Chapter 91 Wilderness

[As you forcibly raised the banner of the Mutual Aid Society, the situation instantly underwent a subtle change.]

[After quickly establishing your prestige and influence, you gathered a group of nearly a hundred people in a short period of time.]

[According to Zhao Li's detailed statistics, the number of Martial Artists under your command actually reached ninety-eight.]

[To be honest, this number was even slightly higher than Chen Chen's "Wild Hunters" camp.]

[According to information you later obtained by subtly questioning several veteran hunters during breaks in camp construction...]

[...Chen Chen and his group coming to Sunset Canyon was actually a sudden decision.]

[The "Wild Hunter Association" had recently taken on a large project from the Provincial Capital, which consumed a significant amount of manpower and resources.]

[That matter had only just been settled, and their main force was still resting and recuperating.]

[Chen Chen had received word and just arrived with a group of elites; the subsequent main force had not yet arrived.]

[Furthermore, because Tannan Heavy Industry had overbearingly cleared the area...]

[...the only ones able to break through the blockade and approach the core circle of Cobble Beach were these few dozen guild members.]

[In addition, there were some independent Martial Artists who, while not members of the "Wild Hunter Association"...]

[...were familiar with the association or had business dealings with them.]

[The number of people on Chen Chen's side was roughly eighty.]

[That was over a dozen fewer than your team.]

["This is a good thing."]

[You calculated silently in your heart.]

["If Chen Chen's side had an absolute numerical advantage..."]

["...with his foundation as a veteran of the Origin Opening and the guild's cohesion, it would indeed be difficult to handle."]

["But now we are evenly matched, and I even have a slight numerical advantage."]

["This is the only way to maintain the subtle balance of the Mutual Aid Society and keep him from easily turning against me."]

Of course, maintaining stability among this motley crew was by no means a simple task.

They each had their own agendas, and their backgrounds were complex.

[Especially those five or six veteran Martial Artists at the Eighth Stage of Qi and Blood or Ninth Stage of Qi and Blood.]

[Although they were intimidated by your Origin Opening Realm strength and didn't dare to act directly, it didn't mean they were truly convinced in their hearts.]

[While organizing the team, these few people approached with hypocritical smiles, attempting to "negotiate terms" with you.]

["Vice President Xu, let's not beat around the bush."]

[The leader, a man with a scarred face, said in a lowered voice.]

["Everyone is here for the Legacy. You are the strongest and in the Origin Opening Realm, so it's only right that you ascend the Heavenly Stairway first."]

["To scout the way for everyone, right?"]

["Indeed, our strength is meager, and we wouldn't dare steal your thunder."]

["But if you're eating the meat, could you let us brothers have a bit of the soup?"]

[They were calculating shrewdly, wanting you, the strongest, to clear the mines.]

[If you succeeded, they would follow behind and take a share.]

[If you died, they would just happen to take over your resources.]

[Facing this kind of subtle defiance, you neither became angry nor took action.]

[In this godforsaken place devoid of Origin Qi, Martial Dao Realms are important, but they are not everything.]

[Mere slaughter would only cause people's hearts to scatter; what you needed was absolute control.]

[After all, the daily "sweet dew" can only be harvested from living people.]

[You glanced at them indifferently, ignoring their remarks.]

[Instead, you turned directly to look at the nearly one hundred Martial Artists behind you.]

["In this place, if you want to survive, you can't rely on talk."]

[This "selection" might be due to your interference.]

[The number of people brought in was clearly higher than in the previous simulation, a mixed bag of individuals.]

[Your gaze swept past those so-called "experts."]

[It landed on several unremarkable, even somewhat cowering people in the crowd.]

["You, come out." You pointed at a middle-aged man in worn-out camouflage with calloused hands.]

["And you, the one with the herb basket, you should know how to identify plants, right?"]

[Relying on your sharp eyes...]

[...you quickly filtered out the true talents from the crowd.]

[Although these people had low Realms—some only at the third or fourth stage of Qi and blood—]

[—in this time and place, they were more valuable than those experts who only knew how to fight.]

["Everyone, hear my command!"]

[Your voice was loud and clear, directly ignoring the troublemakers who wanted to negotiate terms.]

["We will now begin assigning tasks! We are going to build a camp here!"]

["Those who know construction, follow me here; those who know gathering, assemble over there!"]

[Even though their Realms were lower, in your eyes, these were the rare talents.]

[The faces of those high-stage Qi and blood Martial Artists stiffened; just as they were about to lash out, they found that the crowd around them had already started moving.]

[The organizational skills and professionalism in wilderness survival you displayed quickly calmed the panic of most people.]

[Compared to the ethereal and dangerous Legacy, everyone was more concerned about where they would sleep and what they would eat tonight.]

[You led everyone to a piece of high-ground woodland about one kilometer away from the entrance of the Heavenly Stairway.]

[With a dense forest at its back and facing a vast freshwater lake, there was both water and food.]

[After compiling the information of these Martial Artists, you quickly arranged their tasks.]

["First, we must survive."]

["Site selection, building shelters, finding water and food."]

[Previously, during the heart gate trial, you had survived alone on that isolated island for forty years.]

[Those skills honed over decades now played a huge role in this similar environment.]

[You led everyone to a piece of high-ground woodland about one kilometer away from the entrance of the Heavenly Stairway.]

[The place was backed by a dense forest and faced a vast freshwater lake.]

[It had both water and food, a wide field of vision, and was easy to defend but hard to attack.]

["Zhao Li, take some men to cut wood over there!"]

["You few over there, go clear the rubble and level the ground!"]

[You arranged everything in perfect order; every command was precise and efficient.]

[Occasionally, some were dissatisfied with the heavy work during the camp's early stages and wanted to slack off.]

[But under the "tyranny" of your Origin Opening Realm and the supervision of your lackey Zhao Li, they could only grit their teeth and persevere.]

[To elevate and deepen your image as a powerhouse in their hearts, you decided to show off a bit.]

["Move aside."]

[You walked up to a dense grove of Ironwood.]

[This kind of wood is as hard as iron, difficult for ordinary blades to damage.]

[You didn't use a knife or axe, but instead channeled a trace of Origin Qi, coordinating it with your Water-elemental Ability.]

["Buzz—"]

[A deep blue Water Blade formed in your palm, spinning at high speed and emitting a piercing cutting sound.]

["Slash!"]

[You made a sweeping motion with your hand.]

["Crack! Crack! Crack!"]

[In an instant, over a dozen Ironwood trees as thick as a man's embrace were cut cleanly, the surfaces as smooth as a mirror.]

[This feat of "Water Blade Logging" immediately intimidated everyone.]

[Immediately after, you walked to the lakeshore.]

["Rise!"]

[You made a grasping motion with one hand.]

[The calm surface of the lake instantly erupted into violent ripples, and several water columns soared into the sky.]

[Carrying dozens of plump fish, they crashed onto the shore with a series of splashes.]

["We're having fish soup tonight!"]

[Cheers erupted from the crowd.]

[The way everyone looked at you changed.]

[From initial fear, it turned to amazement, and even a hint of worship.]

[In a place where survival was a struggle, the methods you displayed gave them the illusion that you were omnipotent.]

["Following Vice President Xu, we might actually be able to survive!"]

[Once this thought arose, the team's cohesion instantly solidified.]

[The construction of the camp went very smoothly; on the first day, you all moved into new wooden houses.]

[A day passed in the blink of an eye.]

[Soon it was the second day, the time for the sweet dew to be distributed.]