Five Max-Level Buildings Lit in the Architectural Compendium

The ancient text was a piece of aged parchment that clearly had seen many years, exuding the scent of something freshly dug from the dirt. It was slightly rough to the touch. The handwriting on it was already rather faint, but a line of characters could still vaguely be discerned: "Late in the year 382 of the Eternal Night Calendar: In Jiangbei, the Nether Ghost Tide ceaselessly makes landfall; great calamity." The rest of the writing was completely blurred, leaving only this single line distinctly readable. Currently, it was late in the year 378 of the Eternal Night Calendar, right at year's end. In a dozen or so days, they would enter the year 379. Late 382 would be four years from now. Chen Fan stared at the piece of parchment in his hands. After maintaining a stoic silence for a long while, he suddenly couldn't help but chuckle—it abruptly dawned on him that his enemies might not be very bright. Everyone in the world knew that 378 years ago, Eternal Night descended, plunging the world into darkness and handing the continent over to ghost creatures. Afterward, the land was renamed the Eternal Night Continent, and a new calendar was instituted starting from the year Eternal Night descended, known historically as the Eternal Night Calendar. Yet... That was only the common knowledge held by the masses. A far more secretive piece of information was that an Eternal Night had already descended once over eight thousand years ago, during which numerous factions across the continent drove the ghost creatures out. Virtually all ancient texts recovered today were assumed by default to have survived from that great war over eight thousand years ago. The phrasing "Eternal Night Calendar," however, had clearly come into existence only in recent centuries. How could someone who left behind an ancient text eight thousand years ago have known about it? The timeline did not match up at all. Couldn't they put a little more effort into forging an ancient text? Chen Fan let out a long sigh. This text was undoubtedly forged, and rather than being crafted by a person, he was more inclined to believe it was forged by ghost creatures—after all, it had been retrieved from a pseudo-human ghost. From this, one piece of information became clear: a faction of ghost creatures was watching him like tigers stalking prey, but for some reason, they couldn't make a move against him directly. Thus, they resorted to this method, hoping to scare him into voluntarily withdrawing from Jiangbei. As for why, he had no idea. What he did know was that whatever displeased the enemy brought him immense satisfaction. The more the enemy wanted him to leave, the more firmly he would stay. Guarding Jiangbei was the duty of Fan Domain. "The rainy season?" Chen Fan tucked the ancient fragment into his robe, murmuring thoughtfully. The other side hadn't attacked and had instead delivered this warning, which meant they were eight-to-ten likely unable to reach Jiangbei under normal circumstances. Were they confined to a special place and could only enter Jiangbei during the rainy season? Since he had no intention of playing into their hands, they would inevitably clash when the next rainy season arrived. Fair enough. A full year remained until the next rainy season, which gave him plenty of time to prepare. Two conclusions could be drawn from this fragmentary page. First, the enemy was likely not weak. They clearly harbored designs on Jiangbei, designs set to unfold within the next four years. It was unlikely to involve the snow lotus on the Nameless Mountain, as that bore no time limit; the fact that they explicitly pointed to a milestone four years from now meant they intended to profit during the ghost tide's landfall. Second, the enemy was likely not overwhelmingly strong either. Otherwise, they wouldn't be restricted to entering Jiangbei solely during the rainy season. "Domain Lord." Standing nearby, Zhou Mo interrupted his train of thought. "It's nothing," Chen Fan said, shaking his head casually. "What about the people from the Jiangxi Chamber of Commerce? Didn't one of them get blown up and killed by that pseudo-human ghost? After all, it was Fan Domain's oversight during inspection. Grant them some humanitarian compensation. I have other matters to attend to and won't show my face; lead some people to console them properly." "How much would be appropriate?" "Use your discretion. Eight hundred to a thousand ghost stones should suffice." "That much?" Zhou Mo froze for a moment. "Yes." Without another word, Chen Fan turned and walked toward the Nine-Five Dragon Chariot waiting nearby, heading back toward camp. He still had several buildings left to upgrade. He could actually understand Zhou Mo's reaction. It wasn't that Zhou Mo was callous, but in this world, a single human life—especially that of a hired subordinate—was genuinely considered hardly worth a thousand ghost stones. Human life was priceless. It could never be weighed on a scale. The moment it was put on a scale, it could be worth ten thousand pieces of gold, or it could be worth absolutely nothing. Anything that could not be weighed was priceless. *** Inside the Fan Domain camp. Having returned, Chen Fan walked up to the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion and drew a salt-filled jar from his robe. Inside lay a heavenly material and earthly treasure, the Sea Embryo, which Shao Qiu had brought back from the Wind and Rain Tower. Come to think of it, he hadn't yet asked Shao Qiu how he managed to pull that off. The auction had been about to begin back then, so he hadn't had the time to ask. He would inquire later tonight. Currently, only two buildings in the camp required the Sea Embryo for upgrading: the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion and the Heavenly Artifact Pavilion. He felt it was better utilized on the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion, as the