Xing Tie: Wait a minute! How come Weng Xing has two saviors?

Krystalla merely observed coldly, listening and watching. Yet, from the clamor of voices, she extracted two words—profit.

Just as this clamor, driven solely by self-interest, reached its climax, a figure suddenly leaped out from the crowd!

That was the representative of Ladon City. His face was solemn, as if he had shouldered the entire livelihood of the people and the fate of the continent on his thin shoulders.

He walked straight to the platform and looked directly into Krydella's unfathomable eyes without fear.

“Caesar!” he cried out, his voice trembling slightly with emotion, “Have you gathered us here merely to proclaim your insane delusions?”

"You know perfectly well! The 'Earth' Titan lies deep underground! Its power is connected to the pulse of the earth!"

Even if we exhaust the military strength of all the states, the outcome will inevitably be futile, only resulting in a waste of countless resources and lives!

He opened his arms and turned to the other representatives, trying to evoke empathy: "I know you, Caesar, have always been concerned with finances and dissatisfied that the states haven't given their all to your grand ambitions. But if you truly cared even a little for our common people, for the people you speak of—"

His voice rose, turning into a stern accusation: "You should immediately stop this insane military mobilization! Let the soldiers return to their city-states and defend their homes!"

Below the stage, a buzz of discussion arose, mixed with obvious agreement.

Ladon's words precisely struck at their deepest concerns and protected their most valued interest—military power.

But at this very moment—

A faint rustling sound, almost imperceptible, came from high above the dome.

The city-state representatives looked up and saw only drops of dazzling golden liquid, carrying endless vitality, falling from the sky.

One drop of golden blood stood out because it fell the fastest.

Suddenly, it drew an elegant yet deadly arc before everyone's eyes, like a beautiful blade hurled by a god.

Ladon's impassioned expression was frozen on his face forever. His head had been severed from his neck, flying upwards with a sharp line of blood.

At the same time, several other large, slippery tongues, still trembling slightly, also flew up—they belonged to the few people who had been shouting the loudest in the crowd.

The men whose tongues had been cut off clutched their bleeding mouths, writhing on the ground in agony and terror.

But their lips and tongues could only utter suppressed sobs, unable to utter a single complete word.

Because the tongue is on the ground.

The venue fell into a deathly silence.

Golden blood, falling from the sky, dripped lightly onto Crydella's hair, robes, and her cold cheeks.

The golden marks slid slowly down her pale skin, not appearing dirty, but rather adding a divine and majestic quality that made her almost unbearable to look at.

She seemed completely oblivious to the terror around her; her voice remained calm, yet carried an iron will.

"Is there anyone still objecting?"

"It seems there is none."

"As the campaign begins, I hereby declare to you—the 'Earth' Titan has been slain!"

Before he finished speaking——

A giant sword, its blade wreathed in terrifying blood and mud, plummeted from the sky like divine punishment!

It crashed into the ground next to the delegates' meeting with the force of wind and thunder!

The earthquake trembled, and debris flew everywhere.

Immediately afterwards, an enormous dragon head, covered in hard scales and with eyes still showing fear and ferocity, fell heavily from the sky.

With a muffled thud, it rolled down in front of the delegates who were already terrified.

That was the terrifying head of the "Earth" Titan!

Chapter 160 Bai Mo: I like smart people, so I hope you can be wiser in the future.

Two figures stood silently on the hilt of the giant sword that was stuck in the ground.

It was Bai Mo and Bai E.

They looked down at the city-state representatives below, who huddled together in fear and trembled with dread, as if they were gods looking down on ants.

The next moment, countless dazzling golden threads appeared in the air.

They intertwine, entwine, and shimmer.

The power of "romance" wove itself into a magnificent staircase leading from the top of the giant sword to the high platform of the venue.

Bai Mo lifted his foot and took his first step.

His boots landed on the golden steps with a crisp sound.

In the silent hall, every sound he made seemed to strike the hearts of everyone present.

Bai Mo walked down the stairs step by step, his undeniable voice echoing throughout the hall, cold and oppressive:

"What a truly virtuous and benevolent minister who is 'for the country and its people'..."

His gaze swept over the head of Ladon, which stood on the ground with its eyes wide open, and he let out a few cold, dry laughs.

