After a good thrashing, Ye Chen clapped his hands, his body shifting as he darted onto the head of the Purple Scaled Flood Dragon. He found a clean, flat spot, sat down with a thump, and beckoned his sister over. Ye Zhu smiled slightly, her toes barely brushing the ground before she drifted down like a dancing butterfly, landing lightly beside Ye Chen on the dragon’s massive skull.
“I never thought the Black Leech Insect could be so miraculous,” Ye Zhu murmured, still looking at the subdued Flood Dragon with clear amazement. It was hard to believe that the monster which had minutes ago arrogantly threatened to annihilate the entire base city was now their mount.
Ye Chen had already explained the matter of the Black Leech Insect to Bai Long and Xu Tianguo, knowing they would learn about it sooner or later anyway; telling them now had no real consequence.
Ye Chen smiled faintly and gently patted the dragon’s head. With a low groan, the Purple Scaled Flood Dragon slowly straightened up. Inside its head, little Hei sulked, not daring to roar or shout lest he frighten the citizens. He manipulated the dragon’s throat to emit human speech: “Hello everyone, you can call me Hei—Hei Master.” Realizing Ye Chen hadn't beaten him again, he finally relaxed and began to speak freely.
“Master Hei witnessed the wise and mighty appearance of Ye—ahem, Wolf Boss—and was filled with admiration. From this day forward, I shall turn over a new leaf, abandoning evil for good. Though I am a monster, I shall be a monster of noble character, conscience, morality, bearing, and compassion! Therefore, I ask for everyone’s future care; rest assured, Master Hei will protect you all.”
It wanted to add that it would occasionally bring good food, but fearing it might overdo it, it clamped its mouth shut.
Everyone’s jaws dropped, hitting the floor. They nearly spat blood in shock.
The people of the Huaxia Base City, who had moments ago been howling in excited fervor, instantly froze like statues.
They had seen monsters before, but never such a shamelessly roguish one.
Didn’t it die?
How could it be subdued?
Monsters can be tamed?
Damn it all!
Every single person stared at the Purple Scaled Flood Dragon, utterly speechless. The feeling was akin to watching a majestic emperor, radiating inherent power, suddenly beam at them and shout, “Congratulations and may you be prosperous!”
Some keen eyes immediately spotted two figures sitting atop the dragon’s head: a man with black hair wearing an icy mask, and a young woman who was pure and sweet, though sharp resolve occasionally flickered in her eyes.
Those who had harbored any doubts now banished them entirely. The way they looked at Ye Chen was as if regarding a deity; their gazes were so fervent they nearly ignited flames.
Ye Chen, seated on the dragon’s skull, arrived at the main hall under the reverent and awestruck gaze of everyone from the Light Base City. The heavily bearded man, Su Xiaochang, and a host of hall masters and elders had come out personally to greet him. Seeing the Flood Dragon so close—so close they could almost see its terrifying white teeth—even with Ye Chen seated upon it, they instinctively feared the behemoth and dared not approach.
Ye Chen sprang down lightly. Bai Long and the others quickly moved forward. They glanced at the Purple Scaled Flood Dragon, their eyes flashing briefly, and seemed to grasp the situation without needing further explanation.
Ye Chen turned to Xu Tianguo, who had stepped forward: “While I am away, this Purple Scaled Flood Dragon is responsible for the base city’s security. Anyone who violates order can ask it to suppress them.”
The assembled elders and hall masters, many of whom possessed the Superhuman Mode, visibly paled, understanding that Ye Chen’s words were aimed directly at them. They glanced at the Flood Dragon and could only offer wry smiles, stripped of any hint of temper.
Afterward, Ye Chen commanded the Flood Dragon to leave and guard the entrance to the city. Xu Tianguo immediately promised to arrange a dwelling for the Black Beast Army quickly, which made little Hei look upon him much more favorably.
Ye Chen led Xu Tianguo, Bai Long, and the others to the meeting area. The hall masters and elders were unqualified to enter. He took the head seat, ordered someone to fetch a sheet of white paper, and then began to write.
Xu Tianguo and Bai Long were curious but remained silent. A moment later, Ye Chen finished writing, snapped his sleeve, and set the brush down. The once pure white paper was now covered in dense script. While the handwriting lacked the sharp, piercing energy of someone trained in swordsmanship, nor the unrestrained grandeur of calligraphic mastery, at first glance it seemed somewhat messy. Yet, upon closer inspection, every character appeared as sharp as a blade’s edge!
Taking the paper, Xu Tianguo gave Ye Chen a surprised look. He couldn't imagine someone who spent so much time wielding a blade could produce such beautiful writing. He stared intently at the content and gasped, his hand trembling slightly, nearly tearing the paper.
Seeing his reaction, Bai Long and the others grew curious and asked what was wrong.
Xu Tianguo forced a wry smile and looked at Ye Chen: “The places written here—do ruins really exist?” The paper listed names of locations, names of ruins, extremely clear instructions on how to enter and excavate each one, and detailed descriptions of the treasures within!
Ye Chen stated calmly, “After I leave, select people with strong constitutions and open these ruins. Each ruin has an approximate strength assessment provided. The strongest ones will require a Superhuman to lead the effort. Do as instructed, and try to open as many as possible before I return.”
