Chen Fan of Jiangbei Fan Domain... Tops the List

"Domain Lord." As Chen Fan stood on the defense line gazing out at the sea, the transmission talisman at his chest carried Xiao Qiu's voice: "Old Wang has received his orders and set out for the Fan Domain Yellow Springs Mouth Defense Line to assume his post." "Good," Chen Fan replied, acknowledging the report. Following deliberation, Old Wang had been appointed head of the Fan Domain Yellow Springs Mouth Defense Line. He was none other than the former Wang family head whom Wang Kui had served for thirteen years. Wang Kui had recommended him. According to Wang Kui, he had been observing the Wang family head in secret over this period. The man possessed solid administrative skills and had run his outpost with great vigor. While having the backing of Fan Domain certainly made things easier, it still proved something of his competence. After much consideration, appointing him as defense line commander felt just right. After mulling it over, Chen Fan had decided to give Old Wang a trial run first. Fan Domain was currently in dire need of capable talent. Throwing him onto the front line to temper him would test whether he could shoulder real responsibility. As for the former Yellow Springs Mouth commander, Zhang Qiuba, he still needed some time to be groomed and at least gain some understanding of Fan Domain's inner workings. "Black Tortoise Cannon..." With a wave of his hand, Chen Fan constructed five more Black Tortoise Cannons along the 170-kilometer Jiangbei Defense Line, costing twenty-five million ghost stones. Frankly speaking, the power of the Black Tortoise Cannon was actually quite decent. Though he had never seen any other blue-grade city-defense structures, he suspected its firepower fell short of others in the same grade. The primary reason was that the Black Tortoise Cannon's max-level effect was virtually nonexistent. That meant losing out on a free max-level bonus. Its max-level effect only unlocked when all four divine cannons were assembled, which would yield a Heavenly Dao Cannon. Heavenly Dao Cannon... One could guess its might just from the name. That had to be the ultimate destiny of the Black Tortoise Cannon. Patter, patter... Rain drizzled from the sky. A new year's rainy season had arrived. The chilly wind blew onto the wall, carrying the briny tang of the sea. Resting his hands on his jade cane, Chen Fan felt a faint chill. "I really need to find time to cultivate in the Spirit Nurturing Pavilion..." Looking at the War Pavilion members toiling bare-chested on the battlements, Chen Fan muttered under his breath. A higher cultivation had at least one benefit: you didn't feel the cold as much. He had simply been too busy these past years. He could hardly spare a moment to focus on cultivating. His cultivation remained that of a Level 3 cultivator, utterly inconspicuous across the entirety of the Eternal Night Continent. Whenever he finally had a bit of free time, he just wanted to rest. It was truly hard to motivate himself to cultivate. If only someone could cultivate on his behalf. The main issue was the terrible cost-effectiveness. If reaching a certain cultivation realm allowed him to split mountains and cleave rivers with a single sword, he would be more enthusiastic than anyone. But in this world, cultivation was simply not the primary melody. Even reaching the teens in level couldn't stop a ghost tide. The hinterlands of the Eternal Night Continent. A city belonging to Eternal Night Hall. "Well, time for me to go." The stubble-faced, drunken elder stood up, swaying as he looked toward Qiu Yisi. "We've been drinking until dawn. I really must be off." "I won't see you out." Qiu Yisi was also properly soused by now, barely able to keep his eyes open, his face flushed crimson. "Though I have to say, dumping that many people on Fan Domain without giving them a single bit of supplies wasn't very decent of you, was it?" At those words, the elder's eyes flickered with mild embarrassment. "Well, Domain Lord Chen asked for personnel, didn't he? We couldn't just hand him two commanders and leave the rest stranded to disband on the spot, could we? "They've all been through the wringer, so they're bound to be a help to Fan Domain. "If he truly can't afford to keep them... then they'll just have to be disbanded after all." "Fine, fine. Off you go." Qiu Yisi said nothing more, merely waving a hand in a daze. The elder waved back and stumbled out the door. Not long after the elder left, the alcoholic haze on Qiu Yisi's face vanished instantly. His eyes turned exceptionally clear, devoid of any hint of drunkenness. Furrowing his brows, he stared at the jade slip in his