……

The meeting lasted a very long time.

The "Spring Thunder Operation" was indeed stirring, but success required the efforts of many. There were too many issues involved, and any detail going wrong could lead to total failure.

Therefore, in this meeting, Wang Liyao not only unified everyone's thoughts but also finalized the implementation strategy of the "Spring Thunder Operation" and the subsequent first and second steps...

The specific content of the meeting covered all aspects, detailed and extremely complex.

The estimated completion time for the entire operation was even as long as a century.

It was only at this point that many, including Emperor Longchang, realized from the details Wang Liyao revealed that the Wang's Clan and the Holy Land had already done so much preparatory work for this plan.

Developing the outer demon realm required overcoming countless challenges.

Clearly, Wang Shouzhe had been planning this for a very long time, secretly preparing until the time was right to bring the plan to the forefront.

During this process, some people even participated personally, yet no one guessed Wang Shouzhe's true intentions.

Among those attending the meeting were many veterans who had been stationed in the outer regions for years, such as some middle-aged princes and military generals. They returned to Great Gan only during rotations or injuries, spending most of their time stationed on the outer region battlefield.

These people were more familiar with Wang Liyao than the Wang's Clan and knew the clan only through rumors.

Some of them might have noticed the rapid changes in Great Gan but were not clear about the specific reasons.

Therefore, many of them were previously puzzled by Emperor Longchang's high regard for the Wang's Clan, even more so than the royal family.

But as the meeting progressed, they slowly understood.

At the same time, they deeply realized the terrifying nature of the person who planned the "Spring Thunder Operation."

If they were to become enemies with such a person, they might not even know how they failed. Fortunately, such a formidable person belonged to the human camp.

Their scalps tingled, shocked yet excited, feeling their skin tremble slightly as if cheering for the upcoming events.

Everyone knew that the structure of the outer region battlefield would enter a new chapter starting today.

And they would be the initiators and pioneers of it all.

However, despite everyone feeling excited and overwhelmed when recalling this meeting later, at this moment, during the meeting, everyone was extremely focused, afraid of missing a single word.

The specific content of the meeting will not be detailed here.

Outsiders only knew that the meeting finally ended when the blood moon moved from one end of the sky to the other. When the meeting adjourned, everyone's expressions carried a hint of excitement.

After they returned, a series of major actions began in the Great Gan defense zone in the following days.

……

To the west of the main base.

This was the most remote corner of the base, with a dark and damp environment, extremely harsh living conditions. As one approached, a strong musty smell mixed with various odors assaulted the senses, making it unbearable.

This was the location of the "cannon fodder camp."

As a terrifying existence within Great Gan, known to stop children from crying at night, the members of the cannon fodder camp came from very complex backgrounds, including family scions who violated serious laws, notorious rogue cultivators, captured fugitives, deserters from wars, and military officers and soldiers who severely violated military orders.

Entering the cannon fodder camp often meant facing something more terrifying than death.

And those who could cleanse their sins and leave the cannon fodder camp alive were often less than one in a hundred.

Therefore, after staying in the cannon fodder camp for a long time, people often became mechanical and numb, like walking corpses.

Only those newly assigned here carried some vitality. Some curled up in the smelly barracks' corners, looking frightened, while others shouted at the barracks' fences, "Let me out, I'm innocent," as if doing so might turn their fate around.

When the shouting became too much, the camp's "supervisors" would impatiently drag them out and whip them with barbed whips, then lock them in a small dark room for a while. Afterward, they would behave.

On this day, the prisoners in the cannon fodder camp sat in the corners, leaning against the walls, silently dazing as usual.

Suddenly.

"Clang! Clang!"

A series of rough knocking sounds suddenly erupted.

The supervising leader, accompanied by a group of supervisors, banged on the iron bars of the barracks with black iron chains, shouting impatiently, "Attention, Camp One, Camp Two, Camp Three, get up, you have work to do."

The familiar "clang" sound was like a death knell, instantly awakening the cannon fodder prisoners.

The veterans of the cannon fodder camp stood up mechanically and numbly, slowly gathering at the barracks' entrance. The newly assigned prisoners felt a sense of impending doom, hesitating and panicking, not daring to go out.

