**Chapter 317: Heavenly Palace - Which Scoundrel Dares Touch My Money?**
A famous scholar from the East once said: Touching the interests of the upper class is like taking their lives, and changing the ideas of the lower class is like digging up their ancestral graves!
Great Luo Heaven, this artificial heavenly realm located at the highest position of the thirty-six layers of continents, was currently shrouded in clouds and mist, filled with an ethereal aura.
Amidst the clouds, white cranes spread their wings, and within the mist, a magnificent complex of buildings was faintly visible.
The only drawback was that in this picturesque, immortal-like scene, the clanging sounds of construction were everywhere.
Tens of thousands of Yellow Turban Warriors carried sturdy Jade Stone Pillars, casting spells to move thousands of tons of Glazed Tiles and Gold Foil Tiles, shuttling through the Sea of Clouds.
Every large Jade Stone Pillar was pure white and flawless, exuding the unique warm and moist feel of jade.
Judging solely by appearance and texture, any one of these large Jade Stone Pillars, if casually thrown onto Earth, would be worth eight figures.
These Jade Stones were not products of Earth, but Ores purchased by Elder Mandel from Alien Planets. Currently, the Tang Group's Interstellar Business has extended its tentacles into the Milky Way Galaxy, reaching as far as the Nova Empire.
Through Procurement, the Tang Group already possesses twelve long-range Fleets, sixty-seven Interstellar Supply Points, two Habitable Planets, and thirteen Mining Planets. Each Stronghold has formed a Defense System with the Tang Group's Transcendent Warriors as the Core, Iron Soldiers as the Skeleton, and Artificial Intelligence as the Brain.
Not to mention their Transcendent Power, relying solely on their Interstellar armament, the Tang Group's Strength is enough to deter many Alien Forces.
(As a side note, the batch of Miners that the Tang Group plans to newly purchase, *cough cough*, recruit in South Korea and Japan are intended for the mining work on these Alien Planets!)
The Tang Group's overseas assignments have always been very mysterious.
As long as these stationed personnel can pass the training assessment, besides their salary automatically increasing by three levels, they will also receive two Gene Modulation Opportunities free of Contribution Points.
Many internal employees of the Tang Group might only realize, just before accepting training to go to a branch, that the company they work for has actually opened branches on Alien Planets.
The Tang Group's Human Resources department fully considers the autonomous wishes of these Employees, after all, the branches are several Light-years, or even dozens of Light-years away.
Fortunately, besides traditional Vehicles like Warships and Spaceships, the Tang Group has Space Gates set up internally.
Although they consume some Energy, they can guarantee these Employees stationed on Alien Planets seven days of vacation per year.
Under the temptation of high Allowances and Gene Modulation Opportunities, very few people would refuse such a chance.
Because Mining Planets require a large amount of Manpower for excavation, the Metal Ingots and Jade Ore Materials currently shipped back from Alien Planets, Starship by Starship, are mostly procured.
What Elder Mandel used to acquire these Ores was not Galactic Credits, but solid Pure Energy Crystals.
Energy Crystals of this Quality have always been the exclusive Energy Source in the hands of Higher Civilizations, just like the Energy Batteries held by the Exalted Race back then, absolutely not allowing outsiders to covet them.
The Pure Energy Crystals released by Elder Mandel can be said to be a Hard Currency that can circulate throughout the entire Universe. Their Value is almost enough to drive all Black Market Merchants insane; they have hired a large amount of Manpower.
Tens of thousands of mining Spaceships throughout the Milky Way Galaxy are greedily searching for and excavating Mining Planets, big and small, that they can find. These refined Iron Ore, Copper Ore, and Silver Ingots are sold by those Black Market Merchants and Ravagers to Elder Mandel, hundreds of Spaceships worth at a time, in exchange for boxes and boxes of Energy Crystals.
Some even directly used large towing Spaceships to pull an entire Ore Planet to make a Deal with Elder Mandel.
In today's Milky Way Galaxy, Elder Mandel is almost the most sought-after Merchant.
The boxes and boxes of Energy Crystals in Elder Mandel's hands have stimulated some Space Pirates and Ravagers, making their eyes red. Facing this Massive Amount of Wealth, it's not that they haven't had crooked ideas.
