Zheng Hao, observing Bai Hanlin's significant power boost after defeating three individuals, realized their strength far surpassed his own.
If Zhang Chen's team hadn't been present, the messenger's threat to slaughter everyone there would not have been an empty one. Even combining the efforts of Qian Xin Xin and Wang Zi Hao from the black market, they would have stood no chance against these three. At best, everyone could have relied on tactics and control skills to stall for time, perhaps inflicting some damage if lucky. However, to decisively kill them would have been an incredibly difficult task.
"Understood, True God. I'll arrange it immediately!" Zheng Hao nodded, his expression solemn as he began assigning his subordinates to defensive preparations and other tasks.
Meanwhile, Zhang Wenwen was rapidly recording Zhang Chen's recent divine miracles in her small notebook. Over the past few days, the sheer number of divine miracles she had heard about and witnessed firsthand had nearly filled the book. Her gaze towards Zhang Chen shimmered with a fervent light, an emotion that far surpassed love, a more fervent passion.
A short while later, Xiao Bai and Mo Ran arrived on the city wall.
"Dad, what's up?!" the two girls asked excitedly.
"Xiao Bai, Mo Ran and I need to go out for a bit. While we're gone, you'll be responsible for guarding this city. Absolutely no enemies are allowed to breach the defenses. Understand?" Zhang Chen said.
"Huh? Why are you taking Mo Ran and not me? I can do whatever she can do!" Xiao Bai said with obvious reluctance. Zhang Chen had just returned, and now he was leaving again.
"Don't worry, this trip shouldn't take too long. We'll be back in a day or two at most!" Zhang Chen said, gently stroking Xiao Bai's hair and then lightly pinching her smooth cheek. "When I get back, I promise to stay with you for a while longer."
"You promised, no backing out!" Xiao Bai stuck out her pinky finger towards Zhang Chen, pouting with a little indignation.
"Mm, I won't back out!" Zhang Chen hooked his finger with Xiao Bai's.
"If the city is attacked and you can't handle it by yourself, you can ask your good friend Xu Rui Na for help!" Zhang Chen added, still concerned. "Even though she's busy with her research, she won't stand by and do nothing in a situation like this!"
"I understand, Dad!"
"With Xiao Bai's strength, she'll definitely manage. Leader, you can rest assured!" Qing Feng chimed in to support her. He had witnessed the power of the World Enders and considered them insurmountable. Now that Xiao Bai had merged with their power, the thought of anyone being able to defeat her was something Qing Feng couldn't even contemplate.
"Alright, Mo Ran, let's go!" Zhang Chen nodded to everyone behind him. They immediately bowed in respect. Under their watchful eyes, Zhang Chen and Mo Ran leaped off the city wall.
"There's a pipe worm 100 meters below. Have your earth spiders help out!" Zhang Chen stomped his foot, indicating the location directly below them.
"Okay, Dad, leave it to me!" Mo Ran said excitedly. This was a mission her dad was taking her on alone, and she had to perform well! Mo Ran squatted down, burying her hands in the soil. Soon, a group of burrowing earth spiders was summoned. They immediately got to work with great enthusiasm, clearly organized. Some dug, some carried stones, and others produced sticky mucus to seal the walls of the excavated tunnels, preventing collapses. In just over ten minutes, a 100-meter pit was dug. Dense swarms of burrowing earth spiders lined the pit's edge, like troops awaiting review by their queen.
"Alright, Dad, let's go down!" Mo Ran linked her arm with Zhang Chen's, and they both jumped straight into the pit.
As soon as they landed, they were greeted by a faint, sweet scent. Before them appeared a large mouth, about three to four meters in diameter, with four fangs protruding outwards. In the center was a cluster of emerald-green energy, forming a portal. It seemed this large mouth was designed to lure other creatures, and the sweet scent...
"Let's go!" Zhang Chen stepped forward, Mo Ran following closely behind. Almost instantly, Zhang Chen's leg entered the portal, and then extended from the other side. When Zhang Chen fully passed through the portal, he found himself in a massive cave.
Calling it a cave wasn't entirely accurate, as the entire cavern was a regular rectangular prism, as if artificially carved. Moreover, Zhang Chen and Mo Ran were not the only two people there. The vast cavern housed thousands of survivors, dressed in various outfits and wearing rings of different colors—blue, cyan, and dark red.
Seeing people emerge from the portal, they were startled and instinctively made way, stepping back to create an open space. However, their tense hearts relaxed slightly when they realized the newcomers were not the fat man and his guards, but a man and a woman. Their gazes remained tense and wary, fixed on the two like startled deer.
"Where is this place? It feels so warm and comfortable!" Mo Ran took a deep breath, sensing the earthy aroma emanating from the cave walls.
"This must be where they keep the survivors they've recently plundered as slaves, and… it's all women here!" Zhang Chen was taken aback. Thousands of survivors, all women. And they were all under thirty years old, with some as young as 12 or 13 years old stuffed in to make up the numbers. Undoubtedly, their appearances were good. In peacetime, with a little makeup and good styling, they would at least be considered near-goddesses.
"So… is the Supreme Being's camp here?" Mo Ran asked curiously.
At the mention of the Supreme Being's name, the surrounding girls turned pale with fright and scrambled backward, as if fearing any association with this presumptuous girl. Some of them had already witnessed the methods of the Supreme Being's followers; they treated people as less than human. If one didn't understand the need to abandon dignity and just survive, and still harbored thoughts of reasoning like in peacetime, or even indulging in small acts of willfulness… they would die without even knowing how, and their deaths would be extremely gruesome.
"I'm not sure either. Let's head towards the brightly lit area ahead and find out!" Zhang Chen pointed towards the cave's exit. The two of them looked around with curiosity, as if on a tour. The surrounding girls parted ways for them, their gazes filled with a variety of emotions: pity, regret, fear, and even schadenfreude from some.
Before they could reach the cave exit, a woman suddenly emerged from the side and called out softly, "Mr. Zhang Chen! You… you were captured too?!"