When everything finally dispersed, and Jiang Ke’er returned from the Underworld Province Remnants, the Underworld Province Cauldron had already vanished without a trace.
Yet at the tip of her tail, a dainty and exquisite purple-black rune had appeared, sometimes flickering with a strange and bewitching luster.
When the Underworld Province Remnant Clan saw that rune, they all widened their eyes in disbelief, and then, without hesitation, thudded to their knees in unison.
“Greetings to the Queen of the Earth Sacred Master!”
“?!” Jiang Ke’er scratched her head, looking utterly confused.
The weary Ming Ling smiled faintly, not bothering to wipe the sweat from her brow, and immediately knelt before Jiang Ke’er with her staff in hand. “You are now the master of the Underworld Province. From today onwards, all of us Underworld Province Remnants will obey your command.”
“But why?” Jiang Ke’er was puzzled.
“The Connecting with the Underworld Formation is also the Tubo Succession Ceremony. If a Lord of the Earth successor brings the Underworld Province Cauldron into the formation, the succession ceremony will be triggered,” Ming Ling explained respectfully.
“Perhaps this is Reincarnation’s Guidance. Though I don’t know why the Underworld Province Cauldron appeared on you, since Fate’s Gift brought you here… we of the Underworld Province Remnant Clan have no reason to keep waiting.”
Jiang Ke’er was silent for a moment, then let out a gentle sigh.
“You really are… not picky at all,” she remarked with a sigh.
“You need not trouble yourself over our affairs,” Ming Ling, seeing Jiang Ke’er’s reluctance, felt her mood sink a little, bit her lip, and said, “After all, the Underworld Province is no more. Rebuilding seems impossible… so you shouldn’t feel any pressure, nor concern yourself with our feelings.”
Jiang Ke’er truly had no need to be responsible for a title forced upon her, but along the way, she understood what the Underworld Province Remnants hoped for.
The moment she became the Queen of the Earth, she also learned the true meaning of that role—it was a Hope-bearing Position, born only when the Underworld Province fell into peril, carrying the very last hope of all its people. It represented not only status and power, but also responsibility.
“Let this be my repayment for your saving my life,” Ming Ling bit her lip and bowed her head, her voice low.
“Now that the ritual is over, thank you for coming as promised… You should head back soon. Once night falls, the Night Ruins Beasts become even more savage, and the road is much harder.”
Jiang Ke’er helped Ming Ling to her feet, looking at her helplessly, and tapped her on the nose.
“Ming Ling-jie, why are you being so polite with me?” Jiang Ke’er complained.
“I don’t even know if I can live up to your expectations. It’s only natural to be nervous—I mean, suddenly being dumped with such a huge responsibility… But, anyway, it’s not my first time, so it’s not that hard to accept.”
“But I will do my best.” Jiang Ke’er suddenly spoke solemnly, her tone grave, her expression extremely serious.
“Actually, you…” Ming Ling suddenly felt a bit guilty for her earlier decision.
“No need to say more. When I hesitated just now, I was just thinking,” Jiang Ke’er interrupted her, “Now I already have some idea… Since the Underworld Province has given me such a great gift, of course I must give something back in return.”
Jiang Ke’er couldn’t even tell how strong her Spiritual Soul had become.
It was the absolute limit her current body could bear.
Even the slightest movement within several kilometers was under her control, and she could sense every Sanhun Ye Gui with ease.
She even dared to challenge Qiao Xiaoxian, who had once reached the Realm of the Venerable, in terms of Spiritual Soul strength! If Qiao Xiaoxian hadn’t copied the Spiritual Soul enhancement effect…
But unfortunately, Qiao Xiaoxian had managed to freeload once again, and her already formidable Spiritual Soul was now so terrifyingly strong it could kill with a glare.
Of course, the benefits of the Queen of the Earth identity were more than that—her cultivation was just too low, so she couldn’t display them yet.
For such a great gift, Jiang Ke’er naturally had to repay it well.
And if she wanted a race to live comfortably, naturally she should…
Jiang Ke’er grinned and said, “Starting tomorrow, I hope you can send the children and some young people from your clan to the Yan Family to see me… Ming Ling-jie, you come too.”
