Chapter 38: A Temporary Departure

Three days after the annihilation of the Dragon City forces, Yin Haitao returned from the Glistening Capital with his troops, bringing back a large quantity of materials and a new architectural blueprint.

Seeing the blueprint, Li Mingxing chuckled. "How did you manage to get this? Were they actually willing to let it go?"

"As long as there are enough gems, there is nothing they aren't willing to part with," Yin Haitao replied with considerable confidence.

"It seems you've been getting along quite well with them, which puts my mind at ease. Before I hand this city over to you, go and pay a visit to that witch. She may not be a friend, but obtaining some tasks from her would be beneficial for you."

"A witch?" Yin Haitao hadn't been here long, and having been sent to the Glistening Capital immediately upon his arrival, he was unaware of the witch's hut in the vicinity.

After Li Mingxing explained the situation, Yin Haitao grew excited. He had been the one to gain the most from the witch's hut last time, and he was eager to reap further rewards. Once Li Mingxing pointed out the location, Yin Haitao set off with his men in a hurry. Watching his hasty departure, a cold sneer flickered across Li Mingxing's face.

Three days later, Yin Haitao returned. Judging by their expressions, he hadn't managed to secure any tasks from the witch. Li Mingxing did not press the matter, instead beginning the process of handing over control of everything here to Yin Haitao and outlining his desired outcome. Although Yin Haitao was in a foul mood, he knew the weight of his responsibility and forced himself to focus.

Upon hearing that Li Mingxing intended to move what appeared to be a Harpy nest to his own city, Yin Haitao asked, "Sir, why do this? The production rate of Harpies is already low; moving a nest will only slow our accumulation of them."

"A single nest will not affect the big picture. Moreover, your troops are not limited to this city; you also have the outer zones I've designated. You must reorganize them periodically, ensuring each sector has a unit of only 30 to 50 soldiers."

Naturally, Li Mingxing did not tell Yin Haitao that he wasn't moving a Harpy nest, but a Red-Crowned Swanman nest. He deftly changed the subject, diverting Yin Haitao's attention. Knowing he would be fighting alone from now on, and fearing internal strife before the Dragon City forces even returned, Yin Haitao listened intently to every one of Li Mingxing's instructions.

After these arrangements, Li Mingxing explained the method for corrupting the forest. It was a simple process involving the use of enemy skulls and bones to craft "Yin Talismans" to attract necrotic energy. Given their current limited understanding of Yin Talismans, establishing a grand formation was impossible. Li Mingxing taught the basics, and Yin Haitao mastered them quickly, promising that after Li Mingxing's departure, the corruption of the forest would continue until either he fell in battle or the city was destroyed.

With everything settled, Li Mingxing had little left to do. During this time, he spent his days selecting troops to bring back to the real world and waiting for the forest's corruption to reach the required extent. Having ample time, he was much stricter with his selection criteria. While he didn't touch the fourth-tier units, most of those he picked were third-tier.

For instance, he took half of the third-tier Harpies. He also possessed a third-tier Brown Bear that had successfully advanced during the previous battles; while its name remained unchanged, it had gained the "Mud Pit" spell, capable of turning a patch of ground into a swamp. Li Mingxing estimated that if he brought this bear back to his own city, he might be able to use the Elemental Pool to advance it further.

Naturally, he didn't overlook cannon fodder like the Jungle Lizardmen, selecting 60 second-tier and four third-tier specimens to accompany him and compensate for the losses in his Gray Dwarf contingent. He opted not to take the Centaurs, as they were a fixed resource; even if they traveled with him, their potential for growth was limited. While they could provide short-term combat power, they weren't beneficial for his long-term development.

However, he did select 20 of the newly trained Nocturnal Spearman who showed potential to reach the third tier. This gave Yin Haitao insight into Li Mingxing's priorities for the city's troop composition. Yet, mindful of the two powerful enemies Yin Haitao faced, Li Mingxing did not strip the city of all its potential. He left all the Sprites behind—partly because they were ill-suited for other worlds, but also reflecting his concern for the city's defense.

As the days passed, the forest reached the required level of corruption. During this time, Li Mingxing and Yin Haitao repelled another force sent by Dragon City. This battle was led by Yin Haitao, with Li Mingxing’s troops providing support from the sidelines. Seeing Yin Haitao’s tactical command, Li Mingxing believed that while he might be inferior to the leaders of Dragon City, he could certainly handle any forces below the fourth tier. As long as Dragon City didn't deploy Treants, Dryads, or Unicorns, Li Mingxing had no concerns about the safety of Darkleaf City.

Reassured, he instructed Yin Haitao to guard the post well, promising to send goods periodically for him to sell in the Glistening Capital, or even to the Night Elves and Dragon City. Afterward, Li Mingxing opened the portal back to the real world with his new subordinates and returned to the liquidation space of the Mysterious Bar.

His mentor, Raymond, was waiting for him. For the first time, a grade appeared on the display wall showing his battle achievements. Seeing Li Mingxing’s puzzled look, Raymond said calmly, "Usually, a beginner task would not exceed a D-grade. However, among the people you encountered was a Sword Saint, and you managed to make him a mercenary hero for our Dark Alliance. For that alone, your grade has been adjusted upward."

Raymond patted Li Mingxing on the shoulder. "You did well. I have reported this, and you now have three priority hiring rights for that Sword Saint." He winked at Li Mingxing. Caught off guard by how quickly news of the Sword Saint had spread, Li Mingxing stammered, "But... didn't he say it would take a year for him to come?"

"That was a year in the inner world. Did you think we weren't monitoring the situation? By the time you left, the Dark Alliance had already contacted the Sword Saint. You were quite lucky; he agreed to protect you for another year before they even made formal contact. Otherwise, he likely would have left that inner world before you returned."

"Is that so? I suppose I was lucky. What about the rewards for this time?"

"They are all prepared. Here are three Level 0 skills. See for yourself."

Raymond smiled as he presented the skills. Li Mingxing glanced at them and laughed. "I didn't expect you to turn the Yin Talisman techniques into skills so quickly."

"It's the credit of the researchers in the Dark Alliance," Raymond replied. "I merely reported the findings."

The first of the three skills was "Level 0 Yin Talisman Mastery," a Dark-type control skill. It allowed for the crafting and use of paper, wooden, or other material-based talismans to manipulate necrotic energy. The degree of control would increase based on the material and quantity of the talismans used.

"It seems they haven't researched much else, though."

"Indeed. The formation aspects—the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams—are incredibly difficult to grasp. However, since you already understand the methodology, if you choose this skill, you can bypass the initial levels and jump straight to Level 1, with attribute bonuses calculated as if you were at a higher level."

"So, if I pick this, I'll be at a Level 4 standard?"

"In terms of strength, yes, though not in official rank," Raymond replied with a grin.

"It's a good choice, though I doubt I'll take it. And Mentor, why are all these skills centered around this? Will my next task require them?"

"You guessed correctly," Raymond said firmly. "You may stay in the real world for a while to perfect your city, but your next inner-world mission will be the most difficult layer to navigate: the Mythic Layer."