Chapter 548: The Netherworld

After failing to pursue and kill Clotaire Ventrue, Li Mochen returned to Rochelle Canyon.

A temporary command post had been established here by numerous commanders, led by Major General Michael Wood, with many generals gathered together.

"A total of 1,342 dead, and 3,600 wounded, mostly from the artillery position defense forces, who bore the greatest pressure before the BOSS arrived—"

"Thirty-two outlaws were killed, and another seventeen are missing, whereabouts unknown—though it cannot be considered desertion, we have decided to issue warrants for their arrest."

"A total of 175,000 tons of various supplies were captured, most of which are useless to us. The undead supply system differs from ours; among them, there are even 10,000 tons of blood bags. The only useful items are the magic stones. They are numerous, valued at 1.2 billion gold shields."

"—However, we discovered large quantities of ore in various mines, along with various metal ingots stored in the smelters, totaling over 200,000 tons, with an initial estimate of 9.7 billion gold shields. They seemed not to believe they would lose this war, so these assets, along with various mining equipment in the mines, were not shipped away in advance. But the equipment is very outdated; they used various undead, with almost no labor costs. Of course, now that we have numerous necromancers, we can do the same. This is just a rough report; detailed statistics and follow-up arrangements will be handed over to the Rising Sun Mining Company."

Almost everyone looked at Li Mochen at the head of the table with curiosity, reverence, and admiration.

If before, their choice to join the Rising Sun Group was due to various personal constraints and the favorable conditions Li Mochen provided,

then now, they had truly committed to this group and felt genuine respect for their employer from the bottom of their hearts.

What happened today truly shocked them.

A full six demigods and dozens of legends were annihilated under Li Mochen's divine authority of life and death! The entire process took less than ten minutes.

This was even more brilliant than Anthony Braden's feat of single-handedly repelling two supreme families a few years ago!

Their BOSS's strength was by no means inferior to Anthony's. Just today, Li Mochen had displayed four kinds of divine authority.

And before this, during his conflict with the Medici family, Li Mochen had also exhibited the divine authorities of ice and fire. There was no doubt that he was a figure on par with that Mr. Richest Man!

Undoubtedly, the Rising Sun Group had boundless prospects, a group worth wholeheartedly joining after retirement.

The only regret was that they had contributed little in this battle. When the fierce fighting began, Li Mochen had already arrived in time and sealed the deal.

After the various departments reported casualty figures and statistical results, Major General Michael Wood took over the military conference.

"The next operational plan is a cleanup operation after entering the Bloody Highlands, clearing towns established by the undead and vampires, and occupying several developed mines nearby. This will be carried out by the Wiltonstein Foundation's 29th Armored Regiment, the Rising Sun 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Armored Regiments, the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, and the Ice Death Legion. Considering that the troops of the High Court Earldom have been drained in previous battles, this is a relatively easy task."

"Next, our strategic focus remains on Rochelle Canyon. My idea is to build two fortresses at favorable locations at the canyon's entrance and exit—a medium-sized fortress capable of holding 50,000 troops and a small fortress for 20,000, to firmly control this 500-kilometer-long canyon. In the future, this will also be the throat controlling the Bloody Highlands, the most important passage between the Blackstone Plain and Ghost City."

"The BOSS has reached an agreement with our enemies under the mediation of the President's special envoy, stipulating that those below legend rank need not participate in battle. But we cannot rely on the enemy to abide by the agreement. Everyone here comes from the military and should know that government guarantees are just that. If the Rising Sun Group perishes, will our President truly seek justice for us?"

These words drew a knowing sneer from everyone in the command post.

