The utility can’t be said to be non-existent, but honestly, it’s just that."

East Sea listened quietly, and at this point, his expression didn’t change much, just a touch of indifferent smile in his eyes.

But what Chen Yan said next truly changed East Sea’s complexion.

"Whether the external sects and families support the Ghost Race has never been the key reason for the Ghost Race’s foothold in the Southern Border, or its ability to confront the Demon Race!

Because... when the Ghost Race was first established, it wasn’t just by relying on the support from the sects and families of the Domain Realm that it became a strong Ghost Race!

External supporters and so-called external aid have always been just to make things better, not to save during hard times.

Only if you are hard enough, strong enough, will external aid be willing to become your support, willing to help enhance your situation.

If you are weak, then even if you use methods, external aid will not be willing to help you.

Because the so-called ’external aid’, no matter the calculations, no matter the interests, are all superficial, the core issue is just one:

External aid only wants to stand on the victor’s side!

Unless you are hard enough, unless you show the possibility of becoming the victor, only then will people be willing to help you and invest in you.

Otherwise, any small scheme is just a waste of time."

When these words were spoken, East Sea’s expression gradually turned serious, and then from seriousness, slowly became thoughtful.

"...No wonder the ancestor favors you so much, you kid really have some insight." East Sea sighed: "But it’s a pity, a pity, Luo Xiuqing thinks she’s smart, yet she never understood this point.

The Ghost Race was weak for decades because the ancestor was not present.

After the ancestor returned, the Ghost Race lacked nothing, as long as it showed a sufficiently strong stance, it was enough to restore the support of the sects and families of the Domain Realm to the Ghost Race.

After all, the Demon Race is an alien race! We Ghost Race are just ethnically different from the sects and families outside, but in terms of race, we are all humans.

As long as the Ghost Race is tough enough, and demonstrates an attitude of not fearing to fight the Demon Race, coupled with having the Saint backing us, the sects and families of the Domain Realm will naturally be more inclined towards us.

The Ghost Race has stood in the Southern Border for tens of thousands of years, so we used to be able to win and have the ability to become victors.

This, Luo Xiuqing has a narrow vision, sees things too small."

Chen Yan smiled wryly: "You can’t say that Chief Luo... Luo was wrong. It’s just her timing wasn’t right.

These methods have their own reasoning, but used at the time of the Ghost Race’s life and death, they are inadequate.

At this time, the Ghost Race needs someone who can take a gamble, to reverse decades of decline in one fell swoop, to show a strong posture to the sects and families of the Domain Realm. This is the key."

"Hmm, listening to you, do you also think Guen’s actions are actually correct?"

This time, Chen Yan hesitated a bit and slowly said: "I can only say that Guen’s actions might be more suitable for the current Ghost Race. But perhaps, the result may not necessarily be very good either.

After all... whether it’s the battles or struggles within the Domain Realm, what ultimately tips the scales of victory is never the ants on the ground, but the Saints in the clouds.

But strategically speaking, Guen’s approach is flawless."

·

Since Luo Xiuqing’s faction was cleansed, the matter of intercepting the flying boat and framing the Demon Race naturally ceased. And some of the things intercepted were also taken by East Sea.

These things aren’t good for submitting to the Ghost Race’s treasury—after all, this matter is a secret.

So East Sea simply gave these "ill-gotten goods" to Chen Yan.

"These things, don’t take out and use them here, hmm... use them ’when you go back’, as long as it’s not used here, no one will know, let alone cause any trouble."

East Sea said as he winked at Chen Yan, who naturally understood.

·

That evening, Chen Yan stayed in the room on the third floor where he had previously stayed.

Zhan Li personally brought people to serve Chen Yan, offering him delicious meals and even setting up a bathtub according to Chen Yan’s request, for him to bathe.

Chen Yan spent three years and four months in the "time flux", relying on the slow time flow there, his body hadn’t accumulated much dirt or dust, occasionally using cleaning spells on himself as well.

But after all, in many cases, bathing more is about enjoying the atmosphere.

Regardless of being dirty or not, psychologically speaking, not having touched water or bathed for over three years is an indescribable absence.

On this night, Chen Yan immersed himself in the hot water that Zhan Li and his men prepared for nearly two hours.

He scrubbed and washed, nearly rubbing off a layer of skin before he finally let out a satisfied sigh.

Only then did he feel truly "clean", both inside and out.

Finally, he changed into clean, soft clothes provided by Zhan Li, walked barefoot on the spotless floor, and lay on the soft bed meticulously prepared by two Ghost Race maids.

The soft bedding felt like being in the clouds, making Chen Yan feel a deep fatigue born from his inner being.

Three years and four months!

The different time flow, but it was still three years and four months. Being confined in a place for so long, despite having rested or slept, under that familiar lifestyle, a person’s mind inevitably accumulates much tension and fatigue.

This fatigue isn’t physical, but mental.

In reality, many people who have been imprisoned also experience this state—the first day after years of imprisonment, they exude a deep sense of fatigue.

Only after coming out, resting well for a few days, and enjoying a relaxed atmosphere completely different from "inside", does the fatigue gradually dissipate.

Thus, although physically not tired or exhausted, and being a cultivator with strong and vigorous mental and divine sense, Chen Yan enjoyed a sweet sleep after bathing and changing clothes.

He slept until the next day, brightening!

Instead of waking naturally, he was awakened by a knocking sound—if not for this sound, Chen Yan suspected he could continue to sleep for half a day longer.

However, the one knocking was Zhan Li.

Zhan Li respectfully announced at the door, prompting Chen Yan to abandon his intention to continue sleeping.

Because Zhan Li reported the issue: Master Alchemy Stone Furnace had arrived.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yan immediately sprang up from the bed!

·

This Black Wood Tribe’s leading Alchemy Master brought something that made Chen Yan’s eyes gleam.

A scroll a meter long when unfolded—this was the list of elixirs being sent.

And the items were stored inside a Jade Pearl.

According to Master Stone Furnace, these elixirs are enough for Chen Yan to open an alchemy room outside, selling elixirs for a year or fulfilling a small sect’s yearly elixir consumption.

Of course, these are common and widely available elixirs in the market.

With such an Alchemy Master at hand, Chen Yan naturally wouldn’t settle for just a batch of common goods.

The true value of an Alchemy Master lies in their ability to make elixirs that ordinary alchemists cannot. Even materials which ordinary alchemists have never seen, they know how to utilize in medicines.

Fortunately, Chen Yan possesses some rare stuff that many people haven’t even seen. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The first item Chen Yan presented to this Alchemy Master was the Divine Tree Juice from the Fierce Beast Race!

At the first glance when Chen Yan brought out a cup of milky white Divine Tree Juice, Stone Furnace’s expression subtly changed.

His plump face couldn’t help but quiver.

He extended a pinky finger, dipped it in a bit, sniffed it, and his eyes immediately brightened!

"Divine Tree Juice from the Fierce Beast Race."

His tone remained indifferent: "I did acquire some before, it was brought back by snow hunters at Snow Cliff Pass who killed a master of the Fierce Beast Race on the battlefield, there’s a tradition of the Fierce Beast Race to reward the tribe’s champions with Divine Tree Juice..."

At this point, he placed his pinky into his mouth to taste.

Then, his face changed dramatically!

"How, how could it be!!! This, this concentration?!!"

He even swore in a curse that Chen Yan couldn’t understand—speaking in Ghost Race language.

Then, the old man’s voice turned shrill: "You! You! Isn’t this the original juice!!!"