It also proved that his bet was not wrongly placed; he had bet right! This was because even though Wang Zhan certainly had a scheme against the Jing State Lu Family, he was not, to some extent, stingy with his good intentions. Just like them, who at this very moment had narrowly escaped with their lives. If it weren't for Wang Zhan's warning, Lu Family Ninth Master himself might have been one of the casualties! And then there was Lu Jade...

Lu Jade was a little scared; the sound of the guns had frightened him. So, he hid in his grandfather's arms, his face somewhat pale, and asked Lu Family Ninth Master, "Ninth Grandpa, what was that about? Why did I hear gunshots…" Although he was relatively mature for his age, he had never experienced such a scene before.

Lu Family Ninth Master smiled bitterly. He didn't know what was going on either! The only thing that seemed certain was that the arrival of these soldiers was probably within Wang Zhan's expectations. Otherwise, why would Wang Zhan have continued to stay in the Ming State Underground City, waiting for these soldiers to arrive?

Among the first group of people who escaped the Ming State Underground City, besides Lu Family Ninth Master—who had heeded Wang Zhan's warning, realized the situation in time, and used his formidable strength to create some distance—were Ouyang Yue and her six fellow disciples. Similarly, as they looked at the chaotic figures in the distance and the soldiers acting with swift decisiveness, their guns constantly blazing, their faces were all etched with endless gloom and solemnity. They had come from the battlefield, never expecting to witness the gunfire of the Earth Military Department on the Earth Federation itself. It was foreseeable that from this day forward, the Federation they knew would be irrevocably changed.

But Ouyang Yue, preoccupied and her face somewhat pale, didn't dwell on such broad implications. She asked, "Senior Brother, Senior Sister, what is happening? Why are there so many soldiers? He…" She stopped abruptly, just as she was about to utter his name. It wouldn't be appropriate to mention Wang Zhan's name at this moment… But how could her martial siblings not understand what was on her mind? This girl probably feels she's more of a hindrance than a help, realizing her actions nearly led to a huge mistake, so she's feeling guilty! Although, that assessment was also what they had discerned from Wang Zhan's expression.

Of course, this didn't stop her from wanting to know immediately if these soldiers posed a threat to Wang Zhan. So, Li Ji comforted her, "Don't overthink it. I even have a feeling that these soldiers were probably summoned by that fellow, Wang Zhan. That guy is truly unfathomable, a hidden dragon in the deep abyss…"

Everyone was inwardly startled. "How is that possible, Senior Brother! Wang Zhan is, at most, an exchange student. What qualifications does he have to summon the Military Department?"

Li Ji chuckled. Looking at his junior brothers and sisters, all with astonished thoughts, he said helplessly, "When did I tell you he called these people here? Besides, to get these soldiers to come here, aren't there other ways besides directly summoning them?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment. Then, a female Martial King finally reacted. "Senior Brother, are you saying this is all Wang Zhan's scheme?"

Everyone's heart tightened, except for Li Ji and Ouyang Yue. What kind of ability must one possess to dare to scheme against even the Federation? Them? Don't be ridiculous! Unless they could advance to Martial Emperor tomorrow and reach an even higher realm the day after, they wouldn't even dare to dream of it! It was almost like a gambler who, once his eyes turn red with recklessness, justifiably dares to do anything. The problem was, even though they were all Martial Kings, with greater power came greater responsibility. They couldn't act as wildly as Wang Zhan, nor could they abandon the burdens they carried.

However, just as they were all focused on why Wang Zhan would scheme against the Federation and what leverage he had to do so, only Li Ji noticed the fleeting joy in his junior sister's eyes. Undoubtedly, the more impressively Wang Zhan performed, the more Ouyang Yue likely admired him.

However, Li Ji truly wanted to say something profound to her: Little Junior Sister, sometimes things don't happen just because we wish for them, nor can we always obtain what we desire… If Wang Zhan is truly such a demon, how could ordinary women ever catch his eye? And whoever he might set his sights on, how could she possibly continue a peaceful, ordinary life, settling down like a common couple?

Thinking this, Li Ji began to rack his brains for a way to persuade his little junior sister to give up. Although their lineage was nothing to be ashamed of, lineage was lineage, and feelings were ultimately just feelings. He truly couldn't bear to watch his little junior sister sink into the deadly, maddening swamp land that Wang Zhan represented, especially when another burst of intense gunfire erupted nearby.

Then, BANG!! A gunshot seemed to pierce the heavens.

