Chapter 117: Planning to Build a City, Retreat to Break Through
The cheers on the Skeleton Plains gradually subsided, and the smoke dissipated, leaving behind only the devastated land and the scent of sulfur and char that had not yet completely faded from the air.
The human coalition army began to methodically clean up the battlefield, treat the wounded, and take inventory of the spoils of war.
Although exhausted, everyone's faces were filled with the joy of victory and high spirits.
Yu Yuanchen hovered in mid-air, his powerful Spiritual Power spreading out like mercury pouring onto the ground, carefully sensing this Demon Plane that had just experienced a bloody battle.
The joy of victory did not cloud his mind; he was thinking about more long-term issues.
Although four of the Demon Kings had been executed and the others had fled with serious injuries, the top-tier combat power had been almost completely wiped out.
But was the threat of the Demon Plane really completely eliminated?
The answer was no.
Beyond the range of his Spiritual Power perception, he could still detect countless faint but evil and chaotic auras, like vipers hiding in the shadows, scattered deep within the vast and sinister land, in dark canyons, and along the banks of boiling magma rivers.
These were millions of low-level demons!
They were weak, with the vast majority not even reaching the level of a Great Soul Master (Level 20), and they had low intelligence, like a loose sand.
Under normal circumstances, these low-level demons would be vulnerable before human Soul Masters.
But at this moment, Yu Yuanchen frowned slightly.
There were too many! So many that it made one's scalp tingle!
Moreover, according to the information he had obtained from the demons' memories and his own observations, the reproductive ability of demons as a species was terrifying!
They were like locusts; as long as they had enough energy and matter, even in the harsh environment of the Demon Plane, they could reproduce crazily.
The current number of demons in the Demon Plane was not limited by the birth rate, but had reached the limit that this barren plane could support—what is known in ecology as the "carrying capacity (K value)."
"Endless to kill, impossible to eradicate..." Yu Yuanchen understood this clearly.
If he were to order the army to exterminate these low-level demons now, he might see results in the short term, slaughtering hundreds of thousands or even millions.
But it wouldn't take long for the vacated ecological niches to be immediately filled by new demons, and because the survival pressure would temporarily decrease, the reproduction rate of the demons would further accelerate, quickly returning to their original scale.
This kind of meaningless slaughter, besides consuming his own forces and intensifying hatred, was of no benefit.
"It is better to channel than to block, and better to manage than to kill." A thought gradually became clear in Yu Yuanchen's mind.
The best way to deal with these low-level demons was not to completely exterminate them—that was almost impossible and would violate the plane's ecological balance—but... to control and manage them.
Let them survive under certain rules, and perhaps... they could even be utilized in the future?
For example, as opponents for Soul Masters to train against? Or, by selecting controllable demon species that could be used in certain special fields?
Of course, that was a matter for the future; the prerequisite was to have absolute control.
The most urgent task currently was how to ensure that the Soul Masters of the Douluo Continent could safely and effectively enter and develop this newly opened "colony," while guarding against potential remaining threats (such as the escaped Dhimoggen, or other unknown powerful demons).
Thinking of this, Yu Yuanchen already had a plan in mind.
He descended and came before the core members of the coalition army.
"Yuanchen (Young Sect Master)!" Everyone bowed as they saw him approach, their eyes filled with reverence and anticipation, waiting for his next instructions.
Yu Yuanchen scanned the crowd and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, although we won this battle and the Demon King was executed, the Demon Plane is vast, and there are millions of low-level demons scattered everywhere. Exterminating them is difficult and not the best strategy."
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, and then they showed thoughtful expressions.
They had also felt the ubiquitous faint evil aura just now.
Yu Yuanchen continued, "Demons reproduce extremely fast; slaughter can only delay them, not eradicate them. The purpose of our trip is not to commit genocide, but to eliminate the threat of their invasion and open up a new region for the Spirit Master's world of the Douluo Continent to explore, train, and obtain resources."
