Chapter 218 : Jia Xu Submits! The Territory’s Three Great Defense Forces!
Chapter 218: Jia Xu Submits! The Territory’s Three Great Defense Forces!
The Special Investigation Bureau had gathered sufficient evidence to prove that this mysterious game would bring about an unprecedented super-evolution in human history.
Although players had already displayed many miraculous changes such as enhanced physiques and improved health, if one insisted on forcing an explanation, there were plenty of so-called experts who could come up with temporary theories or excuses to fool people.
Yet these changes were like a constantly growing iceberg.
What had surfaced so far was only the small portion floating above the water.
Much more remained dormant beneath the surface.
There was every reason to believe that the Abyss and the Star World truly existed, and that abilities, knowledge, equipment, and even items obtained within the game would eventually descend into reality.
The Special Investigation Bureau could not predict exactly when supernatural powers would appear in human society.
They had always assumed it would be a gradual process.
Most likely ten years, eight years, perhaps even decades.
However, through this event,
the bureau collected far more data samples.
In particular, after conducting physical scans on the earliest batches of players, the researchers made an even more astonishing discovery.
The dormant energy inside these players' bodies was not only completely beyond scientific explanation,
its density and activity were increasing every day.
According to Academician Xia’s latest hypothesis,
if this trend continued, then at the longest, within two or three years, and at the shortest, within several months to a year,
players would “awaken.”
If they encountered special external stimuli or triggers,
the awakening could happen even sooner.
This discovery made Zhou Zhengming realize that although various departments had already begun coordinating preparations for the coming upheaval and opportunities,
their progress was still not fast enough.
The work needed to be implemented more thoroughly.
The popularity and influence of *Strange Three Kingdoms* within the country had to rise to an even higher level.
Every piece of information concerning the Abyssal World and the Land of Stars had to be collected and researched as thoroughly as possible.
Only then could they be prepared when the “Moment of Awakening” arrived and ensure a smooth transition.
……
While members of the Special Investigation Bureau worked themselves to exhaustion,
Hang Yu had already recalled Zhou Cang.
He assigned him to guard the territory core in the main city.
At the same time, he arranged the defenses of the Azure Dragon Guard before bringing Zhang Zhongjing and teleporting to New Wan.
“Lord!”
The moment Hang Yu arrived in New Wan, he was met by the anxious faces of Zhao Xian, Wen Xiu, Xun Hei, and other senior members of the Extreme Yin Sect.
“How is Mister Jia’s condition?”
“The Patriarch has temporarily awakened, but his condition remains extremely unstable. He may lose control at any moment... Lord and Divine Physician Zhang will understand once you see him.”
“Lead the way.”
“Yes!”
Hang Yu and Zhang Zhongjing entered the secret underground palace of the Extreme Yin Sect.
This underground palace was located beneath the Fate Tower where New Wan’s Blessing Point stood.
Upon entering,
one could clearly feel the decayed and corrupted Abyssal aura permeating the place.
The Extreme Yin Sect had likely chosen to construct the underground palace beneath the Fate Tower precisely to use its fate power for suppression,
thereby stabilizing Jia Xu’s condition.
Now that the Fate Divine Stone had been absorbed by the territory,
the entire Six-Direction Fate Grand Formation of the New Wan Region no longer existed.
Without the Fate Tower’s suppression,
the seal would not hold much longer.
Jia Xu’s problem had to be resolved quickly.
Otherwise, this place could become a ticking time bomb within New Wan.
If it exploded,
the entire city would be contaminated,
and all its inhabitants would become Abyssal monsters.
At the center of the underground palace,
a blood-red stone coffin floated upright in midair.
Hang Yu noticed countless rune chains wrapped around its surface.
Each chain was inscribed with thousands upon thousands of runes.
There were several hundred such chains,
jointly forming an immensely powerful seal.
The stone coffin looked ancient and mysterious.
It continuously emitted mental fluctuations imbued with Abyssal power.
