Fan Domain Stands Alone in Eternal Night

Night fell. The merchant guilds of Fan City looked around in bewilderment. As soon as darkness set in tonight, every official member of Fan Domain had vanished without a trace, as though called away on some formal mission. Only non-core personnel remained stationed in Fan City. When they tried asking these non-core workers what had happened, all they received was a shake of the head. It seemed they genuinely did not know. Could it be... Fan Domain was making another major move? By the shore. Fan Domain Port. Chen Fan had cast aside his usual cyan robes for a black gown. With a grave countenance, he stood at the forefront, facing the open sea. Night had already fallen. The Eternal Night blanketed the entire world. Standing within the radius of the port's ghost fire, he could not see the surface of the sea, only hearing the sound of crashing waves—the rhythmic battering of surf against reefs. The sea breeze blew against him, laden with the briny tang of the ocean. He raised his head to look up. No stars. No moon. Only infinite, impenetrable darkness that stretched without end. Stars and the moon—those were legends passed down through ancient books. Many people had never seen a star since the day they were born, yet they still believed with utter certainty that stars must exist, just as firmly as they believed that the Eternal Night would eventually recede. This was not some religious faith. It was the conviction that sustained their will to live, keeping them from succumbing to despair—at least holding on to that faint sliver of hope. Chen Fan stood at the very front. Sick Monkey, Zhou Mo, Wang Kui, and several others stood behind him. Further back gathered an assembly of black-clad official members of Fan Domain. Today, every single one had assembled here. Directly before them stood a stone tablet. A stele erected by the seashore. Inscribed upon it was a clear line of text: "Eternal Night Calendar, Year 379." "The Fan Domain Commerce Pavilion sailed the seas in search of new territories and opened a new continent. Yet Huo Lin, Feng Yi, Yan Zhi, He Tuo... and their comrades fell in the vast deep, their souls entrusted to the raging waves." "The maritime frontier is now opened; loyal bones rest for eternity." "Their deeds of expansion may be engraved on bronze and stone." "Their merits of opening borders shine as brightly as the stars." "Ghost bones are thus raised as a monument, the sound of tides offered in sacrifice; the people of Fan Domain shall honor them without end." After staring at the stele in silence for a long time, Chen Fan finally turned to face the crowd behind him. Meeting pair after pair of eyes fixed upon him, he spoke calmly and softly. "Someone once asked me why, knowing the Dead Sea might be teeming with ghost creatures and fraught with peril, I still sent people out." "Because—" "Sitting in Jiangbei and waiting will never bring the dawn. It will only bring gradually depleted ghost stones, slowly rotting buildings, and eyes that grow more despairing with every generation." "Huo Lin and the others knew that once they set out to sea, they might never return. But even more, they knew that if no one went to see what this world truly looks like..." "If no one went to see what lies beyond the continent..." "If no one went to see where the ghost tides beneath the sea are lurking..." "Then our children will forever be trapped behind city walls." "Yet, everyone." "We did not use to live cowering behind walls. We ran and played across vast plains; we wandered among rivers and mountains; we lay on rooftops at night to gaze at the stars. That was our world." "We will not hide behind walls forever." "We will eventually dispel the Eternal Night and take back control of the entire continent." "And they... they are the pathfinders." "They strode into the darkness without looking back, yet they brought us greater opportunities to welcome the light. Every member of Fan Domain must remember these pathfinders." "If Fan Domain dispels the darkness in the days to come, they are the ones who lit the very first torch." "Their exploration has ended, but ours has only just begun." "In these past few months, Fan Domain has transformed Jiangbei, even transforming all corners of Jiangbei. But that is not enough. I want Fan Domain to transform the entire Eternal Night Continent, to make the night of the Eternal Night Continent as bright as day!" Chen Fan's voice gradually settled. Saying nothing more, he turned his back to the crowd and continued looking at the stele. His spine was straight as a pine. He lowered his head slightly. Soon, the crowd behind him bowed their heads in unison, observing a collective moment of silence. This was a farewell. Standing at the front of the gathering, the