In the high-speed carriage, two more small orbs of light descended; one of them, carrying a faint red glow, revealed a handsome and adorable little boy.
This week, a surge in fame, bustling chaos.
Our workforce is running a bit short.
With these words, the little beings within the two orbs of silver-red and gold-red light snapped their fingers.
A faint flash flickered, and in their hands appeared a mixed halo, a small force-field no larger than an unfolded handkerchief.
Within the force-field emerged translucent scenes of skirmishing multitudes; its outer sound-force kept quivering like an audio spectrogram, pulsing with the volume of the noise within.
— –Charge! He who holds the divine stone rules the world!–
— –Treasures belong to the virtuous—surrender the divine artifact to Emperor Li’s Ten-Arbor Camp at once! Or face annihilation!–
— –Rumor has it that controlling the treasure unlocks ancient secrets. Penglord, should we really sell it to the Hauling Man River Camp?–
From each scene came words and battles the group could hear but not comprehend.
Yang Zicang and the others were stunned: –What are they doing? Are they also vying for the divine stone?–
That’s right.
The two little beings nodded.
Yang Zicang broke out in a cold sweat.
In the carriage, Zuo Feixian and the others looked at other small screens. On one screen, someone was throwing divine stones into a pot to boil, and a lady was muttering incantations in front of the pot.
On another screen, some people were moving the divine stones, with many behind them engaged in a struggle against others.
There was also a scene in the Peng Zone where the divine stone had already sunk into the depths of a well, covered by stones. By the well, a person clapped his hands and boasted that no one from the Jiazi Term would find the stone in the well water.
–No way, the news spread this fast.–
–It’s been almost four hours. On Earth, news would have spread across the globe by now. Although life in the Shibin Wastes is primitive, their communication isn’t slow.–
–Sigh.– Yang Zicang scratched his hair, never expecting that his actions would trigger a commotion in the Shibin Wastes.
{Halftime is over, we’re leaving now, the famous Yang Yang.}
The spirits within the three small balls of light, along with even smaller glowing dots of other unseen spirits, shot through the carriage and soared into the sky.
Yang Zicang gazed at the scenery ahead, where the outlines of buildings on the horizon quickly came into view. That place ahead was another location marked by Xingmiao as a haven for formidable experts.
This place was far superior to the Carefree Canopy building; a few could already see the encircling walls standing tall on the remote wilderness.
……
Inside Hubville.
The clatter of brass typewriters never ceased, churning out nonstop breaking news, already spitting out nearly half a meter of print.
But aside from the few crowded around the desk, no one paid it any mind—every screen ahead was broadcasting nearly identical footage.
Ju Yin Chase let out a sigh.
The man in the black round hat and mustache strolled up beside him and laughed, saying:
–Who would’ve thought that in just over a month, Yang ZiCang could stir up such a storm. As the spark that lit the fuse, his notoriety tonight is sure to break a hundred, maybe even earn him a place in history.–
Ju Yin Chase shot him a disdainful glance.
–Useless. Already exposed.–
–Hahahaha.–
The man patted Ju Yin Chase on the shoulder. –No worries. That matter was bound to be tough from the start.–
Behind them, a few others stared at the screens and muttered:
–Yang ZiCang’s about to reach Rose Creek.–
–Rose Queen Shiu Aiyuan’s turf, the midpoint between the two Hubvilles. Word is she’s backed by Crimson Hubville, so she must have some artifacts on hand. The previous guy from Futown sent men in there to uproot her, and none of them ever came out.–
Hearing the veiled allusions aimed at him, Ju Yin Chase’s knuckles tightened slightly.
–Yang ZiCang. You can screw up anywhere else, but no failures here,– he whispered to himself beneath his breath.
Suddenly, several people looked up at a screen where the image flickered with spots as the signal cut out.
……
Rose Creek, a civilization so prosperous it belied the barrenness of the Shibin Wastes, the small-town-like Peng Zone stood as an oasis amidst the wasteland.
Outside its walls even flowed a moat, bubbling with toxic gas. According to the information just gathered, some aquatic monster lurked within, guarding this place.
As for the Penglord within this settlement, their methods were even more formidable. With them keeping watch here, none of Silver Hubville’s pawns could breach this stronghold.
The ghost-like subway train had barely approached the city’s edge when a silver-white folding line of Quad shot toward it.
{Yang ZiCang. What use do you have for the Divine Stone?}
Clearly, this territory belonged to those backed by Crimson Hubville, yet individuals of such high Moxel Silver Ring fought and died here.
–We are entrusted by the Divine Stone to retrieve it.–
{Is this day-turned-night its doing?! Do you have any idea what you are doing? This could unleash a great calamity upon the Shibin Wastes.}
–The Shibin Wastes have already fallen into disaster. If the Divine Stone cannot be recovered, I fear this wasteland will soon be claimed as someone’s domain.–
After half a day of deliberation, Yang ZiCang vaguely felt that since the chief editor could intervene in the development of Shibin Wastes, they likely already had a scheme in place to change this place. Otherwise, Mr. Xiao wouldn’t have been so reckless, even daring to casually annihilate a team as famous as theirs for weeks on end.
After all, according to the handbook, aside from recruiting employees, the Lost Illusion Company was forbidden from appearing in Shibin Wastes because they possessed a vast amount of information about the past.
The other side fell into silence for a while. To avoid unnecessary conflict, the train also paused briefly outside the city.
