"Everyone, don't push! Make way for the workers handling the transportation!"
"When the divine food returns to the City of Divine Gifts, it will be distributed according to the established ratio. Each person's share will be visible on the public board in the city!"
"Clear the way, everyone, clear the way!"
The patrolling warriors called out to maintain order, but the crowd remained kneeling, shifting their positions to allow the workers passage.
The shadow overhead hadn't fully dispersed, signifying the divine gift wasn't over!
Thus, the workers cautiously approached the platform's edge, cutting the surrounding "divine spicy strips" and occasionally peering at the sky above.
Moments later, Zou Qiutang, along with the more powerful body-refined members of the three clans, also sensed the coldness emanating from the sky.
In the height of summer, how could such a chill persist?
As they pondered, Zou Qiutang's gaze sharpened, and he bellowed, "Workers, retreat! The divine gift descends again!"
Startled, the laborers cutting the spicy strips hurried back just as a series of thuds resounded.
Whoosh—thump! Thump! Thump!!
They were massive ice blocks, comparable in size to the central hall of the City of Divine Gifts!
Each perfectly cubical and exuding an overwhelming coolness.
"My heavens... what enormous ice blocks! How did the divine manage to create such massive ice in summer?"
"Look! Not only here, but ice is also falling in the distant clan territories!"
"The divine must have taken pity on our suffering in the heat, bestowing these grand ice blocks to cool us!"
"It truly is... I'm overwhelmed..."
After the initial amazement, the clanspeople once again bowed in gratitude for the divine's mercy.
Among them, a few Nalan craftsmen observed the ice, deep in thought.
"If the divine can create ice in summer, and the extraordinary power flows within us from the divine, could we not also find a method to produce ice?"
Unaware that Wang Hui used a device known as the "Neptune Refrigerator" to create the ice, not source energy, this notion still inspired the little people, inadvertently spurring their innovation toward improving their quality of life...
Wang Hui deposited fifteen small ice blocks into the clan world, five landing on the plain's platform, intended for chilling food and beverages.
The remaining ten were distributed among the City of Divine Gifts and the original territories of the three clans, serving simply as natural air conditioning to cool and relieve the heat.
The ping-pong ball-sized sun above would take a long time to melt these giant ice blocks, absorbing a great deal of heat in the process, maintaining a cooler climate for the clan's little people.
"Ah, enjoying a cool breeze and savoring spicy strips in the height of summer, who can rival the citizens of the Divine Kingdom?"
Watching the thousands of little people bowing in gratitude, Wang Hui couldn't suppress a chuckle.
His gaze shifted, noticing the blue-haired slime Gulu Mi sneaking into the convoy of carts.
Having been well-disciplined by Nalan Xie, the little creature knew the rules. Even in its gluttony, it refrained from stealing, instead seeking out Zou Qiutang who was overseeing the transport, hoping to leverage its connections for an early taste of the spicy strips.
"I just announced that all divine food and the ice blocks on the platform must first be transported back to the city, and then distributed after inventory. You..."
Zou Qiutang initially maintained a stern demeanor, all business.
But seeing the petite blue-haired girl with pouted lips and tear-filled purple eyes, her face so forlorn it seemed she might burst into tears...
"...Sigh."
Zou Qiutang relented with a weary sigh, gesturing, "Alright, I'll allocate you a portion first. The rest will be delivered to your residence in the City of Divine Gifts. Just this once! Understand?"
"Alright, alright! You go ahead, I'll be on my way!"
Gulu Mi instantly beamed, happily following a worker to claim her spicy strips.
Watching her retreating figure, Zou Qiutang's face broke into a smile.
In truth, the divine had already stipulated that a significant portion of the divine gift was meant for Gulu Mi, as a reward for her substantial contributions in the "Defensive War Against Invasion"!
Yet Zou Qiutang, well-versed in Nalan Xie's management philosophy, knew precisely how to manage the "Underground King" most appropriately.
After all, it was a creature that had once caused significant casualties among the three clans. Even after being subdued by the divine and achieving great merit, it couldn't be allowed to become too complacent...
Moreover, having interacted with Gulu Mi extensively, the higher-ups were aware that this simple-minded little entity was not difficult to manage.
By adhering to the "give a stick, then a meal" strategy, harmonious relations could be easily maintained.
A bit of exploitation? Perhaps it would even thank us...
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Zou Qiutang saw Gulu Mi waving back, "Thank you!"
See!
Zou Qiutang quickly masked his smile, feigning impatience, gesturing for her to leave him alone.
A short while later, inside an extended cargo carriage...
Gulu Mi was buried amidst the sliced Wei Long spicy strips, devouring them with her face and hands smeared with red oil, occasionally hissing and gasping at the intense flavor.
"So delicious! So good!"
The complex blend of spicy, salty, and sweet, combined with the chewy texture, delivered an extraordinarily intense sensation to her taste buds!
Gulu Mi voraciously consumed all the spicy strips in the cart, even licking the remnants from the carriage walls, finally contented.
"The divine is truly wonderful..."
She patted her now bulging tummy, blissfully narrowing her eyes.
Unaware of how much time had passed, Gulu Mi abruptly jolted awake!
"...Oh no! I still have a task to do!"
She quickly sprang out of the cart, darting off into the distance.
Upon spotting the witch Mag and the elf Liliya still in place, Gulu Mi breathed a sigh of relief.
Having enjoyed the divine's splendid offerings, failing her task would surely lead to dire consequences...
The blue-haired, purple-eyed girl shrank as she ran, reverting back to her blue-violet slime form, quietly winding around the witch's wrist.
Mag, still reeling from the scenes she had witnessed, found her beliefs profoundly shaken by the sight of the massive hand setting down the ice block!
Thus, she hadn't realized Gulu Mi's brief disappearance...
"Hmm?"
Suddenly feeling a weight on her wrist, Mag glanced down.
The blue-violet bracelet, her ever-watchful monitor, seemed calm, though perhaps a bit thicker than before.
Before she could dwell on it, Mag sensed a magical disturbance nearby, and she turned, startled.
Liliya was beside a massive ice block, her wand waving as she recited incantations.
Currents of air formed, enveloping the icy moisture into glistening shards, producing a piercing whistle!
"...Ice Storm?"
Mag was astounded—the elf had independently mastered a sixth-tier spell she hadn't yet taught!
Although the favorable environment of the ice block aided its execution, for a sorcerer's apprentice of one and a half years, it was astonishing...
Mag gazed skyward once more, the shadow of the colossal hand still faintly visible above the clouds.
Her expression grew distant.
"Divine, is this still the world I knew?"