Heavenly Artifact Pavilion had no urgent need for it. The next instant, after expending 5,000 ghost stones, the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion dissolved into a phantom structure of white lines. Once it absorbed all the liquid into which the ghost stones had liquefied, a brand-new panel surfaced before his eyes. "Spirit Accumulation Pavilion upgraded to Tier 5." "Please select an upgrade path." "1: Cultivation speed increased to 15 times normal (currently 10 times)." "2: Martial skill comprehension speed increased to 15 times normal (currently 10 times)." "3: Small increase in the chance of triggering an epiphany." "Mhm..." Chen Fan raised an eyebrow at the panel, a trace of surprise flashing across his eyes. Chiefly, he noticed that upgrading to Tier 6 required no materials whatsoever. Reaching Tier 5 had required the Sea Embryo, but advancing to Tier 6 required no materials at all, merely 10,000 ghost stones? The Alchemy Workshop, Artifact Refining Workshop, and Living Workshop were all derivative structures born after the white-grade wooden cabin was upgraded to Tier 3. Among them, each upgrade of the Living Workshop required no materials, yet offered no upgrade choices either; instead, each tier simply unlocked several new daily living items that could be crafted. This Spirit Accumulation Pavilion, however, offered distinct upgrade branches. Without hesitation, he immediately selected the first option: boosting cultivation speed. That was the highest priority. Without pausing, he pushed it straight to Tier 6. "..." Chen Fan looked at the prompt that popped up, his expression turning somewhat strange. Once again, he selected the option to increase cultivation speed—and once again, no materials were required. Upgrade! Upgrade! Upgrade! In a single breath, Chen Fan raised the white-grade Spirit Accumulation Pavilion all the way to Tier 10—max level! A final panel materialized before him. "Spirit Accumulation Pavilion upgraded to Tier 10." "Maximum level reached; cannot be upgraded further." "Max-Level Effect acquired: Exceptional Talent. Whenever a cultivator breaks through a major realm within the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion, they will receive a degree of protection and empowerment. For instance... when breaking through to Martial King with nine-tenths and nine body tempering, it will automatically elevate to ten-tenths body tempering." "..." Staring at the effect, Chen Fan was momentarily dumbfounded. Wasn't the max-level effect of the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion a bit too absurd? Granted, cultivators were not the mainstream power in this world, but for external operations and covert maneuvers, cultivators were still indispensable—such as in the case of the Wind and Rain Tower. And ten-tenths body tempering was exceptionally rare, not just in Jiangbei or Jiangnan, but even in a bustling hub teeming with geniuses like the Guanxi Plain. And now... Could he mass-produce Martial Kings with ten-tenths body tempering? He quietly closed the panel and looked at Qi Yue, who was sitting cross-legged with eyes closed in cultivation inside the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion. Suddenly, he felt a twinge of pity for the fellow. Nine-tenths and nine body tempering could be achieved simply by ingesting Martial King Pills. As long as one took plenty of Martial King Pills and made their breakthrough inside the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion, they would automatically achieve ten-tenths body tempering. If this guy had waited just a few days to break through to Martial King, he wouldn't have had to suffer through all that agony. Body tempering through Myriad Swords Piercing the Heart... Just thinking about it hurt. Poor kid. Having reached Tier 10, the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion became the camp's second max-level building. Furthermore, because he had consistently chosen the cultivation speed path, the cultivation speed here was now forty times normal. Back then, it took Zhou Mo a full year to break through to a Tier 2 cultivator. Now... It would take merely nine days. Of course, the ghost stones consumed by the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion far exceeded what Zhou Mo had expended over that entire year. "Not bad!" Nodding in satisfaction, Chen Fan chose not to disturb Qi Yue, Shao Qiu, and the others cultivating inside. Instead, he strolled toward the Living Workshop nearby. "Domain Lord!" The rhythmic clanging of hammers echoed from inside the Living Workshop, where seven or eight bare-chested burly men swung their mallets against workbenches. Dripping with sweat, Xiao Qiu noticed Chen Fan and hurried outside. "Do you have instructions for me?" "Nothing major. Just upgrading the Living Workshop." Currently, Fan Domain's Living Workshop stood at Tier 7. Upgrades required no materials, and it likely maxed out at Tier 10 as well. He planned to raise it to the cap in one go. Upgrading the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion to max level had cost him a total of 90,000 ghost stones. In the past, he never would have parted with such a sum. The Spirit Accumulation Pavilion wasn't an absolute necessity, so pouring 90,000 ghost stones into it would have been excessively wasteful. But now it hardly mattered; Fan Domain's trade routes had opened up, and the storehouse still held a substantial surplus of ghost stones. After the rainy season came the period of rapid development. His pace of growth was quite respectable, not slow at all. Upgrading the Living Workshop was relatively cheap. After expending 20,000 ghost stones, it leaped from Tier 7 straight to Tier 10, prompting another panel to appear. "Living Workshop upgraded to Tier 10." "Maximum level reached; cannot be upgraded further." "Max-Level Effect acquired: Skilled Craftsman. Items produced by this Living Workshop have a small chance of gaining special effects