82: Chapter 82 Five Races Council

The moment the time flow adjustment was activated, Su Bai felt as if the entire Living World had fallen silent.

Only Su Bai's consciousness could penetrate that veil and see everything.

He watched as time began to accelerate.

The one-hundredth year.

The five major races began their respective explorations.

The Mushroom People continued their expansion within the Mycelium Deep Forest.

The Mushroom People developed unique architectural skills. They wove houses from mycelium, crafted tools from spore crystals, and used the bioluminescent properties of mushrooms for lighting. Within the Mycelium Deep Forest, mushroom cities rose from the ground one after another. The tallest central mushroom had already grown to three hundred meters, piercing straight into the Yin Qi clouds.

They began to record history, painting with spores on giant fungal membranes to document every harvest, every disaster, and every war. Those membranes were carefully preserved in the deepest depths of the central mushroom, guarded by the eldest Mushroom People.

The Shadow Demon race took a different path in the Shadow Demon Abyss. They developed Space Folding technology to its limit, allowing them to teleport anywhere within the abyss, fold an enemy's space during combat, and even fold light to make themselves completely invisible.

Deep underground, they discovered a new mineral vein: yin energy crystal mines. Those crystals contained extremely pure Yin Qi, which could accelerate a Shadow Demon's cultivation, strengthen the effects of Space Folding, and be used to craft various Yin Qi items.

The Shadow Demons began to trade, using yin energy crystals to exchange for the Mushroom People's spore products, the Ice Crystals' extreme cold weapons, and the Naga's deep-sea specialties. They became the merchants among the five races, their footsteps reaching every corner of the Living World.

The Ice Crystal race continued to evolve on the Extreme Cold Ice Plains. The Frost King retreated behind the scenes, but the Ice Crystals followed the laws he left behind: evolution through devouring, and survival of the fittest.

They discovered the gestation patterns of frost cores deep within the ice plains. Every ten years, a new frost core would form in the ice spring at the center of the plains. The Ice Crystals built a holy land around the spring, guarded by the most powerful among them.

The forms of the Ice Crystals began to differentiate. Some became more solid, specializing in close combat; some became more transparent, specializing in long-range ice blades; some grew larger, specializing in defense; and others became smaller and as fast as lightning. They began to have preliminary professional divisions, no longer being an undifferentiated group.

The Naga race established the most extensive society in the Deep Blue Sea Abyss. The council system established by Lan functioned well, with representatives from various tribes debating, voting, and making decisions in the council building. The Naga developed a complete legal system with civil, criminal, and commercial laws, as well as courts, judges, and lawyers.

They discovered new resources in the depths of the sea abyss: deep-sea hydrothermal vents. These vents spewed hot water rich in minerals, nourishing vast kelp forests. The Naga built farms around the vents, domesticating schools of deep-sea fish and planting seaweed, developing a complete system of marine agriculture.

Their cities grew increasingly complex, featuring residential, commercial, industrial, military, and religious districts. The cities were connected by wide undersea tunnels, with specialized transport teams responsible for resource distribution. The Deep Blue Sea Abyss had already become the most prosperous place in the entire Living World.

The Human race took the most unique path upon the New Era Ruins.

The Netherworld Church established by Chen Ming became the core of human society. However, it was not mandatory but voluntary. People could freely choose their faith, lifestyle, profession, and residence.

The church only did three things: spread faith in the Netherworld, teach the principle that good and evil have their rewards, and guide people toward kindness. What it did not do was: no forced taxation, no forced conscription, and no forced labor.

Humans began to rebuild their cities. However, they did not return to the old path of technology; instead, they combined technology with Yin Qi. They used yin energy crystals as a power source to drive remaining machinery, spore products to repair damaged buildings, the Ice Crystals' extreme cold technology to preserve food, and the Naga's marine technology to purify water.

The human population grew from three million to three and a half million. They were no longer the weakest race in the Netherworld World, but they remained the most dependent on the other races.

Without the Mushroom People's food, the Shadow Demons' energy, the Ice Crystals' weapons, or the Naga's resources—

Human life would become extremely difficult, though they could barely manage to survive.

However, they possessed something the other races did not.

Faith.

Pure, deep, and heartfelt faith.

Every day, when over three million people prayed simultaneously, that Power Of Faith converged into a massive sphere of light, floating toward the invisible rift in the sky and merging into the Underworld Space. The strength of that power was such that even the Ghost Gate Pass trembled slightly.

Standing at the highest point of the cathedral, Chen Ming watched the praying crowds, a complex surge of emotion rising in his heart.

He knew that human faith was the most precious treasure of the Netherworld World.

But he also knew that human weakness was the greatest hidden danger of the Netherworld World.

If one day the other races no longer needed humans, or felt that the human presence threatened them...

Chen Ming did not dare to think further.

He could only do one thing.

To make humans indispensable.

The two-hundredth year.

The five major races began to have frequent contact.

The Mushroom People's spore products were the fundamental supplies for the entire Living World. Without the food and medicine provided by the Mushroom People, the other races simply could not survive. The Mushroom People began to realize their own importance and started raising the prices of spore products.

The Shadow Demons were the first to be dissatisfied. They paid with yin energy crystals, but the price hikes by the Mushroom People caused them to start losing money. The Shadow Demon elders held a meeting to discuss whether to find substitutes or develop their own agriculture.

The Ice Crystals didn't particularly care. Their Extreme Cold Ice Plains were unsuitable for planting, so they could only rely on the Mushroom People's food. However, they began to express their dissatisfaction in their own way: reducing the export of extreme cold weapons and raising their prices.

The Naga had the most moderate attitude. They had plenty of marine food and the least dependence on the Mushroom People. However, their deep-sea hydrothermal vent resources were irreplaceable for the other races. The Naga Council began to discuss whether they should use this advantage to gain more say in trade.

The humans were the most panicked. They depended on others for everything and had nothing to offer. Human trade representatives hurried between the various races, trying to find a way to make themselves useful.

The first conflict broke out between the Mushroom People and the Shadow Demons.

The cause was a price dispute over a batch of spore products. The Mushroom People demanded a thirty percent price increase, the Shadow Demons refused, and the two sides argued at the trading post for three days and three nights. On the fourth day, a Shadow Demon merchant struck and injured a Mushroom People elder.

When the news reached the Mycelium Deep Forest, the Mushroom People were incensed. The Mushroom King stepped forward. Standing at the edge of the Mycelium Deep Forest, his purple eyes stared in the direction of the Shadow Demon Abyss, and he said only one sentence:

“Hand over the culprit within three days. Otherwise, all trade will be severed.”

The Shadow Demon Abyss remained silent for an entire day. On the second day, the Shadow Demon merchant who had struck the elder was escorted to the trading post. In front of all the races, he apologized to the Mushroom People elder and paid double the amount of yin energy crystals as compensation.

The conflict subsided temporarily, but the rift had already been created.

The three-hundredth year.

Similar conflicts broke out dozens of times. If they weren't properly resolved, a large-scale war would likely occur.

As conflicts grew more frequent...

Chen Ming proposed the establishment of the Five Races Council. It would be composed of representatives from each of the five major races to jointly formulate trade rules, territorial boundaries, and dispute resolution mechanisms. Any conflict would be resolved through the council rather than through war.

He also had his own little selfish motive. Although the Human race's combat power was not that strong, as the leader of all races, they never relied solely on force, but also on wisdom.

Chen Ming believed that with human wisdom, they would eventually make the other four races unable to live without them.

This proposal spread throughout the entire Living World.

The four races each discussed it for a long time, and ultimately, all of them agreed.

The Five Races Council was officially established.