This experience left the Adventurers with mixed emotions.
The Sui and Tang story arc carried a powerful emotional impact. It was much easier for players to grow attached to the characters in the story.
For example...
When they saw Claire Snow's tragic fate, the way she was ostracized, and the helpless tears she shed...
Almost every Adventurer felt heartbroken. Some female Adventurers even had tears in their eyes, wishing they could immediately enter the Secret Realm and comfort the poor girl.
From the perspective of a Lord, Ran Tianyun also gave high praise:
"Excellent. Truly excellent. It feels vivid and alive. I can deeply sense the difference between Chronicles of the Ten Kingdoms and Raging Tide, as well as the difference between the Ashina arc and the Sui and Tang arc."
Every Lord had their own style.
Formulaic design and repetitive structures were unavoidable.
Yet Qi Ji showed absolutely no signs of creative stagnation or fixed patterns.
Mao Mengmeng scratched her head.
"I feel the same way, but I can't quite explain it. Can one of the experts analyze it for us?"
Baihe Jushi replied:
"If you had to describe Raging Tide with one word, what would it be?"
Mao Mengmeng answered immediately:
"Thrilling!"
The others nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. The biggest feature of Raging Tide is its excitement!"
"Whether it's mowing down hordes in normal stages, the exhilarating experience of Aegis flying through the Blacklight Chapter annihilating everything, or the fast-paced multiplayer battles where anyone can jump in instantly..."
"The Lord lowered the entry barrier as much as possible while maximizing adrenaline and excitement."
Baihe Jushi continued:
"That's right. When the Lord designed Raging Tide, he focused on accessibility. He never deliberately emphasized deep storytelling, complicated mechanisms, intricate plots, or layered characters."
"But Chronicles of the Ten Kingdoms is the complete opposite."
"Starting with the Ashina arc, this Secret Realm presents a dark, eerie, bizarre, complex, and cruel world."
"Raging Tide creates excitement quickly and directly."
"The emotional stimulation of Chronicles of the Ten Kingdoms may not be as immediate, but it slowly unfolds its story, gradually shaping its world and characters, leaving behind a much deeper and longer-lasting impact."
Everyone immediately understood.
"So if Raging Tide is like cola..."
"Then Chronicles of the Ten Kingdoms is more like aged wine."
"One has broad appeal and a low barrier to entry, while the other requires more patience and appreciation, but leaves a stronger aftertaste."
That was true.
Even now, 80% of Adventurers still couldn't defeat the Red Oni.
Not to mention elite enemies or bosses—even random soldiers and wild chickens could kill players.
This type of high-difficulty Secret Realm could be brutally punishing.
How could that compare to the pure satisfaction of mowing down zombie hordes with machine guns?
Yet countless people were still addicted to it.
Besides the carefully designed combat mechanics...
The atmosphere, story, and characters of Ashina Country were also major attractions.
The Sui and Tang arc and the Ashina arc belonged to the same Secret Realm, sharing many similarities, but their styles were clearly different.
Ashina felt more like a stage play.
Every boss battle carried a sense of dramatic romance and artistic flair, while the characters and story maintained a certain emotional restraint and distance.
The Sui and Tang arc, on the other hand, felt more like a genuine journey through a foreign land.
The emotional expression of the characters was much stronger.
Everyone felt more grounded and realistic, even somewhat worldly, yet they also displayed the complexity of human nature more directly.
For example...
The Adventurers had completely different opinions regarding the villagers of Moon River Village.
Some believed the villagers were ignorant, selfish, foolish, and ugly.
Others thought they were simply ordinary people struggling to survive in a dark and chaotic world. If anyone else were placed into such circumstances, they might not behave any better.
But regardless of their opinions...
Everyone agreed on one thing:
Realism.
The Moon River Village storyline might not have been very long, but the Lord had perfectly portrayed a small village from ancient China in an incredibly realistic manner within a very short time.
Nothing felt out of place.
If a world like Chronicles of the Ten Kingdoms, where demons roamed freely and darkness ruled the land, truly existed among the myriad worlds...
Then Ashina Country still carried traces of artistic dramatization.
But Moon River Village—through its villagers' lives, customs, and human flaws—felt like the genuine, original form of such a world.
