novelTele Chapter 93 The Realm of Chaos
Chapter 93 The Realm of Chaos
In the north of the Yulan Continent lies a land known as the "Land of Chaos".
This region is bordered by the Dark Forest to the north, the Far Eastern Plains to the west, the O'Brien Empire to the east, and the Luo'ao Empire to the south. This area, only half the size of the O'Brien Empire, is home to dozens of duchies, constantly at war. Monsters surge from the Dark Forest, ravaging the countryside; and the Church of Light and the Church of Darkness clash here due to their differing beliefs.
One word: chaos.
Two words: very chaotic.
Three words: Extremely chaotic.
The Chaotic Territory lacks a unified government and a powerful ruler. Every city lord, every duke, and every self-proclaimed king fights for their own interests. Today you conquer my city, tomorrow I reclaim a piece of your land, and the day after tomorrow a third party takes advantage of the chaos. The people are displaced, and corpses lie everywhere, but no one cares.
The strong rule and the weak are preyed upon—this is the only law of the Chaotic Realm.
Lin Yun chose this place for two reasons.
First, he needed to find a miniature dimensional space. That miniature space was left behind by Beirut, the hidden chief god of the Yulan Continent, before he became a chief god. The concentration of elements within it was extremely high; the density of the seven elements—earth, fire, water, wind, thunder, light, and darkness—was tens or even hundreds of times higher than that of the outside world. In addition to the seven elements, one could also sense the four supreme rules: destruction, life, death, and destiny.
In the original story, that miniature plane is the location of the future Dragonblood Castle of the Baruch Empire. Linley's ability to cultivate from the Saint Realm to godhood in just a few decades owes much to that miniature plane.
Lin Yun didn't remember the exact location. He only knew that the miniature plane was somewhere in the Chaotic Territory, but he had no idea which duchy or city it was near.
The simplest way is to control a faction and then use sheer numbers to search for them.
Secondly, he wanted to leave a legacy for the Baruch family.
The Baruch family was once a powerful Dragonblood Warrior family on the Yulan Continent, but now only a dilapidated manor and a few loyal servants remain. Hogg is getting old, Linley is focused on cultivation, and Wharton is still studying; the family's revival cannot rely on him alone.
"This will be a new starting point for the Baruch family." Lin Yun stood on the border of the Chaotic Territory, looking at the vast land ahead, and already had a plan in mind.
At the easternmost edge of the Chaotic Realm lies a small city called Yellowstone.
As its name suggests, the city walls are made of yellow stones and are not high, only three or four meters high. Many parts are damaged, clearly indicating that they have not been repaired for a long time. The guards at the city gate are lazy and listless; some are dozing against the wall, while others are chatting quietly, their weapons rusty.
Lin Yun landed from the sky, changed into an ordinary gray robe, hid his face in the hood, and slowly walked into the city gate.
No one noticed him. The guards at the city gate merely glanced at him lazily before continuing their conversation.
Yellowstone is a small city; it only takes half an hour to walk from the east to the west. The streets are narrow and dirty, lined with low mud-brick houses, with the occasional stone building, the residence of a wealthy merchant or nobleman. The faces of the pedestrians are numb and weary, their clothes tattered, and their faces sallow and emaciated.
Lin Yun found a tavern, pushed open the door, and went inside.
The tavern was small, with only seven or eight tables. It was dimly lit, and the air was thick with the smell of cheap ale and sweat. Several men dressed in coarse cloth were sitting around one of the tables, talking in hushed tones.
Lin Yun sat down in the corner, ordered a pot of ale, and slowly drank it.
"Have you heard? The city lord's mansion arrested more than a dozen people yesterday for resisting taxes," a bearded man said in a low voice.
"Resist taxes? Pay what? We've collected taxes three times a month, who can afford to pay?" another thin man said angrily.
"Keep your voice down! If the people from the City Lord's Mansion hear you, you'll lose your head!"
"What am I afraid of? My life is worthless. My wife and children are dead, what's the point of me living alone?"
The group fell silent. The clinking of glasses sounded particularly crisp in the quiet tavern.
Lin Yun held her wine glass and listened quietly.
From their conversation, he learned the name of the city lord of Yellowstone City—Kasa. Lord Kasa was a follower of the Dark Church, and had seized the position of city lord with their support. He was greedy and cruel, levying exorbitant taxes and oppressing the people of Yellowstone City to the point of misery. Any woman in the city with even a modicum of beauty was seized and taken to his mansion. Those who resisted were either imprisoned or executed.
"The city lord's mansion keeps three hundred private soldiers, and the captain is called Far, a level seven warrior," the thin man continued. "Far isn't a bad person; he once secretly released a few captured young men. But he's a subordinate of the city lord of Casa, so he can't make decisions on his own."
"Fal..." Lin Yun remembered the name.
He finished his last drink, placed a few silver coins on the table, and got up to leave the tavern.
That night, at the Yellowstone City Lord's Mansion.
The lord of Casa was drinking and making merry with two women he had abducted when suddenly the door was kicked open.
"Who?!" Lord Casa stood up abruptly, his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist.
