Ten minutes felt fleeting, yet for the base city on the Russian border, it stretched into an eternity. Panic still reigned in the streets of the major cities, a ceaseless chorus of cries and angry shouts echoing everywhere.
In the northern base city of Russia, all high-ranking officials had fled into the Ruins with most of the populace, sealing the spatial entrance behind them. Inside, people were scattered across the streets, but the silence was absolute, a deathly quiet that pressed down on every heart like a massive stone.
Hoo! Hoo!
Shallow, trembling breaths filled the air. Everyone wore expressions of stark terror, as if afraid of disturbing something, merely waiting for the final countdown to expire.
9 minutes, 8 minutes, 7 minutes…
In sharp contrast to the dead silence within the Ruins, the outside base city now roared with a sound like collapsing mountains and shattering earth. Everyone still outside felt like ants on a hot griddle, lost in aimless chaos, and when they heard the sound of countless torrents surging and roaring, they looked up in sheer fright.
That single glance felt like suffocation.
In the distance, where the sky met the earth, a dazzling white line was expanding, surging toward them with the force of an overwhelming tide, its crest reaching hundreds of feet high. Every dilapidated skyscraper in its path was instantly crushed without question, and behind that churning wave, several dark shadows were clearly visible—several Dragon Whales!
These few Dragon Whales frolicked within the spray, churning layers of floodwater as they charged forward.
Boom!
The city walls of the base city were breached as if made of paper, shattered by the overwhelming force. Seawater flooded the city in an instant, submerging the entire metropolis and obliterating every structure.
“Ah, ah…”
“Run!”
Everyone’s eyes were wide, they scrambled to flee in a frenzy, only to be instantly swept into the flood, becoming fodder for the sea beasts within.
“Countdown ended.”
Inside the Ruins, the bells fell silent.
The streets of the entire complex were hushed, a scene reminiscent of the apocalypse.
In the Huaxia Base City within the Chinese region, and the Guangming Base City, people were rapidly retreating from the streets. Thanks to advance preparation, there was little outright panic at this crucial moment; most had long since evacuated into the Ruins, leaving only one entrance open to monitor the outside situation.
The city towers of the base city were deserted. Scattered pieces of paper whirled and whispered in the mournful wind down the empty avenues.
At the center of Atlantis City, within the Temple of Light, a projection shimmered, hanging inverted over the city. The illusion depicted a flood surging from the distance, destroying the city. The raw, terrifying power of those colossal waves made every heart tremble, instilling a sense of irresistible impotence.
Everyone watched with bated breath in profound silence, feeling the oppressive atmosphere choke them.
A series of cold, clear chimes echoed through the entire city via the broadcast speakers, sounding like the death knell reporting the imminent arrival of the flood.
Silence! Silence!
Across the entire world, save for the world-shattering deluge, everywhere else was utterly still. Behind the dim, heavy clouds, it seemed a pair of eyes watched this land with cold indifference.
Inside the Guangming Base City.
Everyone watched the video transmitter placed in the Russian base city with taut expressions. They saw the flood submerge and destroy several major Russian cities; the video feed then blurred and lost signal.
When the flood submerged the globe, a new era would begin: the Ice Age!
The bells chimed on…
Everyone offered silent prayers…
In major regions across the world, seawater surged, breaking the coastlines and drowning many low-lying nations. Faced with this sublime, terrifying power of heaven and earth, human strength seemed utterly insignificant and humble.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the Statue of Liberty in New York…
The buildings and cultures of entire continents became history, destroyed and drowned by the great flood, sinking to the seabed.
The streets of Guangming Base City were utterly empty, devoid of any figures. About half an hour after the submergence of Russia, the roar of the great flood arrived rapidly from the distance, earth-shaking, with successive white waves surging—a true spectacle of the world, making even the massive tides of the Qiantang River seem like child’s play in comparison.
Boom!
The city walls crumbled, and seawater poured in. The base city was immediately submerged and destroyed. The azure waters rose, drowning even the towering, majestic city walls hundreds of feet high, as numerous sea monster creatures swept through the base city riding the turbulent currents.
Ye Chen heard the final countdown end and guessed that the outside world must have already been inundated. He did not linger in contemplation but summoned Xu Tianguo, commanding, “Instruct everyone to maintain order and take a precise count of the population in the base city. Furthermore, dispatch trusted personnel to the granaries to inventory the grain. Have Bai Long and the others supervise; not a single grain must be hoarded!”
Xu Tianguo understood the desperate situation they were about to face, nodded solemnly, and turned to leave.
Following this, the entire Ancient Martial Civilization entered a state of reorganization.
Ye Chen went to his quarters and logged into the Virtual Combat Tower. Due to the planar isolation, the communicator signal could not transmit, so only the Virtual Combat Tower could be used.
The creation of the virtual world was unique; it allowed connections even across different planes.
Inside Yanhuang City.
Flash!
