After saying a few words to tempt Qin Fengqing, Fang Ping abruptly changed tack and said, “Forget it, I won’t accept you even if you want to stay. You’re too much trouble.”
“You...”
Qin Fengqing nearly cursed aloud. ‘Can I even cause trouble with you around?’
Fang Ping ignored him and turned his attention to Wu Chuan. He smiled and said, “Brother Wu, a city will be built here soon, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then, what do you think about the name Ping City?”
“Huh?”
Wu Chuan was stunned for a moment. Fang Ping chartered on excitedly, “A city that subjugates the Catacombs, a city that’s peaceful, but of course, Fang City is possible too...”
(TN: Ping means “peace” in Chinese)
Wu Chuan felt his head throbbing. ‘If you, kid, are my grandson, I would slap you to death right here and now!’
Ignoring the request, Wu Chuan blew out a mouthful of air gently, asking, “Do you have any Energy Essence left?”
“No more.”
Fang Ping made a clear-cut reply. Wu Chuan did not prod further and said, “Zhang Dingnan is critically injured this time. Even his Mentality is in a shattered state. I wonder if the Energy Essence can have any effect.”
Beside them, Old Man Li pondered for a moment and explained, “If it is not entirely shattered, then there should be some effect. Not to mention, he had already attained Mentality-Vitality fusion. With massive amounts of Energy Essence supplementing it, under the condition of Mentality-Vitality fusion, he may be able to patch up his injuries.”
“I hope so.”
Wu Chuan sighed. In Nanjiang, if there was no way to cure Zhang Dingnan, there would spell trouble.
The support that the Military Department and House of Guardians could give was very limited. Nanjiang itself did not have any powerhouses to be stationed in Nanjiang Catacombs. Even if Nanjiang could build a city successfully, they could only be on constant defense.
After talking for some time, the sky turned dark instantly.
Another day had passed.
Nightfall did not affect them too much.
Wu Chuan turned his attention to Zhou Dingguo and said, “Old Zhou, you can go and get them back now. When the passageway has stabilized, let them go first.”
“Alright.”
Zhou Dingguo made no delays either. Very soon, he left the passageway. Zhang Dingnan and the rest were not here.
...
In the dark, everyone fell silent respectively.
Even Fang Ping and Qin Fengqing, who were both really talkative, had no interest in talking at this moment. They were really exhausted.
Moreover, all of them sustained injuries.
Even Li Hansong was heavily injured. It went without saying that Qin Fengqing’s injuries were worse. No one can deny that this fellow’s tolerance level was really high. Though he looked fine, he was actually critically injured. Even Fang Ping could sense his extremely unstable aura, with an indication that it could extinguish anytime.
Qin Fengqing was closing his eyes to heal his wounds. On another side, Wang Jinyang leaned against a rock that had been dyed red by crimson-colored blood, staring at the sky, zoning out.
What would NMAU’s future bring?
Not that he was sentimental, but the future was indistinct indeed.
The one and only Grandmaster died in battle. However, as Nanjiang’s only full-time martial arts university, NMAU needed to shoulder the responsibility.
In the future, this land would still have to rely on the defense of Nanjiang’s forces.
Not far from Wang Jinyang, Li Hansong was also healing his wounds. Whilst doing so, he was also thinking about other things inside his heart.
What paths to take in the future?
Should he stay in CCMAU?
Or go to the Military Department or other places?
The situation in other Catacombs seemed really terrible. CCMAU’s students were used to optimism. Even Capital City’s powerhouses were exceedingly optimistic.
Ever since the battle that year, had Capital City fought any other great battles there the past few years?
On the contrary, there were constant bloodbaths in other places. Everyone was struggling to survive, yearning to become strong, and hoping for a change!
Tonight, the young people were thinking of their future, while the older generation powerhouses were watching them in silence.
Mankind’s future lay on the shoulders of these young people.
How they wished these sprouts could grow up as soon as possible.
The older generation could no longer support them.
...
A night of silence.
At daybreak, Qin Fengqing was brimming with energy and began walking circles around Fang Ping, as if he wanted to get something out of him.
Fang Ping was in no mood to entertain him. His eyes were fixed on the system interface.
The upgrade was not completed yet, though. It was still pitch black.
