Chen Zhou’s mouth twitched. He was just about to continue coaxing the little pig when Jianmu, which had been resting quietly on his shoulder, suddenly began to flicker.
With a flash of emerald-green light, Jianmu hopped down and landed in front of the little pig, its tiny branches waving gently.
“My Lord, Jianmu is speaking to the Nightmare,” the Golden Dragon translated.
“It says it understands the Nightmare’s feelings. It knows better than anyone what it’s like to be separated from the person who matters most.”
“But it also knows that sometimes, parting is necessary so that you can be together even better in the future.”
The little pig’s hundreds of eyes all turned to look at Jianmu simultaneously.
As Jianmu spoke, it gently snapped off a tiny branch with a few leaves. It was a vibrant, dripping green, with faint golden light flowing through the veins of the leaves.
Jianmu offered the branch to Chen Zhou.
The Golden Dragon continued to translate.
“My Lord, if you take this branch outside and plant it anywhere, it will grow into an avatar of Jianmu.”
“Its main body will remain here in the Immortal-Slaying Shrine to accompany A Yao, while the avatar takes root in the outside world, acting as a bridge between the dream and reality.”
“When the time comes, you will be able to travel freely between the avatar and the main body.”
Chen Zhou’s eyes lit up instantly.
Jianmu had a function like this?
He took the branch. The golden light on the leaves pulsed slightly in his palm, like a tiny beating heart.
“Is there a distance limit?” Chen Zhou asked.
Jianmu shook its branches.
The Golden Dragon said, “No. Whether it is at the ends of the earth or in the divine realm of the Underworld, as long as its avatar can take root, you can travel freely through it.”
Chen Zhou’s heart skipped a beat. He asked further, “Are there any other restrictions? For example, a limit on the number of uses? How many people can pass through at once? Does it consume any resources?”
Jianmu shook even more vigorously.
The Golden Dragon said, “Jianmu says there are none! It is a divine tree; what is such a small matter to it?”
“In the past, its very purpose was to connect the three realms.”
“You can use it as many times as you want every day, and as many people can pass through as you wish. At most... if there are too many people, it might feel a bit ticklish.”
Chen Zhou took a deep breath. In other words, wasn’t this a teleportation point he could place wherever he wanted?!
No distance limit, no usage limit, no limit on people, and it was free.
His territory now spanned three outer provinces: Gloomlight Province, Tianchi Province, and Cangzhou.
Every time he moved between provinces, he had to cross the realm barriers, which was time-consuming and exhausting. If he had a Jianmu avatar teleportation array, traveling between the three provinces would be as simple as visiting a neighbor.
Without hesitation, Chen Zhou reached toward Jianmu again.
“Give me a few more.”
Jianmu shrank back, its tiny branches waving warily in the air.
“One isn’t enough,” Chen Zhou said righteously. “I have three provinces under my control, and even Gloomlight Province alone has several strongholds. There’s the Eastern Region’s sea, the Western Region’s god’s tomb, the Northern Region’s Evil Dog Ridge, and the Southern Region’s Golden Chicken Mountain...”
“The newly conquered territory in Tianchi Province also needs a few spots.”
“And Cangzhou goes without saying; the entire province needs to be reorganized.”
“There are also other places I might go in the future, like Qingzhou, the Central Province...”
As Chen Zhou listed more and more, Jianmu’s light flickered faster and faster.
“How about this? Five. Just give me five for now.”
Chen Zhou held out his hand, five fingers spread.
Jianmu flickered violently, protesting frantically.
The Golden Dragon helped translate: “Jianmu says it takes ten thousand years to grow a single leaf...”
“You have quite a few leaves on you right now,” Chen Zhou said expressionlessly.
“You just said you were a divine tree and that such small things were nothing to you.”
“As a tree, you should know how to repay a debt of gratitude, right?”
“...”
Jianmu’s light dimmed for a moment, as if it had been caught in a trap.
Then it turned to look at A Yao. A Yao was covering her mouth and giggling, pretending not to see.
Finally, as if resigning itself to its fate, it trembled and snapped off five leaves in succession, handing them to Chen Zhou.
The moment it handed them over, the originally lush foliage on Jianmu’s body became visibly sparser.
Its tiny branches drooped piteously. Then, it suddenly turned around, dove into A Yao’s embrace, and began to wail loudly.
Satisfied, Chen Zhou stored the five leaves into his system storage. Including the first one, he had six in total.
Six Jianmu leaves, six teleportation points.
He decided to establish one Jianmu avatar in each of the three outer provinces. He would first trouble Diting to run around the provinces to plant them. Once Jianmu took root, he would be able to teleport freely.
Seeing Jianmu crying so piteously, Chen Zhou shook his head and decided to compensate it with something.
He pulled out some Fortune Spring Water, a specialty of the Gathering Fortune Pavilion, and stuffed it into A Yao’s arms.
The unaging pine was only able to produce so many pine cones because it was watered with this stuff. He hoped it would be effective for Jianmu as well.
