In the spacious hall, many people stood, whispering amongst themselves. Leading them were Xu Tianguo and his companion, with numerous Elders and Hall Masters below—all high-ranking personnel from the Base City. Some had previously been military generals, others notorious drug lords, and a few were just ordinary people with simple minds.
Not long after, the sound of footsteps approached from outside. Ye Chen walked in with his sister, and all chatter immediately ceased. Every head turned to look at the man, their eyes filled with awe, as they parted to create a path for him.
Ye Chen walked steadily to the head of the hall, glanced down, and slowly took his seat. Xu Tianguo, seated beside him, subtly raised a hand, signaling everyone else to sit. He leaned toward Ye Chen and whispered, "The quantity of monsters this time has been tallied." He then handed him a report—a document recorded simply but requiring immense effort to compile.
Monster corpses below Level 100: 294,000! Monster corpses between Level 100 and 200: 75,000! Monster corpses between Level 200 and 500: 34,000! Monster corpses between Level 500 and 1000: 8,271! Above Level 1000: 36 heads!
Ye Chen quickly scanned the figures and nodded slightly, awaiting Xu Tianguo’s strategy. The man paused, seemingly weighing his words, before speaking plainly, "Besides the spoils from the monsters, the losses to the Base City were severe. The Black Armor Camp lost approximately 35,000 soldiers; the Blood God Hall lost 428 fighters, leaving just over 100; the Superman Camp lost 15 out of 32 men, leaving 17. Many were injured or maimed. We will utilize the gene pods purchased from the Huaxia Base City to repair severed limbs, which incurs a significant expense."
As long as they weren't dead, limbs could be restored using the gene pods, though the cost was exorbitant, consuming vast amounts of vital energy.
Following this great battle, the overall combat strength of the Base City was only about one-third of its original capacity. Fortunately, the blood and scent left by powerful monsters like the Violet Scale Flood Dragon would deter further immediate attacks; otherwise, another assault would have been far more tragic!
After Xu Tianguo finished, noticing Ye Chen hadn't offered an opinion, he continued, "Everyone suffered heavy losses this time. I plan to distribute the monster corpses below Level 100. Every member of the Black Armor Camp will receive two 'full packages,' and Blood God Hall members will each get one below-Level-100 corpse, plus two between Level 100 and 200." The term "full package" meant the corpse was not skinned or scaled, preserving the blood, skin, and scales that could be used for crafting equipment or selling.
Ye Chen nodded slightly. "Too little. Keep the corpses above Level 500, and prepare to distribute the rest. Every Black Armor Camp member gets five Level 100 monster corpses. Additionally, recruit more soldiers from the branch office in the Huaxia Base City."
Xu Tianguo started, giving him a strange look, but offered no objection, only nodding. "Recruitment has already begun there; many people have joined in the last couple of days."
Ye Chen nodded, paused briefly, and then stated, "Lift all the poisons suppressing the Superman experts."
This declaration shocked everyone present. More than half the attendees were Superman-level powerhouses, each infused with the toxin. Hearing this, some couldn't believe their ears.
Xu Tianguo also paused, wondering if Ye Chen wasn't afraid of rebellion. Ye Chen seemed to read his mind, speaking calmly in front of everyone without lowering his voice, "The Black Beast Army is currently garrisoned in the Base City; there’s no need to worry about rebellion."
Everyone knew the poison was meant to suppress rebellion, but seeing Ye Chen state it so matter-of-factly left them momentarily speechless.
Xu Tianguo managed a wry smile and dropped the subject. "I will issue the order shortly."
Ye Chen understood perfectly what needed to be done and when. With the Black Beast Army stationed here, coupled with Xu Tianguo and his companion, these dozen-plus Superman experts wouldn't dare revolt, even without the suppressive poison.
Subsequently, a series of revised welfare distributions were implemented. Seeing Ye Chen distribute the monster corpses without hesitation, those present felt a measure of respect. When they received the antidote, their gratitude was even greater. Although they knew the antidote was only given because of the Black Beast Army, they still felt a genuine touch of humanity.
As the accumulated monster corpses were parceled out, cheers erupted throughout the city. The warriors below, who had been drooling over the piles of corpses, howled excitedly and rushed to the distribution points to claim their spoils.
When they heard they would each receive five Level 100 monster corpses, everyone's mouth formed an 'O.' It felt like being struck by a golden egg. These Black Armor Camp fighters generally possessed physiques only around Level 10 to 20; a Level 100 monster corpse was practically an immense fortune!
After all, not everyone possessed the Superman Mode that allowed them to kill monsters significantly above their level. And even those who did wouldn't dare use it lightly, relying on it only as a final safeguard.
The hundred-plus members of the Blood God Hall, generally around Level 40 to 50, were deeply moved to receive five Level 200 monster corpses each. Wearing leather armor crafted from Level 200 monster hides, they knew they wouldn't be ripped apart if ambushed by a monster.
