Fantasy World: I Can Travel To Cultivation World

Chapter 187 Hundred Of Millions

Lei Zhen frowned. "What do you mean by this?"

Luis's expression remained calm. "It doesn't matter. Do you want to fight or not?"

Without waiting for a response, Luis floated to the center of the hall. He unsheathed his natal flying sword, letting it circle effortlessly in front of him.

"Fine! Let's do this!"

Agitated by the provocation, Lei Zhen forgot that they were still inside the hall. Without hesitation, he sent his flying sword hurtling toward Luis.

However, to his shock, the sword pierced through Luis's figure—and nothing happened. Not a single drop of blood spilled.

"Not good!"

Lei Zhen's face darkened as alarm bells rang in his mind. He quickly heightened his spiritual awareness to its peak, scanning desperately for Luis's presence. Yet no matter how hard he searched, he couldn't sense him.

The next moment, a calm voice whispered into his ear.

"Too slow."

Before Lei Zhen could react, a flash of light appeared before him. A flying sword now hovered dangerously close to his neck, and a strand of his hair drifted to the ground.

Luis stood less than three meters away, unbothered and composed.

This was Flash!

When Luis had previously used this technique to battle zombies, its impact was limited due to their sheer resilience. But against Lei Zhen, the result was overwhelming.

Lei Zhen hadn't even registered the move before the flying sword was at his throat. If this had been a real fight, Luis could have killed him in a single stroke.

The realization sent a chill down Lei Zhen's spine.

He had always considered himself among the strongest of the Foundation Building cultivators—perhaps not the absolute best, but certainly in the upper echelon. Yet here he was, utterly outmatched by Luis with a single, decisive move.

What made it worse was the lingering question: had Luis even used his full strength?

The gap between them might be far greater than Lei Zhen dared to imagine.

Luis casually withdrew his flying sword, storing it back into his ring. His voice was calm but carried an unmistakable authority. "Are you convinced?"

Lei Zhen hesitated briefly, then lowered his head in a respectful bow. "Commander, your swordsmanship is unmatched. I am convinced beyond doubt."

-----

The Zhou family was exceptionally efficient.

It didn't take long for them to handle the matters concerning the Guang'an Prefecture coalition.

The registration process for monks from Guang'an Prefecture to join the army was also proceeding in an orderly fashion.

At the Zhou family residence in Guang'an Prefecture, within a uniquely designed fairy palace, the temporary headquarters for the coalition forces had been established.

Inside the palace, the leaders of the five major defense zones and a cultivator named Zhang—tasked with recording military achievements—gathered to discuss the coalition's specific affairs.

Sitting at the head of the table was Zhou Minghao, head of the Zhou family and the commander-in-chief of the Guang'an Prefecture coalition forces.

Zhou Minghao surveyed the room, his expression grave. "This coalition may look impressive on the surface, but the problems it faces are far greater than we initially anticipated."

He paused briefly before continuing. "Although we haven't finalized the exact number of troops, the military expenditure is going to be astronomical."

Like mortal wars, a monastic army also demanded extensive resources.

The required expenses included personal magical tools, elixirs, talismans, large-scale war tools, formation materials, spiritual vein bases, and more.

Although the Qianyuan Sword Sect had introduced a military merit system that could offset some of these costs, the major families in Guang'an Prefecture were still expected to bear a significant burden—especially the Zhou family, which was leading the effort.

This was to be expected.

During times of peace, the Zhou family had reaped the most benefits in Guang'an Prefecture. Now, in the face of disaster, they were naturally the ones shouldering the heaviest responsibility.

After all, if Guang'an Prefecture were to fall, the Zhou family would lose far more than just the spirit stones used for military expenses.

After Zhou Minghao's statement, Yang Linyuan, seated nearby, asked, "May I ask how many spirit stones the Zhou family is prepared to contribute?"

Zhou Minghao met his gaze, pausing for a moment before responding. "The Zhou family can allocate 400 million spirit stones to cover the military expenses."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Yang Linyuan's hand trembled slightly before he let out a soft sigh. "In that case, the Guang'an Immortal Alliance is willing to contribute 100 million spirit stones toward the cause."

