Versatile Mage: Get the Desert Emperor clone at the start

Chapter 379 Kindred: The Third Mark
The defeat of the Siren Vanguard was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples far exceeding the battlefield itself.

News of victory and the city's formidable defenses spread in all directions at a speed faster than any magical message.

The most direct effect was that countless mages, merchants, craftsmen, and even ordinary people who had previously been observing began to flock to this emerging hot land with unprecedented scale and determination, like rivers flowing into the sea.

The construction site of the new city did not fall silent for a moment after the siren retreated; instead, it entered an even more frenzied and rapid construction phase.

The massive city walls grew taller and stronger under layers of magical light, the main roads within the city were completed, and the frameworks of various functional buildings rose from the ground.

The central magic tower, with the Earth Core at its core, has begun to operate, radiating a reassuring and powerful energy fluctuation. The prototype of a giant protective barrier covering the entire city is slowly taking shape.

The entire city is transforming from a grand blueprint into an indestructible reality at a visible pace.

Inside the Mu family council hall, Mu Nuxin looked at the daily exponentially increasing population inflow reports, feeling both joy and immense pressure.

She found Qin Xiaonan, who was gazing at the construction site, and said in a complex tone, a mixture of exhaustion and excitement, "Brother-in-law, there have been far too many people coming lately, far exceeding our initial estimates. It's a mixed bag, and the management pressure is immense."

Qin Xiaonan didn't look away, but simply asked, "What are you thinking?"

Mu Nuxin had clearly given this matter considerable thought, and answered fluently, "A complete city cannot be managed by our Mu family alone. Forcibly monopolizing it will only make it lose its vitality and make us a target of public criticism."

"The Dongfang and Bai families have come knocking again, this time with an even lower profile. They want to invest in purchasing two areas in the northeast and southwest of the new city to establish new family businesses and residences."

"They were almost suffocated by Mu Pangshan's suppression, and the foundation of Shanghai was shaken. They urgently needed a new starting point."

“I can see that they have almost no way out now and can only completely side with us. This is a good opportunity to absorb them and strengthen our own power.”

She paused, then continued with an even more pressing issue: "Not only that, the branch heads of the Shanghai Magic Association and the Hunter's Alliance also came to visit, their attitude polite but their intentions clear."

“They all want to carve out an area in the new city to set up branch offices, ostensibly to ‘assist in management and provide support,’ but in reality, they want to embed their influence and share in the benefits of the new city’s development.”

"This matter... involves too many issues, and I haven't figured out how to respond yet. I need you, brother-in-law, to decide."

After listening, Qin Xiaonan slowly turned around and calmly said, "You can handle these specific matters as you see fit."

"You only need to remember one thing: strength is the only fundamental factor. As long as we possess absolute power and have the support of forbidden spellcasters, then any cooperation or entry will not be a problem. They will only become the cornerstone of the city's prosperity, not challengers."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Moreover, for a city to truly be strong, it needs a continuous stream of vitality and productivity."

"With people, there is the flow of resources, tax revenue, and defensive capabilities."

"By opening up some interests and attracting various forces to settle in, it may seem like a decentralization in the short term, but in the long run, it will tie the new city to their interests, making the city truly 'alive' and indispensable."

At this moment, Mu Nujiao, who was usually aloof and taciturn and focused solely on her own cultivation, spoke up, which was quite unusual.

"I think that schools must be included in the planning of the new city. In today's severe environment, it is crucial to cultivate a new generation of monks."

“I think… I should go and talk to Mingzhu Academy myself.”

Mu Nujiao rarely participates in family decision-making meetings, so her initiative to make such a suggestion at this time indicates that she has done a lot of observation and thought, and this idea has already matured in her mind.

Qin Xiaonan looked at her and nodded approvingly: "Of course, there's no problem with that."

"You are the perfect person to drive this project. Collaborating with Mingzhu University will also attract outstanding young talent to the city more quickly." With the attention, competition, and influx of various forces, the construction of the new city has become even more vigorous. It is not only a fortress, but is also evolving into a truly functional city with unlimited potential.

-

Meanwhile, in the distant and deep ocean, above the Mariana Trench, a black and white figure appeared.

Kindred has achieved considerable success in its continuous battles in the Indian Ocean and the Bermuda Triangle.

Especially after completely devouring and merging with the ancient space of the Bermuda Triangle, which was full of chaos and distortion, its core [Death Space] was expanded and strengthened like never before, and its internal rules became even more bizarre and unpredictable.

At this moment, Kindred turned his gaze to his third mark—the ancient being lurking in the deepest part of the Earth, beneath the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean, the Lord of the Abyss Demon Ruins.

This hunt was of extraordinary significance.

The Mariana Trench itself is located within the vast Pacific Ocean.

This could serve as a stepping stone for his subsequent plan to conquer the Pacific sea monsters.

With her mind made up, Kindred's figure silently merged into that eternal darkness and high pressure, descending towards the deepest part of the trench.

To ensure the success of this operation and to avoid prematurely alerting the Siren Empire across the Pacific Ocean.

Kindred did not come alone.

Above her, thousands of meters above the sea, Soraka, the Child of the Stars, quietly appeared.

She floated above the waves, her eyes reflecting a dazzling galaxy.

She slowly raised her hands, and the vast and pure starlight magic fell like a veil, quickly seeping down and obscuring an extremely hidden starlight barrier in the trench entrance and the surrounding vast sea area.

This barrier is not a powerful defensive barrier; its only function is to block, absorb, and confuse the enormous energy fluctuations that may be generated during this hunt, so that it does not illuminate the entire Pacific Ocean like a lighthouse, attracting unnecessary spying and attacks.

This operation must be carried out discreetly and covertly.

If other rulers deep in the Pacific were to become aware of this force in advance and discover that it shares the same origin as the force that previously destroyed the Bermuda Triangle.

They might launch a counterattack as a group.

There is also a high probability that they will join forces with demonic empires in Antarctica, the Arctic, the Amazon, and other regions to launch a counterattack.

These emperors certainly did not want to be defeated one by one by this united force; they understood the principle of mutual dependence.

The Shurima siege of the Bermuda Triangle was so sudden that they didn't have time to react.

After that incident, many demonic empires have been paying close attention to the movements of Shurima and its allied forces.

At this moment, the starlight is faint and the undercurrents are surging.

A deadly hunt targeting the Mariana Trench quietly began under the veil of absolute silence and secrecy.

(End of this chapter)