Chapter 1593: Time Freeze

The eyes of the Seventh Main God lit up. He stood up in excitement.

The other gods also had a spark in their eyes, as they instantly understood the key point in Nan Xiao's words.

The Divine Academy was the top institution in the civilization. Countless people dreamed of becoming its students for a chance to change their fates.

If things went as Nan Xiao proposed, the slums, once despised and avoided, would suddenly become the hottest piece of real estate.

Talents would flock there!

The Main Gods all looked at Nan Xiao differently; their gazes were filled with acknowledgement.

Seeing their reaction, Nan Xiao knew he had their support and continued, "The Temple of the Gods can collect taxes from the slums, not from the poor residents, of course, but from those looking to purchase property.

Any person or organization wanting to buy land in the slums would have to pay a property tax fee. This way, we will resolve the issue of resettling the residents of the slums, and we also generate a significant amount of revenue, easing our financial burden."

"Excellent!" the Seventh Main God exclaimed. "Well done, Nan Xiao! I truly underestimated you."

Nan Xiao responded humbly, "You flatter me, Seventh Main God."

"No, truly!" the Seventh Main God laughed. "You're a real talent. I can't believe I didn't think of this plan myself. If this succeeds, you'll have earned major credit."

Nan Xiao bowed in respect. He then added, "Merchants are greedy, and the poor in the slums won't be able to compete with them. To prevent shady business deals and exploitation, we'll need strict laws and an upright overseer. Ideally, everything should be under our direct supervision."

Main God Mu nodded slightly. "Agreed. The poor won't stand a chance against those merchants unless we step in. The Temple of the Gods must take the lead to protect the people."

"Any other thoughts?" he asked.

"Yes," Nan Xiao said. "We can allocate a portion of the tax revenue to build schools. I'm not talking about branches of the Divine Academy, but general academies specifically for children in the slums.

"Even if they don't produce top-tier elites right away, over time, talents will emerge. More importantly, those children will grow up with hope and a future. And that hope will come from us, the Temple of the Gods. That will deepen their faith in us. This isn't just about good governance, it's about inspiring lasting faith."

The Main Gods exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Qu Jin and Ge Han's expressions darkened. A wave of unease washed over their hearts. Even though Nan Xiao had already withdrawn from the Main God election, if all the Main Gods were backing him, his rise couldn't be stopped.

Having said his piece, Nan Xiao stepped back.

The Executive Main God said, "Let's move forward with Nan Xiao's proposal immediately. Nan Xiao, you'll oversee the implementation. Make sure those merchants don't take advantage of the locals."

Nan Xiao hesitated. "Executive Main God, may I ask for someone else to lead this effort?"

"Why?" he asked.

Nan Xiao answered, "Because of... my situation with the Jun Clan."

"That doesn't matter." The Executive Main God waved it off. "Just do your job."

The Seventh Main God scoffed, "The Jun Clan? They're nothing. Let them jump around for now. You focus on getting things done."

Nan Xiao bowed again. "Understood."

The Executive Main God turned to Qu Jin and Ge Han. "You two assist him."

Their hearts sank, but they didn't dare speak up. They stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "As you command."

"You may leave," the Executive Main God said.

After the three of them had left, the Executive Main God asked, "What do you all think?"

Main God Mu said, "He is capable."

The second Main God agreed. "Very capable. Even though he dropped out of the election, he stayed calm and professional. No complaints. My vote goes to him."

The Seventh Main God nodded. "This kid has potential."

None of the others objected.

Just like that, it was practically decided, Nan Xiao would be the next Main God.

***

The Temple of the Gods wasted no time. Within an hour, they officially announced the construction of 1,360 Divine Academy branches in the expansive slums.

Even more shocking, the Main Divine Academy would also be relocating there.

The news set off a frenzy. Countless clans saw a massive opportunity. The slums, once neglected, were now the most sought-after area in the entire Temple of the Gods City.

Each day, waves of people flocked to the slums.

Nan Xiao had already moved in with a team from the Temple of the Gods. They began registering property rights for the local residents so they could legally sell or keep their homes.

This was all part of Ye Guan's plan. He knew the slums had become a goldmine, and many would soon be eyeing it greedily. Without proper oversight, the locals could end up being the real victims.

Hence, official involvement was necessary.

