27: Chapter 27 The Capital of Yan, First Steps into the Mortal World

The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the window lattice, spilling onto the wooden floor of the private room in the Yuelai Inn. Lin Ye woke from his cultivation state, with faint waves of Chaos Qi still circulating around him. A night of deep cultivation had allowed him to completely absorb the medicinal power of the bronze body-tempering pill, making his wheel sea secret realm more stable, leaving him only a thin layer of window paper away from the Dao Palace Realm.

He looked at his teammates. Chen Hao was still closing his eyes and adjusting his breathing, the azure God King phantom behind him appearing slightly more solid than yesterday. Su Qingyue was surrounded by an ice-blue Spiritual Qi vortex, the aura of her Vast Cold Spirit Body becoming even more pure. Zhang Meng, Zhao Xiaoyu, Li Qingshan, and Wang Iron Pillar all had robust auras, clearly having gained quite a bit.

"Everyone, wake up," Lin Ye said softly.

The five of them withdrew from their cultivation states one after another, their eyes gleaming with sharp light, clearly in excellent condition.

"Brother Lin, I feel like I could kill a cow with one punch now!" Wang Iron Pillar waved his arms excitedly. The bronze body-tempering pill had caused his strength to skyrocket, his muscles bulging and full of explosive power.

"Don't talk big," Li Qingshan said relatively calmly. "An increase in attributes is a good thing, but combat experience is more important. Although our levels have gone up, we haven't experienced many truly high-end battles yet."

Lin Ye nodded: "Qingshan is right. Levels and attributes are just the foundation; what truly determines combat power are skill proficiency, combat awareness, equipment matching, and teamwork. Next, we need more actual combat to transform these attributes into real combat power."

He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.

The Capital City of Yan State in the early morning had already awakened. The streets were filled with a stream of people, including NPC vendors carrying poles and hawking their wares, players in a hurry, patrolling city guards, and adventurers leading their mounts, preparing to leave the city. In the distance, wisps of cooking smoke rose, and the aroma of food drifted on the wind.

This was the first time since the launch of "covering the heavens era" that Lin Ye truly had time to observe this main city.

The Capital City of Yan State is located in the Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness of the Big Dipper Star Field and is the political, economic, and cultural center of the Yan State. The city is laid out in a square, fifteen li long from east to west and twelve li wide from north to south, surrounded by azure city walls thirty zhang high and five zhang thick. The walls are equipped with defensive facilities such as arrow towers, watchtowers, and rune batteries, and the city gates are heavily guarded to inspect those entering and leaving.

The interior of the city was divided into four main areas:

The East District is the commercial area, featuring large markets, auction houses, banks, restaurants, and inns, where players and NPCs live together, making it the most prosperous. The South District is the residential area, primarily inhabited by NPCs, though there are also some courtyards purchased by players. The West District is the administrative area, where the City Lord's Mansion, government offices, military camps, and prisons are located, all under heavy guard. The North District is the cultivation area, containing player functional buildings such as the Class Hall, Mission Hall, Arena, and Cultivation Tower.

Additionally, there was a huge square in the center of the city, with a hundred-zhang-tall stone statue standing in the middle—the statue of the founding emperor of Yan State, "Emperor Yan Taizu." It was said that a wisp of the Taizu's Imperial Will was sealed within, serving as one of the defensive cores of the capital.

"Today we'll go to the East District first," Lin Ye decided. "We'll buy a residence as a temporary base, then familiarize ourselves with the city's functions and restock our supplies."

"Buy a residence?" Zhao Xiaoyu was surprised. "How much will that cost?"

"Not expensive." Lin Ye took out a money bag from his storage ring and weighed it. "We have five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones on hand. A small residence in the residential area costs about two hundred Spirit Stones. The remaining money will be used to purchase living supplies and cultivation resources."

Five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones was definitely a huge sum in the early stages of the game. For an ordinary player eight days after the server opened, saving up ten Spirit Stones would be considered good. But Lin Ye and his team had cleared the Bronze Ancient Palace, and the boss drops and first-clear rewards alone amounted to nearly a hundred Spirit Stones, plus the various Materials they had scavenged before, making them quite wealthy.

