"Three thousand two hundred points remain."
Chu Chen looked at the remaining points and opened the exchange mall, preparing to make some purchases to enhance his side's strength.
The system had previously updated the exchange shop to an exchange mall, divided into six major categories: magical artifacts, equipment, items, elixirs, cultivation techniques, and special.
Chu Chen clicked on the elixirs category and began to purchase.
[Ding! Foundation Establishment Pill, containing one hundred Foundation Establishment Realm spiritual pills, priced at ten points per bottle, purchase?]
"I want one hundred bottles!"
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for purchasing one hundred bottles of Foundation Establishment Pills. One thousand points have been deducted. Current points: 2200.]
Looking at the bottles of elixirs lying quietly in the system backpack, Chu Chen nodded with satisfaction, thinking, "A bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills with one hundred pills. If used by those in the Body Refining Realm, only twenty pills are needed to allow them to break through and become Foundation Establishment Realm martial cultivators."
"By then, I will have five hundred Foundation Establishment Realm martial artists under my command. I'd like to see how those martial arts sects in the jianghu can cause trouble then!"
"Magical artifacts, equipment, items, elixirs, and cultivation techniques are all easy to understand. This 'special' category, according to the system update notes last time, has summon cards for sale. I wonder how many points they cost."
As Chu Chen pondered, he clicked on the special category.
Immediately, a list of goods appeared before his eyes.
[One thousand Young and Strong Summon Cards, priced at ten points.]
[One thousand Militia Summon Cards, priced at one hundred points.]
[One thousand Light Infantry Summon Cards, priced at two hundred points.]
[One thousand Light Cavalry Summon Cards, priced at two thousand points.]
[One hundred Body Refining Realm Dark Department Summon Cards, priced at three thousand points.]
[One hundred Foundation Establishment Realm Dark Department Summon Cards, priced at thirty thousand points.]
[Body Refining Realm Instructor Summon Card, priced at one thousand points.]
[Foundation Establishment Realm Instructor Summon Card, priced at ten thousand points.]
[Body Refining Realm Spirit Farmer Summon Card, priced at five hundred points.]
[Foundation Establishment Realm Spirit Farmer Summon Card, priced at one thousand points.]
[Random Talent Summon Card, priced at five thousand points.]
[Custom Talent Summon Card, priced at fifty thousand points.]
[...]
"Good heavens, I'm speechless! This category in the system is like a human trafficker! Where did the system get so many people from?"
Chu Chen was dumbfounded.
However, he noticed a problem: the highest realm of the summoned individuals from these summon cards seemed to be one level lower than his own.
"Could it be that the cultivation of the summoned individuals is linked to me, the host?"
Chu Chen stroked his chin as he continued to stare intently at the panel.
"I have two thousand two hundred points left, not enough to buy many summon cards. I'll just buy Light Infantry Summon Cards and cultivate them myself. Anyway, Yun Yue Kingdom has the Qi and Blood Pill industry. I'll find a way to expand it later."
Chu Chen quickly decided on his spending target and clicked ten times on the Light Infantry Summon Card.
[Ding! One thousand Light Infantry Summon Cards, priced at two hundred points each, purchase ten at once?]
"Yes!"
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for purchasing ten packs of one thousand Light Infantry Summon Cards! Two thousand points have been deducted. Remaining points: two hundred.]
"Now I have ten packs of one thousand, plus the three thousand I drew, totaling thirteen thousand Light Infantry that I can summon. Filling the Embroidered Uniform Guard with them will finally give this institution a large number of mobile personnel!"
Chu Chen calculated the number of summoned individuals. After the summoning, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would have a total of thirty-one thousand personnel. To monitor Yun Yue Kingdom and its four surrounding countries – Chen, Qi, Yan, and Qin – a total of twenty-three thousand four hundred people would be needed, allowing for one ten-person squad in each county.
The remaining seven thousand six hundred Embroidered Uniform Guards would serve as mobile forces, sufficient for large-scale arrest operations.
"Next, while eliminating the Lian Shan Sect, I'll use this winter to rectify the conduct of officials in the court! Of the seven thousand six hundred people, one thousand six hundred will be allocated to the Six Doors. After a little training, they won't need the Embroidered Uniform Guard's support. The remaining six thousand will have half stationed in Shuang Yue City, and the other three thousand will be dispatched to apprehend people."
"Plan complete!"
Chu Chen quickly sorted out his thoughts and made the plan in his mind.
Then, he turned his attention to the items stored in the system backpack, took out the Feather Ascension Technique and the Radiant Light Technique, and began to cultivate them in his room.
As for state affairs, Chu Chen decided to postpone them for a day.
Soon, night fell. Chu Chen had taken leave for the entire afternoon to handle urgent matters, which did not cause much of a stir, only leading to some speculation among the powerful and noble officials.
In the afternoon, Chu Chen had already preliminarily learned these two cultivation techniques. Under the cover of night, he went into the courtyard to practice the Feather Ascension Technique.
Instantly, a pair of three-meter-wide light feathers appeared on Chu Chen's back. Under his control, they flapped rapidly, allowing him to barely fly up more than ten meters.
"This is a bit tricky, I need to practice more!"
Chu Chen frowned slightly, trying to adapt to the extra wings. After about fifteen minutes, he could ascend to a height of one hundred meters, and his movements were relatively smooth.
In the air, he identified the direction and flew towards the outskirts of the city.
Soon, Chu Chen landed at his usual spot, a small hillside outside the city. He took out all the summon cards and summoned thirteen thousand Light Infantry and one hundred Dark Department members.
Half of the Dark Department members were assigned to his side, increasing his available Dark Department personnel to seventy. The remaining fifty were dispatched to the Six Doors.
A total of five hundred Dark Department members were distributed among the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Six Doors, and the seventy people by his side.
He handed the Light Infantry his token and instructed them to go to the various manors. After the Dark Department members acted independently, Chu Chen flew to a small stream.
"Let's try the Radiant Light Technique. Although I've learned it, this first attempt requires a 'Qi Induction.' I don't know what this Qi Induction is. Could it be spiritual energy fluctuations?"
Chu Chen thought for a moment, then struck a large rock with his palm, creating a concave groove. He beckoned the stream water into it, and then performed the Radiant Light Technique.
The Radiant Light Technique without Qi Induction seemed to have failed. It did not display anything, merely reflecting Chu Chen like a mirror.
"It seems Qi Induction is still necessary. Then I'll use Xin Yue's. I might as well see what that girl is doing now. I haven't been by her side for a while and I miss her a little."
Chu Chen smiled, recalled Princess Xin Yue's Qi Induction, and simulated it with his own Qi Induction, pouring it in.
Then, while inputting spiritual energy, he thought of Princess Xin Yue's appearance, voice, and name.
A moment later, Chu Chen opened his eyes and looked at the content displayed by the Radiant Light Technique.
"Huh? Did it fail again? But that's not right. According to the technique's requirements, I've input the spiritual induction, appearance, and name. The energy supply is also fine. Why is it just a blank white screen in front of me?"
Chu Chen was puzzled. He walked around the large rock and observed it from various angles, but it remained a blank white screen.
"Uh, could it be a display height issue?"
Suddenly, Chu Chen slapped his forehead and quickly adjusted the display height. As he did so, a stream of blood spurted out.