Chapter 498 - 290: The Voting Conference
This Little Blue Fish has an extraordinary constitution. Lin Chen once went to the "Beast Taming Treasure Manual" to find records related to the Little Blue Fish, hoping to trace its origins through its kind.
But there were no related records regarding its size, skin color, or abilities.
The future of Little Blue Fish is extremely terrifying, even the Great Elder clearly told Lin Chen that while the trump cards of other Spirit Beasts can be disclosed, the trump cards of the Little Blue Fish must be kept as secret as possible, not to be known by outsiders.
"Gulu gulu~~~"
Little Blue Fish was informing Lin Chen of the situation inside.
Chen Ming, standing nearby, naturally could not understand and quickly asked Lin Chen what was happening.
Lin Chen’s expression was somewhat peculiar; according to Little Blue Fish, this Jiulin Formation was actually just a Jiu Gong Grid.
Lin Chen had never imagined that this Jiu Gong Grid could form an array.
He explained the whole situation to Chen Ming, who sighed after hearing it.
"Senior knows about it?" Lin Chen asked.
"Of course," Chen Ming said. "This Jiu Gong Grid is actually not an array but a large sensing formation."
"As long as nine members of the Monster Hunter Guild stand on it, it can be unlocked."
"Is it that simple?" Lin Chen was surprised.
Chen Ming was silent, his expression somewhat troubled.
This transmitter station should have been left by the founder of the Monster Hunter Guild, and only he understood the meaning of leaving the Jiulin Formation.
The original intention of the Monster Hunter Guild was to protect the power of the Human Race.
At the time, when the Human Race and Demon Race had just finished their war, and various forces were reshuffling power, the founder of the Monster Hunter Guild was a commoner, and he knew that some small places couldn’t withstand the Beast Tide without large-scale forces.
Later, he voluntarily founded the Monster Hunter Guild.
But back then, driven by mere passionate enthusiasm, there were very few responders.
It was then that the guild leader met the most important person in the history of the Monster Hunter Guild—the vice guild leader.
After the vice guild leader joined, he began to reform the guild system, no longer prioritizing passion but rather benefits.
Initially, the guild leader opposed this, but the vice guild leader’s benefit-driven reforms were indeed effective, and the guild quickly grew stronger.
Once it grew stronger, high-level forces certainly noticed, and Dubhe Pavilion once tried to directly appoint a guild leader to lead the Monster Hunter Guild.
But the guild leader and vice guild leader were highly aligned at this moment; they both believed the guild’s purpose was not to grow larger but to defend against the Beast Tide and provide development opportunities for the common people.
They repeatedly refused, finally angering those in power.
Eventually, a suppression storm erupted, and finally, it seemed both sides reached a consensus, and the Monster Hunter Guild joined the system under Dubhe Pavilion’s jurisdiction, with a cap of gathering fewer than ten thousand members.
If this number was exceeded, the Monster Hunter Guild would be dissolved immediately.
Recalling these, Chen Ming had a bit more admiration for the guild leader.
Soon, he found nine members of the Monster Hunter Guild in South City, who stood according to Little Blue Fish’s instructions on the Jiu Gong Grid.
In just a few seconds, they could indeed see the entrance clearly.
It was a small hidden space inside with a withered tree.
"Is this the transmitter station?" Lin Chen was surprised.
He thought it would be a machine.
Chen Ming did not inform Lin Chen about the materials because such withered trees are national contraband.
The creation of the Guild Machine was related to these withered trees, which are highly radioactive and can transmit signals over long distances.
They are remnants of the Taichu Era, mostly controlled by Dubhe Pavilion.
"Does the City Lord know how to activate it?" Lin Chen asked.
"Beast Power and Spiritual Power..." Chen Ming said, "Sufficient Beast Power and Spiritual Power are enough to activate it."
"But I think it looks dead," Lin Chen was doubtful upon seeing the withered tree.
"It won’t die," Chen Ming said. "That’s what’s amazing about it; we also call it the Undying Tree."
....
Soon after, Chen Ming found a person, about level fifty, who summoned two Spirit Beasts, one with Spiritual Power and the other a Combat Spirit Beast.
They directed their power toward the withered tree and began to transfer energy.
In just a short moment, the withered tree began to root and sprout.
Just as Lin Chen was rejoicing, he saw Chen Ming suddenly interrupt, causing the others to ask in confusion, while the level fifty Beastmaster, still shaken, said, "If it continues, my two Spirit Beasts will be drained."
Everyone was shocked upon hearing this.
However, Chen Ming looked at Lin Chen and said, "I need to reassess this plan."
Then, in the main hall, quite a few high-level forces gathered.
A voting meeting was to be held here.
The topic of the meeting was whether to activate the transmitter station.
The reason is simple: according to the calculations of Chen Ming and other Beastmasters, activating the withered tree requires at least twenty Spirit Beasts of level seventy or higher for Beast Power and Spiritual Power transfer.
This is a significant combat power for South City at present.
Currently, during wartime, recovering this power is not easy, and if Demon Beasts attack during the recovery period, it could be disastrous.
Thus, a vote was needed.
As soon as the meeting began, conservatives immediately spoke, not criticizing Lin Chen’s plan as flawed but analyzing it reasonably:
"Firstly, we don’t know if the transmitter station, once rebooted, can actually be used."
"Secondly, whether these Monster Hunters can provide support, or are willing to support us, is unknown, as is the timeframe."
"Thirdly, you must know, these are Spirit Beasts over level seventy; losing them equals losing one-eighth of our combat power."
Upon hearing this, many nodded in agreement.
The conservative Beastmaster added reasonably, "In conclusion, I believe South City is inherently easy to defend and hard to attack. Rather than gambling, we should use this power for defense. As for victory or defeat, I believe everyone here is willing to fight."
"Indeed," someone immediately stood up and said, "I’d rather die on the battlefield than waste our Beast Power here."
With those words, many more agreed on the spot.
Chen Ming glanced at Lin Chen, still taking an observant stance. After all, what Lin Chen proposed is certainly one way.
But South City wasn’t his alone.
Wartime is complicated.
To make a decision, you need to convince everyone.
If the Human Race is united, they can carve a path to survival.
Watching this scene, Lin Chen exhaled. He felt the atmosphere in South City’s meeting was indeed excellent.
He also understood why South City could withstand the Demon Beasts for so many days without being defeated.
Ultimately, it was because South City’s forces were united enough.
"May I say a few words?"
Lin Chen began, and others looked at him with respect.
Not only because he had the backing of Celestial Spirit Body Qin Shaoshao, but also because his name was Lin Chen.
No one present could match his battle achievements for the nation.