Chapter 51: The End of the Ghosts’ Reign

May 26, Year 27 of the Catastrophe Calendar.

For most people in the Middle Continent, today was a relatively ordinary day that nonetheless shone with the bright hope of a better future, marking the start of a comparatively peaceful dawn.

Yet for a small portion of people, today brought the most unbelievable experience of their lives, something that could truly be called a miracle.

Sitting quietly in their homes, a heavenly opportunity descended from above.

And then, their strength all advanced by a full rank.

Had this surge in power not originated from the divine dragon, they would have feared they had fallen under the bewitchment of some terrifying, malevolent deity.

Everything felt entirely like a dream!

Some who lacked sufficient cultivation talent had been stuck at F-class, yet now found themselves at E-class.

Some who had only just broken through to C-class were suddenly B-class.

Even some who had strived endlessly to reach B-class suddenly discovered they had become A-class.

And they had attained A-class with such effortless ease.

In fact, when Chu Luan discovered he had become an A-class, his mind went completely blank.

When he heard Xi Yu mention raising the strength of the believers, he had never once considered himself, assuming that Xi Yu had meant ordinary people below F-class.

Who could have anticipated that when the dragon said A-class, he genuinely meant A-class?

Chu Luan clutched his wildly pounding chest, telling himself he had to learn his lesson: from now on, regarding anything related to Xi Yu, he had to prepare himself mentally for the most unbelievable possibilities.

Only then could he avoid being utterly flabbergasted time and time again.

***

Inside the inner world, Xi Yu bestowed dragon power upon every single believer in the Middle Continent, one after another.

After elevating the strength of all believers across the territory of the Middle Continent by one full rank, he pondered for a moment and selected a portion of believers in other nations to bestow blessings upon as well.

In the end, the entire process took him just over an hour to complete.

Xi Yu made a rough calculation.

This time, exactly one S-class had been elevated, which was Nine Sages.

Including Chu Luan, seventeen individuals had reached A-class, essentially encompassing all the B-classes he had met in the Middle Continent—such as Guan Zhang of Xincheng City and Mu Chengjiang of Weiyang City, who had only recently broken through to B-class.

As for B-classes, there were far more; he had elevated four hundred and sixteen of them in one breath.

Most of these people were individuals he had never even met, having become his believers during his previous global patrol, yet that did not prevent them from being included in this ascension.

Furthermore, nearly half of those who had broken through manifested their own unique Food Sacrifice abilities.

Although they were all of the Extraordinary tier, it remained an extraordinarily impressive harvest.

As for those below C-class, he didn’t bother counting them; there were simply too many.

At this moment, every single believer of his within the Middle Continent had become a superhuman warrior, with the lowest ranking at F-class.

However, he could only elevate them by a single rank for now, fearing their bodies would break down if pushed too far.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t resist offering a special reminder to Cheng Liang.

As his very first true believer, Cheng Liang’s current strength was honestly a bit lacking, and he needed to work harder so that Xi Yu could bestow even more dragon power upon him in the future.

Cheng Liang agreed, deeply flattered, declaring that he would certainly live up to expectations.

After finishing the blessings, Xi Yu instructed them to proactively contact Chu Luan and the others on their own, also seeking to prevent them from growing arrogant following their explosive leap in power.

Although they were his believers, they still had to abide by the rules and systems of the Middle Continent; otherwise, their dragon power could be stripped away at any moment.

Though many people had been elevated, Xi Yu’s consumption of dragon power was not particularly high.

It was even less than the dragon power he had left behind for the Nine-Tailed Red Fox when departing the Celestial Palace Realm.

It could only be said that the overall strength of the Middle Continent was still relatively modest.

After concluding the blessings, Xi Yu did not immediately return to the physical world, but began testing a new possibility.

Since he intended to walk both the Heavenly Emperor and the Believer paths, he had to race against time to elevate his strength.

Now that the draconic instincts had an increasingly negligible effect on him, he could theoretically maintain his white dragon form indefinitely.

Yet doing so meant he could not maintain his human form.

This presented a dilemma for him, as many things were far more convenient to accomplish as a human, and his human body also required cultivation.

Sometimes, he was forced to maintain his human form for extended periods, during which elevating the white dragon’s strength became impossible.

Therefore, if his white dragon body and his human body could exist simultaneously, everything would be resolved.

This presented an immense challenge for Xi Yu, leaving him completely without a clue.