The work in the cannon fodder camp was never good work. It was either dirty and smelly tasks that even the regular army avoided, often leading to death, or serving as cannon fodder or rear guards in military expeditions.

In any case, every time there was work, people died. If faced with a terrifying task, losing thirty percent, or even half, was possible!

However, the rules in the cannon fodder camp were strict, and any resistance or violation of military orders resulted in severe punishment. The supervising leader had many ways to torment you.

Therefore, even knowing that going out might lead to death, few dared to resist.

Even the new arrivals, despite their fear and anxiety, did not dare to resist and ultimately had to obediently follow the main group.

Resisting would lead to a fate worse than death, but going out still held a chance of returning alive. If they made great contributions, they might even reduce their sentences and possibly return alive. Everyone knew what choice to make.

Under the escort of chains and the supervising leader, the three cannon fodder camps, over a thousand people, finally arrived outside the east side of the main base's city wall.

The east side was a small plain spanning several hundred miles, with a few natural small lakes. Further east lay the remnants of the Evil Jiao Mountain Range. Once, the ancestors of Great Gan attempted to convert this well-located small plain into farmland to solve part of the military's food supply issue.

Unfortunately, despite generations of efforts, they continuously faced failures, leading to few attempts in recent times.

It was heard that the Immortal Dynasty had technology to improve demon realm land, but the cost per acre was astonishingly high, and the annual maintenance costs were also exorbitant, making the cost per acre of produce thousands of times higher than similar crops in the Immortal Dynasty.

This meant the Immortal Dynasty could only improve a small portion of demon realm land as experimental fields, making large-scale improvement and self-sufficiency impossible.

At this moment.

At the edge of this small plain, many people and "puppets" were busy.

These were some oddly shaped, large, and seemingly clumsy chain-driven "puppets." They operated vigorously rotating land-clearing saws, moving slowly, but wherever they passed, trees, weeds, and vines were cut at the roots, with various juices containing demonic energy flying everywhere.

The weeds in the demon realm were extremely resilient, and many were aggressive. Some plants even had poisonous demonic energy for passive defense, making the simple task of cutting grass very dangerous for humans.

Moreover, the dense weeds often housed countless small and micro demonic beasts or bizarre insects, many of which were extremely deadly.

If humans were to clear the land, most would likely die.

Fortunately, the land-clearing puppets were produced by Wang's Refining Headquarters.

They were controlled by professional puppet masters not far away using divine sense. Some large land-clearing puppets even had cockpits, allowing puppet masters to control the puppets from inside.

Each puppet master was certified by Wang's Professional Guild, skilled in operation, capable of troubleshooting many puppet malfunctions, and some could even modify puppets according to special needs.

Although this industry had only emerged for a few decades, land-clearing puppet masters were already one of the most sought-after professions in Great Gan.

Due to the continuous reforms in Great Gan and frequent large-scale projects, land-clearing puppet masters rarely worried about job opportunities and earned substantial incomes. They indeed contributed significantly to Wang's Clan and Great Gan by opening up many wild lands, earning great merit.

However, now their work scene had shifted from Great Gan to the outer demon realm.

Fortunately, the formal land-clearing puppet master threshold was the Lingtai Realm, and their ability to adapt and withstand demonic energy in the outer demon realm far exceeded Qi Refining Realm cultivators, so they did not need to rotate like the Qi Refining Realm army due to physical and pressure reasons.

Of course, they were willing to come to the outer demon realm for land-clearing because of Wang's Clan's call and recruitment. Otherwise, unless forcibly conscripted, no amount of money would entice them to come for land-clearing.

Under the efficient work of the land-clearing puppets, large areas of weeds were cut down. When encountering trees, special tree-cutting puppets sawed them down, transported them, and then simply processed them into piles of raw wood.

These trees had grown wild for countless years, and many had good quality wood, with some having density comparable to metal. The only drawback was the significant amount of demonic energy contained within the tree trunks, which would continuously release if made into furniture or houses.

Unless one practiced demonic energy cultivation methods, no one would like such items.

