Chapter 656: It's Just Sitting There Anyway

Dongtian Wangcheng, Zhongcheng District.

Zhongcheng District is the most prosperous area in Dongtian Wangcheng, a place where the concept of a supreme power doesn't even apply. If one were to name them, organizations like the Lian Dan Shi Xie Hui headquarters, Ling Zhen Shi Xie Hui headquarters, Zhu Qi Shi Xie Hui headquarters, and others would be considered supreme powers in any other region. But in Zhongcheng District, there is an ultimate authority above all: the Sheng Shen Dian Tang.

Amidst the cluster of towering buildings, the majestic and sacred Sheng Shen Dian Tang stands out as the most striking presence, positioned at the core of Dongtian Wangcheng's protective barrier array. Even without considering that, a plaque inscribed with the four characters "Sheng Shen Dian Tang" hangs above the hall's entrance, instantly overshadowing any other forces.

At this moment, inside the Sheng Shen Dian Tang, in the meeting hall, Cheng Ji rubbed his slightly weary brow after seeing off the envoy from Dongyuan Jie Dayuan Fu. He looked up at the middle-aged man beside him, Zhu Lisheng. On the surface, Zhu Lisheng was the lead organizer for this Wangcheng Shilian. The event could proceed according to the usual rules without major issues, so secretly, he had another task.

"How is the situation with Xukong Dao? Have you figured it out?" Cheng Ji asked.

Zhu Lisheng shifted his gaze from the retreating figure of the envoy from Dayuan Fu heading towards Chaoluo Tian Gong, gathered his thoughts, and replied:

"The landing point for Xukong Dao this time is basically confirmed—it's Dongtian Wangcheng, no doubt about it. It won't land anywhere else."

"Timing-wise, it aligns perfectly with the Wangcheng Shilian."

"It might be a bit later, or it could drop in the middle of the trials."

"But we are doing everything we can to prevent the latter scenario and minimize any impact on the Wangcheng Shilian. However, as you know..."

He paused, turned back to meet Cheng Ji's eyes, and said with a bitter smile: "We are trying to stop it, but there are forces inside and outside Xukong Dao pushing for it, so we can only do our best. I can't guarantee anything."

"I understand."

How could Cheng Ji not know the situation? Xukong Dao had been exiled to the dimensional void by the many Banisheng of Sheng Shen Dian Tang for countless years. This unexpected descent was undoubtedly the result of covert efforts from various hidden parties both inside and outside. Those plotting for Xukong Dao's return had targeted the vulnerabilities in Sheng Shen Dian Tang's defenses. Years of exile had dulled the vigilance of Sheng Shen Dian Tang's people, and those schemers had seized that opportunity to catch them off guard.

"How is the information lockdown going?" Cheng Ji asked again.

The descent of Xukong Dao wasn't something utterly shocking; there had been similar incidents in the past. All Sheng Shen Dian Tang needed to do was mobilize forces to seal it away again and prevent it from causing havoc on the continent. Of course, before that, locking down the information to keep people from flocking to it would help minimize casualties.

"Don't worry about that, Cheng Dianzhu. We have handled the confidentiality well," Zhu Lisheng responded with a smile.

Cheng Ji stared at the elder in front of him for several moments and said with a wry smile: "But from what I know, Dongtian Wangcheng has seen quite a few Taixu Shijia arrivals unrelated to the Wangcheng Shilian lately."

He glanced towards the empty hall entrance, where the envoy to Chaoluo Tian Gong had long departed. Yet, in their earlier conversation, the envoy had spoken about the "Sky City" with complete certainty, not a hint of doubt.

Zhu Lisheng looked a bit embarrassed but maintained a serious demeanor as he said: "We are doing our utmost to lock down the information, but some people get it through internal channels, and it's hard for us to stop that."

"For now, all we can do is try to limit their numbers and prevent the news from spreading widely."

"Bad apples exist everywhere, even within Sheng Shen Dian Tang."

Cheng Ji narrowed his eyes. He had just taken office, and already people were stirring up trouble right under his nose. He would have to settle that account once he had some free time. But for now...

"Keep an eye on those individuals one by one, and deal with them after this is over," he said as he walked to the window, looking at the bustling, chaotic street scene below, and added firmly: "Also, give a stern warning to the major forces, especially the 'Ye Mao' side."

"If anything big goes down, neither you nor I can take the responsibility. Got it?"

