140: The US is seeking peace?

He glanced at his watch; it was 6:43. The library's construction was moving faster than expected, with the iron cabinets on the sixth floor already in place and labeled. He turned toward the Main Hall, his pace steady and unhurried. Just as he entered the Council Hall, White Snow Princess came in through the side door, holding a Jade Slip with a slightly tense expression.

"News from America," she said, placing the Jade Slip on the table. "They want to talk."

Shen Xiaochuan sat down, the copper gear on his cuff clicking against the table's edge. "Talk about what?"

"A peace treaty, resource allocation, and the demarcation of Divine Realm boundaries," White Snow Princess replied. "The NATO United Divine Realm is leading the charge. Joseph Black hasn't made an appearance, but he sent a formal document. The American representatives specifically asked for you to attend the negotiation."

Shen Xiaochuan didn't speak, looking down at the combat power monitor on his left hand. The value was 1415, unchanged over the last two days. He raised his hand and turned off the screen.

"It's best if you don't go," White Snow Princess said in a lower tone. "Dongying was just destroyed, and everyone is watching you. You are currently the only non-transcendent background deity in the top thirty of the combat power rankings; many are waiting to see you let your guard down. America suing for peace now is likely just a tactic to buy time."

"I know," Shen Xiaochuan looked up. "So, I'm not going."

White Snow Princess paused. "Then what do you plan to do?"

"Build the city," he said. "Within half a month, upgrade Skydome City into a formal city."

She was stunned. "Are you serious? No one has done that in ten years. The System regulations state you must occupy a Level 5 Field and hold it for seventy-two hours. But the guardian beast there is perfect grade, with combat power starting at five thousand. Our strongest Believers are only at fifteen hundred; the gap is too large."

Shen Xiaochuan stood up and walked to the sand table. The model of Skydome City was in the center, surrounded by several marked vacant lots. He slid his finger to the southeast corner, where a small red flag was planted—the marker for a Level 5 Field.

"Conventional methods won't work anymore," he said. "Believers hit a ceiling at fifteen hundred. To go higher, they need the power of a god or Heroic Spirit Possession. I'm currently saving up faith points while looking for another way."

White Snow Princess frowned. "Do you have an idea?"

"No," he shook his head. "But we can't wait."

Footsteps came from outside. Qiao Yao walked in from the hallway, followed by two Beast Girls carrying rattan boxes. She wore a light green long dress, her hair pinned up with a wooden hairpin. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were clear and bright.

"I'm here to talk about the teleportation array," she said. "Star Spirit Forest wants to establish a stable passage with you to facilitate the exchange of goods. You provide the Materials, we provide the technology. How about it?"

Shen Xiaochuan nodded. "Fine. You decide the location, and I'll send people to assist."

Qiao Yao glanced at him. "You agreed quite quickly."

"You're someone who has helped me," he said. "I trust you."

The corner of her mouth twitched; she didn't smile, but the atmosphere relaxed. The two Beast Girls set down the boxes and opened the lids, revealing several shimmering wooden branches inside.

"These are 'Spirit Pivot Branches,' which can stabilize spatial nodes," she explained. "As long as you provide an energy core, it can be operational in three days."

"I'll handle the energy," Shen Xiaochuan said. "The Faith Mall has an S-grade Energy Storage Crystal for three thousand faith points. I can redeem it today."

Qiao Yao nodded. "Then it's settled."

As she turned to leave, Shen Xiaochuan suddenly spoke: "Wait."

She stopped.

"I have a question," he said. "Is there a way to let an ordinary person's combat power Breakthrough fifteen hundred? Not through equipment or possession, but a genuine increase in their upper limit."

Qiao Yao turned back to him, her brow furrowing slightly. "Are you trying to charge for a Level 5 Field?"

"Yes."

She was silent for a few seconds. "There is only one way—the Legacy of a Legendary-grade life form."

The Council Hall suddenly fell silent.

White Snow Princess asked in a low voice, "What do you mean?"

"It's a power imprint of an ancient existence," Qiao Yao said. "When they were alive, their combat power exceeded ten thousand, and they left behind a mental brand after death. Whoever can endure it can inherit a portion of their abilities. But such things are extremely hard to find; there are no more than ten spots on the entire map, and most are in Forbidden Grounds."

Shen Xiaochuan stared at her. "How hard?"

"Hard enough that ninety-nine percent of people die upon entering," she said. "It tests the strength of the Soul, not the Physical Body. Even if your combat power is two thousand, if your mind can't handle it, you'll explode on the spot."

He didn't speak, his fingers tracing the copper gear on his cuff.

White Snow Princess looked at him. "You're not seriously thinking of going, are you? The situation has just stabilized, and America is suing for peace. This is the perfect time to expand. You should focus on spreading your territory, not risking your life in some Legacy site."

"Is expansion useful?" he countered. "Others are growing too. After Yamamoto Ichiro died, the remnants of Dongying joined America, and Joseph Black has already begun consolidating his forces. If we don't move, we're retreating."

"But to go and gamble on something uncertain right now..."

