After Lex Red leave his main office, Cole then face the only person that got attracted by the rumor he spread through the assistance of wandering merchants that visit the Towering Tree City.

It was an old lady that although still very much alive were already showing some sign of decay and smell of death.

Her state looks more than serious in Cole's eyes who was extremely sensitive when if comes to life force. It was because he could see that she only has less than two months to live. She was basically a walking corpse!

Furthermore, because of her current state, although it was apparent that she was a Nascent Soul-Stage expert, which is probably the only reason she could still cling on her life, it was greatly degraded that she was even weaker to most Mana Gathering-Stage cultivators.

The old lady gave Cole a glance before starting to talk, "I heard that your faction offers assistance on facing Heavenly Tribulation in exchange of several years of service. I wonder if this old lady can ask for that."

"That's true, but..." Cole reply to her and pause for moment before continuing, "...just like what you heard, we are 'assisting' you from facing Heavenly Tribulation, not 'blocking' the Heavenly Tribulation for you. With your current state, just a single stray of Heavenly Lightning is enough to take your remaining life."

Although it sound harsh to the old lady what Cole just replied, she knew more than anyone that what he said is true. Even the powerful body of Nascent Soul-Stage who were on the peak of their life could die from the attacks of Heavenly Lightning, not to say her decaying old body.

Of course, there were several treasures that could help her but unfortunately, it was something that out of her reach.

In that instant, despair consumed the old lady's body. Her holding body immediately lose its strength and she collapsed on her position. Dian immediately catch her and sat her down on available chair.

In addition, perhaps she lose her last hope, her situation deteriorate to the point that her remaining life force decreased in alarming rate.

A little panicked, Cole immediately said, "But its not like there is no remaining solution, only if you are ready to accept its cost."

As though the old lady already lost her remaining hope, she stand up from her seat weakly and said, "This old lady already lost her everything. Being old and getting weak is truly a sin."

"I appreciated it when you gave this old lady some time but I'll be leaving. I have nothing that can be use as payment anymore."

"That's not true, because you still have something that can be used as payment—loyalty." Cole immediately stated when he saw that the old lady is already resolute on leaving the room.

"Loyalty? If that's what you want, I can give it to you. However, just like what you imply, I'm dying and my loyalty won't have use to you anymore."

Cole smile as he reply to her depressing statement, "Don't think of your possible use yet because that is something that I'll have to decide. Just offer your loyalty to me."

The old lady shake her head, "I don't know what you want from this old lady but since you insist, I will offer my loyalty to you."

The old lady then face Cole and made a vow, "I, Lara Andres, vow my full loyalty to City Lord of Rising Phoenix Tree Nation in front of me; let the mighty Heaven be my witness!"

Instantly, Cole felt a strong connection to Lara in front of him. It was a strong connection that could actually control the life and death of person in front of him!

And although it was entirely different from what he could currently feel through his contracted beast, he was sure that it was a work under the mysterious power of Fate system!

But for the meantime, he didn't dwell on this matter. Instead, after Lara offer his loyalty to him, he immediately send her inside the Inner World and command her to sign contract made from the Devil Goddess of Hellish Condemnation and Divine Justice as another layer of protection to her soul that could prevent spying through mind reading abilities. She accept all his command with numb senses.

But after he gave her several drops of Spring of Life, not just a Water of Life, her passion ignited and return back to normal, if not more passionate!

For the meantime, he didn't gave her any responsibility. What her main concern is to recover her vitality as well as his former cultivation level and when she breakthrough to Void Sensing-Stage, she'll be working alongside with Fernan, Fernand and Fernando.

"Young master, thank you for this opportunity. I promise that I'll try to recover much faster and serve you fully as soon as I can!"

It was what Lara stated when he leave her inside the [Inner World] and relay the task she need to fulfill.

...

Mikoes has become the living example that the newly emerged faction do have a secret and way to somehow reduce the might of Heavenly Tribulation, even to the point that they seem to be able to boost the success rate of it by upto 90%. It was a percentage rate that already equates to full success to cultivators community.

In fact, the moment Mikoes show his intention of asking the absurd so called assistance, spy of every faction watch the whole facade. Most of them were included to several figures that Cole eject out of his territory because of chaos they cause.

Several hours on the very day that Greenbark Family and Red Tree Kingdom inquire about the Heavenly Tribulation assistance, several camps have appear in the edge of his territory.

"Young master, if I'm not wrong, those camps are created by several factions. There is a high chance that they were waiting for their companions and will attack the Towering Tree City." Fernand reported what he scouted.

Cole nodded his head, "That's not surprising."

At the same time, Cole receive a message from Silent Furnace, "Young Lord, two Tier-5 expert sneak and is currently heading towards your direction. Should I kill them?"

