Chapter 237: Heaven‑Shaking Upheaval

Facing Anxiwodasi's questioning, some Wizards looked embarrassed, as if they found it hard to speak.

The square fell silent for half a minute.

Finally, a legendary Wizard spoke up, replying, "GrandSpeaker, I only want a Wu Shi Ta of my own."

"Me too," said the legendary Wizard named Waleiga, "Weizelan has only thirteen high towers, yet there are eighteen legendary Wizards; more will come, queued by seniority, and in a few hundred years I might never get a turn."

Another legendary Wizard added, "GrandSpeaker, I understand the difficulties of the Floating City; it hasn't had money to build new high towers for many years, so we must find our own way."

Hearing this, people noticed that the four legendary Wizards standing in line each lacked a Wu Shi Ta.

Anxiwodasi opened his mouth, then let out a helpless sigh.

The root of all this is money.

The Weizelan Floating City, from its founding, differed from other Floating Cities: it had no Holy Soul Wizard stationed, and its daily operating funds came from the noble families of Mo Du.

When he advanced to the Holy Soul level and took charge of the Floating City, he did not wish to expend extra effort governing the realm, so he relinquished his Duke title, depriving the Floating City of a vital tax source.

At that time, the Floating City's ties with Mo Du's nobles were still close, and it was not short of money.

Later the two sides drifted apart, and the problem gradually surfaced.

The first few hundred years were fine, as the Floating City had few Wizards and low consumption, but as Weizelan's reputation grew, Mo Du's magical doctrines attracted many talents, sharply highlighting the Floating City's fiscal woes, leaving it constantly strapped for cash.

Now, even just maintaining the Floating City's expenses is an astronomical figure.

The Floating City's income falls far short of its outlay, never reaching balance; to keep operating, it had to borrow from the Empire Bank in the name of a Holy Soul Wizard.

Each year the Floating City's debt climbs another notch, with no sign of ever being repaid.

Speaking the exact debt figures leaves even a Holy Soul Wizard feeling powerless.

He tried, using his own strength, to hunt demon souls or gather treasures in exchange for Gold Shield, but it consumed too much time and effort, and the money earned was far insufficient.

Moreover, he could not stay away from the Floating City for long, giving potential enemies a chance to strike.

In commerce he lacked talent and despised such tasks.

Helpless, he could only cut the Floating City's expenses wherever possible, reducing Wizards' salaries, shrinking cultivation resources, and forcing the Wizards to strive to fill part of the gap themselves.

Resources and equipment dwindled, let alone building new Wu Shi Ta.

Weizelan has not built a new high tower for nearly a hundred years, staying at thirteen, far fewer than the number of legendary Wizards.

Without money there is no resource: lacking demon elixirs, alchemical materials, and equipment, it hampers Wizards' development, drives talent away, and sooner or later the problem will erupt.

They simply did not expect this day to arrive so quickly.

All these years, he has regretted countless times.

Either he should have accepted the Duke title back then and taxed a parcel of land; or, like PurpleFlameDuke, keep the Floating City closed to outsiders, not recruiting Wizards or students, enjoying it alone.

He once tried, at the Supreme Council, to regain the Duke title and lands, but was denied.

For various reasons, the Supreme Council could not approve it.

Anxiwodasi's gaze swept over the Wizards; evidently, Waleiga and a few others voiced their sentiments, and the vast majority of them left the Floating City because of the Gold Shield.

"This cannot be blamed entirely on them; I bear some responsibility as well."

Anxiwodasi thought, his earlier anger gradually fading, then looked at the Mo Du nobles; unsurprisingly, they had sensed the Floating City's fiscal trouble and promised heavy money to win them over, which is why so many Wizards were swayed.

He gave a cold snort, "You emulate the ancestors by building another Floating City, hoping to break away from the Empire?"

Marquis Jiliu and others hurriedly shouted, "GrandSpeaker, we never meant that."

Though they desperately denied it, everyone present knew the Mo Du nobles thought exactly that and acted accordingly.

For a millennium, the Empire has heavily suppressed the old‑line nobles, reclaiming vast territories.

The Mo Du nobles are a thorn in the eyes of the Supreme Council and successive Consuls.

Building another Floating City is their countermeasure; using a Floating City as a base, they will expel monsters on the New Continent, expand territories, and perhaps someday establish a brand‑new human nation, maybe even an Empire!

The New Continent's area exceeds that of the Oriense Empire, especially the eastern coast, a vast, boundless land with astonishing potential.

Anyone with eyes can guess this is the Mo Du nobles' intention.

"Weili En, is that your thought?" Anxiwodasi looked at the Mo Du nobles' representative, the nineteenth‑level legendary great swordsman, Viscount Stoinde.

