66: Rapid development and "intranet" upgrade

Repelling the assassination attempt from the Five Elements Courtyard and successfully counterattacking caused Wen Youyi and the Mutual Aid Society's reputation to soar. The Low-level Disciples, who were originally wavering, no longer hesitated and applied to join. Even some Inner Sect Disciples with ordinary Aptitude, but tired of the large courtyards' internal strife, began to show interest in this nascent organization.

The Mutual Aid Society experienced explosive growth!

Wen Youyi knew the principle of striking while the iron is hot. With Senior Sister Mu's covert support, he implemented a series of drastic reforms:

First, he perfected the organizational structure. He established the "War Hall" (led by Zhao Iron Pillar, specializing in combat missions and protection), the "Farm Hall" (led by Wang Wu, coordinating Spiritual Plant collection and cultivation), the "Craft Hall" (led by Senior Brother Li, organizing Disciples to complete various Sect chores and construction tasks in exchange for stable contribution points), and the "Research Hall" (led by Senior Brother Zhang, improving tools, researching new Talismans, and analyzing mission intelligence). Each department performed its duties, greatly increasing efficiency.

Second, he established a contribution points System. Members could earn contribution points by completing internal tasks, submitting resources, or making special contributions. These points could be exchanged for Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, Cultivation Techniques (Wen Youyi provided some open-source and improved versions), and even apply for opportunities to Cultivate with the aid of the "Five Elements Formation"! This internal circulation System greatly stimulated the members' enthusiasm.

Finally, and most importantly, he began to impart, to a limited extent, deeper "collaboration techniques" and simplified methods for refining "Five Elements Formation Bases." Of course, the core secrets of the star core fragment, the "Star Domain," and the "Composite Domain" remained firmly in the hands of The core five people.

The entire Mutual Aid Society presented a vibrant and orderly scene, a stark contrast to the stagnant Death Qi of the large Sects outside.

Wen Youyi himself, nourished by the precious Medicinal Pills from the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, recovered quickly from his injuries. Through this ordeal, he turned misfortune into a blessing. Although the forcibly activated "Composite Domain" nearly killed him, it also gave him a deeper understanding of the Fusion of the star core fragment and the power of the Five Elements.

After his injuries healed, his Cultivation naturally made a Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer! His strength advanced to a new level!

He was not satisfied with this and dedicated more energy to upgrading the "Inner Network."

Although the previous "communicator" allowed for short-range Mental Energy communication, its range was limited and it couldn't transmit complex information. Wen Youyi's goal was to build a more stable, wider-ranging "spirit net 2.0" that could even transmit data (such as simple images and shared perceptions)!

He once again immersed himself in the study of the star core fragment. This time, he no longer merely regarded it as an energy source or Domain core, but tried to understand the unique "fluctuation" essence within it that could carry and transmit information.

Combining fragmented information about ancient "communication formations" he found in old texts from the Myriad Phenomena Tower, and his own understanding of "protocols" and "encoding," Wen Youyi began a difficult assault.

He designed a more complex Mental Energy "encoding" rule, attempting to "translate" different thoughts, and even simple visual images, into specific wave signals. At the same time, he tried to refine more precise "relay Formation Bases" using various attribute Materials, hoping they could amplify and transmit these fluctuations like signal towers, expanding the communication range.

Failure was commonplace. Excessive Mental Energy consumption led to dizziness, scrapped Materials were heartbreaking, and even Wang Wu and the others were utterly confused by the complex encoding rules.

But Wen Youyi enjoyed it immensely. Every bit of progress, such as successfully transmitting a more complex word or extending the communication distance by a mere height (zhang), filled him with excitement.

He knew that once this technology matured, it would completely change their mode of collaboration and even play a decisive role in potential large-scale operations in the future!

While Wen Youyi was engrossed in technological Breakthroughs and the Mutual Aid Society was flourishing, an unexpected visitor once again arrived at the Ding Zi Courtyard.

It was none other than Lin Feng, the lone traveler whom Wen Youyi had met once in the Ancient Ruins and who seemed to bear him no ill will.

He still carried his longsword, his expression cold. Standing outside the courtyard gate, he only spoke two words to Zhao Iron Pillar, who opened the door:

"Find him." His gaze went straight to Wen Youyi, who was busy inside the courtyard.

(End of this chapter)