Chapter 107: Inner Domain (Part Two)

Chapter 107: The Inner Domain (Part Two)

Stepping out of the Reception City, the first things to greet their eyes were the drifting white clouds and the fierce beasts soaring through the sky. In the distance, numerous floating islands barely came into view, alongside a uniquely magnificent Sky City. All of this astonished everyone present—even Hongshen Li found himself slightly agape, marveling at the spectacle before him.

“Click! How is it? Isn’t it spectacular?”

Old Wang, standing nearby, suddenly produced a camera from somewhere and snapped a photo of Hongshen Li’s awestruck expression. Grinning warmly, he looked at him and asked about his feelings.

Hongshen Li paid no mind to Old Wang’s photography. After all, in the past, he had appeared on national news broadcasts and internet trending lists. The memes made using his likeness had once been top sellers. Such candid shots were nothing to him—just a splash in the ocean.

“Hmm, it really took me by surprise. I never imagined the Inner Domain would look like this. It’s beyond anything I expected.”

“Hahaha, you’re the calmest student I’ve seen in all my years—recovering your composure so quickly and not even minding my photo-taking. Well done, well done. Interesting, very interesting.”

“Not at all, teacher. I could never compare to you. Please, guide me through the current situation.”

“No rush, no rush. Just follow me.”

With that, Teacher Wang led Hongshen Li onward, heading toward a stone tablet without any inscriptions.

“Take out your Lord’s Heart. Hold it with one hand, and press the other hand against this tablet. Of course, if you don’t trust me, you can wait until the people you called arrive.”

“I trust you, teacher. That work token isn’t something just anyone can possess. I’ll do exactly as you say.”

Hongshen Li approached the tablet, and the Lord’s Heart floated out from within him. Holding it with one hand, he pressed his other hand against the stone.

Golden light began to ripple from the tablet, enveloping his body. It then flowed over the Lord’s Heart for a long while before forming several rings of intricate patterns around it.

Hongshen Li then opened his eyes, stepped back a few paces, and looked toward Teacher Wang.

“This…”

“Yes, just as you imagine. The contract’s contents are now in your mind. It’s quite simple.”

Closing his eyes, Hongshen Li reviewed the contract and then exhaled in relief, wearing a wry smile.

It turned out this stone tablet was a mechanism established by the Ministry of Education. When new lords arrived, it infused the Lord’s Heart with basic laws to prepare them for their upcoming duties.

The tablet also enforced a binding contract with the lord. The terms were straightforward: to keep the affairs here and the forthcoming work confidential, forbidden from being disclosed to lords outside. This prevented anyone from preparing in advance.

Hongshen Li also sensed a wave of detection—like the customs devices of the Temporal Management Bureau—indicating he had been scanned again.

“All right, it’s nothing serious—just routine procedure. Come on, follow me. There’s still much to do.”

Teacher Wang turned and continued leading Hongshen Li around the Reception City, sharing information about the Inner Domain along the way.

“This place is essentially the Inner Domain for students. What you imagine as the Inner Domain lies below, where only native tribes dwell. You lords, however, float above.

See those floating islands in the distance? Some contain resources, others host beast herds, and some are the main cities of new lords like yourselves.

After your transformation, you’ll be able to ascend like them. But remember these points:

First, the islands that support your main cities can move. This maneuver depends on the Source Point. You can steer your island to collide with resource islands or evade threats.

Second, resource islands appear randomly, actually placed by the Ministry of Education. These islands are attracted to your main city and will drift toward it, so stay vigilant.

Third, there are no high school reception cities here. All reception cities belong to the Ministry of Education and are merely lent to high schools. All staff within these cities are managed by the Ministry. You’ll understand the specifics in time.

Fourth, when your main city ascends, it will float according to your strength. The stronger your lord space, the higher your city will rise. The recruitment offices of the lord universities are located far aloft. You must reach a passing score before you can qualify to converse with them.

I’ll give you a simple admissions handbook later. Compare the heights of those recruitment offices and their admissions overviews carefully. Understand well. Don’t rush to enroll or hurry to go to university.”

High school serves as a solid foundation. The great powers of civilization painstakingly crafted this continent and placed it under constant supervision and adjustment by the Ministry of Education to strengthen the roots of new lords.

Hmm... You can think of it this way: sometimes, it’s not good for a man to move too quickly. Sustainable growth is the true path. Understand?

Fifth, you may descend to the ground and even attack the third-tier native tribes there. However, you cannot ascend beyond your maximum altitude, as each level presents different challenges and rewards. You need to balance this yourself.

…”

Teacher Wang’s detailed explanation of the Inner Domain continued without pause. Leading Hongshen Li and the others to the back of the Reception City, he pointed to an empty stretch of ground.

“We’ve arrived. You can now reveal your main city in its entirety. Don’t worry about space—it will automatically accommodate your city perfectly.”

Hongshen Li glanced at the empty ground and then back at Teacher Wang. When the latter nodded, he swallowed hard.

He proceeded to unfold his main city there, prepared to retract it quickly if anything went wrong—to avoid a free fall from the immense city.

Yet his worries were unnecessary. As the city took form, the ground beneath it began to proliferate wildly, perfectly supporting the great city.

What Hongshen Li did not notice was that, as the city fully manifested, Teacher Wang’s mouth grew increasingly wide behind him, resembling the expression Hongshen Li himself had worn upon leaving the city.

Unfortunately, everyone’s attention was fixed on the expanding land beneath the city, so no one witnessed Teacher Wang’s strange expression—and thus, no one recorded this moment.

When the city was fully revealed, Hongshen Li exhaled deeply and returned the held Lord’s Heart to his body, landing perfectly despite his racing heart.

He then turned to Teacher Wang.

“Teacher, what should I do next?”

(End of chapter)