"Therefore, both fortresses must be completed within a month. This will allow us to deploy ample military force to the Bright World. Fortunately, our BOSS had foresight and placed orders for building materials, design, and construction teams with the Wiltonstein Construction Company a month ago. Additionally, because the two temporary fortresses previously planned were not started, we have an existing construction team and a large amount of materials on hand, which will save a lot of time—"

"Beyond that, there is the task of forming an enhanced mechanized infantry division and two armored regiments. With two mines around Holy Stone Fortress already producing, and a total of nine developed mines and four large-scale dark creature farms in Rochelle Canyon and at the canyon's exit on the Bloody Highlands side, it is estimated that this will bring the group company a monthly income of 3.5 billion gold shields. Thus, the group has the conditions to expand its forces. Of course, the specifics of forming new units will be handled by the BOSS and the personnel department, but all departments should be prepared to have some personnel reassigned."

While Major General Michael Wood was speaking, Li Mochen was distracted.

He was examining the gains from this battle—although he had not paused at all during the fight, he had gladly accepted the items left by the several demigods. The small dragon vein under his control was quick-eyed and nimble-handed; as soon as it opened the 'Shadow Trace,' those sacred artifacts and space equipment automatically fell into Li Mochen's hands.

In outsiders' impressions, the Sabbat vampires were poor; they generally couldn't operate industries normally and were always key targets of various governments. But that was the situation hundreds of years ago. Since the two races of the Sabbat established the Bloodwing Grand Duchy in the Dark World, they rarely worried about money anymore.

Although they couldn't get much cash in the Dark World, they had sufficient material sources, and combined with income from illegal industries in the Bright World, it was enough for the Sabbat's expenses. And these long-lived vampires were never short of highly skilled alchemists.

So Li Mochen's harvest this time was quite good. Just the seven demigods left him twenty-nine sacred artifacts, none below level three.

In addition, Alisa's direct troops helped him sweep the entire battlefield.

At that time, at least fifty-two vampire legends died directly from his 'Life and Death Intervention'—according to the rules, the spoils left by these vampires also belonged to him.

Unfortunately, the battlefield was too chaotic, and many things had gone missing—Li Mochen's foundation was still shallow; most of the outlaws he hired had served under him for less than half a year. And human hearts are hard to fathom; not all of them could be honest and trustworthy. These people could fight bravely without flinching when facing ten or even twenty powerful vampires, but when sacred equipment worth at least 80 million gold shields fell before their eyes, it was hard for them to suppress their greed.

Nevertheless, Alisa still collected thirty-two sacred artifacts for him, along with over thirty quasi-sacred artifacts.

It is worth mentioning that among these sixty-one sacred artifacts, six were level five, all very powerful equipment. Especially the cloak left by Elrome Gimmich, which was a quasi-mythical artifact. Called 'Iron Wind Coat,' it was made mainly from 'Night Marrow Divine Gold' and a kind of 'Godfall Iron' said to come from the divine realms.

After carefully sensing it, Li Mochen unhesitatingly threw it to the Wiltonstein Alchemy Lab in Atlanta, handing it over to Abraham Wiltonstein for processing.

This item, besides an ultimate metal domain, also had four high-level domain abilities, all related to defense. Its own defensive capability was exceptionally strong, extra sturdy, roughly equivalent to two layers of demigod dragon scales. It also had certain transformation abilities; not only could it change into shapes like armor, cloak, or coat, but it could also change according to the wearer's body shape.

Surprisingly, even when stretched into armor for giants or dragons, it did not significantly reduce its defensive power.

The only dissatisfaction was that the armor and coat styles leaned toward dark and vampire aesthetics, and it required blood energy to unleash its maximum potential.

Li Mochen thought this equipment was very suitable for Hazel. After she fully inherited the power of the Calamity Fire Dragon Adrianna, she had mastered the ability to 'dragonize.'

This allowed her to transform into a true dragon, with more than double the strength of her human form, along with even more terrifying destructive calamity fire, and the ability to summon large-scale calamity fire rain.

This form had limited effect against true demigod-level opponents, but on the battlefield, it had enormous destructive power. The only concern was Hazel's resilience; the defense of a red dragon's scales was only average among its kind.

But before that, he had to modify the 'Iron Wind Coat's' magical array to make it more suitable for a dragon-blooded sorcerer. Additionally, the appearance also needed to be addressed.

