Ten Thousand Years Later, My Home Became a City?

Deep within Guixu.

Dead silence.

Lu Chen's enormous Black Tortoise True Form still lay submerged beside the Ruins Sea Eye.

The gray, hazy Chaos Tortoise Breathing Method enveloped his true body.

From the outside, this was nothing more than a pitch-black, lifeless seabed forbidden zone that devoured all things.

No one would have imagined that beneath the seemingly lifeless Guixu slept a Primordial Black Tortoise.

Still less would anyone have imagined that within the Black Tortoise's shell, a small world had already been opened.

Over these ten thousand years, Lu Chen had lived very peacefully.

Truly peacefully.

The Dragon Clan had not come knocking.

The Phoenix Clan had not descended from the heavens.

Nor had the Qilin Clan happened to pass by and step on his shell.

And no great Primordial World expert had suddenly lost his mind and come to the Ruins Sea Eye in search of treasure.

This gave Lu Chen a long-lost sense of happiness.

What was cultivation?

This was cultivation!

No fighting, no competing!

No listening to great experts preach the Dao.

No joining in the excitement of any Great Tribulation.

Pull his shell in.

Close his eyes, sleep, grow stronger.

Wasn't that far more comfortable than going out to fight people to the death?

That day.

Lu Chen sank deep into his Primordial Spirit as the Chaos Shell-Shedding Method slowly circulated.

Strands of gray Dao patterns flowed slowly along his shell.

The feeling was profoundly mysterious.

It was as though another layer of deeper, more hidden vitality was being nurtured beneath his Old Shell.

Although this divine ability was only at its first level and was still far from allowing him to truly escape the future Heaven-Mending Death Tribulation, it had at least given Lu Chen hope.

Before, whenever he looked at his four legs, he always felt they were four pillars reserved by a Saint.

Now that he looked at them again, his mindset was slightly better.

"As long as the Chaos Shell-Shedding Method continues to improve."

"If Nuwa truly comes looking for me in the future, I may not be unable to leave behind the Old Shell and quietly slip away with my true body."

"She can use the shell to support the heavens, while I take the Merit and run."

"Perfect."

The more Lu Chen thought about it, the more feasible this path seemed.

Unfortunately, system rewards could not be forced.

He could only continue lying low.

As long as he did not court death, the system would sooner or later give him more divine abilities.

Just as Lu Chen was about to sink back into cultivation, the system's voice suddenly sounded.

"Congratulations, host, on completing ten thousand years of sealing off Guixu."

"The stability of the Guixu Womb Membrane has greatly increased."

"Current number of living beings in the Guixu Inner Realm: 36,721."

"Current number of clans in the Guixu Inner Realm: 36."

"The order system of the Guixu Inner Realm has initially taken shape."

At first, Lu Chen did not react.

Mm.

Ten thousand years of sealing off Guixu completed.

That was normal.

The Womb Membrane's stability had increased.

That was normal too.

The number of living beings...

Wait.

How many?

36,721?

The number of clans...

Thirty-six clans?

Lu Chen abruptly opened his eyes.

The Black Tortoise True Form that had slept for ten thousand years moved slightly.

Rumble!

The undercurrents outside the Ruins Sea Eye instantly erupted into countless whirlpools.

Several nearby underwater mountain ranges were directly cracked apart by the aftershock.

Lu Chen no longer had the mind to care about the changes outside.

His consciousness instantly entered the Guixu Inner Realm.

The next moment.

He fell silent.

If the Guixu Inner Realm had been nothing more than a desolate little island ten thousand years ago.

Then it had now become an entirely different sight.

The Guixu Inner Realm, which had originally spanned only thirty thousand li, had been developed into vast tracts of land.

At its center stood a colossal city.

The city was located where spiritual veins converged.

Its walls were piled from Beiming Mystic Stone, their surfaces covered in water-element array patterns.

