Wu Hen had also reached an agreement with Levi about splitting the dark energy they would acquire.
"A sixty-forty split is fairly reasonable. You're a good kid for being willing to give up sixty percent. You do realize that collecting this kind of dark energy is a huge problem, not to mention that finding it is an even bigger one," Levi said.
"I take six, you take four!" Wu Hen emphasized.
"What?? You sly devil, don't forget that when you first came to this land, I pardoned your crime of unauthorized mining of Da Xuan's precious minerals. How dare you take sixty percent? You know that my contribution to this expedition to Evil Spirit Town is definitely much greater than yours!" Levi raged, showing a complete turnaround in his demeanor.
Wu Hen chuckled coldly.
If Levi had mentioned the other party's name and helped everyone safely get through that calamity, Wu Hen would have reluctantly agreed to let him have sixty percent. After all, now that he had reached his current realm, finding a Dark Energy Spring Eye was just a matter of spending more time.
But truth be told, when they faced that intelligent evil spirit in the library, aside from blustering, Levi did nothing.
That evil spirit, in the end, let them go purely because it was somewhat cautious and noticed Little Yi drooling over it...
"I want sixty percent, not for myself. Besides, didn't you say you wanted to help me become the king? My dear State Preceptor, now is a critical moment for my advancement. I'll take sixty percent first to secure my position as Deputy Mayor of Steel Eagle City. With that status, we can have even greater cooperation in the future. On Da Xuan's lands, personal evolution, no matter how strong, can't play a decisive role. Can you single-handedly take on Steel Eagle City or Hell Nine-Headed City with your one or two rank advancements?" Levi said.
"You do have a point," Wu Hen nodded in agreement.
"Of course, we're all in this together. If I rise to power, won't you be able to swagger around in our Da Xuan too? It's better to depend on friends than just on oneself," Levi said.
"Then let's do fifty-fifty," Wu Hen named his final price.
"You... don't be so narrow-minded," Levi said earnestly.
"Then forget it, I'll still take sixty."
"Okay, okay, fifty-fifty it is!" Levi immediately agreed, but perhaps the argument had gotten him a bit flustered, as he seemed somewhat flushed with his brain bloodied by the heat of the moment, then he challenged, "So who gets the fifty percent?"
Wu Hen turned into an air conditioning repairman, looking back at the clever Prison Director.
Fifty percent of the energy was actually quite abundant.
This was enough to power a city like Steel Eagle City. Although they had the black technology to let dark energy create an energy-offset effect for energy expansion and a higher conversion rate, Wu Hen was truly absorbing the energy into his body, evolving his life to a higher rank.
He leaped from Second Rank straight to Fourth Rank, and still, a significant amount of energy was stored in his meridians and Qi Acupoints. Absorbing a portion each day, if nothing unexpected happened, he could reach Fifth Rank in another month.
As a host at Fifth Rank, he possessed a considerable amount of life energy already. If he transferred it back, his original body could greatly benefit.
However, Wu Hen's goal was Sixth Rank, which would allow his original body to evolve to Seventh Rank and become a noble Seventh-rank Life.
"Just one more big score and I'll basically be at Sixth Rank."
"Once I reach Sixth Rank, I can leave and transfer back to my original body."
Wu Hen had already calculated it; the Nuwa God End would arrive at Cang Chu Divine Realm in about a month or two. In the remaining time, he intended to bring this gaseous form to Sixth Rank, which would make the transfer back easier.
Returning to Steel Eagle City and to the rebuilt towns and villages, Wu Hen found Ding Di still growing his herbs.
"You're different now?" Ding Di looked Wu Hen over from top to bottom, somewhat surprised.
"I've evolved to Fourth Rank, and the remaining undigested energy will push me towards Fifth Rank every day," Wu Hen said frankly, explaining to Ding Di who knew his identity.
"Your choice to cooperate with Levi was the right one," Ding Di nodded, quite satisfied with Wu Hen's performance.
"Mhm... I will leave once I reach Sixth Rank and transfer him back," Wu Hen gestured to his body.
"That's a good thing. If things are stable enough over there, he can live the life he always dreamed of," Ding Di said.
"Don't worry, with me there, it will be stable enough," Wu Hen said.
"But you're still not strong enough," Ding Di said bluntly.
"Then what realm should I reach?" Wu Hen asked.
"I don't know. Look at these stars. Some that think they are dazzling are actually prey for others. Who can be sure of eternal glory?" Ding Di spoke.
"Actually, this world has its own rules. You don't necessarily need to be strong, but you must have foresight," Wu Hen remembered the Mayor of Evil Spirit Town.
Its existence shattered Wu Hen's previous stereotype of evil spirits.
This also made Wu Hen realize that, no matter what form of existence, one must adhere to their own way of life.
"I'm relieved that you can think this way. With this little guy being reborn in your world, I can rest a lot easier," Ding Di said.
"Do you have any plans, or will you continue living this pastoral life here?" Wu Hen asked.