"Heh heh heh, such a silver tongue. To glorify selfishness as nobility, to package cowardice as prudence, to portray utter rebellion and decentralization as a noble act of advocating for the people?"

Bai Mo raised his eyes, his deep gaze slowly moving towards the terrified, almost suffocating delegates below the stage. No one dared to meet his eyes.

“You,” he said in a low voice, but every word was piercing, “should be incredibly grateful that you answered Caesar’s call and stepped into this hall. Because of this, you have saved your first life.”

"Then, after Caesar declared war on the Titans, although you harbored your own ulterior motives, you did not, like him, rush out to fiercely resist. This was the second life you saved for yourselves."

"Of course, you might also take it as a mercy I bestow upon you, after all, your behavior just now was hardly pleasing to me."

Bai Mo stopped in the center of the platform, standing side by side with Krystal, and surveyed the entire scene.

He deliberately dragged out his words, allowing the fear to permeate every inch of everyone's being.

"Now, the 'Earth' Titan has been beheaded. I admire intelligent people who can distinguish between what is permissible and what is not."

"I hope that in your future interactions with me, you will continue to be as 'wise' as you are today, and save more lives for yourselves."

"Oh, by the way, let me remind you, don't leave the venue now, because a massacre has already spread throughout the city of Ohma."

Those representatives who didn't attend have already lost all chance of survival. As for you... if you don't want to be mistakenly killed, you'd better stay here quietly.

Bai Mo has never been a kind person.

If it weren't for Xi Lian staying by his side back then, he wouldn't have just opened a simple restaurant in Janusapolis.

However... the people in front of them weren't so lucky; they encountered Bai Mo, who wasn't with Xi Lian.

The streets of Ohmma still bear the scorch marks and cracks left by the recent Kuroshio Current.

An oppressive atmosphere always lingers in the air, difficult to dispel completely.

However, a subtle change is taking place today.

Two soldiers on duty leaned against the dilapidated low wall, enjoying a rare moment of peace.

The younger one nudged his companion with his elbow, his voice low but unable to conceal his excitement:

"Have you heard? Those two—the 'saviors' who appeared out of nowhere—claimed that they have the ability to ignite the Dawn Machine!"

The older soldier frowned, glancing warily at the empty street: "Shh! Caesar himself gave the order to use the titles 'Lord of the Blazing Sun' and 'Lord of Fortune.' Don't say a word."

"Hey brother, I'm telling you, you're being too rigid. Both titles are respectful... Alright, alright, whatever you say, 'Lord of Blazing Sun' or 'Lord of Luck'." The young man waved his hand with a smile, but his eyes still gleamed.

A brief silence followed.

The wind whistled through the broken wall, making a low, mournful sound.

Suddenly, the young soldier spoke again, his voice much lighter than before: "Speaking of which... how long has it been since any new Black Tide creations have appeared in this area we're guarding?"

The older soldier paused slightly, as if only now realizing that they had been standing there for quite some time.

He raised his head and looked at the sky shrouded in dark clouds, silently calculating: "Ever since that 'Lord of the Blazing Sun' and 'Lord of Fortune' beheaded the evil dragon from the underworld... a full eight hours have passed."

“Eight hours…” the young man murmured, repeating in disbelief, “A full eight hours, and not a single new monster appeared… We never dared to dream of such peace and quiet before.”

His voice trailed off, almost becoming a sigh, "You know... if they had come a day earlier... even just a day earlier... wouldn't the captain have..."

"Don't let your imagination run wild." The older soldier interrupted him, his voice steady yet carrying an unmistakable weight. "The captain died protecting the people of Ohm. His death was glorious, and there is no room for speculation."

He paused, then asked, "Let's not talk about this anymore. After the shift change... shall we go see little Gilna together?"

The young man's expression brightened: "Of course! I'm planning to buy her a little flower shovel. Guess what? This morning, the little girl was proudly showing off to me that she grew a flower using her father's old water glass—but to be honest, it wasn't that she suddenly had a breakthrough, it was clearly thanks to that 'golden rain' before..."

“Don’t say that,” the older soldier gently shook his head, a very faint smile playing on his lips. “If she hadn’t planted the seed with such hope, such a beautiful flower wouldn’t have bloomed in the captain’s water glass…”

They stopped talking, straightened their backs, and resumed the silent posture befitting sentries.

