The Sky-Blasting Gang's headquarters, Heaven Dou City, Heaven Dou Empire.
Now that Yang Ming had subdued the Star Luo Empire, brought Beast God Di Tian to heel, signed an equal nonaggression agreement with the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North, and emerged safely from the Dragon God's Ruins—reportedly with tremendous rewards—the Sky-Blasting Gang's prestige grew by the day. Its headquarters in Heaven Dou City, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, had undergone expansion after expansion, becoming a sprawling behemoth covering thousands upon thousands of acres. Its vast complex now rivaled the imperial palace next door.
Had any other faction dared undertake such massive construction beside the imperial palace, the Imperial Family would certainly have intervened. But the Sky-Blasting Gang was clearly no ordinary faction. Throughout the entire process, it encountered not a single obstacle. Instead, the Imperial Family gave it the green light at every turn, supplying whatever personnel and materials it needed, practically groveling at its feet.
Meanwhile, the Sky-Blasting Gang spared no expense in pouring manpower and resources into towns and villages to establish nine years of compulsory education, spread literacy and knowledge, and teach ordinary people methods of cultivating Qi. As the people's minds began to awaken, countless young people with lofty ambitions sought to join the gang, causing its membership to surge.
Having learned from the raid on their home base while Dai Mubai was leading the army, Yang Ming clearly devoted considerable attention to planning their headquarters.
Security throughout the Sky-Blasting Gang's headquarters was exceptionally tight, with a guard every five paces and a sentry every ten. More than a thousand people served as guards, each possessing considerable strength, at least that of a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster. Even the old gatekeeper working the nine-to-five watch at the entrance