Pale blue curtains of light floated over the city, gathering spiritual energy into clouds and mist that descended throughout the city.

Spirit Fields, herb gardens, pools, Martial Practice Arenas, artifact workshops, scripture repositories, and storehouses lay around the city.

Farther away were clusters of land inhabited by different clans.

Merfolk with fish tails and human bodies, the Ice-Scaled Tribe with icy scales growing from their backs, and the mountain-sized Cold Whale Tribe.

As well as Black Pearl Clams born with twin shells and pearl light flowing around them, and branches of the Black-Shelled Turtle Tribe, clad in turtle shells, slow-moving yet possessing heavy, profound auras.

There were also smaller clans whose names Lu Chen could not even call.

They moved through the city in orderly fashion.

Some tended the Spirit Fields.

Some transported spirit stones.

Some drilled formations in the Martial Practice Arena.

Others lined up before a tall stone hall to register.

Above that stone hall hung a plaque.

Bureau of Calamity Avoidance.

Beside it stood another stone hall.

Bureau of Realm Patrol.

Farther away.

Register of Ten Thousand Tribes.

Guixu Treasury.

Realm Guard camp.

Northern Darkness Dao Palace.

Lu Chen looked at everything before him, his mind somewhat blank.

What was going on?

He had told the Sea Spirit Clan to manage the inner realm themselves.

Didn't managing it themselves mean planting some grass, building a few houses, and not disturbing his secluded cultivation?

Who told them to build a city?

Who told them to establish government offices?

Who told them to turn the place into something like a miniature Heavenly Court?

Most importantly, four large characters hung above the city gates.

Guixu Divine City.

Lu Chen stared at those four words for a long time.

He suddenly had an extremely bad premonition.

Just then.

Within the Northern Darkness Dao Palace at the center of Guixu Divine City, a figure seemed to sense something and abruptly looked up.

It was a silver-haired woman.

Compared with ten thousand years ago, her aura had grown by far more than a single level.

When she had fled into Guixu in the past, she had only been at the late Mysterious Immortal stage.

Now, she had actually entered the Golden Immortal realm.

She was Lan Shuang, chief of the Sea Spirit Clan.

She was first stunned.

Then irrepressible excitement filled her eyes.

The next moment, her figure turned into a streak of watery light and appeared directly outside the Northern Darkness Dao Palace.

"Welcome, Emperor, out of seclusion!"

Her voice spread outward.

The entire Guixu Divine City instantly fell silent.

Countless living beings looked up.

Then, everyone fell to their knees in unison.

"Welcome, Emperor, out of seclusion!"

The voices of more than thirty thousand living beings gathered together, shaking the spiritual energy of the Guixu Inner Realm into surging waves.

Lu Chen: "..."

He now somewhat wanted to close his shell.

And pretend he had seen nothing.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

Lan Shuang had already led the leaders of the various clans respectfully before the Northern Darkness Dao Palace.

Her expression was excited, and her eyes were filled with reverence.

"The Emperor has cultivated in seclusion for ten thousand years. The clans of Guixu have not dared to slacken."

"Now, the thirty-six clans of Guixu, comprising a total of 36,721 living beings, have all been entered into the Register of Ten Thousand Tribes."

"The Bureau of Calamity Avoidance is responsible for settling newly arrived clans."

"The Bureau of Realm Patrol is responsible for patrolling the boundaries of the inner realm."

"The Spirit Field Office is responsible for cultivating spiritual herbs."

"The treasury temporarily stores items contributed by the various clans."

"The Realm Guard now has eight hundred members, dedicated to maintaining order in Guixu."

"Guixu Academy has also begun teaching the children of all clans literacy, spiritual discernment, and foundational cultivation methods."

"We await the Emperor's inspection."

Lu Chen's eyelids twitched wildly as he listened.

Inspection?

What was he supposed to inspect?

Had he told them to do all this?

Lu Chen took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice calm.

