"Passengers, the train is arriving at Shuize South Station. Passengers alighting at Shuize South Station, please prepare yourselves and gather your belongings..."
The high-speed train slowly decelerated and entered the South Station of Shuize City.
With a soft hiss, the train doors opened, and passengers carrying bags and luggage disembarked.
Fang You, however, was much simpler. His hands were empty, save for an unremarkable glove on his right palm. Within the glove's internal space, he had packed plenty of spare clothes, daily necessities, food, and local specialties bought from Yunling Prefecture.
He had stuffed the Sky Net Hand to its fullest.
As he walked out of the station, the driver arranged by Xiao Huan was already waiting.
He was a young man in his early thirties, his face flushed with unconcealable excitement upon seeing Fang You. He stammered, "Mentor."
"Let's go," Fang You waved his hand.
This was not the first time he had encountered such a scene; he was already accustomed to it.
The young man was part of the third batch of trainees at the first training base. Since the base was established, Xiao Huan had been scouting for talent from all over Donghuang, recruiting them in batches.
The later batches had fewer people than the first, but still numbered thirty to fifty individuals. Typically, a new batch of trainees would arrive every one or two or three days.
They all traversed the same mountain path and passed the assessment in the White Mist Realm.
By now, the entire training base had several hundred personnel. Under Xiao Huan's arrangement, their roles were clearly defined, and not all of them were undergoing training.
Some were chefs before arriving and were now responsible for the base's meals.
Others handled food procurement, and some patrolled and stood guard at the foot of the mountain.
These were all rotational duties. Their primary task remained training, but working in these various roles allowed them to earn additional wages and a very small number of薪火 (Xin Huo) contribution points.
It could be said that the training base could now operate independently without any issues.
The base housed people from all walks of life, making Fang You suspect that Xiao Huan prioritized selecting individuals whose professional skills were applicable when scouting for talent.
Indeed, the selection was excellent.
The old driver was a prime example. He drove quickly and steadily all the way, soon returning to the resort.
At this moment,
Most of the formal apostles were still out. Only Pei Hongjing, who was nearby, had returned first. Oh, and Master Wang Chui, who had been 'kicked out' of the base.
"Is the base expanding its scale?" Pei Hongjing asked.
"Yeah, but I, Old Wang, don't have a clue about the specifics," Wang Chui rubbed his smooth head, utterly perplexed.
He had been designing a new type of weapon. According to the mentor's requirements, he was to develop a weapon that ordinary people could use for ranged attacks.
In essence, it was an enhanced ranged version of fire orbs and lightning talismans.
Wang Chui had to admit that these two types of weapons, usable by ordinary people and capable of harming ominous entities, were ingeniously designed.
They combined materials, awakened abilities, and modern technology.
He had already understood the intricacies and was diligently working on improvements, but there were still many difficulties.
Materials were limited, and many of his ideas were currently unfeasible. As Wang Chui was deep in thought, he was suddenly ordered out of the base.
"Alas, I feel restless if I don't hammer something with my hands. I'll go find something to hammer first..."
Just as Wang Chui was about to leave, he spotted Fang You.
He strode forward, two steps becoming one, "Mentor, when will the base expansion be completed?"
Pei Hongjing caught up a few seconds later, also perking up his ears.
Fang You tilted his head.
In his mind,
"Ding!"
"Notification: Xin Huo Base has completed its upgrade and is now 'Xin Huo Secret Realm'. Please check the specifics yourself."
He said, "You can go in now."
He walked towards the pavilion that connected to the base, or rather, the secret realm now.
He walked with long strides.
Wang Chui was eager, and so was he. If it weren't for Master Wang and Pei Hongjing being present, and the many newcomers, he would have immediately used 'Phantom Void Steps' and flown over to maintain his persona.
He was a man who could fly!
It wasn't too far, though. As Fang You entered the pavilion, he was met by the sight of a foolish cat holding a tablet.
In front of it were a computer, a tablet, a phone, and an uncountable pile of cat food cans... Damn! Where did it get so many cat food cans?
Bribery was unacceptable.
Fang You felt a pang of regret. At this moment, the base was more important, so he couldn't be bothered with the cat. He walked all the way to the entrance gate.
At this moment, the gate had also undergone some changes.
The silver gate had become even more ancient, its size slightly larger than before, with faint streams of light flowing on its surface, exuding an air of mystery and extraordinariness.
It looked quite impressive.
He paused for a moment, then placed his hand on the cool gate. With a slight push, he opened the door with a sense of ceremony.
Immediately, strands of golden light emanated from within.
It was as if a curtain was drawn, obscuring the view inside.
But as soon as he stepped through, it felt like passing through a water curtain and entering another world.
He froze.
Even more astonishing were Wang Chui and Pei Hongjing, whose eyes widened, blinked, and rubbed their eyes.
"This, this is the entrance tunnel?!?"
The previous entrance tunnel had also been spacious, with murals adorning both sides, showcasing ancient heritage.
But now, it was entirely different.
The tunnel had widened by more than several times, being twenty to thirty meters wide and perhaps tens of meters high. The walls on both sides, in addition to large murals, also had hollow windows.
The warm golden sunlight was filtering in from outside.
However, how could there be sunlight inside the base?
Pei Hongjing maintained some composure, but Wang Chui lost all pretense and immediately crawled to the window.
Fang You paused.
