At that very moment, the system's voice suddenly echoed within Zhang Wen's mind.
[Host… You have granted enlightenment to Kang Hao and Ming Yuan. Do you wish to receive the return?]
Zhang Wen frowned slightly. His gaze flickered as if he were evaluating something before replying calmly in his mind.
"That is possible?"
The system responded immediately.
[Technically… it should not be possible.]
[However, this system was created to help the host advance rapidly, therefore I am capable of ignoring certain rules.]
[Most importantly, I have not interfered with this world much recently, so the process can proceed without severe consequences… but it can only be done occasionally.]
Zhang Wen fell silent for a moment before speaking in a tone devoid of concern.
"Then do it."
Immediately,
The system notification rang repeatedly.
[Number of investments −2]
[Ding. Detected that the host has granted enlightenment to Ming Yuan and Kang Hao.]
[Investment successful.]
[Calculating return based on fortune color. Target: Black.]
[Return multiplier: 10,000 times.]
[Received: 20,000 Enlightenments.]
At that moment, he controlled the four water droplets that imprisoned the bodies of those possessing golden fortune, keeping them suspended steadily in the sky. The power within the droplets circulated in stable flow.
Everything remained silent. Only the sound of rain from Zhang Wen's technique continued to pour endlessly, a dense curtain of rain covering the sky above the city.
Suddenly,
Rumble!!!
The storm clouds above roared violently. The sound carried a mysterious pressure, as if a colossal existence were issuing a warning. Yet it remained nothing more than a roar. It did not strike downward.
The clouds spun rapidly as if filled with rage… yet they dared not attack below.
Before long, everything returned to silence once again. Zhang Wen turned toward Kang Hao and Ming Yuan, who had just regained consciousness, before speaking calmly.
"In three hours… we begin the plan."
"All details will be discussed through the spatial rings."
As his voice faded, Zhang Wen's figure vanished from midair as if dissolving into the falling rain.
…
Tens of thousands of kilometers away,
A barren and desolate land lay beneath an endless torrential downpour. The power of the rain spread across a vast area, forming a domain nearly impossible to penetrate. If one's cultivation were insufficient, merely stepping into the rain's boundary would result in their body being crushed by overwhelming pressure.
Within the curtain of rain, Zhang Wen sat cross-legged in midair, perfectly still. Countless droplets of water rotated slowly around him.
Before him, a translucent blue panel appeared. Lines of text floated across it in orderly sequence.
Zhang Wen stared at it silently.
[Enlightenment: A state in which the mind and soul open to profound comprehension for a limited period of time, allowing the recipient to perceive the essence of techniques, power, and the laws of the world with exceptional clarity. It accelerates learning speed, refines foundational stability, corrects flaws in power, and increases the likelihood of surpassing one's limits. The host may use it on themselves or grant it to others.]
Right now, what he needed was to elevate himself first. He intended to develop both his cultivation technique and combat techniques by using Enlightenment to create entirely new arts.
His primary cultivation method had been inherited from the Zhang Family. However, every combat technique he possessed had been created by himself from the very beginning. Every movement, every concept, every structure of power had been born from his own experimentation and refinement, because the Zhang Family possessed very few techniques related to water.
His level of comprehension was not inferior to Kang Hao in the slightest. The possibility of creating Emperor-level techniques… was no longer a distant fantasy.
Moreover, within his soul existed structural examples of Emperor-level techniques obtained from Huang Ran. She had once been a Great Emperor and possessed vast knowledge across countless fields.
That alone was a treasury of information that even many great families might never obtain.
As for Emperor-level techniques within the Zhang Family… they simply did not exist.
This place was merely a branch family, and one that had withered for many years. No geniuses had been sent to the Upper World. No outstanding achievements had been produced. As a result, they had barely received any resources from the main branch.
The highest-level techniques they possessed… were only Saint-level techniques. The Zhang Family firmly believed that if one truly possessed talent, Saint-level techniques alone were enough to carry them into the greater world.
The rain continued to fall steadily. The sound of droplets colliding echoed softly, resembling the ticking of a clock counting down.
At that moment, the system's voice sounded once more.
[Host… There is no need to make matters so complicated, is there?]
[Whether it is building a merchant association, establishing a follower network, or creating heroes.]
[With your potential and my assistance… there is no need for you to do things in such a troublesome manner.]
Zhang Wen slowly closed his eyes. His expression calmed, as if he were looking back upon the path he had walked. His breathing remained steady before he replied softly.
"What you said… is not wrong."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"But that is only because… right now, I have you helping me."
"What if one day… you disappear?"
The system fell silent immediately. Zhang Wen's voice continued, calm yet filled with seriousness that could not be ignored.
"If one day you are erased by the laws of the universe… or destroyed by something else…"
"When that time comes… what will I have left?"
"If I become accustomed to having the system handle everything… I might eventually lose the ability to do anything by myself. In the end, I would become nothing more than a paper tiger, impressive on the outside yet hollow and worthless within."
He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calm and unwavering.
"Therefore, I must do things the complicated way."
"The network, authority, followers… including my own path."
"All of this… is not for today, but for the day when the unexpected arrives…"
His voice faded. The rain surrounding him suddenly began to rotate more slowly, as if responding to his will.
Zhang Wen slowly raised his hand. A sphere of pure white energy floated above his palm before rotating and transforming into a complex ring of power. The first Enlightenment… was used to elevate his cultivation technique and combat techniques from the Saint level… toward the Emperor level.
…
…
…
Inside the Seven-Colored Peacock Merchant Association, the atmosphere was filled with tension. The sound of rain pounding against the jade roof echoed endlessly. Raindrops struck the stone floor and shattered into fine mist. The dense curtain of rain blocked both sight and spiritual perception, preventing even high-level cultivators from detecting what was happening outside.
Inside the meeting hall, a young woman dressed in green silk frowned tightly before speaking in an irritated tone.
"Liu Qing has been gone for far too long… And what is this ridiculous rain? Why is it falling so heavily that it blocks all perception? Do you not find this strange?"
Another middle-aged man nodded slowly before replying.
"If I had to guess… it might be the work of someone from the Jade Pool Sacred Land. Other than them, I truly cannot think of anyone capable of controlling a phenomenon of this scale."
He paused briefly before letting out a sigh.
"For now, it is better that we pretend not to notice anything. Let us observe the situation a little longer. I believe it will settle down soon."
Suddenly,
Amid the raging rain that drowned out everything else, a powerful voice pierced through the storm like thunder.
"Important announcement from the City Lord, Kang Hao!"
The voice echoed throughout Heaven Sword City, unaffected by the rain in the slightest.
"These raindrops contain hidden poison! All citizens are ordered to remain calm and stay inside safe shelters. Under no circumstances are you to come into contact with the rain!"
The announcement instantly sent shockwaves through the hearts of the people. Whispers began spreading across the city as fear slowly seeped into everyone's mind.
In the next instant,
Rumble!!!
Eleven Saint-level auras surged into the sky. Sacred power spread outward in vast waves that nearly every citizen could sense. An overwhelming pressure descended upon the city, as if a massive mountain were floating overhead.
Inside the Seven-Colored Peacock Merchant Association, the same young woman lifted her head, her eyes filled with contemplation.
"Does this mean… the City Lord's Mansion has won?"
At that very moment,
BOOMMMMM!!!
A thunderous explosion shook the entire city. Violent shockwaves spread outward, causing the ground to tremble. Numerous windows across the city cracked and shattered.