A Good Sculpture for the People

Chen Fan paused where he stood, then gave a slight nod. "All right, I'll say a few words, then." Leaning on his emerald cane, he walked up toward the stage. He really ought to say a few words. "Listen closely," whispered the Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion, who had come in person this time. Standing amid the crowd with a solemn expression, he watched Chen Fan step onto the stage. "For Domain Lord Chen to establish Fan Domain during the rainy season, he must possess extraordinary capabilities." "If he is willing to share even a shred of genuine insight, both you and I will benefit immensely." Beside him, Tianqi nodded with equal gravity. As for the female disciple who had talked back to Chen Fan in Jiangbei City last time, once Tianqi reported the matter to the Pavilion Master, the master personally ordered her expulsion from Tianxia Pavilion. Tianxia Pavilion was a renowned faction in Jiangnan. It boasted twelve architects in total, and its Pavilion Master was a Rank 9 architect. They made their living by selling structures and by building and maintaining architectural works for other factions. The Vehicle Workshop of West Lake Tower—the faction in Jiangnan that originally sold the Skeleton Horses—had been personally built by the Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion. This time, seven architects from Tianxia Pavilion had arrived, including the Pavilion Master himself. They had practically turned out in full force. Normally, so many of them would never attend an Architects' Exchange Conference, but not only were they hosting it this time, they were hosting it right here in Fan Domain's Fan City. Naturally, they attached immense importance to it. Below the stage, the crowd of architects looked up expectantly at Chen Fan, who now stood before them. "Everyone." Standing on the stage, Chen Fan swept his gaze across the faces below and said in a calm voice, "What I have to say today has nothing to do with technique." "It concerns the bigger picture." "I believe the factions attending this Architects' Exchange Conference are all prominent, reputable powers from the four regions of Jiangbei." "You must have building blueprints in your hands that you have been unable to comprehend." "Bring them to Fan Domain." "Hand them to me, and let me decipher them." "My method of comprehension is somewhat special, and it will destroy the blueprint." "In return—" "I will personally travel to your territory and erect one structure from that building blueprint for you." "Do you see that tall tower?" Chen Fan pointed toward the Heaven-Piercing Pillar on Nameless Mountain. The crowd turned their eyes in that direction, beholding a pillar hundreds of meters high that pierced straight into the clouds. In truth, before entering Fan City, while still traveling across the wilderness, everyone had seen that lofty tower standing atop Nameless Mountain from afar. It was just that by tacit agreement, no one had mentioned it. After all, Nameless Mountain was Fan Domain's territory. That tall tower might very well be some foundational structure, a secret of Fan Domain. Bringing it up out of the blue would feel like prying into Fan Domain's classified matters, which was never a wise move. Now that Chen Fan had brought it up himself, the curiosity everyone had previously suppressed surged forth once more. "That is the Heaven-Piercing Pillar." Chen Fan's voice rang out slowly. "A yellow-grade structure possessing unfathomable power. As for its exact capabilities, you may only find out when ghost creatures lay siege to Fan Domain." "Once, an ancient architect spent his entire life without ever fully comprehending the building blueprint for the Heaven-Piercing Pillar. I had the fortune of obtaining that blueprint, and I comprehended and constructed it within three days." "His greatest regret before death was failing to understand this blueprint." "I imagine..." "...none of you wish to die with such a regret." "Many of you likely hold a building blueprint you have studied for years without ever deciphering." "Hand it to me." "I will comprehend it in your stead." "Naturally, the blueprints will be vetted by designated Fan Domain personnel. Blueprints lacking comprehension value will not be accepted." With that, Chen Fan did not linger. He turned and walked away, disappearing directly into the crowd. This idea had sprouted when he overheard those young architects discussing blueprint comprehension earlier. Who knew if these architects were hoarding high-grade blueprints they had never been able to master? If those could be brought to Fan Domain, then Fan Domain's development would be even swifter. Chen Fan had already walked far away, yet absolute silence hung beneath the stage. No one uttered a sound. They