Various expressions of surprise flashed in his eyes. However, as he was at the forefront and his back was to the two, he worked hard to manage his facial expression.
He seemed to be waiting for Wang Chui for a moment, while casually glancing to the side.
Golden light cascaded down.
Outside the window was a vast expanse of gold, blue sky, and white clouds. The entire corridor looked as if it were suspended in the air, a truly magnificent sight.
No, perhaps it wasn't "as if."
Now that this was the Xin Huo Secret Realm, it was more likely that the entire main body of the base was suspended in the air.
Outside, there was the golden warm sun.
Fang You maintained his persona as a mentor, walking through this luminous corridor with a 'calm and steady' demeanor. Upon entering the main hall, his eyes were met with a breathtaking, expansive view.
As expected, it was several times larger than before.
Perhaps it could be called the Xin Huo Palace.
In the center of the palace, various colored floor tiles formed the pattern of Xin Huo.
Crimson flames burned fiercely. Above them, a sword was inserted upside down, and flames spread from the blade to the hilt, representing the fire of inheritance, illuminating the patterns on the sword.
The unquenchable fire, the fire of inheritance, and the blade that cuts through all darkness.
This was Xin Huo.
Standing in this grand hall, one felt incredibly small. It was also a bit too vast.
Fang You's thoughts returned quickly. Compared to the changes in appearance, he was more concerned with practicality.
He checked.
"Notification: Current level allows for the establishment of new functional buildings on any of the first, second, or third floors, including 'Forge Workshop', 'Medical Room', etc. Specific costs are as follows."
"Notification: Current level allows for the establishment of up to three secret realm entrances."
"Notification: Current level allows for the expansion of the main base to a fourth layer, 'Planting Zone', 'Breeding Zone', which can only be constructed on the fourth layer."
"Notification: Training grounds and apostle dormitories can currently be upgraded."
The rest room had been renamed Apostle Dormitories. Upgrades not only improved the beneficial effects but also expanded the scale of the entire dormitory, enriching the interior furnishings, etc.
The upgrade cost was 50 ominous crystals.
The specific effects would be visible after the upgrade... Fang You clicked one to test the waters.
Immediately,
"Ding!"
"Notification: Dormitory No. 1 is undergoing upgrade and renovation. It is currently sealed, with an estimated upgrade time of '6 hours'."
Wait a minute, wouldn't that mean he couldn't return to his room to rest?
Miscalculation!
Never mind, a true man doesn't need rest!
Training it is!
The upgrade of the training grounds was similar, increasing beneficial effects while also expanding the scale.
The cost was more expensive, 100 ominous crystals each, but the training grounds were indeed more effective than the dormitories... Like Brother Black Blade, and himself, they spent most of their time in the training grounds.
Expensive for a reason.
He upgraded two at once, then proceeded with the expansion of the fourth layer space, and simultaneously established a 'Forge Workshop' and a 'Medical Room'.
Money flowed like water.
He couldn't hold onto these ominous crystals!
He wouldn't look anymore!
The upgrade of the training grounds required six hours, while the establishment of other buildings and the expansion of the fourth layer took longer, 12 hours and 24 hours respectively.
Fang You wouldn't wait idly. He entered a training ground and began to train.
His figure flickered, leaving behind afterimages. He would sometimes sprint across the ground, and at other times, leap into the air.
This was the master-level 'Phantom Void Steps' borrowed from Black Blade.
It allowed him to walk on air and create afterimages.
The ability to walk on air alone was immensely useful. With this skill, he could ascend to the heavens.
He was determined to master this skill, practicing it until he reached the introductory level!
"Ding!"
"Notification: 'Level 2 Training Ground x2' upgrade complete. Focus during training +50%, Skill/Ability consumption -30%."
Time passed,
Xiao Huan's notification sounds echoed in his ears.
...
Training grounds No. 1 and No. 2 had now been updated to Level 2 Training Grounds.
The gates were rimmed with silver, and their specifications were even grander.
Upon pushing open the doors and entering, the view was even more expansive. The grounds were immense, far larger than the Flying Bird Stadium in Huangdu. Towering walls rose high, and the ceiling depicted a sky and clouds pattern.
It was like stepping into another world.
The Level 2 training ground could be broadly divided into two parts. One side was a martial arts arena, featuring the most solid ground and a surrounding energy barrier.
One could freely unleash their skills and engage in sparring matches here.
The other side was the training equipment area.
It included conventional high-speed treadmills, indestructible punching bags, more advanced punch strength testing machines, and also some new equipment, such as powerful wooden dummies and electromagnetic training machines. Fang You took a tour and expressed his satisfaction.
He himself didn't need so much, nor did he particularly require these fancy pieces of equipment.
His training mostly involved practicing skills.
However, the newcomers needed them.
He imagined they, along with their Black Blade instructor, would love them.
...
Luo Jianxing and others, who had just returned to the training base after a long journey, suddenly shivered.
At the same time,
At the foot of the mountain,
Xing Jinglei, who had emerged from Shuize South Station and followed Black Blade all the way on foot, looked at the figure in front of him who was still walking steadily. He panted heavily, "Damn! Is this guy even human!"
"Fortunately, we've finally arrived."
He looked up at the resort enveloped in a light mist before him.
He also felt a sense of anticipation.
Was this place, which looked like a tourist attraction, the headquarters of their Xin Huo?