twelve surviving members of the Commerce Pavilion stared fixedly at the stele with reddened eyes. They had personally witnessed the deaths of their brothers. They felt sorrow that those brothers could not stand here beside them, yet they also felt a measure of solace. The Domain Lord valued them enough. The brothers with families had also received generous bereavement pensions. "Rest in peace," Wang Mazi murmured softly. The night passed quickly. Day broke. According to the original schedule, today was supposed to be the official launch of Fan Domain Telecommunications. However, the Fan Domain camp was currently bustling with lively energy. Long tables were pushed together, laden with fine delicacies. Today was a victory banquet to celebrate the Commerce Pavilion's safe return and their discovery of the New Continent. Yes. This news had not been kept from Fan Domain's official members. While there was a risk of leaks, Chen Fan also wanted to see if there was a mole in Fan Domain. If there was, such explosive news would be more than enough to make that mole take action. To call them a mole was not entirely accurate—more like a pawn planted by another faction. Chen Fan sat alone atop the wall, leaning back in his rocking chair as he watched the bustling preparations outside, his knuckles tapping absentmindedly on the armrest. A new continent. A new continent wiped out by ghost tides, littered with ghost stones across the ground. That meant immense wealth—practically free for the taking. As long as one landed, it was instant riches. That rate of accumulating wealth was far faster than amassing riches in Jiangbei. It would be enough for him to build an impregnable Jiangbei defense line. But reaching the New Continent was a problem. The island named "Hope Island" by the Commerce Pavilion wasn't too difficult; the Commerce Pavilion had discovered it roughly seven days after setting sail. Now that the destination was known, a straight route would likely take only five days. That island sat some distance from the Thunderstorm Sea. As long as one was not swept into the thunderstorm waters by the waves, landing on the island to gather resources posed little danger. But the New Continent was cut off by the Thunderstorm Sea, and crossing that sea was no simple matter. According to Wang Mazi, it was more like a forbidden ground, or a natural chasm that humanity could never cross. He wondered whether that individual knew about this. If he did, he could not have refrained from collecting the ghost stones. That meant even that individual could not cross that natural chasm. Wang Mazi had managed to survive crossing it once by sheer luck. And a second time. Could he survive a third? Even crossing a third time would be useless. They would need countless round trips to haul back enough ghost stones from the New Continent. With such high-frequency journeys, relying on luck to navigate the Thunderstorm Sea would cost who knew how many lives. Fan Domain did not have that many lives to squander. Unless... His eyes narrowed slightly. Unless he launched a massive undertaking: an undersea tunnel! Dig a tunnel beneath the seabed leading straight to the New Continent. Then lay high-speed rail tracks through the seabed, connecting the territories of the Eternal Night Continent and the New Continent. If so, the New Continent could even become Fan Domain's back garden, where countless ghost stones were free for the taking. But multiple possibilities had to be weighed. Although the Mountain Skeleton Embryo could stabilize the tunnel, an undersea tunnel would have to withstand immense pressure. The Mountain Skeleton Embryo was merely a Green-grade exotic treasure; could it truly hold up against such crushing force? Second, everything in the ocean depths was unknown. No one knew whether ghost creatures would destroy their undersea tunnel. Most importantly, if the Thunderstorm Sea was truly a forbidden ground where neither humans nor ghost creatures could set foot, could one really slip past beneath the ocean bed? And he also had to ponder how this Thunderstorm Sea had formed, and what purpose it served. Yet despite all these difficulties, he still had to try. The temptation was too great. If they could truly set foot on the New Continent and bring back massive quantities of ghost stones, Fan Domain would become an astonishing force overnight. The defense lines of Jiangbei, Jiangnan, Jiangxi, and Jiangdong—he would turn all four regions into an iron fortress. Even if the front lines of the Eternal Night Continent collapsed, he could still hold firm. Fan Domain alone would guard against the Eternal Night. Perhaps... they could even launch a counteroffensive. Before such a temptation, no matter how daunting the difficulties, he had to give it a shot. He