37: Upgraded again

Shen Xiaochuan did not look at the blood-red eye in the abyss. Right now, he only wanted to deal with the Goblin King first. His gaze turned cold; he raised his blade and swung it down with force.

With a flash of the blade, the Goblin King's head fell off and rolled onto the ground. Fresh blood sprayed out, splashing at the foot of the statue. The System immediately popped up a notification:

【Goblin King killed】

【War victory】

【Obtained 202 incense value】

Shen Xiaochuan did not look at the light screen. He stared at the edge of the abyss. That blood-red eye was still moving, slowly blinking once. The copper gear pendant hanging on his chest was a bit hot, as if it were about to burn up.

"Chen Yan!" he shouted.

Chen Yan immediately led his men to rush onto the high platform. The warriors began clearing out the remaining enemies, while the archers guarded the perimeter. Tang Keke leaned against a stone pillar, gasping for air, her hands still trembling.

"Take everyone away."

Shen Xiaochuan said, "The women and children go first; use stretchers for the pregnant women separately."

"Yes!" Chen Yan turned and ran.

Shen Xiaochuan took one last look at the abyss. The black mist was still churning, but it was no longer climbing up. He put away the sky-rending blade and walked toward the rescued captives. They were sitting on the ground; some were holding their children and crying, while others stared blankly ahead.

"You are safe."

He said, "Go rest now; there is food to eat and beds to sleep in."

No one spoke. An old woman tried to stand up, but her legs went weak, and she knelt back down. Shen Xiaochuan bent over to steady her and handed her to a warrior nearby.

"Let's go."

He said, "The whole team returns to Skydome City."

The team began to move. The wounded were carried onto stretchers, and the spoils of war were escorted by the elite squad. Before leaving, he lit a beacon at the entrance of the orchard. Red flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the dark night.

On the way back to the city, Chen Yan chased after him on horseback.

"Captain, the orchard has been searched!"

Chen Yan said, panting, "We found three crates of items behind the altar; there were Faith Coins, as well as silver ingots and gold bars. There was a secret room underground where we rescued twelve people—all of them are our humans, and they were so hungry they couldn't even stand steady."

Shen Xiaochuan nodded: "Bring them all back. Send them to the infirmary first and hand them over to Anna."

"We have already sent someone to notify her."

"What about the golden spirit fruit?"

"We picked two baskets and are currently distributing them to the injured brothers. After eating them, their wounds heal faster and their stamina recovers as well."

Shen Xiaochuan touched the hilt of his blade, a light appearing in his eyes. The location had been taken, and the resources had been secured. Next was building the city.

"Is there any news from Zhou Mingrui?" he asked.

"The messenger just reported that the three Rank 3 buildings are all finished. The granary, the Forging Workshop, and the barracks are all in the southeast district."

The corners of Shen Xiaochuan's mouth curled up slightly.

He had been waiting for this day.

In the square in front of the Main Hall of Skydome City, the residents heard that they had won. Many people stood by the roadside watching, and when they saw the team return, some began to applaud.

Shen Xiaochuan did not stop. He went straight into the Main Hall and pushed open the doors. There was a construction progress chart on the wall, and the icons for the three new buildings had already turned green.

He took out the 12 instant completion scrolls from his backpack.

These were items he had saved for half a year. Each one could reduce the construction time to zero. He had been reluctant to use them usually, but if he didn't use them now, he wouldn't have the chance later.

He used them one by one.

The first one—Rank 3 Granary complete.

The second one—Rank 3 Forging Workshop complete.

The third one—Rank 3 Barracks complete.

...The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth ones lit up in succession.

The entire Divine Kingdom suddenly shook. The ground swayed gently, and the city walls emitted a low sound. A golden light flashed from the central altar, spreading outward like water.

The golden light shone over the farmland, roofs, and streets. Faint golden patterns appeared on the surfaces of all the buildings. People stopped in their tracks and looked up at the sky.

A System announcement appeared:

【Divine Kingdom Rank increased!】

【Current Rank: Quasi-Rank 4】

【Unlocked functions: Faith Energy Gathering Tower construction permission, Exotic Beast Taming Grounds, remote teleportation array blueprints】

The crowd suddenly erupted.

"It upgraded?!"

"We've reached Quasi-Rank 4?!"

"What was that light just now?!"

