Swallowing the Stars: I'll Destroy the Universe with My Talent Attributes

This explanation is reasonable.

It's normal for a person who enjoys mechanical inventions to have some defensive devices in their courtyard; it's also normal for them to hide when attacked by the Shadow Clan.

Lin Feng pondered for a moment, then put away the recorder: "Mr. Star Traveler, according to the laws of Divine Wilderness City, you fall under the category of 'passive defense' and do not violate the prohibition. However, the Shadow Clan may continue to target you, and we need your cooperation in the investigation."

How to cooperate?

"First, do not leave Shenhuang City in the near future, so we can summon you at any time. Second, if you discover any suspicious persons or receive threatening messages, immediately notify the enforcement team. Third..."

Lin Feng paused for a moment, then said, "We need to set up a monitoring array around your courtyard for a month. Do you agree?"

Qin Yuan nodded: "Okay."

This was standard procedure for the enforcement team, and he had no reason to refuse. Moreover, with official surveillance in place, the Shadow Clan wouldn't dare to act rashly, at least not openly.

Lin Feng stood up with satisfaction: "Thank you for your cooperation. Ms. Qinghe, we will increase patrols around your shop, please rest assured."

After seeing off the law enforcement team and Qinghe, Qin Yuan returned to the pavilion, his face darkening.

The Shadow Clan's move was quite interesting. Unwilling to directly confront the enforcement team, they resorted to threatening Qinghe to force him to reveal himself. If Qin Yuan were truly an ordinary person, he would either be living in constant fear or seeking protection from the enforcement team; either way, it would expose more information.

But the Shadow Clan miscalculated one thing: Qin Yuan was no ordinary person.

"It seems we need to take the initiative."

Qin Yuan muttered to himself.

He cannot cultivate and is inconvenient to engage in high-intensity combat, but he can "plan".

That afternoon, Qin Yuan went to Baixiaoge.

Mo Yan was sorting through a batch of newly arrived ancient books when he saw Qin Yuan arrive. He pointed to the inner room and said, "Let's go in and talk."

Inside the room, Mo Yan set up a soundproof barrier, his expression serious: "The Shadow Clan is serious this time. Their person in charge in Divine Wilderness City has been replaced by 'Shadow Nightmare,' a Shadow Clan elder in charge of foreign affairs at the fifth level of Realm Lord, who is skilled in soul tracking and curses. One of the three Shadow Messengers you killed seven days ago was his personal disciple."

"So now it's a combination of personal grudges and official business?"

Qin Yuan poured himself a cup of tea.

“What’s more troublesome is that Shadow Nightmare brought the ‘Shadow Compass’,” Mo Yan said in a low voice. “It’s a replica of the Shadow Clan’s treasure, which can track specific soul auras. Although the replica’s effects are limited, as long as you used a light-based ability similar to that day in Divine Wilderness City, you might be locked onto.”

Qin Yuan felt a chill run down his spine.

Although he mainly relied on mechanical traps that day, he did use the most basic light-based manipulation when he finally activated the refraction prism, but that was still considered an energy fluctuation.

Is there a way to block it?

"Yes, but they are very expensive."

Mo Yan took out a jade slip from deep within the bookshelf. "'Soul Camouflage Potion'. After consumption, it can cover the surface of the soul with a layer of disguise, lasting for three months. Price: 300 Mixed Yuan Units."

300 mixed units almost emptied half of his savings.

"I want it."

Qin Yuan did not hesitate. Safety first.

Once the transaction was complete, Qin Yuan, who hadn't noticed anything amiss with his simple senses, immediately used the potion.

A cool sensation spread from his throat throughout his body, eventually forming a thin "membrane" deep within his soul. He tried to manipulate a trace of the Starlight Law, and sure enough, the fluctuations in his soul were distorted and blurred, like ink being dripped into clear water.

"The effect is good."

Qin Yuan pondered, "Can it be concealed from the Shadow Compass?"

"I'm about 80% sure."

Mo Yan said, "But you can't stay in Shenhuang City for long. Yingyan is a World Lord level, and if he takes action personally, the potion won't be able to be kept secret for long. I suggest you leave Shenhuang City and go to the 'Shattered Star Abyss' or the 'Void Graveyard' to hide for a while."

Qin Yuan shook his head.

The entry restricts him from leaving human cities.

This is the hidden rule of "Keep playing the music, keep dancing (blue)". In the wilderness, where are the brothels? What kind of music are you listening to?

Moreover, when you go to a big, unfamiliar city, you need to familiarize yourself with the environment and develop your network...

"Then we'll just have to tough it out."

Mo Yan sighed, "I will continue to monitor the Shadow Clan's movements and notify you as soon as I have any news."

After leaving Baixiaoge, Qin Yuan did not return to the courtyard, but went to Xietie's machinery shop.

"I need a batch of 'non-combat' defensive equipment."

Qin Yuan got straight to the point: "The more the better, the more complex the better."

The six mechanical arms of the machine stopped working simultaneously: "Are you sure? Those things are expensive, and... they're useless against real powerhouses."

"Whether it's useful or not is not important; what matters is that it 'looks useful.'"

Qin Yuan handed a new blueprint to Xietie, "Make it this way, money won't be a problem."

The blueprints depict an extravagant "fully automated yard defense system":

It has 360 rotatable refracting prisms, 12 ultra-high-power light generators, 50 sound wave jammers, and even an "energy turbulence simulation device" that can create the illusion of field fluctuations, but is actually harmless.

