Upon hearing this, Wang Wu sighed inwardly. This battle seemed to have nearly crushed the South Wilderness Demon Race. However, seeing Princess Lark rush back in a panic, it's clear that within the South Wilderness Demon Clan, there is likely to be another power shuffle.

With this thought, he asked again, "What is the situation with the Right Demon Emperor?"

"Hmph! Old and treacherous, unreasonable! This time during the attack on Wushui City, when looting the richest human estates on the outskirts, the Right Demon Emperor and his corps were as energetic as dragons and tigers. But when it came to the fierce attack on Wushui City, they played dirty tricks and even wanted to retreat at one point. If it hadn't been for my father and Uncle Shen Wu who turned the tide, forcing the assault to continue, who knows how the siege would have ended."

"Now that Wushui City has been conquered, this old scoundrel has become lively, even urging his fifth son to propose to me! How infuriating!"

At this point, Princess Lark was so angry.

Wang Wu also found it absurd, knowing that the South Wilderness was very large, stretching fifteen thousand miles north from Black Tortoise Royal City and over ten thousand miles from west to east.

With such a vast territory, the emergence of two demon emperors is not due to a lineal inheritance system, but whoever ascends to First Grade has the qualification to claim the title of Demon Emperor.

The Left Demon Emperor's Peacock Race, being an old brand of the ancient blood demon clans in the South Wilderness, counts three demon emperors within its ranks.

The Right Demon Emperor, on the other hand, rose over a thousand years ago as a First-Grade Great Demon.

Although one is called the Left Demon Emperor and the other the Right Demon Emperor, in actuality, it's like two separate countries on Earth. If it weren't for the immense pressure from the human race, they would certainly be at war internally year after year.

In short, the situation is like this. If someone were to suddenly ascend to First Grade at this time, say Xiong Shiliu, as long as he captures a piece of territory in the South Wilderness, he could also claim the title of Eastern or Western Demon Emperor.

At this moment, Princess Lark glanced at Wang Wu, offering a somewhat apologetic smile. "My father said you are absolutely trustworthy, but I still feel this matter is too abrupt. I hope it won't cause you any inconvenience."

Wang Wu simply shook his head, "It won't. The Left Demon Emperor knew me and promoted me, moreover, protected me throughout the South Wilderness. It's already a regret that I couldn't participate in this attack on Wushui City, so you can leave Black Tortoise Royal City to me."

"Then I'll trouble you. I will announce to the outside world that you have married me as your wife. Meanwhile, you, as the Grand General of Black Tortoise Royal City, will be responsible for collecting the spiritual essence tax within thirty thousand miles and escorting it to Dragon and Snake City once a month. I know this task is difficult, but I truly have no one to rely on; even the maid Cherry I gave you has fallen."

"Understood, just leave it to me."

Wang Wu nodded. At this moment, he had no choice.

"Good! Here is the Town Seal of Black Tortoise Royal City, this is the Treasure Cauldron for collecting the spiritual essence tax, here is my father's Demon Emperor's Command Flag, and this is the Demon Emperor's Command Flag of Shen Wu. Seeing the command flag is as seeing the Demon Emperor."

"Actually, the problem shouldn't be too great. It is only natural to turn over the spiritual essence tax. With the Demon Emperor's Command Flag here, if they don't have the eyes to see it, just kill them!"

After saying this, Princess Lark stepped back, clasped her hands to Wang Wu, and then disappeared into the darkness.

Wang Wu stood there for a long time before sighing deeply, only having been stable for three years.

But what else can be done, fortunately, it is just tax collection.

Luckily, in the past two years, he managed to rope in Xiong Shiliu, Yuan Bupu, Old Niu, and Old Pig.

Luckily, he now also has a force of three thousand demon soldiers.

Luckily, over the past two years, he deployed twenty-four matrix units on five demon pills, equivalent to building twenty-four overpasses, with the total now reaching over forty-one.

In a sense, he had already completed a third of the Five Elements Spirit Array deployment.

The transformation this brings is tremendous.

He doesn't even need to practice intentionally; those five demon pills can progress to Fourth Grade, and those two Ninth Grade Ice and Fire Spirit Pills can also be upgraded now.

Then the refining effect of the blood qi circulation has also significantly improved, already reaching 4,800 times per second.

His own qi blood limit has smoothly broken through from the original 500,000 points to 800,000 points.

His bloodline divine techniques, bloodline talent, and even the postnatal Dual Spirit Pill all have benefited from this, and the integration between them has deepened, with the completion rate higher, feeling more and more like a stable, self-circulating, leak-proof, vigorous whole.

Wang Wu even suspects that someday, he might turn into an egg!

This is no joke; there really is this feeling.

"Next, I need to build a strong tax-collecting corps; only then can I have enough time for seclusion."

Wang Wu smiled and turned around, as his qi blood circulated and changed within, his whole aura became intense, vigorous, powerful, yet mysterious! Because he has to declare, he has returned from the battlefield.

A lie always needs an ending at some point.

Moments later, Wang Wu appeared at the center of the fiefdom, in the vast open space where the Spirit Gathering Cauldron was located. This place should have originally been a sizeable pavilion, water pavilions, palatial halls spanning dozens of miles, but Princess Lark moved them, so now it's become Yuan Bupu's training ground.

Now, Xiong Shiliu, Yuan Bupu, Wolf Bu'er, Old Niu, Old Pig, Niu Xiaocao, and the three thousand demon soldiers quietly stood in silence.

It's been two years, missed you a lot!

Wang Wu's gaze swept over Xiong Shiliu's face, visibly tense, and of course, not only it, but Yuan Bupu, Old Niu, Old Pig all looked quite tense.

