this. We should make a bid for this!" Jin Duoming's eyes shone with a strange light. A Secondary Rank Three Noble was an extremely high rank for anyone his age.

After all, Wang Baole had fought with his life in the trial and had only gotten himself a Primary Rank Four Noble.

Amidst their excitement, they continued to talk for a while longer. They decided to inform the respective political forces supporting them and make their arguments. Wang Baole would tidy up the information and submit a formal request to the Martian administration!

Wang Baole accepted the responsibility readily. He knew that he had to be the one to make the first move.

The four went about their own preparations. The various political forces supporting them were all stunned by Wang Baole's bold idea. Seven days later, a request for city status came from the new city zone and was delivered to the Martian administration. Heated discussions that even the Federation deemed to be of epic proportions erupted instantly!

The New Mars Region formally requested to expand and become a new city. It would be… the second city on Mars!

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Chapter 386: Primary Rank Three!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

To the entire Federation, this was an extremely serious matter. Back in the day, the Martian Colony Governor reached Secondary Rank One though her achievements in the Martian City, which also placed her in the candidacy for the next Federation President.

Right now, the newly appointed Wang Baole, who was Primary Rank Four, was also building a stronghold. As a result, he garnered a lot of attention and drew so much discussion that it was indescribable.

In an instant, all the media outlets were covering the matter. The fact that they knew about the matter proved that it was an outcome that had resulted from a push by the Federation, Mars, and the various factions!

In reality, once the matter surfaced, it was hyped up by others and was discussed by everyone on Earth. The people on Mars were also very interested in the matter.

With the attention of the entire Federation, Wang Baole's reasons for suggesting that a stronghold be built soon spread. There were two main points, the first being that a new catacomb had appeared in the New Mars Region, which proved that the Martian Colony Governor's previous judgment that the Divine Armament wouldn't give the Federation more time was correct.

If they didn't act to stop it immediately, the appearance of more catacombs would result in disaster, putting Mars in immense danger. At the same time, it was merely a new city zone, and even though it was possible to dissolve the barrier in ten years, it would obviously still be too late!

Therefore, it was necessary to build a bigger stronghold to suppress the catacombs, and to gain complete control over the rate at which the Divine Armament Catacombs erupted.

The second reason was the Great Baole Array Formation that Wang Baole had suggested. This array formation was created by Zhao Yameng and the Ethereal Dao College according to Wang Baole's ideas and cultivation techniques, which were eventually tried and tested. Once it was laid out in the scale of the stronghold, it would only take a maximum of three years to completely dissolve the barrier!

This way, the speed of dissolving would be so fast that it would slow the appearance of new catacombs even more significantly. Mars would be able to gain control of the situation within two to three years!

Each of these reasons for building a bigger stronghold could be tested, as they were backed by credible information, and could, therefore, be pushed forward. Naturally, this resulted in Mars and the Federation regarding it highly.

Without a doubt, the outcome that Wang Baole had promoted was extremely tempting to the Federation and Mars. Completely dissolving the barrier in three years meant that it was three times faster than what was possible before.

It may seem like it was only three times, but to the Federation and Mars, the time saved could be used to do other things. At the same time, a large amount of resources could be saved.

Despite that, if no one were to support the idea, or if there were many detractors, then the Federation would still evaluate the pros and cons—perhaps even using other methods to replace the proposal. After all, the new stronghold wasn't a new city zone, and once built, it meant that a large number of Nobles would need to be assigned, and that was something that the Federation didn't want to do.

However, Wang Baole was logical and had ample information that made his reason for building the city strong. He even gained the spotlight through this. Most importantly, perhaps due to concerns about safety, or because the views put forth by Wang Baole were aligned with the basis of her judgment, or for some other reason… the Martian Colony Governor, who seldom interfered with the internal affairs of the Federation, firmly chose to support the proposal!

She supported Wang Baole in building the array formation and transforming the city zone into a city!

The Martian Colony Governor's attitude influenced the Federation significantly. More importantly, the four Dao Colleges also made their stance clear at this time to support the transformation of the new city zone into a new city. At the same time, they pledged their willingness to provide resources to construct the second Mars City for the Federation and all mankind!

The Senate followed after the four Dao Colleges. This time, the Seventeen Senator Coalition of the Senate announced their support for the building of the second city on Mars in unison. That way, the two factions that could equally influence the Federation had stepped forward, which made it even more likely that the new city could be approved for construction.

However, not all factions expressed their support. Soon, the Galactic Dusk Sect and Plume Manifestation Connate Sect, followed by the Five Generation Sky Clan, activated their resources to prevent the matter from going through. Their factions were powerful, and with the lack of their support, there were delays to the building of the city.

Despite that, they were all sly old foxes. The motives of the three factions were known between each other. Therefore, at that moment, the three factions immediately activated their resources, and even the military made a statement as well. Eventually, it appeared as if the three opponents found out about the background of the matter. They appeared to be acting for the greater good of society and switched their stance to support the proposal. In reality, however, countless exchanges were taking place beneath the surface…

Regardless, the Federation President eventually sent the order to deploy an assessment team to carry on-site assessments of the New Mars Region to make the final decision!

This time around, the assessment was merely a formality. After all, the various factions were incredibly intelligent, and they had long had a clear understanding of Wang Baole's suggestion and the actual situation. Therefore, after the assessment, which, together with everything else, lasted a month's time, the Federation finally announced the news to everyone.

They allowed the New Mars Region to be transformed into the second Martian City!

The scale would be ten times its original scale!

That made it the second Martian City, without a doubt!

As the news spread, everyone in the Federation was delighted. After all, the matter was groundbreaking, and at the same time, Wang Baole had made an even deeper impression on people's minds.

The approval for the new city also meant that the status of everyone within the new city zone would be raised. This outcome made Kong Dao and the rest of the trio, who were sitting in Wang Baole's office with him, whom was waiting to hear the result anxiously, when the Federation announced the news hear deafening screams of happiness from outside immediately.

"Success!" Wang Baole slapped his thigh hard and laughed agitatedly. Jin Duoming, Kong Dao, and Lin Tianhao, who were beside him, were also extremely exhilarated. A glow flashed across their eyes, and their breathing quickened as they all began to laugh happily.

What's more, most of the unhappiness and grudges between them were resolved as a result of the hard work they have put in to reach their common goal. In their exhilaration, Jin Duoming clapped his hands, and immediately, female cultivators began entering from outside. They brought along wine and food in celebration.

Instantly, the area where the Mayor's Office used to be was filled with activity, as well as people!

At the same time, the news about Wang Baole and company's Noble titles was quickly conveyed. Just as he had judged, Wang Baole was immediately promoted to Primary Rank Three, from Primary Rank Four.

The advancement in his Noble title saved him at least ten years, and that was on top of the fact that he had to become a Core Formation realm cultivator first if he were to go the conventional path. A person who became a Primary Rank Three without reaching the Core Formation realm hadn't been seen in the Federation for the past twenty years.

It could be said that Wang Baole was the only person in the entire Foundation Establishment realm who managed to become Primary Rank Three while still being at the Foundation Establishment realm! A Noble like that allowed Wang Baole to be on the same level as Lin You, to a certain extent!

After all, it was impossible to take another step forward right now. That was because the procedure to become Secondary Rank Two was governed by strict standards. One must be a Core Formation realm cultivator, and at the same time, not all Core Formation realm cultivators were Secondary Rank Two Nobles. The Federation wasn't an absolute world of cultivation, and after thousands of years of regulations and laws, there were obvious classes. Therefore, it wasn't surprising to be a Core Formation realm cultivator holding another Noble rank.

Furthermore, even if one was a Secondary Rank Two Noble, their duties also differed in terms of rank. Regardless of that, they still held power, authority, and dignity!

It could even be said that in the eyes of many, Wang Baole was already a high official. Though, in reality, his Noble title was still a leap away from that of the high officials within the Federation. Despite that, the journey of his advancement could be considered a miracle!

Even Lin You got a shock when he first heard from Lin Tianhao about Wang Baole's plan to build the city. He could imagine how big a leap Wang Baole would advance this time.

However, that came with a cost as well. Lin You thought about it deeply, and also sent a voice transmission to Wang Baole to remind him that such a fast advancement would result in the jealousy of others. Now, in the Federation, there were already many who were suggesting to rein Wang Baole in. This meant creating challenges in the future advancement process of his Noble, and it was even possible that he wouldn't be advanced in ten years.

In reality, there were many factions who had the same intention. However, Wang Baole didn't care about all that, as he felt that they were all nonsense. It didn't matter to him as long as nobody provoked him.

This time, the Federation was extremely generous, apparently as a result of the efforts of the various factions. At the same time, the returns that Wang Baole promised prompted the Federation to be generous for once, not only advancing Wang Baole to become Primary Rank Three, which held a lot of power, but also giving similar rewards to Lin Tianhao, Kong Dao, and Jin Duoming!

That was also the case for their subordinates, and everyone in the entire new city zone advanced!

There were also plans made by the Federation and Mars for the new city. The new city would be divided into six zones, with Lin Tianhao, Jin Duoming, and Kong Dao being the Mayors. This way, three other candidates for the Mayor position were needed.

At the same time, and perhaps most importantly, a Deputy City Lord was still lacking in the second Martian City!!

It was also at this time that a piece of news that shocked many was spreading among the powerful nobles…

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Chapter 387: Remaining Vigilant Even in Safe Times

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The information was unclear and seemed to be about the union between the Five Generation Sky Clan and the Senate. However, once the news spread, the Five Generation Sky Clan and the Senate immediately stepped forward to deny it. They did so in identical manners, by saying that they respected each other and anticipated their future collaboration, but that now wasn't the right time for them to form a union.

Words like these could fool outsiders, but to the cultivators within the Five Generation Sky Clan system, such news wouldn't spread without reason. It was very likely that the Five Generation Sky Clan and the Senate were really discussing with each other regarding their collaboration. It was also very possible that they purposely leaked the news to test the waters and to see how others would react.

As the new Martian City Lord of Primary Rank Three, Wang Baole was considered a high official within the Federation. He heard the news too, and in his bewilderment, had sought Lin Tianhao for clarification about it. However, Lin Tianhao didn't know more about the matter than Wang Baole, and it seemed that Lin You hadn't mentioned it to him either.

After thinking about it, Wang Baole no longer bothered himself with the matter. After all, the business between the Five Generation Sky Clan and the Senate didn't have much to do with him. Therefore, he placed all his attention on the development of the new city.

Equipped with the previous experience of building the new city zone, Wang Baole felt confident about constructing the new city. After discussing it with Lin Tianhao, Kong Dao, and Jin Duoming, the four of them split up the work and began the planning process for the new city. Their focus was still on the array formations, but this time, it involved not just the Qi Fostering Spirit Array Formation, but also the Great Baole Array Formation.

However, the most they could do was plan. After all, they were no longer constructing a city zone but an entire city. Therefore, the amount of manpower and resources that they needed was so hefty that it was unimaginable. Even though both Mars and the Federation had approved the application to build the city, it was near impossible to expect them to pay for the resources.

Therefore, a big problem that was presented to Wang Baole was about the resources. However, he was used to tackling the problems as they came, especially those regarding resources. He felt that to solve such problems, not much skill was involved.

"Each mayor will be responsible for their own zone!" That was the slogan that Wang Baole announced, which was also the first command that he had given as a Primary Rank Three City Lord. He had learned from the method he had adopted when he built the new city zone previously, and at the same time, he was mimicking the pressure that the Governor had put on him. Therefore, Wang Baole felt that he should put what he learned into practice, especially after gaining the authority to do so.

"There are three rules. Number one, there are no resources. Number two, after half a year, an inspection of the construction process will be made, and it should be able to house a population of at least a billion. Number three, whoever fails will have to leave!" Wang Baole enthusiastically laid out the three rules, which immediately resulted in some resistance.

However, at this juncture, Kong Dao, Jin Duoming, and Lin Tianhao all stepped forward at the same time and expressed their support for Wang Baole, agreeing to the rules and taking the initiative to be role models.

This made the other factions who were unhappy feel extremely helpless. They knew very well that the trio had gained a huge advantage, and the factions backing them would naturally be thankful and willing to put in the effort to firm up their positions. Therefore, they would also willingly supply resources to them.

While the other factions felt helpless, they gave up on their intentions to pull a cheap shot. They gritted their teeth and began to work.

The second Martian city, which was also known as the Divine Armament New City, was already extremely important when it was a city zone. Now that it had become a city, not only did it provide crucial assistance to the Divine Armament, it also meant that if one could control the area—regardless of which part it was—would stand to obtain great gains in the future.

On the other hand, if they were to give up and allow other factions to take over, they would be under the beck and call of others. At the same time, everyone had seen that Wang Baole's array formation could really speed up the rate at which the barrier dissolved. In reality, three years could be considered an overestimation. It was possible that the barrier could be eliminated within one or two years, and that the elites of the Federation could enter the cave and obtain the Divine Armament!

Therefore, every faction wanted a place as mayor of the new city, and they each began planning and preparing for it.

All the major figures of the Federation had placed their attention on Divine Armament New City. At the same time, Wang Baole was also thinking about the future of this city of his. What was most important to him right now was to construct the Great Baole Array Formation.

Other than that, he also needed to ensure that his position in the city would not be shaken. This way, it would be impossible for him to be replaced. There would be an added effect on the construction of the array formation as a result. At the same time, Wang Baole was also thinking about candidates for the position of the three other mayors.

He thought that it would be best if the candidates didn't see him as an enemy, and were equipped with resources as well. However, when he pondered about it and sent the Martian Colony Governor a voice transmission to convey his thoughts humbly, the Martian Colony Governor replied him calmly.

"There is no need for you to think about these matters. The remaining three mayors of Divine Armament New City will be appointed by the Federation. You don't have the power to decide, and that will be the case for the candidate for the Deputy City Lord as well."

When he heard those words, Wang Baole was angry and disappointed. However, he also understood that he had already gained a huge advantage by having successfully pushed for the transformation of the city zone into a city. Therefore, it was impossible for the Federation to consider his opinions regarding the selection of the mayors.

He sighed.

Who would the three mayors be…? The Deputy City Lord as well… Wang Baole's head throbbed. He didn't fear that the people appointed would be too powerful but simply felt that there were too few people of his alliance around him.

Lin Tianhao could be considered as one, but combining Kong Dao and Jin Duoming… they can't be considered as one of my people… Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. He knew that after the new city was constructed, it would be on such a large scale that it would require an immense amount of people in the system. Each faction would inevitably arrange for their own manpower, and that was exactly the scenario that Wang Baole was most afraid of.

I should never become a figurehead! Wang Baole took a deep breath, remaining extremely vigilant even though he was now safe. Thoughts circulated in his head, and he decided to send Zhuo Yifan a voice transmission to seek his assistance.

However, Zhuo Yifan, who remained in Ethereal Dao College, had a duty to fulfill, and wouldn't be able to come at short notice. After expressing his disappointment, he reminded him about the issues of safety, before putting away the voice transmission ring and sending a voice transmission to Zhao Yameng.

"I can't go to Mars… Furthermore, I will be transferred from my current department and be deployed for duty in the President's Office. Baole, I can't help you this time. However, if you meet any problems on Mars, you can still tell me, and I will help you if I can." Zhao Yameng first said that it wasn't convenient for her to help, and then extended her assistance somewhat half-heartedly. However, Wang Baole, who was extremely disappointed, didn't think much about it. He sighed, and discussed some details of the array formation with her casually, before putting down the voice transmission ring. He took a deep breath and raised his head.

It seems like the only thing I can do is use my trump card! A glow flashed across Wang Baole's eyes. He opened the voice transmission ring and flipped to Liu Daobin's number, before sending a voice transmission to him.

"Liu Daobin, come help me at Divine Armament New City!"

Liu Daobin, who received the voice transmission, was leading his Armament Soldiers to inspect the administrative work in the Dharmic Armament Pavilion. The moment he saw Wang Baole's voice transmission, he immediately picked it up agitatedly.

"City Lord, I…"

"Are you coming or not?" Wang Baole asked again.

"I'm coming!" Liu Daobin took a deep breath and answered loudly. He stopped leading his Armament Soldiers for the inspections, and instead sped to the peak of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion to report his work progress. He was extremely excited, as he felt that the chance he had been waiting painfully for had finally arrived!

At the same time, Wang Baole also sent a voice transmission to the Ethereal Dao College Sect Lord. They communicated, and after hearing about the difficulties Wang Baole faced, the Sect Lord laughed. He had long predicted that such a problem would surface. In reality, if Wang Baole didn't send him a voice transmission, he had planned to discuss the matter with Wang Baole one of these days. Now, without hesitation, he agreed.

"Baole, you are the most outstanding student of Ethereal Dao College. I have always had great expectations of you. Don't you worry about this matter. Ethereal Dao College is your home, and we will support you fully. It's just manpower, right? I'll make arrangements to send a large number of students to you immediately so that they can become your eyes in each of the departments of Divine Armament New City!"

The Sect Lord gave his complete support, and that calmed Wang Baole down, lifting his mood. Therefore, while he was waiting for the arrival of the cultivators from the Ethereal Dao College, he also wondered about who the Deputy City Lord could be.

He knew very well that the Deputy City Lord wasn't a mayor. With his Noble title, he could order the mayors around, but he needed to tone down when handling the Deputy City Lord.

It's best if it's someone I know. That way, it would be easier to work. As Wang Baole thought about the candidate for the Deputy City Lord, days went by. The plans for the entire city were completed, and people from the Ethereal Dao College arrived in tens of large cruisers in the skies above the Divine Armament Zone!

Liu Daobin, who had rushed from Earth, was extremely agitated in the cruiser. As he neared the Divine Armament New City, he felt that the road to success was paved right beneath his feet!

Follow the City Lord and serve him well. That way, I will never lose out! Liu Daobin patted his storage bag with gusto. It was filled to the brim with snacks…

In terms of currying favor, if I, Liu Daobin, claim to be second, no one in the Ethereal Dao College would dare claim first place! Liu Daobin raised his head with extreme pride.

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Chapter 388: Li Wan'er Gets Engaged!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Soon, the ten cruisers landed in the simple aerial port of Divine Armament New City. Wang Baole was the host, and his guests were his Junior Sisters and Brothers, as well as Senior Brothers and Sisters. Therefore, it was only natural that he welcomed them personally.

Looks of passion and adoration immediately appeared in the eyes of the disciples when they noticed Wang Baole as they stepped off the Ethereal Dao College's cruiser. They all went forward to greet him.

"Greetings, Senior Brother!"

"Greetings, Senior!"

"Greetings, City Lord!" Wang Baole was identified differently by different people. The group greeted him, and even though their voices were of varying loudness, they were collectively deafening and spread in all directions.

Wang Baole was also agitated. He felt that he had made such great interpersonal relationships with others in the Dao College that so many people adored him. That was especially so as most of them were his Junior Sisters. That made Wang Baole even more confident in his appearance and figure.

Just as he was about to move forward and hug his junior sisters, Liu Daobin jumped towards him, his eyes full of tears. Even before he reached Wang Baole, his agitated cries drowned out the voices of the other people as it overwhelmed the entire area.

"I've missed you, Senior Brother Baole, I've missed you so much!" Liu Daobin was shaking as he went forward and hugged Wang Baole's thighs tightly. He was so agitated that he was trembling, which touched Wang Baole. Even the other people around Wang Baole were moved.

Jin Duoming threw a few glances at Liu Daobin, and Kong Dao nodded his head silently. Lin Tianhao was the only one who looked bewildered. On one hand, he was familiar with Liu Daobin, and on the other, he somehow had a feeling that Liu Daobin's appearance would threaten his position.

"Daobin!" Looking at Liu Daobin hugging him agitatedly, Wang Baole was moved. He also felt guilty for only having eyes for his junior sisters, but not this junior brother of his.

As he reprimanded himself, Wang Baole helped Liu Daobin up and patted his shoulders in a pleased manner. He then swept his gaze towards the surroundings, as if looking for someone. Liu Daobin wiped his tears off and noticing Wang Baole's reaction; he immediately spoke softly.

"Senior Brother, Zhou Xiaoya is… still in seclusion. As for Du Min, she has gone to the Moon, as the Foundation Establishment realm has opened yet again."

Still in seclusion! Wang Baole took a deep breath. He suddenly had the thought that helping Zhou Xiaoya gain admission into the Alchemy Pavilion then was a mistake. The Alchemy pavilion was inhumane, accepting students and putting them in seclusion every single day. That was just savage, and the mere thought of it made one shudder!

Wang Baole was immediately angered. He thought that if he had the chance to return to Earth, he would personally go down to the Alchemy Pavilion to find out what was going on. After making that decision, Wang Baole chatted briefly with the disciples from the Ethereal Dao College. He ended the conversation by encouraging the disciples before arranging for their residences. What awaited them would be the allocation of their numerous positions in the city.