"Don't worry, Cheng Dianzhu. I have already visited all the major forces one by one, especially Ye Mao. They wouldn't dare cause trouble," Zhu Lisheng replied immediately.

"Is that so?"

Cheng Ji shifted his gaze from the crowded market to a tall pavilion in the distance and said: "But I have heard they are planning a 'Ling Que Jiaoyi Hui,' and there might even be clues about the 'Xukong Ling' at it?"

"This..."

Zhu Lisheng hesitated, his head aching at the thought. "The Xukong Ling clue was an accident. We have basically controlled all the major Xukong Ling leads."

"I suspect this one was leaked from inside Xukong Dao by the Heibai Shuangmai."

"You know how it is—those people have been stuck there for so long, they have tried all sorts of tricks. They can't get out themselves, but smuggling out small items from inside isn't impossible."

"As for the Xukong Ling, its value is immeasurable."

"I approached Ye Mao about it; they were cooperative, but they won't just hand over the clue. Their demand is that we buy it back."

"Buy it?" Cheng Ji turned around, his eyes flashing with a dangerous glint.

"Yes."

Zhu Lisheng responded: "Ye Mao controls the entire underground intelligence network in Dongtian Wangcheng and has a massive influence, but they have been low-key these past years, no major incidents, and they have even collaborated with us, providing plenty of intelligence."

"If we use forceful methods, it would damage the relationship."

"They want money, so we can just go and buy it. By then, no one would dare refuse Sheng Shen Dian Tang."

Zhu Lisheng lifted his chin slightly. In Dongtian Wangcheng, Sheng Shen Dian Tang was the ultimate authority. Once they spoke up, who would dare oppose? Those who did—could they withstand an investigation? Zhu Lisheng was confident that not a single major force in the vast Dongtian Wangcheng could survive scrutiny.

"Ye Mao..."

Cheng Ji murmured, "As long as you have it under control."

He knew they wouldn't give up the clue easily and insisted on Sheng Shen Dian Tang showing face by attending. The reason was simple: he was new in his position, and his authority wasn't firmly established yet. Incidents like this had happened too often lately. Various forces were testing him, probing his limits. But he couldn't address it now, nor could he resolve it immediately. Still, once the net was cast and this matter was settled, there would be repercussions.

A cold smile tugged at Cheng Ji's lips. Jiang Bian Yan had taken years to build public authority from the chaos of Wangcheng and thrive because of it, but one Baiku campaign had wiped it all away. Cheng Ji didn't have that much time, but he had the Cheng Jia behind him. So, he had no intention of following Jiang Bian Yan's soft approach; instead, he planned to use an iron-fisted strategy through the Wangcheng Shilian and Xukong Dao incidents to unite all of Dongtian Wangcheng into a single force.

Leaning on the windowsill, Cheng Ji set aside the matter for now and stared at the tall building in the distance for a long while before asking: "What's going on with Chaosheng Lou?"

The ancient building in his line of sight was an early landmark of Dongtian Wangcheng, located at the city's center. Back then, there was no talk of supreme powers, and combat within the city was strictly forbidden. That's why this building was boldly constructed to ninety-nine stories high, the tallest in the city, with all other structures required to not exceed its height. Even Sheng Shen Dian Tang followed this rule. It faced the direction of the Zhongyu Sheng Shen Dian Tang headquarters, the faith of all Dongtian Wangcheng.

Later, as the supreme powers rose and Wangcheng expanded, it became impossible to suppress conflicts among Lingling Shi. The ban on urban battles was lifted, and concepts like "aerial combat" and "boundary domain wars" emerged. In the midst of throne and Zhandao battles, many tall buildings were destroyed. Only the lower and mid-level structures, unaffected by the fallout, remained intact. That's why most supreme power buildings today are only fifty or sixty stories high.

Chaosheng Lou was the sole exception. From the start, it was designated as one of the three key array points for the city's protective barrier, shielded by it, making it the only ancient structure that has preserved its ninety-nine-story height to this day.

But today, the "Chaosheng Lou" plaque hadn't been removed. Instead, at the entrance of the ground floor, a conspicuously eye-catching sign reading "Tian Shang Di Yi Lou" had been hung.

Cheng Ji frowned. This was blasphemy! Chaosheng Lou, even if left empty, couldn't be sold. How dare someone hang a sign like that—so absurdly claiming to be "Tian Shang Di Yi Lou"?

