The story is split into two parts; on the painter's side, it was rather miserable.

These blacksmiths were useless in the first place, but the key issue was, he hadn't had the chance to paint them completely.

The portraits of these blacksmiths were incomplete, missing most of their memories.

One should know that the mind of a high-tier cultivator is locked with spiritual shackles, sealing off memories...

As a result, pseudo-humans attempting possession cannot invade the sea of consciousness, and every possession leads to amnesia.

But he was different.

He paints with a focus on capturing the likeness in its entirety.

Not only does he paint your essence, qi, and spirit, and your cultivation technique paths, but even paints your spiritual shackles completely.

Even the combination lock outside your deeply buried memory safe is painted....though this cannot spy on the memories inside the "safe," you, as an ember, will have a substantial amount of encrypted "safe" memories.

Just like a normal ember, leaving a substantial amount of core encrypted memories after death.

But now?

The actions were too hurried.

These guys didn't have their core essence, qi, and spirit painted; the dragon's eyes weren't dotted; most of their memories were missing, and the sealed core memories weren't painted.

This led to chaos in taking over and running this Adventure Town.

However, these "ancient demon gods" ultimately had a foundation in practical work, and the painter was a famous teacher, having historically taught countless sage geniuses, such as the Human God.

He picked up his teaching certificate from back then and overnight commanded and instructed these useless blacksmiths with fighting power, personally filling in their fundamental gaps, acting as a good master teacher, and soon led them to build a new residence, starting to take over and run this power.

Their abilities were there, and very strong too, with an acceptance level far beyond normal people.

It's just that they're a bit troublesome.

"Sir, do you think we should issue a task?"

"Use the Eye of Identification, it's easier to manage, give us a task release!"

"I suggest building a new dormitory; our employees' welfare should be a bit better."

"Sir, those guys are slacking off again; we need to beat them hard! You can hang them on streetlights, don't pity them just because they're delicate."

"Sir, they jumped into the forging furnace!"

"But fortunately, they are of the Self-Transformation Realm, the fire can't burn them, but some low-tier cultivators were miserable, burning 37 of them to death."

...

The painter soon arrived at the forging furnace, watching them swimming stylishly, showing off various ornate and flamboyant ways of jumping into the forging furnace.

???

Staring blankly at the blazing hot forging furnace, the painter started to feel utterly confused.

He considered himself a high man of tranquility and self-restrained desires, living a mountain hermit's life, but ever since those guys urinated on the historically famous treasure, the Divine Window, nothing good ever happened.

He had practiced the Tao Heart for countless years, maintaining peace, but under constant challenges, it finally started to break.

Otherwise, how could it be?

How could someone jump into the forging furnace??

The Divine Window was merely a glass window decorated with paper cutouts he did for the New Year in his courtyard.

The Firewood was just a flame that burned wood in his courtyard back then.

The Firewood spread out through the gaps in his fingers, as someone who is genuinely the strongest academically in the Nine-State, with encyclopedic knowledge, he's truly puzzled!

Be aware that embers retain their habits from life, meaning they used to commit suicide often when alive?

Haha!

Of course, he doesn't believe anyone in life would jump into the forging furnace for fun.

He couldn't help but suddenly laugh and say:

"Truly a trap; they set it up in life, so after I painted them, they'd secretly commit suicide..."

"Fortunately, I had superior skills, and rooted them all!"

Otherwise, just this stealthy undermining from these "enemies," with these diligently painted embers suiciding, would be like drawing water with a bamboo basket, getting nothing.

"Good, a good calculation, vying in intelligence and courage with me?"

He felt a chill in his heart, glad he was clever, having deeply rooted in the earth vein, avoiding the scheming.

The embers who jumped into the forging furnace and died would just need resources, and after a while, they could revive from the earth vein.

But continually committing suicide like this highly affects efficiency.

These people ultimately have merits, and he was reluctant to abandon this foremost ancient ancestor's demon god power known throughout the world obtained at such a cost.

