76: A New World

The night in Qianlong City remained deep.

But the "Hongmen Banquet" in the City Lord's Mansion, an event destined to be recorded in the history of the Eastern Wasteland, had already drawn to a close.

The turbulent waves it stirred up were sweeping across the entire Eastern Wasteland with unprecedented, terrifying speed!

On this night, the name Lin Chen completely transcended from "number one Prodigy of the younger generation" to a... taboo existence that made even the giants of the older generation tremble and fear!

With his own strength, he played four top powers in the palm of his hand!

He used strategy to crush strategy!

He used rules to judge the rules!

In the end, he won everything!

...

Purple Cloud Holy Land's exclusive courtyard within Qianlong City.

Inside the quiet room, it was brightly lit, but the atmosphere was as icy as the Nine Nether Cold Prison.

Lin Chen was lazily reclining on a soft couch made of thousand-year warm jade, toying with a warm Spirit Stone in his hand, his expression indifferent, revealing no joy or anger.

Before him, four figures were kneeling on the ground in silence, their postures full of humiliation and awe.

The luxurious robes they wore were now stained with dust and blood; their once high-and-mighty queenly auras had long been crushed into the mud.

They were the four... queens who had suffered a crushing defeat at the banquet and become his "trophies"!

The Great Yan National Advisor, Inspector Leng Yan, Crimson Flame Divine Palace Saintess High-Grade Fertilizer, and the Myriad Sword Pavilion's Grand Elder, Extinction Sword Crone.

They were all still alive.

At the very end of the banquet, City Lord Long Yan, in order to maintain the "rules" of Qianlong City and to provide an explanation to the Sky Patrol Hall and the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty, finally stepped forward to "mediate" the matter.

The outcome was that Inspector Leng Yan publicly announced the charges of the Myriad Sword Pavilion and the Crimson Flame Divine Palace for "disrupting the grand competition," and symbolically imposed the punishment of "confiscating all competition rewards and compensating the Purple Cloud Holy Land with massive resources."

A monumental murder case was ultimately settled "peacefully" in a manner of being raised high but dropped gently.

But, everyone knew.

The real "judgment" had only just begun!

And the judge was not the Sky Patrol Hall, nor was it City Lord Long Yan.

It was this... young man before them, who appeared lazy but whose eyes flashed with a light deeper than the stars!

"All of you, rise."

Lin Chen's voice was very calm, yet it pressed down on the hearts of the four like an invisible mountain.

Upon hearing this, their bodies trembled slightly.

They struggled and slowly stood up.

But, they still dared not raise their heads.

The loser has no right to look the winner in the eye.

Lin Chen's gaze first fell upon the white-haired Great Yan National Advisor.

This "wise person" who had lived for nearly a thousand years was trembling slightly all over, no longer possessing the composure of the "peacemaker" from before.

"National Advisor." Lin Chen's lips curled into a playful arc. "You have lived for nearly a thousand years, spending your life toying with human hearts and manipulating power. Surely, you have the deepest understanding of the word 'value', right?"

The National Advisor's body shuddered violently, and her old face, which still retained a trace of a "wise person's" demeanor, instantly turned as pale as paper.

She understood the implication behind Lin Chen's words.

He was telling her that if she wanted to live, she must produce the "value" that would keep her alive.

"... Your Highness, as long as you have commands, this old woman... will not hesitate even in death."

She uttered these words with difficulty in a voice that was hoarse to the extreme.

Every word seemed to exhaust all her strength.

"Very good." Lin Chen nodded with satisfaction. "I don't need your 'death', I need your 'life'. And, you must live more 'splendidly' than before."

He flicked his finger, and a golden rune, condensed to the extreme and shimmering with the luster of Chaos, shot like a stream of light and instantly entered the National Advisor's brow and Purple Mansion!

"Ah—!"

The National Advisor let out a painful groan, feeling as if her Divine Soul had been branded by a red-hot iron, leaving an indelible mark!

That mark contained Lin Chen's Origin aura; with just a single thought from him, her Divine Soul would instantly be detonated, resulting in eternal destruction!

