……

In the end, Wang Baosheng reluctantly agreed to treat everyone.

Although he was quite displeased with Ouyang Nanyan's lazy attitude of leaving work promptly, she did have a point—rewarding subordinates appropriately is a way to manage them.

More than an hour later.

In the luxuriously decorated Zhaoyu Restaurant—[Elegant Kitchen], Ouyang Nanyan was slumped in her chair, patting her full stomach with a satisfied expression.

She looked at Wang Baosheng with a mix of admiration and envy in her eyes: "Baosheng, I'm really envious of you, being born with a silver spoon in your mouth. The spiritual food and wine at Zhaoyu Restaurant are of superb quality and taste, but they're incredibly expensive. If it weren't for your treat, I wouldn't usually splurge on a meal here."

The only downside to the meal was having to listen to Wang Baosheng's endless chatter about work philosophies.

However, considering the delicious food, she could tolerate a bit of chatter.

"Sister Ouyang, your income isn't low, right?" Wang Baosheng frowned slightly. "Moreover, the Ouyang Clan has been rapidly expanding in various industries over the past two hundred years. With your talents, the clan surely supports you well."

Wang Baosheng had thoroughly investigated his right-hand woman.

"Training, dining, traveling, buying magical treasures, luxury clothing—all are major expenses," Ouyang Nanyan laughed. "Besides, given my situation, it's best to take less money from home. That way, when the ancestors try to force me into marriage, I'll have some leverage to resist."

Wang Baosheng's frown deepened: "As a member of the clan, you should naturally follow the family's arrangements for marriage. How can you be so irresponsible?"

"Oh my, Baosheng, you sound just like my family's ancestor," Ouyang Nanyan rolled her eyes at him. "My idol is your clan's Ancestor Wang Yinglei. She came from an academic background, is fashionable and independent, works when she should, and lives life to the fullest. She dates if she meets someone she likes, but refuses to marry if she doesn't."

"Nonsense..."

Wang Baosheng began to object, but the words caught in his throat.

He couldn't bring himself to say it, as it would be like criticizing his own elders.

Among his elders and even juniors, there were quite a few strong, independent women like this. Ancestor Wang Liyao, Wang Liyue, and Wang Lijue, for instance, had never married, and even Ancestor Shouzhe's own sister, Ancestor Luomiao, remained single.

Moreover, influenced by Clan Leader Wang Shouzhe, the clan had always been lenient with the girls, allowing them to pursue their interests without forcing them into arranged marriages.

In contrast, the male members of the clan, who had to shoulder various responsibilities, were subject to stricter teachings from their elders.

Of course, not all the women in the clan aspired to be independent career women. Many preferred to marry someone they loved, become a good wife and mother, or work together with their spouse towards mutual progress.

However, it was undeniable that due to Wang's Clan's longstanding leniency towards women, a significant proportion of the female clan members chose not to marry.

Even Ouyang Nanyan's views were largely influenced by Wang's Clan.

After a long pause, Wang Baosheng finally swallowed his reprimand and sighed deeply: "The world is getting worse. I blame those little pamphlets and entertainment programs for promoting bad influences. Our Cultural Entertainment Office has a long way to go."

Initially, he was very much against these frivolous distractions and even considered banning them outright.

Unfortunately, his father, Wang Fugui, disagreed and explained the pros and cons to him.

Eventually, Wang Baosheng was convinced by Wang Fugui.

The existence of the entertainment industry could greatly stimulate economic circulation, enrich the spiritual lives of the people, and guide them towards a correct worldview, outlook on life, and values, which indeed had significant positive effects.

Moreover, the entertainment industry had grown from a small-scale operation of a few pamphlets into a massive commercial economic chain, with huge economic interests involved, becoming a crucial source of revenue for Wang's Clan.

Many families and forces across the two dynasties and various countries were involved.

Banning it would not only cut off an important source of income for Wang's Clan but also for many other families, causing public outrage.

Since banning was not feasible, Wang Baosheng could only settle for regulating it.

With this idea in mind, he spearheaded the establishment of the [Cultural Entertainment Office].

Don't underestimate this office; its jurisdiction covered the Immortal Dynasty, the Demon Dynasty, and other countries.

Wang Baosheng even persuaded Princess Suiyun of the Immortal Dynasty, Crown Prince Jingming of the Demon Dynasty, and the emperors or crown princes of various countries to grant official authorization from the two dynasties, turning the Cultural Entertainment Office into a legitimate government organization with all the rights a government body should have.