The unremarkable‑looking Weili En, his face calm, nodded and said, "Yes, GrandSpeaker."

The crowd was surprised; they did not expect him to admit it outright.

Weili En continued, "I originally had no intention to do this, but the plan is too tempting; the Logos family had to join, pouring countless Gold Shield so that later we could have a larger territory on the New Continent, yet my family will not leave the Empire."

"The Logos family will forever be subjects of Stoinde and also citizens of the Oriense Empire."

"It was so in the past, is so now, and will be so in the future."

Weili En solemnly bowed, "We have no intention of opposing the Weizelan Floating City; rest assured, GrandSpeaker."

"You have caused so many Wizards to betray the Floating City, yet claim you are not opposing me?"

Anxiwodasi sneered and retorted.

Still bent over, Weili En did not rise; his face changed instantly, and he dropped to one knee, confronting the Holy Soul Wizard's authority, shouting, "GrandSpeaker, in the name of the Empire's Three Gods, I will never become an enemy of the Weizelan Floating City!"

"Regardless of how far development on the New Continent progresses, the New Homeland Alliance and the New Homeland Floating City, with a single word from GrandSpeaker, we will fight side by side with Weizelan."

"We only ask for a chance to pursue the future; GrandSpeaker, please grant it!"

As soon as Weili En finished speaking, the Wizards standing in line and the Mo Du nobles all dropped to one knee in unison, shouting, "GrandSpeaker, please grant it!"

"GrandSpeaker, please grant…"

The earnest pleas echoed throughout the Floating City.

Only Modra on the high platform remained still; given her status and a millennium of friendship with Anxiwodasi, kneeling to plead would be inappropriate.

Yet her face was also full of anticipation and longing.

The entire square fell deathly silent.

Everyone's gaze rested on Anxiwodasi, awaiting his decision.

Lei En let out a sigh; he had already foreseen the outcome.

Given the teacher's broad‑minded and benevolent character, he would not refuse such a request.

Wei Lien made such a huge commotion; whether it was pre‑arranged or a spur‑of‑the‑moment act, it clearly shows he knows the teacher's temperament well, publicly causing trouble yet putting himself in the weak position, leaving the teacher unable to strike harshly.

Moreover, with so many Wizards and nobles expressing their stance together, it also creates the effect that the law does not punish the masses.

Even if we take a step back, they are building a Fu Kong Cheng on the New Continent, which does not violate Empire law.

The teacher could not possibly kill so many traitorous Wizards; at most he could expel them from the Fu Kong Cheng, which is exactly what they have been hoping for.

Lei En, putting himself in the teacher's shoes, could not think of any other method.

Without money, morale scatters, and the group is hard to lead!

Conversely, if these Wizards are allowed to leave, it would actually ease the Fu Kong Cheng's fiscal pressure.

However, the strength of Weizelan's Fu Kong Cheng would surely plummet, dealing a heavy blow to the Mo Du school, and the teacher, touted as one of the Empire's three great heads, would also see his reputation tarnished.

My Soul Eye cannot observe Holy Soul Wizards; otherwise I could see that the teacher's emotions are undergoing a violent shift right now.

Lei En cannot help but feel worried for the teacher.

A few minutes of silence made the people in the plaza feel as if years had passed.

The Mo Du nobles and Wizards knelt, unable to rise, as if awaiting a verdict.

"Alas…"

Finally, Anxiwodasi let out a long sigh and asked slowly, "Xin Xiang Fu Kong Cheng, so you have even named it—does it mean 'new hometown'?"

Wei Lien couldn't help but show a pleased expression and hurriedly replied, "Yes, sir."

"Since you are determined to leave, I will give you this chance," Anxiwodasi said, and the Wizards cheered, then heard, "If you withdraw today, you will have no further ties with Weizelan's Fu Kong Cheng, and you will never be able to return in the future. Take care of yourselves."

Anxiwodasi's tone bore no emotion, and he did not glance at the Wizards again.

"Thank you, GrandSpeaker, for facilitating," Mo Dela said with deep gratitude.

The Mo Du nobles and Wizards also thanked one another in succession; they had long prepared to leave the Fu Kong Cheng and never intended to return.

The Wizards who had not betrayed anyone were extremely indignant, almost to the point of becoming mortal enemies.

Lei En also watched with a cold eye.

He was not optimistic about the future; the New Continent remained a wasteland, monsters roamed, countless threats lurked, and to try to forge a new nation with only a Fu Kong Cheng lacking a Holy Soul Wizard was as hard as scaling the heavens, with countless lives likely to be sacrificed.

These people will regret it sooner or later.

