Fan Domain's New Creation, "High-Speed Rail"—Care to Try It?

Chen Fan looked toward the constructible structure on his Eternal Night Lord panel: "Port." Back when he killed the ghost king during the rainy season, one of the dropped building blueprints had been this Port. Now it happened to come in handy—quite opportune. Night had already fallen. Once the sun rose tomorrow, he would head to the seashore to construct it. Dawn broke. The night passed quickly. When the personnel of Fan Domain awoke, they lined up to board the back of the "Giant Tortoise" in the sinkhole. Once everyone had gathered, the giant tortoise, dozens of meters wide, wobbled and slowly set off, heading toward Fan City. This was a new craftable vehicle option unlocked when the Vehicle Workshop reached Rank 5. High load capacity. Slow speed. It worked quite well as a "commuter bus," able to carry plenty of people. Meanwhile, Chen Fan began laying copper pipes all the way toward the seaside. A large stock of copper pipes had been stored in the warehouse during the rainy season. Originally, his plans included constructing a highway between Pingcheng and Jiangbei City to turn a profit. However, plans could never keep up with changes. His growth seemed to have been a bit too fast. He no longer cared for such petty gains. What was more, Pingcheng had already perished in the rainy season. The straight-line distance from Nameless Mountain to the sea was only a thousand meters, but the side of the mountain facing the water was a sheer cliff. Building a port required shifting a bit to the side. Only after laying over three thousand meters of copper pipe did Chen Fan finally stand on the shore. Here was a sandy beach. The sand was extremely soft. Normally, a port could never be built under such conditions, but he wasn't worried; as long as the port could be successfully constructed by the system, it would surely function. The copper pipes were buried underground. Chen Fan stood on the shore, gazing into the distance—an endless expanse. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but ocean. A salty, briny sea breeze blew against his face. The next moment— A phantom outline of a port structure made of white lines slowly formed by the sea. White liquid formed from 1,000 ghost stones shot all the way from Fan Domain along the copper pipe, boring into the phantom. As long as it was within the camp boundary, he could mobilize ghost stones from the warehouse at will. Connected by copper pipes, this location lay squarely within his camp boundary. As the phantom gradually solidified, the Port was officially constructed. Chen Fan looked at the port before him, slightly awed. These 1,000 ghost stones were truly well spent. Thousands of giant logs and stones formed a fortress-like port along the coastline. The entire port was long and narrow. It possessed multiple berths of varying sizes, capable of accommodating diverse types of ships. Right after the port was built— The ground trembled faintly. From behind, a Giant Tortoise slowly rumbled toward him, and secured onto its shell was a "Sea Ship." Vehicles produced by the Vehicle Workshop appeared directly outside the workshop's entrance. Fan Domain was several thousand meters away from here, and a sea ship certainly couldn't travel on land. Transporting it here had been a major challenge. Manual labor couldn't accomplish it. Even though Qi Yue and Shao Qiu were both Martial Kings with strength beyond normal men, expecting the two of them to carry a sea ship all the way here was asking a bit much. A ship's weight was far from light. At this moment, the utility of the Giant Tortoise became apparent. Without it, bringing the sea ship to the shore would have been exceedingly difficult. The giant tortoise's shell was a full thirty meters wide. And the sea ship was nearly twenty meters wide, occupying almost the entire surface of its shell, its length even exceeding that of the tortoise—a veritable behemoth. Also standing on the tortoise's back were Shao Qiu and Qi Yue, their faces flushed red as they steadied the sea ship, along with Weiwei, who was exerting every ounce of its strength. Two people and one crocodile had worked together to haul this sea ship onto the giant tortoise's back. Naturally, Weiwei had contributed the most effort; this fellow hadn't eaten for free, possessing tremendous brute strength after all. "Careful, lower it into the sea over here." "One, two, three, drop!" Soon— The sea ship splashed into the water, kicking up waves. Chen Fan stood by the side, looking at the sea ship berthed in the Port. Built entirely of "ironwood," it looked like wood but was far sturdier, possessing the defensive capability of a Rank 1 city wall. On the deck on both sides of the sea ship were mounted three Rank 4 cannon towers each. At the bow and stern was one Rank 5 cannon tower each. Inside the cabin was also a ghost fire. This was effectively a crude "mobile camp." Its defensive strength naturally couldn't compare to Fan Domain, but compared to ordinary outposts, its defense rank was far higher. Ordinary outposts didn't even have walls. Compared to a vehicle, this thing was more like an engine of war. If he built several more, it would be a fleet. "Let's go." Chen