Outside the eastern border of Zhongzhou.

All that remained in the world was the torrential rain and the ever-rising waters.

Raindrops pounded down, splashing up countless ripples and making a crackling sound.

The towering Great Wall, like a giant dragon, winds its way, temporarily blocking the ever-rising sea level from beyond the borders of Zhongzhou.

However, as far as the eye could see, water continued to converge from all directions, completely submerging this dragon-like barrier; perhaps it was only a matter of time.

Just then, in the distant deep water, the surface of the water churned unnaturally, and several figures broke through the waves and rushed toward the land they had stepped onto.

"Finally out, that was really far. Thanks to you, Li Yu." Xiao Zhan took a deep breath, his chest heaving a few times.

He had been greatly exhausted from the battle in the deep sea. Even when he used his ice spear, he had to use almost all his strength to pierce the seawater and break through the scallop.

Now that he was out of the seawater, Xiao Zhan's slightly weak aura finally returned, and he once again faintly exuded a cold energy aura.

Li Yu, standing to the side, did not respond. Instead, she stared straight in the direction of Zhongzhou, momentarily stunned.

His gaze passed through the rain and landed on the familiar, magnificent city wall in front of him.

There were several obvious signs of later repairs and reinforcements on the wall, as well as a huge gap that had been broken and repaired, which made Li Yu's thoughts involuntarily return to the scene of their migration a long time ago.

He led a group of refugees, trekking through mountains and rivers, and eventually entered Zhongzhou from here.

The desperate battle that caused the Great Wall to break is still vivid in my memory.

Returning to this familiar place, Li Yu couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

Back then, he led a group of displaced people who were filled with fear and uncertainty. He was a small individual struggling to survive.

Now, he is the city lord of Kangcheng, who is in charge of a city, and ranks among the star lords of Zhongzhou. He has become a powerful figure with decisive influence.

Their status and strength have undergone a complete transformation, but the challenges they face are increasing.

The surrounding crises and potential enemies seem to have never truly diminished.

Li Yu snapped out of her reverie, suppressed her turbulent thoughts, and frowned as she scanned the surrounding water.

Unexpectedly, due to the continuous heavy rain, the water level has risen to this point, directly threatening even the city walls on the eastern border of Zhongzhou.

Li Yu seemed to have thought of something and immediately turned her head to look at Lu Fan beside her.

Lu Fan also realized the seriousness of the problem. Since the water level had risen to this point, Qingcheng, located further east, was probably already mostly submerged, or even turned into an island or ruins in the vast ocean, no longer suitable for habitation.

After he left, no one knows what happened to the management personnel who were left behind. In the face of a disaster of this magnitude, what choice did Qingcheng ultimately make?

However, since he had decided to leave Qingcheng for Zhongzhou to seek new possibilities, he had no intention of going back.

After all, his memories of Qingcheng were not pleasant, and the fact that he has now become the eleventh star lord of Zhongzhou indirectly proves that his choice at the time was correct.

A complex emotion flashed across Lu Fan's eyes, even though he, as a Star Lord, only gained the recognition of the earth veins with Li Yu's help.

The rain continued to pour down as the group continued moving towards the city gate on the border of Zhongzhou.

Even before getting close, just looking from afar, one could see a dense, dark crowd gathered outside the city walls.

They were all forced to migrate due to the approaching floods, and had fled all the way here. Regardless of their previous identities, at this moment, under the Great Wall of Zhongzhou, they were all considered homeless refugees.

Noise and unease, mixed with the damp air, permeated the area outside the city walls.

The defenders on the city wall were clearly under immense pressure, with the soldiers from Zhongzhou constantly giving orders and shouting.

However, compared to the previously restless crowd, the emotions under the city wall have now stabilized considerably.

To prevent desperate crowds from causing large-scale riots along the border, the border guards took some measures.

After a rough screening, the soldiers intermittently let in some of the qualified people.

This action gave the remaining refugees outside hope of getting in, temporarily calming their restless hearts and barely maintaining the last shred of rationality in the crowd.

This fragile balance, which could collapse at any moment, also harbors even greater risks.

Amidst the chaos and commotion, some figures among the refugees appeared unusually calm, even indifferent.

They were scattered in different corners of the crowd, communicating silently with each other through eye contact and barely perceptible gestures, clearly having formed a system.

Deep within the crowd, at the back, under a makeshift awning, sat a lean and wiry man.

The grotesque scar that ran diagonally down to his jawline on his face looked exceptionally terrifying.

The man glanced disdainfully at the group of desperately pleading refugees in front of him, then looked up at the heavily guarded city wall, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

"You forced me to do this."

He then lowered his voice and spoke to several of his core subordinates who also had calm expressions:

“We can’t wait any longer. These guards are just stalling for time and playing with the refugees with lies. They have no intention of letting all of us in.”

"Look at this rain, look at this flood! If we delay any longer, we'll only face certain death!"

Upon hearing this, one of his subordinates immediately leaned closer, rain streaming down his tattered hood, his voice carrying a desperate resolve:

"Boss, the brothers are all ready, and they've spread out their weapons. We're just waiting for your word to make our move."

"Brother Iron Jaw, just tell me how we can survive!" another subordinate chimed in, clenching his fists and speaking in a muffled voice.

Iron Jaw's gaze swept carefully over the defensive positions on the city wall once more, finally settling on the city gate.

He had been observing for several days and knew the location of the watchtower and the intervals between patrols perfectly.

With their strength, they were no match for the soldiers of Zhongzhou. The weapons in the hands of those awakened people and soldiers of Zhongzhou were not to be underestimated.

Compared to leading his few awakened followers over the city walls, the city gate was a better option.

Because people are allowed to pass through intermittently, and the city gates are opened occasionally, the guards' attention is easily diverted, making them better targets.

"The moment the city gates open after the next batch of refugees is released," Iron Jaw's voice grew colder, "watch me raise the flag, and everyone attack together!"

"Our first objective is to seize the city gates, then immediately create chaos and let all the refugees in! As long as we can break through, we have a chance to survive!"

Iron Jaw seemed to have thought of some people. He paused, his gaze sweeping over his subordinates, and said in a deep voice:

"Tell the people below that those who hesitate or are afraid of death should get out of here now, so they don't become a hindrance later."

Finally, Iron Jaw clenched his fist, looked at the city wall, and sneered:

"Anyone who dares to block our way, kill them all!"

"yes!"

Several key subordinates, their eyes flashing with malice, silently slipped into the crowd to pass on the orders.