The Enfeoffment Ceremony (Part One)

"Your Majesty! According to our investigations and trial runs, the spirit stones required vary with the number of people transported: eight, eighty, eight hundred... and so on, depending on the Teleportation Formation's grade and the number of passengers. On average, eight low-grade spirit stones are needed per person and can support ten uses. The receiving Teleportation Formation consumes no spirit stones, but no living beings or large objects can be present within it. Otherwise, it cannot activate, and those departing cannot arrive. The maximum transport distance remains undetermined; we cannot test it for now..."

As everyone rejoiced, the commander of the imperial guard reported again, briefly outlining the information obtained from this trial run.

"Send out my order: designate spirit stones as a strategic resource of the highest national priority!"

After a moment's contemplation, Jian Shang issued the command solemnly.

With that single sentence, he effectively claimed every spirit stone vein within the Huan Kingdom's borders. Anyone who mined, sold, or stole them without authorization would face military justice: beheading at the least, extermination of their entire household at the worst.

As more and more ancient ruins appeared, the importance of spirit stones was also rising rapidly.

Teleportation Formations alone made spirit stones indispensable for large-scale use. Yet spirit stones were extremely difficult to mine, and the various powers held the supplies firmly in their grasp. That was the main reason their prices had been driven sky-high—not because they were truly that precious, but because supply fell short of demand. Naturally, scarcity made them valuable.

"Wei Wuji, city lord of Fanyang City, has arrived..."

"Lan Ge, Southern Pacifying King of Fanyu City, has arrived..."

"Lü Chen of Chen City has arrived..."

While those in the hall pondered their own concerns, the governors stationed in the seven cities and their