A black figure walked in from outside the door. He was dressed in black night clothes, his face hidden in the hood, only his cold eyes were visible.
"Who are you? Do you know who I am?" The voice of the city lord of Casa was filled with anger and a hint of fear.
"Kasa, Lord of Yellowstone City, follower of the Dark Church." The shadowy voice was calm and cold. "The crimes you have committed are enough to warrant your death a hundred times over."
Lord Casa's face contorted. He drew his sword abruptly and charged towards the shadowy figure. He was a level six warrior, which was considered quite formidable in a small place like Yellowstone City.
The shadowy figure did not move.
Lord Casa's sword froze in mid-air, unable to advance an inch further. His body was bound by an invisible force, unable to move.
"Holy...Holy Domain..." Lord Casa's face turned deathly pale.
The shadowy figure raised its hand and flicked it lightly. The City Lord of Casa was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the wall. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with terror.
"Fal!" The shadowy voice echoed from outside the room.
A burly, middle-aged man walked in from outside. He wore leather armor, a longsword hung at his waist, and had a resolute face with a hint of righteousness in his eyes. He was Far, the captain of the Yellowstone City Guard.
"Are you a level seven warrior?" the shadowy figure asked.
"Yes." Far knelt respectfully on the ground, his voice tinged with excitement, "My lord, you..."
"From today onwards, you are the lord of Yellowstone City," the shadowy figure said. "You should know better than I do what this person has done. You don't need me to teach you what to do."
Far raised his head abruptly, his eyes filled with shock and elation. He had long disapproved of Kasa's actions, but as his subordinate, he had no way to resist. Now, his opportunity had arrived.
"My lord, I will certainly live up to your expectations!" Far kowtowed three times heavily.
The shadowy figure nodded, turned, and disappeared into the night.
Far stood up, drew his longsword, and walked toward Kasa, who was slumped on the ground.
"You...you can't kill me...I'm a member of the Dark Church..." Kasa's voice trembled.
Far remained silent. The longsword fell.
The next morning, the people of Yellowstone City discovered something new in front of the city gates—the head of the Lord of Casa.
Meanwhile, Far led the city guard in a purge. All officials who oppressed the people were imprisoned and their property confiscated. The old, weak, and disabled in the army were all discharged, and the remaining soldiers received double pay. At the same time, Far announced that Yellowstone City would be exempt from taxes for three years.
The entire city of Yellowstone was in an uproar.
The people flooded the streets, cheering and jumping for joy. The residences of the imprisoned officials were stormed in by the angry crowd and smashed to pieces. Young men rushed to enlist in the army, and long queues formed in front of the city guard recruitment points.
Farr accepted all comers, selecting those with good physical fitness to join the city guard and intensifying their training. He knew this was just the beginning. Yellowstone City may be small, but it was the starting point for him to realize his ambitions.
Several days later, in the city lord's mansion.
Far stood in front of Lin Yun, bowing his head respectfully.
"My lord, Huangshi City is now completely under our control. The army has been reorganized and has five thousand soldiers ready for battle. The people in the city also support us. What do you think our next step might be..."
"No rush." Lin Yun sat in his chair, toying with a crystal core in his hand. "Huangshi City has just been acquired, and morale is low. Expanding too quickly is pointless. Besides, your strength is a bit too low."
A hint of shame flashed across Far's face. He was twenty-eight years old, a peak level seven warrior, which was already quite good in a small place like Huangshi City. But in front of Lin Yun, his strength was indeed insufficient.
"I've disappointed you, sir." Far lowered his head.
"I have a treasure here. After you consume it, you should be able to reach the peak of level eight or even level nine." Lin Yun tossed a bright green plant spirit to Fal. "With such strength, you can command respect from the crowd."
Far received the Spirit of Plants, his hands trembling slightly. He had never seen such a treasure before, but the immense life energy it contained filled him with instinctive awe.
"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!" Far knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily.
Lin Yun waved his hand: "There's one more thing I need you to do."
"Please give your orders, sir."
"Recruit some people who know how to survey minerals, and then arrange for them to survey a 300-kilometer radius around Black Soil City for magic crystal veins." Lin Yun's tone became serious. "This is very important. Make sure they are extremely careful and do not reveal their identities."
Although Far didn't understand why Lin Yun wanted to find a magic crystal mine, he didn't ask further. He would simply do as his superior instructed.
"Yes, sir."
"Go down. Once you reach level eight or nine, start preparing for expansion." Lin Yun took out a large bag of magic crystal cores from his spatial ring and casually tossed it to Fal. "There are many magic crystal cores here, many of them are level eight or nine. They're probably worth several hundred million gold coins, which should be enough for you to do something big."
Far took the package, opened it, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
The colorful monster cores were piled up to the brim, the smallest being the size of a fist, radiating various colors of light. The worst of these cores were level seven, with level eight and nine cores being quite common.
"Several...several hundred million gold coins..." Far's voice trembled.
The most money he had ever seen in his life was only a few hundred gold coins. Hundreds of millions of gold coins were a number he wouldn't even dare to dream of.
