……

During this short period of time, Wang Fugui put aside his work to spend more time with his wife and children, especially with Wang Baosheng. He couldn't understand where the boy's intense sense of crisis came from, burdened with heavy thoughts, eager to grow up and take on the world as if the sky were falling. Did he think the elders were just sitting around doing nothing?

With Ancestor Grandfather around, the sky wouldn't fall. Even if it did, it would only be after all the elders were unable to hold it up.

Children should be lively and carefree.

He needed to help relieve some of his pressure.

However, spanking the child proved quite effective. Over time, Wang Baosheng became a bit more restrained and lively.

But now, with the outer demon realm in constant turmoil, Wang Fugui, as the strategic commander of the outer demon realm, was quite busy. He couldn't stay for more than two months before rushing off to Zhenmo State, leaving Wang Baosheng in the care of Ancestor Grandfather.

Of course, another reason Wang Fugui left was that he couldn't stand his son's occasional sarcastic remarks.

He felt that if he stayed home any longer, the Wang's Clan would decline!

A few days later.

In Shouzhe's Small Courtyard, flowers bloomed in profusion, and it was like spring all year round. Various spirit bees and butterflies busily collected nectar.

Wang Shouzhe, dressed in a loose, casual robe, lay half-asleep on a grandmaster chair, telling stories to Wang Baosheng.

In front of Ancestor Grandfather, Wang Baosheng was quite well-behaved, sitting upright on a small stool, listening to the stories while occasionally massaging Wang Shouzhe's legs and shoulders, looking every bit the filial grandson.

The atmosphere seemed harmonious.

But the content of their conversation was not so harmonious.

"Ancestor Grandfather, I think Sun Wukong is really something else," Wang Baosheng said disdainfully. "Always causing trouble, restless, unable to calm down. What's wrong with being a stable hand? Everyone is equal before work. If only he could stick to his principles, work diligently, think about his shortcomings, and improve himself..."

"Ahem~ Let me tell you about Sha Wujing's story instead," Wang Shouzhe changed the subject.

Moments later, Wang Baosheng sighed, "Dull and mediocre, only sighing when things go wrong. I think he should be kicked out of the team."

"Let me tell you about the Three Kingdoms," Wang Shouzhe changed the subject again.

Moments later, Wang Baosheng showed a worried expression, "I've heard some of this story from Father. But why fight among the same civilization in such a big world? Why not form an alliance, sweep away the various alien races, expand the territory, and after conquering the world, unite to develop civilization, aiming for the vast starry sea?"

"What about 'Water Margin'? Have you heard of it?" Wang Shouzhe rubbed his temples, feeling more and more of a headache.

"I know a bit about it, a story of a group of lawless fugitives with ulterior motives..." Wang Baosheng said, "Of course, the court was also full of problems, needing drastic reforms from the inside out. If it were up to me..."

Wang Shouzhe sighed, his tone increasingly helpless, "Then you probably don't like 'Dream of the Red Chamber' either."

"That's not too bad. Although it's full of extravagance and absurdity, it can serve as a cautionary tale for family decline," Wang Baosheng said seriously. "Our Wang's Clan should learn from it, striving to enhance every clan member's sense of mission and responsibility. As the young clan leader and future successor, I should be especially self-disciplined, setting an example for my siblings."

After a pause, Wang Baosheng "risked his life" to offer advice, "Ancestor Grandfather, I've heard that in the Holy Domain, people with bloodline talents like yours at your age are considered young and promising gentlemen."

Wang Shouzhe's cheek twitched.

This kid wasn't satisfied with planning a path for his father; he even wanted to plan one for his ancestor? No wonder Fugui gave him a spanking.

Fortunately, at this moment, a family guard came to report that the Red Abyss Demon Emperor had come to see the clan leader.

Before Wang Shouzhe could respond, the projection of the Red Abyss Demon Emperor had already landed in Shouzhe's Small Courtyard like a red streak of light.