Their gazes swept sharply across the dilapidated outline of the street once more, their hands gripping their weapons firmly.

The wind was still biting, and the sky remained overcast, but a faint yet firm belief had quietly taken root in their hearts.

That did not come from a grand announcement or a passionate speech.

It came from eight hours of peace, from flowers grown by a girl in an old copper cup, and from a promise made after the change of shifts.

A seed called "hope" has quietly sprouted in the hard soil.

Although people are still tired, they have begun to believe that tomorrow might really be better.

On the high platform, even the wind seemed to stand still.

The massive Dawn Machine stood silently at the far end of the platform.

Amidst countless gazes cast from all corners of Ohma, a mixture of fear, anticipation, doubt, and even madness.

Bai Mo climbed onto the highest platform in front of the machine.

He stood still, his figure appearing exceptionally tall against the backdrop of the enormous machine.

Chapter 161 Keludela: Why didn't I get to know Bai Mo sooner?

Then, Bai Mo's solemn voice, like a resounding bell, echoed throughout the silent platform and reverberated into the distant city:

"Here, with this body!"

"I swear in the name of the Savior, and I pledge my life by the path I have walked!"

"Announcement—The Dawn Machine will surely be lit!"

He raised his arm, pointing to the silent behemoth behind him: "After the light reappears, His Majesty Caesar and I will hold a grand feast for all those who have persevered to this day and never given up, a feast that will be etched in history!"

"Ladies and gentlemen—" Bai Mo's voice rose to its peak, like a sharp blade cleaving through the gloom, "Please witness a miracle!"

A chaotic and fanatical shout erupted from the crowd, eventually merging into a surging wave of sound: "Great Savior! May the light of the Dawn Machine never be extinguished!"

Bai E stood at the edge of the crowd, gazing up at the figure on the platform. He watched as the Dawn Machine behind that figure was indeed lit up once more.

He gazed at the long-lost light, smiled, and murmured to himself, his voice barely audible to himself:

"One person spreads a rumor, and ten thousand people repeat it as fact... The fertile ground for a 'trick' to take effect has always been the deep-seated desire in people's hearts to willingly believe."

"Whether it's a fleeting craving for a feast, or... a desperate hope for a better tomorrow."

The dawn machine has been lit, and a grand banquet has begun as scheduled.

Under that rare light, people laughed, people sang, and people offered their honeyed wine to tomorrow.

At this moment, Heather suddenly moved to Bai Mo's side. Perhaps because they were at a banquet, her voice was unusually cheerful: "Inkfish, those crabs and shellfish that clung to the shadows and eroded the order in the city have been completely wiped out."

I knew I was right about you. Cuttlefish are always excellent at cleaning crabs and shellfish; they never disappoint in this regard. So are you.”

Bai Mo laughed as well: "Miss Heather, your way of praising people is quite unique. However... before the wave swept in, I gave them a choice. The path they chose was their own."

“Opportunity?” Heather’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Some lives should never exist. Even the smallest fish in the deep sea understand this. Never mind, Caesar is looking for you. I’ll be going now.” As soon as she finished speaking, her figure moved away silently like the receding tide.

Almost at the same moment, Krystal walked over. Her gaze fell on Bai Mo, filled with undisguised admiration.

“Well done, ‘Lucky Lord’. Seriously, why didn’t we meet sooner?”

Her voice carried a hint of pleasure, "This cleaning was precise, efficient, and thorough. It should have been done a long time ago."

Bai Mo shook his head. "You flatter me. If we're really talking about governing a country, how could I possibly compare to you, Lord Caesar? I'm just a little bit clever."

Kerudela laughed. “This isn’t just cleverness. You understand the true nature of a monarch better than anyone else—the consolidation of power cannot be separated from an iron fist, but the foundation of rule is by no means fear. Its true foundation is actually whether it can give the people real hope and lasting peace.”

"You're making me blush with all that praise," Bai Mo said with a smile, then suddenly changed the subject: "However, I am curious."

You named my brother Bai E "Lord of the Blazing Sun," a fitting title given to his fiery and domineering nature. But why did you give me the title "Lord of Fortune"...?