I Build a Shelter in the Eternal Night

"And how can one achieve absolute sincerity of heart?"

"First, you must cleanse yourself of your worldly roots."

"After I cut off my worldly roots, the probability of randomly getting my desired Upgrade Direction increased dramatically. While not quite eighty or ninety percent, it reached forty or fifty percent, which is much better than before."

"As an Architect, one must protect the world and fight against the Eternal Night."

"A mere worldly root is but an external object, nothing to be concerned about."

"I originally did not want to share this experience, but my time is short. Before I go, I wanted to leave something for the world, so I am imparting it here at this Architect conference. I hope it can help you all."

The Architects in the audience nodded thoughtfully.

"..."

Chen Fan stood there in stunned, expressionless silence. 'He really wanted to believe the man on stage was just an old fool telling a tasteless joke, with the audience laughing it off. But the reality was, the old man on stage was speaking with extreme seriousness.'

'Judging by the sound of his voice, this old gentleman's words and actions were one. He really did it. He actually cut it off.'

And the audience didn't immediately question him; instead, they were actually contemplating it.

Soon, the old man walked off the stage.

Another Architect walked up to share their insights.

This was a middle-aged man in a green robe. Someone in the audience identified him as a Grand Elder from a faction in Jiangnan. Though he was draped in gold and silver, he had a rather affable air as he stood on stage, breaking down his own theories.

"The topic I wish to share today is 'Qualitative Transformation.'"

"We are all Architects, so you should all be aware that during the building upgrade process, there is a minuscule chance of a qualitative transformation occurring. Whenever one does, it often means the building has gained some unfathomably powerful effect."

"So, is there a way to increase this probability?"

"I believe there is."

"The secret is 'hitting milestones.'"

"Through my experiments, I've found that when you build your 100th, 200th, or 300th building of the same type—for example, your 100th Arrow Tower, 200th Arrow Tower, or 300th Arrow Tower—the probability of a qualitative transformation increases dramatically."

"Therefore—"

"I suggest that everyone keep a record of the number of buildings you've constructed. When you reach one of these Nodes, the building you create at that moment will have a high probability of having a transformative effect. You should think carefully about its placement when you build it, so as not to waste that effect."

The audience once again nodded thoughtfully, clearly having gained a great deal from the talk.

After this man walked off the stage, another person took his place.

It was an old woman, with white hair and a face full of wrinkles, yet she exuded an air of nobility. The jade necklace around her neck was particularly striking. After ascending the stage, she chuckled a few times before beginning to speak.

"Fellow practitioners, it is truly a fortunate event that we are able to gather here today to exchange our knowledge."

"Every Architect has their own unique understanding."

"The insight I wish to share today is—"

"'Spirit Drawing.'"

"When it comes to Spirit Drawing, practice makes perfect. The more you do it, the faster and more accurate you will naturally become."

"But many of the younger generation of Architects find it difficult to even reach the Entry Level."

"My advice is to train your Spiritual Thought. For example... spend a certain amount of time each day imagining what an apple looks like, or imagining a candle placed next to an apple."

"Imagine how a beam of light striking it from different angles would change its appearance."

"Imagine the sensation of touching soil, or the bark of a tree, to train your Spiritual Thought and thereby achieve..."

The old woman spoke eloquently and at length before finally pausing.

The applause from the audience was thunderous.

A young Architect raised his hand and asked, "Senior, I fail every time I try to begin Spirit Drawing. I can't even perform the most basic version. I can't conjure even the faintest blueprint of a 'building' in my mind, not even for a Ghost Fire. What should I do?"

"For your condition, you might need the help of elixirs. Perhaps you could inquire at Medicine King Valley."

"..."

Chen Fan turned his head, his expression flat, and looked at the Architect who had asked the question. 'He really wanted to say something. He really, really wanted to speak up.'

'He wanted to say it.'

'You don't need to go to Medicine King Valley for your problem.'

'I can diagnose you right here.'

'You have absolute aphantasia. You're finished. You have no future as an Architect in this lifetime.'

'The symptom of aphantasia is the inability to visualize any images in one's mind. And since an Architect must perform Spirit Drawing within their mind, if you can't visualize anything, you naturally can't perform Spirit Drawing.'

'He was starting to see the picture.'

'What every Architect was sharing were essentially folk remedies. But because there was no known "correct answer," none of their theories could be disproven. So, everyone subscribed to the idea that it was better to be safe than sorry.'

'Putting aside whether their shared insights were right or wrong, at least there was a genuine atmosphere of exchange.'

Whether they were high-level, Level 7 or Level 8 Architects, or just Level 1 or Level 2, everyone was sharing their own perspectives.

'He really wanted to share, too.'

'After all, he had the correct answer.'

'Just hand over all your Ghost Stones to me. I'll defend Jiangbei for you. After that, I'll head south and grab all the Ghost Stones from the Guanxi Plain, and I'll defend Guanxi, too. If all the Ghost Stones on the Eternal Night Continent were given to me, there would be no more Eternal Night starting tomorrow.'

'Giving you Ghost Stones is a complete waste.'

'Thinking about it now...'

'...these Architects really haven't had it easy. Fumbling around for all these years without knowing the correct answer, they've actually managed to figure a few things out. He even felt a little sorry for them.'

'They were just brute-forcing their way through the dark.'

'It was like groping a stone woman in the dark. You fumble around for ages, can't find the hole, and end up finding her mouth instead.'

'It wasn't the right answer, of course.'

'But at least you got in.'

'So in a way, you found an answer.'

「Just then—」

The old woman suddenly looked toward Chen Fan. "Domain Lord Chen, you have been listening for quite some time. Would you be willing to come up and share your own insights on being an Architect? For Domain Lord Chen to single-handedly establish the Mortal Realm during the rainy season, you must certainly have some extraordinary skills."

As her voice fell, everyone followed her gaze and finally noticed that the master of Mortal City, Chen Fan, had been sitting among them and listening for a long time.

Immediately, a sea of expectant gazes turned toward him.

"Domain Lord Chen, say a few words!"

"Just share anything at all!"