15: Chapter 15 Resource Scarcity

After the practical assessment, Shen Ye's life settled into a fixed routine.

Divine Kingdom theory in the morning, practical simulations in the afternoon, and free development at night.

Six sessions of Void Race Intelligence per week, taught by Elder Meng from the City Association.

Qin Shu's projection training increased from one session a day to two, and the Void Race configuration was upgraded from Scout-level to Warrior-level.

The projections of Jin Lin, Mu Sheng, and Elder Quan were killed countless times in the Simulated Rift, only to rise again in the next session, carrying the experience gained from the previous one to make more precise judgments.

Two weeks.

Fourteen days in the outside world was twenty-eight years in the Divine Kingdom.

The number of followers in the Cultivation Divine Kingdom grew from over a thousand to nearly three thousand.

The spiritual fields expanded from fifty acres to one hundred and twenty acres, the irrigation channels increased from five to twelve, the Earth Fire Furnaces from three to six, and the mining operations extended from two branch veins to the fifth.

The bookshelves on the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion were seventy percent full.

Most of the newly cataloged cultivation techniques and records were the insights of the followers themselves—the "Seven Swords Forging Method," co-authored by the Metal-element Sword Cultivators, had already been updated to its third edition.

The Wood-element vine-weaving tactical manual was split into three volumes: "Enemy Entrapment," "Support," and "Daily Application."

Elder Quan's Spiral Spirit Spring Technique had evolved from a single phantom to three in parallel, significantly improving the efficiency and stability of the water's spiral.

The changes in the Land of Gods and Demons were even more drastic.

The number of Angels surpassed three thousand, and the Succubi did the same.

Two-winged Angels were the majority, but there were over two hundred Four-winged Angels, and the number of Six-Winged Angels increased from three to five.

The advancement ratio for Succubi was comparable to the Angels, with over two hundred Succubus Charmers, over two hundred Shadow Succubi, and the number of Succubus Queens increasing from one to three.

Chen and Ye remained the strongest two—when Chen's six wings fully unfurled, the holy light could project a golden band spanning several kilometers across the sky of the Land of Gods and Demons.

The abyss patterns on Ye spread from the corners of her eyes to her fingertips, and from her fingertips to the ground beneath her feet, forming a slowly rotating dark purple domain where she stood.

The number of Twilight Spirit Springs increased from one to three.

Each newly established Fine-grade spirit spring would trigger Gain Without Labor, causing a corresponding Fine-Superior grade counterpart to appear in the Land of Gods and Demons, which the Angels and Succubi then spontaneously modified.

The twilight glow flowed between the three spirit springs, forming an irregular triangular band of light.

The spiritual fields expanded from one hundred acres to five hundred acres.

The sight of Angels and Succubi working in the spiritual fields had formed a complete collaborative process—Angels used Holy Light Plows to turn the soil, while Succubi used Abyss Powder to fertilize it.

Angels sowed the seeds, and Succubi covered them with soil; when watering, each would carry a wooden bucket, draw water from the Twilight Spirit Spring, and pour it simultaneously onto the roots of the same spiritual plant.

Holy Light and Abyss blended within the water, seeping into the soil to be absorbed by the roots of the spiritual plants.

On the leaves of those spiritual plants that had absorbed both powers simultaneously, faint twilight patterns would emerge.

Although it was still far from being comparable to true Twilight, it was already one grade higher than ordinary spiritual plants.

The fifty stone slots of the sword stele were filled with swords.

Holy Light Swords and Abyss Swords were arranged alternately, with twilight patterns flowing across every blade.

Jin Lin's projection training inspired the Angels and Succubi—they also began to practice against each other in front of the sword stele.

An Angel would hold a Holy Light Sword while a Succubus held an Abyss Sword; in pairs, they didn't just strike at each other but cooperated.

One attacking and one defending, one advancing and one retreating, the Holy Light and Abyss merged briefly where the sword edges crossed, bursting with short-lived twilight sword light.

The fifth floor of the Scripture Pavilion was completely filled.

There were insights on the use of Holy Light written by Angels, notes on Abyss control by Succubi, and their co-authored "A Preliminary Study on the Co-cultivation of Spiritual Plants with Light and Darkness," which had been updated to its third edition, growing from dozens of pages to hundreds.

On the title page of the latest edition, besides the names of Chen and Ye, there were also the signatures of over a dozen other Angels and Succubi as authors.

The twilight sword qi of the Five Elements Array Eye: Metal had rotated steadily for twenty-eight years.

The twilight patterns on the tower's body spread from the initial few to the entire structure, intertwining with the original golden patterns of the Metal-element array eye into a complex web.

More and more fusion energy was being stored deep within the heavenly tribulation platform.

The Divine Kingdom Core Fragment at the center of the platform's base had begun to change color from within—not gold, not dark purple, but a flowing light close to the color of twilight.

Everything was improving.

But as Shen Ye looked at the stock in his resource bag, his brows furrowed.

The monthly rations provided by Principal Zhou Wenyin—six Fine-grade blueprints, one hundred Faith Crystals, and twenty million in cash.

Combined with Principal Zhou's personal investments—the Epic-grade heavenly tribulation platform, the Rare-grade Divine Kingdom Core Fragment, and Gu Yan's broken sword.

For an S-rank Awakened, these resources were enough to last until the college entrance examination.

But Shen Ye had two Divine Kingdoms.

The three Fine-grade spirit springs, one hundred and twenty acres of spiritual fields, six Earth Fire Furnaces, and five spiritual vein branches of the Cultivation Divine Kingdom consumed a staggering amount of spiritual materials and Faith Crystals every day.

The consumption in the Land of Gods and Demons was even greater—although Gain Without Labor could automatically upgrade building grades, the daily operation of buildings, the cultivation and advancement of followers, and the planting and fertilization of spiritual fields all required actual resources.

With the number of Angels and Succubi exceeding six thousand, the daily production of Holy Light Crystals and Abyss Crystals couldn't even keep up with the consumption.

Shen Ye did the math.

At the current rate of consumption, the one hundred Faith Crystals per month were only enough to support the basic operations of the Cultivation Divine Kingdom.

He would have to find a way to fill the deficit in the Land of Gods and Demons himself.

Six Fine-grade blueprints—more than enough for an ordinary S-rank, but far from sufficient for him.

The Land of Gods and Demons needed more buildings to trigger Gain Without Labor, more wonders to increase the evolution speed of the followers, and higher-grade resources to feed the Twilight that was taking shape deep within the mist.

Relying solely on school rations wasn't enough.

He needed additional resource channels.

That night, Shen Ye mentioned it to Liu Yang in the dormitory.

Liu Yang was gnawing on a piece of dried beast meat he'd brought back from the cafeteria; his eyes lit up when he heard the word "resources."

"You want extra resources? You should've said so earlier."

He put down the dried meat and lowered his voice, as if sharing a grand secret. "There's an underground trading market for Awakened in the city. It opens every Saturday, and it's located on the third level of the Abandoned Mining Area in the North of the city.

They have everything—blueprints, wonders, spiritual materials, crystals, and even Void Race resources that have leaked out from the border rifts.

As long as you have money or things to trade, you can buy anything."

Shen Ye looked at him. "How do you know?"

Liu Yang coughed.

"My cousin is D-rank. He didn't go to university after graduating and does resource reselling in the city."

He took me in once.

"It's chaotic in there, but the goods are the real deal."

Shen Ye thought for a moment. "This Saturday, take me there."