Fang Ping had no idea when it would be completed. In any case, he was in no hurry at this moment.
The sky had just turned bright when Zhou Dingguo and the rest returned.
Zhou Dingguo carried Zhang Dingnan on his back, while Department of Investigation Services’ Minister Hu carried Liu Polu behind him.
The two Rank-7 powerhouses were rendered so weak that they had to be carried behind another’s backs to maneuver. It was clear how critical their injuries were.
Everyone went forward immediately. Wu Chuan checked both their injuries for a moment, frowning slightly.
Fang Ping asked in a hurry, “Brother Wu, how are both Grandmasters’ injuries?”
“Huge amounts of Dingnan’s Mentality has been obliterated. Lots of bones... are crushed too. Here, the internal organs are also heavily injured...”
Zhang Dingnan was still conscious at this moment. He heard his diagnosis and chuckled, “To be able to stay alive is already out of my expectation.”
That day, he did everything he could to stall a Rank-8 powerhouse. The moment Old Man Li pulled his sword out, that enemy began to struggle desperately. Under an all-out effort, he nearly tore Zhang Dingnan apart in a short frenzy.
In the end, Old Man Li killed the other party, but Zhang Dingnan also lost his combat strength.
After Fang Ping carried Old Man Li and left, the two remaining Rank-8s had also gone all-out, risking their lives.
After all, the number of Nanjiang’s powerhouses had been greatly reduced. Liu Polu saw that they were about to be surrounded and killed; Zhang Dingnan was also powerless to help...
At this moment, NMAU’s Vice-chancellor Chen chose to self-detonate. Zhang Dingguo seized the opportunity, brought the rest of them, and made an escape.
Although they escaped, all of their injuries were critical.
Zhang Dingnan’s injuries were the worst. Liu Polu was heavily injured too. His internal organs were almost entirely damaged. There were even cracks on his skull. For a Rank-7, this was a fatal point.
“Elder Liu... also needs to recuperate for a long time.”
Wu Chuan checked Liu Polu’s injuries, frowning slightly. Although Liu Polu’s injuries were light in comparison, he might have to recuperate for a long time. Besides that, there were also cracks on his skull. His upcoming bone-honing difficulty would be increased greatly. His chances for achieving Rank-8... were slim.
Liu Polu did not really mind, though. He had paused at Rank-7 for a long time anyway. Grandmaster powerhouses were well aware of their own situations.
Even if his cracked skull were unable to recover, that would be nothing. He did not have great hopes for achieving Rank-8 from the start anyway.
Both of them were not too concerned about their injuries. Instead, they gave Old Man Li a peculiar stare.
This fellow was even blessed during misfortune?
Old Man Li grinned and said, “Zhang Dingnan, you’re not dead. What a surprise. I must say that you have some really good luck. When we go out next time, I shouldn’t stick with you. Or else, you’ll probably still be alive after everyone else died.”
This fellow’s luck was too good!
He did not die even after he carried a handful of soil with him before they left. Nobody else but him.
Zhang Dingnan chuckled, saying, “You surprise me too. I thought you were dead for sure. Look at you, you even broke through.”
“So-so. I can manage with bashing up ten of you.”
Zhang Dingnan smiled but made no reply. He turned his head to look at Fang Ping, saying, “I can’t believe the unforeseen twist this time was because of you.”
If it was not for Fang Ping, the current situation would not turn out this way, that was for sure.
Over the years, no one had ever managed to blend into the enemy’s Royal City.
A low-ranked martial artist did not have the strength, while a high-ranked one would be discovered immediately.
Once discovered, they would have to fight the Royal City head-on. With the tutelary monster plant in the other party’s lair, even Rank-9s could not take them on.
With an equal number of Rank-9s, there was no way they could win.
If the number increased... the Catacombs still had plenty of Rank-9s lurking around. If you had more, that would be asking for a full-scale battle.
On the other hand, even if a middle-ranked martial artist like Fang Ping destroyed the Royal City, there was no way the powerhouses in the depths of the Catacombs could say anything about it.
A Royal City, which was guarded by two Rank-9s, was intruded by a middle-ranked martial artist. Were they even qualified to complain that humans broke the rules?
Of course, the powerhouses in the depths of the Catacombs wanted to intervene. However, at this moment, humans would not allow the people in the depths of the Catacombs to act brazenly even if it meant that they had to fight with their lives. If not, humans would be in much greater danger.