Abandoning it would also have significant implications.

After all, if this power crumbled and was abandoned... the world would surely notice, "the lineage of the ancestor demon god" had long been eradicated, causing an uproar!

Anyone would guess: possibly a more terrifying mysterious mastermind emerged, quietly defeating them!

Therefore.

No matter what, he had to maintain it.

He murmured to himself, "Time to call Bai Xingling, have him manage this power well, these guys are very annoying, too affecting the Heart Realm."

"Bai Xingling is a good choice; he's disappointed me before in various ways, but I believe this time he'll accomplish something."

Evidently, he finally felt Ning Zheng's pain from before: these blacksmiths indeed had an incredible penchant for causing trouble.

Being with them long enough, one or the other will go mad, either the blacksmiths or the one managing them.

Not long after.

Bai Xingling received a message from his benefactor, immediately bursting with joy.

He secretly mused, "I was right! Master's ancient friend has resurrected, and indeed he is very pleased."

"Now, they've all come here to visit, even letting me help manage his friend's power."

In his view, what level of intimacy must this have been back in ancient times?

Helping manage power isn't something just anyone is entrusted to do.

"I am very skilled at this, leave it to me."

As a protagonist, he was, of course, multi-talented, a tributor to the Ximen City, a tomb-raiding genius, a mastermind of power management...with numerous talents.

Moreover.

He had already secretly paid attention to the management philosophy and various operational models of this Adventure Town before, finding them incredibly impressive.

This trip was just the right time to exchange views with those elders who had awoken from prehistoric times.

Unfortunately, he still didn't know what he was about to face.

Soon, he cast his Dharma Aspect from Ximen City, flying over energetically.

As a tributor of Ximen, he wasn't afraid of exposing himself.

After all, he was the one guarding Ximen City, and no one had dared to attack him in a hundred years; no one cared about what he did every day.

In the following period, he could help manage the Adventure Town.

Soon, he successfully logged into the town and saw the manager, a guy with a very strange name, Jiucai Rong.

"I'm here to be the steward!" Bai Xingling said.

"Please, Steward, come inside," Jiucai Rong invited him into the steward's office.

Though most memories were missing, he still remembered his day and night workspace, and for some reason, the newly built plaza streetlights felt very familiar.

The two sides discussed some philosophies, greatly shocking Bai Xingling, opening the doors to a new world.

"There's such a trick?" Bai Xingling was astounded, listening to the business philosophy and all sorts of ruthless methods, "Indeed, the ancient demon gods."

Thus, they established a plaza together, stretching their skills to the fullest, and researched the capitalist methods of exploitation.

...

...

Three days later.

In Ximen City, Xirong Academy.

Due to the coming extinction stage and the biological ice age, the outside environment had become extremely perilous, desolate, and this now-sealed city bustled extraordinarily.

The entire Xinyi State City had become the strongest of the nine 'Official Shelters'.

As Xirong Manor Master, Ning Zheng spawned a side character to visit this place, occasionally greeting some enthusiastic students passing by, even giving them autographs.

Ning Zheng glanced at the books he autographed for them, "Will of Dawn," the first page: where the blacksmiths burn, the fire of civilization continues endlessly...

It seems the indoctrination work was going well.

These days, after being attacked, Ning Zheng didn't panic, instead maintaining a normal state, continuing to uphold the Bone King power and Ximen power's rule.

Occasionally acting as the Bone King holding court.

Occasionally acting as Xirong Manor Master, inspecting this place.

After all, if he revealed any unusual movements, and the mysterious mastermind noticed, it would cause big trouble, possibly destroying his second side character hideout.

"But, I haven't been paying attention to this city for a while; it's quite bustling," Ning Zheng thought while walking in the academy, feeling the youthful aura of these students.

Even though most of them were over a hundred years old and peers with Ning Zheng, he had long been burdened with too much during the time when he should have been studying and learning.