104: Chapter 104 As expected of the city lord, he's so generous!

The clamor atop the city walls and the roars below seemed incredibly distant at this moment.

Everyone's vision was consumed by those two golden tornadoes rampaging through the sea of undead.

That wasn't a skill.

That was a natural disaster.

Standing at the edge of the wall, Yue Ying no longer knew how to control her expression.

Beside her, the guild members—players who prided themselves on being elites—were all like newbies entering the Source Realm for the first time, mouths agape and faces blank with shock.

So, this game was meant to be played like this?

Yue Ying looked at the figure suspended in mid-air.

He just stood there, without even a single superfluous movement.

Yet the battlefield below had turned into a one-sided slaughterhouse.

All undead, regardless of level or type, were instantly decomposed and vaporized the moment they touched the sword light, unable to even let out a single wail.

"Man... Manager..." a warrior swallowed hard, his voice dry.

"Are we... still going down there?"

Go down?

Yue Ying glared at the warrior and gave a light huff.

Go down to do what?

Don't be ridiculous.

Just look at the movement speed and coverage of those two golden tornadoes.

If Adventurers like them rushed down, they would probably be torn to shreds by the terrifying aftershocks of the sword qi before they even got close.

"Everyone, stand by where you are," Yue Ying took a deep breath. "Healing group, treat the wounded. Everyone else, recover your status."

She knew that this war was already over.

From the moment that man appeared, it was over.

...

Standing in the sky and overlooking the entire field, Chen You only had one thing on his mind.

The only thing he needed to pay attention to was controlling the range of the "Chaotic Stars" sword formation.

He had to be careful not to accidentally sweep in those onlookers on the sidelines.

If he accidentally injured them and caused his newbie protection period to end early, that would be a huge loss.

As for these undead throwing themselves forward wave after wave?

Chen You's eyes didn't flicker in the slightest.

[Killed Valley Wraith, Experience +160]

[Killed Skeletal Warrior, Experience +220]

[Killed Undead Archer, Experience +200]

...

These weren't monsters.

This was experience!

As the death tornadoes formed by the two yuhuang swords shuttled back and forth through the monster tide for several rounds, the once endless black ocean became visibly thinner to the naked eye.

Even thousands upon thousands of undead couldn't last long against this bulldozer-like efficiency.

Three minutes later.

When the last Stitch Monster was torn apart by the sword light and turned into black ash drifting through the sky, the area outside Zhao City's North Gate fell into an eerie, dead silence.

*Hum—*

The two yuhuang swords let out a light chime, tracing two elegant golden arcs as they returned to Chen You's side, floating quietly.

Light flowed over the blades, which remained unstained by even a speck of dust.

The flying sword beneath Chen You's feet descended slowly, landing on the empty battlefield.

Looking around, the tragic scene of a corpse-strewn field did not appear.

Those monsters had all turned into motes of light and vanished.

What remained was Chen You's skyrocketing level.

Five levels in a row!

Level 18!

"Nice!"

Chen You couldn't help but shout inwardly.

This was much faster than secluded cultivation in the Supreme Training Room!

However, this kind of event wasn't something he could farm whenever he wanted.

Just then, three grand world announcements rang in the ears of every player in the Source Realm.

[World Announcement (Zhao City Region): The Adventurers of Zhao City have successfully repelled the invasion of the "Wraith Tide," protecting the peace of their home!]

[World Announcement (Zhao City Region): The Defense of Zhao City has ended! All Adventurers who participated in the defense will receive generous rewards based on their contribution. Please head to the Quartermaster at the City Lord's Mansion to claim them.]

[World Announcement (Zhao City Region): Adventurer "Chen You" turned the tide in this battle, achieving the greatest merit. He has received a special reward, and his heroic deeds will be recorded in the annals of Zhao City's history!]

As the announcements faded, all of Zhao City exploded in excitement.

"He's truly amazing! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would've started flaming!"

"Wait, I suddenly feel like I don't know how to play this game anymore. What's going on?"

"Recorded in the annals of history? That's some serious prestige!"