He paused, his voice rising with determination, "But because we do not have enough manpower now, I have decided to temporarily build only one permanent stronghold for us humans in this Demon Plane—a city!"
"Build a city?" Everyone was surprised at first, and then their eyes lit up!
"Build a city? Great! We worked so hard to take this place, we can't just give it back to the demons for nothing." Sect Master laughed heartily, "Besides, with a city as a base, we can advance to explore the plane's resources, retreat to hold our ground and wait for reinforcements, and it can serve as a bridgehead for long-term management of the Demon Plane!"
"A good proposal!" Ning Zhiyuan stroked his beard and nodded, "The environment of the Demon Plane is special. Although there will certainly be many special minerals and resources not found in the Douluo Plane, it is generally a barren land. The environment still needs to be transformed, and it will take time to develop before we can expand and build new cities. For now, one city is enough."
Qian Chongxiao also nodded slightly, "What Protector Qian said is very true. However, building a city is no small matter; it requires a large number of craftsmen and Materials, and the environment here is harsh with demons surrounding us, so defense is of the utmost importance."
"What Protector Qian said is very true." Yu Yuanchen nodded, "The matter of building a city needs long-term planning. Right now, we must first ensure the safety of the passage between the two Worlds."
He turned and looked at the entrance of the plane passage connected to the Douluo Continent, which was blocked by the purple-gold thunder pillar.
"I intend to temporarily move the Seal and sit here personally. Firstly, to guard against the escaped Dhimoggen or other scoundrels taking the opportunity to sneak into the Douluo Plane and cause trouble; secondly, to take advantage of the unique Laws of this Demon Plane to enter closed-door cultivation in hopes of a Breakthrough."
Everyone was shocked to hear this. Yu Yuanchen wanted to personally guard the passage? And go into closed-door cultivation here?
"Brother Yuanchen, this place is dangerous. Is closed-door cultivation..." Qian Daoliu said with some concern.
"It's fine." Yu Yuanchen smiled calmly, "The Demon King is no longer a concern. Although the Laws here are very different from our World, it is precisely because of this that they may help me draw inferences about other cases and break through the Bottleneck. I know what I am doing."
He looked at Yu Boxuan, Sect Master, Ning Zhiyuan, and others, "The matter of building the city will need to trouble you all. Please lead the elite coalition forces back to the Douluo Continent. First, announce the news of our great victory here to the World to stabilize public sentiment; second, gather the best craftsmen on the continent, mobilize sufficient building Materials and supplies, and prepare for the construction of the city. I will stabilize the passage here and preliminarily clear the foundation needed for building the city."
He looked at Qian Chongxiao again, "Protector Qian, Spirit Hall is well-informed, and I need you to put in extra effort to coordinate the forces of all parties. In addition, you need to closely monitor all parts of the continent to guard against any escaped demon seeds or evil Soul Masters taking the opportunity to cause chaos."
"It is my duty." Qian Chongxiao agreed solemnly.
"Good! Since that's the case, there's no time to lose!" Yu Yuanchen was decisive, "I will open the passage immediately; everyone, return quickly! The news here also needs to be told to the Supreme Pontiff and the various Sects as soon as possible."
Everyone accepted the order and quickly assembled their teams.
Yu Yuanchen came to the plane passage, and with a thought, the purple-gold thunder pillar blocking the door fluctuated slightly. The light on the side closer to the Douluo Continent gradually became thin, revealing a stable passage exit that could accommodate several people walking side by side.
"The passage is open, everyone, please!"
"Take care, Yuanchen (Young Sect Master)!" Everyone bowed in farewell and stepped into the passage one by one, returning to the Douluo Continent.
After the last person left, Yu Yuanchen once again used the "Sacred Dragon Prison-Suppressing Tribulation," but this time he did not block it completely. Instead, he condensed it into a relatively thin but more resilient and early-warning thunder network, covering the entrance of the passage.
