Chapter 277 ·The Role of a Beauty

Chapter 277: The Role of a Beauty! The Territory Gains Another Talented Individual!

When Hang Yu chose to summon her, the light of the Stars Core enveloped the giant egg.

A woman with skin as smooth as jade and waist-length hair emerged from within.

She appeared to be around twenty years old, possessing both the youthful innocence of a pure maiden and the mature charm of a grown woman.

She was a woman who perfectly matched mainstream human standards of beauty. Whether it was the curves and proportions of her figure or the exquisite harmony of her facial features, there was not a single flaw to be found.

If she appeared in the real world, she would undoubtedly become a hugely popular internet celebrity or superstar with ease.

However, what left the deepest impression was her naturally enchanting aura. She was as alluring as peach blossoms and as gentle as spring water. Even seasoned veterans who had wandered through countless beauties without ever being captivated would find it difficult not to be drawn to such an irresistible temperament.

Hang Yu said, “Interesting!”

Zou Wan could be considered either the reincarnation or descendant of Madam Zou of Wan City. Having recreated her through the Mother Tree Egg was, in a sense, equivalent to recruiting this historical figure.

Although he had never seen Madam Zou herself, he estimated that Zou Wan looked almost identical.

No wonder Boss Cao had nearly lost his life back then, ultimately costing Cao Ang, Dian Wei, and the Shadowless Evil Dragon Steed their lives. As the saying went, even heroes found it difficult to overcome the allure of beauty. It seemed that this incident could not be blamed entirely on him.

Zou Wan had been born from Madam Zou, and through the effects of the Mother Tree Egg, had absorbed or inherited part of Zhang Bao's and Zhang Xiu's abilities.

Whether Zhang Xiu or Zhang Bao, both were famous historical figures.

Although Hang Yu could not recruit them directly, this exceptionally rare item allowed him to indirectly absorb part of their Destiny and talent to contribute to the territory.

Hang Yu felt that he had been quite lucky.

The Three Kingdoms era was not populated only by famous ministers, generals, and strategists.

It was also an age overflowing with talented individuals in every field, including countless renowned beauties.

These famous ministers and generals gathered tremendous Destiny, while beauties such as Diao Chan, Zhen Ji, and the Two Qiaos likewise possessed considerable Destiny.

“This servant, Zou Wan, greets my Lord!”

Zou Wan immediately knelt on one knee and saluted the Lord.

She was a retainer created by the territory itself, so her loyalty toward both the territory and its Lord was absolute.

“Put some clothes on first.”

Hang Yu casually tossed her a robe before asking, “Do you still remember your past?”

“I still remember some experiences, but most have already become vague, as though they belonged to a previous life.”

Zou Wan had originated from Madam Zou, yet the two were fundamentally different people.

She had even inherited fragmented memories from Zhang Bao and Zhang Xiu, though these memories mainly served to supplement her common knowledge and experience, without significantly affecting her personality.

Hang Yu stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Even he had never encountered a situation like this before.

There were many ways for Lords to recruit retainers and followers, but this method of birth was completely unheard of.

The Lord Academy clearly couldn't possibly teach every piece of knowledge related to Lords, especially cases as rare as this.

Such matters could only be explored personally, accumulating experience through trial and error.

One thing was certain.

Zou Wan was simply Zou Wan.

She possessed an independent and complete personality.

Apart from inheriting part of the memories and life experience of others, she also possessed an enormous amount of knowledge, most of which had been acquired by Madam Zou, Zhang Bao, and Zhang Xiu within the Abyssal Dream.

Unlike ordinary Star followers, Zou Wan resembled top-tier retainers such as Jia Xu and Wen Ping.

At the same time, she possessed absolute loyalty toward her Lord, making her highly worthy of cultivation.

As for just how valuable and promising she truly was, that mainly depended on her talents.

Without another word, Hang Yu opened Zou Wan's status panel.

He quickly glanced through her information.

————

Name: Zou Wan.

Level: 1.

Race: Human (Abyssal Retainer)

Rank: First Order.

Base Attributes: ... (Omitted)

Talents: Mother Tree Insight Root (Blue), Beauty in Times of Chaos (Blue), Earth General's Destiny (White), Peerless Beauty (Green), Advanced Formation Master (Green), Little Spear King (White), Eye of Malevolence (Green), Self-Healing (White).

Skill: Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear.

Essence: 0/100.

————

“Hm? These talents are unexpectedly impressive!”

Aside from Eye of Malevolence and Self-Healing, the two territory talents, Zou Wan possessed a total of six additional talents.