The 17 members of the Superman Camp each received 10 to 15 Level 500 monster corpses and two Level 1000 monster corpses. Although there were thousands of Level 1000 corpses, distributing only 34 among them was like a drop in the ocean—but for these individuals, it was a massive haul. Each of them could barely kill a Level 1000 monster even in Superman Mode, let alone now obtaining two, plus ten Level 500 corpses—it was a bumper harvest!
After all, of all those monsters, up to 90 were felled by Ye Chen's own hand!
Everyone was quite grateful and touched by the Base City's generosity. With the city successfully defended, everyone had brought their dependents—sisters, mothers, and others—into the Base City, fully making it their home, which sparked an incredible sense of cohesion!
After receiving the corpses, these individuals immediately had food and high-tier weapons and equipment to use. Teaming up in pairs or trios, they ventured into the wilds to hunt, their efficiency greatly increased, their mortality rate significantly lowered, and their overall capability elevated—even surpassing their previous peak!
The remaining monster corpses below Level 50 were distributed among the Base City's construction workers, intelligence personnel, production staff, and so on, with each person receiving one. These people stared in shock for a long time before realizing they hadn't misheard. They were ecstatic, faces beaming with smiles while repairing the city walls, even whistling tunes. They greeted strangers with cheerful nods.
Joy permeated the entire city.
What truly conquered people's hearts was not strength, but emotion.
While these people wouldn't necessarily throw themselves into a wall for Ye Chen without hesitation, they certainly wouldn't slack off behind the scenes. For example, if they noticed a section of the city wall that needed repair but wasn't obviously damaged, they would previously have ignored it. Now, they would diligently fix it.
They spared no effort in contributing to the Base City with these simple gestures.
As the reward policy was rolled out, Ye Chen, accompanied by Bai Long and the others, proceeded to his residence. Xu Tianguo had specially ordered it built to be magnificent, resembling a structure from ancient Greek temples, displaying extraordinary grandeur and coated entirely in gold dust.
In the grand hall lined with a red carpet, Ye Chen addressed Xu Tianguo and his companion. "Set aside 65 Level 600 monster corpses with intact bodies and hand them over to the Black Snail Worms to boost the overall strength of the Black Beast Army. If any of those 17 Superman genes prove unruly, use it as a warning to the others!"
Xu Tianguo nodded, sensing from Ye Chen's tone that he sounded as if he were giving final instructions. He couldn't help but ask, "Are you leaving the Base City?"
Ye Chen nodded. "Once the city stabilizes over the next couple of days, I will travel to Russia to search for a prehistoric civilization ruin. As for the monster skins, horns, and scales, you can ask Ai’erwei to help forge leather armor and weapons. However, we lack the energy crystals for cultivation; we'll need to go collect those!"
Upon hearing this, Bai Long and the others' eyes lit up, eagerness surfacing. Down below, Yue Heng's eyes shone brightly, his face etched with a fighting spirit. His lower body had just been fully repaired in the gene pod, but it had cost him an immense amount of his own vital energy—at least 50 years off his lifespan!
However, with his physique increasing, he knew he could replenish that lost vitality once he broke through Level 100.
Bai Long spoke without reservation, curiosity getting the better of him. "How do you know there's a ruin there?"
"I guessed," Ye Chen replied calmly.
Bai Long immediately rolled his eyes, muttered something under his breath, and then expressed anticipation. "I wonder what treasures that ruin holds. If we seize them, the Base City's combat power will surpass that of the Huaxia Base City."
Ye Chen regarded him coolly. "Whether we can seize it is still a question."
Bai Long’s eyes widened. "Surely, with your strength, you can't conquer that ruin? Is this ruin more incredible than the Atlantis ruins?"
Ye Chen glanced at him. "If Ai’erwei hadn't been sealed and the city hadn't been overrun by prehistoric monsters, even with my current strength, I couldn't have taken the Atlantis ruins. At best, I would have ended up utterly destroyed, taking them down with me."
The Atlantis ruins, a Level Six ruin, should not be underestimated. As the holy city where the Seven Sages resided, it absolutely contained Ten Thousand Level Purple-Gold Mechanical Warriors. But for some unknown reason, they were wiped out. Moreover, in such a massive steel city, he couldn't believe there wasn't a self-destruct system!
The self-destruction of a city would atomize even his Superman state physique, which was over ten thousand levels high!
The ruin he was heading to next was also a Level Six ruin, but it might be much better preserved. Therefore, even with two Superman Modes, he only had an 80 percent chance of conquering it, not a hundred percent!
Hence, he needed to prepare thoroughly before departing.
Ye Chen immediately instructed Bai Long and the others, "Go consume some of the blood from the Demon Bird leader to strive for a breakthrough past Level 100. If you do, the survival rate when we enter that ruin will increase significantly."
Although the Demon Bird leader was not a zombie, for someone with a physique around Level 90, consuming the essence within a Level 3000 monster's corpse provided enough nourishment to boost them substantially, an effect no less potent than low-level biochemical enhancements.
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