novelraw Chapter 435: Sea Realm and Calamity, Fourth Tier
Chapter 435: Sea Realm and Calamity, Fourth Tier
Some who lingered near the City Lord's Residence were even rudely driven away by the patrolling Black City guard teams, their attitude rough and unceremonious.
"What kind of trash is this? You think you're worthy of inquiring about Lord Su's whereabouts?"
"Looks like soft-footed weaklings from the interior at first glance. Get lost, don't block the view here!"
"Want to see Su Zhan? First weigh how much you're actually worth!"
...
Hitting wall after wall and suffering both personal and property losses caused the mindset of many fans who had arrived full of passion to gradually change.
The initial worship and yearning rapidly cooled in the face of Black City's harsh reality, transforming into anger instead.
On the internet, voices of complaint and doubt began to appear:
"What kind of hellhole is Black City? It's chaotic and dangerous, and the people there are all vicious criminals."
"I worked so hard to save up money to see Su Zhan once, but I got robbed as soon as I arrived! Reporting it to the authorities didn't even work!""Why does Su Zhan have to stay in such a lawless place? He's so strong, can't he move to a city with better order?"
"Exactly, he's clearly our Daxia's hero, yet he lives in a place where Aberrants can just walk the streets... It feels really weird, makes me a bit uncomfortable."
"Fan turned neutral. It feels like he's so distant from us ordinary people, and the place he stays is also unlikable."
"Does he just like this kind of chaotic environment? The more you think about it, the more terrifying it gets..."
...
These comments initially appeared only sporadically, but as more people had similar experiences, they gradually formed a small wave of opinion.
Some original fans, unable to understand or accept Black City's environment and Su Zhan's choice, coupled with personal experiences or heard terrible stories, saw the passion in their hearts fade, even beginning to develop antipathy.
Black City's chaos and xenophobia inadvertently became a sieve, filtering out those followers who were merely driven by temporary fanaticism.
But it did indeed bring some negative impact to Su Zhan's public image.
However...
For Su Zhan, who was deeply immersed in cultivation within the secret chamber, he was completely unaware of and utterly indifferent to these external noises.
This could only be considered a minor matter. The authorities would resolve it for him.
Daxia's tangible hand began to exert its force.
"Regarding Advisor Su Zhan's permanent stationing in Black City, this is based on considerations at the highest strategic level. Black City, as a city near the front lines of Daxia's defense against the Mist, holds an irreplaceable strategic position.
Advisor Su Zhan possesses dual powers. His very existence serves as an extremely powerful deterrent against Mist Creatures and Transcendence Society forces.
His presence in Black City allows him to respond to sudden high-level threats at the border immediately, effectively containing the infiltration and attacks of Calamity-level Mist Creatures. Its strategic significance far outweighs stationing in any city in the interior.
This is the optimal choice for guarding Daxia's gateway, not a matter of personal preference."
This explanation elevated Su Zhan's decision to stay in Black City from a personal choice to the height of national strategy, emphasizing that his garrison was to ensure the safety of the entire Daxia hinterland.
It turned the voices questioning why he stayed in such a chaotic place into admiration for his spirit of sacrificing personal comfort for the greater good.
This combination of moves produced an immediate effect.
The direction of public opinion on the internet was guided once again:
"So that's how it is! Lord Su Zhan is willing to stay in that dangerous place to protect us!"
"We wronged him! Complaining that he can't come was truly selfish of us!"
"Thinking about it, it makes sense. With his strength, staying in the rear enjoying comfort would be a waste!"
"Although Black City is chaotic, it's a city of heroes! I'll fight anyone who talks nonsense about it from now on!"
"Salute to all the soldiers and heroes stationed at the border!"
...
Many of those fans who had turned against him or wavered due to unpleasant experiences felt ashamed after learning the truth behind it and switched back to supporting him.
...
Time passed swiftly, days and months flying by.
In the blink of an eye, a full year quietly slipped away.
Deep within Black City, inside that heavily guarded secret chamber.
Su Zhan, like an unchanging rock since time immemorial, immersed himself in cultivation day after day.
The massive amount of top-tier resources provided by the authorities were consumed by him frantically, as if they cost nothing.
Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Milk, Pure Glass Incense...
These treasures that would make ordinary Ocean Realm experts fight tooth and nail for them became the consumables for his daily cultivation here.
Thanks to the perfect foundation rebuilt by the Reforge Fruit, he needed no restraint. Like a gluttonous beast, he greedily devoured all energy, transforming it into the immense driving force pushing his own realm forward.
And whenever an urgent request for aid came from a fortress somewhere on the southern border reporting the discovery of a Calamity-level Mist Creature.
Su Zhan would ride the flowing light, rushing to the battlefield at the fastest speed.
Facing those terrifying Calamity-level existences that made people tremble with fear.
His methods were simple and efficient.
Directly employing the Flame of Destruction, suppressing them with absolute power, ultimately incinerating them into scattered ashes, leaving not a single trace behind.
Each time he incinerated an enemy with raging flames, to onlookers, it was a display of Su Zhan's formidable strength.
Only Su Zhan himself knew that beneath that destructive facade, streams of pure and immense Calamity-level Life Essence were quietly flowing into his body along an invisible connection, becoming the most precious nourishment for the advancement of his dual cultivation systems.
Flame became the perfect barrier to conceal his special cultivation method.
Over the past year or so.
Su Zhan's name became inextricably linked with the title "Calamity-level Killer."
His deeds of repeatedly turning the tide at the border and saving fortresses from peril, through the authorities' careful propaganda, had long spread throughout Daxia.
Coupled with his complete lack of any record of harming humans, instead having outstanding achievements, the public's acceptance of him grew higher and higher.
The former doubts and fears, under the ironclad facts and continuous positive guidance, had already melted away completely.
Although opposing voices had not completely vanished, they were now minuscule, unable to stir up any waves.
Under such a cost-no-resources material support system and the assistance of secret yet efficient hunting.
Su Zhan's cultivation soared at a speed that left people dumbfounded.
One year!
Only one year!
His Awakened realm, from Ocean Realm Second Stage, broke through all barriers with unstoppable force, fiercely advancing into Ocean Realm Fourth Stage!
Simultaneously, his Aberrant power also climbed synchronously to Calamity Fourth Stage!
Breaking through two minor stages continuously within a single year!
At the Ocean Realm and Calamity levels, this was an unprecedented, god-like speed!
Ordinary powerhouses at this level required years, over a decade, or even several decades of hard work and accumulation for each minor stage breakthrough.
But Su Zhan was like riding a rocket, elevating himself at a speed that defied common sense.
When this news was intentionally or unintentionally disclosed by the authorities.
The entire Daxia was once again left speechless.
Nothing but astonishment, still more astonishment.
Su Zhan's cultivation speed had already exceeded everyone's comprehension.
One year of accumulation.
Su Zhan's strength had undergone earth-shaking changes.
The power of Ocean Realm Fourth Stage and Calamity Fourth Stage surged and flowed within his body.
He still lived a secluded life, seldom appearing in public.
But his prominence had not diminished in the slightest.