Once any powerful entity attempted to force its way through, he would immediately be able to sense it and could instantly strengthen the Seal.
After doing all this, he sat cross-legged on a charred cliff near the entrance of the passage, his gaze sweeping across this dark red, barren, yet unique World containing unique Laws and resources.
"Demon Plane... different Laws, different energies... perhaps this is the opportunity for me to condense the 'Ultimate Spirit Core' and take that final step..."
He slowly closed his eyes, his majestic Spiritual Power and perception began to merge with this World, and he carefully realized the plane Laws that were completely different from the Douluo Continent.
The Thunder Sacred Dragon Martial Soul appeared on its own, purple-gold thunder light flowing around his body, faintly resonating with the violent fire elements in the air, the chaotic evil energy, and the deeply hidden spatial fluctuations.
He did not immediately enter deep closed-door cultivation, but divided a part of his mind to monitor the passage and the movements around it.
At the same time, he began to use his own supreme power to clear a relatively flat area near the passage, leveling the charred rocks, driving away low-level demons, and laying the foundation for the future city.
A few days later, the first advance exploration team jointly dispatched by Spirit Hall and the Seven Great Sects, carrying a large number of measuring tools and protective Formation Materials, arrived at the Demon Plane again through the passage.
When they saw Yu Yuanchen sitting cross-legged on the cliff, as if he had merged with this World, and the huge flat land cleared below the mountain that was enough to build a majestic city, they were all shocked beyond words.
Yu Yuanchen did not get up, but sent a voice transmission to inform them of the precautions for exploration and initial Formation setting.
The members of the exploration team began to work intensively with a heart of awe.
After that, batches of craftsmen, Formation Masters, and Soul Master guard teams arrived one after another through the passage.
Building Materials, daily supplies, and defensive equipment were also continuously transported over.
Around Demon-Quelling City, on the barren dark red land, people also sowed seeds of Blue Silver Grass, which has tenacious Life, hoping that their existence could improve the surrounding soil quality.
Under the supervision and guidance of Yu Yuanchen, the first fortress of humans in the Demon Plane—initially named "Expedition Fortress," later discussed by everyone, and to commemorate this epic victory, officially named "Demon-Quelling City"—began its foundation and construction.
The city walls were cast from granite mixed with some metal, and were also inscribed with powerful purification and defense Restrictions from Spirit Hall; the city layout was reasonable and fully functional, with Soul Master stations, material warehouses, research institutes, treatment centers, etc.
Yu Yuanchen even personally took action, channeling part of the spatial force of the gate of hell to build a small, stable prototype of a two-way teleportation array in the center of the city, connected to a fixed teleportation point on the Douluo Continent side, greatly facilitating the future movement of personnel and supplies.
As for Yu Yuanchen himself, after the city began to take shape and the defense system was initially perfected, he officially began his closed-door cultivation in the highest meditation tower built specifically for him in the city, which channeled the power of earth fire and thunder.
This time in closed-door cultivation, he would face the unique Laws of the Demon Plane, sort out what he had learned, fuse the Qi and blood martial Dao, thunder Laws, the mystery of the Spirit Core, and the spatial and destruction true meaning from the other plane that he had just touched, and launch the final assault towards the legendary realm of the Level 99 Limit Douluo, as well as the "Ultimate Form Spirit Core" that belonged exclusively to him!
The establishment of Demon-Quelling City was like driving a shining nail into this dark and chaotic land of the Demon Plane, marking that the human Spirit Master's world of the Douluo Continent had officially taken a historic step in cross-plane colonization!
And the success or failure of Yu Yuanchen's closed-door cultivation not only concerned his personal Peak of martial Dao, but would also profoundly affect the future destiny of the two planes.
The storm had temporarily subsided, but the new journey had only just begun.
Inside Demon-Quelling City, the lights were just lit, reflecting on the dark red sky in the distance, and also reflecting the anticipation and determination for the unknown and the future in the eyes of every pioneer.
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