Chapter 822: Governing the World

"Hehe! I have not the slightest interest in the position of Saint Lord. To be honest with Brother Li, sending the Luozha Pipa back to Yeyang City was actually to help my third brother." Shi Chuankong waved his hand and said.

"For the Third Prince?" Han Li's eyes flickered.

"Indeed. The Saint Domain values martial prowess, and in many aspects, strength decides everything. Under our father, there are thirteen sons, among whom are many geniuses in cultivation, especially the eldest brother, third brother, fifth sister, and seventh brother. But when it comes to governing the realm, I believe that all of them combined are far inferior to my third brother." Shi Chuankong's eyes shone with admiration.

"From what I see, Fellow Daoist Shi, you are also quite skilled in governance. Under your management, Renshan City is thriving." Han Li said.

"Ah, you flatter me. The way I govern Renshan City is merely imitating my third brother, not even one ten-thousandth of his ability." Shi Chuankong quickly waved his hand.

"How so?" Han Li asked.

"My third brother showed exceptional talent from a young age and harbored great ambitions. He began helping our father manage Yeyang City very early on. Back then, the great war between our Saint Domain and the Heavenly Court had just ended, and turmoil was everywhere. Various powerful factions did not fully submit to Yeyang City's rule; they absorbed clans and sects, fought openly and covertly, and the people across the Saint Domain lived in hardship. Our father was severely wounded and had to go into seclusion to heal, unable to attend to matters. He planned to send the princes to various places to deal with these issues, but the eldest brother and others feared the dangers and dared not take on the heavy responsibility. Only my third brother led a group of subordinates and resolutely traveled everywhere, spending nearly three hundred years to subdue those unruly clans one by one. After that, he vigorously revitalized commerce and trade, founded merchant guilds, and only then did the entire Saint Domain slowly recover from devastation. That is why his reputation is so high now." Shi Chuankong said with longing.

"Your third brother is indeed extraordinary. The path of cultivation depends on talent, but the art of governance depends more on the hearts of the people. Although the Saint Domain is not as vast as the Immortal Domain, the relationship between the common people and cultivators is closer and more complex. Handling the relationships at all levels is no easy task; a single misstep could bring great trouble to the entire Saint Domain." Han Li nodded in agreement.

"Yes, at the time, I also had many doubts about my third brother's actions. It was only after years of traveling the world, especially after visiting your Immortal Domain, that I gradually came to understand. My third brother is not only skilled in governing the country but also far-sighted. Later, it was he who proposed to our father to reconcile with the Heavenly Court, breaking the Cold War, opening up trade, and allowing Guangyuan Zhai's business to grow to its current scale." Shi Chuankong continued.

"The Third Prince is far-sighted and admirable. Since he has such talent, why doesn't your father directly appoint him as the crown prince?" Han Li asked with some confusion.

"When my third brother quelled the unrest and saved the Saint Domain, he won the hearts of many people but also offended many local powerful factions. Those factions allied with the eldest brother and others, and have been opposing my third brother all these years. Moreover, although our father appreciates my third brother's governing abilities, their personalities are vastly different. Our father is decisive in killing, determines life and death with a word, and governs by force. But my third brother is gentle in nature, abhors killing, and believes in education and transformation. The two often clash over political differences. The eldest brother and those others are good at flattery. Perhaps our father feels that my third brother is not as close to him as the eldest brother, which is why he has been delaying his decision." Shi Chuankong sighed.

"I see." Han Li nodded slowly.

"I don't know how things are in Yeyang City now, but no matter what, I must help my third brother ascend to the throne. This concerns the future of our entire Saint Domain." Shi Chuankong said with unwavering determination.

Han Li looked at Shi Chuankong but said nothing.

The two continued flying forward, and in the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed.

The territory of Yeyang was extremely vast. Due to the dense demonic Qi, its products were also very rich. There were many mortal kingdoms of the demon race and large cities of clans here, much denser than outside.

The two traveled without any concealment, and as expected, no enemies appeared, allowing Han Li's secretly tense heart to gradually relax.

As they drew closer to Yeyang City, the ground below gradually became flat, and a boundless plain appeared ahead.

On the endless plain, areas resembling spirit fields were cultivated, planted with a kind of golden grain several zhang tall, very much like rice in the mortal world. The grains were half a chi long, shaped like blades, emitting a faint sweet fragrance.

Countless 'farmers' in yellow robes were tending the grain fields, a scene of bustling activity.

Looking into the distance, the ground below was entirely golden. When a breeze passed, countless golden waves rolled, a magnificent sight.

"This plain is called the Blazing Gold Plain. It is arguably the place with the richest Yuan Qi in the Saint Domain, so it has been almost entirely turned into sacred fields. Most of the Gold Blade Rice produced here is transported to Yeyang City, and the rest is sent to other regions. This place can be considered a major granary of our Saint Domain." Shi Chuankong explained.