hand. At that moment— From behind the folding screen, Tian Yi emerged. "Master." "Mm." Qiu Yisi nodded slightly. As if anticipating Tian Yi's thoughts, he shook the jade slip in his hand. "That fellow came to declare his stance to us, letting us know he isn't a traitor." "Isn't the Strategy Hall higher in standing than the Operations Team in Eternal Night Hall? Why would he declare his stance to us?" "It has nothing to do with rank," Qiu Yisi shook his head. "He just wanted to show that he's trustworthy, lest a lack of trust lead to intelligence failing to reach him in time and affecting the front-line situation." "So, Master, is he trustworthy?" "He is." Qiu Yisi stood up, walked to the window, and let out a soft sigh. "If even he can't be trusted, then the Eternal Night Continent truly has no future." Then, with a smile, he tossed a token into Tian Yi's chest. "The identity token for Deputy Leader of the Eternal Night Hall Western Operations Team. "Catch." "One, two, three..." Jiangbei Fan Domain. Chen Fan stood at the rear mountain of Nameless Mountain, looking at the number of max-level buildings on the Eternal Night Lord panel deep within his soul. Fan Domain now had nineteen max-level buildings. Originally there were only fourteen. Later, he had acquired quite a few low-tier white-grade blueprints from the defense line and the front line that Fan Domain didn't possess. After maxing out these lower-tier buildings, he had reached nineteen. They were all everyday structures, having little substantial impact on Fan Domain. He looked at the white-grade blueprint in his hand. Once he maxed this out, Fan Domain would have twenty max-level buildings and could claim that reward once again. [Exotic Treasure Name]: Brick Kiln [Exotic Treasure Grade]: White [Exotic Treasure Effect]: Bakes bricks. Crafting cost: a mere 100 ghost stones and one "Giant Ghost." Yes. That very vehicle that had appeared when the Vehicle Workshop reached Level 8. It was the most absurd crafting requirement he had ever seen—a white-grade building actually demanding a Giant Ghost. That meant without a Level 8 Vehicle Workshop, one couldn't even build this brick kiln. The next moment— A panel popped up before him: [Brick Kiln upgraded to Level 2.] [This building has no upgrade branches.] [With each upgrade, the bricks produced will be sturdier.] He placed the brick kiln behind Nameless Mountain. It occupied a sizable area, several thousand square meters—far larger than the Vehicle Workshop. Soon, as countless lines formed and quickly solidified, an enormous brick kiln settled behind Nameless Mountain, situated right beside the Ghost Creature Disposal Base. After maxing out the kiln in one go, he looked at its panel and grinned. Brick kiln. True to its name, a building that produced bricks. And he finally understood why this building required a Giant Ghost. At Level 10, the bricks produced by the kiln possessed the defensive strength of a Level 1 wall. That was genuinely absurd, vastly exceeding the effect of a normal white-grade building. "Not bad at all." Chen Fan nodded in satisfaction. Fan Domain already had its own brick kiln; the giant bricks shipped to the Fan Domain Yellow Springs Mouth Defense Line had been hand-crafted by Fan Domain workers. But hand-crafted bricks, whether in uniformity, efficiency, or durability, naturally couldn't compare to those from this kiln. Fan Domain had a large population now, and there was an urgent need for multi-occupancy housing. This would resolve that demand nicely. [Brick Kiln upgraded to Level 10.] [Reached maximum level; cannot be upgraded further.] [Acquired Max-Level Effect 'Great Infrastructure Boom': Structures built with these bricks resonate with the earth's core, granting exceptional resistance to wind, tremors, and natural disasters.] An extraordinarily practical, grounded max-level effect. Simultaneously, another panel appeared: [You have successfully upgraded the 'Brick Kiln' to maximum level, acquiring the max-level effect (Great Infrastructure Boom).] [(Brick Kiln) unlocked in the compendium.] [Building Compendium has unlocked twenty max-level buildings. You have received a blue-grade Resource Lucky Bag.] [Unlock fifty max-level buildings to receive an even more valuable reward.] "Uh..." Still blue-grade? Chen Fan felt a twinge of disappointment; he had hoped for a higher tier. But unlike previous Lucky Bags, this was a blue-grade Resource Lucky Bag. [Lucky Bag]: Upon opening, 50% chance to obtain 100 million ghost stones, 30% chance for 500 million ghost stones, 10% chance for 1 billion ghost stones, 9.5% chance for 2 billion ghost stones, and 0.5% chance for 3 billion ghost stones plus one blue-grade