Among them, Beauty in Times of Chaos and Earth General's Destiny were Destiny talents, Mother Tree Insight Root was an Abyss talent, while Peerless Beauty, Advanced Formation Master, and Little Spear King were Aptitude talents.

Hang Yu paid particular attention to Zou Wan's blue-quality talents as well as her Destiny talents.

————

【Mother Tree Insight Root: Root of Formations】, Abyss Talent (Blue): Mana +100%, Essence consumption for cultivating skills of Blue quality or below -90%.

When creating or modifying Star Formations, this talent may be activated to strengthen the formation, increasing its effectiveness by up to 20%.

As the user's level increases, Abyssal knowledge and formation skills will be comprehended at random through the Mother Tree Insight Root, though influence from the Outer God Mother Tree may also occur.

————

This talent was far from ordinary.

It was neither a Destiny talent, nor an Aptitude talent, nor a territory talent.

Instead, it was an Abyss talent.

So-called Abyss talents were abilities born through the influence of the Abyss, such as Zhou Cang's Azure Demonic Flame Bone Physique.

Such talents

were usually extremely powerful.

However, they often came with side effects.

Although Zhou Cang's Azure Demonic Flame Bone greatly enhanced his attributes and offensive power, it also prevented him from equipping a full six-piece armor set.

The origin of Zou Wan's Mother Tree Insight Root

seemed connected to an Outer God.

The name of this Abyssal Evil God

was simply "Mother Tree,"

or the "Abyss Mother Tree."

Thinking about it, the situation was rather strange.

Madam Zou's Corrupted state

had been completely different from ordinary Corrupted beings.

The reason she had transformed into such a creature

was precisely due to the influence of the Abyss Mother Tree.

After Madam Zou was purified by the Stars, the unique characteristic within her body

had been extracted by the power of the Stars.

That unique characteristic

was the Mother Tree Egg.

Zou Wan had been reincarnated through the Mother Tree Egg.

Therefore, she still bore the mark of the Mother Tree.

Fortunately, that mark currently appeared to have become permanently fixed within her body.

In the end, it had manifested as this remarkably high-grade talent.

Judging from its effects, it was an exceptionally outstanding talent, especially its enhancement of formations, something extremely rare even among the Stars.

Zou Wan's very existence

was clearly directly related to an Evil God.

Naturally, this gave Hang Yu some concerns.

After all, even a legendary Lord like Principal Long

had to treat Evil Gods with the utmost caution.

Hang Yu certainly had no desire to come into contact with such existences too early.

But after giving it some thought, although Zou Wan had some connection with the Mother Tree, she had still undergone purification by the power of the Stars

and had been created under the Will of the Stars itself.

No matter how powerful the Abyss Mother Tree was as an Outer God, it could never surpass the Supreme Will.

Therefore, the risk should remain manageable.

Even if the Outer God were somehow able to influence Zou Wan, the Will of the Stars would presumably notice immediately

and issue a warning.

Furthermore, although Hang Yu desperately wished to avoid conflicts with Evil God-level existences at this stage, doing so would be extraordinarily difficult.

After all, this was a Nevernight-layer Abyss Plane.

The Destiny gathered here

was simply too immense.

As a result, it was very easy for Evil Gods to emerge—

and certainly not just one.

The reason Hang Yu had not yet come into direct conflict with the followers of Evil God factions

was purely because his territory had not expanded far enough.

As the territory continued to grow, such conflicts and risks

would become inevitable.

In fact, compared with a local Evil God like Zhang Jiao, an external Evil God such as the Mother Tree

might actually be less dangerous.

After all, Outer Gods faced countless restrictions

when attempting to enter or influence this plane.

Hang Yu decided not to dwell on the matter for now.

Zou Wan's abilities were extremely useful.

He would first allow her to contribute within the territory, then gradually learn more about this so-called Mother Tree.

Zou Wan possessed two other talents worthy of attention.

【Earth General's Destiny】 (White): Destiny Talent. All talisman effects within the territory +5%. All formation effects within the territory +2%.

【Beauty in Times of Chaos】 (Blue): Destiny Talent. When in the same area as the Lord, the Lord's Health +30%, Mana +30%, skill effectiveness +20%, and skill cooldown -10%.

Both were Destiny talents.

Beauty in Times of Chaos

was most likely the Destiny gathered by Madam Zou herself.

It might also have absorbed part of Zhang Xiu's Destiny, allowing it to reach Blue quality.

