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

The bustling atmosphere of the desolate abyss did not mask the cruelty of the outside world.

Although the Blood Moon Beast Tide has receded, the wounds it left behind are enormous.

Dozens of small countries on the outskirts of the Floating Cloud Realm were destroyed, and countless sects were razed to the ground.

In this dog-eat-dog world, the weak who have lost their homes are like duckweed in the wind.

With five powerful figures guarding the area and a robust defensive array, the Desolate Abyss has become the only pure land within a radius of ten thousand miles.

And so, the refugees arrived.

At first, there were only a few scattered people, then a group, and later, a vast expanse of people, with their families in tow.

They were ragged and covered in wounds, kneeling outside the city gates of the desolate abyss, their eyes empty and filled with despair.

"Don't let them in!"

Inside the council hall of the Desolate Abyss, a newly allied demonic cultivator leader slammed his fist on the table. "City Lord! These people are all mortals and low-level cultivators, utterly worthless! Our Desolate Abyss is already facing a resource shortage; supporting tens of thousands of people will bankrupt us!"

"Yes! And these people are a mixed bag, what if there's a spy among them?" another demon elder chimed in.

The hall was in an uproar. Most people were opposed to the idea.

The cultivation world is inherently ruthless; self-preservation is the only rule for survival.

Jiang Yining sat in the head seat, twirling a jade pen in her hand, without saying a word.

She looked at Chu Jinglan, who was sitting below her, and asked, "Old Chu, what do you think?"

Chu Jinglan put down his teacup and gently waved his fan: "Confucius said: 'In education, there should be no discrimination; in times of trouble, we should share the burden.' Although it may seem a bit old-fashioned, ... it is not the act of a gentleman to stand by and watch someone die. Besides, Erbao has recently been studying the 'Theory of Demographic Dividend,' and he says that people are the greatest resource."

"Resources my foot!" the demonic cultivator leader retorted. "What can mortals do? Can they kill demonic beasts? Can they refine pills? All they do is eat and sleep!"

"Who says mortals are useless?"

A childish yet indifferent voice rang out.

Erbao Chu Anyan walked in carrying the golden abacus.

He was only a little over a year old, but he was dressed in a miniature version of a scholar's robe and walked with a steady gait.

He was followed by Da Bao and Jiang Lei.

Chu Anyan threw a thick booklet on the table: "This is my calculation of the expansion plan for the Desolate Abyss. We need to cultivate 30,000 mu of spiritual fields, build 800 li of outer city defensive walls, and mine 108 mineral veins. Even if Uncle Demon Lord worked himself to death, it would still take us 50 years to complete this with our current number of cultivators."

Just as Ye Wuhen was about to explode, he thought, "...? Why am I being dragged into this again?"

"But what if there are these 50,000 refugees?"

Chu Anyan moved the abacus beads, "Although mortals cannot cast spells, they can cultivate low-level spirit grains, raise spirit beasts, and perform preliminary processing of ores. This frees up cultivators to hunt higher-level demonic beasts and explore more dangerous secret realms."

"This is called—industry stratification."

Chu Anyan raised his head, his purple eyes gleaming with wisdom. "As long as you give them food and shelter, they will be the cheapest and most loyal labor force in the world."

The entire room fell silent.

The demonic cultivator leader opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself actually persuaded by a baby wearing open-crotch pants.

"Granted." Jiang Yining made the final decision. "Open the city gates and accept the refugees. But the rules must be set. I won't support idlers, nor will I support ungrateful wretches."

She stood up, her gaze sweeping over everyone present, the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator subtly emanating from her: "Anyone who dares to take advantage of this to oppress mortals will be killed without mercy. Anyone who dares to cause trouble in the city will be killed without mercy. The Desolate Abyss doesn't care about background, only about contributions."

The city gates were wide open.

When the desperate refugees saw the woman in red standing on the city wall nod, their cries shook the heavens and the earth.

Over the next month, the desolate abyss was transformed into a massive construction site.

What shocked all the refugees was that those legendary, powerful figures were actually...working.

West of the city, a mountain of chaotic rocks.

"This is the tough nut you've been talking about?" Ji Lingxiao looked at the granite mountain blocking the expansion route and sneered.

He drew "Severing Thoughts," without even using sword energy, just casually swung it.

"BOOM—!!"

The entire mountaintop was smoothly cut off, with a cut surface as smooth as a mirror.

"Alright, the rest of the rubble is yours." Ji Lingxiao sheathed his sword, turned and left. "Remember to use the stones you cut off to pave the road, don't waste them."

A group of ordinary stonemasons knelt on the ground, trembling, then erupted in thunderous cheers. The Sword Master has opened the mountain! They could brag about this road for a lifetime!

North of the city, the foundation area.

"I won't do it! I'm the Demon Lord! I won't do this kind of bricklaying work!" Ye Wuhen was still protesting.

Jiang Yining, carrying her three children, passed by and said, "Yaoyao said she wanted to look at the stars from the city wall, but the city wall isn't finished yet..."

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way, all of you!" Ye Wuhen's expression changed instantly, and his demonic energy surged, transforming into countless black tentacles. The tentacles lifted the massive boulders, each weighing a thousand pounds, and placed them precisely on the foundation like building blocks.

"What are you looking at! Haven't you ever seen a wall built with demonic energy before?! Hey you, where's the cement?! Mix it faster!"

The Demon Lord rolled up his sleeves and transformed into the ultimate construction foreman.

City Middle School.

Chu Jinglan was also busy.

With his righteous spirit, his voice resounded throughout the city as he provided early education to thousands of refugee children.

"As long as you can read, you can cultivate immortality. As long as you work hard, you can change your destiny."

The brainwashing... no, the educational power of Confucian sages is terrifying.

The light in the eyes of those children who had been numb was rekindled.

At the highest point of the city lord's mansion, Jiang Yining looked down at everything.

What was once a desolate wasteland is now brightly lit and bustling with people.

The streets are neatly planned, the fields are crisscrossed, and the outer city walls are rising at a visible speed.

The arrival of 50,000 refugees did not bring ruin to the desolate city; instead, it injected unprecedented vitality into this dead city.

"Mother." Da Bao Jiang Lei appeared behind her at some point, and the giant sword "An Ning" on his back seemed to have become even heavier.

"What's wrong?"

"I sense... a change in sword intent."

Jiang Lei looked down at the busy crowd below, and at the satisfied smiles on the faces of those ordinary people.

"My father used to teach me that swords were weapons. But now I think that swords can also be... guardians."

Jiang Yining turned around, touched her son's short silver hair, and smiled.

"Yes. This is the desolate wasteland we are going to build."

"A place where, regardless of whether you're a celestial being or a mortal, you can live with dignity as long as you work hard."

"It is also... the only home in this chaotic world."

At this heartwarming moment, the beast tide arrived once more, and this time, even demonic beasts at the Mahayana stage appeared...