"I was seventeen that year."

Nameless Mountain.

The Nameless Mountain is extremely lively tonight.

Everyone was settled on the ground outside the Cave. Several temporary Wooden Hut were built, and everyone slept on the floor. They would make do here for the night, and a more detailed arrangement would be made tomorrow, including a headcount and assigning appropriate positions.

They purchased quite a lot of items this time.

For example, fabrics, etc.

Chen Fan entered Cave No. 1, looked at the Level 5 Life Workshop, consumed 2,000 Eerie Stone to upgrade to Level 6 Life Workshop, and consumed another 5,000 Eerie Stones to upgrade to Level 7 Life Workshop.

With each upgrade to the Life Workshop, there are no more "upgrade directions" to choose from.

However, each upgrade introduces new craftable items.

This time, I leveled up twice in one go, gaining a total of 4 more craftable special life items.

Level 7 Life Workshop.

He has already used the Green Grade Exotic Treasure he obtained these days, "Cloud Cloth," to make a robe. The robe he made has a Level-1 City Wall defense effect.

Very strong.

Little Qiu is very busy tonight.

We need to measure everyone's height and build, and then make a well-fitting "Mortal Domain" style robe for each person. Tonight, we mainly brought back people from the Qiuhe Wang Family, as well as some people from the North River Chen Family.

The Wild Wolf Gang is still in Northbank City and will arrive tomorrow.

Tell me.

After upgrading the workshop, Chen Fan immediately invited "Shao Qiu" to Cave No. 1. She was the only outsider to enter Cave No. 1 in recent days.

We had just stepped into the Cave.

Shao Qiu's gaze almost instantly settled on a building deep within the Cave called "Spirit-Nurturing Pavilion." Through the open door, the Black Jade Stone floor inside could be clearly seen.

The ceiling was inlaid with countless stalactites that emitted a ghostly blue light, and these stalactites were casting Ice-Cold blue light, forming a mysterious Formation on the ground.

At first glance, it's like Immortal Realm!

"This... this is the Spirit-Nurturing Pavilion!"

Upon entering the Cave, Shao Qiu froze on the spot, his gaze fixed solely on the Spirit-Nurturing Pavilion building, and he stammered in disbelief.

"This.."

"How is this possible!"

"What's wrong?"

Chen Fan, who had set up a table for himself beside the Farmland, sat down, picked up a cup of tea, and casually asked, following Shao Qiu's gaze, "Isn't there Slaying Immortal Holy Land?"

4

"Have."

Shao Qiu's mouth opened unconsciously, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time. After a while, he murmured, "I was a prisoner in the Slaying Immortal Holy Land for seven years."

Five years ago.

"A secret operation took place in the Slaying Immortal Holy Land, which reportedly consumed a great deal of resources and resulted in the deaths of many. Not long after, a 'Spirit-Nurturing Pavilion' appeared within the Sacred Ground."

"A full ten times the cultivation speed, and ten times the Martial Technique comprehension speed."

"Keep in mind that the speed in a regular Training Room is only 3 times faster."

"Only""

"The Spirit-Nurturing Pavilion of the Slaying Immortal Holy Land has not been upgraded for a long time. This building is too Rare. The Immortal Slaying Immortal Holy Land does not know what materials are needed to upgrade to the next level. They have searched through ancient books but found no record of it. Over the years, they have tried all kinds of materials, but all have ended in failure."

To be honest...

Even though he had witnessed the rise of the Mortal Domain firsthand these days, he never felt that the Mortal Domain had much potential. After all, Jiangbei was too small, and the forces that rose in such places often lacked staying power and soon disappeared.

I just want to survive for now.

But after seeing the Spirit-Nurturing Pavilion, his worldview collapsed.

Although he had a grudge against the "Slaying Immortal Holy Land".

However, it must be admitted that the "Slaying Immortal Holy Land" is indeed a powerful force, and this force went to such great lengths to acquire the "Spirit-Nurturing Pavilion," yet the Mortal Domain also possesses one?

Chen Fan picked up his teacup and chuckled softly, without saying a word.

Since you can't see the control panel, you obviously don't know what the upgrade materials are.

It was clearly written on the panel.

"Upgrading to level 5 requires 5,000 Eerie Stones and 1 'Sea Embryo'."

The first required material is "Sea Embryo".

It should be something similar to Mountain Embryo.

He simply didn't know how to obtain it.

"I know how to upgrade."

He didn't try to hide it, putting down his teacup, leaning back in his chair, and looking at Shao Qiu softly, "With this building, can you quickly train a group of people skilled in assassination, infiltration, and intelligence gathering?"

"One day."

"Perhaps you could personally lead the team to storm the Slaying Immortal Holy Land."

"Isn't it a wonderful thought?"

The man in white standing before me.

He looked young, around twenty-five or twenty-six, thin as if malnourished, and his face was rather pale. At first, he thought he was frightened, but then he realized that the guy's face had always been so pale.

