Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!-Chapter 1009 - 851: Let’s Go Grab Some Land in the Demon Realm!

The relationship between the Demon Race and Demon Cultivators is very similar to that between mortals and cultivators in the Human World.

Ordinary members of the Demon Race are merely "mortals" in different forms, needing to breathe Demonic Energy, unlike Demon Beasts that are born powerful; some races are even more fragile than mortals.

In the Demon Realm, the strength of all living beings originates from Demonic Energy.

The areas rich in Demonic Energy are occupied by formidable Demon Cultivators; clans without the backing of a Great Demon Cultivator can only settle in corners and cultivate barren land to serve the Demon Cultivators ruling them.

This is one of the reasons why Lords in the Demon Realm favor invading and polluting prosperous small worlds—it’s costly to maintain the health and rest of common demon race members, whereas invading and occupying territory to accept newly corrupted subjects is much easier and more efficient.

Moreover, newly formed Demon Race members usually cannot form large-scale races, and the probability of awakening into Demon Cultivators is low, making them easier to govern and trample upon.

Feeding numerous members of the Demon Race with small, barren lands, and with a few demanding Demon Cultivators in control, any unfavorable climate year can lead to large-scale famine.

The clan where Jiu Mu lived was wiped out in one such famine;

Jiu Qing, by contrast, was slightly more fortunate, though her clan is also near extinction.

"Famine in the Demon Realm? Isn’t the Demon Race very powerful?"

An hour quickly went by, and Jiang Yuan felt very satisfied seeing so many farm products harvested in the warehouse.

As he pondered whether to indulge for another hour, he heard good news brought by Hu Zhile—that they could go to the Demon Realm and acquire an entire block of land!

Upon further inquiry, it completely overturned his imagination of the Demon Realm and Demon Race.

"No wonder you are surprised, sir; both the Human Race and Demon Race do not have a good impression of the Demon Race."

Jiu Qing said with a bitter laugh, "It is actually because we grow up in worlds with varying degrees of Demonic Energy concentration, affected by it, many races are born with bizarre and ugly appearances, easily leading outsiders to misunderstand."

Jiu Mu added, "Also, it’s the nature of Demonic Energy: filthy and easily spread, capable of polluting and invading other small worlds, causing the whole Demon Race to take the blame for certain lords.

This is a point where I really support Brother Yun Li, the spread of Demonic Energy must choose those uninhabited discarded worlds or small worlds that are on the verge of collapse.

After a small world is polluted by Demonic Energy, the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that were originally full of Spiritual Energy won’t be eroded for some time, and we can extract them for trading with the Human Race and Demon Race.

It could’ve been mutually beneficial, but unfortunately, some only want shortcuts. Now, Yun Li is nowhere to be found, so no Demon Cultivator might stop the Regent Throne, and it’s uncertain which targeted small worlds will suffer..."

"Demonic Energy is thin and it’s difficult to grow crops? This is unlike the Human World; small worlds without Spiritual Energy can still grow grain normally to feed mortals."

"That’s because mortals don’t need Spiritual Energy to survive, but the Demon Race relies on Demonic Energy!"

"Understood, in other words, ordinary members of the Demon Race are no different from mortals, but they must eat cultivator-grown, regularly consumed food filled with Spiritual Energy."

"So what you’re saying is, isn’t it like making mortals compete with Demon Beasts? No wonder there’s famine, the Human World has been devastated by the havoc caused by Demon Beasts..."

......

As Jiang Yuan listened to their discussions, the more he thought about it, the more the existence and setup of the Demon Realm seemed like a filter.

If the entire world is a body, the Demon Realm and Demon Race act as kidneys to store and filter waste.

But logically, this kind of setup should belong to sustainable development; after the Demon Race absorbs all the Demonic Energy, those small worlds should be suitable for human or demon race survival, right?

"Jiu Mu, you’ve roamed many places in the Demon Realm, what happens to those old small worlds after they lose all Demonic Energy?"

Suddenly asked this, Jiu Mu startled and recalled carefully, "I heard Brother Yun Li talk about it, roughly in the ancient and middle ages, lords were responsible for migration and aftermath.

For instance, a small world rich in Demonic Energy, after living there and absorbing energy for many years, the Demonic Energy gradually wanes and becomes thin. If there isn’t a continuous influx of Demonic Energy, that small world is abandoned.

Lords are responsible for finding migratable small worlds, leading their subjects to open up new worlds and settle down; then the lord leads Demon Cultivators back to the old land to use arrays to gather the remaining Demonic Energy for complete absorption and refining.

Brother Yun Li said, ancient records document that when the Demonic Energy in a small world is entirely gone, plants wither, buildings collapse, and the whole world rises lightly like a bubble, but it’s not clear where it goes.

He says that’s the mission of the Demon Race—to absorb and purify filth with flesh and blood, and the more completed, the easier to become a Demon God.

But by the recent ancient times, this tradition was gradually abandoned. After all, if a world is chosen it requires thorough purification, meaning responsibility for all races living within.

Especially as Demonic Energy becomes thin, it’s easier for large famines to occur, making those Demon Cultivators toil hard to feed their people. Profits go into their pockets, and then they are expected to release them? Ha! Daydreaming, oh!"

Nine eyes simultaneously rolled up, looking quite cute, as Jiu Mu muttered angrily, "Nowadays, if there’s a world where Demonic Energy isn’t thick enough, those able to leave do so on their own.

The rest abandoned either fend for themselves or are scooped up by other Demon Cultivators to divide into ’slaves.’

As for the small worlds, those unable to sustain the Demon Race and aren’t completely purified, are just left behind unheeded.