Although the Cultural Entertainment Office had only recently been established, its framework was already well-constructed.

Any publicly released pamphlets, films, and other entertainment products had to be reviewed by the Cultural Entertainment Office and obtain official permission before being sold publicly; otherwise, they would be considered illegal, and the office could confiscate and destroy them.

"Baosheng, why do you have so many worries?" Ouyang Nanyan called a waiter to pack the leftover food. "At your age, you should be studying happily at the Clan School, living a joyful life, and when you're older, find a girl your age to fall in love with. Don't waste your youth. Or, you could just be a playboy; that would be cuter."

"That's what ordinary people do," Wang Baosheng said solemnly, his small face serious. "As a young clan leader of the family, how can I be so irresponsible? Sister, you have excellent abilities. If you focus on work, your future prospects are limitless..."

"Stop, stop..." Ouyang Nanyan picked up the packed food and walked out in her high heels. "I have an appointment with your homeroom teacher, Mr. Shentu, to watch the latest romantic film—[Love Unspoken]. Thank you for the treat, dear junior, goodbye."

With the crisp sound of "click-clack," her figure rushed to the door like the wind.

"Tell Mr. Shentu to always set a good example and not embarrass me! Remind her not to run around after watching the film and to remember to review the postgraduate materials I prepared for her." Wang Baosheng, filled with a sense of responsibility, reminded from behind, "And what's with that film title? It sounds so vulgar... Submit a review report to me later. Also, Vice Director Ouyang, pay attention to your personal image; you now represent the Cultural Entertainment Office..."

Ouyang Nanyan pretended not to hear and quickly made her escape.

She was joking; if she stayed with this junior any longer, she feared she wouldn't be able to resist hitting him.

Seeing her completely ignoring him and running faster, Wang Baosheng shook his head with his hands behind his back: "No ambition, really no ambition at all. They all make me worry too much."

He looked worried, as if he had endless concerns.

Now that Ancestor Shouzhe had gone to the Holy Domain to pioneer, Ancestor Zong'an was in charge of the entire [Holy Domain Pioneering Office] within the Shenwu World.

Ancestor Shizhao had officially become a cabinet elder in the Great Qian Dynasty, truly holding great power, while Great-Grandfather Anye was guarding the Shenwu Heavenly Abyss and collecting trash, and Grandfathers Ning Yi and Ning Yao were working in the Immortal Dynasty and Demon Dynasty, respectively.

And his father, needless to say, was the overall commander of the entire Demon Realm strategy.

Each of them bore the glorious and great mission of Wang's Clan's direct line, with heavy responsibilities on their shoulders.

As for him, Wang Baosheng, as the sixth in line young clan leader of the family, was already nine years old and had achieved nothing! This made his face feel hot with shame.

"Young Master, where shall we go next?" his personal servant asked. "Shall I prepare the flying carriage to go home? You haven't yet paid your respects to the two princesses today."

Wang Baosheng pondered for a moment and suddenly remembered something, asking, "Who's currently first on the Lingtai Ranking in Xinping Arena?"

"Huh!?" The personal servant was shocked. "Young Master, you're only nine years old, are you going to challenge the ranking already?"

"I heard the original first place was Wang Yinjian from the fourth ancestor's line, but he was recently replaced by someone from the Demon Zhao Kingdom's royal family?" Wang Baosheng frowned.

"That's true," the personal servant quickly replied. "Young Master Yinjian from the fourth ancestor's line and Little Commandery Prince Zhao Wuqing from the Demon Zhao Kingdom are both great prodigies B-grade, but Young Master Yinjian is slightly younger at only thirty-six, while Zhao Wuqing is already forty-one and has reached the peak of the Lingtai Realm."

"After Zhao Wuqing successfully took the top spot, he stayed in Xinping Town to study... saying he's ready to accept Young Master Yinjian's challenge anytime."

At the forefront of the Xinping Lingtai Ranking, the competition among great prodigies is the norm.

Because the Lingtai Ranking has a short turnover cycle, the more powerful great prodigies quickly advance to the Celestial Realm, let alone the peerless prodigies. Even for Wang's Clan, after previous generations have enjoyed super resources, the current descendants, though outstanding and numerous, cannot produce a peerless prodigy every ten or twenty years.

"Arrange it," Wang Baosheng said solemnly. "After the fight, I'll return to pay my respects to my mother and aunt."