With that, Wang Baole brought Liu Daobin to his office. The moment they entered, Liu Daobin immediately began to boil water like a pro, personally brewing a cup of tea for Wang Baole. After that, he sat beside Wang Baole, lowering his head while taking out a small notebook, ready to listen.

This scene aroused a sense of familiarity in Wang Baole. He suddenly thought about his life when he was in the Dao College. As a wave of emotions rushed through him, he asked about Du Min's journey to the Moon, before taking a sip of tea. As he set the tea down, he assigned Liu Daobin the role of the supervisor of his office.

Liu Daobin, who had been bestowed with the responsibility, patted his chest forcefully.

"Rest assured, City Lord. My father used to hold a similar position, and I have seen him work from a young age. I am very familiar with the workings of this place, and I dare to guarantee that there will be no problems arising at all!"

Wang Baole grew even more satisfied upon hearing his words. He further relayed some instructions, and Liu Daobin jotted everything down as he listened, seeming afraid that he would miss out on even a word. His attitude made one feel comfortable, and that was especially so when he left a storage bag in front of Wang Baole before he left.

Wang Baole frowned and was about to reject him when Liu Daobin hurriedly opened the storage bag, pouring out some of the snacks. Wang Baole took a look and picked up the bag, rummaging through it. He realized that it was filled to the brim with snacks, as well as dozens of boxes of Ice Spirit Water from the Ethereal Dao College that were of a different flavor than what was commonly available. That made him feel even more delighted.

Seeing that Wang Baole was pleased, Liu Daobin was satisfied. He then left after cleaning up the office.

Liu Daobin's not bad, as usual. Wang Baole sat where he was, munching on the snacks and drinking the Ice Spirit Water. He was filled with emotions and felt that right now, everything had been prepared for the new city. The only thing lacking was the commencement of the construction process, which could only happen after the three new mayors arrived.

As Wang Baole waited, time flew by, and soon seven days passed. In those seven days, the Federation didn't manage to come to a conclusion in regards to the candidates for the three mayors, and from that, it could be seen how intense the competition was.

However, in the process of each faction fighting for the mayor candidacy, yet another piece of news regarding the Five Generation Sky Clan and the Senate began to spread throughout the Federation, causing a huge commotion.

This second piece of news was even more detailed than the last. The previous news merely mentioned the collaboration of the two parties, but now, there was no mention of the collaboration. The only thing that was brought up was… the marriage alliance between the Head Senator and the Chen Family of the Five Generation Sky Clan!

The moment the news spread, it immediately sent shock waves amongst people who were following it. Wang Baole also got a huge shock, and couldn't help but make some guesses. He then sought out Lin Tianhao, inquiring with him about it.

Lin Tianhao seemed to know more this time around. After all, when Wang Baole asked him about the matter previously, he was unable to answer, and that made him feel that he wasn't playing an important role like he did previously. That was especially so when a sense of crisis arose in him when he saw Liu Daobin. Therefore, after hearing about the news regarding the marriage alliance, he immediately sent a voice transmission to his father, making it clear that he wanted to know the details.

Lin You didn't have much of a choice and told Lin Tianhao part of the whole story. Therefore, when Wang Baole summoned him to ask about the matter, Lin Tianhao took a deep breath and began speaking.

"City Lord, I have just come to know about the matter as well. What's known now is that… Li Wan'er and the eldest son of the Chen Family, Chen Mu, will be tied by marriage. The two of them will get engaged soon, and will complete their marriage a year later!"

"Since we're at it… I have met this Chen Mu as well. He is a little older than we are and has long been on the job. In the Federation, he is a Secondary Rank Four in the Authority Department. When I was a young boy, my father would compare me with him, and want me to learn from him…" Lin Tianhao was somewhat emotional. He was mid-sentence when Wang Baole suddenly slammed the table.

"All this is ridiculous. What era are we in that there are still arranged marriages and marriage alliances?" Wang Baole had some bad intuition previously, and now that he heard Lin Tianhao's words, the scene of himself and Li Wan'er in the cave surfaced in his mind. All sorts of emotions emerged, and vaguely, he felt as if his woman had been snatched away by someone.

Lin Tianhao got a fright and felt confused. He silently wondered if the City Lord was acquainted with Chen Mu, and hurriedly spoke.

"Yes, you're right, City Lord. It's now the Spirit Inception Era, and yet there are still marriage alliances! Chen Mu is a decent chap, but it's a pity that of all people, he married that abused old witch, Li Wan'er!" Lin Tianhao sighed and was about to continue when Wang Baole lifted his head and stared at him.

That stare made Lin Tianhao shocked. He had a bad feeling that he had misinterpreted the situation. The person that Wang Baole felt indignant for wasn't Chen Mu, but Li Wan'er…

This guess made him widen his eyes.

"That Chen Mu… what on earth was he thinking about? Isn't he afraid that Li Wan'er will castrate him?" After Wang Baole stared at Lin Tianhao, Wang Baole grumbled, extremely unsatisfied towards the marriage.

Wang Baole's words confirmed Lin Tianhao's guess. He felt bewildered and thought silently in his head that the City Lord indeed had a different and unique taste in women. However, he didn't dare to ask further and instead told Wang Baole everything his father had revealed.

"This time, it would be a deep-rooted alliance that would be formed between the Senate and the Five Generation Sky Clan through the marriage alliance. Even though there was some unhappiness between the two parties, politics is all about compromise… At the same time, I have heard that the Chen Family, in asking for Li Wan'er's hand in marriage, has given a dowry that the senator found irresistible to reject!"

When he finished what he had to say, Lin Tianhao didn't stay and left hurriedly. As he left, he thought about how different he was from Wang Baole. Right now, Wang Baole had lost all mood for eating the snacks. He was depressed and was filled with indescribable emotions. He felt that Chen Mu had made him a cuckold.

D*rn it. How dare you snatch my woman. I'll torture you to death! A look of viciousness flashed across Wang Baole's eyes.

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Chapter 389: The Deputy City Lord is Appointed!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The baneful vibe was so strong that Wang Baole couldn't control himself and wanted to release it. After circling the office, he took out his voice transmission ring and sent a voice transmission to Li Wan'er. The moment the voice transmission went through, even before Wang Baole could speak, Li Wan'er's cold voice reverberated by his ears.

"What's the matter?"

That cold voice stopped Wang Baole in his tracks, but he still couldn't help but ask.

"I heard that you're getting engaged with that b*stard from the Chen Family?"

Li Wan'er was silent. After a brief moment, she spoke calmly.

"What has that got to do with you? Additionally, my fiancee is not a b*stard. Please be more respectful in your words, City Lord Wang!"

Her words completely froze Wang Baole in his steps; the anger in his heart slowly calming down. He was silent for a long while, before laughing.

"Congratulations." After that, Wang Baole hung up the voice transmission. He took a deep breath and pushed open the window, looking at the sky outside for a long while before turning around to meditate with his legs crossed. He calmed himself down while cultivating.

However, what he didn't know was that right now, in the Colony Disciplinary Order Office, Li Wan'er was standing beside the windows and looking in the direction of Wang Baole's Divine Armament New City. She carried a complex look, and after a very long period of time, an extremely soft sigh that only she could hear reverberated in her heart.

As for Wang Baole, he managed to slowly calm his thoughts after using a lot of will. He no longer thought about Li Wan'er's matter, as he felt that he didn't have the right to interfere in the matter, and didn't want to bother himself with it any longer. Even though he had exposed his body and was disadvantaged, he felt that the b*stard from Chen Family would lose out even more.

Even though he consoled himself with such thoughts, jealousy still crept in his heart. Wang Baole sighed and took a deep breath, and as he calmed down his thoughts, he slowly immersed himself in the process of cultivation.

His cultivation was already at the late-stage Foundation Establishment realm. Even though the construction of the new city during this period of time had kept him busy, he still managed to delegate the tasks such that he had a lot of time to cultivate. Most importantly, the cultivation of the Dark Art took place at an extremely fast speed under the aura of the Divine Armament Catacombs. At the same time, it also significantly raised his Lightning Dao: First Volume.

This way, Wang Baole's cultivation improved by the day. For others in late-stage Foundation Establishment realm, increasing their cultivation depended not just on fate, but also the availability of time for cultivation. As for cultivation, it would take a few years at least. After all, the process of perfecting Foundation Establishment realm from late-stage Foundation Establishment realm was one of accumulation. They were all aimed towards stepping into the Core Formation realm after breakthrough, and the more they accumulated, the higher the likelihood of succeeding.

Therefore, the entire process was taken with all seriousness. At the same time, there was no shortcut. However, for Wang Baole, who had the boost from the Dark Art, his speed of cultivation could be increased significantly. Even though he hadn't reached perfection, he was clearly already halfway through.

Despite that, Wang Baole also knew very well that cultivation couldn't be completed within a day. It required a process of accumulation over days and months. Therefore, after cultivating in seclusion for several days, and completely calming down, he ended the cultivation process. When he opened his eyes, the sky had already darkened, and through the window, he could see the lights outside. After spreading the array formation, he could even hear the bustling activity of the New Mars Region coming from afar in the night.

Even though the city hadn't been constructed, that piece of land was already housing a trillion people. The nightlife made the city a bustling place.

Looking at all the lights and feeling the activity of Divine Armament New City, Wang Baole breathed calmly. Even though he didn't continue cultivating, he had already begun thinking about how to go about refining the artifacts.

I am already sufficiently familiar with the refinement of fifth-grade Numinous Treasures… Wang Baole mumbled to himself. The construction of the Eternal Fortress could be said to have utilized fifth-grade Numinous Treasures as its foundation. Therefore, Wang Baole had already reached a certain standard in his skills of refining the fifth-grade Numinous Treasures, such that most of them were perfect.

What's next is the sixth-grade Numinous Treasure… From this, I can soon attempt to construct my very own seventh-grade Dharmic Armament! With that thought, Wang Baole's breathing quickened. That was the lifelong dream of any Dharmic Armament cultivator.

Wang Baole had already experienced the power of the Dharmic Armament. At the same time, he knew very clearly that his Dharmic Armament saber wasn't entirely suitable for him. If he wanted something that was perfectly compatible with him, he had to make it himself.

However, in the Federation, not all cultivators had such an opportunity. For most of the cultivators, receiving a Dharmic Armament was already like winning the lottery. If they really wanted to personalize one for themselves, they could only do it in their dreams.

However, for Wang Baole, it wasn't a dream. He could accomplish the goal in real life. This managed to push out the unpleasant thoughts that had previously occupied his mind. A look of anticipation and agitation flashed across his eyes, and at the same time, he understood that he should carry out everything step by step. He could be excited about it, but he shouldn't rush into it, as being anxious wouldn't help at all.

Next, I'll try to refine the sixth-grade Numinous Treasure. In addition, I need to upgrade all my Dharmic Artifacts to the level of a fifth-grade Numinous Treasure! Most important of them is my Intrinsic Dharmic Artifact, the scabbard! Wang Baole had calmed down. Determined, he immediately went to work. Previously, he had to be prudent in his use of resources as the expenditure was hefty every time he cultivated. That was especially so for the refinement materials required for the fifth-grade Numinous Treasure. They were extremely rare, and therefore extremely expensive.

However, now that he was a City Lord of Primary Rank Three, he had a large amount of resources in his hands. As the City Lord, he had many means to obtain sufficient refinement materials without affecting the process of the city's construction. Furthermore, there was no need to be secretive about it and break the law. In the eyes of the Federation in the Spirit Inception Era, this was a reasonable matter, as long as he didn't go overboard.

Therefore, with sufficient resources at his disposal, Wang Baole began to refine and upgrade his Numinous Treasures furiously. The upgrading of the other Numinous Treasures was relatively simple, but it was challenging for his Intrinsic Dharmic Artifact, which not only required sufficient Armament Sand but also numerous tries.

However, Wang Baole was in no rush. As he waited for the confirmation of candidates for the Deputy City Lord and the mayors, he continued refining his Dharmic Artifacts while cultivating the Dark Art simultaneously. Everything progressed in a stable manner, but what made Wang Baole most regretful was that, from start to end, he had no chance to display the godly mystic art of the Dark Art—the Dark Corpse Face Art!

There were simply too many people around. In addition, the Dark Corpse Face Art was a part of the Dark Art, and if other people sensed it, it would be difficult for Wang Baole to explain himself. Therefore, he could only imagine and play it out in his mind while regret filled his heart.

I wonder when I can find someone to display my Dark Corpse Face Art to! Wang Baole was emotional while cultivating, and just like that, half a month passed.

At this time, after a month of competition between the various factions, there were some changes made once again to the candidates chosen to become Divine Armament New City's three mayors. There was still no confirmation of the mayor candidacy, and instead, the candidate for Deputy City Lord was set.

When Wang Baole received the notice from the Martian Colony Governor about the confirmation of the Deputy City Lord—and that the person would arrive within the next few days—his thoughts that had taken a lot of effort to stabilize suddenly grew chaotic again. He looked at the voice transmission ring and listen to the Governor read out the name.

Why is it her? Wang Baole frowned. However, after thinking about it deeply, he set aside his personal feelings. It seemed reasonable that this person was appointed as Deputy City Lord.

After all, this person had worked on Mars for many years and was Secondary Rank Three for a long time running. Regardless of whether it was her cultivation or background, she was considered an elite. It was appropriate for her to become Deputy City Lord.

The candidate for Deputy City Lord was… Li Wan'er!!

At the same time, she didn't come as Secondary Rank Three, but was instead promoted to Primary Rank Three, the same rank as Wang Baole, as she became Deputy City Lord.

Many things could be interpreted from the promotion of her Noble rank. Wang Baole had some understanding of it but still felt that it was a complex matter. He was powerless in changing the fact that Li Wan'er was engaged to the eldest son of the Chen family, and had thought that he would no longer have the chance to meet her. He had never imagined that both of them would work together in the future.

That made Wang Baole sigh. He had a headache for several days, and soon, Li Wan'er arrived…

As the cruiser landed and Li Wan'er's tall and slender figure appeared before others, Wang Baole was completely filled with regret and jealousy.

However, compared to him, even if the others were attracted to Li Wan'er's impressive looks, they also felt a chill as they knew that she was a thorny rose and was known for being ruthless. Therefore, they all lowered their heads and greeted her. Even Kong Dao and Lin Tianhao followed suit. Jin Duoming had originally planned to challenge himself and woo her, but after hearing about the engagement, and the trauma of being almost castrated, he put on a rare look of seriousness.

As the people greeted her, Li Wan'er stepped forward amongst the crowd with a cold expression towards Wang Baole. When she saw him, she expressionlessly greeted him.

"Greetings, City Lord. I am under the order of the Governor. Other than overseeing the construction of the city, I am also responsible for inspecting the Colony Disciplinary Order of Divine Armament New City. I seek the City Lord's cooperation in working together in the future!"

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Chapter 390: Loggerheads Would Always Meet

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Li Wan'er's cold and distant attitude and formal tone immediately made everyone who came to welcome her confused, as they looked at Wang Baole and Li Wan'er.

That was especially so as many people had known that Li Wan'er didn't come as someone who was Secondary Rank Three, but was promoted to Primary Rank Three before taking on the role of Deputy City Lord. That made her the same rank as Wang Baole. Therefore, in reality, even though they had different statuses, Li Wan'er was the only one who could argue and defy Wang Baole in the entire city.

A person like her had just arrived but was already distant and impersonal in tone. At the same time, she was in charge of a scary department like the Colony Disciplinary Order, which was a signal to everyone!

Instantly, silence filled the surroundings. Kong Dao frowned slightly. He hadn't cared much previously about Li Wan'er's arrival, but now that he saw how imposing she was, he seemed to have seen through something and was now narrowing his eyes. He wasn't foolish, after all.

Kong Dao didn't care about anyone else. However, since Wang Baole had helped him and gave him an advancement, he was on the side of Wang Baole. Instinctively, he was filled with dislike and resistance towards Li Wan'er, who had just arrived.

That was even more so for Lin Tianhao. Even though his father and Li Wan'er's father were both from the Senate, he felt that it revolved around people of the previous generation, which had nothing to do with himself. Therefore, he also raised his eyebrows, but when he thought about the guess he had made regarding the relationship between Wang Baole and Li Wan'er, he blinked and felt that this matter was complex and impossible to understand fully.

Jin Duoming was also bewildered right now. In his mind, even though Li Wan'er was hot-tempered, she wasn't a rash person. Logically, it was impossible for her to say such things the moment she arrived.

Is she putting up a show? Jin Duoming was suspicious. This intuition was very obvious, and Wang Baole felt that way even more. The complex emotions in his heart were now mostly gone, and with a chilly and stern look, he glanced at Li Wan'er and nodded slightly. Without saying a word, he turned and left.

It would have been clearer if Wang Baole had said something, but he left without saying anything. That, coupled with the fact that he had a great influence over Divine Armament New City, made that seem like an expression of his attitude. Lin Tianhao and Kong Dao also turned to leave with him. Jin Duoming hesitated, only turning to leave after looking at Li Wan'er and nodding slightly.

The people of other ranks who noticed the silent fight going on between the elites didn't dare to go near either. After greeting her, they all began to dissipate. Soon, there were just a handful of people remaining of those who had come to welcome Li Wan'er.

Li Wan'er stood there, furrowing her brows slightly. Before she came, she had done some research on Divine Armament New City and had known about Wang Baole's status. However, after arriving, she was still frightened by the authority that Wang Baole held, and the words that her father said to her before she came kept surfacing in her mind.

"Wang Baole is an extraordinary person. After transforming the city zone into a city, his position in Divine Armament New City is one that cannot be easily shaken. The matter between the both of you must be made clear, and ties must be cut!"

With that thought, Li Wan'er sighed in her heart. In reality, she had been unwilling to come. On one hand, she was of superior rank to Wang Baole previously, but now that Wang Baole became her superior in name, she had a hard time getting used to it.

On the other hand, there was an incident between them that she couldn't tell anyone. In addition, she was engaged. Even though she was vehemently against the engagement, she could only give in eventually. She could only bear with the unhappiness in her heart, and that made her feel even more complex emotions as she faced Wang Baole.

Before long, Li Wan'er buried the complex emotions deep in her heart and took a deep breath. She led the servants into Divine Armament New City. As there was only one zone now, her office was in the same building as Wang Baole, which wasn't far away.

Having just been appointed, she managed to push aside all her thoughts as she began to oversee matters regarding the city. At the same time, she deployed manpower in the various departments. She didn't act lightly and didn't appear to be challenging Wang Baole's authority, instead, taking the initiative to cooperate. Through this, the planning of the new city advanced further towards completion.

Even Wang Baole had to admit that Li Wan'er was extremely capable in handling various matters, and was even better at the job than himself. As she began work, she managed to increase the speed and order of the city's construction.

This made Kong Dao and company more impressed with Li Wan'er. They no longer felt a strong resistance towards her. In addition, as work began, the contact between Li Wan'er and Wang Baole inevitably increased. After all, the planning for the city depended on the Great Baole Array Formation as a foundation, and this made Wang Baole's suggestions extremely crucial in the planning process.

Right now, the two of them were in Wang Baole's office, discussing the plans for the construction of the sixth zone in the city.

"City Lord, according to your array formation, there needs to be alterations made to the plan for the sixth zone. With that change, not only could we increase the power of the array formation, we could also reduce the costs of construction." Li Wan'er looked serious as she passed a jade slip to Wang Baole.

Wang Baole received the jade slip in a similar, formal manner. After reading it, he was impressed. The plan laid out in the jade slip, after being edited by Li Wan'er, was indeed much better than before. At the same time, Wang Baole was encouraged by how orderly the city had become after Li Wan'er arrived, even if it was just for a few days.

"We shall use this plan then." Wang Baole didn't reveal his thoughts. He simply nodded after putting the jade slip down.

Li Wan'er didn't say anything and turned to leave. Seeing her push open the door, about to step out, Wang Baole sat there, raising his head to look at Li Wan'er's beautiful back, before speaking suddenly.

"Li Wan'er, no matter how hard you try to display the distance and chill between us, I am your superior!

"At the same time, since you're here as Deputy City Lord, you must remember that if the city performs well, it would benefit you, and it would benefit me… I respect you, and I also hope that you would respect me. Regarding matters of the city, we can always discuss and solve problems, as whatever I say isn't the be-all and end-all!"

"I'm not sure if you have any motives being in Divine Armament New City. However, this place has all the attention of the Federation on it. If something were to happen, I'm not a magnanimous person, and would report the matter honestly!" Wang Baole spoke with a low voice. This was the first time he said something like that to Li Wan'er.

As he spoke, Li Wan'er stopped in her tracks. With her back facing Wang Baole, she seemed to be deep in thought. At that moment, silence filled the office.

"Got it!" After a brief period, Li Wan'er spoke. Her tone was still unyielding, but the chill in her voice was somewhat reduced. She didn't turn around as she left.