Even now, his mastery over the white dragon’s full array of abilities remained limited to a minuscule fraction.

He wasn’t even certain whether his white dragon form and his human form were fundamentally the same body, let alone knowing how to make both exist concurrently.

Yet while he didn’t know, he suspected someone else did.

“Soul of the white dragon, do you know how to make the true body of the white dragon and my human body exist at the same time?” Xi Yu shouted toward the depths of the inner world.

He called out, waiting for a long time without receiving the slightest response.

He called out again.

Yet after waiting a while longer, there was still complete silence.

Xi Yu stood waiting, yet the hazy world showed not a single change.

Exhaling a long breath, Xi Yu stopped waiting; if the white dragon’s soul refused to speak, he had no choice but to fumble forward on his own.

With that, he promptly exited the inner world.

Yet not even a second passed before he appeared within it once more, his eyes staring unblinkingly toward the depths of the inner world.

Suddenly, clouds roiled and winds surged in that distance, the celestial phenomenon shifting violently as if something were about to break through from within.

The next moment, Xi Yu’s body shuddered violently, and a brand-new body of knowledge materialized inside his mind.

Subsequently, the inner world returned to tranquility, everything veiling itself in mist once more.

After taking a moment to digest the knowledge in his mind, Xi Yu looked toward the depths of the inner world with helpless resignation.

Only showing up after he pretended to leave—he truly wondered if the white dragon’s soul had some twisted sense of humor.

Yet that entity could very well be his own past life; Xi Yu shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it, knowing the full truth would come to light one day.

Perhaps all of this was intimately tied to the secret of his rebirth.

Xi Yu sat upon the dragon-head throne once more.

The white dragon’s soul had indeed passed him an art called the [White Dragon Dharma Idol], though it was not a method to possess two physical bodies simultaneously.

The [White Dragon Dharma Idol] was, in reality, the true cultivation art of the white dragon.

When the time came, he could utilize the [Believer] ability to manifest an avatar directly, through which he could condense a White Dragon Dharma Idol.

And the Dharma Idol could cultivate in the avatar’s stead.

Although this method did not grant Xi Yu two physical bodies, it happened to suit his current needs, ensuring that both forms could cultivate simultaneously.

This way, not only in the Kun Star world, but even by the side of the little green snake or within the Celestial Palace Realm, he could maintain an active avatar indefinitely.

Naturally, at his current stage, even if he cultivated it successfully, he could only condense a single Dharma Idol, needing to cultivate this art to its absolute pinnacle before he could manifest infinite idols.

Xi Yu smiled to himself; if he were truly that formidable, he likely wouldn’t even need believers to beat down Food Sequence Lords.

Moreover, the white dragon’s natural cultivation speed was already far greater than its consumption of dragon power, so having a single Dharma Idol was more than sufficient.

As for the avatar and Dharma Idol, they would temporarily remain in the Kun Star world.

However, if another world required his presence, he could project them across at any moment.

The reason he wouldn’t place it in the Celestial Palace Realm was that although the spiritual energy there had its unique uses, it was an altered version, far less potent than absorbing pure Mutation Particles.

Still, discussing all of this was premature; he had to wait until he could actually condense the Dharma Idol.

***

Xi Yu immersed himself in comprehending the White Dragon Dharma Idol, and while he was diligently studying, Chu Luan on the other side was completely frozen in place.

Just moments ago, he had resolved to remain calm no matter what happened, especially regarding matters tied to Xi Yu, yet reality had shattered that resolve entirely.

“How many did you say?” Chu Luan asked again in sheer disbelief.

“An increase of 416 B-classes, seventeen A-classes including yourself, and as for the S-class, it is the Ghost King Nine Sages of the Star-Dream Farm.”

Chu Luan’s assistant was equally in disbelief when delivering the compiled statistics.

He had verified them repeatedly, yet the numbers were undeniably real, entirely free of fabrication.

“Before this, how many B-classes did we have in total?” Chu Luan asked on instinct.

“Before today, counting only native citizens of the Middle Continent, there were thirty-four. If we look back to before the divine dragon appeared, including the hidden experts, there were only thirteen,” the assistant reported with flawless memory.

“From thirteen to over four hundred… it hasn’t even been three months, has it?” Chu Luan murmured.

“Indeed.”

The assistant was also lightheaded, feeling entirely as though he were dreaming.