Even some Tier 1 and Tier 2 Civilizations, races, and countries have had some crooked ideas about Elder Mandel.
Their Fleets disguised themselves as Space Pirates several times, wanting to rob the Deal Planet where Elder Mandel was located, until Elder Mandel set off a "firework".
That was one from The Collector Tivan's Collection, said to be a mysterious Bomb left behind by a Lost Civilization. The destructive light wave from the Explosion directly swept away a Fleet that intended to block the road and rob, along with dozens of sneaky "spectator" Spaceships! The red-eyed pack of wolves, after the Bomb destroyed a fully formed Interstellar Fleet plus two Planets, immediately transformed into domestic dogs with goofy smiles.
Even the most ferocious Space Pirates could only honestly transform into Miners. Later on, they simply robbed the Fleets transporting Ores and resold them to the Tang Group.
The Fine Processed Ores are transported through various Spatial Magic Tools like the Five Yin Pouch, or via traditional Spaceship Transportation, and sent to the Underworld for Fine Processing.
As for the unrefined Metal Ores, whether they are common Copper and Iron Ore, Silver Ore, or Jade Ore, Gold Ore, mysterious Magic Ore, or Alien Metal, they are all sent to Hell. After sorting, they undergo Rough Processing first.
For this reason, in some of the Tang Group's acquisition Strongholds on Alien Planets, the ones in charge are often not Humans, but High-Grade Demons wearing Human appearances.
These High-Grade Demons were Summoned by Black Wizards, beaten black and blue, and forced to sign unequal Contracts.
They will send these received Ores directly to the Hell Dimension through Magic Arrays.
In the environment of Hell, where Active Volcanoes are everywhere, a large number of Mineral Veins have been bred. It's understandable that common Metal Ores like Copper Mine and Iron Ore are common.
Hell also stores a large amount of Gold Mineral Veins.
However, compared to Humanity, except for Dragonkin Demons like the Demonic Dragon Race who like shiny things, Common Demons are completely uninterested in this kind of Metal that they can neither eat nor use to increase their Strength.
Compared to that, they crave the Souls and Flesh of Living Beings more.
Under these circumstances, Old Master Tang arrived!
Old Master Tang's Magic Treasure True Spirit, Blood Daoist, carrying Old Master Tang's Goodwill, warmed the surrounding four or five small Deep Hell Abyss Dimensions.
Blood Thug, *cough cough*, after Blood Daoist occupied four or five small Deep Abysses, facing these small Abysses where the strongest were merely High-Grade Demons and Great Lords...
He did not contaminate these Hells and turn them into part of the Netherworld Blood Sea, but instead fully utilized the Devils and Demons within these Hells.
Giving them jobs, letting them experience the joy of working 007 (overtime) in the Human World.
A certain High-Grade Demon: "He really... I could cry!"
In these several Deep Abysses, there are millions, tens of millions of free laborers. These low-level Demons, under the Command of a certain unscrupulous Hell Lord with "Blood" in his name, not only have to prospect and excavate Mineral Veins, but also Refine the excavated Ores together with the received Ores into Metal Ingots.
High-Grade Demons serve as overseers, the dense Blood Angels in the sky are the Patrol guards, and from time to time, Succubi and Naga holding leather whips Patrol among the crowd of Lesser Demons.
"Crack!"
"Crack!"
The thorny long whip fell, and the Sound of Breaking Air in Hell sounded like exploding firecrackers.
From time to time, Lesser Demons would fall in a Pool of Blood, some even worked to death, but in Hell, Demons reproduce faster than Cockroaches.
As long as the River Styx that runs through the Abyss doesn't dry up, there's no need to worry about the number of these Demons being insufficient.
The Hell Assembly Line has a complete Metallurgical Process. After excavation and sorting, the Ores are transported to the rear.
There, Technology and Magic are intertwined. There are mechanized Metallurgical furnaces with Artificial Sun functions, as well as Metallurgical blast furnaces powered by the Magic Power of Fire Attribute Demons like Balrogs and Fire Demons.
