"But unfortunately, as you can see, he has yet to return to this castle."
Although Olivia’s words were about as good as saying nothing, Chen Yu still managed to gather some useful information.
At least a thousand years had passed since her great-grandmother’s romance, yet Olivia was still certain that the Golden Core expert was alive and might one day return to the castle.
This far exceeded the lifespan of a Golden Core Stage Cultivator. The story of this senior from Void Profound Heaven was perhaps even more of a Legend than Chen Yu had imagined.
After all, he was an Alchemist who could forge an item so coveted that gods would fight over it. For him, the shackles of mortality were likely no longer an issue.
He mulled it over for a long while before asking again, "How can I speak directly with this castle’s Elf?"
Those complicated operational logs were piled right here, and Olivia had probably read through them countless times.
She hadn’t mentioned finding any clues in the logs, which meant there probably wasn’t any useful information left to find there. Speaking directly with the Castle Elf was the most efficient way to get answers.
"Hold on..."
Olivia rummaged for a moment through a mountain of books beside her before pulling out a small, ancient-looking booklet.
She opened the booklet and laid it flat on the desk for Chen Yu to see.
"Silver Sparrow. That’s what I call her. As for her real name..." Olivia pointed a slender finger at the mysterious runic signature at the bottom of the page.
"Yin Que?" Chen Yu realized it was written in the ancient tongue of Void Profound Heaven. Though the calligraphy differed from its modern form, the lineage was clear. Even with minor variations, a Cultivator from a thousand years later could easily decipher it.
Hearing the strange yet familiar syllables escape his lips, Olivia froze for a second before a knowing smile touched her lips.
"I found this booklet in an inconspicuous corner of the castle library. Perhaps it can help you."
’The language of my homeland. I know this all too well.’
Chen Yu thanked her, then immediately enveloped the booklet with his Divine Sense and began to flip through it rapidly.
Strangely, most of the pages were blank. Only a few sections were scattered throughout, detailing things like daily castle maintenance, the distribution of Energy Nodes, and a catalog of the garden’s plants.
’It looked more like... the other parts, the ones about the Golden Core expert, had been intentionally erased by some mysterious force.’
He read quickly, reaching the end in just a few seconds.
The good news was that this seemingly ordinary booklet was actually a Magical Treasure. Paired with a special Daoist Skill incantation, it could be used to issue commands to the Castle Elf.
Of course, the commands weren’t forceful. It was more like a pre-arranged method of communication with the Castle Elf.
Chen Yu tried silently reciting the short Daoist Skill incantation recorded at the end of the booklet. For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, understanding and executing such a basic communication technique was effortless.
A few minutes later, he successfully activated the booklet in his hand.
HUMMM...
A soft halo of light bloomed on the booklet’s surface, and faint Runes began to materialize on the blank pages.
At the same time, high up in the castle’s main hall, the colorful light streaming through the stained-glass windows twisted and converged, slowly forming a slender, humanoid silhouette of light.
The silhouette’s outline was blurry, its features indistinct, but its posture was elegant, like a young woman in a vibrant, multicolored dress.
It turned toward Chen Yu and bowed slightly, its voice calm and level.
"Yin Que greets you, Master."
Olivia took in the scene, the silver light in her eyes shimmering, betraying her inner turmoil.
Although she couldn’t understand Yin Que’s words, she could clearly sense the profound difference in the respectful way it addressed Chen Yu.
’Huh? It worked just like that?’ Chen Yu himself was a little surprised.
’Has the Castle Elf already switched sides?’
The silhouette of light seemed to hear his inner thoughts and spoke emotionlessly, "The third rule of the castle stipulates that whoever can activate the command booklet and correctly recite the incantation is the castle’s recognized master. This is a rule deliberately left by the previous master."
"He also left a message. Do you wish to hear it now, Master?"
Chen Yu wobbled his Gel head in a nod.
Yin Que recited the message in that same level tone. "Ha, ha, ha! Surprised, junior? You’re not the first person to stumble in here."
"If you’re lucky enough to meet Yin Que, please take good care of her for me. She’s practically a daughter to me."
"Oh, and if a Silver Dragon comes knocking, just tell her I’m not here. But if her descendants are in trouble, please do me a favor and look after them..."
Hearing such jovial words recited in Yin Que’s utterly emotionless voice created an unexpectedly comedic and charming contrast.
It also, however, completely shattered the image Chen Yu had of a mysterious and aloof Golden Core expert.
’This senior seems pretty interesting.’
"Well?" Olivia couldn’t understand what Yin Que was saying. Seeing Chen Yu remain silent for so long with a strange look on his face, she couldn’t help but ask.
"He anticipated that you would come," Chen Yu said, translating the latter part of the message for her.
"Is that so? He... he still remembered..." After listening, Olivia took off her silver-rimmed glasses and placed them gently on the desk. Her pale silver eyes drifted toward the eternal spring in the garden outside, her gaze distant as if she were lost in a faraway memory.
Chen Yu, meanwhile, turned to the silver silhouette in the air and began asking other questions, like why the castle was docked in an Elemental Plane.
Yin Que’s silhouette flickered slightly as she answered calmly, "In response to your question, Master, this is not a pure Elemental Plane, nor is it within the Prime Material Plane. It is a pocket dimension between the two—a fragment of a material plane on the verge of collapse."
"Please rest assured, Master. The castle’s exterior is protected by the ’Universal Veil Formation’ and a ’Spatial Labyrinth,’ which effectively conceals it from extra-planar entities. The vast majority of mystical creatures or beings that roam outer space will never notice this place."
’No interference from otherworldly entities?’ Chen Yu’s small eyes lit up.
’This meant... this Snowfield, which connects to so many planar rifts, was theoretically safe. It could be developed and utilized.’
Given the Snowfield’s unique properties, it was a natural strategic stronghold and transportation hub.
If he could incorporate this area into the Slime Kingdom’s territory... and establish something like a Grand Central Station for the Kingdom, connecting all the major regions, then communication, supply transport, and troop deployment throughout the Kingdom could become several times faster.
Furthermore, many of the rifts led to the southern nations. Perhaps he could even establish trade routes with the southern kingdoms through them.
Thinking about long-term development, the Slime Academy, the Slime Adventurers’ Guild... they could all be built here.
In time, he might even be able to build a true City of Winter on this Snowfield.
Yin Que, who apparently had the ability to perceive his thoughts, promptly offered feedback.
"According to the Master Encouragement Protocol, when the Master formulates a plan or takes action, appropriate encouragement must be provided. For example: ’Master, you are so amazing,’ or, ’Master, you are a true genius.’"
"However, it must be creative, not rigid..."
She rambled on for a while before finally finishing. Her figure flickered slightly as she clapped her hands in praise. "This is a truly brilliant idea! You are so amazing, Master."
"Master Encouragement Protocol?" Chen Yu blinked.
’What is all this weird stuff?’
In any case, he had gotten a free castle out of the deal, so Chen Yu was in a good mood. Recalling his earlier conversation with Olivia, he jiggled his Gel happily.
"Yin Que, Silver Sparrow... I’ll call you Silver Sparrow from now on. The name suits you better."
’I have to admit, the name Olivia came up with is more fitting and sounds nicer.’
"Understood. Silver Sparrow greets you, Master. It is a pleasure to meet you." Silver Sparrow gave a slight nod.