"I'm getting old, and even if you wanted to invite me to your world, I wouldn't be able to adapt, not to mention I still have my duties," Ding Di replied.
"Of course, it's to take good care of these medicinal herbs; they are precious purification grass, capable of resisting a certain amount of dark radiation. The villagers all love them, and they sell out quickly in town," Ding Di said.
"Heh, keep lying... You, old man, definitely aren't as simple as you appear, and as an extremely outstanding Awakener, Nuwa God End wouldn't match me with some ordinary host relatives," Wu Hen bluntly criticized as well.
"Alright, I won't beat around the bush with you; I have to tell you that Grand Canyon City is closing in on us. If we don't want our small town and villages to be destroyed again, you'd better hurry and get the Deputy Mayor ready to respond," Ding Di said.
"Oh, oh, okay!" Wu Hen also realized something and went out towards the city after lunch.
Now, Wu Hen also held an important position at the Energy Institute, effectively making him a legitimate Commander of Steel Eagle City.
Heading to the Energy Institute, the first thing Wu Hen did was to order the head of the biological battery technology to stop the biological extraction torture being inflicted on the prisoners in the jail.
Then, Wu Hen adjusted all the detection equipment at the Energy Institute.
These devices combined were actually not as effective as his own Fourth Rank Taste and Spirit Melding Realm.
However, as a supplement, they really could find the Dark Energy Spring Eyes faster and more precisely.
In this swamp, there were still plenty of small Dark Energy Spring Eyes, harvesting them could also provide sufficient engine momentum for the entire Steel Eagle City.
Of course, Wu Hen wasn't going to devote himself entirely to contributing to Steel Eagle City.
He was a corrupt official.
The Dark Energy that entered Steel Eagle City was essentially being exploited by him, bringing him one step closer to his goal of reaching Sixth Rank.
"It's time for the big meeting again, Deputy Director, you should head to the Hall Area," Hu Lu reminded Wu Hen who had already been promoted along with Levi.
Wu Hen had not expected to become a public servant of Da Xuan, and furthermore, to attend early court in the Hall Area regularly.
These days, the early court had been filled with fierce disputes between Chi Luo and Levi.
Having become the Deputy Mayor, Levi had more authority, especially regarding the lifeline of the entire Steel Eagle City, energy, he had enough say to challenge Mayor Chi Luo.
Once Wu Hen arrived at the Hall Area, the old routine of showing off the self-service buffet began.
After the display, he could watch the spectacle of Chi Luo and Levi's tearful arguments; the two were former classmates, graduates of Huilin Constellation, and on matters of urban strategy, they could engage in scholarly debates akin to human academic papers. When their theories failed to convince all the Commanders present, they would resort to personal attacks, exposing each other's shameful college deeds in front of all the Commanders, aiming to demolish each other's reputation completely.
This morning, Levi had once again engaged in a heated argument with Chi Luo over a significant issue.
"What a joke, our Steel Eagle City has always soared like an eagle, hunting to make our city stronger. I admit that you've discovered a great Dark Vein in the swamp, giving us a respite, but how can you casually change the beliefs of our Eagle City? We are carnivores, born sovereigns of the sky, relying on those scattered Spring Eyes in the swamp is like making an eagle survive on wild fruits!" Chi Luo presented his bold rhetoric.
Steel Eagle City must continue hunting.
There were still many towns and villages in this swamp area; they were the prey of Eagle City. Just by devouring them, Eagle City would grow stronger, and this was the best way to become more powerful in a short period of time.
Indeed, after the battle with Grand Canyon City, Chi Luo's ambition for plunder and invasion grew, and he was desperate to reclaim what had been lost. Smaller cities and wandering living towns on the land were their city's protein.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Reliable clues indicate that Grand Canyon City is already lurking nearby. If I were the leader of Grand Canyon City, I would set a rich town as bait and wait for us to hunt. If we attack recklessly as before, we will surely fall into their trap. What's wrong with eating wild fruits? An eagle is not only reckless and fierce but also intelligent and patient. Just give my Energy Institute some more time, and we can take off fully loaded. Then we'll have a better chance of winning the battle with Grand Canyon City!" Levi stated his position.
Being vegetarian is just fine, as long as we can ensure the city's energy runs smoothly and all engines recover to their healthy state.
"Sorry, I am the Mayor!"
"You're just my subordinate."
"We need more extensive energy, and based on the data my department has collected, there are three rich small cities beyond the swamp. Just one hunt will allow us to recover!"
Chi Luo believed his intelligence was genuine and accurate, and he had already forcefully exercised his utmost mayoral authority.
"Mayor, think carefully, if you decide to use your veto power, you will have to step down as Mayor if things go south," said the head of several departments.
"Hmph, I won't make a mistake, proceed with the hunting plan now!" Chi Luo was insistent on making Steel Eagle City soar again.
To soar requires more energy.
And to replenish energy, the hunt must be successful.
Chi Luo was essentially taking a gamble!