Xu Tianguo looked at the incredibly detailed steps written on the paper and couldn't help but chuckle wryly. If these ruins were real, the Light Base City would truly strike it rich!
He gave Ye Chen an odd look. “How do you know all this?”
“I guessed,” Bai Long cut in before Ye Chen could reply, then pouted, “Stingy bastard.”
Ye Chen shot him an annoyed look but said nothing more.
Xu Tianguo smiled faintly, folded the paper, and tucked it into his robes, treating it with the solemnity due a treasure map. He assured Ye Chen, “Rest assured, I will strive to clear out these ruins.”
Ye Chen nodded. The paper listed a total of 12 ruins, all of Level One Civilization ruins, small in area—about the size of a basketball court, similar to the Rune Civilization relic they had obtained. If they followed the steps, acquisition should be manageable, and the rise of the Light Base City would then become unstoppable!
His own task was to head to Russia first and secure the ruin there.
After Ye Chen finished giving instructions, Xu Tianguo saw that he still had matters to discuss privately, so he sensibly excused himself to get to work, leaving only Bai Long and the others.
Once Xu Tianguo departed, Bai Long pondered for a moment before addressing Ye Chen: “Last time at Nine Dragon Mountain, after you left, we captured two people. Under Mo Feng’s interrogation, they confessed they did know you. Later, I killed the man, but we let the woman go.”
Ye Chen frowned slightly, deliberately casting an interested glance at Bai Long. “Why did you let her go?”
Bai Long offered a bitter smile. “Blame me, then.” He could never forget the pitiful sight of the two, who had endured all methods of torture without yielding, collapsing in terror when they saw Mo Feng push up his glasses and approach the dark basement carrying a specially prepared syringe.
Then, Jing Yu stubbornly bit her lip and refused to speak, but the man beside her lacked her fortitude. He surrendered quickly, claiming that she was the one who instigated everything, and he had acted only out of necessity. Upon hearing this, the determination in Jing Yu’s eyes instantly shattered, and tears streamed down her face.
Seeing those tears, Bai Long felt a sharp pang in his heart, as if all her suffering was his fault. In a burst of anger, he killed the man and released Jing Yu without asking anything further. Zhuge Fan and the others also found it strange but did not intervene.
Perhaps her spirit was broken, or perhaps a flicker of conscience returned, Jing Yu looked pale and haggard, like a soul departed. She mumbled softly that she had a group of sisters, and they had formed a team outside the city, possessing considerable strength, warning Bai Long to be cautious. Afterward, she walked away in a daze, muttering words too faint for anyone to hear.
Recalling that scene, Bai Long felt a profound sense of helplessness and regret.
Ye Chen looked at him but said nothing in response. Instead, a thought stirred in his mind, reminding him of the absurd events he witnessed before the great Buddha statue at the former Buddhist temple...
Shaking his head, Ye Chen dismissed the memory and casually asked, “What is your current strength level?”
Bai Long seemed unable to shake off his melancholy and sighed, “My strength is only Tier Seven, my Physique Level is 350!”
“My strength is Tier Nine, and my Physique has reached 450!” Zhuge Fan stated honestly.
Among the thousands of monsters they encountered, those of the Metal element were more numerous, while Water element ones were scarce.
Yue Heng sighed resignedly, “I’m Tier Eight, Physique 400!”
“Same,” Mo Feng stated flatly, truly embodying the definition of brevity.
Ye Chen nodded. “Everyone pack your essential supplies. We are heading to Russia this time, and it probably won’t be a short trip.”
Supplies meant small things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, lighters, and matches. They wouldn't need spare clothes; if something got dirty, they could just wash their bodies in a shallow stream.
In this apocalyptic era where survival was centered on obtaining food, carrying items like toothpaste and toothbrushes was considered luxurious. Most people focused only on staying alive and paid little attention to bad breath.
Once everyone had gathered their gear, Ye Chen removed his mask and changed into a set of black clothes, manipulating his facial muscles into another ordinary appearance. Bai Long took out a black bamboo hat, intending to shield Ye Chen’s face, but was firmly refused.
In these times, wearing a bamboo hat felt equivalent to having the words "I am an idiot" written directly above one's head.
Following this, Ye Chen walked behind Bai Long and the others, neither servile nor arrogant, proceeding toward the city gates. On the way, they received many gazes filled with reverence and admiration. Bai Long and the others were renowned as the great commanders guarding the city, and Ye Chen, trailing behind them, was subconsciously categorized as one of their attendants.
Some even exclaimed, “As expected of an Elder-level powerhouse, truly amazing! He brings attendants along just to kill monsters, making it seem like child's play!”
Their awe was understandable. When one had spent two or three days exhausted in a foul-smelling pit to ambush a single monster, stomach growling so loudly it felt like the intestines were dissolving, all while suppressing the noise and staying hyper-alert for other threats—only then could one truly grasp how difficult killing one monster was.
The six of them left the base city under the awe-filled eyes of the populace. As the setting sun dipped low, it cast their figures long shadows upon the twilight road...
At this moment, it felt as if the flames of conflict were beginning to spread, burning fiercely across the territories of China before expanding across the globe!