Anyone entering this space could hear the mad whispers—and even roars—from the depths of the Abyss.
“This is...”
Zhang Zhongjing’s expression became extremely grave.
Because when he gazed at the coffin,
an incomparably chaotic and filthy aura burst forth.
He felt the entire underground palace twist and distort.
Within the warped space,
countless tentacles and malicious eyes emerged.
Even someone of Zhang Zhongjing’s cultivation found it difficult to remain calm.
“Not good!”
“The Abyssal power is still increasing!”
“The Patriarch is about to lose control!”
“...”
The faces of the Extreme Yin Sect cultivators turned deathly pale.
At this moment,
they could not even approach the coffin.
Hang Yu narrowed his eyes in confusion.
This stone coffin did not originate from this small world.
In fact, it did not even belong to the Abyssal Three Kingdoms Plane.
It was itself a highly potent source of contamination.
It would have been strange if Jia Xu had sealed himself inside it and remained unharmed.
He had most likely already suffered severe corruption,
even attracting the direct attention of the Abyssal Will,
becoming something akin to an Abyss Walker.
Such a state was extraordinarily dangerous.
His consciousness, soul, mind, and body could collapse under contamination at any moment,
ultimately turning him into a true Abyssal Corrupted.
Zhang Zhongjing said,
“Lord, Jia Xu’s condition is terrible. If we remove the seal, the consequences may be unimaginable. Yet if we do not remove it, there is no way for us to help him.”
The expressions of the Extreme Yin Sect cultivators worsened further.
Zhao Xian immediately knelt.
“We beg the Lord to save him!”
Hang Yu remained completely calm.
He took out a Pure Gold Talisman and released its power.
This Pure Gold Talisman was one of the treasures he had purchased at the Lord Market during his last visit to Sacred Azure City.
Jia Xu had been contaminated,
but he had not yet been completely corrupted.
In such circumstances,
he was essentially equivalent to an Abyss Walker.
A rare consumable like the Pure Gold Talisman could isolate contamination,
temporarily freeing an Abyss Walker from the maddening whispers of the Abyss.
As expected,
after Hang Yu activated the Pure Gold Talisman,
all abnormal phenomena in the area rapidly disappeared.
The distorted space returned to normal.
The tentacles and eyes vanished.
The stone coffin began to tremble.
A crack opened.
Countless streams of ink-like energy flowed out.
A young man with white hair and crimson eyes stepped out.
His appearance was not very different from that of an ordinary person.
Aside from his white hair and red eyes,
his skin was unnaturally pale.
His features were handsome,
though somewhat gloomy and sinister.
He wore a dark purple Daoist robe and held an object resembling a horsetail whisk.
Contrary to expectations,
he showed no signs of mutation or demonic corruption.
Instead, he possessed the transcendent bearing of an enlightened sage.
Hang Yu immediately saw his information.
[**Jia Xu**], Level 25 Overlord Unit...
Description: The hidden guardian of the New Wan Region, founding patriarch of the Extreme Yin Sect. Possesses extraordinary aptitude and talent, but became corrupted and influenced by the Abyss due to excessive obsession with researching it. Currently on the verge of completely losing control.
The members of the Extreme Yin Sect were overjoyed.
Although they already knew the Lord possessed remarkable abilities,
this display was truly miraculous.
He had temporarily suppressed the signs of Jia Xu’s loss of control.
Jia Xu also sighed in admiration.
“An impressive method, Lord.”
Hang Yu replied,
“This can only preserve your clarity for a short while. Before long, the Abyss will return.”
Jia Xu smiled.
“Even maintaining it for a moment is already remarkable.”
Zhang Zhongjing then said,
“This Abyssal Stone Coffin is an object of extreme ill omen. If Mister Jia cannot separate himself from it soon, complete corruption is only a matter of time.”
Jia Xu spread his hands.
“It is too late.”
“At this point, either I refine and subdue it... or it completely corrupts me.”