Tree roots were also troublesome, but there were specialized large puppets for digging them up.

This bustling scene caught the attention of the cannon fodder camp members, leaving them slightly bewildered.

This time, they weren't being taken to serve as cannon fodder in a military expedition? What was going on?

"Ancestor," a haggard-looking man with disheveled hair and stubble in the first cannon fodder camp showed a surprised expression, weakly saying, "What are these people doing? Are they trying to restart the demon realm land improvement plan?"

"It seems so," replied an elderly man with graying beard and hunched back, covered in dirt, observing the situation with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Prince An is playing with fire. Even the Immortal Dynasty couldn't handle this, and he dares to meddle."

The two were whispering, but the supervising leader, a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, had sharp ears and eyes, and their conversation couldn't escape his notice.

The supervising leader's face changed, and with a flick of his wrist, he lashed out with a barbed whip, scolding, "Who allowed you to speak?! How dare you!"

"Crack! Crack!"

A series of crisp whipping sounds rang out. The two curled up on the ground, groaning, not daring to resist.

Or rather, they had resisted before, only to receive more brutal lessons. After more than a hundred years, the cannon fodder camp had long worn away all their edges.

Yes, these two were the former Commandery Prince Kang and Prince Dexin.

Many had entered the cannon fodder camp with them, but few survived to this day.

Even if they were still alive, they had long been forgotten by the world. In today's Great Gan, who still remembered the once high-spirited Commandery Prince Kang? Who remembered the "high-ranking" Prince Dexin?

The cannon fodder camp members were silent, with no one stepping forward to help them.

The supervising leader shouted, "Cannon fodder camps one, two, and three, listen up! You will assist the land-clearing puppets, doing various auxiliary tasks and protecting them. If any harm befalls the land-clearing puppet masters, you'll pay with your lives."

With the order given, the cannon fodder camp members immediately began their mechanical and numb work.

The land-clearing puppets worked in a broad and rough manner, leaving cut weeds and demonic plants scattered on the ground.

The cannon fodder camp members followed behind the puppets, clearing the scattered branches and leaves, picking up noticeable large stones, and assisting the puppets with various chores.

The work was dirty and exhausting, and they were easily injured by poisonous insects and vines, but it was still far better than serving as cannon fodder on the battlefield.

Cutting grass, sawing trees, crushing, removing stones, and after the grass dried, a massive fire was set. After the wildfire swept through, the surface insects and rodents were mostly cleared.

Then, they began clearing the next piece of land in a cycle.

Meanwhile, in the previously cleared land, the plowing team entered, using plowing puppets to turn the soil, revealing dark soil.

As the land-clearing team worked fervently, Wang Liyue and her soil improvement team arrived at the land-clearing area.

This team had a complex composition, including experts from Wang's Clan, special consultants from the Immortal Dynasty, and the spirit plant grandmaster, Lanxin King.

Of course, there was also a particularly special presence, the little brother Wang Zongteng, who hadn't even completed his clan school education.

The ultimate goal of the "Spring Thunder Operation" was to capture three Demon King Fortresses and their vast territories, transforming them into habitable areas for humans.

Before that, the current defense zone of Great Gan would serve as a pilot area, beginning the first phase of experimental development.

What they were doing now was the first step of experimental development—land-clearing and farming.

Looking at the bustling scene before her, Wang Liyue felt a surge of pride.

After so much preparation, it was finally time to put everything into practice.

Thinking about how this place would become fertile land, continuously providing humans with abundant food and other important economic crops, her heartbeat involuntarily quickened.

This was probably the most fulfilling moment for all researchers.

The technology born in their hands was finally about to be realized, perhaps even becoming a key to changing the world. This sense of achievement was irreplaceable by anything else.

However, despite the emotions, work could not be delayed.

Wang Liyue crouched down, grabbed a handful of soil, examined it carefully for a moment, and nodded in satisfaction, "As I estimated, the humus content in this soil is very rich, loose and breathable, fertile, and very suitable for large-scale cultivation."

"The soil is good, but how do you plan to deal with the demonic energy in it?" Lanxin King asked, concerned.

