One month later.

Under the three-day illumination, the red soil of Chiyan Mountain and the newly paved obsidian road were clearly distinct.

What was once just a rudimentary palace has now become a colossal behemoth rising from the ground.

The city wall, fifty meters high, is built of hard rock from iron ore. It is pitch black all over, like a black mountain range lying on the earth, enclosing Dragon Head Mountain, the core of the shelter, into a true, isolated forbidden city.

Within the palace walls, pavilions and halls stand side by side, with flying eaves and bracket sets, creating a magnificent and imposing sight.

To build this palace, Lin Feng unleashed his telekinetic powers every day, working tirelessly day and night.

And so, this palace, which would normally take five years to build, was forcibly destroyed.

It was completed in just one month.

For this reason, everyone in the entire shelter devoted all their labor.

Countless materials were transported over at an alarming rate, which led to this architectural marvel.

The main hall, Chengtian Hall, has a foundation that is ten meters deep. The square in front of the hall is paved with 36,000 polished white marble slabs, enough to accommodate 10,000 worshippers.

Meanwhile, inside the Chengtian Hall, a drama unique to Lin Feng was unfolding.

Lin Feng did not sit on the dragon throne carved from a single piece of black gold divine wood and inlaid with luminous crystals.

He preferred to recline on a soft couch carved from a single piece of warm jade on the side of the palace.

Beside the bed, two maids dressed in gossamer-thin silk gowns were carefully peeling an alien fruit called "Ice Crystal Grape" for him.

The fruit is crystal clear, like an ice bead, and melts in your mouth, with a sweet taste and a coolness that can penetrate to the bone.

In the center of the hall, a group of men and women dressed in gorgeous costumes are performing a newly adapted drama called "The Descent of the Gods".

The play's writer and director is a survivor who was rescued three months ago.

This person's surname is Bai. Back on Earth, he was a well-known art-house film director, best known for creating a sacred sense of destiny within mundane narratives.

Now, he has devoted all his talent to praising his savior, Lin Feng.

The plot is simple: a group of humans struggling to survive on an alien planet, in their despair, are suddenly blessed with divine intervention.

The divine being Lin Feng, riding a black dragon and holding stars in his hand, could summon endless food from the sky with a wave of his hand and sweet spring water from the earth with a stamp of his foot.

He used swift and decisive measures to punish those selfish, lazy, and disruptive "female boxer" monsters, and used boundless mercy to redeem Chen Mo, a sinner blinded by hatred.

Ultimately, he established an eternal earthly kingdom on a barren wasteland.

The actor playing Lin Feng is the most handsome and tallest young man in the shelter. He wears a shimmering costume sewn with gold thread, and every movement and every line of dialogue is full of exaggerated, epic divinity.

Lin Feng watched the somewhat comical yet incredibly devout performance, a playful smile playing on his lips.

He knew very well that this kind of thing would consolidate his rule more effectively than any law or army.

It elevated his authority from the physical realm to the spiritual realm. When a person's image becomes a legend, a belief, and the sole standard for measuring all good and evil, right and wrong, he truly becomes a god.

"reward."

As the play came to an end, Lin Feng lazily raised his hand.

The head steward standing to the side, a shrewd middle-aged man named Liu An, immediately understood.

He addressed Director Bai and the cast, announcing loudly, "By order of the leader! Mr. Bai, for his meritorious work as director, is awarded one hundred gold coins! All cast and crew members are each awarded ten gold coins! In addition, they are bestowed with one hundred catties of 'Black Giant Sheep' meat and ten jars of Golden Wheat Wine!"

"Thank you, Leader, for your divine grace!" Director Bai was so excited that he trembled all over. He led everyone to kneel down and kowtow heavily. His joy and gratitude came from the bottom of his heart.

Lin Feng waved his hand, and Liu An immediately led the group of "artists" away.

Chengtian Hall returned to tranquility once more.

"Boring." Lin Feng yawned and tossed an ice crystal grape into his mouth.

The passion for conquest and construction gradually fades in the face of absolute power, turning into an emptiness that needs to be filled by constantly seeking stimulation.

His current life, in Lanxing's words, is both extremely luxurious and extremely boring.

He seemed to remember something and asked Liu An, "How are the preparations going at Tianma Garden?"

“Reporting to the leader,” Liu An immediately bowed and replied with a humble smile, “Everything is ready. As you instructed, the newly built track is three kilometers long and is paved entirely with fine sand transported from West Lake mixed with crushed seashells. It is both smooth and soft, which can protect the horses’ hooves to the greatest extent.”

"The stands can accommodate 5,000 people. The VIP seats are all made of the wool of giant black sheep. We have also built a special 'Sky-Viewing Pavilion' at the highest point for you, with a superb view and shelter from the wind."

