First on the Eternal Night Continent?

Had the Wind and Rain Tower—a name renowned for so many years—really been wiped out in some obscure corner without anyone knowing? Over the years, the Wind and Rain Tower had made countless enemies, but no one had ever discovered where their headquarters lay. Even now, outsiders had no idea which island it was on. Everyone had assumed the Dark Pavilion's revenge was merely pulling up the branches the Wind and Rain Tower maintained across various cities. No one had expected this... "..." The crowd stood in stunned silence, their expressions complicated as they stared at the four severed heads resting on the ground. Had everyone in the Wind and Rain Tower truly died? Certainly not every last one; the organization still had many operatives embedded within other factions. Yet there was no need to worry about them seeking vengeance. Unless their minds were thoroughly broken, they would never do so. From now on, those people would shed their double lives and become genuine, upright members of the factions they had infiltrated. The auction was about to begin. Chen Fan stepped back into a house along the street. Narrowing his eyes, he looked down at the Sea Embryo in his hands. It was a bizarre heavenly material and earthly treasure, shaped somewhat like a conch, yet made entirely of warm, fleshy tissue. Shao Qiu had not known how to store such a treasure. Seeing that the Wind and Rain Tower kept it in a jar packed with coarse salt, Shao Qiu had simply hauled the entire jar back. In truth, that was indeed its method of preservation—keeping it constantly stimulated beneath a thick pack of salt was a rather specialized preservation technique. Currently, two buildings in the camp could be upgraded using the Sea Embryo. One was the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion, and the other was the Heavenly Artifact Pavilion. He planned to prioritize the former to swiftly raise the cultivation of everyone in Fan Domain, as the latter was sufficient for the time being. Moreover, upgrading the Vehicle Workshop to Tier 6 required not only twenty thousand ghost stones but also one among several specific heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Having just acquired a suitable bone, he was now fully equipped to raise the workshop to Tier 6 as well. Once tonight's auction concluded, he would return and upgrade the entire camp. Meanwhile, in a deserted alley within Fan City, Shao Qiu slowly phased into view, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he threw a vicious punch into the air. "Ah, that feels so damn good!" Ever since his imprisonment in the Immortal Slaughter Holy Land, he had not experienced such exhilaration in a very long time. His soul had returned intact. His strength had surged. He was now even stronger than when he had first founded the God Execution Temple. Just then— He spotted Zhou Mo resting in a corner of the alley. With a look of deep satisfaction, Shao Qiu strolled over and smiled. "Pavilion Master Zhou, why rest here? Did anything major happen in Fan Domain during the few days I was away?" Zhou Mo looked up at Shao Qiu and said casually, "Been running around all day, so my legs are sore. Just squatting here to catch my breath. Nothing big lately. Oh, wait, one thing: Qi Yue officially joined Fan Domain." "And he achieved a ten-tenths body tempering and broke through to Martial King." "Ten-tenths body tempering?" Shao Qiu froze instantly, horror flashing through his eyes. He blurted out subconsciously, "How is that possible? No one can achieve a ten-tenths body tempering!" "He's a demonic cultivator. He broke through to Martial King using the Ten Thousand Swords Heart-Piercing body-tempering method. The whole process took three full two-hour intervals." "..." Shao Qiu stood paralyzed, his face devoid of expression. By the time he came to his senses, Zhou Mo was nowhere to be seen, having slipped away at some point. The elation that had filled Shao Qiu moments ago was thoroughly ruined. A ten-tenths body tempering was also known as a perfect body tempering. Jiangbei now had another person he could not kill. *No!