A man in black appeared out of thin air. He coldly surveyed his surroundings, noting the emptiness of the streets. At a time like this, he figured no one had the composure to dedicate themselves to cultivation in the virtual world.
Ye Chen silently recited three names in his mind, and soon, a white light coalesced beside him, forming the shape of a beautiful young woman. Clad in snow-white garments, she resembled a celestial fairy stepping on ripples—it was Elvie.
“How is the Huaxia Base City?” Ye Chen asked.
Elvie showed a flicker of joy upon seeing Ye Chen. “The base city is fine; Xiaoxue is handling the reorganization. How are things on your end? Is anyone injured?”
“Mmm.” Ye Chen nodded, pondering for a moment before detailing the construction formats for the virtual world’s later iterations to Elvie. “The virtual world is now the bridge connecting the major base cities. These things can be built in advance.”
Elvie tilted her head. “Why build these martial arts clubs?”
Ye Chen shrugged. “This great flood will engulf the globe and won’t recede for two or three years. We won’t be able to hunt outside for a long time, but combat skills cannot be neglected. This virtual world is the only place we can remain active; otherwise, being confined in small Ruins for too long will stir up the inner violent and irritable tendencies, leading to situations like the one in the base city.”
Elvie spread her hands. “Alright, it’s just some programming; a piece of cake.”
Ye Chen nodded. “I have something to attend to now; I’ll look for you later. Things will be chaotic in the base city for a while, so assist Murong Xue with management.”
Elvie looked at him with a hint of reluctance, her bright eyes shimmering with watery complaint. “You always leave in such a rush, hmph!”
Ye Chen rubbed his nose. “About that, I’ll spend time with you next time; I’m busy recently.”
Elvie’s eyes lit up. “Really? Great, it’s a deal!” As an android, she failed to detect the perfunctory nature in Ye Chen’s voice, and her face broke into a bright, happy smile. She extended her little finger. “Let’s pinky swear.”
Ye Chen was momentarily stunned, managing a wry smile. “Did pinky swears originate back in your civilization’s era?”
Elvie shook her head, giggling. “No, Bingyun Sister taught me that.”
Ye Chen couldn’t help but recall that violent woman who swung a massive iron hammer. He shook his head helplessly, hooked his pinky with hers, and then immediately logged off.
After Ye Chen left, Elvie stood in place, tilting her head in thought. Suddenly, her eyes brightened with a strange light, and she chuckled slyly, “I’ve got it! If I create that thing, he will definitely be happy. Hmm, but designing the program is so troublesome… Ugh…”
Time passed quickly.
Five days later, the Guangming Base City was mostly reorganized, and all personnel had been assigned housing and settled down.
The high command convened a meeting. Ye Chen occupied the seat of honor at the head, with the heads of various departments and high-ranking military officials seated below him. Everyone held their breath, far more constrained than when they met with Xu Tianguo previously.
It couldn’t be helped…
Those who reached their positions naturally didn’t worship people blindly like ordinary citizens. Since they rarely interacted with Ye Chen, they didn't know his temper; they knew he was eccentric, didn’t believe in gods or Buddhas, and was definitely not a truly benevolent figure. If they angered him, a single word from him could cost them their positions, or even their lives.
Xu Tianguo sat in the vice-chair position next to Ye Chen, handing him various documents like an assistant, reporting, “The personnel count is complete: 1,029,400 individuals in total. Among them, 302,400 are ordinary civilians. Members of the various departments total 545,600. The remainder are members of the various Guilds.”
Ye Chen nodded slightly. It was not surprising that the personnel from the base city departments accounted for half the total, as those 500,000-plus included ordinary people serving as greeters in the various sections.
As for the 300,000-plus ordinary civilians, they were the ones residing in the base city who had not joined any faction, relying on their own labor for hunting.
“How long will the food last for the 500,000 people in the base city?” Ye Chen asked, getting to the crucial point.
Xu Tianguo paused briefly. “Calculated purely based on harvested crops, if everyone eats three meals a day, it will last for three months…”
“Two meals a day!” Ye Chen stated coldly.
Xu Tianguo nodded. “If it’s two meals, it can be sustained for four months. Including preserved meats, fruit trees, and other foodstuffs, we can last eight months.”
Ye Chen nodded slightly. “Effective immediately, the privilege of free food enjoyed by all high-ranking officials in the base city is revoked. Furthermore, you will guard the food supplies; no selling is permitted.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the complexions of many high-ranking officials present turned unsightly. Usually, they enjoyed free food and drink within the city, and relying on their status, they could summon escorts nightly—those days of leisure were built on strength. But now, even with strength, that privilege was stripped away!
“Guild Leader…” a burly man started to speak.
“Mmm?” Ye Chen looked up at him.
That glance struck the burly man, instantly chilling him to the bone, as if he had been isolated by the entire world. The words gathering at his lips were swallowed back down. He managed a dry laugh and said no more.