Chapter 2509: Jade Capital City Major Reorganization

The long-paralyzed Jade Capital City suddenly stirred again, and this time it was a major upheaval.

This time, the demonic beasts hiding in every nook and cranny were driven out of Jade Capital City by the stone men; those unwilling to leave were killed on the spot.

The Earth Mother was not of a pleasant temperament either.

After Shangguan Biao's death, his former subordinates scattered like birds and beasts, each fleeing for their lives; few remained in the city to begin with. But Jade Capital City's terrain was truly complex—even with the Earth Mother manifesting numerous stone avatars, it took her two days to completely eradicate the remnants.

From now on, this city has utterly severed its ties with Shangguan Biao. It has a new master and no longer bears the burden of past bloodguilt.

During these two days, the Earth Mother also began inventorying and organizing the legacy left behind by Shangguan Biao.

One does not know until one looks—and then one is startled.

The materials and treasures Shangguan Biao had accumulated over the past several thousand years were……excessively abundant.

He Lingchuan had once looted a treasure in the Ghost King's Underground Palace on the Flashing Gold Plains; those funds had lasted him until the Dragon God War era. But compared to Shangguan Biao's hoard, the Ghost King's collection was like a petty sorcerer beside a great sorcerer—utterly incomparable in scale!

For instance, Shangguan Biao placed a blood-red coral tree in his own residence, astonishingly three zhang tall—a sight exceedingly rare in the mortal world, one that could only be matched by seeking in the Dragon Palace. Yet upon closer inspection, the coral material was not blood jade at all, but clearly blood-colored xuan crystal!

Such a xuan crystal tree weighed in units of "thousands of jin." Not to mention the vast amount of scrap produced when carving xuan crystal into coral!

Those scraps were xuan crystal too—high-purity xuan crystal. Fifteen years ago, a single blood-red xuan crystal the size of a pearl could spark a blood feud between two sects. Back then, even immortals could not afford such abundance, yet Shangguan Biao let Jade Capital City lie hidden underground, comfortably enduring over two thousand years of spiritual scarcity.

The coral tree bore strange treasures and rarities, presumably Shangguan Biao's personal collection, each piece perfectly suited.

Even Dong Rui, who had seen much and broadened his knowledge over the past ten years, who was accustomed to fine things, stared at this coral tree until his eyes glazed over, and he spat out several oaths before saying: "If this thing were taken out, it wouldn't just fail to ward off evil—it would invite lethal disaster! Ah, setting aside Shangguan Biao's character, this man still has considerable skill in making money and overseeing construction."

To describe someone as wealthy, one says "rich enough to rival a nation." But Shangguan Biao's wealth was not merely enough to rival one nation—it was enough to rival several, even a dozen nations.

"This is all ill-gotten money!" Zhu Xiuer snorted righteously, "Don't you think about how he amassed his wealth and foundation?"

He Lingchuan understood Shangguan Biao's character very well: "He has always had a great void in his heart, and he must find ways to fill it."

"Can it be filled?"

"No. So he indulges in extravagance and desire, yet always feels insufficient."

The inventory of Jade Capital City's treasure hoard is still ongoing, endless, simply endless. The Earth Mother estimates it will take at least another year to complete.

This is only possible because it has an army of stone puppet golems; were any other force to attempt this, it would take ten or eight years to finish.

Shangguan Biao spent several thousand years gathering and amassing this foundation—how could one expect it to be sorted out in a single year?

The little stone men often sweep out strange treasures and rarities from various nooks and crannies. Like the tiny hiding places where Pak Chi Hai once concealed himself, Jade Capital City has many such spaces, frequently harboring unexpected surprises.

The Earth Mother knows full well the nature of each item, but she said to He Lingchuan:

"Leave me some spare xuan crystal for emergencies; the rest is yours."

Xuan crystal is her fodder. Other flashy trinkets, though humans may value them greatly, mean nothing to her. What she desires has always been utterly pure.

He Lingchuan patted her shoulder.

The crowd looked upon this great stone figure with renewed esteem—who said she was foolish?

In this regard, she even surpassed ninety percent of humanity.

Having cleared the areas, the Earth Mother began to reorganize them.

In the earlier battle, the Panlong New Secret Realm had already devoured most of Jade Capital City's secret realms, leaving only the Ghost City Gate and two other sites with powerful guardian spirits, awaiting later gradual integration.

Outside Panlong Ancient City, the Earth Mother taps designated areas, and the underground yields a great pitch-black hole that swallows all surface matter inward.

Whether soil, trees, solid rock, or even surface structures, all are sucked into this bottomless pit until nothing remains to be absorbed—

According to the Earth Mother's plan, she intends to retain only Jade Capital City's few main landmarks as trophies; all other unauthorized constructions will be abandoned or leveled. The new land will be divided into plains, rivers, and hills, possibly with a few patches of quicksand and mire—this is her favored terrain.

Her back will become simple, clean, and refreshing.

Several empty plots outside the city were successively leveled and smoothed; Panlong Ancient City stands here, also possessing a sense of lofty vastness.

These remaining expanses of land, under He Lingchuan's suggestion, the Earth Mother leveled and enriched them, then transplanted the spiritual flora from the Flowing Light Secret Realm into them.

Shangguan Biao had replicated the Du Zhi Mountain incident using the Flowing Light Secret Realm; the figures within were illusory, but the spiritual plants and medicines were genuine, usable and plantable in reality, of exceptional age.

Affected by the Earth Mother's power, the soil inside and outside Panlong Ancient City is astonishingly fertile, brimming with spiritual energy—it would be a pity not to cultivate something good.

That wind-dew golden lotus, He Lingchuan personally planted it in Panlong Ancient City, placing it in the Blessing Pool at the southern gate plaza.

When the gentle breeze comes, the lotus dew sways—this is its proper bearing.

The past of this strange flower bears too much undeserved weight.

Dong Rui also entered the city, looking east and west, and found that the northern wall of Panlong Ancient City, which had been collapsed by Jade Capital City, had been repaired again.

Though it is no longer the original version, the Earth Mother meant well and tried her best to restore it to its former state.

…

The Jade Capital City battle has ended, the Heavenly Demons have withdrawn, but the Lingshan has not yet departed.

For many years past, because of the Heavenly Demons as a common enemy, the relationship between Cangyan and Lingshan has generally been one of cooperative vigilance and mutual exchange, especially the Worry-Free Emperor of Mu State, who often had private correspondence with He Ling Mountain. Thus, the Nine Abyssal Emperor engaged in deep, friendly talks with the Lingshan's representative, the True Person of Si Hai.

Of course, the Lingshan people's attitude toward him is now completely different from their former attitude toward the "Tiger-Wing General."

No matter why Lingshan came, their crucial role in the Jade Capital City battle cannot be erased; He Lingchuan naturally took the lead in gratitude, lavishly praising the True Person of Si Hai and others, even being able to specify which disciple of the True Person of Si Hai performed outstandingly on the battlefield.

Without question, the Nine Abyssal Emperor is the greatest beneficiary of the Jade Capital City War. Having gained so many benefits, he naturally does not mind treating the other side with greater courtesy in attitude, giving them more face.

Besides the True Person of Si Hai, all other individuals praised were glowing with delight, unable to conceal their smiles.

(End of Chapter)