Li Wan'er, who had now stepped out of Wang Baole's office, was on her way back to her residence. A complex look of regret filled her eyes. She knew that what Wang Baole said was correct. The stability of the city trumped everything else.

She also admitted that she felt differently towards Wang Baole. However, she knew very clearly that her role in the city wasn't to destroy anything, but to go according to the marriage alliance between the Senate and the Five Generation Sky Clan to pave the way to success for her fiancée!

Others didn't know who the three future mayors would be, but she knew that the eldest son of the Chen Family, Chen Mu, would be one of them. She even knew that this way of paving the road to success for her future husband would lead to disagreements with Wang Baole that she didn't desire, but she had no choice.

Therefore, all she could think of was to cut away all ties with Wang Baole, treating him merely as a co-worker!

Wang Baole didn't know the details of Li Wan'er's thoughts, but could more or less guess it. In reality, when Li Wan'er arrived, he had already analyzed the situation and felt that the possibility of her fiancee Chen Mu eventually coming to the city was high.

This was indeed the case, just as Wang Baole had guessed. After several days, the candidacy of the three remaining mayors of Divine Armament New City was finally set, after the month-long delay the competition between the various factions.

When the notice was passed from the Martian Colony Governor to Wang Baole, he looked at the profiles of the three new mayors under his lead!

The first one was indeed… Chen Mu, the eldest son of the Chen Family!

The second person was someone from Galactic Dusk Sect that had failed in his attempt to rob Wang Baole on the moon and was instead stripped by Wang Baole. The elite bound by black bandages!

The third person was a woman that Wang Baole wasn't familiar with. However, from her portfolio, it seemed that she had come from the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect!

The various factions within the Federation were all assembled in Divine Armament New City. It could be said that, to a certain extent, the city was a mini-version of the entire Federation!

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Chapter 391: Autonomous Zone!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Chen Mu, Wen Huai, and Fang Jing from Plume Manifestation Connate Sect… Looking at the file sent by the Martian Colony Governor, Wang Baole raised his eyebrows slightly. He finally knew that the person who had wanted to rob him but was instead robbed was named Wen Huai.

Wang Baole's deepest impression about this Wen Huai was that… he was rather poor.

It would have been fine if he was just poor, but he still had to act cool and cover himself with black bandages. His figure isn't as great as mine, and he didn't grow as well during puberty like I did… Wang Baole patted his stomach. As he became more knowledgeable, he began to have sentiments of a person who was bored that no one could defeat him because he was too superior.

However, that sentiment all but vanished when he focused his attention on Chen Mu's profile again. Chen Mu was from the Five Generation Sky Clan, and within this clan, the Chen family's status was far superior to that of the Zhuo family. Even though both family clans were nuclear family clans, the Chen family clan occupied almost thirty percent of the Five Generation Sky Clan!

Chen Mu, as the eldest son in this generation of the Chen family, may not be the heir to succeed the position of Clan Leader, but the possibility of him eventually taking on the position remained high.

The profile that the Martian Colony Governor has given me is… interesting. Wang Baole held onto the jade slip containing the profile and narrowed his eyes. In reality, anonymous comments from someone, who may or may not be the Martian Colony Governor, were given for every single person listed in the file. There was only a single comment for Chen Mu.

Ambitious but not sufficiently talented!

The comments for Wen Huai were even more vicious, which mentioned that he was malicious and stubborn!

The comment for Fang Jing from the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect was the only one that was slightly better. It merely said that she was hot-tempered.

Wang Baole didn't know for sure if the three comments were true, but he thought that they were very likely made by the Martian Colony Governor. Therefore, Wang Baole couldn't help but wonder what the Martian Colony Governor would say of him if she were to assess him.

Without having to think too hard, I know what she'll say. Handsome, intelligent, the suavest person in the entire Federation. I'm sick of hearing words like these. Wang Baole shook his head. He wasn't affected by the three comments. He was clear that he should only take other people's comments as a reference, as he would lose out if he formed the habit of viewing others around him as fools.

However, this Chen Mu is definitely a simpleton! Wang Baole sneered. However, he knew that even though the trio had been appointed as mayors instead of working their way there, this should be the outcome of the discussion between the Federation, Mars, as well as the various factions.

At the same time, in the file, it was also stated that the trio wouldn't come by themselves. They would bring with them a large amount of resources, similar to the case of Lin Tianhao, Kong Dao, and Jin Duoming, who also provided resources for the construction of the new city.

The tactic used by the Federation and Mars is always about trying to gain something without risking anything of their own. They use it all the time… Don't they have other tricks up their sleeves? Wang Baole shook his head. Even though the one that would sponsor the most resources was Chen Mu, the displeasure Wang Baole felt towards Chen Mu was still strong. He was a thorn in his eyes.

However, he also understood that in terms of importance, scale, and future prospects, the new city far exceeded that of the new city zone. He was also wielding authority that he never had before. As he enjoyed all of these benefits, it was inevitable that he would clash with the Federation and the various factions.

In reality, these clashes could be considered a battle to a certain extent. However, they were competing not based on divine abilities, but tactic and circumstance.

My cultivation level is still too low. If I were a Nascent Soul now, these ridiculous people would have long been eliminated by me with a single slap. Their family clan and factions wouldn't dare say a word either! Wang Baole slapped his forehead as he sighed. He gritted his teeth and continued to meditate in seclusion to cultivate.

In the entire life of, I, Wang Baole, everything I've owned has been the result of my own efforts. I can't even remember the amount of sweat and blood that I've spared! They will never know that even when I'm snacking, I'm thinking about my journey of cultivation! A look of determination appeared in Wang Baole's eyes. He knew very well that even though Little Missy had helped him significantly, that even without Little Missy, his achievements wouldn't pale in comparison to what he had now—based on his talent and that gorgeous face of his.

After all, in his consciousness, people who looked good would naturally be kindly treated by the entire world, and their luck was typically good.

Little Missy's appearance proves this point too. I know that she took the initiative to come to me because she appreciated my talent. She wanted to assist me in accomplishing great success.

With that thought, Wang Baole's head swelled. He took a deep breath, feeling as if his confidence was through the roof. With that strong sense of confidence, a glow flashed across his eyes as the cultivation within his body began to activate furiously. It was as if his Spirit Qi was also being boosted with his confidence.

Therefore, leveraging on this confidence, Wang Baole began meditating and cultivating. As his Lightning Dao was activated, and as the Dark Art gradually cycled, Wang Baole could feel that his cultivation level was slowly rising.

That increment satisfied him, making him feel as if his talent was beyond describable. If that wasn't the case, he wouldn't have already reached late-stage Foundation Establishment realm while others in the same batch as him were still in the mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm at most…

I cannot be arrogant! A glow flashed across Wang Baole's eyes as he hurriedly reminded himself. With that self-reminder, he couldn't help but grow even more satisfied with himself.

Just like that, days passed. When Wang Baole finished a few cycles of his cultivation, he realized that the three appointed mayors had still not arrived. He didn't need to monitor the construction of the city either. At the same time, the donkey seemed to have gone missing during this period, its whereabouts unknown.

Based on Wang Baole's sense, he felt that the donkey seemed to be very healthy, and therefore, didn't care much about it. Instead, he used the time to continually upgrade his Dharmic Artifacts.

He had many Dharmic Artifacts, which made the upgrading process extremely long. It was also in this process of refinement that Wang Baole grew more familiar and gained a deeper understanding of his Dharmic Artifacts.

In his free time, he also began to play out the Dark Corpse Face Art in his head. In this manner, days passed, and soon, half a month had gone by.

By this time, Chen Mu and the other two had still not arrived. That made Wang Baole frown, and he thought about calling Lin Tianhao to ask about it after he emerged from seclusion.

Listening to Wang Baole's tone, which indicated his displeasure, Lin Tianhao laughed bitterly and hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell the truth.

"City Lord, according to the information I have received from Martian City, Chen Mu and the other two people have long arrived on Mars. However, after their arrival, they remained in the Martian City, paying visits to the Governor, Deputy Governor, as well as the people in charge of the different departments… I heard that they are still not done with their visits even now…" Lin Tianhao looked at Wang Baole and spoke softly.

Hearing those words, Wang Baole slowly narrowed his eyes. He was extremely annoyed, thinking that the three fellas were trying to send an obvious and clear message for purposely not visiting him after visiting so many others.

However, they aren't foolish people. Why are they making it so obvious… This was something that Wang Baole couldn't understand. After Lin Tianhao left, he was still pondering this question.

However, without having to think for too long, Wang Baole immediately got the answer he was looking for on the second day as the voice transmission notice from the Martian Colony Governor arrived.

"City Lord Wang, Chen Mu, Wen Huai, and Fang Jing will report for duty at Divine Armament New City in the next few days. It has already been approved by the Federation that the three zones that they will be stationed at will be overseen by the Federation directly, and be approved as an autonomous zone!"

"Huh?" After receiving the voice transmission, a cold glow flashed across Wang Baole's eyes. He looked increasingly solemn and serious as he lowered his head to look at the voice transmission ring.

"Governor, the Federation has gone overboard with the handling of this matter, don't you think? This is my city, and they are still going autonomous in my territory?"

"Even though it's autonomous, it is, after all, still under your charge." The Governor was unhappy about this matter, but it was a decision made by the Federation, and she didn't want to participate in the battle between the factions.

Wang Baole's breathing quickened slightly. He knew very well that he would just be a figurehead. He wanted to fight for his rights, but the Martian Colony Governor sighed once again, emphasizing that these were the orders of the Federation.

However, she eventually told Wang Baole that she would definitely not let matters rest if the three of them acted out of order!

Once they break the rules, everything will be too late. After all, they aren't Li Yi… Wang Baole thought about this but didn't verbalize it. After calming down and accepting the news, a look of ruthlessness appeared on his face as the Martian Colony Governor hung up the voice transmission.

Those three rascals. You're so capable, huh? I've silently agreed for you to have a piece of the pie, and you're still not satisfied? Now you want autonomy too?

Sure, just you wait! A cold look flashed across Wang Baole's eyes.

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Chapter 392: Don't Be Too Serious!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

To Wang Baole, the feeling was like he built a large house for himself, but three other people just came and occupied it with him, taking up one room each.

It wouldn't have been an issue if it was similar to the act of living in his house, but what they were trying to do was erase his name as the owner of the room from the deed, and then replace it with their own name.

This is robbery! D*rn it, how dare you snatch my things away? When Wang Baole thought of the word 'robbery', he was reminded of Li Wan'er and Chen Mu's engagement. With the thought that Li Wan'er would soon become Chen Mu's Dao partner, the anger he had towards it, which had once appeared but waned, reappeared again.

At the same time, in the skies between the Martian Colony City and Divine Armament New City, tens of specially built large cruisers were traveling at an astonishing speed.

The cruisers carried the first batch of manpower and resources, which were in staggering quantities. In the cockpit of the first cruiser, three people sat there, sipping on wine and conversing with each other. One of them was dressed in formal attire and had fair skin. At the same time, he had a profound look in his eyes. Besides looking extremely handsome, he gave off an extraordinary vibe.

"Junior Brother Wen and Junior Sister Fang, as long as we go according to our agreement and carry out our duties in Divine Armament New City, there would be no issues." The youth held the wine cup and took a sip of the wine. He smiled, appearing extremely intelligent and persuasive, and that made the two people sitting opposite him nod their heads slightly.

Of the two, one was Wen Huai, who was now wearing a long robe of traditional design. From his wide sleeves, it could be seen that a large number of black bandages were covering his arm, and that was the same case for his neck and half of his face. This unique style made him look extremely vicious.

The other person was a woman named Fang Jing. There were obvious signs that she was from the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect. Even though the name 'Plume Manifestation Connate Sect' sounded elegant, in reality, all their disciples strove for physical strength, regardless of whether they were male or female. All of them had exaggeratedly large muscles, and Fang Jing was no exception.

She was born with beautiful looks. However, no matter how beautiful she was, when paired with a muscular physique, anyone who saw her would gasp.

Right now, Fang Jing was like a metal tower, sitting there, giving off a strong suppressive force that made even Wen Huai fearful. However, it had no effect on the youth in formal attire.

That youth was Chen Mu, the Chen Family's eldest son. Right now, the three of them were on the way to Divine Armament New City. According to the scheduled time, they would arrive in an hour.

"Senior Brother Chen, don't belittle Wang Baole. I had some interactions with him previously… not only is he a vicious person, but he is also extremely shameless and sly. It's as if there are no limits to the things he can do or how he can act. Disgusting!" After a period of silence, Wen Huai spoke softly, revealing all his thoughts about Wang Baole.

"Li Yi and I are best friends. According to her, Wang Baole is scum with all the body fat he carries. At the same time, he is extremely lecherous. If he dares to have any perverted thoughts towards me this time, I will let him know that not everyone will be bullied by him!" Fang Jing snorted. She was filled with hatred towards Wang Baole, especially when she already had a bad impression of him through what she heard from Li Yi's stories.

A look of bewilderment flashed across Wen Huai's eyes, but he didn't say much. Chen Mu, on the other hand, remained elegant throughout the process. One couldn't guess what he was really thinking, and right now, he was nodding his head while smiling.

"Wang Baole is indeed a scum of the Federation. It is necessary to eliminate him as soon as possible, but Junior Brother Wen is right. The fact that he could make it until now means that he has some capabilities. His tactics may be vicious, but we should never let our guard down. However, the fact that the three factions of ours have already reached a consensus, allowing us to regard each other as brothers and sisters, shows just where the issue lies.

"Therefore, as long as the three of us don't fall out with each other and remain united, Wang Baole will eventually be our stepping stone."

As Wen Huai and Fang Jing listened, they seemed to have thought of something. They smiled, holding up their wine glasses and toasting Chen Mu.

Chen Mu laughed heartily. He looked calm on the surface, but he was secretly delighted. This time, not only did his family clan manage to arrange for the position of mayor for him, but they also achieved the right to be autonomous. At the same time, in this new city, he already had people standing on the same side as him. His fiancé Li Wan'er was already the Deputy City Lord.

In reality, Chen Mu was dissatisfied towards this fiancé of his. To him, although there were many women superior to him, enough that he felt shameful, there were also innumerable women who would willingly strip naked and leap at him with a snap of his fingers.

After all, he was different from Jin Duoming. Jin Duoming liked to collect, while Chen Mu preferred brief enjoyment. Therefore, he was somewhat against his fiancé.

When he arrived, his family clan had told him that according to the agreement with the Head Senator, Li Wan'er's role was to pave the way for his success in Divine Armament New City.

Therefore, on the basis of having a path to success, he unwillingly agreed to the marriage arrangement. However, these were all thoughts that he kept in his heart, thoughts that he didn't dare reveal in front of the senator.

Fine then. I have met this Li Wan'er previously. She looks quite beautiful, and her figure is hot. Even though I don't know how she will look naked, she should be relatively good in bed. With that thought, Chen Mu was suddenly excited. However, Li Wan'er had long made it clear that before their marriage, there would be no physical contact. Despite that, Chen Mu was confident that, as a woman, what she said wasn't what she meant.

Having thought of Li Wan'er, hatred and dislike towards Wang Baole arose uncontrollably in Chen Mu's heart. It was even transformed into a form that would make him choose to kill if he had the choice…

He belittled Wang Baole, because, according to his judgment, Wang Baole was merely lucky. That luck of his was baseless and inconsistent.

To Chen Mu, the persistence of wanting to expand the city zone into a city when Wang Baole was already holding a stable position as mayor was a stupid move, despite it allowing him to be promoted. Wang Baole was rash, but Chen Mu still had to thank him for his stupidity. If not, his family clan wouldn't have the opportunity to interfere in the New Mars Region again when everything seemed to have already been set in stone.

There was another reason. He had heard about the incident between Wang Baole and his fiancé, Li Wan'er, through the private conversations of the Zhuo family. That shocked him extremely badly. He tried going to the Zhuo family several times to demand the video footage, curious about finding out exactly what was going on.

However, the Zhuo Family didn't dare to hand it to him. All they said was that it had already been destroyed.

However, Chen Mu didn't want to let the matter rest. Therefore, he found Zhuo Yixian, but Zhuo Yixian was already frozen in fear with regret and didn't dare involve himself further. However, the strong hatred he had towards Wang Baole overruled everything, and with a pitiful look, he patted Chen Mu's shoulder and told him…

"Brother, don't be too serious about this matter. Just treat it as if nothing happened. If not, if you were to really see the footage, you might… Forget it, that's all I'll say. You'll understand what I mean."

It wouldn't have mattered much if he didn't say such things. However, hearing those words, Chen Mu grew even more bitter. However, he could only hide it deep in his heart, without revealing a hint of it in his interactions with Wen Huai and Fang Jing along the journey. In truth, his heart was filled with hatred towards Wang Baole. Just like that, the cruiser they were in traveled at high speed for another hour, before eventually reaching Divine Armament New City.

Obviously, Wang Baole didn't receive them, and Li Wan'er went in his place instead. After the trio arrived in Divine Armament New City, they paid a visit to Kong Dao and Jin Duoming. They already had an understanding of the people in charge of internal affairs. They chose to ignore Lin Tianhao, and after that, they headed towards their respective zones and began building.

However, even though Wen Huai and Fang Jing were courteous when interacting with Li Wan'er, Chen Mu treated her as if he was her owner. He may not have ordered her around, but his attitude made Li Wan'er very unhappy.

From start to end, they didn't mention Wang Baole. They didn't visit him, treating him as if he didn't exist, and acted as if their new region was unrelated to the new city. When others noticed this, they began to have speculations. Li Wan'er wanted to give them a gentle reminder that this resistance was inappropriate, but when she noticed Chen Mu's attitude, she was annoyed and decided not to remind them.

As for Wang Baole, even though he didn't appear, due to the detailed information from Liu Daobin and the Ethereal Dao College students—as well as what he noticed about the actions of the trio after they arrived—a look of irritation flashed across his eyes while he sat in the office. He caressed the donkey that seemed to have returned tired after play.

So obnoxious, huh?

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Chapter 393: The Goal: Dharmic Armament Master!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole knew about the obnoxiousness of the trio, including Chen Mu, like the back of his hand. Now, he was caressing the donkey as he narrowed his eyes. He felt that Chen Mu and company should thank the Federation for teaching and bringing them up. If not, with that temper of his, he would have definitely gone to bash them up.

"I'm already a prominent figure now. As a prominent figure, I can't bash someone up willy-nilly, don't you think, Scram?" Wang Baole cleared his throat, speaking calmly while pretending to be profound, as he grabbed the donkey.

The donkey felt wronged. It merely wanted to rest after tiring itself out after playing for a while, and that was why he passed by the office building Wang Baole was in. However, even before it could distance itself, it was ordered by Wang Baole and had to go towards him, allowing him to scratch and caress it. Even though the donkey was unhappy, he couldn't show any signs of it. Now that he heard Wang Baole's words, the donkey hurriedly grinned and acted obedient, nodding its head furiously.

It was as if it was trying to say that whatever Wang Baole said was right…

The method used by prominent figures against insignificant people like them is often profound. Not only do they act, but whatever action they take has a significant impact! The more Wang Baole thought about it, the more he felt that everything made sense. He was filled with delight and had the impression that his understanding of the high officials' autobiographies was further deepened.

However, when he thought about how obnoxious Chen Mu and company were, he was unhappy. He looked askance at the donkey, trying to convey the message through his eyes that it could eat at the residence belonging to Chen Mu and company from time to time.

Even though the donkey was smart, it was, after all, still a donkey that hadn't gained human intelligence. Therefore, when it saw the look in Wang Baole's eyes, it was confused, apparently not understanding what Wang Baole meant.

This made Wang Baole frown as he kicked the donkey.

The kick was swift and loud. It seemed like the combination of Wang Baole's cultivation, strong physique, and slim thighs made the kick extremely powerful.

Perhaps the shock from the powerful kick had the ability to knock some sense into the donkey's head. At that moment, it seemed to have realized the meaning behind Wang Baole's gaze, and it quickly called out while nodding its head furiously.

Seeing that the donkey understood the situation, Wang Baole stopped kicking the donkey. He thought about whether he should proceed with the kick, but as he felt that he was an amiable owner, he cleared his throat and decided not to proceed. Instead, he gently caressed the donkey.

"How obedient. Scram, do this task well!"

The donkey was suddenly touched by Wang Baole's gentle caress and voice. It vaguely felt that even though its owner was abusive, he still treated it well occasionally. Therefore, it suddenly had the intention to lick Wang Baole's hands with its tongue. Wang Baole was surprised by it, and that was when the donkey suddenly turned and ran towards the door.

What's going on? Wang Baole was taken aback. He had never thought that the donkey would lick him. Therefore, he stood up and went to the window. As he saw the donkey charging towards the new region that Chen Mu and company were in, he blinked his eyes in realization.