Afterward,
Hang Yu obtained a more detailed account of the events.
The mysterious stone coffin indeed did not originate from Wanland,
nor from this Plane.
It had appeared here through some unknown accident.
Many years ago,
Jia Xu discovered the mysterious coffin by chance.
Inside it,
he found a fragment of flesh.
That fragment later became the flesh of the Evil God’s offspring used by Zhang Xiu to create the Blood Spear Death Soldiers.
As for Jia Xu,
he brought the coffin back.
Although extremely dangerous,
he realized that if successfully refined,
it would become an extraordinarily powerful artifact.
It also contained vast amounts of knowledge.
With the coffin’s assistance,
Jia Xu comprehended various Extreme Yin secret arts from the endless Abyss and founded the Extreme Yin Sect.
He also learned the method for constructing the Six-Direction Fate Grand Formation,
bringing nearly a century of peace to the New Wan Region.
However,
the formation alone could not protect New Wan forever.
The fall of New Wan to Old Wan City was only a matter of time.
Jia Xu also discovered that,
with continued use of the coffin,
he himself began showing signs of contamination and loss of control.
Faced with this situation,
he made preparations on two fronts.
First,
he deliberately arranged for the Evil God offspring’s flesh to fall into Zhang Xiu’s hands.
Through a series of manipulations,
he guided Zhang Xiu into mastering the method of creating Blood Spear Death Soldiers.
As expected,
Zhang Xiu’s ambition expanded.
He began cultivating large amounts of flesh.
As long as enough Evil God offspring flesh existed,
he would eventually be capable of opposing Dian Wei.
This was only the first safeguard.
With the support of the Blood Spear Death Soldiers,
even if Jia Xu could no longer act personally,
New Wan would still possess enough power, aided by the formation, to temporarily resist Abyssal invasions.
Should he lose control,
New Wan could still maintain the situation for a few more years through the Evil God offspring flesh.
On the other hand,
after arranging Zhang Xiu as insurance,
Jia Xu continued his deeper research into the Abyssal Stone Coffin.
He gained even more forbidden Abyssal knowledge through it.
Yet in the process of studying and refining the coffin,
he was continuously influenced by the filthy consciousness within.
Eventually,
he reached a point beyond nearly all hope of recovery.
At this very moment,
he had become bound to the coffin.
There were only two possible outcomes.
Either he successfully refined it,
or he was completely corrupted and descended into depravity.
Should Jia Xu become fully corrupted,
his threat level might even exceed Dian Wei’s.
Zhao Xian and the others immediately knelt again,
begging Hang Yu and Zhang Zhongjing for help.
Jia Xu’s current condition somewhat resembled Zhou Cang’s former state.
At that time,
Zhou Cang had also been on the verge of corruption.
His condition had first been stabilized using a Pure Gold Talisman.
The contamination within him was then removed.
Finally, a Star Mark was applied,
eliminating the danger entirely.
The problem now was that
Jia Xu showed no outward signs of mutation.
Yet his contamination was likely far more severe.
Furthermore,
removing contamination originating from the Abyss was easier said than done.
Back at Wolong Mountain,
it had taken Guan Yu’s intervention for Zhou Cang to survive.
Guan Yu was an existence who had awakened divinity.
He possessed a status equal to that of Abyssal Evil Gods.
Even as merely an incarnation,
he retained the power to sever corruption.
Such a feat could not be replicated.
After using observation techniques, soul-needle methods, and other diagnostic skills to perform an initial examination,
Zhang Zhongjing finished his diagnosis.
Hang Yu immediately asked,
“Well?”
“I’m afraid it is far more troublesome than expected.”
Zhang Zhongjing said solemnly,
“Mister Jia’s soul has already been imprisoned within the coffin.”
“Inside his body remains only an extreme mass of chaotic and filthy consciousness.”
“This old man has never encountered such a situation.”
Even Hang Yu was stunned.
How outrageous.
