Su Li activated "Spider Walk" and "Demon Muscles" almost simultaneously. Earlier, when he fought Wu Feng with dual swords, he hadn't used "Demon Muscles." Only now, empty-handed, did he finally enter that state. In its second form, "Demon Muscles" burned stamina, continuously multiplying his strength, speed, and reflexes. Every muscle in Su Li's body seemed to come alive. He stomped his foot—*crack*—and only an afterimage remained where he stood.
Wu Feng's heart tightened. Two massive fireballs missed their target, exploding on the rooftop and sending sparks flying in a dazzling display. But Su Li had vanished, charging at full speed toward Wu Feng, trailing a fierce gust of wind. "How is he this fast?" Wu Feng exclaimed in shock, letting out a furious roar. Without a second thought, he unleashed his ability at full power, hurling the seven or eight giant fireballs he'd just conjured straight at Su Li. At the same time, he kicked the burning raft beside him with all his might.
The flaming raft flipped over from the kick, shattering into pieces. Planks engulfed in flames scattered everywhere. Wu Feng quickly retreated, widening the distance while controlling the rolling flames, splitting them into more fireballs.
Su Li's chest and back bulged with muscles, revealing terrifying demonic faces. With the multiplied boost from "Demon Muscles" and "Spider Walk," his speed reached a chilling level—so fast that even the powerful Wu Feng struggled to track him. He barely caught a blur, and all seven or eight fireballs missed. Before he knew it, a blow landed on his chest.
With a muffled groan, Wu Feng felt at least four ribs snap in an instant. His body tumbled through the air and slammed heavily to the ground. He opened his mouth and spat out a torrent of blood.
One strike, and Wu Feng was sent flying. The onlookers from the Golden Eagle Alliance, who had come to watch the spectacle, stood frozen. The people from Shimao Center, who had always followed Wu Feng, were dumbfounded, their faces etched with disbelief. This Su Li—without his swords—had become even stronger?
Wu Feng, reeling from the blow, his head buzzing, suddenly felt his neck tighten. A hand gripped it, lifting him off the ground. Su Li held him by the throat, raising him up, then looked at him and shook his head. "With strength like this, you're worse than a woman." As he spoke, he hurled Wu Feng forcefully to the ground in front of Gong Xiao.
Wu Feng, powerless to resist, crashed down before Gong Xiao, landing face-first in a pathetic heap. "Her name is Gong Xiao. Though she's a woman, she's stronger than you. You're no match for her." Hearing Su Li's words, Wu Feng lifted his head slightly and saw Gong Xiao before him. Though skeptical, he couldn't argue. The sheer terror of Su Li's power had shattered his pride and confidence.
Gong Xiao, however, frowned at Su Li's remark. "Su Li, you're being chauvinistic again. Why assume women are inherently weaker than men?" She knew Su Li wasn't deliberately belittling Wu Feng—he genuinely believed Wu Feng couldn't beat her, since her "Storm Shield" perfectly countered his abilities. "If you don't believe me, you can catch a few more spirit-source beasts, recover from your injuries, and have another fight with Gong Xiao," Su Li said, slowly retracting "Demon Muscles" as he looked at Wu Feng on the ground, a faint, knowing smile on his face.
Wu Feng shook his head repeatedly. That single punch from Su Li had completely crushed his confidence. If he lost to Gong Xiao too, he'd be too ashamed to live. He no longer had the courage to face her. He couldn't understand how Su Li, without using a spirit-source weapon, had become even more terrifying. "I don't get it... You didn't use a weapon, so why are you stronger than before?" Wu Feng was genuinely baffled.
Su Li chuckled. "Earlier, I had weapons, but I wasn't using spirit-source techniques—just my normal state. Is that so hard to understand?" Wu Feng froze at Su Li's words, then deflated like a punctured balloon. He took a sharp breath, gritting his teeth against the pain of his broken ribs, wiped the blood from his mouth, and said, "I, Wu Feng, admit defeat today, fully and completely. From now on, Su Li is my boss. He's the leader of the Golden Eagle Alliance. Anyone who doesn't accept him, I'll be the first to oppose." "Did you all hear that?" Wu Feng suddenly shouted, turning to the people from Shimao Center who had followed him. The shout aggravated his broken ribs, twisting his face in pain. "We heard!" they chorused in unison.