"What did I say before I entered seclusion?"

Lan Shuang immediately lowered her head.

"The Emperor said that we must not expand outward, must not recruit an army, and must not claim the title of Emperor in the Emperor's name."

"Then what are you doing now?"

Lan Shuang explained respectfully, "Reporting to the Emperor, Guixu has never actively expanded outward."

"These thirty-five clans were all conscripted, hunted down, or driven into desperation by the Dragon Clan, and with nowhere else to go, found Northern Sea Guixu on their own."

"We have strictly followed the Emperor's decree and have never actively recruited anyone."

Lu Chen fell silent for a moment.

That actually seemed somewhat reasonable.

"What about the Realm Guard?"

"Rest assured, Emperor. The Realm Guard is only responsible for maintaining order within the inner realm and does not wage war outside. It is absolutely not an army."

Lu Chen fell silent again.

That actually sounded somewhat reasonable.

"What about Guixu Divine City?"

Lan Shuang's expression did not change.

"This city is merely a place for the various Guixu clans to avoid calamity and live in peace. It has absolutely no intention of contending for supremacy."

Lu Chen: "..."

There was clearly a huge problem with that statement.

Lu Chen looked toward the towering city gate, his tone growing several degrees heavier.

"Change the words 'Divine City.'"

Lan Shuang immediately bowed.

"Emperor dislikes empty titles. This junior understands."

She turned and instructed a Sea Spirit Clan cultivator behind her, "Pass the order. Guixu Divine City shall be renamed Guixu City."

Lu Chen let out a breath of relief.

At least the word "divine" was gone.

What he feared most now were titles that could easily draw the Heavenly Dao's attention.

In the Primordial World, names could not be used carelessly.

Things like Divine Court, Heavenly Court, Imperial Palace, and Divine City sounded like they were just asking to get struck down.

Lu Chen was just about to continue questioning her when the system's voice suddenly rang out.

"Detected that the Guixu Inner Realm has taken the initial shape of a power. Please choose, host."

"First: Officially proclaim yourself Emperor, establish the Northern Nether Divine Court, and rule over the myriad tribes of the Northern Sea. Reward: thirty percent of Northern Fortune and the supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, Northern Nether Emperor Seal."

"Second: Disband Guixu City, expel the thirty-six clans, and sever all karmic ties. Reward: Innate Spiritual Treasure, Calamity-Averting Pearl."

"Third: Maintain the current state, continue secluded cultivation, and allow the various Guixu clans to perfect their own order. Reward: prototype of the Book of Cause and Effect."

Lu Chen saw the first option and ignored it immediately.

Proclaim himself Emperor?

Establish the Northern Nether Divine Court?

Wasn't that just thinking he had not died fast enough?

The second option sounded very safe.

Expel the thirty-six clans.

Sever all karmic ties.

A Calamity-Averting Pearl as the reward.

But the problem was that if those thirty thousand-odd living beings were driven out, they would probably soon die amid the conquests of the three clans.

Lu Chen might fear death, but he was not cold-blooded enough to go that far.

Besides, they had indeed managed the Guixu Inner Realm quite well over the years.

There were more spirit veins.

The realm membrane was stable.

The formations had been improved.

Even his sense of security while cultivating in seclusion had increased considerably.

Most importantly, there was the third reward.

The prototype of the Book of Cause and Effect.

It sounded perfectly suited for managing the inner realm.

Guixu's biggest problem now was that there were too many people.

Once there were too many people, disorder easily followed.

With the Book of Cause and Effect, they could investigate origins, assess merit and wrongdoing, and guard against infiltrators.

It was more practical than the Calamity-Averting Pearl.

Lu Chen barely hesitated.

"Choose the third."

"Congratulations, host. You have obtained the prototype of the Book of Cause and Effect."

The next moment.

A black-and-white interwoven radiance appeared above the Guixu Inner Realm.

The light slowly condensed into an ancient, simple book.