Fan glanced at Sick Monkey beside him and didn't linger, heading back instead. He planned to leave the sea ship docked in the port tonight to see if it could withstand the onslaught of ghost creatures, then assemble a crew to explore what lay deep in the ocean. In games, this was called uncovering the map. A very common gaming practice. However, this wasn't a game. It was reality. That demanded sufficient caution; people could die. Meanwhile, Shao Qiu and Qi Yue followed behind, riding the giant tortoise back to Fan Domain. He had built a total of three sea ships, and there were two more left to transport. Inside the camp at Fan Domain. Chen Fan sat in the room, looking at Wang Mazi, who had been summoned. Without speaking right away, he poured a cup of tea for Wang Mazi, gestured for him to sit, and only then spoke slowly. "You've been serving as Master of the Commerce Pavilion for some time now. How does it feel?" "It feels..." Wang Mazi scratched the back of his head and said quietly, "It feels different from what I imagined. I originally thought a commerce pavilion meant going out, but to my surprise, everyone comes to us, so there aren't many chances to travel far." "Mm." Chen Fan nodded with a smile and said, "Back during the rainy season when all the brothers were down and out, you once said that you used to be a traveling merchant, and your greatest dream was to travel farther and see what the outside world looked like." "Now, life has improved." "The brothers who shared those hardships back then all hold key positions in Fan Domain." "I haven't forgotten a single brother." "And now—" "There is an arduous task, and I can't find a suitable person." "Fan Domain has built 'Sea Ships.' They are large vessels whose hulls have defenses equivalent to a Rank 1 city wall. The ship has several cannon towers and comes with ghost fire, capable of sailing across the dark waters in the dead of night." "I want to send someone to see what lies in the depths of the sea." "Only, this trip is perilous." "Voice transmission talismans have limited range, and we cannot yet establish outposts on the water. That means you won't be able to contact Fan Domain, and Fan Domain won't be able to provide any aid. No one knows what lies in the ocean's depths; perhaps you will encounter many dangers beyond imagination." "However..." "Someone must go and look." "Hoo..." Wang Mazi took a deep breath, dropped to one knee, and lowered his head with a grave, raspy voice. "Domain Lord, Wang Mazi volunteers! Let me go. I will certainly give you a satisfactory answer." Chen Fan fell silent for a long time before saying softly, "In truth, I know you are the most suitable candidate, but you have followed me for so long, and I am reluctant to put you in harm's way. I had you come today mainly so you could recommend a deputy to lead the team on this journey." "Let me do it." Wang Mazi looked up at Chen Fan, his eyes full of anticipation and resolve, and broke into a grin. "This is my dream, Domain Lord. To be able to see what lies across the sea in my lifetime—even if I die, it'll be worth it." "If I encounter danger, I'll find a way to send word back." "Good." Chen Fan nodded gently. "Then you shall lead the team. Gather your people and set sail tomorrow." "I will give you three sea ships and ample ghost stones. Remember: you must turn back the moment more than half of the ghost stones are consumed." "Operation code name: 'New Continent.'" "Understood!" After Wang Mazi left, Chen Fan walked onto the city wall, looking up at the clouds drifting in the sky. Leaning with both hands on his emerald cane, he fell silent. What lay on the other side of the sea? Another continent? Or the ghost creatures' headquarters? He didn't know. Whether in ancient texts or the information he had gathered, everyone seemed to take for granted that the Eternal Night Continent was a single contiguous landmass, or perhaps sailing far enough would lead to the other side of the continent. Everything was an unknown. This was both the charm of the journey and its peril. Then, he looked down at the building blueprints on his Eternal Night Lord panel. Yesterday at the Architects' Exchange Conference, he had obtained several buildings Fan Domain did not possess. One of them was the hanging basket. A white-grade building. Extremely cheap to construct. It cost only 10 ghost stones. Although it could be externally attached to most buildings, it was only an "ordinary building," not a "building module" like the copper pipes. Blueprints for building modules similar to the copper pipe—he had yet to obtain a second one. After consuming 10 ghost stones, a hanging basket was quickly constructed by the city wall, hanging on the inner side of the wall. Besides the basket itself, there was a structure of ropes and pulleys. Inside the basket was a button; pressing it controlled the basket's ascent and descent, used to quickly ascend or descend the city wall. A Rank 4 city wall was a full fifteen meters high. For a Rank 4 wall, a hanging basket was immensely useful. Upgrading required no materials and consumed very few ghost stones—only 20 ghost stones. "Hanging Basket upgraded to Rank 2." "This building has no upgrade branches." The changes from