Two months ago, the Middle Continent’s situation had been perilously dire.

Two months later, the Middle Continent possessed over 460 B-classes, including A-classes; it was simply beyond belief.

Had someone told him two months ago that the Middle Continent would boast so many B-classes, he would have written them off as a lunatic.

Let alone four hundred, he would have thought the same even for ten.

Yet right now, the Middle Continent genuinely held over four hundred B-classes.

“Hahaha! Wonderful!”

Chu Luan finally couldn’t hold back a boisterous laugh.

He was certain that, at least until the Food Sequence Lords mentioned by Xi Yu made their descent, the Middle Continent was completely secure.

Once the initial wave of excitement passed, Chu Luan finally regained his composure, his gaze burning with unprecedented intensity.

“Since that is the case, we shall launch a total purge across the entire Middle Continent, reclaiming every inch of our lost territory!”

“Yes!”

The assistant’s voice trembled, a blazing fire seemingly igniting within his eyes.

***

However, an operation could not be launched in an instant.

First, they had to wait for everyone’s cultivation to stabilize, followed by redistributing the duties of all newly promoted B-classes.

Furthermore, Chu Luan did not plan on a full nationwide mobilization this time.

Aside from retaining sufficient B-classes to safeguard every region, he would concentrate all A-classes and B-classes, taking an elite offensive route to systematically crush every forbidden zone one by one.

After all, they currently possessed over four hundred B-classes; even the ghosts didn’t outnumber them.

Although an offensive was not launched immediately, Chu Luan began his preparations.

Sustaining the consumption of over four hundred B-classes was no small task, but fortunately, he still held the Scale Bead provided by Xi Yu, which served as an invaluable boon.

At this moment, the upper echelons of the Middle Continent were ablaze with fighting spirit, yet other nations remained completely in the dark, as did the ghosts lurking within the various forbidden zones across the Middle Continent.

Yet this time, the Middle Continent would show no mercy whatsoever.

Xi Yu had instructed these ghosts to vacate the Middle Continent long ago.

So much time had passed, yet they had treated his words as wind past their ears, so the Middle Continent naturally would not stand on ceremony.

They might have even harbored rebellious thoughts seeing that Xi Yu had vanished from the Middle Continent for such an extended period.

Originally, Chu Luan had genuinely intended to grant Ding Ren time off, but now he was forced to go back on his word.

When Ding Ren received Chu Luan’s call, he looked at Xi Yu, who had yet to emerge from his room, letting out a soft sigh.

He briefed Zhang Qingyuan, who had already reached B-class, and immediately departed for the capital.

This time, aside from him, every newly promoted B-class across the country who did not hold a vital post set out on the journey toward the capital.

And at this juncture, the rest of the Middle Continent remained unaware that an unprecedented storm was about to ignite from within the nation and sweep across Kun Star.

***

At Star-Dream Farm, not only had several new B-classes emerged, but two A-classes had also been born.

Aside from those who had departed, what took everyone completely by surprise was that the other newly minted A-class was none other than the former Drance Federation B-class, Gabriel, known as the [Earth King].

The powerful aura that erupted from Gabriel upon his ascension to A-class was impossible to hide from the people around him, nor did he dare conceal it.

Under Zhang Qingyuan’s summons, all the heads of various posts across the farm quickly assembled.

Subsequently, the collective focus landed squarely upon Gabriel and Nine Sages.

Naturally, compared to Gabriel, far more gazes gravitated toward Nine Sages.

This was, after all, a genuine S-class—perhaps the strongest entity across the entire Kun Star outside of Xi Yu—and right now, he stood directly before them.

Yet compared to the crowd’s astonishment, Nine Sages was far more shaken than anyone else.

A human S-class was equivalent to their Sequence 3: White Calamity Class.

Having once served under a Food Sequence Lord, he understood intimately just how difficult reaching Sequence 3 truly was.

Without the aid of a Food Sequence Lord, ascending to Sequence 3 required completing an extraordinarily horrific ritual: a [Blood Sacrifice].

Only by orchestrating an unprecedented massacre could the final metamorphosis be accomplished.

Sequence 3 required the entire physical body to fully complete both mutation and soul transformation, at which point the body would undergo another qualitative leap, far more formidable than any prior breakthrough.

The combat strength one gained was dozens of times greater than before.

