You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

"Sumeru Space?"

Chen Yang frowned.

"Compared to the small world you mentioned and the immortal mansion ruins I saw, this is nothing, not even a hair!"

The woman's lingering spirit drifted closer and gently comforted her.

"My lord, everything has its own growth process. This Sumeru Space is the foundation of your future 'small world'. Its scope, environment, and spiritual energy are not fixed, but can continue to grow and improve as your cultivation level increases, your control over the spirit world deepens, and you 'nurture' it."

"Cultivate?"

Chen Yang captured the key words.

"Exactly."

The woman's remnant spirit nodded, pointing to the cracked earth and the few withered grasses at her feet.

"You see, although this place is desolate, the land is real and can support life. What you need to do now is to start 'nurturing' it."

For example, you could try transplanting some plants containing spiritual energy from outside, even low-level spiritual herbs would be fine. You could also try introducing some gentle small spiritual beasts, such as the 'yellow weasel' you mentioned.

She continued to explain.

"When spirits live here, they will naturally absorb the weak, free-floating energy in the space, and at the same time, they will give back their own aura and vitality."

Once this 'cycle' is established, it will gradually improve the environment, making the land fertile and the air begin to contain a faint spiritual energy. You, on the other hand, need to constantly use your own magical power and divine sense to communicate with and nurture the core of this space, deepening your connection with it.

As your strength increases, your understanding of the spatial rules deepens, and the spiritual matter within the space accumulates, its area will gradually expand, the environment will slowly optimize, and the concentration of spiritual energy will increase. Given time, it may very well grow into a truly vibrant and blessed land.

Chen Yang understood, but the disappointment on his face did not completely disappear.

"So, this is... a 'nurturing' type of space? I need to spend a lot of time, energy, and resources to 'raise' it little by little?"

"You can understand it that way, sir."

The female residual spirit smiled.

"This is not something that can be accomplished overnight."

But its potential and benefits grow as it matures. Imagine a growing space that is entirely yours, portable, capable of housing living things, and whose spiritual environment can be optimized and adjusted to your liking.

Isn't its value far greater than that of a fixed, unchanging ruin, potentially fraught with unknown dangers? Moreover, once you gain sufficient control over it, the boost it will provide in battle will be immeasurable.

Chen Yang took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

She's right. A space where you can grow and are completely under your control is indeed of immense value in the long run. It's just that this beginning... is far too meager.

"Okay, I understand. Haste makes waste."

Chen Yang accepted reality, looked at the empty, gray space, and began to think about how to "get started".

He suddenly looked at the woman's remaining spirit, and a thought struck him.

"You seem to have a lot of experience with nurturing spaces? And since you're currently in a soul form, you don't seem to be affected here?"

The woman's remnant spirit nodded.

"My previous incarnation had some knowledge of this art. Moreover, since the soul has no physical form, it is actually more comfortable and less energy-consuming to move around in this nascent space than in the outside world."

"In that case..."

Chen Yang's eyes lit up.

"Could I entrust the initial management and cultivation of this space to you? Since you have nothing else to do right now, helping me look after it here will help you get familiar with the place more quickly, and it might even be beneficial for the stability of your soul. I'll bring in some spiritual herbs and spirit beasts from outside later."

Upon hearing this, the woman, a remnant spirit, showed a pleased expression and gave a graceful bow.

"Thank you for your trust, sir. I am willing to serve you with utmost loyalty. It is my honor to be able to contribute to this new space. Rest assured, sir, I will do my best to take good care of this place and try to guide its healthy development."

Chen Yang was overjoyed.

"That's great! With you here, I feel relieved! But, can this nurturing space really be 'handled' for me? Don't I need to constantly monitor it?"

"I can handle the daily maintenance, observation, and guidance of the spirit creatures to adapt to their environment."

The woman's remnant spirit explained.

"However, the fundamental growth and expansion of the space, the subtle adjustments to the core rules, and the deep refinement of the origin of the spirit still require your personal attention, my lord. I can only act as an assistant to accelerate the laying of the foundation in the early stages and make the space 'active' more quickly."

"that's enough!"

Chen Yang smiled.

"You've helped me so much, I don't know how to repay you."

The woman's remnant spirit quickly shook her head, her expression sincere.

"You flatter me, my lord. If you hadn't rescued me from that eternal prison in the painting, I would still be suffering in a daze. I am doing what I can for you willingly, so how can I ask for repayment? Please don't say such things."

