No one responded to Huang Bo's words. Although they were unsure why Xu Que hadn't made it onto the *Cultivation Rankings*, they couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, especially after seeing the serious expression on Xu Que's face.
"Alright, enough of the speculation about the big guy. He probably doesn't care about these rewards. After all, he's mentioned that his territory can support thousands of people. Compared to this level of cultivation, I think it's clear who the real boss is!" Kun Shao said with a confident tone.
"Hmm, that could very well be the reason why he didn't make the list," Zhao Xian agreed.
Huang Bo and Qi Shan also agreed with Kun Shao's explanation. After all, everyone had their own priorities. They had always enjoyed martial arts before the catastrophe, and after the disaster, this newfound opportunity only reinforced their dedication to cultivation.
As for Xu Que, he had been a planner for a financial company before the disaster. It made sense that he would be more interested in resources…
Had Xu Que known what these people were thinking, he would have been greatly pleased, for the reasoning was almost too perfect!
In truth, Xu Que just didn't want to draw too much attention to himself. After all, being first in cultivation would attract the gaze of many shadowy forces.
In his previous life, Emperor Kun Shao had faced numerous assassination attempts. Though he narrowly avoided death each time, he eventually met an untimely end. Hence, some things needed to be kept under wraps, lest they draw the attention of those with malicious intentions.
Meanwhile, the people of Blue Star were once again shocked. Just moments ago, five names had appeared on the *Cultivation Rankings*!
"How is this possible? Are these people even human?"
"Oh my god! My eyes must be playing tricks on me!"
"These five on the list—They're from our Z country!"
"No, the third place, 'Xian,' is from our H country!"
"Where's that pungent kimchi smell coming from? It's disgusting…"
As the discussions online grew louder, several countries began launching intelligence-gathering operations.
The M and Y countries sent countless spies to Z country. After all, seeing so many Z country names appear on the list raised suspicions and demanded closer scrutiny.
Meanwhile, a few leaders from Z country's capital were in constant communication, trying to understand the mysterious appearance of these individuals.
Back at the battle command center in Magic City, the senior officers were equally stunned by the news.
"These are their names!" Elder Ye said, his voice filled with excitement.
Elder Peng, also agitated, replied, "Yes, especially this 'Kun Shao'—It's obviously the grandson of Old Cai!"
"I can't believe it. Not only are they alive, they've made it onto the *Cultivation Rankings*!" Elder Zhao pondered aloud. "It seems the dimensional rift is accessible. Or perhaps there's some kind of special opportunity inside."
"Are you suggesting we send in the special training team?" Shen Tianhe asked, confused.
Before Elder Zhao could respond, Elder Peng slammed his hand on the table, "What are we waiting for? Tell them not to be afraid—entering won't kill them, and they'll gain unexpected rewards!"
The others remained silent, casting odd looks at Elder Peng.
"What are you all staring at? Since those few managed to gain resources, the special training soldiers should be fine too," Elder Peng said confidently.
"You're not wrong, Old Peng, but have you considered that those people are seasoned veterans? They're already stronger than our special forces," Elder Zhao pointed out.
"So what? We'll send in more people. Even if they're stronger, we'll outnumber them!" Elder Peng replied, undeterred.
The others fell silent again, deep in thought. Had they truly considered all possibilities? What if something went wrong?
"Send in one hundred soldiers, just one hundred!" Elder Peng declared, holding up a finger. "The rest will stay outside and wait."
Elder Ye nodded. "Alright, that works. We'll also make sure the dimensional rift closes afterward. The outside forces can quickly eliminate the otherworldly creatures."
With Elder Ye's final word, even those who disagreed had to fall in line. After all, he was the highest-ranking officer.
Meanwhile, in the Magic City harbor district, the dimensional rift had grown increasingly chaotic. The so-called technological weapons of humankind had become nothing more than scrap metal in the eyes of the otherworldly beings.
"Yu Bing, take Squad Four to support the third front!"
"Chen Chong, lead Squad Five to reinforce the front-line artillery!"
"Ji Boda, take Squad Two and rush to the second artillery point!"
...
As Tang Jian rapidly issued commands, the squad leaders named began charging into the battlefield.
Just as Tang Jian was about to lead the remaining one hundred special forces soldiers to provide support, a communication device beeped.
"Instructor Tang, the command center has sent word. You are to select one hundred special forces soldiers to enter the dimensional rift!" a communications officer called out.
"Enter the dimensional rift?" Tang Jian froze for a moment, but then rushed toward the command center.
After receiving all the reports, his gaze shifted toward the *Cultivation Rankings* displayed high in the sky.
"Rest assured, sir. I'll return safely and complete the mission!" Tang Jian saluted the command center direction, then quickly ran back to his team.
"Everyone, listen up! Our mission has changed. We now have two pieces of news: one good and one bad. I won't ask which you want to hear, but I'll tell you this: If you want to make it onto that list, follow me into the dimensional rift!" Tang Jian shouted, pointing to the rankings above.
Upon hearing this, the special forces soldiers froze, shocked by Tang Jian's boldness.
Tang Jian didn't give them time to ponder. "Everyone, move out! Rapid march, fifty-meter infiltration—charge toward the dimensional rift!"
As Tang Jian led the charge, the special forces soldiers had no choice but to follow. If their instructor wasn't afraid of death, neither would they be!
At that moment, an astonishing scene unfolded in the harbor district.
A hundred-person squad quickly maneuvered around the beast horde, using artillery cover as they made their way directly toward the dimensional rift.
As soon as the hundred soldiers entered the rift, it disappeared in an instant!
"Kill them all! Wipe out these beasts!" a young commander yelled, wielding a heavy machine gun.
His roar was followed by another round of bombardment.
Meanwhile, Ji Boda, rushing toward the second artillery point, was momentarily stunned. Though he didn't know what had happened, an overwhelming sense of foreboding suddenly exploded in his heart.
"Lv Xiang, take your team and head for support. I'll hold off these monsters!" Ji Boda quickly ordered his team.
"Captain, be careful!" Lv Xiang patted Ji Boda's shoulder before leading his team to accelerate toward their destination.
Ji Boda quickly struck a nearby two-tailed scorpion with a powerful punch, sending it crashing to the ground.
After taking down the scorpion, he turned to confront a blind human-bear hybrid monster.
Seeing their captain holding back the monsters to buy them time, the team members secretly admired Ji Boda.
When all the soldiers had disappeared from view, Ji Boda swiftly deactivated his tracking device and discarded some of his extra supplies.
Once he confirmed he wasn't being watched, he darted behind a steel fence and climbed out of the combat zone.
Ji Boda's movements were swift and urgent. After covering some distance, his eyes locked onto a high-rise building.
Half an hour later, after numerous detours, Ji Boda finally located a phone beneath a workstation.
Without hesitation, he dialed a number.