Seeing this beam of light, everyone in the house exclaimed in surprise:
–It’s another Futown Chief of Hubville!–
Although direct communication between Silver-White and Crimson Moxel was a privilege exclusive to Futown Chiefs, historically, both sides had rarely relied on Hubville for direct communication.
{Hao Fei, it’s been a while.}
Ju Yin Chase’s face twitched—the other party actually knew his real name.
–What’s the matter?–
{First, congratulations on your little underling entering Paradox Corp. And second, well, you know this yourself. Something like this happening on Shibin Wastes means a huge upheaval we don’t know about is definitely unfolding. Right now, the only ones truly aware of the truth are Yang Zicang and his group. Aren’t you planning to share anything with me?}
–You said it yourself—those few are the only ones who know the truth. What use is it asking me?–
{Just spill a bit of intel, and I might consider giving you some Divine Stones. Otherwise, no matter how you want to play—one hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, one million, or two million—I’ll go head-to-head with you. What do you say? Want to have a bit of fun?}
–Don’t talk about two million—even if every city brings me Timescape completely, I’d still have more to spare. If you’re going to play, do it big. How about that?–
On the sensory screen, the silhouette of the Crimson Moxel Hubville Chief, visible only as a human-shaped outline, let out a light chuckle.
{_-Bold move, kid, but none of us were born yesterday. I’ve got Chronos to play with you, but I doubt you have the time to enjoy it.-_}
–Then let’s make it three million Chronos. Each side puts in three million Chronos. Whoever runs out first loses—simple and square, a deal’s a deal. My Chronos Actuary is ready to roll. Let’s wage a temporal war right here and hone our skills.–
{_-Alright, alright, looks like I’ve underestimated our Ju Yin Chase Futown Chief. In that case, let’s settle on two million to save you some time.-_}
Everyone in the room overheard the Futown Chief’s muttering, and since they were all sharp-minded, they roughly pieced together what had happened.
Ju Yin Chase had no desire to engage this guy; Crimson’s Futown chiefs came and went like passing troops—almost replaced every year—while he himself had firmly stayed in power for two or three years.
But since the other party came knocking in person as a provocation, if he didn’t take this on, the other side would think he was easy to push around. In time, this would lead to a heavy loss of influence in the Shibin Wastes.
Yet just as the two were locked in a subtle standoff, sudden gasps erupted from both sides.
–That person’s gone!–
{_-Where’s Liuyun?-_}
–What? It seems like Yang ZiCang passed by there just now.–
Upon hearing the exclamation from the Syn-Link side, Ju Yin Chase paused for a moment.
–The guy who could attack physical forms is really gone!– exclaimed a nearby person.
Ju Yin Chase suddenly recalled Morris’s ability, a smile spreading across his face.
–Mr. Yaotong, right? All your enforcers are gone—are you still fighting this battle?–
The other side fell silent for a few seconds, let out a snort, and then disconnected the link.
Inside Crimson Hubville, in a screen room similar to Silverwhite’s, a disheveled-haired Yaotong scowled, his face pale with anger.
–What just happened? How come he vanished? Did he run off in fear?–
–No, Futown; it seems Yang ZiCang performed an ‘Invest’ on him just now.–
–How is that possible!–
Everyone exchanged puzzled glances. This guy had been so absorbed in his conversation with the other side that he hadn’t kept an eye on the screen—only to find the tide of battle had turned in an instant, leaving Futown utterly bewildered.
–Besides passive defense, no one from Rose Queen’s side can pose any threat to that bizarre centipede with the head of a wolf and a tiger.–
In Rosebrook, the grand hall and its surroundings descended into chaos and disarray.
Inside the hall, energy monsters and translucent flowers collided everywhere, while outside, the crowd swarmed after the Phantom Train that had rushed out, shouting and clamoring to attack it.
Faintly, one could hear the screams of the girls inside and the angry scolding of the Rose Queen.
–Did it succeed?– Robin Lo and Zuo Feixian asked tensely, while Xiao Liu gripped the handrail nearby, staring intently at Yang Zicang.
–It succeeded, but, it costs quite a few Chronos and ability spheres.–
A hint of sly amusement immediately crept onto their faces, as if they had successfully sneaked into a village and molested a dog.
By then, more than half of the bag of ability spheres Morris had given him was already spent.
–As long as it succeeded.– Xiao Liu clenched his fist in excitement.
Morris’s ability was to –store Chronos on coins– and to –extract the stored Chronos from coins.–
As the owner of this ability, Morris could also activate the Chronos stored on the coins at will to carry out Invest, just like the –miracle– he had crafted alongside Yang Zicang in the dream world of the Psychic Field.
For others to use an ability sphere to achieve the effect of –actively extracting Chronos remotely,– they would need to consume one when storing Chronos and another when actively activating the Chronos it contained; moreover, the Chronos must all be his own stored.
Although Yang Zicang knew he was down to just over a dozen ability spheres, this expenditure was utterly worth it at this moment.
Zuo Feixian sighed endlessly: –That’s over nine thousand years, just handed to that kid on a silver platter.–
Robin Lo said nothing, but he looked equally anguished.
Yang Zicang paused, gazing at the crowd chasing after the train outside, and said, –When it’s time to spend, you’ve got to spend.–
–Stop right there!–
–Useless coward, always running away.–
The crowd outside hurled curses.
Even though they were surrounded on all sides, lying in wait for him, the train was just too fast for them to cause any real damage.
