Chapter One: The Ominous News Brought by the Ghostly Crow

In the end, Jessica still informed Li Bin about the effects of placing different City Hearts together. It turned out that aside from building a city hall and recruiting a workforce, the most crucial element of the City Heart was the fountain before the city hall.

This fountain, serving as the city's energy source, could be considered the most important part of the entire city. Nearly every structure required a constant supply of energy to remain operational. If the city hall forcibly cut off energy to any building, that building would become deserted within three days.

Each discipline also required a very different type of energy. The fountain of the Necromancy discipline produced energy formally named “Grim Resentful Blasphemy Energy”; the fountain of the Sanctuary discipline produced “Holy Light Prayer Purity Energy”; the Inferno discipline’s fountain produced “Chaotic Fury Flame Energy,” and so on.

These energies possessed properties of mutual enhancement and opposition. If two energies with compatible properties were mixed, it might increase the overall energy output. However, mixing two opposing energies would drastically reduce the output, or even cause the fountain to explode.

For this reason, no one ever mixed two or three types of energy together, which effectively prevented the fusion of City Hearts from incompatible disciplines.

Upon hearing this, Li Bin was truly at a loss for words. It was the first time he had ever encountered such an issue—how could he possibly know which energies were compatible or clashing? He had no choice but to abandon the idea of using mixed City Hearts and resolved to seek out more Necromancy City Hearts instead.

After explaining all this, Jessica had no time to linger; with her City of Blessings expanding rapidly, there were many matters that required her personal attention.

Li Bin watched as farm after farm swiftly emerged from the earth, with scores of level-0 peasants toiling diligently. He found himself even more eager to return to Ghost Butterfly City.

Just then, a ghostly raven brought Li Bin some unwelcome news.

“A large number of players have suddenly appeared near Ghost Butterfly City. The Hill Quarry has been forcibly seized, and now numerous player armies are gathering near Ghost Butterfly City. Furthermore, according to intelligence from the Dark Guild, a Vampire Castle has appeared in the southeast part of the territory…”

The moment he received this message, Li Bin became agitated. Ghost Butterfly City was the foundation of his entire enterprise—whether the invaders were players or other heroes, Li Bin could not tolerate anyone coveting his city. He immediately ordered Reed and the others to assemble the troops.

Jessica, noticing the unusual commotion on Li Bin’s side, hurried over. After learning the situation, she asked, “Do you need my help?”

Li Bin shook his head and replied, “Your City of Blessings has just been established. You and your troops must defend it with all your strength. I can’t afford to lose my final foothold as well.”

Jessica’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she replied, “You said it yourself—if your Ghost Butterfly City is occupied, you’ll forsake the dark and join the ranks of the Sanctuary.”

Li Bin smiled faintly, gazing at the Storm Butterfly flag flying alongside Jessica’s Sacred Heart banner atop the city hall, saying nothing.

Soon, Reed had finished organizing the troops. He hesitated for a moment before addressing Li Bin, “Master, we’re still about three hundred kilometers from Ghost Butterfly City. At our marching speed, it will take at least four days to get there, provided we encounter no battles on the way. I worry…”

“You needn’t worry. Have you forgotten what someone gave us?” Li Bin said as he withdrew a scroll.

Reed’s eyes lit up when he saw it—it was the Greater City Recall Scroll that Gaga had once gifted them. With this scroll, Li Bin could return with his followers to Ghost Butterfly City in an instant.

Reed understood that those players had dared attack Li Bin’s territory not just because of their numbers, but also because they’d heard Li Bin and his main force were away.

Li Bin, thinking the same, smiled as he tore open the Greater City Recall Scroll. In a flash of silver light, Li Bin and his troops vanished from Jessica’s sight.

Jessica gazed in the direction of Ghost Butterfly City and whispered, “Good luck, you wicked necromancer.”

When Li Bin opened his eyes, he was already back in the city hall of Ghost Butterfly City. His sudden appearance startled Tordina, Dierdre, and the others left to guard the territory.

But Li Bin had no time to wait for them to recover. He asked directly, “What’s the situation? Have you learned anything about the enemy?”

“Yes, Master. Here is the enemy’s situation, along with an account of their appearance.” As Dierdre spoke, she immediately placed a piece of parchment before Li Bin.

Li Bin took it and found it was a report from the Dark Guild detailing everything that had transpired in his territory. On the third day after Li Bin and Jessica had left, a player had entered his lands.

At first, this player acted as a wanderer, completing some territory quests. Later, he requested permission to reside in Li Bin’s territory long-term.

However, since Ghost Butterfly City was Li Bin’s main stronghold, no one else could authorize outsiders to settle in his absence. So Tordina refused his request. The player, understanding the situation, settled temporarily at the Hill Quarry.

After a few days, finding life at the quarry agreeable, he spread the word. Soon, many players from all over flocked to the area.

By then, Tordina had already received Li Bin’s instructions and altered the city’s rules: only players and heroes were allowed to enter; troops were not.

This move threw the ambitious players into confusion—they thought their plans had been discovered by the city’s master.

However, after half a day passed and Ghost Butterfly City took no action against them, suspicion arose: perhaps the city’s master was absent and only his heroes remained behind.

To confirm this, the players spared no effort. By the time they learned Li Bin was truly gone, several more days had passed.

By this time, the number of players in Li Bin’s territory had grown. Except for the still-hidden Spider City, both of Li Bin’s other cities were surrounded by large numbers of player forces.

And it was at this moment that a flying mobile base—a Vampire Castle—appeared within Li Bin’s territory.

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