Yu Su Jingjing listened quietly as Chi Nan finished speaking, then said, "We've been together for quite some time. If you're in trouble, feel free to speak up. We'll help as much as we can."
Chi Nan showed a sincere smile, "I know."
He continued, "The conflict between me and the Merfolk clan runs deep. This matter will be resolved sooner or later. I've left something along the coast here, once they come ashore, I'll be aware."
Yu Su nodded, trusting Chi Nan's judgment.
...
Building a city is a massive project, but with skilled cultivators like Jian Yunchuan adept at manipulating land, constructing a decent city is not difficult.
The overall city wall is constructed with huge stacked stones. Natural barriers, steep peaks to the north and a natural gap to the south, make building watchtowers on the northern peaks and solid gates at the entrance/exit of the canyon plains in the north and the gap in the south sufficient.
To the west, along the mountain range of the Deer God Mountain, a wall connecting the southern mountain peaks is built, creating the western city gate.
To the east, along the trading market, a high stone wall is built, enclosing a portion of land within the city walls, and an eastern city gate is constructed.
Inside, the Yu Village River serves as a boundary; the west bank is the inner city, and the east bank is the outer city.
On the west bank, a high stone wall is also constructed as a barrier for the inner city, enclosing the main part of Yu Village. Another inner city gate is opened.
Yu Su uses spirit stones exchanged from the Fox Clan to grind them into powder. Defensive arrays are drawn on several city walls and watchtowers. This way, even if demonic beasts attack the city walls, they will collapse.
The four city gates in the north, south, east, and west are embedded with spirit patterns, enhancing their strength with spirit stones to ensure durability. These spirit patterns are powerful; even cultivators in the Golden Core stage cannot easily destroy them.
...
The construction took nearly half a year.
As autumn arrives, all the city walls and gates are completed.
Next is another construction plan—the Yucheng Temple of Gods.
The temple is something Yu Su promised Qingze to build. Now, with the addition of the worship of the Great White Ze God, having a decent temple is necessary.
The temple's location was prepared early on, right on the summit where Yu Su's family resides.
The summit has never been developed for any buildings, reserved for this day.
For the construction of the temple, this year's grand ceremony for the gods in Yucheng was simplified. They plan to hold a more elaborate ceremony next year after the temple is completed.
The people of Yucheng have decided not to rely on external help for the temple's construction; they want to do it all by themselves.
After discussions with the village chief and others, Yu Su agreed.
Hearing that the people of Yucheng plan to build the temple on their own, other villages wisely refrained from intervening. Once the main construction in Yucheng was completed, each village returned to their respective areas.
When the teams from various villages were preparing to leave, Yu Su hosted a gratitude banquet, celebrating for two days. Afterward, they began the construction of the temple.
Before the construction, after consulting with the Great White Ze God and Qingze, a wooden structure was chosen as the main building style.
Since it's a temple, thatched roofs wouldn't do. Yu Su planned to have people make a batch of tiles first. He even decided to add a bit of Gold Crow clay to enhance the tiles' sturdiness.
However, tile production turned out to be a slow and meticulous process. By the time winter came, only a quarter of the required amount was produced.
"This stuff is really tricky, much more complicated than building city walls," Yu Meng remarked.
Yu Su replied, "With you all here, it's already much faster."
The usual process requires extensive drying time, but with Yu Meng and Jian Yunchuan, who excel at manipulating soil, this part of the process can be significantly shortened. The tiles they produced were much sturdier than Yu Su had imagined.
For this reason, Yu Su came up with the idea of carved tiles, which exhausted Yu Meng and the others.
Of course, it wasn't without gains. Each time Yu Su came up with a new idea or tested their ability to manipulate soil, they underwent repeated training, significantly improving their ability to control soil.
...
From winter to spring, Yucheng experienced a cold winter and a busy spring, slowly entering the summer season.
The bricks and tiles for the temple have finally reached the required quantity, and the foundation, wood, and other preparations are all in place. The formal construction of the temple begins.
As both the Great White Ze God and Qingze prefer a natural and harmonious environment, especially with water and wood, Yu Su decided not to make the temple too solemn. Instead, he chose to build it in harmony with the mountain terrain, from the halfway up the mountain to the summit, creating the main hall, pavilions, and towers. A pool is dug at the mountain's peak, lined with spirit stones and adorned with a formation to gather water spirit energy.
When the pool on the mountaintop overflows, it cascades down on both sides, forming a waterfall landscape.
After obtaining Qingze's approval, Yu Su transplanted some spiritual plants from the Deer God Mountain, planting them in various locations to complement the scenery of mountains, rocks, pavilions, and towers. This integration enhances the overall beauty.
Just in time for the New Year's god-worshipping ceremony, the construction of the temple is finally complete.
The increasingly captivating temple has already spread its exquisite appearance throughout the land. Before the New Year's ceremony in Yucheng, almost every village in the region is preparing to witness the ceremony marking the completion of Yucheng's temple.
Following the usual practice, villages with close ties to Yucheng, such as the Barbarian Tribe Forest, Ironforged Village, Three Rivers Village, and Big Thistle Village, have received invitations from Yucheng.