That sense of realism...
was something unique.
The Adventurers couldn't help but look forward to exploring other regions in the Sui and Tang arc.
In fact, according to Qi Ji's design, although Claire Snow was destined to join the party, there actually existed a better ending where Henry Boss, Lucas, and even the villagers would survive.
Of course...
Achieving that ending wasn't easy.
It required repeated attempts and a bit of luck.
The fact that Bihua managed to clear the first major battle on her first try was already impressive.
Naturally, she didn't achieve the perfect ending.
But this outcome better demonstrated the cruel worldview of the chaotic Sui and Tang era, where demons roamed freely, making the characters feel more three-dimensional and realistic.
After clearing Moon River Village...
Thunder Marsh became unlocked.
Bihua continued her challenge and traveled to the new area.
"Wow!"
"So this is Thunder Marsh?"
"The scenery is unbelievably beautiful!"
When the scenery of Thunder Marsh appeared before them...
Both Bihua and Claire Snow inside the Secret Realm, as well as the Adventurers watching outside, were captivated.
Thunder Marsh was a magnificent great lake with breathtaking scenery.
Bihua arrived at a hidden island located at its center.
Nearby wetlands had transformed into lush meadows filled with colorful flowers.
Looking into the distance...
Flowers bloomed everywhere, butterflies fluttered gracefully, and white cranes soared through the air together.
Further away stretched the boundless lake, its shimmering surface broken into countless silver ripples by the wind.
The morning mist resembled a translucent veil, blurring the sky, earth, and mountains into pale green watercolor shades, like a living ink painting from a fantasy world.
"Beautiful!"
"It's absolutely gorgeous!"
"Just seeing scenery like this already makes the trip worth it!"
"No wonder Master Graham chose to live in seclusion here. I'd gladly spend my whole life in a place like this too!"
The Adventurers outside were already amazed.
As for Bihua herself...
She felt a deep sense of excitement and emotion.
When she first arrived in Miracle City...
She had sworn to fully explore everything the city had to offer.
Even without anything else, scenery like this alone could make Adventurers feel mentally refreshed and immersed, indirectly accelerating their cultivation growth.
At this moment...
Not only did Bihua feel relaxed and happy...
Even Ethan Cole and Claire Snow seemed to have shaken off the darkness weighing on them during the past few days.
Bihua could clearly feel Ethan Cole's genuine joy and happiness.
This young man never possessed lofty ambitions.
He disliked swordsmanship and cultivation techniques.
His favorite pastime was traveling, admiring scenery, and writing poetry.
But according to his memories, every time he revealed his playful nature or secretly wrote poems, he would inevitably receive severe punishment from his master.
Next...
came the storyline involving the visit to Master Graham.
Master Graham's family lived in a thatched cottage located in the center of the island.
Qi Ji added several formation puzzles and combat sequences for the Adventurers.
The Two Forms Seven Stars Formation and several monster materials were adapted from other Xuan Yuan Sword works. Their mechanics were clever, interesting, and moderately challenging without becoming frustrating.
Rather than disrupting the experience...
They added considerable fun.
Qi Ji also used these mysterious formations...
to demonstrate the unfathomable abilities of the era's greatest Ghost Valley master.
Master Graham's family consisted of three people:
Master Graham himself, Mrs. Graham, and their granddaughter Emily Graham.
However...
The Adventurers quickly discovered that their timing was terrible.
This Master Graham—one of the strongest cultivators alive—
was currently bedridden and gravely ill.
The Adventurers were shocked.
After asking around, they finally learned the reason.
In recent years, the Sui Empire had imposed crushing taxes and forced labor upon the people, plunging the common folk into misery.
Unable to bear witnessing such suffering, Master Graham repeatedly intervened to help civilians, causing significant trouble for the imperial court.
The Emperor of Sui became enraged.
He dispatched Grand Tutor Victor Yuwen to deal with him.
The reason Master Graham had fallen into this condition...
was precisely because he had been defeated by Victor Yuwen and wounded by the golden ancient sword in his possession.
The Adventurers immediately realized Victor Yuwen's identity.
