Planning the City, Seclusion to Break Through
The cheers on the Bone Plain gradually subsided, the smoke cleared, leaving only a ravaged landscape and the lingering smell of Sulfur and acrid odor in the air. The human Coalition Army began to methodically clean up the battlefield, treat the wounded, and count the spoils of war. Although exhausted, everyone's face was filled with the joy of victory and high morale.
Yu Yuanchen hovered in mid-air, his powerful Spiritual Power spreading out like mercury, carefully sensing this Demon Plane that had just experienced a bloody battle. The joy of victory did not cloud his mind; he was thinking about more far-reaching issues.
Although four of the Demon King have been killed, and the rest have been severely wounded and fled, the top-tier fighting force has been almost completely wiped out. But has the threat to the Demon Plane truly been eliminated?
The answer is no.
Beyond the range of his Spiritual Power perception, he could still sense countless faint but malevolent and chaotic auras, like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, scattered throughout the vast and treacherous depths of the earth, in dark canyons, and along the banks of boiling lava rivers. These were millions of low-level demons! They were weak, the vast majority not even reaching the level of Soul Grandmaster (level 20), and their intelligence was low, like a pile of loose sand.
Normally, these low-level demons would be no match for human Soul Master. But at this moment, Yu Yuanchen frowned slightly. There were too many of them! So many that it was terrifying! Moreover, based on the information he gleaned from the demons' memories and his own observations, demons were creatures with an extremely terrifying capacity for reproduction!
Like locusts, they can reproduce wildly as long as they have enough energy and matter, even in a harsh environment like the Demon Plane. The number of demons in the Demon Plane is not limited by the birth rate, but has reached the limit that this barren plane can carry—the ecological concept of "carrying capacity (K value)".
"They can't be killed all at once, they can't be eradicated..." Yu Yuanchen understood. If he ordered his army to wipe out these low-level demons now, he might see results in the short term, slaughtering hundreds of thousands or even millions. But before long, the vacated ecological niches would be immediately filled by New Life demons. In fact, because the survival pressure was temporarily reduced, the demons' reproduction rate would further accelerate, quickly returning to their original size. This meaningless slaughter would only deplete his own forces and intensify hatred, offering no benefit whatsoever.
"Blocking is not as good as guiding, killing is not as good as managing." A thought gradually became clear in Yu Yuanchen's mind. The best way to deal with these low-level demons was not to completely eliminate them—that was almost impossible and violated the ecological balance of the plane—but rather... control and management. Let them live under certain rules, and perhaps... they could be used in the future? For example, as opponents for Soul Master training? Or, to select controllable demon species that could be used in certain special fields? Of course, that's a matter for later, provided that absolute control must be possessed.
The most pressing task at present is to ensure that Soul Master from the Douluo Continent can safely and effectively enter and develop this newly established "colony," while preventing any remaining threats (such as the escaped Demogorgon or other unknown demonic powerhouses).
Having made up his mind, Yu Yuanchen landed and approached the core members of the Coalition Army.
"Yuanchen (Young Sect Master)!" Everyone bowed as they saw him approach, their eyes filled with reverence and anticipation as they awaited his next instructions.
Yu Yuanchen's gaze swept over the crowd, and he said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, although we have won this battle and the Demon King has been slain, the Demon Plane is vast, with millions of low-level demons scattered everywhere. It is difficult to eradicate them all, and this is not the best strategy."
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback, then looked thoughtful. They had also sensed that faint, omnipresent evil aura just now.
Yu Yuanchen continued, "Demons reproduce extremely quickly; slaughter can only be temporarily halted, not eradicated. Our purpose in this journey is not to exterminate the race, but to eliminate their invasion threat and to open up a New Territory for the Soul Master World of the Douluo Continent to explore, train, and acquire resources."
He paused, then raised his voice, making a resolute statement. "However, due to our current shortage of manpower, I have decided that, for the time being, we will only establish one permanent stronghold for humanity in this Demon Plane —one city!"
"Build a city?" Upon hearing this, everyone was first surprised, then their eyes lit up!
"Build a city? Great! We can't just give away the land we conquered to the demons for nothing." Tang Gan laughed heartily. "Besides, with a city as a base, we can explore resources in the plane, defend ourselves and await reinforcements, and it can also serve as a bridgehead for long-term management of the Demon Plane!"
"A good suggestion!" Ning Zhiyuan stroked his beard and nodded. "The environment of the Demon Plane is unique. Although it will certainly have many special minerals and resources that the Douluo Plane does not have, it is mostly barren land. The environment still needs to be improved. We need time to develop before expanding to a new city. For now, one city is enough."
Qian Chongxiao nodded slightly. "Young Friend Yuanchen's considerations are thorough. However, building a city is no small matter; it requires a large number of craftsmen and resources. Moreover, the environment here is harsh, surrounded by demons, so defense is of paramount importance."
"What Elder Qian says is absolutely right." Yu Yuanchen nodded. "The matter of building the city needs to be considered carefully. Right now, we must first ensure the safety of the passage between the two realms."
He turned around and looked at the Planar Passage connecting to the Douluo Continent, which was blocked by a pillar of Purple-Gold lightning.
"I intend to temporarily remove the seal and personally oversee this place. Firstly, to prevent the escaped Demogorgon or other villains from taking the opportunity to infiltrate the Douluo Plane and cause trouble; secondly, to use the unique laws of this Demon Plane to cultivate in Secluded Cultivation and strive for a breakthrough."
Everyone was shocked upon hearing this. Was Yu Yuanchen going to personally oversee the passage? And even go into seclusion here?
"Brother Yuanchen, this place is dangerous. Should we go into seclusion...?" Qian Daoliu with some concern.
