Chapter 58: The Relocation of Clear Wind Stronghold

Dungeons in the game normally do not have sun, moon, and stars, and logically speaking, there should be no alternation of day and night. However, whether due to the system's influence or something else, a regular cycle of day and night existed, perfectly matching the time of the main mythological world.

The blue sky was dotted with soft clouds; the breeze was gentle, and the air was exceptionally fresh—hundreds of times better than that in reality.

Along the path, green grass swayed, occasionally accompanied by low-lying bushes and thickets. However, they were not as majestic, towering, and colossal as the trees found in the Qilian Mountains.

After walking for a while and noticing that no Space-Origin Martens appeared along this path, Lin Mu stepped onto a more secluded patch of grass, changed direction, and set out to find a Space-Origin Marten to test its strength and attributes, while incidentally gathering some materials to see what he could get.

Soon, he arrived at a small, low-lying valley. Lin Mu guessed that Space-Origin Martens would definitely be found here, and sure enough, a group of dainty and cute Space-Origin Martens were frolicking in the valley, completely unaware of Lin Mu's arrival—unaware of the arrival of this executioner.

The Space-Origin Martens were snow-white all over with sleek fur and bright, lively eyes. Their claws, hidden beneath their fur, were extremely sharp, and their combat power should not be underestimated.

If certain overly sentimental girls were here, they might have rushed up to scoop them into their arms and pamper them thoroughly! Whether they were cute or not was none of Lin Mu's concern. Years of battlefield life had not made him entirely cold-blooded and ruthless, but he certainly possessed a cold and stern demeanor. Facing ferocious enemies and brutal beasts, Lin Mu would never show the slightest mercy.

Circling around to the side of a small earthen mound, he spotted a solitary Space-Origin Marten. Watching it for a moment, he wasted no time. Without the slightest hesitation from his steel spear, Lin Mu charged forward in a sprint, driving the sharp weapon straight into the neck of the completely unguarded creature.

This sudden change shattered the tranquility of the valley. The Space-Origin Martens began to scatter in all directions. Their speed was by no means slow; although they were lower-tier ferocious beasts, they were exceedingly timid.

In an instant, the valley was left with only Lin Mu and the dead Space-Origin Marten on his spear.

Bright red blood, shimmering with a faint silver mist, trickled down in a steady stream...

"What a pity they were so fast. I wanted to take down a few more, but they scattered in the blink of an eye. Your enemy is right here, what a bunch of cowards..." Lin Mu muttered in frustration.

As soon as Lin Mu's spearhead pierced the Space-Origin Marten, its attributes immediately appeared on his information panel:

Name: [Space-Origin Marten]
Tier: Lower-Tier Ferocious Beast
Bloodline: Rank 1 Spatial Bloodline
Attributes: Combat Power 1400, Speed +50, Defense +10
Description: A ferocious beast possessing special attributes, its bloodline contains a portion of spatial properties. Its fur, blood, and bones are highly sought after by inscription masters, serving as an excellent medium for inscriptions. Space-Origin Martens require a special secret realm environment to survive and are extremely rare. Please prevent their extinction!

Neither too high nor too low in tier, with respectable combat power, it was actually a beast possessing a bloodline rank. Truly extraordinary!

1400 points of combat power equated to 14 points of martial prowess. While this was fiercer than ordinary production personnel, it lacked the true ferocity and might of a ferocious beast, appearing docile and cute instead!

What was particularly noteworthy was its speed, which reached an astonishing 50 points—equal to Lin Mu's own current speed. The only reason he had managed to kill this Space-Origin Marten was thanks to the advantage of a surprise attack. After a moment of thought, Lin Mu decided against hunting any more of them. Now that they were on guard, trying to catch up to them would be wishful thinking!

Lin Mu applied a Gathering skill:

"Ding!"
——System Prompt: Gathering skill executed successfully. You have obtained a Damaged Space-Origin Marten Pelt, and one unit of Space-Origin Marten Blood!

Two items instantly appeared in his inventory. Lin Mu sighed softly; a low-level gathering skill could only harvest such meager items. If it were a professional hunter or butcher using a specialized skill, top-quality pelts and multiple units of blood could easily be gathered.

He did not have the time to train this gathering skill, but Lin Mu wasn't bothered. He was an overlord and a domain lord, after all, and the path he walked was already different. Such minor chores could be left to his subordinates...

Having learned the attributes of the Space-Origin Marten, Lin Mu did not venture deeper into the resource secret realm. Instead, he headed back toward the dungeon entrance. Familiar with the route, he quickly exited the dungeon.

Resource dungeons possessed one very special characteristic: the existence of a [Dungeon Heart].

