Chapter 27

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

[The number of citizens has reached 10,000. You have completed Beginner Construction Quest 1.3. Activating stability assessment now…]

The system notification sounded inside Zhang Dongyun’s mind.

He let out a deep breath.

According to the quest description, he would only reach the requirement when the population of ten thousand persisted for a long period of time.

Nonetheless, it was not necessary to really go through a long period of time before the system deemed the objective completed.

The system simply needed to confirm that the people’s loyalty reached a certain level.

In a more extreme method, he could reach the target if he followed the Tang Dynasty army’s example and forced everyone to obey.

However, he was like their god in the eyes of these people. The system should be able to analyze that.

The burly man still had his doubts, but this did not stop him from being impressed by the fact that such a fortress existed among the desolate mountains.

He suddenly remembered something. His expression changed, and he hastily sought Hui Tianyu. “There are still many people rushing here behind us, but the Tang Dynasty army is obstructing and in pursuit of them.”

He continued anxiously, “Can the experts in the fortress be merciful and send someone to save them?”

Hui Tianyu had requested his fellow sect members to help arrange the people’s accommodations, while he himself came over personally.

“Let’s meet with Mister Black Cloud together and see what his thoughts are.” The one-eyed young man led the burly man toward the Great Ming Palace located in the center of the fortress.

“The owner of this place has the surname Wu1?” The burly man asked curiously.

Hui Tianyu shook his head. “Of course not. How can someone like me request to meet His Majesty?

“Mister Black Cloud is like Senior Bloody Shadow. Both of them are subordinates whom His Majesty trusts. His Majesty rarely cares about the matters of the mundane world, so Sir Black Cloud is the one taking charge of the fortress.”

As he spoke, a worried look appeared in his single eye.

“Mister Black Cloud and Senior Bloody Shadow seem to… frequently have disagreements. Since Senior Bloody Shadow is outside now, I wonder what Mister Black Cloud will do…”

Upon hearing that, the burly man became worried.

The two of them hurried to the outside of the Great Ming Palace. Hui Tianyu bowed respectfully and did not speak.

The burly man was puzzled about why he did not speak. Then a black cloud suddenly appeared before them.

An old man in black walked out from the cloud.

“Greetings, Senior.” Hui Tianyu bowed respectfully. The burly man followed suit.

Zhang Dongyun knew why they came. But as the old man in black, he still asked coolly, “I remember that you have a task to attend to.”

Hui Tianyu hastily replied, “I’m sorry, but I have some matters I need to report to you, Senior.”

“Speak,” Zhang Dongyun said, despite knowing the answer.

“The Tang Dynasty army launched an attack in the mountains, and many people are still on the way here. Under the army’s attack, there are many dead and injured left.”

Hui Tianyu kept quiet about the old bloody shadow demon as he pleaded with the old man in black. “Everyone is on the way toward Chang’an Fortress and is willing to contribute to the fortress. Please have mercy and save everyone, Senior.”

The old man in black remained silent as he lifted himself and the two men into the air with the black cloud before stopping above the fortress.

When they looked outside the fortress, there were indeed some people sprinting toward Chang’an Fortress.

Then an arrow flew out from the White Cloud Abyss’s forest.

A bloody shadow flickered and flew out of the forest. It was the old bloody shadow demon.

Right behind it was a tan and burly man clad in full-body armor.

With every punch, his fist aura became stronger and stronger as he forced Bloody Shadow back.

Seeing this, Zhang Dongyun had an idea of what was happening.

This should be the Great Xuanwu General Du Kun, a commander of the Eastern Tang Dynasty.

Each of his fists was like a charging army.

This was evident in not merely the sounds they made.

They possessed the killing aura of an army.

The consciousness and energy of the army of ten thousand soldiers and horses behind him seemed to condense onto him.

This caused each attack that Du Kun made to appear as though the opponent was facing off against army formations.

This aura grew stronger, reaching a new peak when the main Eastern Tang Dynasty army behind caught up.

As a result, the old bloody shadow demon was having an increasingly difficult time blocking the attacks.

This is the sixth realm of the Martial Dao, the Marshal realm… Zhang Dongyun mused.

Any martial artist that reached this realm possessed powerful blood. After attaining a certain foundation, they could start to refine their body. By directing the killing aura on the battlefield and the morale of an army, they could surpass their individual limit and would attain a new height.

The energy of the ten-thousand-man army burned like the sun, frightening spirits and exorcising evil.

Usually, there were two ways to go about it.

The first way was for someone to gather and condense the killing intent within them and then use it.

The second way was to form a circuit where the general benefited from the subordinates while improving the army’s morale.

Du Kun used the second way.

To a certain extent, when Du Kun was back with his army, he executed strength that far surpassed his own.

The two people beside Zhang Dongyun were extremely anxious.

However, Zhang Dongyun looked relaxed.

It did not matter that the opponent was just right outside the fortress.

This distance should be enough… he thought.

[The loyalty of the 10,000 citizens is relatively high. Assessed that long-term stability is possible.]

[You have completed Beginner Construction Quest 1.3. Rewarded 800 Upgrade EXP.]

A series of system notifications sounded inside Zhang Dongyun’s mind, delighting him.

[You have accumulated 1,100 Construction EXP and 1,000 Guarding EXP. You have reached the first fortress expansion requirement. Initiate the expansion immediately?]

Of course… Zhang Dongyun commanded.

Golden light suddenly appeared in the fortress and expanded.

Only Zhang Dongyun, the Fortress Lord, could see the golden light.

No one else could not see or sense it.

The bright light seemed to be invisible to them.

However, to Zhang Dongyun, the expansion of the golden light seemed to allow his senses to extend as well.

This mysterious feeling of lording over everything expanded.

[The system’s scope has finished expanding. Initiate expanding the size of the fortress to the size of the system’s scope?]

Zhang Dongyun’s heart moved slightly upon hearing that.

This was different from before…

It would be very shocking for the fortress to expand in front of everyone out of nowhere.

It would be great if his Impenetrable Power could go beyond the fortress walls, thus hiding the Impenetrable Fortress better while being better prepared to deal with any attackers.

Can the system’s scope be different from the fortress’s size?

[After the first expansion, the fortress can temporarily maintain its current size and not expand to the system’s scope.

However, when the second fortress expansion arrives, the fortress size must expand at least to the size of the system’s scope during the first expansion and so on and so forth.]

Zhang Dongyun understood after hearing this.

In other words, there was room for delay.

This was sufficient to create the effect he wanted of causing enemies to make an error in judgment.

The fortress size will remain the same until the next expansion… Zhang Dongyun ordered the system.

[As you wish.]

The golden light flickered, expanded, and then transformed into countless rays of light.

The lights crossed one another to construct an illusionary fortress.

It was bigger and even more majestic than the current Chang’an Fortress.

The lights disappeared along with the illusion.

It was as though nothing had happened.

However, Zhang Dongyun knew that nothing was the same anymore.

The two people beside him were extremely anxious and were about to speak.

The old man in black, whom Zhang Dongyun had incarnated into, suddenly looked very solemn.

However, this look was not targeted outside the fortress…

… but inside.

Hui Tianyu and the burly man were dumbfounded.

They saw the old man in black respectfully bow toward the Great Ming Palace.

“Welcome, Your Majesty!”