A New Home at the Estate

Yulan Calendar, 9999, May 22.

Morning sunlight streamed through a gap in the curtains, casting a long, narrow streak across the floor. Akes opened his eyes and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, lying there for a few seconds before he realized where he was—this was his estate, his room.

Yesterday, he had officially moved into this manor on the southern outskirts of Yulan City.

He got up and pushed open the window. Fresh air greeted him. Several unknown trees grew in the yard, covered in pale pink blossoms. Beyond them lay a broad stretch of grass, and farther still stood a small grove of trees. Birds chirped in the grove, their songs clear and sweet.

"Young master." Old Carl's voice came from outside the door. "Breakfast is ready."

"Coming."

After washing up, Akes went downstairs. The dining room was on the east side of the first floor. It was small but very tidy. Bread, milk, fried eggs, and several side dishes had been laid out on the table.

"Have you put everything away?" he asked as he sat down.

Carl nodded. "More or less. The luggage we brought is all put away. The servants are staying in the back courtyard, and I've checked the storeroom inventory."

"Thanks for all your hard work."

"You're too kind, young master." Carl hesitated. "There's something I'd like to ask you about."

"Go ahead."

Carl pulled a sheet of paper from his clothes. It was covered in writing. "These are the estate's original accounts. It used to belong to a viscount, but he was later transferred elsewhere, and His Majesty reclaimed the estate. No one has lived here for the past few years, but people have continued to look after it."

Akes took the accounts and looked them over. The fields, tenants, livestock, and building repairs were all listed in detail.

"Is there a problem?"

"Not exactly," Carl said. "It's just that the tenants and servants will all have to formally acknowledge their new master. According to the rules, you should meet them."

Akes thought for a moment. "This afternoon, then. Have them come to the courtyard."

"Yes."

After breakfast, Akes took a walk around the estate.

The main building had three floors. The first floor held the living room, dining room, kitchen, and several servants' rooms. The second and third floors were devoted to bedrooms and studies. He chose the room at the far east end of the second floor. Its window faced east, so he could watch the sunrise every morning.

Behind the building was a small but elegant garden. Beyond it stretched a grassy lawn, ending at the grove of trees.

Akes walked into the grove and discovered a small clearing with a smooth flagstone floor. Faint traces of elemental energy lingered on the stones. The previous owner must have practiced here.

"This is a nice spot," he murmured to himself.

He would practice here from now on.

That afternoon, Akes met the estate's tenants and servants in the courtyard.

There weren't many of them—seven or eight tenants, and about the same number of servants. The tenants stood at the back, somewhat ill at ease and afraid to look up. The servants seemed more composed, lined up in front.

A middle-aged man who looked like a steward stepped forward and bowed. "My lord, I'm William. I used to be the steward of this estate. I've been managing it for the past few years."

Akes sized him up. He was in his forties, neatly dressed, and spoke in an orderly manner.

"You've done a good job these past few years."

William bowed. "I only did my duty. I'm glad you're satisfied, my lord."

Akes swept his gaze over the crowd. "I don't have many rules. Just one: do your jobs. Do what you're supposed to do. Don't ask about what you shouldn't, and don't look at what you shouldn't. If you can do that, you can stay. If you can't, you can leave now."

No one moved.

"Then that's settled." Akes stood up. "You're dismissed."

The others dispersed, while William stayed behind.

"My lord, there's one more thing," he said.

"Go ahead."

"The previous owner set up a magic array for cultivation in the small grove behind the estate. No one's used it in the past few years, but it should still work. You can inspect it if you need to."

Akes nodded. "Got it. You can get back to work."

William withdrew.

At dusk, Akes went back to the grove.

The magic array on the flagstones was still there. It had dimmed somewhat, but its core pattern was undamaged. He sat cross-legged on the stones and tried to activate the Fallen Heart Flame.

The fire elements around him stirred, then began to gather slowly.

"It works." He opened his eyes.

It wasn't as good as the natural convergence point by the waterfall behind the mountain, but it was far better than an ordinary place. At the very least, it could improve his cultivation efficiency by twenty percent.

"I'll practice here from now on."

Life settled into a quiet routine.

Every morning, Akes visualized the Nuwa Diagram in his room. The scroll slowly unfolded in his mind, the woman's silhouette growing clearer as the chaos around her seemed to shift. Each session brought a slight increase in his spiritual power—about thirty percent faster than through meditation alone.

