Ancient Ark: A Dark-Themed Historical Survival Game

The Shrine of the Fallen Heroes.

Xiao Yu walked up to Hua Geng.

"Respected Chosen One, how can I help you?" Hua Geng asked in a gentle tone and with a kind expression.

"I want to strengthen the Heroic Spirits."

Xiao Yu took out the materials and the spirits of the archers.

Hua Geng's eyes lit up: "These two portions of Heroic Spirit Essence are enough to enable Heroic Spirits to break through, but we still need 40 Soul Stones as consumption and expenses."

Xiao Yu paid the Soul Stone.

Hua Geng immediately activated the formation and began refining the spirit.

It took about ten minutes for the archer hero to successfully absorb two portions of white hero essence.

Your "Nameless Archer" Heroic Spirit has been upgraded in quality; the current level cap is 11.

Breakthrough successful!

The level cap represents a Servant's potential.

Although it only raises the upper limit by one level, this one level is a qualitative change; level 10 and above are white-grade Servants.

The nameless archer completed the transformation from a gray heroic spirit to a white heroic spirit, and his armor and bow became much more refined, increasing his attack power by at least 30%.

"Thank you, sir!"

"Hehe, no need to thank me. It's an honor for this old man to still be able to serve the Chosen One."

Hua Geng stroked his beard and smiled.

If not for the all-knowing eye that saw through his identity.

Xiao Yu found it hard to believe that the gentle and refined old man before him was an extremely fanatical and cruel believer in the deep sea.

"To have achieved Level 4 cultivation in such a short time and to have actively nurtured a white heroic spirit is no small feat. Would you be interested in becoming a guest elder of the Hua clan?"

"A guest advisor from the Hua family?"

"The Hua family is the largest clan among the Song people of Suiyang. If you are chosen by fate to become a guest of the family, we will do our best to meet your needs, whether it be money, food, or protection of beauties."

Hua Geng paused slightly.

"Furthermore, the forbidden areas controlled by the four races are home to top-tier heroic spirits with immense potential. We will prioritize securing entry into these forbidden areas for our guest retainers!"

"What do I have to give in return?"

Hua Geng looked appreciative: "Those chosen by Heaven need to sign a contract to protect the interests of their families, but we will not and cannot restrict them. Your comings and goings are always free."

"Understood. To obtain Hua's resources, you need to perform missions for Hua. There's no such thing as a free lunch. That's fair enough."

Xiao Yu pretended to think, "But this matter is of great importance, and I cannot decide immediately."

"It's alright," Hua Geng said magnanimously. "The Hua family always welcomes outstanding chosen ones."

This time I came to the Memorial Hall of the Heroes.

One aspect is to strengthen the heroic spirits and enhance their strength.

On the one hand, they made initial contact with Hua Geng and established a connection.

The four clans of Suiyang.

Song, Chu, Wu, and Yue.

These four clans were not four separate family forces, but rather a union of clans from four different regions.

For example.

The Chu people were also known as the Mi people.

It is mainly composed of descendants of the royal nobles of the former Chu state with the surname Mi, and includes more than a dozen different clans.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, "surname" and "clan name" were different. The main function of surname was to trace lineage, and it was generally not used in daily writing. Therefore, Qin Shi Huang's surname was Ying and his clan name was Zhao, so he should have been called Zhao Zheng at that time.

The kings and princes of Chu all had the surname Mi.

The royal family's direct line was the Xiong clan of the Mi surname, hence all the Chu kings throughout history were of the Xiong clan, and there were also royal family branches such as "Qu, Jing, Zhao, Dou, Wei, and Nang".

For example, the earliest ancestor of the Qu clan was Xiong Xia, the son of King Wu of Chu, Xiong Tong. He was enfeoffed in the land of Qu and thus changed his name to Qu Xia.

Qu Yuan was from the Mi clan of the Qu family.

He won't be called Mi Yuan or Xiong Yuan.

The four ethnic groups of Suiyang were formed during the deep-sea era. They not only maintained the order and development of Suiyang, but also shouldered the responsibilities of worship and guarding forbidden areas.

The so-called forbidden area.

To put it simply, it's an old, hidden realm.

Powerful historical heroes slumber within.

The annual forbidden area sacrifices impose a heavy burden on people of all ethnic groups, but they can also reduce deep-sea pollution and decrease the probability of the secret realm deteriorating.

After the Chosen One descends.

Each race will recruit or actively select outstanding chosen ones to enter the secret realm and undergo trials.