Resource Lucky Bag. He didn't bother waiting for an exotic treasure like a Luck Whistle. Such items were even harder to find than Heavenly Dao Stones. Casually, he untied the blue cord of the Resource Lucky Bag. The next instant, the air seemed to freeze. Countless ghost stones abruptly materialized in midair, like a meteor shower frozen in time, before raining down clattering against the ground alongside the drizzle. "..." Chen Fan stood frozen in place. Staring blankly at the new Lucky Bag in his hand, he was baffled. Was his luck really that good? He had hit the 0.5% chance? Hundreds of thousands of high-grade ghost stones had plummeted from above! That was equivalent to three billion ghost stones! And it had given him another Resource Lucky Bag. "Try again?" Tentatively, he opened this new Resource Lucky Bag. Immediately, hundreds of thousands of high-grade ghost stones manifested in midair once more—another three billion ghost stones! And yet another Resource Lucky Bag appeared in his hand. "Damn!" By now, Chen Fan knew this couldn't just be luck. No matter how lucky he was, hitting a 0.5% chance twice in a row was impossible; it had to be a bug. Try once more. He opened the Resource Lucky Bag in his hand again. Hundreds of thousands of high-grade ghost stones appeared in the air yet again, and another Resource Lucky Bag appeared in his hand. However... Unseen by him, a strand of the golden aura swirling around his body dissipated with each bag he opened. And that golden aura was precisely the golden light mingled within the emerald pillar of rain that had crowned Chen Fan during the previous year's Heavenly Dao blessing. "..." Chen Fan stood in silence with a blank expression, staring at the Resource Lucky Bag in his hand. Having opened three in a row, he had amassed nine billion ghost stones, and he still held one more bag. He didn't dare open it again. He had basically figured out what was going on. No matter how lucky he was, hitting a 0.5% chance three times in a row was out of the question. The probability was too microscopic, and it couldn't be a software glitch. If he wasn't mistaken, it was connected to that emerald rain from last year. Back then, he had wondered why his pillar of rain had been so massive, yet seemed to produce the same effect as everyone else's—curing hidden ailments and extending lifespan. Now it was evident: there was an additional effect he hadn't known about, and that effect was boosting his luck. Not on a timer, but on a per-use count. He had no idea how many uses remained. He didn't want to squander all this hard-earned fortune solely on ghost stones. Saving it for future Lucky Bags or critical moments requiring luck would offer far better value. Nine billion ghost stones gifted to him out of nowhere was plenty. It instantly brought Fan Domain's ghost stone reserves to 16.2 billion. Opening three Lucky Bags had yielded as much as Fan Domain had saved over a very long time. Enough to construct Defense Line No. 7. All that was missing were monkey-head fruits. Not daring to open the Resource Lucky Bag, he tucked it into his robe, muttering under his breath, "Couldn't it just give me a visible counter?" He had no idea how many strands of fortune remained on him. During that day's Heavenly Dao blessing, he had gained another effect: Fortune's Favor. He wondered how much fortune opening these three bags had consumed. If there were still a dozen or so strands left, he could have opened a few more. "Still, this is plenty." Looking at the high-grade ghost stones carpeting the ground around him, Chen Fan smiled. It was like picking up nine billion ghost stones for free—no mining required, just free money. He loved Resource Lucky Bags. And he loved Heavenly Dao blessings even more. Very nice. Members of Fan Domain's Heavenly Granary Pavilion rushed to the rear of Nameless Mountain, hauling the sea of ghost stones back to the warehouses. No one knew where so many ghost stones had come from. They only knew it was the Domain Lord's order. When it involved the Domain Lord, nothing seemed all that strange anymore. Chen Fan built three more max-level brick kilns. After batches of Logistics Pavilion members moved into the kilns and mastered the entire workflow, the next day arrived. A conveyor belt formed by the Fan Domain high-speed rail transported stone bricks one after another from the kilns behind Nameless Mountain to Fan City. In Fan City, colossal Giant Ghosts lifted the massive bricks off the conveyor belt. Following the blueprints etched on the ground and the instructions shouted to them, they laid them out across the open ground. Like stacking building blocks. Before long, a high-rise building