"It's alright." Yu Yuanchen smiled calmly. "The Demon King is no longer a concern. Although the laws here are vastly different from those of my realm, it is precisely because of this that they may help me to make connections and break through my bottlenecks. I know what I'm doing."
He looked at Yu Boxuan, Tang Gan, Ning Zhiyuan, and the others. "The matter of building the city will require your assistance. Please lead the elite of the Coalition Army back to the Douluo Continent. Firstly, announce the news of this great victory to the world to stabilize public sentiment; secondly, gather the best craftsmen on the continent and collect sufficient building materials and resources to prepare for the city's construction. I will stay here to secure the passageways and preliminarily clear the foundations needed for the city's construction."
He then looked at Qian Chongxiao: "Elder Qian, the Spirit Hall is well-informed, and you will need to put in a lot of effort to coordinate the forces of all sides. In addition, we must closely monitor all parts of the continent to prevent any remaining Demon Seed or Evil Soul Master from taking advantage of the chaos."
"It's my duty," Qian Chongxiao solemnly replied.
"Alright! In that case, let's not delay!" Yu Yuanchen acted swiftly. "I will open the passage immediately. Everyone, return quickly! This message also needs to be relayed to the Pope and all the sects as soon as possible."
The group accepted the order and quickly assembled their team.
As Yu Yuanchen arrived at the Planar Passage, he made a thought, and the Purple-Gold Lightning pillar blocking the door rippled slightly. The light on the side closer to the Douluo Continent gradually thinned, revealing a stable passage exit that could accommodate several people walking side by side.
"The passage is open, everyone, please!"
"Take care, Yuanchen (Young Sect Master)!" The group bowed in farewell and stepped into the passage one by one, returning to the Douluo Continent.
After the last person left, Yu Yuanchen once again unleashed "Holy Dragon Town Prison Tribulation," but this time he didn't completely block it. Instead, he condensed a relatively thin but more resilient and early warning network of lightning, covering the entrance to the passage. If any powerful being attempted to force its way through, he could immediately sense it and instantly strengthen the seal.
Having done all this, he sat cross-legged on a charred cliff near the entrance of the passage, his gaze sweeping over this dark red, desolate world that contained unique laws and resources.
"The Demon Plane... different laws, different energies... perhaps, this is the opportunity for me to condense the ' Ultimate Soul Core ' and take that final step..." He slowly closed his eyes, his boundless Spiritual Power and perception beginning to merge with this world, carefully comprehending the plane's Plane Law, which were completely different from those of the Douluo Continent. The Thunder Sacred Dragon Martial Soul appeared on its own, its body swirling with Purple-Gold Lightning, faintly resonating with the raging Fire Element, Fel Energy, and the hidden spatial fluctuations in the air.
He did not immediately go into deep seclusion, but instead devoted a portion of his mind to monitoring the passage and the surrounding area. At the same time, he began to use his supreme power to clear a relatively flat area near the passage, flattening scorched rocks, dispelling low-level demons, and laying the foundation for the future city.
Several days later, the first advance exploration team, jointly dispatched by the Spirit Hall and the Seven Great Sects, arrived in the Demon Plane again through the passage, carrying a large number of surveying tools and protective array materials. When they saw Yu Yuanchen sitting cross-legged on the cliff, seemingly integrated with the world, and the huge flat land cleared below the mountain, large enough to build a magnificent city, they were all deeply shocked.
Yu Yuanchen did not get up, but instead used telepathy to inform them of the precautions for exploration and preliminary array deployment. The exploration team members began their work with a sense of awe.
Subsequently, batches of craftsmen, array masters, and Soul Master arrived one after another through the passage. Building materials, living supplies, and defensive equipment were also continuously transported over.
Around Demon Quelling City, on the barren, dark red land, people also scattered seeds of Blue Silver Grass, which have a tenacious Life Force, hoping that their presence would improve the surrounding soil.
Under Yu Yuanchen's supervision and guidance, the foundation stone was laid and construction began on the first human fortress in the Demon Plane —initially named "Expeditionary Fortress," but later, after discussion, officially named "Demon Quelling City" to commemorate this epic victory.
The city walls were cast from granite mixed with some metal, and were also engraved with powerful Purification and defensive restrictions from the Spirit Hall. The city was rationally laid out and fully functional, with Soul Master residences, supply warehouses, Research Institute institutes, and treatment centers. Yu Yuanchen even personally took action, drawing on a portion of the Power of Space of the Hell Gate to construct a small, stable prototype of Two-way Teleportation Array array in the city center, connecting it to a fixed teleportation point on the Douluo Continent side, greatly facilitating the future movement of people and supplies.
As for Yu Yuanchen himself, after the city had taken initial shape and its defense system was initially perfected, he officially began his seclusion in the highest Meditation Tower in the city, which was specially built for him and which drew upon the Thunder Power.
During this seclusion, he will face the unique laws of the Demon Plane, sort out what he has learned, integrate Blood Essence Martial Path, Thunder Law, Soul Core Mysteries, and the space and True Meaning of Destruction from another plane that he has just touched, and launch a final assault on the legendary Level 99 Titled Douluo realm and his own "Ultimate Form Soul Core"!
The establishment of Demon Quelling City was like driving a shining nail into the dark and chaotic land of the Demon Plane, marking a historic step for the human Soul Master World of the Douluo Continent to officially embark on cross-dimensional colonization!
The success or failure of Yu Yuanchen's seclusion will not only concern his personal peak in Martial Way, but will also profoundly influence the future destiny of both planes.
The storm has subsided, but a new journey has only just begun. Demon Quelling City, lights are just coming on, illuminating the dark red sky in the distance, and also reflecting the anticipation and determination in the eyes of every pioneer for the unknown and the future.