As for the Wiltonstein Alchemy Lab—the alchemy department of the Wiltonstein Group—it had recently been fully controlled by Conshuri.

About two months ago, his trusted cousin Abraham Wiltonstein had resigned from the Wiltonstein Medical Charity Foundation. Appointed by the board, he took charge of this most important department of the Wiltonstein Group, simultaneously overseeing the group's equipment R&D and manufacturing company.

It was only then that Li Mochen first learned of such an outstanding figure within their family.

This great-uncle of his had achieved considerable success in both alchemy and medicine. Especially in alchemy, Abraham was at the level of a grand alchemist, having crafted nineteen sacred artifacts to date. Even Conshuri's magic tower owed part of its creation to him. In medicine, he was also Atlanta's most famous general surgeon and a director of the American National Medical Examination Committee—only eighty top medical experts nationwide were honored with this position.

But before this, Abraham Wiltonstein had kept a low profile, serving only as the director of a charity hospital under the Wiltonstein Medical Charity Foundation, showcasing his talent only in the medical field.

It was only after Conshuri fully controlled the Wiltonstein family that this man, along with a large team under him and three top-tier labs, took over all R&D and manufacturing departments of the Wiltonstein family.

And only then did the world learn that Conshuri had been running such a powerful alchemy and equipment manufacturing team.

After learning this, Li Mochen regretted that he hadn't recruited this man to his Rising Sun Biopharmaceutical Company to research the Moshlar bio-suit technology.

Abraham Wiltonstein's status and research capabilities might be even more suitable than Professor Gu Hong.

He himself didn't mind sharing the bio-suit manufacturing technology with Conshuri, only hoping that the technology could mature quickly and be put into practical use.

In fact, Li Mochen had already done so. Over the past eight months or so, the reason he had been able to put twelve consecutive legendary-grade bio-suits into use owed no small part to Abraham's contributions.

Based on some technical data they shared, the latter had provided many useful suggestions, helping the Rising Sun Biopharmaceutical Company avoid many detours.

From this, it was clear that this man's alchemy and technical skills were indeed top-notch, and modifying the 'Iron Wind Coat' was a piece of cake.

After that, Li Mochen even sent most of the sixty-one sacred artifacts over.

These sacred artifacts had the same issues: on one hand, they were unsuitable for humans and other races, requiring blood energy or even human blood, among other drawbacks; on the other hand, their appearance and style were unsightly and needed modification.

And after Anthony's situation went awry, requiring him to be frozen most of the time, the Wiltonstein family's alchemy lab just happened to meet Li Mochen's needs in this regard.

Their alchemy and equipment manufacturing standards certainly couldn't compare with Light Magic Industry, but the gap wasn't insurmountable.

This was a common practice among almost all major families in America: they would rather bear huge losses than support a lean, highly skilled alchemy team that was at the cutting edge.

Not only did they need to ensure that at least about 30% of their top-tier equipment and advanced potions didn't need to be purchased externally, but they also had to achieve mass production of equipment at certain times to avoid being controlled by others in this regard.

Thus, to gauge a family's strength, one only needed to look at their alchemist team. When a family lagged in alchemy, it often meant they were heading toward decline and decay.

The same was true for the Wiltonstein family. Although their equipment manufacturing company had low sales, the occasional fine products that leaked out were still highly esteemed among magic professionals.

And after Abraham joined, the group's alchemy capabilities and equipment manufacturing standards even leaped into the forefront of all major groups, almost on par with the supreme families.

"BOSS? BOSS?"

Just as Li Mochen was sorting through the spoils one by one, Michael Wood's call brought his attention back.

Li Mochen noticed that everyone in the meeting room was looking at him. He paused for a moment, then realized it was his turn to give a concluding speech.

"First, I must thank you all! If not for your hard work over the past month, we would not have had the opportunity to force the vampires out of the canyon and into our pre-set battlefield for a decisive battle. This glorious victory would not have been possible—"

Li Mochen's eloquence had been well-honed during his time in the Original Sky Realm. At this moment, he spoke eloquently and emotionally, and with just a few sentences, he stirred up the atmosphere in the command room, making almost everyone feel uplifted, their faces glowing with a sense of shared pride.

