28: Chapter 28 Power Structure, The Initial Establishment of the Heavenly Court

Six grains of time sand hovered in Lin Ye's palm, their silvery light flowing in the dim bedroom. Each grain seemed to carry a small, frozen segment of time. Lin Ye focused his mind and calmed his breath, adjusting his state to its peak, and then began to circulate the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body.

Greyish Chaos Qi surged from his body, enveloping the time sand. Simultaneously, the myriad mother qi cauldron slowly rotated before him, the mother qi drooping from the cauldron's mouth like living tentacles, gently entwining those silvery grains of sand.

The Fusion began.

Lin Ye first took out a portion of Time Sand Fusion Agent—a viscous liquid as transparent as water, contained in a palm-sized jade bottle. He poured the Fusion agent into another prepared jade bowl and then carefully dropped a grain of time sand into it.

"Sizzle..."

A slight reaction sound rang out. The time sand rapidly dissolved in the Fusion agent, turning into a ball of silvery liquid. Phantom images of clock hands occasionally surfaced on the liquid's surface before quickly dissipating. This was the manifestation of the Law of time being temporarily "fixed" in an operable state.

Lin Ye did not dare to be negligent and immediately used his Divine Sense to control the ball of silvery liquid, slowly moving it toward the body of the myriad mother qi cauldron. Under his control, the liquid climbed the cauldron's wall like a living creature, searching for a suitable attachment point on the pale-gold surface.

The myriad mother qi cauldron seemed to sense the Aura of the Law of time; its body vibrated slightly, emitting a low hum. The Chaos patterns on the cauldron's wall lit up of their own accord, resonating with the silvery liquid.

Now!

Lin Ye's gaze sharpened as he manipulated the silvery liquid, precisely dripping it into a naturally formed runic groove on the side of the cauldron's body. The liquid seeped into the groove, beginning to slowly merge with the cauldron's Chaos material.

The first grain, success.

Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief but did not dare to relax in the slightest. The process of fusing time sand was extremely taxing on the mind, requiring full concentration at every step. He took a short break, and once his Divine Sense had recovered somewhat, he began to process the second grain.

Repeating this process, by the time the sixth grain of time sand was successfully integrated into the cauldron's body, it was already late at night outside.

Lin Ye's face was pale, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. His Divine Power was nearly exhausted, and his Divine Sense was severely overdrawn. But looking at the myriad mother qi cauldron before him, his eyes were full of joy.

At this moment, the appearance of the myriad mother qi cauldron had undergone a subtle change. The cauldron's body remained pale-gold, but its surface now featured six silvery patterns. These patterns flowed slowly like living things, and each flow brought a faint ripple of time. In the mother qi drooping from the cauldron's mouth, silvery specks of light were also interspersed, like frozen fragments of time.

With a thought, he brought up the detailed attributes of the myriad mother qi cauldron:

【myriad mother qi cauldron (Natal Artifact)】

Growth Stage: Growth Phase (27%)

Attributes:

Attack: +880 (+60)

Defense: +1380 (+130)

Special Effects:

①【Mother Qi Body Protection】: All damage received is reduced by 20%

②【Chaos Resonance】: When linked with Chaos attribute skills, the effect is increased by 30%

③【Cauldron Suppressing Mountains and Rivers】: Consumes 400 Divine Power to suppress all enemies within a 25-meter radius, reducing their movement speed by 55% for 7 seconds (Cooldown: 2.5 minutes)

④【myriad mother qi】: Can store myriad mother qi within the cauldron (Current: 0/6 wisps)

⑤【Life Induction】: Can sense Chaos-related Heaven And Earth Treasures within a range of one hundred and fifty li

⑥【Imprint of Years】: The Law of time is branded onto the cauldron's body; the effect of time-type skills is increased by 25% (+5%)

⑦【Time Flow】: Newly unlocked, can accelerate or decelerate the flow of time within a small area (Maximum multiplier 1.5x, lasts 10 seconds, consumes 500 Divine Power, 1-hour cooldown)

Growth Requirements: myriad mother qi (0/10 wisps)

Description: A Life Cauldron that has preliminary fused with time sand, beginning to touch the Domain of the Law of time. Continuing to fuse time-type Materials offers the hope of mastering the true power of the years.

New special effect 【Time Flow】!