A Yao accepted it with a smile and said to Chen Zhou.
“Young man, although Jianmu’s avatars have no defensive power, their teleportation ability is indeed irreplaceable.”
“Once you return, remember to plant them in safe locations—ideally in the core areas of your territory with guards to protect them.”
“If one is accidentally destroyed, you will have to plant a new one.”
“It takes ten thousand years for Jianmu to grow a single leaf, and forcing an avatar sapling to grow also consumes a lot of its vitality. Those six leaves are pretty much its limit for now.”
Chen Zhou nodded and said seriously, “Rest assured, I will place them properly.”
Then he turned back to face the little pig.
The Nightmare had turned back into its pink piglet form. It was lying on the ashen earth, covering its nose with its two front hooves, only showing a pair of teary eyes.
Chen Zhou crouched down and poked its nose.
“You heard what Jianmu said.”
“You stay here in the Immortal-Slaying Shrine. If you want to see me, you can teleport to my side through Jianmu at any time.”
“The Immortal-Slaying Shrine is an inheritance left by a Great Emperor. As a Nightmare, you are naturally meant to grow within dreams.”
“This is a deep dream, the inheritance of a fallen Great Emperor. For you, it is a rare place for cultivation.”
“By staying here, you can repair the dream while merging with the entire Immortal-Slaying Shrine.”
“Once you have completely mastered the rules of the Immortal-Slaying Shrine, you will be the master of this dream world and become the true Lord of a Thousand Dreams.”
“When that time comes, everyone will have to call you the Piggy Emperor.”
The Nightmare’s eyes gradually brightened. It rolled over to sit up and looked up at Chen Zhou.
“Piggy understands! Piggy won't let Master down!”
“Piggy will make the Immortal-Slaying Shrine beautiful! When Master comes next time, you will definitely be surprised!”
Chen Zhou rubbed its head. The little pig gave an affectionate grunt and nuzzled into his chest again.
Chen Zhou withdrew his gaze and looked at A Yao, Yuheng, and Mo Cang.
The three of them stood on the ashen earth, looking as if they were forever frozen in a single frame of a dream.
“Leaving?” Mo Cang asked.
Yuheng flicked his horsetail whisk and said with a smile, “I’ve calculated that the next time you come, you’ll likely be at the eighth stage, won't you?”
“Not necessarily,” Chen Zhou said. “It might be the ninth stage.”
Yuheng’s smile stiffened for a moment before he shook his head and laughed. “You certainly have a big mouth, kid.”
A Yao smiled. “Don't push yourself too hard.”
“In the era when the Divine Path flourished, the gods performed their respective duties. There were heavenly laws above to restrain them and colleagues nearby to support them. Even the God Emperor did not shoulder the entire world alone.”
“You have many companions by your side now, as well as the inheritance of the Great Emperor's Palace. They are all your helpers.”
Chen Zhou nodded. “I understand.”
Mo Cang waved his hand impatiently. “Alright, alright, A Yao, stop nagging. This kid knows what he’s doing.”
“Hurry up and go. If you don't leave soon, I’ll start wanting to go out with you.”
Chen Zhou turned around. The little pig opened its mouth, its two tusks protruding past its lips, and slashed at the void.
With a tearing sound, a massive rift was forced open in the sky of the dream.
A dream passage slowly opened before him, and the familiar aura of the dead surged from the City of the Wrongfully Dead.
Chen Zhou stepped inside.
Behind him, A Yao’s voice drifted softly.
“Young man, take care.”
Chen Zhou did not look back. He simply raised his hand and waved behind him.
Mo Cang’s shout followed immediately after: “Remember my corpse jar!”
The passage slowly closed behind him.
The purple-red light of the dream was sealed away, and the warm yellow light of his own territory brightened his vision once more.
Chen Zhou stood in the courtyard outside the Gathering Fortune Pavilion. Beneath his feet was the black soil unique to the Thick Earth Spirit Field, soft and warm.
Above his head was the perpetually gray sky of the City of the Wrongfully Dead. The courtyard was very quiet.
Chen Zhou walked straight to the open space in the center of the city, which was specifically designated for core buildings.
This open space was something he had intentionally left when he first planned the City of the Wrongfully Dead; it was the place with the best feng shui in the entire city.
He took a Jianmu leaf from his system storage, crouched down, and gently placed it into a shallow pit he had dug. He then covered it with a layer of black spiritual soil from the Thick Earth Spirit Field and carefully poured some Fortune Spring Water onto it.
The moment the water soaked into the soil, a surge of pure spiritual energy erupted from underground, and the entire open space vibrated slightly.
Soon, a tender green sprout broke through the soil from the bottom of the pit.
The sprout’s stem was straight and only as thick as a pinky finger, with a texture like jade. Three thin branches branched off the stem, each tipped with a few emerald leaves.
The sapling stopped growing once it reached three feet in height. Then it slowly unfurled its leaves. A few breaths later, one of the leaves trembled slightly.