glanced sideways at Weiwei, who was basking in the sun outside the city wall. Such a massive project would probably run Weiwei ragged. He needed to feed Weiwei some good food over the next few days. Soon, the victory banquet was prepared, ready to begin. Everyone took their seats, looking toward Chen Fan seated atop the wall. Chen Fan slowly stood, meeting their gazes, and spoke softly. "Today, we celebrate the Commerce Pavilion's discovery of the New Continent." "To Wang Mazi, Pavilion Master of the Commerce Pavilion, a reward of ten thousand ghost stones." "To the other members of the Commerce Pavilion—Zhang Damao, Wang Tianfang, and the rest—five thousand ghost stones each." "A merit is recorded for everyone." "The families of our fallen brothers shall receive the rewards on their behalf." "Let the feast begin." He kept his remarks brief. The members of Fan Domain had been working hard lately, and this was a good chance for them to unwind together. He did not join the feast; there were still matters he had not fully figured out. The atmosphere at the banquet quickly grew boisterous. "I'm truly impressed," Zhou Mo said, walking over to Wang Mazi with a cup in hand, speaking with heartfelt emotion. "Back during the rainy season, I never realized you had this much grit. Just listening to your account, I can picture how terrifying this sea voyage was. Coming back alive was no small feat." "Just luckier than most. The other brothers... what a pity." Wang Mazi drained his cup in one gulp, then pointed toward a high-speed train parked along the red line, asking hesitatingly, "While I was away, Fan Domain changed so much. That high-speed rail... what is it?" "Fan Domain's latest creation," Zhou Mo said with a laugh. "Incredibly fast. You should have experienced it already—from Fan City to Jiangbei City takes just the time of a cup of tea." "Fan Domain has already laid down four main lines, distributed across Jiangbei, Jiangnan, Jiangxi, and Jiangdong. No matter which region you head to, you can arrive and return on the same day. If you want, you could even make multiple round trips in a single day." "That fast?" Wang Mazi stood frozen in astonishment. "Of course." The banquet remained lively as members of Fan Domain excitedly shared what they had seen and heard over recent days. Many members were usually stationed at other outposts; gathering here today in Fan Domain, they naturally had endless stories to tell. For instance— Zhang Qianming. The man whom Chen Fan personally appointed stationmaster of the Fan Domain Jiangbei Bridge Outpost had also been invited to Fan Domain for the celebration banquet. He sat upright before his table in trepidation, not daring to glance about. This was his first time in Fan Domain. He knew no one here, and deep down, he felt rather uneasy. The ten brothers who came with him had all formerly been guards of the Jiangnan Shui family. They, too, dared not chatter, sitting stiff and upright at the table, visibly constrained. "Hey." Just then, Shao Qiu noticed the group and walked over with a smile. Recognizing them, he plopped down beside Zhang Qianming and said cheerfully, "Don't be so stiff." "Yes, sir!" Zhang Qianming scrambled to his feet to reply. He knew who this was—Shao Qiu, Pavilion Master of Fan Domain's Dark Pavilion, ranks above him. Back at the Jiangbei bridgehead, it had been this very man who, like a phantom, slaughtered the Jiangnan Shui family group in the blink of an eye. Seeing Zhang Qianming's stiff posture, Shao Qiu curled his lip into a grin. "Do you know the power of belief? Under the power of belief, even the impossible can become possible. Think of it this way: you trick your brain, and then your brain tricks you. Come on, I'll teach you. Pretend you're holding a salt shaker in your hand. Open your mouth, stick out your tongue, and pretend to keep shaking salt onto it. You'll find that if you believe hard enough that there's a salt shaker in your hand, your brain will actually make your tongue taste saltiness. Give it a try." Shao Qiu looked at Zhang Qianming with eager anticipation. "Yes!" With a dead serious expression, Zhang Qianming opened his mouth wide, stuck out his tongue, and pretended to hold a salt shaker, shaking it into his mouth repeatedly. "Right, right, just like that! Shake it faster! Tilt your head back a little more!" Zhang Qianming followed along in all seriousness. He even vaguely felt as though he really tasted something salty. Just as he poured his heart and soul into experiencing the power of belief, a burst of smothered snickering reached his ears. He looked down. The brothers who had accompanied him to Fan Domain were all flushed red, clamping their hands over their mouths, desperately trying not to burst into hysterical laughter. "I..." He realized