"—Finally, I have one request for all of you: rest well over the next month and a half, and be prepared to continue fighting! As you all know, the current goal of the Rising Sun Group is to take the entire Bloody Land. Therefore, after resolving the battle with Philip, I will have you immediately thrown into the invasion of the Bloody Land. And this time, the objective is to directly take High Court City! This will be the foundation of our Rising Sun Group in the Dark World!"

When Li Mochen finished, the officers seated on both sides of the long table exchanged glances, their expressions shifting.

They understood that their BOSS truly didn't care about the upcoming battle for hegemony in Atlanta.

...

After the meeting, Li Mochen stayed in the temporary command room to handle the various affairs and documents submitted by Alisa.

Although the battle at Rochelle Canyon was resolved very quickly, the subsequent aftermath was more troublesome. Matters such as casualty compensation, supply replenishment, and disposal plans for the mines and smelters all required Li Mochen's attention—as the group's leader, he at least needed to be informed about these things.

But Li Mochen had just started his work when he helplessly looked up at the 'Void Night Lord' Delfinia, who was pacing back and forth in front of his desk with a hesitant expression.

"Just say what you want to say. Don't be like this, Delfinia; you're making it impossible for me to focus on the documents."

Delfinia still hesitated, but seeing Li Mochen's expression growing increasingly impatient, she finally gritted her teeth and said, "Could you carve out a territory for me in the Bloody Land, or around here? I don't need much—a hundred thousand square kilometers will do."

"You want a territory in the Bloody Land? Are you sure?"

Li Mochen looked at her with suspicion: "I heard you took over a small island from the Bahamian government in the Caribbean? Isn't it doing quite well? Many aberrants call it their paradise. And aren't your people supposed to be wary of the Dark World?"

These aberrants believed their mutation originated from the Dark World. Continuing to live in this world would accelerate their physical changes.

This view had been confirmed by the Dark Elves and the dark races of the Old World that descended from humans.

"Shawan Island is suitable for my people, but they need food and drink, and resources for cultivation. I also have to hire professional companies to reclaim land and expand the island—all of which costs money."

Delfinia's expression turned serious: "Not all of my people dislike the Dark World; some are willing to sacrifice for the tribe. As for mutation, it can be managed with potions. There are various drugs now that inhibit mutation and can alleviate our condition."

In fact, Li Mochen's own company, Xuri Biopharmaceuticals, had such drugs. Years ago, Anthony's father had purchased the patent. But they were troublesome to produce, and the materials were expensive. Few aberrants could afford them.

"A very good idea."

Li Mochen chuckled: "But Delf, you've already taken five hundred million gold shields from me this time, plus three holy relic weapons. A hundred thousand square kilometers of land? Do you know how big that is? That's a sixth of the entire Bloody Highland. How many mineral deposits are there? How many dark creature farms can be built? How much profit can it bring me? And what price have I paid for it? You want to just take that land with a single sentence?"

"The aberrant race can serve you. We can establish a relationship like lord and vassal, or a dependency."

But Delfinia's eyes showed reluctance: "I said I don't necessarily need the Bloody Highland. It could be near the Bloody Highland or Fortress of the Holy Stone. You could lend us the equipment for two brigades, and we'll take the territory ourselves. That place over there is quite good—"

As she spoke, she pointed to a map hanging behind Li Mochen.

Li Mochen glanced back and then laughed softly.

It was a canyon north of the Bloody Highland, with at least a hundred and twenty thousand square kilometers of land inside, and a large lake east of the canyon's exit—overall, a resource-rich and easily defensible territory.

But for the aberrant race to establish a foothold there, they would indeed need support from the Bloody Highland and the Xuri Group.

Moreover, this probably wasn't Delfinia's own idea, but a suggestion from some strategist among the aberrants.

