Luan Ya's voice unconsciously carried a hint of solemnity that he himself was unaware of:

"I am Luan Ya, representing Jincheng. I have come here on orders from Jincheng to investigate the sudden disappearance of Kangcheng and to verify some information with the city lord."

He deliberately omitted the words "Zhongzhou" and only mentioned "Jincheng," which also made him much more humble.

Li Yu's gaze fell on Luan Ya, carrying a calmness that seemed to see right through people:

"Kangcheng is doing well and has never lost contact with us."

"Now, Kangcheng is under my control."

Direct, domineering, and beyond question!

Without the slightest detour!

Although the hot-tempered Jin Cheng team member was also frightened by Zhang Wen's reaction, he realized that Li Yu was very strong.

But upon hearing this declaration of taking Zhongzhou's cities for granted, his blood boiled, and he couldn't help but blurt out:

"Kangcheng is the thirteenth city planned and built by Zhongzhou! How can you just take it over like that? What you're doing is clearly..."

Li Yu frowned and looked over, a flash of golden killing intent disappearing into the depths of her cold eyes.

"Bang!"

An immense pressure suddenly descended!

The hot-tempered team member's words were abruptly cut off as his body was instantly pressed firmly to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

His throat was gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it increasingly difficult to breathe, and his eyes were filled with horror.

Luan Ya was terrified, never expecting that Li Yu could exert such terrifying pressure with just a glance!

He quickly stepped forward, subtly blocking the team member, and forced a smile as he said urgently:

"Lord Li Yu, please calm down! Your subordinates are ignorant of etiquette and speak recklessly!"

"We have no intention of questioning the city lord here. It's just that the loss of contact with Kangcheng has made Jincheng a little worried. So, according to procedure, we were specially dispatched to investigate and confirm the situation. We just need to report what we have learned to our superiors."

Luan Ya knew very well that if they hadn't come representing Jincheng in Zhongzhou, they wouldn't have been qualified to sit down in front of Li Yu, or even to stand here.

He quickly steered the conversation to another important purpose of the trip:

"In addition, we have heard that the city lord has the magical ability to dispel dense fog. This matter is related to whether other abandoned sites in Zhongzhou that are plagued by dense fog can be reused, so Jincheng attaches great importance to it."

"If that's the case, Jincheng is willing to cooperate with the City Lord, forming a partner city, providing Kangcheng with all the resources it needs, and working together..."

"Cooperation?" Li Yu finally moved slightly, leaning forward a little, causing the flames on the Flame Throne to leap higher, illuminating his calm and expressionless face:

"Not interested."

These three words were like ice water, instantly extinguishing the fantasy that had just risen in Luan Ya's heart.

"Lord of the City!" Luan Ya exclaimed anxiously, his voice quickening involuntarily.

"Those locations are rich in resources and of great strategic significance to Zhongzhou! Clearing the dense fog would greatly enhance Zhongzhou's overall strength. Since you possess such capabilities, what are the reasons behind this..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Yu's gaze swept over him, and a heavy pressure suddenly descended. Luan Ya was speechless, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Li Yu, who was sitting on the throne, frowned slightly, noticing his own unusual behavior.

It seemed that as long as he sat on this throne from the deep tower, the invisible influence of the golden eyes on him became more and more severe, even his temperament and tone of voice were subtly changed, becoming colder and more unquestionable.

Li Yu felt helpless. If Ma Yuanbai hadn't insisted on raising the position of the city lord in the hall, and there was a lack of a suitable throne, and rebuilding one would have been time-consuming and laborious, he wouldn't have planned to move this thing to the ground.

However, he was not entirely opposed to the cooperation proposed by Luan Ya.

With the Ghost Base in Kangcheng nearing completion, being able to cooperate with other cities in Zhongzhou and proactively send ghosts over will naturally save a lot of trouble.

In addition, the Kangcheng underground mine is about to be restarted, and the output of special ores will definitely increase day by day, which will indeed require stable external channels.

If the terms of the cooperation are favorable to Kangcheng, he wouldn't mind helping to clear the thick fog and, incidentally, move the ghosts within it.

Thinking of this, Li Yu softened her tone, preparing to agree first and then propose some appropriate conditions.

But when the words reached his lips, what came out were cold and condescending remarks:

"If you really want to clear the fog, then we'll see how much sincerity you can show."

"Sincerity?" Luan Ya was taken aback.

He stood there and repeated it to himself, then his eyes suddenly burst with unbelievable ecstasy!

There's a chance!

Since Li Yu is willing to discuss terms, everything is negotiable.

This shows that Kangcheng can still cooperate with other cities. As long as a city is willing to pay a sufficient price, it can exchange the opportunity to eliminate the ghosts through incentives.

"Yes! It must be sincere!" Luan Ya responded almost impatiently.

"Please rest assured, Lord Li Yu! After we return to Jincheng, we will convey your wishes to you in their entirety! Jincheng will certainly take the lead in showing the utmost sincerity, hoping to reach a cooperation agreement with you as soon as possible!"

Luan Ya knew in his heart that as long as Li Yu agreed to help clear the thick fog, Jincheng would definitely not refuse, and would even be willing to pay a great price for it.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief, even though the core of this mission—the negotiations with the missing Kangcheng—had completely failed.

But being able to bring back a signal that "cooperation is possible" and a clear instruction that "sincerity is required" is enough for him to have something to report back.

Li Yu's words were his biggest takeaway from this trip!

Luan Ya quietly looked up at the unfathomable young man on the throne.

He finally understood that the world in Kangcheng had truly changed.

Meanwhile, those powerful figures in Jincheng who are still scheming against each other are probably in for a real headache.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

A Kangcheng guard rushed in, looking nervous, but upon seeing that there were outsiders from Jincheng in the city lord's council hall, he immediately shut his mouth and turned his gaze to Li Yu on the throne.

Li Yu nodded slightly: "Speak."

Upon receiving permission, the guard immediately reported loudly:

"Lord! An anomaly has been detected to the north of Kang City! A large number of wraiths are rapidly approaching, and they are moving at a tremendous speed!"

"A large number of ghosts?" A hint of doubt flashed through Li Yu's mind.

He had just finished speaking with the people from Jincheng and hadn't even reached an agreement with other cities in Zhongzhou yet, how come they've already sent ghosts over? And judging from the guard's description, the scale seems extraordinary.

Upon hearing this, Luan Ya and the rest of Jin Cheng's team exchanged bewildered glances, their faces showing surprise and uncertainty.

They all thought to themselves: No wonder it's called a ghost town; even without the thick fog, it still attracts a large number of ghosts.

Li Yu slowly rose from the Flame Throne, and his inexplicable aura immediately overwhelmed the entire Jincheng Squad, pinning them to the ground.

He then swept past the crowd and walked straight out of the hall, his voice completely calm.

"Let's go take a look."