Chapter 274 – The Current State of the Human Sanctuary

As the Human Sanctuary, Tianfeng City gathered the world’s most outstanding Professionals, naturally hosting numerous complex factions.

When Xu Xiayan explained Tianfeng City’s situation to everyone, she first mentioned the intricate web of power circles within the city.

“Like other Base Cities elsewhere, the most prominent factions in Tianfeng City are the Hunter Families.”

“Families formed by Hunters connected by Bloodlines inevitably become forces to be reckoned with wherever they are, and Tianfeng City is no exception to this.”

“However, unlike Longyao City where the management of the Base City is composed of people from various major family factions, Tianfeng City is directly governed by a single Family, with other Families serving them as their masters, controlling all affairs in Tianfeng City.”

Xu Xiayan’s explanation surprised existences like Bai Xuefei, Bai Ruxiang, and Bai Xiaoyan.

“Directly governed by a single Family, with all other Families serving them as masters?”

“Doesn’t that mean Tianfeng City is owned by one Family?”

“There… there’s actually such a Family?”

The three female Hunters from the Bai Family were utterly astonished.

In contrast, Su Ming and Wang Yihan already had some understanding of this matter.

Su Ming had roughly studied the history before coming to Tianfeng City, so he understood the reasons behind the formation of such a power structure here.

Wang Yihan needed no explanation – her main Family was in Tianfeng City, and since childhood, while being trained by Wang Xiao, she had learned many important points in human history and matters concerning Tianfeng City.

Therefore, Wang Yihan explained to the three female Hunters from the Bai Family on behalf of Xu Xiayan.

“The reason Tianfeng City has such a power structure is mainly due to its origins.”

Wang Yihan mentioned this matter that few people remember today.

“The original purpose of Tianfeng City’s existence, or rather its mission that cannot be abandoned even now, is to block the army from the Spirit Demon Abyss coming through the Chaos Demon Cave.”

“To protect human lands and prevent Phantom Demons from invading at will, human ancestors led a group of powerful experts to build a Defense Line here, which was the original Tianfeng City.”

“At that time, Tianfeng City was reportedly governed as a country, with a King ruling the local area and the King’s relatives.”

Just like in the world Su Ming previously came from, many countries hundreds or thousands of years ago had feudal systems, where so-called kings and emperors ruled entire countries in ancient times. Tianfeng City was the same at the beginning, ruled by a Royal Family.

As time passed, Tianfeng City’s position in the human world became increasingly important, and it itself grew more powerful, causing the Royal Family that ruled ancient Tianfeng City to gradually lose absolute ruling power, yet its position remained unshakable and was never overthrown.

“The Tianfeng Royal Family at that time, as rulers, always led by example, almost single-handedly responsible for the entire defense work against the Chaos Demon Cave, thus suffering enormous sacrifices.”

Xu Xiayan took over Wang Yihan’s words and said this to Bai Xuefei and the other two.

“It wasn’t until the only Terror Seed in history, the one sealed beneath our Longyao City, manifested in the world, that this Royal Family truly began to decline completely.”Indeed, the primary reason for the decline of the Tianfeng Royal Clan was the immense sacrifices made over the long years defending against invasions from the Chaos Demon Cave, gradually leading to their downfall. However, the final straw that truly sealed their decline was the manifestation of the Terror Seed.

At that time, it was the Tianfeng Royal Clan who led the mightiest heroes among humanity, resolutely confronting that Devil King and sealing him beneath Longyao City.

It was also in that battle that the last Seven-Star Professional of the Royal Clan fell.

From then on, the Tianfeng Royal Clan finally entered into decline.

“The Wang Family sent members to remain behind and take responsibility for guarding the Seal precisely to shoulder this heavy duty from the declining Royal Clan,” Xu Xiayan explained.

“After all, the Wang Family was originally the close guard clan protecting the Royal Clan. In ancient terms, they were the hereditary Grand Marshals and Great Generals who led armies for the kingdom, a clan utterly loyal to the Royal Family.”

This is why the Wang Family was bestowed with the surname “Wang,” symbolizing their nearly inseparable relationship with the Royal Clan.

After the Royal Clan’s decline, the Wang Family unhesitatingly took up the heavy responsibility of guarding the Seal, leaving behind a collateral branch that ultimately led to the establishment of Longyao City.

Though the Royal Clan declined, they didn’t completely withdraw from the world stage.