upon completion." "Mhm..." Chen Fan clicked his tongue softly. For now, this max-level effect didn't seem quite as potent as those of the God-Slaying Cannon or the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion. The Spirit Accumulation Pavilion remained the most staggering, effectively overturning the established order for cultivators across the Eternal Night Continent. From now on, ten-tenths body tempering would no longer be a rarity. As long as he had enough ghost stones, everyone in Fan Domain could become a ten-tenths tempered Martial King, making Martial Kings commonplace. "I've raised this Living Workshop to max level. Several new craftable items have been unlocked, and there's a small chance finished goods will gain special effects. Experiment with it on your own later." After leaving a few instructions, he didn't linger and strode toward the city wall. During the rainy season, he always enjoyed sitting atop the wall. Even when there was nothing to do, he disliked staying cooped up indoors; the air above the wall was much fresher. After upgrading two more buildings, a subtle change occurred within his Eternal Night Lord interface. "You have successfully upgraded the building 'Spirit Accumulation Pavilion' to maximum level, acquiring the Max-Level Effect (Exceptional Talent)." "You have successfully upgraded the building 'Living Workshop' to maximum level, acquiring the Max-Level Effect (Skilled Craftsman)." "The compendium entries for 'Spirit Accumulation Pavilion' and 'Living Workshop' have been lit." "Three max-level buildings have been lit in the Architectural Compendium. You have obtained a yellow-grade Lucky Bag." "Light five max-level buildings to receive a higher-value reward." Chen Fan looked at the new "Compendium" tab on the Eternal Night Lord panel. At a glance, hundreds of buildings were listed. Among them, he could only discern the general appearances of a dozen or so, all rendered in gray. Those gray buildings were the ones he had already constructed but had not yet brought to max level. The remaining buildings were pitch-black; he couldn't even see what they looked like. Three of the buildings were illuminated—the three structures he had raised to maximum level. "Mhm..." He nodded pensively. He possessed a wonder, the Star Observation Terrace, which was of yellow grade and had been erected at the very peak of the Nameless Mountain, incapable of being upgraded. He usually didn't pay much attention to it, primarily because its function was to monitor the movements of ghost tides during Eternal Night, and only once a ghost tide actually formed could it be observed. Outside the rainy season, ghost tides couldn't form at all, so he rarely gave it another thought. He hadn't found the Star Observation Terrace in the Architectural Compendium either, which meant wonders were not classified as ordinary buildings—or at least did not belong to the Architectural Compendium. "Whew." Letting out a long breath, he looked longingly at the vast swaths of blackness on the compendium. He wondered whether he would ever have the chance in his lifetime to illuminate every single one. If he could fill the entire Architectural Compendium, it would certainly look immensely satisfying. Moreover, reaching different milestones of lit buildings granted rewards. From the looks of it, milestones were set at the first building, three buildings, and five buildings. If he lit them all... Just how immense would the reward be? Lighting merely three had already yielded a yellow-grade Lucky Bag. Clearly, the value of the rewards escalated with each threshold. If he filled the whole thing, wouldn't it propel him straight into godhood? Then again... If he truly managed to illuminate all the buildings in his lifetime, would he even need rewards? By that point, he would undoubtedly hold absolute sway over the entire Eternal Night Continent. His only desired reward then would probably be longevity. After all, collecting so many blueprints would require scouring every corner of the mainland. Seated on the wall, Chen Fan looked straight ahead. He hadn't initiated construction on any building, yet countless white lines abruptly materialized before him. Gradually weaving together and solidifying, they formed an entirely golden Lucky Bag that dropped into his hands. He picked it up. The exterior was silk, exceptionally pleasant to the touch, with a red cord tied tightly around its neck. It looked somewhat like a fish-roe fortune bag from an oden pot. "Exotic Treasure: Lucky Bag." "Grade: Yellow." "Effect: Upon opening, there is a 50% chance to obtain a yellow-grade exotic treasure, a 30% chance to obtain a yellow-grade heavenly material and earthly treasure, a 10% chance to obtain a yellow-grade architectural blueprint, a 9.5% chance to obtain a yellow-grade wonder, and a 0.5% chance to obtain other items." "..." Chen Fan stared blankly ahead in prolonged silence. When he lit the compendium for the first time, it had rewarded him with a green-grade exotic treasure, the Luck Whistle, which granted a temporary boost to luck upon use. He should have saved it for an occasion like this to maximize its value. Still... That Luck Whistle had allowed him to roll multiple qualitative changes back then, ultimately netting him the legendary qualitative change, the Great Wall of Ten Thousand Li. He could hardly call it a loss. "Whew..." Exhaling deeply, he decided against opening the Lucky Bag right away. He would wait until he obtained another exotic treasure like the Luck Whistle. He had actually acquired a second Luck Whistle before, picked up while browsing the stalls in Fan Domain's marketplace. Since he had managed to buy one once, he could surely find another. That whistle had brought him the Heavenly Artifact Pavilion. Virtually every whistle had delivered something extraordinary. Then again... He held the Lucky Bag to his ear and gave it a shake. Hearing no sound at all, it felt completely empty, as though