High-Martial World: System Arrives 30 Years Late

Chapter 690: Chapter 457: Crossing Two Worlds—I’m Su Mu, All Is Well, Don’t Worry!

The endless ocean, sharp as a knife, slices through the continent, leaving fragmented lands drifting toward the poles, forming two unique regions.

Alloy battleships set sail from the Eight Great Kingdoms, tirelessly shuttling back and forth between the Domain of Chaos and the kingdoms along millennia-old routes through the fog.

This shattered land breeds evil; chaos, bloodshed, and riots are constant. The City Lord who governs this place turns a blind eye. The City Lord of the Domain of Chaos is incredibly mysterious, with none having seen his true appearance for a thousand years.

"City Lord, the collapses have become more frequent in recent years... During the major collapse not long ago, many miners died, and ’ore’ extraction has become increasingly difficult. Now, even Fifth Level Warriors can barely mine at the lower levels, only able to extract ore from the middle strata..."

"Moreover, the appetite of those lords is growing larger, and this shipment’s output is unlikely to meet demands..."

A burly man clad in a red robe knelt on one knee, reporting to a shadowy figure.

Humph.

A cold snort interrupted the report.

"I am aware of the miners’ situation."

"But I never concern myself with the process, only the results. It won’t be long before the Demon God Emperor arrives. If you cannot deliver enough ore by then..."

"Then there will be no reason for your existence in this world."

As the words fell, the reporting burly man trembled involuntarily, his face turning pale.

"Yes, City Lord, I will do my utmost..." As he spoke, the man forced himself to continue, only to feel a cold, piercing gaze.

Instantly, he felt a chill to his bones, clamping his mouth shut, he retreated from the room like a cicada in winter.

Outside the room, ear-splitting roars filled the sky, and the person in the shadows turned away, looking through a large panoramic floor-to-ceiling window.

Looking down, the land lay in ruins, dotted with black, bottomless pits, dense like a beehive.

And at this moment, the hive continuously writhed, in truth, massive machinery, miners working tirelessly day and night below.

Each operation of the machines emitted a deafening roar, resembling the mournful cries of an overburdened earth.

Occasionally, carts of pitch-black, irregular ore were sent out from the hives, exposed to the air, quickly accumulating a milky white, dense mist around them.

Witnessing this through the window made the City Lord’s brow furrow slightly; in recent years, the quality of ore from the mines had worsened.

He extended his right hand from his sleeve, light twisting around it, a chaotic mix of the Rules of Heaven and Earth exuding a murky, unstable gray light.

"This damned place is truly sinister. At this rate, it will affect the upcoming kingdom ranking battle. No, I must have them send someone to fill the gap quickly."

...

Two war zone fighter jets escorted a helicopter across the skies above Linjiang Base, finally landing in East Village.

Instantly, Luo Cheng, Linjiang Base City Lord’s heart raced, fearing some major incident, he hurriedly ordered people to gather information.

In East Village, the villagers looked on enviously as the helicopter, flanked by fighter jets, arrived.

"The Jiang Family has really produced an impressive figure. Old Jiang and his wife just wanted to visit their daughter and granddaughter, and the war zone sent fighter jets directly!"

"Old Sun, didn’t your eldest join the army too? I remember you mentioned it once. What is the rank with grain and stars on the shoulder?"

"Grain and stars, let me think." Old Sun paused, then his countenance dramatically changed, exclaiming aloud, causing all the onlooking villagers to gaze at him curiously.

Old Sun, dry-mouthed and in a trembling voice, began to speak.

"My eldest said that anyone with grain on their shoulder is a General Level officer!"

"What, that’s General Level? So, that means the person is a general? The war zone actually sent a General Level officer to personally greet Jiang’s elderly couple?"

"Old Sun, are you sure you’re not mistaken? To have a General Level leader come and greet them personally, what kind of high official is Jiang’s son-in-law, Su Mu, now?"

"At least a leader, right?"

The person who came to greet them was none other than Hong Lie. Hearing someone mention him alongside Su Mu made Hong Lie’s old face blush, feeling both pleased and embarrassed.

By what virtue or capability could he be mentioned alongside Su Mu? This kid—no, Su Mu is now the future star of their Military Department!

"Leader Hong, long time no see!"

"Please, don’t. If you two, Old Jiang and Li Xiurou, think well of me, just call me Old Hong as before, even Xiaohong is fine. Calling me leader is too much; in the entire Southern War Zone, no one deserves you calling them leader." Hong Lie hurriedly waved his hand.

Jiang Cheng and Li Xiurou didn’t take it to heart, enjoying a good relationship with Hong Lie, thinking he was merely joking with them.

The elderly couple knew their son-in-law Su Mu was formidable, but how could he have ascended to such heights in such a short time?

No one in the entire Southern War Zone could be worthy of being called leader by them.

That was too exaggerated; the elderly couple didn’t believe a word of it.

At this moment, Jiang Cheng and Li Xiurou did not realize Hong Lie was merely careless in his words. The truth was, this was not limited to the Southern War Zone, it extended to the Five Major War Zones.

It wasn’t until the war zone’s planes soared away that Luo Cheng of Linjiang Base learned that people from the Southern War Zone had come to pick up Su Mu’s in-laws, the Jiang’s elderly couple.

Upon learning the news, Luo Cheng was filled with emotion, recalling when he was still the Martial Arts Association President of Linjiang Base, having once fought alongside Gong Wu, then of the Armed Department, to eradicate Demon Cultists, and together resisted the Beast Tide with Su Mu.