of about fourteen stories shot up from the ground! And it continued to climb rapidly. In his previous life, constructing a building like this would take a year, or even more than a decade, but here in Fan Domain, it took half a day. The Giant Ghosts were tens of meters tall; assembling a high-rise was effortless for them. "..." Standing on the walls of Fan City, Chen Fan looked upon the scene with a smile. It had been over six years since he came to this world. His memories of his previous life were growing somewhat hazy. Yet witnessing this brought back that touch of familiarity. Building a city filled with high-rises would not only house Fan Domain's members better, but also bring a distinct flavor to this world. Soon, once the building reached eighteen stories, work began on capping the roof. Dozens of Logistics Pavilion members hauled large bundles inside to handle detailed installations, such as laying copper pipes for running water and performing basic rough finishing on the interiors. "Domain Lord." Standing nearby, Wang Kui marveled as he looked at the high-rise. "I have never heard of such tall buildings before. Will strong winds really not knock it down?" "They won't." Chen Fan shook his head without overexplaining. The brick kiln's max-level effect granted exceptional wind and earthquake resistance. To be safe, he had added two extra foundation layers; there was virtually no risk of natural collapse. Of course, if a God-Slaying Cannon struck it head-on, that would be another story. The Giant Ghost was truly a wonderful new vehicle. Not only had it shown great prowess harvesting wheat on the New Continent, but it was also a master at erecting buildings here. Under the labor of dozens of Giant Ghosts, high-rise buildings shot up one after another. Now, Fan City was already taking on the appearance of a modern metropolis. Such tall buildings would never work for other factions. Ghost-fire illumination didn't reach that high. An eighteen-story high-rise would poke past the boundary of ghost fire, leaving top-floor residents stranded in the Eternal Night once dusk fell. In Fan Domain, however, the ghost fires were uniformly max level, with a towering radius of light. Combined with the Jiangbei Defense Line standing just ahead, safety was maxed out. Living here, one hardly needed to worry about security. And the hanging baskets finally found their true calling: installed inside the high-rises to serve as elevators. Houses built of bricks were not system buildings, so hanging baskets couldn't run along their surfaces, but that was easily solved by laying copper pipe tracks. The interaction logic between different buildings was a subject taught in Fan Domain's academies. The logistics personnel were required to learn these concepts, knowing what to do without needing extra orders. "Right—" Chen Fan suddenly turned to Wang Kui. "How is progress with the management training class lately?" Over half a year ago, Fan Domain had opened a new academy specifically to train administrators, selecting veteran members of Fan Domain for grooming. Once graduated, they could step directly into managerial roles. "The first class has all graduated smoothly and assumed their respective administrative posts." "Good." Chen Fan nodded slightly. "We need to train more young people; the future of this world belongs to the youth after all. Add defense line knowledge to the curriculum as well. We'll certainly have more defense lines in the future, and having commanders we trained ourselves will give us greater peace of mind." "Understood." Wang Kui nodded solemnly. He thought for a moment but decided not to bring up the Treasury Pavilion. The Domain Lord seemed to have no intention of founding one, clearly wanting him to serve concurrently as master of both the Treasury Pavilion and Heavenly Granary Pavilion. He felt rather helpless about it. Because... the reason he had spent thirteen years as outpost chief was that he was too good at his job. And now, holding two pavilion master posts at once was also because he was too good at his job. What could he do? Was being too capable a crime? "Also, urge the island to push monkey-head fruit yields as high as possible." "Understood." This rainy season might be the omen before the storm, or perhaps the dawn before the light. Before anyone realized it, fifteen days had slipped by. Half of the rainy season had passed. According to news from Eternal Night Hall, not a single front line had fallen. This rainy season, every defense line was seeing supreme fortune! Yet Eternal Night Hall felt uneasy about this. It didn't seem like good news. The Ghost Clan's strength couldn't have diminished overnight; it