At this juncture, the chasm between S-class and A-class widened exponentially; without extraordinary circumstances, no A-class could ever hope to contend against an S-class.

It was precisely because he knew all of this that Nine Sages understood how immensely difficult his current breakthrough had been.

At the very least, the Food Sequence Lord behind him, the Sun Deity Deer, would have required him to offer astronomical contributions before even considering granting him such an opportunity.

Yet now, it had happened in the blink of an eye.

The white dragon had not placed a single demand upon him.

What welled within his chest was not merely shock, but profound gratitude.

In this moment, his devotion to the white dragon grew even more devout.

***

The crowd did not disturb Nine Sages’ contemplation; regardless of anything else, he was now an S-class entity, commanding the respect of anyone.

Even though he was a ghost, the white dragon’s endorsement was more than enough to earn their trust, especially since his ascension was directly granted by the white dragon, further proving the dragon’s faith in him.

Looking at him, everyone felt immensely invigorated.

The farm now possessed an S-class existence, serving as an unshakeable pillar of stability.

While Nine Sages’ advancement was not surprising, Gabriel becoming an A-class left everyone astonished.

Augustus and the other two, in particular, found it entirely unbelievable.

Had they not sensed the surges of powerful auras erupting across the farm, they wouldn’t have understood what had transpired.

Looking at Fang Jianbo and the others who had ascended to B-class, their scalps tingled, yet what filled their hearts most was terror and dread.

Though they didn’t comprehend how this had happened, it was unquestionably linked to the white dragon.

Fang Jianbo and the others were one thing, but what about Gabriel?

They weren’t merely shaken by Gabriel’s newfound cultivation, but terrified that Gabriel had been granted an elevation just like Fang Jianbo and the rest.

How on earth had Gabriel accomplished this? Or rather, from when had the white dragon placed absolute trust in Gabriel?

What about them? Had they already been cast aside by the white dragon?

At the thought of this possibility, an unprecedented sense of crisis and dread consumed them.

Even if Xi Yu hadn’t abandoned them, they would surely be completely phased out by the Star-Dream Farm.

The farm now boasted S-classes and A-classes, with B-classes aplenty; what did they amount to as mere B-classes?

And where there was a first time, there would surely be a second; next time, the farm might be entirely composed of A-classes.

How humiliating would it be if they remained B-classes then? No one would pay them any heed.

They might not even retain the qualification to attend meetings like today’s.

In truth, Augustus and Isaac were comparatively better off, whereas Acrylic was the most unsettled.

Back then, relying on the Drance Federation’s base in Jiao’an, he had heavily tied down the Middle Continent’s forces, and though he hadn’t committed massacres against them, the people of the Middle Continent undoubtedly remembered.

Right now, as a B-class, he was safe, but once B-classes walked the farm like common folk, the moment they recalled his past deeds, his end would be utterly horrific.

Even if no one acted rashly to kill him, having people constantly make trouble for him would be unbearable.

At this moment, Augustus and his companions stared intensely at Gabriel, frantically wishing to know how Gabriel had earned the white dragon’s favor.

Yet they dared not ask.

Ultimately, they could only bury their deep bitterness, envy, and dread at the bottom of their hearts.

***

Not only were Augustus and his companions baffled by Gabriel, but Zhang Qingyuan and the others felt similarly, with only Fang Jianbo feeling genuinely pleased.

Having worked as colleagues for a period, he had grown to appreciate Gabriel’s diligence, so seeing him earn Xi Yu’s recognition made him truly happy.

Yet what Acrylic and the others had no way of knowing was that Gabriel himself was completely dazed, aside from being thrilled.

He had no clue why he had suddenly caught the white dragon’s eye and received this power.

Thinking it over, the only thing he could recall was cooking for the white dragon.

Yet he wasn’t entirely certain.

He had merely felt grateful to the white dragon for letting him pursue something he genuinely loved, pouring his heart and soul into every meal.

Could it be that he had earned the white dragon’s favor solely because of this?

Regardless of whether that was true, Gabriel made up his mind: he would manage the dining hall with even greater devotion moving forward, ensuring the white dragon was thoroughly satisfied, as this was what he loved doing anyway.

As for his cultivation, he took it very lightly; while he was thrilled to advance, his primary duty was being a chef, and he wouldn’t abandon cooking just because he had become an A-class.

His thoughts began to wander.

Since he was now an A-class, it meant he had ample techniques to experiment with crafting more delicacies; where should he begin?