Looking into her sincere eyes, Chen Yang knew she was being genuine, so he stopped being coy and nodded.

"Alright, then I'll leave this matter to you. I'll go out now and find some suitable 'residents' to send in as soon as possible."

After exchanging a few more words about their initial plans for nurturing the creatures, Chen Yang had a sudden thought and left the newly created Sumeru Space.

The pale blue portal slowly dissipated in the quiet room. Chen Yang returned to reality, looked out the window, and saw that night had fallen.

He rubbed his throbbing temples. Refining the World Spirit and exploring the initial space had taken a toll on his mental energy. Although he was slightly disappointed with the result, he had at least resolved a major issue, and the future looked promising.

He carefully put away the Spirit Orb and the procession banner, then went to sleep.

He slept exceptionally well that night.

"Master! Master! It's time to get up!"

The next morning, Wang Xuan's voice rang out from outside the attic, tinged with urgency.

When Chen Yang awoke from his deep sleep, he felt refreshed and his mental energy, which had been depleted the day before, had been restored. In fact, due to his successful refining of the World Spirit, his divine soul had even been subtly refined.

He got up and opened the window. The mountain air was incredibly fresh in the early morning, carrying the dampness of dew.

"come in."

Chen Yang said.

Wang Xuan pushed open the door and entered, his face showing excitement and a hint of nervousness.

"Master, everyone has already gathered at the main peak square, including Minister Jianghe and the others. They're all waiting for you! When shall we depart?"

"Let's go now."

Chen Yang quickly washed up, changed into some casual clothes that were easy to move in, and then followed Wang Xuan out of the attic.

At the main peak plaza, the morning light was just beginning to break. Master Huang and Liu Yu were already standing solemnly, both dressed in close-fitting clothes, their auras calm and focused, clearly having adjusted themselves to their optimal state.

On the other side, Jiang He, Qiu Niu, Luan Feng, and two other elites from the Special Administration Bureau had also arrived. They were wearing specially made combat uniforms, with a style that was quite different from the Qingwei faction members, but they were equally capable and efficient.

"Chen Yang!" "Sect Master Chen!"

Upon seeing Chen Yang arrive, everyone greeted him.

Chen Yang nodded in greeting and walked closer.

"Everyone, thank you for waiting. Shall we set off now?"

Jiang He glanced at the special watch on his wrist and said.

"The helicopter is on its way and will arrive in about ten minutes. We will take the helicopter. Although it will not be as fast as you flying at full speed, it will save energy and make it easier to approach the target area covertly. Please wait a moment."

Qiuniu looked at Chen Yang and grinned.

"Sect Leader Chen, how did you sleep last night? You seem to be in good spirits, unlike me, who couldn't sleep half the night because of the mission today."

Chen Yang smiled.

"Fortunately, I tried some new things last night and stayed up a bit late. But at least it didn't cause any major problems."

"Sect Leader Chen is truly diligent; no wonder he has such cultivation at such a young age."

Luanfeng chuckled and praised from the side.

As the group chatted, the roar of a propeller came from the horizon, growing louder as it approached. Soon, a medium-sized transport helicopter, painted in desert camouflage and with sharp lines, came into view, slowly landing on an open space on one side of the square, its rotors creating powerful gusts of air.

"Here we are, let's board!"

Jiang He waved his hand and walked towards the helicopter first. Chen Yang and the others followed closely behind.

The cabin was spacious enough to accommodate them all. Everyone fastened their seatbelts, and the helicopter roared into the air again, speeding off towards the northwest.

After the plane stabilized, Chen Yang looked at Jiang He sitting opposite him and asked.

"Minister Jiang, once we arrive at the location, should we take immediate action, or should we find a place to hide first, observe the situation, and then formulate a specific plan?"

Jiang He took out a tablet computer from his bag and answered the questions while operating it.

"We'll first go to a forward camp we've set up near the target area to meet up with our reconnaissance team and operatives who have arrived earlier. Once there, Luanfeng's sister, 'Luanhuang,' will give us an update on the latest on-site reconnaissance."

Only by obtaining firsthand, and as accurate as possible, intelligence can we formulate the most suitable action plan. Discussing things on the plane now is just theoretical and unreliable.

Chen Yang nodded.

"That makes sense. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

The helicopter flew at high speed above the clouds, and the mountains and rivers below receded rapidly. After about an hour, the landscape below began to appear desolate, with vast stretches of Gobi Desert and sand dunes emerging.

