11 p.m.
"Wealthiest in the World! The Elemental Warrior Design Map and Element Core are all ready. If you've got Spirit Fruit, I'll trade with you."
Once Yi Tian connected the chat, Great Emperor went straight to the point, not beating around the bush anymore.
"That fast? How did you pull it off?" Yi Tian was amazed—just one day, and this guy managed to find twenty Elemental Warrior Design Maps. That's at least twenty Platinum Treasure Chests! And Element Cores are even harder to come by.
This Great Emperor sure has some serious connections!
Yi Tian had to admit, if this were him, he'd be totally in the dark.
"Hehe! Put the Spirit Fruit up for sale, I'll check and then we trade." Great Emperor chuckled vaguely, not answering. When it came to boosting his strength, he was extra proactive.
Yi Tian went downstairs and picked six A-level Spirit Roots, six B-level Spirit Roots, and a Vermilion Fruit: "[S-level Vermilion Fruit*1][A-level Jade Spirit Peach*1]...[Black Gold Apple]...trade for [Element Core*20][Elemental Warrior Design Map*20]."
On the other end, Great Emperor computed all the Spirit Fruit attributes, double-checked, and then the deal was done.
"Wealthiest in the World, I still have ten Elemental Warrior Design Maps and ten Element Cores. What do you plan to offer?" With his goal met, Great Emperor changed his tone, looking like he was about to break into A-level, trying to give Yi Tian a hard time.
"[Silver Profound Fruit*1][Three-Petaled Three-Colored Fruit*1][Thunder Fruit*1]."
"If that works, deal. If not, forget it!" Yi Tian just copied up the Spirit Fruits from yesterday, ones that originally came from Great Emperor.
"How is that possible? Those are from the Spirit Fruit Tree I gave you yesterday." Great Emperor was instantly dumbstruck, like he'd seen a ghost.
On Yi Tian's end, Great Emperor jumped straight up from his big bed.
"Why couldn't it be? Didn't you know about Wood Spirit Liquid? Thunder Fruit 1000 drops, Three-Petaled Three-Colored Fruit 1000 drops, Silver Profound Fruit 3000 drops." Yi Tian started trying to talk circles around Great Emperor.
"That's way too expensive. You only get three drops from a Gold Treasure Chest each time, and Platinum Treasure Chest only gives out ten drops." No matter how Great Emperor did the math, it never added up.
"It's exactly because it's expensive that I sell it for a high price. Heh, did you think Celestial Dao lets us pull Wood Spirit Liquid just so we can use Spirit Liquid from Gold and Platinum Treasure Chests to ripen cucumbers and potatoes?" Yi Tian posed the rhetorical question, then shifted the topic: "I get along with you, so my price is actually a discount. I spent billions just for the Wood Spirit Liquid."
"Guess I was being petty towards a gentleman. I've got twelve more Design Maps and Element Cores, may as well give them all to you. [Element Core*12][Elemental Warrior Design Map*12] trading for [Silver Profound Fruit*1][Three-Petaled Three-Colored Fruit*1][Thunder Fruit*1]." Great Emperor thought Yi Tian made sense, and actually believed him a bit.
His answer in his heart was that Wealthiest in the World would pay any price for Wood Spirit Liquid to boost his strength.
Great Emperor, in his own narcissistic way, felt Yi Tian was trying to get on his good side, which was why they were trading.
Of course, Great Emperor knew Yi Tian's Territory Level was sky-high and he was loaded. Wanted to make a friend and keep business going long term.
Giving Yi Tian two extra Element Cores wasn't a loss. Because of his upbringing, Great Emperor's vision was broader than Yi Tian's, and he had sharper instincts than him.
"Deal's done!"
Yi Tian now held 32 Warrior Design Maps and Element Cores. Plus the three unused ones, totaling thirty-five.
Yi Tian planned to start making warriors on the morning of the thirty-first.
Altogether, thirty-six Elemental Warriors, equivalent to indigenous Gold Warriors. Just imagining it was exciting.