in an instant that his posture looked horribly suggestive. His face flushed scarlet, and he whipped his head toward Shao Qiu. "Pity you're not a woman," Shao Qiu said, standing up and clapping Zhang Qianming on the shoulder with a chuckle. "Otherwise, you'd be quite slick." "Have fun." "Relax." With that, Shao Qiu turned and strolled away, leaving behind a mortified and furious Zhang Qianming, along with his brothers who finally burst into roaring laughter. "Brother Qianming, what a pity shadow-recording stones aren't allowed in Fan Domain! Otherwise, I'd have recorded that whole scene! Hahahahahahaha!" "So slick! Truly too slick, Brother Qianming!" "Though your tongue coating is a bit white, hurts the aesthetics." "Yeah, not pink enough." The mood had certainly loosened up. In an instant, no one felt stiff anymore. Zhang Qianming wasn't constrained either; his earlier awkwardness had transformed into embarrassment and fury. Flustered and outraged, he growled, "Forget what you just saw, every damn one of you!" Then he looked at Shao Qiu's departing back, a dazed look flickering in his eyes. Rumors outside held that the Pavilion Master of Fan Domain's Dark Pavilion killed without batting an eye. Yet from their interaction today, the man was actually quite decent. He had even cared about easing the tension of an insignificant member like him. It stirred a growing sense of belonging to Fan Domain in Zhang Qianming's heart—everyone here treated him so kindly. The banquet concluded. The members of Fan Domain returned to their posts. Chen Fan had already brought Weiwei to the edge of the port. "Weiwei." Weiwei obediently sprawled on the ground, awaiting instructions. "Dig." A hint of questioning flashed in Weiwei's eyes: Dig where? "Dig toward the seabed, and keep digging forward along the ocean floor." Weiwei remained silent with a blank expression, a figurative question mark hovering over its head. "Er..." Chen Fan was momentarily at a loss for words. The workload really was a bit immense. Weiwei didn't ask for monthly pay, and Chen Fan felt a bit guilty working it so hard; an assignment like this would work a donkey to death. "All-you-can-eat braised offal." Weiwei's eyes sparkled with brilliant light, instantly surging with excitement. Leaping into the air, it struck the ground, claws tearing like razor-sharp blades as it dug underground at blazing speed. In no time at all, it left behind a vertical shaft plunging straight into the depths of the earth. If one were to ask who in Fan Domain loved Zhao Shengping most, it was Weiwei. To Weiwei, eating the braised offal he prepared felt like ascending to heaven. Chen Fan had once probed, asking what it felt like to eat that offal, and Weiwei had vaguely replied through body language: A bit hyper after eating. Felt light and floaty. Endless strength surging through the body. A slightly dazed, intoxicated look in the eyes. Chen Fan hadn't dared to ask further. Probing any more would have felt improper; this hardly sounded like tender, savory braised stew anymore. Soon, a deep vertical shaft appeared beside the port. He erected copper pipes along the walls of the shaft, then rode the high-speed rail to the bottom. This place was already deep enough—well below the depth of this section of seabed. Weiwei stopped digging vertically and began excavating horizontally. As Weiwei dug, Chen Fan followed behind, laying down copper pipes. At the same time, wherever the pipes were laid, pale white bones extended from behind, securing the tunnel against collapse. Indeed, he had to accompany Weiwei throughout the entire task. Without the assurance of the copper pipes and the Mountain Skeleton Embryo, should a cave-in occur, Weiwei would scarcely make it out alive. This grand project required his full participation. He named this undertaking the "New Continent Tunnel." Leading straight to the New Continent. Just then, Weiwei halted. Swallowing so much earth had clearly filled its stomach beyond capacity. It turned to look at Chen Fan, who understood at once. Pulling a storage ring from his robes, he tossed it over. Weiwei opened its jaws. Masses of earth were poured into the storage ring. What would have been a colossal earth-moving project was neatly resolved by Weiwei's belly and the storage ring, eliminating the need to haul dirt back up. Forty-one days had passed since the completion of High-Speed Rail Line 1. The storage ring had naturally long been unlocked. The passcode was indeed 444. The correct answer to one plus one was 444. He had expected it to contain vast numbers of ghost stones. To his surprise, there was not a single ghost stone inside. But on second thought, that made sense. The Jiangbei defense line had already fallen; an architect who could still keep a pile of ghost