Lost in thought, Gabriel failed to notice that the gazes Zhang Qingyuan and the others directed at him had softened considerably.

Since Gabriel had earned Xi Yu’s approval and had never targeted the Middle Continent in the past, today marked the moment Zhang Qingyuan and the others truly accepted him.

From this day forward, they would view Gabriel as one of their own.

***

At this moment, everyone gathered around the table harbored their own thoughts.

After letting everyone settle their minds, Zhang Qingyuan cleared his throat softly, drawing everyone’s attention.

Seeing Zhang Qingyuan’s posture, everyone focused intently, with Nine Sages being no exception.

Zhang Qingyuan was the vice-manager of Star-Dream Farm, but everyone knew that he was the actual administrator.

Xi Yu never meddled in management, leaving all affairs to Zhang Qingyuan, and his words carried genuine weight.

As long as Xi Yu didn’t intervene, they had to obey Zhang Qingyuan’s directives.

“Everyone, our Star-Dream Farm’s strength has undergone a qualitative leap, and it is time to project the farm’s influence outward.”

“At the very least, we must purge all harmful ghosts from our surrounding territory.”

“Most importantly, the roads connecting the farm to all parts of the nation must remain entirely secure; we must ensure that citizens nationwide can reach Star-Dream Farm safely.”

Zhang Qingyuan’s words rang with conviction.

“Star-Dream Farm was founded by Lord Dragon, so we must make it the most reassuring and coveted haven in the entire nation.”

“This place is now our home, so I hope we can work together to turn Star-Dream Farm into a true sanctuary, living up to Lord Dragon’s care for us.”

Zhang Qingyuan’s voice carried a touch of fervor.

Fang Jianbo and the others felt their blood boil as they listened, and even Augustus and his companions felt a sudden surge of inspiration.

Indeed, without realizing it, they had already come to view Star-Dream Farm as their home.

If the farm flourished, they too would share in the glory.

If Star-Dream Farm truly became the most renowned sanctuary in the nation, or even across the globe, they would feel immense pride and honor.

At that moment, what Augustus and his companions didn’t realize was that the instant this thought surfaced in their minds, a point of light invisible to themselves faintly lit up on their bodies, binding them to an unknown presence in the mystical expanse.

***

Seeing the excitement on everyone’s faces, Zhang Qingyuan felt even more emboldened, declaring loudly:

“Everyone, let us begin by completely reclaiming Central City; it is time to resolve our largest neighbor once and for all.”

“Understood, Vice-Manager!” the crowd cheered enthusiastically.

Central City was closest to them, even closer than Xincheng City.

Before the catastrophe, it had been a tier-one metropolis ranked among the top ten in the Middle Continent, capable of housing tens of millions of people.

Once Star-Dream Farm reclaimed Central City, the impact would be unparalleled, offering immense benefits to the farm and immediately solving the housing shortage for the influx of visitors.

Though decades had passed and Central City had surely suffered heavy devastation, many areas remained habitable, and renovating them was vastly simpler than building new homes from scratch.

Even if they simply dismantled Central City entirely, it would yield endless resources.

Once the decision was made, Star-Dream Farm’s execution was even faster than the Middle Continent’s.

The Middle Continent had to coordinate across the entire country, whereas Star-Dream Farm only had to lock onto Central City.

What Star-Dream Farm lacked least was food, leaving logistical concerns entirely settled.

Moreover, with the only S-class in the country—and perhaps the world—stationed at their farm, they had nothing to fear, marching out the moment the order was given.

In the end, only Fang Jianbo and another newly promoted B-class remained to guard the farm, alongside a skeleton crew to maintain basic operations, while Zhang Qingyuan dispatched everyone else.

The top priority, naturally, was bringing Nine Sages along.

Leaving B-classes behind was solely for emergencies; with Xi Yu currently on the farm, no real accidents could occur anyway.

And keeping Fang Jianbo behind ensured Xi Yu had meals cooked for him.

To ensure absolute success, Zhang Qingyuan specifically invited Sha Ren along.

Sha Ren was currently residing at Star-Dream Farm, and the shocking transformations across the farm naturally hadn’t escaped his perception.

When he learned that Nine Sages had become a Sequence 3 entity, the shock nearly caused him to lose his composure.

Nine Sages, that reckless fellow, had not only received the white dragon’s protection, but had now received his blessing to become a human S-class.