She had also seen the soil's condition, but she was more concerned about the demonic energy in the soil than its fertility.

The strands of black demonic energy constantly escaping from the soil were like a curse, preventing most plants from the human world from surviving in it.

Even if the challenge of demonic energy was overcome, the insects and microorganisms in the soil, invisible to the naked eye, remained formidable obstacles to the growth of human world plants.

The Immortal Dynasty had been trying to overcome these challenges for years, and while they had made some progress, the costs were too high, making large-scale promotion unfeasible.

This was a common situation in research. A technology that could be realized in a laboratory was entirely different from one that could be widely promoted.

Therefore, Lanxin King was very curious about how Wang's Clan planned to tackle one of the challenges of improving demonic soil—demonic energy.

"Rest assured, we have prepared countermeasures," Wang Liyue replied confidently.

Years ago, Wang Shouzhe had already commissioned the Holy Land to collect a lot of demon realm soil and native plant samples, so Wang's Research Institute had long studied demon realm soil.

In fact, it was because they had successfully overcome numerous challenges and had the prerequisites for large-scale transformation and development of the demon realm that the Spring Thunder Operation was launched.

As she spoke, Wang Liyue beckoned to Wang Zongteng, "Zongteng, try absorbing the demonic energy here and test the efficiency."

"Yiya yiya~"

Wang Zongteng immediately trotted over with his little vine legs.

After being nurtured by Wang's Clan for several years, little brother Wang Zongteng's grades were still poor, but he had grown taller, especially his main vine, which had become much thicker. Even though Wang Shouzhe was careful not to let him grow too fast by using life source profound energy sparingly, his strength had reached the fifth rank.

As a vine with devouring and transformation as its main abilities, he had consumed quite a few spiritual stones over the years, and his potential was high, so his upgrade speed was naturally not slow.

Standing at the designated spot, Wang Zongteng plunged his roots into the cultivated soil, and his slender roots quickly spread deep underground.

Soon, the demonic energy hidden deep in the soil was absorbed by the fine roots, continuously gathering and being transported to the vine body.

"Yiya~~!"

He shivered with excitement, then let out a satisfied and comfortable sound.

To him, spiritual stones and various spiritual energies were like fresh soup, delicious yet refreshing, while demonic energy was like heavily spiced dishes, aromatic and spicy, stimulating and addictive.

Wang Zongteng's dense roots dug deeper and deeper, unknowingly reaching over ten feet deep. With nourishment and energy replenishment, they began to spread wildly in all directions, covering over ten acres in less than an hour.

Meanwhile, his main body also grew rapidly, from the thickness of a child's arm to the girth of a person, resembling a giant colorful python when lying on the ground with its head raised.

"Yiya yiya~"

Wang Zongteng extended a small branch, rubbing against Wang Liyue affectionately.

Wang's Clan provided him with an ample supply of spiritual stones and energy, but there was a difference between being full and being stuffed.

"Take a break and digest before eating more."

Wang Liyue said, then called the team to measure the demonic energy content in the soil.

In just an hour, the demonic energy content in the soil had decreased by more than half, proving Wang Zongteng's devouring ability was indeed exceptionally powerful.

"This exotic vine..." Lanxin King was stunned, shocked and fearful, "It looks like the legendary world-ending demonic plant, the 'energy-devouring demonic vine'?"

Wang Zongteng, hearing this, unhappily raised his vine, glaring at her.

Why call me a world-ending demonic plant? You're the world-ending witch, old monster~

"Whether harmful or beneficial depends on perspective," Wang Liyue reassuredly patted Zongteng's vine, telling Lanxin King, "My little brother Zongteng is very well-behaved, and he works hard and actively in his studies. Although his grades aren't great yet, his learning attitude is excellent, much better than that lazy Xian'er."

"Yiya ya~"

Wang Zongteng nodded his vine tip vigorously, agreeing wholeheartedly.

Sister Liyue is the best~

For a moment, Wang Zongteng felt even closer to Wang Liyue, secretly pondering that she wasn't as terrifying as the legends said.

"Snap!"