If the sleeping spirits of heroes are awakened, the burden of sacrifice borne by each race can be resolved, and the chosen one can be won over—a win-win situation.

The forbidden land where the spirit of Xi Shi sleeps.

Currently, it is being managed by the Song ethnic group.

The Song people mainly consisted of two major clans: the Sima clan and the Hua clan.

The representative of the Sima clan was Sima Geng, who was originally a famous scholar of the Song state and was now the highest-ranking official in Suiyang City.

The Hua family was a prominent and influential clan in the State of Song during the Spring and Autumn Period, and its influence continues to this day. In terms of family size, it ranks among the top three.

The top echelons of the Hua family have been infiltrated by the Evil Eye Cult.

On the surface, they will select and support outstanding chosen ones, allowing them to enter forbidden areas to obtain powerful heroic spirits.

This is a conspiracy.

The heroic spirits slumber in the secret realm and cannot tamper with it.

Once it is released, there are many ways to deal with it. For example, a newly formed Heroic Spirit whose contract is not stable may be destroyed after a single death.

These destroyed heroic spirits were either consumed by nightmares and transformed into evil, or perished in the deep sea and completely banished.

That's how Xi Shi's spirit from her previous life died.

The culprit was Hua.

First, they continuously support the chosen ones in challenging the secret realms. Once a top-tier heroic spirit of destiny is born, these believers will immediately eliminate it at all costs.

He did not agree to become a guest advisor to the Hua family.

This was to avoid being monitored and restricted by the Hua clan. Once the "Yingdu Ruins" were opened, all the tribes would naturally vie to extend invitations to the forbidden area.

Hua Geng and his followers within the Song clan, whether to suppress Xiao Yu or to destroy high-quality heroic spirits, would definitely invite Xiao Yu to participate in the secret realm trial.

Xiao Yu will then use this opportunity to his advantage.

Leaving the Martyrs' Shrine.

Arrive at the weapon-refining hall.

Don't be careless when challenging the Nightmare dungeon.

Xiao Yu's equipment is running out of durability. For example, the Golden Silk Bow and the Corruption Ring are currently in need of maintenance due to severe wear and tear from high-intensity use.

"There are so many people?"

When Xiao Yu arrived at the weapon-refining hall, he found that although the place was not overcrowded, it was still unusually lively.

[Refiner: Xiong Lie], Level 5 Common Unit... Brief Introduction: The most outstanding refiner of the Xiong clan of the Chu people in Suiyang, serving the chosen one under the orders of Sima Geng.

Master Xiong Lie was surrounded by dozens of players.

Judging by this, it'll take at least half a day to queue.

Xiao Yu didn't want to waste time. He glanced at the apprentices in the weapon-refining hall and found that one of the bald old men looked very familiar.

"Professor Zheng, we meet again."

"Student Xiao?"

Zheng Liangping was overjoyed to see Xiao Yu.

Back then, Zheng Liangping, Jiang Xiaoxia, and Zhao Gang teamed up with Xiao Yu, and it was thanks to Xiao Yu's care that they were able to safely leave the forest.

Zheng Liangping practiced basic weapon crafting using the materials given to him by Xiao Yu, which is how he secured the job as a weapon crafting apprentice. He was very grateful to Xiao Yu.

"How have you been, Professor Zheng?"

"Don't call me that. I'm just an ordinary Chosen One now. If you don't mind, just call me Old Zheng!"

Zheng Liangping's eyes lit up: "The art of weapon forging is profound and extensive; it is a great subject worthy of a lifetime of study."

The materials from the past are numerous and complex.

Each one has amazing characteristics.

This fascinated the former top expert in materials science, as he could gain essence from the materials and level up each time he crafted a weapon.

Xiao Yu saw genuine passion in Zheng Liangping's eyes; it seemed he had found the path he wanted to take.

Love what you do.

No wonder he'll become a master in the future.

Old Zheng has mastered the art of weapon crafting. Although the cost will be a bit higher, it will be more than enough to meet the needs.

Instead of wasting time queuing.

Why not just support Old Zheng's business directly?

After some investigation, Xiao Yu learned that Zhao Gang and Jiang Xiaoxia were doing quite well, and that they had indeed heeded the advice given at the time.

After arriving in Suiyang.

Despite being tempted and courted by various parties, they remained cautious and did not make a hasty choice, and are currently all free.

Not bad!

Children can be taught.

Both of them are very capable.

Especially Jiang Xiaoxia's "lucky aura".

This time, "Yingdu Ruins" just happens to be short a few helpers, so Xiao Yu is going to lead them to the next Nightmare dungeon!