Although the maximum multiplier was only 1.5x and the duration only 10 seconds with a high cost, this was undoubtedly a divine skill. Suddenly accelerating or decelerating time during battle was enough to reverse the tide of war. More importantly, this represented the myriad mother qi cauldron officially stepping into the Domain of time, with immense future growth potential.

The attack and defense attributes also improved, and the growth progress rose from 25% to 27%. As a legendary material, the time sand's enhancement of the cauldron was comprehensive.

Lin Ye satisfiedly withdrew the cauldron into his Wheel Sea. The small cauldron sank into the Sea of Bitterness and immediately began absorbing Divine Power to repair itself, while slowly releasing ripples of the Law of time, creating a deeper resonance with his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body.

He swallowed a recovery Medicinal Pill and sat cross-legged to regulate his breath. The night passed in silence.

The next morning, Lin Ye was awakened by a System notification sound.

【System Notification: You have received an official email from the ‘Yan State Government’!】

【Content: Respected Your Excellency ‘Night God’ Lin Ye, in view of your outstanding performance in the Bronze Ancient Palace and your current prestige Rank, the Yan State Royal Family officially extends a ‘Guest Elder Recruitment’ invitation to you. If interested, please go to the ‘Guest Minister Courtyard’ of the City Lord's Mansion within three days to undergo assessment. Those who pass the assessment will obtain the status of a Yan State Guest Elder and enjoy corresponding rights and stipends.】

An invitation to be a Yan State Guest Elder!

Lin Ye's eyes lit up. This was exactly what he needed. With an official status, many things would become much more convenient—purchasing special supplies, accepting high-reward missions, obtaining intelligence support, and even borrowing official power to a certain extent.

However, the Guest Elder assessment would certainly not be simple. He needed to prepare well.

He got up and walked out of the bedroom into the living room.

The other five people were already waiting. After a night of Cultivation, everyone's Aura was more stable, clearly having made some progress.

"Brother Lin, morning!" Chen Hao said excitedly, "My God King Body has awakened a bit more, unlocking a new skill 【God King's Protection】, which can add a 10-second shield to myself and teammates!"

Su Qingyue also said softly, "The Vast Cold Spirit Body has recovered by about ten percent; the cold jade marrow fragments worked well. Additionally, my comprehension of the Ice Law has deepened."

Zhang Meng and the others also reported their respective progress.

Lin Ye nodded: "Very good. Today we are going to do something big."

He looked at everyone with a solemn gaze: "I plan to establish a formal power."

"A power?" Wang Iron Pillar was stunned. "Don't we already have the name ‘Heavenly Court’?"

"A name is a name, a power is a power," Lin Ye explained. "In the covering the heavens era, to establish a power recognized by the System, one needs to register with the government and obtain a Power Token. Only with a token can one open a power channel, establish a power warehouse, set position permissions, and enjoy power bonuses."

He paused: "More importantly, only by establishing a formal power can we recruit members on a large scale, form legions, occupy resource points, and participate in faction wars. Relying solely on the six of us, what we can do in the future is far too limited."

Chen Hao's eyes lit up: "Brother Lin is right! We should build a huge power, just like those big guilds!"

"No, what we want to establish is not a guild," Lin Ye shook his head. "Guilds are just player organizations, limited by game rules. What we want to establish is the ‘Heavenly Court’—a true power that can influence the entire game world in the future and even protect civilization after the reality and the game merge."

His voice was calm, but the ambition in his words shook everyone's hearts.

Su Qingyue gazed at Lin Ye and said softly, "Do you... know something we don't?"

Lin Ye was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Yes. But I can't say much right now. You just need to know that there will be a disaster sweeping the entire world in the future. And what we need to do is have enough strength to deal with it before then."

He did not explain the Fusion of the game and reality in detail; it was too shocking, and no one would believe it now. But at the very least, he needed to let his teammates be mentally prepared.

"I believe in Brother Lin," Chen Hao was the first to state his position. "Whatever you say to do, we'll do it."

Zhang Meng, Zhao Xiaoyu, Li Qingshan, and Wang Iron Pillar all nodded one after another. After sharing life and death in the Bronze Ancient Palace, they had already developed absolute trust in Lin Ye.

Su Qingyue finally spoke: "Since we've chosen this path, let's walk it. Heavenly Court... I quite like this name."

"Good." Lin Ye showed a smile. "Then we'll go to the government office to register now."

The six left the courtyard and walked toward the government office in the West District.