It's like kidney deficiency.

After a long while.

"Call..."

Shao Qiu took a deep breath to calm himself down, knelt before Chen Fan, and said in a hoarse voice, "Before becoming a prisoner of the Slaying Immortal Holy Land, I founded a force called the 'Godslayer Hall'."

"It's an Assassin organization."

"One day, I accepted a high-reward mission: to assassinate the Third Elder of the Slaying Immortal Holy Land Sacred Ground. If I could complete this mission, the Godslayer Hall would become famous throughout the world!"

"I was orphaned at a young age and by chance became a special Cultivator as the 'Living Dead.'"

"My only dream is to create an Assassin organization that will be famous throughout the world."

I was 17 years old that year.

"His arrogance led to a failed assassination attempt, resulting in him becoming a prisoner of the Slaying Immortal Holy Land."

"But one"

"The reason I was willing to work for the Immortal Slaying Immortal Holy Land was partly because my life was threatened, and partly because I genuinely have a natural love for assassination and Stealth."

"Over the years, I've fantasized countless times about escaping the Slaying Immortal Holy Land one day and then creating an Assassin organization. But a major drawback of Assassin organizations is that the Cultivation of their Subordinate improves too slowly, and their Martial Technique comprehension is too slow. With this Spirit-Nurturing Pavilion, this drawback is greatly mitigated."

"And now, I feel this is the closest I've ever come to my dream."

"If the Domain Lord is willing to Trust me."

"I will definitely build a world-renowned Assassin division for the Mortal Domain."

Chen Fan sat in the chair, looking at the thin, pale-faced boy in front of him with a slightly strange expression.

17 years old?

He founded the "Godslayer Hall" at the age of 17 and went to the Slaying Immortal Holy Land to assassinate Elder?

Is that a protagonist's script you're holding?

Someone who established a powerful force at the age of 17—how could they possibly command respect?

What is your current Cultivation?

"Level 7 Living Dead."

"Your Cultivation isn't that high, yet you went to assassinate someone at the Slaying Immortal Holy Land. Is the Slaying Immortal Holy Land's defense really that weak?"

He believed that at least a level 7 Cultivator would be unable to intrude into his Mortal Domain and assassinate him.

"I was a Level 7 Living Dead seven years ago."

A hint of pride appeared on Shao Qiu's face. "It's just that over the years, the Slaying Immortal Holy Land has taken away a piece of my soul, preventing my Cultivation from breaking through again."

"My highest achievement to date is successfully assassinating a level 11 Martial King."

"The Third Elder of the Slaying Immortal Holy Land is a Builder; he doesn't possess much real strength."

"The Living Dead are extremely Rare special Cultivator, even fewer in number than the Night Watcher and Builder. To date, I haven't encountered a single Living Dead. These Cultivator don't have many special methods, but each time their Cultivation increases, a Martial Technique related to assassination and Stealth will appear in their minds, and this Martial Technique will directly possess the 'Grand Perfection' realm, with the acquired Martial Technique's grade gradually increasing."

One of the Martial Technique is called "Heaven-Hiding."

"By sacrificing my Lifespan, I can temporarily remain undetected by any means of investigation, including the structures laid out by the Builder, and... Domain Lord 'Shadow-Viewing Formation' you set up outside the valley, including that 'Sand Table' next to it."

59

Chen Fan glanced at the Heavenly Derivation Sand Table placed on the stone table beside him. "You seem to have quite a bit of knowledge. Does that mean you can infiltrate my Mortal Domain silently?"

"Not really."

Shao Qiu shook his head. "Although activating the Heaven-Hiding technique can avoid these detections, it is still visible to the naked Domain Lord. Your Cave is completely sealed off, and the Sinkhole in front of the Cave is completely exposed, making it very difficult to sneak in."

11

"Moreover, the more powerful the detection method, the more Lifespan needs to be sacrificed. I sacrificed 50 years of my Lifespan back then."

"I've been thinking that after 50, people get old, and there's no point in becoming famous anymore."

"We took a gamble."

"I was just young and a bit reckless, and my intelligence gathering on the 'Slaying Immortal Holy Land' was flawed. I was discovered as soon as I infiltrated, and I didn't even get to see the Third Elder. I avoided all detection methods related to buildings Exotic Treasure, but an Exotic Beast from the Slaying Immortal Holy Land detected me using a method I don't understand."

59

Chen Fan nodded thoughtfully. "Do you know what Cultivation that Green-Robed Man who pinned you to the ground is?"

"A level 9 Cultivator, just one step away from breaking through to Martial King."

"If I asked you to kill him, could you do it?"

"We can't defeat them head-on, but we're about 80% sure of success if we try to assassinate them."

"Then why were you pinned to the ground today?"

"I..."