"Let's go. We'll eat something downstairs first, then head out."

The six went downstairs, and the innkeeper immediately came forward with a warm attitude: "Good morning, Lord Night God! Breakfast is ready. Our specialty 'Spiritual Rice Porridge' and 'Yao Beast Meat Buns' are on the house!"

This was the benefit of reputation. Lin Ye's reputation was as high as 22,700 points, reaching the "Famous in the Region" level. At this level, NPCs would actively offer discounts or even free services.

No one was formal; they sat down at a table by the window. Soon, the steaming breakfast was served.

Spiritual Rice Porridge was brewed from rice containing Spiritual Qi; the grains were plump and translucent, and the porridge had a rich aroma, slowly restoring spiritual power when consumed. Yao Beast Meat Buns were filled with the meat of low-level Yao Beasts; the skin was thin and the filling large, providing a fresh and savory burst of flavor with every bite, temporarily boosting strength by a few points.

[Spiritual Rice Porridge (Ordinary Food)]

Effect: Recovers 5 Divine Power per second for 30 minutes after consumption.

[Yao Beast Meat Bun (Ordinary Food)]

Effect: Strength +10 for 30 minutes after consumption.

Although the effects were average, they were free. Everyone devoured the meal like wind sweeping away clouds, and their status bars gained two buffs lasting half an hour.

Walking out of the inn, there were already many players on the street. Seeing Lin Ye's group of six come out, many people's eyes turned toward them, whispering in discussion:

"Look, it's Night God!"

"Where are they going?"

"That Su Qingyue is so beautiful..."

"I heard they cultivated in the inn all night. How prestigious; a private room at Yuelai Inn costs ten Spirit Stones a day!"

"Nonsense, they got the Hell First Clear, would they be short on cash?"

Lin Ye ignored these gazes and led his teammates toward the East District.

The streets of the Capital City of Yan State were wide enough for eight carriages to drive side-by-side. The ground was paved with smooth bluestone slabs, and between the slabs were fine Formation patterns—part of the city's basic Formation System, providing functions such as cleaning, reinforcement, and early warning. On both sides of the street were various shops: blacksmiths, pharmacies, tailor shops, general stores, bookstores, restaurants... a dazzling array.

Players shuttled between them, some purchasing supplies, some handing in missions, some recruiting for teams, and some setting up stalls to trade. The sounds of hawking, bargaining, skill releases, and mounts neighing intertwined into a vivid city portrait.

"This is what a game should be like..." Chen Hao sighed. "After staying in a godforsaken place like the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land for so long, I almost forgot what a city looks like."

"Indeed," Su Qingyue nodded. "The city has complete System functions; you can learn skills, take missions, trade, and socialize. Correspondingly, however, the competition is also more intense."

She pointed to a crowded building in the distance: "That's the Class Hall, where players can change classes, learn class skills, and receive class missions. Looking at the flow of people, there are at least a thousand people queuing."

Lin Ye took a look: "We're in no rush to go to the Class Hall. Our classes follow the growth paths that come with our special Physiques; conventional classes won't be of much help to us. We'll come back later when we need specific skills."

The six continued forward, crossing several streets to arrive at the South District.

Compared to the prosperity of the East District, the South District was much quieter. This was the residential area, with rows of residences of various sizes and styles lining the streets. Some residences had lanterns hanging at the entrance, some had flowers and plants growing, some had their doors tightly closed, while others were open, showing NPCs active in the courtyards.

Occasionally, player residences could be seen, with a special wooden plaque hanging at the door carved with the player's ID or guild logo.

"Where is the real estate agent?" Zhang Meng looked around.

"Ahead." Lin Ye pointed to a two-story building at the corner. A plaque hung over the entrance with the large characters "Anju Pavilion," and below it was a line of smaller text: "Yan State Capital Official Designated Real Estate Transaction Agency."

Walking into Anju Pavilion, the interior was spacious, with over a dozen counters, each staffed by an NPC clerk. There weren't many players, about twenty or so, all inquiring about or processing business.

As soon as Lin Ye's group of six entered, they immediately attracted attention.

