Traveling Between Two Worlds: From Bread for Maids to Fantasy Overlord

The smoke of battle had not yet cleared from Black Wind Ridge. Li Hao, sprawled on the ground, still emitted faint aftershocks of Foundation Establishment spiritual energy. Huang Yiming stood with his hands behind his back, his Qi Refining Level 3 aura emanating steadily, his body shrouded in lingering killing intent. "From this day forward, the Black Wind Ridge stronghold will be named Yiming Village!" His voice was not loud, but it pierced through the ears of all the refugees and rogue cultivators present, carrying an undeniable authority. The rogue cultivators he had subdued yesterday all knelt on one knee, shouting "Village Chief!" in unison. Qin Hu waved his fist, his voice louder than anyone else's. Only Li Hao, whose cultivation had been crippled, stared at Huang Yiming with a sinister gaze, filled with resentment.

Qin Yuling, longsword in hand, stood tall beside Huang Yiming, her aura, at the fourth level of Qi Refining, subtly circulating as she scanned the entire area to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation. Yang Xiu leaned against her, her spiritual energy becoming increasingly condensed after advancing her Hidden Spiritual Root, her eyes filled with admiration for Huang Yiming, as she held a newly compiled list of refugees in her hands. Su Qingyue stood on the other side, toying with a miniature surveillance device between her fingers, a faint smile playing on her lips—she had already secretly set up surveillance when the cultivators brought by Li Hao were defeated, recording the entire battlefield's movements.

"Brother Ming, we need to establish rules for this village, otherwise these refugees and rogue cultivators will cause chaos sooner or later!" Qin Hu leaned forward, his face still covered in dust, but he couldn't hide his excitement. "I think the training methods used by soldiers in the city are very effective. Why don't we use those methods too, combined with cultivation techniques? I guarantee we can train an elite guard!" A hint of approval flashed in Huang Yiming's eyes, and he nodded, saying, "We'll do it your way. You'll be in charge of training, and Yuling will assist you in formulating the reward and punishment rules—anyone who is lazy, negligent, or causes trouble will be expelled from Yiming Village; those with serious offenses will have their cultivation crippled!"

Yang Xiu quickly stepped forward and whispered, "Young Master, I have finished the count. There are 327 refugees and 46 independent cultivators, including 11 Qi Refining Level 1 cultivators, 3 Qi Refining Level 2 cultivators, and the rest are ordinary people. I have divided them into classes according to their physical condition for easier training later." Su Qingyue added, "I brought a lot of barbed wire, searchlights, and several small generators from the city, which will be used to reinforce the stockade walls and set up guard posts to prevent sneak attacks."

With clear division of labor, Qin Hu immediately gathered everyone in the open space of the village. Holding a megaphone he had brought from the city, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Stand up straight! From now on, if you follow Brother Ming, you'll have food to eat and spiritual energy to cultivate, but you must abide by the rules! Starting today, get up at 3 AM every day, stand at attention for an hour, then practice basic body-refining techniques, and cultivate your cultivation techniques in the afternoon—anyone who dares to slack off will be dealt with!" The rogue cultivators were initially somewhat disdainful, feeling that mortal military training methods were unworthy of cultivators. However, when Qin Hu used the basic body-refining techniques he had just learned and smashed a tree trunk as thick as a bowl with one punch, everyone fell silent.

Huang Yiming led Su Qingyue to the location of the spiritual vein deep within Black Wind Ridge to check on its nourishment. The spiritual herbs on the vein were growing vigorously, radiating a rich spiritual energy. Huang Yiming touched the herbs, feeling a warm, moist spiritual energy emanating from his fingertips. A system notification quietly sounded: "Low-grade spiritual vein detected. A spiritual energy purifier can be used to purify the spiritual energy and accelerate cultivation. It is recommended to build a spiritual vein cultivation room as soon as possible." Huang Yiming nodded, then turned to Su Qingyue and said, "When you return to the city tomorrow, bring several spiritual energy purifiers and nutrient solutions. Also, purchase some building materials to build a spiritual vein cultivation room, prioritizing the core guards and the three ladies for cultivation."

