218: Chapter 218 Eastern Dragon City!

Passing through the barrier.

Lu Chen activated the Forbidden Spell effect of the Eye of the Ringed Heavens. Raising his eyes to look, even with his current state of mind, a trace of surprise could not help but flash through his eyes.

Before him was not the ancient city or strictly guarded military fortress he had imagined, but a prosperous, highly modernized metropolis.

Skyscrapers stood row upon row, maglev trains glided silently along elevated tracks, and the streets were bustling with traffic and throngs of pedestrians.

People's faces were filled with relaxed and happy smiles, and children played in the parks.

Class-transcenders wore equipment of various styles, moving in groups of three or five, discussing the secret realms they were about to raid. Everything appeared orderly and full of vitality.

Lu Chen opened his friend panel.

He discovered that communications with his parents, Sister Linglong, and others were completely cut off; all information from the outside was blocked.

"Can you feel it?"

"The Dragon City barrier is not just a defensive barrier; it is a massive containment barrier, isolating the inside from the outside."

"For over a hundred years, this place has preserved the original spark of the Great Xia and has developed its own unique path forward."

The Wasteland Guardian said with emotion.

Lu Chen nodded slightly.

He could clearly see that the class-transcender system here was deeply integrated with technology, and advancement Divine Stones and various rare Materials were available in designated areas like public resources.

The school system was well-developed, even featuring holographic simulation combat pods for low-level class-transcenders.

Just as the Wasteland Guardian had said, this was a perfectly functioning small nation. Its overall strength, looking purely at order and resource utilization, indeed surpassed the former Nine-Star Guilds like Jinbao Pavilion.

Just then, a team of soldiers wearing standard-issue equipment and exuding sharp Auras arrived through the air. The leader, with eyes as sharp as a hawk's, scanned Lu Chen and the Wasteland Guardian, then said in a deep voice: "The two of you, by the order of the Guild Master, please come with us."

Lu Chen, with a calm expression, took out the bronze token engraved with the character "Rui".

After the captain inspected it, the vigilance in his eyes lessened slightly, and he made a "please" gesture.

The group boarded a specialized aircraft, weaving between the skyscrapers.

The Wasteland Guardian acted as a temporary tour guide on the side: "Kid Lu, the living habits and cultural festivals of the Great Xia from a hundred years ago can all find shadows here. Of course, after a hundred years of development, it's not set in stone..."

Not long after. Dragon City.

The aircraft finally hovered in front of a palace complex as majestic as a mountain.

This palace was not entirely ancient; it fused traditional flying eaves and brackets with modern alloy building Materials, appearing both solemn and full of power.

This was the headquarters of the Dragon Radiance Guild, the seat of power in Dragon City, Eastern Region.

Inside the highest council hall, the atmosphere was solemn.

Sitting in the main seat was an old man wearing a dark gold robe with dragon patterns. His face was kind, yet when his eyes opened and closed, they carried a majesty that looked down upon the world.

He was the Guild Master of the Dragon Radiance Guild, the Lord of the Eastern Region—Guild Master Xuanyuan Jing!

His gaze first fell on the Wasteland Guardian, carrying a hint of familiarity and inquiry: "Wilderness Guardian Wu Yanzu, are you here on your own behalf this time, or on behalf of your teacher?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen's face showed an almost stunned expression for the first time, and he turned to look at the Wasteland Guardian beside him: "Senior, your full name is Wilderness Guardian Wu Yanzu?"

The Wasteland Guardian bit down on his grass stalk with a crunch, straightened his hunched back, and looked righteous: "That's right! I never change my name or surname; Wilderness Guardian Wu Yanzu is me! How about it? Isn't this name as earth-shatteringly handsome as I am?"

The corners of Lu Chen's mouth twitched imperceptibly, and he coughed twice: "Cough, cough... I dare not agree."

The Wasteland Guardian didn't care; he casually found a rosewood chair nearby, sat down, crossed his legs, and pointed at Lu Chen while speaking to Guild Master Xuanyuan Jing and the others:

"Don't look at me. I'm not here on my own behalf, nor on my teacher's behalf this time; I'm just tagging along with this kid for a stroll. Oh, I forgot to introduce him to you."

He paused, his tone carrying a bit of mockery, yet sounding resolute: "His name is Lu Chen. He is under twenty, Rank 8, an F-Rank Beast Tamer! By the way, he is currently the person in charge—the ruler—of the Southern, Western, Northern, and Central regions of the Great Xia outside!"

The hall fell into instant silence; one could hear a pin drop.

The eyes of the several Elders standing in attendance were filled with absurdity.

As if fearing it wasn't shocking enough, the Wasteland Guardian slowly added: "And by the way, those three Nine-Star Guilds that were jumping around so happily outside—Jinbao Pavilion, Tianxiao Guild, and the Five Elders Association—were taken care of by him alone a while ago... Well, you could say he wiped them out!"

"..."

After the brief dead silence, there was an irrepressible commotion.

Under twenty and Rank 8?

And an F-Rank Beast Tamer?

One person pacified the three major Nine-Star Guilds?

Each of these pieces of information, taken alone, was enough to overturn their cognition. Combined, it was simply like a fantasy!

Guild Master Xuanyuan Jing frowned. He knew Wilderness Guardian Wu Yanzu; this person seemed unreliable, but he never made groundless claims.

But the content... was simply too shocking.

An Elder with a gaunt face but eyes as sharp as knives couldn't help but sneer.

He was the Third Elder of the Guild, Li Feiyu: "You say he's Rank 8, so he's Rank 8? You say he pacified the three major Nine-Star Guilds alone, so he did? Empty words with no proof; do you take us for three-year-old children?"

"Exactly!"

Another Elder, sturdy and with a voice like a booming bell, Great Elder Long Bayun, shook the roof tiles with his voice: "Has the outside world gone this crazy? Can an F-Rank Beast Tamer be this Heaven-Defying?"

The Wasteland Guardian shrugged indifferently: "If you don't believe me, why don't you go out and see for yourselves? To tell you the truth, the purpose of Kid Lu's visit this time is to persuade you, the Dragon Radiance Guild, to lift this hundred-year blockade, return to the Great Xia, let our Great Xia be completely unified, and officially enter the ranks of a true Great Power of class-transcenders!"

"..."

These words were like cold water splashed into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar.

"Absurd! The outside world is still infested with Invading Monsters. Our Eastern Region is the spark of the Great Xia; how can we destroy our own Great Wall!"

Questions and ridicules arose one after another.

Lu Chen watched all of this quietly, his face devoid of any ripples.

He had long anticipated that if he wanted to convince these big shots who had been closed off for a hundred years and existed as their own world, empty talk was meaningless.

He stepped forward, his gaze calmly meeting that of Guild Master Xuanyuan Jing in the main seat, his voice clear and drowning out all the noise:

"Guild Master Xuanyuan, Seniors, I understand your concerns. The Eastern Region is the last foundation and barrier of the Great Xia. Any decision concerns the fate of millions of people, so it certainly cannot be taken lightly."

Guild Master Xuanyuan Jing looked deeply at Lu Chen. This young man's calmness and composure in the face of questioning from a hall full of powerhouses could not be faked.

He spoke slowly: "Lu Chen, you must have extraordinary qualities to be so highly praised by Brother Wu. However, the Eastern Region model has been running for a hundred years; the people live and work in peace, and the system is stable."

"Unless our Dragon Radiance Guild possesses the power to absolutely suppress all invading Invading Monsters, the risk of lifting the blockade is too great."

Lu Chen nodded, indicating he understood.

Immediately, his tone shifted, and an invisible Aura began to diffuse from around him. It was not overbearing, but carried a unique firmness.

"Therefore, when ordinary reasoning doesn't work, the best way is to prove it with actual results."

His gaze swept across every high-ranking member of the Dragon Radiance Guild present, finally settling on the hot-tempered Great Elder Long Bayun.

Great Elder Long Bayun: "Kid, what do you mean by looking at me like that?"

"I'm in a hurry, so, Seniors, let's get straight to the point."

Lu Chen's voice rose sharply, carrying a piercing sharpness and absolute confidence:

"For the venue, you arrange it!"

"For the rules, you set them!"

"No matter how many people you send, whether it's a one-on-one duel or a group fight, whether you use Formations or rely on the terrain..."

He paused slightly, speaking word by word, like thunder exploding in everyone's ears:

"I, Lu Chen, am just one person."

"I will fight until you are convinced!"

"I will fight until you are willing to return to the Great Xia!"

"..."

The hall fell into a dead silence once again, with only Lu Chen's resounding words echoing between the pillars.