Unlike martial Destiny talents such as Zhou Cang's or Wen Ping's, which strengthened themselves, or Destiny talents like Wen Ping's and Zhang Zhongjing's, which benefited specific fields or even the entire territory, Zou Wan's Beauty in Times of Chaos

worked exclusively on the Lord himself.

Moreover, its enhancement was extraordinarily powerful.

By obtaining Zou Wan, Hang Yu had effectively gained an exceptionally powerful new enhancement talent, further strengthening his already formidable foundation.

At this very moment, with the enhancement of Beauty in Times of Chaos, Hang Yu could utterly crush any opponent below the Fourth Order, provided they were not of Overlord status.

Even against certain Abyss Kings of the same rank, he now possessed the confidence to fight them head-on.

“So it only strengthens the Lord himself? Is this the effect of Destiny possessed by beauties like her?”

Hang Yu couldn't help but think, “If Zou Wan alone can enhance me this much, then what kind of effects would the Destinies of Diao Chan, Zhen Ji, or the Two Qiaos provide?”

It seemed

that if one wished to strengthen oneself, besides cultivating skills, acquiring more talents, and raising one's rank, recruiting more beauties blessed with tremendous Destiny

was also an effective approach.

Zou Wan's other Destiny talent

was Earth General's Destiny.

There was no need to guess—

it had clearly been stolen from Earth General Zhang Bao.

However, only a tiny portion had been obtained, so it could only manifest as a White-quality talent.

Although Earth General's Destiny did not provide especially large bonuses, its effects were highly practical.

Its primary purpose

was enhancing talismans and formations.

The talisman bonus applied not only to players' talisman techniques, but also to all consumable talisman papers.

Although the 5% increase was modest, everyone could benefit from it, making its overall value quite significant.

As for formations, this included not only those used by players, but also every Star Formation embedded within Star facilities.

Why did territory facilities possess so many supernatural effects?

The primary reason

was the formations contained within them.

Although Earth General's Destiny

was merely the lowest White-grade talent, it was an exceptionally outstanding talent among White talents.

It enhanced every type of formation throughout the territory by 2%.

One should never underestimate a mere 2% increase.

It meant that every defensive structure—

barriers, city walls, arrow towers, and more—

became 2% stronger.

It also meant every resource facility—

Spirit Fields, mines, Life Springs, and so on—

produced 2% more resources.

The value of this White Destiny

surpassed the vast majority of Green Destiny talents, and even exceeded many of them.

Hang Yu used every remaining Destiny Talent Pearl Fragment in his possession

to strengthen this talent.

【Earth General's Soul】 (Green): Destiny Talent. All talisman effects within the territory +10%. All formation effects within the territory +4%.

“Excellent!”

Hang Yu was delighted.

Destiny talents

could also be upgraded.

The only problem

was that Destiny materials

were hundreds of times rarer than Aptitude materials.

Although Zou Wan had stolen only a tiny trace of Earth General Zhang Bao's Destiny, the mere existence of this talent

already possessed enormous value.

After all, although obtaining Destiny materials to strengthen Destiny talents was difficult, it was at least possible.

But obtaining such an outstanding Destiny talent in the first place

depended entirely upon luck and fate.

After Earth General's Destiny

had evolved into Earth General's Soul, all talisman effects throughout the territory increased to 10%, while all formations throughout the territory

were strengthened by 4%.

The territory currently possessed more than thirty Spirit Fields.

Even a mere 4% increase in production

would generate tremendous long-term value.

Interestingly, Little Bell's Four-Talisman Demon-Slaying Formation

was both a talisman technique

and a formation.

As a result, its power increased by at least 14%.

This was a rather substantial enhancement.

As for the remaining talents, Peerless Beauty

and Little Spear King

both increased attributes.

However, Zou Wan's Aptitude

did not greatly enhance combat attributes.

At best, it ensured she possessed growth potential equivalent to an ordinary Abyss Commander.

In other words, Zou Wan's combat potential

was actually inferior even to Zhang Zhongjing's.

However, that didn't matter.

Zou Wan had never been intended as a combat specialist.

She was a powerful support specialist...

and a production professional!

She possessed one final talent.

【Advanced Formation Master】 (Green): Aptitude Talent. Can learn Advanced Star Construction.

This talent

was rather unique.

It provided no attribute bonuses whatsoever.

That was because

it was a production talent.

Zou Wan possessed the Aptitude required

to learn Construction

and become a Builder.

Although, given her current Aptitude, she could only reach the level of a third-order Advanced Star Builder, this was precisely the type of talent

the territory urgently required.

One had to remember, before even traveling to the Land of the Stars, Hang Yu had already begun searching for a Builder.