"This is a 'Chaos Soul Progeny Seal'. From now on, your life, death, and everything about you are within a single thought of mine.

Don't think about removing it, unless your Divine Soul Realm can surpass the Dao itself." Lin Chen's voice was cold and ruthless.

The National Advisor's body trembled violently, but in the end, it could only turn into a sigh filled with desolation, completely abandoning resistance.

"Your 'PUA techniques', while useless against me, must be quite interesting when used against certain self-righteous people." Lin Chen's voice was filled with the composure of someone planning the world.

"From today on, you are still the National Advisor of the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty, revered by thousands."

"But, in the shadows, you will be an 'undercover piece' I, Lin Chen, have planted in the heart of the Imperial Dynasty, my... intelligence chief."

"I want you to use your 'wisdom' and your status to collect all intelligence for me regarding the factional struggles within the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty, the secret rumors of the various powers in the Central Continent Sacred Domain, and even... everything about this mysterious 'City Lord Long Yan'!"

"Can you do that?"

The National Advisor took a deep breath.

She knew she had no other choice.

Either become a valuable chess piece and survive, or be destroyed, body and soul, right now.

She slowly raised her head, and for the first time, her murky eyes revealed deep awe and fear toward Lin Chen.

"... This old woman, obeys."

Having dealt with the first one.

Lin Chen's gaze turned to the rigid, ice-sculpture-like Codename: Sharp Blade.

"Inspector Leng Yan." Lin Chen looked at this woman whose faith had collapsed and whose eyes were hollow, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.

"Your heart is filled with a fanatical pursuit of 'rules' and 'truth'. I admire this point."

Upon hearing this, Codename: Sharp Blade suddenly raised her head, and for the first time, a trace of intense emotional fluctuation appeared in her cold eyes!

She asked in a hoarse voice: "What... exactly are you trying to say?"

"I want to say..." Lin Chen shook his head, speaking in a tone filled with "pity": "The 'truth' you pursue is too narrow.

It is nothing more than a 'lie' carefully woven by those in power to enslave you!"

"You're talking nonsense!" Codename: Sharp Blade retorted sharply, but the rebuttal sounded so pale and weak.

"I'm talking nonsense?" Lin Chen laughed, his laugh filled with sarcasm.

"Then let me ask you, tonight, when the evidence of the Myriad Sword Pavilion's cheating was laid out before your eyes, where were your so-called 'rules'?

When High-Grade Fertilizer twisted black and white, where was your so-called 'truth'?

When the Great Yan National Advisor played the peacemaker, what did your supreme Sky Patrol Hall ironclad laws count for?"

"I..." Codename: Sharp Blade was left speechless, her face turning deathly pale.

"Your so-called 'rules' only judge the weak!

Above you, there is the City Lord, the National Advisor, the Imperial Dynasty, and even higher-ranking envoys from the Sky Patrol Hall!

Which one of them is not wantonly trampling on the 'rules' you believe in?

You are nothing but a 'blade' in their hands that thinks it is 'just'!"

Lin Chen's voice, like a heavy hammer, smashed the last shred of Codename: Sharp Blade's illusions with every strike.

Immediately, his voice suddenly became grand and solemn, as if it contained some ultimate truth of heaven and earth!

"The 'rules' you protect are merely tools to maintain the ruling status of a few!"

"And the 'truth' I pursue is..."

Lin Chen slowly stood up, a grand aura that seemed to encompass the world and save all living beings erupted!

"— Great harmony under heaven, equality for all living beings!"

Boom—!!!

The eight words "Great harmony under heaven, equality for all living beings" were like a divine thunderclap that had split the heavens and the earth, fiercely striking Codename: Sharp Blade's world view, which was already on the verge of collapse!

She was completely stunned!

And Lin Chen, like a guiding "god", began to perform a higher-level "reverse brainwashing" on her!

"Codename: Sharp Blade, think about it.

Why are there disputes?

Why is there evil?

In the final analysis, isn't it all because of 'injustice'?"

"Why is it that some people are born as princes or Saintess, enjoying endless resources? Why is it that some people are born as Mortal ants, destined to struggle bitterly in the mud for their entire lives?"