stones in his storage ring at such a time would be no different from a human traitor. Could such a person even be considered human? There were only some simple changes of clothing and some ghost materials. The ghost materials had all been deposited into the treasury. Aside from that, there was nothing else. One could see that when the Jiangbei defense line was breached, this "Undying Heavenly Master" had truly been stripped of all supplies; had those ghost materials been usable, not even they would have remained. Although there was nothing valuable inside the storage ring, the ring itself was the greatest treasure. Its interior space was enormous, equivalent in size to the "Life Hall" stone chamber he had hollowed out in the Fan Domain camp. The height alone reached a full dozen meters or more, capable of holding a vast volume of things. Using it to hold earth right now was practically made to order. Inside the straight, deep tunnel, thick earth surrounded them on all sides and above, with pale bones surging forth from time to time to shore up the structure. They were already deep beneath the sea, far from land. If the tunnel collapsed now, even with the Emerald Cane protecting him, he wouldn't survive. Under normal circumstances, he would never place himself in such peril, but the allure of the New Continent was too great. He was willing to take the gamble. There was no such thing as an absolutely cautious person in this world, just as there was no woman who would never stray. Everything was relative, measured by risk assessment. The moment benefit outweighed risk, the apricot branch breached the wall. Inside the narrow, elongated tunnel, it was practically dead silent. There was only the furious sound of Weiwei digging. Above his head lay hundreds of millions of tons of seawater. All he could do was trust the Mountain Skeleton Embryo—trust this... conceptual ability. Soon, the storage ring was filled to the brim as well. He placed it onto a solitary train car following behind him. With a thought, the car sped back on a return run, returning shortly thereafter with the earth inside the storage ring completely emptied. The work continued. It was dry, monotonous labor. Yet unlike laying the high-speed rail tracks, Chen Fan felt no fatigue this time. Instead, he was filled with drive. If they could connect a high-speed line to the New Continent, it wouldn't just mean possessing near-limitless resources; it would also give them a retreat point. Of course, a temporary retreat. After all, a continent once massacred by ghost tides could hardly be called safe. At best, it was relatively safe—enough to hide out for a spell without issue. Time slowly trickled by. Weiwei dug the dirt, Chen Fan laid the copper pipes, and the man and crocodile worked in seamless synergy. Darkness fell. The Eternal Night descended. It wasn't that Chen Fan's biological clock was particularly sharp, but rather that he saw the copper pipes behind him light up. The cold white ghost fire coursing through the copper pipes emitted a pale yellow glow only after the Eternal Night arrived. He looked behind him. The ghost fire radiating from the copper pipes illuminated the entire tunnel, a long beam stretching back with a dreamlike, surreal quality. After a day of digging, the tunnel entrance was already far out of sight. Excavating beneath the sea wasn't as fast as laying rail on land, but it was hardly slow either. Weiwei was truly busting its gut, taking virtually no breaks the entire time. Chen Fan observed the surrounding earth, patiently sensing for disturbances, his eyes narrowing slightly. Normally, outside the rainy season, ghost creatures would not attack ghost fire, leaving the copper pipes' perimeter a safe zone. But this was deep under the sea, uncharted territory where humanity had never set foot. No one could predict what might happen. What brought him comfort right now was the thick surrounding rock and soil. Ghost creatures possessed physical forms; this tunnel served as a fine shield. Yet if the tunnel trembled or sounds of digging echoed, he would withdraw at once. After a long while, detecting nothing amiss, he nonetheless looked at Weiwei and said softly, "Let's call it a day. Time to head back and rest. We'll resume tomorrow." The next moment, the high-speed rail started up. Chen Fan stood aboard the max-level hanging basket, cruising swiftly backward along the yellow-lit tunnel. As for Weiwei, its front claws rested on the back of the basket, its hefty bulk nearly flying through the air as it followed in rapid return. Weiwei had thick hide and coarse flesh; minor bumps meant nothing to it. Returning like this was much faster. Otherwise, having Weiwei run would have taken quite a while. The night passed. Day broke. Just as Chen Fan was