looked at one another, seeing the stirrings of temptation in each other's eyes. It was entirely different from what anyone had envisioned. They had assumed Chen Fan might be unwilling to reveal core architectural techniques and would merely deflect with pleasantries, or perhaps sincerely share a few practical tricks of the trade. Never did they expect that Chen Fan wouldn't talk about techniques at all, but would instead put forward a proposal. Or rather, an offer: Hand the building blueprints over to him to comprehend, and in return, he would personally visit their territory to erect the corresponding structure for them. The Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion knitted his brows, standing frozen in deep contemplation without speaking for a long time. He held a blueprint he had failed to comprehend for all these years—in fact, more than one. But the one he kept constantly by his side was the one he had spent the longest time contemplating, and the one he most desperately wished to understand. If Domain Lord Chen truly could comprehend it and was willing to build such a structure in Tianxia Pavilion's territory, then it wouldn't even matter if the blueprint was destroyed. After all, once the structure existed, he could walk inside and examine every detail, allowing him to construct it at will in the future. This proposal offered him nothing but advantages. The only drawback was that it would make Fan Domain even stronger. Any structure that could not be comprehended in a short time was no ordinary building; it couldn't possibly be white-grade, and at the very least, it would be green-grade. Moreover, it would be an exceedingly rare structure. Such buildings were never weak in effect. No faction liked watching another power suddenly rise or grow stronger, especially when that newfound strength stemmed from surrendering one's own blueprint. Yet if that faction was Fan Domain, that was a different matter entirely. The reason was simple: Fan Domain was already formidable. Becoming slightly stronger made little difference, and at the very least, Tianxia Pavilion would grow stronger alongside it. It was a win-win. Human nature was like that. People were unwilling to share a mutual victory with someone of equal standing, preferring to lose together instead. But when dealing with someone vastly more powerful than themselves, they suddenly became willing to pursue a win-win. And in their eyes, Fan Domain happened to be precisely that—a power far above them. Whether it was slaying a ghost king or establishing the Silk Road, these were feats none of their factions could achieve. Even the annihilation of the Wind and Rain Tower just a few days ago had been the work of Fan Domain's Dark Pavilion. The Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion glanced around and nodded thoughtfully, saying nothing. He could tell that quite a few people were tempted. Furthermore, only Fan Domain could spearhead such an initiative. If Tianxia Pavilion tried to do so, no one would pay them any heed; many factions wouldn't want to see Tianxia Pavilion grow stronger, nor did Tianxia Pavilion have the capability. Comprehending a yellow-grade building blueprint within three days was something he could never pull off. To become the faction leading this, two requirements had to be met: First, an extraordinarily high capacity for comprehension, capable of deciphering a blueprint in short order. Second, sufficient prestige and strength, such that others wouldn't begrudge seeing them grow even stronger. Fan Domain happened to satisfy both. Barring any surprises, this seemingly outlandish proposal would soon be put into action. At every annual Architects' Exchange Conference, architects from all sides exchanged ideas. Even if two factions had conflicts and friction in daily life, their architects would converse here without mentioning past grievances. Even if their respective factions were due to go to war shortly after leaving, while here, they set aside hatred and the past. This was a consensus among all architects. It couldn't be helped; architecture was a trade that depended heavily on information. Only by keeping channels of communication open could one grow rapidly. Otherwise, shutting oneself away to study in seclusion wouldn't yield much even in a lifetime. Even so, at a conference like this, no architect would ever bring out a blueprint they had struggled with for years just to let someone else decipher it. Soon, the next person took the stage to share, but this time the audience listened rather absently, their thoughts clearly still lingering on Domain Lord Chen's proposal. "Young Master." By now, Chen Fan had already departed from the Architects' Exchange Conference and was heading toward the Fan Domain camp. Sitting in the driver's seat