Shao Qiu said somewhat awkwardly, "In the past, I would have been 90% confident, but I had a piece of my soul extracted, which greatly weakened my strength. Moreover, my main abilities can only be used after nightfall."

"Moreover, he is stronger than the average level 9 Cultivator; he must have had some fortuitous encounter."

"Can you destroy Level-3 City Wall?"

"Ah?"

Shao Qiu was a little confused. "That's definitely not possible. No one would destroy Level-3 City Wall if they were trying to assassinate someone..."

59

After thinking for a while, Chen Fan took out the Soul Token from his pocket and threw it into Shao Qiu's arms. "I'm returning this soul to you. Tomorrow, after the Wild Wolf Gang members arrive, you pick out 10 people."

"Forming a 'Shadow Pavilion'."

"Responsible for assassinations, Stealth, and intelligence gathering in the Mortal Domain."

"One month from now, the Mortal Domain will invite numerous forces to participate in the Auction. I hope to see some results by then. During this period, the Spirit-Nurturing Pavilion will supply the Shadow Pavilion without restriction."

"Feel free to make any requests, and we'll try our best to accommodate them."

"This..."

Shao Qiu looked down at the soul in his hand with disbelief, then looked up at Chen Fan was right in front of him, finding it hard to believe that the means that controlled his life was now in his hands.

He had never considered killing Yu Ning'er all these years.

It's because no matter how fast he kills, the victim only needs to have a thought in their mind to die; no matter how fast his actions are, they can't outrun the speed of his will.

You should know that Chen Fan is right in front of you right now.

A Builder.

They themselves are not very strong.

If he wanted, he could even kill Chen Fan instantly, then take the Soul Token and leave this place completely free.

But he took a deep breath and knelt down again. This time, he was genuinely moved; it was Trust he had never experienced before. His forehead pressed against the ground, he said hoarsely, "Domain Lord, rest assured, I will do everything in my power to make the Mortal Domain Shadow Pavilion famous throughout the world!"

Freedom is important.

But compared to freedom, fulfilling his dream was more important, and the Spirit-Nurturing Pavilion here was the closest he had ever come to that dream.

"Go and rest."

Chen Fan held the Jadeite Staff tightly to his chest, chuckling lightly, "I also hope to see that day."

"Yes!"

Shao Qiu stood up and nodded emphatically. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned around and hesitated, saying, "Domain Lord, aren't you worried that I might have suddenly attacked and killed you just now? At such close range..."

Many people want to kill me.

Chen Fan also got up, leaning on his cane as he walked towards his house, casually saying without turning his head, "But I'm still alive, while they're all dead. Let Crippled Monkey show you around the Mortal Domain tonight."

From now on, we're all family.

Shao Qiu stared at Chen Fan's retreating figure, remaining silent for a long time.

Chen Fan and he were both young people.

But Chen Fan's courage and confidence made him feel inferior. He cried and begged for mercy when facing death, while Chen Fan was able to casually throw out the Soul Token that restrained him.

It's as if it's saying...

You can run around Mortal Domain, the Shadow Pavilion will still exist.

But without the Mortal Domain, you will be a pariah for the rest of your life.

He then looked at the Spirit-Nurturing Pavilion to the side.

The idea that had been dormant in the Immortal Slaying Immortal Holy Land for seven years resurfaced: he was determined to create a world-renowned Assassin organization, and only in the Mortal Domain could he achieve this.

He crushed the Soul Token in his hand.

The next moment -

The soul returns.

Shao Qiu slowly closed his eyes. His Cultivation, which had been suppressed for seven years, began to grow rapidly, eventually reaching the peak of level 9, just one step away from breaking through to the Martial King.

A level 10 Cultivator is Martial King.

"That's really perverted."

Back in his room, Chen Fan lay on his bed, gazing at the ceiling and murmuring to himself. He knew that there were many special Cultivator in this world, such as "Night Watcher" and "Builder."

Such special Cultivator are often not attainable through later efforts.

If it's the first time absorbing the Eerie Stone, then it's there.

If not, there won't be another chance.

Effort is disregarded.

It's all down to fate.

No matter how hard an ordinary person tries, they cannot become Builder.

This was the first time he had learned about a special type of Cultivator called the "Living Dead." Each time their Cultivation increased, they would acquire a Martial Technique related to assassination and automatically master that Martial Technique to its highest Grand Perfection.

That's really perverted.

It's equivalent to not needing to comprehend Martial Technique at all; as long as you continuously improve your Cultivation, your combat power will be the strongest among those of the same level.

No wonder he was able to create the "Godslayer Hall" at the age of 17.

That's not right.

He suddenly realized something: in this world, one could only absorb and awaken the Eerie Stone at the age of 16. This guy awakened as Living Dead at 16, founded the "Godslayer Hall" at 17, stormed the Slaying Immortal Holy Land in the same year, and then became a prisoner for 7 years?

In just one year, his Cultivation increased from level 1 to level 7?