Feng Zhongmian said:
"Master Graham was injured this badly? And the opponent used a golden ancient sword? There's no doubt about who this person is now."
Lonely Swordsman nodded.
"It's most likely Adrian Yang—the demonic-eyed youth who annihilated the Chen elite forces with a single strike back then!"
"So Master Graham is already considered one of the strongest people in the world?"
"And yet even he lost!"
"The Sui Empire truly isn't something to underestimate if it possesses a powerhouse like Grand Tutor Victor Yuwen!"
...
It had already been two years since Master Graham was wounded by the Xuanyuan Sword.
The sword energy lodged within his body still hadn't dissipated.
Because of it, his cultivation weakened with every passing day.
At this point, let alone facing an ancient beast like Gluttony...
He might not even defeat the Millennium Sea Spirit from Moon River Village anymore.
At his peak, however...
He could have fought ten monsters like the Sea Spirit with one hand.
Yet even then, he had less than a fifty percent chance of defeating Gluttony, and victory would still require sacrificing part of his primordial spirit.
The terrifying power of Gluttony was obvious.
Given Master Graham's current condition...
Although he wished to help, he was powerless.
This left Bihua—or rather Ethan Cole—feeling anxious and lost.
Moonlight Shines on Snow commented:
"This is bad. There are only a handful of people in the world who can rival Master Graham. If even he can't help us, who else can we rely on?"
Violent Little Chicken joked:
"How about asking Victor Yuwen to deal with Gluttony?"
The other Adventurers burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"That's one hell of a joke!"
...
However...
During the conversation, Bihua discovered that although Master Graham's condition was dire, there might still be hope.
Master Graham himself was reluctant to speak about it, but after persistent questioning, the Adventurers finally learned the truth from Mrs. Graham.
If they could find the Shennong Cauldron...
They might be able to cure him.
"The Shennong Cauldron? One of the Ten Divine Artifacts!"
"And it's one of the 'Zither, Cauldron, Seal, Mirror, Stone'!"
"Great! The Kunlun Mirror is already at Demon Suppression Mountain, and now we've found clues to another artifact. Once we obtain the Nuwa Stone, Fuxi Zither, and Kongtong Seal, we'll have gathered the remaining artifacts!"
...
After more questioning, Bihua learned that the Shennong Cauldron had flowed into the northern frontier many years ago.
It eventually became the treasured relic of the Barrett Clan.
Recently, Victor Yuwen personally traveled into the northern desert, reportedly intending to seize the Shennong Cauldron.
Given the Barrett Clan's strength, they likely wouldn't be able to protect the artifact.
There was a high probability it would eventually fall into Victor Yuwen's hands.
That was why Master Graham had been reluctant to tell them the truth.
But the Adventurers weren't afraid.
Instead, they became even more excited.
They had long been curious about Victor Yuwen's strength.
Recovering the cauldron and saving their master had now become the new main quest.
Now they could pursue both objectives simultaneously.
For a time...
Everyone was filled with anticipation.
At this point, the Thunder Marsh storyline concluded.
"Damn it! Why did it end right when we were about to head north and seize the Shennong Cauldron?"
"Why hasn't Old Thief Qi released the next main quest map yet?"
"How is this tiny amount of content supposed to satisfy us?!"
...
While the Adventurers complained endlessly...
Bihua had already finished the challenge.
[This adventure has ended!]
[Adventure Rating: B+!]
[Would you like to use a Mark of Abundance? Current Marks of Abundance accumulated: 3!]
Bihua had spent nearly an entire day inside the Chronicles of the Ten Kingdoms Sui and Tang arc.
During the process, she accumulated three Marks of Abundance, meaning she had missed bonus rewards three separate times.
Marks of Abundance could not be used across different Secret Realms or story arcs.
By now, the currently available main storyline had been fully explored.
There was no reason to hesitate.
"Use them!"
[Mark of Abundance activated!]
[Adventure Rating upgraded to: A+!]
[You obtained: Millennium Sea Spirit Soul!]
A soul had dropped!
And it was a Tier 3 soul!
The Millennium Sea Spirit possessed Tier 3, 2-Star strength, excelled in numerous water-element spells, and had an extremely powerful physical body.
