After checking the information of divine artifact, Cole immediately use his blood as medium and skill [Force Blood Bind]. When he felt the connection, he immediately summon its artifact spirit.

Ball of light emerge out of the goddess statue. When the blinding light subsides, a blindfolded extraordinary, otherworldly but paled beauty emerge, "Pale Light greets the master." Even her tone was as beautiful as her but she sounds ill as she look.

Pale Light were once a goddess of unknown world. Before anything else, he ask the first thing wonders him, "Pale Light, do you remember anything." Her knowledge as False God will be extremely valuable to Cole since it was apparent that False Godhood were also one way of cultivating.

Unfortunately, Cole didn't heard what he expected, "I don't remember anything master. The only thing I knew was that I seem to face a great battle but unfortunately lost. My name seem to be based on that."

Cole nodded his head in understanding. Apparently, the Divine Creation Stone awaken her abilities as goddess but not its memories as a lifeform.

"I see... Then retreat and make sure to suppress your aura. Don't reveal yourself for the meantime unless I call you." He instructed.

"As you wish, master." Pale Light reply before retreating back inside the stone statue.

He reduce the size of the stone statue until it could be hold on one hand. He then store it temporarily inside the Black Ring before inspecting the other rewards.

First thing was the defensive city structures. Second was the equipment.

What he inspect were the materials needed for it to be created. Special minerals and other raw materials were immediately given to Nine-World Elven Ancestral Tree to be produced. However, the beast materials could not be easily produced since it needs to be grown or hunted.

In the game, the materials source were not a problem since they only need to hunt specific monsters and wait for it to drop the materials. But in his position, he needs to breed the said specific beasts if he want to mass produce the equipment sets.

Without the specific equipments and weapons, the Totem Array Battle Formation were currently can't be used.

Although he received many rewards, he can't use most of them for the meantime.

Cole also needs to consider where to put and use the City Building Order. He definitely can't use it in the outside world since the created city will definitely have the ability to create buildings and infrastructure out of thin air just like in game. It was something that can't be use outside lest he attract unwanted attention.

The best place to create the city were inside the [Inner World]. However, after some thought, the [Inner World] is devoid of people and his family and contracted beasts were inside. If he build the city inside in the next second, it'll be nothing but a ghost city since no one will live there.

The second place he thought of were Shelly's turtle back. Building a city there is not a problem and he only needs to hide Shelly whenever he needs to build an infrastructure out of thin air. However, if people live inside the city, the presence of [Inner World] will still be revealed by them since it was him and his pets safe haven. In some sense, it's better to create the city directly inside the [Inner World].

The last one were the Elm Tribe, now the main race dependent on Nine-World Elven Ancestral Tree. With their current population, they can use the City Building Order's value immediately. However, elves usually lives in trees and nature. Furthermore, the Nine-World Elven Ancestral Tree definitely made their new home specially since all the elves were on the process of evolution into higher, ancient species.

After some consideration, Cole choose to just temporarily store the City Building Order. He'll use it on appropriate time in the future.

As for the new Class Tomes of Beast Tamer and Priest, he store it along with other Class Tomes that he had before. It'll play its significant roles when he established his own army.

Speaking of army or martial force, as of now after he announced the recruitment of it, he only manage to receive and hire a total of thirty person. Most of them were rouge cultivators that got attracted at the fact that the new independent territory already have powerhouse of Nascent Soul stage expert. This was a testimony that the city lord is a wealthy man and those rogue cultivators intend to use the chances to receive resources to increase their strength.

Cole don't have a problem with them but rogue cultivators were alone for a reason. For instance, they were a descendant of commoners that was born with the ability to cultivate. They don't have a background to give them a good head start and they weren't talented to speak so and no faction accept them since resources are scarce to be used on inferior talents. This kinds of rogue cultivators were those without a choice but to struggle on their own.

There were also some rogue cultivators that chose to be one as they don't like the restrictions of sects and wants freedom among anything else but apparently, those that join his martial force were the first kind rogue cultivators.

Still, Cole don't have a problem with them. In any case, his plan structure for his martial force is different. He also don't have to worry about them rebelling since he has the Devil Goddess of Hellish Condemnation and Divine Judgement with him. He won't accept them if they don't agree to the terms of contract.

Among the group of people that intend to join his martial force, Cole was surprised when he learn that there were also former bandits among them. This kinds of of people either want to discard their identity as mountain or road bandits or they were spies planted by bandit groups. Either way, Cole accept them. He'll give them the chance to change their lives if that's what they want while being a spy won't have any use since they'll have to accept a binding contract.

Thinking of his martial force, Cole came out of [Inner World] and appear inside his office in City Lord Mansion and call Dian.

