Chapter 1111: Dong Rui's Research Achievements

He pointed at the sand table and said, "Take a look at the location of Flashgold Plain."

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"It's not far from Byle. The westernmost end of the plain, the Great Xia Kingdom, even borders Byle." He Lingchuan remembered Byle's history quite well. "Twenty years ago, it even swallowed two of Byle's territories. Byle reclaimed one, but the other is still in the Great Xia Kingdom's hands."

"According to my earliest plans, Byle was already within my grasp. But at that time, the National Preceptor of the Mou Kingdom specifically warned me not to reach for Byle." He Lingchuan spoke of the past without any irritation; in any world, power always speaks loudest. He had only been developing for less than a year, so how could he arm-wrestle with the Mou Kingdom? "Recently, I wanted to move on Byle again, but the Mou Kingdom interfered once more."

"Given this, the plan for Byle will have to be postponed." But time was precious and couldn't be wasted. "I don't know much about this world; previously, I only revolved around the Yuan Kingdom, Begar, and Spirit Mountain. Now that I have time, I want to take a trip to Flashgold Plain and see what the smaller nations are like."

This world isn't just made up of Begar and the Mou Kingdom.

If he wanted to explore the truth of the world, he should first understand its full scope, the deeper and wider, the better.

"Furthermore, taking Byle is only our first step onto the mainland." Byle was good, but it was too small to contain his true ambitions. "Subsequent plans should also be made."

For someone like him, looking three steps ahead for every step taken was basic practice.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror was startled. "You, you don't have designs on Flashgold Plain, do you? Didn't you just say it's a godforsaken land where anyone who enters will get their feet covered in mud?"

"Prolonged chaos inevitably leads to order. Yet Flashgold Plain has been in prolonged chaos without ever achieving order, which most likely means something is obstructing this natural law, preventing it from taking effect." He Lingchuan picked up a small medicine bottle from the table and shook it upside down a few times, hearing water slosh inside. This was a refreshing tonic refined for him by Lingguang. "It's like this bottle; as long as you remove the stopper, the liquid will naturally flow out."

Zhong Shengguang in the Dragon Coiling World also wanted to expand outwards after consolidating the Dragon Coiling Wasteland, but the southern nations were in disarray.

He Lingchuan had a premonition that once he took Byle, he would likely face this problem soon. This was because to Byle's east lay Flashgold Plain, to its south was the sea, and to its west were the Qing Kingdom and the Mou Kingdom.

All things considered, it seemed that the only direction for him and Byle to expand was eastward.

The predicament of Dragon Coiling City and Zhong Shengguang seemed like a preview of reality.

Zhong Shengguang still seemed helpless, and Spirit Mountain had also returned defeated from Flashgold Plain. So, what about He Lingchuan?

Of course, this wasn't his immediate concern, and these many thoughts merely flashed through his mind before settling down.

Observing Flashgold Plain with specific questions in mind might be more helpful to him.

"I've also heard that major and minor deities have established their influence in Flashgold Plain, with a single country often having over a dozen types of temples," He Lingchuan said, stroking his chin. "I also want to interact with more deities and open up more sources of information, not just be limited to one or two minor gods like Shinan."

Shinan wasn't particularly good either. If He Lingchuan only interacted with a few heavenly deities, being taken advantage of would be a minor issue.

At the very least, Shinan still refused to tell him what kind of upheaval had occurred in the divine realm.

For such a monumental event, he simply couldn't find a deity to ask.

There were many small temples on the Eastern Islands, but most deities ignored him. Besides Shinan, he had contacted two other minor deities, but there was little foundation for mutual trust.

Likewise, the divine realm was not solely comprised of the Deities of Lingxu.

Other deities couldn't extend their influence into Begar, but in a chaotic place like Flashgold Plain, it was relatively easy for them to build temples and gain followers.

Not all deities were high and mighty. If He Lingchuan approached a few lesser-known ones first, he might find a way to communicate as equals.

"So, which task do you want to start with?"

"This one," He Lingchuan said, picking up a thick envelope and shaking it. "The case of the stolen tribute from the Mou Kingdom, specifically the stolen Bright Lamp. Fang Canran said this case is quite urgent, and if I agree to take on these tasks, I should prioritize it."

The two tasks he had previously completed for Spirit Mountain had no connection to the Mou Kingdom.

This task, however, was different.

Completing one task would earn him two favors, which was very cost-effective.

He Lingchuan had designs on Byle and was eager to strengthen his relationship with the Mou Kingdom.

The deeper their relationship, the harder it would be for the Mou Kingdom to turn against him later.

"Oh? Are you finally going on a long journey?"

Hearing the good news, Dong Rui rushed over from Clover Island and excitedly declared, "I'm in!"

He Lingchuan hadn't said he would take him. "Shouldn't you stay on the island and dedicate yourself to your research?"

Does a homebody need to go out and play? Do they?

"Occasionally, one needs to go out to clear their mind and shift perspective," Dong Rui said earnestly. "I've been serious for over nine months; I need to relax my mind now."

"You just want to go out and play, don't you? In Begar, you constantly talked about finding a paradise to live in seclusion, saying that would be enough for this life. Now you've got your wish, so why do you want to get involved in the world again?" He Lingchuan scoffed at him. "Speaking of which, where are your research results? Show them to me!"

"Uh..."

"You've cost me hundreds of thousands of taels of silver; don't tell me you have nothing to show for it!" He Lingchuan's gaze sharpened, radiating the menace of a demanding client. "Otherwise, I'll turn you into food for the Snail Toad!"

Dong Rui instinctively looked at the Ghost Ape.

It had just received something from Lingguang; the two apes sat side by side, eating fresh fruit, and didn't even glance at him.

Dong Rui couldn't help but feel a little resentful.

The Ghost Ape had changed. Before, if it heard someone surnamed He threaten its master like that, it would never let it go.

Now? Now it just pretended not to hear.

He could only say, "The results are impressive! If I hadn't modified and enhanced the Ghost Ape, significantly boosting its strength, could Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt have easily defeated True Lord Mu Su?"

The outcome of that battle was crucial for Good-Will Archipelago, wasn't it?

"That was several months ago," He Lingchuan retorted bluntly, exposing him. "Haven't you concocted anything new in these past few months? What about my money? Have hundreds of thousands of taels gone down the drain?"

"Of course, I have! The bats have been completely transformed; you'll see them soon. I also made some modifications to the Snail Toad," Dong Rui said mysteriously. "And that Child-Devouring Qi Beast..."

"Yes, what about it?"

"While it was in hibernation, I made significant improvements to it. More than half of your hundreds of thousands of taels were spent on it," Dong Rui said with a grin. "But this means its debut might be delayed by... uh, over a year. So, there's no need for me to keep guarding it here."

He Lingchuan eyed him skeptically. "Tell me honestly, how much more money will it devour?"

This single Child-Devouring Qi Beast alone had already consumed 180,000 taels worth of materials before it even came into being!