While Wang Zongteng was distracted, Wang Liyue had already snipped off a small branch with scissors, swiftly sealing it in a nutrient jar she had taken out at some point, "I'll try cultivating it to see the changes after absorbing demonic energy."

"Yi...ya...?"

Wang Zongteng was dumbfounded.

……

At this time, Wang Yinglei, who was in charge of the land-clearing work, also noticed Wang Liyue's arrival.

She immediately put down her work and approached, reporting the progress to Wang Liyue.

As the fifteenth young lady of the Wang's Clan's "Ying" generation, Wang Yinglei had risen quickly due to her outstanding abilities and was now among the elite clan members in the Wang's Clan training sequence. This time, she was deployed to the outer demon realm for land-clearing, responsible for management and coordination.

She was fashionably dressed, with wavy curls, fair skin, and a tall, slender figure. Today, she wore a stylish suit, looking both capable and feminine.

In the oppressive atmosphere of the outer demon realm under the blood moon, she was undoubtedly a striking sight.

"A large batch of 'Black Crystal Rice No. 9' seeds and 'Sunrise No. 3' will arrive in ten days, along with some equipment. Yinglei, please have someone check and arrange them," Wang Liyue instructed after hearing the report, "Also, it will take a lot of time to clear this entire plain. First, clear ten acres for a test field. I need to confirm the large-scale planting effect and address any issues in advance."

"Rest assured, Director, I won't drop the ball here," Wang Yinglei promised.

As they spoke, it was already dinner time, and the land-clearing team began to rest.

The land-clearing team included ordinary soldiers, "noble" land-clearing puppet masters, supervising leaders, and cannon fodder from the cannon fodder camp, as well as the elite team from Wang's Clan, making for a very complex composition.

During the break, the logistics department of the base delivered food.

Food was scarce in the outer demon realm, and every bite was precious, so the meals were naturally divided into different levels.

Wang's Clan members, puppet masters, and officers received fragrant spiritual rice and spiritual beast meat, along with canned fruit. Ordinary soldiers and guards received regular rice, steamed buns, mixed with a small amount of spiritual rice products, and canned meat and vegetables.

Only the cannon fodder camp received the worst food.

Their meal consisted of coarse rice mixed with a lot of rice bran, and the meat was "red demon shrimp" caught in large quantities, prepared without much care, with shells and white meat mixed together, producing a soup with an extremely unpleasant smell.

However, the cannon fodder camp seemed used to it, eating the inferior food mechanically and numbly.

When Wang Yinglei returned after seeing off Wang Liyue and others, she frowned at this scene.

She called over the supervising leader and asked, "Leader Chen, they've worked hard all day, why are they eating this?"

Leader Chen quickly approached with a flattering tone, "Miss Yinglei, you may not know, but these are the dregs of the cannon fodder camp. They were demoted here to atone for their crimes, and today's meal standard is already doubled."

"Don't sympathize with them; many are extremely wicked."

"I know about the cannon fodder camp and that they're criminals. But since they've worked, they need to eat well to have strength," Wang Yinglei didn't blame Leader Chen, simply saying, "Our Wang's Clan never starves soldiers. I see they're all skin and bones, so give them more food. Start with light meals, like spiritual rice porridge and canned fish, to gradually improve their health. Don't worry, I'll have the clan send more spiritual rice."

"Miss Yinglei, what are you saying?" Leader Chen quickly said solemnly, "Your request is my mission. Everyone, follow Miss Yinglei's instructions."

Soon, the logistics team set up pots on-site to cook spiritual rice porridge and brought boxes of canned fish.

The fragrant spiritual rice porridge and canned fish made the numb cannon fodder drool with desire.

When the first batch was distributed, they devoured the spiritual rice porridge and canned fish greedily.

Since entering the cannon fodder camp, this was the most delicious meal they had eaten.

"Crack!"

Leader Chen lashed out with his whip, angrily saying, "This is Miss Yinglei's kindness, giving you extra food. Don't you have any gratitude? Quickly thank Miss Yinglei, she's the fifteenth young lady of the Wang's Clan's 'Ying' generation!"

"Thank you, Miss Yinglei." "Thank you, Miss Yinglei!"

