At this moment, a familiar and commanding ripple surged directly in the depths of his soul.

"Lord Duke!" Robert immediately gathered all his thoughts, knelt on one knee, and, even knowing Duke could not see him, maintained a posture of utmost respect.

"Robert," Duke’s voice came gently, "In the Oracle Plane, at the junction of the Ashen Mountains and the Shimmering Wilderness, an ancient light relic is awakening, emitting pure light energy waves, drawing attention from the Four Gods Sect and numerous players."

Robert’s spirit lifted, knowing a mission had arrived.

"I need you to utilize player channels, organize reliable personnel, and delve as deeply as possible into the relic. Focus on collecting the following intelligence: detailed patterns of the relic’s energy fluctuations, internal structure and environment, existing dangers (including monsters and other player factions), specific deployments and movements of Four Gods Sect personnel, and... any items, runes, or information potentially containing high concentrations of light energy or light attributes."

"Yes, Lord Duke!" Robert agreed without hesitation.

His understanding of the Oracle Plane far exceeded that of ordinary people; he knew the power and ways of the player crowd, making operations easier than for natives.

"Prioritize safety, preserve yourself and the core team first. Player identity is a good cover, but the Four Gods Sect is not short on experts, and the relic itself may have unknown risks," Duke added.

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Duke, Robert understands!" Robert’s heart warmed slightly and he reported, "Regarding cultivation, the progress on the Light Divine Breathing Technique is as expected. In the Mercury environment, it is fortunate to be able to stably perceive and accumulate Fighting Spirit; currently advancing steadily towards the Great Knight stage, though the pace..."

His tone carried a hint of remorse.

"The Mercury environment is as such, it is not your fault. Perseverance is the key, a solid foundation is more important," Duke anticipated this and did not criticise, "Your real-world identity and resources are guarantees for mission execution and intelligence collection, be sure to maintain them well."

"Understood!"

"Go prepare. Provide regular summaries of relic intelligence to me," Duke ended the brief communication.

Robert rose slowly, his eyes now full of sharp determination and vigor.

He quickly wiped off sweat and approached the communication equipment, beginning to contact a few absolutely core members from the Star Embers Guild, all players who had undergone real-world trials.

A comprehensive exploration plan targeting the ancient light relic, with the surface reason being exploring new maps and triggering hidden quests, was quietly arranged.

...

After staying several more days at the tranquil Corridor Hotel in Goldflow City and completing the final batch of material inventory and sales, over thirty million Level 1 Magic Stones were acquired.

After confirming the stable operation of the two information lines with the Oracle Plane, Duke knew it was time to leave the Seville Empire and return to his starting point.

He was not an imperial citizen; long-term stay in the core area of the East Coast was not a long-term plan.

His foundation and affiliated Wizard Organizations, as well as the resources network he was most familiar with, were all on the West Coast.

More importantly, the inter-dimensional travel transit station planned in the Flower Sea Plane’s Dream Manor, had its entrance located in a city controlled by the Silver Hand on the West Coast.

Leaving was simpler than entering. Duke de-registered his temporary Explorer identification at the empire’s border affairs office and paid some exit tax.

He did not opt for the time-consuming conventional continental travel method, but instead arrived again at the inter-plane teleportation hub in Goldflow City.

This time the target was not a distant alien realm like the Dark Elf Plane, but one of the legal transit hubs within the Wizard Plane, connecting the East and West Coasts, situated in the central buffer zone’s city, Shiva City.

From there, he could transit via a direct teleportation array to the West Coast.

After paying the expensive but worthwhile teleportation fee, Duke stepped into the gigantic door emitting stable space fluctuations.

Following a brief moment of dazzling and weightlessness, he appeared in the teleportation hall of Shiva City.

The atmosphere here was different from the rigorous orderliness of imperial cities, and the relative freedom of West Coast cities, filled with the clamor and subtle balance woven by wizards, merchants, and adventurers from various regions.

The air was filled with a mixed scent of various languages, spices, and magic items.

Duke did not linger, directly finding the teleportation service point leading to Dusk City on the West Coast.

After paying the fee again, undergoing another short-distance teleportation, the familiar scent assaulted him.

The humid and slightly salty sea breeze, the somewhat chaotic yet lively street scenery, the diverse styles of Wizard Towers and commercial buildings, and the unique West Coast energy atmosphere—relatively relaxed but with hidden rules—he had returned to the West Coast.

Without alarming anyone, Duke walked through the streets of Dusk City like the most ordinary returning wizard, heading to the exclusive teleportation zone controlled by the Silver Hand in the city center.

Here, teleportation array groups specially connect several resource planes and important strongholds under their control.

After presenting the contract copy and identity credentials of the Dream Manor property acquired through an agreement with the Giant Rock Commerce Association, and undergoing an even more rigorous than usual verification, Duke was permitted to use the dedicated teleportation array to the Flower Sea Plane.

"Coordinates confirmed, Flower Sea Plane. Teleportation commencing soon; please do not carry any unregistered live aggressive creatures or high-pollution substances," the guarding wizard instructed.

A flash of light, a familiar slight pressing sensation followed.

As his feet once again touched solid ground, the scenery before his eyes expanded broadly, and his nose was instantly filled with the warm, sweet, and complex fragrance composed of thousands of flower scents intertwined.

The sky was not purely blue, but woven from countless giant glowing leaves creating a leaf canopy; sunlight was filtered into gentle light beams like the Tyndall effect, spilling onto the boundless earth.

On the ground was an endless, colorful, neon meadow, forming a mesmerizing flower carpet.

Above, gigantic sky flowers hung silently, showering moon-white brilliance.

The warm, moist air was dense with energy particles, making Duke, just returned from Goldflow City, feel invigorated.

This was the Low Plane developed into a top vacation and resource production location by the Silver Hand, also the site of Duke’s Dream Manor, and the plane-travel transit hub meticulously selected to conceal the Coordinates Earrings’ secret.

Stepping out of the heavily guarded teleportation fortress, Duke did not choose to walk but climbed onto a refined carriage pulled by gentle plant beasts, serving exclusively for manor lords.

The carriage traveled smoothly along the planned crystal path winding through the Flower Sea, with breathtaking scenery along the way, but Duke no longer had the heart to appreciate it.

Appearing again on that vast grassland, Duke saw his manor standing quietly on the prairie, just as it was when he last left, despite coming here a long time ago.

The manor’s protective Witch Array sensed its master’s return and silently opened an entrance.

Gently slipping inside, the light curtain immediately closed behind him, isolating the outside’s splendor and fragrance, leaving only the manor’s constant cleanliness, tranquility, and highly safe atmosphere inside. The indoor cleaning Magic Array operated automatically, refreshing the air.

He was surrounded by familiar tranquillity and safety.

The manor’s interior space was spacious, well-equipped, with complete laboratories, Meditation Rooms, library collections, and living areas.

More importantly, this was his entirely private domain, protected by Silver Hand’s rules, strictly prohibiting private duels, ensuring high security.

Duke did not linger in the living room or laboratory nor did he go upstairs to the Meditation Room overlooking the Flower Sea.

Instead, he walked directly through the spacious living area, along a spiral downward staircase also constructed from Silentwood, arriving at the basement located deep in the treehouse’s roots.

The heavy metal door silently closed and locked behind him. Soft light crystals embedded in the basement ceiling emitted a stable, gentle light, illuminating the entire space.