"The 'rules' you uphold are precisely the root cause of all this 'injustice'!"

"And what I am going to do is break all of this! I want to establish a brand-new world! A utopian land where there is no oppression, no discrimination, and everyone can pursue their dreams through their own efforts!"

"Now, I ask you." Lin Chen's gaze became incredibly burning! "Are you willing to continue guarding your long-decayed 'old order'? Or are you willing to follow me and create a truly bright... new world?!"

Under this inflammatory 'brainwashing,' the cold eyes of Codename: Sharp Blade completely lost their focus. She fell into unprecedented confusion and struggle. In the end, her gaze slowly turned fanatical! It was as if she were a fanatic who had found her lifelong faith!

"I... I am willing! To follow you! To create a new world!"

Lin Chen smiled with satisfaction. He likewise left a [Chaos Soul Progeny Seal] on the center of Codename: Sharp Blade's brows.

"Very good. From today on, you are a sharp blade I have planted in the heart of the decaying tree that is the [Sky Patrol Hall]!"

"Your mission is to help me find all those 'like-minded people' who, like you, are dissatisfied with the 'old order'! Wait for my summons!"

"...Subordinate, obeys!" Codename: Sharp Blade knelt on one knee, her voice filled with fanatical loyalty!

Finally, Lin Chen's gaze fell upon High-Grade Fertilizer, who had long since looked ashen and had completely lost all spirit, and the Extinction Sword Crone. For these two women who were completely ruined, Lin Chen could not even be bothered to waste any more breath.

"You two." His voice was cold and unquestionable. "One of you plotted against me. The other cheated, wanting to put me to death. You should have had your Divine Souls destroyed. But, considering that you still have a little bit of 'value,' I will spare your lives for now."

He flicked his fingers repeatedly, and two more tyrannical Chaos Seals, like two chains, instantly struck into their Dantian and Qi Sea!

"Pfft—!" The two of them spat out a mouthful of blood in unison, their aura instantly falling from the Golden Core Stage to a miserable state not even comparable to the Foundation Establishment Stage! They could clearly feel that their Golden Cores were covered in cracks, their spiritual power less than one-tenth of what it was, and there was no possibility of further progress!

"I have crippled ninety percent of your cultivation." Lin Chen's voice was like a devil's whisper. "From today on, you are my, Lin Chen's, most humble 'prisoners.' I will keep you by my side. You will watch with your own eyes as I step by step trample the Sect you are so proud of under my feet! Until the day you are in complete despair. Your still-pure 'spiritual power' and 'Divine Soul' will become the 'nutrients' for me to break through to higher Realms!"

Killing them was not enough; he had to destroy their hearts as well!

High-Grade Fertilizer and the Extinction Sword Crone completely collapsed! They slumped to the ground, emitting desperate whimpers.

After dealing with these four "spoils of war," Lin Chen finally returned to his own quiet room.

"Hoo..." He exhaled a long breath of stale air, a satisfying smile of a bountiful harvest appearing on his face. Immediately, his mind stirred. A pale blue virtual panel, which only he could see, instantly appeared before his eyes!

——The Saint's "post-battle inventory" officially begins!

【Name】: Lin Chen

【Identity】: Saint of the Purple Cloud Holy Land

【Cultivation】: Peak of the late Golden Core stage! The Chaos Golden Core within his body has become perfectly rounded to the extreme, with Dao patterns faintly flowing on its surface, and majestic spiritual power surging and whistling within it, as if it could shatter the core and form a Nascent Soul at any moment! He is only one 'great Opportunity' Epiphany, or the final accumulation of massive resources, away from the legendary [Nascent Soul Realm]!

【Physical Body Strength】: Archaic Dragon-Elephant Art (Fifth Layer: Dragon-Elephant Prison Suppression!), has condensed [dragon elephant particles]: 50,000! Under the terrifying pressure of the previous Hongmen Banquet, his physical potential was further stimulated, successfully converting all the massive energy absorbed from Su Mei and the energy dissipated in subsequent battles into dragon elephant particles! At this moment, every drop of blood in his body is as heavy as mercury, and as it flows, it makes the sound of a roaring river! On his bones, the phantoms of 50,000 ancient dragon elephants are coiled! His pure physical strength has already surpassed that of a Body Cultivator at the Late Nascent Soul Stage! Without using any spiritual power, a single punch can shatter a ten-thousand-foot-high mountain!