The West District was the administrative center of the Capital City of Yan State, with a solemn and majestic architectural style. The number of patrolling guards on the streets had clearly increased, and there were relatively fewer players. Occasionally, some NPCs with official titles or noble Ranks above their heads could be seen hurrying past, all of whom were high-level experts.

The government office was located in the center of the West District, a vast palace-style complex. The vermilion gates were fifty feet high, with two stone lions in front. A huge plaque hung on the lintel, with the four gilded characters "Yan State Government" written in powerful strokes, faintly surrounded by Dragon Qi.

Eight fully armed guards stood watch at the entrance, all at level 50, with eyes as sharp as hawks.

As Lin Ye's group of six approached, they were immediately stopped by the guards.

"Official government grounds, no unauthorized entry!" the guard captain said in a heavy voice.

Lin Ye took out the official email and showed it to the other party: "We are here to handle power registration."

The guard captain took the email, and after careful inspection, his attitude softened slightly: "So it is Your Excellency Night God. Power registration is at the ‘Civil Affairs Department’; it's the third building on the right after entering the gate."

"Thanks."

The six walked through the government gates. Inside was a vast plaza paved with bluestone, with dozens of buildings distributed around it. Each building had a plaque hanging at the entrance indicating its function—Judicial Department, Tax Department, Military Department, Diplomatic Department, Civil Affairs Department, and so on.

Following the directions, they arrived at the Civil Affairs Department. This was a small three-story building with many people entering and leaving, mostly players there to handle various matters—property transfers, marriage registration, commercial licenses, power registration, and so on.

Entering the first-floor hall of the Civil Affairs Department, there were over a dozen service windows, with queues in front of each. Lin Ye scanned the area and found the "Power Registration" window—it had the fewest people, with only three or four players in line.

This was normal. Establishing a power required a 100 Spirit Stone registration fee, at least 5 core members, and the leader's prestige had to reach the level of "Slightly Famous" (10,000 points) or higher. There were very few people who could satisfy all these conditions simultaneously in the early stage of the game.

Lin Ye's group of six lined up at the end of the queue. The few players in front were discussing in low voices:

"Damn, 100 Spirit Stones is too expensive; our guild spent three days just to scrape it together."

"The prestige requirement is even more of a trap. I've been working myself to death doing missions, and I only have a bit over 8,000 prestige now."

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"I heard that after establishing a faction, you have to pay a 'management fee' every month, otherwise it will be forcibly disbanded."

"But the faction bonuses are really sweet. A Level 1 faction gets a 1% bonus to all attributes, and you can open a faction warehouse to share resources."

Soon, it was Lin Ye and his group's turn.

Behind the service window sat a middle-aged civil official with a stern face, his ID hovering above his head: [Civil Affairs Department Director · Li Wenshu], Rank 45. He looked up at Lin Ye, a flash of surprise in his eyes, but he quickly returned to a business-like expression: "What business are you here for?"

"Faction registration," Lin Ye said.

"Name?"

"Heavenly Court."

Li Wenshu operated the crystal panel in front of him for a few moments, then said: "Duplicate check passed, the name 'Heavenly Court' is not taken. Please provide the list of core faction members, at least 5 people, and at most 10."

Lin Ye provided the IDs of the six people.

Li Wenshu entered the information and continued: "Faction Leader 'Lin Ye', Reputation 22,700, meets the requirements. The registration fee is 100 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, please pay."

Lin Ye took out 100 Spirit Stones and placed them on the counter.

Li Wenshu counted them to make sure they were correct, put the Spirit Stones away, and then took out a bronze token from under the counter. The token was rectangular, palm-sized, with the characters 'Heavenly Court' engraved on the front, and the emblem of the Yan State Government on the back—a coiled Dragon.

He handed the token to Lin Ye: "Drip blood to recognize the owner and bind the faction."

Lin Ye bit his finger and dripped blood onto the token.

The blood was quickly absorbed by the token, and a faint golden light lit up on its surface. At the same time, a System notification rang in Lin Ye's mind:

[System Notification: You have successfully established the faction 'Heavenly Court'!]

[Obtained: Faction Token [Heavenly Court Token] (Level 1)]

[Faction functions enabled: Faction Channel, Faction Warehouse (100 slots), Faction Position System, Faction Bonus System]

[Current Faction Members: 6 / 100]

[Faction Funds: 0 Spirit Stones]

[Faction Reputation: 500 (Initial)]

Li Wenshu handed over a few more items: "This is the 'Faction Management Manual', which details the functions and rules of the faction. These are ten 'Heavenly Court Member Tokens' to be issued to core members; with this token, they can exercise corresponding permissions. Additionally, as a Level 1 faction, you must pay a management fee of 10 Spirit Stones every month. Failure to pay on time will result in demotion or forced dissolution."