could only mean they were hoarding their strength to deliver a crushing blow. Over these fifteen days, Fan City had been transformed completely. Having undergone a total overhaul, Fan City had expanded again. Staggered high-rises stood in every corner, making it look entirely unlike any other city. This was the first city built by Fan Domain, and the one they had poured the most care into. Even the roads were paved smooth and flat, lined with lush greenery on both sides. Walking through the streets, if not for the sight of the nearby Jiangbei Defense Line upon looking up, it would feel like a modern city, without the slightest trace of danger. Night fell. Normally, when darkness fell upon a city, every household shut its doors and extinguished its lights, leaving only the pale yellow glow of ghost fire enveloping the settlement. Yet now, the high-rises of Fan City were ablaze with light, illumination pouring from every window. This was thanks to another max-level building of Fan Domain: [Building Name]: Ghost-Fire Lamp Must be fueled with ghost stones to light. A single unit of ghost fire burns for a very long time, and it can be toggled on and off. Chen Fan had run copper pipes directly to every household, connecting them to these ghost-fire lamps. Thus, even at night, the spectacle of thousands of glowing homes came to life. All Fan Domain members purchased their homes with ghost stones. The greater their seniority, the fewer ghost stones they paid. For the earliest cohort to join Fan Domain—namely, the old Wild Wolf Gang of Jiangbei City and their peers, who were the founding members with the deepest seniority—buying a home cost only 100 ghost stones. The newer the recruit, the more they paid. Of course, with the monthly stipends issued by Fan Domain, so long as one didn't squander their pay on drinking, gambling, and whoring the moment it hit their hands, both veterans and newcomers could easily afford one. This private single-occupancy model certainly had lower space efficiency than the communal bunks of the past, but it gave people the genuine feeling of having a home of their own. The members stationed at the front who worked tirelessly for Fan Domain each day now felt they were defending their own homes. "..." Standing atop the walls of Fan City, listening to the laughter and chatter echoing through the city after nightfall, Chen Fan leaned on his cane in the night rain, smiling quietly. He felt that being able to bring laughter and joy to so many people in the middle of the rainy season was a form of merit in itself. Fan City had been completely revitalized. These homes were reserved exclusively for Fan Domain members; this was a city belonging to Fan Domain's own. Right next to it, an entirely new city was being built from scratch. Fan Domain's population was swelling, especially with the impending reassignment of personnel from Defense Line No. 7 and Yellow Springs Mouth to Jiangbei. Facing even greater demographic pressure, housing had to be prepared well in advance. Just then, the transmission talisman at his chest grew faintly warm, and Shao Qiu's voice came through. "Domain Lord." "News has come from the Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1. Sis Chan was indeed killed by a concealed ghost creature arrow; no traitor was involved throughout the entire incident. "Nor was the deputy commander secretly sabotaging things." "Understood." Chen Fan nodded slightly. Long ago, the Fan Domain Shadow Pavilion had planted operatives at the Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1 for precisely this purpose. At least he would have an independent intelligence channel belonging solely to Fan Domain to verify the truth of events. That way, he wouldn't be kept in the dark if a commander turned traitor, preventing him from walking cheerfully into a trap. He had only visited the front line once—the time he built the sky rail. Since then, whether transporting supplies or handling other affairs, he had never set foot on the front line again. Whenever leaving Fan Domain could be avoided, he had no desire to wander around. The outside world was too perilous, and far too many people wanted him dead. If someone truly wanted to assassinate him, whether his jade cane could protect him remained an open question. Even with that colored glass figurine, it could only be used once. A single-use lifeline. Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1. "That's it?" On the wall, a greasy-mouthed middle-aged man holding a chicken leg poked his head over the parapet, looking down at the unending ghost tide with a puzzled glance around. "Where are the Ghost Kings? Where are the great ghosts? "Why is it all bottom-tier trash in the ghost tide? This year's rainy season looks kind of weak. "Are they gathering for a massive charge or something?" This year's rainy season ghost tide was simply too weak. So weak that even the grunts noticed. "Don't jinx it," an elder sitting cross-legged against the wall shook his head displeased. "Enjoy the peace while it lasts; don't speak ill omens. "There are still fifteen days left in the rainy season. "As long as we get through it, we'll be safe for another year. "Besides, where did you get that chicken leg?" "Hehe," the middle-aged man bragged smugly, "a brother of mine gave it to me." Similar conversations echoed across every corner of the 108-kilometer Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1. This rainy season was just too bizarre—so bizarre that everyone felt something was wrong. Inside the command room: "This is the commander of Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1 calling the Yellow Springs Coastal Defense Line commander. "Any abnormalities on your end?" "None so far, everything is normal." "Are there great ghosts in the tide?" "Yes, standard intensity for a normal rainy season." The Yellow Springs Coastal Defense Line had been repaired, and a new commander had assumed office. "..." The middle-aged man who had once given Chen Fan a tour of the front set down the Mother-Child Stone, his brow tightly furrowed as he stared at the ghost-hide map before him. He had assumed the Ghost Clan intended to infiltrate again to launch a heavy assault on Xihuang Island. Yet... The Yellow Springs Coastal Defense Line reported everything normal. The Qiuming Basin Defense Line reported everything normal as well. This meant the Ghost Clan didn't intend to strike Xihuang Island—or at least not along their previous route. Where had all the front-line ghost tides gone? Were they hiding? Could they have smuggled themselves into another region? Western Eternal Night Continent. The Qianxi Defense Line. This was a defense line situated further south of the Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1, spanning a mere seven kilometers—an extremely short secondary defense line. Roughly on the same scale as the Jiangbei Defense Line, it was only a Level 5 fortification. At this moment, in a city not far behind this line, lights blazed merrily, and the atmosphere was bustling. "A true dragon emerging from shallow waters!" "You can say that again! Becoming a Level 10 architect at such a tender age! I hear Eternal Night Hall sent envoys personally to recruit him." "The Zhou family is truly rising to great heights." In the city, many citizens who had yet to sleep gathered on the streets, gazing toward the lively banquet nearby. Qianxi Plain, the Zhou family. Today they were hosting banquets across three estates to celebrate their young master becoming a Level 10 architect. He was only twenty-two, which meant a boundless future. As long as he obtained a blue-grade blueprint, once he fully comprehended it, there was a high probability he could become a Heavenly Master-tier architect. Comprehending blueprints depended on innate talent. Just as some people could effortlessly construct a three-dimensional model of a skyscraper in their minds, while others struggled to picture even a simple cube. Talent was everything in this craft. There was no helping it. "Let me say a few words!" Clad in red robes adorned with a red corsage, the young man was clearly tipsy. Holding up his cup, he stood swaying in the street, speaking slurringly to the neighbors who had come to the banquet. "On the Eternal Night Continent, ghost creatures run rampant. "Every soul burns with indignation! "Now that I have become a Level 10 architect, it is my duty to contribute to the continent, and..." The next moment— A volley of violent explosions erupted in the distance. It was the sound of the defense line opening fire with everything it had, abruptly shattering the celebratory atmosphere. Before anyone could react, the artillery roars cut off abruptly. Then, they felt the ground faintly trembling. The tremors grew stronger and stronger. Rumble... Only when the city wall was shattered in an instant and countless ghost tides burst through the downpour, frenzied and bloodthirsty as they flooded the streets, did the terrified screams of the citizens finally ring out! Panic engulfed the scene. People scrambled for their homes. Some hid under beds, some in wells, some in kitchens. Yet... The Qianxi Defense Line protecting the Qianxi Plain had already fallen. Even the city's walls had collapsed in an instant. Where could they possibly hide? The red-robed youth, who had been drunkenly boasting just moments before, was now trembling