{Leave, Yang ZiCang. Our city lord has said that the Divine Stone cannot be given to just anyone. Especially when the future is unpredictable, one must not make careless decisions. She cannot bear the risk of destroying Shibin Wastes.}
They even dared to call themselves the city lord. Yang ZiCang swept a glance at the dark, already crystallized buildings around him—the master of this place certainly had the qualifications for that title.
–Then I apologize.–
[Chime Night.]
A wave of spiritual energy rapidly expanded.
The train dissolved into a phantom, charging through the wall. The city inside was utterly empty, except for a distant, elegant main hall blazing with lights.
Suddenly, a subtle fragrance permeated the town.
Yang Zicang felt a sudden, massive interference in his communication with all things. The objects he could previously perceive even with his eyes closed became blurry, yet he still vaguely located the Divine Stones.
There were three of them!
The train appeared before the gates of a hall reminiscent of a temple—undoubtedly a stable otherworldly structure!
Peering through the open archway, Yang Zicang saw a woman with dazzling long hair and an exquisite figure seated in the main seat.
Within the hall, two Divine Stones already stood tall, while the third was on the train, as if it had just been delivered from elsewhere.
A circle of people stood near it, their chests flickering with Moxel crystals of white, silver, pale red, or deep red. In the hall, more strikingly beautiful women held weapons, some solemnly, others with faint smiles, staring ahead.
On the main throne, the woman gently lifted her arm and rested it on her full thighs.
–You’re the latest rising celebrity around here. Many in our town have been talking about you… and your Matt Chao.–
A woman’s voice, cold and resolute like icy stone, rang out.
Robin Lo was completely mesmerized, his eyes glued to the scene.
Rose Queen wore an elegant robe, its patterns shimmering like the brightest stars in the night sky, gleaning with a deep, mysterious luster. The robe was exquisitely tailored, accentuating her slender figure while exuding an air of inviolable nobility.
On her face, the eye makeup traced at the corners made Robin Lo’s heart race. Coupled with the faint fragrance wafting through the air, he felt as if he were gazing upon the most beautiful and solitary flower in the garden.
–Is she Shiu Aiyuan?–
Robin Lo’s throat bobbed; he felt as though he had fallen into a river.
–Yang Zicang, leave now. I hope the next time you come, it will be as a guest.–
–I must take them away. My apologies.–
The Paleshade Wyrm suddenly sprang forth, charging straight at the two foremost figures.
They were clad in modular armor, wielding weapons glowing with a crimson light, their faces set with solemn determination.
In the next instant, Yang Zicang felt as if the entire hall began to spin, blooming like a flower in full blossom. His control over his target weakened as she enveloped the whole hall with her psychic field.
The Mind Wyrm shot towards this circle of people, snapping its jaws to bite out one person’s psychic entity.
[Step down!]
The Rose Queen bellowed in fury, conjuring a rose beneath the figure from swirling energy that engulfed it whole, its trapped psychic force struggling to withdraw from her grasp.
–Wicked Slash!– A man stepped forth from the crowd.
One swing of his blade sent a streak of light soaring to three meters in length, cutting toward the psychic dragon’s body with intricate patterns rippling across it.
[I’ve canceled out 15,070 N!]
The psychic dragon instantly released its bite, soaring aloft to glare down at the imposing figure.
The lanky man twirled his blade with a flourish: –Finally, a foe worthy of battle. Since I mastered the Wicked Slash, I’ve known no equal—aside from the Queen, none have lasted more than a single exchange.–
Bang! A silver Lance suddenly appeared behind him. The man, seemingly expectant, turned and hacked, yet the black blade slipped past the Lance rather than landing true.
–It’s a trajectory-altering ability!–
Boom! Rocks on the ground erupted. The man leaped, twisting and crouching midair to angle his blade, dodging the Lance as it shot horizontally out of the void once more.
The Lance curved and hurtled toward him.
–Attack!–
The Rose Queen commanded with overwhelming authority.
A dozen fiery figures charged toward Yang Zicang and his group outside the doorway.
Countless Chronos trailed the train as it circled the main hall, unable and unwilling to swallow them whole.
Inside, the Paleshade Wyrm thrashed wildly, tearing at everything in its path, disrupting the Rose Queen’s focus and draining her spiritual energy. Meanwhile, Yang Zicang, his senses honed through the weakened Chime Night, tracked the man’s every move, binding him with a silver Lance and preventing any attack on Nianlong.
The two sides were locked in a stalemate.
On both ends, Hubville watched with undivided attention, gauging each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
–So this is the Rose Queen? Easy on the eyes, I’ll give her that.–
–Looks aside, running a massive Peng Zone earns my respect, even if her allegiances lean toward Crimson.–
–True. She’s offered refuge to countless women in the Shibin Wastes. Without her, many would face a bleak fate. Still, Yang Zicang is impressive—holding down so many all by himself.–
In the display, a swarm of people scrambled in pursuit, circling the train.
Surrounded by warriors of Rose Creek, all Red Moxel fighters guarded the hall’s entrances and walls. Each time the train drew near, they attacked with sonic Moxel techniques–such abilities spread plentifully from the red Moxel sculptures.
–That giant centipede’s pulling its punches.–
–Mm, Yang Zicang’s spear was also quite restrained. Though it flashed in and out unpredictably, not much Chronos was attached to it.–
Everyone knew that both sides were skirting the edge of restraint and eruption, unleashing their respective techniques while Jùyǐn Chàse understood all too well—if they truly threw caution to the wind in battle, at least a million-scale Chronos war would erupt in this place.
Suddenly, a zigzag shot toward Jùyǐn Chàse’s front. It was dark red.
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