"Night God!" A clerk's eyes lit up, and he ran over to meet them. "Does Lord Night God wish to buy a residence? This way please, to the VIP Room!"

Other players cast envious glances. A VIP room required a reputation level of at least "Slightly Famous" (10,000 points) to enter.

The clerk led the six to a private room on the second floor, served tea, and then took out a thick catalog.

"Lord Night God, this is the catalog of residences currently for sale in the South District," the clerk said respectfully. "According to your reputation level, you can enjoy a ten percent discount and are exempt from all processing fees."

Lin Ye took the catalog and opened it.

Inside the catalog were floor plans and photos of various residences, accompanied by text descriptions. Residences were divided into four grades: Small, Medium, Large, and Luxury, with prices ranging from one hundred Spirit Stones to ten thousand Spirit Stones.

Small residences generally had three to five rooms and a small courtyard, suitable for individuals or small teams, priced between one hundred and five hundred Spirit Stones. Medium residences had six to ten rooms and a garden, suitable for guilds or large families, priced between five hundred and two thousand Spirit Stones. Large residences had more rooms and functional buildings such as a Martial Arts Practice Field, Pill Refining Room, and Artifact Refining Room, priced between two thousand and five thousand Spirit Stones. Luxury residences were top-tier configurations, some even featuring small Spiritual Veins or special Formations, with prices starting from five thousand Spirit Stones and the most expensive costing tens of thousands.

Lin Ye's current funds were only five hundred Spirit Stones, so he could only choose from the small residences.

He browsed quickly and eventually took a fancy to two locations.

The first was on the edge of the South District, relatively remote but with a large courtyard and a small Martial Arts Practice Field, priced at two hundred eighty Spirit Stones, or two hundred fifty-two after the discount.

The second was in the center of the South District, in a good location with convenient transportation, but the courtyard was small and had only four rooms, priced at two hundred Spirit Stones, or one hundred eighty after the discount.

"Which one do you guys think is better?" Lin Ye handed the catalog to his teammates.

Chen Hao looked: "I think the first one is better. It has a Martial Arts Practice Field, so we can practice our skills anytime. It doesn't matter if the location is a bit remote; we don't really need to go into the city center that often anyway."

Su Qingyue had a different opinion: "The second one is better. Its central location makes it convenient to go to any area. Besides, four rooms are enough; we can share two to a room. Most importantly, it's cheaper, allowing us to save more Spirit Stones for other things."

Zhang Meng, Zhao Xiaoyu, Li Qingshan, and Wang Iron Pillar had no clear opinion and felt that either would be fine.

Lin Ye thought for a moment and eventually made a decision: "Choose the second one."

"Why?" Chen Hao was puzzled. "Don't you always emphasize that strength is the most important? A Martial Arts Practice Field would be very helpful for improving our strength."

"A practice field is indeed important, but we can renovate it later," Lin Ye explained. "Location is more important. We are currently in the spotlight, and many people are watching us. If we live in a remote place, it's easy to be cornered or placed under secret surveillance. Living in a central area, where there are many people and eyes, is actually safer. Plus, the convenient transportation saves time for everything we do."

He paused and added: "The saved Spirit Stones can be used to purchase defensive Formations and warning Talismans to enhance the security of the residence. Overall, this is more practical than just having a practice field."

Everyone realized the wisdom in this and agreed.

"The second one it is then," Chen Hao no longer insisted.

Lin Ye said to the clerk: "We'll take Residence No. 7 on South Third Street. Can we process the paperwork now?"

"Yes! Of course!" The clerk immediately took out a contract. "Please look it over, Lord Night God. This is the residence deed. A one-time payment of one hundred eighty Spirit Stones grants permanent ownership of the residence, protected by the Laws of Yan State. Additionally, you need to give the residence a name, and we will make a plaque to hang up."

Lin Ye took the contract and read it carefully. The terms were clear, with no traps. He signed his ID and paid the one hundred eighty Spirit Stones.

[System Notification: You have purchased the property 'South Third Street Residence No. 7'!]