Zhang Dingnan stared at Fang Ping for a while and smiled suddenly. “Have you ever considered returning to Nanjiang?”
Fang Ping grinned. “It would be impolite of me to refuse the governor’s gracious invitation...”
As soon as the words left his lips, others were taken aback. Old Man Li and Liu Polu turned their gazes at Fang Ping.
Fang Ping continued, “Governor, why don’t we do this? Do you think you can give me a title as Nanjiang’s honorary governor? One that only earns but not loses. Of course, you can also give me a teeny bit of authority if that’s alright...”
Zhang Dingnan chuckled, “What kind of authority do you want?”
“Easy. Close down Nanjiang’s pill and weapon companies’ branches and mention that MCMAU will take over. In the future, Nanjiang Catacombs’ goods and materials will be handed over to MCMAU. You won’t suffer any losses...”
Before he could finish his sentence, Zhang Dingnan put on a bitter smile and cut him off, “Stop, forget everything I just said.”
Did this kid really think that he, Nanjiang’s governor, could support himself now?
No matter how much authority Nanjiang’s governor had, it was still endowed by the central government.
Besides, he still needed to count on the Military Department to station themselves in the Catacombs. Though the Military Department seemed to have no business with the companies, they were actually considered one united body.
The companies’ raw materials were mostly sourced from the Military Department.
Nanjiang’s Catacombs’ future production would mostly be supplied to the big companies. Those were not Nanjiang’s gains but the Military Department’s.
Not only Zhang Dingnan, but Wu Chuan and Zhou Dingguo were also speechless.
This kid had some really ambitious thinking!
Zhang Dingnan no longer mentioned anything about having him back in Nanjiang. Qin Fengqing looked completely regretful!
Oh no!
Fang Ping was hell-bent on staying in MCMAU!
After chatting for a moment, Wu Chuan said, “The current situation isn’t so bad now. Don’t start a war for now. At least not before the enemy takes the initiative to do so.
“Therefore, this time, only Leader Zhao and I will stay back. Everyone else will return.
“Don’t let any more people in. When the passageway has opened completely, only then will we build a city!”
“Guardian Wu, I’ll stay,” Zhou Dingguo said. “With both of you staying, what if...”
Wu Chuan shook his head and replied, “It’s alright. Even if we’re surrounded, we don’t have a problem escaping.”
Even if two Rank-9s were surrounded while they were together, it would be easy for them to make an escape.
As he explained, Wu Chuan added, “Of course, that will only be a last resort. Otherwise, we will continue guarding this place to prevent the Catacombs powerhouses from invading the passageway. Extra defense is still needed outside.”
They would never leave their post unless they had no other choice.
If they left and the hostile Rank-9s charged over, that would spell terrible trouble.
So many people came in the early stages, killing desperately all for the sake of defending the passageway. Both of them would never give up on the passageway so easily.
Zhang Dingnan heard what he said and answered with a solemn countenance, “Then I trust both of you to take good care of this place!”
If both of them ran away, Zhang Dingnan would curse all the way to hell.
Two Nanjiang Grandmasters had died in order to prevent the enemy from invading Nanjiang’s boundary. If the other party could still invade now even with the improved situation, Zhang Dingnan would genuinely wish that he was dead.
It was a pity that Nanjiang did not have enough manpower. He would only be a burden here. Otherwise, he would insist on only allowing Nanjiang’s own powerhouses to guard the passageway.
“It’s our duty.”
Wu Chuan chuckled. Then, he said with a throaty voice, “We’ve buried the remains of the rest. But, Zhengyang and Jinzhong’s remains...”
Zhang Dingnan looked slightly downcast. He recovered quickly and said, “Before coming in, we have all prepared ourselves to be buried here if we die, to continue guarding Nanjiang against the enemies’ invasion!”
None of them said anything else.
The passageway had not stabilized yet. They could not leave either. They could only stay and wait here.
Qin Fengqing was bursting with energy and was keen to continue reaping profits. However, the rest of them were not going out anymore. He was afraid of dying if he was alone.
Under such helplessness, he could only start boasting about his combat results to others.
Killing countless enemies, destroying tens of cities and towns, a Rank-4 defeating a Rank-6...