The cannon fodder quickly expressed their gratitude before continuing to eat. This time, they didn't dare to gobble it down, fearing the whip.

Prince Dexin and Commandery Prince Kang, among the crowd, also received their share.

At such times, they behaved no differently from the other cannon fodder, cautiously expressing gratitude and unable to resist devouring the food.The warm spirit rice porridge and the savory canned fish were like a switch, triggering a wave of tears.

Once upon a time, they wouldn't even glance at such food, but now it had become an unparalleled delicacy.

Yinglei? The Fifteenth Miss? They had never even heard of her.

A complex mix of emotions surged in their hearts. Had the Wang's Clan really risen to such prominence? Could an ordinary clan member make the overseer so obsequious?

Especially Commandery Prince Kang, who felt deep regret.

If only he had treated the Wang's Clan differently back then, currying favor, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

After this brief interlude.

The pioneering work continued fervently, but compared to before, the cannon fodder camp was more active and worked harder.

...

At the same time.

In another corner of the outer demon realm.

Wang Lici and Lan Wan'er, along with the big rat, took advantage of a chance to forage for food and unknowingly ventured deep into demon territory once again.

According to the big rat's intelligence, they even passed through three major enemy fortresses, including the Redstone Demon King Fortress, reaching the vicinity of the Blood Demon King Fortress within the Nether Fiend Demon God's domain.

The Blood Demon King Fortress wasn't actually far from the Immortal No. 3's eastern defense zone, but it belonged to the Nether Fiend Demon God's forces and was always guarded by the Demon No. 2 defense zone, so it had little interaction with the eastern defense zone.

On the outskirts of the Blood Demon King Fortress, Wang Lici and Lan Wan'er followed the big rat, poking their heads out of a burrow to see the towering, blood-red structure in the distance, and fell into silence.

After a while, Wang Lici grabbed the big rat by the scruff and pulled it back into the burrow, motioning for Lan Wan'er to cover the entrance with soil again.

Wang Lici patted the big rat's head and criticized, "Have you lost your mind leading us here? How do you know there's something good in this Demon King Fortress?"

"Even if there is, it's too far from our army's defense zone, separated by several Demon King Fortresses. If something goes wrong, no one will be able to help us!"

Most of the time, they had followed the big rat underground, and although they felt the journey was long and time-consuming, they hadn't realized they were already near the Blood Demon King Fortress.

Moreover, this audacious big rat had even dug a tunnel so close to the Blood Demon King Fortress!

"Squeak squeak!"

The big rat protested defiantly.

This time, it was something really good, worth the risk. Besides, the information came from its dear 395th wife, so how could it be false?

"Wait!? 395th wife?" Wang Lici's eyes widened, feeling she had heard something unbelievable. "Are you sure you didn't miscount? Or did I teach you math wrong?"

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

The big rat, hearing this, immediately looked indignant and quickly scratched the human numbers "395" on the ground with its claws.

Look down on a rat, do you?

It's just math, and it knows it well~

Besides, is 395 wives a lot? It has even more wives, and it doesn't even know how many offspring its wives have produced. It's long lost count.

The big rat looked nonchalant, not finding anything strange about having hundreds of wives.

Lan Wan'er's worldview was nearly shattered, and she immediately distanced herself from it, looking at it with deep disdain. "Ugh~ you're just a scummy rat."

"Isn't the Demonic Realm Burrowing Rat supposed to be rare?" Wang Lici asked, puzzled. "Where did you get so many wives and descendants?"

"Squeak squeak squeak!" The big rat hurriedly explained.

After a long while, they finally understood.

A burrowing rat like it, with both spatial and earth attributes, was indeed a rare breed in the demon realm. Most demon rats were ordinary ones with earth attributes, as were its wives.

So, even though it had hundreds of wives and a huge clan, it hadn't yet produced a single offspring with both spatial and earth attributes!

"Squeak!"

The big rat sighed at this point.

It still had too few wives and children. It heard that some seniors had thousands or even tens of thousands of wives...

Wang Lici was dumbfounded, looking at the big rat with a strange expression.

You think having hundreds of wives is too few? If Fourth Uncle heard this, who knows what he'd think?