"City Lord, is there anything you need?" Dian ask when be enter the office.

"Call all the person that applied for joining the martial force recruitment."

Dian nodded his head, "Understand city lord."

After Dian leave, he took out the stone statue and put it on his table like a simple ornament. And then, he started to produce two different contracts—contracts for internal martial force and external martial.

The contract for internal martial force were simple. They'll receive a salary of gold coins every months along with standard resources. Both the salary and resources they'll receive depends on their cultivation and position. For instance, the salary coins between Body Tempering stage and Mana Gathering stage cultivators were different and the resources they'll receive were in accordance to their cultivation.

There were also the merit system where hardworking personnel will receive merit points which could be exchange for additional resources. Furthermore, there'll be some resources that could only be exchanged for corresponding merit points. Cultivation methods and techniques were included in this.

They were given the rights to leave the faction but they were required not to share any information, classified or not, regarding the city.

There were also more terms in the contract including not accepting any dark deals or under the table bribes, following all the established laws and order of the city and many more.

In the system of other faction likes sect, an internal martial force were equivalent to Outer Layer Disciples.

On the other hand, the external martial force were like Core Disciples, not just an Inner Core Disciples. They'll be heavily nurtured but they won't given the chance to leave the city casually unless the city itself won't be able to support them anymore. With the neverending source of resources Dungeon Monolith, joining the external martial force will basically bind the person on the city.

The terms included in the contract is not that much different on the first one. The most important difference between the two were just the rights to leave.

After creating the initial draft of the contracts, all the persons that intend to join his martial force enter the room.

"Sorry for the long wait and inconvenience everyone and thank you for understanding. Now that I fully take control of the city, we can finally discuss the terms of you joining the future martial force of the city." Cole starts.

He announced the intention of the city on hiring martial force of the city at the very first week he take the office. Some of the person inside his office at the moment includes those that intend to join at the very first week.

That is to say, all of the person in the room wait for several days while the others were several weeks. The first thing he say is to say sorry for the long wait.

However, no one looks dissatisfied. That was because the lodging he give to the group were a building transformed by him into special cultivation haven with rich spiritual energy and quiet environment. In fact, they didn't experience inconvenience since every person take the chance to cultivate. Not to say inconvenience, they even profited out of nowhere. For this group of rogue cultivators and former bandits, what they jut experience were like given the chance to relax in five star hotel.

"No need to apologize city lord. In any case, we weren't treated badly." One of the person with outspoken personality spoke what's on everyone's mind. The others nod their heads in agreement.

"Well, that ease up my mind." He pause for a second and continue, "I won't beat around the bush this time."

He then ask Dian to distribute the contracts to everyone and gave them a copy of each.

He then explain the internal and external martial force. He named the internal martial force as Bureau of Internal Security and Order Management while Bureau of National Security and External Force Defense. For them to easier to understand, he even compared the two on the known system of this world.

After his explanation, all the person in the room immediately fall silent and contemplates.

Seeing that, Cole announce, "No need to make a decision now. You can now all return to your lodging and contemplates. When you finally decided, just look for Dian and he'll instruct you for the next step."

No one made their decision at the spot and they all return to their room, deeply thinking of what they'll choose since it'll greatly impact their lives.

Of course, only those with clever mind think this so far and it was only minority. The majority were aware of their backgrounds, talent and origin. It was already a big privilege for them to be accepted much less be given a choice. If they dare to apply for the other sects or city, it was already a blessing if they were gently rejected and not get berated until they question their reason for living.

It only took several hours before majority of them made a decision.

...

After the crowd leave the room, Cole call all the manpower he spread in the whole city.

The Five Divine Beasts Mountain Pillar Array was a bonafide divine artifact and it didn't even take an hour before the entire Towering Tree City and surrounding villages got covered in its domain and control. If a bad person try to commit a crime inside its domain, Cole could now use the five elements to stop them. This means that through the Five Divine Beasts Mountain Pillar Array, the soil, any kind of vegetation, natural minerals, any type and bodies of water and fire were now his weapon that could be use.

Of course, in order to hide the fact of the divine artifact, he won't use it for trivial matters like controlling the security of the whole territory. The martial force he is about to built will do this task. But for the meantime until his martial force takes place and shape, the divine artifact will currently fill the job and the other manpower will be put on other important post.

Those that want to return to [Inner World] were send back but he call for Fernan and Fernando.

He assign and give the task of being the leader of Bureau of National Security and External Force Defense to Fernan while the Bureau of Internal Security and Order Management to Fernando. They'll wait for those persons that made their decision and join their bureau.

