?
Inside the base, seeing that the zombies were completely wiped out, the survivors felt their tense nerves finally snap. Exhausted, everyone slumped to the ground like deflated balloons.
During the zombie attack, adrenaline had kept them on high alert, locked in a state of hyper-arousal.
Now that the danger was resolved, a wave of sheer exhaustion washed over them.
Liu Yang flew through the air, coming to a halt directly above the survivor base.
Seeing him approach, the crowd broke into ecstatic cheers once again.
They couldn't help shouting at the top of their lungs:
"It was that young guy in black! He killed all the zombies!"
"That's right! He took down every last one, even the Swallower!"
"How can he fly?"
"Could he be a savior sent from heaven specifically to rescue us?!"
"If not for him, we'd all be inside the Swallower's stomach by now! He saved every single person in our base!"
"Long live the savior!"
...
They gazed up at Liu Yang in the sky, their eyes filled with excitement, awe, and genuine reverence.
Some survivors' knees buckled, and they dropped straight to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly toward him.
They all knew that without Liu Yang, the Swallower alone would have been an unstoppable nightmare.
Once the defenses breached, their spouses, parents, and children would have been devoured alive.
Liu Yang's arrival was the single ray of light breaking through their deepest despair.
To them, he was a god worthy of absolute worship.
More and more survivors fell to their knees.
Only the remaining ability users stayed standing.
Liu Yang looked down from above, his voice carrying immense, undeniable authority:
"I slew the mighty Swallower, slaughtered the Moulter attacking your base, and wiped out the two Level-3 zombies leading them, saving you from total annihilation. Your leader has agreed to hand full control of this base over to me. Who agrees, and who opposes?"
Shock washed over everyone's faces.
Big Sister had surrendered the base to this young man?
The ordinary survivors didn't really mind.
They didn't care who ran the place. In fact, most of them had never even seen Big Sister in person.
Ability users were high and mighty figures; ordinary people only dared to peek at them from a distance.
However, the remaining ability users felt differently.
"Is this guy taking advantage of our weakness?"
"Why would Big Sister just hand the base over to him?"
One ability user whispered, "Should we resist?"
"Resist?" the other two shot back. "Do you think we're a match for him?"
They had seen how he handled the Swallower.
A ruthless powerhouse who kicked a Swallower to death with two strikes, walked on air, and controlled a flying sword to slaughter hordes-was he someone small fry like them could fight?
Another ability user added, "Besides, Big Sister hasn't said a word against it. What right do we have to oppose?"
The others nodded in agreement.
That made sense. If Big Sister didn't object, maybe he was a close friend of hers?
Or maybe even her boyfriend?
If they were practically family, what difference did it make who managed the base?
Why should outsiders meddle in a couple's business?
Seeing that no one dared to raise an objection, Liu Yang nodded in satisfaction and continued:
"Very well. Since no one opposes, then from this day forth, I, Liu Yang, am the master of this base!
I will establish new rules here. I can assure you that you will receive better benefits and live far better than before."
His voice suddenly turned razor-sharp and ice-cold:
"However, let me make one thing crystal clear: everyone follows my rules. Disobey, and there is only one outcome-death!"
That chilling tone sent a shiver through everyone's spine.
"Thud!"
Unable to withstand the suffocating pressure, the remaining three ability users felt their legs give out and fell to their knees.
They didn't even realize how they had collapsed, but no matter how hard they tried, their trembling knees refused to stand back up.
In the distance, Lin Wan'er and Wu Jingying lay on the ground, watching Liu Yang with helpless expressions.
Wu Jingying muttered, "And he claimed he wanted me to give him the base... This is outright robbery."
Lin Wan'er murmured, "The guy is undeniably dominant... but there's something so captivating about his swagger. It actually makes him look incredibly handsome..."
Wu Jingying rolled her eyes at her. "You little slut, are you seriously swooning right now? You fell for him just like that?"
Lin Wan'er countered, "Don't tell me you don't think he's handsome! Hand on your heart, isn't he?"
Wu Jingying's face flushed slightly. "Well... he is handsome, but... he just stole my base!"
Beside them, Chen Ziyi suddenly chimed in, "Wait, did you hear what he said? His name is Liu Yang! Liu Yang! Doesn't that name sound familiar to you?"
Wu Jingying froze, her expression shifting to sheer disbelief. "Liu Yang! Could he be... the number one on the Heaven Ranking? It's really him?! I can't believe he's so young!"
Lin Wan'er gasped, her eyes wide with shock. "My god! Number one on the Heaven Ranking?! The legend who brought glory to the nation by crushing Yamada from the Sun Empire under his heel?!"
Chen Ziyi added, "No wonder he's so monstrously strong! He's the absolute number one among all ability users worldwide! No one comes close to his power. Knowing that, the Swallower didn't die in vain!"
All three women stared up at Liu Yang in the sky, their eyes overflowing with admiration.
Though they had never met him before, Liu Yang's name on the Heaven Ranking was legendary.
They used to imagine what kind of mythical figure held the top spot, wondering if he had three heads and six arms.
Seeing him in the flesh completely shattered those expectations.
He was young, breathtakingly handsome, and possessed power that was as elegant as it was devastating.
He wasn't some grotesque monster. He looked like an ordinary young man, yet his body held terrifying energy, allowing him to command swords through the air to slay enemies-a style so clean, direct, and overwhelmingly cool.
Even Wu Jingying's gaze toward Liu Yang began to fill with a complex, indescribable swirl of emotions.