with terror, clasping a hand tightly over his mouth as he hid under a bed. Listening to the agonized screams outside, his body was taut as a bowstring, not daring to make a sound. He couldn't fathom how the Qianxi Defense Line had fallen so suddenly; it had held firm for all these years. Only one thought remained in his mind: He couldn't die. He was a Level 10 architect, the very first Level 10 architect of the Qianxi Plain, and still so young with a boundless future. As long as he lived, he could construct more buildings to combat the ghost tides. He couldn't die; the Eternal Night Continent was waiting for him to save it! Yet in the next second— The door was violently smashed open! Through the gap beneath the bed, he clearly saw a big-footed ghost creature brandishing a butcher's cleaver enter the room. After scanning the interior, it walked back outside. Seeing this, he breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking he had escaped. The next moment, however, a ghastly pale, massive face poked down beneath the bed frame, grinning malevolently at him. "Enjoy hiding under beds?" "Ah?" "Aaaahhh!" A piercing scream erupted from beneath the bed. The ghost creature hauled the red-robed youth out by the collar, dangling him in the air like a chick, before pulling out a sheet of cowhide paper. After scanning it for a long while, it spotted a name and portrait at the bottom. Holding the youth up, the ghost creature compared him to the portrait on the cowhide paper and chuckled sinisterly. "There you are, genius architect." With a slight squeeze of its thick, powerful right hand, the head of the newly minted Level 10 architect exploded in its palm, splattering red and white across the floor. "..." Tossing the corpse aside like garbage, the ghost creature drew a piece of ghost bone from its robes. "My King, the Qianxi target has been eliminated." "Proceed to the next station." "Yes." The next moment, the ghost creatures slaughtering the populace in the city suddenly stopped. They surged out of the city and vanished into the darkness, rushing off without even finishing off the remaining survivors. On that cowhide paper was a list of volatile variables issued by the high command of the Ghost Clan that had to be eliminated. At the very top of the list: Chen Fan of Jiangbei Fan Domain. And Chen Fan's portrait was neatly displayed beside his name. The red-robed youth who had just died was positioned near the very bottom. This scene played out almost simultaneously in various corners of the Eternal Night Continent. Defense lines that normally faced few ghost tides were all assaulted this night. In contrast, the main front lines remained dead quiet. The Ghost Clan had issued an order: Every front was to spare no expense, dispatching troops to eliminate these volatile elements. Originally, there had been no such directive. However, the Ghost Clan had received word that Jiangbei Fan Domain had reinforced the Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1 with a batch of sculptures that could reduce the ghost stone consumption of city-defense structures by forty percent. In an unknown palace. A Ghost Emperor sat upon the grand dais with a dark expression. He was the very Ghost Emperor who had ordered the night raid on Fan Domain at all costs the previous year, only to fail. Upon learning that Fan Domain had reinforced the front lines, the high command of the Ghost Clan had reprimanded him, claiming he hadn't exerted his full strength back then. "Damn it!" The Ghost Emperor cursed under his breath, his face grim. He hadn't exerted his full strength? He had infiltrated two whole regions, suffering a ninety-nine percent casualty rate just to launch a night raid on Xihuang Island! And that wasn't full strength? What counted as full strength? A full army deployment? Abandoning the front lines entirely? Yet this lesson had made the Ghost Clan's high command even more acutely aware of the threat posed by these volatile elements. Thus, for this year's rainy season, the Ghost Clan had only one directive: Temporarily abandon assaulting the main fronts. At all costs, eliminate the volatile elements first, spend a year recovering, and then launch a general offensive next year. These volatile elements were growing far too fast. And this time... The task of "purging Fan Domain" had fallen onto his shoulders. The orders from above were explicit: Fan Domain had to be wiped out with full force. And "full force" naturally meant deploying his entire army. "Sigh." After a long silence, the Ghost Emperor sighed heavily, holding back from giving the order. He was waiting for a better solution; if he truly deployed his entire force to raid Xihuang