"Gold Blade Rice? These grains emit not weak demonic Qi. What are they used for?" Han Li's eyes flickered as he asked.

"Gold Blade Rice is a grain unique to our Saint Domain. It contains a trace of Earthly Origin Essence. Consuming it not only enhances cultivation but also improves physique and strengthens the body. Some people in our Saint Domain who follow the body cultivation path eat this Gold Blade Rice from birth, and their physical bodies become astonishingly strong. Fellow Daoist Lu is one of them, but his achievement is only mediocre, far from the top. In Yeyang City, there are some top-level body cultivators whose physical strength alone might not be inferior to yours, Brother Li, a human." Shi Chuankong laughed.

"Fellow Daoist Shi flatters me. My achievements in physical cultivation are nothing. In fact, when it comes to body refinement, the Demon Domain is indeed superior to the True Immortal Realm, after all, the foundation is different." Han Li laughed heartily upon hearing this.

"Each has its merits, each has its merits." Shi Chuankong seemed a bit pleased but humbly said.

"As I traveled along, these Gold Blade Rice grains have different appearances. Are they also classified into different grades?" Han Li looked down and asked again.

"Golden Blade Rice, like other spirit herbs, is judged by its age rather than grade. The older it gets, the more limited the improvement, so most people don't bother cultivating it. Fellow Daoist Li seems quite interested in Golden Blade Rice?" Shi Chuankong said.

"I am naturally quite interested in all the rare treasures of your Holy Domain." Han Li laughed.

"This thing is hardly a rare treasure. When we reach Yeyang City, I'll have my third brother allocate a batch of the finest Golden Blade Rice for Fellow Daoist Li to try." Shi Chuankong also smiled.

"Then I thank Fellow Daoist Shi in advance." Han Li said with a smile, but a strange glint flashed deep in his eyes.

He had heard the name Golden Blade Rice before, and had even seen it—on the recipe for the 'Vajra Iron Bone Pill' found in Lu Renjia's storage artifact.

The main ingredient of the Vajra Iron Bone Pill was Golden Blade Rice, but the recipe specified Dragon-Pattern Golden Blade Rice, perhaps a special variety.

Han Li gazed at the golden plain below, his eyes flickering.

Speaking of which, ever since he had perfected the Great Circumstellar Star Origin Art, he had been unable to find a suitable body-tempering technique, and his physical cultivation had stagnated.

Ordinarily that might not matter, but now that he had reached the fifth level of the Spirit Refining Art, he felt that his physical body could barely withstand his immense divine sense; improving his physical cultivation was urgent.

Although the Vajra Iron Bone Pill was a metal-attribute dao pill, it also had the effect of strengthening the body.

It seemed that coming to the Demon Domain by chance was a rare opportunity. Once he reached Yeyang City, he would have to find time to investigate this matter thoroughly.

The two continued onward, flying for several more days before finally arriving at Yeyang City.

Although Han Li had already learned something about Yeyang City from Shi Chuankong, seeing it with his own eyes still shocked him.

The originally flat ground suddenly rose into peaks and ridges, and a white mountain range appeared.

The white mountain range stretched for ten thousand li, its main peak towering into the clouds like a pillar piercing the sky, its massive outline exuding an awe-inspiring momentum.

To the south of the white mountain range, an extraordinarily wide river meandered past, endless and vast, stretching beyond the horizon.

From a distance, the great river resembled a giant white dragon coiled upon the earth, majestic and imposing, its momentum no less than that of the ten-thousand-li mountain range.

On the broad river, masts stood like a forest, countless boats of all sizes coming and going, presenting a scene of bustling activity.

Yeyang City sat between the ten-thousand-li mountain range and the surging river, vast and magnificent beyond imagination, encompassing the entire white mountain range and part of the great river.

Its city walls were a thousand zhang high, pitch black, built from huge black stone bricks, smooth and neat, the walls alone were extremely spectacular.

Within the walls, countless tall buildings rose one after another, row upon row, stretching to the edge of sight.

From afar, the buildings of Yeyang City were tall and slender, appearing grand and imposing, different in style from the cities they had seen along the way.

The white mountain range within the city ran east-west, and the great river ran roughly parallel to it.

With the mountain range and river as boundaries, the entire Yeyang City was divided into three districts.

Han Li and his companion stood south of Yeyang City. In the nearest district, the buildings were relatively low and extremely dense, packed like a beehive with almost no gaps.

The buildings in the middle district were noticeably taller and more spacious, with countless broad streets crisscrossing, bustling with traffic and crowds, extremely lively.

The northernmost district was blocked by the white mountain range and could not be seen clearly.

Each of the three districts was enormous; any one of them far surpassed the largest city they had seen on the road.