That seemingly intact body was actually a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
If Jia Xu’s soul and consciousness remained inside,
he would instantly be corrupted.
Somehow,
he had used a special method to imprison his soul within the coffin,
then controlled his body through it.
Using this ingenious technique,
he had temporarily delayed losing control.
“As expected of Divine Physician Zhang.”
Jia Xu seemed unconcerned about his own life.
“Lord, there is no need to waste effort.”
“Simply move me outside New Wan and allow me one final confrontation with the filthy consciousness within.”
After pausing,
he added,
“If Jia Xu succeeds by some miracle, I shall come and serve the territory.”
“If I fail... then please purify me promptly, Lord, so that I do not suffer within the Abyss.”
Hang Yu asked,
“What are your chances?”
Jia Xu replied,
“Although I have not been entirely unprepared over these years, my chances are probably less than ten percent.”
“That probability is too low.”
Hang Yu shook his head.
“This Lord has a plan with at least a ninety percent chance of success.”
“What?”
Jia Xu had not held much hope in Hang Yu.
After all,
he understood his own condition best.
His body appeared normal,
but was actually filled with filth, corruption, and madness.
It was nearly beyond saving.
Even after decades of research,
he had found only a slim chance of survival.
Yet this Star Lord spoke with astonishing confidence.
How could he possibly guarantee ninety percent success?
Hang Yu calmly replied,
“My ninety percent estimate is conservative.”
“If Mister Jia trusts me enough, the probability becomes one hundred percent.”
Impossible.
Not only Jia Xu,
even Zhang Zhongjing—who trusted Hang Yu immensely—found it hard to believe.
Jia Xu’s condition was simply too severe.
Only someone with the astonishing methods of the Extreme Yin Patriarch could have survived this long.
Anyone else would already have become an Abyssal monster.
Though skeptical,
Jia Xu still asked,
“May I hear the details?”
“My treatment plan is actually very simple.”
“First, kill you.”
“Then revive you.”
Hang Yu paused before continuing,
“I possess Zhang Xiu’s Evil God offspring flesh.”
“You need only consume it.”
“With the corruption already inside your body, it will be enough to resurrect the Defiled Offspring.”
“In that situation, all I need to do is purify the resurrected Evil God’s offspring.”
“All contamination will be purified along with it.”
Jia Xu froze.
He had never imagined that Hang Yu’s plan was to make him abandon his body,
fuse it with the Evil God offspring flesh,
create an Abyssal monster even stronger than Zhang Xiu,
and then achieve purification by killing that monster.
Jia Xu said,
“Such a method could indeed eliminate the contamination entirely.”
“But my body would surely be destroyed.”
“And I would die as well.”
Hang Yu replied,
“Your soul is imprisoned within the coffin.”
“As long as the coffin remains intact, Divine Physician Zhang should be able to preserve your soul for a period of time.”
Zhang Zhongjing immediately nodded.
“If the task is merely protecting a soul, this old man can accomplish it.”
Hearing this,
Jia Xu became tempted.
The Stars truly possessed the power to purify Abyssal corruption.
If the cost was sacrificing his body,
then the contamination could be completely removed.
With his own abilities and Zhang Zhongjing’s assistance,
even as a soul alone he could still be revived.
He would lose some cultivation,
but at least he would no longer suffer the Abyss’s corruption.
At that moment,
Hang Yu continued,
“That is only the first step.”
“If Mister Jia is willing to join the territory and serve me from this day forward, I can restore your body.”
“Truly?”
“This Lord never breaks his word.”
There were many resurrection methods among the Stars.
Reconstructing a body from a soul was hardly impossible.
In Hang Yu’s eyes,
the plan was entirely feasible.
The only obstacle was whether Jia Xu could trust him.
After all,
this plan required destruction before rebirth.
Jia Xu would effectively be entrusting his life entirely to Hang Yu.
If Hang Yu made a mistake—or harbored ill intentions—
Jia Xu would be doomed forever.
Yet unexpectedly,
Jia Xu did not even hesitate.