* Shao Qiu closed his eyes, searching the depths of his mind. Gritting his teeth with stubborn resolve, he strode off into the distance! He was currently at the peak of Tier 9, poised to cross over to Tier 10 and become a Martial King. When he reached the peak of Tier 9, his unique cultivator path as a living dead had presented him with three body-tempering methods tailored to him. If he endured the third method, it would yield a ten-tenths perfect body tempering as well! Yet he had never considered it before, given its appalling mortality rate. He had been preparing all along for the second method. Now, learning that Qi Yue had attained a ten-tenths tempering, he discarded the first two options almost by instinct. He had to choose the third method. He, too, wanted a perfect body tempering! *** The auction officially commenced. The host was... Wang Kui. Chen Fan had originally intended to find a female host, but Fan Domain lacked any silver-tongued women, so Wang Kui took the stage instead. The auction took place right on the street of Fan City's marketplace. Crowds lined both sides of the thoroughfare. At the far end of the street stood a temporary platform, upon which Wang Kui waited with a small wooden mallet in hand. "First lot up for auction: an identified green-grade exotic treasure!" "'Item Name': White Jade Pendant." "'Item Grade': Green." "'Item Effect': When worn by an architect, slightly reduces the consumption of ghost stones during construction." "Starting bid is one thousand ghost stones, with minimum increments of one hundred ghost stones!" Wang Kui's clear voice carried over the crowd. As the words fell, a Fan Domain member walked up behind him bearing a tray upon which rested the White Jade Pendant. Chen Fan sat below, watching impassively. He had worn this pendant around his neck for days, but it was useless to him. Since he was not an architect, he could not trigger its effect. Yet in the next breath— "Medicine King Valley of Jiangnan bids fifteen hundred!" "Tianxia Pavilion of Jiangnan bids five thousand!" "One Sword Sect of Jiangdong bids ten thousand!" "Tianxia Pavilion of Jiangnan bids twenty thousand!" The price skyrocketed to twenty thousand ghost stones almost instantly. For a green-grade treasure, this was an astronomical sum. Several others who had entertained thoughts of bidding hesitated for a moment before reluctantly lowering their paddles. "Twenty thousand ghost stones from Tianxia Pavilion, going once!" "Twenty thousand ghost stones from Tianxia Pavilion, going twice!" "Twenty thousand ghost stones from Tianxia Pavilion, going three times!" With the fall of the gavel, Wang Kui smiled genially to stoke the atmosphere. "Congratulations to Tianxia Pavilion of Jiangnan for claiming this green-grade treasure and getting us off to a roaring start! Next up is our second lot..." In the crowd, Chen Fan gave the elder leading the Tianxia Pavilion delegation an exceedingly strange look. *Twenty thousand ghost stones? Are you mad?* An ordinary green treasure went for a few thousand at most. Gathering that many ghost stones meant slaying twenty thousand ghost creatures! To blow years of accumulated foundation on a single item... Yet on second thought, it made sense. A slight reduction in ghost stone consumption meant that as long as a faction endured long enough, the investment was guaranteed to pay for itself eventually, turning every subsequent build into pure profit. It was only a matter of time. Chen Fan did not know the exact percentage reduction; the panel merely stated 'slight.' He estimated it would take at least three to five years to break even. "Second lot! An identified white-grade exotic treasure!" "'Item Name': White Jade Thumb Ring." "'Item Grade': White." "'Item Effect': When worn by an architect, slightly reduces the consumption of ghost stones during construction." "Starting bid is one thousand ghost stones, with minimum increments of one hundred ghost stones!" Awkwardly enough, the second item carried the exact same effect, merely at white grade. He had happened to obtain both, and finding them useless, chose to sell them off together. He had not anticipated raking in a fortune from the auction, viewing it primarily as a means to build prestige. Now, however, he could permit himself a modest expectation. Ultimately, Tianxia Pavilion secured this second treasure as well, paying the hefty sum of nine thousand ghost stones. Being a white-grade item, its potency was certainly lesser. Strictly speaking, the price was an overpay, but Tianxia Pavilion was evidently determined. Perhaps they suspected the two items formed a set that might unlock some special bonus when combined. The third lot followed. Then the fourth. The atmosphere grew increasingly heated. Every item offered was native to Fan Domain; no outside consignments were taken. Gradually, the climax approached. "Fourteenth lot: one yellow-grade alchemy furnace!" "Starting bid is one thousand ghost stones, with minimum increments of one hundred ghost stones!" All eyes turned to the alchemy-oriented factions present, such as Jiangnan's Medicine King Valley and Jiangxi's Hongdan Workshop. A yellow-grade furnace offered an immense boost to their operations, making it one of the major highlights of the auction. "Ten thousand!" Medicine King Valley opened with an aggressive bid, skipping nine thousand stones right out of the gate. Yet everyone understood this was merely the prelude; it was a yellow-grade alchemy furnace, after all. Sure enough, Hongdan Workshop jumped in immediately: "Twenty thousand!" "Twenty-three thousand!" Medicine King Valley countered without hesitation. "Twenty-four thousand!" Hongdan Workshop clung tightly. "We yield," Medicine King Valley suddenly declared. The crowd stared in bewilderment. *What just happened? Giving up at twenty-four thousand?