preparing to take the high-speed rail to the port with Weiwei, he saw someone walk into the Fan Domain sinkhole and step before him. "You're back?" Chen Fan smiled at the person before him. The newcomer was none other than Qi Yue. Over a month ago, Qi Yue had bid him farewell, saying he needed to kill certain people. Now, over a month later, he had returned once more. "Domain Lord, I have returned." Qi Yue appeared far more unburdened than before, a hint of ease and a smile lingering at the corners of his lips. "I have severed my former life. Henceforth, I, Qi Yue, live anew." "You completed the Severing of Self?" "I did." "Who won?" "Naturally, I won." "Very good." Chen Fan nodded, then revoked all permissions on Qi Yue's identity token. Turning to Wang Kui beside him, he instructed, "This fellow completed the Severing of Self. Don't let him into the camp. Interrogate him thoroughly to find out who really won. I'll deal with him when I return tonight." With that, Chen Fan gave Qi Yue a smiling nod before turning and taking Weiwei away to dig the tunnel, not looking back once. For the sake of this New Continent Tunnel, even Fan Domain Telecommunications had to be put on hold for a time. The New Continent Tunnel was currently the highest priority. Inside the Fan Domain camp... Led by Shao Qiu, several figures stood outside the wall, surrounding Qi Yue with grave expressions. The cannon towers mounted upon the walls were trained directly on Qi Yue, everyone's eyes brimming with scrutiny and danger. "Pavilion Master Qiu, the Dark Pavilion is in charge of Fan Domain's intelligence. Did you not gather any information regarding his Severing of Self?" "None," Shao Qiu shook his head. "I know whom he went to kill, but after that, there was no further news." Severing of Self was Qi Yue's unique cultivation method. Having endured a tragic past, Qi Yue harbored deep hatred. By concentrating all his negative emotions, he drastically accelerated his cultivation speed. The drawback, however, was that accumulated negativity would gradually manifest as an alternate version of himself. Both shared identical combat power and external strengths in a duel to the death. If Qi Yue perished, the other self would live in his place. If the alternate self died, Qi Yue's special mental method would be freed of all negative side effects, permanently severing his past vendettas. "Do you remember what you said the first time you met the Young Master?" Sick Monkey asked, his eyes sharp with scrutiny. "Of course I do." Qi Yue stood where he was, looking at Sick Monkey with a faint, reminiscent laugh. "Our first meeting was on the Jiangbei wasteland. Dusk was falling, and I had already found a camp to stay for the night when I saw a cripple shouting his lungs out on a hillside. Feeling a pang of pity, I followed along. I stepped into Jiangbei Chen Family Camp 37. After the Domain Lord introduced himself, he charged me a lodging fee. I said... seeing you two reminded me of the days when I struggled to get by. Am I right?" "Not a single mistake," Sick Monkey spread his hands and looked at the others. "Word for word. Only this guy, the Young Master, and I know about this. No one else does. Seems he's the real deal." "No, no," Wang Kui shook his head with suspicion. "The other Qi Yue formed of negative emotions possesses all of Qi Yue's memories. Whatever Qi Yue knows, he knows too. You can't test him on memory. Ask something else." "Check his temperament?" Shao Qiu studied Qi Yue thoughtfully. "This guy usually acted aloof and detached, with an expression that begged for a beating. Now he looks far more approachable. Could he really have severed his negative emotions?" "Wrong!" Wang Kui shook his head resolutely. "Emotions invert when pushed to extremes—like laughing out of fury or weeping tears of joy. He's acting exceptionally pleasant right now, even smiling while being interrogated by us. This could very well be fury pushed to the limit, smiling in rage! That would precisely prove he's the Qi Yue formed of negativity!" "Makes sense." Qi Yue glanced at the group with helplessness. "If I hadn't been afraid of seeing you all cry if I died, I really should have severed my self right in front of you, just so you could witness my glorious breakthrough in battle." "That sounds like something he would say," Shao Qiu affirmed. "He must be the real one." "Let's observe a bit more. Do you remember Gongyang Yue?" "Nonsense, of course." "Do you want to marry her?" "I suppose so..." After a long silence, Qi Yue said softly, "I don't know." "He's real!" Sick Monkey declared firmly. "Young Master told me that Qi Yue has feelings for Gongyang Yue, but it's not love. If he were the negative Qi Yue, he'd definitely want to bed her, but this guy has no such intention!" Fan