The Red Abyss Demon Emperor was in a hurry, but upon seeing Wang Baosheng, he immediately calmed his anxious aura and greeted him casually, "Baosheng is here too~"

"Shouzhe greets Your Majesty," Wang Shouzhe calmly cupped his hands.

"Baosheng greets the External Ancestor."

Wang Baosheng also bowed, his etiquette impeccable.

Princess Zhaoyu was his aunt, so the Red Abyss Demon Emperor was naturally considered his elder.

Moreover, because of Wang Baosheng, the relationship between the Red Abyss Demon Emperor and Immortal Emperor Mu Yun had become closer.

"Your Majesty, you seem to be in a hurry. Is there something urgent?" Wang Shouzhe personally brewed tea to entertain the demon emperor's projection, his demeanor calm and leisurely.

However, since it was just a projection, he didn't waste immortal tea, using ordinary spirit tea instead.

"Sigh~" The Red Abyss Demon Emperor wasn't in the mood for tea, taking a casual sip before saying, "Shouzhe, how is it that your Wang's Clan gathers all the world's talents? With geniuses aplenty, and even prodigies like Fugui and Baosheng with invincible bloodlines. Meanwhile, among the younger generation of my Shentu's Clan, apart from Jingming and Zhaoyu, the rest are just a bunch of misfits."

The demon emperor was also at his wit's end.

Years ago, he spent a "fortune" to acquire the True Demon Core and remains of the Chi Yan Demon God, hoping to add a new line of true demons to the Shentu's Clan. But over the years, he had been selecting and testing among the Shentu's descendants, trying to find a suitable candidate to inherit it, only to become increasingly frustrated.

Among thousands of young descendants, not a single one was satisfactory.

"Your Majesty, don't worry," Wang Shouzhe consoled, "If you can't find one now, be patient and nurture some promising seedlings."

"Wait? How long will that take?" The Red Abyss Demon Emperor said worriedly, "I've heard that Crown Princess Suiyun has successfully inherited the Myriad Sword Immortal Scripture... Our Demon Dynasty can't afford to wait."

"External Ancestor," Wang Baosheng interjected, "If you can't wait, why not let my Aunt Zhaoyu try? Although she seems lazy... no, I mean, her bloodline talent and comprehension are top-notch."

Princess Zhaoyu doted on Baosheng, so naturally, Baosheng respected his Aunt Zhaoyu and wanted to help her seize this opportunity.

"Zhaoyu!?" The Red Abyss Demon Emperor was shocked, "But Zhaoyu is married into the Wang's Clan. She's their daughter-in-law~"

"External Ancestor, don't let my Aunt Zhaoyu hear that..." Wang Baosheng said seriously, "Ultimately, my aunt is still a Shentu by blood, and her heart is with the Shentu's Clan and the Demon Dynasty. If she becomes a true demon, she will surely support the Demon Dynasty and won't stand by while it suffers. Isn't that like having an extra true demon for the Demon Dynasty?"

The Red Abyss Demon Emperor nodded slightly, "Baosheng makes a good point, but why do I feel something's off?"

"Wait, wasn't this treasure bought with my money?" The Red Abyss Demon Emperor suddenly realized, "No, no, Shouzhe, Zhaoyu is ultimately part of your Wang's Clan, so your clan should pay for it."

"External Ancestor, that's unreasonable," Wang Baosheng disagreed, "Isn't Aunt Zhaoyu a Shentu by blood? How can you discriminate against her like this? I'll ask Aunt Zhaoyu for her opinion. If she insists the Wang's Clan pays, I'll have Father cover the shortfall."

In fact, Princess Zhaoyu's tavern business was quite profitable, earning three to four billion immortal crystals over the past century. One immortal crystal was equivalent to a low-grade spiritual stone, about a hundred Top Gold.

After expenses and taxes, she had about two billion immortal crystals left, enough to exchange for two Immortal Spirit Stones.

Moreover, when Zhaoyu married, the Shentu's Clan provided a generous dowry, including many businesses that had been profitable over the years, yielding substantial profits.

Together, they could gather about three Immortal Spirit Stones.

But even so, this amount was far from enough to cover the price of the Chi Yan Demon God's True Demon Core.

