Chapter 4355: The Aftermath
A few months went by, and the news that an even more advanced outpost was being built, right inside the Godly Creatures’ Territory, was finally revealed to the public.
It goes without saying that cultivators everywhere were skeptical about it. No one wanted to be sent that deep into enemy territory, and even those with confidence in their strength couldn’t help but question the wisdom behind such a project. However, the news didn’t stop there. The outpost would only be the beginning. According to the Godly Subjugation Guild, the long-term objective was to establish a fully operational settlement within a year.
Naturally, there was an explanation for such an ambitious plan. The area where the outpost was being constructed seemed to possess a mysterious power similar to the one emitted by the Sacred Relic. That power kept Godly Creatures away from the region, creating what was essentially a safe haven deep within the northern territories. If the project succeeded, it would become a strategic base for missions that ventured far beyond the limits cultivators could normally reach.
The announcement immediately attracted attention from countless organizations. Resource gathering teams, exploration groups, merchants, and even independent cultivators all saw opportunities in such a settlement. After all, a safe location established that far into Godly Creatures’ Territory would drastically reduce travel times and open access to areas that had previously been considered impossible to exploit.
The Godly Subjugation Guild, however, made sure to temper everyone’s enthusiasm. They openly stated that people should enjoy the opportunity while it lasted. The mysterious suppressing power keeping the Godly Creatures away was weakening little by little, and their experts estimated that the settlement would only remain viable for around four decades. Once that power completely disappeared, Godly Creatures would inevitably return to the region. Without a Sacred Relic protecting it, the settlement would be destroyed in no time.
Although forty years sounded like a long time for mortals, cultivators understood that it was actually a rather short period. Many Aura Gods could spend decades without accomplishing much. Even so, forty years was still enough time to extract enormous amounts of resources from the northern territories, making the project more than worthwhile in the eyes of countless factions.
When asked about the origin of that mysterious power, the Godly Subjugation Guild provided a very straightforward answer. According to them, it was the result of a natural phenomenon that had caused a massive explosion. It was none other than the bright flash everyone had witnessed near the end of the war. Fortunately, the source responsible for the phenomenon had already disappeared with the explosion, making the area completely safe.
Naturally, that explanation satisfied most cultivators. The few who still had doubts lacked any evidence to challenge the Guild’s statement. As for the majority, they were much more interested in the opportunities the new settlement would provide than in investigating the true cause of the explosion.
Of course, a handful of higher-ups knew very well that there had been no natural phenomenon involved.
The explosion had definitely been caused on purpose, and it had resulted in the acquisition of a high-level Godly Crystal. Even now, Tobao and Arcis couldn’t determine exactly what level that crystal belonged to. The only thing they were certain about was that it surpassed Level Five, the Godly Apex Crystals. Just thinking about it made both of them feel uneasy. The value of such an item was simply impossible to estimate.
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Back in the Wangamiglia Sect, Roan, Celis, and Kentucky had already begun packing their things and preparing to move out. A few days earlier, Roan had once again been contacted regarding the invitation to join an Elite Exploration Group. And, as mentioned before, if they joined that group, they wouldn’t be able to stay in the sect anymore. They would be under direct command of the Godly Subjugation Guild, which was maintained by all the organizations of Besgol together.
Unlike ordinary exploration teams, Elite Exploration Groups received priority support from the Godly Subjugation Guild. Their missions often involved traveling deeper into dangerous territories, gathering intelligence, investigating unusual phenomena, and securing important resources. Naturally, the requirements to join such groups were much higher as well.
Roan spent some time talking with the Godly Subjugation Guild personnel responsible for organizing those teams. During the discussions, he was told essentially the same thing Huriu had previously told Rean. Although Roan and Rean were merely Anchor Gods, their Weapon Intents allowed them to fight on a level comparable to Aura Gods. Combined with Celis’s support abilities and Kentucky’s combat prowess, their overall battle strength was difficult to evaluate using cultivation alone.
Surprisingly, however, Rean had not been included in the original invitation.
The reason wasn’t difficult to understand.
Those who knew the truth regarding Rean’s accomplishments with arrays were fully aware of his importance. The Guild knew he had been secretly leading a group of Array Masters responsible for developing new arrays and improving existing technologies. Several high-ranking officials had specifically requested that Rean remain out of the conversation. In their eyes, his value as a researcher far exceeded his value as a combatant.
Naturally, Roan couldn’t have been happier if Rean stayed as far away from him as possible.