The thought had not yet settled when a portal suddenly opened in the plaza, and a gray‑haired figure in a blue robe staggered out.

Most people recognized him instantly.

"Master Lu Yin!"

Lei En was startled as well; the Lu Yin before him looked rather disheveled, his robe torn in many places, splattered with large patches of blood, his complexion as pale as paper, and his body propped up by a staff to keep from collapsing, as if severely wounded.

The Soul Eye saw that Lu Yin's soul was extremely weak.

"Wasn't he overseeing the construction of the Fu Kong Cheng on the New Continent? How did he run back?" Lei En couldn't help but doubt.

This legendary Arcane master, who cared little for fame or profit, was evidently moved by a Fu Kong Cheng.

Lei En speculated that Master Lu Yin had been kept as a backup by the Mo Du nobles; if Speaker Mo Dela failed to ascend the Holy Soul, then Lu Yin would take control of the Fu Kong Cheng.

Master Lu Yin is an eighteenth‑rank Arcane master; with just one more promotion, he would be qualified to challenge a Holy Soul Wizard.

Faced with such temptation, even the most indifferent Wizard would find it hard to refuse.

"Lu Yin, what happened?" Mo Dela asked anxiously.

"It's over!"

"Everything's over!"

Lu Yin shouted with a grim face, "The Xin Xiang Fu Kong Cheng has been seized by a Lich bearing a Dead Knot Seal; aside from me, all Wizards in Xin Xiang, the Transcendents recruited over the years and hundreds of thousands of civilians, have all been killed for soul sacrifices and turned into undead…"

His words were like a bolt from a clear sky, leaving everyone stunned.

Especially Mo Dela, who could hardly believe what she heard, staggered back a few steps and shouted, "Lu Yin, are you telling the truth?"

"Our Fu Kong Cheng was built underground and hasn't risen to the heavens yet; how could it be taken?"

"Weren't the monsters near Xin Xiang already cleared? Where did the Dead Knot Seal information come from?"

She looked desperate, bombarding him with question after question.

Lu Yin just kept shaking his head, unable to answer at all.

The plaza erupted into noise, and the Wizards and Mo Du nobles who had just left Weizelan were desperate to seize Lu Yin by the collar and demand what had happened.

They had just stepped out of the Fu Kong Cheng, looking forward to a bright future, only to have their hopes shattered on the very next step.

"Is this a joke?"

"If it's true, the goddess of fate is being far too cruel to us!"

Some Wizards couldn't help but cover their faces and weep; the nobles were also in a tangled mess of emotions, their years of effort wasted, utterly unable to accept it.

Anxiwodasi hadn't expected the situation to turn so quickly; he stood there frowning, feeling it was rather tricky.

Others, for whom it was none of their business, instead felt a grim delight.

Lei En, however, sensed something amiss.

The Dead Knot Seal had snatched the Fu Kong Cheng on the New Continent and then dispatched people to Mo Du to build a White Bone Altar; it would not act without cause, so there must be other purposes.

Moreover, how did Master Lu Yin escape, and how did he return to Mo Du?

Lei En couldn't help but become suspicious.

He was just about to use his Soul Eye to observe Lu Yin carefully again when he saw a dazzling gem appear on Lu Yin's hand.

The gem's color was indescribable, as if it contained infinite starlight.

Star Realm Pillar!

Lei En instantly recognized it, triggered Electric Flash Teleport and surged forward, shouting, "Stop him quickly…"

Besides him, others also reacted.

Anxiwodasi raised his hand to cast a spell, Wei Li En launched a charge, and some people who were closer also moved, but everyone's actions were half a step slower.

The star realm crystal pillar burst forth with dazzling light.

The light, as if solid, pushed the people around Lu Yin outward and blocked the spell flying toward him.

Etched lines appeared on the plaza floor, tens of thousands of runes were activated, forming a massive rune formation.

The moment the formation took shape, the entire Fu Kong Cheng trembled.

Then, people in horror discovered that the Fu Kong Cheng seemed to be descending, giving their bodies a weightless sensation.

At the same time, the massive shield that constantly enveloped the Fu Kong Cheng contracted inward like lightning, finally shrinking to the plaza, its range reduced to less than twenty steps, protecting Lu Yin in the center.

All of this was completed in an instant, and no one had time to stop it.

Incredible, unmatched energy gathered into the star realm crystal pillar in Lu Yin's hand, its light growing brighter, like a small sun.

Boom!

A dazzling column of light shot straight into the sky, Tear the void, and rapidly expanded outward, becoming a massive void within seconds.

Within the void, a Fu Kong Cheng leapt out, hovering above Weizelan!

(End of chapter)