upgrading to Rank 2 were substantial. The basket became safer. The ascent and descent speed became faster. The ropes became tougher. An overall enhancement. Continuing to upgrade: Chen Fan spent a total of 490 ghost stones to raise this hanging basket attached to the inner wall straight to Rank 10 in one breath. A panel popped up before him: "Hanging Basket has been upgraded to Rank 10." "Max rank reached. Cannot be upgraded further." "Obtained max-rank effect 'Swift as Lightning': The hanging basket transforms into a sealed apparatus, requiring no ropes, pulleys, or similar structures, able to freely ascend and descend along the surface of buildings." "An elevator." Chen Fan looked at the basket before him and chuckled. A nice little gadget. An elevator. And it required no ropes or pulleys—minimalist and far more aesthetically pleasing. He stepped down from the city wall, rode the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage to the Heaven-Piercing Pillar atop Nameless Mountain, and prepared to test building a Rank 10 hanging basket on the exterior of the pillar. Adding construction and upgrade costs, a max-level hanging basket was 500 ghost stones. Soon, a max-level hanging basket was constructed, adhering to the surface of the Heaven-Piercing Pillar. Without any mounting fixtures, it adhered directly to the pillar's surface. When he stepped inside, a transparent light barrier slowly rose over the top, sealing the basket completely. The next moment— The basket shot upward. In the blink of an eye, it reached the top of the Heaven-Piercing Pillar and came to a steady stop. Chen Fan stood inside the basket, looking down through the transparent light barrier at the wilderness below, an odd expression on his face. The speed of this hanging basket was even faster than the built-in elevator of the Heaven-Piercing Pillar. And it was steadier. From rapid ascent to an abrupt stop, he didn't feel the slightest jolt inside the basket. Extremely stable. Uncannily stable. Right now, the sensation felt just like a sightseeing elevator from his past life. "Not bad." Chen Fan chuckled. Although this structure didn't do much for the combat strength of Fan Domain camp, it enriched everyday life, and... this was Fan Domain's seventh max-level building, leaving only three until his goal of ten max-level buildings. Most importantly, it was cheap. Just 500 ghost stones. He loved everything cheap. Wait! Right then, he froze on the spot. This hanging basket could be externally attached to most buildings, even latching tightly onto the Heaven-Piercing Pillar without any issue. And just now, a rather wild idea suddenly popped into his head. Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Fan quickly came down from the Heaven-Piercing Pillar to the entrance of the gorge. He stood beside that three-thousand-meter stretch of copper pipe he had just laid to the seaside. These copper pipes were buried one meter underground. Experimentally, he constructed another max-level hanging basket, externally attaching it to the copper pipe. The basket hovered one palm-width above the ground. Levitating. Tentatively, he sat inside and pressed the button within the basket. The next moment, like an arrow released from a bowstring, the basket shot skimming just above the ground along the copper pipe toward the seaside! The blurred scenery on both sides rapidly receded, and in a dozen-odd breaths, it reached the end of the copper pipe and came to a rock-steady stop. Chen Fan stepped out of the basket. He looked at the port. He looked at the levitating basket beside him. Then he turned back to look at Nameless Mountain behind him. After a long silence, he couldn't help but blurt out in disbelief: "Holy shit!" "Isn't this fucking high-speed rail?!" A distance of three thousand meters: riding a Skeleton Horse would take quite a sprint, yet this basket got here in the blink of an eye, its speed even a sliver faster than his Nine-Five Dragon Carriage. "Max-Level Hanging Basket" + "Copper Pipe" = Fantasy-world High-Speed Rail! This was an epoch-making project, damn it! This meant... His "170-kilometer Jiangbei Defense Line"—whether moving combat personnel or resupplying materials—could be handled instantaneously. Fan Domain's influence over more distant regions would also become far more immediate. Control would be much stronger. What did an ancient world lack most? Convenient transportation! The existence of high-speed rail was an absolute dimensional strike! Especially... ghost fire flowed through the copper pipes. At night, it was a long, narrow strip of safe camp ground. As long as it wasn't the rainy season, ghost creatures would not attack ghost fire. This was a high-speed corridor capable of operating at night! Chen Fan took a deep breath. Without hesitation, he hopped back into the basket, pressed the button, and the basket shot back along the copper pipe toward Fan Domain. Architects' Exchange Conference? Good! It was great! Holding one every day wouldn't be too often! Fortunately, he hadn't rejected Tianxia Pavilion's request to hold the conference in Fan City back then. Isolationism was a dead end; one had to communicate more with the outside world. Soon, he returned to the camp, strode toward