The walls and ceiling of the quiet chamber were made of stone, and the ground was covered with beast hides. It was there that Li Xiaofei and his companions finally met Zhang Wannian, the leader of the camp.
This old monster, who had lived for several centuries, did not appear old at all. He looked like a man in his thirties, with slightly wavy hair, a fair complexion, and an elegant demeanor. He gave off the impression of a scholar.
"We greet the camp leader," Li Xiaofei said with a respectful fist salute.
He could sense an immense cosmic energy within Zhang Wannian that was comparable to the Xie family patriarch. Zhang Wannian was the strongest individual they had encountered since arriving on this Earth.
“There’s no need for formalities, young friend,” Zhang Wannian said in a calm and approachable tone. “I have grown older and weaker with time. Most of my days are spent on cultivation in order to simply maintain enough energy to survive. I truly apologize for not welcoming you all immediately.”
Li Xiaofei responded, “We, as uninvited guests, must have disturbed your cultivation.”
Both sides exchanged pleasantries, valuing harmony above all else.
Zhang Wannian smiled faintly and said, “I see that you and your companions are extraordinary talents like dragons and phoenixes. It is truly rare for all of you to gather here at my humble Grandpa Lakeside Camp. My friend Li, have you come to Taibai Mountains with something to ask of me?”
Zhang Wannian had wondered about that in private. From his perspective, the level of cultivation possessed by Li Xiaofei and his group would allow them to easily establish their own survivor camp at any magnetic spiritual site. Yet they had waited here for him to emerge from seclusion. They must have an agenda.
Li Xiaofei nodded and said, “We wish to seek your guidance regarding the current state of Earth’s grand affairs.”
"Grand affairs?" Zhang Wannian was momentarily stunned, then let out a bitter laugh. "Humanity is nearly extinct. What grand affairs could there possibly be? Sigh, the era of grand affairs has long since passed."
"How many places like Grandpa Lakeside Camp are left on Earth?" Li Xiaofei asked.
Zhang Wannian slowly replied, "Grandpa Lake is located on the main peak of the Taibai Mountains, which contains a magnetic vein. This invisible magnetic field can interfere with the instruments inside the Governors, rendering them powerless. That’s why the Star Council cannot send Governors to eradicate this place. To my knowledge, there are over thirteen thousand places on Earth with magnetic veins . But even so, it’s just a drop in the bucket. Each camp can support no more than five thousand people; otherwise, it becomes unsustainable. You can calculate for yourself how many free survivors remain."
Over thirteen thousand locations. Rounding up to fourteen thousand for simplicity and a population cap of five thousand per camp, the total only came to around seventy million. Just seventy million. Compared to the Earth’s peak population of six or seven billion, it was a pitifully small number.
Li Xiaofei then asked, "What about the Holy Light Settlement? How many people live there?"
"Not many," Zhang Wannian said. "And besides, the people living there can’t really be considered human—they’re just resources."
"What do you mean by that?" Li Xiaofei pressed, seeking clarity.
Zhang Wannian didn’t hide the truth. "That place is nothing more than a breeding farm. Men are used as raw materials to create mechanical lifeforms like the Governors or live subjects in experiments on extraordinary abilities. Women are treated as reproductive machines; their eggs are harvested from their bodies and artificially cultivated. Once a woman reaches an age where she can no longer provide eggs, she is used for experimental research or turned into fertilizer. Have you ever seen pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, or ducks raised in captivity? The people in the Holy Light Settlement are no different from livestock."
Li Xiaofei and his companions couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath. They had, in their small way, contributed to global warming with their reaction. They had previously speculated that life in the so-called Holy Light Settlement was harsh for humanity, which was why people risked everything to escape. But they hadn’t expected it to be so utterly tragic. From a certain perspective, human civilization on this Earth was already on the brink of extinction.
"Why does the Star Council do this?" Li Xiaofei asked.
Zhang Wannian shook his head and replied, "I’m not sure. At the very beginning, the Star Council was a beacon of hope for humanity on Earth. They were our guides, leading humans to cultivate extraordinary abilities, develop supernatural techniques, and fight against the star beasts. But then, they suddenly turned from mentors into tyrants of slaughter. It is said that the Star Council concluded humanity had no further potential for evolution and deemed us a failed species. As a result, they abandoned us completely, confining the remaining humans and exploiting them for their last bit of value."
This explanation matched what the bearded driver had described earlier, though Zhang Wannian's account was more detailed.
Li Xiaofei pondered silently.
"Weren’t the Extraordinary Ones on Earth the ones who founded the Star Council?" Li Xiaofei asked.
Zhang Wannian nodded but then shook his head. "On the surface, yes. But in reality, control of the Star Council has always been in the hands of extraterrestrial beings who claim to be gods. Any Extraordinary One who refuses to submit is either captured or killed. Only a handful, like myself, manage to barely survive on the run."
Li Xiaofei exchanged glances with Ye Liuying and the others. It was eerily similar to the Earth they had come from. The Star Council on their Earth had also once been a guiding light that brought hope to humanity.
But when the Yiggs launched their war, the Star Council turned a deaf ear and even secretly funded the Yiggs. From that moment, the highest authority of humanity had begun to rot rapidly.
Li Xiaofei cautiously asked, "Have you heard of Eden?"
Zhang Wannian’s expression changed instantly.
"You... come from Eden?"
