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

Jiang Yining's voice came from inside the hall.

She looked refreshed and energetic, dressed in fiery red, showing no signs of the "exhaustion" she had endured the previous night.

She walked out holding an account book, her gaze sweeping over the bigwigs and the five adorable children standing in a row.

"Ji Lingxiao has ascended to immortality."

Jiang Yining's smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression: "Now the entire cultivation world knows that the Desolate Abyss has lost its strongest combat force. Last night I received news that the Yuanzhou Alliance is gathering, intending to seize our territory."

"Divide it up?" Da Bao Jiang Lei sneered, holding the heavy sword that was taller than him. "Let them come. I'll bury one of them."

"Violence cannot solve all problems."

Chu Jinglan walked out waving his fan. Although his steps were a little unsteady, the demeanor of a Confucian sage was still there. "Confucius said: 'To subdue the enemy without fighting is the way to win.' We must make them not only dare not fight, but also obediently hand over their money."

"How do I do it?" Jiang Yining looked at this Confucian sage who was full of wicked ideas.

"Brother Lingxiao's ascension was so spectacular, especially that final golden light that guided him. Did many low-level cultivators who were close by experience breakthroughs in their cultivation?"

"That's right." Situ Kong nodded. "According to statistics, among the onlookers at the time, three hundred people reached the Foundation Establishment stage on the spot, and fifty people reached the Core Formation stage."

"This is a business opportunity." Chu Jinglan curled his lips. "We can claim that the Desolate Abyss is a 'blessed land for ascension,' imbued with immortal energy, especially the places where Brother Lingxiao stayed, the things he used, and even... the soil that was struck by lightning."

Jiang Yining's eyes lit up instantly, as if she saw countless spirit stones beckoning to her.

"Understood."

She snapped her fingers. "Fence the spot where Ji Lingxiao stood yesterday and build an 'Enlightenment Platform.' The entrance fee is 10,000 spirit stones per visit. Turn the pieces of his broken furniture into 'talismans,' 5,000 spirit stones each."

"besides!"

Jiang Jingzhi, one of the Four Treasures, raised her little hand: "When Daddy was struck by lightning yesterday, he lost a lot of hair! I can braid it into bracelets called 'Sword Master's Green Hair,' and sell them exclusively to the female cultivators! They'll definitely be snapped up!"

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone stared in horror at the tiny baby.

They're even selling their hair? Luckily Ji Lingxiao left quickly, otherwise he would have been ripped bald.

"Good! As expected of my son!"

Jiang Yining scooped up Sibao and gave him a big kiss: "That's it!!"

"What about the eighteen sects?" Bai Ze asked weakly.

Jiang Yining sneered, "If they dare to come, we'll make sure they never return!"

Ye Wuhen licked his lips, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in his purple pupils: "Just what I wanted. Demons are forged through battle."

Da Bao and San Bao immediately perked up with fighting spirit: "Daddy Night, Daddy, take me there!"

"Then let's go."

Jiang Yining waved her hand, "Remember, don't kill them. They're our 'big clients.' Beat them into submission, then sell them the 'Ascension Package'."

"Yes, my queen."

Ye Wuhen's figure transformed into a cloud of black mist and vanished from the spot in an instant.

All that remained was a wildly arrogant laugh: "My little minions! Wash your necks clean, Grandpa's here to 'loosen your bones'!"

Huangyuan moved very quickly.

In just three days, the name "Sword Master's Ascension Ground" spread throughout the entire Floating Cloud Realm.

The Broken Sword Cliff, which was originally charred black by lightning, is now fenced off and adorned with a golden sign that reads "Sacred Land of Enlightenment." Long queues have formed at the entrance, with countless cultivators waving spirit stones, hoping to get in and breathe in the remaining "immortal energy."

"Don't push! Don't push! Line up!"

Erbao Chu Anyan sat behind the tall counter, his hands clicking away on a golden abacus: "The Enlightenment Platform has three tiers. A regular ticket costs 10,000 spirit stones and only allows you to watch from the outside; a VIP ticket costs 100,000 spirit stones and lets you sit on the stone the Sword Master once sat on; a Supreme SVIP ticket costs 1 million spirit stones and includes a fragment of the Sword Master's 'Severing Thoughts' sword (actually scrap metal), plus a portrait with his autograph (signed by Chu Jinglan on his behalf)!"

"Give me a VIP ticket!"

"Me too! I want that stone that's been imbued with the Sword Master's sword energy!"

