Planning a Secret Realm for the Ancestor

Transformation Province, deep within ancient mineral veins.

The dazzling golden light gradually faded, and the strange phenomena in the sky dissipated into the deep pit.

Shu Baoshan Mountain sat cross-legged on the pile of rubble, his body shrinking from a ten-zhang giant rat to the size of a normal person. He raised his right paw and clenched his fist.

With a surge of metallic energy flowing from his claws, a lapis lazuli stone weighing Fang Yi instantly turned into a pool of molten gold, which he could then knead at will!

"He's reached the Golden Core."

Shu Baoshan took a deep breath, his beady eyes narrowed into slits, and his whiskers twitched, giving him a shrewd look.

All the branches of his Rat Race were favored by their ancestor; now that the Rat Race has risen to prominence, he, Shu Baoshan, has taken command of the Treasure-Seeking Rat Line, and has even swallowed Gold Marrow Transmuting Metal Qi into Golden Core realm and ranking among the top clans in the Myriad Demon Domain.

"Our ancestor has bestowed upon our clan a life-saving grace. I, Shu Baoshan, and my clan for generations to come, can never repay such a debt."

He patted the golden fur on his rump and stood up on his hindquarters.

Around them, more than a dozen enormous Foundation Establishment Treasure-Seeking Rat emerged from various parts of the mine and knelt down in unison.

"Congratulations to the lineage master on achieving the Golden Core, granting him a lifespan of a thousand years! May our clan prosper for ten thousand years!"

"Alright, alright, get up."

Shu Baoshan waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the group of rats and their offspring. The joy he had felt upon breaking through was gone from his eyes; instead, a sense of solemnity had settled over them.

He walked around the pit for a couple of steps with his hands behind his back, pretending to be profound; then he suddenly stopped and slapped his underling on the head.

"My lads, do you think our ancestor really needs these things, since we've been digging for Spirit Stone and searching for spirit herbs here every day?"

A Foundation Establishment Treasure-Seeking Rat standing nearby paused, scratching the back of its head, and said, "Master, our ancestor is Shapeshifting Demon King; he certainly wouldn't look down on ordinary spiritual creatures, right?"

"However, what we've dug up can also enrich the demon realm's resources."

"Fart!"

Shu Baoshan glared at him, looking heartbroken, and said, "You people have heads just to eat?"

"Do you remember how many Space Dao materials the Demon Lord White Crane made us run all over the continent to plunder in order to build the secret realm?"

The rats looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Although we respect the Demon Lord White Crane, that's only because our ancestor was being polite to him and helped build the secret realm. But what about our ancestor?"

Shu Baoshan pointed to the sky, his voice rising eight octaves. "Our ancestor Nascent Soul Formation been in the Nascent Soul stage for almost a hundred years! He fought Grand Purity alone, suppressed Wenxuan, and his might shook the Profound Spirit Continent. Who doesn't know him, who doesn't know him!"

"But even now, our ancestor doesn't even have a decent secret realm!"

"While the Blessed Land of Purple Firmament Peak is excellent, it is fixed to the earth's veins and forms the foundation of the clan, but it is far from sufficient!"

"Our ancestor, the lord of all demons, doesn't even have a clan's secret realm. If word gets out, won't those old fogies from the Flood Dragon Domain and the Human Race laugh at our Myriad Demon Domain for being so poor?!"

These words left all the rats present completely bewildered.

The Foundation Establishment Treasure-Seeking Rat clenched its fist, immediately understanding the Clan Master's meaning, and echoed, "Clan Master, we can't let our Ancestor suffer this injustice!"

"Nonsense!"

Shu Baoshan slapped him again, then spat out a golden communication Jade Slip slip from his mouth and crushed it violently.

A golden light shot into the sky, transforming into countless tiny golden specks in mid-air, flying towards every corner of the Huang Province, the Transformation Province, and the Myriad Demon Mountain Range.

"Relay my lineage master's command!"

Shu Baoshan's stern voice echoed throughout the entire mine, "The entire Treasure-Seeking Rat Line, except for the old, weak, and sick who remain to guard the Myriad Demon Mountain Range, send out everyone else!"

"Go to the border of Devil Province, go to the land of the Heavenly Ape Domain, go to the coast of the Boundless Sea!"

"Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground and desecrate the ancestral graves of the Human Race, we will find every Space Dao material in the universe, every Void Realm Stone, for our ancestor!"

"We must create a vast secret realm for our ancestor!"

"As you command, Master!"

A dozen or so Foundation Establishment Treasure-Seeking Rat responded in unison, then transformed into streaks of golden light and fled in all directions.

Watching the rats scatter, Shu Baoshan stroked his pointed chin, his eyes darting around.

"Relying solely on our branch isn't enough; we still don't have enough manpower."

"Although the Human Race has had its backbone broken, its foundation remains. There must still be many high-level materials for the Space Dao, and even hidden secret realms."

"Most of them are in the treasure vaults of major sects, or hidden in the void."

"We must scheme for some treasures for our ancestor!"

Thinking of this, Shu Baoshan's figure flickered, transforming into a golden thread that vanished into the sky, leaving no trace...

Heavenly Demon City, City Lord's Mansion.

Zhao Xuanqing sat on a large tiger-skin chair, toying with a top-grade blood jade he had just acquired from the black market in the Devil Province.

