Many wives, small yard—a happy problem!

On the other side, Black Stone City.

With the site of Lin Yuan's Undergoing Tribulation at the center of Tingfeng Courtyard, a massive crater a hundred zhang wide had replaced everything that was there before. The ground was scorched black like charcoal, and the air was filled with the unique scent left by the burning of lightning and Spiritual Qi.

Not to mention Tingfeng Courtyard, even the nearby Xuan Yin Hall and the courtyards of Gu Zheng and the others had all been reduced to ruins in the aftermath of that earth-shattering Lightning Tribulation.

Lin Yuan stood in the center of the ruins. Mu Wanqing carefully draped a robe over him, her tone a mix of reproach and concern: "You could have just had your Breakthrough, why did you have to forcefully resist the Lightning Tribulation? Look… our home is gone. Where are we going to sleep tonight?"

Lan Caier and Xue Linglong, standing to the side, nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan was not worried at all. Instead, he turned his head, wrapped one arm around Mu Wanqing's slender waist, and a meaningful, mischievous smile appeared on his face: "That is incorrect. This isn't our home being gone; this is Heaven helping me!"

His gaze swept over the three beautiful women before him. He clicked his tongue and said with an air of seriousness: "I felt before that this Tingfeng Courtyard was too small and wronged you all. Look, isn't it? Even the Heavens couldn't bear to watch and personally helped me tear it down. It's hinting that I should move to a place as big as an imperial palace and build a palace for each of my beloved concubines."

"You… you're incorrigible!" Mu Wanqing's pretty face flushed red instantly. She lightly punched him and turned her head away, though her earlobes were quietly tinged with red.

Lin Yuan laughed heartily and stretched, his bones making a series of cracking sounds. Newfound power surged within his body, and he felt full of heroic spirit: "The Spiritual Qi within a hundred miles of this place has been drained by me and will be difficult to recover in the short term, so rebuilding here is meaningless. Besides, Old Ancestor Xuan Yin and the others should have already won. We are going to the Blood River Spirit Mine to build a super-sized city there!"

He looked at the three women, his smile growing even brighter, carrying a touch of an experienced rogue's cunning: "In the center of the city, I will build the largest residence in the Eastern Region. By then, Wanqing, Caier, Linglong, Gu Zheng… each of you will have your own independent courtyard. The courtyards will have hot springs and herb gardens. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

One day later, Ye Youmeng and the others returned in triumph. At Lin Yuan's signal, the Alliance's first high-level meeting was held in a temporarily constructed grand hall.

Lin Yuan sat high in the seat of honor. Below him, Ye Youmeng and Old Monster Xuanyin sat on either side, followed by Gu Zheng, Su Meiniang, and the eighteen newly advanced Nascent Soul Old Ancestors.

This power was enough to make any Sect in the Eastern Region tremble.

The atmosphere in the hall was intense to the extreme, one could even say it was filled with Killing Intent.

"Alliance Leader! In my opinion, there is nothing to discuss!" An Elder from the Five Poisons Sect who had just achieved a Breakthrough stood up, his face full of malevolence, spittle flying as he spoke: "Take advantage of their illness to take their lives! Let's split our forces into four routes and attack the Misty Immortal Sect, Hundred Beasts Mountain, Qingyun Sect, and Yan Yang Kingdom directly, and level their Sect gates! Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots to avoid future trouble!"

"That's right! If they dare to strike first, don't blame us for striking back! Let's make them bleed rivers and let the entire Eastern Region know who the true master is!" An Elder of the Yin Corpse Sect chimed in, bloodthirsty light flickering in his eyes.

These newly advanced Nascent Soul Cultivators were mostly old Cultivators who had been stuck at a Bottleneck for many years. Having achieved power overnight, their mentalities inevitably inflated, and they couldn't wait to trample their former opponents underfoot.

"We cannot," a relatively steady voice sounded. It was a prudent Elder from the Yin Corpse Sect. "How vast is the territory of the Eastern Region? Although we have over twenty Nascent Soul Cultivators, if we want to uproot the four major Sects and completely digest their territories, our manpower is far from enough. Once the battle lines are stretched too thin and we fall into an endless quagmire, it will not be a good thing for us."