Under the terms of contract, Fernan don't have to prepare much. He only needs to distribute the resources and privileges of core force. For the meantime, without his own source of cultivation pills, the resources only includes several natural treasures of Heaven and Earth that could be used by them like the Blood, Bone and Flesh Essence Orb for Body Tempering cultivators and Mana Cherry for Mana Gathering Stage cultivators. In any case, he has plenty of them.

As for higher level of resources, he don't have to think of it for the meantime since those that applied for the martial force position were Body Tempering and Mana Gathering stage cultivators.

And the other main privilege of being the member of external martial force were being given the main cultivation method of the city, the Heavenly Beast God cultivation method. This will become the standard cultivation method of his force since it don't have strict and specific requirements to be cultivated. In fact, it can be cultivated by anyone.

In addition, Fernan only have to inform his future subordinates about their main responsibility.

Since Cole have yet to finalize his plan for his core martial force, Fernan have to wait for further instructions.

As for Fernando, he'll interact and work with Roger to learn about the management and intricacies of internal security. He needs to learn its current structure as soon as possible since after tonight, the current city guard system will be disbanded and reshuffle since Cole only ask them to further stay for a month. Some might leave the city after they fulfill his condition.

After receiving their initial instructions, both Fernan and Fernando leave the office and hot busy on their own work. Without the existing systematic structure, the two of them will be busied for short, maybe even long, period of time.

When the two leave, Cole then call Fernand. He don't want the latter to think that he's being left out. Instead, he also inform his future important position—the shadow force. He'll become the leader of hidden faction that'll only listen on his command.

After informing him, Cole ask the other to leave. He have to focus more on matters in the light before he can busy with hidden force.

As a former nothing but a normal civilian, Cole struggle at the city management.

However, thinking of the impending time of showing his self to the whole city, Cole set aside the task for the meantime and take his time to relax mostly mentally since he's currently a Core Formation stage cultivator. He don't want to show himself with tired eyes and eyebags.

Instead, he take that chance to make a draft for his speech.

Time pass by and the time for him introduce himself in the whole city finally arrived.

It was seven in the evening.

At time like this, most commoners return to their house and sleep. Without a suitable light source, only those cultivators family that could buy lighting natural treasures of heaven and earth can have a night life.

The main lighting source of commoners were crudely made candles but due to movement of merchants in retaliation on him, prices of basic commodities and that includes candles spike up. Now, every commoner family save their candles and only use them for important matters like having dinner.

At the evening, most of the commoners do things that could be done without light but only through experienced and skillful hands like weaving baskets or just sleep and ready for other laborious day.

But at that special evening, four massive light screens appear at the center of four main direction, covering the whole city perfectly and the more than one hundred thousand populace would be able to view it.

Not to say the commoners, even the cultivators were awed, marveled and curious and watch the sudden scene.

"Good evening, Towering Tree City. I'm Cole, the new city lord and the owner of independent territory that shares border with Red Tree Kingdom and unclaimed Dark Forest."

"For the past first month that the Heavenly Flame Empire gave me the sovereignty of this new independent territory, I gave the original citizens of the empire the chance to leave. I know that a month is a short period of time. Therefore, I now declare that commoners, including cultivation family, will be given another eleven months to leave my territory but under the premise that you won't be given monetary assistance."

"The reason for this city wide announcement is to announce the core importance reformation of my independent territory."

"First of all is my declaration of full sovereignty and autonomy. Starting at this very moment, as long as everyone of you are inside my territory, you need to follow all the laws and order I established and will establish disregarding whether if you're a citizen or a foreign guest. Otherwise, face the consequences of your actions."

"For the meantime, I won't enlist all the laws and orders. Instead, I'll just announce to all of you my very reason of creating this autonomous territory—and that is creating a safe haven of commoners that don't have the ability to cultivate."

"Therefore, as long as you are inside of my territory, any form of suppression, abuse or killing of commoners is strictly forbidden. The first and foremost law of this territory is human equality. That means even if you are a Core Formation or even Nascent Soul stage expert, get ready to face the consequences of your action."

"As for the commoners of the city including those outside in different villages, this is my message to you all—in this territory, as long as I live, I'll give you all a place where you could live peacefully and prosper because the same as you, I'm also once a commoner, living under the constant threat of the strong. Not long ago, I'm just an unknown villager that got destroyed and attacked by strong, slaughter our loved ones and capture the woman, the abled and the children for slavery."

"I greatly believe that commoners have limitless potential like cultivators but under the suppression of the strong, you weren't able to grow and prosper and think that cultivation is the only path to greatness. But fear not because from this moment onwards, you'll be like a Phoenix that undergo Nirvana Rebirth that'll rise again from the ashes."

"This autonomous territory will act like Spirit Tree, protecting you under its shade."

"Raise your head with pride as citizens of Rising Phoenix Spirit Tree Nation!"