After departing the Demon Capital, Lin Luo did not immediately return to Sky City, but first made a detour to Dragon City.

Long Wanxuan and Gui Qu Lai Xi shared a certain rapport, perhaps even exchanging some mentorship; seeing her after some time, her strength had visibly increased; she had actually reached the intermediate Earth-rank.

While this was somewhat surprising, it was not entirely unexpected, as the Dragon race’s innate talent was formidable, especially since Long Wanxuan was the supreme Five-Clawed Golden Dragon among them, whose inherent talent was in no way inferior to the Host’s. And it wasn't just her; the strength of the other members of the Dragon race had also undergone a noticeable transformation—that flat-chested loli black dragon girl, Dragon Onyxia, her progress was so significant her tail nearly pointed to the heavens.

Ding Dang and Ling Long, the two young hatchlings, were also beginning to show a bit of draconic demeanor; at least they were no longer so timid when they saw him. Another noteworthy point was the new generation of dragons; although their previous lives' powers were completely dissipated, even their memories gone, perhaps due to being born in this world, their innate talents far surpassed their past lives, promising limitless future achievements, to the point that even Onyxia felt a pang of envy and jealousy.

Many adult dragons, witnessing the talent of those hatchlings, felt such despair they wished for a swift self-termination, like the black dragon whose intellect was utterly without limit, who harbored such thoughts, though he held back only because he could not bear to lose his accumulated memories.

After a lengthy discussion with Long Wanxuan, Lin Luo learned that under Gui Qu Lai Xi’s intentional or unintentional direction, many adult dragons had been dispatched across the globe. Although Gui Qu Lai Xi had not revealed her true purpose, Long Wanxuan guessed it was likely for the development of this world.

After all, as things stood, besides the native magical beasts, the population of the Bright Realm was pitiably small. Excluding Sky City, only the Demon Capital, Shanghai, held inhabitants, along with the Dragon race and the Followers of the Crimson World; this configuration could never foster a world truly brimming with "vitality."

Long Wanxuan stated solemnly, "No matter which world it is, for it to survive, life will always be the most crucial element." Hearing this, Lin Luo recognized the Bright Realm's inherent flaw. While he hadn't been unaware of it before, being reborn had given him a deeper understanding.

The Bright Realm was not his storage room, nor his private domain. If he treated this entire world as his personal harem, it would be tantamount to digging his own grave.

A world first and foremost requires an unending stream of life to form an infinite cycle; the stronger and more numerous the life within the world, the more powerful the world itself becomes, and robust strength is the foundation upon which they must stand.

This strength must be evident not just individually, but mirrored in the world itself! Gui Qu Lai Xi sending the Followers of the Crimson World scattering across the globe was likely based on this very consideration.

As for the conflicts that might arise between various races after they grew strong enough to cause war, that was a non-issue. As long as he stood at the pinnacle of this world, possessing absolute power and ultimate control over the world itself, then all life within it would remain within his grasp.

Achieving this was not difficult; otherwise, if the King of the World could be overthrown by the life forms within his own world, he might as well smash his head against a wall.

Of course, developing the world rapidly in a short period seemed unrealistic. After all, this was originally an Inner World, unlike the worlds of the Dark King or the Evil King, where the primary deficiency was life; relying solely on one Demon Capital in Shanghai to foster a population was impossible. Moreover, regarding individuals like Miyakoji Mizuho, Jujo Shion, Lin Mingmei, Lacus, and Asuka—whose existences were altered by the merging of worlds—though he currently had no intention of "claiming" them, he wouldn't send them away just for population growth.

Therefore, the Demon Capital, Shanghai, was an exception.

So, to develop the world as quickly as possible, there was only one method remaining... bring the populations of other worlds into the Bright Realm!

The Bright Realm possessed the richest and most expansive lands, saturated with the most potent life aura, suitable for the habitation of any creature. And he possessed the World Gate, a means of inviting people across. As long as he could quickly reclaim all his abilities as the World King, introducing a large influx of life was certainly not impossible.

After finishing his conversation with Long Wanxuan about the world’s development, Lin Luo departed Dragon City. Afterward, his Perception Domain probed deep into the Underground World. He had intended to speak with the Serpent of Ritual as well, but the great serpent was likely asleep, as he couldn't locate it.

Lin Luo gave up, having no time to travel the world searching for the Three Pillar Ministers, and headed straight back to Sky City.

The maids were bustling about Sky City; Chou Lingying remained confined on the seventh floor and hadn't emerged. As for Gui Qu Lai Xi, heaven knew what she was doing. The Hosts were still deep in their cultivation, and he couldn't afford to lag behind. After quickly finishing the meal prepared by the maids, Lin Luo proceeded to the cultivation room on the sixth floor and projected Destiny out of the Heaven-Sealing Bottle.

"You ant, I shall annihilate you!"