Li Ji knew with certainty. That must be another poor soul who could have survived, but due to Wang Zhan's clandestine schemes, ended up dying unjustly at the hands of the Federation. Consequently, in the eyes of someone like Li Ji, who had seen much of the world and was straightforward in assessing both mental fortitude and actual strength, Wang Zhan's profundity was alarmingly deep!

「Meanwhile, somewhere else.」

After a handful of powerful Martial Artists had completely escaped the vortex of the Ming State Underground City, those who had been kept in the dark and reacted half a beat too slow, or those who were entirely ignorant of the inside story and had simply been blinded by the allure of money, found they no longer had any chance of escape! This was because, in a mere fifteen minutes—just as chaos erupted once more in the Ming State Underground City due to the Lu Family incident, causing the situation to spiral out of control—the Southwest Federation Martial Management Bureau and the Internal Affairs Joint Army, under the leadership of their respective deputies like Xu Hua and An Xi, had already swiftly and methodically entered Ming State City. They were escorting the Federation's middle-high rank Martial Artists who had attempted to flee. Immediately thereafter, the four main entrances and exits of the Underground City, along with countless other smaller weak points, were thoroughly garrisoned. The strategic objective of surrounding the Ming State Underground City, apprehending the Martial Artists causing turmoil in the Federation, and ensuring not a single one escaped, was initially achieved. The encirclement of the Ming State Underground City was complete!

Thus, in what felt like a mere instant, the Ming State Underground City, upon discovering the truth, plunged into utter chaos. Although some astute individuals had sensed trouble and departed the Ming State Underground City early, they constituted less than a tenth of the total. Consequently, the vast majority, well over ninety percent of the Martial Artists, were trapped below, every single one of them completely bewildered.

"The Military Department is here?"

"How did they arrive so quickly?"

Of course, they also realized that Rome wasn't built in a day. So, there must have been some new, external developments that had led the Federation to take such a drastic step and encircle the Underground City for the first time.

"Who on earth drew the Federation here?"

"Quick, quick, find a place to escape! Those soldiers won't care who we are. If we fall into their hands, we're finished!…"

The problem was, they had never considered this: the people still remaining in the Ming State Underground City, though representing roughly only over a third of their respective Family's strength, still constituted a terrifying number no matter where they were. Not to mention, the number of Martial Artists in the Ming State Underground City now amounted to ninety percent of over a thousand individuals. This included various large and small Families, with Grandmasters and Grandmasters forming their core—a force that, under extreme circumstances, could even contend with an entire city. But their thoughts were not on uniting; they were focused on escaping if they could. Perhaps they could only be blamed for never imagining that this operation hadn't originated from the Federation at all. Similarly, they would absolutely never have guessed that this operation, in the final analysis, was all because of the young man currently entrenched in the very center of the Ming State Underground City.

And so? They truly descended into chaos; the entire Ming State Underground City became a scene of pandemonium. Roars and quarrels erupted everywhere. The immense pressure brought by the sudden arrival of the Military Department was omnipresent, and even the air gradually grew thick with a bloody tension.

But they wanted to live! They wanted freedom! They didn't want to die! So, naturally:

"Get out of my way! Dare to block me again, and I'll take your life!"

The once lofty Martial Artists now clashed in the blink of an eye over a potential escape route. It must be understood: the more people, the larger the target. And as for Martial Artists, they always chose to believe that if the bird that sticks its neck out gets shot, it's only because that bird isn't nimble enough. Therefore, these people, desperate to be the first to escape, scrambled to drag others down, their mentality stark: if they were to die, all would die together; but if there was a chance to live, *they* would be the ones to survive!

One could only imagine the immense pressure the Military Department had brought upon them! Yet, those who had managed to remain in the Ming State Underground City and survive until now, even under the gaze of the monster, were hardly simple individuals. Everyone wanted to leave, so why should anyone let *you* go first!

So, in the blink of an eye, the crowd had already splintered into countless factions of varying sizes, positioning themselves at various hidden exits, facing off against each other. This continued until…

"Since you won't get out of the way, then die! Kill!" someone roared to the heavens, personally leading the charge and fighting valiantly.

Before and behind him, everyone was jolted by this roar. They reacted quickly, either charging forward, engaging in battle, or retaliating.

"Since no one wants to give way, let's see who's more capable! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

And while these people erupted into a massive brawl over essentially baseless provocations, at the highest point of the Ming State Underground City, Wang Zhan remained in meditation, his eyes closed, the monster's sealed head resting beside him. Theoretically, although the monster was sealed, its Divine Sense was still present, and it still possessed a head. Considering its mysterious and powerful bloodline talent alone, it shouldn't have remained so silent.

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