Their initial reaction was wide-eyed stares at Abdin. Then they all turned to look at Juwaira. Most of them had tried to recall where they had seen her before, while a few had already recognized her. This news changed their perception of the threat at hand. Was the castle and everything happening, after all, a ploy by Shurein? They had heard rumors of the princess fleeing from home, but the reason was unclear. Was it all a plot by Shurein to defeat Biyakis?

Kilod frowned. He could surrender if it were some strange cultivator who had come from a foreign land. But not to Shurein. Never to Shurein. There was an age-old feud between his kingdom and the Shurein Empire. Emperor Shen was the one who killed his father in a land feud two decades ago. There was no way he could aid them against Biyakis.

Juwaira's expression was deadpan. She had already known about Abdin's plan. It was, of course, a political marriage. Something that would certainly not sit well with some of the audience. But who dared to voice their dissatisfaction?

She cleared her throat when the stares wouldn't cease. The men lowered their eyes.

"Commander," Juwaira said. "I believe that besides the guild, there is also the issue of those attackers. They failed to kill you that time. Don't you think they will return?"

The pit left after the battle and the ruined wall still stood, glaring for all to see, just by the entrance to the castle.

The news of the commander's battle with those intruders had spread far and wide, just like the initial skirmish with the army during the first expansion. Many wondered where those warriors had sprung from and what their mission was.

At that moment, everyone present eagerly awaited Abdin's response. Who were the attackers?

Abdin nodded. "Of course, they are coming back. The Biyakis Empire is collaborating with these outsiders from another continent. They are responsible for the fall of Dikan and the attack on Dadiyan. They are the ones who caused the war between Shurein and Ura. It is obvious they aim to wipe away every soul in this continent."

By now, the expressions of his audience had changed from distrust to confusion. The question on their minds was, "Is the commander saying that we are under attack?"

"Commander..." Tairen spoke for the first time. "Why don't we seek help from Yusta'Diyum or Jud-Hawzan?"

Abdin merely smiled at that. Yusta'Diyum was currently in need of help. As for Jud-Hawzan, the cultivation sects were Yunus' stronghold. And how long would it even take for help to arrive?

"All the information I am receiving indicates that our situation is not unique to this continent alone," Abdin replied. "Another army had been sent to Yusta'Diyum and the cultivation sects in the east, including Jud-Hawzan. I don't have the full information, but I believe these two can defend themselves. It's a matter of how many people would be sacrificed for this to happen and how many cultivation sects would remain in the aftermath. My goal is to build a haven for us and our families to escape this menace. But to do that, I need your cooperation. Anyone who opposes this has the right to speak up now." He glanced at each of them as he said this.

For the third time in a row, their understanding of the situation changed. Initially, they believed Abdin to be an outsider trying to overpower Biyakis. Then, upon hearing about the wedding announcement, they thought he was working for Shurein. And now, they were hearing for the first time about an undercover army set on destroying the world at large.

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It sounded like a tale, but all of them were seasoned veterans, and each of them had suspected foul play after witnessing four empires warring with each other in such a short period. Abdin's explanation only confirmed their suspicions. Hearing it from someone else made it real for them.

"Leader San," Abdin called, breaking their thoughts. "You are the head of the lookouts. Renga, you are in charge of internal defense. You need to cooperate with each of the kings to rally their subjects.

"Cemu, you shall continue your job taking care of our non-cultivator subjects. You also need to cooperate with the kings. And Tairen, I need you to conduct a test and recruit scholars from every part of the castle. You are free to survey the castle and choose the right place to establish a cultivation sect. Inform me if you need anything.

"And you, Kilod, you are appointed the head of the census board. I want a full report on the population of my land within the next two weeks."

The session came to an end, and everyone left. Only the princess remained with Abdin. They were seated facing each other with a table between them.

"What appointment do you feel is suitable for you?" he asked.

The princess shook her head. "I don't want any appointment."

"How about becoming my assistant," Abdin said after a pause. "I have told them about our engagement. As my queen, your orders must be obeyed. I want you to keep watch on them all, especially those six kings. Report anything suspicious to me."

Juwaira nodded slowly. He didn't ask her to leave, but she understood that she was dismissed.

"Munniq..." she asked after a while. "What is she up to?"

Abdin thought about it before saying, "Joining the loop must be her priority. I have already foiled her first attempt. Now we have to make the next move."

Juwaira blinked and waited for further elaboration, but Abdin didn't say another word.

She stood up hesitantly, caught his gaze, and finally walked out.

The only way out was to kill Munniq and Yunus but to do that, he needed to strengthen his cultivation. He stood up and paced, knowing that Yunus was aware of every secret the castle held and would likely inform Munniq if they worked together.

What Abdin needed most was time, but would they allow him to have any?

He looked at his soul disc.

[Current cultivation level: pseudo-Deva, 12,307 years.]

Twelve thousand was substantial, but he needed fifteen thousand years for this mission. He pondered for some time before entering meditation.

Fifteen days passed by swiftly, and when he emerged, the expansion had already taken place.

[The castle has expanded again. Lives lost: 643.]

The castle was now as vast as a country, accommodating over a hundred and fifty thousand residents, with many buildings remaining unoccupied.

He ascended into the air and surveyed the castle from above. Some buildings were so tall that their peaks vanished into the clouds. The people were ecstatic, marveling at such wonders, and most of them were already absorbed in cultivating ki.

Spirit Ki grew denser with each expansion, consistently elevating their cultivation.

Abdin clasped his hands and chanted, summoning five hundred armored golems. They knelt submissively before him.

After telepathically assigning each of them a task, they melded back into the ground.

He now had seven hundred golems at his disposal. Unlike the first batch, which was all at the ki condescension stage, these new ones were at the core formation stage, with four to five thousand years of pol. Each of them was as strong as Tairen.

The castle building's gravel had also grown stronger. Instead of its original white color, it now appeared gray. Abdin believed that even Silver Mask would struggle to break it at this stage.

When he disappeared this time, he reappeared beside Juwaira. Leader San and Kilod were with her on the wall, discussing the best way to provide security from every angle.

With each expansion, the wall widened and lengthened. They realized that there wasn't enough personnel to properly guard it.

The castle would soon reach a point where Abdin would have to assign each king their domain. From that point onward, Abdin would need to remain vigilant to keep them in line, as attempted coups had occurred several times in the past.

"Don't bother yourselves about manning the walls for now. I have already taken care of it," Abdin said.

They quickly turned around. When did he arrive?