【Cultivation Technique】: Chaos Dao Canon, Human Emperor Prison Suppression Art (Fragment), Archaic Dragon-Elephant Art...

【Magic Treasure】:

【human emperor seal】 (Damaged): The supreme holy object of human civilization, containing the eternal Luck of the Human Race and the unyielding battle soul that protects all spirits! Its material is neither gold nor jade; it feels warm to the touch, yet is as heavy as a star. It possesses 'Judgment-level' absolute restraint against all demonic paths, evil spirits, and sinister things! Currently, it has been initially refined, and its 'Suppress' character Divine Might can be activated to suppress all laws! Within it, it contains a strand of 'Imperial Dragon Qi' transformed from the final Origin left by the human emperor! This Dragon Qi is one of Lin Chen's strongest trump cards for self-preservation; once activated, it is enough to threaten the life of a Soul Transformation Realm powerhouse in an instant!

【Heaven-Concealing Ring】: A treasure ring of mysterious Origin, pitch-black throughout, simple and unadorned, yet it seems to be able to swallow all light. Inside, it possesses a storage space that forms a Small World of its own (about ten miles in radius), rich in Spiritual Qi, and can even store living things for a short time! Its core ability—[Conceal Heavenly Secrets]! Once activated, it can perfectly hide one's cultivation, aura, and even destiny trajectory! It temporarily "removes" oneself from the "River of Destiny," making it impossible for any powerhouse proficient in deduction and divination to capture any trace of him! It is the supreme Divine Artifact for killing, looting, and pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger!

【Moon God Feather Robe】: A top-grade Dao-level magic garment, refined from a divine feather shed by the ancient Moon God and fused with the essence of the Nine Heavens stars! Usually, it transforms into an ordinary white garment, simple and unadorned. Once activated, it can bloom with bright moonlight, transforming into a gorgeous feather robe that is impervious to water and fire, and difficult to harm by any law! Its innate Divine Ability [Moon Shadow Without Trace] can even allow Lin Chen's body to instantly fade into a wisp of moonlight, ignoring most physical attacks and Restrictions, with speed comparable to short-distance teleportation! It is a top-tier self-preservation Magic Treasure that combines defense and escape!

【Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Token】: A special consumable Magic Treasure, made from a piece of natural "Thunder-Attracting Divine Wood," covered with natural purple thunder patterns. Inside, it Seals a [Nine Heavens Purple Heaven Divine Thunder] capable of severely injuring or even instantly killing a Soul Transformation Initial Stage powerhouse! Previously, its energy was exhausted on the Fallen Demon Battlefield, but after a period of 'autonomous charging,' absorbing the free thunder power between heaven and earth, that destructive purple thunder is now fully charged again and ready to go! This is the strongest trump card killer move to decide the outcome in one blow!

【Influence Network】: Core Control: Purple Cloud Holy Land (after this battle, prestige reached its Peak, control is unmatched), Qingyang City Lin Family (where the Foundation lies), Black Wind Mountain Yao Race (loyal henchmen). Strategic Alliance: Yaochi Holy Land (stable relationship, community of interests). New Dark Pawns: [Great Yan Dynasty] Intelligence Chief—State Preceptor (Codename: Wise Man). [Sky Patrol Hall] Insider—Codename: Sharp Blade. Hostages/Advanced Fertilizer to be processed: High-Grade Fertilizer (Crimson Flame Divine Palace), Extinction Sword Crone (Myriad Sword Pavilion).

Looking at the series of clear, digitized strength inventory on the panel. Feeling the unprecedentedly full and powerful strength within his body! And the vast influence network in his mind that had already begun to take shape! An unprecedented sense of control and satisfaction instantly filled Lin Chen's entire body and mind! This was the… empire he had built step by step since arriving in this world!

"Eastern Wasteland..." The corners of Lin Chen's mouth slowly curled up. "...is already a bit too small."