Let the storm come even harder!
After a few more pleasantries with Great Emperor, Yi Tian wrapped up the chat, headed back to the villa, and switched to the division channel.
"The Spring Beast disappeared for no reason today—creepy as hell. The whole district's saying the Spring Beast vanished in our division."
"I've got a bold guess: did some boss in our division flip out and slaughter the Spring Beast! Don't think I'm just making stuff up, there's logic to it. When Spring Beast first showed up, its three-dimensional stats were only two hundred. It wandered near our division borders but wouldn't come in. Was it scared of some division boss? So Spring Beast went down the road to power up, came back with three-dimensional stats over three hundred. When it passed by our neighbor, division 65, it was still afraid of that big shot, so it lingered two days in 65 division to level up. You all saw how it ended—even after getting stronger, it still crashed and burned in our division." Turtle Race's Gui Jie analyzed confidently, full of logic.
"That's right, it was me!" Black Stone Star Race Shan Dashan.
"That's right, it was me!" Sheep-headed Yang Yangyang.
"That's right, it was me!" Celestial Gift Race Skage.
"That's right, it was me!" Earth Human Race Yi Tian.
"That's right, it was me!" Pigman Race Pig Boar.
Clearly, nobody bought Gui Jie's analysis.
Spring Beast had three hundred three-dimensional stats, but even Lords at five hundred couldn't take it down.
Lords figured more likely it was month-end, and Spring Beast vanished after finishing its mission.
"Tomorrow's the last day of peace. No work tomorrow, gonna chill all day."
"Celestial Dao gave us over ten days of rest, so the day after tomorrow something big's probably coming."
"I heard the lower the Territory Level, the easier the assessment. Tomorrow I'm gonna tear down my house walls and drop my territory to level 0."
"Upstairs guy, theoretically true, but what about rewards? No month-end rewards, what if summer throws some curveball, how are you gonna get through?"
"If you're dead, to hell with rewards."
Just these two points set both sides arguing endlessly.
Coming up on midnight, Yi Tian shut his eyes and went to sleep. As for future plans, Yi Tian had everything mapped out.
Up at five in the morning, he trained for an hour on Celestial Human Body Refining Skill, then another hour on Five Elements Technique. After seven, time for "mommy duties."
While practicing in the small hours, Yi Tian felt clearly that spiritual power during Circulation was double the usual.
After an hour, Yi Tian's constitution went up one, strength up one. Strength reached 264, constitution at 255.
Next hour, he cultivated spiritual power. Every morning, six to seven a.m. was prime time—half the effort, twice the results.
Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi absorbed into the body, circulating in Minor Circulation, Grand Circulation, then transformed into spiritual power.
Of course, one Grand Circulation didn't equal one Spiritual Power Value point.
Relying on Divine Body, Yi Tian trained in optimal time for an hour, gaining just one Spiritual Power Value, reaching 311.
"Celestial Dao Roulette, start Two-Star drawing."
Sitting on the Martial Arts Arena, Yi Tian focused his will to spin the lottery wheel.
Today his draw points reached ten—his seventh and eighth time drawing Two-Star prizes.
The white roulette spun and first pointed to "Special Technology Items."
"Ding, acquired Cleaning Robot*1."
"Cleaning Robot—no trash in the manor escapes its sensors, solar powered, needs no management!"
With a cleaning robot now at hand, Yi Tian examined it. One hand had a vacuum, the other some sort of tweezers for who-knows-what, plus a big box strapped to its back.
Its face had a sci-fi look, but not that artificial skin Yi Tian had pictured.
What surprised Yi Tian was that the robot actually added two hundred Territory Points.
"Master, is there anything I can help you with?" The cleaning robot spoke in flawless mechanical tones to Yi Tian.
"From now on, you're the Manor Manager, responsible for the manor's environment." Yi Tian gave it the important job.
"Understood, master. Glad to serve you!" The Manor Manager took the order and left briskly.
"Starting Two-Star drawing again."
