Chapter 320: Hidden Passage

The Molong Country traced its origin back to the Molong Army, the elite military faction in the Great Moon region.

It controlled over a hundred cities and territories, with a population of thirty million—nearly one-thirtieth of Great Moon's total. Such vast lands and numbers highlighted Molong's formidable strength.

Take the Molong Palace as an example. Its defense was so strong that martial artists were as common as dogs, grandmasters roamed freely, and only Martial Saints were held in any regard.

***

In one of the palace courtyards, King Wu Muxuan was laying back on a chair, surrounded by several consorts tending to him.

A variety of fruits and delicacies were casually piled on a nearby table, while the courtyard was filled with rare ornaments and exotic flowers.

However, none of this seemed to interest Wu Muxuan. With his eyes half-closed, he quietly enjoyed the warmth of the sun while listening to Cui Sheng's complaints.

"That Xiangye Territory hasn't just taken over our Xiangshi Territory," Cui Sheng continued to ramble. "According to my investigation, they've also subdued Fenglin and Hanmu. Essentially, they now control four territories and over a million people. On top of that, they've allied with the Dragonfist Sect, turning into a serious threat on the Black Gold Plains...."

Wu Muxuan didn't even bother opening his eyes.

Wu Yan, the Second Prince, spoke up. "Father, the mutual scheming and plundering among the territories were part of the unwritten rules you endorsed to prevent them from joining forces and stirring unrest in Molong. However, Xiangye is beginning to show signs of consolidation. The more I learn about them, the more I see they're different from others.

"In the nine years that Xiangye's lord has governed, he's greatly improved the lives of the people. The citizens see him as a benevolent figure, and people from neighboring lands have secretly migrated to Xiangye. He's also encouraged childbirth and set up a relief department, ensuring that everyone has their basic needs met. In just nine years, the population has grown from 250,000 to 340,000—an increase of 36%."

These words were what finally spurred Wu Muxuan to open his eyes. "A relief department, ensuring people's livelihood?"

Still, he didn't respond to Wu Yan directly. Instead, he made a gesture.

A few meters away, a neatly dressed, middle-aged man in a suit stepped forward and handed him a document that had already been prepared during Cui Sheng's complaints. It detailed the changes in Xiangye over the years.

Clearly, though he appeared to be oblivious to the outside world and enjoying his life in the palace, he was well aware of the happenings in Molong Country.

Some of the political agendas in Xiangye Territory did catch his attention. However, when he saw that the population was still under 350,000 and the military force hadn't expanded beyond 2,000, his interest quickly waned.

"Ambitious, but sadly, their strength doesn't match their ambitions. They have only begun to act so brazenly with the backing of the Dragonfist Sect."

Wu Muxuan spoke while flipping through the documents on Xiangye Territory, soon focusing on the information about the Dragonfist Sect.

Moments later, his expression sharpened. "The Dragonfist Sect originally had two Martial Gods, and now they've added someone named Wen Xingchen? Three Martial Gods?"

"The correct term is Quasi-Martial God. They've only managed to condense a Lifeform Force Field," the suited man corrected.

"No, it's not those Martial Gods I'm worried about. Chief Sen and any of our generals would have been more than enough to handle these weaklings who can barely form a Lifeform Force Fields. What concerns me is how the Dragonfist Sect can afford to rent three pieces of astral equipment just to condense a Lifeform Force Field."

Wu Muxuan glanced at the suited man. "If I remember correctly, even renting rare astral equipment costs several hundred million per use, and legendary ones go for billions, right?"

The suited man responded promptly, "This was our oversight. Based on our calculations, even with some reserves, the Dragonfist Sect's total assets over the years would only amount to a few hundred million, maybe reaching one billion at most, and even that is spread out among the Martial Saints. We didn't anticipate—"

"

Hmph

. I originally kept the Dragonfist Sect around merely to demonstrate my benevolence to influential factions for regional stability after establishing the country. They've been relatively sensible, so I let them be. However, it seems our kindness has been taken for weakness." Wu Muxuan's gaze turned cold. "A little over ten billion—that's more than the annual revenue of the royal family."

"I will head to the Dragonfist Sect immediately," the suited man stated firmly. "This martial arts faction has outlived its usefulness."

"Should they dare to toy with me, they are merely courting death. But our real target lies in the resources and funds the Dragonfist Sect has accumulated over the years."

Wu Muxuan squinted, "If we attack the Dragonfist Sect directly, they will likely scatter and flee. Each of those Martial Saints is as slippery as an eel; once they hide, it won't be easy to find them all again. Therefore, we need a strategy."

