You Only See the First Layer

Xiong Zhong's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, filled with nothing but doubt.

"You said there were no experts in Yunxing, didn’t you?"

"You’ve completely screwed me over with this false intel! Where the hell did you even hear this nonsense?"

"With your level of strength, you’re nothing more than a laborer in front of these people, and I can barely even qualify as one. Looks like the center of Yunxing starts at the Saint realm at the very least!"

"Here on Dark Shadow Island, the two of us aren’t even worth a fart!"

Xiong Fen’s face flushed with embarrassment, his head bowed the entire time.

Using the pretense of wiping sweat, he discreetly scanned his surroundings.

The young men hauling bricks were all Saint-realm cultivators, their auras meticulously concealed—yet they couldn’t escape his exceptionally keen perception.

He stole another glance upward.

The middle-aged man laying bricks was even more outrageous.

Every single one of them was at the half-step Heavenly Tier, practically on par with him!

As for the other laborers bustling about, they were all uniformly Saints. Even the old man sweeping the floor was a Saint!

It really was Saint-realm as the baseline—finding anyone below that was nearly impossible.

Damn it!

Xiong Fen gritted his teeth in frustration.

He wanted to refute his son’s words, to salvage some shred of paternal dignity, but he couldn’t conjure up a single counterargument. His old face burned with humiliation.

What the hell? How is everyone here a Saint?!

While he stewed in resentment, his son’s voice continued.

"And that’s not all—the tools here are no joke either!"

With that, he subtly pointed toward a nearby shovel.

"Dad, take a look at that divine spade. I can’t even discern its grade—it must be at least Saint-tier, if not Heavenly-tier! And those iron trowels they’re using to lay bricks? Same deal!"

"These kinds of treasures—everyone has one!"

Xiong Fen’s eyes darted around in shock, widening with each passing moment.

One look was all it took for his heart to clench.

Heavenly-tier…

Every tool in sight—whether it was an ordinary shovel, a brick-laying trowel, or even the broom sweeping away debris—was at least Heavenly-tier!

What kind of terrifyingly profound foundation did this place have?!

"Tsk!"

Even the usually unflappable Elder Xiong couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

His gaze swept the area discreetly, his eyes flickering with realization as his expression grew increasingly awestruck—far surpassing even his son’s shock.

The father-son pair stood frozen, their faces a mix of terror and disbelief.

But then, a strange glint began to shimmer in Xiong Fen’s eyes. His initial fear gradually gave way to excitement, his entire body trembling with fervor.

"Son!"

"This is an opportunity—a massive opportunity!"

Hearing those eerily familiar words, Xiong Zhong’s eyes filled with skepticism.

"Another damn opportunity?!"

"Dad, snap out of it!"

Noticing his son’s fearful gaze, Xiong Fen smirked knowingly.

"Heh, you’re still too young. You only see the surface—the first layer. But you’re missing the grander vision!"

Xiong Zhong frowned, suspicion written all over his face.

"Dad, what do you mean?"

The doubt in his eyes was unmistakable—he wasn’t about to be fooled again.

Unfazed, Xiong Fen continued, wearing the wise and loving expression of a proud father.

"Son, think about it for a second."

"Saints are everywhere here, and there are countless oddities. Even Heavenly-tier items aren’t rare—and this is just the laborer level. If we go deeper, wouldn’t there be even stronger existences?"

Xiong Zhong nodded warily, a spark of understanding in his eyes.

"That’s very possible. Saint-level laborers are just the starting point!"

Seeing his son catch on, Xiong Fen leaned in closer.

"In that case, have you ever wondered why so many experts are gathered here?"

Xiong Zhong was now thoroughly stunned, his confusion growing.

"This… please enlighten me, Father!"

Xiong Fen chuckled softly, his eyes blazing with barely contained enthusiasm.

"This is where your youth betrays you. You focus on appearances without delving deeper!"

"Think about it—these Yunxing natives possess immense cultivation, yet they willingly work as laborers here. That means Dark Shadow Island isn’t just the center of things—it holds a tremendous opportunity! That’s why they’re willing to lower themselves to manual labor!"

Xiong Zhong’s eyes widened as the realization struck him.

Turning to look around again, he saw his father’s eyes gleaming with ambition.

"If we can keep blending in, forget the highest levels—just reaching the rank of a squad leader would mean we could return to Lanxing and dominate effortlessly!"

"By then, what would the Moon God Pavilion be? Even their Pavilion Master would, at best, be at the level of a brick-layer—nowhere near a squad leader’s standing. How could they possibly compare to us?!"

"Isn’t this a monumental opportunity? You only see the first layer, but I’ve already glimpsed the fifth—the radiant future ahead!"

Hearing this, Xiong Zhong’s eyes lit up with fervor.

"Dad, you’re absolutely right!"

"If we can become squad leaders, the Pavilion Master would be nothing! Even in all of Lanxing, we’d be top-tier experts!"

The words hit him like a revelation, filling him with excitement and admiration.

"Dad’s foresight is truly unmatched! I actually doubted your judgment earlier—how shameful!"

Xiong Fen waved it off magnanimously, his paternal dignity fully restored, his eyes brimming with pride and anticipation.

"Ah, what father would hold a grudge against his son?"

"Son, now that you understand, you must seize this chance and never falter like before. An opportunity like this—most can only dream of it!"

The heartfelt advice brought a lump to Xiong Zhong’s throat.

This motivational speech had him fired up, his blood boiling with passion—more potent than any stimulant!

"I won’t let you down, Father!"

With a solemn vow, all traces of exhaustion vanished. Even his empty stomach was forgotten as his entire body surged with energy, as if supercharged!

He grabbed the wheelbarrow and dashed off like a whirlwind!

Watching his son’s renewed vigor, Xiong Fen wiped away tears of pride and threw himself into brick-carrying, sweat pouring down his face.

In the blink of an eye,

the father-son duo worked like men possessed, their hair flying, sweat cascading, their feet practically sparking against the ground!

The other laborers gaped in shock, a hint of dread creeping onto their faces.

"Tsk, these two new guys are insane!"

From the terrifying work ethic of that pair, they sensed the ominous aura of ruthless competition.

Gritting their teeth, the workers redoubled their efforts too!

In no time, the construction site was engulfed in a storm of dust. Even ordinary Saints struggled to keep up as the scene devolved into a frenzied, sleepless labor marathon!

Not far away,

the squad leader stood dumbfounded, his hair tousled by the wind.

"Holy hell… is solitary confinement really that effective? Maybe I should lock them up more often…"