Island, hardly any troops would survive by the time they reached it. He genuinely didn't want his subordinates to die in vain under the heavenly thunder. For instance... They could find a way to lure Chen Fan to the front line, and then kill him just as they had assassinated the commander of Front No. 1. That would certainly be far more convenient than infiltrating Xihuang Island. "...Mm." The Ghost Emperor pondered from his throne. That was indeed a good idea; as long as Chen Fan was killed, the method didn't matter. Why not... He had heard that Chen Fan cared immensely about building blueprints. Laughter suddenly echoed through the hall. "Guiyi, hear my order! Retrieve a blue-grade blueprint from the vault, place it in the mouth of a great ghost, and have that great ghost lead troops to charge the front line! "Deliver that blueprint into the hands of the front line!" "Yes!" He had hoarded quite a few blueprints himself. They were useless to the Ghost Clan but prized by humans; collecting them often made for splendid bait—such as right now. Day broke. Shortly after dawn, Old Qiu's grave voice came through the Mother-Child Stone at Chen Fan's chest. "Domain Lord Chen." "Last night... several secondary defense lines across the Eternal Night Continent were breached. "The Ghost Clan paid a heavy price to smuggle large numbers of ghost tides inland, systematically targeting and eliminating many seed factions. "These were all factions possessing immense potential, much like Fan Domain. "We intercepted several ghost tides. "From them, we recovered sheets of cowhide paper marking their targets. Chen Fan of Jiangbei Fan Domain... tops the list. "Be extra careful." The transmission ended. Having just awakened, Chen Fan stood frozen in silence, his lips twitching slightly. Excuse me? He hadn't done anything! He had merely sent some grain and a few sculptures; how had he ended up at the very top of the list? Did the Ghost Clan hate him that much? He promptly pulled out his transmission talisman. "Wang Kui, bring back all the ripe monkey-head fruits from the island. Scour every warehouse corner, every nook of the island, and even take the fruits the monkeys have hoarded for themselves. "Scrape together everything you can and see if we can reach 870,000 monkey-head fruits." Right now, Xihuang Island still had the gap of Defense Line No. 7 left unplugged. He didn't lack ghost stones; what he lacked were monkey-head fruits. Although monkey-head fruits matured quickly, they still needed time. Only fifteen days had passed, so a new batch certainly hadn't ripened yet; he could only scrape together whatever was available. If all else failed, he would have to build a Level 9 defense line first to seal the breach. Once that gap was plugged, let them come as they pleased. "Useless! Incompetent fools!!" In a palace beneath the waters of the Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1, the Ghost Emperor was furiously smashing porcelain cups against the floor. This was his favorite set of cups, which he had gone to great trouble to bring from the Eternal Night Continent, but now he was violently shattering them. The blueprint had successfully been delivered to the front line. Yet according to his inside agent, the front line hadn't notified Chen Fan at all; instead, they had kept it for their own Front No. 1 architect to comprehend! "Furious! I am utterly furious!" His plan had been to use the blueprint to lure Chen Fan to the front line, sparing him the losses of infiltration. But he never imagined the front line wouldn't even tell Chen Fan about it! Isn't Chen Fan a top-tier architect? When you get a blueprint, you don't call Chen Fan, you try to comprehend it your-fucking-self?! "Should... should we..." Kneeling below, a lesser ghost trembled like a sieve, stammering, "Should we send another one?" "Send your mother!" The Ghost Emperor roared in exasperation. "If I keep sending them, won't I become a fucking traitor myself?! I...!" Not only had he failed to lure Chen Fan, but he had also lost a blue-grade blueprint for nothing. If that blueprint were fully comprehended, it was his own side that would suffer. Taking a deep breath, he tried his best to calm down. "Don't panic. "Comprehending a blue-grade blueprint isn't fast; it takes a very long time. "Let me think... what else can lure Chen Fan to the front line? "Let me think... "Kidnap his family!" "My King, Chen Fan has no family." "Kidnap his wife!" "No wife." "What about children?" "No children." "His subordinates?" "His core subordinates are all back in Jiangbei." "..." The Ghost Emperor fell silent. What else could he even kidnap? It seemed... a frontal assault was the only way.