They had witnessed everything just now and were utterly awed by Su Li's strength. They knew Wu Feng's power well. Ding Shijie had only won thanks to the Ice Python Sword; without it, he might not have beaten Wu Feng. But now, Su Li had shown them what true strength meant—bare-handed, one move, and Wu Feng was down. Such power was almost supernatural. They finally believed that Ding Shijie had truly lost to Su Li.
Ding Longyun, hearing Wu Feng's surrender, couldn't help but laugh heartily, feeling happier than if he'd won himself. He turned to the people from Golden Eagle Building A and B and shouted, "And you? Do you accept?" They nodded eagerly, expressing their willingness to submit and join. If even Wu Feng, the strongest leader from Shimao Center, had his ribs broken by Su Li's punch, anyone else knew which side to choose.
Su Li stepped forward with a smile. "Everyone, let me reiterate: those willing to stay are welcome. From now on, you're all my brothers and sisters. If anyone wants to leave, they're free to go—I won't make it hard for them." Wu Feng slowly sat up, supported by a young woman beside him. He clutched his chest and coughed with a dry laugh. "Don't worry, no one wants to leave. In this damned dangerous city, having a powerful leader like you to protect us makes this the safest place. Only a fool would leave. Cough, cough." "That's right, we all want to stay." "You're our boss now." "We'll follow your orders!"
Everyone voiced their support for Su Li, with no one mentioning leaving. Su Li smiled faintly. Whether their words were sincere or not didn't matter. As long as he was around, they wouldn't dare cause trouble—unless someone stronger appeared to replace him, in which case they'd likely switch sides again, just as they had after Ding Shijie's death. After all, not much time had passed since the flood began. Building genuine loyalty in such a short period was nearly impossible.
Su Li turned to Wu Feng. "Shimao Center stays as it is, under your leadership." Wu Feng nodded. "Thank you for your trust, boss. I'll manage Shimao Center well and keep these guys in line. I won't cause you any trouble." Su Li knew Wu Feng had some ability. The concern and loyalty shown by his people indicated he held some sway over them. Shimao Center was essentially his domain. Forcing changes there would provoke backlash. Though Su Li could use force, he wanted to avoid further conflict for now.
"Shui Jue, Golden Eagle Building A is yours to handle," Su Li said, turning to Jiang Shui Jue. She already had her own group, having moved from Jinhui Center to Zifeng Tower. Now that he'd decided to make this their base, he'd take Building B himself and leave Building A to her. "Fine, I'll follow your arrangements," Jiang Shui Jue agreed without hesitation. "Good. I'll take Building B myself. That's settled for now. Let's head back to Zifeng Tower and move everyone and all supplies here."
It was an incredibly busy day. The entire Zifeng Tower relocated. Under Su Li's orders, the original 18 from Jinhui Center—including Jiang Shui Jue, Gu Mingfeng, and Ling Yi—moved into Golden Eagle Building A. Building A had lost most of its elites, leaving only 21 people. With Jiang Shui Jue's 18, it now housed 39, primarily under her charge. Shimao Center remained unchanged, still led by Wu Feng, with 42 people. Su Li himself took charge of Golden Eagle Building B, though he usually delegated tasks to Xu Haishui. Building B originally had 34 people left. With the 31 from Zifeng Tower, it now housed 65—the largest population among the three buildings. It was also the tallest, at 44 stories, with 14 floors above water. Excluding the uninhabitable 30th floor, 13 floors remained, easily accommodating over a hundred people, let alone 65.
The three buildings combined held 146 people—the full strength of the Golden Eagle Alliance. Under Su Li's instructions, Xu Haishui compiled a roster of everyone, including their current levels. Su Li needed to know, at least to have a clear picture. Jiang Shui Jue was tasked with inventorying all supplies. He needed to know how much the alliance had and how long it could sustain 146 people. With the population now at 146, it was unclear whether the alliance's reserves were sufficient. A detailed count was necessary.
As for Su Li himself, he led a large group to Zifeng Tower. He planned to retrieve the floating island. This island was an excellent spot for hunting monsters, and he had a bigger idea: using it to connect the three buildings. The current 146 people were just the beginning. He believed more survivors remained in the city, and the population might grow further. He wanted to keep improving the environment, with the ultimate goal of fully integrating the three buildings. Achieving all this would require enough manpower.
This time, Su Li mobilized over a hundred people. Apart from those needed for inventory and essential guard duty, almost everyone set out. They rode over a dozen rafts, departing in a grand, imposing procession.