stuffed with nothing but air. Tucking the Lucky Bag into his robe, he drew out another ring. It was an item he had found in the ancient ruin, left behind by the Undying Heavenly Master. He had tried several times over the past days, but had never managed to open this storage ring. "Exotic Treasure: Storage Ring." "Grade: Yellow." "Effect: Contains a space approximately the size of a wooden cabin to carry items on one's person. This exotic treasure already has an owner, who has set a password on it. To open the treasure, one must verbally state the correct answer." "Question: What does one plus one equal?" "Note: Three incorrect attempts have been made. A fourth incorrect attempt will increase the lockout duration to 30 days." Utterly moronic. That was Chen Fan's verdict on this storage ring. Normally speaking, based on his understanding of fantasy worlds, shouldn't a storage ring be sealed by a spiritual restriction? Then he would seek out a specialist to crack the seal and open it. Why on earth did this storage ring have a password? He desperately needed a storage ring. Truly needed one. Right now, he stuffed everything into the front of his robe. While his clothes were roomy enough—cinching a belt effectively turned his entire upper garment into a giant pocket—it was hardly dignified or aesthetically pleasing. A storage ring would make life far more convenient. Having finally gotten his hands on one, he couldn't even use it. The feeling was like a eunuch visiting a brothel—infuriating and entirely futile. What baffled him even more was that when the Undying Heavenly Master left this legacy behind, it was clearly intended to benefit future generations. Chen Fan gave a thumbs-up in admiration of such grand vision, so why did the man set an utterly unanswerable question on the ring? Did he actually want anyone to inherit it or not? Chen Fan had tried three times, and all three were wrong. "One plus one equals two" was the very first answer he had entered, and it was deemed incorrect. What else could he say? It became completely unsolvable. As long as one plus one didn't equal two, it could equal whatever the maker fancied. The maker had the final say; it could equal eight, or it could equal nine. When the objectively correct answer was wrong, then any arbitrary answer might as well be right. "Forget it." Feeling thoroughly deflated, Chen Fan went to stow the storage ring back into his robe, but quickly pulled it out again. Taking a deep breath, he gritted his teeth and spoke aloud: "Answer: One plus one equals eleven!" It had suddenly occurred to him that the Undying Heavenly Master mentioned two great regrets in the jade slip: first, failing to decipher the blueprint of the Heaven-Piercing Pillar, and second, failing to hold Jiangbei. This might not have been a mere expression of regret; it could very well conceal the crucial key to unlocking the ring. The name "Jiangbei" consisted of eleven strokes in total. Furthermore, one plus one equaling eleven carried the meaning that if everyone united, one person plus another might look like two individuals standing together, but could unleash the power of eleven. The next instant, a flash of red light pulsed across the storage ring, and the text on the panel updated. "Incorrect answer." "Four incorrect attempts made. Lockout duration increased to 30 days. You may enter an answer again after 30 days. A fifth incorrect attempt will trigger self-destruction." "Idiot." Expressionless, Chen Fan shoved the ring—still blinking with red light—back into his robe, unable to hold back a curse. He truly couldn't guess the answer. He gave up. Perhaps a thorough investigation into the Undying Heavenly Master's life history would reveal the answer, but eight thousand years had passed since the master's demise! Leave aside descendants; aside from Chen Fan, practically no one across the entire Eternal Night Continent even recognized this architect's name anymore. Where was he supposed to find a biography? The ring likely held the entirety of the master's accumulated wealth over his lifetime, being the final stage of the inheritance. Yet he couldn't touch it. It was utterly infuriating. Once he truly made it big in the future, he vowed to buy a hundred storage rings, program them with absurd, nonsensical riddles, and scatter them across Jiangnan just to drive anyone who found them to grind their teeth in fury. If he had to suffer in the rain, everyone else was getting soaked too. Never mind. He turned and descended the wall, pushing the matter out of his mind. He intended to continue upgrading other structures to see if he could bring more of them to max level. Besides, through upgrading the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion, he had discovered that the requirement for heavenly materials and earthly treasures was sometimes just a single hurdle. For instance, advancing the pavilion from Tier 4 to Tier 5 required the Sea Embryo, but subsequent upgrades demanded no materials at all. That showed that once past the hurdle, later upgrades became far simpler. Yet this wasn't an absolute rule either. Take the Wind Tower, for example. That seldom-used green-grade building required a Wind-Evading Pearl or a similar treasure just to construct, and reaching Tier 3 demanded three Wind-Evading Pearls. Naturally, the Wind Tower in camp remained at Tier 2 without question. Where was he supposed to drum up three Wind-Evading Pearls? Did those things fall from the sky, or would a strong gale blow them over? Walking down from the wall, Chen Fan reached the junction between the canyon and the sinkhole. Standing on the ground, he looked at the newly built Tier 2 ground spikes before him. Constructing a beast trap cost merely 2 ghost stones, and spending 10 ghost stones raised it to Tier 2, turning it into ground spikes. Back at the old camp, these spikes had helped him considerably, but they were rarely used later on, as their effectiveness waned in higher-level