"No, my lord trusts me so much, I can't let him down. Besides, my ambition is to achieve great things!" Far took a deep breath, his gaze hardening.
His behavior had been under Lin Yun's observation. Lin Yun's soul cultivation far surpassed that of Fal, and he could easily detect if Fal harbored any greedy thoughts. This was a test, and Fal passed it.
"Yes, sir!" Farr respectfully accepted the package and left the room.
Two days later, with the help of the spirits of plants, Far's cultivation level broke through from the peak of level seven to the initial level nine.
When he emerged from the training room, his body radiated a powerful aura of battle qi. He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, his eyes filled with excitement.
"Level nine... I, Far, have finally met my match!"
He knelt on one knee before Lin Yun, his voice choked with emotion: "My lord, I swear to serve you to the death!"
Lin Yun nodded: "Get up. Huangshi City is too small, we should head out."
Yellowstone City is a small city with fewer than 300,000 residents. There are hundreds of similar small cities throughout the Chaotic Territory. Moreover, with the Chaotic Territory constantly at war, the change of lord in a small city would hardly attract any attention.
Fal led five thousand fully equipped city guards toward another small town in the vicinity—Luoyun City.
The city lord of Luoyun City was a level seven mage with no ambition, whose body had long been hollowed out by the extravagant lifestyle of the nobility. When he heard that Huangshi City had a new city lord, a newly promoted level nine powerhouse leading an army of five thousand to invade, he was terrified.
With almost no resistance, Luoyun City surrendered.
Far led his army into the city and began a similar crackdown—killing a number of corrupt officials and scoundrels, while promising a two-year tax exemption. The people were overjoyed and lined the streets to welcome him.
Afterwards, Far began to reorganize the army. He summoned all the existing troops in Luoyun City, keeping the elite among them to form the city guard, and disbanding the rest. In just a few days, Luoyun City stabilized.
In reality, the common people don't care who the city lord is. As long as someone treats them well and can provide them with a stable life, they will listen to that person.
In just three short months, under the leadership of the ninth-level expert, Far, Huangshi City's influence rapidly expanded to five surrounding small cities. These five cities formed a contiguous area, creating a considerable sphere of influence.
But after that, Lin Yun ordered Far to temporarily halt the expansion.
"Our area falls within the Dark Church's influence zone," Lin Yun said at a military conference held in the city lord's mansion. "Therefore, you need to gradually weaken the influence of these churches, but you can't directly drive them away. That would attract their attention. Facing a behemoth like the Dark Church, we are currently no match."
Far nodded, indicating that he understood. The Dark Church was one of the most powerful forces on the Yulan Continent, with many Saint-level experts within its ranks, and the Pope himself being a top-tier expert at the peak of the Saint-level. Given their current strength, they indeed couldn't afford to confront the Dark Church head-on.
"We need to take it slow," Lin Yun said. "We'll proceed steadily, gradually encroaching on the surrounding territories. Once our power is strong enough, we'll consider a direct confrontation with the Dark Church."
"Yes, sir."
Just as Lin Yun and Far were discussing their next steps, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.
"My lord!" A scout in leather armor strode in, knelt on one knee, and said, "The survey team has news!"
Lin Yun's eyes lit up: "Speak."
"The survey team reported back last night that they've discovered a magic crystal vein 300 kilometers south of Black Earth City," the scout said excitedly. "And judging by the quality, it seems to be quite high. However, because that area isn't under our control, they dare not mine it."
"Three hundred kilometers south of Black Soil City..." Lin Yun silently calculated the location in his mind.
It was an uncontrolled area, on the outskirts of the Dark Forest. It was teeming with magical beasts and sparsely populated by humans. The fact that the survey team discovered magic crystal veins there indicated that the density of magical beasts there might be lower than expected.
"Okay." Lin Yun stood up.
"Yes, sir!"
The scout left the room. Far looked at Lin Yun, hesitant to speak.
"What do you want to ask?" Lin Yun asked.
"My lord, if I may be so bold as to ask..." Far hesitated, "You're looking for magic crystal veins because..."
"You'll find out why later," Lin Yun said, not giving a direct answer. "Your current task is to manage these five cities well. The army needs to be trained, the people need to be appeased, and the power of the Papacy needs to be gradually weakened. These things are more difficult than fighting a war."
"Understood."
Lin Yun nodded, and with a flash, disappeared from the city lord's mansion.
Lin Yun flew at high speed through the air, heading towards Black Soil City.
Black Soil City was a small town at the southernmost edge of his territory; further south lay the outskirts of the Dark Forest. The distance from Black Soil City to the location where the survey team discovered the mineral vein was approximately three hundred kilometers. At his speed, he could reach it in less than fifteen minutes.
"Miniature dimension..." Lin Yun murmured.
He wasn't looking for the vein itself, but rather for the entrance to that miniature plane. In the original story, the entrance to that miniature plane was located deep within a magic crystal mine. Finding the vein would offer a chance to find the entrance.
Of course, it's also possible that it isn't. He'll have to go and see for himself.
Lin Yun increased his speed, transforming into a streak of light and disappearing into the horizon.