"What is there to fear! Kill whoever refuses to submit!"

"That is the courage of a brute!"

For a time, there was a cacophony of voices in the hall, and the pro-war faction and the pro-stability faction argued endlessly.

Lin Yuan listened quietly without speaking, his fingers rhythmically tapping on the armrest. It was not until the arguing in the hall gradually subsided and everyone's eyes were focused on him that he spoke slowly.

"Fighting, we definitely must fight. But not like this, fighting chaotically without any order."

"What I want is not a messy war that smashes the Eastern Region to pieces, but a… stable rear base." Lin Yuan's gaze swept across the crowd, deep and sharp. "A rear base that allows us to Cultivate peacefully, continuously produce resources, and not worry about being stabbed in the back."

He stood up and walked to the center of the hall. With a wave of his hand, a huge light-shadow map appeared out of thin air; it was the topographical map of the entire Eastern Region.

"Therefore, my plan is to negotiate first."

"Negotiate?" An Elder of the pro-war faction frowned.

"Yes, negotiate." A cold arc curled up at the corner of Lin Yuan's mouth. "Give them a chance, a chance to submit. Those who are willing to surrender, we can preserve their Sect's Dao traditions, let them become a part of our Alliance, and work for us. Those who are not willing…"

He paused, and a flash of Killing Intent flickered in his eyes.

"Then we will concentrate all our power and, with the force of a thunderbolt, completely wipe them out to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys!"

"Furthermore…" Lin Yuan's voice took on a hint of temptation. "With the opportunity to achieve a Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage, I think… there shouldn't be many people who would sabotage their own Dao future, right?"

This plan satisfied the pro-war faction's desire for deterrence while also considering the pro-stability faction's realistic concerns. It was a perfect combination of kindness and severity.

Everyone pondered for a moment, then nodded in sincere agreement, having no further objections.

"Also, the Spiritual Qi in Black Stone City has dried up and is no longer suitable as the Foundation of the Alliance. I have decided to build a new city on top of the Blood River Spirit Mine to serve as the future capital of our Alliance."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was another uproar, and then eyes erupted with excitement.

Lin Yuan watched the excited expressions of the crowd, but in his heart, he was calculating another matter. Images of those well-planned modern cities from Blue Star appeared in his mind, and he couldn't help but reveal a strange smile.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat and said to the crowd, "I already have a draft in mind for the planning of Xuantian City. It is roughly divided into several zones, such as the core Cultivation zone, which is the CBD—no, wait, the Immortal Cave zone. There are also the commercial trade zone, the Alchemy and Artifact Refining zone, the daily life zone for ordinary Disciples… There must be express passages between the zones, the Formation must cover them in layers, there must be good landscaping, and there must be public entertainment facilities…"

The group of Nascent Soul Old Ancestors listened, completely confused. Things like "express passages" and "public entertainment facilities" were unheard of.

That Elder from the pro-stability faction couldn't help but cup his hands and ask: "May I ask, Old Ancestor, what is… 'Xi Bi Di'?"

Lin Yuan stood with his hands behind his back and answered inscrutably: "'Xi', is to breathe in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi; 'Bi', is to avoid the vulgar clamor of the mortal world; 'Di', is the place where Luck gathers. This is a secret that has not been passed down by the ancient masters of the Dao of Formations; it emphasizes Feng Shui, Luck, and the unity of Heaven and man. You just need to build it according to what I said, and the benefits… you will naturally understand in the future."

The Old Ancestors listened with awe and respect, feeling that while they didn't quite understand it, it sounded very powerful. They nodded repeatedly, and their awe and reverence for Lin Yuan deepened further.

Lin Yuan looked with satisfaction at this group of "top-tier construction workers" who had been fooled by him, feeling secretly pleased. Having Nascent Soul Old Ancestors act as foremen to move mountains and fill seas—this experience was absolutely amazing.

After the meeting ended, he turned to Mu Wanqing and said softly: "Wanqing, go back to the Sect and bring Han Shuang, Su Qingyan, and your sister Wanrou over. The new home is about to be built, and a family should always be reunited."

"Mm." Mu Wanqing nodded heavily, her eyes filled with tenderness and joy.