Su Qingyue nodded obediently, her eyes full of tenderness: "Don't worry, I'll arrange everything as soon as possible, it won't delay your cultivation. By the way, when I was checking the surveillance footage just now, I noticed an unfamiliar Foundation Establishment aura three miles outside the village. It's been secretly observing, but I can't see its face clearly. It seems to be someone from the Qingyun Sect." Huang Yiming's eyes turned cold, and his Qi Refining Level 3 aura instantly surged: "The Qingyun Sect is really persistent. It seems the elder Li Hao mentioned will arrive soon. Save the surveillance footage carefully, don't alert them. I want to see what tricks they're up to."

Back in the village, Qin Hu's training was back on track. The refugees and rogue cultivators, though exhausted, all had determined eyes—they knew that only by following Huang Yiming could they escape their past suffering and embark on the path of cultivation. Qin Yuling was instructing several Qi Refining cultivators in their basic techniques when she noticed Huang Yiming's return. She immediately stepped forward and softly asked, "How's the situation at the spiritual vein? Have you noticed anything unusual?"

Huang Yiming grasped her hand, his fingertips radiating warm spiritual energy: "The spiritual veins are all normal. Qingyue discovered that a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Qingyun Sect is secretly spying on us. We'll hold our ground for now, prepare our defenses, and wait for them to show themselves." Yang Xiu quickly came over and offered a cup of spiritual tea: "Young Master, you've worked hard. This tea was brewed with spiritual herbs nourished by the spiritual veins; it can relieve the fatigue of cultivation." Huang Yiming took the tea, looking at the three gentle and considerate women before him, a warm feeling welling up in his heart. He gently patted Yang Xiu's head and praised, "You're the most thoughtful."

As night fell, Yiming Village was brightly lit, searchlights illuminating the entire village wall as if it were daytime. Guards took turns on duty, maintaining a tight security. Huang Yiming sat atop the village tower, circulating his cultivation technique to absorb the spiritual energy emanating from the spiritual veins, his Qi Refining Level 3 aura becoming increasingly stable. Su Qingyue sat beside him, gently leaning on his shoulder, and softly said, "I'll return to the city first thing tomorrow morning and try to bring the supplies back within three days. You need to be careful here; the cultivators of the Qingyun Sect are not easy to deal with."

Huang Yiming grasped her hand and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, with Yuling and Qin Hu here, plus the guards in the village, there won't be any problems. You also need to be careful in the city. Zhao Lei's remaining forces haven't been completely eliminated yet, so don't be careless." At this moment, Qin Yuling and Yang Xiu also walked up to the village tower. The four of them stood side by side, looking at the night sky over Black Wind Ridge. Although they each had their own thoughts, they all held the same belief—to protect Yiming Village and the people around them.

Just then, the monitor in Su Qingyue's hand suddenly emitted a slight alarm. A blurry figure appeared on the screen, silently approaching the stockade wall. The aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was faintly visible, and several Qi Refining cultivators followed behind. Huang Yiming's eyes narrowed, and a cold smile appeared on his lips: "It seems that this spy from the Qingyun Sect can't help but make a move." He stood up and released his full Qi Refining Level 3 aura. "Yu Ling, take a few guards to intercept him. Leave him alive. I want to ask him what conspiracy the Qingyun Sect is hiding."

Qin Yuling accepted the order, drew her sword, and disappeared into the night like an arrow. Yang Xiu tightly gripped Huang Yiming's sleeve, her eyes filled with worry: "Young Master, will Sister Yuling be alright?" Huang Yiming gently patted her hand, his tone firm: "Don't worry, Yuling's cultivation is not weak; dealing with these small fry is more than enough." Su Qingyue quickly operated the monitor to zoom in on the image, trying to see the spy's face clearly, but found that the person was wearing the outer robes of the Qingyun Sect, and their face was covered with a black cloth, making it impossible to recognize them.

A moment later, the sounds of fighting, mixed with the screams of cultivators, came from outside the village. Huang Yiming knew that Qin Yuling had succeeded, and stood up, saying, "Let's go see what kind of information this Qingyun Sect spy can bring us." But what he didn't know was that the moment he left the village, a faint black shadow quietly sneaked into Yiming Village's supply warehouse, its eyes gleaming with greed, its target the spiritual energy purifiers and nutrient solutions brought from the city—these were remnants of the Black Stone Sect, who had long been secretly lurking among the refugees, waiting for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack.