The courtyard didn't calm down after Lin Yuan spoke.
It settled.
The noise didn't vanish, but it changed. Voices dropped lower. Movement became more deliberate. People no longer drifted aimlessly—they stayed close to where they logged back in, glancing around as if reassessing the place.
More Earth disciples reconnected.
Qi shimmered at the edges of the courtyard as figures reformed one by one. Some appeared confused, clearly returning after logging out for a short break. Others looked tense, still replaying Lin Yuan's words in their heads.
"Okay… so that wasn't just flavor text," NeonWolf muttered.
"Yeah," MapNerd replied. "Dude didn't explain anything on purpose."
As the number of connected disciples stabilized again, whispers began to spread.
They didn't start loud.
They started recognizing.
"Hey… is that Ironroot?"
"No way."
"Look at how he's checking the ground. That's him."
Several IGNs subtly shifted their attention.
Ironroot was already crouched near the edge of the courtyard, fingers pressing into the soil, eyes narrowed in focus. He scraped away loose dirt, tested firmness, checked moisture. He didn't look up. He didn't react to the stares.
He was already working.
Another pocket of murmurs formed nearby.
"Hold on… WARBOUND?"
"You serious?"
"I ran under him years ago."
"That's definitely him."
Warbound stood calmly with his arms relaxed at his sides. He neither confirmed nor denied anything. He simply watched the crowd, eyes sharp, expression unreadable.
Recognition spread quickly.
Fame didn't need announcements.
Lin Yuan noticed the shift immediately.
Not the names.
Not the reason.
Only the effect.
People instinctively gave Ironroot space. Conversations softened when Warbound passed nearby. Groups aligned themselves without being told.
Lin Yuan walked through the courtyard slowly.
To him, they were still strangers.
What mattered was behavior.
Who stayed focused.
Who waited for instruction.
Who kept working even without orders.
When Lin Yuan stopped near the center, the remaining noise faded naturally.
"Those who believe they can contribute," he said calmly, "step forward and speak."
No rewards were promised.
No explanations followed.
For a brief moment, no one moved.
Then Ironroot stepped forward.
"IGN's IRONROOT," he said simply. "Builder. Engineer."
That was all.
The reaction came from the crowd.
"That's really him…"
"The livestream builder."
"The guy who builds everything by hand."
Ironroot ignored it completely.
Lin Yuan watched closely.
No boasting.
No explanation.
Only certainty.
Warbound stepped forward next.
"IGN's WARBOUND," he said. "I have experience organizing large groups."
Again, nothing more.
This time, the reaction was sharper.
"Guild king…"
"That WARBOUND."
Warbound didn't acknowledge it.
Lin Yuan's gaze lingered on him slightly longer.
Careful wording.
Controlled tone.
Then Unbroken stepped forward.
"IGN's UNBROKEN," he said. "Experienced in fighting."
Silence followed.
No jokes.
No whispers.
Just instinctive distance.
Lin Yuan felt it, even if he didn't know why.
Gachagami ended up near the front by accident, clearly flustered.
"Huh—wait—what?" he blurted. "Uh… IGN's GACHAGAMI."
Someone laughed.
Another snorted.
"I'm… bad at stuff," Gachagami added, scratching his head.
Lin Yuan looked at him once.
Then moved on.
"I've heard enough," Lin Yuan said.
He turned to Ironroot first.
"You will survey the ground," Lin Yuan said. "Mark what is safe. Mark what is not. No one builds where you say no."
Ironroot nodded once. "Understood."
Lin Yuan turned to Warbound.
"You will organize people," he said. "Reduce conflict. Keep order without force."
Warbound inclined his head slightly. "I can do that."
Then Unbroken.
"You will remain visible," Lin Yuan said. "Stop fights before they begin."
Unbroken nodded.
Lin Yuan said nothing to Gachagami.
Nothing at all.
Gachagami exhaled quietly. "Yeah… that tracks."
Work began immediately.
Ironroot placed markers and quietly explained why certain areas were unstable. People listened—really listened.
Warbound grouped people naturally, separating loud IGNs from quiet ones, pairing experienced with inexperienced. There were no announcements, no speeches. The structure spread on its own.
Unbroken positioned himself where tension might rise. Arguments faded before they could grow.
Gachagami wandered.
He stayed out of the way. Almost tripped once. Somehow didn't.
As the same afternoon wore on, the courtyard felt different again.
Organized.
Contained.
Alive—but controlled.
Ironroot approached Lin Yuan quietly.
"The mountain's usable," he said. "But it's unforgiving. One mistake up there kills people."
Lin Yuan followed his gaze toward Broken Cloud Mountain.
"Then we don't rush," Lin Yuan replied.
The system interface surfaced.
They weren't ready to build yet.
But now, even within the same day, the chaos had shape.