He immediately knelt on one knee and clasped his fists.
“Your servant, Jia Xu, is willing to follow the Lord and devote himself to the territory.”
Success!
Much smoother than expected.
Hang Yu also breathed a sigh of relief.
Now Jia Xu’s recruitment was essentially guaranteed.
There would be no opportunity for him to change his mind and flee.
Excellent!
Hang Yu felt genuinely excited.
Jia Xu was unquestionably one of the most talented civil officials and strategists in the entire Three Kingdoms.
Obtaining him was worth more than a hundred thousand elite soldiers.
His arrival would perfectly fill the territory’s talent shortage.
As for Jia Xu’s character?
Certainly, there was a reason he was known as the Poison Scholar.
He had given the Evil God offspring flesh to Zhang Xiu,
secretly manipulated him,
encouraged his ambitions,
led him down the wrong path,
and then abandoned him the moment a stronger Star Lord appeared.
From this series of actions,
it was obvious that he was absolutely not a good person.
However,
at his core,
he was really just a lazy survivor.
He only wanted self-preservation and lacked grand ambitions.
Such people were actually useful.
There was little concern that they would betray their master for profit.
Furthermore,
once granted a Star Mark and fully bound to the territory,
betraying the Lord or harming the territory’s interests would become nearly impossible.
The consequences would be devastating.
Hang Yu nodded.
“No need for formalities.”
“The territory is expanding rapidly and is desperate for talent.”
“With Jia Wenhe, it shall be like adding wings to a tiger.”
Smiling,
Zhang Zhongjing stroked his beard.
Everyone in New Wan knew of Jia Xu’s abilities.
By himself,
he had created the Six-Direction Fate Grand Formation,
protecting the region from Abyssal invasions for decades.
In his earlier years,
he had even sealed Old Wan City for a period of time.
His methods could truly be described as unfathomable.
Such a talent joining the Lord was naturally cause for celebration.
Jia Xu quickly asked,
“Since the plan has been decided, when shall we begin?”
“My condition cannot remain stable for much longer.”
“No need to rush.”
“Prepare for one day.”
“We will carry it out tomorrow.”
Hang Yu continued,
“I still possess Pure Gold Talismans.”
“They are enough to keep you clear-minded during this time.”
“Excellent! Excellent!”
In truth,
the plan was not complicated.
It could be carried out immediately.
Once Jia Xu consumed the Evil God offspring flesh,
he would transform into an Evil God monster even stronger than Zhang Xiu.
Yet with Hang Yu’s current strength,
he could easily handle it.
As long as Hang Yu personally acted,
purification would be effortless.
The problem was—
such a powerful monster dying directly by his hand would be a waste.
The reason Hang Yu postponed the plan until the next day
was to leave time to issue a mission to the players and allow them to prepare.
For the players,
this would be an epic Boss battle.
Once they learned that the battle would directly determine whether the important NPC Jia Xu joined the territory,
the entire player base would undoubtedly explode with excitement.
There were at least two benefits.
First,
harvesting leeks was inevitable.
Hang Yu currently needed more Essence.
Nothing harvested Essence more effectively than an exciting Boss battle.
Second,
allowing the Calamity Army to defeat the Boss would maximize the Boss’s value under Heavenly Blessing effects.
Moreover,
the battle would increase the players’ enjoyment.
The Calamity Army never feared death.
They never feared being abused.
As long as their deaths were meaningful.
If successful,
players would believe they had personally contributed to recruiting a heavyweight figure like Jia Xu.
Hang Yu could then reward them through quests,
further cultivating the Calamity Army.
A win on every front.
Why not do it?
Having achieved his objective,
Hang Yu left the underground palace.
Although Jia Xu’s condition remained terrible,
the Pure Gold Talisman allowed him to move around New Wan.
He followed Hang Yu and Zhang Zhongjing out of the palace to get some fresh air and observe the current state of New Wan.
