38: Special Divine Kingdom

Shen Xiaochuan stood at the entrance of the main hall, his hand resting on his saber's hilt. The golden light had dimmed, and the patterns on the city walls had lost their luster. Just as he was about to catch his breath, a message suddenly popped up on the Blue Star Channel.

Trump from the United States posted an announcement:

“Huaxia has no one capable of reaching the top; the Novice Zone should be managed by all of us together. We are now establishing the Divine Realm Consortium to oppose this nouveau-riche style of expansion.”

As soon as the message appeared, the channel instantly exploded. Numerous Western deities chimed in: “How does a trash Mechanical System deserve to be first?”

“He must have cheated.”

Shen Xiaochuan sneered and opened the Faith Mall. His incense value were almost full, and a System prompt immediately popped up: [Would you like to submit an application for Special Grade Divine Kingdom certification?]

He clicked confirm.

The ground began to tremble, and the Formation Plate glowed with a red light. Three seconds later, a burst of intense light erupted, illuminating the entire Skydome City. A broadcast echoed through the sky:

[Server-wide Announcement]

[Huaxia Deity Shen Xiaochuan's Divine Kingdom Rank has been promoted to—Special Grade!]

[The server's first Special Grade Deity has been born!]

The channel suddenly fell silent.

Five seconds later, it boiled over again.

“What?!”

“Reaching Special Grade in seven days? Impossible!”

“Doesn't he have no combat talent? How did he Rank up so fast?”

Voices of doubt rose everywhere. Some filed reports, others demanded a recount. The next moment, the System automatically updated the data:

[Current faith points: 602,300]

[Special Grade Divine Kingdom permissions unlocked]

[Exclusive buildings, technology, and summoning Systems are all open]

The second-place holder only had 180,000.

The disparity was massive; everyone was speechless.

Skydome City began its expansion. The original five-kilometer range instantly expanded to ten kilometers. The earth split open, and nine floating towers rose from the ground, slowly rotating around the central altar. Golden light flared again as nine pillars of light shot into the sky, circling once before descending back into the city.

Residents rushed out of their homes.

“Heavens! That's a Dragon!”

“Our city has grown larger!”

“God Shen... is truly a god!”

Some knelt in worship, while others cheered excitedly. Children chased after the lights and shadows, their laughter crisp and loud.

Anna stood at the entrance of the clinic, looking up at the sky. The medical report in her hand slipped away quietly, but she was completely unaware.

A resident stepped forward and said excitedly, “Doctor Anna, look at these changes! God Shen is too amazing!”

Anna opened her mouth and replied softly, “He... really is different now.”

Inside the main hall, Shen Xiaochuan stared at the Faith Mall. After the page refreshed, many new items appeared: planet coordinates, divine weapon blueprints, and ancient scrolls. However, his gaze immediately landed on one name:

[Controlled Nuclear Fusion Technology] — Price: 305,000 faith points.

His heart rate suddenly accelerated. This was the technology he had dreamed of since childhood. His parents had worked hard in a steel mill their entire lives; he had once sworn to create an energy source more powerful than a steel furnace.

He clicked exchange.

[Exchange successful]

[Technical data has been stored in the Divine Kingdom database]

[Reactors can now be built in reality]

The prompt surfaced. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

It was done.

This was the first time Huaxia had mastered this technology. From now on, they would no longer rely on others; they could generate their own electricity, manufacture weapons, and venture into space.

He opened his eyes and looked up. Two treasure chests slowly descended from the ceiling, stopping in the center of the main hall. One was gold and the other was dark gold, their surfaces covered in runes.

System prompt: [Special Grade Divine Kingdom Promotion Reward: Gold Treasure Chest ×2, can yield any rare resource]

He was in no hurry to open them.

His backpack vibrated slightly. The signal from Northland X-07 was growing stronger. Opening chests now required concentration; if interrupted, the consequences would be unpredictable.

With a wave of his hand, the two treasure chests flew into the vault. Only he could enter that place; outsiders could not touch it.

Chen Yan approached with ten guards, standing straight: “Captain!”

Shen Xiaochuan glanced at him, and Chen Yan immediately reported: “The area around the main hall has been cleared; no one is approaching. You've been busy for so long, would you like to take a break?”

