306: Chapter 306 Shi Yin Returns, Zhou Clan Submits!

The gateway to the Yinfeng Valley Secret Realm was completely stabilized.

Elder Shu Changfeng kowtowed and retreated. Leading the various great Yao of the Rat Clan, he entered the Secret Realm to begin reorganizing this brand-new territory.

In the past, although it had always been managed by the Yin Rat lineage, that was only because the Secret Realm was located in the heart of the Human Race's territory. They could not invest massive resources into it, lest the secret be exposed and all their efforts come to naught.

It had merely served as a backup escape route.

Now that the Secret Realm was fully under their control, they would naturally utilize it to its limit; only then would it be worth the cost.

As the saying goes, one good thing follows another.

Just as they had stabilized the Secret Realm and given the Rat Clan an opportunity to grow, resolving one worry, another piece of good fortune arrived.

A violent fluctuation of Spiritual Qi surged from the northern horizon.

An overwhelming, bone-chilling cold swept across the land, instantly frosting the mountain forests along its path.

"Who goes there!"

On Panshi Peak, Shi Pan stood upright. Earth-yellow Yao power erupted, staining the firmament. Just as he was about to soar into the sky to tear the intruder to shreds...

"Pan, stand down."

Shi Jian's voice came from afar.

Shi Pan abruptly reined in his Yao power. When he looked up again...

He saw an ice-snow giant bear, its size no less impressive than Shi Pan's, stepping through the void toward them, its aura imposing.

Its fur was pure, flawless white, though stained with large patches of dried, dark red blood. Its aura was somewhat chaotic, but a fanatical gleam shone in its icy eyes.

"Yin!"

Shi Pan grinned widely, the fierce light in his eyes fading, replaced by pleasant surprise.

"My brother! You've returned!"

The ice-snow giant bear ignored Shi Pan and descended directly onto the peak of Zixiao Peak.

Its massive body prostrated heavily on the ground, its head knocking hard against the rock at the edge of the Thunder Pool to show submission:

"Old Ancestor, Yin has returned."

Shi Yin's voice was low and hoarse.

Shi Jian's eyes showed a rare hint of a smile: "Rise. You didn't die in the Shangqing Sect's purge; you did well."

Shi Yin stood up. There was a sword scar on his chest deep enough to see bone, from which cold Qi was still seeping. Clearly, Shi Yin had not escaped death easily.

The white bear casually wiped the ice shards from the edge of the wound and grinned.

"On the eve of the great battle, I received the Old Ancestor's message, and Yin knew that the times were changing."

"Those old fogies in the Shangqing Sect are incredibly shrewd. Had I remained on the peak, they would surely have dragged me off to serve as cannon fodder."

"Therefore, Yin took the opportunity of an inspection patrol to conceal my Qi and hid in a desolate mountain."

White Crane opened his eyes from the side, his gaze sweeping over Shi Yin.

"You certainly know how to run. It couldn't have been easy. I hadn't seen you for a long time and thought you had fallen in Shangqing."

Shi Yin looked at White Crane, sensing the Nascent Soul pressure on him, and bowed slightly in respect before sneering.

"The Shangqing Sect sent out their main force, leaving their interior empty. Those left behind were already panic-stricken."

"Not only did I escape, but I also 'borrowed' a few things on my way out."

Shi Yin opened his mouth and spat out three streams of light. They landed on the ground, transforming into three bulging Storage Pouchs...

"Old Ancestor, this is the foundation Yin has brought back for the Myriad Demon Domain."

Shi Jian swept his Divine Sense over the Storage Pouchs, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Inside the Storage Pouchs, there were no mountains of Spirit Stones, nor profound Magic Treasures, but rather, they were filled entirely with various types of spiritual plants.

Furthermore, they were all rare spiritual plants of the Third Stage or higher!

There was a 'thunder element fruit tree' bearing purple-red fruits, a crystal-clear 'Mystic Ice Snow Lotus', and even a stalk of Fourth Stage 'Soul Returning Grass' that had already developed a hint of sentience.

These items were the lifeblood of the major Sects, usually planted in core medicinal gardens, guarded by heavy troops and protected by grand formations.

"Hah!"

"You kid, you didn't empty out the Shangqing Sect's medicinal garden, did you?"

White Crane gasped. Having come from the Qingfeng Sect, he knew the value of these spiritual plants. The contents of these three Storage Pouchs were truly substantial assets...

"Old Ancestor, besides these spiritual plants, Yin also brought back some other things."

Shi Yin lowered his head and waved a huge bear paw.

Several frozen ice blocks fell from the air onto the ground. As the cold air dissipated, they revealed a dozen shivering human Cultivators.

At the head was an old man at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. His face was pale, and upon seeing the massive Yao Beasts surrounding him, he knelt directly on the ground, pressing his forehead against the cold rock, not daring to look up.

"Human Race?"

White Crane raised an eyebrow, a flicker of murderous intent in his eyes.