To put it in more mystical terms, the [Dungeon Heart] was essentially the passage connecting to this secret realm. As long as this passage existed, one could enter the secret realm from anywhere.

In some secret realms, the Dungeon Heart was located deep within, while in others, it was simply the gate of the secret realm itself...

Drawing upon his experience from his past life, Lin Mu knew that the Dungeon Heart of this lower-tier secret realm was that very glowing door. Placing his hand upon the luminous portal, a prompt immediately appeared on his information panel:

"Ding!"
——System Prompt: Player Lin Mu, since you hold the ownership of this dungeon, you meet the conditions to claim it. Do you wish to claim the [Space-Origin Marten] Resource Secret Realm Heart? Claiming it requires a payment of 1,000 reputation points!

"Claim it! Ah, I almost forgot about this reputation cost. The system is truly a miser; the reputation rewarded was pitifully small, and a single expense has wiped out more than half of it!" Despite his verbal complaints, Lin Mu was certainly going to take the Dungeon Heart. The mountain stronghold currently lacked the manpower to develop this area properly, and leaving such a precious resource secret realm here made him deeply uneasy. While reputation was difficult to acquire, there were still plenty of ways to increase it after all.

Taking it back and resetting the spatial gate was a much better option! That way, they could enter the secret realm space directly from Dragon Village. It would be incredibly convenient, even superior to a spaceship, Lin Mu thought to himself.

"Ding!"
——System Prompt: Congratulations, player Lin Mu. You have successfully claimed the [Space-Origin Marten] Resource Secret Realm Heart. However, because the Resource Secret Realm Heart contains special spatial rules, it cannot be stored in your inventory. Please take note, player!

The dungeon portal shook violently, its radiant lights retracting inwardly before a mysterious force compressed it into a small cluster like a ball of cotton. The brilliance was contained within, yet the runes inside appeared even more dazzling and mystical.

A resource secret realm heart, shimmering with flowing light and roughly the size of a compass, appeared in Lin Mu's hand. Low-level spatial apparatuses like a player's inventory were naturally incapable of storing such high-tier items as a Resource Secret Realm Heart. In truth, a Dungeon Heart was essentially a miniature spatial passage, a specialized type of space itself. Low-level spatial tools like backpacks could not contain gear imbued with spatial attributes.

Lin Mu had no choice but to carry it in his hand. It was quite heavy, requiring the strength of most of one arm to hold it as he retraced his steps along the mountain path back to the stronghold.

Having secured a resource dungeon, Lin Mu was in high spirits and walked with a light step!

Back at the stronghold, the villagers had already begun packing their belongings and luggage to migrate to their new home.

There was no reluctance among the villagers about leaving. Instead, many wore expressions of relief, their faces wreathed in smiles as their hands and feet moved briskly and effortlessly.

Taking a look, Lin Mu noticed that many villagers carried a backpack-like sack on their backs or in their hands. They were not bulging, but rather flat and light, yet they contained a wealth of soft goods and belongings. If Lin Mu guessed correctly, these were [Marching Packs]. Unlike a player's inventory, which was virtual and seemingly existed within a player's soul, Marching Packs functioned just like ordinary rucksacks.

He hadn't expected the villagers of Qingfeng Stronghold to possess such high-end items, which instantly elevated their standards. Moving house was as convenient and efficient for these villagers as it was for players.

Perhaps finally escaping this crisis-laden stronghold, or perhaps yearning for a bright future, the villagers were all living in great harmony.

In ancient times, the concept of "home" was deeply rooted among the common people. Home was their foundation; they respected tradition, and fallen leaves returned to their roots. If driven to no other choice by survival, very few commoners would willingly leave their hometowns to wander in exile!

This traditional sentiment of the Chinese people had endured through the ages, with nostalgia for one's homeland forever remaining engraved in people's hearts!

Furthermore, moving house was exceptionally inconvenient for ancient commoners. Oxen, sheep, horses, chickens, ducks, geese, plows, hoes, and sickles were all their lifeblood. It was nothing like modern times, where a single vehicle could handle everything.

Lin Mu had Feng Zhong arrange for 200 soldiers to escort a batch of villagers back to Dragon Village, split into five separate batches. Only after all the villagers had left Qingfeng Stronghold did Lin Mu organize the remaining 2,000 soldiers to attack Azure Dragon Stronghold.

The Gao family, being part of the final migration wave, thoroughly evacuated every remaining resident of the stronghold.

The prisoners of war were interspersed among each batch to prevent any uprisings.

The previously bustling and noisy stronghold instantly became desolate and empty—a scene of people departing and tea turning cold. Only the patrolling soldiers and those relentlessly training continued to shout out in the distance.

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