Chapter 337: Fifteen Years Flew By in a Rush

Deep within the mine.

It was quite spacious, easily enough to accommodate four galloping steeds.

Pitch black, without a shred of light.

However, Foundation Establishment cultivators possess night vision, so it caused no real impact; the air was thick with a pungent smell that slightly drained magic power.

"It is lethal poison to mortals; even Qi Condensation cultivators cannot stay here for long."

"The cost of mining is quite high."

Jiang Ding looked at the piles of white bones along the roadside.

Human bones, bones of various demonic beasts, piled together, emitting a faint ghostly aura; it seemed some yin-attribute ghosts had been here not long ago.

"Little Junior Uncle, rest assured!"

Wu Wu Tianli, accompanying him, hurriedly said, "Disciple has already asked the sect's artifact refiners to design poison-proof items usable by both mortals and Qi Condensation cultivators; there will definitely not be excessive casualties among mortal warriors and Qi Condensation miners."

He dared not speak too confidently.

"No need."

Jiang Ding opened his storage Jin Pei; a hazy light spread forth, and one by one, Spider-Mine Type-3 puppets emerged, their six sharp legs twitching as they scurried in all directions with rustling sounds.

One after another,

a total of two hundred spider-shaped mining puppets.

The other eight hundred were dispersed to the other eight Tier-3 spiritual mines in the Demon Nation to test the mining of various metal ores under different environments, gathering data for manufacturers to improve before full-scale mass production.

These suddenly appearing exquisite puppets drew the attention of all cultivators.

Their six legs moved with agility; their two front claws were slightly shorter and could change form, shifting between a large hammer, an iron chisel, a drill, and other shapes, forcefully piercing the mine wall as magical light flashed.

Walls several steps wide collapsed, revealing black-gray semi-liquid toxic flowing silver ore, which was collected by another claw; their efficiency far surpassed that of mortal warriors and Qi Condensation cultivators by an unknown margin.

"Could this be the puppet brought by that Ancestor from the Northern Original Cultivation World?"

Wu Wu Tianli, shocked, said, "With such an item, those mortal warriors and Qi Condensation miners might not be needed at all."

"Perhaps."

Jiang Ding gave no definite answer, tossing him a sphere: "This is the control core for such puppets. You need do nothing but replace the spirit stones once a month. If nothing unexpected happens, within a year at most, more puppets will arrive here."

"I will later set up a Tier-2 supreme-grade formation here to guard it. If you encounter an enemy too strong to resist, remember it and flee. If you do not encounter a strong enemy, then..."

Jiang Ding paused mid-sentence.

Things were fine now, but once thousands or tens of thousands of puppets arrived here, losing them would truly break his heart; he would likely not sleep for at least several months.

Although others could not use them anyway, as they required unlocking by their master.

"Little Junior Uncle, rest assured!"

Wu Wu Tianli solemnly declared, "If this place is lost without encountering a strong enemy, I will bring my own head to you!"

"That is good."

Jiang Ding nodded: "If you accomplish this task well, I cannot promise you any opportunity to form a Jin Dan, but your cultivation at the Foundation Establishment realm should be a smooth path."

"I will also set up a Tier-2 superior-grade Spirit-Gathering Array here. If you need breakthrough pills, serving me for thirty years is acceptable; however, this will consume your potential, so you must be aware of it yourself."

"Disciple understands!"

Wu Wu Tianli's eyes burned with intensity.

Foundation Establishment breakthrough pills!

In Xiang Qiyu Sect, only the one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators of high status and power could possibly obtain these; now, simply guarding this place for thirty years made it far too easy.

"So be it."

Jiang Ding's divine sense swept over the mine one last time for inspection; finding no flaws, he rose and departed.

After spending another seven or eight days setting up a Tier-2 supreme-grade formation and a Tier-2 superior-grade Spirit-Gathering Array here, which could operate upon inserting spirit stones,

he vanished before the respectful gazes of Wu Wu Tianli and others.

On the return journey, he took a wide detour, slaying Demon Generals of late Foundation Establishment stage and above discovered by Xiang Qiyu Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators and scattered cultivators, striving to clear the environment of the Demon Nation to make it suitable for human habitation.

Invisible flight light soared over the endless jungle, pausing for a moment.

Below, a small city several li in length and width was built against a mountain, mostly constructed of wood, stone, and earth; its population numbered just over ten thousand, yet it was the only human settlement within a hundred li radius.

Inside the city, someone ran through the streets beating a bronze gong, shouting loudly.

