Chapter 123: The Black King

"The ancients said, 'He who wins the people's hearts wins the world—I can't even fathom how they expect to win.' " Su Lin stood atop the palace in the clouds, gazing down at the city below.

They claimed it was a five-hundred-year technological leap, but Su Lin suspected Lao Lu hadn't held back—he'd achieved a thousand-year-level leap instead.

In just four short days, a modern city brimming with technological flair had been built upon this floating island.

For Lao Lu, who had already begun to tap into his full power, these were things easily accomplished through his authority.

He made no effort to hide it—he broadcast the city's construction, its technological products, core technologies, and more via live stream.

People's recently rebuilt worldviews shattered once again: how could this futuristic city possibly have anything to do with the ancient dragon race? Or were dragons actually aliens who had long possessed far superior technology?

Space mining ships, non-plant-based artificial meat, limb regeneration technology, a single pill capable of curing cancer, cloned artificial organs, atmospheric repair technology, assisted reproductive technology.

Virtual reality technology, neural-sensing helmets, holographic 3D projections, controlled nuclear fusion, advanced artificial intelligence, quantum computers, DNA editing and manipulation technology, quark material (water-drop material) technology…

Each of these technologies was a pivotal breakthrough capable of propelling humanity forward; even the weakest among them could elevate a corporation to the world's technological frontier.

Yet these were not the most critical. The truly earth-shattering news that left all resistance powerless was:

【The Supreme One pledges: under His rule, everyone will enjoy the benefits of advanced technologies—even an ordinary person will enjoy a natural lifespan of at least 150 years.】

Life!

Before the lure of life, the entire world erupted into frenzy; defections and surrenders were countless.

The leaders forcibly brought here had gone from initial resistance and fear to outright fanaticism in just one day—after merely touring the facilities and participating in the experiences.

The gap in power was irreparable; faced with rejuvenation and extended lifespan, how many would still resist? Only a few, unwilling to relinquish their power, attempted to "negotiate."

For instance, they tried moral blackmail—claiming the dragon race's interference in human society was wrong, and demanding these technologies be gifted unconditionally as symbols of goodwill between the two races.

Su Lin truly couldn't understand how anyone could say such things—were they testing the limits, or had power truly blinded them to reality?

Lao Lu, whose moral standards were extremely high, made the speaker experience a ten-thousand-meter bungee jump—after that, no one dared use such rhetoric anymore.

They understood this powerful being did not accept moral constraints.

Now, there were only two choices left.

Moreover, given the current situation, the vast majority of humanity would stand on the side of this Dragon Supreme.

Before such overwhelming personal and collective interests, who cared whether one was alien or human? Whoever opposed was anti-human.

"The story isn't over yet—don't let your guard down," Lao Lu said, walking beside Su Lin. "For the mixed-blood families, those who committed atrocities must be purged, those with ambition must be brought under control, and the extremists must be reformed—there is still much to do."

"We must also find the second- and third-generation hybrids hiding among human society. Compared to the Dragon Kings, who rarely set foot on the mortal earth, these creatures are far more dangerous. They submit to the strong and enslave the weak; unlike the Dragon Kings, they don't fall into long slumbers. Most of their time is spent accumulating wealth and power, and when chaos arises, they appear as gods."

"You really are busy," Su Lin shook his head, continuing to gaze at the scenery below.

"No choice—if I want to live in peace, I must do this," Lao Lu leaned against a Shi Zhu. A cloud drifted slowly past in the wind. "Do you know when I feel the most tranquil?"

"When you're with the person you love?" Su Lin said instinctively.

"Wrong," Lao Lu opened his palm toward the city below, as if he could grasp the entire metropolis in one hand.

"When I stand at the pinnacle of all things in this world, I feel an unprecedented tranquility—an eternal stillness."

Su Lin was taken aback—he hadn't expected such a reply.

Lao Lu continued: "The Black King is a planetary-level lifeform born from the planet itself—you can think of Him as a planetary will. You cannot kill the Black King, because if you destroy Him, the planet will simply birth another."

"Only after becoming the complete Black King did I understand: ruling the world is necessary. Humans claim they wish to coexist with nature, yet whenever they get the chance, they still try to control nature's power. It's neither right nor wrong—it's simply survival and the pursuit of strength. The planet feels the same toward them."

"My relationship with the dragon race and the mixed-bloods is no different—this conflict cannot be reconciled."

He spoke this to Su Lin—and also to his former self.

"Which one is your true reason?" Su Lin smiled at Lao Lu. "For humanity's progress? For your own peace? Or for the immersive game?"

"Heh. All true," Lao Lu's gaze darkened; images flickered across his palm—versions of himself across countless worldlines.

Su Lin thought for a moment and said: "Two days from now, representatives of all nations will sign an agreement live-streamed from this floating island, recognizing your rule and authority."

"What if a country refuses to come or refuses to acknowledge you?"

"Just purge the stubborn ones and seize control. Compared to the iron-fisted methods in some worldlines, I've already been merciful," Lao Lu said.

Su Lin nodded. "The only problem is Lu Mingze and the others—they'll surely try to stop you."

According to reliable intelligence, Lu Mingze and his group went to the Arctic Ocean two days ago and haven't returned yet.

"He's probably finished digesting the Black King's physical form from this era," Lao Lu speculated. "That's his biggest card."

Su Lin analyzed the current combat strengths on both sides and potential disadvantages: "Zhong Li can be left to me, but Ke Lai'en is likely difficult to handle now—he's probably ascended."

Lao Lu had seen Ke Lai'en that night and realized the figure at the military base was merely a projection.

"As per our prior agreement, I restored Abdul Abbas—or Behemoth—the Long Wang of Oceans and Water. Now he has two Long Wang-level combatants. But I haven't retrieved the bones of Constantine and Fenrir yet, so I can't resurrect them," Su Lin said, suddenly feeling exasperated: "You and Lu Mingze are so brotherly—peacefully splitting up, and you didn't even go for the Black King's true body beneath the Arctic Ocean."

"I want to play with him properly," Lao Lu pushed off from the Shi Zhu beside the palace, descending the steps. Mist drifted past him, blurring his figure. "This may be the last time."

Su Lin shook his head, helplessly opening the Shopping Mall Realm interface and filtering for Consumables and short-term rental items.

In helping him rule the world, Su Lin would spare no effort—this upheaval was massive, the points would certainly be sufficient, and with the contract in place, he would never renege.

His consciousness sank into his Divine Core; a message appeared in his mind.

【Divine Spell: Genesis of Light】

"Gonna have to go all out," Su Lin muttered. "Hope I don't have to use this move…" He turned toward the direction Lao Lu had left; the mist cleared, the steps now empty: "But don't even think about harem."

Thank you to "Han Cheng" for 500 coins, to "Specialist in Reading Sacred Texts" for 600 coins, and to "Living This Way for Three Years" for 200 coins!