The spatial ripples of the End Portal shimmered and finally dissolved into an invisible, formless wave of energy that dispersed throughout the Overworld. A portion of it coalesced around Su Bai, and an immediate sensation of clarity washed over his entire body.
Su Bai raised his hand and opened the portal right beside him.
"Three by three, nine blocks. Just as I thought!"
Observing the three-meter square portal before him, Su Bai's eyes glinted with excitement, his fingers clenching tightly.
At first glance, the enlarged portal seemed useless—merely bigger in size. But in reality, that wasn't the case. The larger the portal, the greater the volume of objects that could be transported through it simultaneously.
Previously, Su Bai could only rely on himself to carry supplies into Teyvat. The only improvement he had made was developing a fully automatic delivery device. However, its limitations were obvious—both the size and efficiency of the device were severely constrained by that single block width.
Moreover, if he encountered combat in Teyvat, calling for reinforcements could easily be thwarted by blocking the portal. Although he could reposition the portal back and forth, wouldn't a larger portal be far more advantageous?
Imagine a two-by-thirty-two portal materializing right in front of you, with a group of Zombie Pigman bosses waiting on the other side, golden swords in hand. How would you feel?
While transportation is important, an even more critical aspect is one of the portal's unique properties: it can be controlled and moved.
In short, with a TNT duplicator set up, the portal can be opened on one side and then smoothly moved to the other end of the machine. The entire contraption could be transported directly into Teyvat!
This was the realization that thrilled Su Bai beyond measure.
He recalled his early days in Teyvat—devoid of elemental power, his combat prowess uncertain. His mind was filled with images of the Geo Archon subduing demons at Guyun Stone Forest, the Crimson Witch of Flames summoning storms and thunderclouds, Ningguang's "Treasure of the King" saturating the screen with attacks, and Shenhe's single kick freezing an entire glacier...
To Su Bai, who had emerged alone from the world of Minecraft, these feats loomed like an insurmountable mountain, forcing him to tread carefully and avoid conflict whenever possible. Who knew if his dragon-slaying strength could truly match the gods who had survived the Archon War?
After all, single-target damage was never Minecraft's forte—its strengths lay in area-of-effect and unique mechanics. When it came to surface-level destructive capability, nothing could compare.
The evolution of the portal filled Su Bai with hope. It might not mean he could strut through Teyvat unopposed, but it certainly guaranteed him a firm foothold where he wouldn't have to kowtow to anyone.
Orbital dragon-slaying cannons, chunk excavators, vector-based TNT/pearl cannons, terrain flatteners, land reclamation devices...
If he could effortlessly bring these into Teyvat, becoming a dominant power was almost a foregone conclusion.
A faction without control over its own territory could hardly be called a true faction. As someone from China in his previous life, his deep-seated obsession with land was etched into his very bones.
As great as the Minecraft world was, the neighbors there were... challenging, to say the least. Teyvat, at least, felt more human. Walking its streets, you could hear normal conversations between people, not just endless "hmm" and "hrngh" sounds.
Fifty years might as well have been a single day. Had he not busied himself with building various contraptions, losing himself in clearing land, digging foundations, and constructing great walls, Su Bai would have long since succumbed to loneliness and mental collapse.
"Spatial node cache size is indeed tied to total resource transport volume."
Before leaving the End Portal, Su Bai saved its coordinates into the Minecraft-side spatial node archive. The other coordinate points weren't overwritten; instead, an additional slot was added.
After repeated attempts, he finally determined the upper limit: the current spatial node cache capacity is six. Split between both sides.
"Another piece of good news," Su Bai mused with satisfaction. He opened a portal and returned directly to the Department Store. His business in Minecraft was concluded, and this final bit of good news topped it all off.
More nodes didn't just mean greater transport capacity—the most important implication was the growth of his personal power.
There was an active TNT duplicator set up at the gravel site. Saving its coordinates meant that if he encountered Treasure Hoarders or Hilichurls, he could simply open a portal right above their heads. Could they handle that?
Imagine being in the middle of a fight, and your opponent suddenly uses a series of chained portals to dump you straight into the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Could you withstand that?
Just thinking about it made Su Bai realize the immense potential.
"Still, I really have to thank those greedy grain merchants. If they hadn't pressured me, who knows how long it would have taken me to discover this."
He lay back on the soft, comfortable bed, a slight smile curling his lips as he gazed at the full moon outside the window.
Teyvat was his only destination for now. But this wasn't some 12+ world—life and death, love and hate, slaughter and darkness were ever-present. It felt more like a primal world detached from the ordinary, where strength commanded respect.
Despite the system of Seven Nations and Seven Archons, there were still organizations like the Fatui, employing underhanded tactics both openly and in secret.
Therefore, personal power and factional influence were always paramount. And he happened to possess the means to combine both, creating a virtuous cycle: the stronger his faction, the more money he could make, the more benefits he'd receive from the Minecraft world, and the greater his personal power would grow—which in turn would strengthen the faction under his control.
Su Bai's weary mind raced, thoughts leaping between various paths forward, methods to rapidly enhance his power, ways to obtain divine authority... until his thoughts brushed against someone's Gnosis, and he abruptly stopped.
He shook his head, dismissing the idea. That wasn't something he should be considering right now.
"Step by step. For now, I should focus on the Qixing's decision regarding the cooperation."
"I wonder if Ningguang can persuade Keqing. If we can lease a thousand acres in the Guili Plains, our future will be secure."
"I hope it works out."
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100 powerstones = 1 chapter
200 powerstones = 3 chapters
300 powerstones = 5 chapters