This time, there is an additional invitation for the Fox Clan.
When the Fox Clan chieftain and clan doctor received the invitation, they were surprised.
"You want to invite us to the god-worshipping ceremony?" asked the Fox Clan chieftain.
Yu Su replied, "Of course, since the journey is long, Lu Yan will come to escort you to Yucheng."
After more than a year of interaction, the Fox Clan already knows that Yu Su is the witch doctor of Yucheng. However, due to the presence of a monster-infested forest in between, the Fox Clan has never visited Yucheng.
Therefore, receiving an invitation from Yu Su caught the Fox Clan chieftain off guard.
"Bring Fox Thirteen along. He has always wanted to visit Yucheng, right?" Yu Su thought for a moment and added, thinking it wouldn't be an issue for Lu Yan to bring one more person.
Fox Clan doctor Fox Qiu said, "Human beings might be afraid when they see us."
The Fox Clan chieftain snorted, "Afraid? Those people might try to capture us."
Yu Su reassured, "You two don't need to worry. In the territory of Yucheng, no one dares to harm the Fox Clan."
Fox Qiu was curious about Yucheng, "Chieftain, let's go together."
The Fox Clan chieftain looked at Fox Qiu and reluctantly nodded.
Fox Qiu smiled and looked at Yu Su, "The chieftain agreed. So, we'll trouble Lu Yan to escort us when the time comes."
...
This time, it is not only Yucheng's god-worshipping ceremony but also the official day of Yucheng's city establishment. Therefore, the ceremony will be particularly grand.
There is a lot of preparation in advance, and the number of guests will be greater than any previous time. Thus, everyone in Yucheng, from top to bottom, is busy preparing.
Yu Su, on the other hand, is inside the temple, checking for any overlooked details.
"Lord Mountain God, when we were working so hard to burn bricks and tiles, I didn't think it looked that great. Now, looking at it again, I realize my lack of insight," commented Yu Meng inside the temple, gazing at the magnificent beams, pillars, and roof tiles.
Even though they have seen this scene several times, it never fails to amaze them.
"Lord Yu Su said that when there's enough quantity of these tiles in the future, we can use them to cover our houses. Except for the temple's special patterns, we can have anything we want," said one excited villager.
"Thatched roofs need frequent replacement and are prone to leaks. If we use tiles, we only need to check them periodically, without worrying about waking up to a leaky roof," added another, sparking enthusiasm among the group.
Yu Su let them do the final inspection, and no one dared to be careless. They checked from halfway up the mountain to the summit, and every spot was adorned with breathtaking scenery.
"Brother Yu Su, is this pool too bare?" Yu Meng asked when they reached the summit. In fact, everyone shared the same thought.
There's only one pool at the summit, and despite the beautiful surroundings, it appears too plain compared to the rest. Planting some lotus flowers or something similar could enhance the beauty, especially during the summer and autumn seasons.
Yu Su replied, "No need to rush. After Lord Mountain God arrives, a spiritual tree will be planted in the middle of the pool, the same kind as the one on Deer God Mountain, the Emerald Spirit Tree."
"What? Planting a tree in the middle of the pool? Can that work?"
"Yes, how do you plant a tree in a pool?"
"No need for us to worry about that. Lord Mountain God will take care of it."
Yu Meng and the others voiced their understanding, already anticipating the scene.
They have never been to Deer God Mountain and have no idea what the spiritual tree looks like.
Moreover, Lord Mountain God will live here in the future.
Just thinking about it makes them excited.
"Brother Yu Su, didn't you say you were going to choose god servants? Look if I'm suitable."
"Choose me! I'll serve Lord Mountain God with my utmost enthusiasm."
"Nonsense! With your rough appearance, you'll surely scare Lord Mountain God. Choose me!"
As soon as they started talking about god servants, everyone started arguing, vying to be chosen.
Yu Su waited for them to calm down before saying, "Stop arguing. It's not up to me to decide. The selection will be made during the god-worshipping ceremony. Those destined to become god servants will receive the gods' blessings, and you'll know who they are at that time."
After Yu Meng and the others heard this, they stopped arguing but quickly began discussing how to attract Lord Mountain God's attention during the god-worshipping ceremony, hoping to be selected.
Yu Su shook his head and joined their discussion.
After ensuring everything was in order today, he would prepare for the god-worshipping ceremony's ritual dance.
Although the ritual dance is performed every year, without reviewing, he might forget the steps.
The dancing location is, of course, the usual place—the mountaintop in the forest.
Lu Yan has already arrived and is waiting for him.
Every year, Yu Su secretly practices here, and Lu Yan always watches from the side. This year is no exception.
When Yu Su saw him, he jumped down from the sword in mid-air.
Seeing this, Lu Yan immediately caught him, saying helplessly, "Nonsense, it's too dangerous."
In the past year or two, Lu Yan seems to have become much more stable. Although it's hard to see the intense wildness he had during the wilderness wanderings
, it doesn't mean he has completely lost that wildness. He has learned to conceal it, making him appear more and more steady.