of the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage, Sick Monkey asked somewhat uncertainly, "Young Master, do you think they'll agree?" Though he wasn't an architect, he knew what a building blueprint meant to one. Surrendering a blueprint one had spent years trying to decipher to someone else was not just a matter of practical benefit; it was a psychological struggle. It was like courting a goddess for years without winning her hand, only to suddenly yield her to someone else. That was naturally hard to swallow. "Any faction with a shred of sense will agree. As for the foolish ones, that's another story," Chen Fan remarked casually from inside the carriage. According to his observations, these architects did not actually need the blueprint in hand when constructing a building. The blueprint was merely a tool that helped an architect understand the structure. He, on the other hand, was different. To build a structure, he had to crush the blueprint and assimilate it into the Eternal Night Lord panel. Thus, there was no real conflict between the two sides. Those factions would hand the blueprints over to him, and he would travel to their territory to erect a corresponding building for them to study at their leisure. Once they understood it, their architects would be able to build it themselves, even without the blueprint. It was a win-win. A win-win seemed like a wonderful outcome, but in reality, quite a few people disliked win-wins; they preferred winning alone, or seeing both sides go down together. So he wasn't certain how many would accept the proposal, but he felt sure someone would. At least he had seen that the Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion seemed tempted, and that master was his primary target. After all, Tianxia Pavilion was an architect faction boasting twelve architects, much like the Dan Sect was for alchemists. They were bound to possess many blueprints they couldn't decipher, and those high-value blueprints were precisely his targets. Before long, instead of driving into the canyon, the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage climbed up Nameless Mountain and halted beneath the Heaven-Piercing Pillar. Sick Monkey remained behind while Chen Fan walked into the Heaven-Piercing Pillar alone. Pressing an internal button, the stone slab beneath his feet carried him all the way upward until he reached the platform at the very summit of the pillar. This place was hundreds of meters above the ground. Looking out from here, the people in Fan City appeared like tiny ants. The Heaven-Piercing Pillar was a yellow-grade structure whose effect was to absorb lightning during the rainy season and discharge it outward, akin to an enhanced lightning rod. It had not been activated yet, mainly because there had been no opportunity for it to absorb lightning. This lightning absorption wasn't limited to the rainy season either. On ordinary days, it also rained in Jiangbei; it just wouldn't last a full month. The lightning from those thunderstorms could likewise be absorbed by the Heaven-Piercing Pillar. It was just that ever since the last rainy season ended, not a drop of rain had fallen over Jiangbei. "It really is a bit high," Chen Fan murmured, standing in the center without approaching the edge as he gazed down at Fan City in the distance. Walls could not be built atop the Heaven-Piercing Pillar; otherwise, ringing the edge of the summit platform with walls would have made it feel far less dangerous. It was a fine viewing terrace, provided one didn't fear heights. Having had some leisure lately, he had developed two great pastimes: One was spacing out atop the Heaven-Piercing Pillar. The view from here was exceptional, and the scenery was magnificent. The other was inspecting the max-level buildings he had illuminated in the Architectural Compendium. There were five in total, and just looking at them gave him a sense of accomplishment. To obtain the next stage's reward, he needed to illuminate five more max-level buildings, which wouldn't happen anytime soon. Sick Monkey hadn't come up with him. That fellow had a rather severe fear of heights; the last time he joined Chen Fan up here, standing on the platform had left his legs like jelly, barely able to stand, his face turning pale. Right then, the voice transmission talisman in his robe suddenly grew warm. Taking it in hand, Hou's voice came through: "Young Master, word just came from Fan City. They say the Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion wants to offer a building blueprint for you to comprehend, Young Master." "Understood." Chen Fan broke into a smile. Not bad; his words had borne fruit. Ever since Tianqi approached him last time to invite him to the conference, and Chen Fan didn't see the woman who had snapped at