However, if Zhaoyu's funds were insufficient, Wang Fugui's certainly were.

"No need for Fugui to pay," Wang Shouzhe chimed in, "Our Wang's Clan can afford to nurture a true demon entirely on our own. Your Majesty, are you sure you want the Wang's Clan to pay?"

The Red Abyss Demon Emperor suddenly felt like he was being roasted over a fire by the grandfather-grandson duo.

If Zhaoyu found out he was unwilling to pay, she'd probably explode with anger, maybe even sever ties with him.

Moreover, according to the rules of the Shenwu World, if the Wang's Clan paid, the inheritance would belong to them. In the future, the true demon inheritance would continue in the Wang's Clan, having nothing to do with the Shentu's Clan.

"External Ancestor, you don't need to be so conflicted," Wang Baosheng earnestly advised the Red Abyss Demon Emperor, "Aunt Zhaoyu is a demon cultivator, and demon cultivators are rare in our Wang's Clan. In the future, when she reaches the inheritance stage, won't the inheritance return to the Shentu's Clan? During these thousands of years, the Shentu's Clan can develop and cultivate more promising young people, so there's no worry about finding an excellent successor."

There were many examples of such situations.

For instance, Yao Yuangang, who married into the Chaoyang King's residence, brought a treasure with him. When he reached the inheritance stage, he passed the treasure back to the Yao's Clan.

This was beneficial for the Yao's Clan, with the Immortal Emperor as a guarantor, ensuring the treasure would be returned.

With the Wang's Clan's resources and the number of True Immortal Seeds, they wouldn't covet this line of true demon inheritance.

"That's true," the Red Abyss Demon Emperor was persuaded, "No matter what, Zhaoyu is a Shentu by blood. Her becoming a true demon is beneficial for the Shentu's Clan. Let's settle it."

"Someone, please invite my Aunt Zhaoyu," Wang Baosheng immediately ordered with a stern face.

"Yes, Young Master Baosheng."

The attendant outside the courtyard quickly complied and hurried off to invite Princess Zhaoyu.

In no time, Princess Zhaoyu arrived.

Seeing the scene in the courtyard, she was momentarily confused.

Could it be that Baosheng had caused trouble, upsetting the two ancestors?

But that didn't make sense. If Baosheng had really upset them, wouldn't they have called Sister Mengyu instead? Why call her?

After Wang Baosheng quickly explained the situation, Princess Zhaoyu was even more bewildered.

What, she was suddenly going to become a True Demon Seed? The clan's immortal scriptures were so scarce that even her husband hadn't gotten a turn, yet she was first?

Wait.

No.

Was Baosheng trying to motivate her to improve because he thought she was too idle?

Wouldn't that mean she couldn't slack off and play games anymore?

"Aunt, Father will surely become a True Immortal in the future," Wang Baosheng seemed to read Zhaoyu's thoughts, "You should seize this opportunity to improve your strength and longevity, so you can stay with Father for a long time. Moreover, drawing from the True Demon Core is easier than forging your own path, but harder than directly inheriting the True Demon Scripture. The sooner you comprehend it, the more you'll benefit."

In Wang Baosheng's heart, Aunt Zhaoyu was the closest person after his parents, so he didn't want to see her idle, watching boring recorded dramas or playing virtual games.

"Baosheng makes sense. I'll work harder," Princess Zhaoyu seemed motivated.

"In that case, I'll design a schedule for you when I return," Wang Baosheng said with satisfaction.

With Aunt Zhaoyu motivated, could Mother be far behind? Once Mother was motivated, Father wouldn't fall behind either.

This mutual surpassing, pursuit, supervision, and competition was the correct path to growth. Then the whole family could live happily together for a long time, wouldn't that be wonderful?

"A schedule... there's no need for that, right?" Princess Zhaoyu felt a bit apprehensive.

"Aunt, don't worry about self-discipline. For your future growth, I'll make sure to supervise you."

"…Thank you for your effort, Baosheng," Princess Zhaoyu was almost in tears.