There was a slight tremor in his voice.
Li Xiaofei shook his head. "No."
Zhang Wannian’s face softened somewhat, and he finally said, "I’ve heard of it. Many of the most powerful ancient Extraordinary Ones were slain by the God Warriors of Eden. That place is even more terrifying than the Star Council."
"By the way, why are there two moons in the sky? What’s going on with that?" Li Junjie couldn’t hold back his curiosity as he asked.
"You don’t even know that?" Camp Leader Zhang Wannian was visibly surprised. "You... who exactly are you people?"
This was common knowledge. Li Junjie’s expression shifted slightly as he realized he had spoken out of turn due to his curiosity.
Zhang Wannian fell silent for a moment.
He chose not to press further and instead patiently explained, "Two hundred years ago, the world’s number one Extraordinary One, Li Guorui, fought against one of Eden’s God Warriors during the final war of the Extraordinary Ones. In that battle, he unleashed a forbidden technique, summoning a celestial body from beyond our solar system. That’s the second moon you see in the sky now. Unfortunately, the forbidden technique wasn’t fully completed before the war concluded, so the planet remained in the sky. The original moon was almost shattered, but using the residual energy of the forbidden technique, we stabilized the phenomenon known as 'Twin Moons Over Heaven'. Despite the catastrophic battle, Earth’s gravity and tidal forces remained unaffected."
Li Xiaofei sucked in a sharp breath once again.
What the hell? What kind of forbidden technique could summon an entire planet? This ancient Extraordinary One, Li Guorui, truly lived up to his title as the world’s greatest.
Li Xiaofei felt that he had gleaned most of the information he wanted to know.
"What are your long-term plans for this camp, Camp Leader?" Li Xiaofei asked.
Zhang Wannian gave a bitter smile and said, "The path ahead is too dark for me to see far. I can only see the road beneath my feet. I will protect and shelter as many as I can for as long as I can. But if I manage to break through the Heavenly Origin Realm and step into the void one day, I want to take this broken body of mine and confront the gods of Eden. I want to ask them why they have treated Earth’s humanity this way."
The Heavenly Origin Realm! This was the pinnacle of the Extraordinary Ones’ world. It was equivalent to the Great Saint Realm on Li Xiaofei’s Earth. Breaking through the Great Saint Realm meant stepping beyond the confines of the planet and becoming a cosmic-level lifeform. The principles were the same everywhere. The pursuit of power always led to the same ultimate path, regardless of how it was traveled.
However, what truly shook Li Xiaofei wasn’t the concept of the Heavenly Origin Realm itself but a single word in Zhang Wannian’s statement
He only dared to ask the gods why they treated Earth’s humanity as expendable test subjects.
"Unfortunately, my old wounds are too severe, and my life is nearing its end," Zhang Wannian sighed, his expression dim with sorrow.
Still, a flicker of hope lingered in his eyes as he said, "Young friends, you must come from an extraordinary background to have slain so many Governors. Such strength and courage are rare on this Earth today. I humbly ask you to stay and join this camp. With your help, we could at least protect these two thousand lives and preserve the last remnants of the Great Xia bloodline."
Li Xiaofei furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
"What does joining the camp entail?" Ye Liuying, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up.
Zhang Wannian replied, "It’s very simple. You sign a contract and swear to protect the ordinary people in this camp. That’s all it takes to join."
"A contract?" Li Xiaofei asked in surprise, "What kind of contract?"
Zhang Wannian turned and retrieved a beast-hide contract from a nearby desk. The document was densely packed with text, containing several thousand words outlining the rights and responsibilities of joining the camp.
After carefully reviewing it, Li Xiaofei found nothing unusual. The verbose contract immediately reminded him of a scene from a Stephen Chow movie, Fight Back to School, with its endless but ultimately pointless school rules. Too much, but ultimately meaningless.
Zhang Wannian explained further, "There’s no real binding power—this is just a formality. We simply hope that if the camp faces danger, you’ll lend a helping hand. After all, no eggs remain intact under a fallen nest. If everyone in the world perishes, living alone would surely feel unbearably lonely, wouldn’t it?"
Li Xiaofei passed the contract to Nan Hua, who examined it carefully before passing it to the others. After everyone reviewed it, no one raised any objections.
"Signing it wouldn’t be an issue," Li Xiaofei said with a smile and was just about to sign his name when—
"Wait a moment." Ye Liuying, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "There’s no need to rush into signing the contract. Let’s take some time to think it over carefully."
Li Xiaofei’s heart stirred.
"Fair enough," he said with a light smile. He held the beast-hide contract in his hand as he added, "Once we sign this, we’ll officially become members of Grandpa Lakeside Camp. As the saying goes, 'A man fears choosing the wrong trade, just as a woman fears marrying the wrong husband.' It’s worth being cautious about. How about this, Camp Leader? We have many people with us. Let us return to discuss and see who wants to stay and who prefers to leave. Once we’ve reached a consensus, we’ll let you know. How does that sound?"
Zhang Wannian quickly nodded. "Of course, such matters cannot be forced. I hope I’ll hear some good news... cough, cough."
As he spoke, he suddenly started coughing violently, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Li Xiaofei was startled. "Camp Leader, what’s wrong?"
Zhang Wannian gave a bitter smile. "It’s just an old injury acting up. Don’t worry about it... I just need some rest."