I approve of this. It's an expression of its love for its owners. At the same time, it took the initiative to share the burden of its owner's worries and wants to help take revenge. Good donkey! Wang Baole was encouraged and thought that he had really used the correct method of being harsh with punishment to bring up a good disciple like the donkey.

With that thought, Wang Baole buried the absurdities of Chen Mu and company in his heart and began his usual cultivation process. His cultivation level was now at that of late-stage Foundation Establishment realm. With the presence of the array formation, he could absorb the Dark Qi in the catacombs every time he cultivated, which helped to speed up the process significantly.

That made his cultivation grow exponentially by the day. At the same time, Wang Baole had great expectations for the future. He knew that when the structure of the array formation was completely formed, his cultivation would reach an unimaginable state.

Even though there were no short cuts for any cultivator if they wanted to advance from late-stage Foundation Establishment realm to the perfected stage, Wang Baole was still confident that with the help of the array formation, the entire process could be sped up limitlessly for him.

The construction of the new city was also boosted significantly with the arrival of Chen Mu and company. Chen Mu and company may be autonomous, but they had also seen what happened to Li Yi. Therefore, they met all the requirements needed for the construction, as well as the array formation. Even though they were autonomous in terms of management, there was no impact on Wang Baole's cultivation process.

Just like that, days passed. A bird's eye view of the new city revealed that, as countless people busied themselves with the construction, the prototype of the large city was slowly being formed, and was becoming clearer with time.

At the same time, as Wang Baole cultivated, he didn't neglect the refinement of his Dharmic Artifacts. All his Dharmic Artifacts were upgraded, reaching the level of sixth-grade Dharmic Artifacts. Even his Intrinsic Dharmic Artifact was upgraded to fifth-grade. Even though more resources were needed for it to advance to sixth-grade, Wang Baole was confident that within a few months, he could upgrade his Intrinsic Dharmic Artifact to the sixth-grade.

As he analyzed his Intrinsic Dharmic Artifact, the scabbard, which was now fifth-grade, he found some changes. There were no longer just nine mosquitoes. Rather, the number had doubled to eighteen!

Furthermore, when those eighteen mosquitoes flew out, the maximum possible distance between them and Wang Baole was also significantly increased. At the same time, their combat capabilities also shocked Wang Baole when he tested them out. Right now, each of the eighteen mosquitoes seemed to be in mid-stage True Breath realm.

Most importantly, they could revive continuously without limits. As long as the Intrinsic Dharmic Artifact scabbard could support the force of revival without failing, it would be as if he was bringing a True Breath realm army along with him everywhere he went.

Other than that, Wang Baole was most concerned about the three unique mosquitoes within his Intrinsic Dharmic Artifact scabbard. Even though the gray mosquito had integrated with the donkey, the second one had now appeared. According to Wang Baole's guess, the second mosquito could perhaps allow him to control a second ferocious beast.

As for the remaining two purple and black mosquitoes, they were actually the ones that Wang Baole desired most. He was clear that the two mosquitoes were formidable, but he still couldn't control the purple and black mosquito despite the Intrinsic Dharmic Artifact scabbard already reaching fifth-grade.

He felt slightly upset about this, but he also had a strong feeling that with the advancement of the Intrinsic Dharmic Artifact scabbard, he could eventually control the two mosquitoes!

At this stage of refinement, Wang Baole's goal wasn't only focused on continually upgrading his Intrinsic Dharmic Artifact. He had another goal, one that made him extremely excited when he thought about it!

He would never forget the day when he was admitted into the Ethereal Dao College and accepted into the Dharmic Armament faculty. It was the day when he saw the motto inscribed on the large rock of Dharmic Armament faculty!

'Divine armaments shall destroy the myriad Dao if restrainment by Dharmic Artifacts and Numinous treasures proves fruitless!'

The first- and second-grade are Dharmic Artifacts, those under sixth-grade are Numinous Treasures, while the seventh-grade is called… Dharmic Armament!

Now, I'm finally at the stage where I can attempt to refine Dharmic Armaments! Wang Baole took a deep breath as his eyes lit up. The thought of being able to study Dharmic Armaments and try to refine them made him so agitated that he was unable to calm down. However, he also understood that the expenditure needed to try out and refine a Dharmic Armament would be huge.

Now, other than studying how to go about the refinement, the other issue was that the first Dharmic Armament that he would attempt to refine shouldn't be too complex. Therefore, after thinking about it, Wang Baole came to a decision.

The first Dharmic Armament that I attempt to refine shall be… the megaphone! With that thought, Wang Baole was filled with enthusiasm. He had a special liking for the megaphone, and the megaphone had also accompanied him for a large part of his journey. Every time the megaphone was sounded, its effects were miraculous. Wang Baole felt that this unique treasure, if made into his first Dharmic Armament, would be extremely powerful, enough to impact the entire surroundings.

That was especially so when he pictured himself holding the Dharmic Armament megaphone and blowing into it. Its sound would have such a big impact on the enemies that they wouldn't be able to fight back. That made Wang Baole's decision to refine a megaphone Dharmic Armament even firmer.

With that firm belief, Wang Baole, a Primary Rank Three City Lord with ample resources, embarked on the intense process of research.

He was already an outstanding Dharmic Armament cultivator of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion. At the same time, he had a strong foundation in terms of refining treasures. As he proceeded step by step into refining sixth-grade treasures, he had formed his own insights and inventions. He had a deep understanding of how to arrange the inscriptions, such that they would always work. As such, even though his process of researching the Dharmic Armament was slow, he was heading in the right direction, proceeding forward steadily.

Furthermore, his seventh-grade Dharmic Armament saber also became his reference. He knew very clearly that a Primary Rank Three who could successfully refine a Dharmic Armament, while still not as impressive as a Core Formation cultivator, would be impressive.

It could also be said that once the Dharmic Armament was successfully refined, Wang Baole's status and position would stand out, even without the support of the four Dao Colleges!

After all, only the one amongst the many Dharmic Armament cultivators of the Federation who could refine a Dharmic Armament would be worthy of the title of… Master!

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Chapter 394: The Wind Blows!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The thought that one day, after he successfully refined a Dharmic Armament, that every single person—man or woman—would have to address him as 'Grandmaster', made Wang Baole extremely agitated, as well as troubled.

Would they call me Grandmaster Wang, Grandmaster Bao, or Grandmaster Le?

No matter how Wang Baole thought about it, he still felt that the word 'Grand' made the title awful. He had the intention that after he refined a Dharmic Armament, he would take the initiative to make others, such as Liu Daobin and company, first address him as Master Wang. That way, the others would follow suit as well.

Master Wang! Wang Baole was satisfied with this title. After he fantasized about it for a moment, he felt energized and began the process of researching Dharmic Armaments by playing it out in his mind.

A Dharmic Armament was structurally similar to a Numinous Treasure, both having Spirit Kernels and inscriptions, but when seen in detail, many differences were also present. There were two other factors, which were Spirit Integration and Heavenly Evocation!

According to the knowledge Wang Baole gained through his time spent in the Ethereal Dao College, he knew very clearly that, regardless of whether it was a Dharmic Artifact or a Numinous Treasure, they were merely a method of using Spirit energy—such that the Spirit energy could flow according to the inscriptions in order to produce different explosive effects.

A Dharmic Armament differed in that it not only focused on only Spirit energy, but also encompassed… Heaven and Earth power!

The so-called Heaven and Earth power sounded very ethereal in its description. According to the Dao College, it could cause the heavens and earth, as well as everything in nature, to be seen as having life. The ripples that resulted from this life would accumulate and fill the entire world. This seemingly separate, yet united force, was known as… Heaven and Earth power!

This is actually magnetism. The heavens have a will, and therefore, they would give off magnetism belonging to the heavens. This was the same case for the earth, the mountains, the rivers, and even the mud, rocks, lightning, wind and rain, and so on… Wang Baole rubbed his glabella, as he recalled the knowledge he learned in the Dao College.

Dharmic Artifacts and Numinous Treasures control the Spirit energy. As for a Dharmic Armament, it doesn't only control the Spirit energy, but also the Heaven and Earth power. Therefore, in terms of power, activation of any Dharmic Armament would send shock waves in all directions. It wasn't groundbreaking but was still extremely impressive.

The way to control the Heaven and Earth power was to incorporate one of the two additional factors that distinguished a Numinous Treasure from a Dharmic Armament, and that was… Heavenly Evocation!

This so-called Heavenly Evocation meant incorporating all the mystique forces emanating from the magnetic fields of every single object between the heavens and earth into a Dharmic Armament. It could transform a Dharmic Armament into a medium for communicating with the forces of the heavens and earth!

This way, the first step of making a Dharmic Armament could be considered complete. A Dharmic Treasure that could communicate with the Heaven and Earth powers could already be considered half a Dharmic Armament, with its power far exceeding that of a Numinous Treasure, even though it still paled greatly compared to a Dharmic Armament.

At that time, the second stage of refinement would be initiated, and that was… Spirit Integration!

True to its name, Spirit Integration meant integrating the spirit into a Dharmic Armament!

It didn't require the Artifact Spirit to have Spirit Intelligence. As long as it fulfilled the requirements, once the spirit was integrated, it could form something like an outlet for a Dharmic Treasure that had Heaven and Earth power. Through the lead of the Artifact Spirit, a surprising force would result.

For example, the black hurricane from Wang Baole's Dharmic Armament saber appeared as such because the source of the Dharmic Armament's Heaven and Earth power had come from a hurricane. The crocodile inside the black hurricane was the Artifact Spirit!

Heavenly Evocation and Spirit Integration… These two steps are challenging. Wang Baole sorted out the knowledge he had learned. In silence, he began thinking about these two steps that were unique to a Dharmic Armament. For the Heavenly Evocation step, he needed to continually try and play it out. As for Spirit Integration, it could be considered the simpler of the two steps.

I need to capture a ferocious beast as the Artifact Spirit. The choice for the Artifact Spirit should ideally complement the power of the Dharmic Armament. Therefore, since I want to refine a Dharmic Armament megaphone, I should find a beast that could roar, and do so loudly… With that thought, the donkey surfaced in Wang Baole's mind. Instantly, his eyes lit up, but he soon sighed. He felt that killing the innocent donkey that hadn't done anything wrong was somewhat inhumane.

However, he still felt that using the donkey as the Artifact Spirit and creating the Dharmic Armament megaphone would make it extremely impressive and astonishing.

As he pondered, Wang Baole pushed away the idea of using the donkey as the Artifact Spirit. He began to research Heavenly Evocation. Time passed, and soon, seven days went by.

In the seven days, even though Wang Baole didn't reach the state where he forgot about food and rest, he still spent almost the entire period of time researching Dharmic Armaments. He still spared some time to receive the reports from Liu Daobin and company. With them around, Wang Baole knew the status of his city like the back of his hands.

For example, Chen Mu and company may have put in a lot of effort in the construction of the city for the past seven days, but compared to Wen Huai and Fang Jing who had laid low, Chen Mu held a small banquet in his zone three days ago. He had invited many people. Without a doubt, Li Wan'er was also there and had appeared to be extremely courteous towards Chen Mu.

Another example would be that during this period, incidents of missing resources frequently occurred in the region belonging to Chen Mu and company. In addition, the donkey would be seen every time, both before and after the incident happened. This issue was only resolved after the Core Formation realm cultivators from each of the three factions began standing guard. However, throughout the length of the episode, the total amount of resources lost by the three factions was astounding.

Everything surfaced in Wang Baole's mind. He was satisfied with the donkey's performance. At the same time, he received Li Wan'er's voice transmission. Her tone was formal as she requested for the capture of the donkey.

Wang Baole naturally rejected that request. After receiving the rejection, Li Wan'er didn't say much. She merely mentioned that should such things happen again, that she would report it directly to the Governor. After all, the construction of the new city trumped everything else. Anything and anyone who stalled the construction process should be punished.

Is she threatening me? Wang Baole was unhappy, his gaze somewhat colder than before. He seemed to have realized that Li Wan'er had already had a change of heart. She was merely engaged but was using her authority to side with Chen Mu.

Is she trying to warn me not to have any ulterior motives towards Chen Mu…? Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. Based on the many years that he had spent studying the high officials' autobiographies, he began to realize the meaning behind Li Wan'er's actions.

With that thought, a chilly look was revealed in Wang Baole's eyes. He didn't take any action though, as he knew very clearly that it wasn't the right time to meddle with Chen Mu and company's affairs. After all, the city hadn't been completed yet…

Another half a month passed like that. Wang Baole's research on the Dharmic Armament, specifically the segment on Heavenly Evocation, had shown some progress. When he thought about trying it out, the ground suddenly shook violently that evening. After that, a deafening boom reverberated, and the Divine Armament Catacombs opened up once again.

Having learned from the experience of the previous incident involving Li Yi, a large number of cultivators immediately took action as the loud boom reverberated. That was especially so for Kong Dao, Jin Duoming, and company.

It was the same case for Li Wan'er as well. Even though she didn't have experience in this field, she had a responsibility to act. She studied the city and the catacombs for a long while and knew that the sudden appearance of the loud boom had something to do with the catacombs for sure.

For Wang Baole, when the loud boom sounded, he swiftly emerged from seclusion, activating the array formation and using his authority to inspect every single zone.

In the city, including the areas that had yet to be constructed, everything, be it Li Yi's catacombs or the Divine Armament Catacombs, appeared normal. However, in the wilderness not far away from the city, new catacombs had appeared.

Within a short period of time, following Li Yi's catacombs, new catacombs appeared. This meant that the ripples inside the Divine Armament Catacombs had entered an active state. That matched the analysis of the Martian Colony Governor, but Wang Baole still felt immense pressure because of it.

He knew very well that once the catacombs appeared, he needed to seal it within the shortest time possible. Even though it was outside the city, and wasn't as easy to suppress compared to if it were within the city, the purpose of constructing the new city was to equip the Divine Armament Catacombs with more cultivators. Therefore, with Wang Baole's command, the cultivators and Core Formation realm elites from the six zones were activated and gathered at the location of the new catacombs in order to suppress it in unison.

With the participation from the various factions, the number of Core Formation realm cultivators in Divine Armament New City also swelled in number. Wang Baole's orders were sent throughout the city, and Jin Duoming, Kong Dao, as well as others like Li Wan'er continued to pass it down. Soon, a large number of cultivators emerged from the city, charging towards the location of the new catacombs at high speed.

Very quickly, everyone who arrived heaved a slight breath of relief when they saw the new catacombs. The size was clearly smaller than that during the incident involving Li Yi. Now, even though a large number of ferocious beasts and corpses were emerging while roaring, it wasn't difficult to suppress them. However, since his arrival, Wang Baole began frowning as he looked around, inevitably growing solemn.

Kong Dao, Jin Duoming, Lin Tianhao, as well as others from the great Dao Colleges had all gathered here… However, only a handful of cultivators from the zones belonging to Chen Mu, Wen Huai, and Fang Jing had gathered. In addition, the Core Formation realm cultivators, as well as the three autonomous mayors, didn't show up at all!

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Chapter 395: Choosing Humiliation Over Dignity!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Are you fearless because you have a strong backing? Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. If Chen Mu and company hadn't sent manpower, he could still use this reason to punish and question them. However, since they still made arrangements for their cultivators to come despite their Core Formation realm cultivators and themselves not showing up, it was difficult for him to make a big fuss about it, even though it was clearly done in a perfunctory manner. After all, to a certain extent, they had fulfilled the orders.

Interesting! A chilly glow flashed across Wang Baole's eyes. He had originally planned to find fault with Chen Mu and company after they had completed the construction of the city, but now, he could no longer wait.

I'll give all of you another chance. If you still behave this way, then don't blame me for unleashing my wrath. You really think that there is nothing I can do to you while you operate autonomously? Wang Baole snorted. He immediately sent out a command to gather Chen Mu and company, as well as the Core Formation realm cultivators in their respective factions to suppress the catacombs.

After the command was sent out, Wang Baole didn't have much time to bother himself with it anymore. He immediately took action, and with the cooperation of Jin Duoming and company, he stopped the spread of the ferocious beasts, gradually encircling them.

Instantly, the snarls of the ferocious beasts reverberated in all directions. Jin Duoming and Kong Dao, who had been through the incident involving Li Yi, understood that after encircling them in the catacombs, they had to seal it immediately. Therefore, they put all their effort into the resistance. At the same time, they also noticed that Chen Mu and company were missing in action, and heard Wang Baole ordering for them to come once again. They looked at each other, occasionally throwing glances to Lin Tianhao, who was a distance away, and they saw the glow in each other's eyes.

"I wonder how Wang Baole will handle Chen Mu and company this time… Speaking of which, it's also difficult. Chen Mu isn't stupid and has sent people here to help…"

"Most importantly, they are autonomous. In theory, even if Wang Baole is the City Lord, he has no power to command them…"

"Their duties as autonomous mayors have already been clearly listed. They are managed by both the Martian Colony Governor as well as the Federation, and have no authoritative links with the new city." While the trio was resisting the ferocious beasts in the catacombs, they sent each other voice transmissions. Compared to Jin Duoming and Kong Dao, Lin Tianhao was clearly displeased with Chen Mu and company.

However, this sort of autonomous rule seemed like a protective identity token. Lin Tianhao could only sigh, thinking silently about how Wang Baole would handle the matter. In reality, they weren't the only ones thinking about this. The other cultivators surrounding them were no fools. They had long understood that something was amiss, and were keeping close to find out how things would develop next.

It could be said that how Wang Baole decides to handle the matter would determine how everyone treated Chen Mu and company. To a certain extent, Wang Baole's influence on the people could also be affected by this.

If he handled the matter perfectly, he would have solidified his influence. However, if he failed at this initial attempt at sparring, his influence on the people would be greatly reduced.

Li Wan'er, on the other hand, was now frowning. In reality, this was the scenario that she was dreading the most. According to her plans, there was no need for Chen Mu and company to resist Wang Baole head-on in this manner. She had tried persuading them, but the effects were minimal.

This current mission of suppressing the catacombs appeared noisy on the surface, with everyone resisting the beast tide with their utmost effort and the seal being put in place with the help of the Core Formation realm cultivators. However, in reality, everyone focused their attention on Wang Baole, wanting to find out how things would unfold.

With regards to this, Wang Baole, who was familiar with the high officials' autobiographies, understood the whole situation like the back of his hand and took everything seriously. He appeared calm from beginning to end, and other than sending out the second order, he didn't take any further action, instead, continuing his efforts to manage the catacombs incident.

The newly appeared catacombs may not have been large, but the number of beast waves that showed up was still astounding. They had been confined into a small area, and with the abundance of cultivators and Dharmic Artifacts, the ferocious beasts were continually killed. The beast tide within the cave was also beginning to show signs of receding, and the seal was about to be completed.

However, right at this moment, a deafening scream was heard, and a thick fog exploded suddenly from within the cave, destroying the half-completed seal and rising to the skies. In mid-air, the movement of the fog was transformed into a giant python, screaming as it emerged.

The instant that the black fog was transformed into the python, more black fog surged from within the cave. As it rose to the skies, it was like seawater, spreading furiously in all directions. Within it, numerous tiny black pythons could be seen, screaming as they moved.

A chill flashed across Wang Baole's eyes. He had no time to think about Chen Mu and company. He had a duty to fulfill now, and he immediately dashed out, his late-stage Foundation Establishment realm cultivation activated and Dharmic Armament saber in hand. In a few steps, he slew the giant python that was roaring in mid-air!

The moment Wang Baole acted, the four Core Formation realm Dao guardians from the four Dao Colleges looked solemn. They instantly surrounded Wang Baole. Of their responsibilities, protecting Wang Baole was most crucial, while resisting the catacombs was secondary. Therefore, they now stood guard around Wang Baole, before charging out and going against the giant python.

The Core Formation realm Dao guardians beside Jin Duoming and Kong Dao acted similarly. Everyone's main objective was to protect their respective important figures, and there were now over ten Core Formation realm cultivators there. Therefore, as they acted in unison, the effect was shocking. As a loud boom reverberated, the glow from their spells lit up splendidly in various colors. The giant python that approached was unable to withstand it, and within a short period of time, it burst open and died.

Wang Baole's saber beam didn't have the largest effect, but with his initiative, he managed to have a strong influence in gathering others to act.

Soon, as everyone cooperated in unison, the new catacombs, which wasn't large in area, was gradually suppressed completely. When all the black fog that emerged dissipated, and as the catacombs was sealed, Wang Baole heaved a sigh of relief. Standing outside the sealed catacombs, he looked at it while it was still glowing. He calmly conveyed another series of commands, including the order to build a base at that very location and make it part of the new city so that it could continually be suppressed.

Right now, there was a principle held by Martian City regarding a newly formed Divine Armament Catacombs. The principle was that in the second Martian City, the array formation would be used to destroy the barrier, forming the foundation for eliminating the beasts. With the appearance of every new catacombs, it would be suppressed, and a new base would be built in that location.

