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

His consciousness began to emanate fine points of light, his body surrounded and washed by streams of solid light. These streams of light sometimes flowed forward and sometimes backward, colliding and stirring up brilliant yet dangerous energy ripples that distorted the surrounding space and caused it to ripple slightly.

Time seemed to have lost its meaning.

Every second felt like an eternity.

Chen Yang gritted his teeth and persevered. With his extraordinary willpower and the stabilizing effect of the Qingwei Yuanjiang Great Method on his soul, he firmly guarded the clarity of his mind and constantly adjusted the fluctuations of his soul and blood, striving to establish a more harmonious and deeper resonance and guidance with the surging ancient source.

"Hold on, Master!"
The most intense initial impact has passed; now is the crucial period of tug-of-war and integration!

Li Rou's voice rang out again, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.

She could sense the rapid weakening of Chen Yang's mental strength.

"I...I tried my best..."

Chen Yang responded with difficulty in his mind, feeling his thoughts becoming sluggish.

Seeing that Chen Yang was running out of steam, and that the ancient source was showing signs of re-establishing itself or even turning against him, a resolute look flashed in Li Rou's eyes.

"Master, relax and accept my assistance!"

With a low shout, most of the soul power that was originally used to stabilize the space and guide the origin instantly turned around, transforming into a cool yet powerful torrent that directly poured into Chen Yang's consciousness!

This is not a simple power boost, but a higher level of resonance and sharing at the soul level! Li Rou used her own ancient and pure soul power as a medium to share some of the pressure of the erosion of the origin, while more accurately guiding Chen Yang's consciousness and soul blood to touch and soothe the most core and "softest" part of that ancient origin.

With Li Rou's crucial assistance, Chen Yang's pressure was greatly reduced!
He perked up, seized this precious moment to catch his breath, and fully activated his cultivation technique, urging his soul blood to more actively and gently "embrace" that ancient primordial power.

With his efforts and Li Rou's assistance, the ancient source, which had been somewhat violent and confused, seemed to gradually "recognize" its direction, feeling the attraction of its "shared origin" and the acceptance of its "new home." Its resistance greatly diminished, and the pace of integration began to accelerate!
The chaotic sphere of light shrank and solidified at a visible speed. The primordial power surging from within it was no longer a chaotic scourge, but became more orderly, like a trickle of water flowing into the "earth," "mountains," and "rivers" of the newborn space.

The chaotic sphere of light, originally only the size of a fist, eventually transformed into a fist-sized, crystal-clear, and dazzling ball of light with what appeared to be a swirling galaxy inside. Then, with a soft "bang," it completely transformed into countless specks of starlight, which evenly scattered and merged into the void and all things in this newly born world!

"Success!"

Li Rou's tense expression finally relaxed, and she couldn't help but let out a soft cry of joy.

She had barely finished speaking—

"Buzz buzz buzz—!!!"

The entire newborn space—no, the consciousness space where Chen Yang was located—as well as the ancient and complete blessed land connected to it at a deeper level, simultaneously emitted a low hum and vibration that seemed to come from the level of rules!
Chen Yang could clearly "sense" that an invisible barrier between the two spaces was rapidly dissolving, and deeper fundamental rules were beginning to intertwine and resonate!
The surrounding scenery even briefly showed a sense of distortion and cracking, like ripples on water, which was a sign that the spatial structure was undergoing violent adjustments and fusion!
"Master, the fusion has begun!"

And judging from the looks of it, it went very smoothly; it's a deep integration!

Li Rou's voice was filled with excitement.

"We don't need to do anything more here. Let's go back immediately via the teleportation array. The final fusion will take some time to complete, so let's just wait and see!"

Chen Yang also sensed that natural and unstoppable trend of integration.

He nodded, enduring the exhaustion from the depletion of his mental energy and the strange dizziness brought on by the fusion, and together with Li Rou, quickly stepped into the miniature teleportation array next to them.

With a flash of light, their consciousness returned to their physical bodies.

Chen Yang, who was sitting cross-legged in a secluded corner of the cliff, suddenly opened his eyes. His face was a little pale, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, but his eyes were unusually bright.

Almost at the moment he opened his eyes, he felt a series of clear and strong vibrations, synchronized with his heartbeat, emanating from the location of the Sumeru pendant on his chest! It was as if the space inside was undergoing a cataclysmic transformation!