Human Builders were simply too rare.

Even after many days, he had failed to find a suitable candidate.

Since he couldn't recruit one, he might as well train one himself.

Zou Wan had never personally received the direct blessing of the Stars, so her Builder talent possessed an upper limit.

However, it wasn't difficult to see from her status panel

that she possessed advantages ordinary Builders lacked.

For example, her Mother Tree Insight Root.

With the assistance of this talent, Zou Wan's cultivation speed in Construction

would not fall behind that of genuine Star Builders.

Furthermore, this talent could also strengthen formations, enhancing them by as much as 20%.

In other words, if every formation throughout the territory

were personally modified by Zou Wan, they could receive

an additional 20% enhancement

on top of the normal improvement from the modifications themselves.

Even among experienced Star Builders, very few

could accomplish such a feat.

“Zou Wan, from today onward, you shall serve as the Lord's Castle Chief Steward and Chief Builder, primarily responsible for the territory's construction.”

Hang Yu continued, “First, let me raise your cultivation.”

As he spoke, he mobilized the territory's Essence

and directly empowered Zou Wan.

Her level rapidly surged, breaking through one rank after another.

In only a few minutes, she rose from Level 1

to Level 30.

“Th... Thank you, my Lord!”

Feeling the tremendous power flowing through her body, Zou Wan's eyes were filled with disbelief.

Although she had only just arrived within the territory, she already possessed abundant memories, knowledge, and life experience.

She was by no means an ignorant novice.

In fact, she understood far more

than the overwhelming majority of people.

Her knowledge

surpassed that of most natives.

Precisely because of this, she clearly understood

just how immense the Essence

that the Lord had infused into her body truly was.

For any exceptionally gifted native cultivator, that quantity of Abyss Essence

would have represented

nearly a century of arduous cultivation.

Yet—

a hundred years of cultivation

had been completed

in an instant!

She had also immediately earned the Lord's trust and important responsibilities.

Naturally, Zou Wan felt overwhelming excitement and joy.

At the same time, however, she also felt the immense responsibility and pressure placed upon her shoulders.

“My Lord, although I possess considerable knowledge regarding formations, I am not actually skilled at constructing or modifying Star Formations.”

“That's no great problem. For the next few days, simply familiarize yourself with the territory and its facilities. I'll obtain Construction skill books as soon as possible so you can master the art of Star Construction.”

“Yes!”

Zou Wan immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

Hang Yu did not immediately grant Zou Wan a Mark.

There was no rush.

As a retainer, she could never leave the territory anyway.

After allowing Zou Wan to freely explore and familiarize herself with the territory, Hang Yu directly opened the Human Alliance Hall

and contacted an old acquaintance—

Bei Chen Guang.

Hang Yu asked, “President, any progress on finding a Builder?”

Bei Chen Guang immediately replied, “Brother Hang, I've already used all my connections to help you search, but a good Builder isn't someone you can find overnight. It'll probably take at least ten days to half a month.”

Hang Yu said, “In that case, there's no rush anymore. I'd like to purchase a complete set of beginner, intermediate, and advanced Construction skill books instead.”

Bei Chen Guang asked, “You're planning to train one of your own people into a Builder?”

Hang Yu replied, “Mm. I discovered someone with excellent Builder Aptitude. With proper training, she should become very useful.”

Bei Chen Guang was rather surprised.

Builders in the Land of the Stars

were all professionals personally chosen by the Will of the Stars.

Every one of them possessed unlimited growth potential, while the cost of upgrading Construction

was typically only one-tenth that required by ordinary individuals.

This wasn't true only for Builders.

Every production profession worked the same way.

Even if a native possessed production Aptitude, the resources required for that native

to advance from a beginner Alchemist to an intermediate Alchemist

were usually far greater

than those required by a Star Alchemist.

However, judging from the level of Construction skill books Hang Yu wanted, the native he had found

must possess extremely high Aptitude.

At the very least, reaching the level of an Advanced Builder

would already be more than sufficient

for a Human territory.

This approach

would save an enormous amount

on recruitment expenses.

Moreover, this Builder would be a member of the territory itself.

Under such circumstances, investing heavily in their cultivation

was obviously worthwhile from a long-term perspective.

Bei Chen Guang sighed, “Impressive. Brother Hang, you truly deserve your reputation as a master of the Kingly Path. Your ability to recruit talented natives is simply incredible!”

Hang Yu asked, “So? Can you handle it?”

Bei Chen Guang replied, “No problem. Though intermediate and advanced skill books might be a little expensive.”

