Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

The valley fell silent for a moment in the face of the conditions proposed by Gou An.

Only the mountain breeze gently blew by, causing the old, rogue cultivators' worn-out robes to flutter.

Everyone lowered their heads and frowned, constantly weighing the pros and cons in their minds.

They are all people whose lifespans are dwindling and whose time is coming to an end. They have cultivated for over a hundred years and have stumbled and struggled their way to where they are today.

Although his cultivation level was not high, he had suffered a lot of trials and tribulations and cherished his life the most.

Having just witnessed Zhao Shoushan's visibly renewed vitality, the temptation of living an extra decade or so was enough to shatter all their concerns.

If left in the outside world, their lifespan will be exhausted within a few years, and they will eventually turn into a handful of dust.

However, if one enters that mysterious world of paintings, one can exchange merits for lifespan simply by working hard.

With more lifespan, they can continue to cultivate towards higher realms, thus gaining even more lifespan and allowing them to go further on their path of cultivation.

The choice is clear at a glance.

After a brief hesitation, Zhao Shoushan, who was the first to taste the sweetness of extended life, gritted his teeth, took the first step forward, and cupped his hands, saying, "I was originally only supposed to live for another three to five years at most, but it was you, sir, who gave me the opportunity to continue my pursuit of the Great Dao. I am willing to enter the world within the diagram and serve you, sir!"

With the first person taking the lead, the tense atmosphere was instantly broken.

The second and third place veteran cultivators stepped forward one after another, raising their hands in agreement.

It is precisely because of this that more and more old rogue cultivators put aside their doubts, and the struggle on their faces gradually faded. No one was willing to sit idly by and wait to die in the desolate mountains.

They were of average talent, and it was no easy feat for them to cultivate their skills for a lifetime. Even if they only had a sliver of a chance to survive, none of them were willing to give up easily.

In just a few breaths, none of the ninety-nine old rogue cultivators who had been hesitant refused. They all stepped forward, bowed, and expressed their willingness to submit and serve.

Even Gou An was somewhat surprised by the result of everyone's surrender, and a look of satisfaction flashed across his eyes.

He had assumed that there would be at least a few people who were stubborn and free-spirited, unwilling to be controlled by others.

"Good." Gou An nodded in satisfaction and shouted, his voice steady and powerful.

He then solemnly promised everyone, "Although I am a demon cultivator, I always keep my word and do what I say."

"Once you enter my Heavenly Map, you only need to behave yourself, follow instructions, and wholeheartedly participate in the production, construction, and other affairs of this world."

"As for extending one's lifespan, naturally, the more one works, the more one gains!"

His tone suddenly shifted, becoming colder and carrying a hint of warning: "But remember, those who enter my Heavenly Chart must abide by the rules of the world within it."

"As long as you serve me dutifully, I guarantee you'll all have the chance to receive the Longevity Pill. But if you cause trouble or harbor ulterior motives after entering, forget it, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Upon hearing this, the ninety-nine old rogue cultivators all felt a chill run down their spines and hurriedly bowed in agreement, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

"We will remember this well; once inside, we will certainly behave ourselves and serve diligently!"

Seeing that everyone was so obedient, Gou An stopped talking.

Once inside the map, they cannot escape without their own release.

If there's any trouble, we can just put Big Black in.

Then, Gou An quickly made a hand seal with one hand. In the next instant, the spiritual light of the Palm Heaven Diagram, which was suspended in mid-air, surged. Then, beams of azure light descended, precisely covering everyone below.

Everyone felt their bodies lighten, and their figures slowly rose into the air along with the blue light, eventually being swept into the Palm Heaven Diagram.

In an instant, the valley was completely empty, without a single person in sight.

All that remained on the ground were broken array patterns, a mess of debris, and a flying boat several meters long moored at the valley entrance.

Gou An raised his hand and made a grasping motion. The Palm Heaven Diagram, which had been floating in mid-air, instantly folded up and transformed into a stream of light, steadily falling back into his palm, its size unchanged.

Then, with a thought, he transmitted his voice to Liu Dayong in the picture: "Dayong, I've sent you a batch of new helpers, a total of ninety-nine people."

"Although they are a bit old, they are all very experienced. You should properly divide the area and arrange their work, and set up work rules. As a reward for them, I will personally give them lifespan. Keep them strictly disciplined and prevent them from causing trouble."

Within the grotto, Liu Dayong's respectful voice immediately rang out: "Rest assured, Dao Master, I understand! I will make proper arrangements and ensure nothing goes wrong!"

Gou An felt relieved and then put away the Palm Heaven Diagram.

He then lightly touched the ground, took off into the air, and finally landed on the airship.

He patted the surface of the flying boat with his hand. Although the material was good, it was not as good as the one that Xueyin had given him. But it could still be sold for some money.

So, after channeling spiritual energy into the flying boat, Gou An controlled it to fly into the sky and head towards Luofeng City.

They flew leisurely to the outskirts of Falling Maple City, just as dawn was breaking.

Gou An put away his flying boat and continued to pretend to be an ordinary old rogue cultivator as he entered the city, waiting for the time to meet Shen Yu.

To Gou An's surprise, despite the hundred old rogue cultivators being tricked away by Ling Xi yesterday, there was no unusual activity in the city today, as if no one cared about them.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. When Lin Shuang was fooling these old rogue cultivators, she always communicated with them one-on-one in private and used the excuse of limited spots to deceive them.

These old rogue cultivators naturally wouldn't spread the word, otherwise, if more people found out, they might not have this opportunity.