"The beast tide is coming!"

"Physician Lin Shi has ordered: all able-bodied men must take up weapons! All women must also come out to work!"

Soon, many strong soldiers and laborers climbed the city walls holding long spears, sharpened wooden staves, and other weapons, their expressions tense as they stared at the dense, rushing shadows outside the city.

As they drew closer, it was clearly fierce beasts, rhinoceroses, apes, and various other demonic beasts; most were ordinary beasts, but several were of Qi Condensation level.

This was a common phenomenon in the Demon Nation, or rather, in all wild, beast-filled barbarian lands: once humans gathered in large numbers without the suppressing aura of a Demon General, the instinctive hostility of the forest beasts would be triggered, forming a beast tide that often caused thousands or tens of thousands of casualties until it destroyed the human city.

"Immortal Master, please look..."

Physician Lin Shi was a burly, powerful man of the Primordial Realm; he looked at the three Taoist priests with reverence.

"The Master Tushan Dojo has issued an order: we will not leave until the situation becomes impossible to handle; you, a mere mortal, need not worry."

An old Taoist stroked his beard and said calmly.

"What the Immortal Master says is true."

Physician Lin Shi's face turned pale.

How could he not know? Yet seeing the situation outside the city, it was far too dangerous.

He had the heart to beg them to take him along when they left, but at this point, that was impossible.

Regret stirred in his heart.

He had been doing well as the leader of a gang in Dongling Prefecture of the Yue Kingdom; why had his heart been clouded by lard, accepting the expansion order from the Tu Kingdom? For the sake of a territory that could be passed down to descendants for three hundred years, he had led his gang members into this wild jungle, where they could die in the bellies of ten thousand beasts at any moment.

However, regretting it now was useless.

Three hundred years of wealth and status were not so easily taken.

……

"This does rather resemble the ancient ways of our forebears — the grand enfeoffment of the Hua clan."

Jiang Ding took out a jade slip that Li Li Qingyun had handed him at some unknown moment; his divine sense poured into it, and he instantly understood the situation below.

The Yao Kingdom — its population was far too small.

Vast land with sparse people, constantly harassed by demon beasts and wild beasts — the kind of centralized feudal dynasty system that Yue Kingdom had could hardly suit the current situation of Tu Kingdom.

To this end, Li Li Qingyun, referring to history, initiated the grand enfeoffment, gathering the noble clans, local powers, and Wu Lin sects from all over Yue Kingdom, casting them out to the various human gathering places, rallying the humans previously kept by the Yao Kingdom like livestock, to multiply and thrive, to expand their territory.

The imperial court of Tu Kingdom was merely the common lord of Tu Kingdom, in charge of sacrifices and enfeoffment, holding command over the Six Armies — its power was greatly restricted.

"Li Li Qingyun is quite a talent; no matter the situation, he can handle it well. If he had been born in a better environment, Nascent Soul would have been within his reach."

"What a pity…"

Jiang Ding shook his head, waved his hand, and sent down over a hundred streaks of silvery-white sword qi, slaying most of the demon beasts and wild beasts in the beast tide. Ignoring the worship of the cultivators and mortals below, his escaping light departed far from the place.

Several days later, he returned to the Tu Mountain Dojo.

He planted the third-rank 'Molten Gold Vine seeds' obtained from the Immortal Gate within the third-rank upper-grade spiritual vein, planting them one by one at the vein's location, watering and fertilizing them.

Nurtured by the abundant spiritual energy of the third-rank upper-grade spiritual vein, this Molten Gold Vine bore fruit once every ten years; the third-rank Molten Gold Fruits produced could be used to temper spirit swords, forming third-rank tier astral qi, upgrading the second-rank astral qi that had long since become a mere ornament.

Thus time passed, day by day.

Three years later, the spiritual mines, spiritual herb gardens, spiritual timber forests, spiritual beast gardens, spiritual fish lakes, and so on across the Yao Kingdom had been initially set up, and they began to gradually produce various resources of the first, second, and third ranks.

Thereafter, the various spiritual mines and spiritual herbs fully entered production, with output rising steadily; every year, massive amounts of resources poured into the Tu Mountain Dojo.

The resources of an entire nation were collected by one person alone; apart from the remuneration paid to cultivators in various places, there was no need to raise any disciples, and there existed no class of rentiers.

Unknowingly, fifteen years had already passed.

Too much idling by day — I must stay up late tonight.

The update will probably only be around two or three o'clock.

(End of this chapter)