n

n

n

n

n

nThe darkness dissipated, and light descended. The stronghold welcomed a new day.

n

nIn front of a shop selling breakfast, there was a long line of more than 20 people. Everyone was still excitedly discussing the news from the rocky plains.

n

nSome of the first group to set off that night had already returned to the stronghold. Not only did these people bring back heavy gains, but they also confirmed the rumors that there were treasures everywhere in the rocky plains.

n

nFor the time being, the fact that some of the teams suffered casualties, and some people had died in accidents were selectively ignored.

n

nNot many people held a conservative opinion anymore. The entire stronghold was filled with an excited atmosphere.

n

nMany people even started to dream that they would live in the rocky plains for a long time and break through to the next level by fighting. One day, they would return to the stronghold as experts and become a legend.

n

nChen Yiming carried two plates of soup dumplings, two fried dough sticks, and two cups of soy milk to an open-air wooden table. Zhao Meijing happily took her portion of the food.

n

nThe skin on her face was fair and rosy, and she exuded a charming aura that attracted the attention of passersby.

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n“It seems like there is a large group of people from the Western provinces that arrived in the stronghold overnight.”

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nChen Yiming ate one soup di=umpling after another and chatted as he ate.

n

n“I saw them on the way here. They have sharp noses, big eyes, and obviously foreign features. They look different from most people,” Zhao Meijing said with a nod.

n

n“The Daxia Kingdom is thousands of kilometers away from the west to the east. It looks like the situation at the stronghold is going well. The attraction has reached the entire Daxia Kingdom,” Chen Yiming said with a narcissistic smile.

n

n“Of course. It’s all thanks to someone,” Zhao Meijing praised in a low voice.

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nChen Yiming was overjoyed to hear this.

n

nThe sense of accomplishment was indescribable. He felt like the emperors of ancient times that had both a large empire and many beauties under him.

n

nIn the world of martial arts, the powerful were high and mighty. They watched the changes in the world with a smile. The countries on the blue planet, including the strongest two, the Daxia Kingdom and the Sam Nation, were all the same.

n

nIn reality, most of the situation was led by those in the master realm. Nuclear weapons were forced to take a back seat as a deterrent force that could bring others down with them.

n

n…

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nAfter breakfast, Chen Yiming and Zhao Meijing parted ways.

n

nThe sense of accomplishment in his heart had yet to fade. He planned to walk around the stronghold a few times. On the other hand, Zhao Meijing had been taught by Chen Yiming all night. In order to maintain her condition, she had to go back and catch up on her sleep.

n

nA team of more than 20 people stopped in front of a martial arts supplies store.

n

nOne could tell where they came from just by looking at their foreign appearance. Each of them was holding a horse leash, and the tall warhorses neighed from time to time. They were very vigilant of their surroundings.

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n“Dad, is it really alright? Ever since we entered Jiangdu City, those people from the coastal cities have never looked at us in a good way,”

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na young man with long, fluffy hair said in a low voice.

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n“No matter where we are, strength is the foundation. The reason why we are being viewed as enemies is because our arrival has intensified the competition. Let’s endure it for now,”

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na middle-aged man with a full beard replied in an equally low voice.

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nThe young man with long, fluffy hair fell silent, but from his expression, it was clear that he was not convinced. He just had no choice but to follow his father’s orders.

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nThe reason why he objected was mainly because in their hometown in the western plains, they were above the others.

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nBut after traveling thousands of kilometers to Jiangnan province and entering the stronghold of the otherworld, they had become a small group of weak people who were easily bullied and had no one to complain to.

n

nNo matter how he thought about it, it was better to stay in the plains and rule over the region.

n

n“What future can there be if you continue to stay in the plains? Entering the otherworld is the trend now. If you don’t follow the trend, you will definitely be eliminated.”

n

nThe bearded middle-aged man glared at him.

n

n“But…”

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nThe fluffy-haired young man wanted to defend himself, but was interrupted.

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nThe bearded middle-aged man continued, “This is a stronghold now. Before long, it will definitely develop into a city. In the future, it will become the elite area of the Daxia Kingdom.

n

nThere is a huge difference in the cultivation environment across a space-travel passage. Are you pretending to be stupid or are you really stupid?”

n

nTowards the end, his saliva flew everywhere as he lectured him.

n

n“I just…”

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n“Just what? If you have the ability, you can open up a space-travel passage on the plains and build a long-term stronghold there. In the future, the elite district will be right outside our house. Then, you won’t have to go so far, but can you do it?”

n

nThe young man with the fluffy hair was reprimanded openly in the streets, but he could not refute it.

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nThe passers-by glanced at the young man with contempt in their eyes. One more person meant one more competitor. If he did not want to be here, he could stay away. He was not welcome here.

n

nChen Yiming passed by and saw everything.

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nHe suddenly realized a problem. Even the elite martial artists in the western plains thousands of kilometers away had gathered in Jiangnan province. The situation in the nearby provinces was probably even worse.

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nBecause of the development of the otherworld in Jiangnan province that he was overseeing, they had absorbed a large amount of martial arts power from the other provinces.

