I became a god by treasure hunting after arriving 500 years early

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Old Cat's words made quite a bit of sense.

Sky City was indeed a great legacy.

So great that Lu Yuan alone couldn't possibly swallow it whole.

Moreover, Sky City was the homeland of the conch.

There was also an opium poppy tree here.
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Taking the city along was indeed a good choice—at least it was very much in line with the appetite of the "Greedy Demon God."

But for him to manage an entire race, that was a murky prospect, Old Lu himself was a bit neurotic (seemed not so neurotic now); he simply lacked the ability!

"Managing ten thousand people is doable, it's the size of a small town."

"But how should I manage and cultivate the population if it grows? I really don't know how. Cat big brother, don't make it hard for me."

Old Cat disdainfully said, "Just being a town chief, what's so hard about that? Do you really think you're the Great Commander of human civilization, commanding billions?"

Lu Yuan was at a loss for words.

Old Cat continued, "You should know, after receiving higher education, birth rates naturally decline. By that time, you'll be begging for more people and won't get them."

"Moreover, as long as you control the opium poppy tree, these people won't possibly rebel…"

Its voice dropped lower: "If it really doesn't work out, just stuff some waste into the virtual world of Green Grass Paradise, strip their souls away, and you won't be at a loss."

"I see now, your tree must consume people to level up."

Lu Yuan shivered; this mechanical cat was truly ruthless and unscrupulous, a fitting moral abyss who was once an area leader known as "Tiger's Grace·Cat Mama."

This conversation was in Chinese, so there was no need to worry about the Sha Li People understanding.

Lu Yuan looked at the four young men from the Sha Li Clan.

They were thin and weak, skin and bones, and even at a height of 1.7 meters, they only weighed seventy to eighty pounds.

A pair of relatively clear eyes looked hopefully at the vines spreading from the Tree of Life.

He couldn't help but feel a touch of sympathy: "Alright, then."

"You all hurry back and put down the rebellion."

"Then manage these disaster victims properly, educate those who should be educated, and punish those who should be punished.

"Oh, right, I can only maintain control over this one clone fruit for a maximum of three hours, so you must rush back to the village within three hours!"

"No problem!"

Lu Yuan raised his voice: "Conch, they're leaving, say goodbye to your cat big brother."

The golden Little Hua blinked twice.

...

...

The sun still rose in the east and set in the west, there was no rain, nor dark clouds, just an ordinary day.

In an unnoticed corner, the weak Sha Li Clan was undergoing a massive collapse.

Lower Sand Village, the last village maintaining order, was in a state of high alert.

The number of disaster victims surrounding the village was growing: bandits, women and children who survived, and many who had fallen into despair, simply seeking a bite to eat.

"Why are there more and more people?!"

"Elder, things are bad!"

"Those bullies are monopolizing the food we gave away!"

"Very few are willing to share with the weak… Many are close to starvation."

"They deserve to die!"

This was normal.

Food was the hard currency in the apocalypse.

After sampling the pleasures of pillaging, who would want to share with others?

The leading thug, named "Sha Kan," was also a Transcendent Level 2 strongman.

As a well-known expert in a hundred-mile radius, his ambition and desire for conquest were inflating.

"Go back? Can you even make it back?!"

"Once Lower Sand Village catches their breath, they will sooner or later wipe us out!"

"Our only choice now is to follow me and slaughter Lower Sand Village… Plunder everything they have! Why should they have so much food and water?!"

"As long as Lower Sand Village is taken down, I'll share the food with you. Whatever you want, you shall have!"

He was inciting the rest of the disaster victims to riot!

This was probably the so-called slippery slope, one misstep leads easily to another.

The dark mass of people was being riled up.

And the pleasure brought about by power and violence made Sha Kan unable to stop himself.

As for the future… he couldn't care less.

Surviving one more day was all that mattered!

...

"I knew it, even if we gave them food, this would be the result!"

"They're really launching an attack!"

Lower Sand Village only had three thousand people after all, facing the assault of ten thousand was like trying to stop a car with a praying mantis's arms.

Out of necessity, the Militia Captain Sha Kan'er stepped forward, stood at the village gate and shouted angrily: "Sha Kan, you come from a prestigious family, how can you degrade yourself this much!"

"If you have the courage, have a duel with me!"

Sha Kan sneered: "Good, I'll start with you!"

He strode forward.

The two Transcendent Level 2 experts fought fiercely together.

Sweat and blood were spilled, dust was stirred, the clash of martial arts was mixed with angry roars and the sound of weapons colliding!

The onlookers had complicated feelings, remaining silent.

This battle seemed to represent the intangible course of history.

In a moment, Sha Kan'er was no match for such an established powerhouse and fell to the ground.

He was injured all over, one leg broken, and though he tried to stand, he had no strength left.

