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

As the ruler of the world, one should focus on the overall development of the world and the improvement of its rules. As for the character of specific individuals, unless they are extreme beings that threaten the stability of the world, there is no need to worry too much. The natural selection and evolution of the world will handle many problems.

"You're right, I misunderstood."

Chen Yang agreed.

"These people should be enough for your initial plans, right?"

"It's barely enough, but far from sufficient."

Li Rou speaks frankly and without reservation.

"To create a virtuous cycle, generate stable and high-quality incense offerings and aspirations, and accelerate the growth of the world's origin, a population base of at least several thousand or even tens of thousands is needed, along with a stable system of lineages, clans, and other inheritance mechanisms."

If we could find an opportunity to bring in a few more batches, so they could naturally reproduce and multiply here, that would be wonderful.

This realm has merged with numerous immortal relics and ruins, possessing abundant spiritual energy and resources, enough for them to establish sects and develop civilization.

"Make a few more batches..."

Chen Yang stroked his chin. This was no small target; it required the right timing and planning.

"By the way, aren't you also planning to establish a sect and organize your lineage in this realm? I'll bring you a ready-made helper first, do you want him?"

"A helper? Master, you mean that girl Liu Piaopiao outside?"

Li Rou immediately understood Chen Yang's intention.

"That's right.

She was born in a blessed land, possessed extraordinary knowledge, had her character tested, and was quite capable.

If you can persuade her to stay and help, it should be of great benefit to you in the initial stages of building the framework and managing and guiding those people.

Chen Yang shared his thoughts.

Li Rou paused for a moment, seemingly weighing her options, before speaking.

"If she comes in and sees the true nature of this world, many things will no longer be able to be hidden. Master, how do you plan to explain this to her? Will you directly reveal your identity as the world lord and our plan to 'entrap' the trial participants?"

Well...

Chen Yang glanced at Liu Piaopiao, who remained wary beside him.

"Of course, we can't tell her everything, but we have to give her an acceptable and reasonable explanation. She lost the bet, and the ten-year period will be the opportunity."

As for the origins of this realm, it can be partly attributed to fortuitous encounters and ancient legacies; we are merely its discoverers and initial users. The matter of 'entrapment'... is best left unmentioned for now. Convincing her depends more on the potential and future prospects of this realm, and... her own aspirations.”

"Alright."

Li Rou did not object.

"If we can persuade her to stay voluntarily, it would be a great help."

Born in a blessed land, her knowledge of the cultivation world and certain management concepts may be able to make up for some of my shortcomings.

"Then, the task of persuasion is entrusted to you, Master. I still need to handle the resettlement and orientation of the newcomer, so I won't chat with you any longer."

After the communication was completed, Chen Yang regained consciousness and then focused all his attention on Liu Piaopiao.

At this moment, Liu Piaopiao had been on edge for quite some time.

The terrifying scene she had imagined—the monsters crashing through the spatial barriers and even finding gaps to squeeze in—did not happen. Outside… there was complete silence.

It wasn't the deathly silence after a great battle, but rather as if they had been completely isolated from the outside world after entering this space, with even sound disappearing entirely.

She gradually relaxed a bit, but the look of doubt on her face grew deeper. After waiting for a while and confirming that there was nothing unusual, she finally couldn't help but turn her head to look at Chen Yang, who looked relaxed and even had a slight smile on his face, and asked in confusion.

"Strange...why didn't they rush in? Nor did they attack this space? What...what happened?"

Chen Yang shrugged.

"Do you really want them to rush in?"

"Not hope!"

Liu Piaopiao was getting a little anxious.

"Logically, they should be able to track our presence, at least lingering nearby, searching, or even attacking the place where we disappeared!"
But now... there's not a sound outside? Could it be... that a true expert appeared outside and wiped out all the demons in an instant?

She considered this possibility, and her eyes lit up slightly.

Chen Yang neither confirmed nor denied.

"That's not necessarily impossible."

This trial ground is teeming with hidden talents; perhaps some truly powerful individuals have been alerted.

The more Liu Piaopiao thought about it, the more reasonable this explanation seemed; otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why the crisis was resolved so quickly.

She breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest.

"It seems we were lucky and escaped a disaster."

"Well... Shall we go out and check the situation now? If it's safe, we should leave this dangerous place as soon as possible and rejoin Minister Jiang and the others."

