Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!-Chapter 109: Leaving Seclusion (Fourth Update)

"An earthquake?" Wan Mingchuan’s face turned pale as he surveyed the courtyard and was relieved to see that the buildings hadn’t collapsed.

Jiang Yuan and Bai Yunqi simultaneously turned their gaze toward the east.

"It’s not an earthquake," Bai Yunqi said gravely, sensing a bad omen in his heart. "Since the world lost its True Gods, the once orderly world has been changing. The most typical example is the Wilderness World descending at night and merging with the Human World. The tremors just now might have been caused by fragments of other worlds colliding and fusing in, and that’s not a good thing."

Seeing the system’s red-letter warning, Jiang Yuan’s previously firm beliefs wavered once more, and new doubts emerged—how did Riverfront Village become a dungeon?

Hoping to trigger side quests, he engaged as much as possible with the original residents. So whether it was Qiao Mei’s cries for help or arranging the ghost of Old Master Wan, he would assist as long as it cost him nothing.

As a result, he had just witnessed a riot in Riverfront Village in the afternoon, and by evening, the entire village became a dungeon with the descent of the Wilderness. Is the Otherworld that unpredictable?

He opened the map and scrolled to the location of Riverfront Village, confirming that it was marked in darkness with a few words: Riverfront Village Dungeon.

"Hurry up and gather herbs, and check the situation after the Wilderness ascends tomorrow," Bai Yunqi said, feeling rather lucky to have followed the Venerable Family to live in Shuiyun Lake instead of staying in Riverfront Village.

Otherwise, with the tremors just now, even if he hid at the deepest part of the lake, he might not survive unscathed.

[Contract Pet Bai Yunqi Favorability +20]

Initially feeling the favorability increase was inexplicable, Jiang Yuan then understood the twists and turns involved, sighing at the whims of fate. Who could have imagined that in just one day, from village sacrifice to capturing pets, the entire village ended up in chaos?

"Duang! Duang!"

As soon as he stepped out, he knocked on the towering tree at the gate with the back of his axe, striking it five or six times until a Pale Feather Insect fell and was automatically collected into the storage bag.

"What are you knocking for?" Bai Yunqi looked up at the tree in bewilderment, increasingly feeling that the Venerable Family was unlike any other cultivator, with behaviors that were peculiar and unfathomable.

Hoping the Great Demon could help gather materials, Jiang Yuan took the insect out of the storage bag and explained, "There are many Pale Feather Insects in the tree, and they have many uses."

Could the insect be some kind of medicinal ingredient as well?

He pondered left and right, unable to figure out what use a tiny insect could have. To avoid wasting time, Bai Yunqi immediately transformed into a snake tail and wrapped it around the tree, shaking it madly.

[Pale Feather Insect +26]

With a series of crashing sounds, a pile of materials, including leaves, fell into the storage bag. Jiang Yuan had been considering using a paper ox to ram the tree, but the contract pet proved to be very effective!

The two walked, shaking trees along the way. At the collection speed they managed, he believed the night’s harvest would be enough to supply the Bait Workshop for a long time.

Given that, after gathering the herbs along the way, he could take Bai Yunqi to the snowy mountains to look for the special materials needed to construct the Alchemy Room—the Spirit Mist Stone.

Based on his previous quest experiences, Jiang Yuan had a hunch that completing the Alchemy Room task this time would allow him to formally upgrade to a Level Two home.

After all, as new territories were not being opened up, there wasn’t enough space for buildings.

The system details describe the Spirit Mist Stone as an Earth Treasure hidden within the snowy mountains, enveloped by mist and emitting a seven-colored glow, about the size of an egg, possessing the miraculous effect of merging medicinal properties, and is the core material for constructing the Alchemy Room.

Completing the Level Two home construction task will yield the Foundation Establishment Pill Formula, marking the ability to do Alchemy in the Alchemy Room. Once disciples clear their meridians, they can consume pills to increase their chance of Foundation Establishment and even sell them at the Market.