Lin Ye took the items, thanked him, and left the window.

The six of them walked out of the Civil Affairs Department and stopped in a corner of the square. Lin Ye distributed the member tokens to the five of them, one for each. The tokens were made of bronze, with the characters 'Heavenly Court' engraved on the front, and the holder's ID and initial position on the back—Chen Hao and the others were all 'Elite Members,' while only Lin Ye himself was the 'Faction Leader.'

[Heavenly Court Member Token (Elite)]

Type: Faction Token

Binding: Soul Bound

Effects:

① [Faction Channel]: Can speak in the Faction Channel (Range: Same Star Domain)

② [Warehouse Permission]: Can use the Faction Warehouse (deposit/withdrawal permissions adjusted based on position)

③ [Bonus Enjoyment]: Enjoy the attribute bonuses provided by the faction (Current: All Attributes +1%)

④ [Position Indicator]: Displays the faction name and position above the head (can be hidden)

Description: Proof of identity for the Heavenly Court faction, representing your status and authority within the faction.

Lin Ye's own token was the [Heavenly Court Token (Faction Leader)]. In addition to the above functions, it also had extra management permissions—appointing positions, adjusting warehouse permissions, approving member applications, using faction funds, etc.

"Put them on," Lin Ye said, hanging his token at his waist.

The five of them did the same. The moment they put on the tokens, a line of small text appeared above their heads where only their IDs were previously displayed: [Heavenly Court · Elite Member]. Above Lin Ye's head was [Heavenly Court · Faction Leader].

"It feels... different," Chen Hao said, touching the indicator above his head. "It feels like I've really become a member of an organization."

Su Qingyue nodded: "With an official status, many things will be much more convenient. However, the responsibilities are also heavier."

Lin Ye opened the faction panel to view the detailed information:

[Faction Name: Heavenly Court]

[Level: 1]

[Faction Leader: Lin Ye]

[Core Members: 6]

[Ordinary Members: 0 / 94]

[Faction Funds: 0 Spirit Stones]

[Faction Reputation: 500]

[Faction Bonus: All Attributes +1% (Affects all members)]

[Faction Skills: None]

[Faction Buildings: None]

[Faction Territory: None]

[Upgrade Requirements: Members reach 50, Faction Funds 1000 Spirit Stones, Faction Reputation 5000 points, complete the upgrade quest]

As a Level 1 faction, the functions were still simple. But Lin Ye knew that as the faction level increased, more functions would be unlocked—such as Faction Skills (exclusive skills that all members can learn), Faction Buildings (buildings that provide special bonuses), Faction Territory (resource points or cities that can be occupied), and even Faction Mounts and Faction Magic Treasures.

"Next, we need to do a few things," Lin Ye said, closing the panel and looking at his teammates. "First, recruit members. Heavenly Court cannot have only the six of us; we need to absorb more players with potential who are trustworthy."

"Second, accumulate faction funds and reputation. Funds can be obtained through member donations, completing quests, operating businesses, etc. Reputation requires participating in large-scale events, completing high-difficulty quests, and defeating powerful enemies to increase."

"Third, prepare to upgrade the faction. A Level 1 faction can hold at most 100 people, and the bonus is only 1%. We need to upgrade to Level 2 as soon as possible to unlock more functions."

He paused: "But before that, we must first determine the development direction and organizational structure of the Heavenly Court."

The six of them sat down on a stone bench by the square and began a detailed discussion.

Lin Ye first proposed his vision: "My idea is that the Heavenly Court should develop into a comprehensive faction in the future, having both a powerful combat force and perfect logistics support, as well as an intelligence network and a commercial System. But for now, we have limited manpower, so we can only start with the core structure."

"I suggest temporarily establishing four departments: Battle Department, Logistics Department, Intelligence Department, and Business Department."

"The Battle Department is responsible for combat, pioneering, and PVP; it is the faction's military guarantee. Chen Hao, you are temporarily in charge of the Battle Department, with Zhang Meng, Qingshan, and Tie Zhu assisting you."

Chen Hao's eyes lit up: "No problem! Leave it to me!"

"The Logistics Department is responsible for resource management, equipment maintenance, material allocation, member benefits, etc. Xiaoyu, you are meticulous, so you are temporarily in charge of the Logistics Department."

