208: Interlude

High above.

The five-colored canopy slowly rotated, eventually retracting into the five tall figures like a long whale sucking water.

The celestial phenomena in the world dissipated, but the legendary pressure that had dominated the scene became even more solid and profound.

On the Central Plaza, tens of thousands of elite soldiers still stood in solemn formation.

But every person's chest was heaving violently, and their breathing was short.

They had witnessed a miracle, a legendary birth ceremony personally created by their Lord.

"Victory!"

"Infinite City, victory! Lord, victory!"

The fervent shouts, like a mountain tsunami, pierced the sky, turning the entire Infinite City into a boiling ocean.

Every soldier's face was filled with the excitement and pride of sharing in the glory.

Five Legends in one day!

Such a miracle was unheard of in the history of the entire Blue Star Alliance.

This was not some ethereal myth, but a reality unfolding before their eyes.

On the high platform, the five newly promoted Legends slowly opened their eyes.

"I... I've become a Legend just like that?"

Stone Rock scratched his head, feeling the profound power within his body resonating with the earth's pulse, still somewhat in disbelief.

He tentatively stomped his foot.

"Boom!"

The ground of the entire plaza sank several degrees with it.

On the other side, Mu Yang held his battle halberd, and a crimson-gold battle intent surged from within him, flickering erratically on the halberd's blade, causing the air to emit a faint hiss as it was cut.

He turned to Su Jin, knelt on one knee, his voice steady and powerful.

"Mu Yang vows to clear all enemies for the Lord with his life!"

"We are willing to die for the Lord!"

The other four also bowed in unison, their expressions filled with absolute loyalty and fanaticism.

"This is what you deserve."

"Go, familiarize yourselves with your new power, stabilize your realms. The future Infinite City needs you to protect it."

"Yes!"

The five responded in deep voices, then turned and left, their legendary aura, not yet fully contained, drawing salutes from soldiers along the way.

Only then did Xiang Tian, who had been standing beside them, seem to recover from his petrified state.

He took large strides, crossing the distance to Su Jin in a few steps.

This General Xiang, over two meters tall and with an imposing aura like a mountain.

At this moment, his face wore a complex expression, a mix of bewilderment, shock, and a touch of absurdity.

His large, fan-like hand slapped Su Jin's shoulder with a "bang," and he opened his mouth for a long time before finally squeezing out a sentence.

"You… you little brat…"

Su Jin swayed from the pat, and smiled helplessly.

"General Xiang, let's talk this over."

"Talk over my ass!"

Xiang Tian's voice suddenly rose, spittle flying.

"I'm asking you, how the hell did you do this? Hand-crafting a Heart of Legend?"

"And it's even a custom-made version? Do you think this is like molding dough figures on the street?"

The more he spoke, the angrier he got. He pointed a finger at himself, then at the distance.

"My Crimson Dragon Legion, from its establishment until now, has been around for nearly 150 years!"

"The brothers who climbed out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood with me, there are at least eighty thousand, if not a hundred thousand!"

"But in the end, the Legends who made it, including myself, can be counted on one hand!"

"And you! One day! Just one damn day! Five of them!"

Xiang Tian put an arm around Su Jin's neck, lowering his voice, looking like a bandit about to rob a house.

"Tell me! Honestly, tell me, Brother, what exactly is your background?"

"Did some god descend to experience life?"

"Or… can you take a look at my Crimson Dragon Legion, see if there are any good prospects? I'm not greedy, just get me one!"

Su Jin was choked by him, laughing and crying at the same time, and finally managed to break free.

"General Xiang, this is just my Lord's talent, a coincidence."

"A coincidence?"

Xiang Tian's eyes widened like brass bells.

"You call this a coincidence? If this is a coincidence, then what are we, who have toiled for centuries, considered? The biggest joke in the world?"

Looking at Xiang Tian's expression, as if he had swallowed a fly, Su Jin also found it amusing.

He cleared his throat, his expression becoming serious.

"Their foundations were already solid enough. What they lacked was just the final push, the opportune moment."

"All I did was help them break through that final barrier."

Xiang Tian eyed Su Jin suspiciously, looking him up and down.

