The successful breakthrough and emergence of Void Sensing expert not only send the Rising Phoenix Spirit Tree Nation in turmoil, the other powerhouse were also shocked.

Having a presence of Void Sensing expert is more than enough for a faction to suppress half of human force in Azure Territory. Void Sensing stage cultivators can ensure prosperity and protection for a force as long as they live.

Cole don't have the intention to hide the fact that someone from his side have broken through to Void Sensing stage. However, he also don't want to release the news in the open.

After learning that someone powerful appear in the city and it was also one of city lord's subordinate, the commoners of the city become excited again. In addition to the claim the city lord said not long ago, it could be expected that the city and its citizen would be protected even more.

The thought of security and stability left the commoners awed.

The appearance of Void Sensing stage cultivator in Rising Phoenix Spirit Tree Nation fill the city with newfound vigour and life. Although no one dare to talk about it, the effect of having a powerful expert among them is very apparent.

The very first surprise that Cole learned after he return to the city lord's mansion is that shops under the banner of two out of three family return their prices into normal, reducing it even.

Without him making a move to those two family, they have already lower themselves. Furthermore, several members of those family approach Dian and join the still ongoing recruitment for city's future martial force.

Moreover, although those individuals are mediocre at best at Cole's eyes, they were actually the talented seedling for their family.

When Cole ask Dian about the possible reason about the action of the two family, the Carmelo and Canlaan, he said answered, "City Lord, they were probably intimidated at the emergence of legendary expert on your side. According to logic, since they challenge your authority and prestige by raising the prices of the commodities they controlled, it was considered normal that you'll annihilate their family to establish and further elevate your prestige to the whole territory. As for those family seedling that join the army recruitment, they were probably the hope for their bloodline to preserve and continue. After all, it'll be bad to your reputation if you kill someone of your subordinates."

Cole nodded his head in understanding upon hearing that.

Although he don't have the intention of annihilating any person inside his territory since killing one means one less source of manpower, it's still a good news for him that those cultivation families were already lowering themselves to him. It saves him from all the trouble.

In any case, their action before were nothing but a child's play in his eyes who saw more cunning and disastrous method back on his mother planet.

Besides, in order to provide a more affordable market for his territory to lead more sustainable life for commoners, he has the intention of producing the products his territory needed. If those families allied themselves to him, he don't have a problem on sharing profits with them. Otherwise, they need to prepare to be squeeze out and suppressed in their main way to earn income.

In addition to Fernan's successful breakthrough and the news of those families comprising to his power, Cole return on his task of managing the city.

With the knowledge on his brain regarding the civilization of another world, Cole have many ways for the city of Towering Tree City to prosper despite having commoners as majority of its population.

Unfortunately... Cole was stumped on many things because of just one main reason—the commoners of this world were illiterate. Even if he gave them the ideas, it'll take a long time before it can take shape.

After learning this certain fact, Cole have another project he need to create—schools and appropriate education system.

But before anything else, the most important thing the territory have to address and Cole should have a full control into is the food industry and productivity.

Commoners can't spare efforts for another matter since they were already full with the matter of their livelihood. As long as they are full, they could probably spare some efforts into productivity that'll improve the territory in the long run.

With that in mind, Cole call for Dian and ask him about the agriculture sector of the territory as well as the general situations of every farmer.

It was only then he learn that the food sector of the city were basically under the control of three family. Most of the farmers, due to different circumstances, were under the control and influence of three family.

One of their main method is the very well known approach of trapping the farmers with huge debt that the powerful family themselves orchestrated. Due to huge debt that grow faster than their own produce, powerful families would take a large part of farmer's produce that should be the payment for their debts.

Unfortunately, the families were like legal gangster that cut the price of the produce. Don't say about making profits, farmers would even acquire more debts not because of lack of productivity but because of manipulation of powerful families.

After learning this fact, Cole then ask Dian to make an appointment to the patriarch or the leader of the three main family.

And at that very night, Cole faced the heads of three family.

The three patriarch were just Mana Gathering stage cultivators and even were a little weaker than former fatty city lord but as long as they work together, they do could suppress that fatty.

With the known appearance of legendary experts, at the least to this small family, Cole already have the upper hand in their possible negotiations. In fact, if Cole had tyrannical tendencies, it was even possible for him to outright suppress them and command him under his discretion; after all, it was a common sense in this world that the powerful is the law.

