Chapter 109 Becomes the Eye of the Storm

The War Zone Commander, seated at the head of the table, pondered for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

"Liu Qing, I understand your concerns. But right now, defensive lines everywhere are under pressure. Our Jiangnan Combined War Zone cannot spare any extra Super-Grade experts to protect him long-term."

"Resources are limited, and experts are even more limited."

Liu Qing knew the War Zone Commander was telling the truth; there was a shortage of manpower everywhere, especially high-end combat power.

Suddenly, her eyes brightened slightly.

"War Zone Commander, I'm thinking of... asking my second uncle, Liu Heping, to step in," Liu Qing said.

"Liu Heping?" The War Zone Commander was slightly taken aback, and her expression became somewhat subtle. "That... second uncle of yours? Is he... willing?"

Liu Heping was a rather unique existence within the Jiangnan Combined War Zone.

Nominally, he held a leisurely position as a Senior Advisor, yet he almost never participated in any specific affairs and rarely interacted with others. He spent the year in solitude, sitting cross-legged in meditation as if he had turned into a statue.

No one knew exactly what kind of cultivation technique he practiced or how strong his combat power truly was. In fact, many people had almost forgotten such a person existed in the war zone.

Only a very few, like Liu Qing, knew some of the inside story.

"The technique my second uncle cultivates is... very special," Liu Qing said softly. "The longer he sits, the more terrifying the power he accumulates becomes. No one knows just what kind of staggering power is currently hidden within his body."

"I believe he is the most suitable candidate to protect Zhang Fan in secret right now."

The War Zone Commander thought for a moment and nodded.

"Since you are confident, then go give it a try. If you can move Advisor Liu to act, it would naturally be for the best."

...

A short while later, on a desolate hilltop on the outskirts of the Southeast War Zone.

A slightly thin figure dressed in simple grey cloth clothes arrived quietly.

It was Liu Heping.

He had an ordinary face and a peaceful temperament, even appearing a bit dull. Finding a rock with a wide view, he sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.

His aura quickly withdrew inward, as if merging with the mountain rock beneath him.

From a distance, he looked just like a stone carving.

He did not enter the Southeast War Zone base, nor did he notify Zhang Fan.

He simply sat there quietly.

...

Southeast War Zone, Zhang Fan's new residence.

"Zhang Fan!"

Tan Yi arrived excitedly, taking out three transparent high-strength test tubes.

"The special-effect concentrated nutrient solution you wanted—the first batch of finished products, three tubes in total!"

Tan Yi handed the test tubes to Zhang Fan. "It's been optimized according to your blood qi data and combat depletion models. The amount in one tube can quickly replenish the energy consumed by maintaining your 'Nine-Meter Faxiang True Body' and fighting at full strength for ten minutes!"

"Of course, this is an estimate based on your current nine-meter state. If you can cultivate your Faxiang to a higher level in the future and your body continues to expand, the consumption will be even greater, and we'll have to develop higher-tier models."

"Great!" Zhang Fan took the three tubes of nutrient solution, a look of joy in his eyes.

With these three emergency supplies, he could use the Wanxiang Dharma Image with more peace of mind, without worrying about the subsequent terrifying hunger and weakness.

At a critical moment, this was equivalent to three extra full-state refreshes!

"Thank you, you've worked hard," Zhang Fan said sincerely.

"Don't be so formal with me." Tan Yi smiled, then turned serious. "However, you've been in the spotlight too much lately; you must be careful. My father is also under a lot of pressure."

Zhang Fan nodded, indicating he understood.

After seeing Tan Yi off, the Alliance-specific watch on Zhang Fan's wrist gave a slight vibration.

An incoming contribution point notification.

[You have wiped out the Apocalypse Society, an organization colluding with fierce beasts, and killed its core members. Reward: 160,000 contribution points.]

[Your current total contribution points: 212,000.]

"One hundred and sixty thousand?" Zhang Fan's eyes lit up, but he soon frowned. "It's still not enough..."