the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage, and contacted Sick Monkey via voice transmission talisman: "Come out quickly!" "I'm taking you to build high-speed rail!" Fan City. The Architects' Exchange Conference was still in full swing, and the Fan City marketplace was just as bustling. The two groups didn't interfere with each other, each minding their own business. Soon, people noticed the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage speeding from the direction of Nameless Mountain toward the city gates. Everyone knew this was Domain Lord Chen's carriage. Seeing the dragon carriage meant Domain Lord Chen had arrived in person. Only this time, the dragon carriage did not enter the city. Instead... A phantom building shaped like a tube formed from lines slowly emerged, rapidly solidified, sank into the earth, and vanished. Right after, one pipe, two pipes, three pipes... Domain Lord Chen was constructing buildings. They couldn't understand what kind of building it was. Yet the construction speed was blazingly fast. In the blink of an eye, dozens of copper pipes sank into the ground, connecting into a straight line, while the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage sped farther and farther away, gradually fading from sight. Standing right by the city gates, the Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion took in the entire scene, a flash of shock passing through his eyes. This Domain Lord Chen was simply too terrifying. Ordinary architects had to adjust their mental state to peak condition before beginning construction. Domain Lord Chen hadn't even stepped down from the carriage. His construction speed was also frightful, like stacking building blocks. He had never seen an architect build with such terrifying speed; even for the most basic ghost fire, no one could erect so many structures in one go. Most importantly! Those pipes happened to align into a straight line. Such pinpoint control over construction placement was staggering. Could a mortal really accomplish this? It was almost like a ghost creature. "What building is that pipe Domain Lord Chen was building?" Tianqi asked with some confusion beside him. "I'm not sure," the Pavilion Master shook his head. "I've never seen a building of that shape. But it's likely a structure meant to extend camp boundaries. The cost probably isn't too great." Last night, staying in Fan City, he had seen with his own eyes that after Eternal Night fell, a corridor illuminated by ghost fire connected Fan City and Nameless Mountain. He had never seen such a method, and it had indeed astonished him. Everyone assumed Fan Domain was newly founded and lacked foundational depth. Yet after these past two days of close contact in Fan City, Fan Domain's foundation was by no means weak. In fact, one could say it was stronger than most factions—it simply hadn't been flaunted. After all, aside from wiping out Dan Sect, Wind and Rain Tower, and the Jiangbei Chen family at the start, Fan Domain had generally acted relatively affable. Wiping out Dan Sect was because their young master came picking a fight. Wiping out Wind and Rain Tower was because they sent assassins. Wiping out the Jiangbei Chen family was because they had exiled Chen Fan to the wilderness before the rainy season. Every one of those factions was wiped out with total justification. No one could raise an objection. Apart from that, they had never actively bullied other factions. This was why everyone was willing to cooperate with Fan Domain; its reputation was quite solid. Two shichen later. The sun hung directly overhead. The Nine-Five Dragon Carriage came to a halt outside Jiangbei City's gates. Chen Fan stepped down from the carriage, stretching his limbs with a satisfied look. The distance from Fan City to Jiangbei City was 70 kilometers. The Nine-Five Dragon Carriage was fast enough. His construction speed was also much faster than before, but maintaining intense concentration the whole way left his body feeling somewhat sore. The warehouse had stored over a hundred thousand meters of copper pipe during the rainy season. Now, well over half had been consumed. No matter. He could fully afford the price of copper pipes now. A crowd of commoners already packed the gates of Jiangbei City, excitedly and curiously gazing at the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage that looked completely out of place with its surroundings. As the closest city to Fan Domain, they had naturally heard plenty of news about Fan Domain lately. Especially since Chen Fan had visited Jiangbei City not long ago and interacted with them up close, making them look up to this legendary figure with great longing. Right then— "Domain Lord Chen, Domain Lord Chen!" A chubby, plump man squeezed out from the crowd, jogging up to Chen Fan out of breath, bowing and scraping with a face full of smiles. "To what do we owe the honor of your visit to Jiangbei City? Do you have any instructions?" "Instructions?" Chen Fan raised an eyebrow slightly. It sounded as though Jiangbei City had become this fellow's domain. "Young Master," Sick Monkey whispered in his ear, "this guy is the market master of the Jiangbei Market, that Rank 2 architect. Last time the