After reviewing the blueprints, Xie Tie's electronic voice was full of confusion: "Qin, are you trying to build an amusement park or a military fortress?"

"Just kidding," Qin Yuan smiled.

"Just think of me as a collector who likes performance art."

Without asking any further questions, Xie Tie began calculating the materials and labor time: "It will take fifteen days to complete the entire project, with a total price of 18 mixed units. Half of the deposit will be paid upfront."

Qin Yuan paid and left.

For the next two weeks, the western side of the third district of Shenhuang City became a small construction site. Mechanical workers came and went daily, carrying all sorts of strange materials. The neighbors began to whisper among themselves:

"What's that busybody up to now?"

"I heard they're going to build a fully automated courtyard, so you won't even have to sweep the floor yourself."

"They're really burning money..."

The Shadow Clan spies naturally noticed it as well.

They disguised themselves as passersby, vendors, and even workers, and made several attempts to approach the courtyard, but were blocked by the law enforcement team's surveillance array.

Captain Lin Feng strictly adhered to his promise, with law enforcement officers patrolling the area every day.

Qin Yuan, on the other hand, lived his "open-air" life in a leisurely manner:

He would supervise construction in the courtyard in the morning, watch the gladiatorial games in the afternoon, and drink and listen to stories in the tavern in the evening. Later, he would listen to music in the brothel and watch foreign women dance... He even went to Qinghe's apothecary several times to buy calming incense, always entering and leaving openly in front of the Shadow Clan scouts.

This completely indifferent attitude, on the contrary, made the Shadow Clan suspicious.

"Is he really a free spirit, or is he just putting on an act?"

Shadow Nightmare listened to his subordinate's report, his pale fingers tapping the armrest of the throne. "If it's acting, then his mental fortitude is terrifying. If not... how do you explain those mechanical devices?"

“Elder, how about we launch a direct assault?” suggested a Shadow Envoy at the ninth level of the Domain Lord realm. “We can interfere with the enforcement team’s surveillance. As long as we act quickly, we can take them out before they arrive and then retreat.”

Shadow Nightmare shook his head: "There are three human immortals guarding the Divine Wilderness City, one of whom is in the third district. If we launch a direct attack, it would be tantamount to provoking immortals, and the cost would be too high."

"What should I do?"

"Wait."

Shadow Nightmare's eyes gleamed with black light. "His defenses will eventually be completed, and that's when he'll let his guard down. Besides... I always feel like he's hiding some secret."

Shadow Nightmare's intuition was right, but he would never guess what the secret was.

On the fifteenth day, the courtyard renovation was completed.

The C-1779 courtyard has changed dramatically:

The courtyard wall is covered with rotating prisms that reflect a rainbow of colors in the sunlight.

Four three-meter-tall high-intensity light generators stand at the four corners of the courtyard; complex energy pipelines are buried underground; even the artificial hills and ponds in the courtyard have been transformed into movable obstacles.

From the outside, it looks like an exaggerated performance art installation, gorgeous but ridiculous.

Qin Yuan was very satisfied with this.

He invited Xie Tie, Qing He, and even Captain Lin Feng to visit, and demonstrated the system's "automatic watering mode" in front of everyone.

A rotating prism focuses sunlight, burning a weed to death; a high-intensity light generator lights up, replenishing the energy of fluorescent moss; a sound wave jammer plays soft music, supposedly promoting plant growth.

"Look, this is how technology improves life."

Qin Yuan smiled at the dumbfounded guests.

Mechanical Iron's mechanical face twitched, Qinghe covered her mouth and chuckled, while Captain Lin Feng had a look on his face that said, "This guy has something wrong with his brain."

The Shadow Clan spies reported all of this to Shadow Nightmare.

"So... he really was just playing around?"

Shadow Nightmare began to doubt his own judgment.

Just then, new intelligence arrived: the Holy Light Clan patrol team would leave the border of the Savage Universe Kingdom in three days and return to the Holy Light Clan's territory.

Shadow Nightmare's eyes lit up.

The Lightbringers are the Shadow Clan's natural enemies; with them around, the Shadow Clan dares not act openly. Once the Lightbringers leave...

"Notify everyone that the operation will take place in three days."

Shadow Nightmare issued the order.

"Take advantage of the Holy Light Clan's departure and the human's moment of carelessness to capture him in one fell swoop. Remember, take him alive; I want to interrogate him myself."

Three days passed quickly.

News of the Holy Light Clan's departure spread throughout Divine Wilderness City, and many clandestine forces breathed a sigh of relief. The Holy Light Clan was too upright, and doing bad things under their noses was too much of a challenge.

Qin Yuan also "coincidentally" announced at this time that he would hold a "courtyard open day" to invite nearby neighbors to visit his new invention.

The time was set for the night of the day the Holy Light Clan left.

Upon hearing the news, the Shadow Clan became even more convinced that this human was completely unaware of the danger and was still holding some kind of open day.

That evening, the sun was setting.

More than a dozen tables were set up in Qin Yuan's courtyard, with fruit wine and snacks on them.

More than twenty neighbors, all ordinary residents of the Third District, were invited. The strongest among them was only at the Domain Lord level. They drank wine, looked at the flashy but impractical devices in the courtyard, chatted and laughed, and the atmosphere was relaxed.