* A yellow-grade furnace for twenty-four thousand ghost stones was an absolute bargain! Had they been alchemists themselves, they would have snapped it up without a second thought. If this were a yellow-grade exotic treasure, blood would have already been spilled on the street. Furthermore, why hadn't the other alchemy factions joined the fray? People had expected the alchemy sects to tear each other apart for the furnace, only for it to end abruptly at a modest twenty-four thousand ghost stones. Soon, however, the faction leaders exchanged glances, grasping the truth. They were conserving their strength, keeping their powder dry for the main course. A great many guests had not raised their paddles once throughout the entire auction. They had not come merely as spectators; they were hoarding every single ghost stone to contest the final prize: The Architect Token. At long last, the auction drew toward its grand finale. "Our final lot: the Architect Token! An exotic treasure capable of transforming an ordinary cultivator into an architect!" "Starting bid is one thousand ghost stones, with minimum increments of one thousand ghost stones!" Before the words had even settled, paddles shot up across the street. The Fan Domain member beside the stage struggled to announce the bids as fast as they came: "Medicine King Valley of Jiangnan bids fifty thousand!" "One Sword Sect of Jiangdong bids seventy thousand!" "Jiangbei Chamber of Commerce bids eighty thousand!" The price surged to one hundred and twenty thousand ghost stones in the blink of an eye. For many factions, this represented the entirety of their liquid reserves. Ghost stones were needed for everything; few factions kept vast stockpiles on hand when expenses were constant. Yet the bids climbed unabated. "One hundred and twenty thousand ghost stones!" The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley held up his paddle and looked directly toward Chen Fan. "Domain Lord Chen, seventy thousand ghost stones, plus the fifty thousand quota from Fan Domain's Tier 1 trusted faction status—would that be acceptable?" "Of course," Chen Fan said with a faint smile. "One hundred and twenty-five thousand!" "One hundred and thirty thousand!" Chen Fan knew the token would be valuable, but he had not anticipated this degree of frenzy. It seemed many factions yearned to designate their own architect. One hundred and thirty thousand ghost stones... how many lives would need to be reaped to gather such an amount? Just then, a man from one of the factions pulled an exotic treasure from his robe and strode toward Chen Fan. "Domain Lord Chen, could you appraise this treasure for me? How much credit can I get for it in the auction?" It was an identified green-grade exotic treasure. "'Item Name': Enhancement Stone." "'Item Grade': Green." "'Item Effect': Applying this Enhancement Stone to any building will guarantee that its next upgrade produces an 'ordinary' qualitative change upgrade path." *A fine item.* While Chen Fan's face remained impassive, he mused inwardly that people truly kept their best possessions hidden away. He genuinely wanted this treasure. "It can offset twenty thousand." He offered a generous valuation. Even if the man failed to win the auction, Chen Fan planned to purchase it afterward at a high price. Even an ordinary qualitative change was something he coveted. "Deal!" The man nodded heavily, hoisted the treasure aloft, and called out, "Seventy thousand ghost stones, plus the fifty-thousand trust quota, and this exotic treasure in my hand!" A combined total of one hundred and forty thousand ghost stones. It was already an astounding sum, yet more people approached Chen Fan. "Domain Lord Chen." The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley, who had previously met Chen Fan before the Dan Sect city gates, stepped forward with grave earnestness. "Three years. For three years, Fan Domain provides the medicinal herbs, and Medicine King Valley will concoct pills free of charge, guaranteeing a substantial yield. How many ghost stones can that offset?" "Hmm... thirty thousand ghost stones." "Very well!" The Valley Master raised his paddle. "Seventy thousand ghost stones, plus our fifty-thousand Tier 1 trust quota, plus thirty thousand in pill-refining credit!" A total of one hundred and fifty thousand! "How much is a favor from the One Sword Sect worth?" Chen Fan looked at the One Sword Sect emissary and shook his head. "That cannot be credited." "What about three years of artifact crafting from Stove Fire Workshop?" "Nor that." "Why accept Medicine King Valley's craft then?" "Because our Fan Domain has its