battles. A Ghost King could hop up and down on them; ask what it was doing, and you'd find it was just grinding dead skin off its heels. Expending 20 ghost stones, he raised the ground spikes to Tier 3. "Ground spikes upgraded to Tier 3. Must be permanently anchored in place and cannot be moved freely. Capable of multiple triggers." "Please select an upgrade path." "1: Enhanced spike lethality." "2: Nearly seamless camouflage with surrounding terrain." "3: Accelerated spike retraction speed." He casually picked the first option. For cheap, mass-producible structures like ground spikes, any choice would do; what mattered was seeing whether they hit a material requirement before reaching max level. If no materials were needed, he would max them out. If materials were required, he would drop the idea. Soon, after consuming 50 ghost stones, it reached Tier 4, and he casually selected the first option again. Expending another 100 ghost stones brought it to Tier 5. "Ground spikes upgraded to Tier 5." "Maximum level reached; cannot be upgraded further." "Max-Level Effect acquired: Walking into the Net. Emits an aura that intoxicates ghost creatures, causing nearby ghost creatures to approach voluntarily." "Mhm..." Chen Fan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He hadn't expected them to cap out at Tier 5. Perhaps he could deploy a batch of Tier 5 ground spikes around the Nameless Mountain. A while back, he had hunted ghost creatures using similar methods. However, they had run out. Before he could harvest many, the spikes had exhausted their prey. He couldn't tell whether the creatures had wised up or the area had simply been cleared. At any rate, the cost was trivial, so he could lay down a fresh batch later. A single max-level ground spike cost only 182 ghost stones in total. "Tsk." Looking at the newly lit icon for "Ground Spikes" in the Architectural Compendium, he nodded in satisfaction. The sensation of illuminating one gray icon after another felt immensely gratifying. Four max-level buildings were now lit. Lighting just one more would grant another reward. What other building could be brought to max level? He glanced around at the various structures. Arrow towers? No, those devoured materials most voraciously. City walls? Even less feasible; upgrading those to Tier 7 required Monkey Head Fruit. Farmland? Mhm... that might work. Farmland upgrades offered no branching choices, so presumably they wouldn't demand rare materials either. Without lingering, he turned and climbed aboard the Nine-Five Dragon Chariot, addressing the Fan Domain member seated at the driver's bench. "To Sunset City." *** Sunset City. This city adjacent to Fan City saw no visiting merchant caravans. The chariot drove straight through the open gates, where Qi Chong, coated in mud, came jogging breathlessly out from the fields. "Domain Lord, you've arrived." "Yes." Chen Fan stepped down from the Nine-Five Dragon Chariot. Accompanied by Qi Chong, he gazed across the sprawling expanse of fields. "What tier is our farmland currently at?" "Uh..." Qi Chong was momentarily at a loss for words. Hadn't the boss built every plot of farmland in Sunset City with his own hands? Didn't he know? Of course, he didn't dare say that aloud, hastily replying, "Most are Tier 2 plots, with five plots at Tier 5. Pavilion Master Shao brought back a batch of Gu Mulberry Leaves from the Wind and Rain Tower, which can only be planted in Tier 5 farmland. We're currently attempting transplantation." "Right—" Hearing Qi Chong mention this, Chen Fan suddenly recalled, "Didn't the Wind and Rain Tower keep an exotic beast—a Gu insect variety that fed on Gu Mulberry Leaves to survive? Did Shao Qiu bring that beast back?" He only knew that Shao Qiu had wiped out the Wind and Rain Tower and hauled back a massive hoard, but these past few days had been so hectic that he hadn't yet reviewed the inventory. "Domain Lord, didn't Pavilion Master Qiu report to you?" Qi Chong asked, bewildered. What was with Shao Qiu? Wiping out the Wind and Rain Tower wasn't the merit; reporting it was where the credit lay! Doing the work without reporting was equivalent to doing nothing at all. How had that fellow survived in the underworld before? "He didn't bring it back alive," Qi Chong continued. "Pavilion Master Qiu said the beast died the moment the tower master perished. That kind of Gu insect beast is usually nurtured with the master's heart blood, binding them deeply together; once the master dies, the beast follows. Its corpse was brought back, however, and should already be logged in the warehouse." "Understood." Chen Fan nodded and dropped the subject. "Take me to the Tier 5 farmland." Sunset City was dedicated to large-scale agriculture and animal husbandry under Fan Domain. It had already begun to take shape, with various crops visible as far as the eye could see. Truth be told, Chen Fan wasn't entirely clear on what was being grown here. Many crops were requisitioned by Qi Chong from Wang Kui as ghost vegetation and subsequently planted. Chen Fan paid little attention to the area; had he not needed to upgrade farmland today, he wouldn't have visited Sunset City anytime soon. Guided by Qi Chong, he soon stood before a plot of land. The soil was an intense, pitch-black hue, fully tilled and planted with mulberry leaves and other ghost flora. "Back then, we brought back quite a bit of medicinal soil from the Dan Sect and buried it in these Tier 5 plots. Though they are still Tier 5, their yield and efficacy far surpass ordinary plots of the same tier," Qi Chong explained from the side. Upgrade! He didn't care for pleasantries; only two words occupied his mind: upgrade! Expending 10,000 ghost stones, he boosted the Tier 5 plot straight to Tier 6. Indeed... A whole tier in one go. Yet upon reaching Tier 6, the prompt for Tier 7 revealed a material requirement. "Note: Upgrading to Tier 7 requires 1,000 ghost stones and the corpse of any exotic