Chapter 286 - 285: The Great Net is Being Woven

In Northern Boundary Mountain’s Initial Land, five- to six-story concrete buildings were commonplace. The streets, over ten meters wide, were all masterpieces of Dharma Realm experts, and a city was beginning to take shape.

Five million people gathered here, calling themselves the hub of the Inner City and the continuation of Gao Yuan City’s will.

The Martial Arts Teams, originally tasked with protecting the refugees, returned after successfully managing the sprawling crowds. All the experts gathered in this city. Skills like weaving, farming, and hunting developed rapidly—there was never a shortage of talent among the people.

The area containing the Teleportation Array Hub was enclosed by a great, high wall, forming a "Teleportation Hall"—a building with a vast framework but simple construction.

The buildings, refined by Kun Earth Spirit Charm, had exteriors as smooth and sleek as natural porcelain, while their interiors were as hard as marble.

And now, within this "Teleportation Hall," the final group of Gao Yuan City’s citizens was about to arrive—the heroes who had defended the city to the very last moment.

All the members of the Initial Land Committee had been waiting here for some time. They had cleared the area, inside and out, and had even changed into formal suits they kept in their Storage Bracelets.

VMMMM...

Space trembled. A blinding flash of white light flared as a surging aura erupted from within, crashing down like a tsunami.

Led by Jiang Qiu, four Grandmasters, eight Grandmasters, over one hundred high-level Dharma Realm experts, and the final group of Secret Realm researchers descended upon this place.

"Where is this?"

Jiang Qiu’s brow twitched. He squinted and scanned his surroundings, startled to find himself inside a massive concrete building. It seemed the small array hub serving as the teleportation point had been enclosed in a "cage."

When he had left the Northern Boundary, this place had been a nascent wilderness, just beginning to be tamed. Aside from various ruins, there had been no large structures to speak of.

But now, upon his return, everything had changed.

Several Dharma Realm Martial Artists in suits, who had clearly been waiting a long time, greeted them one by one, their eyes welling with tears.

A middle-aged man, who seemed to be the leader of the group and was apparently Lin Yu’s youngest Direct Disciple, Wang Dan, spoke up. "Master, Grandmaster Jiang... the citizens of Gao Yuan City have mostly settled in, but we still haven’t found a way to leave the Secret Realm."

He calmly briefed his mentor, Jiang Qiu, and the other top experts on the current situation of the Gao Yuan City refugees. He then briefly described the Initial Land’s accomplishments and offered his analysis of the Northern Boundary.

"So, you’re saying you established an Initial Land Committee, absorbing the former high-level officials from various city organizations to manage the eight million refugees from Gao Yuan City?"

Lin Yu’s brow furrowed. Though his body was frail, his gaze remained as sharp as a lightning strike. "Who is the nominal supreme leader of this Initial Land?"

’There’s no such thing as absolute equality in the world. It’s easy to see who is tallest among ten people, but when millions gather, the situation becomes far more complex.’

’Regardless, unilaterally forming a governing body is tantamount to rebellion.’

’Even if born of necessity, should someone with ulterior motives exploit it, the act would be indefensible!’

"Master, there is no nominal supreme leader. Given the difficulties with communication, we can’t get immediate public feedback. For now, the committee is responsible for decisions and arrangements. We have been awaiting your arrival and that of the other heroes to determine the path forward."

Wang Dan spoke with clear enunciation, bowing his head slightly to show his respect for Lin Yu and the other heroes.

"Enough," Lin Yu said. "Disband the committee. Jiang Qiu gave us the coordinates to this Secret Realm, he’s the one who completed the Teleportation Array, and he’s the one who defended Gao Yuan City. He is the one who should be at the helm."

Hearing his master’s words, Wang Dan’s brow twitched, but he simply nodded in assent and said nothing more.

’He had been among the first to arrive here, tasked with ensuring the security of the Secret Realm coordinates Jiang Qiu had provided, so he wasn’t entirely clear on the subsequent events in Gao Yuan City.’

’But the steady stream of new arrivals had brought enough information for him to grasp the situation: Luo Beixing had fallen, and Jiang Qiu had forced the Demon Emperor Chen into retreat!’

’The strongest person from Gao Yuan City is Jiang Qiu. He’s also incredibly well-connected. Even my own master, an authority as revered as Taishan Mountain, favors him. And the other Grandmaster here is the vice president of the Soldier Cultivation Academy—his background speaks for itself.’

"You’re too kind, Elder Lin," Jiang Qiu said with a faint smile. "I only know how to fight. I don’t know the first thing about administration. Professional matters should be left to professionals like you. Besides," he added, "everyone can rest assured. Here in the Northern Boundary, there is currently nothing that can threaten us. For now, shouldn’t we take a headcount of the population?"

’He truly didn’t know how to manage people. All the tedious details would have to be left to Elder Lin and the others. All he needed to do was provide the exit.’

’Arriving in the Northern Boundary, a familiar feeling washed over him. The top-down sense of control was like a True Dragon looking down upon a member of the Dragon Race small enough to fit in its claw.’

’He could open the exit to the Secret Realm at any time. But it was different now. Opening it at his current Realm seemed like it would attract some strange, unforeseen consequences.’

’The Dao Entry Realm meant one had already entered the Great Dao; every single action could create ripples in space.’

’Furthermore, his body contained the bloodline of the Dragon Race and was closely linked to the True Dragon. The entire Northern Boundary was also intimately connected to the True Dragon. The slightest move from him could trigger an ominous premonition...’

However, no one knew the specific nature of Jiang Qiu’s relationship with the Northern Boundary. Even Elder Lin merely assumed he could communicate with the "will" of the Northern Boundary.

At Wang Dan’s arrangement, Jiang Qiu left the Teleportation Hall to tour the Initial Land. His eyes flashed with amazement. "How long has passed here? This development is incredibly fast."

"Three months."

The young woman at the Spirit Body Realm assigned to be his guide had a sweet voice, and the buttons on her blouse were strained.

’There was a time discrepancy between the two realms. Jiang Qiu was well aware of this. One day on Blue Star was three months here—the ratio was staggering.’

’Twenty years could pass here in the time it took for three months to pass in the Outer Realm. And with the Northern Boundary’s Spirit Charm currently reviving, who knew how many prodigies could be nurtured here!’

As the two walked and chatted, their unique clothing drew the eyes of many onlookers, who couldn’t help but stare in envy.

Three months had passed, and most people had no change of clothes. What they wore were simple garments woven from vines after their arrival, a far cry from the fine clothes of modern society.

The only ones who still had modern clothing were either Martial Artists with Storage Bracelets or their family members, who had the means and foresight to bring extra clothes when they arrived early.

’So for a young woman to be dressed so formally, her status was obvious. She had to be a Martial Artist, at the very least.’

’And the person she was treating with such respect couldn’t be a simple character either. Maybe he was a direct descendant of a committee member?’

Divorced from modern society, laws had to be redefined. Without organized security forces, the small number of Martial Artists had become the de facto rulers. Fists were proving stronger than rules.

The only saving grace was that the law still held some sway. The committee’s higher-ups worried they might one day return to the Xia Country, at which point all their actions would be subject to judgment.

But in the shadows, many Martial Artists were already enjoying the taste of power. A great web was being woven...