Chapter 1796: Chapter 1796

1796: Chapter 1792: The Uncrowned King 1796: Chapter 1792: The Uncrowned King “The most effective salvation for those in despair is not merely material goods or money…”

Lu Ping’an did not promise salvation; the one offering salvation was the God of Redemption.

But he did indeed grant mortals hope, just like a once utterly despondent patient receiving the chance to change their fate.

“Mortals, or rather most ordinary people, when forced into a corner, possess only one currency—and that is their very life…”

Those who have lost everything would not refuse the path of “self-rescue.”

Unexpectedly by all, after the initial slow growth phase, the theory of “Life Trading” and its believers began spreading throughout Southeast Asia.

After all, this was a land filled with despairing souls who had nothing but their lives.

And compared to waiting indefinitely for a salvation that might never come, this upfront “transaction,” with its clear costs and terms, was somehow easier to accept.

“The spokesperson of the Eastern Country assured that we are not interfering with the policies or actions of other nations.

The changes mentioned by a certain country in Southeast Asia have nothing to do with us.

Their slogans might pertain to certain civilian forces…”

The Eastern Country, on their side, repeatedly claimed it had nothing to do with them, attributing everything to civilian forces unrelated to its official policies.

Yet the reality was that both in Southeast Asia and all over the globe, the Proper God Church, civilian groups, and transnational corporations from the Eastern Country were all actively engaged.

Through trade, humanitarian aid, or selling reconstruction services, they were clearly influencing the entire world.

Just as Europa lay shattered after WWII, unable to refuse the Marshall Plan’s aid…

Judging by hard metrics like population and economic losses, this was many times more devastating than WWII.

Numerous regions had been reduced to blank slates, and the reshuffling of the global order was inevitable.

The Eastern Country’s official stance was to remain focused on internal development and Star-zone exploration, massive tasks that required infinite resources.

However, those so-called civilian forces, including Proper Gods, quasi-Proper Gods, and even Evil God forces who had been constrained by the official government, were the factions best preserved during the war and now sought opportunities for growth.

Those blank lands, as long as they remained on Earth, held inherent value…

acquiring a population could transform them into development centers.

After all, most Earth Gods were human gods.

If possible, they preferred to develop their forces with humans as the core foundation.

The world order was shifting; a new era was dawning.

Yet figures like Lu Ping’an could barely be considered prominent…

Not because his power was weak—his reborn faction had already claimed a Proper God position, elevating him to the ranks of powerful forces—but his moderate actions posed little threat to the major powers.

These things are relative.

Compared to Europa or Huaqi, where churches used brute force to carve new paths, Lu Ping’an seemed less aggressive.

As long as Lu Ping’an continued operating under the banner of charity and targeted only warlords or lords, the surrounding nations wouldn’t trouble him…

especially as there were even more dangerous entities looming in their own domains.

The instability of the Mountainous Kingdom, for instance, was the primary focus.

Its southern, northern, and eastern borders saw the rise of “civilian forces,” while its western neighbor—a major country—grew even more unstable.

Lu Ping’an’s influence expanded swiftly, yet it attracted little hostility.

The key was that he did not engage in “occupying territory to become king.”

He merely established Safe Zones, converting already dangerous and Exotic Realm-like regions into his sanctuaries.

From a human perspective, this undoubtedly curbed the Exotic Realm threat—a great service.

And within each sanctuary, simplified “Trading Lands” were created, where mortals could trade their lives and futures…

while Lu Ping’an remained on Earth, these sanctuaries also served as portals to the “Courtyard,” enabling more advanced transactions in the “Life Sanctuary.”

These sanctuaries, though covering modest areas, genuinely transformed the fates of refugees.

The Life Protection Battle Group no longer needed to hunt down warlords…

The impoverished refugees under those warlords’ rule were willing to risk everything, even their lives, for a chance to change their fate.

And those saviors no longer needed to be outsiders.

Local “Life Traders” who embraced Lu Ping’an’s Holy Scripture became self-rescuing agents, naturally spreading this message and ideology.

Little sparks can ignite a wildfire.

As countless Extraordinary individuals were cultivated by Lu Ping’an’s abilities, the once-dominant power of warlords and lords began to crumble.

Predictably, their heads would sooner or later become trophies for the Avengers.

It wasn’t as though they hadn’t resisted; they even formed alliances to attack the Trading Lands…

until Lu Ping’an led the entire Battle Group’s main forces into the fray, leaving behind rivers of blood.

These troops, hardened veterans of Plane Wars, backed by thousands of war machines, easily crushed scattered warlords and even the combined forces of two countries.

Yes, those two nations had discreetly sent officers and ships, seeing the removal of this destabilizing force as a good outcome.

But they underestimated Lu Ping’an’s war reserves—and also underestimated one particular existence…

The giant beasts of the ocean once again appeared on the battlefield.

Over a hundred Fog Sound Giant Beasts emerged, the weakest of which was already at Rule-level strength.

The Fog Sound Giant Beasts continued hunting Dragon-Snakes, maintaining a rough dynamic balance in their numbers and being regarded by unknowing humans as “Beneficial Beasts.”

But now, their favoritism was clear…

What most didn’t know was that they were, in fact, Lu Ping’an’s “tamed beasts.”

Ha, these ‘Kings of XX’ are really getting cheap these days…”

Lu Ping’an graciously accepted his new title, while the countless sea beasts ensured those two countries lost all interest in him.

It wasn’t just a matter of combat power…

If they truly wiped out Lu, what would happen to the Fog Sound Giant Beasts?

Or if they went berserk?

And then, who would deal with the Dragon-Snakes?

With truly major threats held at bay, Lu Ping’an’s development grew even more stable.

All he needed to do was manage these Safe Zones, complete basic rescue and reconstruction efforts, and foster local resource industries to gradually recoup his investments…

With just a handful of oil fields, some mines, and the recent discovery of a few gold deposits, Lu Ping’an found himself already breaking even.

Even so, he stuck to operating honestly, handling humanitarian projects like hospitals, schools, and refugee camps as his primary business focus.

If he wanted, he could easily declare himself the King of Southeast Asia.

But instead, he chose to fulfill his “disaster relief responsibilities.”

“Why not seize territory?

Uh, honestly, that holds no meaning for me…”

To outsiders, Lu Ping’an had polished words.

To his inner circle, he spoke more candidly.

“If you lose the people’s hearts, rebuilding those temples means nothing…

On the other hand, if we win their hearts, do those temples even matter?”

Once Lu Ping’an’s believers filled the entire region and his ideals were truly embraced by ordinary people, would it even matter whether he claimed those lands as his own?