"Yes, Young Master!" The personal servant eagerly accepted the order and left.

More than an hour later.

The Lingtai Arena in Ping'an welcomed a special challenge.

Forty-one-year-old Zhao Wuqing at the peak of the Lingtai Realm faced nine-year-old Wang Baosheng from Wang's Clan's direct line.

The news caused a sensation, and countless people rushed to watch.

You see, children in the Shenwu World generally start their education at five or six and officially begin cultivation at eight. Wang Baosheng, now only nine, had been cultivating for just over a year. Breaking through to the Lingtai Realm in such a short time was already astonishing, and he was directly challenging the first place on the Lingtai Ranking—how confident must he be?

In this battle, Wang Baosheng fully demonstrated the terrifying nature of an innate dao body to the world.

What is an innate dao body? It is a terrifying existence that can reach the fifth level of dao body bloodline in the Qi Refining Realm.

This was the first true innate dao body in Wang's Clan's history. The other [Heavenly Sons and Daughters] had high qualifications but were not born with them; they gradually enhanced their bloodline qualifications during their cultivation.

Even Wang Fugui, at the Lingtai Realm, had bloodline qualifications at the peerless prodigy level.

He was also the first in Wang's Clan to barely grasp the threshold of minor divine abilities in the Qi Refining Realm. If he hadn't advanced to the Lingtai Realm so quickly, he might have mastered minor divine abilities in the Qi Refining Realm.

As he advanced to the Lingtai Realm, his bloodline had awakened to the sixth level of the holy body bloodline.

This was a level higher than ordinary Purple Mansion Realm cultivators!

Zhao Wuqing, however, was just a great prodigy, with his bloodline only awakening to the fourth level of the spiritual body bloodline in the Lingtai Realm.

The gap of two major bloodline levels was enough to bridge the gap between the peak and early stages of the Lingtai Realm.

Even though Wang Baosheng had just reached the Lingtai Realm, he was already beginning to use minor wood-type divine abilities in battle...

It's worth noting that Wang Liyao only mastered minor divine abilities in the Celestial Realm.

A stick of incense later, Zhao Wuqing lasted only a stick of incense before suffering a tragic defeat, relinquishing the top spot on the Lingtai Ranking.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Wang Baosheng sighed with his hands behind his back, then took a flying carriage back to the Idle Residence at Wang's Clan's main house, following the routine of paying respects, attending evening self-study, and going to the Clan School on time the next day.

In the Clan School office, Wang Baosheng confronted his listless homeroom teacher, Shentu Shiho, and sternly checked her study progress from the previous night. The results were disappointing, and he slammed her postgraduate materials on the desk in anger: "A rotten piece of wood cannot be carved; I won't bother with you anymore. Handle it yourself."

Then, he left with a cold face.

Mr. Shentu, under immense pressure, burst into tears once again.

Today, to catch Ouyang Nanyan, he went to the Cultural Entertainment Office half a day early, and with the prestigious title of the nine-year-old Lingtai Ranking first place, he severely reprimanded Ouyang Nanyan and other high-level officials, proposing even stricter assessment criteria.

The Cultural Entertainment Office sharpened its knives, targeting various inappropriate works.

For a time, the entertainment market was in turmoil.

……

At the same time.

In the Domain of Destruction.

The void was vast and deep, with countless meteor fragments and broken building debris scattered across the vast starfield.

Yet, in this void, two figures were diligently working.

These two were Cai Youdao and Jiang Yuling.

They had been assigned the task of clearing the route in the Domain of Destruction and were now working hard to complete it.

At this moment, Jiang Yuling was shrouded in purple radiance, with a Zixia Immortal Sword suspended behind her, exuding an aura of majesty and immortality, truly resembling a celestial being.

Though her strength was still far from that of a True Immortal, she now had a hint of immortal charm, much stronger than before.

With the support of the Immortal Scripture and Immortal Sword, her strength had significantly improved.

As sword lights crisscrossed, piece after piece of building debris shattered, clearing the surrounding starry sky.

Cai Youdao, too, had shed his usual frivolous demeanor, his gaze sharp and aura imposing, finally displaying some of the majesty Jiang Yuling remembered.

Due to Jiang Yuling, his identity as the Seven Xia Holy Sovereign had been exposed, so there was no longer any need to hide it.

With his aura fully unleashed, the power of laws flowed around him, surrounded by colorful radiance, with waves of immense energy spreading out, truly awe-inspiring.

