In the livestream room...
As Lin Yu finished his recruitment of the Four Great Clans, the virtual screen gradually fell silent. No one else spoke.
Shortly after, the livestream prepared to come to an end.
[Ding! The current Q&A session has ended. The livestream will temporarily close in three minutes. You may choose to exit the livestream at your convenience.]
[The next livestream session will occur in one month!]
Upon hearing the system's announcement, the various powerful figures and hundred-thousand-year soul beasts couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
With over twenty live streams now behind them, they had learned that shorter intervals between broadcasts often meant easier questions and greater chances of winning rewards. Many felt hopeful that they might claim a prize during the next session.
Satisfied, everyone in the room, including Lin Yu, gradually logged out.
…
At Dugu Bo's residence.
After exiting the livestream, Lin Yu hopped out of bed and stretched in front of the window, his mood light and relaxed.
"Ahh, that was refreshing!" Lin Yu grinned to himself.
Not only had he once again mercilessly exposed Tang San's hypocrisy during the broadcast, but he had also successfully extended an offer to recruit the Four Great Clans. Although Yang Wudi, Niu Gao, and Bai He hadn't immediately agreed, Lin Yu was confident that their eventual allegiance was all but secured.
The Four Great Clans already harbored deep resentment toward the Clear Sky Clan, and now, with the live stream revealing their future extinction, their hatred was even more intense. There was no one else on the Douluo Continent who had both the motivation and the capability to help them exact their revenge—besides Lin Yu.
In Lin Yu's view, the Four Great Clans had no other choice but to follow him.
As for Tai Tan's refusal and his angry tirade? Lin Yu wasn't the least bit concerned.
He knew that Tang Hao and Tang San were currently residing within the Strength Clan's territory. Even if Tai Tan's loyalty to the Tang family had wavered, with the wolves already at his door, what could he do but feign obedience?
Lin Yu had expected as much. His offer to recruit Tai Tan had simply been a way to ruffle Tang Hao and Tang San's feathers.
After a brief stretch to loosen his muscles, Lin Yu shifted his focus to the reward he had earned during the Q&A. Like before, the first-place prize was a random reward.
This time, Lin Yu already knew exactly what he wanted.
Having successfully developed three different types of medicinal pills that could aid soul masters in their cultivation and with his recruitment of the Breaking Clan already underway, Lin Yu knew it wouldn't be long before he had his first batch of apprentice alchemists.
But relying solely on the Breaking Clan for alchemists wasn't enough. The Breaking Clan only had around a thousand members, and even if half of them could be trained as alchemists, that still wouldn't meet his needs.
Thus, Lin Yu had been contemplating recruiting soul masters from other places as well.
Through his recent experiences in alchemy, Lin Yu had identified three types of soul masters that were particularly suited to becoming alchemists.
The first were spiritual-type soul masters.
These soul masters had heightened perception, allowing them to better sense the subtle changes in medicinal ingredients during the alchemy process. They could also more precisely control the heat required for refining pills, making them ideal candidates for alchemy.
The second group consisted of fire-type soul masters.
While external flames could be used for alchemy, soul masters who could generate their fire through soul power would have better control over the flames. Fire-type soul masters were naturally suited to the art of alchemy.
Lastly, the third type was plant-type soul masters, also known as wood-type soul masters.
These soul masters often had an innate sensitivity to the properties of medicinal herbs, giving them an edge when it came to understanding the subtle interactions between ingredients during the refinement process.
If a soul master happened to possess two or even all three of these traits—spiritual sensitivity, fire control, and plant affinity—they would be even better suited to becoming master alchemists.
With that in mind, Lin Yu intended to recruit not only from the Breaking Clan but also to visit the Blazing Academy and the Plant Academy to explore potential partnerships.
Given that alchemy would be one of the core pillars of his future faction, Lin Yu needed to ensure that this unique knowledge didn't fall into the wrong hands.
This was why, for his reward, Lin Yu had decided to choose a contract book.
He would require all prospective alchemists to sign a binding contract before they began their training. This contract would prevent them from divulging any information about alchemy to outsiders.
Though Lin Yu knew this might hinder the broader development of the field, he had no choice. Alchemy would be key to his faction's growth, and in its early stages, he had to maintain tight control over the trade. In the future, he could consider loosening these restrictions once the foundations were secure.
"System, I'd like to claim my reward as a contract book. The contract should have the following specific features…"
With his mind already made up, Lin Yu promptly made his request to the system, outlining the precise functions he wanted for the contract book.
[Ding! The artifact "Book of Fate Contracts" has been granted. Please check your inventory.]
A cold voice echoed in Lin Yu's mind as the system granted his request.
Moments later, with a thought, Lin Yu summoned the artifact. A flash of black light filled the room, and in his hand appeared a thick, black leather-bound book.
The book had a weighty feel to it, and as Lin Yu ran his hand over the black cover, he marveled at the luxurious black-gold sheen. He couldn't quite place the material, but it felt exquisite under his fingers.
The front cover was adorned with mysterious, intricate patterns, and two ancient golden symbols were inscribed in the center. Though Lin Yu couldn't read them, he had a feeling they spelled out "Fate."
On the back, similar cryptic patterns spread across the surface, interspersed with lines of fine, golden script—most likely a warning to anyone who signed the contract not to break its terms.
After admiring the artifact for a while, Lin Yu performed a blood ritual to bind the book to him, gaining full access to its powers and knowledge of how to use it. Now that the contract book was fully under his control, he could flip through its pages at will.
Satisfied, Lin Yu stowed the book inside his body.
Though the Book of Fate Contracts might not be an offensive artifact with awe-inspiring destructive power, it still had its uses—like being small enough to hide within his body until needed.