"Hmm." Lin Feng nodded in satisfaction. "Then issue my decree: tomorrow afternoon, the first 'Black Dragon Cup' Ironhoof Horse Race will be held at Tianma Garden. All citizens are welcome to attend."

"Yes, sir!"

Liu An was already used to such large-scale events that mobilized the entire city for his personal rise. Every thought of the leader was the supreme command for the operation of the sanctuary.

The next day, Tianma Garden was packed with people, and cheers resounded.

Inside the "Guantian Pavilion" at the highest point, however, it was unusually quiet.

The place was extremely luxurious, with complete Persian carpets covering the floor and low tables laden with delicacies.

Lin Feng sat alone on the huge soft couch that could accommodate five or six people, wearing only a loose silk robe.

Several exquisitely beautiful maids, carefully selected from the imperial harem, stood quietly in a corner of the Guantian Pavilion, like fine porcelain pieces.

They held fruit platters or wine jugs, ready to be summoned at any moment. But their faces showed nothing but humility and reverence.

They knew very well that the man before them was an unapproachable iceberg. Any attempt to show charm or get close would only invite disgust.

Lin Feng's gaze fell upon the jubilant crowd and the galloping racehorses below.

What he saw was not the outcome of the competition, but the faces flushed with excitement—a collective emotion that was raw, vibrant, and primal. He was like a detached sociologist observing the results of his own experiment.

"clang!"

The gong at the finish line rang, and the champion was crowned. The entire stadium erupted in a deafening roar of cheers.

Lin Feng's expression remained unchanged. He simply said to Liu An behind him, "Pass down the order: the champion rider will be rewarded with a villa in the city center and 1,000 gold coins."

...

After the horse race, Lin Feng ordered the establishment of a private hunting ground.

He needed something to combat the deep-seated sense of emptiness born of absolute power.

On this day, he changed into a tight-fitting hunting outfit, took a powerful bow, and walked alone into the perilous valley.

He refused to be followed by any of his guards, not out of arrogance, but because he only believed in his own strength.

What he enjoyed was not the bloodshed of the hunt, but a pure contest of strength and skill with another powerful being in absolute silence.

A dark shadow pounced like lightning.

It is a Wind Shadow Beast.

Lin Feng didn't even turn his head; his body's instincts had already made the reaction.

He turned sideways, lowered himself, drew his bow, and shot the arrow; the entire movement was fluid and precise, like a machine.

The arrow pierced through the Wind Shadow Beast's open mouth and head.

There were no shouts, no excited roars. Lin Feng simply walked forward calmly, looking at his prey lying in a pool of blood, a fleeting sense of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

When he emerged from the valley entrance, dragging a massive armored porcupine, the waiting Black Armor Guards saw only heartfelt, absolute worship for this god-like figure.

At the bonfire dinner that evening, Lin Feng still occupied the main seat.

He quietly tore at the roasted meat, drank strong liquor, and let the singing, dancing and flattery surround him.

The scout captain's report interrupted the formal banquet.

"Leader, a survivor settlement of about 500 people has been discovered 50 kilometers to the east. They are being surrounded by mutated beasts and the situation is critical."

Lin Feng put down his wine glass, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. Not out of pity, but because this unexpected event had disrupted a plan he was conceiving.

The guards around him immediately knelt on one knee and volunteered to go to war.

Lin Feng looked down at the fervent faces below, eager to die for him, his eyes showing no satisfaction, only a cold understanding.

"Approved," he uttered.

After the banquet, Lin Feng returned to the bathhouse in his palace.

The enormous bath was carved from a single piece of blue crystal jade, filled with warm, milky-smelling goat milk, and floating with bright red dragon blood petals.

A dozen stunningly beautiful women were already waiting quietly in the pool.

Lin Feng entered the bath, and they silently followed him.

The entire process was a quiet and meticulous ritual.

They undressed him, gently wiping his body and massaging his muscles. Their movements were precise and humble, their eyes lowered, avoiding his gaze.

There is not a trace of romance here, only an absolute and cold order between the ruler and the servant.

Lin Feng closed his eyes and leaned against the pool wall.

He could feel those smooth skins, their touch devoid of any warmth, brushing against his skin.

But deep within his heart lay an unchanging expanse of ice. To him, these women were no different in essence from the beams and pillars of a palace or the flowers and plants in a garden.

They were all embellishments to his power, silent backdrops beneath his lofty throne.

Absolute power brings absolute loneliness.

The passion for conquest had faded, and the blueprint for construction had been realized. He was like a mountaineer who had reached the summit of the world, only to find that at the top, there was nothing but thin air and endless emptiness.

His thoughts drifted beyond the luxurious palace, beyond the sanctuary that revolved around him, to faraway places.

Perhaps only by launching a new and larger-scale conquest in the unknown and hostile distance, on that vast land, can this dormant heart feel a ripple once more.

He needed a new enemy, a new challenge. Not for pleasure, but to prove that he was still alive.