The first draw was decent, basically another 24/7 high-tech cleaning crew.
This time the pointer landed on ordinary metal.
"Ding, acquired Silver*100."
Oof, worst reward yet.
Sigh! Yi Tian lamented—can't score big every single time.
All day, everyone had a calm day. Even Spring Beast vanished in the entire district.
Trial Takers were gloomy, all burdened with an oppressive feeling inside.
Were they waiting for life, or death?
No one could really say for sure.
Now, everyone was spending all their Celestial Dao Coins to build fortified camps. Buying catapults, bed crossbows, Hundred Power Divine Crossbows, level weapons, and strong bows.
Plenty were also planting traps around their camps, ready to have attackers die half off before even reaching the gates.
Some took it further—building their camps atop mountains to use rolling stones and logs to whittle down enemies.
Each Eight Immortals crossing the sea, all showing off their skills.
No matter brain or brawn, those who get past the assessment will rack up rich rewards.
At night, Yi Tian handed out divine weapons to the thirty-six members and gave them a pep talk.
Yi Tian made it clear: so long as you kill enemies and gain merit, anyone can get rewarded with Spirit Fruit. Minimum B-level, maximum SS-level.
Heavenly and Earthly Treasures were limited; he couldn't give something to everyone, so this was the way to fire up morale.
Looking at his team now, all hyped up like they're on energy drinks, Yi Tian was thoroughly satisfied.
The thirty-first day.
Almost everyone got up early, some didn't sleep all night.
Yi Tian too.
This day, he skipped martial arts practice—he had more important things to do.
First, Yi Tian used 10,000 drops of Water of Life to ripen the Five Elements Sacred Fruit.
This time, besides Kiddo and Yi Tian, Little White, Little Blue, and Little Black would all be taking the Five Elements Sacred Fruit.
The Five Tiger Generals didn't get any. With their talents maxed out, there's no difference between two hundred and two hundred fifty. With no talent, they're not much help in battle.
Even Five Elements Sacred Fruit couldn't help Five Tiger Generals evolve.
Yeah! The Five Tigers eating it is too low value. Each Five Elements Sacred Fruit can make Yi Tian a profit of ten million.
That's not just a wild guess—it's Yi Tian's conservative estimate after seeing Great Emperor's craze for Spirit Fruit.
Yi Tian planned to find something the Five Tigers could truly evolve with, just like Little Blue and Little Black.
Yi Tian is sentimental, wouldn't abandon his hardworking Five Tiger Generals. If he found such a thing, Yi Tian would buy it, no matter the price.
The Five Elements Sacred Fruit were distributed, but none eaten. Waiting on Yi Tian's command.
Also, Yi Tian had already bought all the Elemental Warrior materials needed, along with the matching Element Cores.
Ready to build anytime!
"In two hours, Beast Tide will descend on Celestial Dao World! The indigenous people of Celestial Dao World will attack Lords to fight over Celestial Dao Stones!"
At seven o'clock, Celestial Dao Stone finally sounded the warning.
"Build!"
Elemental Warrior Design Map placed on the Weapon Platform. Materials prepped ahead of time, Yi Tian built at top speed.
After an hour, thirty-five Elemental Warriors stood before Yi Tian.
"Greetings, Lord!"
Of these thirty-five: two Gold Attribute, two Wood Attribute, five Water Attribute, seven Fire Attribute, four Earth Attribute, three Wind Attribute, four Thunder Attribute, six Light Attribute, two Dark Attribute.
Nine Elemental Warrior types, with starting strength, agility, and constitution all 100, and spiritual power value at 500.
Each Elemental Warrior had its own attack method.
For example, the Gold Attribute Elemental Warrior can fire a sword beam every five seconds to attack the enemy. Its skill, Sword Rain, unleashes a field of sword rain for area damage.
The Earth Attribute Elemental Warrior fires a chunk of earth stone every five seconds, which can injure anyone under 500 physical strength. Its skill, Earth Burst, condenses a giant earth ball, throwing it into crowds for mass destruction.