Qin Yao relents when the lord of "Heavenly Court" brushes off her curiosity. "Give me a sec—I'll tally it," she messages back.
"Cool," Zhou Yan replies.
Qin Yao prices the beast haul in the trade window. Relief washes over her—this ally's strength secures her food supply. Her troops devour rations like fiends; without state backing, even one would bankrupt her. Her luck swings wild—barren land yields no crops, yet double soul coin drops offset the gloom. Others might snap under such a curse. That "Heaven" cracks fog and slays level 8 beasts on day two stuns her—her dragon knight caps at level 5. To cement this bond, she offers a lavish 2 million spirit coins, topping market rates—a subtle pull, backed by her superiors.
"Two million?" Zhou Yan blinks, startled. His rough math pegs the lot at over a million—food's scarcity inflates it now, though value dips soon. "Too generous?" he asks.
"Not at all—you earned it," Qin Yao insists. "Don't sweat it; big sis has spirit coins to burn!" State resources flex hard.
He drops the humility. "Fine—hit me up anytime you're short. I've got more resources too." Trade done, he piles on wood—useless for his upgrades. Logic demands it, but his high-tier buildings defy norms, sparing him material hunts.
"So much wood—three-star even!" Qin Yao gapes. "What'd he slay for this?" Another shock—she'd braced for surprises, but this floors her. "Resource-rich zone, monsters in his wheelhouse—he's destiny's kid," she muses, envy tinging her awe. Canglan's lore brims with fated lords; this haul aids her timely. She sends 500,000 more spirit coins, her spending unflinching. Zhou Yan stares—her coffers terrify. He'd match that nonchalance with infinite funds. Total take: 2.5 million.
After a brief chat, they part for tasks. Zhou Yan upgrades his territory first:
[Territory Prompt: "Territory rises to level 7."]
[Territory Prompt: "Territory rises to level 8."]
[Territory Name: Heavenly Court (renameable)]
[Lord: Zhou Yan (details)]
[Quality: White (Color · Hidden)]
[Territory Talent: Special Items +10%]
[Territory Level: 8 (Next: 9 buildings above level 9)]
[Area: 8,000 square meters]
[Special Attribute 1: Human Race Attributes +15%]
[Special Attribute 2: Territory Family Attributes +10%]
[Buildings: King Crystal (20), Spiritual Bamboo House (20), Bronze Sparrow Terrace (10), Mystery Store (20), Flame Tower (20), Thorn Vine Fence (20), Spiritual Field (20), Spiritual Spring (10)]
[Villagers: 1]
[Resources: (Details)]
Little shifts, but a twist emerges—another naming slot. "Two lord spaces, two names?" he guesses. A boon to cloak "Heavenly Court" with an alias. Naming stumps him, though. Gazing at Diao Chan, inspiration strikes. "Diao Chan!"
"What's up?" she asks, eyes wide with curiosity.
He grins. "Mind if I use your name for the territory?"
"My name?" she echoes, surprised.
"Yeah—naming's a slog," he admits. "First one took me half an hour."
She pauses, then nods. "Sure—it's just a name."
"Perfect." He confirms it.
[Territory Prompt: "Name set successfully. Special territory detected—aliases switchable anytime."]
Dual spaces prove their worth. Next, he eyes hero summons but recalls yesterday's flops—leveling first might juice his luck.
[Soul Coins -300. Lord Zhou Yan rises from level 2 to 3.]
[Soul Coins -400. Lord Zhou Yan rises from level 3 to 4.]
[Soul Coins -500. Lord Zhou Yan rises from level 4 to 5.]
[Name: Zhou Yan]
[Sex: Male]
[Age: 18]
[Race: Human]
[Nationality: Dragon Kingdom]
[Level: 5]
[Upgrade Requirement: 600 soul coins]
[Charm: 6]
[Luck: 6]
[Strength: 21.7]
[Physique: 9.7]
[Agility: 11.2]
[Spirit: 14.2]
[Free Attribute Points: 0]
[Talent: Inactive]
[Skill: Seven Star Sword Art (S)]
[Qualification: Inactive]
[Cultivation Method: Inactive]
[Boundary: Inactive]
[Equipment: Dragon Tooth Sword (Strength +5), True Spirit Ring (Strength +10, Agility +10, Physique +10), Stone Helmet (Defense +5), Stone Gauntlet (Strength +2), Stone Armor (Defense +5), Stone Leggings (Defense +3, Agility +2), Stone Boots (Agility +3, Defense +2)]
[Total Equipment Bonuses: Strength +17, Agility +15, Physique +10, Defense +15]
Level-ups add points, and the Spiritual Bamboo House nudges his stats up 0.2 each. Steady gains promise more.