own artifact refiners. We have no need for outside assistance." In the end, the price was driven up to one hundred and seventy thousand ghost stones. The final victor was the Wang clan—the very man who had put forward the Enhancement Stone to cover twenty thousand stones. "..." Accepting the Enhancement Stone from the man's hands, Chen Fan watched him walk away clutching the Architect Token with immense satisfaction. Chen Fan touched his nose in silence. How could one even put it into words? He recognized that fellow. In fact, that very Architect Token had originally been sold to him by that man! Back then, the fellow had sold the unidentified Architect Token to afford a Skeleton Horse, only to turn around now and spend one hundred and seventy thousand ghost stones to buy it back. This served as definitive proof that while opening blind boxes was a terrible habit, selling them was equally agonizing—especially when the box you let go yielded a priceless treasure. In his previous life, Chen Fan had heard a news story about a lottery shop owner. A customer had won a million-dollar scratch-off in the shop—not a draw ticket, but an ordinary scratch card costing a few dozen yuan. Afterward, the owner had committed suicide. Supposedly, the owner had been bored and decided to scratch through a sheet for fun. Typically, a full sheet recouped about half its cost. Having scratched halfway through and won several hundred yuan, the owner assumed the rest were duds based on experience, so he set the remaining cards aside. Just then, a customer came in, bought one of those leftovers, scratched it, and hit the million-dollar jackpot. The owner had broken into laughter on the spot. That very night, he killed himself. If Chen Fan revealed the truth to the Wang clan right now, that fellow's fate might not differ much from that lottery owner's. Of course, Chen Fan wasn't petty enough to do such a thing. Though the auction had ended, the Eternal Night had fallen. Unable to depart Fan City in the dark, the various delegations rented rooms in the inns to settle down for the night. Chen Fan was unimpeded. The Nine-Five Dragon Chariot rolled out through the gates, plunged through the Eternal Night, and returned to Fan Domain. *** Night reigned. Standing atop the walls, Chen Fan pulled up a blueprint on his Eternal Night Lord panel: 'God-Slaying Cannon.' This was the green-grade architectural blueprint he had obtained from the ancient legacy along the seashore days ago. He intended to apply the Enhancement Stone either to the God-Slaying Cannon or to the city walls, dismissing all other structures for now. The walls were the superior choice. After all, using it on the God-Slaying Cannon would enhance only a single cannon, whereas applying it to the city wall would benefit every connected segment. Still, having never crafted a God-Slaying Cannon, he decided to test its effects first. At present, the camp lacked any Tier 6 cannon towers. The few Tier 6 towers he once possessed had been destroyed by the ghost king, and the materials acquired afterward had been used to craft seven Tier 6 towers on the Heaven and Earth Chessboard atop the Nine-Five Dragon Chariot out of concern for insufficient firepower when facing the Dan Sect. Consequently, the camp's strongest defensive towers were only Tier 5. A moment later, countless phantom lines of white light formed the silhouette of a divine cannon on the wall. As it absorbed the fluid of shattered ghost stones, it slowly coalesced into solid form. A cannon barrel materialized. It was no longer a block. Nor did it resemble a Ghost Eye. It was an authentic artillery barrel set upon a sturdy foundation, simple in appearance, somewhat reminiscent of an antique cast-iron field gun. Constructing a single God-Slaying Cannon cost one hundred ghost stones. This baseline cost far exceeded that of a Tier 1 arrow tower, which required a mere ten ghost stones. Expending two hundred ghost stones, he raised it to Tier 2. A prompt flashed before him: ['God-Slaying Cannon upgraded to Tier 2.'] ['This structure possesses no selectable upgrade paths; each upgrade directly amplifies its destructive power.'] ['No upgrade paths may be acquired through any other means.'] "Well then," Chen Fan murmured with slight regret. It seemed he no longer needed to agonize over whether to use the Enhancement Stone on the cannon or the walls; the decision had been made for him. At Tier 2, the God-Slaying Cannon looked noticeably sturdier. He continued the upgrades. He would take it to Tier 4 to gauge its power, and simultaneously check what materials Tier 5 required. If the mourning lantern could serve as an upgrade material, he would push it to Tier 5. However, that seemed unlikely. The mourning lantern was merely a white material, while this was a green city-defense structure, likely requiring green materials. Expending five hundred ghost stones, he raised it to Tier 3. Its exterior grew subtly fiercer. Expending one thousand ghost stones, he raised it to Tier 4. Mysterious etchings emerged along the barrel. "Wait!" Chen Fan's expression twisted slightly. How could advancing to Tier 5 require no materials at all? Expending two thousand ghost stones, he upgraded it to Tier 5. The barrel expanded, its etchings growing denser and glowing with a crimson sheen. His bewilderment deepened. Was this a bug? Or had the system glitched? Advancing to Tier 6 still required no materials whatsoever—only three thousand ghost stones. Did this make any sense? Arrow towers required various materials to advance to Tier 5 and Tier 6 on top of ghost stones. Yet the God-Slaying Cannon, while vastly more potent, required no materials up to Tier 6? Spending another three thousand ghost stones, he brought it to Tier 6. At last, the camp once again possessed a Tier 6 tower! Yet— Chen Fan stared at the panel and drew a sharp breath. Something had definitely gone wrong. This had to be a bug! Advancing to Tier 7 still required no materials! Only five thousand ghost stones! He poured in five thousand ghost stones to push it to Tier 7. Then seven thousand ghost stones to reach Tier 8. Still, not a single material was demanded. If there was one thing he had in abundance right now, it was ghost stones. So long as it asked for no materials, he would keep upgrading. He expended nine thousand ghost stones, elevating the God-Slaying Cannon to Tier 9. "..." Chen Fan stood in frozen silence. He had assumed Tier 10 would pose a hurdle, like breaking through to Martial King, and surely demand rare materials. It required merely ten thousand ghost stones. Naturally, he chose to upgrade. And... still no materials required. A notification popped up: ['God-Slaying Cannon upgraded to Tier 10.'] ['Maximum level reached. Further upgrades unavailable.'] ['Max-Level Effect acquired: "Send Old and Young Flying Together": Can enter Berserk Mode. While active, firing rate and destructive power are drastically enhanced, and ghost stone consumption is doubled.'] Simultaneously, his long-dormant Eternal Night Lord panel chimed again: ['You have successfully upgraded the structure "God-Slaying Cannon" to maximum level, unlocking your first max-level effect.'] ['"Max-Level Structures" compendium illuminated for the first time.'] ['Awarded one green-grade exotic treasure.'] ['Illuminating three max-level structures will yield a reward of higher value.'] Before he could process this, yet another prompt flashed: ['Ding.'] ['You have become the first player on the Eternal Night Continent to obtain a max-level structure, successfully triggering the achievement "One Step Ahead".'] ['Achievement Effect: Your movement speed is drastically increased. While within camp boundaries, your movement speed is increased even further.'] "..." Chen Fan stood dumbfounded before the cascade of panels, struck speechless for a long time. All along, the Eternal Night Lord panel had merely helped him construct buildings swiftly, identify blueprints, and appraise treasures. Beyond that, it had shown no further signs of life. And now... He was utterly bewildered. *First on the Eternal Night Continent?* *Is this bloody world truly a game?* He had harbored this suspicion from the moment he transmigrated. Whether it was the exotic treasures, the building process, or the architectural blueprints, everything reeked of a video game. The sole difference was that he had a panel while others did not. Consequently, he could easily decipher blueprints and treasures, while others had to figure them out through painstaking effort. Now it seemed this world had indeed undergone some form of gamification, only for the transformation to stall halfway through, leaving everyone else without a player panel and him as the sole bearer. A half-finished product. He did not know what power had modified this world, but that power was likely exhausted; otherwise, it would not have abandoned the project mid-stride. The Eternal Night had descended centuries ago. It was impossible that no one had ever raised a building to max level before. There was only one plausible explanation: He was the only one recognized as a 'player.' Without panels, others were not counted as players at all, meaning only he could claim these rewards. In truth, he had never possessed a cheat. The so-called 'Eternal Night Lord panel' was merely the most basic player interface, bearing no unique supernatural advantages. Yet in an environment where no one else possessed one, that basic player interface became an omnipotent cheat. "Phew..." Chen Fan took a deep breath, striving to calm the turbulence in his heart. The rush of revelations was overwhelming; his mind needed room to unpack it all. Of course, the world was unquestionably real. A power framework had simply been