City was bustling in full swing, while inside Fan Domain, they were still arguing over the real and fake Qi Yue. Although Fan Domain Telecommunications had yet to be rolled out, the operation of the high-speed rail across the four regions of Jiangbei still made Fan City exceptionally lively. By now, Fan City had undergone an expansion; the original city was no longer large enough to accommodate so many people. The expanded Fan City was divided into an inner city and an outer city. The inner city was the original Fan City, primarily used to house Fan Domain's non-core personnel and certain key facilities, while structures like marketplaces and inns had moved to the outer city, open for outside factions to settle in. Numerous factions had moved into the outer city to establish their shops. Crowds bustled along the streets of Fan City, and clerks stood before dazzling arrays of storefronts, hawking their wares at the top of their lungs. Jiangbei's Nameless Mountain, once an utter wasteland even by Jiangbei's modest standards, had transformed into the most prosperous hub around, all because of Fan Domain's presence. Every day, hordes of people arrived to witness Fan Domain's transformation firsthand and seek entry into its ranks. Countless transactions took place here, and the daily turnover of ghost stones was staggering. Zhou Mo led members of the War Pavilion on patrol through the streets on Skeleton Horses with sabers at their sides, just as they did every day. Watching the bustling scenes on either side of the street, his eyes were full of smiles and contentment. He was very satisfied with his current life. Today's Fan Domain matched his vision of an ultimate power to perfection. If only... along with his monthly pay, they also assigned wives, that would be even better. He hadn't found himself a woman yet, and he wanted someone to warm his bed at night too. Right then, his brow suddenly furrowed. Not far ahead, a young woman clad in a brocade dress walked along the street with an expression full of curiosity, accompanied by several servants. This was ordinarily commonplace. With Fan City's current development, young ladies and young masters from various factions strolled through the city accompanied by servants every day. After all, Fan City had become the most prosperous city around. However... Beside one of the servants behind the woman—an elderly man showing his years—an illusory panel composed of white lines slowly surfaced, visible only to Zhou Mo: "Age: 179 years old." Zhou Mo showed no outward reaction, merely brushing past in silence. But once clear, he hurried into an alley, raised a voice transmission talisman, and murmured, "Connect me to the Domain Lord. I've spotted a 179-year-old person inside Fan City right now." His monthly pay was quite handsome, and without a wife, he had nowhere to spend it. So when the itch took him, he would buy unbloomed exotic treasures for fun. Each one he opened was an unbloomed White-grade exotic treasure costing close to a thousand ghost stones, nothing excessively pricey. He had never opened anything extraordinary, though he made a modest profit or broke even a few times. Of course, he lost money far more often. The brooch on his chest was one such exotic treasure he had unboxed. Thinking it rather entertaining, he hadn't sold it and kept it for himself. Plus, its name sounded quite grand, which suited his taste. "Exotic Treasure Name: Dragon Seeking Brooch." "Exotic Treasure Grade: White." "Exotic Treasure Effect: Reveals the true age of all living creatures." Usually, when patrolling the streets, his favorite pastime was checking how old people were. Some men had full beards and weathered faces, but a glance showed they were only twenty-six. Some women looked remarkably youthful with voluptuous figures, yet their panels showed they were already forty-seven damn years old. It was quite amusing. Especially at brothels, where he discovered the madams spouted nothing but lies—calling women in their late thirties 'in the cardamom spring of youth,' which was sheer humbug, claiming when pressed that hardships had simply matured them early. Yet until now, beyond indulging his voyeuristic curiosity, the treasure had served virtually no practical purpose. Until just now, when he laid eyes on a 179-year-old person. Ordinary human lifespans did not last this long. This meant the person either possessed methods of longevity or was a high-level shape-shifting ghost creature. Either way, he had to report it immediately to let the Domain Lord decide. This had already exceeded the scope of what he could handle. "Young Mistress." On Fan City's bustling street, the old man following the brocade-clad woman turned to watch Zhou Mo's receding figure. A glint flickered in his cloudy eyes as he