An emerald-green light shone from the tip of the leaf, projecting a person-sized light screen in front of the sapling.
The light screen rippled like water, reflecting a purple-red sky, a gray-white ashen earth, and a damaged plaque with the three large characters for Immortal-Slaying Shrine.
Chen Zhou approached the light screen and observed it for a while.
He tried pressing his hand against the glowing leaf. Immediately, two choices appeared in his sea of consciousness: teleport to the Immortal-Slaying Shrine or close the passage.
Chen Zhou did not choose to teleport; he simply withdrew his hand.
The other leaves had not lit up yet. Chen Zhou guessed that once he planted the other Jianmu avatars, those leaves would light up one by one, allowing him to teleport freely between the various Jianmu avatars.
Confirming that Jianmu had taken root and was stable, Chen Zhou nodded in satisfaction and began browsing his system storage again.
He still had several sacrifice rewards from the Tianchi Province trip that he hadn't had time to examine closely.
【Building Blueprint: Wenxin Hall】
【Grade: Earth Grade】
【Special Building】
【Literary Radiance: Once Wenxin Hall is completed, all living beings within a hundred-mile radius will be illuminated by the literary light. Learning ability will increase by 300%, and memory speed, depth of understanding, and the ability to synthesize knowledge will be comprehensively enhanced.】
【Scholarly Fortune: Can actively bestow Scholarly Fortune upon specific targets. When breaking through realms, the success rate increases by 30%. When contemplating high-grade techniques, the probability of comprehension doubles. When writing low-level ancient texts, the quality of the text increases by one grade. When performing divinations or deductions, the accuracy increases by 50%.】
【Wenchang Treasury: If a Wenchang Noble resides in Wenxin Hall, the hall will automatically attract ancient texts from across the world.】
【Every seven days, a new book will automatically appear on the shelves in the hall. The contents include techniques, pill formulas, formation diagrams, historical records, travelogues, insights, secrets, etc.】
【Note: The quality of the books is related to the overall fortune of the City of the Wrongfully Dead and the strength of the Wenchang Noble’s destiny. There is a chance for peerless unique copies, lost secret manuals, or even ancient Divine Path inheritances to appear.】
【Construction Requirements: Omitted】
Chen Zhou’s brow twitched slightly as he read the description on the system panel.
A simple and crude building based on pure numerical buffs.
Learning ability tripled, breakthrough success rate increased by thirty percent, comprehension probability for high-grade techniques doubled, and the quality of written texts increased by one grade.
Among the believers he currently had, they ranged from the first to the sixth stage, but there were actually very few who could be called highly educated talents.
Most believers were originally refugees who didn't even know many characters. Their cultivation relied entirely on the pills Chen Zhou forced down their throats.
In the short term, this model was very efficient, but in the long term, believers who lacked self-study and self-breakthrough abilities would have a limited ceiling.
Geniuses like Jian Huaishuang were exceptions after all. The talent of most believers was ordinary. To take the overall strength of the City of the Wrongfully Dead to the next level, he needed to cultivate middle-tier forces in batches.
Wenxin Hall happened to fill this gap.
A threefold increase in learning ability meant that a believer with ordinary aptitude, while learning techniques and skills within the range of Wenxin Hall’s light, would have an efficiency close to that of a minor genius.
Combined with the thirty percent increase in breakthrough success rate, it would be enough for the mid-level combat power of the City of the Wrongfully Dead to experience explosive growth in a short period.
Furthermore, the effect of the Wenchang Treasury was essentially an automatically growing library.
Chen Zhou put the blueprint away, intending to give it to Lu Cheng later so he could lead the construction.
He continued browsing the system storage.
The second item.
【Giant Sky-Mending Stone (Shorn of Divine Power)】
【Grade: ???】
【Status: Divine Power Depleted】
【When constructing buildings, you can ignore one material requirement below the eighth stage by substituting it with the Sky-Mending Stone.】
【Can be used to repair damaged artifacts, divine kingdoms, grottos and paradises, realm barriers, etc.】
【If repaired with a Source of Divine Power, something might be born from within.】
【Source of Divine Power: 0/100】
Chen Zhou’s mouth twitched at the last line.
One hundred units of Source of Divine Power?
He had worked himself to the bone just to accumulate six units so far, five of which were squeezed out by those two old ghosts, Zhaoye and Xuandu.
One hundred units?
He couldn't gather that much even if he sold himself.
Chen Zhou shook his head and stuffed the Sky-Mending Stone back into the depths of his system storage.
Regardless, the first two functions were still usable. He could directly substitute the Sky-Mending Stone for any material requirement below the eighth stage; it was essentially a universal construction material.
As for the function of repairing artifacts, divine kingdoms, and realm barriers, he might be able to use it in the future.
The matter of using Source of Divine Power for repair would have to wait until he was wealthier.
Chen Zhou continued scrolling down.
The third item.
A blank godhead.
Rate on N.U.