Although he still found the matter utterly preposterous, he also understood that it must involve Su Jin's most core secret, and it was not appropriate to press further.

He sighed heavily, patted Su Jin's shoulder again, his tone full of complexity.

"You little brat… you're truly a monster."

...

After sending off Xiang Tian, who seemed preoccupied and somewhat lost, Su Jin quickly immersed himself in new work.

The stir of five Legends in one day continued to ferment throughout Infinite City for several days.

It completely ignited the cultivation enthusiasm of all the army's officers and soldiers, and also brought the cohesion of Infinite City to an unprecedented peak.

These past few days, Su Jin had not been idle either.

He categorized the massive resources captured from the Southern Border and invested all of them into the construction and development of Infinite City.

Expanding the army, training soldiers, upgrading buildings, strengthening defenses...

Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

At the same time, Yadran World's digestion of that mutated planar embryo finally entered its final stage.

As the Lord of the world, Su Jin naturally received the greatest feedback.

Under the washing of the vast World Origin power, his and Bai Xiao's ranks naturally advanced, both entering the realm of Legend Tier 15.

On this day, Su Jin was in the Lord's Mansion, dealing with mountains of documents, when Xiang Tian visited again.

He had changed out of his comfortable training uniform and put on a crisp, formal crimson military uniform.

His chest was covered with a dazzling array of medals, making him appear exceptionally majestic.

"Brother Su, how are the preparations?"

Xiang Tian strode in, his voice like a booming bell.

"General Xiang, you look particularly sharp today."

Su Jin put down his pen and rose to greet him.

"Naturally."

Xiang Tian plopped down onto a chair, and the specially made alloy chair groaned under the strain.

"Today is the day we go to Red Moon Land. In a few days, there's the Alliance's commendation ceremony. We can't dress too shabbily and lose face for our Southern Border War Zone."

He changed the subject, his expression becoming a bit more serious.

"I came this time on Lin Yuan Commander's orders, to go with you."

"Also, I wanted to give you a heads-up."

"Oh?" Su Jin poured tea for both of them. "I'd like to hear more."

Xiang Tian picked up the teacup, but didn't drink. He just rubbed the rim of the cup and said in a deep voice.

"Your Merit this time is too great."

"You should understand how much weight the words 'First Merit' carry."

"Infinite City and you, in many people's eyes, appeared out of nowhere."

Xiang Tian looked up, meeting Su Jin's gaze directly.

"Red Moon Land is the Alliance's capital in the Molten Heart. There, the forces of major military districts, old families, and top financial groups are deeply entrenched."

"There will always be some guys who are resting on their ancestors' laurels, can't see the situation clearly, and are envious. They'll want to give you a hard time, or trip you up in the details of the awards ceremony."

His words were extremely sincere, spoken with true heart-to-heart frankness, as he genuinely considered Su Jin one of his own.

Su Jin listened quietly, his expression unchanged.

He picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and then spoke.

"Thank you for the advice, General Xiang. I understand."

"It's good that you understand."

Seeing his calm demeanor, Xiang Tian thought he hadn't taken it seriously and couldn't help but add.

"Those old guys might not be very capable, but they are masters at playing power games and rules."

"However, Lin Yuan Commander said that if anyone dares to cause you trouble, don't hold back."

"You are one of us from the Southern Border, and Lin Yuan Commander is known outside as a 'fiercely protective' person."

Su Jin smiled at these words.

He put down his teacup, slowly rose, and walked to the window, looking out at the thriving scene within Infinite City.

"General Xiang, thank you for your kindness."

His voice was still calm, but it made the air in the entire room condense.

"Rest assured, Infinite City is what it is today not because of anyone's favor, and certainly not because of anyone's charity."

"It's because of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in this city, who fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, one blade and one gun at a time."

Su Jin turned around, looking at Xiang Tian calmly.

"Rules are meant to restrain the weak."

"When your strength is great enough, you are the rules."

A slight curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, carrying a youthful sharp edge and dominance.

"This trip to Red Moon Land, if people treat me with goodwill, I will return it with goodwill."

"As for those who are short-sighted…"

"If anyone truly thinks that my 'First Merit' title is unstable and wants to come and try, to test how sharp my blade truly is…"

"Then let them try."