"Damn it."

All the militiamen at the village gate immediately gripped their long spears tighter, as if they saw the scene of their wives and daughters being taken away.

"Brothers, charge with me! Women, food, you'll have it all!" Sha Kan spat out a mouthful of blood, raised his sharp knife, and roared loudly.

"Kill them all!" A large mob was incited, roaring in unison.

Heavy footsteps raised dust, making the village, already dwindling in population, look even more desolate.

All militiamen of Lower Sand Village felt a flicker of despair as they raised their long spears and were forced to struggle desperately against a number of thugs many times their own.

"Behind us are our wives, children, and elders!"

"We can't take a single step back!"

"Pull yourselves together!"

```

Many children and women hid in the cellars, listening in despair to the shouts outside.

"Why has it come to this?"

All of a sudden—

A red shadow appeared right before the leader of the thugs, Shaba!

Thud!

A sharp little knife.

Struck with the swiftness of a bolt of lightning, it plunged into the opponent's chest.

...

...

It was the first time Lu Yuan had tried to remotely control a clone fruit with his thoughts.

To tell the truth, this clone was quite expensive.

To create this single leaf, it consumed a whole 1 point of Life Essence, a vast amount of spiritual power, and 80% of the Eternal Spark's energy!

Yet, it only had thirty percent of the original's power, and the time it could be maintained was also quite limited.

But expensive meant effective!

A victory in the first battle!

In the middle of the battlefield, silence fell.

Shaba's eyes widened, as if unable to believe what had happened.

Cradling his chest, he spat out blood.

He fell to the ground.

Blood stained the sand, spreading outwards.

In an instant, the entire battlefield was petrified!

People cautiously surveyed the figure that had appeared so suddenly.

Gradually, a few seemed to recognize the face, some in terror, others in surprise.

"It's him!"

"He's still alive!"

"He's come back..."

Lu Yuan roared at a mob armed with grass forks and long spears, "He who kills, shall be killed in return!!"

He used Instant Teleportation again and reappeared ten meters away.

With a flying knife, he slit another bandit leader's throat!

Blood sprayed out like water from a tap.

This lesser bandit leader fell to the ground, clutching his throat, his eyes wide open, seemingly unable to believe that he had just died like that...

"He who kills, shall be killed in return!"

He teleported once more, and once again his knife plunged into another thug's heart!

"He who kills, shall be killed in return!"

Three lives were reaped in an instant, and the battlefield plunged into a deathly silence.

All the refugees were intimidated by this god-like figure.

Even the people from Lower Sand Village were terrified.

They had never witnessed such a spectacle before and dared not make a sound.

Lu Yuan bellowed, "Everyone, lay down your weapons!"

"The chief culprit has been executed, the coerced are free from punishment!"

Although the meaning of the last sentence wasn't very clear, many people understood the first two sentences and knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly...

This chaotic and miserable scene made Lu Yuan's heart sigh.

Suddenly, some people began to run for their lives, heading towards the desert!

Lu Yuan didn't rashly chase after them because his clone fruit, after three consecutive uses of Instant Teleportation, had run out of energy and was slowly turning yellowish.

He knew he didn't have much time left and used the last of his strength to yell, "Rebuild civilization, atone for your sins!"

After that shout, his consciousness disconnected.

...

Near the Opium poppy tree in Sky City,

Lu Yuan sighed softly.

"That should intimidate them."

"Hopefully... everything will get better."

...

...

The deathly silence still fermented on the battlefield for a long time.

Only a few murmurs arose among the residents of Lower Sand Village.

"Lu the Brave... is still alive!"

"It's a relief... we have been saved..."

People felt a mix of fear and joy, a sense of fortunate survival after a calamity.

The scene they had just witnessed had left a deep impression on them.

Then, the sound of gunfire came from afar.

Shells from small high guns shot into the sky and exploded loudly, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

Shali shouted through a megaphone, "Mr. Lu has sent us to bring you food!"

"Won't you surrender yet!"

He threw out the carcass of the giant python and the food gifted by Lu Yuan from the vehicle.

The over ten thousand refugees were still in a state of frightened guilt.

A stick in one hand and a date in the other, this approach worked in every civilization.

Thus, most people lost their will to resist and remained prostrate on the ground, daring not to move, waiting to be reorganized.

They were just ordinary people, after all, fighting only for a bite to eat; they did not have a strong will to fight.

But a few, knowing they would not be forgiven for their serious crimes, took off, running for their lives.

Old Cat watched with keen eyes, yet had no time to pursue these mobsters for now.

Its task was heavy—collecting the refugees. Lu Yuan could only provide military support; most of the work had to be done by it.

However, for some reason, Old Cat seemed quite happy, finding a unique joy.

It was the feeling... of being alive!

...