Some people knelt down and kowtowed, while others jumped up and cheered. A few children chased after the light, and their laughter could be heard from far away.

Shen Xiaochuan stood at the entrance of the Main Hall, watching the golden light sweep across the city walls, feeling very excited. He knew how important this step was. The names on the leaderboard would soon change.

Chen Yan walked over, holding a list in his hand.

"The captives have all been settled."

He said, "Anna said they are just malnourished and have no major illnesses. Two pregnant women need to be monitored more closely."

"Mm."

Shen Xiaochuan took the list. "What about the people rescued from the dungeon?"

"They are all in temporary housing. There is an old man who says he is a blacksmith and can make farm tools. The others are willing to work and are waiting for your arrangements."

"Register them all tomorrow."

Shen Xiaochuan said, "Those who can work go to the workshops; those who can't, work the fields first. Two meals a day per person, plus one golden spirit fruit."

"Understood."

Shen Xiaochuan looked up at the sky. The golden light had not yet completely disappeared. In the distance, the newly built Rank 3 Forging Workshop emitted its first wisp of black smoke.

Lolia had already started working.

Half an hour later, Zhou Mingrui arrived.

He was wearing dirty overalls, his face covered in sweat and dust. As soon as he entered the door, he saluted.

"Report."

He said, "All three buildings are up to standard. The load-bearing, waterproofing, and ventilation are all fine. The workers can take turns living in them."

Shen Xiaochuan looked at him: "You didn't sleep all night?"

"I didn't sleep."

Zhou Mingrui smiled. "You said it would be finished in four hours, so I didn't plan on sleeping."

"You've worked hard."

"It's not hard work. I only feel at ease when the job is done."

Shen Xiaochuan took a badge out of a cabinet and pinned it to his chest.

"From today on, you are the Construction Director. You have the final say on all new construction projects."

Zhou Mingrui was stunned for a moment and looked down at the badge. He touched it lightly with his fingers.

"I will not let you down," he said.

"I believe you."

Shen Xiaochuan said, "Next week we are going to build the Faith Energy Gathering Tower. You need to prepare the Materials in advance. Do you have any issues?"

"How long will it take?"

"Seven days."

Zhou Mingrui took a breath, but he didn't back down: "Okay, I will start drawing the blueprints tonight."

He turned to leave but was called back.

"Wait."

Shen Xiaochuan took a small bag of golden spirit fruit from his backpack. "Give these to your workers, one each. Eating them will help them endure fatigue."

Zhou Mingrui took the bag, nodded, and left.

Late at night, the lights in the Main Hall were still on.

Shen Xiaochuan sat at the table, watching the increase in incense value. After the upgrade, it was rising every minute. The number of Believers had already exceeded three thousand, and residential houses were still being built.

He opened the Faith Mall.

The Controlled Nuclear Fusion blueprint was still gray and could not be exchanged. But he saw a new notification below:

【When the cumulative incense value reaches 5,000, unlock the "Industrial Divine Kingdom" exclusive technology tree】

He narrowed his eyes.

It was close.

There were footsteps outside the door. Anna entered, holding a medical report.

"The captives' conditions are stable."

She said, "But two people said they were captured from the Northern Territory. On the way, they saw a black tower with mechanical sounds inside."

Shen Xiaochuan looked up: "Mechanical?"

"Yes. They said there were gears turning underground, and the sound was like a clock."

He touched the copper gear pendant on his chest. It was no longer hot, but it was still vibrating slightly.

"Let them have a good rest."

He said, "I will ask them personally tomorrow."

After Anna left, he walked to the window. The city was very quiet; only the occasional sound of hammers came from the Forging Workshop.

The golden light was gone, but the golden patterns on the city walls were still glowing. Those were the traces left by the Divine Kingdom's upgrade.

He picked up the sky-rending blade and inspected the edge. Lightning light flowed over it, brighter than before.

At this moment, his backpack vibrated.

System notification:

【Abnormal signal source detected】

【Coordinates: [1872, 4055]】

【Signal characteristics: 98.3% match with X-07 core】

Shen Xiaochuan gripped the hilt of his blade.

Was that intelligent entity in the ruins really from the future?

Or was it... that it had known what would happen all along?

He opened the map and marked the coordinates.

Once the city defense was stable, he would have to make a trip to the Northern Territory.