Destiny certainly recognized Lin Luo. Just because he couldn't defeat Gui Qu Lai Xi didn't mean he couldn't defeat Lin Luo. The moment he was projected, it was as if he saw the enemy who stole his wife; the projected body aggressively lunged toward Lin Luo.

Tsk, although he was likely going to suffer a bit, it is a good thing that I can unleash my full power. Lin Luo understood Destiny's rage, but he had genuinely thought that if he used Destiny as a mere punching bag, Destiny might not "cooperate." He hadn't expected Destiny to attack with such ferocity without any prompting.

Should he consider this great figure a bit dull, or was he simply blinded by rage?

Whichever it was, Lin Luo couldn't have asked for a better outcome.

Soon, the sounds of a fierce, all-out battle erupted from one of the cultivation rooms on the sixth floor. Destiny was, after all, Destiny; even when reduced to the same level as Lin Luo, his power was far beyond what Lin Luo could withstand. Even using his full strength, Lin Luo was at an absolute disadvantage, and during the fight, every second brought with it a chilling premonition that he could be killed at any moment.

This bone-chilling sensation was something he had never experienced, even when facing tens of thousands of Abyssal Demons.

In less than five minutes, Lin Luo was utterly defeated. Destiny's hand was clamped around his neck; one slight movement forward, and his neck would snap, but at that moment, Destiny was utterly immobilized, before being sucked back into the Heaven-Sealing Bottle.

Gui Qu Lai Xi intended to train Lin Luo, not send him to his death. Although she had spoken harshly, she knew Lin Luo absolutely could not defeat Destiny before reaching the Heaven-rank, so she ensured the minimal necessary life-saving measures were in place; thus, Lin Luo could never truly be killed during sparring with Destiny.

Even so, his condition was terrible. Physical injuries were secondary; the most significant impact was the mental shock. Facing Destiny in combat was like confronting an insurmountable mountain. He would bet that anyone with a weaker will, even if their strength and realm surpassed Destiny's, would be instantly annihilated by Destiny!

So that’s it. Defeating him wasn't the main point of this training. What Gui Qu Lai Xi truly wanted to train in me was... how to withstand that sharp and overwhelming presence, thereby gaining enlightenment into the essence of the Heaven-rank!

Snapping back from the near-death situation, Lin Luo finally grasped the true meaning of this training.

Although Destiny's power was largely sealed, his Heaven-rank realm still persisted. This realm was certainly not all he possessed, but even a tiny fraction of it was enough to cause Lin Luo immense spiritual shock. By observing and meditating upon this shock, Lin Luo could gradually begin to comprehend what the true Heaven-rank entailed.

As for defeating Destiny, that was absolutely impossible. As long as Lin Luo had not reached the Heaven-rank, the gap in their realms would perpetually suppress him, leaving no chance of victory.

"If that is the case, then I certainly cannot retreat!" Lin Luo projected Destiny out once more.

Destiny reacted with the same impulsive anger as before, immediately attacking.

Could someone like Destiny, an ultimate transcendent standing at the peak of the Heaven-rank, truly be foolish? Absolutely not. He was perfectly aware that Lin Luo was using him as a training dummy. The reason he cooperated so readily wasn't due to confidence in killing Lin Luo; it was because Gui Qu Lai Xi had subtly implanted a suggestion in him without his full awareness... the battle with Lin Luo must proceed.

With this underlying directive present, Destiny could not stop fighting.

After half a day, Lin Luo was exhausted to the point of a dead dog, unable to even summon the will to move. The injuries on his body pained him so much he was grinding his teeth. Finally, lying weakly in the cultivation room, he was carried out by the maids. Upon seeing his state, Gui Qu Lai Xi casually tossed him a packet of medicine.

Lin Luo swallowed the medicine, and his physical wounds healed considerably, but... his five senses seemed to have doubled. The pain, which had been at a mere three-star level, instantly escalated to five stars, causing him agony beyond measure.

"Lingering injuries only create a vicious cycle, which does nothing for cultivation. But intensifying the sensation of pain can stimulate your spirit, making your will more resolute."

Gui Qu Lai Xi sat leisurely in her chair, savoring the delicacies prepared by the maids, and explained.

"But there was no need to double the pain, this... this is simply unbearable for a human!" Lin Luo cried out, tears streaming down his face from the agony.

"That can't be helped; the medicine is inherently like that. It heals injuries while simultaneously doubling your five senses." Gui Qu Lai Xi glanced at him and smiled kindly, "Everything requires a price, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes! Absolutely... perfectly right!"

Lin Luo felt like crying but was unable to. This ojou-sama's S-attributes were fully exposed. What else could he say now? He missed the good old days when Gui Qu Lai Xi was perpetually hidden by the author’s divine pen; alas, those heavenly days were gone forever.

Since he couldn't stop it, to alleviate the pain, Lin Luo had to distract himself by thinking of other matters, such as... what a marvelous sensation it would be to take this medicine while engaged in that kind of intimate activity?

Hmm, something to look forward to.