Chapter Sixty-Two: Strength in Numbers

With the appearance of the Imperial Guard and several thousand others, a small city rose in the blink of an eye.

Sensing that these newly arrived two-legged creatures had grown far too powerful, some of the more cunning Flame Rat leaders dared not continue their assault on Ling Xiao and his group. With a series of sharp squeaks, the sea of rats swiftly withdrew, vanishing without a trace in less than the time it took to finish half a cup of tea.

As the rat tide receded, the Lin brothers led their sectmates to the gates of the Imperial Guard encampment.

“You’ve returned. Was your journey fruitful?” Wang Li appeared atop the earthen wall, his face stern as he questioned them.

The Lin brothers exchanged an awkward glance, while Ling Xiao and the others all lowered their heads in silence.

Despite spending so long out searching for opportunities and scouring many places, they hadn’t found so much as a stray hair.

They had considered returning to Vengeance City, but embarrassment held them back. They had wanted to wait for the Chosen List tasks to refresh before heading back for new assignments. Then, a few days ago, they suddenly sensed the presence of a secret realm and rushed here together. With the Lin brothers’ formidable strength and Ling Xiao’s ultimate move, they bulldozed their way forward. Yet, just as the entrance to the secret realm was in sight, they were bogged down by the relentless Flame Rat horde. In the end, it was only when Wang Li and the others arrived that they managed to break free, if only temporarily.

What they thought was a great opportunity turned out to be a beastly ambush, and they had to be rescued by their own sect—a most humiliating affair!

Wang Li’s question cut right to the heart of their shame, leaving them almost speechless.

The Lin brothers, in particular, felt the sting of embarrassment. In the Chosen Ruins, cultivation and strength appeared to matter little outside of combat.

Yet, awkward as it was, Wang Li’s status made it impossible to ignore him. Lin Zuo, mustering his courage, replied, “Steward Wang, we’ve gained nothing on this expedition. I imagine the others who left the city fared the same.”

“No harvest at all?” Wang Li mused, thinking that Master Sheng had indeed called it—without interference from the world’s will, these people’s original fates were utterly ordinary.

“I must be even more cautious now—no unnecessary risks,” Wang Li warned himself. Out loud, he offered comfort: “Fortune isn’t tied to strength. Pay it no mind. I’ve brought all the disciples over from Vengeance City. Wherever our disciples are, there too is Vengeance City. This place will always be your home in the Chosen Ruins.”

“Welcome home!”

At those words, the crowd at the gates blushed all the more, but a warm current rose in their hearts as well.

Steward Wang... truly a good man!

It wasn’t that Wang Li didn’t mind their unauthorized excursions—these dozens of people were a vital force he needed. He couldn’t afford to push them away, and his status as a sage wouldn’t permit him to fuss over such things.

“Since you’re home, come on in!” With that, Wang Li returned to the main tent.

Most inside the camp were welcoming, many greeting Ling Xiao and his group as if celebrating the victorious return of family.

Ling Xiao, thick-skinned as ever, responded with a beaming smile.

The Lin brothers and others, lacking his shamelessness, slipped straight into the main tent.

Wang Li had been waiting for them. As soon as they entered, he handed them a list of tasks and a map of the mission zones. “There are more than two hundred task zones nearby, with thousands of Pure Yang Sect disciples trapped inside. You two, along with Luo Heng, are to take the camp and bring them back. I’ll be here, rebuilding Vengeance City until your return.”

Too many Pure Yang disciples remained outside, and their situation was precarious. The collective tasks on the Chosen List couldn’t be completed with so few people, so Wang Li needed to gather as many as possible to ensure the tasks’ success. Besides, with the means to save them, he had no reason to abandon those trapped in the task zones.

The Lin brothers had high cultivation and great strength—perfect choices for a rescue mission. With the Imperial Guard present, bringing the others back wouldn’t be difficult.

The secret realm would only open once half the outer tasks were completed. Wang Li firmly believed in the universal truth that “many hands make light work.” Gathering everyone together would save a great deal of time.

When exploiting the loopholes in the world’s will, there could be no delay—victory depended on swift action.

“Steward Wang, perhaps Senior Brother Lin You should remain here. Lin Zuo and I are enough for the rescue,” Luo Heng suggested.

Jiang Yu added, “Building the city is simple, but with the Flame Rats prowling outside, we need a strong presence to hold the fort.”

Wang Li nodded. “Indeed. We’ll do as Luo Heng says. Lin Zuo, what do you think?”

“What more could I possibly say, Elder?” Lin Zuo grumbled inwardly, though he replied, “I accept your orders.”

With that, Luo Heng packed up the camp and left with Lin Zuo.

Wang Li specifically instructed them to focus only on the rescue—not the tasks themselves—lest they be tempted to clear the mission zones and disrupt his plans.

Once they departed, Wang Li had Jiang Yu and Ling Xiao organize a thousand or so to man the walls and set up defenses. Zhou Qian and Jin Lan were tasked with reinforcing and raising the earthen walls. They didn’t need to match the defenses of Vengeance City immediately, but the walls had to withstand the assault of the Flame Rats—especially the ground, which needed extra fortification.

After all, rats were natural burrowers. Wang Li didn’t believe the Flame Rats would only attack from above.

This time, Wang Li didn’t simply observe from the sidelines—he personally climbed the walls to help with the defenses.

He hadn’t stopped simulating battle scenarios lately and had grown capable of defeating many simulated enemies. He was no longer the hapless fledgling he once was, and now wished to test his real strength.

“Stinky Wang Li, look at me! Little Hammer and Rainbow have finally acknowledged me as their master!”

“Haha! I truly am a genius!”

Jiang Yue, standing atop her Giant Rock Hammer and wielding the Rainbow Sword, strutted before Wang Li with an air of triumph, her message clear:

Both of my top-grade Earth-class spirit weapons have recognized me. What about yours?

Wang Li could only roll his eyes, entirely uninterested in humoring the girl whose head must have been caught in a door.

He understood exactly why Jiang Yue was acting this way.

For a Foundation Establishment cultivator, subduing a top-grade Earth-class spirit weapon was exceedingly difficult. He himself had two such weapons, yet while Jiang Yue had managed to have both her weapons recognize her, Wang Li still hadn’t finished refining his Earth Spirit Armor. The little girl was clearly provoking him.

I can’t best you in a fight, but I can certainly annoy you to death!

That, no doubt, was her current mindset.

Though Wang Li hadn’t completed the recognition process for his Earth Spirit Armor, it wasn’t due to a lack of ability. In fact, refining spirit weapons posed little challenge to him—so long as it wasn’t a Heaven-class weapon, Master Sheng’s support meant he could handle it. The reason he hadn’t finished refining the armor was simply that Master Sheng didn’t think much of it and intended for Wang Li to ask True Lord Liuguang for better materials to craft a superior life-saving artifact upon returning. Thus, Wang Li had only refined the armor enough to use it, but not fully. With a better option on the horizon, his interest in the Earth Spirit Armor had waned.

“Jiang Yue, are you itching for trouble?” Wang Li sent a voice transmission.

“You think I’m afraid of you?” Jiang Yue lifted her chin. “I have Little Hammer and Rainbow—how dare you threaten me? Clearly, you don’t know what genius looks like until you’ve seen my strength!”