"Alright, alright, my fault entirely. I apologize to you, Zhaoji. It was my mistake."Yi Tianxing laughed good-naturedly as he offered his apology.
Cai Yan rolled her eyes at him but didn't say anything more. Instead, she looked at Yao Yue and Lian Xing and said warmly,"Sisters, since we all belong to the same man now, we are family from here on out. I'm not the jealous or scheming type. Our husband dislikes the inner palace being full of intrigue and petty rivalries. I hope we can live harmoniously as sisters. Instead of scheming against each other, we should focus on assisting our husband in making the Great Yi stronger in these chaotic times. Let's not become a laughingstock for outsiders."
As she spoke, she gently took Yao Yue and Lian Xing's hands in hers.
Her sincere words moved them. The resistance in their hearts faded, replaced with a surprising warmth. It was a tender and unfamiliar feeling.
"We'll be relying on Sister Zhaoji from now on," Lian Xing said with a soft smile.
"Now then," Cai Yan continued, "since the two of you have just arrived, you should each pick a palace within the imperial compound as your residence. Many of them are currently unoccupied, so feel free to choose the ones you like. Once you've decided, I'll have people send over daily necessities. From now on, this is your home."
Each concubine in the imperial harem was entitled to her own palace. Of course, it was preferable to choose one that suited her tastes. At present, many such palaces were vacant and could be picked freely.
"After that, we can go eat. Chef Lai must have prepared a grand feast by now. It's meant to welcome you two."Cai Yan smiled again.
The moment she knew Yi Tianxing had returned, she had immediately instructed Lai He to prepare a lavish meal personally, even allowing the use of rare ingredients from the royal reserves.
As his wife, she knew all too well that her husband was a glutton. He had a hard time resisting delicious food. To him, cuisine was an indispensable part of life.
Cai Yan had even considered learning to cook herself, but after trying for a while, she had to admit that she simply didn't have the talent. Her dishes never glowed and the flavor was just... average. Decent at best.
"No rush," Yi Tianxing smiled. "I've brought back a treasure this time. The royal palace should boast unparalleled scenery. Even within its walls, one should be able to appreciate the vast beauty of the world."
"Is it the Garden of Perfect Brightness?"Yao Yue's eyes lit up as she asked.
Yi Tianxing had told her about it before, though she had never seen it for herself. Naturally, she was filled with anticipation.
"Yes, it is indeed the Yuanmingyuan."
With a flash of light, a miniature garden appeared in Yi Tianxing's hand. Despite its small size, one could clearly see the breathtaking landscapes: mountains, lakes, pavilions, and various gardens, each with unique architectural styles. Even in miniature, it radiated elegance and artistic perfection.
"What a stunning piece of work… it's like a living painting," Cai Yan said in awe.
"From today onward, this Garden of Perfect Brightness will be integrated into the royal palace. It will serve as our new Imperial Garden, open for all to enjoy."
Yi Tianxing raised his hand, and the miniature garden soared through the air, fusing naturally into the palace grounds.
The royal palace itself was actually a heavenly artifact, evolved from a Village Construction Order, so it effortlessly merged with the Garden of Perfect Brightness. In an instant, new features appeared: lakes, hills, flower gardens, pavilions—an explosion of picturesque landscapes blending perfectly with the palace.
However, the palace's expansion quickly reached its maximum limit, restricted by the Canopy Tree of the Palace, whose cloud canopy could no longer support the growth.
"The Canopy Tree can't support the complete integration of the garden. In that case… I'll make it grow."
Yi Tianxing's eyes flashed. The solution was clear: the tree must grow stronger.
For that, it required vast resources and pure Heaven and Earth energy to fuel its development.
With another flash of light, a new item appeared: a golden mouse statue, lifelike, vibrant, with large buckteeth and sparkling eyes. It was filled with vitality and joy.
It was the Golden Rat, one of the Twelve Zodiac Statues.
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing hurled the statue into the plaza.
Boom!
The golden mouse instantly expanded to match the size of the existing four statues: the Iron Ox, Spirit Snake, True Dragon, and Golden Rooster.
As it landed, a deep rumble shook the plaza. Its long, lean form loomed large, drawing gasps from nearby onlookers. It was as if they were being stared down by a divine mouse spirit.
Immediately upon touching the ground, the statue fused seamlessly into Xuanhuang City.
Its mouth opened and it began to inhale the Heaven and Earth energy, a strange squeaking echoing through the plaza. Then it fell silent again.
At the same time, mystical Dao Rhythms surged into the Golden Rat's body. Spiritual light shimmered over its surface as it absorbed innate spiritual essence.
Most importantly, the existing Innate Spirit Vein within the Iron Ox naturally extended some of its essence into the Golden Rat, forming a new spiritual vein seed within it.
🔹Second Innate Spirit Vein (within the Golden Rat Zodiac Statue)The fusion of statues produces amplified absorption, and with five statues now active, their rate of Heaven and Earth energy absorption multiplies significantly.
More statues began appearing and were placed across the plaza in a deliberate formation.
"Twelve statues… these are the Twelve Zodiac Signs!" someone in the crowd gasped.
"Are these not heavenly treasures? The King has actually gathered all twelve? The aura here has completely changed—it feels… divine!"
Few among the populace knew that these statues were the true source of the city's Innate Spirit Vein. They had attributed the changes to Yi Tianxing's power or the city's evolution to a royal capital.
With all Twelve Zodiac Statues assembled, Yi Tianxing could clearly feel the difference: every statue's absorption rate had increased twelvefold.
Their Spirit Vein Seeds were growing rapidly, exuding intense spiritual light.
Suddenly, a hissing roar echoed from the Spirit Snake Statue, and a spirit vein in the form of a massive snake emerged within it. It began devouring chaotic qi from the void and refining it into pure Innate Vital Qi, channeling it directly into Xuanhuang City.
The form of this second Innate Spirit Vein was identical to the Spirit Snake.
The effects were immediate—Heaven and Earth energy within the city became even more abundant.
The Canopy Tree of the Palace, rooted in the central plaza, absorbed this energy and began growing violently.
It sprouted a new canopy layer, dramatically increasing its vertical and horizontal reach.
What had once been the third canopy layer was now the fourth, elevated to the uppermost level, overseeing all below. The layers were now arranged like a pyramid, each level hundreds of meters apart, forming distinct, independent realms.
New palaces began appearing naturally on each canopy layer, expanding the kingdom's core infrastructure.