Jiangbei Chen family was wiped out, and the Qiuhe Wang family and Wild Wolf Gang were absorbed by Fan Domain, Jiangbei Market vaulted into being the strongest faction in Jiangbei City. He turned the old Qiuhe Wang family residence into the City Lord's Manor and proclaimed himself City Lord. This is the first time Jiangbei City has seen unification in years. But word is, he's actually done a lot of practical work—setting up a yamen, cracking down on the abduction of civilian women, and giving commoners a place to air grievances. The people actually hold him in high regard." Chen Fan looked at the plump man and smiled. "You've become City Lord of Jiangbei?" This was indeed a good thing. Previously, Jiangbei City had no yamen. Commoners with grievances just swallowed their bitterness; no one cared. If you were unhappy, you took a blade and hacked someone to death yourself, and no one cared either. Lives were truly as cheap as dirt. Just surviving was an achievement. Now that people had a place to seek justice, things were much better than before. He truly had done practical work. "It's all thanks to Domain Lord Chen's blessing," the plump man chuckled awkwardly with a self-deprecating smile. "Jiangbei City will forever remain loyal to Fan Domain. As long as you give the word, Domain Lord Chen, Jiangbei City will charge through mountains of blades and seas of flames first!" It really was thanks to Fan Domain's blessing. He had never dreamed of becoming City Lord before. He hadn't even counted among the top three factions in Jiangbei City. Yet fate was funny that way. After Chen Fan swept through, he became the strongest. His strength naturally wasn't enough to swallow Jiangbei City; by rights, factions from elsewhere would have swooped in to contest it. But once they learned Chen Fan was originally from Jiangbei City, they immediately dropped the idea. A single Jiangbei City didn't hold much profit. Not worth offending Fan Domain over. One could say that whether becoming City Lord or holding onto the seat, he was basking in Fan Domain's glory. Before, when the three major factions co-ruled Jiangbei City, many things were neglected. But now that he was the sole faction, Jiangbei City was his. Naturally, he had to take care of it. It was his territory, after all. Who wouldn't care for their own territory? "Very good." Chen Fan smiled and said no more. Walking over to the end of the copper pipe nearby, he spent 5,000 ghost stones to build ten max-level hanging baskets in one breath, linked together into a long dragon. The baskets fitted snugly against one another. Each basket could hold over a dozen people, with quite a spacious interior. "What should I call you?" he asked, glancing at the market master of Jiangbei Market. "Just call me Xiao Li." The plump man bowed and scraped, keeping his posture exceedingly low. In this life, a person had to understand one thing: where their meals came from. "Market Master Li," Chen Fan pointed at the first basket, "Fan Domain's new creation, 'High-Speed Rail'—care to try it?" "Yes!" Market Master Li agreed without hesitation, not even asking why, and climbed into the first basket to await orders. "Once the button is pressed, the high-speed rail will start." "It's quite fast." "Don't worry, if you run into an emergency ahead, press the button inside the carriage and it will stop. Once inside, keep your breathing steady and count your breaths; when you reach the destination, tell me how many breaths have passed." "Understood." "Depart now." The next moment— The high-speed rail formed of ten hanging baskets made its official debut on the Eternal Night Continent! Before the eyes of the commoners of Jiangbei City, this long dragon shot out like an arrow from a bowstring, speeding into the depths of the wilderness at breathtaking velocity, whipping up fierce gales! "Quick, keep up!" Chen Fan excitedly leaped onto the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage and looked at Sick Monkey in the driver's seat. "Hyah!" Sick Monkey cracked the reins, the nine flaming dragon-steeds reared and whinnied, and then shot into the wilderness at extreme speed, tailing tightly behind the high-speed rail. One in front, one behind. Both were extremely fast. However... the high-speed rail was faster! The Nine-Five Dragon Carriage was gradually left behind. This thing was faster even than the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage—simply outrageous! This time, Chen Fan had activated the Clear Breeze Formation; the speed boost from the Clear Breeze Formation could apply to the hanging baskets, making them skim across the ground even faster. Fan City. The Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion had remained stationed by the city gates. More than two shichen had passed since Chen Fan left, but he stayed motionless, not even attending the Architects' Exchange Conference in the city. He felt Domain Lord Chen's laying of those copper pipe structures must have had a purpose. He couldn't fathom it. Yet he felt Domain Lord Chen was bound to return. So he waited here, terrified of missing any detail. He wanted to steal whatever techniques he could. Plenty had been demonstrated so far, but nothing he could emulate. He had to find