At the same time, Li Rou's illusory figure floated out from the Sumeru Pendant. This time, she did not linger, but transformed into a stream of light and directly entered the depths of Chen Yang's sea of ​​consciousness between his eyebrows, returning to a pure soul state. Her voice rang out directly in Chen Yang's heart, filled with deep weariness.

"Master, I need to sleep and recover. The spatial fusion should take about an hour to stabilize."

Since you have successfully refined and guided the core essence, the fusion process will be very fast. You... should also take a good rest and recover.

"Li Rou, you've worked so hard! You should get some rest!"

Chen Yang sincerely thanked him in his heart.

He could sense the weakness in Li Rou's soul power; the support he had just provided had taken a huge toll on her.

Li Rou gave a soft "hmm" and then fell silent, sinking into a deep stillness.

Chen Yang remained seated, not immediately checking the changes in the Sumeru Space.

He first took out a pill to nourish his soul and swallowed it. Then he circulated the Pure Subtle Essence Descent Technique and began to fully regulate his breathing to restore his almost depleted spiritual power and the mana consumed during the fusion process.

A cool night breeze blew, and the cliff was completely silent.

In the distance, the breathing of his companions was steady and long.

Chen Yang was immersed in a deep recovery, and his perception of the passage of time became blurred.

After an unknown amount of time, as the first hint of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon and the first light of day dispelled the last traces of darkness, Chen Yang slowly opened his eyes.

After a night of recuperation, his mental and magical power had mostly recovered, and his complexion had regained its rosy hue.

Without alerting anyone, he once again focused his mind on his chest, sensing the Sumeru space.

The intense tremors had completely subsided, replaced by an unprecedented, profound, and stable sense of presence, as if it were no longer a simple storage space, but a real and tangible "little world" connected to him by blood.

With a hint of excitement and an irrepressible curiosity, Chen Yang's mind stirred, and his figure disappeared from the spot once again, entering the Sumeru Space that had been completely integrated and stabilized.

The moment he entered, even though he was mentally prepared, Chen Yang was still so shocked by what he saw that he was speechless!
Boundless!

This was the first word that popped into his mind. Looking around, the mountains stretched endlessly, shrouded in mist, with no end in sight!
In the distance, towering peaks reach into the clouds, while nearby, a long river meanders for thousands of miles.

On the land, there are dense forests, vast grasslands, exotic flowers and rare herbs everywhere, and springs and waterfalls dotting the landscape.

The air was filled with a pure, ethereal aura so rich it was almost impossible to dissolve. Every breath made one feel refreshed and invigorated, and one's magical power would subtly surge!
In the sky, there are even regular light and shadow patterns simulating the sun, moon, and stars, slowly rotating and casting warm or cool light.

This is no longer some "Sumeru Space" or "Storage Treasure"! It is clearly a small, independent world that is already taking shape, full of life, and brimming with spiritual energy!
A true paradise that belongs to Chen Yang!
"Congratulations, Master! Congratulations, Master!"

The integration seems to have far exceeded expectations; it was a perfect and profound fusion!

Li Rou's voice, tinged with relief and a hint of weariness, echoed in Chen Yang's mind.

After a short rest, she seemed to be feeling better. Chen Yang was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. With a thought, he soared into the air like the master of this world, wanting to look down upon the world that belonged to him.

The higher we flew, the wider and more magnificent our view became.

The mountain ranges, river courses, and forest distribution are all within view.

He could even see, among some particularly spiritually rich mountains and rivers, the faint ruins of palaces and pavilions, and the outlines of ancient mountain gates buried by time, covered with moss and vines, exuding a sense of vicissitude and mystery.

“Master, those are the remains of the buildings and mountain gate left behind from that ancient blessed land.”

Li Rou explained in a timely manner.

"During the integration process, they were completely 'relocated' here, becoming part of the historical heritage of this new world. Inside... there may still be some treasures, secrets, or even inheritances from that blessed land."

However, as time passes and the rules of space are fully integrated, if no one discovers or uses them for a long time, they may gradually be assimilated and buried by the natural rules of this new world, eventually merging into the mountains and rivers and becoming part of the 'foundation' of this world.