The spirit stones flowed into the desolate abyss's warehouse like a rushing stream.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the abyss, a less-than-harmonious "diplomatic" activity is underway.

Lin Yunyuan, the leader of the Yuanzhou Alliance, was kneeling on the ground, trembling.

In front of him, Ye Wuhen was holding a small nail clipper, slowly and methodically picking at the bloodstains under his fingernails.

The high-level cultivators around him were lying on the ground, their faces bruised and swollen, but they didn't dare to utter a sound.

"Alliance Leader Lin, is it?" Ye Wuhen blew on his fingernails. "I heard you want to come and divide up the Desolate Abyss?"

"No, no, no! It's a misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!" Lin Yunyuan was so scared he almost wet himself. "This junior came... came to buy goods! Yes! To buy goods!"

"Stocking up?" Jiang Yining emerged from behind the screen, holding a cup of tea. "What kind of stock?"

Lin Yunyuan's mind raced, his survival instincts kicking in: "I've heard that there's a divine soil in the Desolate Abyss, blessed through countless tribulations, that's incredibly effective at growing spiritual herbs! I'm willing to pay a high price to buy it!"

Jiang Yining and Ye Wuhen exchanged a glance.

Divine Land?

Isn't that the mud that Ye Wuhen stirred up yesterday when he fought with several demonic beasts?

"Since Alliance Leader Lin is so sincere..."

Jiang Yining put down her teacup and smiled gently: "Then I'll sell you 10,000 catties of this 'Nine Heavens Breath Soil' (mud). I'll give you a discount; it'll only cost 1,000 spirit stones per catty."

Lin Yunyuan's heart was bleeding, but looking at Ye Wuhen's still-dripping dagger, he could only grit his teeth and nod through tears, "Buy! I'll buy it! Thank you so much, City Lord!"

And so, what was originally a tense siege turned into a bizarre forced buying and selling transaction.

Not only did Huang Yuan not lose a single piece of flesh, but he also stripped these troublemaking sects bare.

The spoils-sharing ceremony was held that evening.

Looking at the mountain of spirit stones and resources, Jiang Yining wasn't as excited as she had imagined.

"Not enough."

She looked at the enormous number, her brow still furrowed: "This amount of resources is at most enough to get Da Bao and Er Bao to the Nascent Soul stage. If we want everyone to ascend, the resources needed will be astronomical."

"And..." she looked at Situ Kong, "How long do you think it will be before someone like Xing Jue is sent down from above again?"

Situ Kong's face paled, and he said with a wry smile, "As the children grow up, their aura can no longer be concealed. At most, they will definitely return in three years."

Three years.

It's like a countdown hanging over everyone's head.

"Then speed things up."

A ruthless glint flashed in Jiang Yining's eyes: "The conventional methods are too slow. We need to take a shortcut."

"What shortcut?" everyone asked.

Jiang Yining took out a yellowed sheepskin map and pointed to a red area marked with a skull.

"This was retrieved from the memories of that unlucky guy, Xingjue."

Jiang Yining pointed with her finger, "This is a secret 'alchemy factory' they set up in the Floating Cloud Realm. They treat our Floating Cloud Realm like farmland, and they have long since plundered and hidden away the high-grade spiritual herbs to refine them into pills."

"You mean..." Ye Wuhen licked his lips, as if he had guessed something.

"Eating each other out."

Jiang Yining's lips curled into a wicked smile: "Since they treat this place as a pasture, as a field, then we'll be the wolves that steal the sheep."

"Take all their 'stock' and use it as fuel for our ascension!"

The entire audience was shocked.

Even the most insane Ye Wuhen was shocked by this crazy plan.

Situ Kong hesitated: "The strength of the guards... there are three Mahayana stage cultivators stationed here."

"What? Scared?" Jiang Yining looked at them provocatively.

"Afraid?" Da Bao Jiang Lei stepped forward, his small body bursting with an astonishing sword intent. "Wherever Mother points, I'll cut."

"Exactly!" Sanbao Jiang Yeyao waved her dark fist. "Rob them! Eat them out of house and home!"

Ye Wuhen laughed loudly and grabbed Jiang Yining's shoulder: "Let's do it! Rather than sit and wait to die, let's take the initiative!"

Chu Jinglan closed his folding fan, shook his head helplessly, but his eyes flashed with a crazy light: "Confucius said: He who steals a hook will be punished, but he who steals a country will become a prince. Since we're going to steal, let's steal until the world is turned upside down."