He stood, bowing respectfully to the others. "We've already invested heavily in building Lingzhou City. One hundred million spirit stones is the absolute limit of what we can offer. I hope you won't look down on our sincerity."

He bowed again, apologizing as he spoke.

Luis, who had been quietly sitting with the group, suddenly found the chair beneath him growing increasingly uncomfortable. A sense of unease crept over him, and he shifted restlessly in his seat.

How could he even respond?

One family contributed 400 million spirit stones, while another contributed 100 million.

Since when did spirit stones start being measured in hundreds of millions?

Luis finally understood why the big families looked down on the low-end magic tool market.

If his Hartmann family had access to such vast amounts of spirit stones, they too would dismiss the low-end magic weapon market as insignificant.

Making money from that market? What a joke!

It's practically chump change.

Lowering his head, Luis couldn't help but feel out of place among the people in the room.

It was clear to him that leaders of large families in the Ten Thousand Star Sea weren't short-sighted individuals.

Zhou Minghao wasn't one, and Yang Linyuan was certainly not either.

They both understood something vital: Luis's achievements in the future would undoubtedly surpass anything they could imagine now.

Whether it was the Zhou family or the Yang family, their goodwill towards Luis and the Hartmann family wasn't mere courtesy. It was a calculated investment in the future.

In the world of great families, investing in the future was crucial.

Connections, which might seem irrelevant in ordinary times, could become the lifeline that saved a family during moments of crisis.

Take the chaos of the gods, for example.

Countless families were wiped out during that catastrophe. Why was it that the Zhou family alone received timely aid from the Qianyuan Sword Sect? Was it simply luck?

Not necessarily.

Yang Linyuan's pledge drew a nod of approval from Zhou Minghao, who said, "In that case, we now have a total of 500 million spirit stones in military funds.

Although this amount isn't particularly large, it's sufficient to sustain us for some time."

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.

Zhou Minghao continued, "With that settled, I will now allocate the military funds."

At this, everyone's attention sharpened.

Luis, in particular, sat up straighter. As the commander of the Western Defense Zone, he was responsible for security inspections and defense operations in a vast area of western Guang'an Prefecture.

He was certain his zone would receive a share of the funds, but how much? Could he expect as much as 10 million spirit stones?

Luis wasn't naive, though.

He knew that in this operation, the Eastern Defense Zone, led by Zhou Mubai, would undoubtedly receive the lion's share of the military funds.

In the early stages, only the Eastern Defense Zone had to engage directly with the zombies on Lotus Island.

The other defense zones were primarily tasked with ensuring that the zombies didn't become desperate and attempt to escape through the underwater passages of the Ten Thousand Star Sea, causing chaos throughout Guang'an Prefecture.

Their role was to prevent widespread instability within the region.

In other words, the Eastern Defense Zone, under Zhou Mubai's leadership, was the only one actively involved in combat.

The remaining defense zones acted as reserve forces. Luis's Western Defense Zone, in particular, served primarily as a security force.

If he could secure 10 million spirit stones in military funding, he would already consider it a win.

As Zhou Minghao noticed everyone focusing intently, he began the allocation:

"Mu Bai's Eastern Defense Zone will receive 250 million spirit stones, as they are responsible for the direct confrontation with the zombies on Lotus Island.

Fellow Daoist Yang's Northern Defense Zone is backed by Lingzhou City, where the garrison's spiritual veins eliminate the need for additional funding. Thus, they will be allocated a smaller sum—70 million spirit stones.

As for my Lingbei Island, we already have comprehensive defense measures in place, so our expenses are relatively low. Fifty million spirit stones will suffice.

Mingyan's Southern Defense Zone is located in the heartland of Guang'an Prefecture, where the likelihood of exposure to war is minimal. Therefore, they will also be allocated 50 million spirit stones."

At this point, all eyes turned toward Luis, their expressions filled with subtle curiosity.

Zhou Minghao continued, "Regarding the Western Defense Zone..."

He paused for a moment, heightening the anticipation in the room.

"As far as I understand, the area where Fellow Daoist Luis Hartmann's zone is located lacks sufficient spiritual veins. To station troops there, a significant investment would be required to establish spiritual veins, in addition to covering other operational costs. Considering these factors, the allocation for the Western Defense Zone will be set at 80 million spirit stones."