Zhou Yan then began to familiarize himself with the conditions of his territory with Diao Chan. The territory currently lacked even a fence, as building one required lumber, which in turn needed to be felled from trees or quarried.
Given Diao Chan's superior attributes and strength compared to Zhou Yan, he took out the novice equipment and handed it to her. "This is your equipment. Please bear with it for now; we'll get you better gear later."
"Thank you, Lord."
Diao Chan was about to bow again in gratitude, but Zhou Yan quickly stepped forward and grasped her hand tightly. "Don't do that anymore. I don't like such formalities; it makes us seem too distant."
"Ah, alright, Lord." Diao Chan's delicate face flushed red once more.
"And stop calling me Lord. From now on, just call me Zhou Yan," Zhou Yan said.
"This... isn't that inappropriate?"
"It's fine. Call me that. I like it when you call me that."
"Then, alright."
Zhou Yan proceeded to ask Diao Chan about many things, including whether she had any memories of her past life in the Three Kingdoms.
He eventually discovered that Diao Chan had no recollection of her former existence.
This was perhaps for the best.
Zhou Yan also inquired about her magical abilities. Diao Chan replied that they were innate, as if imprinted in her mind from birth, akin to instinct, like a baby knowing how to nurse.
Zhou Yan understood. The past was unimportant; what mattered was that she had a new future.
In the newcomer's territory, aside from the summoned structures, there wasn't even a table or a stool.
The two sat in the Spirit Vein Bamboo House, feeling the nourishing spiritual energy within the room revitalize them from head to toe.
It was akin to bathing in a hot spring.
Zhou Yan also wished to cultivate, but techniques were incredibly precious, even on Cang Lan Continent.
They could only be obtained through the territory.
Zhou Yan took out food and shared it with Diao Chan.
The supplies he carried were very limited. To survive the one-month novice period in the territory, he needed to resolve the food issue as soon as possible.
In eight hours, they had also surveyed the surrounding area of the territory.
His current territory spanned five hundred square meters, with a fifty-meter vision range beyond that.
Beyond fifty meters, everything was shrouded in mist, obscuring sight and filled with the unknown.
This meant they would need to venture out to explore the foggy regions.
However, this carried inherent dangers. The conditions within the mist were unpredictable, and if they encountered monsters, newcomers would likely perish.
Due to the peculiar nature of territory spaces, even powerful lords' children under eighteen years old could not enter the lord's space.
Therefore, all youths on Cang Lan Continent started on an equal footing, with their levels beginning at 0 and similar attributes.
However, wealthy offspring could strengthen themselves through early cultivation and acquire decent equipment before entering their territories, giving them a significant advantage.
...
With a beautiful companion, time always passed quickly.
After eight hours, Diao Chan suddenly grew serious, lifting her exquisite face towards Zhou Yan. "Lord... Zhou Yan, I sense the aura of approaching monsters."
Zhou Yan was surprised. They were inside the house, yet Diao Chan could sense something so far away.
Did this mean that any of his future advances towards her would not escape her notice?
"Chan'er, let us face the enemy together and defend our home!"
Zhou Yan shamelessly took Diao Chan's jade hand, gazing at her affectionately.
If he couldn't seize the opportunity with such a celestial beauty, wouldn't he be a disgrace to all transmigration novel protagonists?
Diao Chan still felt a bit resistant, but she didn't forcefully pull her hands away. Otherwise, with her current strength, Zhou Yan would be no match.
Diao Chan's pretty face flushed, and she lowered her head, softly replying, "Okay!"
Zhou Yan smiled and walked out with Diao Chan, side by side.
As long as his heart was sincere, Diao Chan would eventually be his.
As soon as they stepped out, they saw a black wolf charging from a distance, heading straight for the territory.
"How can there be ten monsters?"
Zhou Yan, seeing ten wolves, all pitch black with ferocious, bloodthirsty eyes, each the size of two meters, appeared formidable. He was greatly astonished.
Newcomer lords were not supposed to encounter such strong monsters.
Furthermore, his twelve years of compulsory education taught him that even a golden lord would not have more than three monsters appearing at the start.
Yet, he was facing ten monsters from the outset, which completely contradicted what he had learned.
"It seems this is due to the colored lord space."
Zhou Yan frowned; this was not good news.
It was only the first day. As time passed, the monsters would only grow stronger. If he lacked sufficient strength to defend the territory, everything here would turn to dust.
"No, I absolutely will not let you destroy my territory, nor will I let anyone destroy my future!"
Zhou Yan felt a profound sense of crisis, but all of this required effort to safeguard his future and his dreams.
He glanced at Diao Chan beside him and felt a slight relief. For now, he could only rely on her.
"Chan'er, can you handle these ten monsters?"
Diao Chan's attributes had been amplified tenfold, making her incredibly powerful.
This didn't even account for her various bonuses. Facing these monsters should not be a problem, right?
Diao Chan turned back to Zhou Yan and smiled faintly. Her smile was captivating, eclipsing all other beauties.
"Don't worry, I will guard this territory!"
Turning her head, Diao Chan's expression turned cold, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor. She raised her novice sword and charged forward with extreme speed.
Her movement was like lightning, and her form was like a graceful dancer, elegant and exceptionally vivid.
Since there was no fence, the black wolves quickly entered the territory.
The ten black wolves' target was the Lord Crystal at the heart of the territory. The Lord Crystal was like a treasure, deeply attracting these wolves.
However, upon seeing Diao Chan, they shifted their target to her, opening their gaping maws and lunging at her.
"Chan'er!"
Zhou Yan's heart tightened. Although he had confidence in Diao Chan's attributes, he couldn't help but worry.
At the same time, he inwardly cursed his lack of strength, forcing him to watch from the rear.
The distance between the black wolves and Diao Chan rapidly closed. However, as Diao Chan approached them, her speed increased further, and she became a blur, weaving through two of the black wolves.
Diao Chan swiftly maneuvered her sword, and two lotus-like phantom images appeared in the air.
"Bang! Bang!!"
Two black wolves fell to the ground, clearly dead, blood staining the earth.
"This..."
Zhou Yan watched, dumbfounded and utterly amazed. He had never expected Diao Chan to be so strong; it was a complete one-hit kill.