Chapter 530 - 338: Sacred Path of the Molten Abyss: White Tiger Sword Dance (2)
Chapter 530: Chapter 338: Sacred Path of the Molten Abyss: White Tiger Sword Dance (2)
"What the hell? You can do that?" some netizens exclaimed in shock, though they couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
"I thought once the Apocalypse hit and we all moved underground, everyone would be equal. But it turns out that even in the Underground Cities, people who owned houses still have an advantage."
"What else did you expect? Without this policy, society would probably be even more chaotic. Why should the efforts of several generations of a family be wiped out just because the Apocalypse is here?"
"Even if everything is wiped out, it will take time. Heroes emerge from chaos, and I believe many from the bottom will rise up. Especially those with Cultivation Talent—they’ll become the new elite."
"I really wish I had Cultivation Talent. Too bad we have to wait for the Apocalypse to find out." Li Xiang had also released some entry-level Breathing Techniques and ancient Body Techniques that could produce tangible results, allowing anyone who wanted to cultivate to begin their training. However, to truly step into the Extraordinary realm, one still had to wait for the Apocalypse to descend and for Extraordinary Particles to appear on Earth.
Although Li Xiang had a great deal of Spiritual Medicine, he couldn’t possibly supply everyone on Earth. He could only prioritize taking care of those close to him, or those with Cultivation Talent who were fated to cross his path.
As for what constituted being "fated," that was naturally up to Li Xiang’s own screening process.
For a time, a great many people came hoping to become his disciple, but none managed to see Li Xiang. With Lei Jiaming and others maintaining order, these people couldn’t disrupt the daily life of Li Family Village. In fact, they ended up bringing a great deal of traffic to the village.
"I’m so envious of the villagers in Li Family Village and the surrounding areas. I heard everyone from the nearby towns and villages can get into the Shelter provided by Brother Xiang for free. Only thirty percent of the spots will be open to outsiders, and I bet people will be fighting tooth and nail for them."
"You bet. The Li Family Village Shelter has to be the safest place on Earth."
"If you have a kid who got into Tsinghua, you should try to pull some strings with his wife. If they can perform well and get into Jiang Cai’Er’s lab, they’ll definitely get to move with them when the time comes."
To the surprise of the entire world, while housing bubbles were bursting in countries everywhere, China’s market was paradoxically booming again. Many Underground Cities had yet to be completed, but their off-plan properties were already on sale—and required a lottery to purchase. The market was white-hot.
Although the government promised that everyone would have a place in the Underground Cities, the quality, size, and location of the residences varied. With limited resources, the best homes were naturally sought after by countless people. There was no alternative but to use a lottery system to allocate them.
Many people in other countries, however, owned their own land, so a fair number of them built private shelters. But the security of a self-built shelter could never compare to that of a massive Underground City with the backing of a national government.
Furthermore, China’s Underground Cities were interconnected by a dense network of subway lines. These connections might be severed in the future by things like Exotic Beast attacks or tunnel collapses, but designing the subway to ensure mutual support and the flow of personnel and resources between the bases was undoubtedly a good thing.
After Li Xiang and his team accomplished such a monumental feat, the rewards soon followed.
Although Luo Feifei was temporarily absent from this world, there was no proof she had died in the line of duty. Thus, she wasn’t designated a "martyr." Instead, she received a two-rank promotion.
As for Li Xiang, he only went up one rank. This was unavoidable—the higher one’s position, the slower the promotions. After all, a few more and he would reach the very top.
However, the nation compensated Li Xiang with several other honorary titles, such as "National Guard," the "Mountain and River Reformer Special Contribution Award," the "Ministry of Water Resources Lifetime Achievement Award," and the title of founding father of the new academic discipline, "Pioneer of the Extraordinary Domain" (he was made Honorary Chairman of this new field by the Ministry of Education, and a bronze bust of him was erected in Tsinghua Garden).
The "National Guard" title was arguably the most prestigious, conferring a special status and accompanying benefits. It goes without saying that his name would be recorded in the annals of history.
At the award ceremony, Li Xiang was dressed in a crisp military uniform, the array of medals on his chest gleaming under the camera flashes. The audience was filled with dignitaries and reporters from every major media outlet, and the cameras zoomed in on the calm profile of his face as he gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
When footage of the ceremony was released, Li Xiang gained countless new fangirls worldwide. Many young women taped his poster to their headboards, gazing at it each night before falling asleep.
Without a doubt, Li Xiang had become the biggest celebrity on the planet.
He also received the "Earth Ecological Guardian" international medal (specially awarded by the United Nations Environment Programme in recognition of his monumental feat of halting the Antarctic Otherworld invasion and restoring the global ecosystem), as well as various honorary medals from other nations.
For their actions during the great flood rescue operation, Yao Yao and Lei Xiaohui had both earned considerable merit and were promoted to Major and Captain, respectively. However, Zhao Xueqing’s contributions were no less than theirs—in fact, they were greater. As a result, Zhao Xueqing was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, leaving Yao Yao and Lei Xiaohui still a rank behind.
Lei Jiaming, Xu Xuan, and others were also promoted, but their advancements will not be detailed here.
「...」
Amid the chaotic spatial turbulence, endless arcs of violet-black lightning danced wildly. Luo Feifei was shocked numb, her head spinning. Fortunately, her Electric Light Illusion Armor activated automatically to protect its master. It devoured the endless electrical flashes, fully charging its Electric Energy reserves and generating a deep blue Energy Barrier that withstood the majority of the corrosive turbulence.
BOOM— With the world spinning around her, she plummeted like a meteor, crashing hard into a pile of scorching rubble.
HISS— Luo Feifei gasped in pain, the hot air searing her throat. She struggled to push herself up and surveyed her surroundings—
Quicksilver-colored liquid metal flowed through cracked, magma-like veins in the ground. In the distance stood a Heaven-Reaching Tower constructed from countless spinal columns, the remains of some unknown Exotic Beasts, creating a grim and terrifying spectacle. The air reeked of sulfur and rusted metal, and every breath felt like swallowing fire.