Chapter 307: Mortals

Just as the internal expansion of Dongxuan City began in full swing.

Outside the Waterland Realm.

The Soul Transformation Venerables dispatched by the major powers.

had already arrived one after another before the invisible barrier condensed by the Seventh-Stage Star Array.

Gazing at the scene within the barrier, Liu Shuijiang, the Sect Master of the Hidden Bright Sect, exclaimed in disbelief and shock:

"The Waterland Realm, could it truly have been captured by Dongxuan City?"

The Soul Transformation Venerables of the other major powers also showed expressions of shock.

It could be seen that not far within the barrier, tall city walls and city gates had already been built.

Upon the city gates, the three large characters "Dongxuan City" were clearly written.

Looking at what was once the gathering place of Sixth-Stage demonic beasts, the Waterland Realm, now transformed into a city.

The expressions of these Soul Transformation Venerables from the various major powers differed.

Ye Qingxuan had arranged the grotto-heavens, small courtyards, and large courtyards according to an approximate ratio of 7: : .

After discovering that he could not see through the true nature of this array.

However, the size of a Sixth-Stage grotto-heaven was no smaller than the small courtyards opened up by spiritual veins below the Sixth Stage.

Upon these First-Stage Spirit-Gathering Grasses, Ye Qingxuan had carved faint Spirit-Gathering array patterns.

It was just that he was currently busy arranging array formations and prohibitions for the various spiritual veins, opening up grotto-heavens, small courtyards, and large courtyards.

The arrival of these Soul Transformation Venerables.

Ye Qingxuan within Dongxuan City naturally sensed it.

Ye Qingxuan had summoned many First-Stage Spirit-Gathering Grasses from the Qingxuan Grotto-Heaven.

In the eyes of these Soul Transformation Venerables, none failed to show a look of wariness.

These Soul Transformation Venerables fell silent one after another.

As for the spiritual veins of the Sixth-Stage level, Ye Qingxuan had opened them all up as grotto-heavens.

He temporarily had no time to deal with these uninvited guests.

After transmitting the news back to their respective powers.

Their gazes focused on the three large characters "Dongxuan City" upon the city gates.

The spiritual veins below the Sixth Stage.

While arranging the array formations and prohibitions.

Even if what was opened up was a grotto-heaven.

Then, following the layout of the Spirit-Gathering Array, he planted these Spirit-Gathering Grasses in various places throughout the new district of Dongxuan City.

They did not recklessly force their way into Dongxuan City, but chose to wait quietly outside the barrier.

Each employed their methods to sense the strength of the barrier before them.

However, the area occupied by Sixth-Stage spiritual veins was generally quite vast.

Now, the new district of Dongxuan City near Dongxuan Lake had begun to arrange for the diversion and settlement of mortal residents.

With the existence of the Spirit-Gathering Grasses and the Spirit-Gathering Array, the concentration of First-Stage spiritual energy within these new districts would continuously increase.

This would subtly improve the physique of the city's residents and increase the birth rate of spiritual roots in newborn children.

However, under Ye Qingxuan's control, the growth speed of spiritual energy within these mortal city districts was extremely slow.

Mortals are ultimately inferior to cultivators.

If the concentration of spiritual energy in their living areas increased too rapidly, it would be harmful rather than beneficial to them.

Especially spiritual energy above the First Stage.

Even Qi Refining cultivators absorbing spiritual energy above the First Stage must do so with great caution.

Although mortals do not actively absorb spiritual energy, they are still subtly affected by it.

If the concentration and the level of the spiritual energy increased by too large a margin.

The mortal residents of Dongxuan City might not necessarily be able to withstand it.

This was one of the reasons why Ye Qingxuan had sealed the spiritual veins.

And ensured that within the mortal city districts of Dongxuan City and most areas outside the city such as the spiritual fields, the spiritual energy was maintained only at the First-Stage level.

Although Dongxuan City was currently expanding in scale.

The operational model of Dongxuan City had not changed.

For all the mortal residents in Dongxuan City, Ye Qingxuan would distribute spiritual fields, allowing them to support themselves.

As for what to plant and how to manage these spiritual fields, Ye Qingxuan would not interfere.

If one was unwilling to do anything, then his Dongxuan City would not support those who were only good at eating and lazy.

Although he wanted the population of Dongxuan City to explode, and he could easily support all the mortal residents within Dongxuan City.

This did not mean he was willing to see the mortal residents of Dongxuan City idle all day long.

If one did nothing and only waited to be fed, how was that different from being raised in captivity?

Only vibrant and energetic residents of Dongxuan City were what Ye Qingxuan wanted.

Perhaps most ordinary mortal residents would never leave Dongxuan City in their entire lives.

But with the current size of Dongxuan City, it was enough for these mortal residents to explore throughout their entire lives.

Ye Qingxuan would not interfere with the lifestyle of these mortal residents.

Occasionally, he would stand atop the peak of the Ten Thousand Spirit Mountain.

Overlooking the words and deeds of these mortal residents, watching their short and insignificant lives.

The diverse lifestyles of these mortal residents sometimes brought Ye Qingxuan many spiritual insights.

Time passed; in the blink of an eye, another ten years vanished.

After ten years, the expansion of Dongxuan City was nearly complete.

The former Waterland Kingdom had now become the urban district of Dongxuan City.

Along the major spiritual veins, cave dwellings, small villas, and large villas of various sizes had been carved out.

In the vacant cave dwellings, small villas, and large villas, the cultivators of Dongxuan City had planted numerous spiritual herbs.

Today, the total number of cave dwellings, small villas, and large villas in Dongxuan City reached several hundred thousand.

Specifically:

Sixth-rank cave dwellings: 264.

Fifth-rank cave dwellings: 1, 12; fifth-rank small villas: 216; fifth-rank large villas: 108.

Fourth-rank cave dwellings: 9, 72; fourth-rank small villas: 1, 96; fourth-rank large villas: 648.

Cave dwellings, small villas, and large villas below the fourth rank were countless.

With so many cave dwellings, small villas, and large villas, leaving them empty was a waste.

It would be better to establish spiritual herb gardens within them to generate revenue for Dongxuan City.

Moreover, once these herb gardens reached a certain scale,

when selling the cave dwellings, small villas, and large villas to outsiders, an additional premium could be charged.

In addition, at some former sites where spiritual herbs grew,

the cultivators of Dongxuan City had deliberately preserved spiritual vein nodes, enclosed these areas with formations, and turned them into herb gardens of varying sizes.

Coupled with the various spiritual ores hidden beneath the earth,

it could be said that Dongxuan City no longer relied on raw materials from Qingxuan Cave Heaven and Blessed Land to sustain its own consumption and its vast external market.

The only flaw of Dongxuan City

was that it currently lacked its own mid- and high-rank alchemists, artifact refiners, formation masters, and talisman makers,

as well as its own mid- and high-rank powerful experts.

Only after making up for this flaw

could Dongxuan City truly possess all the fundamental characteristics of a major power within the Dongji Domain.

After seizing the Waterland Kingdom,

Dongxuan City no longer lacked space for development or spiritual vein resources.

As long as development continued,

Ye Qingxuan believed that sooner or later, Dongxuan City would possess all the fundamental characteristics held by such major powers.

Rather than being as it is now,

where the entire Dongxuan City had only his external manifestation, a single Soul Transformation Realm Venerable,

plus a combined Seventh-Rank Star Array used to deceive and intimidate others.

The development of Dongxuan City was still too short.

(End of Chapter)