Even though this method seemed a little belated in terms of response, if it was carried out until the barrier was destroyed, it could solve the issue regarding the Divine Armament Catacombs.

After he was done handling the matters of the catacombs, Wang Baole turned his head and looked in the direction of the new city. The chill in his eyes intensified. From the time he arrived until the time the catacombs was suppressed and sealed, approximately two hours had passed. However, everything has ended, and Chen Mu and company still hadn't shown up. It was clear that they had disregarded his second command.

"Choosing humiliation over dignity." Wang Baole spoke softly. Jin Duoming and Kong Dao looked at each other without speaking. They could both sense a chill emanating from Wang Baole, one that couldn't be suppressed anymore.

The surrounding people also realized it. They all remained silent, which made the surroundings of the sealed catacombs appear eerily quiet.

In this quietness, Li Wan'er appeared to have something to say, but she stopped herself. This was the case for Lin Tianhao as well. Based on Lin Tianhao's thoughts, the autonomous power given to Chen Mu and company was sufficient to resolve everything. Therefore, he wanted to step forward and persuade Wang Baole. After all, finding fault with the trio right now could easily lead to inconclusive results. Once that happened, Wang Baole's influence would be affected.

However, even before he could speak, Wang Baole's cold voice reverberated in all directions.

"Everyone, please follow me to the three autonomous zones to see if catacombs have appeared there as well." As Wang Baole spoke, he began heading to the new city. Lin Tianhao hesitated and didn't speak; instead, he took a deep breath and followed behind. The four Dao Colleges were on the same side as Wang Baole and naturally followed him.

Jin Duoming and Kong Dao looked at each other and followed, and that was the case for others as well. They all wanted to see what would happen when Wang Baole crossed paths with the autonomous trio.

"City Lord Wang, there is no need to do this. I can handle this matter. You…" Noticing the situation, Li Wan'er hurriedly spoke. However, even before she could finish, Wang Baole, who was ahead, interrupted in a stern voice.

"Shut up! Li Wan'er, mind your position. You're only the Deputy City Lord!"

As the words reverberated, the aura from Wang Baole grew stronger. Compared to Li Wan'er, who had perfected Foundation Establishment realm cultivation, Wang Baole didn't let loose, and neither did he turn back. He immediately took out his cruiser and charged towards the new city. His destination was the zone Chen Mu was in!

Having been reprimanded, Li Wan'er was aghast with shock. She fell silent as she followed behind.

As the masses left, some still stood guard around the catacombs, continuing the task of handling the ferocious beast corpses. In the process, no one noticed that a piece of the ferocious beast flesh had quietly blended into the ground and disappeared.

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Chapter 396: Confined Within a Prison!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Outside the new city, no one in Wang Baole's company spoke. There was only the sound of the cruiser speeding through the air, whooshing. It entered the new city's array formation and headed straight for Chen Mu's autonomous zone.

During the journey, the expression on Wang Baole's face wasn't that of sternness and simmering anger. Instead, he looked calm and composed, and there was an unfathomable light in his eyes. He seemed different than he usually was. Jin Duoming and company stared at Wang Baole and narrowed their eyes. They had a considering look in their eyes.

They had been working with Wang Baole on Mars, and it was clear that their understanding of Wang Baole's character surpassed that of many others. They knew clearly that the happy-go-lucky fatty was a harsh and brutal character. He showed little mercy towards others, and even less towards himself. He didn't lack cunning and decisiveness. This was clear from the episode with Li Yi.

After the Li Yi incident, Jin Duoming and Kong Dao both had their guesses… that Wang Baole had set a trap for Li Yi right from the start. He had been waiting all along for Li Yi to walk right into his trap.

Such vicious tactics earned great approval and admiration from Jin Duoming. As for Kong Dao, he didn't think they were right, but he knew very well that Li Yi had brought it upon herself. Besides, Wang Baole was his savior. Even though he spoke nothing of it, he never forgot that fact.

Wang Baole's methods were extremely brilliant and tactical. He had thought of something that would benefit everyone tremendously. The most important thing was that he had actually succeeded. Everything ensured that Jin Duoming and Kong Dao recognized Wang Baole's authority as the City Lord.

At present, they weren't in much of a mood to stand on the sidelines and spectate. However, they had no idea how Wang Baole was going to deal with Chen Mu and his gang.

What is Wang Baole going to do? Jin Duoming narrowed his eyes. He thought about how he would handle the matter if he were in Wang Baole's shoes. Finally, he came to the conclusion that he would make use of his family clan's influence and power to resolve the issue.

Kong Dao and Li Tianhao also wondered how they would address the problem. Even Li Wan'er was considering what Wang Baole was going to do. It was then that Li Wan'er realized that she didn't really understand Wang Baole as a person. At present, she only felt that Wang Baole was inviting trouble onto himself. However, she knew that Wang Baole had climbed his way up steadily, advancing from the status of an ordinary nobody to his current Primary Rank Three Noble. He was definitely not a fool.

The same thoughts surfaced in the people behind Wang Baole. The cultivators from the four Dao Colleges, especially, thought so. If the journey had been longer, someone amongst them might have come up with something, but the distance between the catacombs and Chen Mu's autonomous zone was simply too short. Everyone was still stuck with no ideas when they arrived outside the new zone.

The new zone under Chen Mu's charge was located in the southeastern region of the new city. Its size rivaled the size of the city zone that Wang Baole had constructed when he had been mayor. It was a significant land area, and Chen Mu had clearly spent some thought on the construction. The Five Generation Sky Clan had also given him their full support. Despite his recent arrival, the prototype of a city zone had already been set up.

From afar, what had previously been wilderness had been replaced by leveled roads and even grounds. Towering buildings rose to the skies, and an aesthetic that identified strongly with the Five Generation Sky Clan's style could be seen clearly in the zone—picturesque, quaint, and filled with countless pavilions. In fact, it almost didn't look and feel like a city zone and looked more like the villa of a vast family clan.

The entire zone was divided into ten rings. The layers interconnected with one another but could be isolated instantly and could exist independently as well. The zone was guarded by members of the Five Generation Sky Clan, and the intersections with the new city were especially heavily guarded.

Everything hinted at its autonomy. They were setting themselves apart and declaring self-governance. This was Wang Baole's first time visiting the zone, but he had heard about what was going on and wasn't a stranger to the place. However, he still raised his eyebrow after seeing the situation with his own eyes.

Even though the zone was built to resemble a family clan's home, the set up of the array formation was in order. The Five Generation Sky Clan wouldn't commit such a mistake.

Chen Mu had been notified of Wang Baole's arrival, and he didn't give Wang Baole the chance to criticize him on his etiquette. Prior to Wang Baole's arrival, he, alongside Wen Huai and Fang Jing, had brought with them numerous guards from their respective zones and walked out. They cupped their fists and saluted Wang Baole from a distance. When they lifted their heads, they had friendly smiles on their faces. Their voices were mild and gentle, ringing out into the air.

"Our greetings to the City Lord, Deputy City Lord, as well as our comrades. Welcome to the new zone."

As soon as his voice rang out, Chen Mu's gaze fell on Wang Baole. He stared at the rotund figure with a gentle expression on his face, but inside, he laughed scornfully. He had always believed that a person who couldn't even maintain a good figure would undoubtedly possess many flaws in other areas.

Despite secretly mocking Wang Baole, his attitude towards Wang Baole wasn't what he had told Wen Huai and Fang Jing. He had done a great deal of research and investigation into Wang Baole and knew what kind of character he was. Despite that, he didn't really pay much heed to what he had found out. It simply meant that this opponent of his was going to pose a slight challenge.

This was also Wang Baole's first time meeting Chen Mu. He stared at that friendly smile plastered on a handsome face, the tall, striking figure, and the air of casual nobility that had obviously been cultivated through growing up in an elite family clan. Everything displeased him further.

Anyone of us from the Adonis Association is better looking than he is! Wang Baole snorted inwardly. He took a huge step forward, his gaze sliding past Chen Mu and towards Wen Huai and Fang Jing, who were standing behind Chen Mu. This was his first time seeing Fang Jing. As for Wen Huai, he had robbed him blind on the moon. He even knew what the young man looked like under his clothes.

Fang Jing seemed fine with Wang Baole's gaze on her, there was even a hint of provocation in her eyes. On the other hand, Wen Huai trembled. Their encounter on the moon surfaced in his head, and he instinctively avoided Wang Baole's eyes instead of meeting them. If not for Chen Mu stressing it repeatedly and the arrangements that had been made by his sect, he really didn't wish to ever see Wang Baole again.

Chen Mu's eyes flashed when he noticed Wen Huai's lowered head. He stepped forward and into Wang Baole's line of vision. Then, he smiled gently and said, "City Lord, is there a reason that you have gathered such a big group and come to my autonomous zone?" Chen Mu placed stress on the word "autonomous" when he spoke. He had made up his mind as well. Since Wang Baole was inviting trouble, he wasn't going to waste this opportunity to challenge and weaken his authority!

With his line of sight obstructed, Wang Baole returned his gaze to Chen Mu. Their eyes met and silence descended around them. All eyes fell on the both of them.

"Chen…" Wang Baole started to speak. Chen Mu interrupted him before he could finish saying what he wanted to say.

"If this is about the appearance of the new catacombs, I made arrangements for my people to head over and assist. Did they shirk their duties in any way?" Chen Mu smiled and looked at Wang Baole. He was inwardly disdainful.

The cold light in Wang Baole's eyes intensified when he had been interrupted. He was about to speak again when Chen Mu smiled before he even said anything.

"I don't believe the City Lord is here because of that. Is it because I didn't obey the second order? I seek the City Lord's understanding. I am sincerely apologetic. As you can see, the new zone is still in the midst of construction. Be it me or the others, we are all busy with the construction and have no time to attend to other matters…"

"After all, we're an autonomous zone. The construction of the zone is the top priority. We seek the City Lord's understanding." Chen Mu cupped his fists and extended a bow towards Wang Baole after he was done speaking. Throughout the entire speech and his following actions, he had a smile on his face. His words weren't harsh, and his attitude was cordial, but he had interrupted Wang Baole twice forcefully. His intentions were revealed clearly through his actions.

A myriad of reactions flashed across the faces of everyone around them. Jin Duoming and Kong Dao frowned while dark anger flickered in Li Tianhao's eyes. As for Li Wan'er, she sighed inwardly. Everything was as she had guessed.

Amidst the various reactions of the people around them, Wang Baole suddenly laughed. A smile blossomed on his face, like a flower in full bloom. There was approval and admiration in his eyes.

"I understand. Your City Lord understands, naturally. An autonomous zone doesn't report to the new city. They are separate entities. I know… in fact, if I take a few more steps, I'll be stepping into your territory." Wang Baole laughed out loud. Chen Mu was stunned, as he found Wang Baole's sudden change in attitude unexpected.

Before he could consider it further, Wang Baole stopped smiling. He said coolly, "Lin Tianhao!"

"Your humble servant is at your service!" Lin Tianhao immediately stepped forward and lowered his head in a bow.

"Make the arrangements. I want a wall built around the autonomous zones governed by Mayor Chen, Mayor Wen, and Mayor Fang. Take note. The wall must be built on the land belonging to the city and not in their new zones." As soon as Wang Baole's words rang out, Lin Tianhao immediately understood what was going on. He answered loudly in the affirmative. The expression on Chen Mu's face took a drastic change instantly. Everyone around them was stunned, and their eyes widened.

This was merely the beginning. An expressionless Wang Baole spoke again.

"Kong Dao!"

"Your humble servant is at your service!" Kong Dao immediately raised his head and looked at Wang Baole.

"Gather your people. I want the newly built wall surrounded and locked down. No one will enter or leave the zones!"

As Wang Baole's words echoed in the air, everyone around him gasped. Chen Mu finally reacted to what Wang Baole had just said. A myriad of emotions flashed across his face as he tried to say something. This time, before he could say anything, Wang Baole interrupted him. Wang Baole couldn't even bother to put on an insincere smile. He said coldly, "Mayor Chen, aren't you governing autonomous zones? Sure, no problem. I, Wang Baole, will not interfere with anything inside your autonomous zones. But outside your zone, that's my territory, my new city. In my new city, I will help you with your self-governance, help you build city walls, help you imprison yourselves within those walls. Let me tell you clearly and plainly, don't expect to take a single step outside your zone. We have array formations in the air space. Without my orders, no one enters. I'll discard my own surname if I allow a single one of you to step outside!"

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Chapter 397: An Honest and Fair Reason!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

As soon as Wang Baole spoke, the people around him, with their varied expressions, widened their eyes. They held their breaths. Even the more level-headed ones felt their hearts stop. They thought Wang Baole's retaliation unexpected, but this move was like his character—vicious beyond measure.

It was as Wang Baole had said. They had been going on and on about being autonomous zones, banking on their being jointly managed and supervised by the Federation and the Martian Colony Governor, without having to report directly to the new city. That was why they had been so fearless, disregarding orders and putting on a show brazenly…

Since that was the case, he would play along and lock them in, build high walls and surround the three zones. This was another way of trapping them in their own zones. At this moment, this was enough to trigger a significant effect.

The worst thing was how Chen Mu and his gang were powerless to stop him. Wang Baole had reason on his side. He had ordered Lin Tianhao to build the wall on the new city's territory. There was no intrusion into the zones belonging to Chen Mu and his gang. His gangster-like attitude, declaring his actions and intentions in front of Chen Mu and his gang, gave the others around them a deeper understanding of Wang Baole's character.

"This is devious. This is simply too devious!"

"This is simply too malicious and too despicable, but Chen Mu and his gang, there must be something wrong with their heads. Why did they offend Wang Baole?"

"He's not to be messed with. I've finally seen his true nature. He is a nasty person, filled with nasty ideas!" The people around Wang Baole dared not speak out in the open. They could only deal with the shock Wang Baole had dealt them through this move by sending messages to their close friends.

As soon as Lin Tianhao and Kong Dao had heard Wang Baole's orders and given their affirmative replies, they had known what Wang Baole had been planning to do. Even they eyed Wang Baole a few times. Kong Dao made up his mind to never make an enemy out of Wang Baole. This devious and malicious move of Wang Baole's made him understand what true malice was…

Lin Tianhao almost slapped his thigh and cheered. He had been troubling himself over how to resolve this matter, as he knew that his fate was bound closely with Wang Baole's. One's glory was shared by both; one's injury was also shared. As soon as he had heard Wang Baole's words and had seen the faces on Chen Mu and his gang—as if their faces had been rubbed in dog sh*t—his troubled heart had eased considerably.

The guy only has those few tricks up his sleeve. To think that my father told me to view him as my role model when I was young. Seems like my father doesn't have that good an eye when judging others. As Lin Tianhao basked in self-satisfaction, Jin Duoming had just come to his senses and sucked in a deep mouthful of air. He smiled. It was clear he disliked Chen Mu and his gang. They hadn't been the ones who had baked the cake, but they had come to cut the cake up and take their undeserved share. To do so with such arrogance and to not play along—that was what annoyed him.

Compared to Kong Dao and the others, Li Wan'er had been instantly alarmed. She had half a mind to step in and say something. However, she hadn't been able to find anything wrong with how Wang Baole handled the matter. He had reason on his side. After all, Chen Mu and his gang's arrogance had been made plain to everyone.

He's setting a trap for them. Wang Baole has a habit of setting traps for others. This has been brought up during the investigation of the Li Yi incident! Li Wan'er frowned. She knew this wasn't the time to speak and offer her help, so she remained silent.

Compared to them, the ones who were truly alarmed and shocked were Chen Mu and the other two mayors. Both Wen Huai and Fang Jing's breathing quickened. They had been stunned by what Wang Baole said, and had immediately looked towards Chen Mu, panic and anger burning inside them.

Chen Mu had a dark, ugly expression on his face. He stared at Wang Baole as countless thoughts surfaced in his head. He tried to think of a way to retaliate against his opponent's move, but Wang Baole had done something completely unexpected. Regardless of how fast the gears in his head spun, he couldn't think of a solution immediately. He took a deep breath, identified Wang Baole's problematic tone, and spoke immediately.

"City Lord Wang, your decision shows your displeasure against our self-governance and the Federation's judgment. You actually speak of imprisoning us. Fine. I will definitely report this matter to the Federation. Then…"

His response had been extremely swift. Despite not being able to think of a solution, he had caught on to Wang Baole's problematic tone of voice. He was about to cut through the superficial pretense and get to the essence of the issue, but before he could finish what he wanted to say, Wang Baole laughed again. He said coolly.

"A new catacombs just appeared. There may be a danger of monsters remaining that weren't completely exterminated. To protect the three autonomous zones, from now on, a strict military rule will be enforced. We seek the cooperation of Mayor Chen, Mayor Wen, and Mayor Fang!" Done speaking, Wang Baole turned and—without sparing a glance behind, without looking at the changed expressions on Chen Mu and his gang's faces, and amidst the awed looks from the others around them—he left.

His final words forced Chen Mu's yet-to-be vocalized words back down his throat. Even though he knew that Wang Baole had simply thrown a random reason at him, it was a reason that was equally difficult to dispute.

So you're good at seeing through the bullshit and discerning the reality of the matter? Fine, let me apply it on you as well. You're a Primary Rank Four Noble trying to fight a Primary Rank Three Noble. Obviously, you have sh*t for brains. Now, let's see who gives up first and cries for daddy! As Wang Baole left, he basked in self-satisfaction. He strolled right back to his office. As soon as he returned, he received Li Wan'er's transmission asking to see him.

Wang Baole turned down her request immediately. He ignored her and began his seclusion. He continued to research how to refine Dharmic Armaments. Wang Baole firmly believed that with Lin Tianhao's abilities, the latter would execute his orders flawlessly.

That was indeed the case. Lin Tianhao knew that his fate was now tightly bound with Wang Baole's. He wasted no time and immediately gathered workers to start on the construction of the wall. He threw in a few ideas of his own as well and was prepared to build a wall many tens of yards tall!

The rate at which cultivators could build a wall was astonishing. Soon, amidst the growing rage of Chen Mu and his gang, and amidst their resigned powerlessness, they watched helplessly as a vast wall rose from the ground like a mountain range, forming the beginnings of a city wall.

From the speed of construction, the wall would likely be fully built within the day. Despite it being a prototype, it still looked towering and overpowering from above. It was vast and majestic, casting a shadow over the city zones governed by Chen Mu and his gang. Those who had no idea what was going on would think the area surrounded by the wall was the Martian prison.

After all… outside the walls, Kong Dao had arranged for heavily armed guards to stand guard. They faced the three zones and were clearly on high alert. They were to stop anyone from entering or leaving the zones.

News of this spread like wildfire across the entire city. Countless people who found out about it were all stunned by what Wang Baole had done. As heated discussions took over the city by storm, Wen Huai and Fang Jing grew more frantic in their panic. They knew that this couldn't continue forever. There would be grave consequences if this persisted for too long. Chen Mu maintained his silence. He thought about seeking help from his family clan, but, in the end, he set this idea aside.

I've only just arrived. To have to seek help from the family clan whenever I face any problems… how can I keep my pride after that! The expression on Chen Mu's face was dark and sullen. He thought for a while, then pulled out his jade slip. He contacted the Federation and made a complaint against Wang Baole's misuse of his authority, which disrupted the construction of the autonomous zones. At the same time, he also told Wen Huai and Fang Jing to contact the Martian Colony Governor.

He would resolve this matter through official means!

The two parties engaged in fierce conflict via the walls that were about to be erected. No one noticed that, outside the new city, in the area where the new catacombs had just been sealed, the monsters' corpses cleared, and the construction of a base in the area in progress—a chunk of flesh was wriggling slowly. It grew larger and larger in the soil until it transformed into the shape of a human. Then, its hand slowly reached out from the earth.

The hand seemed to exude a strange power. Everyone around it ignored its presence. It grabbed at the ground and slowly dragged its entire body out from the earth.

The person seemed ill accustomed to his body. He stood on the spot after crawling out from the earth, moving his body slightly and forming strange contortions. A long moment later, it seemed to finally grow accustomed to its body. A black robe gradually appeared and covered his entire body. His lips, hidden beneath his clothes, twitched upwards slightly.

"Finally, I'm out." A raspy voice came out of his mouth. The person lifted his head slowly, and there was a strange light in his eyes as he stared at the new city.

Under the dying light in the heavens, one might discern the face under the black robes. It was lined with wrinkles… After a long time, the person lowered his head. His body stirred, then vanished. It appeared that he had headed towards the new city…

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Chapter 398: Forceful Till the End!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Time flew by. Soon, three days passed!

The city wall sealing the three autonomous zones had been fully constructed the day before. Under Lin Tianhao's supervision, the height of the wall had been increased compared to what had been previously planned. From afar, it looked like a real mountain range, and its height surpassed the tallest building within the three autonomous zones. It was clear that the scale of its construction was considerable.