something he could learn. Finally, a black dot faintly sped toward Fan City from the distance. "It's here!" The Pavilion Master's eyes lit up. The black dot was moving exceedingly fast; it had to be Domain Lord Chen's Nine-Five Dragon Carriage. In no time, the black dot became clearer, and upon reaching the gates of Fan City, it stopped abruptly! Its speed dropped to zero in an instant. Such deceleration was impossible for a Skeleton Horse—there was no inertia whatsoever. When he looked closely, he discovered... It wasn't any Nine-Five Dragon Carriage at all, but a long dragon formed of ten linked baskets, their tops sealed with transparent light barriers. Looking closely, it hovered just above the ground! "What in the world is that?" The Pavilion Master froze, utterly bewildered. He had no clue what this was. Was it a building? He had never seen such a building. And what building could move this fast? Where did the propulsion come from? Generated out of thin air? At least there should be Skeleton Horses pulling it or something; he couldn't see the power source at all. Soon— The light barrier over the top dispersed, and a plump man stepped down, glancing around nervously. When his eyes caught the two characters "Fan City" carved into the city gates, he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning. "Who is this now?!" The Pavilion Master was completely dumbfounded; who was this figure? He had never seen him before. Just then, another black dot appeared on the horizon and quickly approached, pulling up outside Fan City's gates. This time, it was the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage. The commotion drew many people out of the city. Especially after hearing there was a new building, all the architects at the conference came out to look. The city gates quickly became bustling and congested. "Everyone," Chen Fan said, stepping down from the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage, resting both hands on his emerald cane before the long dragon of ten linked baskets. He smiled at the crowd. "Fan Domain's new creation, 'High-Speed Rail,' currently connects Fan City and Jiangbei City." "Care to try it?" The crowd exchanged glances, failing to understand the term "high-speed rail." Did it mean a rather tall block of iron? "Market Master Li," Chen Fan glanced at the plump man and smiled, "tell everyone how long it took you to come from Jiangbei City to Fan City." "Three... three hundred sixty breaths." Market Master Li stood with an ashen face, his legs trembling uncontrollably. He hadn't fully recovered from the shock. The ride had been exceptionally smooth, without the slightest wobble. Though he felt it was extremely fast, there were no reference points out in the wilderness, and the carriage was so steady that he had no real concept of just how fast it was. But when he saw Fan City, his mind went completely blank. He naturally knew the distance between Fan City and Jiangbei—a full seventy kilometers! He had originally wanted to visit Fan City, but having no Skeleton Horse made traveling very troublesome, so he hadn't come. Willing, but lacking the means. He never imagined... seventy kilometers in just three hundred sixty breaths. The shock this brought him was no less than waking up to find himself in the Netherworld. "Three hundred sixty breaths." "Exactly the time it takes to finish a cup of tea." Chen Fan said to the crowd with a smile, "Would anyone like to try? A cup of tea's time to take you to Jiangbei City. It's currently in trial operation—free of charge." A commotion erupted. After a while, a skeptical voice called out: "Domain Lord Chen, we all admire you greatly, but this place is seventy kilometers from Jiangbei City. Arriving in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea—how is that possible? That speed is vastly faster than a Skeleton Horse!" "It's not that we don't want to believe you, but this is simply unimaginable." "It's fundamentally impossible!" Doubts arose one after another. Even Chen Fan's prestige couldn't completely quell them. This thoroughly shattered common sense. Word had spread that Chen Fan said one plus one equals six hundred sixty-six, and they believed it, thinking the words held profound hidden meaning rather than a literal statement. But seventy kilometers in a cup of tea was entirely literal. Such a total shattering of common sense made it hard for them to believe. Yet... the Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion remained silent throughout. He believed it. He believed it completely! He had seen with his own eyes how fast this thing Chen Fan called "high-speed rail" moved. What he was pondering now was its operating cost—it surely consumed a massive amount of ghost stones. "Seeing is believing," Chen Fan said without anger, smiling at the crowd. "Board the train and you'll know." Soon, the crowd stirred. Nearly a hundred people surged forward, packing into the train—ten people to a basket, which was still fairly spacious. "Market Master Li," Chen Fan said to the plump man, "you have experience now. You take the controls. Once you reach Jiangbei City, let them step off and take a look, then bring them back." "Understood!" Market Master Li nodded heavily. Once everyone