Inside the pitch-black cave, an ominous presence was silently accumulating. The dark aura grew thicker, denser, as if it were biding its time—waiting for the perfect moment to erupt. Wisps of black mist seeped from the entrance and lingered above it, oddly immune to the dispersing power of the wind, gradually spreading outward.
ROAR!!
Even the nearby beasts sensed it. An instinctive wave of agitation swept through them—whether winged or terrestrial, they fled in droves, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and that ominous aura.
"Something's not right. The cries of the beasts and birds tonight are way too frequent… and too strange. Has something big arrived in the area?"
On top of the village walls, Yang Ye patrolled with a sharp gaze scanning the depths of the nearby valley. Birds flew in wild disarray, some even darting toward the village—only to be shot down immediately by the archers manning the two Arrow Towers. Even those that weren't killed outright were wounded and forced to flee, denied any chance to strike the village.
Some wild beasts even charged directly at the village walls, but they were blocked and repelled by the defenses and archers.
The air reeked of blood.
Such attacks had become routine—occurring almost daily, sometimes even during daylight hours.But tonight, they were far more frequent and frenzied than usual. Something was definitely off.
Having spent half a lifetime on the battlefield, Yang Ye's instincts flared. He could sense the tension in the air. Still, the current defenses were holding, and the situation hadn't deteriorated to the point of emergency. He chose not to disturb Yi Tianxing just yet.
"Something must have changed in that valley…" Yang Ye frowned to himself.
Yet no matter the suspicion, they were powerless to investigate. Even a cultivator could easily perish within those wild forests if careless. The strength of Xuanhuang Village still wasn't enough to explore deep into the valley. They needed time—time for everyone to grow stronger, so they could one day claim the surrounding lands as part of their territory.
That night was far from peaceful, but Xuanhuang Village's strength had grown formidable. As long as it wasn't a massive beast horde, a small portion of the army was more than enough to protect the village. Especially with the Arrow Towers—capable of automatically sensing and attacking any incoming threat.
By morning, the villagers awoke to the sight of beast corpses littering the outskirts.
In the Heavenly Craft Pavilion, Hu Bin wore an excited expression as he carried a large box toward Yi Tianxing's residence.
"Steward Cao, please inform the Lord that I wish to request an audience," Hu Bin said upon seeing Cao Zhengchun.
"The Lord is currently having breakfast with Lady Cai," Cao replied with a frown. He disliked interruptions during this time—Yi Tianxing clearly took great pleasure in his meals. Every dish was crafted by Lai He himself, and anyone who had been around could tell how much Yi Tianxing valued good food.
And as the steward, Cao was no fool.
The way Yi Tianxing looked at Cai Yan couldn't be hidden from his sharp eyes. Though nothing had been publicly declared, anyone with a bit of intuition would already see her as the future Mistress of the household.He was hoping things would move along quickly—maybe even a child soon.
Still, Hu Bin wasn't here for something trivial.
Over the past days, Cao had noted how much Yi Tianxing valued the Heavenly Craft Pavilion.So he nodded, turned, and soon returned.
"The Lord will see you now," he said, leading Hu Bin inside.
Yi Tianxing and Cai Yan were enjoying breakfast in a pavilion within the estate. The meal, made by Lai He, was simple: a pot of Three-Delicacy Blood Essence Porridge (三鲜珍血粥).
Though simple in appearance, it was anything but.
The ingredients were carefully chosen: green vegetables, cabbage, and spring onions for flavor. But the real treasure was the blood of beasts—collected from over a hundred types of ferocious creatures slain the night before. Lai He had spent hours preparing it, blending the blood using special methods to eliminate its stench and refine it into a sacred blood essence.
The rice used was freshly harvested from spirit-infused farmland, planted using grains cultivated in Yi Tianxing's Dantian Life Aperture. The result was rice that shimmered with a hint of spiritual energy—far tastier and more nourishing than any mundane crop.
Some of this new rice had been kept as seed grain, while the rest was reserved for meals.
Somehow, Lai He had turned beast blood into an aromatic delicacy. Not only did the porridge lack the usual foul scent—it exuded a strange, mouth-watering fragrance.
The moment it entered the mouth, the flavors exploded across the tongue.Warmth spread throughout the body, and the rich spiritual essence surged through the meridians, stimulating every cell.
"Lai He's cooking… I don't think I can live without it anymore. This porridge is exquisite. Not only is it delicious and invigorating—it contains enough energy to enhance one's cultivation. And it's gentle too—unlike violent medicinal pills," Yi Tianxing said, finishing his bowl with satisfaction.
"Indeed. I've never met a chef who could make food that glows with brilliance. Every dish is a masterpiece. His cooking is almost a Dao in itself," Cai Yan added with a smile, her cheeks flushed from the warmth of the porridge.
"My Lord!" Hu Bin arrived, slightly out of breath, still holding the large box. Seeing them mid-meal, he offered an apologetic expression.
"Have you eaten?" Yi Tianxing asked casually. " If not, sit down. Zhengchun, bring another bowl and chopsticks."
"No need, My Lord—I've already eaten," Hu Bin quickly replied.
"You're in quite a rush. I take it the Heavenly Craft Pavilion has created something new?" Yi Tianxing's eyes twinkled with curiosity as he eyed the box.
"Yes, My Lord. We've just finished developing several new items that I believe will be of great use to you. I came immediately to present them."
"Then let's see," Yi Tianxing said with interest.
Even Cai Yan looked intrigued.
Clack.
Hu Bin set the box down and opened it without delay. The first item he pulled out was a palace lantern—a lotus-shaped lamp.
It looked unassuming, but the core was a crystal-like orb. In the orb was a shallow groove, clearly meant to hold something.
"This is the Beacon of Dawn (启明灯)," Hu Bin explained."The base is simply carved into the shape of a lotus, but this orb is crafted from Bone Crystal. The groove is designed to hold a spirit crystal. Once inserted, the lamp lights up."
As he spoke, he placed a thumb-sized crystal into the groove. It fit perfectly.
SWISH!
Instantly, the orb flared to life—emitting a soft, gentle light. It wasn't blinding, but it was remarkably bright, enough to make a dark room appear like daylight.It was dazzling.
A lamp that required no oil—just a spirit crystal to glow.
"The light is powered by a rune array inscribed within the orb," Hu Bin said. "The crystal fuels the array, activating a rune that emits light. The rune is specially designed to produce a warm, steady glow."
Yi Tianxing's eyes lit up as he studied the lamp.
"So it's driven by a light rune and fueled by spiritual energy stored in crystals… What an ingenious design," he mused. "This is no ordinary technique. Even the Basic Rune Manual doesn't contain this kind of light rune. Flame Runes can produce light, but not like this—not this soft and pure."
"And the idea of using spirit crystals as energy sources… This is far ahead of its time. Especially in a village like ours, just starting on the path of cultivation. To create this… it's truly remarkable."
He remembered—no one had even exchanged for the Basic Rune Manual yet from the Scripture Hall. Which meant… someone had figured this out entirely on their own.
This was innovation. True, original, revolutionary innovation.