murmured, "I believe we may have been discovered." "Oh?" The woman's brows furrowed. "Did we give something away?" "No," the old man shook his head. "However, according to standard patrol routes, he should have continued forward instead of slipping into that alleyway. He likely went to report." "Perhaps he simply changed his patrol route on a whim." "That is also possible." "Besides..." The young woman tilted her head, her eyes curving into crescents with a smile. "Even if we are discovered, what does it matter? It's not as if we have anything to hide. Before Father departed, didn't he tell us to get a good understanding of this suddenly rising Fan Domain? Maybe meeting Chen Fan up close will let us learn even more." The old man did not reply right away. Lowering his eyelids, he murmured softly, "Having secluded ourselves for so long, returning to the secular world brings many troubles. Had the Clan Master not been truly baffled as to how a faction in Jiangbei could suddenly rise to such heights, he would never have sent us out on this journey." "Oh, I know, I know." The young woman didn't pay it much mind. Instead, she continued joyfully popping into shop after shop along the street, buying a whole assortment of parcels before long. She rarely experienced such bustling scenes. She rarely saw this many people, let alone this many shops. At the port. Chen Fan stood on the shore gazing out toward the sea. He wasn't sure exactly how far they had dug last night or where they had reached. Judging by the time, it was probably about thirty kilometers. Just how long would they have to dig before reaching the New Continent? He looked down at Weiwei beneath him, pondering whether he could find Weiwei a mate to breed and sire a few litters, so a whole family could dig together and boost their efficiency. The copper pipes buried under the seabed last night had not gone out. The tunnel had not collapsed, nor had any ghost creatures invaded. Though conditions during the rainy season remained an unknown, the New Continent Tunnel plan seemed viable for now—it was just time-consuming, requiring diligent, uninterrupted labor over a good stretch of time. Just then, he received the message from Zhou Mo and frowned slightly. 179 years old? Had an old man turned into a monster? Up until now, he only knew of one person who could live to such an age—the one who had originally lived on Nameless Mountain. Beyond that, he had never seen a human reach that age. Especially since Zhou Mo's report indicated they belonged to an organized faction. Living to 179 meant more than just longevity; it meant staying in a relatively secure haven. A faction that could remain unbreached for 179 years was not to be underestimated. "Qi Yue, Shao Qiu, wait for me in Fan City. We're receiving guests." "Domain Lord, we haven't figured out whether Qi Yue is real or fake yet. Should we let him join the operation?" "No need to distinguish. He's real." "Ah? How did you tell, Domain Lord?" "His life tablet didn't shatter." Wang Kui stood there blank-faced and speechless for a long while. They had spent all that time analyzing here—how had none of them thought of this? The Qi Yue formed of negative emotions had everything, but he lacked Fan Domain's identity token, which could not be duplicated. The token carried on one's person corresponded directly to the life tablet placed inside the Life Hall. One to one. No loopholes could be exploited. All one had to do was check whether the life tablet had shattered to know whether the Qi Yue before them was real or fake. The others also stood silent, searching for excuses to save face. After all, none of them wanted to admit they were foolish. "Still..." Wang Kui asked in confusion, "if the Domain Lord knew he was real, why did he have us interrogate him?" In Fan City, Chen Fan looked at Sick Monkey's group and laughed. "Qi Yue left Fan Domain for over a month without sending back a single word. Coming back, it was bound to feel a bit distant. I just wanted you all to catch up a bit. Qi Yue, Sick Monkey, you two come with me. Shao Qiu, conceal yourself in the shadows. Let's see what kind of guests have come calling. Perhaps we have distinguished guests from the Guanxi Plain." Truth be told, he would rather not encounter visitors from the Guanxi Plain just yet. He wasn't fully prepared. He wanted to wait until everything was in place before making a high-profile entry into the Guanxi Plain; visitors arriving now slightly disrupted his arrangements. Soon, Chen Fan, accompanied by Sick Monkey and Qi Yue, stepped directly in front of the brocade-clad woman who was curiously taking in her surroundings. Leaning on his Emerald Cane, he stood before her with a gentle smile. "I am Chen Fan, Domain Lord of Fan Domain." "How may I address you?"