Jiang Yuan was brimming with confidence, with high-level contract pets and plenty of paper crafts at his disposal. Finding the Spirit Mist Stone at the mountain’s peak shouldn’t be difficult!

The tremor came and went quickly. The numerous Ice-winged Eagles on Lushan thought the rats had collapsed the Spirit Stone Mine, but after a brief panic, they found that the seismic center was on the other side of the mountain and that the mine had not been greatly disturbed, so they relaxed.

Yun Mo, naturally suspicious, feared the unexplained tremor might draw other Demon Cultivators to discover and covet the Spirit Stone Vein, so he promptly sent his subordinates to investigate the situation.

"Reporting to the King!" Before long, the scouting Ice-winged Eagle descended to the mountain top, reporting: "There used to be a human-inhabited village southeast of the mountain, and although no human presence had been seen at night, it seemed there should be human habitation. But now it’s shrouded in a dark cloud, with not a single house in sight. The earthquake must have swallowed and buried the village beneath."

"Is it possible that everywhere else is fine, but the village is gone?"

"Indeed! Furthermore, the shrouding cloud emits a thick ghostly aura, extremely ferocious and terrifying. I dared not get close and had to observe from afar. There are indeed no changes elsewhere."

"This is peculiar..." Yun Mo waved his wing to let him rest, clutching a scroll, pondering silently.

The overwhelming ghostly aura, could it be that something terrifying was summoned within the village, causing the entire village to be overtaken by a Ghost Realm?

Being so close to Lushan is no good at all. Hopefully, the Ghost Realm won’t spread, or we’ll have to painfully abandon the valuable Spirit Stone Vein and lead the brothers to find a new place to settle.

Yun Mo, with wings on his back, comforted his subordinates and oversaw mining operations throughout the minefield, circling around before heading back to read. Yet a familiar aura seeped from the cave, halting him.

"Foundation Establishment succeeded!" Overjoyed, he hurried forward to welcome his most trusted aide, Eagle Twenty-One, emerging from seclusion.

The small force formed by the tribe members now boasted a second Foundation Establishment Realm powerhouse, and Yun Mo beamed with joy, "Twenty-One, you’ll need to change your name. Together with us brothers, we’ll strive to have everyone achieve Foundation Establishment!"

"Thank you, King, for your nurturing," Eagle Twenty-One’s eyes flickered, but he smiled in agreement.

Once the excitement died down, he strutted with an aloof gait into the mine cave, his eagle eyes turning red at the sight of the easily accessible Spirit Stone Vein, and with a hushed tone he asked, "With so many spirit stones, did the King distribute them for cultivation?"

Surrounding Ice-winged Eagles congratulated, shaking their heads, "The King said he had to repay the debt for purchasing the Cloak Treasure first."

"Besides, it’s only been a few days since following Mr. Jiang’s guidance to discover the Spirit Stone Vein. Spirit stones are hard and slow to harvest."

"The King promised, after clearing debts, to bring raw stones to the Market to be converted into spirit stones for our cultivation and to purchase many weapons, Magical Treasures, and Secret Technique Manuals, so we can all live a prosperous life!"

Seeing his companions elated, Eagle Twenty-One lowered his voice further, "Is that so? Probably just empty promises, with no actual benefits shared. If there was real intent, we’d have received spirit stones by now!"

Seeing his companions exchange glances but remain silent, he continued, "Has the King ever shared spirit stones with you as he has generously with that blind man?"

"Indeed, I saw the King give Mr. Jiang many raw stones. But that was to thank him for helping discover the Spirit Stone Vein..."

"As I suspected!" Eagle Twenty-One smashed his wing against the stone wall, sneering, "The King is naturally suspicious and petty, treating outsiders better than his own brothers. Out of good faith, I reminded him with harsh but honest words, only to be scolded harshly in front of outsiders!"