After Dian lead the three family head inside the city lord's main office, the patriarch of Carmelo Family immediately push himself forward and said, "City Lord, the Carmelo Family apologize for our ignorance and presumptuousness! Please be magnanimous and let my clansmen go in exchange for my own head!"

According to the information Dian said to him, these three patriarchs usually carry themselves like aloof persons, full of noble air and dignity. And yet, here they were, bowing in front him just because he was powerful that could possibly take their live, even including their whole clan, should he give a word.

Cole smile but shake his head internally. The feeling of having someone's life on his own hand is great and all but it was a feeling that he don't want to immerse himself in. He fear that the moment he did, he'll lose his bottom line and become addicted to that power.

"No need for apologies. I'll be honest with the three of you; I don't have the intention on antagonizing your clan at all. As you know, this territory just announced its autonomy and it needs all the manpower it could get and that includes your family. Therefore, you three can relax. Stop prostrating and sit down." Cole inform and console the three person.

Instantly, the slumped shoulders of the three dignified person visibly become lighter.

"Thank you city lord for your magnanimousity!" The three said in unison.

When the three patriarch sat down properly, Cole started to speak.

"As I said, I don't have the intention to specifically antagonize your clan. Only, all of my future action and move naturally clash with your interest. This means that not only for the past month, also expect that your clan will be antagonize inadvertently."

The three patriarch didn't reply as they mull over silently in their seat about what just Cole said. It only means one thing; although it sound gentle when Cole said it, the three patriarch already conclude one thing—they'll be suppress to the changes that happen in the city.

When the three patriarch didn't reply, Cole then continue, "I won't lie to the three of you. My main reason why I create this autonomous territory is to create a safe haven for commoners or normal humans. I'll protect them from outright suppression of the strong. This means that even if I don't want to, all of my future actions might clash with your interest. Take this as a warning too, if I have to choose between you and commoners, I won't hesitate to side with them, specially when you're side is in the wrong. Of course, if the commoners is in the wrong, I also won't hesitate to punish them. The only difference is that there will be a true concept of right and wrong between cultivators and commoners, not just cultivators is always right."

The three patriarchs instantly know what the city lord is trying to imply—the cultivators will be basically on the same standing as commoners under the rule of Rising Phoenix Spirit Tree Nation.

This was a blatant disgrace for their status as cultivators. They were being degraded to the level of those uneducated low life.

Unfortunately, they don't have much of a choice. Their current situation were like commoners and cultivators, they need to follow the words of the strong.

If they feel indignant, they can oppose the city lord but unfortunately, they don't have a powerful force to back it up. In this case, it was their fault and their sin that they were weak.

Before he let the three patriarchs leave the mansion, he leave a last instruction, more like mandatory command—they should stop suppressing the commoners, specially the farmers.

The city lord faction will see through all the situation of citizen of the city, surrounding village or anything under the jurisdiction of the nation.

As long as they have problems, the city lord will try to assist them.

In this matter, Cole will focus on the matters of farmers and the likes that was considered as the lowest class of society.

If a farmer is under debt on someone's name specially under the name of cultivator family, the city lord office won't ask the family to waive the debt but his faction will look over the whole process. This will prevent the cultivators family to further add another amount of the debt that usually came out of nowhere.

This isn't much but the approach would give the competent commoners to become independent.

The city lord faction is willing to provide assistance but will not outright waive their debts.

There is not much resource point in the territory of Towering Tree City and under the control of those families, and their income from suppressing the commoners takes a huge fraction of their money. But without much of a choice, the three patriarchs could only nod their head in agreement.

The three families could tell that a massive change will happen in Towering Tree City and it'll clash with the current mindset, specifically on the matter of equal rights with the commoner.

While they leave the city lord's mansion, the mind of three patriarchs churn as they plan their future action. And the very first thing they have to emphasize to their clan is that they need to change their interaction with commoners since the city lord already told them and emphasize that he won't hesitate to punish those in the wrong, even if they were exalted cultivators.

In addition, they also have to venture on another path regarding the source of income of their family. Otherwise, without the fraction from suppressing and extorting the commoners, their family would lose a huge deal amount of money.

At this time, the patriarch of Canlaan and Carmelo Family could already see the benefit of joining the martial force of the city. The city lord will definitely use his own resources to improve their descendants.

Thinking this way, the mind of the three patriarch relax. Eventhough they lose a source of money with the threat of the city lord, in the long run, their family will benefit as long as they attach themselves in the city lord. Their confidence soar even more when they thought that the city lord even manage to produce a Void Sensing stage expert.