67: Dramatic changes in the situation on Earth

Before the sun had fully risen, Shen Xiaochuan woke up.

The amusing scene of the children roasting fish at last night's victory banquet still lingered in his mind. When he closed his eyes, it was as if he could still hear the echo of "Why is this fish still bitter?" The morning breeze seeped through the cracks in the window, carrying the burnt scent of embers, waking him completely.

He sat on the edge of the bed, palms open, the etched coordinates of the mineral vein still clear. The clamor of last night had long since dissipated, and the city's fires were reduced to ash, but his thoughts had not ceased. Becoming stronger was not the end; making everyone stronger was the most difficult task—this sentence continued to echo in his heart.

The System notification sound suddenly rang out.

【Congratulations to the Host for completing the phased task, obtaining Golden Treasure Chest ×2】

Two shimmering Golden Treasure Chests appeared in his warehouse list, their contents unknown. He was in no hurry to open them; with a light swipe of his fingertip in the air, he locked them into the bottom storage slot. Now was not the time; hunting was more important than opening chests.

Footsteps came from outside the door.

Lilith walked in carrying a tray with a bowl of grilled fish and half a piece of black bread. The fish skin was golden brown and had no fishy smell.

“The research institute figured it out,” she said. “Soaked in salt water overnight, rubbed with ginger juice three times, and then added wild Sichuan peppercorns to remove the bitterness. The first batch of Jade Bamboo Fish has been processed, and we can supply three hundred portions today.”

Shen Xiaochuan picked up a piece of fish meat and put it in his mouth. The taste was right.

“Keep doing it,” he said. “Record the processing method for every type of exotic beast and compile them into a booklet for distribution. Don't let anyone fall because they ate the wrong thing.”

Lilith nodded. “It's already being organized; the first edition will be out tomorrow.”

She turned to leave but was called back.

“Wait. Notify Shen Yan to bring five thousand men from the Azure Dragon Legion and gather at the city gate in one hour. We are going out of the city.”

Lilith responded and left quickly.

Shen Xiaochuan stood up and put on his deep blue work clothes. The copper gear pendant on his cuff struck the corner of the table, making a crisp sound. He walked out of the room and through the long corridor. There were still people on the city walls cleaning up the aftermath; wine jar shards were swept into a pile, and bonfire ashes were being shoveled into buckets.

In front of the general's platform, the crowd gradually gathered.

Shen Yan was the first to arrive. He had abandoned his old name and put on standard-issue battle armor, with the character 'Shen' engraved on the shoulder guard. Behind him followed five thousand Azure Dragon Legion warriors, all veterans of several battles.

Nine exotic beast corpses were tied to the backs of pack beasts, lined up neatly. These were all excellent grade spoils captured in previous battles; their flesh had not rotted and could still be used for sacrifice or Materials extraction.

Someone whispered in discussion.

“We just finished a war, and we're going on an expedition again?”

“I heard we're going to the edge of the Myriad Races Battlefield; it's not safe over there.”

The voices reached the platform, and Shen Xiaochuan heard them clearly.

He climbed the general's platform and did not shout loudly, just stood quietly. The crowd gradually fell silent.

His voice was steady and powerful: “We won this war.”

His gaze slowly swept over the crowd below, firm as iron.

“This time out of the city is not just to hunt exotic beasts, but to demarcate boundaries. From today on, Skydome City's sphere of influence will be pushed outward by three hundred miles. For every excellent grade target killed, five contribution points will be recorded. Five points can be exchanged for a B-grade weapon, ten points for a house, and twenty points to apply for a divine office recommendation.”

A commotion immediately broke out below.

“Can we really exchange them?”

“Of course,” Shen Xiaochuan said. “Old Karl manages the accounts, and Shen Yan records the merits. If anyone dares to cheat, have them come find me.”

The crowd's mood shifted from exhaustion to excitement.

Shen Yan took a step forward: “The troops are ready; we can set out at any time.”

Shen Xiaochuan's expression was decisive as he gave the order loudly: “Set out!” He then leaped down from the high platform and strode toward the front of the group, saying at the same time: “Target—the rift zone east of Ten-Mile Slope! Exotic beast activity is frequent there, making it suitable for training.”

Five thousand men lined up and left the city, followed by pack beasts, the nine corpses swaying gently with their steps.

The city gate slowly closed.