overlaid onto it, and the panel was merely an interface for displaying information. Others simply couldn't see it and had to stumble through the dark on their own. "..." After a long silence, Chen Fan looked at the panels before him with a wry expression. For the first time, he felt that his cheat had truly come online. More astonishingly, the God-Slaying Cannon required not a single material from start to finish. And subsequent tiers? There were none—it was maxed out! A complete Tier 10 God-Slaying Cannon required a grand total of only thirty-seven thousand eight hundred ghost stones. At this stage, the cannon looked remarkably imposing. Elaborate bas-relief engravings covered the surface of the barrel, exuding an enigmatic and unfathomable aura that far surpassed its humble beginnings in sheer presence. "Let's test its power." Chen Fan looked toward the rock faces on either side of the sinkhole. The stone there was extraordinarily dense, making it the perfect test target. In the next instant— *Boom!* A deafening roar echoed through the cavern, leaving Chen Fan's ears buzzing despite standing beside the piece. A crimson projectile forged of concentrated energy smashed heavily into the rock wall. The stone face detonated, sending countless shards and dust billowing in all directions. When the air cleared, a crater over ten meters deep had been gouged into the sheer rock. The tremendous commotion roused those busy within the caverns. Qi Yue was the first to charge out, but upon seeing the scene, he froze on the spot, his eyes filled with sheer terror. He knew better than anyone how tough that rock wall was. Even after comprehending his sword arts, he had barely managed to carve Chen Fan's name into it. Yet this cannon tower—a design he had never laid eyes on—had carved out a crater over ten meters deep with a single shot? If that shot struck him... A shiver ran down his spine. He would hardly stand a chance of surviving. "..." Chen Fan stared at the crater in long, contemplative silence. If the ghost king dared to show itself now, a single blast from this cannon would show it the true meaning of 'God-Slaying.' This weapon was legitimately forged to butcher gods. Under this blast, Martial Kings and ghost kings alike would be pulverized. Next, he decided to test it against a Tier 3 wall. He constructed a three-meter-wide section of Tier 3 wall on the open ground of the sinkhole. A Tier 3 wall had always served as his benchmark, as his jade cane granted him defensive properties equivalent to one. The Tier 10 God-Slaying Cannon swiveled toward the freshly erected Tier 3 wall. Another crimson orb of light erupted forth. *Boom!* This time, everyone witnessed the spectacle with utter clarity. The Tier 3 wall shattered almost instantaneously, disintegrating into a cloud of pulverized stone and swirling dust. When the dust settled, the wall was gone, replaced by a massive crater in the ground. "Are Tier 3 walls really that fragile?" Qi Yue muttered under his breath. In his memory, Tier 3 walls had always been towering symbols of resilience—the Gongyang clan's proud Hidden City, for instance, was constructed entirely of Tier 3 walls. That city had genuinely justified their pride. Yet now... why did a Tier 3 wall seem so brittle, crumbling at the slightest touch? "Phew..." Chen Fan exhaled slowly, pulling the jade slip he had obtained from the ancient ruins from his robe and immersing his consciousness within it. Once again, the ancient battle scenes along the Jiangbei defense line unfolded before his eyes. Amidst the imagery, vast numbers of artillery towers lined the ramparts, among which numerous God-Slaying Cannons were clearly visible. He had acquired this blueprint from the Undying Heavenly Master, who had certainly known how to construct them. Yet... Why were all the God-Slaying Cannons on those walls only Tier 6? Not a single Tier 7 cannon was in sight. Since advancing to Tier 7 required no special materials—only ghost stones—even if ghost stones were scarce, why hadn't they upgraded just three or four to deal with the bosses in the ghost tides? Were there other factors at play? He could not know the specifics of what had transpired back then. Yet he knew one thing with absolute clarity: The impending battle when the deep-sea ghost tide made landfall four years from now would likely need to be renamed—not a desperate defense, but Fan Domain's war of territorial expansion. So long as he possessed sufficient ghost stones, he could station a Tier 10 God-Slaying Cannon at regular intervals along the Jiangbei defense line, interspersed with low-tier towers to sweep the minor monsters. Who could possibly breach that line? Chen Fan looked at the green exotic treasure in his hand, the reward granted for illuminating his first max-level building in the compendium. "'Item Name': Fortune Whistle." "'Item Grade': Green." "'Item