Public Secret Realm: Elves' Courtyard.
Mu Yuan stepped in, and the bustle of activity hit him in the face.
He hadn't been here for a while.
The last time he visited, the Secret Realm was expanding, but this time, the entire Secret Realm had completely transformed.
In the center of the Secret Realm stood a leafless tree that resembled crystal, emanating waves of invisible power. This power seemed to have calming, focusing, and purifying effects.
The original site of the Secret Realm surrounded this crystal tree.
On the periphery, buildings emitting mysterious glowing lights had been constructed anew.
These were all Miracle Buildings.
Among them, there were ones that Mu Yuan recognized, such as the 'Ice Heart Lotus Platform'.
"Lord of Han Yue City is thinking of turning the Secret Realm into a holy land for cultivation?"
Mu Yuan pondered to himself.
It seemed quite nice, but... the membership limitation of the Secret Realm could be a problem, couldn't it?
Glancing around, he saw the people walking back and forth within the Secret Realm, at least two to three times more than before.
Many were unfamiliar faces.
Mu Yuan headed straight to a tea house named 'Cold Snow Residence'. After entering and taking a look around, as expected, Jiang Luoxing had already arrived, and there were a few familiar faces present as well. He then ordered a cup of the signature Cold Snow Spring for everyone.
This was a drink of Rare Level, which when consumed over a long period could enhance cold resistance and permanently increase spiritual power.
Most importantly, it tasted good. The initial chill was like that of an icy mountain's spring, followed by a thawing warmth as if snow were melting and the warmth of the spring breeze were arriving.
Quite wondrous indeed.
Many Lords, when they first arrived, would order a cup.
After all, they were all Lords and could certainly afford a cup of tea.
But if they were to drink it every day, the Lords wouldn't be willing or able to afford such a luxury.
"Today, I'm treating, so everyone, don't be shy."
Lord Shepherd was generous and wealthy.
After all, they were his source of civilian intelligence, and it was only proper to treat them to something. Although now that he was the 'Acting War Zone Commander', Lord Shepherd could get some summarized messages from the Logistics Development Department, which were more real, accurate, and timely than the civilian intel from people like Jiang.
Jiang: "In that case, can I order a hundred more cups to take away? I've been so poor recently that I can't even afford water."
Mu Yuan: "Scram, do you still want the goods or not?"
Jiang Luoxing sat up straight, "Want, want, want."
A few others nearby turned to look.
Jiang Luoxing took out the black briefcase he carried with him, flipped it open with a snap, and inside were stuffed full with several types of materials.
"It's not me crying poor; I am truly broke. If this continues, I won't be able to afford the next batch of goods from Yuan."
"Old Yu, you know it, I haven't ordered a Rare Level drink for six whole days."
A few of the common Lords remained silent.
Are you sure you're not just showing off?
Mu Yuan did think that not being able to afford even a Rare Level drink meant that, indeed, finances were a bit tight.
He took out the item for the trade.
It was a soccer ball-sized soul remnant, glowing with a faint blue light, within which the shadow of a fierce, gigantic beast could be seen.
The Terran Draconis Remnant Soul!
He used this remnant soul to exchange with Jiang Luoxing for a batch of common and Rare Rank materials that he was particularly short of.
From the perspective of the value of the treasures, Jiang Luoxing came out ahead.
But Mu Yuan didn't lose out either.
An Excellence Level Remnant Soul could be traded equally for permanent Rare blueprints or Excellence Rank blueprints, but that also depended on whether the other party had the goods. Such treasures were always elusive.
As long as he could exchange for what he needed, that was enough for him.
In fact, he was also trading with other Lords, and even handing over some Excellence Rank Remnant Souls to the Pioneer Group for recycling.
The advantage of recycling was: one could bargain with the soul remnants, and the process was fast and efficient; the Officials always took as much of the high-order items as were available. And they could be directly priced with Contribution Points.
The downside, of course, was a significant loss in price.
After the trade was completed, Mu Yuan inquired, "Have there been any major events at home or abroad recently?"
"Major events? There are plenty of those."
Jiang Luoxing, having received an Excellence Remnant Soul and freeloaded a cup of Rare Level 'happy water', was brimming with joy and instantly turned into an information expert.
"Six days ago, in a large recruitment area within Xiji City's territory, an Epic class 'Fearless War Handsome' emerged, and it is said that this is an Epic Two-star Fearless War Handsome. The War Commander, even in a mere Remnant Soul form, defeated several Lords who joined forces."
"At that moment, a purple pillar of light shot up into the sky, and the whole territory of Xiji City was instantly boiling over. Countless Senior Lords, and even more than one Great Lord from other cities, came over."
This matter was already known to most of those present.
After all, the emergence of an Epic in public was rare.
This particular Epic lay within a large recruitment site, not in some dangerous or forbidden place. Anyone who could defeat his 'Remnant Soul' form might have a chance to recruit him.
It was as if most ordinary Lords had a chance to touch him.
That was the reason this news spread so rapidly.
"Afterwards, a number of Great Lords continuously battled, yet the dispute went unresolved. In the end, the City Lord of Xiji City intervened, pressuring the Great Lords to decide on the quota within a day; otherwise, there might even be foreign Domains swooping in."
Having finished, Jiang Luoxing noticed the Tianyuan Guy's indifferent expression and couldn't help feeling a bit downhearted.
Was his storytelling not up to par?
He had tried to tell it with as much drama as possible.
He wished he could have been one of the first few Lords to discover the recruitment site. With his own skills, he might have had a chance to recruit the Epic before the Great Lords arrived.