His gaze fell on Cui Sheng. "I'll order Zhang Tian'nan to send people to assist you in wiping out Xiangye Territory. The Dragonfist Sect should get the message—we're making a show of force. If they're smart, they'll send gifts and apologize right away."

The suited man immediately understood. "They offer gifts, we accept, giving them a sliver of hope. But after a while, we'll find another excuse to bleed them dry, bit by bit."

He made a cutting gesture. "Those who no longer hold value do not deserve to live on the land of our Molong Country."

Wu Muxuan smiled slightly. "Exactly. A martial arts faction that has lasted over a hundred years... I find myself looking forward to it. I hope they can put up some resistance, so they don't die too quickly and can pique my interest a bit."

The suited man bowed respectfully. "Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will ensure an extraordinary performance for you."

In just a few exchanged words, this king, who ruled the entire Molong Country, had already decided the fates of the Xiangye Territory and the Dragonfist Sect.

***

Meanwhile, Li Pin was still in the Black Gold Mine. Compared to its earlier desolation, the mine now buzzed with activity. After multiple cleanouts by Li Pin and with two Martial Saint squads stationed at the entrance, hundreds of miners, lured by hefty rewards, began excavating the newly discovered veins.

Though these veins primarily yielded low-purity Copper and Crimson Iron, they occasionally produced Black Iron ore.

Moreover, the Xiangye Territory had undertaken significant construction projects, placing a high demand on Copper and Crimson Iron Ore. Therefore, the low-value Crimson Iron Ore extracted wasn't entirely useless.

After surveying the area, Li Pin quickly located the team led by Yue Ying and Xu Bao.

"Any Ghouls roaming about today?" he asked.

"Six Ghouls were drawn here, but we set up traps in advance—strong crossbows and mercury pits—so it turned out to be more of a scare than a threat," Yue Ying added. "These Ghouls came from Zone A."

"Zone A?"

Li Pin recalled having encountered a Ghoul King in Zone B, where he had recently focused his efforts, neglecting Zone A.

He nodded. "Let's head to Zone A for a cleanup."

Xu Bao and the others expressed their gratitude.

"Thank you, Master,"

With that, Li Pin ventured deeper into Zone A under Ri Chi and Yue Ying's company.

Along the way, they encountered numerous Ghouls, but none posed a serious challenge to Li Pin. His displayed strength still inspired deep respect from both Ri Chi and Yue Ying despite having witnessed it multiple times.

However, considering they had recently learned the Black Tortoise True Art, their spirits were notably higher. Once they mastered this technique and grasped the Innate Embryonic Breath, they'd have a chance to condense the Lifeform Force Field.

After clearing the Ghouls within sight in Zone A, Li Pin still had stamina left. Hence, he decided to press on, soon reaching the abandoned mining zone.

The area had yet to be officially cleared, leading to a higher concentration of Ghouls.

However, Li Pin was no longer the same as when he first ventured into the Black Gold Mine. In terms of qi and blood, he was already on par with any Ghoul. Even when faced with a large number of them, it merely took some stamina to hunt them down.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

With his recovery ability, his endurance far surpassed that of any Martial Saint or Martial God, which explained how he managed to eliminate thousands of Ghouls in just a few months.

At this rate, he could clear out all the Ghouls detected in the mine regions within a year.

This was the difference between a Martial God and an Astral Cultivator.

If it had been a High-Class Astral Cultivator, the fluctuating Starlight they radiated would have attracted Ghouls from over ten kilometers away. The term ten kilometers didn't refer to horizontal distance but rather a sphere centered around them.

A High-Class Astral Cultivator might think they were moving cautiously without alerting the Ghouls, but in reality, hundreds of Ghouls from lower levels could already be surging toward them like a tide without them knowing.

In contrast, a Martial God could be within dozens of meters of a Ghoul without triggering much of a reaction. With good breath-concealment techniques, they might even pass within ten meters of a Ghoul without drawing its attention.

Li Pin patiently dispatched the Ghouls one by one. Occasionally, Ri Chi and the others would exclaim in surprise upon finding High-Grade Astral Crystals, momentarily lifting his spirits.

Each High-Grade Astral Crystal represented a potential profit of hundreds of millions.

The entire process proceeded smoothly. Just like now, a Ghoul suddenly emerged from the ground, only to be swiftly struck down by Li Pin.

After moving forward for some distance, Ri Chi, searching for loot behind him, seemingly discovered something. He suddenly exclaimed, "Martial God Li, come take a look! This Ghoul loosened the soil when it emerged... it looks like there's a hidden passage underneath!"