beast." "Mhm..." Chen Fan's expression turned slightly peculiar. Other requirements might have taken time to fulfill, but this one... He pulled a voice transmission talisman from his robe. "Wang Kui, did Shao Qiu bring back a Gu insect beast corpse when he returned from the Wind and Rain Tower?" "He did? Already logged in the warehouse?" "Go fetch it right now and bring it straight to Sunset City. I'll wait for you here." Presently, across all of Fan Domain, only Wang Kui's identity token held clearance to enter and exit the warehouse. Originally, Wang Kui was supposed to guard the warehouse personally, but because a suitable accountant had yet to be found, he was temporarily filling the role of head clerk in Fan City. A short while later, a carriage galloped into Sunset City. Wang Kui hopped down clutching a bronze jar, jogging breathlessly toward Chen Fan. "Domain Lord, the Gu insect corpse is right inside." "Good, thank you for your trouble." "Not at all, not at all!" Frowning, Chen Fan tipped the beast corpse out of the jar and onto the plot. The creature was truly hideous. In appearance, it resembled an insect, but no insect looked pleasant when magnified. If scaled up—say, a cockroach grown to the size of Weiwei—it was indistinguishable from a nightmare. The mere thought sent chills down one's spine. This Gu insect was roughly the size of a fist, covered entirely in mouthparts. It was hard to imagine what purpose so many mouthparts served. Soon, the corpse gradually melted into the soil. Consuming 1,000 ghost stones, the farmland advanced to Tier 7. Advancing to Tier 8 required no materials at all. From there, the path was smooth and unobstructed. After expending 5,000 ghost stones, he had his first Tier 10 farmland plot. It was also Fan Domain's fifth max-level building. "Farmland upgraded to Tier 10." "Maximum level reached; cannot be upgraded further." "Max-Level Effect acquired: All Things Compete, Teeming with Life. The maturation time of any crop planted in this farmland is drastically reduced to one-tenth of normal." "Teeming with life indeed, damn it." Chen Fan couldn't help inhaling sharply. For ghost plants like the Flesh Ghost Mother-Child Fruit that previously required seven days to mature, planting them in this Tier 10 plot would allow harvest in less than a day. This... For any faction, this represented an astronomical leap forward! He had come to realize that no max-level effect on any building was ever lacking. This was the ultimate manifestation of a structure's potential. "Qi Chong." "This plot has been upgraded to Tier 10. The maturation time for anything planted here is reduced to one-tenth. Manage it as you see fit; just prioritize crops with the longest growth cycles for this plot." With that, Chen Fan strode toward the Nine-Five Dragon Chariot. A new panel had already surfaced before him. He planned to return to Fan Domain, sit atop the wall, bathe, change clothes, and burn incense before claiming his reward. "You have successfully upgraded the building 'Ground Spikes' to maximum level, acquiring the Max-Level Effect (Walking into the Net)." "You have successfully upgraded the building 'Farmland' to maximum level, acquiring the Max-Level Effect (All Things Compete, Teeming with Life)." "The compendium entries for 'Ground Spikes' and 'Farmland' have been lit." "Five max-level buildings have been lit in the Architectural Compendium. You have obtained a yellow-grade Heavenly Dao Stone." "Light ten max-level buildings to receive a higher-value reward." A Heavenly Dao Stone. What was a Heavenly Dao Stone? He had no idea. He did know about the Enhancement Stone, which the Wang clan had offered during the auction; its effect guaranteed a 100% chance of obtaining a "common" upgrade path on a building's next advancement. Combined with the Luck Whistle, that Enhancement Stone had yielded him a legendary qualitative change. Judging by name alone, the Heavenly Dao Stone had to be vastly superior. He refrained from checking its details immediately, choosing to wait until he returned to Fan Domain, washed, dressed, and burned incense. A touch of ritual made the payoff that much sweeter. "..." Before departing, he cast an eye over the sprawling farmland, the corners of his mouth twitching. To max out an entire city's worth of farmland, how many exotic beasts would have to die? Where was he supposed to find so many beasts? "Domain Lord!" Finally snapping back to reality, Qi Chong sprinted over to the chariot, asking hurriedly, "Did you raise this plot to Tier 10 because there's an important ghost plant to grow? Do I need to make preparations?" "No, just did it for fun. If you like, you can roll around in the dirt down there." Chen Fan waved dismissively and stepped onto the chariot. "Back to camp." The nine Blazing Dragon Horses neighed, rearing their hooves before wheeling the carriage around toward the city gates. "..." Left behind, Qi Chong stared blankly at the departing Nine-Five Dragon Chariot, then turned to look at the Tier 10 plot that looked distinctly out of place among the surrounding fields. The soil seemed to shimmer with an iridescent sheen, not unlike the marbled luster of fine beef. Vibrant and multicolored. Tier 10 farmland... Upgraded just for fun? Had Fan Domain truly developed to such an extravagant degree? "Boss!" At that moment, A'le came running breathlessly from afar, reeking to high heaven. "Where's the Domain Lord? Didn't someone say he arrived? I wanted to report on recent work progress!" "Stay away from me." The moment A'le drew near, a foul stench of pig pens wafted over. Qi Chong said helplessly, "You stink far too much. Aren't you afraid of suffocating the Domain Lord? Besides, what is there to report? Do you really think the Domain Lord doesn't know what you've been doing?" "That's where you're wrong," A'le replied earnestly. "Work that isn't reported is equivalent to work never done." "..." Qi Chong stood frozen in place, expressionless. He desperately