Ignoring the shouts outside, Yang Zicang pinched another Ability Ball, along with several ancient coins he had minted himself.
–Charge! Matt Chao, we’re going back in.–
{Go in!}
The train slammed headlong into the wall of the nearby main hall, and amidst the panicked cries of the women, it exuded a vicious, predatory aura like a wolf barging into a sheepfold.
This time, Rose Queen had finally lost her previous icy elegance and composure; she spoke with shock and fury:
–Yang Zicang, you bastard, what did you do to the Evil Thought Blade!–
She only saw Yang Zicang’s train shoot past Flowing Cloud’s side, and after tossing something, that man simply vanished.
–I sent it to the afterlife!–
Yang Zicang flicked a handful of iron coins in his hand.
They arced through the air—like curves of a parabola—and landed on the man in all red who was charging at him, intent on splitting him apart.
Smack! The moment the iron coin collided, that person also vanished into thin air.
–Ah, he really disappeared!–
With a thunderous crash, the hall emptied out as people scrambled to flee.
This time, they saw clearly—it was truly Life Invest.
It actually required no Moxel; just throwing out coins could send someone away.
The train rampaged through the hall, while campfires flickered and wheezed under gusts of eerie wind, casting swaying, chaotic flashes of light amid a cacophony of screams.
Yang ZiCang tossed his hand again, scattering a handful of copper coins like a celestial maiden showering blossoms.
–Ah, help! I don’t want to disappear!–
–I’m still young—I can’t go over there!–
–Sister Rose, call for help, this guy’s insane! Ah, I’ve been hit by a coin!–
Wails and howls echoed through the hall, as two braziers of fire were overturned, their burning coals rolling across the floor, sparking scattered embers.
–Yang ZiCang, how dare you!–
Rose Queen’s pretty face flushed with anger, and she ached to lunge at the man and bite him twice.
Then, under her gaze, two iron coins shot straight toward her.
–Stop! Yang ZiCang, don’t send her away!– two figures glowing red at the hall’s entrance shouted loudly.
A young woman beside Rose Queen spotted the flying iron coin, a resolute expression crossing her face as she threw herself without regard for her own safety, shielding Shiu Aiyuan.
–Xiaoying!–
Whumph, whumph—the iron coin landed in the woman’s arms, and she embraced her, the latter going limp.
Xiaoying, sprawled on the ground, gasped for a breath, then peered down at the coin in her arms in confusion: –Huh? I’m… not hurt?–
In that moment, Robin Lo and Yang Zicang had already cleverly hoisted a boulder onto the carriage and were now working on the second one.
Rose Queen’s full chest heaved with agitation as she bent over to pick up another coin:
–Treasures of celestial essence? Hah! What ‘first year’ nonsense—how dare you, Yang Zicang!–
Whoosh!
The iron coin, glowing with a dim luster, shot fiercely towards Shiu Aiyuan.
Before Shiu Aiyuan could react, two more young women appeared in her path, even as the coin veered around and was intercepted by two others leaping into its trajectory.
More girls threw themselves forward, clustering around her like petals, hugging her layer upon layer in a protective embrace.
–You!– Caged in darkness, Rose Queen could feel the determined breath of the girls clutching tightly around her.
–This place can’t do without you,– whispered one young girl softly.
–I should have died long ago. It doesn’t matter even if I disappear.– Another person said with a trembling voice.
A fallen iron coin landed on a girl’s shoulder, and she flinched nervously, yet still refused to let go of the hand holding this Penglord.
Rose Queen calmed down. She did not stop the crowd.
In the hall, two red shadows sprinted closer from afar, when a silver spear suddenly appeared and slammed onto one of their feet with a thud. The red flames on him instantly dimmed to a pale white.
–I’ll deal with them. You guys hurry up.–
Yang ZiCang raised his hand, and the silver spear appeared in his grip. With a flash of the spear’s shadow, he swept the two beside him into the air.
Without the interference of the Evil Slash, Yang ZiCang was like a god of war, one against ten. With the iron –coin– in hand, no one dared to come close in the end. They could only watch helplessly as the few sneaky figures behind Jiazi Term carried away the Divine Stone.
Inside the Crimson Hubville, in front of a flickering monitor wall, a group of people whispered to each other.
–How are we supposed to fight this? Low-Chronos ones can’t beat them, and high-Chronos ones just get offed right away.–
–Utterly shameless.–
–Even Rose’s colors were strapped tight, not even daring to show her face.–
With rage, Yao Tong shredded a sheet of paper recording sudden incidents into pieces.
–Futown, cool your temper.–
–I placed a bet of two million Chronos! That fool Liuyun is just gone now?! Calm down, my face? Where am I supposed to put it!–
Everyone could sympathize with Lord Futown’s mood. After all, he had only been in office for half a year and wanted to use this to cut down the arrogance of his neighbors—no one expected this to happen.
The handwriting on two scraps of paper that had fallen onto the desktop caught Yaotong’s attention.
—Breaking News: The editor-in-chief has personally arrived in the Shibin Wastes to expose the problem of reputation corruption.
On the other side, the atmosphere in Hubville was completely the opposite.
–What a relief! That woman—no one could stand her, and today she got taken down by Yang Zicang’s private money.–
–Private money?–
–Oh, you didn’t know? Back when we were near those mountains, he was already casting his own little copper coins. The junior reporters saw it.–
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
–That poor kid started minting his own currency?–
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