Chapter 2279: Next Adventure Preparation

He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow, waiting for Dong Rui's reply.

Dong Rui grumbled, "It's the same old story. To ensure both quality and quantity, the Spirit Bodies produced in bulk by the Heavenly Palace using the Hidden God Lords can only be of ordinary quality. The more powerful demonic puppets are reserved for the stronger Sky Demons, those at or above the rank of subordinate deity."

To bring more Sky Demons to the lower realm, the Spirit Bodies created by the Heavenly Palace using Hidden God Lords must meet two key requirements: maximized quantity and stable quality.

Dong Rui had already mentioned that the Hidden God Lords can only manifest a limited number of avatars. However, bringing as many Sky Demons as possible to the mortal world is a critical task for Venerable Lingxu; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to answer to the Lingxu multitude.

To maximize quantity, they have to forgo producing high-quality individuals—which would be difficult to create anyway, as mass-produced immortal bodies are unheard of. Therefore, the bodies capable of housing powerful Sky Demons must still be human immortals or demonic puppets from the mortal world.

Dong Rui looked confident. "By then, my research will come in handy."

He Lingchuan glanced at him, accepting his answer.

"The most important thing right now is to find out the current stage of the demonic puppet experiments," he mused. "We need detailed first-hand information."

Upon hearing this, Dong Rui rubbed his hands together excitedly. "So, we're going on another long trip, aren't we?"

Their last journey to Thousand-Eye Cave was undertaken by him and Madam Zhu.

"This is a significant matter, and several Heavenly Palace experimental sites have been destroyed by Mount Ling in recent years. Security for all demonic puppet experiments has been unprecedentedly tightened. Just the two of you would be too slow to succeed." He Lingchuan pointed a thumb at himself. "I'll go with you."

"You're coming too?" Dong Rui's face lit up, and he rubbed his hands. "Does that mean the travel budget for this trip can be increased?"

He Lingchuan ignored him. "Go back and arrange your current tasks. We leave in three days."

"Alright, alright!" Madam Zhu readily agreed, but couldn't help asking, "Can you really get away?"

Dong Rui scratched his chin. "He usually goes into seclusion for cultivation for three or four months at a time, and nothing ever goes wrong."

He Lingchuan retorted impatiently, "I spent years setting up this team precisely so it could operate independently and save me time on governance, didn't I?"

Like his management of the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce back then, Cangyan's administrative system focuses on self-operation. A mature system should function precisely like a machine, requiring minimal intervention from superiors.

In recent years, Cangyan has generally enjoyed favorable weather and stable livelihoods, and its national strength has grown rapidly, allowing He Lingchuan to take it easy—

As long as no major changes occur domestically, he can usually go into seclusion for cultivation for three or four months at a time.

He Lingchuan was keenly aware that as the "Reincarnated Dragon God," he should be the new empire's strongest force and greatest reliance, so his cultivation progress couldn't fall behind even for a day.

The Demon Emperor of Beijia and Emperor Wuhuan next door have also intensified their cultivation in recent years of spiritual energy resurgence, constantly disappearing and reappearing.

Madam Zhu was about to stand up when she suddenly remembered something and asked him, "Oh, didn't you say last time that Chief Administrator Duyun was close to death? Can you predict who his successor will be?"

He Lingchuan gave a faint smile. "What's the point of predicting that?"

Dong Rui also urged him, "Just take a guess, any guess."

He Lingchuan looked at Dong Rui, then at Madam Zhu, and understood. "You two made a bet?"

Madam Zhu couldn't help but raise a paw and rub her belly, thinking, *It's truly hard to hide anything from this young man.*

"Someone asked me this question long ago. Both the Heavenly Palace and the Beijia Royal Court want to know the answer." In fact, six months ago, Madam Mei Wu had already asked him in a letter which candidate would take over the Heavenly Palace.

He Lingchuan's reply to her was not to predict, not to bet, and especially not to get involved in these murky waters or associate with anyone with vested interests, otherwise, she would surely face utter ruin!

"No matter who takes over, the Heavenly Palace's actions will become more aggressive."

Dong Rui also became curious. "Why?"

"Whether it's Hou Tianyu or Lu Yongyan, the key to their competition for the Chief Administrator Duyun position is to win the Heavenly God's favor. If the Heavenly God is not pleased, they won't become Chief Administrator." He Lingchuan countered, "If you were them, how would you satisfy the Heavenly God?"

Dong Rui asked, "Diligently carry out all tasks assigned by the Heavenly God?"

"That's why I say neither of you would make capable subordinates. They must think what the Heavenly God thinks and worry about what the Heavenly God worries about." He Lingchuan smiled. "The most important thing for a subordinate is to anticipate what your superior has thought of, and even what they haven't yet, and be able to implement it. That's what's called 'competent.' What does the Heavenly God desire most?"

"Nightmare Qi."

"In recent years, although Beijia has also been stirring up trouble everywhere, the frequency and scale have been smaller than in previous years. Do you think the current Chief Administrator Duyun isn't working hard enough?"

Madam Zhu interjected, "Isn't he close to death?"

"Whether you say Chief Administrator Duyun is willing but unable, or that the Demon Emperor is remarkably skilled, the fact remains that spiritual energy is generally flowing towards the mortal realm. The Sky Demons have long been dissatisfied with this situation, so why haven't they quickly replaced the Chief Administrator Duyun?"

Madam Zhu thought for a moment and then uttered a statement so incisive it surprised He Lingchuan:

"Because Bai Ziqi died long ago?"

He Lingchuan was slightly taken aback and snapped his fingers. "That's also true. The Sky Demons haven't found a satisfactory successor. Or, in their eyes, those two candidates aren't much better than the current old Chief Administrator, so it's better to stick with the familiar than to start with someone new."

As the struggle with the Sky Demons deepened over the years, He Lingchuan also understood more clearly that the Sky Demons had originally favored Bai Ziqi as the next Chief Administrator Duyun.

This person was ruthless, single-minded, and channeled all his shrewdness into his work, disdaining everyone else and having no interest in managing interpersonal relationships.

Unlike the old Chief Administrator, he wasn't smooth, but he could certainly execute the missions assigned by the Sky Demons effectively.

After Bai Ziqi was slain by He Lingchuan, the Heavenly Palace had not found a more suitable successor for the Chief Administrator position. After all, in such a complicated and volatile environment, commanding the most powerful organization in the world is an extremely difficult task.

"Ultimately, whoever is chosen as the next Chief Administrator, to prove their capabilities, they will have to be more decisive, more aggressive, and more radical than the old Chief Administrator to secure that position." He Lingchuan's expression became somewhat solemn. "This is not good news for us or for the Demon Emperor of Beijia."

Madam Zhu stood up, unsure what to say. After a long pause, she finally said, "I'll go back and pack my things first!"

After the two of them had left, night had already fallen.

He Lingchuan handled a few more official duties, then put down his pen and paper, closed the doors and windows, and began to sit cross-legged to regulate his breathing.

The moment he closed his eyes, the entire Crimson Firmament Golden Hall fell silent.

Thanks to Cuoshitaiyi for the tip.

(End of chapter)