Yun Heng stood before the main hall and slowly looked up.
When she had been looking at the icon earlier, she hadn't felt much. Now that the main hall had actually taken physical form, she realized just how massive it was.
The grand flight of stairs stretched upward from beneath her feet for at least several hundred steps, and the open courtyard before the hall was vast enough to hold a line of over a thousand people.
The entirety of the Ruined Base of the Guiyuan Main Hall covered an enormous area. A quick glance suggested it was easily more than twice the size of the main hall back at Xuanxiao Sect in her memories.
Yun Heng lowered her head to check the System panel, where the remaining Building Cards were still floating in the light screen.
She deployed the Ten-Mu Spirit Field, the Spirit Spring Well, the Realm-Protecting Mist Array, and the Temporary Storeroom all at once.
Yun Heng looked over her handiwork with satisfaction. Compared to when she had first stepped inside, this place finally looked somewhat proper.
Lastly, three mu of Moonbeam Resting Soil remained. She had no intention of tossing this stuff into an ordinary spirit field.
Since the Moon Breath Spirit Tree could trigger a reaction from the broken jade, it definitely couldn't be planted like a common spirit plant.
Yun Heng chose an open plot of ground to the left of the main hall, close enough without blocking the grand staircase.
She raised her hand and activated the Moonbeam Resting Soil card.
Silver-white spiritual soil cascaded down from the card, spreading out smoothly. Its color was far lighter than normal spirit soil, looking as though it had been mixed with moonlight itself. Even the fog surrounding its borders thinned out slightly upon contact.
Yun Heng retrieved the Moon Breath Spirit Tree from its jade pot. The moment the sapling appeared, its leaves and branches swayed softly.
Heart stirring, Yun Heng carefully transplanted it into the center of the Moonbeam Resting Soil.
As its root system left the jade pot, it showed no sign of wilting whatsoever. The slender white rootlets unfurled step-by-step the instant they touched the spiritual soil. The Moonbeam Resting Soil glowed softly, a faint moonlit hue rising from beneath the earth and seeping up through the roots into its trunk and branches.
The Moon Breath Spirit Tree quietly took root.
The sapling, originally only half a foot tall, stretched out its leaves, its silver-white twigs swaying gently with far more vitality than when it was trapped in the jade pot.
Watching it, Yun Heng finally felt at ease.
She then moved most of her crafting materials and spirit plants into the storeroom.
As for the spirit stones, Yun Heng hesitated briefly before keeping only ten thousand High-grade Spirit Stones inside her Qiankun Spirit-Storing Bag.
That was plenty enough for personal use; the rest was deposited into the storeroom.
Right now, she only carried commonly used pills, talismans, a few life-saving items, ten thousand High-grade Spirit Stones, and personal accessories like the Moon Trace Spirit Bracelet and Mind-Clearing Jade Hairpin.
Once Yun Heng finished organizing everything, she stood at the doorway of the storeroom, looking at the shattered realm that was gradually taking shape. Hss... it was still missing something.
Yun Heng opened the System panel.
Character Cards floated in front of her one after another. She activated them all, causing several beams of light to descend in front of the main hall.
First to appear were Xuan Yi through Xuan Wu.
The five Shadow Guards, clad in dark attire, quietly materialized. Upon touching the ground, they bowed in greeting.
Next came Xuan Zheng.
The moment he materialized, his gaze swept over his surroundings, lingering briefly on the Ruined Base of the Guiyuan Main Hall before drifting toward the distant storeroom.
Immediately after, five squads of Golden Armored Guards appeared before the main hall.
One hundred Golden Core Peak cultivators stood in formation, their golden armor reflecting off the white mist with a steady brilliance. When Yun Heng had summoned them previously, she had already thought it was quite a sight, but standing before the main hall now, they truly looked like the honor guard of an ancient clan.
Finally came the newly drawn Character Cards from this pull.
A beam of cyan-white spiritual light settled in front of Yun Heng.
The figure solidified from illusory light to tangible form, wearing a cyan-grey robe. His expression was righteous and clear, and his hair was bound by an old jade crown. He didn't look like a combat cultivator, but rather like a manager overseeing the affairs of an ancient clan.
Opening his eyes, he immediately knelt before Yun Heng.
“Yun Che, Domain Administrator, greets the Young Lord.”
Five more dark-clad figures landed behind Xuan Yi and the others.
Shadow Guards Xuan Liu through Xuan Shi.
