Discovering that the total contribution was almost negligible, Han Cai felt a wave of disappointment.
Did this imply that he was to provide all the spirit stones? The elder had claimed that the residents would contribute some spirit disks towards the maintenance of the protective array. It seemed those words were merely to comfort him. Their assistance would hardly make a difference.
Internally, Han Cai grumbled about the elder but managed to voice a few words of assurance to the old man. He gauged the amount of spirit stones needed and compared it with the old man's estimate of their input. Han Cai then handed over five year's supply of spirit stones to the old man to uphold the defense array.
He informed the old man that, after five years, he could visit Han Cai's Immortal cave to collect the required spirit stones for the next five years. Disregarding the old man's continuous gratitude, Han Cai set off towards the northern part of the grassland area.
Shortly after, Han Cai found himself on Blacky, hovering over the two hilltops.
It was evident that the spirit Qi was more abundant on the taller hill, but the shorter hill was denser and more stable. It was not only more suitable for an Immortal's cave but had also been the site of a previous cultivator's dwelling. The present Immortal's cave was in perfect condition, seemingly ready for immediate move-in.
Han Cai took a moment to ponder.
First, he steered towards the denser, shorter hilltop and ventured into the deepest, most secluded part of the Immortal's cave. Next, he struck the earth forcefully..
Half a day later, the initial layout of an underground tunnel was visible. It was ten meters in diameter and led directly towards the base of the hill.
However, when Han Cai's tunnel had dug a dozen meters beneath the hill's base, he abruptly changed direction, steering towards the base of the other hill which was over a kilometer away.
While Han Cai's cultivation techniques were extraordinarily precise, having Yongnian's assistance reduced the time required for this colossal task to one day.
Aside from the Prairie Palace and the central hub, the Heavenly Grassland City, there exist eight peripheral zones and four core regions within the Inner Grassland Prairies. Each region's three principal plateaus serve as the administrative centers for their respective areas. Collectively, these places are referred to as the twenty-four Peripheral Grassland Islets and the twelve Core Grassland Islets, all of which fall under the authority of the Heavenly Grassland City.
The plateau where Han Cai took up residence, known as the Robust Bison Plateau, is one of the Peripheral Grassland Islets of Heavenly Grassland City.
With numerous minor plateaus under the jurisdiction of these islets, the Prairie Palace wields considerable power. Intriguingly enough, the Prairie Palace adopts two approaches to appointing the lords of these islets.
The twelve Core Grassland Islets are each governed by six individuals handpicked by the two fairy saints. As for the twenty-four Peripheral Grassland Islets, they select their leaders through a centenary contest held at Heavenly Grassland City, where the ultimate winners are crowned as plateau lords and enjoy the prestige of regional rulership.
Hence, the centenary competition held at Heavenly Grassland City has earned the name 'Grassland Selection Gathering.' Each time it's convened, the majority of the high-ranking cultivators from the Emerald Wind Grasslands flock to the city.
Several cultivators arrive with aspirations of becoming an islet lord, others seek to expand their network or gain knowledge. Some even see it as an opportunity to barter medicinal pills, materials, cultivation techniques, and other such commodities. During this period, Heavenly Grassland City becomes a bustling hub. Regardless of the gathering, the city is always a vibrant blend of various personalities.
Apart from a no-conflict rule within the cities and spirit stones tax for extended stay, the Prairie Palace allows the city to operate autonomously. This freedom attracts cultivators of all tiers. As long as notorious outlaws don't cause a ruckus, the Prairie Palace doesn't make efforts to apprehend them.
Major merchant families are delighted with this liberal atmosphere and operate permanent outlets within the city. They run their auctions and a multitude of businesses that generate spirit stones.
This leads to an influx of unique items from the Emerald Wind Grasslands flowing through Heavenly Grassland City each year.
Additionally, the city has become a hotspot for cultivators due to another reason. The Prairie Palace has established a teleportation formation that provides direct access to the Outer Grassland Prairies.
Upon constructing a tunnel between the bases of the two hills, Han Cai carved out a new cave inside the taller hill. It was designed similar to his previous cave in the Vermillion Phoenix Continent.
This would serve as Han Cai's space for cultivation and the growth of spiritual flora. With the original cave dwelling serving as a decoy for the real one, Han Cai felt this way his back up base will be safer.
After finalizing his Immortal cave, Han Cai installed the first illusion array formation and then a defense formation that even Heaven Immortal would have a hard time passing through.
However, after flying around the two hills for a while, he still felt he should have more arrays. .
He retrieved the sets of formation setup tools and opted to deploy two of the more formidable formations, namely, the "The Fierce Insect Tides Formation" and the "Illusory Heavensifting Formation".
These two formation spells had an extensive range and would completely cover both the hills. Although they weren't as extraordinary as his original illusion array, they would pose considerable trouble for cultivators below Venerate level. Therefore, Han Cai's cave dwelling would be entirely shielded from everything below the level of Transcendent Immortal. If you became Transcendent you had to ascend to the Immortal Realm so basically for now no one in the realm could break his array formation.
From the sky outside of the formation, the hills were veiled in a misty illuison, making them hard to discern. Han Cai faintly smiled at the sight and slowly descended into the fog, disappearing from view.
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