wanted to say that those were his lines, but swallowed them back and sighed instead. "Tonight, come back to the Fan Domain camp with me. You don't need to stay in Sunset City tonight; I'll take you to report your recent progress to the Domain Lord." "Great! I'll take a bath later then!" A'le beamed excitedly. Sunset City oversaw Fan Domain's large-scale farming and livestock operations. Qi Chong was in charge of cultivation, while A'le handled animal husbandry. *** Soon, Chen Fan returned to the Fan Domain camp and strode into the cave, intending to head to his quarters to bathe and change. However, he discovered a large crowd gathered near the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion, talking in hushed, agitated voices. "What's going on? Why the crowd?" he asked with a smile as he walked over. It seemed they had noticed the cultivation speed was vastly faster than usual. After all, it was a max-level Spirit Accumulation Pavilion—no small matter. The faces were familiar; they were all members of the Dark Pavilion. "Domain Lord." "Domain Lord." Seeing Chen Fan approach, the group quickly parted. One young man stammered, "Pavilion... Pavilion Master Qiu is currently undergoing the ordeal of Ten Thousand Poisons Devouring the Body, attempting to break through to Martial King with ten-tenths body tempering!" "Domain Lord." Qi Yue also withdrew from his cultivation, stepping up beside Chen Fan with a solemn, raspy voice. "Pavilion Master Qiu is undergoing Ten Thousand Poisons Devouring the Body to achieve ten-tenths body tempering and break through to Martial King. I admit I misjudged him before." "He usually acts carefree and appears pale as though malnourished, but deep down, he's been holding onto this fire." "Since ancient times, practically no assassin has ever broken through to Martial King with ten-tenths body tempering." "Assassins rarely fight head-on, so their requirements for physical tempering aren't nearly as strict." "Yet if he survives, his future achievements will be boundless." "Enduring for the burning of an incense stick achieves nine-tenths tempering. Enduring for two hours achieves nine-tenths and nine. Only by holding out for six hours can one achieve a full ten-tenths!" Qi Yue was naturally a reserved and cold individual. Speaking so much at once was proof enough that from the moment Shao Qiu committed to Ten Thousand Poisons Devouring the Body, Qi Yue had acknowledged him from the bottom of his heart. Anyone who could be so ruthless toward themselves was bound for greatness, provided their luck wasn't overwhelmingly wretched. "..." Chen Fan stood frozen, his face blank as he looked at Shao Qiu, who was stripped naked and soaking inside a massive vat. The vat was brimming with a brownish-yellow broth, teeming with venomous vermin writhing in the liquid. Snakes, scorpions, centipedes, toads, geckos, and countless other toxic bugs he couldn't even name. Just then, perhaps unable to bear it any longer, Shao Qiu's agonized shrieks echoed from inside the pavilion. The scream was so shrill and wretched that everyone watching at the pavilion's entrance broke into a cold sweat, their scalps tingling. Chen Fan watched with his own eyes as a gecko wriggled straight into Shao Qiu's nostril. He almost felt an impulse to rush over and yank the lizard out for him. After a long silence, he took a deep breath and asked hoarsely, "Can it be stopped?" "It cannot," Qi Yue shook his head. "Once the tempering begins, he can hear nothing from the outside world. Any significant disturbance from outside would instead induce qi deviation. However, he has two chances to give up." "The first is upon reaching nine-tenths tempering." "The second is at nine-tenths and nine." "At any other point, failure while striving for nine-tenths or nine-tenths and nine will result in severe injury at worst; he could recuperate and try again later. But if he fails because he cannot hold out while pushing for ten-tenths, there is only one outcome..." "His body will explode, killing him instantly." "..." Hearing that, Chen Fan's cheek twitched. After a good while, he couldn't help muttering faintly, "Didn't any of you notice that the cultivation speed inside the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion has increased?" "The pavilion's cultivation speed increased?" Qi Yue blinked, taken aback. "I thought I had experienced an epiphany." "Epiphany my foot. If you could trigger an epiphany that multiplies cultivation speed fortyfold, you'd truly be a god." "The Spirit Accumulation Pavilion is at Tier 10 now. Its cultivation speed is forty times normal, and anyone who attempts a breakthrough to Martial King inside with nine-tenths and nine tempering will automatically be elevated to ten-tenths!" "There's no need for Ten Thousand Poisons Devouring the Body at all! Just taking enough Martial King Pills to reach nine-tenths and nine would have turned him into a ten-tenths tempered Martial King automatically!" Chen Fan was genuinely at a loss. Why on earth was he in such a rush? He had only just brought the pavilion to max level and taken a brief trip to Sunset City, and upon returning, he found Shao Qiu boiling himself alive. The fire under that giant vat was blazing merrily; toss in a few spices, and you'd have a pot of restorative soup. If he succeeded, well and good—he merely suffered extra physical agony. But if he failed... He would have died entirely in vain. It would make him the most needlessly wasted casualty in the history of Fan Domain. "What?" Qi Yue stood frozen in shock, sheer disbelief flashing in his eyes. A fortyfold cultivation speed was astonishing enough, but realizing that nine-tenths and nine automatically became ten-tenths, didn't that mean Shao Qiu... "Yes," Chen Fan sighed softly. "Let's hope he holds out. Ideally, he'll give up at nine-tenths and nine rather than stubbornly pushing through." He didn't stay any longer. Turning back to his quarters, he bathed, changed