him by Tianqi's side, he had known that Tianxia Pavilion knew how to conduct business. Still, he had wanted to say it many times: that fellow's name felt rather arrogant... Tianqi—Apocalypse... "I'll be right down. Head back to Fan City." Tucking the voice transmission talisman back into his robe, Chen Fan swiftly returned to the base of the Heaven-Piercing Pillar, boarded the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage, and rode toward Fan City. The reason he had come to the Heaven-Piercing Pillar after proposing that offer on stage before the conference ended was, in truth, an act of avoidance. When facing an unknown outcome, he preferred not to confront it too directly, wanting to give himself a buffer period. Just like whenever he rolled for a qualitative change upgrade direction, he always liked to bathe and change into clean clothes first. In truth, he knew perfectly well that those actions didn't actually bring him much luck, but they alleviated a bit of his mild anxiety. Reason told him that the plan he proposed was an absolute win-win for all factions. Yet not everything unfolded according to reason. He had also worried that no faction would pay him any mind, which would make things terribly awkward. So he had slipped off to hang out at the Heaven-Piercing Pillar for a bit; if someone responded, he would head back. Naturally, he would never mention this to anyone—it was far too embarrassing. His excuse to Sick Monkey had been that he simply wanted to view the scenery from the pillar and take a breather. Inside a shop in Fan City, Chen Fan sat before a table, looking at the old man across from him. This elder was the Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion. He appeared to be in his seventies or eighties, his face lined with deep wrinkles and his hair snow-white. "A Rank 9 architect." Chen Fan smiled as he poured a cup of tea for the elder. "Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion, your fame precedes you. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation." "Domain Lord Chen," the old man replied with a wry smile. "Let us not mention such titles before you. There is, however, one thing I am quite curious about. What rank of architect are you, Domain Lord Chen? It seems you have never revealed this to the outside world." Chen Fan didn't answer immediately. He merely smiled. "A bit higher than you, I suppose." What rank was he? He wasn't an architect at all. Properly speaking, he was currently a Rank 2 cultivator who had yet to break through to Rank 3. The old man wasn't particularly surprised by the answer; although he didn't know Chen Fan's exact rank, it had to be higher than his own. Without beating around the bush any further, he solemnly retrieved a building blueprint from his robes and placed it on the table. "Domain Lord Chen, your proposal moved me deeply." "I know that comprehending a building blueprint consumes immense time, mental energy, and ghost stones. For you to be willing to help everyone decipher them demonstrates great vision." "This building blueprint... I have studied it for thirty-seven years." "By the twentieth year, I wanted to give up. I had tried countless times, expending at least a hundred thousand ghost stones to decipher it, yet made little progress." "But when I thought of all the time, energy, and ghost stones I had already poured into it, giving up then would mean throwing everything away. So I pressed on." "By the twenty-fifth year, I regretted it. I should have given up long before. Yet giving up then meant losing even more, so I kept studying. Until now, I simply cannot let it go." "I am seventy-eight years old now, with only a few years left to live." "I used to think I might never comprehend this blueprint in my lifetime. Just as you said, Domain Lord Chen, for an architect to spend an entire lifetime studying a blueprint only to die without deciphering it would indeed be the greatest regret before death." "Would you take a look, Domain Lord Chen, to see if this blueprint catches your eye?" "Let me see." Chen Fan took the blueprint, cleared his throat lightly, and made a show of examining it up and down. In reality, he was simply looking at the panel before his eyes. [Exotic Treasure Name: Soul-Devouring Sculpture] [Exotic Treasure Grade: Yellow] [Exotic Treasure Effect: Sculpture-type building blueprint. Placing it in the camp grants buff effects to camp members.] A yellow-grade building blueprint. Blueprints of this grade were quite rare even in Fan Domain; Fan Domain currently possessed very few yellow-grade structures. "This is rather difficult." After a long pause, Chen Fan frowned. "This structure is relatively complex. Comprehending it will take considerable mental strain and cost me a fair number of ghost stones." "I'll have to return