Twelve Green-Clad Attendants appeared last. They looked quite young, neatly dressed, and while their cultivation wasn't particularly high, their movements were crisp and nimble.
Everyone dropped to one knee at the same time, their voices ringing out in unison:
“Young Lord!”
Yun Heng: “...”
Goosebumps instantly broke out across her skin. That was way too loud!
The space before the main hall was naturally vast and open. That collective shout echoed through the mist, making Yun Heng's scalp tingle.
She forced her expression to remain steady and cleared her throat.
“You may all rise.”
The crowd stood up, their movements as uniform as before.
Yun Heng quickly shifted her gaze toward Yun Che.
“Yun Che.”
“Your subordinate is here.”
Yun Che stepped forward, bowing his head to await orders.
Yun Heng gestured toward the main hall, spirit fields, and storeroom behind her.
“This place has just opened, and many things are still incomplete. From now on, the affairs within the shattered realm will be left in your hands.”
Yun Che's expression remained calm. “I await the Young Lord's command.”
“The storeroom holds spirit stones, crafting materials, spirit plant seeds, spirit liquid, and various miscellaneous items. Take whatever is needed as you see fit.”
Yun Che bowed his head. “Subordinate understands.”
Yun Heng then turned to look at Xuan Zheng.
“Xuan Zheng, the crafting materials are in the storeroom as well. If you need anything, you can discuss it with Yun Che.”
“Subordinate obeys.”
She then addressed the Shadow Guards and Golden Armored Guards, “You will remain here to cultivate normally. If anything arises in the shattered realm, follow Yun Che's dispatch. When I require personnel, I will summon you outside.”
Xuan Yi and the others responded in unison.
Meanwhile, the Green-Clad Attendants were assigned by Yun Che to tend the spirit fields, sweep the Ruined Base of the Guiyuan Main Hall, and guard the Spirit Spring Well and storeroom.
Yun Heng stood off to the side watching, concluding that Yun Che was indeed remarkably suited for managing these matters.
He was a man of few words, yet his arrangements were swift and efficient. Professional matters really were best left to professionals.
She added to Yun Che, “This place will be our family's domain from now on. I'll enter whenever there's business, but normally you'll remain inside. Crafting, cultivating, or tending the spirit fields—do it all at your own pace.”
Yun Che bowed his head. “Rest assured, Young Lord. Subordinate will certainly manage the shattered realm well.”
With Yun Che around, she was spared a lot of worry.
“I'll be taking my leave now. I'll return if anything comes up.”
Yun Che bowed. “Respectfully seeing off the Young Lord.”
Hearing another synchronized chorus of bows behind her, Yun Heng hurriedly called out to the System in her mind.
Exit.
Cyan-white spiritual light surged from beneath her feet, and in the next instant, her vision blurred.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back inside her room on the second floor of Wanbao Tower.
She sat back down at the desk, holding the Tianheng Jade in her palm and examining it repeatedly.
Five 10-draws today had been almost like winning the lottery.
First a high-tier cultivation method, then a mountain of spirit stones, along with crafting materials, spirit plants, and spiritual soil.
In the end, even the broken jade was repaired, giving her a small world of her own.
Yun Heng leaned back against her chair.
What exactly was Tianheng? And what connection did she have to it?
The original host was named Yun Heng, which just happened to share the character “Heng.”
Could she truly be the Young Lord of some secluded clan?
The moment the thought surfaced, Yun Heng immediately shook her head.
No.
Which clan's Young Lord started out dirt-poor?
When other Young Lords made their entrance, even at their worst, they would have elders guarding their path, a clan treasury on hand, and an intact ancestral ground.
What about her?
Broken jade, broken commands, broken main hall, and cards—everything was broken or incomplete.
This Young Lord role was way too shabby.
Countless conjectures flashed through Yun Heng's mind, but she couldn't grasp a single true answer right now.
Yun Heng raised a hand to rub her temples. If she couldn't figure it out, she wouldn't dwell on it for now. At any rate, the present outcome was good.
The more things turned out like this, the less she could afford to drag her feet.
She was currently at the Nascent Soul Mid Stage, which was intimidating enough among young cultivators, but against a true Soul Transformation realm expert, it still fell short. She had to keep cultivating and earning Awe Points.
Yun Heng sat cross-legged on the daybed.
The heritage of the Tianheng Guiyuan Art: Return to Truth slowly unfolded within her sea of consciousness.
Spiritual energy circulated through her meridians.
Yun Heng closed her eyes.
Outside, the night hung heavy and deep, and a profound quiet settled over Wanbao Tower.
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