After quickly handling Princess Zhaoyu's matter, Wang Baosheng politely bid farewell to Wang Shouzhe, "Ancestor Grandfather, I still have homework to finish, so I'll take my leave. Thank you for telling me stories. I'll come back in a few days to discuss how to become a vibrant and outstanding youth."

Princess Zhaoyu also hurriedly took her leave.

With some time left, she wanted to finish watching her recorded dramas... because soon, she probably wouldn't have time.

After they left, the Red Abyss Demon Emperor laughed heartily, "Shouzhe, I didn't expect you'd have a day like this. But Baosheng is right, retiring at your age isn't suitable. You should make the most of your youthful vigor."

Wang Shouzhe rubbed his temples, feeling helpless.

That child was too earnest and responsible, not only having a strong sense of mission and responsibility for himself but also expecting everyone to have the same...

Coincidentally, less than half a month later, Wang Ningxi excitedly reported that the Great Void Transfer Array had been completely repaired, and the Holy Domain exploration plan could begin.

In Wang Shouzhe's plan, Wang Anye was originally the main person in charge of this plan.

After all, Wang Anye had always been lucky, and for such an uncertain and high-risk task, he was the most suitable.

But after being constantly "motivated" by Wang Baosheng, Wang Shouzhe also felt young and decided to go out himself to make the most of his youthful vigor.

As for Anye, he would continue to oversee the Shenwu Heavenly Abyss development and supervision plan.

The Reincarnation Tree in the Shenwu Heavenly Abyss probably wouldn't last long, and the state of the Great Demon Lord Chilong's remnant soul was unknown. With Anye watching over it, he felt more at ease.

As for how long to avoid the limelight, Wang Shouzhe wasn't sure, but at least he needed to avoid Baosheng for now, hoping that as he grew older, his competitive mindset would gradually fade.

After some preparation, Wang Shouzhe began personally overseeing the Holy Domain opening plan.

All relevant personnel and materials were ready.

At the spatial node near the Immortal Palace, everyone gathered.

Wang Ningxi took out the Great Void Transfer Array.

To activate the array, twelve Immortal Spirit Stones had to be embedded in it.

Fortunately, these Immortal Spirit Stones weren't one-time use. Once embedded, they could maintain the array for a long time. If the space channel was opened for short periods, it should last a while.

As the Immortal Spirit Stones were embedded into the array, Wang Ningxi sequentially cast spells to activate it.

The inscriptions on the array quickly lit up one by one.

Vast energy spread from the array, instantly forming twelve spatial nodes around it.

The spatial nodes rotated slowly, with terrifying energy gradually condensing within them.

As time passed, the energy within the spatial nodes grew stronger, and their rotation speed increased, faster and faster.

Suddenly.

"Buzz~!"

A sound like a grand bell resonated through the heavens and earth.

A rotating space tunnel suddenly appeared between heaven and earth, with storm-like spatial forces sweeping out, instantly distorting and shaking the surrounding space, blurring the view.

Watching this scene, Wang Shouzhe was filled with emotion.

After so many years, the space channel was finally open.

For the Shenwu World, this was both an opportunity for rise and a severe challenge. Under normal circumstances, he would have made more preparations to ensure everything was in place before cautiously opening the channel.

Unfortunately, many times, circumstances were beyond his control.

The eldest girl was still in the Holy Domain, her fate unknown, her safety uncertain.

The rise of the Nine Prison Demon God had significantly increased the threat of the demons to the Shenwu World, complicating the situation in the demon realm.

Although they had previously disrupted the situation, delaying the Nine Prison Demon God's unification of the demon realm, and even managed to injure the Nine Prison Demon God, severing one of its arms, the situation was only temporarily stabilized.

Having suffered such a loss, the Nine Prison Demon God would not let it go.

Moreover, for an ambitious being like the Nine Prison Demon God, a temporary setback wouldn't stop its progress. At most, it would lie low for decades or centuries.

For a demon god, decades or centuries were just a closed-door retreat.