Since sealing himself within the coffin,
he had not walked outside for many years.
Everyone in New Wan knew the name of the Extreme Yin Patriarch.
Yet when Jia Xu walked through the streets,
almost no one recognized him.
Although New Wan had only been absorbed by the territory two days earlier,
its atmosphere had already changed dramatically.
Territory personnel and soldiers maintained order.
At the same time,
they registered and verified every new citizen’s information,
preparing for future assignments and administration.
“The Lord has arrived!”
“Everyone, come pay respects to the Lord!”
As Hang Yu appeared alongside Jia Xu and Zhang Zhongjing,
many soldiers and civilians recognized him due to the large escort accompanying him.
They immediately rushed forward to kneel and pay their respects.
Jia Xu clicked his tongue in amazement.
The Lord had taken over New Wan only two days ago.
As an outsider,
an invader,
and a conqueror,
he had not only avoided provoking resentment,
he had already established prestige and public support.
That was truly remarkable.
Hang Yu’s rapid success stemmed from several factors.
First,
there had been no bloody battle.
The transfer of power occurred through Bloodless Conquest.
Second,
he abolished harsh taxes and opened the granaries to distribute food.
These two policies alone reduced resistance to the lowest possible level.
After hundreds of thousands of New Wan citizens swore loyalty,
they also received the territory’s blessing talents.
To them,
such miraculous changes were no different from divine miracles.
As a result,
the people of New Wan now believed Lord Hang Yu possessed divinity.
They believed he had been sent by Heaven to save their land.
Naturally,
they revered and obeyed him.
Under such circumstances,
even if remnants of local factions harbored ambitions,
they could not possibly cause trouble in the face of overwhelming power and overwhelming public support.
Hang Yu asked,
“How many Tier-Three cultivators remain in New Wan?”
Jia Xu replied,
“As far as I know, among New Wan City, the Extreme Yin Sect, and the major cities, there are at least six hundred Tier-Three cultivators.”
That was quite a number.
New Wan’s strength truly was formidable.
These Tier-Three cultivators were at minimum first- or second-rate elites.
Excluding Wen Pin and Jia Xu,
there were still at least ten to twenty Commander-level units among them.
Of course,
their Commander strength was somewhat weaker.
Some had only just crossed the threshold into the Commander tier.
Even so,
the weakest Commander was still stronger than an elite.
The New Wan Region also possessed a large number of excellent Tier-Two combatants.
This represented a significant military force.
It would greatly strengthen the territory.
At this moment,
fighting had resumed around Wolong Mountain.
The main city had also suffered an attack from an enemy Lord.
It was necessary to strengthen the territory’s military forces across the board.
Hang Yu decided to accelerate the integration of the territory’s armies.
At present,
the strongest force was the Azure Dragon Guard.
However,
their numbers were far too small.
Hang Yu had long planned to use the Azure Dragon Guard as a foundation
for two larger territorial defense forces.
Now the time had finally come.
To distinguish them from the Azure Dragon Guard,
Hang Yu assigned them new designations:
**Black Tiger Guard** and **Iron Eagle Guard**.
Starting today,
the Territory Defense Corps would consist of three guard forces:
**Lord’s First Guard:** Azure Dragon Guard.
**Lord’s Second Guard:** Black Tiger Guard.
**Lord’s Third Guard:** Iron Eagle Guard.
Like the Azure Dragon Guard,
the Black Tiger Guard and Iron Eagle Guard would consist entirely of non-player personnel.
However,
unlike the Azure Dragon Guard, which was composed of carefully cultivated direct followers,
the Black Tiger Guard and Iron Eagle Guard would recruit elite NPCs.
The division between the Calamity Army and the territorial guards remained unchanged.
One attacked.
One defended.
The Calamity Army would continue to handle expansion and conquest.
The defense forces would continue maintaining order and defending the territory.
The difference was that
the defense forces would now expand dramatically in size,
and the territory’s overall defensive capability would receive a tremendous boost.