Meanwhile, Ye Guan was still training in Nan Xiao's cultivation room.

He had managed to slow time by threefold, a massive breakthrough.

This time dilation was occurring in a self-created spacetime. He even experimented with combining the Qingxuan Sword and the spacetime inside the tiny pagoda. The result wasn't just a slowdown but a complete time freeze.

He could freeze time in a specific area. It was unreal—a godlike power!

However, Ye Guan regarded this as his trump card, something to be used only in critical moments. His focus remained on developing his own spacetime domain. He noticed that with the Qingxuan Sword, he could freeze time in a specific area, but it wasn't as stable as the tiny pagoda's spacetime.

Aside from improving his control over time, Ye Guan also studied the cultivation system of the Divine Civilization. Though it differed from his own Order Dao, there were many similarities. He hoped to learn and adapt.

All in all, the recent days had been incredibly productive. What he really wanted now was a sparring session with a Main God, but he didn't have that opportunity yet.

He planned to stay here a while longer, continue his studies, then return to the Guanxuan Universe to work on his own path.

The Divine Civilization served as a mirror for him. A way to learn from its strengths, avoid its flaws, and refine his own Dao.

***

Half a month later, Sang Mei suddenly barged into Ye Guan's cultivation room and pulled him away without saying a word.

She brought him to the slums, which were now far more bustling than before. Well-dressed strangers roamed the streets; their faces were full of flattery and fake smiles.

Ye Guan also noticed something else. The powerful members of the Temple of the Gods were patrolling the area.

Sang Mei led him to Little Ran's home, and it was unusually crowded. A group of people was presenting gifts, trying their best to please Little Ran and her father, who clearly felt overwhelmed.

When Little Ran saw Ye Guan and Sang Mei, she rushed over like she'd just found her savior.

"Sister Sang!" she cried happily, grabbing her hand.

Sang Mei smiled and ruffled her hair, then looked toward the group. "Are they all here to buy your house?"

Little Ran nodded quickly. "Yes! Dad and I... don't know what to do..."

Sang Mei glanced at the group. They were also watching her warily, clearly assuming she and Ye Guan were also buyers.

After politely driving them away, only four people remained in the stone house.

Little Ran's father was still in a daze. "H-how did things change so quickly?"

He was utterly confused.

Little Ran tugged at Sang Mei's sleeve and whispered, "Sister Sang... is this because of you?"

"Not me. Someone else." Sang Mei smiled. She looked at Ye Guan.

Zhu Yun awkwardly asked, "Miss Sang, they offered a really high price... We don't know what to do. Could you give us some advice?"

Sang Mei looked at Ye Guan. "Hey, little swordsman, your turn."

Ye Guan thought for a moment and said, "This place may not look like much, but it's in a prime location, the center of it all. If you sell now, you won't get the best price. Wait a bit. Once more land is bought up and supply goes down, the value will skyrocket."

Little Ran hesitated. "But... what if we wait too long, and someone tries to take it by force?"

Ye Guan glanced at her in surprise. She quickly lowered her head, embarrassed.

He smiled. "Don't worry. I've got some friends. I'll have them keep an eye on this place."

Little Ran nodded gratefully.

After chatting a while longer, Ye Guan and Sang Mei left the stone house and walked down the cluttered street.

Sang Mei said suddenly, "I didn't expect you to use this method. It really opened my eyes."

Ye Guan replied, "If I wanted to change things here, I needed to get the Temple of the Gods' attention. And to do that, I had to use something

divine

and find a way to solve the money problem, too."

"You sacrificed your tiny pagoda," Sang Mei said.

Ye Guan nodded.

Little Pagoda was in the hands of the Main Gods. There was no getting it back anytime soon.

Sang Mei added, "You did a good deed, but no one will know it was you. No one will worship you. You even lost the pagoda. You got nothing out of this."

Ye Guan smiled. "It's not the benefits I'm worried about. What I am worried about is if the gods ever find out the truth and think I was scheming behind their backs, I might be in big trouble."

Sang Mei grinned. "I doubt so. Didn't you say they're open-minded?"

"What if that's not the case?" Ye Guan looked concerned. "What if they declare me a blasphemer and send hundreds of elites after me? What then?"

Sang Mei blinked. "Well... then you're totally screwed."

They looked at each other and laughed.