His tone was calm, but there was a slight shift beneath it.
The outcome hadn't matched what he originally planned.
He leaned back slightly, one hand resting against the armrest as his thoughts moved, going over what had just happened and where things deviated.
Teleportation talismans, or anything related to spatial movement, were now something he had to account for seriously, because without a proper countermeasure, situations like this would keep happening no matter how well he arranged everything beforehand.
Still, it wasn't a complete failure.
During the clash earlier, the sword strike had carried a trace of his golden spiritual energy into the man's body, subtle enough to go unnoticed but firm enough to remain.
As long as that person stayed alive, Liam would always know where he was.
There was no urgency in his expression, but the intent had already settled.
"Let's see how far you can run ant, I will make sure to find out who is behind you."
He straightened slightly, the earlier displeasure fading into something more composed, because if someone dared to come here, act openly, and leave just like that, then there had to be a response, not for personal reasons, but for everyone watching.
The Purple Cloud Pavilion couldn't be seen as something that could be tested without consequence.
Above the city, several figures moved, not appearing out of nowhere this time but stepping into the air one after another, their tall cloaked forms billowing in the air as they followed the trail left behind.
Their movements were obvious, and as they accelerated, the air split in short bursts behind them, not loud enough to shake the city but more than enough to make people look up and realize something was happening.
Below, both mortals and cultivators paused, their attention drawn upward as the figures disappeared into the distance, leaving behind a strange silence that slowly spread through the area.
On a rooftop not too far away, Li Hongyu stood with his hands behind his back, watching the direction those figures had taken, his expression no longer relaxed.
"…That's a hunt."
Beside him, Cao Ren nodded, his gaze still fixed ahead as he spoke in a lower tone.
"That man really picked the wrong place to cause trouble."
"I wonder which force he came from. But judging from his technique, he doesn't seem to be native."
"Outsiders?"
Li Hongyu let out a quiet breath, his fingers brushing lightly against his beard as he considered what he had just witnessed.
"Four of them went after him, and none of them revealed anything about their realm… if that man doesn't die quickly, this whole region is going to feel it."
Cao Ren shifted his gaze slightly, though he didn't seem surprised.
"That's not our concern for now."
Li Hongyu gave a small nod, his posture loosening just a little.
"We've already seen enough to report back."
"Mm."
Cao Ren agreed, and without dragging things out further, the two of them turned and left the rooftop, disappearing back into the city without drawing attention, as if they had never been there to begin with.
Liam noticed their presence, but he didn't act on it, because as long as they stayed within their limits and didn't interfere further, there was no reason to deal with them yet.
Right now, his focus was elsewhere.
That man had to be hunted down.
At the same time, he also needed to strengthen his own side, because the current number of Golden Core puppets clearly wasn't enough if someone could still find room to escape under pressure like that.
And beyond that, his thoughts moved toward something he had already been considering for some time.
"A stronger one…"
He murmured under his breath, his gaze lowering slightly.
A demonic beast, but not just any ordinary one, something beyond what he currently had, something that could push his strength further upward.
The stronger it was, the better.
Like climbing a ladder step by step, each level would bring him closer to where he needed to be.
Golden Core wasn't the end.
Nascent Soul was the next target.
And once he reached that level, everything here would become much easier to control.
He leaned back again, the earlier tension gone as his thoughts settled into place.
"…Then I can start opening things up slowly."
The dungeon.
Not all at once.
But gradually.
Starting from here, letting people step in bit by bit, only after he was certain that nothing in this region could easily threaten what he had built.
The aftermath slowly settled across the city.
The earlier chaos faded bit by bit as people returned to their routines, though the traces of what happened were still there, collapsed structures, broken streets, and the lingering tension in the air.
Hero and Lucien had already slipped away from the main scene, leaving behind only whispers of their involvement, while dozens of Pavilion guards moved through the affected areas, inspecting damages and counting casualties.
Hours passed.
By the time the city grew quieter, Ilya made her way to Liam's residence.
She entered carefully, her steps light as she crossed through the front and moved toward the backyard where the pond was.
The place was calm, almost detached from everything that had just happened outside.
When she arrived, she slowed down.
Her gaze swept across the area.
Liam sat as usual on his chair by the pond, relaxed, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Beside him, three figures stood.
They didn't hide their aura.
But at the same time, it didn't feel clear either.
Vague.
Hard to grasp.
Ilya paused for a brief moment before stepping forward and greeting them politely.
"Greetings to the three seniors."
One of them responded with a faint smile.
"If it isn't Madam Ilya, nice to meet you."
Another waved his hand lightly.
"No need for formalities. We're not worthy of being addressed so politely by the Lord's wife."
Ilya froze for a second, clearly not expecting that.
A faint blush rose to her face as she nodded quickly, almost flustered, before moving past them and toward Liam.
She had barely reached his side when he reached out and gently pulled her down to sit beside him, his hand patting her head in a casual motion.
"You did well handling the situation."
Ilya lowered her head slightly, her voice softer than usual.
"Well… it's nothing much. I was just doing what I could to support you."
She took a small breath to steady herself, then began reporting everything, damages across the city, the number of casualties, the repairs already underway, and the general state of things after the incident.
Liam listened quietly, not interrupting her.
After a while, he lifted his hand slightly, signaling her to pause.
"How's the public opinion?"
Ilya straightened a little at that, answering more clearly.
"Very positive. Probably the highest we've had so far. Even though the intruder escaped, revealing the existence of Golden Core seniors within the Pavilion made the major forces more cautious."
"I see…"
Liam nodded, satisfied, then gestured for her to relax before continuing.
"And the purchase of third-grade materials?"
Ilya shook her head lightly.
"Not going well. Even with our flying ships connecting several cities, high-end crafting materials are still limited. I've had to outsource some collection tasks to bigger cities, but the cost is much higher since Golden Core cultivators are usually the ones willing to take those jobs."
Liam didn't show much concern.
"You've handled it well."
For him, the current pace was already acceptable.
Ilya then took out a storage ring and handed it over.
"These are what I've gathered over the past few weeks."
Liam took the ring, checking its contents briefly before giving a small nod.
More than enough.
With this, he could produce several more Golden Core puppets, combined with the original seven, that would bring the total to seventeen.
A solid foundation.
He returned the ring and leaned back slightly, already thinking ahead.
At the same time, he made another decision.
Expanding the spiritual farms inside the divine space.
And adding more land beyond the first layer, not just for future use, but to start utilizing it immediately for cultivation resources.
Turning his head slightly, he asked,
"Any updates on third-grade spiritual seeds? We only have one or two types so far. It'd be better if we could expand that."
Ilya shook her head again.
"Unfortunately, no. There aren't many channels to access spiritual seeds, and most of them are too far. Our current flying routes don't reach those areas yet."
Liam tapped lightly against the armrest, thinking.
"The red tide is more troublesome than expected."
After a short pause, he asked again,
"How many ships do we have now?"
"Six," Ilya replied with a small smile. These ships were something she personally oversaw, and they had become one of the Pavilion's biggest sources of income.
"Six…"
Liam nodded slowly, then gave a slight gesture.
"Have them design a larger one. Several hundred meters in length."
Ilya hesitated.
"That… such a size would require a powerful cultivator to operate."
Her thoughts quickly shifted to their current manpower, then to the three figures standing nearby.
Understanding dawned.