Zhu Lisheng stepped forward a few paces, looked down from the window, and immediately spotted the glittering golden characters. He was momentarily stunned but then recalled something and said: "Tian Shang Di Yi Lou? Oh, right, I remember now. A few days ago, a young master from Beiyu Taixiang Xu Jia entered the city. I haven't sent anyone to warn them yet."

"Jiang Xian?" Cheng Ji turned back.

"No."

Zhu Lisheng shook his head: "We already warned the Jiang family. They're not after Xukong Dao. This Xu Jia..."

"A new arrival?"

"Yes."

"Go check it out!"

Cheng Ji couldn't stand the arrogant "Tian Shang Di Yi Lou." How dare they proclaim themselves that way right next to Sheng Shen Dian Tang? Were they asking for trouble?

Zhu Lisheng hesitated and said: "From what I know, Xu Jia is also a Banisheng Shijia. They had a conflict with the Jiang family before, and Jiang Xian was completely overpowered."

"Oh?" Cheng Ji was surprised.

He had met Jiang Xian; the young man had an impressive bearing. Even as heirs of Banisheng Shijia, Sheng Shen Dian Tang could only issue warnings to them. After that, whatever they did was beyond the reach of a mere branch like this. The only relief was that they weren't interested in Xukong Dao, so Sheng Shen Dian Tang hadn't interfered much.

Zhu Lisheng continued: "Though Xu Jia is a Banisheng Shijia, I couldn't find any information about them. But we do have one key piece of intelligence."

"What is it?" Cheng Ji asked.

Zhu Lisheng answered: "At the grand birthday celebration of the Xu family's elder, not a single member of the Jiang family from Beiyu attended."

"It seems that's why that young master from Xu Jia showed Jiang Xian no respect and started a conflict in the street, even verbally humiliating him."

Cheng Ji tapped his fingers lightly on the window frame, furrowing his brow: "But how does that relate to Chaosheng Lou?"

Zhu Lisheng looked awkward and said: "Cheng Dianzhu, have you forgotten?"

"Back when Jiang Dianzhu was preparing for the Wangcheng Shilian, probing Xukong Dao, and handling the Baiku campaign, plus the aftermath and compensations... All those efforts nearly depleted Sheng Shen Dian Tang's reserves."

"In desperation, with approval from the temporary Dianzhu sent by headquarters, we leased out the long-unused Chaosheng Lou, thinking it was a waste to leave it idle."

"But the rent is sky-high, and no one's taken it until now... oh, wait, someone has." He pointed at the "Tian Shang Di Yi Lou" sign and chuckled.

Cheng Ji didn't care about that. Hearing this, he was furious and slammed the window frame: "How can you lump that together?"

"Jiang Bian Yan's messes shouldn't be fixed by selling off Dongtian Wangcheng's faith!"

"And what is Chaosheng Lou? It's..."

Zhu Lisheng quickly interjected: "Cheng Dianzhu, when you first took office, you also used a large sum... oh, wait, no, you filled the previous gap."

Cheng Ji paused, as if remembering something.

Zhu Lisheng added: "And the rent for that place isn't cheap—it's a symbol of faith, after all. We're not selling, just renting: ten billion per month! Plus, we can reclaim it anytime!"

He emphasized "ten billion" and "reclaim" heavily.

Sure enough, Cheng Ji's ears perked up, and his anger subsided somewhat. He asked: "How long did they rent it for?"

"Six months."

Zhu Lisheng replied hastily: "Six months, sixty billion!"

Cheng Ji lowered his raised hand, covering the damaged window frame, and silently stared at the ostentatious sign: Tian Shang Di Yi Lou.

"Sixty billion?" he repeated.

"Yes." Zhu Lisheng nodded.

Cheng Ji let out a breath and remarked: "The temporary Dianzhu from headquarters does have some foresight. It's just sitting there unused anyway..."

"Heh, that's right." Zhu Lisheng agreed, looking at the sign below with a smile: "A real money-spinner. We might need some funds for the trading event too... heh, heh!"

"Give them a warning." Cheng Ji didn't forget the main issue. After all, it was a Banisheng Shijia suddenly appearing next to Sheng Shen Dian Tang; it needed attention.

Before Zhu Lisheng could respond, Cheng Ji paused and quickly added: "But don't go overboard. Let them keep Chaosheng Lou... I mean, Tian Shang Di Yi Lou, for now. It's just sitting empty anyway."

"Understood, understood." Zhu Lisheng nodded with a smile.