Chapter 0458: Thirty-Six

One million—this wasn't an exaggeration, but a very real number.

And that was just the population within Xuanhuang City alone, not counting the surrounding villages or towns. According to the latest statistics, the city's population had already reached a staggering one million. In ancient times, even the capital cities of dynasties rarely held more than several hundred thousand residents. Reaching a population of a million was virtually unheard of. This made Xuanhuang City a super-city, one capable of accommodating such a vast number of people.

Just imagine how large the territory it covered must be.

The land it occupied had to be immense.

"The more people there are, the harder it is to manage. Have there been more disputes lately?"Yi Tianxing never believed that a city of this size could remain entirely peaceful. With so many people, the chance of conflicts was inevitably high. Even with self-restraint, disagreements would still occur.

If there truly was peace across the land, that would be the real anomaly.

"Yes," Zhang Yue replied promptly. "There have been more arguments and quarrels recently, especially between buyers and sellers, which has increased the burden on the Six Doors. But since we're in chaotic times, most people greatly cherish the lives they have now. Even when arguments happen, they tend to remain restrained. We've had no bloody incidents. Everything is still within our control."

"Because of the increasing workload, I took the liberty of expanding the number of constables in the Six Doors. I hope my lord will not punish me."

"It's fine," Yi Tianxing said with a smile and shook his head. "This falls well within your authority. You're adapting to circumstances, which is the best course of action. Why would I punish you for that? If you didn't even have this much flexibility, then I'd have misjudged you."

"The larger the population, the more disputes will naturally arise," Huang Chengyan interjected. "I propose that we establish a formal criminal justice body, and perhaps even begin drafting comprehensive laws to govern the behavior of our citizens. With law comes discipline, and with discipline comes civilization."

"There's no need to rush this," Yi Tianxing responded. "We've only just risen to city status. When we ascend to become a Royal City, and the dynasty truly takes shape, then we can establish criminal codes and a formal legal system. We can start preparing now so that when the time comes, we can implement it all at once. The issue is—we lack true Legalist talent in Xuanhuang City."

Yi Tianxing sighed. The Legalist school was the most suited for managing laws and punishment. Without such talent, making progress felt like a wasted effort.

"My lord need not worry," Jia Xu said calmly, with confidence in his eyes. "Given Xuanhuang City's current reputation, talented people will naturally gather here. True geniuses are never content with obscurity—especially in times of chaos. Chaos breeds heroes. Those with true ability also have pride. Just as you're searching for worthy people, they too are looking for a worthy ruler. I believe our city already houses many such talents—they're just still watching from the shadows. If your deeds can move them, they will come."

"You speak as if you've already found someone," Yi Tianxing's eyes flashed, a thought crossing his mind.

"Indeed," Jia Xu nodded. "I've met with several promising individuals. They're gifted, though they haven't expressed interest in taking office yet—they're still observing. But if you were to go in person, there's a high chance they'd agree to join."

"Good. After this meeting, you'll take me to them. If they truly have talent, I'll invite them personally—no matter how demanding their conditions. Talent is the foundation of growth."

Yi Tianxing was clearly delighted.

This was unquestionably good news—a great fortune.

"My lord," Huang Chengyan spoke again, "three months ago, thirty-six villages requested permission to upgrade to towns. You personally approved them. Over the past three months, they've completed their transitions one after another, with aid from our city's military. Though there were challenges, all threats were suppressed with minimal casualties. The settlements remain intact. Now, we have thirty-six towns surrounding us, and some of our population has begun to spread out and settle in these towns."

He then began to list out the specifics of these towns one by one.

Yi Tianxing quickly gained a thorough understanding of the developments in the surrounding region.

These thirty-six towns had only been able to upgrade because they were backed by Xuanhuang City. The luck and destiny needed for the upgrades had also come from the city itself. This close dependence had tied them even more tightly to the city. With a single thought, Yi Tianxing could strip any town lord of their status and authority.

And the selection of these thirty-six towns had not been random.

They were chosen based on geographic location and proximity.

If one had a map, it would be clear that these towns were arranged in a perfect web, with Xuanhuang City at the center. Each town was placed at a set distance from the next. Between every two towns were multiple villages, sometimes even more than a dozen.

This formed a unified regional network with Xuanhuang City at its heart and the towns as hubs. The surrounding ten thousand li of land, including all human settlements and villages, were now tightly connected.

This was a grand web—These towns were its nodes, each of critical importance.

Once developed, they would each become regional centers.

"The teleportation arrays in each of the villages and towns have been fully constructed and installed," Master Lu added. "They are stable and operational. From within Xuanhuang City, one can now teleport to any village within a ten-thousand-li radius with ease."

With the teleportation network completed, these areas were no longer isolated or hard to reach. Xuanhuang City now had a firm grip on its surroundings.

"Excellent. Master Lu, you've rendered great service," Yi Tianxing praised without hesitation.

Others began reporting significant developments from the past three months as well.

According to statistics, the entire region now included thirty-six towns and two hundred and thirty-five villages. The total registered human population in Xuanhuang City had exceeded ten million—a truly staggering figure.

Considering the Eternal Continent's brutal chaos, where only one in a hundred typically survived, it was estimated that billions had originally descended into the region—but only a few tens of millions remained.

This alone showed just how terrifying this chaotic era was.

While this council was taking place in Xuanhuang City…

Far beyond the city's domain, deep within a vast mountain range—A massive rift split open on one of the peaks.

The rift was pitch-black, eerily deep, and winding. Wisps of black mist coiled within.

The mountain itself was enormous.

As the first rift opened, many more followed—one after another—appearing all over the mountain. They formed a pattern like a beehive, evoking an instinctive sense of dread. It felt as though some monstrous horror lurked within each cavern.

The black holes seemed capable of devouring all—an invisible pressure hung in the air.

A chill of fear spread without warning.

ROOOAAARR!!

From within the caves came a chorus of unearthly howls. The sounds sent shivers down the spine—not from one, but from tens of thousands of creatures, all shrieking in unison.

BOOM!

Suddenly, from these countless cave mouths, enormous, terrifying insectoid monsters came pouring out.

They looked somewhat similar to those seen in the past—some were beetle-like, with armored shells and massive bodies larger than oxen. As they charged forward, they radiated an aura of icy death.

Some burrowed straight into the ground.Others ran across the surface, their sharp limbs like javelins.Some spread their wings and took to the skies.

The sky darkened.The swarm was like a tidal wave, erupting from the mountain like an avalanche.

These caves appeared to be linked to some Zerg-like realm—a world filled with endless insect beasts.

The swarm swept across the land, unstoppable.

BOOM!

Some bugs slammed into trees, shattering them with armored shells. Others darted forward at lightning speed. Some radiated icy air that froze the ground. Others sprayed flames, setting grass and trees ablaze.

Wherever they passed—Only devastation remained.

It was like the land had suffered an apocalyptic blow.

"BUGS!! Kill them! Kill those bugs!"

A Goblin tribe numbering in the tens of thousands heard the tremors and looked up—only to see the overwhelming insect swarm barreling down on them.

The goblins shouted in fear, grabbed their weapons, and charged.

But in mere moments, they were overwhelmed. The swarm tore through them like paper. Tens of thousands of goblins were shredded into bloody chunks.

The insect tide suffered virtually no damage.The attack was far too ferocious.

Only a heavy stench of blood remained in the air.