"A vassal, huh?"

Li Mochen thought that this 'Nightshade Sovereign' had finally fallen into his trap, but his face showed hesitation: "But I still don't see where my benefit lies. The Xuri Group doesn't need the aberrant race's service; it would only mean taking risks. Many of your people, including you, are on the wanted lists of the CIA and FBI, with heavy criminal records. And to top it off, I'd have to provide over two billion gold shields' worth of equipment."

Delfinia's face paled: "But you only need to spend two billion gold shields and a piece of land that isn't yours, and in return you get the service of two reinforced mechanized brigades and over twenty aberrant legends, plus security north of the Bloody Highland. Our race's combat prowess is world-renowned. I can also promise that all our procurement of supplies and potions, as well as sales of ores and magical materials, will be handled by your Xuri Group."

"Sounds not bad."

Li Mochen thought there were indeed some smart people among the aberrants.

"But I need to discuss the feasibility with my think tank. Give me some time to think it over. However, Delf, you know what the term 'vassal' means, right? If I agree, can you ensure your tribe accepts your decision? As far as I know, many of your people don't—"

"That's my business! I'll handle it."

Delfinia interrupted him forcefully: "If you make a decision, please inform me as soon as possible. I hope it's within three days."

Li Mochen looked at her suspiciously, wondering why this woman was in such a hurry and why she showed it so plainly.

Could something have happened within the aberrant race?

Just as he was about to probe further, his satellite phone 'conveniently' rang.

Li Mochen initially intended to hang up, but after seeing the caller ID, he stood up: "Sorry, I need to take this call."

It was Angela's number. The priority of his beloved naturally far exceeded that of the aberrant race.

When Li Mochen connected the call in a secluded spot outside the command post, Angela Medici's figure manifested directly before him.

Although the girl's professional level was still only that of a high-level outlaw, her divine soul power was extraordinary, enough to cross realms and affect electromagnetic waves here.

Then Li Mochen noticed that Angela's state was off.

"What's wrong, Angie? What happened?"

Since her body was formed from particles of dust manipulated by electric currents, he couldn't see her complexion. But he could detect the panic in her eyes—a look of sheer terror.

"A-Mo!"

Angela's voice trembled, her emotions clearly in turmoil: "An hour ago, I entered the sealed fifth basement level of the Money Wing Building and saw the magical array there—"

With a wave of her right hand, countless dust particles were attracted by electromagnetic waves, forming an image at her feet.

It appeared to be a 1:1 replica of the fifth basement level of the Money Wing Building, but unfortunately, Angela's divine soul power could only reveal the array structure within thirty meters.

However, with Li Mochen's knowledge of magic patterns, a single glance made his pupils contract to pinpoints.

"I don't know what my father intends to do, but I know that many people will die in the process. In Manhattan alone, few near the Money Wing Building would survive."

Hearing her voice filled with confusion and helplessness, Li Mochen looked up expressionlessly: "Angie, does your father know you went there?"

"Probably not. I was very careful. He's in Anatolia now. Some business there went wrong, and he took many of the local experts with him. Also—"

Angela raised the 'Hand of Loki's Deception' on her hand: "He doesn't know my dragon-blooded sorcerer level has broken through to eighteen. My illusion magic can now fool the two legends guarding the place."

Li Mochen let out a long breath: "Then I'll tell you what to do, Angie. Now erase all traces and restore everything to its original state. Be three hundred percent careful and meticulous—your father is sensitive and suspicious; any hint of anomaly will let him guess the truth. Then go back to Atlanta and act as if nothing happened. After you return, we'll figure something out. I think they still need time."

...

Three hours later, Li Mochen arrived again at Professor Bethel Einstein's magic tower, his mind heavy with worry.

At this time, he should have been on his way to find Jennifer Wilthenstein. But the image Angela had shown him brought him here to seek help from this supreme mage.

"As I thought!"

After looking at the diagram Li Mochen provided, Professor Einstein sighed: "I had guessed something like this before. I didn't expect he was actually planning it. That guy is seriously crazy."

