225: Chapter 224 The Realm of Flute

The days after winning the championship were even busier than Xiao Ye had anticipated.

He named the Small World "Xiao World," and after officially incorporating it into his territory, the first thing he did was to set up an entrance.

He cordoned off a large area in the back of Xiao Mansion and set up multiple layers of immortal Formations to firmly protect the entrance to the Small World.

Li Dan brought craftsmen to build a three-courtyard residence next to the entrance, claiming it was to "make it convenient for Master to inspect in the future." Xiao Ye took one look at the scale and felt that the residence didn't really look like it was for "convenient inspection," but rather as if one could move in at any time.

However, he couldn't be bothered to quibble; Li Dan had always been discreet in his work, and having more space was better than being cramped.

He spent a full month initially refining the Small World, finally establishing a stable connection with that realm.

He could perceive its mountains, rivers, birds, and beasts, and could even distinguish the subtle changes in the flow of every strand of Law. This feeling was very strange—as if he had gained a backyard that he could unfold at any time. He personally demarcated an area within that Small World to settle Liang Zhou.

Liang Zhou was quite straightforward; he chose a valley near a Spiritual Vein to live in and promised to guard the entrance for him, effectively fulfilling his initial promise.

Xiao Ye took A-Zhu and several newly taken concubines inside for a few rounds, selecting several spots with pleasant scenery, intending to build a few imperial lodges in the future.

A-Zhu took a fancy to a flat piece of land by a waterfall and decided to build a courtyard with hot springs; the newly taken Fairy in the green dress, Lu Sheng, chose a sea of flowers, expressing a desire to plant some immortal herbs, and Xiao Ye waved his hand and approved everything.

After Li Dan incorporated "Xiao World" into the daily ledger management, the entries in the ledger immediately doubled, but the income also visibly increased; the immortal herbs and mineral resources produced by the Small World had already begun to subsidize the daily expenses of Xiao Mansion.

Life went on steadily and lively like this, and Xiao Ye did not stop his pace of taking concubines just because he had obtained a Small World.

For those Fairies who had passed him Jade Slips or sent notes during the Grand Competition, he arranged meetings with each one. Some he felt compatible with after meeting and kept them; for others, if he found it unsuitable after chatting for a few sentences, Xiao Ye would politely treat them to a meal before seeing them off, never letting anyone leave empty-handed.

He couldn't be called picky with people, but he couldn't be not picky either; at the very least, he had to find them pleasing to the eye and be able to converse well with them before they could stay in the mansion.

One day when Li Dan delivered the ledger, he casually mentioned: "Master, how many wedding banquets have we held in this half year? According to my records, this is already the twenty-third one."

"Twenty-three?" Xiao Ye thought for a moment, "That's fine, not too many."

"There are three full-month banquets next month," Li Dan added, "all born around the beginning of autumn. In addition, several new concubines are confirmed to be pregnant; with plenty of time, they should be able to make it by the end of the year."

Xiao Ye nodded, "Make the arrangements. What needs to be held, hold it; who needs to be invited, invite them. Don't let those below feel that we have treated anyone unfairly."

Li Dan acknowledged and flipped through the ledger again, "By the way, someone from Liang Zhou's side came once and left a message, saying, 'There have been some developments regarding that matter recently; if it is convenient for you, you can come over to chat.'"

Xiao Ye was silent for a moment, "Understood. I will go there tomorrow."

That evening, Xiao Ye was not in a rush to go to Xiao World, but instead went to the back mountain to check on the setup of the Small World's entrance. The Formation was operating normally, and the surroundings were very quiet, with only the sound of the wind blowing through the bamboo forest.

He stood there for a while, then turned and returned to the main courtyard. A-Zhu was squatting in the courtyard bathing a few children who had just learned to walk. Seeing him return, she didn't even turn her head, "Going on a long trip tomorrow?"

"Not that far, just going to Xiao World." Xiao Ye squatted down beside her and reached out to take a wet little one to dry off, "A friend invited me for tea."

"Then come back early; there's a banquet the day after tomorrow."

Xiao Ye gathered her and the child into his arms, lowered his head to gently touch her forehead, and smiled, "I will definitely make it back. If there is a banquet at home, I cannot be absent."

The evening breeze passed through the courtyard, blowing the wisteria flowers covering the wall, and the scent of dinner wafted from the new kitchen in the distance. Xiao Ye carried the dried child back into the room, his mind already thinking about the conversation with Liang Zhou tomorrow—the answers he wanted to know might just be waiting for him in that valley.

And no matter what those answers were, it would not affect him living his present life well.

Banquets must continue to be held, children must continue to be born, cultivation must continue to rise, and life must continue to move forward.

Xiao Ye had been busy in Xiao World for over half a year and finally stabilized the Laws in the core area, and also set up a dedicated passage for those Ascending from the Lower Realm. Calling it a passage was actually just a teleportation Formation carved underground in the three-courtyard residence at the entrance of the Small World. The Formation patterns corresponded to the reception Formation he had personally set up in the Lower Realm; as long as someone in the Lower Realm achieved a Breakthrough to Earth Immortal and approached the Formation eye, he could sense it from his side and actively guide the other party through the boundary wall.

"It's ready." Xiao Ye patted the dust off his hands and said to Liang Zhou, who was squatting nearby observing, "Later, if someone walks out from the Formation, help me recognize their face; don't beat them up thinking they're a thief."

Liang Zhou nodded, "The Formation eye is placed in your mansion; who would dare come here to seek death."

Xiao Ye smiled, and that night he returned to the main courtyard, took out an immortal communication talisman, and injected a strand of immortal power. A moment later, Palace Master Mosha's voice, carrying a hint of laziness, came from the other side: "Husband, it must be late at night on your side, right? It's just past noon here, and the children have just finished lunch."

"I have just finished being busy here." Xiao Ye leaned by the window, "The reception Formation has been set up. Once you are ready on your side, set off; I will wait for you here."

Palace Master Mosha was silent for a moment, her voice softer than before: "Alright. I will settle the affairs at home and set off in a few days. Zhang Waner and Bai Susu will also come along; they have been grinding at the Earth Immortal Peak for several years already, just waiting for these words from you."

"Everyone come. Not one left behind." Xiao Ye smiled, "I have prepared a courtyard for you all in the Immortal Realm; it is much larger than the Lower Realm."