to the camp to see the exact specifics, but I should be able to finish deciphering it within three days." "If you're not in a hurry, you can wait for me in Fan Domain for three days, and I'll give you an answer then." "If comprehension fails, the blueprint will be returned to you intact." "Very well." The old man nodded, letting out a long breath of relief before standing up. He looked earnestly at Chen Fan. "Then I leave it in your hands, Domain Lord Chen. If the structure on this blueprint can truly be built, I will have no regrets in this life, even in death." With that, he turned and took his leave. Chen Fan watched the departing figure of the Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion, a smile finally creeping uncontrollably onto his face. This was the advantage of being famous. Fame was a double-edged sword; it brought drawbacks, but also undeniable perks. Take right now: a yellow-grade building blueprint—something that only had a chance of dropping from a creature on the level of a ghost king—had been delivered straight into his hands for nothing. He didn't need to spend a single copper, yet the other party still thanked him for his trouble. It felt somewhat like... ...the Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion being infertile and unable to conceive, sending his wife over asking Chen Fan to help out, and then showering him with gratitude afterward. It was precisely that sort of feeling. Studying it for thirty-seven years without comprehending it—how immense must that regret be? He would probably be dwelling on it even on his deathbed. Wait. Chen Fan suddenly paused. Thirty-seven years? That number sounded familiar. The last time Jiangbei's rainy season arrived early had been thirty-seven years ago. It seemed this yellow-grade blueprint of the Pavilion Master's had been obtained back then. Before long, news that the Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion had handed over a yellow-grade building blueprint for Chen Fan to comprehend spread throughout the entire Architects' Exchange Conference. More and more architects came knocking at his door. With someone leading the way, things proceeded far more smoothly. Those who had previously treasured green-grade blueprints they had hidden and failed to comprehend for years immediately cast aside their reservations upon seeing that the Pavilion Master had surrendered even a yellow-grade blueprint. When someone had handed over a yellow-grade blueprint, clutching a green-grade one like a treasure would just look petty. For a time, the shop Chen Fan occupied grew packed to bursting. Chen Fan looked at the apprehensive architect standing before him and shook his head helplessly. "This lacks comprehension value. It's just a bear trap, very simple. Do you see the Rank 2 ground spikes sold in the marketplace? That's an upgraded version of the bear trap. Go buy one and study it slowly at home." This was the seventh architect he had received, and the seventh incomprehensible blueprint he had seen. The Pavilion Master was the first. Out of the seven, he had only accepted the Pavilion Master's blueprint; the blueprints of the rest had zero comprehension value. Having "zero comprehension value" simply meant he already possessed them. If he already had them, why on earth would he want another? After all, he wasn't pulling a scam out of thin air—he still had to travel to their territories to construct the corresponding building, and running back and forth consumed considerable time, didn't it? Especially the blueprint this architect had handed him: a bear trap. He truly felt rather exasperated. The drawing on this blueprint was crystal clear, plainly depicting a bear trap. Was this really that hard to decipher...? He could understand failing to decipher the Heaven-Piercing Pillar; its blueprint was far too abstract, condensing a pillar hundreds of meters high onto a single sheet. That was genuinely hard to understand. But could a bear trap really be that difficult? "Thank you for the guidance, Domain Lord Chen. I'll go check the marketplace." The young architect gave an awkward nod, clutched the blueprint to his chest, and walked out of the room. The moment he stepped outside, a crowd swarmed him. "How did it go? What happened?" "He didn't take it." The young architect shook his head, whispering awkwardly, "Domain Lord Chen said the building from my blueprint is sold in the marketplace, and told me to buy one and study it slowly myself..." Immediately after, the next architect in line retrieved a blueprint from his robe and walked inside. Fan City marketplace. Clutching the "bear trap" blueprint in his arms, the young architect squatted before a stall, his eyes rimmed with red. He almost felt like crying. Three years ago. His master had returned heavily