boarded, the long dragon levitated above the ground once more. Empowered by the Clear Breeze Formation, it shot like an arrow into the depths of the wilderness along the copper pipe! So fast that the moment it started, gasps of astonishment erupted from those left behind at the gate. When had they ever witnessed such speed? A Skeleton Horse was already considered a high-grade mount, but its speed fell far short of this thing called "high-speed rail." "Go on," Chen Fan murmured softly as he stood watching the high-speed rail speed toward the horizon. What he saw was not merely a train speeding away. What he saw was... Fan Domain's imminent, explosive growth! With high-speed rail, Fan Domain's growth would be unstoppable. Transactions that once took a week could now be completed in a single day. Deals once impossible due to short shelf-lives could now be finalized. The four regions of Jiangbei would be knitted seamlessly together beneath his high-speed rail. To get rich, first build a road. That was never just a slogan. "Young Master," Sick Monkey whispered with some concern, "if we promote high-speed rail on a large scale, will it hurt our Skeleton Horse business?" "It won't," Chen Fan shook his head without overexplaining. They were two different modes of transportation. In his past life, high-speed rail never fully replaced cars. His high-speed rail required tracks to be laid. It had limitations. It couldn't go wherever one pleased like a Skeleton Horse, unable to roam about with complete freedom. Inside the first carriage of the high-speed rail: The Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion stood at the very front, gripping the rim with both hands, staring at the wilderness rushing past on either side, his eyes filled with shock. If... if high-speed rail could be widely rolled out, it would completely upend the balance of power across the four regions of Jiangbei! With this kind of speed, there was so much that could be done. For instance, the cost for an architect to travel and build on-site would plummet because travel overhead would be slashed, while the volume of orders would multiply. Places once too far to reach could now be serviced. Tianxia Pavilion was the largest architectural faction in Jiangnan. Yet life had been tough lately, mainly due to a lack of orders. However... If he could take orders in Jiangdong or Jiangxi, that would change everything. Previously impossible due to distance, high-speed rail would make it entirely feasible. Just then— The high-speed rail came to a halt. Its speed plummeted, yet inside the carriage, he didn't feel the slightest jolt. Looking up at Jiangbei City's wall outside, he stepped out and felt the solid earth beneath his feet. Taking a deep breath, determination flashed in his eyes. This was a monumental opportunity. He finally understood what set Fan Domain apart from other factions. Lately, he had sensed Fan Domain was different, but couldn't put his finger on why. Now he knew. Other factions merely changed their own holdings. Fan Domain was reshaping the entire landscape of the four regions of Jiangbei! Fan Domain was changing the whole world. The four regions of Jiangbei would undergo earth-shaking transformations because of Fan Domain. The Guanxi Plain was richer than Jiangnan, but people from Guanxi never came to Jiangnan, let alone Jiangbei. In their eyes, this was an impoverished backwater. That wasn't prejudice—it was simply the truth. Yet give Fan Domain a few years, and the four regions of Jiangbei would be utterly transformed. By then, when people from Guanxi Plain visited Jiangbei or Jiangnan, they would likely look as if they had seen a ghost. Just imagining that scene made the Pavilion Master chuckle and shake his head. He eagerly looked forward to their expressions. By now, everyone had stepped down from the carriages, staring up at the city gate of Jiangbei City in stunned, wordless silence. Many even walked forward to touch the city wall with their own hands, fearing it was an illusion. This speed... Unless seen with one's own eyes, nobody would believe it! It defied reason. Faintly, they foresaw that the skies over the four regions of Jiangbei were about to change. In the coming years, whoever seized the opportunities brought by high-speed rail, whose businesses best suited it, and whoever maintained better ties with Fan Domain would soar with the wind. Conversely, those who failed would be gradually phased out. Not wiped out by rainy season ghost creatures, but eliminated by an inexplicable commercial competition. The value of this matter was even greater than the Skeleton Horses! Soon, the high-speed rail returned to Fan City. The passengers disembarked in stunned silence, still dazed. The crowd that hadn't gotten a turn immediately swarmed them, asking whether one could truly reach Jiangbei City in a cup of tea's time. "Domain Lord Chen," The Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion stepped up immediately, asking with utmost seriousness, "does Fan Domain plan to roll out high-speed rail on a large scale? For instance... could it be extended to Jiangnan, Jiangxi, and Jiangdong?" Soon, several others caught on as well, including the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley, crowding