"I don't have a choice," he interrupted. "Fifteen hundred is a hurdle. If we cross it, we can fight perfect grade guardian beasts; if we don't, we can't even touch the edge of a Level 5 Field. The library is built and the books are distributed, but just knowing how to read won't win a war. What I need are people who can defend this land, not just laborers who can move boxes."

Qiao Yao listened quietly, then suddenly said, "I know a place."

Both of them looked at her.

"Deep in the Northern Wilderness, there is a Collapsed Altar," she said. "Three hundred years ago, an expedition team went in, and only one person came out alive, eventually becoming a Legendary-grade powerhouse. But he didn't leave a name, nor did he say what he experienced. All that's known is that when he came out, he was clutching a bone piece covered in runes."

Shen Xiaochuan's eyes brightened. "The location?"},{

"I have the approximate coordinates," she said, pulling a thin leather scroll from her bosom. "But I'm warning you—even the Goddess of Nature doesn't dare approach that place lightly. The space is unstable; nine out of ten people who enter don't come back."

He took the leather scroll and opened it. It was drawn with twisted lines, with a red dot in the center.

"It's worth a try," he said.

White Snow Princess grew anxious. "Are you crazy? America just handed over a peace proposal, and you're running off to your death? If you die, what happens to this city? Who will manage the thirty-five thousand slaves? Who will guard the library?"

His gaze was firm. "I'm just trying to find a new way out for us."

Qiao Yao looked at him and suddenly asked, "Why are you pushing yourself so hard? You're already strong enough. You flattened Dongying, rescued your compatriots, built the library, and freed the slaves... anyone else would have rested by now."

Shen Xiaochuan looked down at his hand. There was an old scar on his palm, cut by a piece of scrap metal while picking parts in a factory as a child.

"Because my father once said something," his voice wasn't loud. "No matter how powerful a machine is, it was designed by a person. If a person doesn't know how to think, all the weapons in the world are useless. But now I've realized something else—if a person lacks strength, no matter how much they think, they can't protect the things they want to protect."

He looked up at the Level 5 Field marker on the sand table.

"I don't just want people to be literate," he said. "I want them to be able to live standing up."

Qiao Yao nodded slightly.

White Snow Princess sighed. "If you're going, at least wait a few days. America hasn't officially signed the agreement yet. If you disappear now, they'll think we're in internal turmoil and counterattack immediately."

"Then I'll wait three days," he said. "In three days, I'll go to the Northern Border."

"And the teleportation array?" Qiao Yao asked.

"Build it as planned," he said. "Don't worry, I'm a man of my word."

She glanced at him. "Then I'll be true to my word too—when you get to the Northern Border, don't rush in. Observe for three days first. Watch the wind, watch the direction the shadows move. That place... devours people whole."

"I'll remember," he nodded.

She turned to leave, the two Beast Girls following with the empty boxes. At the door, she stopped without turning around.

"Shen Xiaochuan."

"Yes?"

"If you really can obtain the Legacy..." she paused. "Don't just think about war. Some people need a chance to survive, not a weapon."

He said, "I know."

She left.

Only the two of them remained in the Council Hall. White Snow Princess looked at the sand table and whispered, "Are you really going?"

"I am," he said. "But not right now."

He walked to the table, picked up a pen, and wrote four words on a Jade Slip: "Legendary Legacy." Then he put it in a drawer and locked it.

"For these three days, keep a close eye on America's movements," he said. "If there's anything unusual, notify me immediately."

"And you?"

"I'm going to check on the new batch of craftsmen," he said. "The sixth floor of the library still needs people to organize the data. Also, buy fifty copies each of 'Basic Alchemy' and 'Elementary Mechanical Principles' from the Faith Mall and send them to the training center."

White Snow Princess looked at him. "You're really acting like nothing is happening."

"Even if something is happening, we can't let things get messy," he said. "If construction doesn't stop, people's hearts will remain steady."

He walked to the door, his hand on the handle, then stopped.

"By the way, pull up the expansion plans for the South District. Once the teleportation array is through, the first batch of Materials should go to Star Spirit Forest. They've helped us three times; it's time to pay them back."

"You certainly remember clearly."

He smiled slightly, didn't say anything, and pushed the door open.

The setting sun shone into the hallway, casting long shadows. He walked down the steps, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. Passing the bulletin board, he saw someone registering for the electrician class. Lolia stood nearby, pen in hand, looking down at a list.

She looked up and saw him, calling out, "Lord Shen!"

He nodded. "Good progress."

"Forty more people joined today," she said. "Everyone wants to learn."

"Good," he said. "Remember, no latecomers."

She laughed.

He continued forward, crossing the plaza toward the craftsmen's camp. The wind blew from behind, carrying the scent of paper and metal. In the distance, the crane was still working, lifting alloy plates one by one.

He stood at the camp entrance, watching the workers move Materials. Someone recognized him and stopped to say hello. He nodded in response, not saying much.

His phone vibrated. It was a System notification: faith points +1.

He took a glance and put it back in his pocket.