The book turned its pages without wind.

Blank pages flipped open one after another.

Faint threads of karma gradually emerged upon them.

Lan Shuang and the others were instantly stunned by the sight.

Even though they did not know this object's exact origins, they could sense the terrifying power contained within it.

This was absolutely no ordinary treasure.

It was a treasure capable of illuminating karma.

Lu Chen looked at the Book of Cause and Effect, satisfied.

Not bad.

With this, he would be able to tell at a glance who in Guixu was good, who was bad, who carried karmic ties from the outside world, and who might bring trouble in the future.

With a casual gesture, he lowered the Book of Cause and Effect before Lan Shuang.

"You will oversee this item for now."

"From today onward, everyone entering Guixu must be registered."

"Those of unknown origin may not enter the inner city."

"Those burdened by excessive slaughter may not approach the Dao Palace."

"If there are Dragon Clan spies, expel them immediately."

Lan Shuang accepted the Book of Cause and Effect with both hands, her whole body trembling.

That trembling came from excitement.

The Emperor had cultivated in seclusion for ten thousand years. Upon awakening, the first thing he did was neither enjoy the worship of the myriad tribes nor gather power into his hands. Instead, he bestowed a treasure of karma and established Guixu's order.

What did that mean?

It meant the Emperor had long foreseen that Guixu would have this day.

That was why, upon emerging from seclusion, he bestowed such a foundational divine artifact.

Lan Shuang took a deep breath and heavily kowtowed toward the direction from which Lu Chen's voice had come.

"This junior will certainly not fail the Emperor's trust."

"The Bureau of Cause and Effect shall be established from this day onward."

"All who enter Guixu shall undergo Causality Illumination, be recorded in the Register of Ten Thousand Tribes, have their merits and faults assessed, and be assigned a place to reside."

The leaders of the thirty-six clans around them were deeply shaken.

The Bureau of Cause and Effect, the Bureau of Calamity Avoidance, the Bureau of Realm Patrol, and the Register of Ten Thousand Tribes.

Together with the Book of Cause and Effect now.

Guixu's order had finally taken complete form.

Some leaders of weaker clans even had tears well up in their eyes on the spot.

Outside, if the strong said you were guilty, then you were guilty.

If the Dragon Clan said they were conscripting you, then you had to hand over your clansmen.

If the Phoenix Clan said they wished to borrow your spirit mountain, then you had to move away.

If the Qilin Clan said you were to submit, then you could only kneel.

No one had ever asked whether they were willing.

Nor had anyone ever looked at their karmic merits and evils.

But Guixu was different.

For the first time, this place told them that those burdened by heavy slaughter could not bully the weak.

Those with merit could receive Spirit Fields.

Those who followed the rules could live in peace.

Those who contributed greatly could enter the Academy to cultivate.

To these small clans barely surviving in the cracks between the three great clans, this was practically a new world they had never seen before.

No one knew who was the first to kowtow.

Immediately afterward, the leaders of all thirty-six clans knelt in unison.

"The Emperor is benevolent and virtuous!"

"The myriad tribes of Guixu are willing to uphold the Emperor's decree!"

Lu Chen felt a headache coming on.

Here it came again.

Emperor again.

But he no longer had the energy to correct them.

Forget it.

As long as they did not go outside and shout it everywhere, they could call him whatever they wanted internally.

All he wanted now was to continue cultivating in seclusion.

Before withdrawing his consciousness, Lu Chen gave one final reminder.

"Remember."

"Guixu will not contend for supremacy."

"It will not proclaim an Emperor."

"It will not enter the Great Tribulation."

"Whoever dares cause trouble, I'll punish them first."

Lan Shuang and the leaders of the thirty-six clans responded in unison.

"We respectfully obey the decree of Mysterious Abyss Emperor!"

Lu Chen: "..."

He suddenly felt that.

They seemed not to have listened to a single word.