wounded. Without saying a word, he had simply thrust this blueprint into his arms, telling him on his deathbed that he had risked his life to snatch it back and that he had to study and decipher it with all his heart. His master hadn't been an architect. Nor did his master understand architecture. Yet his master was the one person who had treated him well. Ever since then, he had spent every day trying to comprehend this blueprint. He could guess it was a type of trap, and it looked glaringly simple, yet every time he tried to build it, it collapsed and failed to solidify. He could never pinpoint the cause. It was only when he heard Domain Lord Chen's proposal at this year's conference that he hoped to fulfill this wish through Domain Lord Chen's hands. And the result... "Rank 2 ground spikes, thirty ghost stones. A real bargain! Bury them outside your camp, and you'll earn your investment back in no time." The stallkeeper looked at him with a beaming smile. "I'll take it." The young architect's eyes were bloodshot. "Give me one." When he first entered the city, he hadn't visited the marketplace and had no idea ground spikes were sold here. He simply felt that his master had died in vain. A blueprint his master had deemed priceless was worth only thirty ghost stones here. If his master had known... ...perhaps his master wouldn't have fought so desperately. "Uh..." Inside the Fan City shop. Chen Fan looked somewhat oddly at the blueprint in his hand. It was merely a white-grade blueprint, but... [Exotic Treasure Name: Hanging Basket] [Exotic Treasure Grade: White] [Exotic Treasure Effect: Building blueprint. Can be externally attached to most structures, such as walls.] The grade was very low. Yet he had finally encountered a blueprint he hadn't seen before. A simple hoisting mechanism composed of pulleys, ropes, and a hanging basket, designed for scaling walls quickly—after all, a Rank 4 wall stood fifteen meters tall. Though there were staircases, they grew crowded when many people ascended at once; a hanging basket would complement them nicely. Still, one could easily build something like this by hand without needing a blueprint. Who knew what its upgrade effects would be? He was rather intrigued by that. "I'll take this one," Chen Fan said softly to the architect before him. "A white-grade structure is relatively simple to decipher. If you aren't in a hurry, you can stay in Fan City." "Three days from now, I will construct a corresponding building for you to take back." "This structure can be relocated at will." "Thank you, Domain Lord Chen!" Seeing Chen Fan accept his blueprint, the architect let out a long breath of relief, his voice carrying a dazed sense of release. Having suddenly resolved a long-standing regret, he felt considerably unburdened. Yet remembering that a blueprint he had struggled with for so long could be deciphered by Domain Lord Chen in just three days, he felt a twinge of demoralization. Could the gap between people truly be this vast? "Next," Hou called out, opening the door and looking outside. Chen Fan looked at the blueprint in his hand, raising an eyebrow. Another white-grade building blueprint. To be honest, he actually liked white-grade blueprints. At the very least, maxing them out cost far less, and the requirements were lower. That meant he could add yet another max-level building. And illuminate another entry in the compendium. The "wall" was an exception, of course. He was beginning to wonder whether green-grade blueprints for the wall series even existed; every wall he had seen so far had been a white-grade blueprint. Trying to get that thing to max level would probably be a grueling ordeal. [Exotic Treasure Name: Automatic Misting Device] [Exotic Treasure Grade: White] [Exotic Treasure Effect: Building blueprint. Can be externally attached to certain structures, such as "farmland" for scheduled irrigation, or "indoors" for humidification and eliminating dryness.] "A utility building blueprint." "I'll take it." "Register over there. We'll contact you when there's news." And so it went. Chen Fan was kept quite busy after that, examining the blueprints handed in by each architect one by one. As long as the camp didn't already have it, regardless of grade, he kept them all. By the time he had reviewed all the submissions, he had kept six blueprints in total: Including the yellow-grade blueprint from the Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion, the "hanging basket," and the "automatic misting device." Of the remaining three, two were white-grade and one was green-grade. The vast majority of the blueprints had been duplicates. At one point, he had seen five different people attempting to decipher the exact same blueprint. Since this conference allowed small factions to attend alongside major