"Go out now?"

Chen Yang raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you afraid that if we go out, we'll run into those demons, or that 'expert'? What if the demons are only temporarily retreating, or the 'expert' has a strange temper? Wouldn't we be at risk of exposing this space?"

Liu Piaopiao thought about it and felt that Chen Yang's concerns were reasonable, but her curiosity and worry about the outside world prevailed.

"I feel... there must have been a powerful expert outside who intervened to quell the chaos, otherwise it doesn't make sense."

Even if those monsters weren't completely wiped out, they should have been dispersed or intimidated, and there shouldn't be any large-scale attacks anytime soon. Let's be careful; we'll just go out to scout the situation, and leave once we've confirmed it's safe. If anything goes wrong, we can always come back immediately.

As she spoke, she looked at the seemingly simple but indeed sheltered space, and her assessment of its safety quietly improved; at least it hadn't been breached by the monsters just now.

Chen Yang looked at her hesitant yet inquisitive expression and chuckled inwardly, knowing the time was right. To persuade Liu Piaopiao to stay, he needed to show her things firsthand; words alone wouldn't suffice.

However, before that, we need to deal with her suggestion to go out and investigate.

"Since you're so sure..."

Chen Yang feigned hesitation, observing Liu Piaopiao's eager yet feigned composure. His tone suddenly shifted, tinged with a hint of mockery. "However, I have a feeling you're actually afraid of losing and don't want to admit defeat? You're in such a hurry to get out, what if it's really safe outside? Will this bet count as my win or just you using an excuse to cheat?"

Liu Piaopiao felt a slight flush on her face after he hit the nail on the head, but she immediately retorted with a stiff neck.

"That's not what I thought! I was just... just curious!"
We want to know if it's really safe outside, or if the monsters here can't find us and have gone after other people instead.

If it's truly safe outside for now, wouldn't we be missing out on the opportunity to observe and understand the situation by hiding here? What if... what if we miss some important developments because we're hiding?

She tried to make her reasons sound more "legitimate," and then emphasized it again.

"Besides, if it's really safe outside, then the previous dangers won't exist anymore. Our bet condition, 'there's danger and your space can protect us,' won't be entirely valid. In that case, if I still lose, wouldn't you be the one who benefits? The bet should be fair!"

Chen Yang couldn't help but laugh as he looked at her illogical yet cunning expression.

"Very well, Miss Liu, you are very thoughtful. I was just being petty."

Since you insist on seeing is believing, then we'll go out and take a look, so you can be completely at ease—or rather, completely give up on the idea.

Having said that, he said no more. With a thought, the spatial barrier that separated the inside from the outside opened silently once again, revealing the hillside outside shrouded in night and bloodshed.

"Walk."

Chen Yang stepped out first, followed closely by Liu Piaopiao, and the two returned to the shadows behind the boulder.

However, the scene before her eyes made Liu Piaopiao's heart sink.

On the hillside, most of the campfires had been extinguished or were broken, with only a few still burning, reflecting the mess on the ground—broken magical artifacts, torn clothing, dark red bloodstains that had not yet completely congealed, and scattered mangled corpses that had not yet been completely devoured by the monsters.

The hundreds of cultivators who had been noisily setting up camp earlier had all disappeared. They had obviously either been slaughtered by the demons or scattered and fled into the deeper forests. The air was filled with a strong smell of blood and the stench unique to demons.

More importantly, the monsters didn't leave!

Just a few dozen feet in front of them, there were seven or eight red monsters and more than a dozen white monsters roaming around!
They seemed to be searching for any fish that had escaped, or nibbling on some remains.

In particular, three or four red demons seemed to sense something and kept lingering within a few dozen feet of the boulder. Their scarlet eyes would occasionally sweep across the area, and their nostrils would flutter, as if they were trying to catch the faint traces of Chen Yang and Liu Piaopiao in the air.

The moment Chen Yang and Liu Piaopiao appeared, the two closest red demons suddenly turned their heads, their scarlet eyes instantly locking onto them!
His eyes were filled with violence and greed, as if he had seen prey that he had lost and then regained!

"Roar--!"