Ming Ling’s heart skipped a beat. Could this newly crowned Queen of the Earth have a cruel heart, wanting servants as soon as she took office?
She couldn’t help but ask nervously, “Excuse me, what should we do when we come to you…?”
“Attend class,” Jiang Ke’er said.
“But it’s not just learning combat skills. You also need to learn mathematics, physics, and chemistry.”
“Math… math what?” Ming Ling and the nearby clansmen were all dumbfounded. “What’s that?”
“You’ve never heard of it?” Jiang Ke’er smiled mysteriously.
“If you master Shuli Hua, your magic will become much stronger! Trust me, come to the Yan Family at noon sharp tomorrow, and you’ll see what it is then.”
“???”
No matter how you listened, it sounded utterly unreliable.
But Jiang Ke’er gave no more explanation, because she knew that explaining would be useless.
Only by letting the clans of the Underworld Province experience the wonders of science could they understand what “Shuli Hua” was.
“Oh, right,” Jiang Ke’er opened a little notebook, wrote down “Shuli Hua,” and then added “Marxism-Leninism-Maoism-Deng Theory Three.”
A powerful race naturally needed an advanced political system.
Feudal monarchies and such were too outdated! She wanted the brilliance of Socialism to illuminate this cruel, dark, and selfish cultivation world!
Jiang Ke’er was already dreaming about the future—
Someday, when the Underworld Province is rebuilt, Yincha and Guishi will warmly welcome new souls above the River of Forgetfulness.
Meng Po lifts a bowl of soup, smiling kindly, and says, “Comrade! Drink this bowl of Meng Po Soup!”
Before departure, Ox-Head and Horse-Face pat each other’s shoulders, reminding each other, “The boss said, never take a needle or thread from the people! Just bring the soul back, that’s enough.”
Heibai Wuchang exchange a smile. “Ox-Head and Horse-Face have been Model Laborers for three years in a row—we need to work hard too!”
Just thinking about it made Jiang Ke’er feel her own soul had been sublimated.
Someday, the Death Gods of the Red Family will make every departed soul feel the warmth of coming home.
“…?” Seeing Jiang Ke’er’s silly grin, Ming Ling regretted it more and more—the girl looked unreliable no matter how you looked at her.
Had she just boarded a pirate ship?
But Jiang Ke’er didn’t offer a single word of explanation; she was determined to open her school.
Her initial goal was just to teach the Underworld Province Remnant Clan. When it grew bigger, she could teach the Xubeast children, too.
Whether it was the revival of the Xubeasts or the Underworld Province, just talking about it wouldn’t do.
Relying on individual heroics wouldn’t solve the fundamental problem either… She had to awaken the whole race, and make them strong from the ground up! Only then would there be hope!
Learning Swordsmanship alone couldn’t save the Xubeasts!
Except when she was practicing Swordsmanship, it was Qiao Xiaoxian’s first time seeing Jiang Ke’er so seriously engaged in something.
All night long, Jiang Ke’er sat at her desk preparing lesson plans.
The candlelight flickered gently. For a while, Qiao Xiaoxian didn’t have the heart to disturb her, and simply sat by Jiang Ke’er’s side, gazing fondly at her profile.
It wasn’t until dawn began to break that Qiao Xiaoxian quietly opened the door and slipped out.
“I’ll wait for you in the Realm of No Regret.”
Jiang Ke’er didn’t hear her, but even if she had, she probably would have cheered out loud.
Her repressed aura erupted, and Qiao Xiaoxian’s cultivation surged like wild Rivers and Seas.
As space tore apart, she, now in the Four Symbols Phase, was transported out of the Realm of Novice Cultivator.
Jiang Ke’er put down her pen, gazed in the direction Qiao Xiaoxian had left, and felt a little empty inside.
“Tch, running away…?”
Don’t you dare die in someone else’s hands, you idiot. I still have to take my revenge personally.
There was no task today, so Jiang Ke’er kept busy all the way till noon.
Yet before the Underworld Province Remnant Clan arrived, an unexpected guest showed up at her door first.
“Yan Liben! How did your painting practice go after yesterday’s punishment? Hurry up and get out here so your Master can check!”