Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

Situ Kong calmed down; now all he wanted was to die.

Really.

That crazy idiot from earlier was definitely not me. Luckily, he controls all the news in the cultivation world.

No one can spread the word about how embarrassing he just looked.

If Heaven gave him another chance, he would never try to pry into Jiang Yining's fate for the sake of the karma of a backlash from heavenly secrets.

He certainly wouldn't get himself involved in that damned illusion for Ye Wuhen's money, and then have to play the role of some "sickly younger brother-in-law".

Situ Kong felt five tangible killing intents simultaneously descend upon him.

He shuddered and instinctively wanted to use the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's secret technique, "Shifting Stars," to escape.

The moment he made a hand seal, a purple sword aura slashed past his scalp.

"Trying to run away?"

Ji Lingxiao flicked his sword energy from his fingertips: "You certainly know how to enjoy yourself in an illusion."

His voice carried a chilling undertone: "Let Ningning warm your bed? Hmm?"

Situ Kong's scalp tingled: "Misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding! It's just for the plot... Old Monster Chu must have made it all up!"

Chu Jinglan snorted: "Make it up? If I were making it up, would I be giving you such good treatment?"

"The plot requires you to touch her hand?"

Bai Ze walked over with a sinister grin, holding a brick he had just picked up from the ruins in his hand.

"The plot requires you to have her feed herself? And lick her fingers?"

Bai Ze grew angrier as he spoke, recalling the blind man's smug face in the illusion, wishing he could shove the brick into Situ Kong's mouth.

"If I don't knock all your teeth out today, I'm not Bai Ze!"

"Wait a minute."

Chu Jinglan stopped Bai Ze.

Just as Situ Kong was about to breathe a sigh of relief and marvel at how reasonable scholars were, he heard Chu Jinglan say slowly and deliberately, "Knocking his teeth is too lenient on him. As the Confucian school says, those who disrupt human relations should be struck by lightning."

Chu Jinglan raised his hand, and lightning surged in his palm. It was pure, mighty heavenly lightning, specifically designed to subdue all evil spirits and... shamelessness.

"No, no, no! Everyone! Our ancestors!"

Situ Kong was so frightened that snot and tears streamed down his face, and he no longer had any of the demeanor of the Master of Tianji Pavilion.

He backed away while looking at Jiang Yining: "Sister-in-law! Help! Sister-in-law! I'm your beloved Sikong!"

Upon hearing the words "sister-in-law," Jiang Yining paused for a moment.

But it was only for a moment.

The four men's faces instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Ye Wuhen's demonic energy surged instantly, transforming into a pitch-black demonic claw that lifted Situ Kong from the ground and gripped his neck tightly.

"Try calling out again?"

Ye Wuhen's eyes were bloodshot, and his fingers tightened.

Situ Kong's feet left the ground, his face turned a deep purplish-red, and he weakly thrashed at the demonic claw with both hands.

"Let...let them go..."

"Let him go."

Jiang Yining's voice came through.

Ye Wuhen paused, turned around, and looked at Jiang Yining with disbelief: "You're going to save this scumbag?"

"He's disgusting, but he's still useful."

Jiang Yining walked to Ye Wuhen's side and gently patted his tense arm.

Fortunately, Chu Jinglan's actions have broken the alliance between the two.

"The reconstruction of the Desolate Abyss requires a large amount of resources. Money alone is not enough; someone is also needed to coordinate it. The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion is located all over the world, with the widest channels and the best information."

She looked at Situ Kong, whose eyes were rolling back in his head from being pinched, and a gentle yet chilling smile appeared on her lips.

"Sect Master Situ, are you right?"

Ye Wuhen snorted coldly and threw Situ Kong to the ground like trash.

Situ Kong clutched his neck and coughed violently, greedily inhaling the air.

"I...I'll do it! I'll do it!"

Situ Kong scrambled to his knees and grabbed Jiang Yining's thigh, pleading, "Please... protect me."

Jiang Yining took out a pill from her sleeve and casually tossed it to him.

"have eaten."

"What... what is this?"

Situ Kong held the dark pill, his hands trembling.

"poison."

Jiang Yining remained expressionless: "It's called 'Intestinal Rot and Childlessness Powder.' You need to take the antidote every seven days, otherwise your intestines will start to rot and eventually your whole body will turn into pus and you will die."

It's actually just a hawthorn pill.

Situ Kong's eyes widened; he didn't want to eat.

He puffed out his cheeks and buried his head in Jiang Yining's lap: "Wife, Master, I am completely trustworthy, there's no need for this!"

Before she could continue to act cute, Bai Ze grabbed her by the collar and dragged her behind him.

Bai Ze swung his fist to punch, but Situ Kong anticipated it and escaped again: "Alright, I won't surrender. I'll do any job!"

Jiang Yining nodded in satisfaction: "Situ Kong, starting today, you will be in charge of purchasing all supplies. Find the most cost-effective options!"

"What if we're missing a single brick, or if the construction is delayed..."

Jiang Yining didn't speak, but her gaze drifted to the four men beside her who were eyeing her menacingly.

Ji Lingxiao gritted his teeth coldly.

Bai Ze crushed the brick in his hand into powder.

Chu Jinglan smiled and straightened his sleeves.

Ye Wuhen licked his lips, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.

Situ Kong shuddered and immediately kowtowed repeatedly, his head thumping loudly: "Sister-in-law... Patriarch, rest assured! I guarantee the mission will be completed! All materials will be at the lowest price in the entire cultivation world!"

And so, the once aloof and all-knowing master of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion officially became a... contractor on the Desolate Abyss construction site.

Situ Kong wanted to cry but had no tears.

He, a powerful cultivator in the Integration Stage, had actually been reduced to having to carry bricks to save his life.

The four men clearly had no intention of letting him go so easily.

"Situ Kong."

Chu Jinglan appeared behind him without him noticing, holding a blueprint in his hand.

"The foundation here needs to be cast with black iron; get it as soon as possible."

"And this too."

Ji Lingxiao tossed him a list: "To set up a protective sword formation here, you'll need 3,600 top-grade spirit swords. Go find someone to buy them, and make sure they're inspected."

"Me too!"

Situ Kong looked at the list of impossible tasks in his hand, his vision blurred, and he almost fainted.

This is clearly an attempt to destroy him!

Holding a cup of hot tea, Jiang Yining looked at the bustling scene and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

Evil people will be punished by other evil people.

This is free labor, so why not take advantage of it?

The reconstruction of the Abyss is proceeding rapidly in an eerie and tense atmosphere.

It was less a reconstruction and more a fiery male courtship... or rather, a skills competition.

"boom--!!"

A loud bang, and dust flew everywhere.

Ji Lingxiao stood in mid-air, his robes fluttering, like a banished immortal. With a gentle swing of his sword, the Severing Thoughts Sword, a chilling sword aura pierced the sun like a rainbow, instantly slicing half of a majestic mountain.

The cut surface is as smooth as a mirror, so smooth that even a fly would have to do the splits if it landed on it.

"The foundation has been leveled."

Ji Lingxiao sheathed his sword with fluid movements, turning his face to look down at Jiang Yining from the most handsome angle of his life.

His eyes clearly said: Look, isn't my swordsmanship the best in the world?

However, Jiang Yining was wiping Da Bao's sweat with her head down and didn't look up at all.

Ji Lingxiao's lips stiffened for a moment, then he glanced coldly at Bai Ze beside him.

Bai Ze was not to be outdone.

He took off his shirt, revealing a muscular physique as strong as granite, with sweat streaming down his honey-colored skin, glistening alluringly in the sunlight.