His canine-like features were faintly visible, and his every move exuded a boundless and Qi and Blood, indicating that he was not far from breaking through to the Golden Core.

He was still hesitant, not daring to attempt to cross the river without any vital energy.

At that moment, a golden light entered and landed in front of Zhao Xuanqing.

"Lord Zhao, how have you been?"

Like a human, Shu Baoshan slowly walked out of the golden light, hands behind his back.

Zhao Xuanqing was initially startled, but after recognizing the solidified Golden Core emanating from Shu Baoshan, he quickly stood up, cupped his hands, and smiled, "Senior Baoshan! You've broken through to the Golden Core?"

"Congratulations! It seems our Myriad Demon Domain has gained another great king!"

Let's cut the pleasantries.

Shu Baoshan casually found a chair, sat down, grabbed a spirit fruit from the table, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it with a crunching sound.

"I'm here today to ask you for something."

Zhao Xuanqing smiled and sat back down in his chair, "What does Senior Baoshan want? Which spiritual herb are you interested in, or is there some novelty from the Devil Province? Just tell me!"

"A magical herb? I wouldn't even look at it."

Shu Baoshan spat out the fruit pit, staring into Zhao Xuanqing's eyes. "I want Void Realm Stone, Grand Unity Silver Essence, Void Spirit Crystal... I want as many materials as you can, as long as they're related to the Dao of the Space Dao."

Zhao Xuanqing's smile froze slightly, "Senior Baoshan, what do you need these for? Space Dao materials are extremely rare; even among Human Race, they are strategic resources and are not usually circulated on the market."

Don't play dumb with me.

Shu Baoshan snorted coldly, leaned forward, and lowered his voice. "The Heavenly Demon City has been operating a trade market for over twenty years. Those old bastards in the Devil Province who are nearing the end of their lives are willing to sell even their own sect's ancestral Cultivation Method for a drop of Sun Devourer Demon Blood."

"I don't believe you didn't steal and store Space Dao's materials on the black market."

Zhao Xuanqing's smile faded, and he said respectfully, "Yes, there are, but the price is extremely high; those Human Race merchants are cunning as devils, Space Dao the materials they use to open up secret realms and refine large storage Law Treasure are all priced at exorbitant levels."

"Senior Baoshan, you've just broken through; do you have enough resources to fill this gap?"

"I'll fill in the bullshit!"

Shu Baoshan slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "This is for the Ancestor!"

Zhao Xuanqing was taken aback. "Your Majesty?"

"Nonsense!" Shu Baoshan pointed in the direction of Purple Firmament Peak: "Don't you know how our ancestor treated us?"

"Even the Demon Lord White Crane has a secret realm to protect his clan; yet our ancestor, even today, has no secret realm to guard the clan. Do you think that's appropriate?"

"You must remember, Heavenly Demon City was bestowed upon you Half-Demon by our Ancestor. The Ancestor's affairs are of paramount importance!"

"If you dare to be stingy about this matter, don't blame me for disregarding any ties with your Zhao Clan and wiping you out."

Even if Kuang Dou protects you, he can't save you, I'm telling you!

Zhao Xuanqing's expression suddenly changed, becoming serious.

Perhaps after so many years of carefree living, they have forgotten their true identities; the reason their Lineage are where they are today is entirely due to the benevolence of their ancestors, who recognized the contributions of their forefathers.

Only then did Zhao Xuanqing realize that they were nothing more than servants.

In the Myriad Demon Domain, disrespecting the Ancestor is an extremely serious crime; how much more so for a lowly group of Half-Demon like them, how dare they disobey the Holy Ancestor!

"Senior Baoshan, what kind of talk is that!"

Zhao Xuanqing, speaking sweet words, almost knelt before Shu Baoshan: "The Lord's affairs are of paramount importance to our Heavenly Demon City!"

"Since this is for the sake of His Majesty, preparing materials to open up the secret realm, I, Zhao, will not hesitate to go bankrupt!"

Having said that, he called out towards the outside of the hall, "Someone come here!"

Upon hearing the summons, the two Foundation Establishment Realm Half-Demon immediately entered the main hall and bowed. "City Lord!"

"Pass on my order: retrieve all the Void Spirit Crystal from the Heavenly Demon City's treasury and hand them over to Senior Baoshan!"

Zhao Xuanqing's eyes flashed fiercely. "Also, notify those old guys in the underground trading houses in Devil Province, tell them that my Heavenly Demon City is going to buy up large quantities of Void Realm Stone and third-tier or higher Space Dao materials!"

"Make them bring out their best stuff in exchange!"

"If they dare to use substandard products or raise the price..."

"Tell them that from now on, they will not be able to obtain a single drop of the Longevity Holy Blood of the Heavenly Demon City!"

"Yes, sir!"

The two Half-Demon guards responded in unison, then turned and quickly left.

Seeing this, Shu Baoshan's expression softened slightly, and he patted Zhao Xuanqing on the shoulder. "At least you still have some conscience."

"Alright, you guys keep an eye on the black market. I'm going to the coast of the Boundless Sea; I've heard there's something called ' Mirage Sea Realm Stone ' in the sea, which is perfect for using as a foundation stone for a secret realm."

Having said that, he transformed into a golden ray of light, rushed out of the main hall, and disappeared into the horizon.