around Chen Fan with unease and anticipation in their eyes. Wherever the high-speed rail reached, prosperity followed. If it reached Medicine King Valley, their pills could be sold throughout the four regions of Jiangbei. Transport costs and time would plummet, translating to massive orders and an influx of ghost stones. They had never imagined Chen Fan would seize control of their economic lifelines through such means. They hadn't done anything wrong—in fact, they had done nothing at all—yet inexplicably found themselves on the brink of bankruptcy. If the rail ran right to Medicine King Valley's doorstep, but bypassed rival alchemy factions, then the day after the line opened, those other factions' business would drop off a cliff. Had they done anything wrong? No, they hadn't done a single thing. "Of course." Chen Fan smiled at the group. These people had sharp eyes indeed, quickly seeing the profits high-speed rail could generate. "Fan Domain expects it will take half a year to cover the four regions of Jiangbei with a high-speed rail network." "However..." "The cost of laying the network is relatively high. It cannot possibly lead to every faction's front door." "There will be dozens of transit stations along the way." "Currently, the stations are still under consideration and have not been finalized." The Pavilion Master of Tianxia Pavilion, the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley, and the others exchanged glances, seeing the resolve in each other's eyes. At all costs, they had to secure a station. This represented far more than just economic gain—it carried immense intangible benefits. Securing a station meant their faction could rise! High construction costs? Then they would shoulder the costs themselves! They would fund it personally, asking only that Domain Lord Chen build it. Once built, they would gladly pay usage fees; all expenses would be swiftly recouped once the high-speed rail opened. To put it more bluntly: Previously, women from Jiangnan fetched exorbitant prices in Jiangbei brothels. Young, fair, plus the Jiangnan allure—people flocked to them. From now on, Jiangnan women could no longer command such prices in Jiangbei. Large numbers of Jiangnan women would ride the high-speed rail straight to Jiangbei. Once opened, every industry would feel the impact. Another point: Previously, if the rainy season arrived early, people could only await death where they stood, praying to gods and Buddhas. Now, if the rainy season arrived early, after surviving the least dangerous first night, they could take the high-speed rail to other regions the very next day. Who cares about the rainy season—can't I just run? The house is yours. What good is a house anyway? Yet another point: Previously, an unopened white-grade exotic treasure sold for only a few hundred ghost stones in Jiangbei, but over a thousand in Jiangnan. That price gap existed solely because of distance. The Jiangbei Chamber of Commerce had monopolized Jiangbei's exotic treasure trade; no small merchant had the ability to travel with treasures to distant Jiangnan. The distance was too great. From now on, this would happen no more. The Jiangbei Chamber of Commerce, whose monopoly had already been fractured by Fan Domain recently, would find it impossible to continue this business. Anyone could buy a high-speed rail ticket and take exotic treasures to Jiangnan to sell. Prices between Jiangnan and Jiangbei would steadily converge until nearly identical. In this grand upheaval, many factions would be crushed to death. Either transform or wait to die; there was no third road. Chen Fan had already departed. The Architects' Exchange Conference continued, yet no one discussed architectural insights anymore. Everyone was discussing "Fan Domain High-Speed Rail." Every so often, Fan Domain unveiled something new, and every new thing affected countless factions. The last thing unveiled was the Silk Road. Empowered by high-speed rail, the explosion of the Silk Road would become even more terrifying. They already foresaw that an endless torrent of ghost stones would flood into Fan Domain like a tidal wave. Fan Domain sat on Nameless Mountain at the northernmost edge of Jiangbei—a backwater among backwaters—yet it was drawing in the ghost stones of the four regions of Jiangbei on a massive scale. This process was irresistible. All they could do was strive for a slice of the pie. Whoever got a slice would take off. This was the trend of the era. No one knew what Fan Domain would pull out next, but everyone knew they had to station people in Fan City year-round to monitor Fan City's movements and adjust their own faction's development plans accordingly. At this moment, everyone understood clearly: Fan Domain was not merely a faction that had risen during the rainy season and slain a ghost king. It was a faction that reshaped the geopolitical landscape of the four regions of Jiangbei, having firmly established itself as the center of the four regions. The Jiangbei wilderness would gradually be built up—not by Fan Domain alone, but by many factions flocking here. This place would no longer be Jiangbei's remote backwater. Fan Domain was rising at a pace beyond their comprehension.