"Could you explain it to me in detail?"

Li Mochen's eyes gleamed as he looked at the professor: "I want to know exactly what he intends to do."

Like Angela, he could tell that the magical array was destined to cause a massive disaster, but he had no idea of its specific purpose.

"The Underworld! They want to create an Underworld belonging to this land in America."

Professor Einstein tapped his pipe on the corner of the table: "You know, this is the New World. The Underworld exists in the Old World, in Egypt in Africa, in the East and in India, but not in America. The Mayan death god 'Ah Puch' once ruled the underworld, but most of the Mayan Nine Gods had already ceased to exist before the Old World colonists arrived, including Ah Puch, who guided people to the realm of death."

Li Mochen was stunned, both by the audacity of Michelle and the Dragon Witch Cult and by his own confusion.

"But what benefit does this bring Michelle?"

"Of course there is! For instance, making his partner, Angela's mother, the new 'Death God' of the New World. I've heard that Diana Olivia also holds the death divine authority, though at a low level, not as high as yours. But if her soul still exists and there's a chance for resurrection, she is indeed qualified to compete for this divine seat. After all, her illusion ability is nearly omnipotent and can elevate the death divine authority to a high level. You must have experienced Angela's talent—she is almost the incarnation of the 'Dream Dragon God' Olivia."

Einstein spoke without reservation: "Cooperating with the Dragon Witch Cult is like courting a tiger for its pelt, but I guess Michelle is confident he can fend off his partners and rivals."

Li Mochen frowned and fell into deep thought.

"You want to stop him, don't you?" Einstein asked curiously: "Why? This would be very beneficial to you. If Diana Olivia truly becomes the Death God, she would be a powerful ally. With America's vast population, even ten years would be enough to sustain a major faith god or a high-level law god. This would give you a considerable advantage in the upcoming divine war."

"Professor, do you think this kind of test is amusing?"

Li Mochen shot him a cold, displeased look.

If he could accept such a thing, he wouldn't be the same Wenjian Taoran who had fought demons for over sixty years in the Primordial Sky Realm.

The former 'Divine Sky Ultimate Void Immortal King' was not a pure and upright gentleman, but he never wavered on matters of principle.

"Alright, my mistake."

Professor Einstein sincerely apologized: "But there's very little you can do now. You've signed a ceasefire with the Dragon Witch Cult, and that's become the biggest obstacle. And you don't want to go to war with Michelle, do you? Even setting aside the opinions of outsiders and your girlfriend, Michelle's backlash would be unbearable. That guy is terrifying; even I wouldn't provoke him lightly."

Li Mochen's expression darkened. This was exactly what troubled him. At the critical moment when he was fully prepared to settle scores with his many enemies, being bitten by his own side was indescribably frustrating.

The key was that he already had numerous powerful foes.

"Of course, you could also report this intelligence to agencies like the CIA. Although some people are looking forward to the establishment of the Underworld, our President would certainly stop it. But then Michelle and your girlfriend would face disaster."

Einstein then smiled: "But I can give you some good news: their preparations are probably not complete yet. It will take at least half a year."

As he spoke, he manifested a map beside him: "See these buildings near the Great Lakes?"

"A pentagram array?"

Li Mochen blinked, then relaxed his expression, lost in thought: "Professor, please speed up the work on that Fantasy Dragon Armor. Also, I need to ask you for another favor—"

"No problem on my end."

Einstein probably knew what Li Mochen was about to ask, shaking his head: "But do you know what you'll face if Michelle's plan fails? The President, the New Light Church, the Supreme Families, the CIA, the Medici family, even the Statue of Liberty. He'll offend many people. Michelle may have already resolved to succeed or die, not wanting to live anymore. But his death won't end things."

"Of course I know."

Li Mochen raised his eyebrows, a defiant look in his eyes: "If they think they can gain something or take revenge, I'll be ready."

But before that, he still needed to confirm Angela's wishes, even though his own mind was made up.