Shen Xiaochuan shook his head and smiled: “Go inform everyone that we're celebrating tonight. There will be plenty of meat, and everyone gets two golden spirit fruits. Eat as much as you want!”

“Yes!”

Chen Yan turned to leave but was called back.

“Assign twenty more men to guard the vault entrance. No one enters without my command.”

“Understood.”

The figures withdrew, and silence returned to the hall.

Shen Xiaochuan walked to the Formation Plate to check the status of the entire city. The walls were intact, the floating towers were operating normally, and the number of Believers had exceeded 3,500. The growth rate of incense value was three times faster than before.

He opened the rankings.

He was first.

Second was Trump from the US, trailing by over 400,000 points.

He closed the interface and paced to the window. The distant horizon was now obscured by the new city walls. At the construction site, workers had already begun digging foundations to build Faith Energy Accumulation Towers.

Lolia's forge was still emitting smoke. The production of Lightning-Element Battle Sabers had increased, with fifty units being produced daily.

Zhou Mingrui was leading the construction team in marking lines in the southeast district; new residences were about to begin construction.

Everything was developing in a positive direction.

He touched the copper gear on his chest. It was no longer hot or vibrating, resting quietly against his lapel.

The Blue Star Channel popped up with more messages.

Trump remained silent, his previous announcement having been suppressed by the System. No one mentioned the Divine Realm Consortium anymore.

A few deities asked tentatively:

“God Shen, how did you save up so many faith points?”

“Can we trade?”

“Please carry us!”

Shen Xiaochuan did not respond. He sat back in his chair, his gaze shifting toward the vault, thinking to himself: The signal for X-07 is coming from the Northland; it might hide something crucial. But for now, the city is not yet stable, so I cannot act rashly.

Cheers erupted from outside.

Someone had found firecrackers and lit them in the street. The crackling sounds formed a continuous rhythm. Someone held up a banner that read "Number One God of the Skydome."

Anna walked in, carrying a bowl of noodles.

“You haven't eaten all day.”

“I had the kitchen make this; I added some golden spirit fruit powder.”

Shen Xiaochuan took the bowl. The noodles were warm, and after a few bites, he felt some of his strength return.

“Thank you.”

Anna did not leave.

“That light in the sky earlier... I've never seen anything like it.”

“Did you have this planned all along?”

Shen Xiaochuan lowered his head to eat.

“It wasn't a plan; it was a necessity.”

“If others won't let us live, we can only become stronger.”

Anna was silent for a moment.

“What are you going to do next?”

Shen Xiaochuan put down the bowl.

“Once the city defenses are stable, I'm going to the Northland.”

“There's something there I must get.”

Anna nodded.

“If you need assistance from the clinic, call me anytime.”

She turned and left.

Shen Xiaochuan stood up and returned to the Formation Plate. He pressed his palm against it and entered commands:

[Activate city-wide surveillance]

[Lock onto abnormal signal sources]

[Mark suspicious areas]

Red dots appeared around Skydome City on the map. The coordinates in the Northland continued to flash.

He stared at it for a long time.

Then he opened the Faith Mall.

A small line of text appeared at the very bottom:

[Special Shop unlocked]

[+1 Faith Point per second function activated]

[Automatic purchase of designated items enabled]

He clicked in.

The page listed several types of supplies: alloy plates for reinforcing walls, anti-toxin serums, long-range reconnaissance drones... all for war preparation.

He selected the alloy plates and set them to auto-purchase. As long as he had enough faith points, the System would automatically deduct them and send the materials to the construction site.

After finishing the task, he sat back in his chair.

Outside the window, the sky was about to brighten.

The lights in the city were not extinguished. Workers were still laboring, guards patrolled tirelessly, and residents continued to celebrate.

He closed his eyes to rest.

Suddenly, his backpack vibrated again.

System prompt:

[Detected increase in signal strength]

[X-07 Core activity enhanced]

[Recommendation: Make contact as soon as possible]

Shen Xiaochuan opened his eyes.

He stood up and walked to the vault door. He pressed his palm against the lock and entered the password.

The door slowly opened.