[Obtained: Residence Deed (Soulbound)]

[Obtained: Residence Control Token x1]

[Current Funds: 500 Spirit Stones -> 320 Spirit Stones]

The clerk handed a bronze token to Lin Ye: "This is the residence control token. After binding it with a drop of blood, you can control the residence's defensive Formations, open and close the gates, set visitor permissions, and more. The residence is already equipped with basic 'Dust-Clearing Formations' and 'Soundproofing Formations.' If you need more Advanced Formations, you can go to the 'Formation Masters Association' in the East District to purchase them."

Lin Ye took the token, bit his finger, and dripped a drop of blood onto it.

The token glowed with a faint light and turned into a beam of light that sank into his brow. Simultaneously, a 3D map of the residence appeared in his mind, allowing him to clearly perceive every corner and control it remotely.

[Residence Control Token (South Third Street No. 7)]

Functions:

① [Gate Control]: Remotely open/close the residence gates

② [Formation Control]: Control the basic Dust-Clearing and Soundproofing Formations (consumes Spirit Stones)

③ [Visitor Settings]: Set allowed player IDs or guild logos

④ [Alert Mode]: When active, issues a warning if strangers approach

Permission Level: Owner (Lin Ye)

"Alright, the residence is yours now," the clerk said with a beaming smile. "Would you like me to lead you there?"

"No need, we'll go there ourselves," Lin Ye stood up. "Thank you."

"Lord Night God is too polite! If you need anything in the future, feel free to come find me. My name is 'Qian Duofu,' and I am one of the managers of Anju Pavilion!"

Leaving Anju Pavilion, the six followed the address and found No. 7 South Third Street.

This was a typical courtyard-style residence, facing south, with blue bricks, gray tiles, and vermilion gates. The lintel, which was originally empty, now featured a newly made wooden plaque carved with two characters: "Heavenly Court."

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

This was the name Lin Ye had chosen—since he intended to establish the "Heavenly Court" faction in the future, he would start now by letting this name appear before the eyes of the world.

"Heavenly Court..." Chen Hao murmured the name, excitement flashing in his eyes. "Dominating!"

Su Qingyue also nodded slightly. "It's a good name, but it might attract the attention of some factions."

"That is precisely the point," Lin Ye said calmly. "The name 'Heavenly Court' will sooner or later ring throughout the entire covering the heavens era. Putting it out now counts as an early declaration."

He took out the control token and, with a thought, the gate creaked open automatically.

The six of them walked into the residence.

The courtyard was not large, about fifty square meters, with bluestone slabs paved on the ground. A locust tree was planted in the corner, with a stone table and four stone stools beneath it. Directly facing the gate was the main house, with side rooms on the left and right, making for exactly four rooms in total.

The main house was the largest, containing a living room and a bedroom. The left side room had two bedrooms, while the right side room had only one bedroom, but it was more spacious and could be converted into a Cultivate room or a workshop.

Each room was equipped with basic furniture—beds, tables, chairs, and cabinets; although simple, they were sufficient.

Lin Ye used the control token to activate the residence's Formation. The Dust-Clearing Formation began to operate, and dust automatically gathered in the corners; the Sound-Isolation Formation was activated, cutting off most of the outside noise and making the interior of the residence much quieter.

[Dust-Clearing Formation (Basic Formation)] Effect: Automatically cleans the residence and maintains environmental hygiene. Consumption: 1 Spirit Stone/month.

[Sound-Isolation Formation (Basic Formation)] Effect: Isolates external noise, prevents internal sounds from leaking out. Consumption: 2 Spirit Stones/month.

"Not bad," Lin Ye nodded with satisfaction. "It has all the basic functions. Next, we need to add some things."

He assigned the rooms: "I will live in the main house, and the living room will serve as a common area. For the two rooms in the left wing, Qingyue and Xiaoyu will share one, and Chen Hao and Qingshan will share the other. Iron Pillar and Zhang Meng will live in the right wing, and we'll convert that large room into a temporary Cultivate room and conference room."

"No problem!" everyone replied in unison.

"Now, everyone, put away your personal belongings first, then we will act separately," Lin Ye arranged. "Chen Hao, Qingyue, Xiaoyu, you three go to the East District market to purchase daily necessities—bedding, clothing, food, drinking water, and basic Cultivate supplies like Spirit-Gathering Formation Plates, Lighting Talismans, Sound-Transmission Talismans, etc. The budget is fifty Spirit Stones."