The new city had no lack of resources and human labor. Regardless of how much thicker or taller the walls were to be made, it could be accomplished within a short period of time. After the construction had been completed, Lin Tianhao hadn't considered at all how Chen Mu and his people must be feeling inside their city zones. However, he guessed they must be feeling intense pressure looking at the three-hundred-odd meters tall giant wall.

In fact, that was indeed the case…

Wen Huai was about to go mad. He saw the towering walls and felt immense pressure. It felt as if he and his people had become real criminals who were trapped and imprisoned inside.

Fang Jing felt the same as well. The expression on her face was dark, and her unhappiness wasn't only directed towards Wang Baole but also towards Chen Mu. Based on hers and Wen Huai's original plans, they hadn't found the need to create such a tense relationship with Wang Baole after they arrived and began their self-governance of their autonomous zones. However, Chen Mu had been filled with self-confidence. The two, in their hesitation and uncertainty, hadn't resisted against his ideas.

At present, Wang Baole had only given them a small taste of what he was capable of, and they were already feeling miserable because of that. Despite their contacting the Federation and the Martian administration, neither had come back quickly with their responses. This made their heads throb even harder.

Chen Mu was having a headache as well. He had similarly made a complaint to the Federation about Wang Baole. He had even sent a voice transmission to the Martian Colony Governor to lodge a report against him. He had heard nothing from either… and he didn't feel comfortable chasing for replies repeatedly. He watched as three days passed. The walls beyond their autonomous zones towered like mountains, seeming to block light from shining in. Chen Mu began to panic as well.

If this had been the end of it… he might have tried to tolerate the situation and wait for the Federation and the Martian administration to handle this matter. However, he had no idea what Lin Tianhao was thinking. After the wall had been built, he seemed to feel that it hadn't been tall enough. He had gone to Wang Baole and requested to increase its height further.

Wang Baole had felt that he shouldn't kill Lin Tianhao's enthusiastic work attitude and had nodded in approval. Upon receiving Wang Baole's support, Lin Tianhao had immediately perked up and ordered for the height of the city walls to be increased!

I'm anticipating the City Lord's concerns and worries and echoing his cheer when he's happy. Through this incident, I'll be able to make my alliance clear to the City Lord and improve our relationship on a deeper level! Lin Tianhao had been pleased with his actions. Since becoming Wang Baole's follower, he had come to understand where he stood. He also knew that he had no reason to compete with Liu Daobin.

Liu Daobin is only an administrator. What I'm trying to be… is someone who gets things done, and who is irreplaceable!

Lin Tianhao began bustling again. Chen Mu and gang were driven further into madness as they watched the walls grow taller and taller. Countless cultivators continued building the wall through the day and night. The pressure on the three mounted. At this rate, they worried that Lin Tianhao was going to build a giant lid for the three autonomous zones…

"This Lin Tianhao, he's just a lapdog!"

"Wang Baole only said to build a wall. This Lin Tianhao is too much. Is he building a stone coffin for us? Is he trying to seal us in?"

Chen Mu and his gang weren't the only ones frantic and terrified. The cultivators inside their zones who were from the various political forces had all been shocked by Lin Tianhao's crazy actions. Everyone began cursing him in their hearts. Chen Mu and his gang could no longer keep a lid on their anger. They led their people to the walls and were prepared to disregard the city walls and force their way out.

At the precise moment when they were about to charge out, numerous cultivators guarding the city walls dashed over. They surrounded the walls instantly. Lin Tianhao's figure appeared on the city wall. He stared down at Chen Mu and his people and said coolly.

"Mayor Chen, stop!"

"Lin Tianhao, you dare stop me!" Chen Mu raised his head and stared unblinkingly at Lin Tianhao. A cold glint flickered in his eyes.

"Stop you?" Lin Tianhao raised his eyebrow. His eyes narrowed, and his voice echoed in the air.

"The City Lord has ordered. There are still monsters running amuck after the new catacombs appeared. To ensure the safety of the autonomous zones, military rule will be enforced. Without the necessary approval, no one is to enter or leave the autonomous zones!"

"Lin Tianhao, are you trying to make complete enemies out of the Five Generation Sky Clan?" Chen Mu didn't bother mincing his words when speaking to Lin Tianhao. The cold light in his eyes intensified, and his cultivation began to spread from his person.

Wen Huai, Fang Jing, and the cultivators standing behind them did the same. They looked ready to battle.

Lin Tianhao only snorted at the sight. He finished the second part of what he had wanted to say.

"Those who disobey his orders will be executed!"

"You dare to do that!" Chen Mu hollered. He was about to leap into the air when Lin Tianhao sent his hand sweeping across the air. The cultivation of the cultivators who had been guarding the walls immediately erupted, and many of them whipped out their Dharmic Artifacts. If Chen Mu and the other two mayors dared to charge out, they would have no qualms squashing them.

At that moment, the auras of the various Core Formation realm cultivators locked onto the Core Formation realm cultivators inside Chen Mu and his gang's autonomous zones. Their cultivations clashed. Even Wang Baole ended his seclusion. With a wave of his hand, he observed everything through the new city's array formation. Anticipation shone in his eyes.

There was tension in the air. A fight could break out anytime. Chen Mu's face was stiff and brimming with anger. It appeared like he was about to strike. It was then that a figure dashed towards them from the distant walls. It appeared instantly. It was Li Wan'er.

"Enough!" Li Wan'er appeared, anger clear on her face. She shouted, but her shout wasn't directed only at Lin Tianhao, it was also directed at Chen Mu and his gang.

Lin Tianhao was reluctant to step down, but Li Wan'er was the Deputy City Lord, after all. He lowered his head and took a few steps back. Chen Mu, upon seeing Li Wan'er's arrival, seemed to have rediscovered his courage. He was about to leap into the air when Li Wan'er turned and glared at him.

Her eyes were colored with displeasure and exasperation, which caused Chen Mu to freeze. The expression on his face darkened as well.

"Mayor Chen and the rest, please return. I will handle this matter!"

"City Lord Li, City Lord Wang's actions have severely harmed the autonomous zones' normal operations!" Chen Mu was filled with agitation. He felt that if Li Wan'er had made a stronger stance in this incident, Wang Baole would definitely back down. From how he saw it, with the support of himself and the other two mayors, Li Wan'er could arm wrestle Wang Baole for power. Even though she might not gain a complete win, she might still be able to wrestle some degree of power from Wang Baole.

"This matter…" Li Wan'er frowned. She was about to speak when suddenly, whooshing sounds came from the distant skies. Li Wan'er lifted her head. Soon, everyone, including numerous cultivators from the new city saw a dozen gigantic transport cruisers heading their way from a distance.

The dozen cruisers had the symbol of the Five Generation Sky Clan on them. They were clearly delivering the latest batch of resources. Prior to the completion of the city walls, the cruisers would make a trip once every two weeks. They always landed inside the autonomous zones. Besides resources and materials for city construction, they also contained large quantities of resources and materials for cultivation.

At present, the cruisers did what they normally did and gradually approached the new city. Before they could head towards the autonomous zones though, a gigantic glowing array formation descended from the skies and spread out, blanketing the dozen cruisers. It stopped the cruisers outside the autonomous zones and trapped them within the array formation. The cruisers couldn't move forward, nor could they leave.

The scene alarmed Chen Mu and his gang. The Five Generation Sky Clan cultivators inside the cruisers were equally stunned. Before they could react, Kong Dao, who was responsible for clearing the air space and in charge of the new city's military, brought his people and leaped straight into the sky, appearing before the dozen cruisers.

"In accordance with the City Lord's orders, new catacombs have appeared. Military rule will be enforced. All cruisers are prohibited from entering and leaving the zones. Anyone who disobeys the orders will be shot down!"

After saying that, he wasted no time with unnecessary words. He immediately ordered for the cruisers to be taken in. They were forced to land at a designated landing ground. The dozen cruisers were surrounded by the military, trapped and restrained by the power of the array formation. To prevent any mishaps, Wang Baole, who was sitting inside his office, activated his control over the array formation. The cruisers could instantly feel the threat emanating from the array formation. After a short moment of silence, they didn't try to resist.

After they got out of their cruisers, they realized that Kong Dao and his army were going to forcibly confiscate the resources they had transported over. A perfected Foundation Establishment realm elder from the Five Generation Sky Clan who had been leading the transport cruisers immediately flew into a rage.

"Who dares to touch the resources of the Five Generation Sky Clan? Is it Wang Baole? Ask him to see me!"

As soon as this elder spoke, the array formation over the entire city rumbled. From afar, it seemed as if countless bolts of lightning were criss-crossing in the air. They formed an indistinct face. From the looks of it, the face was Wang Baole.

The face formed through the array formation. When it appeared, it exuded an overpowering presence. The force of its presence weighed down on the raging elder instantly. The elder, who had been furious a moment earlier, was immediately alarmed.

As emotions flashed across his face, through the aid of the city's array formation, Wang Baole's voice rang in the skies.

"You wanted to see me?"

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Chapter 399: Wang Baole's Military Warrant!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The array formation of the Divine Armament New City originated from the Great Martian Array Formation. It was immensely powerful. Prior to the set up of the new city zone, the Governor was the only one on the entire Martian planet who had the highest level of access to the array formation. Others only had limited access and couldn't fully wield and direct the power of the array formation. They could only borrow its power for support.

When the new city zone was being constructed, the responsibility for suppressing the force of the catacombs had been too great. That was why the Governor had granted Wang Baole a certain degree of access. This allowed him to control the power of the array formation within the new city zone.

The level of access he had was high, but the actual extent of his access was limited. That was until Wang Baole formally requested to convert the new city zone into an actual city, giving birth to the second Martian city. There had been modifications made to the array formation then. That resulted in the array formation that Zhao Yameng designed becoming the core of the array formation, which fused together with the Great Martian Array Formation.

Wang Baole had complete access and control over the Great Baole Array Formation that Zhao Yameng had designed. He could use this array formation to activate the Great Martian Array Formation. In addition, after he had been promoted to City Lord, he was naturally given control of the Great Martian Array Formation. As a result, even though he was only at the late-stage Foundation Establishment realm, through the array formation, he was able to display astonishing powers inside the second Martian city!

This was the power and authority the City Lord of the new city, a Primary Rank Three Noble should possess. Else, if he had only his late-stage Foundation Establishment realm cultivation, how would he be able to instill awe and respect in the people, or shoulder the responsibility of keeping the catacombs under control?

However, Wang Baole's access was limited to within the new city. Outside the city, his access to the Great Martian Array Formation was severely limited. As the power of the array formation erupted, the perfected Foundation Establishment realm elder from the Five Generation Sky Clan stilled his breath. He could feel an immense aura hanging over his head, dictating his life and death.

Chen Mu and his gang were shocked at the scene as well. Even Li Wan'er gave Wang Baole's blurry face in the sky a deep, meaningful look. She had limited access to the Great Martian Array Formation as well. However, it was clear that the level of her access wasn't as high as Wang Baole's in the new city.

As Wang Baole spoke and the silence descended, the perfected Foundation Establishment elder from the Five Generation Sky Clan started to sweat profusely from his forehead. He sucked in a deep breath. He had no choice but to lower his head and cup his fists, extending a salute towards Wang Baole's face in the sky.

He knew that he was no match for Wang Baole. Despite him being at the perfected Foundation Establishment realm, the False Core realm, he was leagues behind Wang Baole in terms of abilities as well as Noble. Wang Baole not only had a bright future ahead of him, his ability to reach such a level of cultivation proved his extraordinary natural abilities. Besides, he also held the prominent status of a Primary Rank Three Noble.

Things might have been better for the elder if this were the true Dao civilization. However, there were laws and rules on this earth, and with those, hierarchy and organizational structure. The system that existed for thousands of years wasn't something that could be easily transformed with just a few decades of Spirit Inception Era.

"I was too reckless with my choice of words earlier. I seek the City Lord's forgiveness… however, I am charged with a responsibility for the resources. I implore the City Lord to give us a reason for confiscating our resources!" the perfected Foundation Establishment realm elder lowered his head and said. He had to put it across in this manner. Else, if he simply allowed the resources to be confiscated, he wouldn't escape punishment when he returned to the Five Generation Sky Clan.

He had calmed down, however, and the tone of his voice had softened. He used the word "reason" instead of "explanation". The difference in his choice of words spoke volumes about the meaning he was trying to convey.

"A justification?" In the sky, Wang Baole's face, which had been formed through the array formation, had a calm expression. It spoke coolly.

"Didn't Mayor Kong Dao just inform you? A new catacombs has emerged. The entire city is on high alert. This matter concerns the survival of the new city. All cruisers will have to be taken under our charge. As for the resources… they will similarly be taken over for safekeeping by the new city!"

"In addition… you have two hours to take your leave!" Wang Baole's voice rang in the air, and his face gradually dissipated in the sky. Despite its disappearance, the forcefulness behind his words remained and made the perfected Foundation Establishment realm elder from the Five Generation Sky Clan sober up immediately.

He wasn't the only one. Even Kong Dao had raised his head to look at the face dissipating in the air. He could sense the forcefulness behind Wang Baole's words. He knew that Wang Baole had made up his mind to teach Chen Mu and his gang a lesson. As a result, Kong Dao also treated the matter seriously.

After all, he didn't care who he offended. Wang Baole hadn't only saved his life; Kong Dao also owed him a favor for his help in pulling him up a rank. Both emotion and reason dictated that he had no cause not to help Wang Baole.

Under Kong Dao's strict supervision, the perfected Foundation Establishment realm elder from the Five Generation Sky Clan had no choice but to leave with his emptied cruisers. Before he left, he got an eyeful of the walls outside the autonomous zones. He shook his head and sighed, then hurriedly reported the matter to his superiors.

Chen Mu and his gang also fell silent. They weren't privy to the details, but they could see what had happened in the distance. They witnessed their resources being confiscated while they were trapped inside their own zones. The feeling of having their strings yanked by someone else filled them with endless resentment. However, they were powerless to do anything about it.

Truth be told, there was a way out of this problem, but it was one that Chen Mu, Wen Huai, and Fang Jing were unwilling to take. It was… to submit and compromise, and accept supervision over their zones!

"There's no other way except to report to my family clan. Wen Huai, Fang Jing, you should immediately notify your sects as well. We will not compromise on this matter!" A moment later, Chen Mu gritted his teeth and raised his head, staring at Lin Tianhao standing on the city walls. He gave Li Wan'er a meaningful look, then turned and left. He returned to his autonomous zone and immediately contacted his family clan.

The Five Generation Sky Clan had received the report from the perfected Foundation Establishment realm elder as well. After listening to what Chen Mu had to say, they were furious. They began to step in.

However, every one of them underestimated Wang Baole's firm stance on this matter. As the City Lord, besides that one encounter where he had shown his forceful side during the Li Yi episode, he hadn't yet revealed this overbearing side of him. Wang Baole had made up his mind to force his way through this matter and show how much of a hardliner he was!

It doesn't matter who tries to convince me to change my mind. It's of no use. I'm going to wait and see if they'll submit! Sitting inside the office, Wang Baole had just ended a voice transmission with the Governor. He had first argued that he had been doing everything because of the appearance of a new catacombs and to ensure the new city's safety. Then, he had expressed how he had been maligned. Finally, he had sent over a set of documents. After the Governor viewed the documents, she had fallen silent. Then, she seemed to smile. She decided not to question him further.

After the transmission from the Governor, others also began to flood him with transmissions. Wang Baole stared at them with annoyance and decided not to answer any of them. Amongst them was a voice transmission from Li Wan'er. That was why she eventually headed straight for Wang Baole's office.

Li Wan'er had a dark look on her face when she barged into Wang Baole's office. She said coldly.

"City Lord Wang, this batch of resources is extremely important. When will City Lord Wang return it to the autonomous zone?"

The dark expression and unfriendly tone of Li Wan'er after witnessing his teaching Chen Mu a lesson displeased Wang Baole tremendously. He pulled out a bag of snacks, then started munching while he yawned.

"This batch of resources needs to undergo a detailed and careful inspection. Perhaps after the current military curfew is over."

"When will it end?" Li Wan'er stared coldly at Wang Baole.

"You shouldn't be asking me that. You should be asking the Divine Armament that's underground. When it stops with the new catacombs and with the Beast Tides, maybe the curfew will end then." Wang Baole rolled his eyes. He pulled out a bottle of Ice Spirit Water and took a gulp. He could feel his mood improving significantly.

"You!" When Li Wan'er heard that, rage rose inside her. She knew that Wang Baole was intent on punishing Chen Mu and his gang. She turned and made to leave. Just before she left the room though, she sucked in a deep breath and said coldly.

"City Lord Wang, when I arrived, you said that the construction of the new city trumps everything else. If this continues, I cannot guarantee if this will affect the construction of the entire new city." Done speaking, Li Wan'er pushed the door open and left.

After Li Wan'er left, Wang Baole put his Ice Spirit Water down. His eyes narrowed. He could hear the threat in Li Wan'er's words. He knew that if anything went wrong with the construction of the new city, while everyone else would be implicated, his responsibility would still be the greatest.

But Li Wan'er, you still don't understand. What the Federation truly cares about isn't the new city but the wall in the Divine Armament Catacombs… Wang Baole smiled lightly. It would have been all right if he hadn't made a move, but since he had, he wouldn't stop until Chen Mu and his posse yielded. Wang Baole paid no heed to Li Wan'er's threat.

This was because he had sent a set of documents over to the Governor when she had sent him a voice transmission. The documents detailed the outcome of Kong Dao's investigation and study of the wall's erosion.

The report clearly listed the data proving his new city's array formation had a strong erosive effect on the wall. He also guaranteed that the problem of the wall would be resolved entirely within three years!

This was his Military Warrant. This was why he dared to have such a hard stance towards the Five Generation Sky Clan, the Galactic Dusk Sect, and the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect!

To see through superficial appearances and discern the essence of the matter. This is something out of the high officials' autobiographies. It's obvious Li Wan'er doesn't understand! Wang Baole smacked his tummy, pleased. He pulled out another bag of snacks and, with a tinge of pride, started munching happily.

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Chapter 400: A Letter

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

As Wang Baole basked in self-satisfaction, as Chen Mu and gang simmered in resentment, and as Li Wan'er fumed and threatened… the Five Generation Sky Clan, the Galactic Dusk Sect, as well as the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect received transmissions from their disciples. They found out what was happening in the new city and were instantly infuriated.

This was especially the case for the Five Generation Sky Clan, as an entire batch of their resources had been confiscated. They felt the pain of this extremely. In their anger, they reached out to the Federation President directly.

The Federation President seemed to view this matter seriously. He set up a special investigation team and even appointed the Martian Colony Governor as the team leader. They were to look into this matter specifically and conduct investigations.

It seemed like they were taking it seriously, but the Five Generation Sky Clan, the Galactic Dusk Sect, and the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect simply became more infuriated. They weren't the young, naive brat-like Chen Mu. The three political forces didn't lack intelligent people who were familiar with the rules of the Federation's game; they had plenty of people who were equally conniving and experienced in the game of Federation politics. They knew that this superficially forceful stance that the Federation was displaying was often simply a front for them to shirk and dodge further responsibilities in the future!

It was indeed what they had guessed. As the leader of the investigation team, the Martian Colony Governor set an investigation period of two weeks and promised to give everyone an answer within the two weeks.

Chen Mu and his gang fell into deeper misery. They had suffered a lockdown for some time. Outsiders hadn't been allowed entry, people inside weren't allowed to leave, and all resources had been confiscated. The Galactic Dusk Sect and Plume Manifestation Connate Sect, having witnessed the situation, had their transport cruisers turn back mid-journey.

A large majority of their cultivators were almost at their wits' end. If the situation were to persist for another two weeks, they would really be driven to the end of their ropes.

After all… most of them were at the Ancient Martial realm, the True Breath realm, and the Foundation Establishment realm. They weren't like the Core Formation realm cultivators, who could survive without food or water. Wheat and rice were still necessities of life for them. Water was another necessity as well.

Mars had its own filtration and generation system for drinking water, but it required a lot of energy to keep on running. After the zones had been sealed in, they started to face problems of not having enough energy. This meant that they had to ration their drinking water.

The cultivators inside the three autonomous zones at the moment were all affiliated with the three political forces. Since the three zones hadn't yet been fully constructed, residents unaffiliated with these political forces hadn't migrated to the zones. As a result, Wang Baole was utterly unsympathetic as he messed around with Chen Mu and his gang.

The three autonomous zones could soon bear it no longer, and they started to vocalize their sufferings. Chen Mu and the other two mayors were panicking and frantic as well. Li Wan'er was unable to do anything though. As a result, the political forces they were affiliated with requested the Head Senator to step in and resolve this matter.

Even the Federation President and the Martian Colony Governor had to treat the Head Senator with due respect. When he stepped in, the Governor finally gave him an explanation for this matter.

