220: Promote territory

After finalizing all the details with Lin Yuan, the matters of the Red Moon Land were brought to a close.

Su Jin did not linger.

He took Bai Xiao and the others, preparing to return to Infinite City.

At the airport, Xiang Tian was already waiting.

His crimson General's armor reflected a scorching light under the unique dark red sky of the Molten Heart.

“You brat, you’re really something!”

As soon as Xiang Tian saw Su Jin,

He thumped him on the chest like a drum, making a dull thud.

“That old fellow General Wei Feng seems to be having a rough time lately. I heard he’s broken a lot of his cherished teacups.”

“I’ve been in the Southern Territory for so many years, and I’ve never seen him so vexed. It’s exhilarating!”

His laughter boomed, causing passing soldiers to turn their heads.

Su Jin rubbed his chest, saying helplessly,

“General Xiang, if you used any more force, the gains from this trip would have to be spent on treating internal injuries.”

“Hahahaha, I’m just happy!”

Xiang Tian laughed heartily, then his expression turned serious.

“Speaking of business, I’m also moving.”

“Marshal Lin has given the order; my Crimson Dragon Legion is to immediately march to the Eastern Front to tackle the toughest bones of those scoundrels from the Dark Star Empire.”

He looked at Su Jin.

“Your Infinite City is now safer than our main base in the Southern Territory.”

“Marshal Lin said that leaving my legion here to guard your gates would be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, a complete waste.”

These words were bold, but they were also true.

After the battle in the Tianyan Battle Realm, the name of Infinite City had spread throughout the Molten Heart.

Now, no one foolish enough would dare to easily provoke it.

“On the battlefield, swords and blades have no eyes. General Xiang, please be extra careful,” Su Jin said solemnly.

“Don’t worry!” Xiang Tian patted his chest plate, producing a resounding clang.

“My bones are very hard! Once I stir things up on the front lines, I’ll be waiting for your Floating City to fly over and celebrate our victory!”

He had clearly also heard about the sky dome keystone.

“Definitely,” Su Jin nodded in agreement.

Without many more words, Xiang Tian turned and strode towards the assembled Crimson Dragon Legion.

His back was like a walking volcano, full of oppressive power.

Watching Xiang Tian depart,

Su Jin also took Bai Xiao and the others, stepping onto the teleportation array to return to Infinite City.

...

Light and shadow swirled, and when Su Jin opened his eyes again, he was already in Infinite City.

In the following days, the entire city entered a state of high-speed operation.

The enormous resources brought back from the Red Moon Land, enough to transform a large territory,

Were all invested in the city's construction and expansion.

Above Infinite City,

From time to time,

Various colored lights would shoot up into the sky, a unique phenomenon when buildings completed their Sublimation.

In the city’s administrative office, Li Yi and his team worked almost non-stop.

Mountains of documents and material allocation plans made him wish he could split himself into eight to handle it all.

But instead of fatigue, his face radiated a nearly fanatical excitement.

“My Lord, the third batch of residential housing in the East District has all been upgraded to Bluestone Courtyards, and energy supply is stable!”

“The West District’s Hundred Battle Infantry Barracks have completed expansion, increasing the maximum capacity to two hundred thousand soldiers!”

“The newly planned Alchemy Workshop and Rune Center in the South District have laid their foundations and are expected to be operational in forty days!”

...

Every piece of good news represented another layer of Infinite City’s growing foundation.

More than a month later, the city’s outline extended outwards by a full circle.

Two more months passed, and the city expanded again.

In the valley, a majestic giant city, like a crouching beast, silently accumulated power.

Within the city, traffic flowed endlessly, residents lived in peace and prosperity, and the clang of weapons on the training grounds was incessant.

Everyone living here

Could feel the city’s daily changes and the increasing sense of security.

Half a year passed quietly.

On this day, within Infinite City,

All ongoing construction projects came to a halt.

An invisible, solemn atmosphere enveloped the entire city.