his clothes, and lit incense, preparing to inspect the yellow-grade Heavenly Dao Stone acquired from lighting five max-level buildings. Remaining at the pavilion wouldn't help anyway; the rest was entirely up to Shao Qiu. *** Having bathed and changed, Chen Fan reseated himself on the wall. Taking a deep breath with a look of quiet anticipation, he opened the Eternal Night Lord panel and claimed the reward. Instantly, white lines wove together in the air before solidifying into a stone. It tumbled downward. Just as it was about to strike the ground, he caught it with a swift snatch. He couldn't risk letting it shatter. The stone looked utterly ordinary, the sort no one would bother picking up if seen on the ground—rough-surfaced and quite heavy. He consulted the panel. By all logic, the reward for lighting five buildings should surpass that for three, yet both were of yellow grade. That meant this had to be near the absolute pinnacle of its tier. "Exotic Treasure: Heavenly Dao Stone." "Grade: Yellow." "Effect: Applied to any building, it grants that structure a 'Heavenly Dao Blessing' effect, which simultaneously applies to all buildings of the same type under the camp's banner." "[Note: Can only be used on max-level buildings.]" "Whew..." Chen Fan couldn't help grinning broadly. Exceptional! Truly an exceptional item! Though listed as yellow grade, he felt it could easily rival blue-grade treasures! He had always known that guarding Jiangbei four years from now would bring a "Heavenly Dao Blessing," though what that blessing entailed remained unknown. Now, gaining a "Heavenly Dao Blessing" effect here—even if the two were undoubtedly different things—the shared name implied this effect could not possibly be weak. Most importantly, unlike the Enhancement Stone which only applied to a single structure, this effect extended to every building of the same category across the camp! If applied to the city wall, for example, it would empower every city wall segment under the camp's banner. As for how ownership under the camp was determined, he already knew. Anything linked to the Tier 5 ghost fire in Cave No. 1 fell under his camp. Every faction leader stored a drop of heart blood in a porcelain jar; upon their death, an heir could use that blood to inherit the structures before the ghost fire shattered and the buildings collapsed. This carried both benefits and drawbacks. The benefit was continuity of construction. The drawback was... It invited covetous eyes. Throughout history, countless faction leaders had designated heirs and secured their blood, only to be assassinated from within, or ambushed and killed before having the chance to leave behind their blood, causing all their structures to crumble and the faction to collapse overnight. Currently, the camp possessed five max-level structures: The God-Slaying Cannon, Farmland, Ground Spikes, Spirit Accumulation Pavilion, and Living Workshop. Without question, he chose the God-Slaying Cannon. Defensive fortifications always held supreme priority; only when defensive structures held decisive sway did logistical buildings have any meaning to exist. Without hesitation, he pressed the Heavenly Dao Stone onto the max-level God-Slaying Cannon beside him. A panel quickly surfaced. "You have used the Heavenly Dao Stone on the God-Slaying Cannon, obtaining three Heavenly Dao Blessing effects. Please select one within one hundred breaths." "A building may possess only one Heavenly Dao Blessing effect." "1: Heavenly Dao Blessing (Awe the Four Quarters): The power of the God-Slaying Cannon is substantially increased." "2: Heavenly Dao Blessing (Sweeping Through Armies): Excess damage dealt after killing an enemy will cascade to nearby enemies until the damage is fully depleted." "3: Heavenly Dao Blessing (Child of the Tower): The God-Slaying Cannon gains defensive capabilities equal to the wall beneath it." "..." Chen Fan sank slowly into his rocking chair, holding his breath as he stared at the panel. He wanted to see whether the countdown would freeze if he stopped breathing. After a few seconds, he exhaled in a large gasp. Fine, it had nothing to do with him; the hundred breaths were not calibrated to his own lungs. His eyes shone as he evaluated the three choices. He had to admit, they were brilliant! Every single one was top-tier. Small wonder that even That Person coveted the Heavenly Dao Blessing four years down the line; if a basic stone was this impressive, the grand blessing four years from now would surely be terrifying. He wanted all three. However, he quickly eliminated the third option. While it would make the God-Slaying Cannon nearly indestructible, a cannon tower's core purpose was not defense. It could be destroyed, but before destruction, it had to output maximum value. The first option was also potent. Yet... His gaze lingered on the second option, his breathing growing rapid. His gaze lingered on the second option, his breathing growing rapid. Excess damage cascaded. This meant that when the ghost tide landed four years from now, and 1,700 God-Slaying Cannons fired simultaneously along the 170-kilometer Jiangbei defensive line, the cascading damage alone would wipe clean vast swaths of land. Not a single creature would slip through the net. The God-Slaying Cannon was originally a single-target artillery piece meant for taking down bosses. Using it on minor minions resulted in massive overkill and waste, especially given the steep ghost stone cost per shot. With this Heavenly Dao Blessing, however... It would become both single-target and area-of-effect. It was a vastly superior alternative to the arrow tower. It outperformed arrow towers by orders of magnitude and required no materials to upgrade. Though the upgrade cost was slightly steeper, quality came at a price, and he was more than willing to pay it. It was worth every stone. Without further hesitation, he selected the second Heavenly Dao Blessing effect: Sweeping Through Armies!