ones, someone had even approached him holding a "wall" blueprint. Who knew whether that fellow genuinely couldn't build a wall, or simply wanted Chen Fan to travel over and erect a wall for their faction? Quite the wishful thinker. Trying to exploit a loophole, were they? "Seems everyone's exchanges over the years haven't been all that thorough..." With no more architects coming, Chen Fan looked at the blueprints on the table. Letting out a light sigh, he crushed them all and absorbed them into the Eternal Night Lord panel. He planned to head back to camp, construct them, and test them out. He would see how effective they were. Their precise effects could only be known once built; the panel's descriptions weren't especially detailed. The Architects' Exchange Conference lasted three days. The first day was drawing to a close. As dusk deepened, the architects retired to their respective inns, while Chen Fan returned to the Fan Domain camp. Sitting atop the wall, he gazed at the darkening sky. The next instant! Darkness engulfed the entire world like ocean water, just as it always did. Seeing this, Chen Fan pursed his lips. Although his camp was already exceedingly secure, and it wasn't the rainy season, and they possessed such a massive reserve of ghost stones that a breach was practically impossible, a sliver of apprehension still crept into his heart whenever Eternal Night descended. He had to make the camp even safer. If only to sleep a bit more soundly. Only then did he glance at the buildable options on the Eternal Night Lord panel and select "Soul-Devouring Sculpture." Expending one hundred ghost stones, he constructed it and placed it inside the camp. It stood about 1.8 meters tall, roughly the height of an adult man. Crafted entirely from brass, its exterior depicted a giant serpent coiled around a pillar at rest. It looked exquisite and full of character, clearly no ordinary object. Its effect was... [Camp members within a hundred-meter radius of the sculpture will have their stamina recovery speed slightly increased.] "Uh..." Chen Fan looked with some hesitation at the sculpture placed inside the cave. How should he describe the effect? Decent. Whether for manual labor or repelling enemies, it offered good utility. But was this truly an effect befitting a yellow-grade structure? It felt a bit unworthy of the yellow grade... Still, it was cheap. A hundred ghost stones per sculpture—what more could one ask for? Might as well upgrade it and see. Upgrading to Rank 2 required no materials whatsoever, costing merely three hundred ghost stones. For a yellow-grade structure, the ghost stones consumed for this upgrade were genuinely minimal. [Soul-Devouring Sculpture upgraded to Rank 2.] [Please select an upgrade direction:] [1: Camp members within a hundred-meter radius of the sculpture will have their injury recovery speed slightly increased.] [2: Offensive camp structures placed within a hundred-meter radius of the sculpture will have their ghost stone consumption slightly reduced.] [3: Camp members within a hundred-meter radius of the sculpture will have their cultivation speed slightly increased.] "Wait..." Chen Fan froze, suddenly realizing why this seemingly ordinary Soul-Devouring Sculpture was rated yellow-grade. In his previous life, he had played a game. The most noble class in that game had been the priest. Its role was simple: stay at the very rear during combat and stack all manner of buffs onto the teammates in front. And that was precisely what this Soul-Devouring Sculpture did. How was this just a sculpture? Wasn't this an immobile priest? A new buff with every rank—if it reached Rank 10, wouldn't that mean ten buffs? If one selected options that boosted camp members' strength across the board, an ordinary Fan Domain member's combat power could be drastically elevated! For defending a city, it was nothing short of divine! At the base of the wall... one every hundred meters! Without further hesitation, he immediately selected the second option: offensive structures placed near the sculpture would have their ghost stone consumption slightly reduced. As for injury recovery and cultivation speed, he already had dedicated structures for those; he didn't need the sculpture for them at all. Expending another five hundred ghost stones, he raised it to Rank 3. Well, look at that. It was still the same three upgrade branches, completely unchanged. He chose the second option once more. Until... Rank 4, then Rank 5... and it could be upgraded no further. It wasn't that materials were suddenly required. Rather: [Soul-Devouring Sculpture has reached Rank 5.] [Max level reached. Cannot be upgraded further.] [As all upgrade directions were uniformly chosen as Option 2, the corresponding max-level effect has been unlocked: "Meticulous