“Moved by the Royal Clan’s longstanding contributions to humanity and their tremendous sacrifices, after sealing the King from the Spirit Demon Abyss, all Families in Tianfeng City unanimously decided that the Royal Clan’s descendants would continue managing Tianfeng City and holding its authority,” Xu Xiayan clarified the reasons.

“No forces in Tianfeng City were permitted to seize power – all were to honor the Royal Clan as sovereign and jointly govern the city.”

Because of this, Tianfeng City’s administrators have always been that Royal Clan, with various Families and forces assisting in governance from supporting roles without overstepping boundaries.

This was a major decision formalized through written contract.

At that time, all major forces in Tianfeng City collectively signed the highest-level contract document, swearing to never seize power and to only assist the Royal Clan in governance, demonstrating respect for the Royal Clan and reverence for their significant contributions.

With this written contract at the highest level, the binding force was formidable, ensuring Tianfeng City never experienced political upheaval and remained firmly under Royal Clan rule.

Although today, that Royal Clan’s ruling power certainly isn’t as absolute as in ancient times, nominally they remain the genuine Royal Family – ancestors who produced true emperors, possessing the most noble Bloodline that none may violate.

Of course, the Royal Clan’s Bloodline has also declined. Since sealing the Terror Seed, they’ve never produced another Seven-Star Professional. Focusing solely on managing Tianfeng City left no room for development, eventually exhausting their Bloodline’s potential until they became ordinary people, with no more Hunters possessing supernatural power born in the Family.

The current Royal Clan maintains their past status but lacks their former power, having completely transformed to specialize in Base City management and administration – in modern terms, the entire clan consists of high-ranking officials, civil servants, and administrative personnel.This allowed the Royal Family to no longer need to guard the Chaos Demon Cave. In recent years, they had instead flourished extensively, with the Family growing increasingly larger and their population more prosperous. This could be considered a blessing in disguise.

Perhaps this is also a way of survival?

This is the current administrator and ruler of Tianfeng City. Even as time passed and the Family underwent great changes, this unique status remained unaltered.

“Aside from the Royal Family, which specializes in managing and governing the Base City, Tianfeng City is filled with various Families standing in opposition to one another. This is no different from Longyao City, except the level has been elevated by several tiers.”

Xu Xiayan continued her explanation.

“Just like in Longyao City, the various Families in Tianfeng City are categorized into tiers based on their strength and influence. There are first-rate Families, top-tier Families, and even Super Families that inherit the Bloodline of Nightmare Species and are guarded by Seven-Star Hunters.”

Naturally, there was no need to mention those unranked Families. The miscellaneous Family forces constituted the main structure of Tianfeng City’s power, forming a pyramid.

In Longyao City, standing at the very top of this pyramid were the Six Great Families, each possessing six Six-Star Professionals.

However, in Tianfeng City, those at the pyramid’s summit were the Super Families with Seven-Star Professionals.

To be called a Super Family, a Family must have at least one Seven-Star Professional.

To be called a top-tier Family, a Family must have at least one Six-Star Professional.

To be called a first-rate Family, a Family must have at least one Five-Star Professional.

Below the first-rate Families were the second-rate Families, which had at least one Upper-Rank Professional, and the unranked Families that didn’t even have an Upper-Rank Professional.

This power structure existed not only in Tianfeng City and Longyao City but also in all Major Base Cities.

The difference lay in the fact that in some weaker Base Cities, first-rate or second-rate Families could become the pinnacle. But in Tianfeng City, only those Super Families could claim the top position—the Families truly capable of contending for the title of humanity’s strongest.

“Tianfeng City has a total of eight Super Families. Similar to Longyao City’s Six Great Families, they are collectively referred to by the people of Tianfeng City as the Eight Great Families.”

At this point, Xu Xiayan straightened her posture and smiled.

“The Wang Family is one of the Eight Great Families. In Tianfeng City, they already possess the ability to dominate. Apart from the Royal Family, whom they have long served, and the other seven Families, the Wang Family is the most powerful Family in the world.”

Hearing Xu Xiayan say this, Wang Yihan also beamed with shared pride.

Bai Xuefei was even more stirred and couldn’t help but ask:

“So, the Wang Family has Seven-Star Hunters, right?”

This was beyond doubt.

“The Wang Family not only has Seven-Star Hunters but more than one. Their strength ranks high among the Eight Great Families, almost capable of competing for a spot in the top three.”