Shi Yin stepped forward, blocking the old man:

"Old Ancestor, this is the Zhou Clan from the Shangqing Sect's outer Sect."

"The reason Yin was able to empty the Shangqing Sect's medicinal garden without making a sound was entirely thanks to this Zhou Family acting as our internal contact."

"I have already taken two-tenths of their essence souls as leverage and made them swear a Dao oath, willing to serve my Yao Race as masters for generations."

"At the same time, I have planted a Restriction in each of them; there will be absolutely no issues."

"Yin implores the Old Ancestor to spare their lives and use them as human servants for our race. After all, our race is not skilled in techniques and still needs the Human Race to work for us."

Shi Yin's voice was steady as he laid out the pros and cons. Although he was a Yao, he understood both kindness and severity.

Besides the aforementioned advantages, the Zhou Family had betrayed the Shangqing Sect to survive. If they were killed directly, who would dare to work for the Yao Race in the future? It would be better to keep them as an example.

Who knows, perhaps more of the Human Race would defect to the Yao in the future!

Shi Jian was aware of the Zhou Clan's background; they were descendants of Master Luanshan, and their Bloodline talent was not bad.

After Shi Yin reached the Core Formation Realm, this clan had always attached itself to Shi Yin.

Previously, they had even come to White Cloud Temple twice to curry favor with him.

The Foundation Establishment old man trembled all over, kowtowing repeatedly: "My Zhou Clan is willing to serve the Old Ancestor as dogs and horses for generations!"

"Our clan is also proficient in the methods of cultivating spiritual plants and can manage the medicinal gardens for the Myriad Demon Domain!"

"Yes, right, our clan is also skilled in drawing Talismans and making Talisman paper. We have a complete Talisman Legacy that can reach the Third Stage."

"In the future, our clan can also provide blood food for the various Old Ancestors to enjoy!"

Hearing this, Shi Jian chuckled: "Human servants?"

"That's interesting. The Human Race keeps my Yao Race as slaves, so today, it's not bad for my Yao Race to keep a few human servants."

"Shi Yin, since they are people you protected, they shall be managed by your Frost-Snow Lineage."

"From now on, the Zhou Family will specialize in cultivating Third Stage spiritual plants. If even one plant withers, you will pay with the lives of the Zhou Family members."

Upon hearing this, the Zhou Family old man felt as if he had been granted an amnesty and kowtowed repeatedly: "Thank you, Old Ancestor, for your mercy! Thank you, Old Ancestor Yin, for protecting us!"

Shi Jian waved his paw.

Shi Yin nodded, and with a thought, he sent the Zhou Family away to be settled with the Sun, Zhao, and Yun clans.

"Shi Yin, you have made a great contribution today."

"Return to the Frost-Snow Lineage and be a good lineage master. From now on, the northern border of the Myriad Demon Domain will be under your guard."

"Yin, accepts the command!"

A brilliant light exploded in Shi Yin's eyes, and he roared at the sky, shaking the mountains.

The roar spread throughout the Myriad Demon Domain, and countless ice-snow attribute Yao Beasts responded in unison.

Shi Pan leaped from the foot of the mountain to the peak, transforming into a brown-yellow giant bear, and walked to Shi Yin's side. The two giant bears, one earth and one ice, were equal in size.

Both had the aura of the Early Stage Golden Core, standing like two gate gods on Shi Jian's left and right.

"Good!"

Shi Pan laughed and patted Shi Yin's shoulder heavily.

Shi Jian looked at the two great generals at his side, feeling immensely gratified. Of the three little bears he had granted Enlightenment to back then, two had reached this Realm today.

It truly made him exceptionally pleased.

Now, the framework of the Myriad Demon Domain was completely established.

For top-tier combat power, they had White Crane, this Transformed Demon King, sitting in command.

For Golden Core Yao Generals, they had the two giant bears, Shi Pan and Shi Yin, plus the aquatic Golden Crocodile, Wan Xiang, and Bi Luo, who commanded the Green Ape Clan.

A full five Golden Core Great Yao!

Under them were thirty-six tribes, the Five Bear Lineages, and the offshore aquatic tribes, with hundreds of thousands of Yao Beasts, although most were only First Stage small Yao.

But this force was enough to hold up the facade of the Myriad Demon Domain.

After a few more years, when the situation stabilized.

It would be the day of his, Shi Jian's, Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm. By then, the Myriad Demon Domain would have two Transformed Demon Kings sitting in command, enough to stand firm on the continent.

As for whether the Breakthrough would fail, leading to his demise...

Shi Jian had thought about it, but he never doubted that he would fail. If even he thought he would fail, then what right did he have to succeed!

Only with this constant Dao Heart, based on his current Bloodline.

A Breakthrough to Nascent Soul was within his grasp.

"The foundation is there, the territory is there, the troops are there, and the pawns that could be recovered have all returned to my hand."

"Next, I will just wait and see how the situation in this world plays out."