Meanwhile, on the North Gate wall of Zhao City, players looked at those three blood-red world announcements and then at the unremarkable figure below.

One by one, they fell into a long silence.

"Manager, did we... did we really form an alliance with such a being?"

A core member of Moon Gods Radiance asked Yue Ying with a trembling voice.

Yue Ying didn't answer.

She just stared fixedly at Chen You.

She suddenly understood Arrow of the Moon's warning.

This man was beyond her imagination.

She couldn't handle him.

"Finished, time to wrap up."

Chen You brushed non-existent dust off his Daoist robe, feeling great.

He checked his quest list; [Disturbed Rest] was marked as complete, but the follow-up hadn't triggered yet.

"I should go back and find that little girl Meng Xiao to turn in the quest first."

Chen You made up his mind and was about to fly back toward the graveyard.

Suddenly, a golden system prompt popped up in front of him.

[System Prompt: Respected "immortal path pioneer," you stepped forward during Zhao City's crisis. Your bravery and strength have earned everyone's respect.]

[City Lord "Gao De" admires you greatly and hopes to have a word with you at the City Lord's Mansion. Do you accept?]

Huh?

The City Lord wants to see me again?

Chen You was taken aback.

He instinctively looked up at the city wall. The NPC City Lord Gao De, who had been commanding the battle there just moments ago, had already disappeared.

Could this be... a hidden plotline?

His intuition told him there would definitely be more rewards to reap from this trip!

On one hand, he had a hidden quest follow-up with no leads yet; on the other, he had a guaranteed generous reward.

Only children have to choose.

Chen You thought for a moment; there was no rush with Meng Xiao, as she wasn't going anywhere anyway.

Better to get the rewards from the City Lord first.

"Accept."

Ignoring the fanatical gazes around him, Chen You summoned Big White Rabbit and sped toward the central district of Zhao City.

...

Zhao City, City Lord's Mansion.

Guards in standard-issue armor stood in two rows, their gazes sharp and their presence steady.

However, when Chen You appeared, the guards couldn't help but lower their heads slightly.

This was a sign of respect for the strong.

Led by an NPC who looked like a butler, Chen You passed through several courtyards.

Instead of the main hall, he was taken to a spacious study.

There were no elaborate decorations, only rows of bookshelves reaching the ceiling. The air was filled with a faint scent of ink and sandalwood.

A middle-aged man with slightly graying temples stood with his back to him, gazing at a large map on the wall.

He didn't turn around, simply speaking in a calm voice.

"You've come."

"City Lord."

Chen You cupped his hands in a respectful but neither humble nor arrogant greeting.

Gao De slowly turned around. His face was refined, but his eyes were as deep as the sea.

He didn't discuss battle merits immediately. Instead, he looked Chen You up and down and nodded slightly.

"The immortal path pioneer, truly worthy of your reputation."

His voice wasn't loud, carrying the steady authority of one who had long held a high position.

"This time, it's all thanks to you."

"The City Lord overpraises me. Protecting Zhao City is also my duty."

Chen You gave a polite response.

But inwardly, he was thinking: Cut the chatter, if there are rewards, hurry up and bring them out!

Gao De leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming solemn. "I heard that you just established your own territory—'White Jade Capital'."

Chen You couldn't help but frown.

As a system NPC, it wasn't strange for him to know about the guild's establishment.

But what did he mean by mentioning it now?

"The City Lord is well-informed," Chen You replied neutrally, his mind growing wary.

"A fledgling territory is like a candle in the wind—fragile and easily extinguished."

Gao De's voice carried a hint of warning. "Especially in these turbulent times."

"Turbulent times?" Chen You keenly caught the phrase.

Gao De didn't explain, only continuing, "You stepped forward in Zhao City's time of peril and protected tens of thousands of citizens."

"In return, Zhao City is willing to become your strongest backing."

He paused, saying each word deliberately:

"I know your territory was just established and you are short on manpower."

"In my name as the City Lord of Zhao City, I am specially authorizing a unit of the Garrison Army to be stationed at your territory, 'White Jade Capital'."

"To help you stabilize your foundation."