Those with great fortune and opportunity in the future may be able to bring them back to life at a specific time.

Chen Yang hovered in mid-air, looking down at the ancient ruins covered in vegetation, his heart surging with emotion. With such a place at his disposal, the buried treasures seemed less urgent.

"Li Rou, do you mean we should just leave these things here to their destined owners in the future?"

Chen Yang asked.

"That depends entirely on your will, Master."

Li Rou answered.

"As the creator and ruler of this world, you can theoretically interfere with all the rules, resources, and even the fate of living beings here."

Just like other blessed lands, the realm lord can decide whether to accept outsiders, which people to accept, and what kind of environment and resources to provide them.

However, the choice is entirely yours regarding these existing, unclaimed ruins and potential treasures: whether to let them remain sealed away, awaiting destiny, or for you, the owner, to actively excavate and allocate them.

Chen Yang seemed to be deep in thought.

"In other words, if I have 'residents' here in the future, I can control their birth, aging, sickness, death, and cultivation resources?"

"Yes, theoretically it is possible through the power of the original rules of the blessed land."

Li Rou affirmed.

"Even their upper limit of strength and the ease or difficulty of breaking through bottlenecks can be influenced to some extent by the will of the realm master."

This is one of the powers of the 'Lord of the Realm'.

Chen Yang was surprised.

"You can even control strength? Doesn't that mean everyone here is a puppet in my hands?"

"That's not the case."

Li Rou explained.

"More accurately, you can set the 'ceiling' and 'basic rules' of this world. For example, you can decide what the highest cultivation level is allowed in this world, adjust the concentration of spiritual energy to affect the general cultivation speed, and set certain 'tests' or 'opportunities' to select and cultivate talents."

However, it is best not to interfere directly with the specific practices and lives of each individual in every little detail.

Firstly, it's mentally taxing; secondly, excessive intervention stifles the potential of living beings and the natural evolution of the world; and thirdly... it makes it easier for the world's top experts to detect your existence as the 'mastermind behind the scenes.'

"We can't let them find out?"

Chen Yang was curious.

"Does a Realm Lord need to hide his identity?"

"Yes, at least in the early stages, before your world gives birth to sufficiently powerful native beings who can communicate with you as equals or understand your existence, it is best to maintain the state of 'the formless way of heaven'."

Li Rou's tone carried the wisdom of someone who had been through it all.

"The relationship between the Realm Lord and the World is one of symbiosis and mutual prosperity, yet also one of independence. The Realm Lord provides the foundation and some rules for the existence of the World, while the World feeds back to the Realm Lord the power of origin and the insights into the 'Dao' brought about by evolution."

This feedback will become even more important, especially when your cultivation reaches the 'Golden Immortal' level or even higher in the future.

At that time, you will not only need your own cultivation, but also the 'original power' of your world and the 'incense and vow power' generated by the beings in it with devout faith to help you break through the bottleneck.

In those well-established blessed lands, those who can consistently enjoy high-quality incense offerings and prayers are often the top sects or families within the realm. They typically have a tacit understanding or contract with the realm lord.

Chen Yang listened with rapt attention, feeling a wealth of information to be gained.

"After reaching the Golden Immortal level... you need the power and incense offerings from within your realm? Doesn't that mean that those powerful beings who can reach the Golden Immortal level are often the rulers of a realm, or at least have a close relationship with the rulers of a realm?"

"That's one way to understand it."

Leaving Judo.

"Of course, there are also powerful independent cultivators who do not rely on these, but that requires even more extraordinary talent and opportunities."

For the vast majority of practitioners, having their own blessed land or a place where they can receive full support is almost a prerequisite for reaching a higher level.

In your world, the future Golden Immortal-level powerhouses, with their increasing strength and comprehension of the rules of heaven and earth, will naturally feed back into and strengthen your world, enhancing your potential power as the world's lord.

But who specifically becomes a Golden Immortal is not important; what matters is that this world is evolving towards a more perfect and powerful state.

Chen Yang nodded, gaining a preliminary understanding of this entirely new level.

He suddenly thought of a more practical problem.

"Li Rou, you've talked so much about the future and potential."

Now, how am I supposed to get people "in"? It can't just stay empty, can it? The incense offerings and prayers you mentioned need people to make them happen. (End of Chapter)