Shen Xiaochuan looked back at Skydome City. The torches on the city walls were still burning, but the horizon was already turning white. He knew this trip was not only for resources but also to announce to everyone—including those countries still watching from the sidelines—that the Huaxia Divine Domain would not stop its pace.

Inside the White House operations room, the lights were blinding.

The US President stood before a map, his face grim. The large screen was replaying the entire process of the NATO coalition's collapse, finally freezing on the image of Trump kneeling on one knee.

“Useless!” He slammed a fist on the table. “Three hundred thousand men, fifteen hundred gods, and they were utterly routed by a fledgling young man?”

A staff officer nearby reported in a low voice: “The enemy's main god, Shen Xiaochuan, used an unknown summoning technique, suspected to be possession by a Huaxia historical general. His defensive measures include a lightning barrier and spatial locking; the source of the technology is unknown.”

“Investigate!” the President roared. “Investigate his entire background thoroughly! Activate the S-class elimination plan, bring out the Faith Virus prototype; I want his godhood to disintegrate within three days!”

Before his voice finished, an intelligence officer rushed in.

“Report! Country F has announced its withdrawal from NATO! They have released a statement on the Blue Star Channel, recognizing the Huaxia Divine Domain's sovereign equality and expressing willingness to establish a bilateral exchange mechanism.”

The conference room instantly fell into a dead silence.

The President's eyes widened: “What did you say?”

“Not just Country F,” the intelligence officer continued. “The Polar Bear representative has sent an encrypted letter to Skydome City, proposing the joint development of Northern Permafrost Resource Fields. The British Empire has also withdrawn its hostile statement, saying it is 'willing to resolve differences through dialogue.' Currently, seven countries have contacted our diplomatic department to inquire about the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations with Huaxia.”

The President stood frozen in place.

“This is impossible... we are the leaders...”

He looked at the screen as the image switched to satellite imagery. The defensive barriers of multiple overseas divine domains were being closed, and the hostile flags that had been flying were lowered, replaced by neutral flags or friendly signal lights.

“They aren't afraid of him,” he murmured. “They think... we can't hold on anymore.”

Outside Ten-Mile Slope, the wind and sand began to rise.

Shen Xiaochuan stopped and raised his hand to signal the team to pause.

Ahead was a wasteland, the ground covered in cracks, and the air filled with a faint scent of sulfur. This was the outskirts of the Myriad Races Battlefield, where exotic beasts appeared frequently, which also meant resources were abundant.

Shen Yan approached: “Should we send a reconnaissance squad to scout the way first?”

Shen Xiaochuan did not answer. He looked at the distant horizon and suddenly spoke: “How do you think the outside world sees us now?”

Shen Yan was startled: “Who?”

“The people outside.”

“They should... not dare to act rashly anymore.”

Shen Xiaochuan shook his head: “It's not that they don't dare; they've started calculating. Who is strong and who is weak, who can last, only then do they have a say. After this battle, no one will treat us as novices anymore.”

He raised his hand, pointing into the depths of the wasteland.

“Let's go.”

The five thousand men re-formed their ranks and pushed toward the rift zone. The exotic beast corpses on the backs of the pack beasts swayed with their steps, and blood dripped onto the sandy ground, instantly absorbed by the parched soil.

The sky grew brighter.

Satellite images showed: the South Vietnam Divine Domain had closed its border watchtowers, Kimchi Country had dismantled its curse arrays aimed at Huaxia, and Kangaroo Country's Believers were withdrawing from their frontline camps.

On the Blue Star Channel's trending list, the first item was "Country F Announces Diplomatic Relations with Huaxia," the second was "Polar Bear Proposes Joint Development of Permafrost Resources," and the third was "British Empire Suspends Hostile Actions."

But in the team marching ten miles outside Skydome City, no one knew this.

They only knew that the main god had ordered them to move forward, so they moved forward.

Shen Xiaochuan walked at the very front, his work clothes blown tight against his body by the wind. He touched the copper gear on his cuff, his pace never stopping.

At the end of the wasteland, a red light flashed in a crack.

An exotic beast shaped like a lizard burst out of the ground, three meters high, with bone spurs on its back and eyes glowing with a ghostly green light.

It opened its massive mouth and let out a low roar.

Shen Xiaochuan stopped.

His right hand slowly drew the sky-rending blade from his waist, the blade flashing with a cold light in the morning sun.

The team quietly deployed their formation, and five thousand men pressed forward.