"Zhang Meng, Qingshan, Iron Pillar, you go to the Profession Hall and Mission Hall to check, understand the latest profession information and mission trends, and collect some intelligence along the way—especially regarding the Yaoguang Holy Land recruitment, developments at the Wind and Thunder Valley, and the movements of major guilds. The budget is twenty Spirit Stones, mainly for buying intelligence."

"I will go to the Formation Master Association and the Artifact Refiners Association to buy some Advanced Formations and Artifact Refining Materials to improve the residence's defensive capabilities and our equipment. The budget is fifty Spirit Stones."

He looked at everyone. "Meet back here in two hours. Remember, keep a low profile, don't look for trouble, but don't be afraid of it either. If anyone intentionally looks for trouble, remember their IDs and come back and tell me."

"Understood!"

The six of them went their separate ways. Lin Ye walked out of the residence alone and headed towards the Formation Master Association in the East District.

The streets of the Capital City of Yan State were still bustling, but as the heat surrounding "Night God" cooled slightly, fewer people were paying attention to him. Of course, many people still recognized him, but most just watched from afar, not daring to come forward to disturb him.

The Formation Master Association was a three-story tower built entirely of white jade, its surface covered in complex Formation patterns. There were two guards at the entrance of the tower, both level 40 NPCs; they were expressionless, but their eyes were sharp.

Lin Ye walked into the tower. The first floor was a hall with a dozen counters, each with a Formation Master NPC sitting behind it, ranging in level from 30 to 50. There were dozens of players in the hall consulting or buying Formations, and seeing Lin Ye enter, there was another commotion.

"Night God is here to buy Formations too?" "Nonsense, he just bought a residence, he definitely needs to set up a defensive Formation." "I wonder what level of Formation he will buy..."

Lin Ye ignored the discussion and walked straight to the counter of the Formation Master who looked the oldest.

The old Formation Master was wearing a gray robe, his hair was gray, but his eyes were bright and spirited. When he saw Lin Ye, he was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "So it is young friend Night God. This old man is 'Elder Formation', a level 3 Formation Master of the Formation Master Association. What kind of Formation does young friend need?"

Lin Ye bowed respectfully. "Senior Elder Formation, this Junior has just purchased a residence and would like to buy some defensive and alert-type Formations."

"Easily done, easily done." Elder Formation took out a Formation atlas. "With your reputation, you can enjoy a 20% discount. Come and take a look."

The atlas listed dozens of Formations, categorized into defensive, alert, auxiliary, and offensive types. Prices ranged from a few dozen Spirit Stones to several thousand Spirit Stones.

Lin Ye browsed quickly and finally selected three items:

[Small Five Elements Defensive Formation (Fine)] Type: Defensive Formation; Effect: Forms a Five Elements Spiritual Qi shield around the residence, can withstand attacks below Tier 3 (Level 60), automatically repairs; Range: Fifty meters in radius; Consumption: 10 Spirit Stones/month (maintenance), 100 Spirit Stones/time (activation); Price: 300 Spirit Stones (240 Spirit Stones after 20% discount).

[Heavenly Eye Alert Formation (Fine)] Type: Alert Formation; Effect: Monitors a 100-meter radius around the residence, automatically identifies and records personnel entering and exiting, automatically alerts upon detecting strangers; Range: 100 meters in radius; Consumption: 5 Spirit Stones/month; Price: 150 Spirit Stones (120 Spirit Stones after 20% discount).

[Spirit-Gathering Formation Plate (Fine)] Type: Auxiliary Formation; Effect: Gathers surrounding Spiritual Qi, increases the Spiritual Qi concentration within the residence (50% increase); Range: Single room; Consumption: None; Price: 100 Spirit Stones/piece (80 Spirit Stones after 20% discount).

These three items added up to 550 Spirit Stones at the original price, and 440 Spirit Stones after the discount. Lin Ye only had 320 Spirit Stones on hand, which was not enough.

"Senior Elder Formation, I don't have enough Spirit Stones on hand, can I use Materials to offset the price?" Lin Ye asked.