Without any apparent effort, he simply waved his hand, and beams of radiance shot out, continuously striking the surrounding meteor fragments.

In an instant, the void trembled, meteors shattered, and a small section of the starfield was quickly cleared.

With the two working together, the task of clearing the route progressed rapidly.

However, the distance from the spatial breach to the New Luo Immortal Dynasty was not short, and even with their fast progress, it would take a long time to clear it completely.

After clearing a small section of the starfield, Jiang Yuling and Cai Youdao stopped on a floating piece of building debris to rest and replenish their energy.

This task of clearing the route wasn't technically demanding, but it was physically and energetically exhausting.

In just half a day, Jiang Yuling was already too tired to fly.

"Whew~ I'm exhausted," Jiang Yuling plopped down on the building debris, wiping the sweat from her face without concern for her image. "This job pays well, but it's really tiring."

"Yuling, if you're tired, take a longer break. I'll handle the rest," Cai Youdao handed her the spiritual food he had prepared, looking every bit the caring "father figure."

His demeanor was as if he wanted to make up for the thousands of years they had been apart.

Jiang Yuling waved her hand: "That's not possible. You're only about half a True Immortal now; if you do this job alone, it would take forever. It's better for both of us to work hard and finish this task quickly so we can take on new ones. Didn't you run out of medicine? By taking on more tasks, you'll have money for your pills."

Now, they were both big spenders—one severely injured and relying on ninth-grade pills to stay alive, the other needing to level up quickly. Without working hard and taking on more tasks, how could they afford it?

"I knew it, Yuling, you still care about me," Cai Youdao was deeply moved.

"Don't be like that," Jiang Yuling rolled her eyes and coughed, "I'm only doing it for the sake of the Immortal Scripture and Immortal Sword."

Cai Youdao chuckled, at least his disciple was filial, and he hadn't searched in vain for so many years.

Though Zixia turned out completely different from what he imagined, just thinking about her working hard to earn money for cultivation made him feel only heartache.

Even if she was a True Immortal reincarnation, without a powerful backing, reaching the True Immortal Realm was no easy feat.

If Yuling hadn't been so determined, even as a True Immortal reincarnation, she wouldn't have reached the mid-Void Realm at this age. If her foundation had been any weaker, even if he found her, her chances of advancing to the True Immortal Realm in this lifetime would have been slim.

"Who would have thought you were born outside the Domain of Destruction? No wonder I couldn't find you after searching the entire Dongxia Divine Continent," Cai Youdao sighed, recalling his experiences over the years. "But now, it's all good. We've finally reunited as master and disciple. Though I found you a bit late, and you're already in the Void Realm, it's okay. I'll find a way to get resources for you; we have a chance."

Jiang Yuling glanced at him, feeling touched but mostly helpless.

She still had a lot of unresolved issues, yet he was already thinking about helping her reach the True Immortal Realm.

Fortunately, her original qualification was Peerless B-grade. Although she inherited the Immortal Scripture late and missed the best time for marrow cleansing, after inheriting the [Zixia Immortal Scripture], her qualification reached the upper end of Peerless A-grade, just a step away from [Heavenly Daughter].

Though this step was incredibly difficult to cross, there was still hope.

"Alright, Master, don't overthink it," Jiang Yuling said. "Since we've both signed the 'Contract of Selling Oneself,' let's work hard for Shouzhe. You haven't been to our side, so you don't know the situation. Shouzhe is a person of great fortune; follow him, and there will be plenty of benefits in the future."

"Perform well during this time. When there's a chance, I'll ask Shouzhe if he has a way to heal your injuries."

Though their time together was short, she had unconsciously started planning for her master's future.

Cai Youdao, however, was indifferent: "My injuries are due to backlash from the Heavenly Dao, damaging my foundation. It's not a minor injury; what can he do?"

That Wang Shouzhe was wealthy, and his bloodline was high, but his injuries weren't something money could solve.

Jiang Yuling rolled her eyes: "What do you know? I can't explain the details now, but just do as I say. And don't think about revenge..."

"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you," Cai Youdao quickly agreed, seeing Jiang Yuling showing signs of impatience.

Now that he had a disciple, everything was fine as long as she was happy. He was thrilled that she cared about his injuries, so how could he bear to dampen her spirits?

As they chatted, their energy recovered.

Soon, they were back at work, clearing the route, striving for a brighter future.

My dear disciple, even if I have to work my whole life, I'll support you to become a Holy Sovereign, just wait!