It was utterly beyond imagination.

To think that he and the little white cat had met the white dragon first; it could only be said that everything was fate.

Although he still wished to reach the Dimensional Black Abyss, he couldn’t help but feel deep envy toward Nine Sages.

If he could also earn the white dragon’s protection and ascend to Sequence 3, would he still want to go to the Dimensional Black Abyss?

Sha Ren had no answer in his heart.

Yet an answer had already formed.

Regarding Zhang Qingyuan’s request, Sha Ren did not refuse.

Though he had once been one of the masters of Central City, since he had decided to leave the Kun Star world, he held no attachment to the city.

With a local powerhouse like him assisting, Zhang Qingyuan’s team operated with overwhelming momentum.

Even without counting him, the farm possessed one A-class and over twenty B-classes.

Aside from Augustus and his companions, and the three ghosts who had followed Nine Sages, the farm had produced over a dozen new B-classes in one breath.

They all answered Zhang Qingyuan’s call, joining the expedition to reclaim Central City.

The newly promoted C-classes and D-classes were even more numerous.

Among them was the [Black King of Hades], who still kept his identity hidden.

Zhang Qingyuan fully intended to make him pull his weight; since the King of Hades was not currently in the Middle Continent, they hadn’t touched the Black King of Hades, hoping to use him as bait to hook the King of Hades later.

Yet leaving them untouched didn’t mean letting them sit idle.

Making them work was an excellent way to turn waste into treasure, keeping them from causing trouble on the farm.

Handing them over to Gabriel to watch ensured they couldn’t run even if they tried.

Zhang Qingyuan and his forces mobilized with blazing speed, the main army setting out the very next day.

Ming Yun stood with her two children, Man Duoya and Ming Qin, waving farewell to Man Wenhuai and the departing ranks.

No anxiety showed on their faces; Man Wenhuai hadn’t been forced to join the reclamation of Central City, volunteering of his own accord.

Had the children not been so young, and had the chicken coops not required a manager, Ming Yun would have liked to go herself.

With so many supreme experts present, Man Wenhuai’s group was primarily handling logistics; as long as they were careful, safety wasn’t a concern.

This was an exceptional opportunity to earn merit.

They lacked nothing now, and beyond wanting to contribute to the farm, everyone wished to perform well.

With their strength elevated, everyone wanted to show off their skills; this was a prime opportunity to make a name for themselves.

***

Xi Yu only emerged on the farm the following day, by which time Zhang Qingyuan’s force had already departed for more than two hours.

Learning their objective from Fang Jianbo, Xi Yu sensed their status, then immersed himself once more in studying the White Dragon Dharma Idol.

With Ding Ren gone, he could only focus his mind entirely on this pursuit.

A full night had passed, yet he had been unable to grasp the basics of this art, which made him somewhat anxious.

By afternoon, Xi Yu’s progress remained minimal, so after eating, he entered the inner world once more.

He decided to test a different approach.

Using Zhang Qingyuan as a coordinate, he condensed an avatar beside him.

Xi Yu had no worries regarding Zhang Qingyuan’s team; he had already scouted Central City, and aside from the single A-class ghost he had warned previously, there were no major threats.

His reason for cultivating the White Dragon Dharma Idol was to allow his avatar to cultivate, so this presented a fine opportunity to see if practical application would yield comprehension.

Xi Yu’s avatar hovered above Central City, attempting to manifest the Dharma Idol, but it yielded no effect, so he turned his attention toward every corner of Central City below.

Beneath Central City, Zhang Qingyuan’s forces maintained a state of absolute, crushing dominance.

Although the A-class ghost residing in Central City had not departed, the strongest among the remaining ghosts were mere C-classes, posing no threat to Zhang Qingyuan’s ranks.

Moreover, Zhang Qingyuan was exceptionally steady, taking his time and advancing territory by territory.

Beyond reclaiming Central City, his objective was also to train his troops.

Most of the farm’s combatants had only recently advanced, making this the perfect chance to consolidate their foundations.

Xi Yu nodded to himself; Zhang Qingyuan’s temperament had always been composed, making him fully capable of overseeing this campaign with ease.

He also spotted an amusing area.

Whenever danger arose, Gabriel sent the [Black King of Hades] forward; after all, he was officially a C-class, and the ghosts were also C-class, with the farm helping him conceal his true strength.