Zhao Xiaoyu was a bit nervous, but still nodded: "I... I will do my best."

"The Intelligence Department is responsible for information gathering, enemy reconnaissance, map exploration, etc. Qingyue, your observation skills are sharp, and the Vast Cold Spirit Body has advantages in perception, so you are temporarily in charge of the Intelligence Department."

Su Qingyue nodded gently: "Okay."

"The Business Department is responsible for capital operation, business management, external trade, etc. This department is temporarily vacant; we will discuss it when we find a suitable candidate."

Lin Ye looked at everyone: "This is just the initial structure; we will adjust it according to the actual situation later. Does anyone have any opinions?"

Everyone shook their heads, feeling that this arrangement was reasonable.

"Alright, it's settled then," Lin Ye stood up. "Now, let's split up and act. Chen Hao, take the three people from the Battle Department to the 'Recruitment Square' in the north of the city; that's a recruitment point organized spontaneously by players. Our recruitment standards are: Level 18 or above, have at least one piece of Fine-grade equipment, and pass a practical combat assessment. Better to have fewer high-quality members than many mediocre ones; the first batch of members must be elite, not numerous."

"Xiaoyu, go to the market and purchase a batch of basic supplies—healing potions, mana potions, food, basic Materials, etc., and store them in the faction warehouse. Here is 100 Spirit Stones as startup capital."

Lin Ye handed 100 Spirit Stones to Zhao Xiaoyu. This was his last bit of savings, but money that needed to be spent couldn't be saved.

"Qingyue, go to various intelligence gathering points—restaurants, teahouses, quest halls, etc., and collect important recent intelligence, especially detailed information about the Yaoguang Holy Land recruitment, Wind and Thunder Valley, and the movements of major guilds."

"I will go to the City Lord's Mansion myself to participate in the Guest Elder assessment. If I succeed in obtaining the Guest Elder status, it will be of huge help to the development of the Heavenly Court."

After distributing the tasks, the six of them split up again.

Lin Ye walked toward the City Lord's Mansion alone.

The City Lord's Mansion was located in the deepest part of the West District. It was a palace complex covering hundreds of acres, with flying eaves and arched brackets, carved beams and painted pillars, and an imposing Aura. The entrance was heavily guarded; not only were there ordinary guards, but also Formation Masters in robes and mages holding staves, all of whom were Rank 60 or above.

Lin Ye showed his Guest Elder invitation email, and after layers of checks, he was finally allowed to enter.

A minor official in official robes led him through layers of courtyards and finally to a side hall. Above the hall door hung a plaque: 'Guest Minister Courtyard'.

Walking into the hall, there were already three people waiting inside. Two men and one woman, all players, between Rank 25-28, well-equipped, and with strong Auras. Seeing Lin Ye enter, all three cast scrutinizing gazes at him.

"Night God?" one of the warriors in heavy armor spoke, his voice rough. "I am 'Overlord Pavilion · Tie Shan'. I didn't expect you to come to participate in the Guest Elder assessment too."

Lin Ye nodded in greeting without saying much.

Another mage in robes greeted him with a smile: "Brother Lin Ye, I've long admired your name. I am 'Yanhuang Alliance · Master Appraiser', nice to meet you."

The third person was a female assassin in black leather armor, with a cold expression. She just glanced at Lin Ye and didn't speak. Her ID was [Shadow Pavilion · Dark Moon], from a small guild that focused on assassins.

The four of them waited in the hall for a while, and an old man in purple official robes walked out from the back hall. The old man had white hair and beard, but was spirited, with sharp eyes, and the ID above his head was [Guest Minister Courtyard Director · Zhou Lao], Rank ???.

"The four of you are all young talents who have performed excellently recently," Zhou Lao scanned the four people and spoke slowly. "The Yan State Royal Family is thirsty for talent and has specially set up the Guest Elder position to recruit talents from all over the world. But to become a Guest Elder, you must pass three assessments."

He held up three fingers: "First, Strength Assessment. Second, Loyalty Assessment. Third, Ability Assessment."

"Those who pass will be granted the status of 'Yan State Guest Elder', enjoy a monthly salary of 50 Spirit Stones, can accept exclusive Royal Family quests, and enjoy certain privileges. Those who perform exceptionally well can even be promoted to 'Senior Minister' or even 'Scholar of the State', with higher benefits."

"Now, the assessment begins."