The helicopter began to descend, eventually hovering over what appeared to be an ordinary flat sandy area nestled among several weathered rock mountains, before slowly landing.

The hatch opened, and dry, scorching air mixed with the smell of sand rushed out.

This is a disguised temporary camp, with several camouflage tents set up and a few off-road vehicles also painted in camouflage parked there.

Some personnel dressed in combat uniforms and fully armed are busy or on guard.

"Minister Jianghe!"

A clear and crisp female voice rang out.

A tall woman with a neat ponytail, whose face resembled Luanfeng's by six or seven points but whose features were more resolute and whose skin was a healthy wheat color, quickly came to greet them.

She too wore a specially made combat uniform, with a short blade and pistol at her waist. Her eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and her movements exuded a capable and dashing air. She was none other than Luanfeng's younger sister, Luanhuang, an elite investigator from the Special Administration Bureau.

"Luanhuang!"

When Luanfeng saw her younger sister, a smile appeared on her face, and the two hugged.

"Sister, you're here."

After greeting her sister, Luanhuang saluted Jianghe, Qiuniu, and the others.

"Minister Jiang, Captain Qiuniu!"

Jiang He returned the gift and then introduced the situation.

"Luanhuang, this is Sect Master Chen Yang of the Qingwei Sect, this is True Man Huang, and this is Elder Liu Yu. Sect Master Chen, True Man Huang, Elder Liu, this is Luanhuang, our on-site reconnaissance leader for this operation."

"Sect Leader Chen, I have long admired your name!"

Luanhuang looked at Chen Yang with curiosity and a hint of scrutiny in her eyes, but remained perfectly polite.

"Miss Luanhuang, you've worked hard."

Chen Yang smiled and nodded. Master Huang and Liu Yu also nodded in greeting to Luanhuang.

"Everyone must be tired from your journey. Let's go to the meeting room first, and I'll give you an update on the latest situation."

The phoenix stepped aside to lead the way.

The group followed her towards the largest tent in the center of the camp, which was covered with camouflage netting. Along the way, Chen Yang observed the camp. Although it appeared simple, its layout was meticulous and its security was tight.

Those special forces soldiers were highly skilled and well-equipped. Many of their weapons and individual equipment had rather peculiar designs, clearly not standard-issue weapons. They must have been the "experiments" that Jiang He mentioned.

Jiang He noticed Chen Yang's gaze and explained in a low voice.

"This place is a semi-public 'cutting-edge technology testing ground' and special operations training site for our Special Administration Bureau. Many newly developed weapons, armor, and individual soldier support systems will first undergo live-fire testing in extreme environments here."

Look at their exoskeletons, their helmets with multi-functional sights, and those uniquely designed firearms—they're all the latest experimental models. Only if they pass the tests will they be issued to elite units in small batches.

Chen Yang nodded in approval.

"Your bureau's research and development capabilities are truly astonishing. If these equipment were to become widespread, the armies of ordinary countries would likely find it difficult to cope."

Qiuniu, who was walking beside him, sighed upon hearing this.

"Sect Leader Chen, you haven't seen the truly top-tier... Some countries, or certain non-state entities, have invested resources and achieved results in this area that are no less than ours. We are still far behind; we can only be considered followers."

During the conversation, the group arrived at the tent serving as the meeting room. The interior was simply furnished: a long table, several folding chairs, and large satellite maps and terrain models hanging on the walls. Calm and collected special administration officers were stationed around the tent to ensure security.

After everyone took their seats, Luanhuang walked to the map, her expression becoming serious.

"Minister Jiang, everyone."

Luanhuang cleared her throat and began her report.

"Based on our preliminary high-altitude reconnaissance, signal monitoring, and... the scattered intelligence obtained in exchange for the loss of several reconnaissance teams, we have determined that the target is located deep in an uninhabited area of ​​the Gobi Desert, approximately 120 kilometers north of our camp."

She pointed to an area marked with a red circle on the map.

"Here, there was once a small ancient city built on an oasis, but it was later abandoned due to environmental degradation. Now, only some weathered earthen ruins remain on the surface, serving as natural camouflage."

The core of the men in black's stronghold has been moved entirely underground! They utilized parts of the ancient city's existing underground structure and carried out large-scale modern expansions, creating a fully functional underground base. (End of Chapter)