Fang Ping and the rest were not in the mood to entertain him. Other powerhouses still had to patrol and inspect, so they dared not take this carelessly either.
In the end, the remaining two injured Grandmasters had no choice but to hear him blabber on and on about it.
After listening to him for an hour or two without stopping, Zhang Dingnan and Liu Polu dearly wished they could slap this fellow to death. He was even blowing his trumpets on them. Did he really think that they were that gullible?
Things like cutting down a Rank-6 in a move. Did you really take us for a fool?
Obtained an energy stone as big as a human head. Where was the energy stone, then?
The incident of blowing up Gigantic Willow City had somehow turned into him luring the enemy outside the city. Fang Ping had followed his grand plan and entered the city to do it.
As for Li Hansong and Wang Jinyang who worked together with him, they were turned into passersby a long time ago.
Fang Ping who was nearby had no intention of contradicting him.
Someone needed to believe all the things this fellow was saying, though.
Besides, other than a few of them, everyone here was a Grandmaster. They might not take the things he said seriously.
This was also not the right time to brag and praise.
Fang Ping was still waiting for the system upgrade to complete.
This time, the system upgrade lasted much longer.
It was only at noon when the system finished upgrading.
As soon as the upgrade was complete, Fang Ping examined it quickly. What sort of function was added this time?
Forget about honing internal organs. He had achieved Rank-5 and was in no rush for this.
However, if he could seal off his Sanjiao Gate by spending some Wealth, then he would be more than willing to.
Or perhaps, the system might give him functions that could enhance the degree of Combat Technique cultivation.
His heart was filled with fantasies. However, Fang Ping’s dreams were shattered very quickly!
...
Wealth: 11.98 billion (convert)
Vitality: 1800cal (3999cal)
Mentality: 560Hz (729Hz+)
Bones Honed: 177 bones (100%), 6 bones (90%), 23 bones (30%+)
Storage Space: 1 cubic meter (+)
Energy Shield: 10 thousand Wealth/minute
“What’s this?”
Fang Ping was dumbfounded!
This was a ten-billion upgrade!
The next one would be at one hundred billion. Fang Ping thought there was a slim chance for achieving the one hundred-billion upgrade. A ten-billion upgrade might be his last chance of having a system upgrade in the near future.
Infuriatingly, none of the functions that he wanted appeared!
There were two things different about the system.
Number one, an extra word (convert) was added behind Wealth. Number two, a ‘+’ sign was added behind storage space.
Fang Ping knew what the latter meant.
This was used to expand the storage space. He had no idea whether it would be costly. He was quite sure that only Wealth could increase the size of the space.
Based on his understanding of the system, the fee might be high.
The first one, though... what was that?
“Convert... How am I supposed to convert? How should I convert?”
All kinds of thoughts ran through Fang Ping’s mind.
When he thought of this, Fang Ping looked around him, found a spot slightly far away, and prepared to give it a try.
Beside him, Qin Fengqing saw him leaving and his eyes sparkled instantly!
Fang Ping had just left when Qin Fengqing finally lost interest in disturbing the Grandmasters. He hurried to the spot where Fang Ping was sitting earlier. After looking for a while, he seemed completely confused. “Where’s the beast hide sack?”
He did not see Fang Ping carrying it away when he left!
Qin Fengqing looked high and low, then dug the ground for a while, looking completely glum.
Not far away, Old Man Li shook his head. MCMAU had once again embarrassed itself.
‘You, kid, hope to get something out of Fang Ping? Do you really think it would work?’
Although Fang Ping did not use the storage space, he had tossed the beast hide sack to him a long time ago.
Holding the beast hide sack in his hands... Old Man Li sighed. That kid did not even trust him. In the beast hide sack, half of it was stuffed with rocks plus a few low-grade energy stones. He must be fooling ghosts!
Wu Chuan and the rest were in no mood to probe into this matter. Otherwise, they might suspect him, Li Changsheng, for embezzling Fang Ping’s energy stones.
Right now, if Fang Ping was to be so shameless as to claim that Li Changsheng had switched out his energy stones... both Rank-9s would probably believe him.
“This little bastard... I hope that’s not what he’s plotting at...”
Old Man Li sighed. Storage space... If I exposed this, would anyone believe me?