Volume 1 Chapter 20: Level Two Castle

The next morning, before the sun had fully risen, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Yi eagerly arrived at the door of the room where everyone was staying. He knocked forcefully and called out loudly, “Wake up, everyone! The castle expansion is about to begin. Hurry and gather!”

After a moment, Huang Tian, Huang Xiaorong, Zhang Guoxing, Li Muyun, Zhang Xin, and the others gradually emerged from their rooms.

After a full night’s rest, each of them looked much better—refreshed and spirited. Especially Li Muyun, whose unique aura had grown even more intense and captivating. Even the usually composed Lin Yi found himself stealing a few extra glances.

Upon seeing Lin Yi, everyone immediately performed a formal salute and said in unison, “Good morning, Your Majesty! May Your Majesty enjoy robust health and a long life!”

This sudden show of respect caught Lin Yi off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.

Fortunately, Lin Yi recovered quickly. Smiling, he addressed the nine people before him: “Come on, follow me to the city walls. Today, I’m going to show you a spectacular performance you’ve never seen before.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xin, still a bit drowsy, perked up with interest. Yawning, she asked curiously, “Big brother, what kind of performance is it?”

Lin Yi smiled mysteriously, deliberately teasing them: “Hehe, you’ll see soon enough. This show is quite something—think of it as ‘handcrafting the moat’ and ‘transforming the castle’!”

Huang Tian scratched his head in confusion. “Your Majesty, I didn’t understand a word you just said. What kind of magical performance is this?”

Before Lin Yi could answer, Li Muyun spoke up: “Brother Huang, didn’t His Majesty just say the castle is being expanded? So naturally, it has something to do with the castle.”

Huang Xiaorong raised her slender brows, pouted, and teasingly kicked Huang Tian’s foot without mercy. Hands on her slim waist, she scolded, “Hmph, you big dummy! How can you not understand something so simple? You’re just so stupid!”

Huang Tian yelped in pain, his face full of grievance and bitterness, but he could only endure silently.

At that moment, his honest and simple face was filled with helplessness.

Just then, Zhang Guoxing spoke firmly: “Alright, alright, enough joking around. Let’s get moving!”

His calm and steady voice eased the tension in the group somewhat.

Before long, they arrived swiftly atop the city walls. Standing high above, surrounded by gazes, Lin Yi deliberately adopted a reverent posture.

He first faced the blazing sun and bowed deeply, then performed three respectful kowtows. Next, he carefully withdrew a mysterious card—the “Moat Construction Tool Card”—from his pocket and confirmed its use.

In an instant, a deafening roar erupted from beneath the ground, as if the earth itself trembled. Accompanied by the booming noise, the ground around the city walls began to sink and collapse.

Under the stunned gazes of all present, a vast, bottomless moat gradually took shape. This moat encircled the entire fortress, astonishingly measuring 100 meters wide and 50 meters deep!

Only Huang Tian and Huang Xiaorong witnessed Lin Yi’s card usage firsthand.

Still, they were both left speechless by the breathtaking spectacle before them, their astonishment plain to see.

As for Zhang Guoxing, Li Muyun, and the others, they had no idea what had happened, their faces full of wonder.

Lin Yi smiled at them as they gawked with mouths agape, as if each could easily fit an egg inside.

Seeing this, Lin Yi teased, “Oh ho, suddenly lost for words, huh? Don’t be impatient—this is just the beginning. Even more exciting and spectacular things await!”

He raised his eyebrows with a hint of pride, clearly confident about what was to come.

The stunned group exchanged glances, curiosity and anticipation growing, eager to learn what “even more spectacular” meant.

Lin Yi checked the holographic interface on his watch. After halving the cost, the castle upgrade required 1,000 gold coins, and without hesitation, he confirmed the upgrade.

This time, the commotion was even more intense than before, but it quickly subsided. When everyone recovered, Zhang Xin widened her eyes and pointed at the castle in excitement: “Look! Hasn’t the castle moved further away from us?”

At her prompt, everyone looked toward the castle. What had been a mere 10 meters away was now over 100 meters distant.

Lin Yi explained calmly, “This is the effect of the castle expansion. No need to worry.”

“Let’s go take a closer look. I can feel the castle has grown significantly. Later, you can each find a spot to build your own houses. I want to observe the castle carefully.”

With the group still amazed, Lin Yi turned and left. For now, silence was the best explanation—once they understood on their own, that would suffice.

Just as Lin Yi took a step, Huang Tian grinned and said, “Your Majesty, I’ll accompany you.”

Lin Yi didn’t refuse. After all, Huang Tian was among the first to swear loyalty. Waving his hand, he said, “Let’s go!”

Huang Tian’s heart leapt with joy as he hurried to keep pace with Lin Yi, feeling glad that His Majesty still valued him.

The two dashed all the way to the castle, and by the time they arrived, Lin Yi was panting heavily.

He muttered to himself, “From a radius of 10 meters to 1,000 meters—it’s exhausting. I really need to exercise more.”

Turning to Huang Tian, he said, “Huang Tian, from now on, I want to train more. You’ll be my trainer.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Huang Tian replied excitedly.

Then Lin Yi gave a sly smile. “Since you’re here, Huang Tian, help me open this treasure chest. It’s a silver-grade gift from the castle upgrade.”

Huang Tian’s expression twitched involuntarily at the mention of Lin Yi’s “Three Pure Ones Ancestor.”

“Why won’t you open it? Do you think I called you over just to chat? Enough nonsense,” Lin Yi said, a little annoyed but inwardly amused. “Hehe, Huang Tian, you walked right into this yourself. Don’t blame me.”

“Alright, alright! Opening a treasure chest isn’t so hard,” Huang Tian gritted his teeth.

That was more like it. Lin Yi placed the chest before Huang Tian and said, “Open it. I believe you’re a lucky star.”

Huang Tian reluctantly opened the chest. After a burst of light faded, two green and one blue glowing orbs remained.

Lin Yi jumped up instantly, grabbed Huang Tian’s shoulder, and shook him excitedly: “Huang Tian, you’re truly my lucky star! How are you so lucky? You even got golden-grade items!”

Huang Tian felt bashful and said, “Your Majesty, it’s just luck, really.”

But the next moment, Lin Yi’s words almost made Huang Tian spit out a mouthful of old blood.

In a calm tone, Lin Yi said, “Huang Tian, don’t get too lucky. Be careful lately—don’t get into trouble.”