Hang Yu answered, “As long as the price is fair, Demon Crystals aren't an issue. Trading equivalent items is also fine.”

Bei Chen Guang replied, “Wait for my news!”

After ending the conversation, Hang Yu finally let out a sigh of relief.

The problem of lacking a Builder within the territory

had finally been solved.

In the future, Hang Yu would still continue recruiting Builders, but Zou Wan, as one of his own trusted people, would undoubtedly become the primary focus of cultivation.

“I originally wanted to obtain Dian Wei.”

“I never expected to gain Zou Wan instead.”

This expedition against Old Wan

had truly been worthwhile.

However, considering that the battle for Old Wan

had already gone on for quite some time, it was about time to bring it to an end.

With that thought, he activated the Lord's Vision

and once again focused his attention on Old Wan.

The outcome of this battle

was already beyond doubt.

With Dian Wei

and the remaining Abyss forces currently stationed in Old Wan, there was virtually no possibility

of posing even the slightest threat

to the Human territory.

If Hang Yu wished, he could completely sweep through Old Wan

in less than half a shichen.

The reason he had deliberately gone through the trouble

of issuing a mission

and sending the Calamity Legion ahead

was simply to harvest a few more leeks

and further strengthen the territory

before opening the next region.

After all, during Abyss exploration, the difficulty

would inevitably increase exponentially.

The Wan City map

was already a third-order Abyssal Nightmare.

The next Nightmare

would undoubtedly reach the fourth order, and would very likely contain large numbers of Level 40 enemies.

Whether in terms of chaos, enemy numbers, or overall complexity, it would almost certainly far surpass Wan City.

Many completely new challenges

would undoubtedly appear.

Hang Yu dared not become careless.

To be safe, it was necessary

to make thorough preparations

before opening the next map.

After successfully killing the Old Wan Flower Mother, Madam Zou, the Calamity Legion launched a full-scale extermination campaign throughout Old Wan.

Although they possessed disadvantages

in numbers, strength, and terrain, the Calamity Legion once again displayed

their trademark fearlessness toward death.

The enemy was powerful?

So what!

At worst, they would just die a few more times!

Facing the overwhelmingly powerful Old Wan army, the Calamity Legion launched one suicidal assault after another, employing every bizarre, creative, and outrageous tactic imaginable.

They suffered total annihilation time after time, only to regroup

and return once again.

Throughout the entire day, they were either dying

or on their way to die.

During the process, countless absurd actions

and ridiculous tactics appeared.

The Calamity Legion fought without any regard for casualties.

They had only one objective—

kill as many monsters as possible!

No matter how powerful Dian Wei was, he could not leave the Core Pollution Zone.

Facing an endless wolf pack-like tide of enemies, even he inevitably found himself unable to defend every direction at once.

After wave upon wave of assaults, the number of Old Wan's forces

steadily declined.

From roughly seven thousand troops at the beginning, they had now been reduced

to just over two thousand.

At this point, when confronting Old Wan's forces, the Calamity Legion

already possessed

more than twice the enemy's numbers.

Although they still could not rival the overwhelmingly powerful Dian Wei, theoretically, if they were given just two more days, they would definitely be able to grind down Old Wan completely.

“Time's almost up.”

“It's about time to wrap things up.”

The current results

were already more than satisfactory.

By now, the total amount of Essence the territory expected to gain

had risen

to more than double the original estimate.

This alone

was enough to demonstrate

the tremendous efforts of the Calamity Legion.

It would allow Hang Yu

to easily create one hundred elite Azure Dragon Guards, each proficient in at least one cultivation technique!

There would also be a tremendous surplus remaining, enough to continue developing the Azure Dragon Guard, train native forces including the Black Tiger Guard, strengthen the Calamity Legion, and still leave behind an Essence reserve

far exceeding his original plans.

It could only be said

that the Calamity Legion

was truly working themselves to the bone.

However, most of them

were now already exhausted.

The mission time limit

was also about to expire.

Relying solely on them, it was clearly impossible

to complete the mission before time ran out.

Hang Yu decided

that if necessary, he would personally intervene, ensuring the Calamity Legion completed this mission before the deadline.

Only then

could they receive the corresponding rewards

and feel that their efforts had been worthwhile.

As long as these leeks remained happy, they would only grow faster

and flourish even more vigorously.

There would be plenty of opportunities

to harvest them in the future.

Hang Yu also intended

to use this opportunity

to test himself against Dian Wei.

He took out the Heavenly Evolution Treasure Mirror.

“This is already the strongest combat power available at this stage. I wonder whether he can defeat even one of my mirror projections.”