31: Ranking Awakening

"Just grabbing resources isn't enough." Shen Xiaochuan frowned, his tone somewhat urgent. "The land isn't developed, people can't get in, incense value is rising slowly, and the Divine Kingdom can't develop."

He opened the System interface; the construction queue was entirely farmland and granaries. The population was 2,376, still quite far from 5,000. incense value was at 218, growing slowly.

"Conditions for upgrading to a Special-Class Divine Kingdom have not been met."

A System prompt popped up.

The door was pushed open, and Karl walked in. He was wearing coarse cloth clothes, holding a wooden board covered in carved symbols.

"You looking for me?" Shen Xiaochuan asked, looking up.

"Today's data is ready."

Karl placed the board on the table. "The new land can be planted tomorrow, but the irrigation channels aren't connected yet; we have to wait for the Blacksmith Shop to deliver. 123 refugees have become citizens, and there are over eighty people who haven't decided whether to stay."

"When will the population reach 5,000?"

"At this rate, it will take at least five days."

Karl frowned. "We lack craftsmen and we lack housing. Newcomers can only live in shacks, and some can't stand it and leave."

"What about incense value?"

"Relying on daily labor is too slow."

Karl shook his head. "Everyone is busy farming; no one is going out to fight beasts or patrol, so we aren't generating incense value."

Shen Xiaochuan remained silent. Five days was too long. Although he had occupied the crystal core area, the Energy Gathering Tower hadn't been built, so his faith points wouldn't go up. Everyone else was building temples and ascending their godhood, yet he was stuck building houses.

"Is there any faster way?"

"No."

Karl said, "The System won't skip steps. If there isn't enough housing, the Rank can't be upgraded."

Shen Xiaochuan stared at the panel. He knew this was a fact, but he felt a surge of frustration. He had just won a battle, yet his ranking hadn't changed.

Just then, the screen flashed.

【Global Deities Ranking Board opened】

【Blue Star Divine Domain Channel online】

Two lines of text appeared.

Shen Xiaochuan clicked on the ranking board. The top three were all foreign gods—the first was "Lord of Olympus," the second was "Guardian of Valhalla," and the third was "Heir of the Nordic Thunder God."

He scrolled down and saw himself at twelfth place.

"Only twelfth?"

"You are on the board now."

"I want first place."

Karl was stunned.

Shen Xiaochuan didn't look at him and continued scrolling through the channel. Those mocking words were still flooding the screen; some people posted photos of their divine palaces, others said they hadn't even laid the foundation for their temple.

He opened his panel. faith points: 3760. The mall had technology scrolls, weapon blueprints, summoning orders...

He could buy all of these, but he couldn't buy status.

"They want to compete?"

He said in a low voice, "Then let's compete to the end."

A knock sounded at the door.

"Report!" It was Anna's voice.

"Come in."

Anna walked in carrying a bowl of medicinal soup. "A wounded person has a persistent fever, so I added new herbs and wanted you to try it."

Shen Xiaochuan took it and drank a mouthful. The taste was bitter, but his body seemed to have more strength.

"How is the kitchen?"

"Lilith and Lilia are cooking."

Anna said, "Everyone has stewed meat tonight. Lolia said the first batch of thunder-element combat blades will be ready in half a day."

"Good."

"Are you still going to see Chen Zhanbei? He's been waiting for you."

"No."

Shen Xiaochuan put down the bowl. "Let him rest."

Anna nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait."

She stopped.

"Have everyone open the Divine Domain Channel after dinner."

Shen Xiaochuan said, "See what people outside are saying."

"Those words... might disturb everyone."

"Then let them see."

Shen Xiaochuan walked to the window and looked at the guard posts being built in the distance. "I don't just want people to obey orders. I want them to know why we must be strong."

Anna said nothing more, gently closed the door, and left.

Shen Xiaochuan returned to the System and opened the ranking board again. The name in twelfth place was still flickering.

He searched for "Huaxia."

A bunch of results popped up:

【Huaxia = Remnant of an agrarian civilization】

【Huaxia Deities combat power rating: D】

【Suggestion to designate the East Asia region as a resource collection zone】

His hand clenched tightly, and the copper gear on his chest began to heat up.

System prompt: 【High concentration of faith fluctuations detected. Enable temporary quest issuance permissions?】

He ignored it.

His gaze fell on an option in the mall:

【World Channel Announcement Order · Consumes 500 faith points】

It could send a server-wide message.

He didn't buy it.

It wasn't time yet.

This, he would save for the most critical moment.

It was dark outside. Lights in the city turned on one by one. Mining carts returned from the mining area, and the furnace fire in the Blacksmith Shop continued to burn.

Shen Xiaochuan stood still, his eyes slowly glowing with a golden hue.

This wasn't over. This was just the beginning.

He modified the construction queue, deleted three granaries, and replaced them with residential houses.

"Karl."

"Yes." Karl immediately responded.

"Starting tomorrow, everyone will build houses first; farming comes later." Shen Xiaochuan said firmly.

"But the food..." Karl said worriedly.

"They won't starve."

Shen Xiaochuan interrupted him. "I want speed. Within three days, I want a population of 5,000."

"That's impossible." Karl's eyes widened.

"Then work overtime." Shen Xiaochuan said.

"Work at night by oil lamp?" Karl hesitated.

"Yes." Shen Xiaochuan replied curtly.

"Everyone will collapse from exhaustion." Karl was anxious.

"Tell them that for every additional house built, I will add a new piece of equipment to the mall." Shen Xiaochuan's gaze was firm.

Karl opened his mouth, then finally nodded. "I'll go notify them now."

Walking to the door, he looked back.

Shen Xiaochuan stood in front of the light screen, his shadow cast in a pale gold.

"Are you really going to go against the whole world?" Karl asked.

Shen Xiaochuan stood with his back to him, not turning around. "It's not that I want to. They provoked me first."

Karl left.

He was the only one left in the room.

The System suddenly refreshed:

【Friend Zhang Heng is online, sent a private message: Brother, did you see the channel? I can't stand it!】

Shen Xiaochuan clicked it open.

The other party continued to send:

【They dare to say Oracle Bone Script isn't ours? I graduated from the archaeology department, how can I stand for this?】

【If you want to take action, I'll be the first to support you!】

【If you need money, I'll give money; if you need people, I'll provide people!】

Shen Xiaochuan looked at the screen.

He typed slowly:

"I don't just want to make them shut up."

"I want to make them remember."

"Who is the real master of this land."

His finger hovered over the send button.

He deleted it again.

He re-entered:

"Prepare resources."

"Next, I'm going to buy some things."

Send.

In front of the screen, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

faith points began to rise. +1 per second, rising steadily.

He knew it would soon reach +3.

By then, he would be able to buy everything in the mall.

Technology, weapons, hero summoning scrolls...

He wouldn't need to steal, and he wouldn't need to grab.

He would use faith points to smash out a Divine Kingdom that would make everyone shut up.

Shouts came from outside.

"Look at the channel quickly! That god from Dongying posted again!"

"He said we haven't even laid the foundation for our temple, so we don't deserve to be called deities!"

"He even drew a picture marking our city as a pig farm!"

Shen Xiaochuan stood up.

He didn't go out, and he didn't order a counterattack.

He just stood there, looking at the name in first place on the ranking board.

He said softly:

"Just wait, there will be results very soon."