After upgrading his territory to Level 6, the size expanded by another 1,000 square meters.
Lucian couldn't help but sigh. If only it could double in size...
Of course, he wasn't one to dwell on greed. He quickly began reorganizing his territory.
First, the walls:
The Thundercloud Barrier – Stone Wall, originally sized 50x100 units, gained 20 additional units, making it 60x100.
Lucian adjusted the positions of the defensive towers, optimizing firepower coverage to cover the maximum possible range.
Next, with the remaining Void Essence Stones in hand, he started upgrading the defensive towers.
Inferno Tower: Level 5 → Level 6, Void Essence Stones -2000!
Fart Tower: Level 5 → Level 6, Void Essence Stones -2000!
Flame Trial Tower: Level 5 → Level 6, Void Essence Stones -3000!
After these upgrades, the "997" Void Essence Stones were finally used up.
Lucian stretched and smiled. "When they wake up, we'll open the loot boxes and harvest another batch of rewards!"
With that, he headed to the Palace for some rest.
The next day, as expected, monsters attacked again.
The girls, now accustomed to the rhythm of battle, stood ready, no longer unarmed and unprepared.
Lucian commanded the battle while simultaneously opening loot boxes to collect enough Void Essence Stones to upgrade more towers.
This pattern—fighting, upgrading, and expanding—became Lucian's cycle. His power grew stronger each day.
Day 16
The invading monsters were a group of blue-skinned barbarians with massive physiques and ruthless combat techniques.
While strong individually, they couldn't match the coordination of the Great Qin Warriors.
The barbarians fell to the combined might of the troops, cultivators, and defensive towers.
Eventually, the boss appeared—a Barbarian Shaman who summoned powerful totems to enhance his warriors.
After an intense battle, the heroes seized the moment, decapitating the shaman during his transformation into a ten-meter-tall giant.
Day 17
This day was grueling, with monsters attacking continuously for 24 hours.
Hidden within the mist were summoners who endlessly conjured insect-like beasts and flying swarms.
With her keen perception, Qin Keqing located and eliminated the summoners.
The final boss was a massive golden insect, hundreds of meters long, with terrifying speed and attack power but fragile defense.
After a fierce battle, Lin Daiyu landed a finishing blow, slashing it apart with Devour the Heavens.
Day 18
A massive swarm of zombies invaded, including upgraded variants like Screamers, Toxic Zombies, and Exploders.
The boss, the Zombie Mother, had devastating corrosive acid that melted parts of the walls and killed several Moon Palace disciples.
Eventually, the combined might of heroes and soldiers obliterated the bloated boss, but the damage to the walls and morale was significant.
Day 19
This day brought aquatic creatures.
Though their water magic and curses were formidable, the land-based battleground rendered them at a disadvantage.
The boss, a Blue-Scaled Fishman, was easily dispatched by coordinated attacks.
Day 20
A group of muscular human cultivators invaded, their physical prowess and martial arts skills far exceeding the Great Qin Warriors.
But as the army formations engaged, the cultivators' uncoordinated efforts crumbled.
The boss, a master swordsman, met his end after a brief clash with the heroes.
Day 21
As the clock struck noon, Lucian sat on his chair, enjoying the company of two beautiful heroines, appreciating their beauty unabashedly.
The past few days had been relatively easy, with weaker monsters and straightforward battles, allowing the heroes and soldiers to rest.
Despite the temporary reprieve, Lucian refused to relax completely.
His territory had already reached Level 8, and the defensive towers were also at Level 8. However, his heroes and units were still at Level 7.
The gap frustrated him.
Despite earning substantial resources daily, upgrading consumed tens of thousands of Void Crystals and Void Essence Stones.
The Void Essence Stones, in particular, were perpetually drained.
"Young Master, don't let your guard down," Lin Daiyu teased, gracefully wiping her lips with a silk handkerchief after finishing her meal.
Lucian chuckled. "What if today's monsters are nothing but pushovers? We could defeat them while lying down."
"Pfft—" Qin Keqing couldn't help but laugh, taking a sip of her soup.
"Young Master, is that how life will be? Always gambling with luck?"
"Not exactly," Lucian explained the Newcomer Trials, adding, "I'm an exception. My starting advantage was overwhelming, which means my enemies scale exponentially."
"After the Newcomer Trials, exploration will normalize... at least somewhat."
The two women nodded thoughtfully.
Qin Keqing stood, excusing herself. "Young Master, I'll tend to the Spirit Rice fields."
The Spirit Fields, now numbering twelve and all at Level 5, had previously grown basic vegetables.
However, after obtaining Spirit Rice seeds, Lucian decided to replace the crops.
Spirit Rice provided significant benefits upon consumption, such as improving physique and increasing vitality.
For lower-level units, it could even help them level up from 1 to 2.
Lucian smiled. "Good. You handle that, and I'll head to the Red Pavilion to see if I can summon another hero."
With that, he stood and prepared to leave.