Once its injuries healed and preparations were complete, it would undoubtedly restart the war, either by annexing other demon gods' territories to consolidate demon forces or by attacking the human race, attempting to open the Shenwu World's gateway to gain more resources.

Or perhaps, both at once.

At that time, the Shenwu World would face a severe challenge.

However, the awkward reality was that despite the increase in True Immortal Realm numbers in the Shenwu World, and having an insider among the demon gods, they were still at an absolute disadvantage.

Years ago, the human race gathered five True Immortal Realm experts, including the mid-stage True Immortal Realm Immortal Emperor, and even added Liu Ruolan, whose strength rivaled the True Immortal Realm. Yet, they couldn't defeat the Nine Prison Demon God, only inflicting severe injuries.

If a real fight broke out, each faction of the human race would need a True Immortal Realm to sit in, making it impossible to concentrate so many True Immortal Realms against one Nine Prison Demon God. This wasn't realistic. The demon race didn't have just one Nine Prison Demon God.

The nature of the war would be predictable.

Therefore, the Shenwu World urgently needed to enhance its strength. Even if they couldn't quickly elevate the Immortal Emperor's strength to the mid-stage True Immortal Realm, they needed at least a few more True Immortal Realms or one or two more mid-stage True Immortal Realms to arrange things calmly.

To achieve this, vast resources were essential.

Opening the Holy Domain was an opportunity.

But within this opportunity lay significant risks.

In the Holy Domain, powerful beings abounded, and forces were numerous. Not everyone would be as willing as the Immortal Emperor and Immortal Sovereign to see the Wang's Clan grow without thoughts of invasion, plunder, or domination.

Human nature was complex, and Wang Shouzhe dared not gamble, nor could he.

When he first interacted with Emperor Longchang and the Immortal Emperor, he proceeded cautiously, ensuring he knew their character, confirmed their trustworthiness, and that the Wang's Clan had some self-preservation ability before gradually revealing the clan's potential.

In fact, the unity of the Shenwu World was inseparable from its internal and external crises.

It was because the Shenwu World urgently needed strong individuals and strength that the Immortal Emperor and other powerful beings could restrain their desires, allowing the Wang's Clan to grow, even potentially replacing them in the future.

But the Holy Domain was entirely unknown to him.

It was clear that the vast Holy Domain was a mix of forces, with a situation a thousand or ten thousand times more complex than the Shenwu World.

How to gather intelligence, understand the situation, hide oneself, acquire resources, and build connections... all these were challenges. A single misstep could lead to complete failure.

Fortunately, after years of preparation, many plans and preparations were in place, ready to be executed step by step.

This time, after the space channel opened, it would close once people passed through, reopening three years later. Then, the two sides would exchange information and determine the next opening time.

As the channel opened, the prepared personnel boarded the Heavenly Void Cloud Boat, crossing the space tunnel in one go.

Once the tail of the Heavenly Void Cloud Boat disappeared into the space tunnel, after a moment, Wang Ningxi closed the Great Void Transfer Array.

Under the powerful healing effect of spatial forces, the space tunnel in the sky quickly collapsed, shrank, and soon vanished.

Space returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

But everyone present knew that this troubled Shenwu World would soon usher in a new chapter.

……

In the blink of an eye, several months passed.

In the capital of the New Luo Immortal Dynasty, on the streets of New Luo Immortal City.

A light rain fell.

The exotic streets were bustling and lively, offering a different feeling from the Shenwu World.

Dressed as a noble young master, Wang Shouzhe strolled leisurely through the foreign streets, his pace unhurried, his demeanor calm, appreciating all the novel sights along the way.

Raindrops splashed at his feet, unable to penetrate his protective true qi, leaving him untouched.

As he walked in the rain, his shoes remained pristine, without a drop of rain or a speck of dirt.

Behind him, Immortal Emperor Yun Tiange followed closely, dressed inconspicuously, holding an umbrella for Wang Shouzhe, looking every bit the diligent personal maid.

The patter of rain on the umbrella created a crisp sound, drowning out the street's noisy clamor, adding a touch of tranquility.

……