Xu Xiayan explained with a smile.

“Currently, one of the Wang Family’s Seven-Star Hunters has been dispatched to Longyao City and is stationed there. You should already know about this.”

Everyone immediately nodded repeatedly.

Currently, there were two Seven-Star Hunters stationed in Longyao City: one sent by the Tianfeng City Wang Family, and the other from the sole Super Family in Yinze City, representing its peak.The fact that the Wang Family could dispatch a Seven-Star Hunter revealed that they possessed more than just one such top-tier professional within their clan. Otherwise, losing their sole peak expert would have placed the Wang Family in a difficult position in Tianfeng City.

It was precisely because of their ample confidence and formidable strength that the Wang Family could casually assign a Seven-Star Hunter to be stationed long-term in Longyao City.

“So, what do you think, Su Ming? The Wang Family is quite impressive, right?”

Xu Xiayan leaned close to Su Ming with meaningful intent as she spoke.

Clearly, she deliberately emphasized the Wang Family’s power to attract Su Ming’s interest.

It was evident that Xu Xiayan’s desire to recruit Su Ming remained undiminished.

Unfortunately, Su Ming ignored Xu Xiayan, making her grit her teeth in frustration.

Yet there was nothing Xu Xiayan could do about Su Ming, so she could only helplessly continue her explanations.

“Of course, although family factions dominate Tianfeng City, it’s not a complete monopoly. Other forces do exist within the city.”

“Foremost among them is the Sorcerer Guild, an organization that monopolizes nearly all sorcerers in Tianfeng City. Even the Eight Great Families dare not provoke them recklessly.”

“Both the President and Vice President of the Sorcerer Guild are Seven-Star Professionals, and they are Tianfeng City’s only two Seven-Star Sorcerers, holding extremely prestigious positions.”

“You might encounter them in the future, so remember this well – never casually offend those bookworms. They’re quite united.”

Xu Xiayan subtly disparaged the Sorcerer Guild with a few remarks, though it was unclear whether she bore a grudge against them or was intentionally speaking ill of them in front of Su Ming.

Su Ming naturally paid no mind.

In truth, he had never intended to join the Sorcerer Guild.

With his Golden Finger, Su Ming lacked nothing in learning Spirit Arts and basically required no guidance from any Senior experts. He had reached his current level as a Five-Star Sorcerer entirely through his own efforts, so his need for the Sorcerer Guild wasn’t as great as he had claimed.

What Su Ming truly desired were the resources from the Spirit Demon Abyss that emerged from the Chaos Demon Cave.

Only with resources could he accumulate crystal chips.

Only with crystal chips could he open packages.

And with packages to open, he could obtain countless Extraordinary Items, treasures to enhance himself, and artifacts to boost his combat power.

This was Su Ming’s path to the summit.

If he joined the Sorcerer Guild, an organization with strong academic tendencies, he would likely end up exactly as Xu Xiayan described – turning into a bookworm, constantly flipping through various Spell Formula books and focusing solely on studying Spirit Arts.

This wasn’t what Su Ming wanted.

He had deliberately mentioned the Sorcerer Guild merely to make Xu Xiayan back off, using it as an excuse.

Xu Xiayan didn’t know this, so no matter how much she disparaged the Sorcerer Guild, it wouldn’t affect Su Ming.

Thus, Xu Xiayan continued explaining the situation in Tianfeng City to everyone.

Then, she finally mentioned something important.

“Oh, and in Tianfeng City, Contribution Points are the circulating currency. Regular money is only useful for ordinary transactions and isn’t as valuable as you might imagine. You all need to remember this.”

This topic from Xu Xiayan made everyone pause in surprise.

“Contribution Points?”

Su Ming also showed some astonishment.”Yes.” Xu Xiayan nodded and said, “Initially, Contribution Points were a system established by the Royal Family to encourage Professionals in Tianfeng City to actively hunt Phantom Demons and defend the nation. As long as they achieved merits or eliminated Phantom Demons, Professionals could earn corresponding Contribution Points to exchange for treasures.”

This was the same principle as the contribution system implemented in Longyao City during the Huaming Campaign.

“Over time, Contribution Points became a currency circulating among Professionals. Nowadays, any transactions involving Extraordinary Items or extraordinary power use Contribution Points instead of money.”

Xu Xiayan continued speaking.

“In the future, you must also focus on earning Contribution Points as your primary goal and main activity.”

(End of Chapter)