Therefore, not many people in the city knew about this, and naturally no one paid attention to it.

Two days passed quickly, and nothing unusual happened in the city.

Gou An entered the restaurant called Wangguilou early in the morning and sat down to wait.

In the past two days, the old guys in the Palm Heaven Map have begun their division of labor under Liu Dayong's arrangement.

Those skilled in alchemy were responsible for cultivating spiritual plants and refining elixirs.

Those skilled in crafting artifacts assist in the creation of magical treasures and artifacts.

Those skilled in swordsmanship are responsible for daily defense, hunting, and maintaining order in the grotto.

The remaining group of independent cultivators, with their diverse knowledge and extensive experience, were either tidying up the grotto-heavens and cultivating the spiritual soil, or taking inventory of miscellaneous items and repairing the base. Each performed their duties in an orderly manner.

Although Liu Dayong's cultivation level was not high, with Gou An's support and his own management skills, he quickly divided the ninety-nine old men into groups, set clear work rules, and recorded their achievements every day, waiting for Gou An to personally bestow lifespan rewards.

The group of elderly people were given hope of living, and they were all full of energy and dared not slack off in the slightest. They only hoped to accumulate more merits and prolong their lifespan.

On the second floor of Wanggui Tower, by the window, Gou'an sat leisurely, slowly sipping his tea.

He appeared nonchalant, but he kept glancing at the street outside the door.

Shen Yu is outstanding in appearance and has an extraordinary temperament. Whenever he appears, Gou An will definitely be able to spot him immediately.

Gou An waited and waited, but the guy didn't show up, leading Gou An to think that the guy wasn't planning to come.

As noon approached, Gou An had finished five pots of tea and was about to go to the outhouse when a dark figure suddenly appeared uninvited and sat down next to him.

"Fellow Daoist, you've kept me waiting!" Shen Yu's voice followed.

Gou An looked up and met Shen Yu's gaze.

Shen Yu was dressed in a black robe, with a hood over his head and a half-mask covering his face, revealing only his eyes. Clearly, he was afraid of attracting attention.

After all, his father was the lord of the Blackwater Domain, and he must have had many enemies outside.

"You've finally arrived!" Gou An held his water for a moment and sat back down on the stool.

"I snuck out, so it naturally took some time," Shen Yu sighed softly, seemingly somewhat helpless.

Gou An rubbed his chin and asked in a low voice, "Do you remember the message I sent you using that jade token?"

"I remember!" Shen Yu nodded, but then asked, "However, I want to know if what you said is true or false?"

"Absolutely true!" Gou An immediately nodded in affirmation. "However, if you're willing to come with me to the City of Ten Thousand Demons, the journey will undoubtedly be extremely dangerous. You should think it over carefully, and it would be best if..."

Gou An paused here and took out a conch-shaped object from his pocket.

"This is a phonograph!" Shen Yu recognized it at a glance.

"Young Master has good taste. I bought this in the city yesterday for eight hundred spirit stones." Gou An chuckled and said, "If Young Master is indeed willing to go to the City of Ten Thousand Demons, please leave a message in this snail saying that going to the City of Ten Thousand Demons is your own choice and not something you were forced by others."

"Are you afraid my father will cause you trouble in the future?" Shen Yu smiled and saw through Gou An's intentions at a glance.

"Young Master is truly intelligent!" Gou An clicked his tongue in amazement. "It's so much easier to communicate with intelligent people."

"No need!" Shen Yu waved his hand and said, "The reason I ran away was because he knew why I came out, which is why he tried to stop me."

"Let's keep one, just in case?" Gou An forced a smile and winked at Shen Yu.

Seeing Gou An's insistence, Shen Yu sighed softly, finally took the sound-recording conch from Gou An's hand, and put the conch to his mouth.

After a wisp of spiritual energy was infused into the system for activation, Shen Yu spoke, leaving a message: "I, Shen Yu, am going to the City of Ten Thousand Demons to settle old scores on my own initiative. No one has coerced me. I will bear the consequences of my actions on this journey, and it has nothing to do with them."

After recording the sound, Shen Yu put the recording conch back into Gou An's hand.

Gou An took the conch shell and immediately put it to his ear to test it.

Although the sound was not loud, it was clear and distinct.

"Young Master, please don't be offended. This was just to be on the safe side." Gou An put the sound-recording conch into his palm space, and then he was satisfied.

Shen Yu chuckled and said, "The sound-retaining conch you have is of very low quality. It can only retain sound for a year at most, and it's only worth two hundred spirit stones. You've been ripped off."

"Huh?" Gou An was immediately shocked and couldn't help but angrily rebuke, "What a swindler! He told me that as long as the sound is stored, it can be preserved indefinitely."

"Such conch shells do exist, but they are extremely rare and very valuable," Shen Yu replied slowly.

"Never mind, I'll back it up when I have time," Gou An waved his hand and asked, "I just wonder when the young master plans to come back with me?"

"No rush!" Shen Yu said, "That demon king Huang Ku remembers what I look like. If we go back directly, he will definitely recognize that I am not just someone who looks like him, but the original owner of this body."

"So, before we go to the City of Ten Thousand Demons, let's go to the Hundred Refinements Sect!" Shen Yu said. "I have an old friend who is skilled in disguise. He can make some adjustments to my facial features, and no one will be able to tell the difference."

"Okay, I'll listen to you for now." Gou An nodded in agreement immediately.

After all, he had received 100,000 spirit stones from the Demon King for travel expenses. If he brought someone back after only a few days, others would think that the spirit stones were too easy to earn.

So I have plenty of time to wander around outside.