Awkward, constrained, not knowing how to speak, just maintained silly smiles.

Only Wolf Bu'er's expression was complex.

Because, in fact, this was the first time it had seen Wang Wu since waking up from petrification, and the last time was in the vast pit of Centipede Ridge in the West Wilderness, in the small courtyard of the Lang family, now thinking back, it was indeed indescribable.

Especially when it realized something abnormal between General Xuelang and Wang Wu, the feeling was very complicated.

However, at this moment, Wang Wu truly ignored Wolf Bu'er, as its performance over the past two years made him directly choose to abandon it, dismiss it, let it be.

Flock the sheep.

"Wushui City has been captured by our Southern Wilderness Demon Race coalition. This battle was a great victory. However, the Left Demon Emperor was injured, and Princess Lark temporarily replaces the Left Demon Emperor. I have married her, and currently, I am the Defender General of Black Tortoise Royal City, responsible for collecting taxes. Taxes from thirty thousand miles around are escorted once a month to the renamed Wushui City."

"You are both my friends and my brethren; I can only rely on you. Starting tomorrow, expand the army to thirty thousand, arranged according to the previous types of Demon Soldiers and strategies—do not worry about strength or bloodline, recruit from Quasi-Ninth Grade!"

"Yuan Bupu, you are the commander of the entire army, with Xiong Shiliu assisting! Niu Huanxi is promoted to Captain, Wolf Bu'er, Pork Belly, Niu Xiaocao are promoted to Captains and conduct training in the territories with diligence!"

"Especially you, Yuan Bupu, as the commander of a whole army, if you go to battle in the future, the Blood Qi of all troops will be under your control, and with Blood Qi enhancement, your combat power may even rise three levels. This is very important, so every Demon Soldier needs to understand, and not a single one should be left behind."

"Alright, each to your tasks."

Wang Wu waved his hand and ordered the dismissal.

"This... King Xiong Wu, this... how does the tax collection work?" Yuan Bupu stammered.

"No need, I am enough! There is still a tax collection team in Black Tortoise Royal City; you only need to do your jobs well and not delay your cultivation. Don't let a critical moment arrive when I need you, and you can't be ready."

"If you really feel guilty, if you really feel bad, prove it to me. Don't be as you were before—lamenting your fate. No one owes you; I have no responsibility, no obligation to steer your destiny—you are your future's captain!"

"I can help you once, but I won't help forever. If this matter isn't handled properly, I will permanently abandon you!"

Wang Wu's words were heavy, but there was no other way; that's how it is—everyone must first be responsible for themselves to consider others.

Now there's an apparent internal conflict crisis in the Southern Wilderness Demon Race. If he doesn't assist, should he sit back and watch the Southern Wilderness Demon Race follow the West Wilderness Demon Race into downfall?

Previously, in the West Wilderness, he was powerless; should he still allow the Human Race to defeat them one by one in the Southern Wilderness and not hold on a bit longer?

After speaking, Wang Wu turned into Demon Wind and vanished in an instant.

A moment later, he had returned to a rock crevice where he was in seclusion. There's no rush for Black Tortoise Royal City; collecting taxes is not a big deal.

But some matters must be resolved.

Sitting cross-legged, with a gentle thought, Ice and Fire Spiritual Qi flowed, the Spiritual Technique changed in hand, the Heart of the Earth pulsated, and even the Five Demon Pills resonated slightly.

This is the effect of the half-finished Five Elements Spirit Array.

In an instant, the Ninth Grade Ice Spirit Pill smoothly advanced to the Eighth Grade, followed by the Ninth Grade Fire Spirit Pill advancing to the Eighth Grade.

Yet, the advancement momentum did not stop but continued to surge upward to the Seventh Grade before ceasing.

Advanced by two levels!

At this moment, Wang Wu felt a stroke of insight or a culmination—it was meant to be.

The circulating Ice and Fire Spiritual Qi began to be extracted, adjusted, combined into matrix units.

They were neither new nor old; they were matrix units already settled over the Five Demon Pills.

Not one more, not one less, like a mirror.

Over the Five Demon Pills, forty-two matrix units were configured; likewise, forty-two matrix units were configured over the Ice and Fire Demon Pills.

At this moment, Innate and Acquired achieved unprecedented integration and unification, the resonance and boost of two power systems—like filling the most vital piece of life's puzzle.

"Boom!"

Like a thunderstorm!

Like a hurricane!

Like a great bell tolling!

Wang Wu felt a fog in his mind was dissipated, revealing a clear and bright Spirit Platform.

At this moment, his perception was so keen, his thoughts were so clear, his soul—it was obvious now.

A stream of clear Qi formed from the Spirit Platform and became a system of its own.

While his Innate Bloodline Power and Acquired Ice and Fire Spiritual Qi, under the coordination and drive of the half-finished Five Elements Spirit Array, circulated—no longer internally within a Minor Circulation—but externally, with the Grand Circulation.

It was this Grand Circulation that dispelled the fog in his mind's Spirit Platform and allowed that stream of clear Qi to form.

Wang Wu seemed to comprehend, his mind stirred, and instantly a flood of information surged into his heart.

This is how a cultivator should be.

Then before—not daring to say, cannot say, unknown, none of my business.

Without hesitation, Wang Wu disconnected the Innate and Acquired connection, ceased the Grand Circulation, letting the fog once again cover the Spirit Platform, letting that stream of clear Qi dissipate.

As if nothing had occurred.

Otherwise, he feared he might immediately trigger the descent of Celestial Tribulation.

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