"Of course you can." Elder Formation nodded. "The Formation Master Association purchases various Formation Materials at fair prices."

Lin Ye took out some Materials obtained in the Bronze Ancient Palace from his storage ring: Bronze Shards x 20, Bronze Hearts x 5, Low-Grade Spirit Stone x 30, and some miscellaneous Ores.

Elder Formation carefully appraised them and finally gave an estimate: "The Association can offer two hundred Spirit Stones to purchase these Materials."

"Deal." Lin Ye handed the Materials to Elder Formation and paid another two hundred and forty Spirit Stones, buying the Small Five Elements Defensive Formation and the Heavenly Eye Alert Formation.

As for the Spirit-Gathering Formation Plate, he couldn't afford it for the time being and would have to wait until he had money later.

Elder Formation handed the Formation Plates, Formation Flags, and control cores for the two sets of Formations to Lin Ye, and included a copy of the "Basic Formation Setup Manual" as a gift.

"The Small Five Elements Defensive Formation needs to be set up in five positions in the residence, corresponding to the Five Elements. The core Formation Plate of the Heavenly Eye Alert Formation should be placed at the highest point of the residence, and the Formation Flags should be inserted around it," Elder Formation explained. "With your Divine Sense strength, you should be able to complete the setup independently. If you encounter difficulties, you can come to me."

"Thank you, Senior." Lin Ye put away the items and left the Formation Master Association.

Next, he went to the Artifact Refiners Association.

The architectural style of the Artifact Refiners Association was much rougher; it was a huge workshop-style building, from which came the clang-clang sounds of blacksmithing and the roaring of furnace fires. The air was filled with the scent of metal and flames.

Lin Ye's main purpose for coming here was not to buy equipment, but to buy Materials—Materials for repairing and strengthening the myriad mother qi cauldron.

Although the myriad mother qi cauldron had Advanced to the growth stage, it had sustained some damage to its body during the previous battle with the Qingming projection and needed repair. In addition, Lin Ye wanted to try fusing time sand into the cauldron to give it time attributes, which required some auxiliary Materials.

He was received by a burly man with a red face, whose ID displayed [Great Master Iron · Wang Hammer], a level 50 Artifact Refiner.

"Young friend Night God?" Wang Hammer's voice was like a booming bell. "I heard you cleared the Bronze Ancient Palace, impressive! Several old guys in our Artifact Refiners Association are very interested in you. How about it, are you interested in learning Artifact Refining?"

"Not at the moment." Lin Ye politely declined. "This Junior would like to purchase some Artifact Refining Materials."

"Oh? What Materials?"

"Ten catties of star iron, three Moon Brilliance Stones, and one portion of time sand fusing agent." Lin Ye read out the list.

These three were relatively rare Materials. star iron was an auxiliary material for refining spatial Magical Artifacts, Moon Brilliance Stones were Ice-type and Yin-attribute Materials, and the time sand fusing agent was a potion specifically used for fusing time-type Materials.

Wang Hammer was a bit surprised: "star iron and Moon Brilliance Stones are easy to talk about, but time sand fusing agent... this thing is rare. Young friend has time sand?"

"Obtained by chance." Lin Ye did not elaborate.

Wang Hammer looked deeply at Lin Ye and did not ask more: "star iron is five Spirit Stones per catty, ten catties is fifty Spirit Stones. Moon Brilliance Stone is twenty Spirit Stones per piece, three pieces is sixty Spirit Stones. time sand fusing agent... this is more expensive, one portion is one hundred Spirit Stones."

A total of two hundred and ten Spirit Stones. Lin Ye only had eighty Spirit Stones left on hand, far from enough.

He thought for a moment, then took out the [Bronze Guard Long Spear] (Fine quality, Level 20) obtained in the Bronze Ancient Palace: "Great Master Wang, how much can this spear offset?"

Wang Hammer took the long spear and examined it carefully: "Standard weapon of the Bronze race, exquisite craftsmanship, and the Materials are not bad... The Association can offer one hundred Spirit Stones to purchase it."

"Good." Lin Ye took out some other Materials to make up the difference.

The transaction was completed, and Lin Ye obtained the required Materials. When he left the Artifact Refiners Association, it was already near noon. He hurried back to the residence.