"I see..." he then think for a second before saying his command, "...but don't kill them. I will send Virgo, co-operate with her, seal those thief and send them to Bloody Servant. We must not give them a valid reason to attack."

"As you wish, Young Lord."

Cole then send his command to Virgo through their contract connection.

He also communicate with Bloody Servant as to not to kill the prisoner he's about to be received but he's not prohibited on 'treating' them 'sincerely'.

If not because he's worried about the commoners who can easily due just from the shockwave of Nascent Soul-Stage attack, Cole won't even bother to chase those forces out of the city but face them inside his own domain.

Although he already expected that he'll be plague with nuisance the moment he announce his ability to assist breaking through to Void Sensing-Stage, he still can't feel but feel annoyed when he's experiencing it.

But since it already happened, Cole could just amend those nuisance.

Fortunately, eventhough his plan on creating a force out of those who choose to pay through servitude for ten years is have yet to be achieved, or even take shape in that matter, he still have other answer.

"Dian, release an announcement to the whole city that I have something to announce tonight and wait for Sky Mirror."

"Right away, City Lord."

Sky Mirror was the named the majority of the city populace called the city wide projection. Since he can't just call it to what he's familiar with, he also opt to use what they gave.

Afterwards, he start to prepare on the move that he intend to do.

The City Lord is one of the most prominent figure in the city. Its status were above the rest that the size of the lord mansion is big, something along the line that need to be matched with their status.

Only, Towering Tree City is after all a poor city. Other than occupying a massive space, it doesn't have anything valuable. Otherwise, that former fatty lord won't leave it even if its a blade of grass.

And this wide space is one of the things he was occupied about. He was busy reshaping and changing the landscape!

For instant, he already change the small pond with best quality soil and spiritual water. He also fill it with many aquatic spiritual plants like lotus and lilies. Not only it looks beautiful, it was also full of value, or at least, it looks more valuable than the city lord mansion as a whole.

Although it wasn't much in Cole's eyes, the open space beside the City Lord Mansion were filled with treasures and the lowest of it were Tier-3, an appropriate and rare resources that could be used by Core Formation-Stage cultivator. Even a Nascent Soul-Stage cultivator won't be able to sit still if they saw the scenery that is literally made of treasures.

And since he has just the perfect assistant for this endeavor which is Silent Furnace the artifact spirit, he adjust it many times and to the way he want.

By the time the courtyard become scenic in Cole's eyes, he then proceed on his initial plan—transplant the Heat-Spiritual Energy Converter Tree along with the beehive of bee colony!

Without the chance to use and create a formation inside the Towering Tree City, the Heat-Spiritual Energy Converter Tree makes a perfect tool to enrich the spiritual energy concentration of the whole Towering Tree City.

Unfortunately, eventhough the said tree is powerful, it wasn't enough to enrich the spiritual energy to massive level. But currently, its enough since his main target for who will use the rich spiritual energy is the police of the city, as well as the needed spiritual energy from the spiritual plants and materials he transplanted in the place.

After transplanting the tree in the middle open space of the city lord mansion where it could acquire ample amount of sun heat, Cole enter the beehive and meet his contracted beast. He inform her about his plan and what she need to do.

In addition, since the spiritual energy concentration outside won't be enough to support to the whole hive full of Divine-Rank bees, Cole put a permanent spatial passage inside the Queen's Royal Chamber that connects inside the [Inner World]. This would ensure that the whole hive still have an access to the spiritual energy of the [Inner World] and the growth of the whole hive won't be impeded because of the poor state of the outside world.

After renovating the open space of the city lord mansion into something like a park, Cole then busy himself with another matters he need to address about the Towering Tree City.

For instance, he started to create a perfect cultivation spot that can be used by the whole city. Of course, eventhough Cole said that it was open in the whole city, it was a different matter if they'd be eligible on using it.

Those cultivation spot where something that something that he manage to see inside the Basic Book of Formations and Array. There is something that could be used by the starter stage of cultivation.

For instance, there was this special formation called Bestial Blood Refining Pool that could refine the corpse of the beast into very pure essence which will then gather into a pool. Cultivators can soak in this pool which will refine their body using the beast essence. Unfortunately, it was noted that using the Bestial Blood Refining Pool will be quite painful since its purpose was to temper the body through the tyrannical blood of beast race.

The Book of Basic Formation and Array contains knowledge about the regarding matter from Normal-Rank to Sky-Rank and fortunately, the Bestial Blood Refining Pool is once of those several numbers that includes all the Ranl stage. Therefore, although Cole think that the Bestial Blood Refining Pool is best for Body Tempering-Stage, it could also be used by upto Core Formation-Stage.

Just this Bestial Blood Refining Pool will ensure that the cultivator can temper their body. Although they won't be as sturdy as those cultivators that focus on body tempering path alone, they'd atleast be more sturdier than the others.