Unfortunately, reality rarely cooperated with Roan’s wishes.
The system required the two of them to remain relatively close if they wanted to make full use of its abilities, especially the Sanctuary. Without Rean nearby, the group’s overall effectiveness would drop considerably. Because of that, Roan immediately stated that they could join an Elite Exploration Group, but only if Rean received a slot as well.
Their group fought best when all four of them were together.
Once Rean learned about the discussion, he immediately joined in and made his position abundantly clear.
"I refuse."
That was his first response.
After that, he proceeded to argue that he had no intention of spending the rest of his life locked inside the Arrays Guild developing arrays. Cultivation required experience, battles, exploration, and opportunities. If he never left the safety of civilization, how was he supposed to continue advancing?
Were they planning to keep him an Anchor God forever?
Rean even went one step further and declared that if they insisted on preventing him from participating in missions, then he would simply stop working on arrays altogether.
That statement immediately gave several Guild officials headaches.
To be fair, the higher-ups of the Godly Subjugation Guild could survive without the twins’ group. It wasn’t as if the entire region depended on them, far from that. The Guild mainly wanted to take advantage of their unusual capabilities while those abilities remained particularly effective.
After all, Weapon Intents could compensate for cultivation gaps now, but that advantage would gradually diminish as stronger cultivators reached increasingly higher realms. That would be especially so once other cultivators reached a cultivation level where they, too, could use their own weapon intents. The twins’ group was currently at the point where their unique talents produced the greatest returns.
On the other hand, there was another issue to consider.
Even if the Guild refused to include them in an Elite Exploration Group, the twins’ group would simply continue exploring the Godly Creatures’ Territories independently. There were always missions involving resource gathering, investigations, and hunting operations available. No one could realistically stop them from accepting such assignments.
When viewed from that perspective, allowing them to join an official exploration group actually seemed safer.
Elite Exploration Groups always had at least one Zone God accompanying them. If something went wrong, there would be an experienced expert capable of handling emergencies. Compared to letting Rean run around on his own, the official group option appeared significantly less risky.
In the end, the Guild reluctantly accepted the proposal.
Rean would also be allowed to join.
The only detail that remained undecided was which Elite Exploration Group they would ultimately be assigned to.
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One thing puzzled the countless cultivators interested in relocating to the future settlement.
How exactly were they supposed to get there?
The destination was located far away from the mainland and the protection provided by the Sacred Relic. The first groups sent there had included Zone Gods capable of dealing with unexpected threats. Ordinary cultivators, however, wouldn’t have such protection. For them, the journey itself seemed almost suicidal.
Many initially assumed the Guild would simply transport everyone using special escorts. Unfortunately, the distances involved made such solutions unrealistic on a massive scale.
That was when the Godly Subjugation Guild finally revealed its corridor plan.
The concept was straightforward in theory but incredibly ambitious in execution.
Cultivators would receive various missions designed specifically to establish and maintain a safe route between the mainland and the new settlement. Every completed mission would contribute in some way to the corridor’s expansion, security, or logistical support.
Normally, creating such a route would be nearly impossible. Maintaining supply lines through hostile territory was already difficult enough, let alone constructing permanent infrastructure. Fortunately, the future settlement served as a secure destination where Godly Creatures refused to approach. With protected locations available at both ends of the route, the project suddenly became feasible.
The corridor itself would consist of a chain of advanced outposts linked together across the territory.
Each outpost would function as a small defensive stronghold where cultivators could rest, recover, receive supplies, and exchange information before continuing their journey. Some would also contain warehouses, medical facilities, and communication stations to coordinate activities along the route.
Several Aura Gods would be assigned to oversee every outpost.
As for Zone Gods, the Guild simply didn’t possess enough of them to station one everywhere. Their solution was to assign one Zone God for every twenty outposts. Although not ideal, it was the most practical distribution they could manage without weakening defenses elsewhere.
Naturally, constructing such a corridor would require an enormous amount of manpower and resources. Even so, many cultivators immediately recognized the benefits. Once completed, traveling into the northern territories would become significantly safer than ever before. The increased flow of resources alone would likely reshape the balance of power among numerous factions.
And so, that was the news everyone received.
A new settlement deep inside Godly Creatures’ Territory.
A temporary safe haven expected to last four decades.
An ambitious corridor connecting civilization to the frontier.
And, perhaps most importantly, a future filled with opportunities that countless cultivators were already preparing to seize.