Two hours later, the six of them gathered at the residence. Chen Hao and the other two had purchased a large amount of daily necessities, making all four rooms look decent. Zhang Meng and the other two brought back important intelligence:

"Brother Lin, the Yaoguang Holy Land recruitment is in three days!" Chen Hao said excitedly. "The location is the 'Yaoguang Villa' in the north of the city; the requirement is level 25 or above, and to pass the basic test. It is said that the top ten will receive special rewards!"

"Over at the Wind and Thunder Valley, players have recently seen the Thunder Eagle King active frequently; it seems to be in its egg-laying period and is quite irritable," Li Qingshan added. "Additionally, major guilds like the Overlord Pavilion, Zhantian Pavilion, and Yaochi Holy Land are all organizing elite groups to prepare for clearing the Simple and Difficult difficulties of the Bronze Ancient Palace. However, I heard that no team has cleared it yet."

"Also..." Wang Iron Pillar lowered his voice. "We heard a rumor in the Mission Hall that the Yan State royal Family is currently recruiting 'Guest Elders', requiring high reputation and strong strength. The treatment for Guest Elders is very good, with a fixed monthly Spirit Stone salary, and they can also take on exclusive royal missions."

Lin Ye listened carefully, keeping this information in his heart.

"Very good." He nodded. "For the next three days, we need to do a few things. First, consolidate our Cultivate and improve our strength. Second, prepare for the Yaoguang Holy Land recruitment. Third, collect more information about the Wind and Thunder Valley and the royal Guest Elders."

He looked at everyone. "Now, let's set up the Formations first."

Lin Ye took out the Formation Plates and flags for the Small Five Elements Defensive Formation and the Heavenly Eye Alert Formation and began to set them up according to the guidance of the "Basic Formation Setup Manual".

The Small Five Elements Defensive Formation requires five Formation Flags, corresponding to the Five Elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Lin Ye inserted the Metal-attribute Formation Flag in the west of the residence (Metal position), the Wood-attribute Formation Flag in the east (Wood position), the Water-attribute Formation Flag in the north (Water position), the Fire-attribute Formation Flag in the south (Fire position), and buried the Earth-attribute Formation Plate underground in the center of the residence (Earth position).

Then, he activated the Formation Plate, and five beams of light of different colors rose from the positions of the Formation Flags, weaving into a five-colored shield above the residence, slowly rotating, and finally fading into the Void Realm.

[Small Five Elements Defensive Formation has been activated!] [Current defensive strength: Can withstand attacks below level 50] [Monthly consumption: 10 Spirit Stones]

Next was the Heavenly Eye Alert Formation. Lin Ye placed the core Formation Plate on the roof of the main house and inserted the four Formation Flags at the four corners of the residence. After activation, the Formation Plate emitted an invisible wave, covering a radius of one hundred meters.

[Heavenly Eye Alert Formation has been activated!] [Monitoring range: 100 meters around the residence] [Alarm trigger: Automatically reminds when strangers enter the range] [Monthly consumption: 5 Spirit Stones]

With the two Formations set up, the security of the residence was greatly improved. After doing all this, it was already late.

The six of them had a simple dinner in the main house's living room, and then each returned to their rooms to Cultivate.

Lin Ye returned to the main house's bedroom, closed the door, and took out the Materials purchased today. star iron, Moon Brilliance Stones, time sand fusing agent, and those six grains of time sand.

What he had to do was to fuse the time sand into the myriad mother qi cauldron, allowing the cauldron to initially possess time attributes. This was a delicate and dangerous process. The Law of time was extremely profound and mysterious; if he was not careful, not only would the Materials be ruined, but it could also trigger a time turbulence, harming himself.

But Lin Ye had to try. He sat cross-legged and summoned the myriad mother qi cauldron from his wheel sea secret realm. The small cauldron hovered in front of him, emitting a pale golden Chaos Qi radiance.

Then, he took out the time sand. Six silver grains of sand rolled in his palm, and inside each grain, it seemed as if a miniature Universe was being born and perishing.

"Let's begin." Lin Ye took a deep breath, his eyes firm.