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nAt some point, the balance of strength between the human cities and the mutant beasts would be broken.

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nTo deal with external threats, one had to first settle internal affairs. If he did not resolve the problem of the mutant beasts gathering in the Daxia Kingdom first, it would always be a hidden danger.

n

nPerhaps one day, they would be used by others, just like how it was when the Western corporations had sent the evil organization to cause trouble.

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nHe whispered, “Dealing with the gathering place of the mutant beasts in the Daxia Kingdom involves too many things. It’s not something that can be resolved by just killing them. That will only cause a beast tide that will sweep through the entire country.

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nHowever, it shouldn’t be a problem to only target the mutant beasts gathered in Jiangnan province.”

n

n…

n

nAfter returning to the camp, Chen Yiming went to the shooting range to check on Chen Yingying.

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nAfter confirming that his sister was not sleeping in and was practicing with the archery teacher, he found a quiet place and communicated with the figure in his mind.

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nChen Yiming: Have you fully explored the rocky plains?

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nThe figure in his mind: It’s done. The rocky plains is about 1,000 kilometers wide.

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nChen Yiming: What about the traces of the Western martial master?

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nThe figure in his mind: The range of the search is too large, so I didn’t find anything for the time being. He should be hiding somewhere again.

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nChen Yiming: The Skill Points are always increasing by one at a time. Are there no stone golems at the master realm in the entire rocky plains?

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nThe figure in his mind: I’ve never encountered any. They might be hiding underground.

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nAfter understanding the situation, he stopped his communication with the spiritual figure.

n

nChen Yiming frowned. He felt that he had underestimated the effect of the master realm on one’s lifespan, which would be increased by two to three times.

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nEven in the otherworld, as long as one’s luck was not too bad, one could go almost anywhere. Therefore, all of them would rather be cowards and hide if they sensed that something was amiss.

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nHowever, not only did the spiritual power have the ability to detect things, but it also had many other uses like hiding one’s aura. Even though Chen Yiming had the advantage of fighting two against one, it would be a waste if he couldn’t find his target.

n

nHe said angrily, “Consider yourself lucky. If you can’t find another space-travel passage that connects to the blue planet, you can stay in the otherworld forever! Let’s see who can last longer.”

n

n“Even if you’re lucky enough to find a space-travel passage and secretly return to the blue planet, it’s best if you hide your identity well. Otherwise, hehe…”

n

n…

n

nEast Lake City.

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nChen Yiming called the spiritual figure back to the stronghold and switched from offense to defense to ensure his sister’s safety. Without telling anyone, he quietly left the otherworld.

n

nWhen he returned home, he found his mother burning incense and praying to Buddha.

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n“Son, why are you suddenly back? Where’s your sister?”

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nMother Chen was surprised to see the person who had opened the door.

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n“Chen Yingying is too weak. I asked her to cultivate in the otherworld for a while longer. By the way, where did Dad go?”

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nChen Yiming changed into slippers and walked into the living room.

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n“Sigh! I won’t agree to let your sister go to the otherworld no matter what next time. She’s not suited for it, and I’m on tenterhooks all day.

n

nFurthermore, your father is obsessed with the otherworld. He goes to the square every day to brag to others. If you ask me, why should he care about such things? Is your father really able to cultivate martial arts again at his age?”

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nMother Chen said to herself.

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n“I’ve made the arrangements for my sister to stay in the otherworld. Her safety is definitely not a problem,”

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nChen Yiming explained, trying to reassure Mother Chen.

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n“These days, even brothers can turn against each other for the sake of some assets, let alone strangers. Outsiders are ultimately outsiders. You can’t be completely at ease,” Mother Chen retorted.

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n“Then I’ll find another time to bring my sister back,” Chen Yiming said helplessly.

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nThe spiritual figure was equivalent to his clone, but this was not something he could easily explain to Mother Chen, who was still an ordinary person. She probably wouldn’t believe him and it might even backfire.

n

n“Then hurry up. Don’t lie to me,” Mother Chen’s eyes lit up as she said seriously.

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nChen Yiming smiled bitterly. He could vaguely understand Mother Chen’s thoughts. He had been running around all year round and wasn’t often at home, leaving only Chen Yingying at home. Mother Chen naturally wanted her daughter to stay by her side.

n

n…

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nAt lunchtime, Father Chen returned from outside.

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nBecause he ate and slept well every day, his face was flushed with vigor, and he seemed to have become 10 years younger.

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nWhen Father Chen heard that Chen Yingying had been left behind in the otherworld to cultivate, his reaction was completely different from Mother Chen’s. He agreed with Chen Yiming’s decision.

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n“Your sister’s martial arts talent is not very good to begin with. Of course, a weak person has to know their limits and not slack off. She has to work harder and put in more effort than others.”

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nFather Chen gave him a thumbs up.

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nThese words angered Mother Chen. “Old man, what nonsense are you spouting? What did the news report? Don’t just read the good news. Don’t you care about how many people have died?”

