Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

After a long flight of more than ten hours, Chen Jingrun's initial unease and restraint finally gave way to physical exhaustion. He went from sitting upright to slowly leaning back in the soft seat, and finally fell into a deep sleep on the spacious airline sofa without realizing it, until the vibration of the plane's wheels hitting the runway woke him up.

The plane landed smoothly at New York International Airport. The group got into a waiting car and drove to the Lin family mansion on the Upper East Side. Chen Jingrun sat in the car, his face almost pressed against the window, his eyes fixed on the endless stream of vehicles and the rows of skyscrapers outside, a sight he had never seen before in China.

He remained silent, his eyes showing no envy, only a deep longing—a longing for his motherland to one day be so prosperous and powerful. Sitting in the passenger seat, Lin Gang aptly introduced him to the famous buildings they passed along the way, giving a general overview of New York's layout, his gentle tone easing his sense of unfamiliarity.

The car stopped in front of the Upper East Side mansion. Charles, the old butler, was already waiting on the porch. He stepped forward, opened the car door for Lin Yan, and bowed slightly.

"Young master, welcome home."

Lin Yan nodded slightly and walked straight into the house. Lin Gang carefully looked after the somewhat bewildered Chen Jingrun, while Wang Yuling followed behind, carrying Xiao Qi.

Back in the living room, Lin Yan introduced Charles and the other key servants to Chen Jingrun in a simple and polite manner. Then, he instructed the old butler, "Charles, you are responsible for arranging all of Mr. Chen's follow-up matters. Please be sure to handle them carefully."

"Understood, sir," Charles replied respectfully.

After giving his instructions, Lin Yan turned and went upstairs, leaving the space to Chen Jingrun, who was new to the area.

The next day at noon, Cambridge called. All the arrangements for his enrollment, a quiet place near the campus, an English teacher, and a Chinese nanny to take care of his daily needs had been made.

Lin Gang personally accompanied Chen Jingrun to Princeton, New Jersey, to help him familiarize himself with the area and settle in. Once everything was ready, Lin Gang drove back to New York alone.

At this moment, standing in front of the window of his tidy apartment in Princeton, Chen Jingrun looked out at the quiet, academically vibrant foreign town that was so different from New York. A new chapter in his life had officially begun.

Lin Yan's consciousness switched freely between reality and space. He first issued instructions to Hong Kong:

"Lin Yi, the construction of the National University of Singapore must be accelerated. At the same time, have Lin Jiaze personally meet with President Ye Shengtao and ask him to use his reputation and connections to secretly scout out a group of promising young students in China—focusing on the three crucial fields of law, nuclear physics, and aerospace."

He hesitated for a moment, then continued to give instructions:

"Once the candidates are selected, arrange for them to travel to Hong Kong under various suitable pretexts. Alexander's people will take over, ensuring their safe arrival in the United States and arranging their subsequent studies and life. Remember, this must be done discreetly, but efficiently."

After dealing with external affairs, Lin Yan returned to the space with Xiao Qi and Wang Yuling. Without a moment's rest, he plunged into the weapon-refining room, dedicating himself entirely to forging his natal sword formation—the Qiankun Sword Formation. The previously successfully forged Li Huo Sword was only the first step; to fully realize the envisioned, infinitely variable sword formation, imbued with the essence of Qiankun, would require immense effort and countless rare materials.

Meanwhile, deep within the Wanyan Mountains of this space, another grand project was also underway. Lin Yan mobilized a considerable number of Nascent Soul stage cultivators within the space. With Wang Qin assigning tasks, several Nascent Soul cultivators, led by Xie Qingci and others, were divided into several teams:

The scavenging team ventured deep into the treacherous mountains and the mysterious mineral veins of the endless sea, mining spiritual materials, spiritual wood, black iron, and all the rare and precious materials needed for construction.

The exploration team flew along the edge of the Endless Sea, carefully surveying the terrain and the direction of the spiritual veins. Their ultimate goal was to find a perfect blessed land backed by the Myriad Dragon Veins and facing the Endless Sea as the foundation of their sect.

Time flies by in space; one year outside is more than several hundred years inside.

Lin Yan practically turned the entire Wanyan Mountain Range upside down. He led his cultivators across the most treacherous peaks and the deepest valleys, even venturing into the very depths of the Endless Sea to fight the ferocious beasts guarding rare treasures. The hardships and immense effort he endured were beyond description.

Eight hundred years have passed, and countless failures and restarts have exhausted almost all of his accumulated top-grade spiritual materials.