Calculation."] [Offensive structures placed within the sculpture's radius will have their ghost stone consumption further reduced.] Chen Fan froze on the spot, staring at the panel before him. Rank 5. Max level. A yellow-grade structure. These terms felt so foreign when strung together. It was the first time he had seen a structure with such a low level cap, and a yellow-grade one at that. Even the farmland had a max level of 10! And on top of that... It was truly cheap... A max-level Soul-Devouring Sculpture cost merely 2,600 ghost stones in total. As for the effect... Well, the panel used vague descriptors like "slightly reduced" and "further reduced." Testing was required to see the exact numbers. The testing method was straightforward. After arrow towers were upgraded to Rank 5, their power surged drastically. A Rank 3 arrow tower required only one ghost stone to activate the active skill "Arrow Rain Storm." A Rank 5 cannon tower required fifty ghost stones to activate "Arrow Rain Storm." The next instant— A Rank 5 cannon tower mounted atop the wall beneath his feet suddenly lit up. Arrow Rain Storm engaged, and beams of light fired into the air in a synchronized volley, landing with pinpoint accuracy on the distant ground. Puffs of dust kicked up in waves. It consumed thirty ghost stones. "Good grief..." Chen Fan stared in a daze at the detailed figures on the panel. What previously required fifty stones now cost only thirty—a 40% reduction in ghost stone consumption! That was an astounding figure. According to his plans, a vast number of cannon towers needed to be installed along the "170-kilometer Jiangbei Defense Line." Those cannon towers weren't just decorative ornaments; once activated, they devoured ghost stones. The quantity of ghost stones burned was by no means small. And now... All he needed was to place one Soul-Devouring Sculpture every hundred meters along the walls of the 170-kilometer Jiangbei Defense Line to drastically reduce the ghost stone consumption of offensive structures. That amounted to only 1,700 sculptures. Altogether, it would cost just over four million ghost stones. Truly dirt cheap. Only after a long while could Chen Fan no longer hold back a broad grin. Hosting this Architects' Exchange Conference hadn't been in vain after all. Engaging in exchanges with other factions was definitely the way to go; these factions truly held good things in their hands. This Soul-Devouring Sculpture was exceptionally fine. Of course, the prerequisite was choosing the second option across every single upgrade to unlock this special max-level effect. He intended to test choosing Option 1 or Option 3 all the way through later on to see what max-level effects they produced. "A good sculpture for the people." What was a good product for the people? High quality at an affordable price. This sculpture embodied those words to perfection. A max-level yellow-grade structure for 2,600 ghost stones—where else could anyone find such a thing? You couldn't find one even searching with a lantern in broad daylight. And with this structure maxed out, another building was illuminated in the Architectural Compendium. Fan Domain now possessed six max-level structures. Clicking his tongue in wonder, he stepped down from the wall and made his way toward Cave No. 2, intending to upgrade the Vehicle Workshop to Rank 6. The Vehicle Workshop was currently Rank 5. Upgrading to Rank 6 required special materials. A few days ago, he had acquired a "bone," which served as the upgrade material for Rank 6, and today he would finish the job. Lately, Fan Domain had been purchasing heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and rare materials in small batches. As long as the price was reasonable, even if they had no immediate use for them, they bought them anyway. Who knew when they might come in handy? Such things wouldn't spoil, so storing them away caused no harm. Upon reaching Rank 6, another buildable vehicle appeared in the Vehicle Workshop: [6: Sea ship. Medium-sized vehicle. Can carry up to thirty people. High travel speed, strong load capacity, relatively deep draft. Comes equipped with ghost fire and a small number of offensive structures. Capable of mounting certain external structures.] [The hull is relatively sturdy, possessing durability equivalent to a Rank 1 wall.] [Long-term mooring and maintenance require the supporting structure "Port." Construction cost: 2,000 ghost stones.] —"A sea ship?" Chen Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. This seemed far better suited for long-distance voyages than the bone boat. Perhaps he could go see what lay on the other side of the Dead Sea? It was just that... ...such a journey was rather dangerous. What if the other side of the Dead Sea was the ghost creatures' main stronghold?