A roar erupted, like igniting a powder keg. All the nearby monsters turned their attention to the attack. The closest red monsters, without hesitation, transformed into several red afterimages, bringing a stench with them, and pounced directly at the enemy! Their speed was even greater than during the previous pursuit, clearly indicating that they had maintained a state of alertness and hunting intent throughout!
"See? I told you it was still there."

Chen Yang spoke calmly, even with a hint of "I knew it," and remained motionless as the demon pounced on him, seemingly wanting to say something more.

But Liu Piaopiao reacted even faster than him!
Almost at the same moment the monster pounced, her scalp tingled, her heart clenched, and her previous sense of "perhaps we're safe" was shattered by the reality before her.

She didn't care what Chen Yang was going to say next, nor did she care about her manners or poise. She let out a short gasp and moved faster than a rabbit.

With a "whoosh," she turned around and rushed back towards the still partially closed spatial portal she had just emerged from! Her movements were the fastest she had ever been.

Chen Yang felt a fragrant breeze pass by him, and when he turned around, Liu Piaopiao had already plunged into the dimly lit doorway and disappeared.

He chuckled in astonishment, shook his head, and faced the red demon that had rushed close, its claws making a shrill sound as they tore through the air. He did not retreat immediately, but instead, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. With his Xuan Sword in hand and his Qingwei magic power surging, he seemed to want to test his skills and verify some of his earlier ideas.

"Brother Chen! Come back quickly! There's too much! Don't push yourself!"

From inside the portal, came Liu Piaopiao's anxious shouts, her voice trembling.

"There were a lot of people down there, which helped distract them! Now it's just the two of us here, and they're all coming for you! You're going to your death! Come in quickly!"

Hearing Liu Piaopiao's cry filled with fear and concern, Chen Yang's heart stirred, and he knew that the time was right.

Without further hesitation, he retreated rapidly, unleashing a sharp sword aura that temporarily forced back the first demon that pounced on him. Then, like a fish returning to the sea, he flashed into the spatial portal.

The portal closed instantly after he entered, completely disappearing.

The two red demons' claws gripped the void where the portal had vanished, creating only a faint, almost imperceptible ripple in space before everything returned to calm, as if the two people had never existed.

The monsters roared and scratched around the boulder in a fit of rage, but could find no trace of it. In the end, they could only leave unwillingly and continue searching for other prey that might be hiding there.

Back in that gray "outer space," Liu Piaopiao was clutching her chest, panting heavily, still shaken. Seeing Chen Yang return safely, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, but her face was immediately filled with surprise and lingering fear.

Why...why are you running so fast?

Chen Yang deliberately put on a stern face and said in a serious tone.

"I was planning to kill a few more to practice."

Liu Piaopiao rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, and said reproachfully.

"What practice?! Didn't you see how many monsters were watching this place? If we hadn't run fast, we would have been surrounded and we'd be done for! And you're still making sarcastic remarks!"

She paused, her doubts finally bursting forth. Looking around at this seemingly simple yet perfectly isolated space, where even so many demons couldn't find an entrance, she couldn't help but ask.

"Chen Yang, what exactly is this 'Sumeru Space' of yours? Why... why are those demons clearly outside, yet they seem completely unable to sense this place or break in? This is definitely not something an ordinary storage space could do!"

She stared intently at Chen Yang, waiting for an explanation. She accepted losing the bet, but she had to figure out the magic of this space.

Looking into her serious eyes, Chen Yang knew the time had come to confront her.

He dropped his joking expression and his tone became serious.

"You want to know the truth? I can tell you, but only if you keep your promises—the promise about the bet, and... the promise to keep it a secret."

Liu Piaopiao took a deep breath. She had personally agreed to the bet, and the wonder of this space was far beyond her comprehension. She had no reason to back down.

"Alright, go ahead and say it. I, Liu Piaopiao, keep my word."

As long as your explanation is reasonable, I am willing to honor the bet.

What...is this place?

Chen Yang nodded and said slowly.

"To tell you the truth, this is not the 'Sumeru Space' you know."

This place is a 'paradise on earth'.

"A blessed land?"

Liu Piaopiao was taken aback at first, then laughed and shook her head, her face full of "Are you kidding me?" expression.

"Brother Chen, you must be joking. A blessed land? What does that even mean? It's a complete small world independent of the main world, with perfect rules, boundless expanse, liquefied spiritual energy, overflowing with rare treasures, and even capable of nurturing life and civilization! (End of Chapter)"