Finally, on the Refining Peak within the sect, with the dedicated cooperation of Nascent Soul stage refining master Zhao Yuan and the assistance of array group member Xie Qingci in stabilizing the weapon embryo and harmonizing the various treasures with profound array patterns, the last quenching spring slowly dissipated its steam.

Lin Yan stood before the weapon-refining platform, his face showing signs of fatigue, but his eyes shone like morning stars. Before him, eight flying swords of different shapes, each radiating spiritual light, floated silently, emitting clear and melodious resonances.

Fire Sword, Metal Sword, Dark Water Sword, Green Wood Sword, Thick Earth Sword, Thunder Sword, Hurricane Sword, Ice Soul Sword.

The eight swords each possess different attributes, yet their energy is interconnected, forming a perfect yet dangerous cycle. The powerful sword intent draws upon the spiritual energy of the heavens, creating a small vortex of spiritual energy.

His natal magic weapon—the Qiankun Sword Formation—is finally complete!

Lin Yan let out a long sigh of relief, a breath he had held for eight hundred years. With a wave of his hand, eight flying swords, as if imbued with life, transformed into streams of light and entered his body for nurturing.

As he stepped out of the weapon-refining peak, preparing to begin planning the sect's development, the scene before him startled him slightly.

The once barren land in the distance is no longer what it used to be:

The magnificent palaces and pavilions are built against the mountain, with towers and pavilions hidden among the clouds and sacred trees, and the flying eaves and brackets flowing with mysterious array of light.

The massive mountain gate stands tall, inscribed with the three characters "Wanyanzong" (meaning "Myriad Evolutions Sect"), exuding a Taoist charm and possessing a magnificent presence.

The main hall, the transmission pavilion, the alchemy room, the weapon hall, the scripture library, and the disciples' residences are all complete. The layout is in harmony with the heavenly way, forming a huge spirit-gathering array that continuously absorbs the spiritual energy from the Wanyan Mountains and the Endless Sea.

In the sky, cultivators flew on their swords, and cranes danced gracefully. On the square, Golden Core disciples dressed in uniform could be seen practicing spells or exchanging sword skills.

Xie Qingci, Zhao Yuan, and the others were already waiting outside. Upon seeing Lin Yan emerge from seclusion, they all bowed.

"Welcome back, young master! Young master, the foundation of the sect that you entrusted to us during your seclusion was initially established three hundred years ago."

However, the final decision on the contribution point system still needs your approval.

Lin Yan accepted the jade slip presented by Wang Qin, scanning it with his divine sense through the detailed rules and regulations regarding contribution points. His eyes revealed approval. This system, which considered all aspects of a disciple's cultivation, task completion, and skill improvement, was indeed quite comprehensive.

"The framework is good." He lightly tapped the jade slip with his fingertip, offering his only suggestion for modification, "However, one more point needs to be added—starting from 1970, all Golden Core cultivators on duty outside the sect will rotate back to their sect for cultivation every five years."

He looked at Wang Qin, who stood solemnly to the side: "The path of cultivation ultimately rests on cultivation itself. We cannot allow promising young cultivators at the Golden Core stage to have their cultivation paths delayed by worldly affairs. During the rotation period, Nascent Soul cultivators will disguise themselves and take over their positions. This way, we can ensure that external affairs continue uninterrupted while allowing Golden Core cultivators to fully cultivate."

"As for contribution points..." Lin Yan pondered for a moment, "They are accumulated as usual while on duty outside the sect and during cultivation back at the sect. Nascent Soul cultivators can also obtain corresponding contribution points when taking over missions."

Wang Qin's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Young Master's consideration is thorough. This way, the external situation can be stabilized, and the disciples' path to enlightenment can proceed without worry. It's truly a win-win situation."

"Then it's settled." Lin Yan handed back the revised jade slip. "Pass down the order to have the heads of each hall arrange the first batch of replacement lists as soon as possible."

This new rule quickly spread throughout the Myriad Evolutions Sect, causing many Golden Core cultivators who were constantly traveling to make a living to cheer. For Nascent Soul cultivators, this also meant an additional way to earn contribution points—after all, who among those who could cultivate to the Nascent Soul realm hadn't mastered a few secret techniques for changing their appearance?

From then on, the Wanyan Sect's cultivator rotation system quietly began to operate, maintaining the stability of the external situation and ensuring the continuation of the sect's heritage.

Looking at this thriving business that far exceeded his initial expectations, Lin Yan smiled with realization and satisfaction.