Effect': Upon blowing the whistle, luck is slightly enhanced for three breaths. A single-use exotic treasure." A familiar treasure; he had obtained one in the past. Without hesitation, he blew the whistle. The moment the piercing note sounded, the whistle shattered, transforming into a flowing pale-green brilliance that enveloped his body, modestly boosting his luck. Immediately following— He slammed the Enhancement Stone he had just acquired directly onto the wall beneath his feet. Then, spending one thousand ghost stones, he pushed that single meter of Tier 3 wall straight to Tier 4! A prompt appeared: ['City wall upgraded to Tier 4. Durability and strength increased.'] ['Please select an upgrade path.'] ['1: Endowed with slow self-repair capabilities, equivalent to one-fifth of the Vine Patterns.'] ['2: Intimidation enhanced; appears far more imposing in the eyes of living beings.'] ['3: Qualitative change triggered: Obtain a random qualitative change path of one grade higher (Ordinary).'] Before Chen Fan could react, the panel began shifting rapidly: ['Qualitative change commencing.'] ['Qualitative change complete.'] ['Qualitative change triggered: Obtain a random qualitative change path of one grade higher (Rare).'] ['Qualitative change commencing.'] ['Qualitative change complete.'] ['Qualitative change triggered: Obtain a random qualitative change path of one grade higher (Superior).'] ['Qualitative change commencing.'] ['Qualitative change complete.'] ['Qualitative change triggered (Great Wall of Ten Thousand Li): All city walls connected to this section will share this qualitative change effect. The walls may move freely within the camp boundaries like a great soaring dragon (Legendary).'] "..." Chen Fan stood frozen in stunned silence. It struck him that the synergy between the Fortune Whistle and the Enhancement Stone was absurdly overpowered. If the initial upgrade path provided by the Enhancement Stone happened to be a qualitative change leading to a higher tier, then under the three-breath window of heightened luck, it could trigger a chain reaction, climbing tier by tier until it reached Legendary—a grade of upgrade path he had never seen before. As for the effect itself... "Qi Yue," Chen Fan said suddenly, turning toward the bewildered cultivator. "Care to spar a bit?" "Ah?" Startled awake, Qi Yue shook his head instinctively despite not knowing what had just happened. "Domain Lord, you are an architect. I..." He trailed off, but the implication was clear. An architect had the weakest personal combat strength, while a demonic cultivator possessed the most fearsome. The two were not even in the same realm. How could they spar? "Let's test it." "Well... alright then." Out in the open clearing of the sinkhole, Qi Yue faced Chen Fan solemnly. "Domain Lord, you make the first move." "Very well." Chen Fan did not dawdle. Leaning on his cane a dozen meters away from Qi Yue, he gave a slight nod. In the next instant— The twenty-one-meter-long wall blocking the entrance of Cave No. 1 suddenly sprang to life, shifting with lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, it coiled around Qi Yue, completely enclosing him. The barrel of the God-Slaying Cannon was pressed right against his forehead. "..." Before Qi Yue could even register what was happening, Chen Fan vanished from sight. Looking up, he found himself surrounded by seven-meter-high stone walls, with the terrifying maw of the cannon he had just seen in action pointed directly at his skull. Chen Fan's voice drifted in from outside the enclosure: "Are you ready? I'm about to fire." "Domain Lord!" Qi Yue shrieked at the top of his lungs, his voice shrill and desperate. "Stop! Stop! We can't spar like this! I'll die—I'll really die! I cannot tank this!" He was a Martial King with a ten-tenths body tempering, an exceptionally powerful expert. Yet he knew with absolute certainty that he could not survive a single blast from that cannon. Whoever tried to tank it would die. "Just one shot." "Not even one! Domain Lord, I truly can't withstand it!" "Not even one shot, eh?" Chen Fan waved a hand with slight disappointment. The wall uncoiled, parting to release him, before Chen Fan directed the entire length of the wall to slither across the sinkhole camp like a giant game of Snake. Standing off to the side, Monkey and the others looked on in utter stupefaction. *What in the hell is this wall?!* *What happened to this world? Walls can run now?!