"Wang Baole is fully responsible for the security of the new city. Even I'm not allowed to interfere!" Alongside her message was a set of documents that were delivered to the senator at the same time.

The documents had been the set that Wang Baole had submitted. They dealt with the situation of the wall's erosion as well as his promised three-year timeline, which was the basis for his Military Warrant. The Head Senator fell silent after reading the documents. A moment later, his eyes started shining with a strange light. It was clear that this play of Wang Baole's had made the Head Senator reassess Wang Baole seriously for the first time.

"Chen Mu is no match for him!" The senator released the information, the message from the Governor, and his own assessment regarding the entire fiasco to the Five Generation Sky Clan, the Galactic Dusk Sect, and the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect. Then, he withdrew from the dispute entirely.

He knew that with the information holding true and the Military Warrant in effect, as long as the wall continued to be worn down at the current pace, and unless Wang Baole shot himself in the foot, his position was secure.

After receiving the Head Senator's reply, the Galactic Dusk Sect and Plume Manifestation Connate Sect immediately fell silent. The Galactic Dusk Sect was the swiftest in its reaction. It immediately contacted Wen Huai and told him to distance himself from Chen Mu. At the same time, he was to ally himself with Wang Baole. The sect knew their existing tensions with Wang Baole. In place of the Sect Lord, who was temporarily exiled in seclusion as punishment, the few elders temporarily taking charge of the sect did some research and decided to increase the quantity of resources they were providing Divine Armament New City.

At the same time, they also acknowledged and supported Wang Baole's decision to consolidate all resources for reallocation under the temporary military rule.

Wen Huai's autonomous zone didn't require as many resources, so the reason for the excess in resources needed no further explanation. Such a move showed the Galactic Dusk Sect's decisiveness and boldness. When Wen Huai received the message from his sect, he bit the bullet and sent a voice transmission to Wang Baole, explaining what his sect was going to do. Wang Baole was momentarily stunned.

The Galactic Dusk Sect is indeed something. Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. He was inwardly pleased with how the Galactic Dusk Sect was handling this matter. However, he felt that he could still try and get something more out of this. He coughed and sent Wen Huai a voice transmission.

"Wen Huai, the work in the new zone is overwhelming. You're still young and growing, and I'm worried you can't cope on your own." Wang Baole hinted.

Wen Huai fell silent. He wasn't a fool. He knew what Wang Baole was trying to say. In the past, he might have resisted violently, but now, seeing how his own sect yielded, he felt no shame in doing the same. He smiled wryly and said.

"I thank the City Lord for your understanding. Your humble subordinate indeed is overwhelmed with work. I'd like to request the City Lord to send an assistant over…"

Wang Baole was comforted by how well Wen Huai was playing along. He exchanged a few more words with Wen Huai, casually mentioning Liu Daobin. Wen Huai immediately caught on and took the initiative and proposed to get Liu Daobin over to serve in the capacity of the vice mayor. He would take care of all the administrative work for the transfer.

After ending the transmission, Wang Baole stood up and went to the window to gaze outside. He patted his tummy. He was extremely happy. He could clearly sense that he had slowly grown accustomed to his authority as a City Lord. He wielded his power with ease. He sent a voice transmission to Liu Daobin and instructed him briefly. Liu Daobin was beside himself with excitement and joy, his voice trembling.

"Don't worry, City Lord. I, Liu Daobin, will watch the new zone closely. If anything bad happens, I will cut my own head off and bring it to you. I won't disappoint the hopes the City Lord has placed in me!"

Wang Baole was extremely satisfied with Liu Daobin's attitude. He spent some time instructing him further on the matter before ending the transmission. Liu Daobin was moved to tears and near sobbing at the end.

Wen Huai was indeed efficient as well. He took only a day to settle all the administrative matters. Liu Daobin was promoted without a hitch, rising to become Wen Huai's vice mayor. It would be difficult to promote his Noble ranking within a short period of time, but there was no problem with him assuming his office.

Satisfied, Wang Baole instructed Lin Tianhao to end the lockdown for Wen Huai's autonomous zone. The doors were opened, and Wen Huai was freed. Large quantities of resources began to flow in.

Wen Huai finally released a breath of relief. He made up his mind then. In the future, anyone who wanted to make trouble would have to do it alone. Unless it concerned matters of life and death, he, Wen Huai, wasn't going to stand against Wang Baole.

Wen Huai's betrayal angered Chen Mu tremendously, but he was powerless to do anything. Fang Jing, who had witnessed everything, also received instructions from her sect. Despite her unwillingness, she still yielded and chose to do what Wen Huai had done.

Wang Baole successfully resolved his tensions with two out of three autonomous zones. Only Chen Mu remained fighting. However, as time passed, the impact of the blockade intensified. Chen Mu's autonomous zone was nearing complete depletion of food and other resources. Without any new resources flowing in, construction had ceased. The towering wall gave them immense psychological stress. It felt as if they were trapped in prison. Every one of Chen Mu's Five Generation Sky Clan cultivators was repressed and depressed.

The Five Generation Sky Clan had no choice but to compromise in the end. Despite Chen Mu's extreme unwillingness, he had no choice but to submit… and submit a request to the Martian administration. As for the contents of his request—it was to accept Divine Armament New City's direct supervision from now on!

The battle that had gone on for two weeks finally ended with Chen Mu and the others' admission of defeat and submission to Wang Baole. All cultivators in the new city had been following this matter closely during these two weeks. After witnessing how it had ended, everyone realized clearly that Wang Baole's authority had remained unshaken. He was immovable.

After all, the Five Generation Sky Clan, the Galactic Dusk Sect, and the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect all had to compromise on this matter. That itself revealed all manners of problems.

Other political forces in the Federation had also been following this matter closely and with interest. It had been through this that all political forces in the Federation began to view Wang Baole with increased interest and greater seriousness.

Most importantly… since the beginning of this incident, Wang Baole had not made use of his connection with the four Dao Colleges. He had solved the entire matter on his own!

During the same period, in a region of the Federation unmarked on every map, was a place in the mountains where clear waters flowed. This place was a highly secretive location in the Federation. A cultivator wouldn't be able to locate this place based on their spiritual senses.

Within the region was a pavilion. At present, the skies were colored orange by the sunset. The setting sun cast its last rays of light onto the top floor of the pavilion. Within sat a man in his middle ages. He was dressed in simple, old-fashioned, long-sleeved robes, and reading a letter he was holding in his hands by the light of the setting sun.

The man's features were ordinary. However, if there had been anyone else in the room, they would have thought they were seeing things. It was as if this ordinary looking man was one with the entire heaven and earth. Looking at him was like seeing the laws of heaven and earth before oneself!

In this Spirit Inception Era, most people were already using jade slips. Few read letters like this man. He was reading the letter. A moment later, he set the letter down. Then, he raised his head and gazed into the distant sky, smiling faintly.

"Recommending him as a seedling candidate? So be it. Let's monitor and assess the situation for a while." Having said that, the man placed the letter on the last shelf of the bookshelf beside him.

There were three shelves on the bookshelf. There were three red letters on the top level, seven to eight blue letters on the second level, and on the last level were letters identical to the one he had in his hand—all seventeen of them!

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Chapter 401: The Little Donkey's Persistence

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Within the past two weeks, besides the three autonomous zones, the construction of the remaining city had gone on as per usual. However, everyone had their eyes on the battle between the autonomous zones and Wang Baole. As a result, no one noticed the strange new face in the new city.

Of course, even if there had been no such fight, this additional presence wouldn't have been discovered. After all, while there hadn't been a mass influx of new residents to the city, the current city population had already exceeded two hundred million people.

One person to such a vast city was akin to a grain of sand to a vast desert.

That was especially so when this person was adept at disguising his looks and concealing his presence. Perhaps… his cultivation was of such a high and unfathomable level, resulting in his presence not being easily detected.

At present, in the new city zone under Jin Duoming's charge, within one of its alleys, there was a young cultivator dressed in blue robes conversing happily with someone he had just gotten to know but had nevertheless become good friends with.

"Brother Jiang, the person you're talking about, is it our City Lord Wang? He's an important figure. He's really amazing!" The cultivator beside the blue-robed young man seemed to have drank quite a bit of wine. The man next to him said something. He laughed and replied.

"City Lord Wang graduated from the Ethereal Dao College, one of the four Dao Colleges. He progressed up the ranks swiftly. He is the true nobody who ascended up the ranks, step by step, to reach where he is today!"

The blue-robed young man smiled and nodded as he listened to the other speak. He didn't say much himself. They walked further and further away into the distance. His partner didn't realize that there was a fire burning deep inside the blue-robed man's eyes. It was like the Dark Fire, burning strong without signs of extinguishing.

His partner also didn't know that this young man in blue robes whom he had just befriended wasn't someone from the new city. What he was seeing wasn't the latter's true form.

Perhaps, what he should really look like, was a figure covered in black robes, from head to toe…

They walked further into the distance. An hour passed. Suddenly… a black figure dashed from afar into this quiet alley. It revealed itself as it neared. It was the donkey!

Nobody in the city had noticed the strangeness of this blue-robed young man, but the faint scent that it exuded didn't escape the donkey, whose obsession with food had reached perverse extremes.

From the initial construction of the new city zone to its current transformation into a new city, the donkey had been seemingly wandering around, leaving behind random and indiscernible tracks. In fact, it had been searching for the food that it had eaten previously and couldn't get out of its mind.

But the food was cunning. The donkey had been searching for it for a very long time but hadn't been able to find it. It didn't give up though. It continued to persevere. Finally, today, it caught a scent similar to that of the food. It was slightly different, but seemed to originate from the same source!

It had raced over excitedly. It sniffed around in the alley, seemingly surprised and confused as to why the scents were similar and yet different. It didn't think too much about it though. It swallowed visibly and, with eyes shining, it continued searching…

The donkey wanted the food all to itself. It wasn't going to let Wang Baole know about its discovery, not that Wang Baole had time to waste on the donkey anyways.

From the way Wang Baole saw it, it was good that the donkey was out and about. At least it was taking care of its own meals. Else, if it had stuck religiously to his side, the thought of its bottomless pit of a stomach and how it never seemed satisfied after a meal might drive Wang Baole into slaughtering it once and for all.

As a result, he only checked up on the donkey's condition daily to ensure that its life signs remained stable. Besides that, Wang Baole didn't pay it much attention. He would then leave his office and return to his residence.

Wang Baole seldom visited his new residence in the new city since he had an entire office building to himself. Be it seclusion or refining Dharmic Artifacts—he had a designated space for it. There were also numerous cultivators and employees from various departments in the building, as well as more female cultivators than male cultivators, which made it very pleasing to the eye.

However, Wang Baole finally felt slightly inappropriate for staying such a length of time in the office. Especially when it came to studying Dharmic Armaments and their refinement—if something were to happen and resulted in a building collapse, it would adversely affect others.

After some consideration, Wang Baole decided to continue his study of Dharmic Armaments at his own residence. His residence had been constructed and allocated alongside the other buildings in the new city, and it wasn't far from his office building. It was located in an isolated area that was heavily guarded to ensure the safety of the residents.

He wasn't the only resident in the area. It had been divided up into lots for ten separate residences.

Besides him, those who were eligible to stay there were the other mayors as well as Deputy City Lord Li Wan'er. However, like him, the rest seldom stayed here.

At present, Wang Baole returned to his residence. He activated the array formation to isolate the area from external disturbances and interruptions and began his daily training. Through his daily training and the augmentation from the Dark Qi, his cultivation had advanced rapidly. Within a brief span of time, he had reached the peak of the late-stage Foundation Establishment realm and wasn't far from the perfected stage.

His rate of progress made Wang Baole immensely happy. He felt that reaching the Core Formation realm within three years wasn't an impossible goal. Once he reached the Core Formation realm, even should there be something wrong with his Military Warrant, he would have a sufficiently strong cultivation to protect himself while he advanced further in his career!

Core Formation realm cultivator and Dharmic Armament master—if I possess both criteria… I can even try to fight for a Primary Rank Two Noble! Wang Baole raised his head proudly. He could sense that he was inching closer to his goal of becoming the Federation President. If he could just work slightly harder, it would be within reach.

Federation President! The thought of that title excited Wang Baole. He took some time to calm himself down and continue his training. It went on for a few days before he finally ended his meditation and began his study on Dharmic Armaments.

With regard to the Spirit Integration and Heavenly Evocation required for a Dharmic Armament, Wang Baole thought the former an easier step to address. The important step was the latter. However, he still had no idea how to go about doing it after studying it for so long. He didn't lose patience though. He knew that many challenges existed in the refinement of Dharmic Armaments. He just had to go through them one at a time.

Wang Baole continued his seclusion. Besides the donkey, the rest of the new city carried on with life as usual. The construction of the autonomous zones picked up pace. The new city's look changed from day to day. It began to resemble a great capital city as construction continued and improvements were made to perfect the design.

During this period, the donkey was busy searching through the entire new city. Its obsession with food made it forget exhaustion. It even resorted to staking out certain areas a couple of times. There were even a few times it narrowly missed its target, but that didn't lessen its enthusiasm.

There was another person in the new city who had first been relieved, then had slowly grown mad, and finally ended up gnashing his teeth.

This person was Wen Huai… the cause of his gnashing of teeth was Liu Daobin. He could do nothing to Liu Daobin, as he had been sent by Wang Baole to keep an eye on him. Liu Daobin was good at his job. He immediately took over the disciplinary aspects of the zone, and he was experienced and familiar with his work.

Wen Huai was beginning to suspect that Liu Daobin had been in this line of work since he was a young boy. He wasn't wrong. Since Liu Daobin had entered college, he had been in this business, working for Wang Baole. He had been doing this while Wang Baole had been around. After Wang Baole left, he had continued with his work. He was the master of this trade.

Under the masterful supervisor Liu Daobin's watchful eyes, everyone in Wen Huai's new zone was in danger. There were even signs of Wen Huai being overthrown and replaced. There had been times when Wen Huai had been simmering with frustration, with no outlet for his venting. He had almost imploded then.

He wasn't the only one in this state. Similar troubles faced Fang Jing and Chen Mu in their respective autonomous zones. They didn't have it as bad as Wen Huai, though, as not everyone had the same kind of expertise as Liu Daobin.

Wen Huai and Fang Jing were reminded of how difficult Wang Baole could be and chose to swallow their frustrations. Chen Mu, on the other hand, couldn't take it lying down. He felt resentful towards Wang Baole. At the same time, he was also deeply displeased with his fiancee, Li Wan'er.

He couldn't help but think about the legendary dubious recording of the two. If it had been in the past, he might have been able to set the matter aside and not think too much about it. However, at present, simmering with resentment and aggrievement, his thoughts began to linger on the matter. He grew increasingly uncomfortable with the thing and decided to contact Zhuo Yixian again and ask for the video.

"Zhuo Yixian, I know you have a younger brother called Zhuo Yifan. He's a War Soldier your family has been grooming for you. You need to subdue him. I heard he's recently gone slightly out of control…"

"I can help you with your problem. What you need to do is to hand over that video in its entirety to me!"

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Chapter 402: Counter!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Zhuo Yixian, who had lost the fight on Mars and returned to his family clan, considered Chen Mu's proposal seriously. His eyes flashed. He hadn't released the video earlier and had said what he had said. On the surface, it seemed like good intentions on his part, but his true intentions had been to instigate a fierce battle between Chen Mu and Wang Baole.

He would be happy regardless of who lost. While he hated Wang Baole tremendously, there were unavoidable tensions and conflict between the Zhuo family and the Chen family, despite them both belonging to the Five Generation Sky Clan, a single entity with unified interests.

Many from the Zhuo family had been harboring desires to push the Chen family off the pedestal and take over their position of authority.

That was why Zhuo Yixian had done the opposite of what he had wanted in order to lower Chen Mu's guard. He knew that Chen Mu would continue to obsess over the video as long as he couldn't view it. Many a time, a grudge wasn't formed directly but through such obsessing. It was like the devil's gradual invasion into one's mind. That was how archenemies were formed.

But Zhuo Yixian knew that Chen Mu was no fool. Even though the latter might not know what he was doing, it wouldn't take him long to realize Zhuo Yixian's tactics. When that happened, Zhuo Yixian would be placed in a more passive position.

The conditions of exchange that Chen Mu was offering now were in Zhuo Yixian's favor. The only thing he was worried about was what Wang Baole would think. In the past, he wouldn't have cared about Wang Baole's views or opinions, but Wang Baole was now the lord of a city. He was a Primary Rank Three Noble. His status was vastly different from that in the past.

Even with his current status, he is still at the Foundation Establishment realm. He can't fight his way into the Zhuo family. Even if he is unhappy, he will only vent his anger on Chen Mu. This has nothing to do with me! The gears in Zhuo Yixian's head spun furiously. He soon reached his decision.

"Deal!"

In the new Martian city, within the autonomous zone, Chen Mu narrowed his eyes slightly and sneered after he had reached an accord with Zhuo Yixian.

Zhuo Yixian is a man with great ambitions but insufficient talent. Does he think he can really fool me with such petty tricks? An icy glint flashed in Chen Mu's eyes. He had seen through Zhuo Yixian's attempt to bait him, and to add fuel to the fire, but he didn't care. He would find some way to get back at Zhuo Yixian in the future. What mattered most at present was to take a look at the video. That would determine his attitude towards Li Wan'er.

Part of it had to do with a man's pride. Another part was because he was worried about the negative impact that would arise if Li Wan'er switched sides at the most critical moment.

Filled with various concerns and thoughts, Chen Mu deliberated for a moment. Then, he immediately contacted his people inside the family clan and began a hunt for Zhuo Yifan!

Chen Mu's reach and power might have been controlled and restrained on Mars. He hadn't had the chance to display it before Wang Baole. But on Earth, as the eldest son of the Chen family, even if he wasn't guaranteed to be the heir, the connections and power he possessed weren't to be underestimated.

Through his utilizing of his connections, he was able to locate where Zhuo Yifan was very quickly…

A week passed. Wang Baole, who had been meditating in his residence and studying the Dharmic Armament's Heavenly Evocation technique, suddenly received a voice transmission from the Sect Lord of the Ethereal Dao College.

As the sound of the voice transmission rang next to his ear, Wang Baole split his concentration between answering it while trying his best to control and manipulate the glowing sphere of spirit energy he had conjured. This was the result of his studying the Dharmic Armament—an attempt to direct the energies of heaven and earth by using his own Spirit Qi as a medium.

"Sect Lord, what's the matter? I'm refining Dharmic Armaments at the moment." Wang Baole manipulated the glowing Spirit Qi sphere while bragging. He could imagine the Sect Lord's surprise and what he was going to say after hearing Wang Baole's words.

Wang Baole didn't receive what he had expected. The Sect Lord seemed not to have heard what Wang Baole said regarding his refining Dharmic Armaments. His voice was deep and serious. It was like thunder booming in Wang Baole's ears.

"Baole, there's something I have to tell you… Yesterday evening, Zhuo Yifan should have returned to the college after completing his mission, but he was ambushed and injured heavily. Coincidentally, there was a party of merchants from the Five Generation Sky Clan's Zhuo family nearby. Because of Zhuo Yifan's status, he was saved by the merchant party…"

When the Sect Lord said that, emotions rippled in Wang Baole. The glowing Spirit Qi sphere before him grew unstable and, with a loud bang, exploded instantly. It formed a sudden energy wave that surged outward, hitting the walls. His hair was swept by the force, and a cold light shone in his eyes.

"And?" Wang Baole's voice had gone deeper. He sat, unmoving.

"He was sent directly to the Zhuo family residence by the party… we have not heard from him since. We immediately contacted the Zhuo family when we heard about this, but Zhuo Yifan is from the Zhuo family, after all, the college isn't in the position to make any comments. The Grand Supreme Elder has gone out traveling and isn't in the college. I know your relationship with Zhuo Yifan is close, that's why I've called to inform you."

"But don't worry too much about this. Zhuo Yifan is a disciple of our Ethereal Dao College. I will think of something to get the Zhuo family to release him as soon as possible… if you have anyone who can help out, you might want to ask around for favors as well. This might speed things up." The Sect Lord ended the voice transmission after finishing. He knew that Wang Baole wouldn't simply sit around and wait after finding out about this.

If Wang Baole weren't a Primary Rank Three Noble and the lord of a city, if he didn't enjoy his current reputation and fame, the Ethereal Dao College's Sect Lord wouldn't have told him what he just did. But now, in the Sect Lord's eyes, Wang Baole's status and position meant he was akin to the highest-ranking official of an independent region. Should he step in, he would be able to exert considerable influence on this matter.

He shared the same conclusions with the Sect Lord. In fact, his own conclusions might be more extreme. After the Sect Lord ended the voice transmission, Wang Baole's breathing quickened slightly. The icy glint in his eyes transformed into murder. He stood up suddenly. The cultivation inside his body started churning, and the walls around him turned to ice.