It was unquestionably a high-quality soul.
Bihua was very satisfied with the reward.
However, she didn't keep it for herself.
Instead, she immediately submitted it to the territory in exchange for 4,000 contribution points.
Even in Tianyun City, a Tier 3 soul was extraordinarily valuable.
Many peak Tier 2 Adventurers remained stuck for years precisely because they lacked a Tier 3 soul.
Normally, Adventurers almost never voluntarily turned over souls of this level.
But Bihua didn't care.
She already possessed the Sakura Dragon and intended to focus entirely on cultivating her Life Soul in the near future.
She had no plans to develop an auxiliary soul anytime soon.
Keeping the Millennium Sea Spirit Soul would be meaningless.
Besides, the territory clearly needed Tier 3 souls badly.
Since that was the case...
Contributing it directly to the territory was the better choice.
After all, contribution points were far more practical for her inside Miracle City.
---
At that moment...
Inside the Territory Lord's Mansion.
Qi Ji received the first Tier 3 soul.
He was extremely satisfied.
The Tower of Abundance was proving far more valuable than expected, because this was already the third Tier 3 soul obtained that day.
Although extracting Tier 3 souls caused significant damage...
The souls acquired so far were only Tier 3, 1-Star or 2-Star.
Producing souls of this grade only consumed around 1,500 to 2,000 mental power.
Creating several per day wasn't burdensome at all.
[Summoning "Millennium Sea Spirit" requires:]
[Mental Power ×3500]
[Soul Crystals ×4500]
[Millennium Sea Spirit Soul ×1]
[Proceed? Yes / No]
"Summon."
After Qi Ji paid the required resources...
A Millennium Sea Spirit immediately appeared inside a Tier 3 monster camp.
The creature looked no different from its Secret Realm version.
It possessed a fish head, dragon-like body, green scales, and measured over fifteen meters long.
Its appearance was still imposing.
Unfortunately...
It wasn't a named soul.
Therefore, it possessed no intelligence.
Still, obtaining such a monster significantly strengthened Miracle City's military power.
And because Qi Ji cultivated the "Lord Summoning Technique," he could summon any monster from his territory to his side regardless of distance.
This greatly increased his own personal combat strength as well.
Business hours were nearly over.
Today marked the first simultaneous operation of two cities within the territory.
Although the number of Adventurers in Azure Mountain City only surpassed one hundred shortly before closing time, it was expected to reach capacity tomorrow.
Even so...
Today's gains were enormous.
Not only did the territory receive a Tier 3 soul...
The Adventurers also obtained two new skill stones from the Chronicles of the Ten Kingdoms Secret Realm.
One was the Tier 2 skill stone "Mist Raven Technique" from Ashina Country.
It was an extremely practical and stylish ability that allowed users to transform into a mist raven to evade attacks and reposition rapidly over short distances.
The second was the Tier 1 skill stone "Thunder Fist" from the Doomsday Arena.
Although it was a relatively basic martial art, it was efficient, practical, and consumed very little energy.
Several new items and equipment pieces were unlocked as well.
For example:
M110 Sniper Rifle
Wireless Walkie-Talkie
Both were highly practical Tier 1 equipment.
As for Tier 1 and Tier 2 souls and basic materials...
The quantity harvested was even more astonishing.
Qi Ji had conquered Thunder City yesterday and obtained massive amounts of Soul Crystals and material essence.
Although a significant portion had been spent constructing Gloomy City, a large reserve still remained.
At this moment...
His total Soul Crystal reserves had reached an astonishing 120,000.
After some consideration, Qi Ji felt that the territory had finally entered a stable phase.
It was also time to activate the teleportation station and return to the Lord World.
On one hand, Qi Ji had accumulated enough wealth to make a large-scale purchase there.
Although offline markets were inconvenient, they offered a higher chance of obtaining urgently needed blueprints and strategic resources.
On the other hand...
Since becoming a Dungeon Lord, Qi Ji had spent more than a month inside the Chaos World.
It was finally time to return and take a look around.
After all...
Before becoming a Lord, Qi Ji had always lived in the Land of Order.
Although he had no parents in this world...
He still had relatives, friends, and a social circle there.
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