With a thought, he pulled up the Alliance Mall interface and looked at the exchange page for the "uranium crystal star-trace armor."

Exchange Requirement: 150,000 contribution points per piece.

"I've now expanded to nine meters. When one piece of uranium crystal armor extends, the coverage area is too large, and the defensive power will be severely diluted. To ensure the protection strength of key areas, I need at least five pieces stacked."

"For now, I can only exchange for one more first."

He glanced at his contribution point balance. Exchange: uranium crystal star-trace armor!

Consumed 150,000 contribution points. Remaining points: 62,000.

Soon, Alliance staff delivered the second piece of uranium crystal star-trace armor.

Zhang Fan activated it, and the liquid metal quickly extended, stacking over his body along with the previous piece of armor.

Under his control, the liquid metal of the two armors could reinforce the protection of two key areas after expansion.

"With two pieces stacked, the defense of key areas is barely acceptable. But to cover all important areas, I need at least five pieces, and if I want full-body coverage, it would take ten."

"Five pieces is seven hundred and fifty thousand points!"

"Ten pieces would be one and a half million points!"

Zhang Fan felt a pang of toothache-inducing stress.

Contribution points—he was too short on them!

"And weapons..." He looked at the sky-shattering hammer in his hand.

As his strength rose and he thoroughly stabilized at the Fifth Heaven, this sky-shattering hammer no longer felt as heavy as before. If he improved his Dragon Elephant Cultivation Method a bit more, this hammer would become insufficient again.

"I need a heavier, stronger hammer... and that will require a massive amount of contribution points."

He was now in urgent need of hundreds of thousands, even millions of points!

"Where can I go to quickly get such a large sum of contribution points?"

...

Hundreds of miles away from the Southeast War Zone base.

Several figures emitting fierce auras arrived in this area almost simultaneously.

"Haha, Yan Kui, your Crimson Group arrived quite quickly!"

A tall, thin man whose arms had mutated into mantis blades looked at the five-meter-tall dark-red scaled giant nearby and let out a raspy laugh.

It was the President of the Shadow Hunt Society, Tang Dao.

"Hmph, didn't your Shadow Hunt Society come as well?" Yan Kui, the leader of the Crimson Group, said in a muffled, booming voice. Dark red energy leaked restlessly from the gaps in his scales. "It seems everyone received the news and has their eyes on that piece of fat meat."

"A Supreme-Grade secret technique, the Wanxiang Dharma Image—who wouldn't be tempted?" Tang Dao licked the edge of his blade-arm.

Just then, the ground not far to their side suddenly arched up, and sand and stones rolled.

A scorpion tail as thick as a bucket was the first to burst out of the soil!

Immediately after, the President of the Scarlet Society, Jing Nan, crawled out.

"Oh, everyone's here?" Jing Nan said. "It seems Zhang Fan's head is quite popular."

"Poison Scorpion Jing Nan is here too? It seems they're all here for Zhang Fan."

The three looked at each other. "With our groups working together, it wouldn't even be difficult to level that Southeast War Zone base."

"As for who gets Zhang Fan's genetic corpse in the end... that depends on luck and who has the skill to force him in their direction."

"Each to their own ability then."

Just then.

Buzz!!

Above the Southeast War Zone base, space began to violently twist and fluctuate!

Hundreds of spatial rifts of varying sizes appeared simultaneously.

Brilliant rays of various colors shot out from the rifts!

Dense fluctuations of strange energy swept out like a tide!

"Is this... a collective outbreak of spatial rifts?"

"No! Wait! These fluctuations... they aren't from fierce beasts!"

Yan Kui, Tang Dao, Jing Nan, and the leaders of other factions lurking further away all snapped their heads up to look at the brilliant sky. Their faces showed shock and confusion, which quickly turned into unbelievable ecstasy!

"Treasures! It's a treasure eruption!"

"So many spatial rifts opening at once and spewing treasures... this is the sign of a Large Treasure Area being born!"

...

Inside the base, Tan Qiao murmured, "I'm afraid this base is about to become the center of the storm!"