Zhuo Yixian! The expression on Wang Baole's face was dark and stormy. He was like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Zhuo Yifan was his good friend. He was a member of the Adonis Association. He was his brother, whom he had survived death with. In any case, anyone could tell that something wrong and suspicious was going on.

Wang Baole knew what Zhuo Yifan meant to Zhuo Yixian. He was the War Soldier that the Zhuo family had groomed for him. However, after entering the Ethereal Dao College and befriending Wang Baole, the wheels of Zhuo Yifan's fate had been influenced and had shifted. This had led to everything exceeding Zhuo Yixian's control.

At present, Zhuo Yifan, who had been sent back to the Zhuo family, must be in grave danger. Wang Baole knew that even though he was a Primary Rank Three Noble, and the City Lord of the new Martian city, his cultivation wasn't at the Core Formation realm. It would be hard for him to make the Zhuo family budge…

Even though the four Dao Colleges were strong, the Ethereal Dao College wasn't the leader of the group. This meant the Ethereal Dao College was in an awkward position. In addition, while the Sect Lord of the Ethereal Dao College was a good person and Wang Baole respected him tremendously, he increasingly sensed how true Lin You's earlier assessment of the Sect Lord was. He began to agree that the Sect Lord's character was slightly too mild… He lacked decisiveness and forcefulness!

Wang Baole continued thinking about this. He took a deep breath. He thought of someone who could perfectly counter and subvert the power of the Zhuo family. He pulled out his voice transmission ring, and he immediately contacted Kong Dao and summoned the latter to see him!

Kong Dao soon appeared inside Wang Baole's residence. When he arrived, he noted the icy glint in Wang Baole's eyes. He looked at the walls. He had a considering look on his face, but he didn't speak. He stood and stared at Wang Baole, waiting for the latter to speak.

"Brother Kong, I have a personal matter that needs to rely on your family background, as well as the military power of both Mars and Earth. Please let me know if you're not comfortable helping me with this matter," Wang Baole stared at Kong Dao and said seriously.

"Say it." When Kong Dao heard those words, his pupils contracted. He didn't dodge the issue and instead replied in all seriousness as well.

"Go to the Zhuo family residence. Get Zhuo Yifan safely out and bring him here to Mars!"

Upon hearing the words "Zhuo family", Kong Dao pondered for a moment. He remembered how Wang Baole had saved his life and gotten him a promotion. Decisiveness flashed in his eyes, and he nodded.

"I can get this done! I'll leave immediately. I'll make a trip personally to Earth and to the Zhuo family residence, and bring him back!"

"You have my gratitude!" It was during moments of crisis that one could tell whether someone was a friend. Kong Dao didn't hesitate in giving his answer. Wang Baole was moved. He cupped his fists and bowed deeply.

Kong Dao did the same. He turned and took his leave. Then, he quickly activated the control the military had over the Great Martian Array Formation and teleported straight to the main Martian city. He boarded a space cruiser and headed straight for Earth!

Kong Dao's expression was stern prior to boarding the space cruiser. He knew the challenge he would face in getting this matter done, but he also knew that Wang Baole had never asked anything of him. That was why he had decided that he must do a good job!

As he deliberated, Kong Dao turned on his voice transmission ring and sent a voice transmission to the President's Office, where his godfather was…

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Chapter 403: By the Order of City Lord Wang!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Kong Dao respected his godfather Duan Muque from the bottom of his heart. His primal, beast-like instincts could sense that Duan Muque indeed was like a father to him, hiding his concern and care for him in his heart beneath his stern fatherly demeanor. He believed his instincts. Even so, he didn't dare make requests of him easily.

That was why he had contacted the President's Office instead to inform the office that he was going to make a trip out of Mars. He submitted his request to Earth's administrative office. The person taking his voice transmission was a woman with a very melodic, soothing voice. He felt it vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place the voice and whom it belonged to. He didn't think much further on it. After ending the transmission, he contacted the Martian military.

After a series of preparations, when Kong Dao finally boarded the space cruiser headed for Earth, he had more than three hundred men with him. They were all cultivators from the Martian military. Their cultivations were at the Foundation Establishment realm; they were no weaklings. The Martian military also despatched a Core Formation realm priest to escort the party and guard Kong Dao.

After all, Kong Dao was the Martian military's representative in the new city. He also came from a unique background, and his reason for visiting Earth was because of Wang Baole. All these resulted in the Martian military's enthusiastic support.

As a safeguard, Kong Dao had also contacted the military on Earth. He had everything prepared. When his cruiser landed on Earth, he saw a party of three hundred sent by Earth's military awaiting him. They were also all at the Foundation Establishment realm.

They had been instructed to support Kong Dao and complete the mission!

There were three people in the team who caught Kong Dao's attention. Amongst them was a young woman. She was dressed in a smart uniform and looked sharp. Her extraordinary beauty sent the hearts of everyone around her racing. However, the purity in her eyes and her natural aura inspired shame and sheepishness in those around her. It was as if all impure thoughts fled before her sight.

This woman was… Zhao Yameng!

She was the assistant to the President's Office. Her presence here sent a clear message about the Federation President's attitude towards this matter. Behind her were two elders whose cultivation levels were extremely high and at the Core Formation realm.

Kong Dao wasn't unfamiliar with these two elders. He knew that the Federation had a Priest Association which had recruited many Core Formation realm cultivators. These cultivators reported to the Federation President. The presence of these two elders also spoke volumes about the Federation President's stance.

Kong Dao was heartened and excited by the support that he had gotten from the military on Earth and from his godfather, but he still harbored slight uncertainty. The support that they were showing exceeded his expectations. He had thought that his godfather would simply give his approval. He himself had made separate preparations for that. It seemed that he had no use for them now.

Six hundred Foundation Establishment realm cultivators and three Core Formation realm cultivators—this was a force none of the political forces in the Federation would like to trifle with. The political forces behind this small army were also forces not to be underestimated.

The Zhuo family was indeed shocked by the sight of the army. Zhuo Yixian, especially, began to grow nervous. Kong Dao had brought his army to their home. There was a complete absence of tact in his words. They were blunt and direct to the extreme!

"I am Kong Dao, Martian military colonel, a mayor of Divine Armament New City, and a Secondary Rank Three Noble. I am here by the order of the City Lord of Divine Armament New City, Wang Baole. I have come to take Zhuo Yifan away. I seek the cooperation of the Zhuo family to release him immediately!"

The master of the Zhuo family and many others hadn't known about this fiasco involving Zhuo Yifan. They had only found out about Zhuo Yixian's deal with Chen Mu after Zhuo Yixian had imprisoned Zhuo Yifan. Regardless, what had been done was done, there was nothing more to be said about it. Despite the current complications that had arisen, the Zhuo family was still a noble family with a reputation to consider. There was no way they would simply do what others ordered them to and release someone just because someone else said so. In accordance with the rules of society, there should have been a series of negotiation before both parties reached a satisfactory agreement. It would have taken a few days before a settlement was reached.

As a result, when faced with such a forceful Kong Dao, the elder who was in charge of handling this matter on behalf of the Zhuo family immediately refused to comply with Kong Dao's orders coldly.

As soon as he made his refusal, before Kong Dao could make things difficult for him, a quietly angry Zhao Yameng chose to strike. Her attack couldn't be considered fierce, but the Core Formation realm priests behind her had struck at the same time, their cultivation erupting and heightening the tension and chaos of the situation instantly.

The Zhuo family, who had intended to maintain a forceful attitude, immediately softened their stance. The elder from the Zhuo family was clearly wary of Zhao Yameng. Kong Dao found that curious but couldn't care to think further on it. Before he acted, he sent a voice transmission to Wang Baole asking his permission.

After all, things would change once he gave the orders to attack. He wanted to know how Wang Baole would make his choices.

Wang Baole had been following the matter closely. After receiving the voice transmission and getting a clear picture of what was going on, he didn't hesitate. His voice over the voice transmission ring was ice cold.

"Do it! If anything happens, I'll take full responsibility!"

Upon hearing the decisiveness in Wang Baole's voice, a murderous intent flashed in Kong Dao's eyes. He immediately gave the orders to strike, and a fight was about to break out at any moment now. The Zhuo family didn't fear battle, but they knew they would lose. Their enemy had Kong Dao, had Zhao Yameng, had the military; they had three Core Formation realm cultivators who had their own political backing. The Zhuo family was at a disadvantage.

The Federation President, the Federation military, the Martian Colony Governor, and Wang Baole… damn it, Zhuo Yixian, are you trying to get the entire family clan killed? At that moment of intense pressure and tension, the head of the Zhuo family took in a deep breath. He made a choice for general stability and stopped both parties from fighting. He didn't make a personal appearance, but he had someone bring Zhuo Yifan out.

However, the same moment that Zhuo Yifan appeared outside, a surge of late-stage Core Formation realm cultivation and the spirit energy of a ninth-grade Dharmic Armament erupted from the Zhuo family's backyard. The sudden eruption of the spirit energies almost transformed the heavens and earth. Thunder rumbled and formed an overpowering presence in the air. It surrounded Zhao Yameng, Kong Dao, and their people.

It appeared that it would be an easy feat for this Core Formation realm cultivator of the Zhuo family to wipe them all out. However, he had only given them a slight taste of his power before his presence disappeared. It was both an attempt to terrify and shock, and a message to everyone watching—the Zhuo family was handing Zhuo Yifan over not because they were afraid, but because they placed the greater good in higher priority!

As they handed Zhuo Yifan over, the elder who had been charged with handling this matter also tactfully explained that they weren't the ones responsible for the current situation. Someone else had brought Zhuo Yifan to them.

The matter could be said to have reached an end. It had been a storm that had rumbled loudly but had yielded petty raindrops. Those who had been observing the affair weren't surprised, as anyone would submit when faced with the combined force of these political forces.

Zhuo Yifan looked pale, but Wang Baole's rescue had been in time. He was slightly injured but generally unharmed. He was clearly in low spirits, however. The last shred of familial feelings he had for the Zhuo family seemed to have vanished.

No one knew what he had gone through during his brief imprisonment. He didn't say a single word. Even Zhao Yameng couldn't get anything out of him. It was clear though, that Zhuo Yifan had gone through something tremendous during these few days, and that it had been a huge blow to him.

During the silent trip back, Kong Dao suggested that Zhuo Yifan make a trip to Mars, but Zhuo Yifan shook his head.

"Help me tell Baole that I'm not going to Mars. I'm going to the Moon. I'll be training there, and I won't return until I reach the Core Formation realm!" Zhuo Yifan said that with stubbornness and determination in his eyes.

Kong Dao sighed when he heard Zhuo Yifan's decision. Before he left, he said suddenly, "You can consider making a trip to the Sea of Beasts. If you really wish to seek a breakthrough in your cultivation by putting yourself in extreme danger, the Sea of Beasts would be a more suitable training ground compared to the Moon!" Then, Kong Dao cupped his fists and saluted Zhao Yameng, turned, and led his men away.

He had once admired and felt something for Zhao Yameng. However, at present, he had a clearer understanding of his heart. What he desired was to embark on a journey to become a powerful cultivator. It was a harsh and challenging path, and he couldn't afford too many distractions and commitments. That was why he had chosen to keep these feelings deep in his heart and turn away from Zhao Yameng.

He didn't immediately leave Earth for Mars. After splitting up with Zhuo Yifan, he began an investigation on the Zhuo Yifan incident. He used his connections and even contacted Jin Duoming. Finally, he traced whatever slight clues he had and found evidence that the cause of everything was Chen Mu!

He boarded the cruiser headed for Mars and sent the outcome of his findings to Wang Baole. The cruiser lifted off into the skies, marking the end of his mission!

Even though the entire mission happened over a brief period of time, it still caused quite an uproar in the Federation. Everyone—the four Dao Colleges, the Senate, and the other political forces—who had witnessed the outcome of the fiasco turned their eyes towards Mars at the same time.

The political forces had only had eyes on the Martian Colony Governor when they considered Mars. Now, someone else had entered the picture. He was only at the Foundation Establishment realm, but he was able to get someone to head to Earth to carry out a mission with a single order while he was still on Mars. He had the support of the military and the Martian administration as well as the implicit approval of the Federation President. Everything… pointed to the fact that this new rising star on Mars had risen to a level where his importance could no longer be disregarded!

To Wang Baole, this mission showed his displeasure towards the Zhuo family and his desire to save his friend. To the other political forces… this was Wang Baole's attempt at displaying his power. To them, he was using his own way to tell everyone that regardless of which political force it was, he, Wang Baole, and his family and friends, weren't to be easily messed with!

If you dared touch them, he would show you he was equally unafraid to show you what he was made of!

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Chapter 404: A Video Showing Only Darkness…

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole was still frantically monitoring the Zhuo family incident in Divine Armament New City. He received Kong Dao's voice transmission and realized how the entire incident had happened. He realized that Chen Mu was the real mastermind!

Chen Mu, you've got some guts! An icy glint flashed in Wang Baole's eyes. He had only harbored a dislike towards Chen Mu in the past. He had instinctively found the other man repelling. However, he hadn't really hated the man. That was why he had only pressured him until the other had yielded and hadn't continued to pursue the matter after.

Now though, his feelings towards Chen Mu were completely different. Chen Mu had dared to hurt his friend. It was as if he had left a thorn in his heart. Now, whenever Wang Baole saw Chen Mu, he would remember this incident. The best way to solve this problem was to kick Chen Mu off of Mars!

Wang Baole also heard Zhuo Yifan's message from Kong Dao, that he was going to go to the Moon and train. After hearing that, he fell silent for a moment, then sighed. He didn't know what had happened to Zhuo Yifan in the Zhuo family, but he could guess that the impact on Zhuo Yifan must have been great. He respected Zhuo Yifan's decision. After all, in this Spirit Inception Era… while there was still law and order on Earth, Wang Baole, who had climbed his way up to a Primary Rank Three Noble, was beginning to understand the one true law that the Federation inclined towards—the law of the strongest.

The strongest referred to both one's status as well as one's cultivation. Both aided and supported the other; neither could be done without. Those who had the former would naturally get the latter, usually.

After all, under the law of the strongest, the strong would devour the weak. This was the unchanging law of the Dao Universe!

It all boils down to cultivation! Wang Baole took a deep breath. He lifted his head and stared in the direction of the Moon. A moment later, he retracted his gaze. He turned his eyes toward the direction of Chen Mu's autonomous zone. His eyes slowly narrowed, and a faint Dark Qi that was indiscernible to others glowed in Wang Baole's eyes.

It might be pure coincidence, but when Wang Baole turned and gazed at the autonomous zone, Chen Mu instantly raised his head. He clenched his teeth and glared in the direction of Wang Baole's office, the veins in his eyes filling with blood instantly. He had an appearance of extreme viciousness and madness about him.

"Wang Baole!" Chen Mu roared. He almost shattered the jade slip in his hand!

This jade slip was the result of his deal with Zhuo Yixian. After he had arranged for someone to have Zhuo Yifan brought back to the Zhuo family, Zhuo Yixian had sent it over. As if to prove that he didn't make a copy, Zhuo Yixian had someone bring the original jade slip to Chen Mu.

This jade slip was the one that contained the video recorded by the Colony Disciplinary Order of the heretic cultivator's cave abode. Zhuo Yixian had taken it and sent it back to his family clan for restoration. The restoration hadn't been complete despite the expertise and resources of the Zhuo family, but most of it had been restored.

Chen Mu immediately viewed it after receiving the jade slip. Upon viewing it, he almost exploded. The video was extremely clear at first. He held his breath as he saw Wang Baole's big face and Li Wan'er's expressionless one. He noticed that the two of them were inside a secret chamber.

He already couldn't take that. Then, the screen turned dark. He couldn't see anything, but he could hear Wang Baole's and Li Wan'er's voices!

"Wang Baole, take off your clothes." When Chen Mu heard this, the green veins on his forehead started pulsating. He was on the verge of madness. He could tell that it was Li Wan'er's voice.

That slut, she was the one who made the first move! Chen Mu stopped himself from shattering the jade slip. He gritted his teeth and continued listening. Soon, he heard the next part of their conversation.

"Don't think about silly things. We haven't reached the moment for one last hurrah before our deaths."

"What's next? Do you come, or do I go? My cultivation isn't as high as yours, so I can't see anything clearly. I cannot find your location. Where are you?" These two lines seemed harmless, but barely. Still, Chen Mu's eyes were filled with blood. The words that followed made him roar out in rage.

They were…

"Now, you can cover our bodies with the clothes."

One shouldn't think too deeply into that statement. Once one did that, he would realize that the two were naked. The words "our bodies" meant that they were holding each other in their arms… Chen Mu's howl was filled with madness. The final and fatal blow was the words that followed after.

"If you don't wish to see a part of yourself missing after we are rescued, then you can continue!" Chen Mu heard Li Wan'er's words and shuddered violently. An image instantly appeared in his mind. Wang Baole and Li Wan'er were both naked and entwined in each others' arms. Wang Baole was doing something utterly despicable, and Li Wan'er, seemingly unaffected, only uttered a single statement of refusal.

That wasn't all. It would have been fine if that was the end of it. But… the contents of the jade slip ended abruptly then. A complete restoration was, after all, extremely challenging. They could only restore the video to this extent. As for what had happened after that, besides Wang Baole and Li Wan'er, no one else would know.

To have the video end here abruptly was akin to leaving Chen Mu with an unimaginable itch. He was going to go mad. A long while later, he was finally able to calm himself down. Resentment and vengeful hate shone in his eyes.

He knew that at the time of the video recording, he and Li Wan'er hadn't yet been engaged, but he still couldn't tolerate this. He understood that their goal had been to huddle together for warmth. If they hadn't done that, they might have died. But from the way he saw things, he wondered why Li Wan'er hadn't simply died. There would have been no trouble for him if she had died.

He didn't care whether Li Wan'er lived or died. What he cared about was the humiliation and shame this incident caused him!

Li Wan'er, this slut. I'll find ways to make you suffer. You're not afraid to die, right? I'll make you wish for death! As for Wang Baole… this adulterous pair, you just watch out. I may not be able to touch you now, but I can hurt your loved ones. Zhuo Yifan is the first. Anyone related to you, I'll do something about!

Chen Mu had almost ground his teeth down completely. He lifted his head and stared unblinkingly in the direction of Wang Baole's office. His eyes and Wang Baole's seemed to meet across the vast distance and countless buildings in between.

Another person weighed down by troubles was Li Wan'er. While she was annoyed and frustrated with Chen Mu, their engagement had been decided. She had no choice in the matter. She was also troubled by Wang Baole. The earlier incident concerning the lockdown of the autonomous zones had caused their relationship to reach an icy stage. After all, she had threatened Wang Baole.

As the complicated web of relationships cast an invisible blanket over the new city, Wang Baole retracted his gaze. He pondered for a moment, then immediately sent a voice transmission to the Sect Lord of the Ethereal Dao College. He had to make plans for the worst. He needed the power of the four Dao Colleges to ensure his family's protection and safety.

Wang Baole's status and importance to the four Dao Colleges meant that the latter promised they would ensure his family's safety. Wang Baole had intended to send for his parents and bring them over to Mars, but it wasn't completely safe here either. The environment was also foreign to them. After thinking about it for a while, he decided to abandon that idea.

At the same time, the Sect Lord of the Ethereal Dao College was also silently mulling over the Zhuo Yifan incident. He had witnessed Wang Baole's forcefulness and seen the weakness in his own character. As the head of a Sect, the Sect Lord still had some passion and hotbloodedness in him. He told himself that he would never allow something like that to happen again. It was about time that the Ethereal Dao College found an appropriate time and place to emphasize its presence.

As the Zhuo Yifan incident came to an end, and as preventive measures were carried out, Wang Baole set his thoughts and feelings about Chen Mu aside in his heart. He knew that he had to follow the rules of the Federation when handling this matter. He couldn't afford to be impatient.

He also knew that everything had happened because his cultivation was still not of a high enough level. If he were at the Core Formation realm presently, everything would have been different.

Cultivation! Wang Baole sucked in a deep breath. He left his office and returned to his residence, where he began his cultivation. He could sense clearly that he was very close to a breakthrough from the late-stage Foundation Establishment realm to the perfected Foundation Establishment realm.

At the same time, beyond Mars, beyond the Solar System, in the distant, infinite space, a coffin was speeding along. It seemed to be racing through the cosmos, and when it did, time and space distorted around it. It seemed to be wandering in space-time. Perhaps it would reach Earth hundreds of thousands of years later; perhaps it would reach Earth… hundreds of thousands of years in the past!

On the other end of space, in a part of the universe not particularly far away from the Solar System, within the same space and time, there was a black jellyfish that appeared to be drifting aimlessly. If nothing unexpected happened, it appeared that it would drift past the edge of the Solar System…

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