……

Meanwhile, as Jiang Yuling and her master worked diligently, Wang Shouzhe's vehicle, the [Heavenly Void Cloud Boat], had left the New Luo Immortal Dynasty, heading towards the Tianrui Holy Dynasty.

This trip to the Tianrui Holy Dynasty was partly for the [Yunhai Whale Boat] and partly to continue his "journey."

As a "noble young master" on a journey, Wang Shouzhe wouldn't stay in one place for long.

The brief stop in the New Luo Immortal Dynasty was merely to oversee Ji Yue'er and others, just in case. Now that the deal was done, there was no need to linger.

Though both were part of the Dongxia Divine Continent, the actual distance between the New Luo Immortal Dynasty and the Tianrui Holy Dynasty was vast.

After passing through the New Luo Immortal Kingdom, Xianwu Immortal Kingdom, and the boundless [Endless Sea], and experiencing several spatial traversals, it still took months for the group to finally reach the legendary Tianrui Holy Dynasty.

The Tianrui Holy Dynasty's territory was incredibly vast, almost unbelievable. Even with prior intelligence from Sima Wuyou, everyone was still deeply shocked.

The entire Tianrui Holy Dynasty was divided into seven provinces and one central region according to administrative divisions.

The "central region" referred to the central area of the Holy Domain, including the capital and its vast surrounding area. Around the central region were seven provinces, each in different directions, surrounding the central area of the Tianrui Holy Domain.

Each of these provinces had comprehensive strength comparable to an entire Immortal Dynasty.

The central region of the Tianrui Holy Domain was larger than the entire Han Yue Immortal Dynasty and was the largest and most prosperous area among the seven provinces and one central region.

Especially the core, central [Tianrui Holy City], where spiritual energy surged and immortal aura flourished, was the first blessed land of the Tianrui Holy Domain.

The Holy City gathered the best resources from the entire Tianrui Holy Dynasty and surrounding Immortal Dynasties, serving as the most important economic, cultural, and political center of the Tianrui Holy Dynasty.

The city was filled with powerful figures, and it was said that you couldn't throw a brick without hitting a big shot. The saying "divine abilities are as common as dogs, and Void Realm cultivators walk everywhere" was not an exaggeration.

Even more astonishing, the Tianrui Holy City covered an area almost as large as the entire Great Qian Kingdom.

A city like a country, this was the grandeur of a Holy Dynasty.

Even someone as composed as Wang Shouzhe felt a surge of excitement and awe when he first looked down at the Tianrui Holy City from the Heavenly Void Cloud Boat, witnessing the grandeur unseen elsewhere.

However, his strong will and excellent expression management skills kept his face calm and unruffled, despite the storm of emotions within.

"Young Master Shouzhe."

As Wang Shouzhe was lost in thought, Yao Yumei gracefully approached him, her figure elegant and supple.

She glanced admiringly at Wang Shouzhe's tall figure and handsome face, speaking shyly: "I'm truly sorry for troubling you to make this trip, Young Master. It's just that the [Immortal Clan Jiang] may have fallen, but the old stubborn ones managing it still hold onto their Immortal Clan airs, thinking highly of themselves. They insisted that you personally come to negotiate before they'd agree to sell the second-hand 'Yunhai Whale Boat.'"

"Pavilion Master Yumei, you're overthinking it," Wang Shouzhe smiled calmly. "I'm not the pampered young master you imagine. I should thank Pavilion Master Yumei for accompanying me on this journey."

Hearing this, Yao Yumei felt as if she had tasted honey.

The young master truly lived up to his noble lineage, being both graceful and approachable.

"Young Master, now that we're in Tianrui Holy City, allow me to show you around and experience the local customs," Yao Yumei said softly, her face flushed. "Though Tianrui Holy City may not match the splendor of your homeland, it has its own rustic charm. Please don't refuse."

After a moment's consideration, Wang Shouzhe smiled and said, "In that case, I'll trouble Miss Yumei."

"Thank you for the honor, Young Master," Yao Yumei said, barely containing her excitement.

Watching this, Yun Tiange couldn't help but be filled with emotion.

Shouzhe's demeanor was becoming more and more attractive, charming Yao Yumei with just a few words.

With Shouzhe's appearance and demeanor, who would believe he was truly from a small family, having reached his current position entirely on his own?

Even if Shouzhe were to fall on hard times one day, he could probably still succeed in the world just by relying on his good looks.

……