Once the strength of the various ghosts was tested, the training for the remaining C-classes began.

The farm credited the Black King of Hades with genuine merits, and whether the Black King of Hades could see through their act was of little concern to the farm.

Having monitored him for so long, the farm had no energy to waste playing games with him.

If he stayed obedient, he would be spared for now, but if he harbored ill intent, he would be detained directly; what the farm lacked least right now was B-classes.

***

As territory after territory was flattened day by day, half a month later, more than half of Central City had been reclaimed.

Aside from the A-class ghost in Central City’s First Hospital, none of the ghosts had managed to cause any significant ripples.

There were formidable C-class ghosts akin to the Head-Swapping Ghost they had encountered before, but before B-classes, they could only be crushed.

Only the final remaining A-class ghost consistently refused to vacate Central City.

Zhang Qingyuan and the others did not attack it immediately, having Sha Ren, who shared an acquaintance with it, act as an envoy to request its departure.

However, the bizarre ghost named Da Pang refused, declaring that it wished to join the Middle Continent.

Yet despite claiming it wanted to join, Da Pang refused to leave its lair, insisting on remaining in the First Hospital.

Zhang Qingyuan naturally could not agree; if Da Pang couldn’t even leave the hospital, how could they trust that it wouldn’t harm humans?

After repeated attempts by Sha Ren to persuade it over several days, Da Pang remained stubborn, and battle finally erupted.

Nine Sages struck personally, slaying Da Pang cleanly.

Zhang Qingyuan showed no mercy; in reclaiming the territory of the Middle Continent, there was no room for sentiment, and tolerating Da Pang for so many days had already been a courtesy to Sha Ren.

Regarding this, Sha Ren felt only a silent sigh, harboring no grievances.

He was only close with the little white cat, while his relationship with Da Pang was merely that of neighbors, neither warm nor cold.

Since Da Pang refused to read the situation, it was only natural that it perished here.

Yet it was at this moment that he recognized with piercing clarity: the era of ghosts ruling the Middle Continent was finally coming to an end.

Without further incident, Central City was completely reclaimed amidst the cheers of everyone from Star-Dream Farm.

***

Simultaneously, the main forces of the Middle Continent, who had set out a few days later than Star-Dream Farm, had long since marched into battle.

Led by dozens of A-classes, over four hundred B-classes divided into four fronts, marching toward every forbidden zone whose ghosts had refused to leave the Middle Continent.

Ding Ren led a squad of fifty B-classes toward the A-class forbidden zone closest to him, flattening this dread land that had once caused the Middle Continent sleepless nights in just ten minutes.

And this was merely the beginning.

Whether it was A-class, S-class, or SS-class forbidden zones—these dread lands that had once seemed insurmountable to the Middle Continent—the strongest ghosts within them were now mere A-classes.

With Nine Sages deployed at their request, not a single location could impede the Middle Continent’s advance.

In the end, aside from the ghosts that petitioned to join the Middle Continent, the remaining ghosts either fled in panic or mounted a futile resistance before being annihilated without exception.

A month later, when the three major SS-class forbidden zones—Tiancang Peak, the Kunlun Mountains, and the Yunxian Heavenly Pond—were successfully reclaimed, every inch of territory within the borders of the Middle Continent had returned to the nation’s grasp.

Although many scattered ghosts remained within the borders, there was no longer a single place that stood as an absolute forbidden zone for humanity.

That day, his hands trembling slightly, Chu Luan stood before the cameras of a nationwide live broadcast, preparing to announce this glorious news to the people.

Yet after a moment of silence, his thousand words condensed into a single sentence:

“The Middle Continent has been reclaimed.”

Five simple words shook the entire nation.

A tidal wave of cheers erupted from every corner of the Middle Continent.

At this moment, high in the sky, Xi Yu—who had witnessed everything unfold over the past month—felt deeply moved.

As countless cheers echoed across the lands of the Middle Continent, a sudden, profound comprehension of the White Dragon Dharma Idol that had eluded him for an entire month bloomed in his mind.

In that single instant, he seemed to see a colossal dragon head rise from the direction of the capital, and carried along by the boundless cheers of the people, a dragon’s body manifested, followed by dragon claws and a dragon tail appearing before his eyes.

In that split second, looking at this colossal dragon hovering over the Middle Continent, Xi Yu finally understood how the White Dragon Dharma Idol was to be condensed.