In the mornings, he studied fire magic in the library. It already held quite a few magical texts, and the books he'd brought with him made for more than enough reading material. Seventh-rank spells and above required spiritual power to guide them. He tried practicing several and had a decent success rate.

In the afternoons, he cultivated on the flagstones in the grove. The Fallen Heart Flame flickered slowly, the Fire Spirit Bead glimmered faintly, and the Five Spirit Wheel turned at full power. Fire elements streamed into his body, and the magic power in his middle dantian grew at a visible rate.

In the evenings, after dinner, he strolled around the courtyard. He looked at the flowers, listened to the birds, and thought about nothing.

At night, he visualized the Nuwa Diagram again, then went to sleep.

Day after day.

One day in late May, he suddenly remembered something—his daily sign-in.

He'd been so busy settling in that he'd almost forgotten about it.

[ DING—The host has settled into a new environment. Would you like to sign in? ]

He silently said to himself: Sign in.

[ Sign-in successful. ]

[ Reward: Desolate Era: Qi Cultivation Method—When practiced alongside visualization of the Nuwa Diagram, it can further accelerate the cultivation of spiritual power. Long-term practice can strengthen the soul and lay the foundation for the next step after spiritual power liquefies. ]

A warm current surged into his mind, merging with the Nuwa Diagram. The scroll seemed clearer now, and faint patterns appeared along the edges of the woman's silhouette. They were the paths of qi cultivation.

Good stuff, he thought, nodding to himself.

Cultivation would slow down after his spiritual power liquefied. Advancing from seventh rank to eighth, then from eighth to ninth, would each require a long period of accumulation. With the Nuwa Diagram and the qi cultivation method, his progress could increase by at least fifty percent.

In June, the weather gradually grew hotter.

Akes's cultivation fell into a steady rhythm. Every morning, he studied magic; every afternoon, he cultivated his magic power; and he visualized the Nuwa Diagram in the morning and evening. Life was monotonous, but fulfilling.

One day in early July, he received a letter from George.

It had been sent from the Ernst Institute. George wrote that the others were all doing well and asked how Akes was getting along in Yulan. Akes wrote back, briefly describing the estate.

At the end of the month, he signed in again. This time, he received [Azeroth Teleportation Enhanced Version]—it could mark five locations for instant teleportation, with a cooldown of three days.

"This is pretty convenient." He toyed with the rune stone in his hand, then chose three spots around the estate and marked them. No matter where he went in the future, he would be able to come straight back.

In August, he reached the threshold of the mid-seventh rank in his cultivation.

It was a subtle feeling. His spiritual power was slowly growing, his magic power was gradually accumulating. It seemed as if nothing had changed, yet everything seemed to change a little every day. He knew that if he kept at it, a breakthrough was only a matter of time.

One morning in early September, as he visualized the Nuwa Diagram, he suddenly felt something strange.

The woman in the scroll seemed to move.

It was only for an instant, but he sensed it clearly—the rhythm of creation, the process of bringing something into being from nothing. It seemed somehow connected to the instant a flame was born in fire magic.

He sat there in a daze for a long time.

That afternoon, while practicing, he tried to channel that feeling into his magic. A ball of flame gathered in his palm, purer and hotter than usual, yet it consumed less energy.

"So that's how it is," he murmured.

The secrets of the Nuwa Diagram went beyond simply accelerating cultivation. There was something deeper, something that would take time and insight to understand.

One evening in late September, Akes stood in the courtyard, watching the sunset in the distance.

The evening glow reddened half the sky, and several clouds edged in gold drifted slowly westward. He thought of the evenings in Fenlai City—five boys sitting in the dormitory courtyard beneath the same sunset, chatting about all kinds of nonsense.

Now, he was alone.

"Young master." Carl's voice came from behind him. "Dinner is ready."

He turned and went inside.

Candles lit the dining room, where a few simple dishes had been set on the table. He sat down alone and ate slowly.

Halfway through the meal, he suddenly stopped and looked at the empty chair across from him.

At the institute, the five of them had always eaten together. Reynolds was always the fastest eater, Yale always had the most to say, George was always the steadiest, and Linley was always the quietest.

Now, he was alone.

He smiled and continued eating.

After dinner, he went upstairs to visualize the Nuwa Diagram.

The scroll unfurled in his mind, the woman's silhouette standing quietly. The chaos around her flowed slowly, as if something were taking shape within it.

Immersed in that mysterious rhythm, he lost track of time.

He didn't know how long had passed before he opened his eyes.

Outside the window, the moon had risen, large and round.