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nFather Chen argued, “How can there be anywhere that is 100% safe in this world? Besides, the news deliberately emphasized the number of casualties just to lead up to the upcoming restrictions. The government doesn’t want everyone to rush into the otherworld. The blue planet still needs martial arts power to support it.”

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nMother Chen retorted, “What’s the use of worrying about that? It’s none of our business.”

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nFather Chen couldn’t outargue her, so he turned to Chen Yiming for help. “Yiming, tell me. Between me and your mother, who makes more sense?”

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nChen Yiming wiped his sweat. How was his mother trying to reason with him? He decided not to get involved to prevent himself from being implicated.

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nAt the same time, from the information revealed by Father Chen, Chen Yiming realized that Jiangnan province would impose restrictions on entering the otherworld. It wouldn’t be long before the information would be released.

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nThis was normal. If they all rushed into the otherworld, would the city not need anyone to guard it? Would they not need to be wary of the beast tide?

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nThe development of the otherworld had to be done step by step. If they took too big a step, it would be easy for them to screw things up.

n

n…

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nAfter lunch, Father Chen went out again.

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nMother Chen told Chen Yiming, “Your father is going to the square to brag to others again. The news of your return can’t be hidden anymore.”

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nChen Yiming thought to himself, “I’m not working in secret. It’s fine if others know that I’m back. I’m just used to keeping a low profile.”

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nHowever, seeing that his mother was still angry, he did not say anything in the end.

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nChen Yiming lay on the sofa and turned on the television. He switched channels continuously to see if there was anything interesting.

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nWhen he turned to the Jiangdu TV station, a general from the military was speaking. The reporter in charge of the interview was Zhang Yan.

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n“Recently, there are rumors among the general public that the evil organization has not been completely wiped out. General Li, what do you think of this problem?”

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n“The military has already set up an inescapable net in Jiangnan province. We promise not to let any member of the evil organization off and to bring justice for all the victims.”

n

n…

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nChen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief.

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nHe did not go back on his word. Zhou Hongquan had done a good job. Otherwise, he would have become a heartless scumbag.

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nAt this moment, Mother Chen suddenly said, “This girl is not bad. She has a good temperament and has a good figure. It’s just that as a reporter, she can’t take care of her family. What a pity!”

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nChen Yiming’s eyelids twitched, and he almost revealed a strange expression.

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nNo one dared to spread the rumors about him. Mother Chen still did not know that he had already laid with the female reporter.

n

n…

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nAfter dinner, the mayor of East Lake City, Hong Yi, visited.

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nNow that the Chen family had a special status, the higher-ups of East Lake City would not disturb them unless it was for something important.

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nHong Yi’s tone was very respectful. He did not make any requests from the start to the end and only talked about the changes in East Lake City.

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nTime passed very quickly, but it also felt like it was passing very slowly. Back when East Lake City was attacked by the alien bird creatures, Hong Yi had even assigned Chen Yiming the task of transporting supplies back to Luoxi City.

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nHow long has it been? This young man, who was not even 20 years old, was already standing at the top of the world. His every move could even affect the situation of the entire blue planet.

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nIn comparison, as the mayor of a small city, Hong Yi’s influence was no longer on the same level. If not for the fact that East Lake City was his hometown, he would not have had any reason to visit him.

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nHalf an hour later, Hong Yi left the Chen family’s house.

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n“Mayor Hong is so polite. It’s a little different from what I saw on television,” Mother Chen sighed after sending him out.

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n“Can’t you tell? Isn’t it because of our son? If our family was still the same as when we opened the restaurant, would Mayor Hong have come to visit? Would he have been so polite?” Father Chen leaned back on the sofa and replied.

n

n“He didn’t ask our son for any help. Don’t be too suspicious,” Mother Chen retorted.

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n“Tsk! You don’t understand. If my son doesn’t object, then he doesn’t have any other opinion. That’s enough. Do you think I’m wasting my time going out every day?” Father Chen said confidently.

n

n“You’re reading too much into it. You’re just feeling good about yourself.” Mother Chen rolled her eyes.

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n“If you don’t believe me, so be it. Time will prove everything. Just you wait and see.” Father Chen had no way of proving it, so he could only say this.

n

nChen Yiming sat on the other sofa and didn’t get involved in the conversation.

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nHong Yi had said that the railway between East Lake City and the base city had been completed. The city had built enough trains to ensure that East Lake City would operate the transportation smoothly.

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nChen Yiming didn’t object or give any comments. Hong Yi had relied on this to get a second opinion that they were more than qualified to operate the railway to the base city.

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nHong Yi also mentioned the changes in the East Lake Martial Arts Academy. All the teachers and students in the academy had switched to the cultivation technique left behind by Chen Yiming. At the moment, they were improving at an astonishing speed.

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nChen Yiming didn’t comment, indicating that he agreed with the East Lake Martial Arts Academy’s actions.

n

nThis way, the East Lake Martial Arts Academy would become a pilot school for his technique. It would be very attractive to the young geniuses from other schools and even other provinces.

n

n…

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