In the deepest core hall of the Lord’s Mansion.

It was vast and deep, with a dome like a starry sky of energy circuits.

The ground was inscribed with the operating array of the entire city.

In the center of the array, a Lord's Core, composed of countless light threads, resembled a galaxy of light.

Su Jin stood quietly before the Lord's Core.

In his hand, a crystal floated.

This was precisely the “sky dome keystone.”

It was no longer the deep sky-blue of half a year ago.

Instead, it presented a more magnificent, deep blue, as if containing an entire starry sky.

Inside the crystal, instead of flowing runes, there was a slowly rotating, miniature nebula composed of countless light dots.

The laws of gravity and space intertwined and evolved within it, emanating a grand, creation-like aura.

For the past six months, besides supervising city construction,

Su Jin had dedicated his remaining energy to nurturing and Ascending this wondrous item.

[sky dome heart (Epic)]

[Type: Wondrous Item / Territory Core (Unique)]

[Description: A miraculous creation that has fused the laws of space, gravity, and a hint of ‘world’.]

[Core Function 1: Sky Throne — Upon fusing this item, the territory will break free from the earth’s shackles, Ascending to a Level 10 ‘Floating Territory’, capable of suspension and navigation. Navigation speed and energy consumption depend on the territory’s level and the Lord’s rank.]

[Core Function 2: Realm Sea Navigation — Can propel the territory to navigate autonomously in the Realm Sea, no longer solely relying on world beacons or teleportation gates. Navigation speed and energy consumption depend on the territory’s level and the Lord’s rank.]

[Core Function 3: Realm Sea Affinity — When navigating in the Realm Sea, it can better evade void storms and spatial turbulence, and slightly increase the efficiency of extracting free energy from the Realm Sea.]

[Core Function 4: Sky Barrier — Can manipulate the gravity field around the territory to form a deflecting, interfering ‘Gravity Curtain’.]

[Core Function 5: Law Forge — Can transform a designated area within the ‘territory’ into a ‘Law Training Ground’ (e.g., gravity field, lightless zone), for the training of special units or the forging of special materials.]

All buildings, resource reserves, population, and other conditions required for Sublimation within the city had met the standards.

Now, only the final step remained.

Su Jin’s gaze swept over the crystal before him. Half a year of accumulation and waiting would bear fruit today.

He no longer hesitated.

He slowly pressed the “sky dome heart” in his hand towards the Lord's Core in front of him.

The moment the two touched,

“Om—”

A long, resonating hum spread from the city’s core.

The entire Infinite City trembled violently at this moment.

In the city, countless residents and soldiers stopped what they were doing, looking towards the Lord’s Mansion.

Everyone knew today was the day the territory would upgrade to Level 10.

Everyone was anticipating it.

The trembling grew more intense.

It was a prelude to transformation.

At the core of the Lord’s Mansion, Su Jin stood at the center of the storm.

The “sky dome heart” had completely merged into the Lord's Core, transforming into a brilliant, pulsating blue sun.

Endless energy surged along the energy circuits, flowing into every corner of the city.

[Detecting core wondrous item ‘sky dome heart’...]

[All territory Sublimation conditions met...]

[Level 10 Territory Sublimation procedure initiated!]

[Warning: Sublimation will trigger a massive energy tide and spatial distortion. Please ensure protective measures have been taken within the territory!]

[Countdown begins...]

[Ten, nine, eight...]

Su Jin’s will instantly spread throughout the city.

“All personnel, attention! Hold your ground, no need to panic!”

[...Three, two, one!]

[Sublimation begins!]

A pillar of sky-blue light, reaching from earth to heaven, shot up from the Lord’s Mansion, tearing through the clouds and piercing the sky!

The entire Infinite City was engulfed by endless light.

Within the light, at the city’s edges,

The land connected to the mountains began to show spiderweb-like cracks.

The cracks grew larger and larger...

A rumbling sound came from deep underground, as if an ancient giant beast was awakening.

The earth split open!