* "Heh." Chen Fan broke into a broad grin. His grand plan for the Jiangbei defense line spanned one hundred and seventy kilometers—a staggering one hundred and seventy thousand meters in length. If he truly built it all, whenever someone rubbed him the wrong way, he could simply steer the wall right to their doorstep. A one-hundred-and-seventy-kilometer serpent of stone—whoever stood in its path would be crushed to dust. The only limitation was that the wall could move only within camp boundaries, and the towers mounted upon it could only target creatures inside those boundaries. Therefore... "Hmm..." Chen Fan gazed at the wall thoughtfully. Was it possible to mount ghost fires directly onto the city wall itself? He would test that theory later. Steering the wall back to seal the entrance of Cave No. 1, he issued an order to Qi Yue and the others: "From now on, anyone who enters Fan Domain without prior notification is to be slain on sight." He needed to safeguard this wall at all costs. Although the Legendary qualitative change was shared across all connected walls, its core lay in that single one-meter section. If that particular section crumbled, the Legendary effect would vanish with it. This was his very first Legendary qualitative change. He even suspected he might not see another for the next ten years; rolling a Legendary effect required terrifying luck. It had to be protected. If it were destroyed, he felt he would truly understand the grief of that lottery shop owner—enough to make him want to hang himself from an eastward-facing bough. "Shao Qiu," Chen Fan said, turning toward him with lingering enthusiasm. "Aren't you skilled in stealth and assassination? How about we give it a go?" "Domain Lord..." Shao Qiu's face fell, practically on the verge of tears. "Spare me. I can't test that. Not even a little." "A pity." Chen Fan shook his head with genuine regret. He had been eager to test the effectiveness of this 'Coiling Dragon Strangle' against a true master. Indeed, he had dubbed the maneuver 'Coiling Dragon Strangle.' A fitting name. The only flaw was that the walls were too short. A Tier 3 wall reached only seven meters high, and even the section upgraded to Tier 4 was merely fifteen meters tall. It was not high enough; what if an enemy leaped clear over it? If it were dozens of meters tall, escape would be impossible. Once encircled, even the most formidable expert would be crushed to death. *Simply absurd,* he concluded admiringly of the Legendary effect. Later, Chen Fan sat alone atop the wall within the camp, contemplating the possibility of mounting ghost fires upon the ramparts. In the end, he determined it was entirely feasible. Ghost fires could indeed be placed on the walls. However, completing his one-hundred-and-seventy-kilometer dragon across Jiangnan to march straight into the Guanxi Plain still posed numerous hurdles. For instance, altars could not be placed on walls. Furthermore, ghost fires mounted on walls would be vulnerable; if a ghost fire were extinguished at any point, severing that section of the camp boundary, the galloping stone dragon would freeze in place, unable to move the stranded segment. Obstacles abounded. Yet it mattered little; it was merely an avenue of thought to be resolved in time. Four years from now, once the deep-sea ghost tide was repelled, it would mark the day the one-hundred-and-seventy-kilometer dragon of the Jiangbei defense line marched south toward the Guanxi Plain. His Jiangbei line would shield the Guanxi Plain, keeping it safe from the scourge of ghost creatures—surely collecting a modest protection fee would hardly be asking too much? Chen Fan sat atop the wall, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Qi Yue, Monkey, and the others stood down in the sinkhole outside the walls, staring in stunned silence at the ten-meter-deep crater on the cliff face. Tonight had delivered far too many shocks. "If you were Tier 20, could you withstand that blast?" Shao Qiu asked, turning toward Qi Yue. "I don't know," Qi Yue said, shaking his head. "Though I suspect the odds are very low. Have you forgotten? This world belongs to the ghost creatures, and humanity's only shield against them is the architect." "Architects are the first line of defense against the ghost creatures." "No matter how high our cultivation reaches, we merely assist with trivial matters. We have no voice on the main battlefield. No matter how brilliant your assassination skills are, when a ghost tide strikes, could you assassinate a ghost king?" "You couldn't." "These structures were forged specifically to fight ghost creatures. We stand no chance against them. If the overflow damage from that blast were shared among my family, one shot would be enough to wipe out nine generations of my kin." "..." Shao Qiu said nothing more. For the first time, he felt utterly powerless; that single shot had obliterated every shred of his pride. Was it too late to head back to Fan City and snatch the Architect Token back from the Wang clan? He wanted to become an architect, too. It seemed that being an architect offered far brighter prospects. One blast from that cannon accomplished what would have taken him years of chiseling away with his daggers just to carve a crater that deep.