Chapter 88 – The Wind Rises

Storm Force, an innate ability that enhances one’s affinity with wind elements and allows one to summon and control storms.

After awakening this ability, when Asun uses the ‘Wind Speed’ skill, the skill’s effectiveness increases by at least 30% with the same energy output. Moreover, Asun’s physique, spirit, energy, and other basic attributes have significantly improved after evolution. With all these changes, it is no longer just a scout falcon, but…

A scout falcon with formidable combat prowess.

Having absorbed the ‘Evolutionary Power’ from the Shrine, and after familiarizing itself with its evolved body for a while, Mu Yuan brought out the prepared breakthrough materials, allowing it to smoothly advance to the Professional Tier.

Thus, the territory now boasts six Professional Tier powerhouses.

“It’s time to face the storm.”

…

Nightfall in the Eternal World is approximately three hours away. Mu Yuan decided not to send any units out for exploration during the remaining time.

It was time to conserve energy and build strength.

The group of Skeleton Warriors stationed at the Serpent Scale Fruit Forest had also been recalled. The entire territory was now bustling with activity, so much so that it felt… crowded.

The provisional territory was too small, and with some areas reserved for strategic depth, space became even more limited.

Mu Yuan alternated between overseeing the territory from a lord’s perspective and controlling his avatar to patrol around, identifying and addressing gaps up close.

“Add a few more protective panels to this watchtower.”

“The stockpile of backup weapons is sufficient.”

“Potions and spell scrolls should be stored in multiple locations for easy access and to avoid total loss in case of an accident.”

The weaker units, such as the Little Skeletons, small Slimes, and Wandering Souls, were hidden in various cellars to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

As efficient Evolution Point producers, they were indeed weak but not without merits. Their small size allowed many units to squeeze into a single cellar.

Perfect~

Mu Yuan opened the panel.

Over the last three days, he hadn’t purchased any new Remnant Souls, but Evolution Points continued to accumulate steadily. Naturally, he showered many units with Miracle Light once again.

Among the skeleton units, ten rare three-star Skeleton Generals were assembled. Most of them were initial skeletons born with the territory, possessing high Ranks and formidable combat power after evolution, capable of challenging weaker Professional Tier monsters.

The main force of Skeleton Warriors increased from 90 to 115, while the token Skeleton Soldiers and Little Skeletons were overlooked.

The Slime units included three Golden Slimes and 45 Silver Slimes. Their large size occupied considerable space, but if the outer earthen walls were breached, they could temporarily hold the line? Well, at least for a while.

Among the Wandering Souls, there were four vengeful spirits like Red Robe and Rakshasa, along with 39 Specters, forming the surprise attack group.

The sentry and archer units, aside from Lu Liu and Seventeen, consisted of nine Imperial Guards and nine Sharpshooters, serving as the defense group.

And then there was the War Falcon scout group.

“All that’s missing is a unit skilled in spellcasting.”

However, such units typically started at rare grades. Even if he could afford them and bring them into the territory after the Lord’s Trial, the cost-effectiveness was too low.

That could wait for later.

…

Night had long fallen over Baijiang City, serene as still water. Yet beneath the quiet night lay hearts gradually tightening, filled with either anxiety or fervor.

On the forums, countless newcomers were spamming posts, counting down, and awaiting the start of the trial.In the newbie group chat, the aspiring lords were more focused than they had ever been in their lives, waiting with bated breath.

This battle would determine the future!

“How are your preparations going?”

“Not bad, just built over a dozen Arrow Towers or so.”

A certain whale said with humblebragging, immediately leaving many free-to-play players speechless.

I hate this!

But even among whales, there are differences. Top whale Tan Moumou said, “I won’t pretend anymore—I’ve already trained three Professional Tier experts, and my goal is to make it onto the trial leaderboard! Unfortunately, one of my rare-tier units performed poorly and failed their Professional Tier breakthrough, even losing some experience… probably because it was too rushed.”

As he spoke, Tan Moumou thought of Mu Yuan, who possessed three rare-tier units.

In his mind, Mu Yuan was definitely a formidable rival. If that Sharpshooter of his had already advanced to Professional Tier, they would be a god-tier defender for city battles.

However…

“Mu Yuan seems to come from a common background and doesn’t accept any corporate investments, right? Then his strength at this stage probably isn’t that impressive.”

Tan Moumou felt a bit regretful but understood that everyone had their own choices. Mu Yuan had chosen a path that was difficult in the early stages but might lead to greater freedom later on.

Tan Moumou himself was an independent lord, but he didn’t need to struggle in the early stages.

With that thought, he dismissed the idea of tagging Mu Yuan and instead entered the Taixuan Forum to gather intelligence on potential competitors who could make it onto the leaderboard.

He left behind a newbie group chat that had been thoroughly stirred up by his revelations.

“Three Professional Tier experts is indeed quite impressive.”

Mu Yuan nodded slightly.

After all, if you set aside Deadbone, who could take on ten enemies alone, set aside the minimum rare three-star classes and talents, and set aside factors like awakened intelligence, his own territory only had six Professional Tier experts—not much stronger than Tan Moumou.

And Tan Moumou was just an ordinary whale. The real powerhouses were the second-generation lords and the flagship representatives pushed by major corporations.

On the forum, in the newbie section, one livestream after another began broadcasting.

「Player ‘Tuna’ has shared a live feed.」

「Player ‘Ten Billion a Night’ has shared a live feed.」

「Player ‘Red Rain’ has shared…」

「The player you follow, ‘Liver Emperor,’ has started a livestream.」

In Mu Yuan’s impression, Liver Emperor wasn’t the type to show off, so there could only be one explanation—it was all a corporate assignment.

Mu Yuan clicked to enter.

The first thing he saw was the player’s perspective, looking outward from inside their territory.

The night was dark, dotted with stars, with Arrow Towers and watchtowers standing tall, blocking the view beyond.

What people could see was the back of the Tower, adorned with eye-catching billboards.

—”For good medicine, choose Medicine God. Medicine God Group promises all sold medicines are premium quality.”

—”To celebrate the new round of lord trials, Medicine King Pavilion stores under Medicine God Group are offering a 10% discount for three consecutive days.”

—”Medicine God Group cordially invites…”

Mu Yuan: “…”

Case closed. So Liver Emperor was backed by the famous conglomerate ‘Medicine God Group,’ a corporation specializing in potions and medicinal ingredients. No wonder even someone as frail as Liver Emperor had visibly grown stronger—with tonics every day, how could he not thrive?

Liver Emperor wasn’t Medicine God Group’s flagship representative; he was just one of the many newbie lords they had under contract, forced to “debut and sell himself” due to contractual obligations.Players like Liver Emperor were not uncommon.

Among those currently streaming, most were doing so due to ‘corporate missions,’ while a minority aimed to build momentum to gain an early advantage in future development. The latter were mostly outstanding newcomers among the Lords.

There was also a very small group of top-tier newcomers brimming with confidence and a desire to show off.

Many players in the second and third categories had hung signs behind their Arrow Towers and watchtowers that read, ‘Ad Space for Rent. Inquire at XXX for details.’ If they could break into the trial rankings, players could make a fortune just by renting out ad space. Mu Yuan found it quite tempting, but alas, he was destined to be a man beyond the reach of merchants.

He preferred to keep a low profile.

(End of Chapter)