Imps, Lesser Demons, Scythe Demons, Fallen Demons... countless Demons line up in long queues, stepping onto platforms to send Ores into the furnaces.
From time to time, Demons would collapse from the high-intensity labor, some even throwing themselves into the furnaces along with the Ores while tossing them, melting together with the Ores.
Countless streams of Molten Iron, Molten Silver, and Molten Gold flow out from these large and small blast furnaces and Metallurgical furnaces, flowing into molds.
The cooled Metal Ingots are transported and gathered by strong Trolls. Once a certain quantity is reached, these Metal Ingots are uniformly transported to the Underworld.
At Heimdall, there are complete Weapon Manufacturing Plants. These Metal Ingots are first processed into some Alloy Materials, then used as materials for manufacturing Firearms, Starship Manufacturing, and Magic Weapons. As for the batch of Metal and Jade Stone used as Heavenly Palace Material, they undergo secondary processing here, which includes not only size measurement, polishing, and Spirit Pattern Engraving.
Take the floor tiles laid in the Great Hall, for example. This is not simple Ore cutting.
Instead, they are fired from various Composite Materials. The ratio between Gold, Copper, and Jade Stone Pearl Powder has strict requirements.
The fired floor tiles are not only as white as Jade Stone and sound like jade chimes when struck, but also have excellent effects in gathering Spiritual Energy and Spirit Guiding.
This is the Gold Powder Composite Magic Gem Spirit Pattern Effect within them.
Just the task of firing these floor tiles requires thousands of Yellow Turban Warriors to cooperate and complete. During the firing process of the floor tiles, these Spirit Patterns need to be outlined by the Yellow Turban Warriors using Magic Power.
The Glazed Tiles of the Heavenly Palace, the White Jade Pillars carved with Coiling Dragons, and even the handrails of the Covered Walkways outside the Palace, besides the detailed Carving, also need to consider the Spirit Pattern Fusion with the entire Spirit Gathering Formation.
The Manpower and effort spent on this, let's just say, in the past two years, Architectural Designers and Carving Masters from Earth, *Country, have been in short supply. A large portion of them have been hired by the Tang Group with high salaries.
Their work is merely to complete some small Landscape layout designs.
As for Nidavellir in the Nine Realms, Tang Song even hired nearly 100,000 Dwarves from eleven large tribes in one go to work for him.
As for the Dwarf King's Opinion on this matter, Tang Song handed it over to Hela to communicate. When Hela arrived at the Dwarf King's Palace with an eager Smile on her lips...
On one side were boxes and boxes of Energy Crystal Stones and Rare Metal Ingots, and on the other side was Hela's Expression, practically wishing you wouldn't agree so she could find an excuse to immediately Bloodbath Nidavellir.
What could the Dwarf King do? Weak and helpless!
These Metal Materials, Jade Stone Materials, Magical Plants, Alien Minerals, and Plants, after secondary processing at Heimdall, are then transported to the Heavenly Court Dimension through the original Heaven's Gate, now a Divine Artifact Portal renamed South Heavenly Gate by Tang Song.
Having spent so much Money, Manpower, and Material Resources, Tang Song's thirty-six heavens were not built in vain. Dense Spiritual Energy and white clouds permeated the entire Palace complex.
Within Great Luo Heaven, in a completed Garden, this place was renovated from the original Garden of Eden in Heaven.
Two Apple Trees absorbed the Spiritual Energy of Great Luo Heaven. Amidst a patch of Rare Herbs and Plants, they were lush with branches and leaves, and fruits hung among the foliage, shining with a glazed luster.
Between the Tree of Wisdom Fruit and the Tree of Longevity Fruit, the Golden Apple Tree transplanted by Tang Song had already grown taller than a person, and the surrounding Spiritual Energy was gathered by it.
Beneath the Apple Tree, there was a Jade Altar, about a hundred zhang in Area.
Four Ghoul White Bone Banners were planted around it. The huge banners fluttered naturally without wind. Tang Song sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed, a black and white Yin-Yang Fish circling above his head.
On each of the four Ghoul White Bone Banners, the figures of Netherworld Commanders appeared. The eight Yin Commanders Merged, and a Phantom of Netherworld Yama appeared before Tang Song, his Naihe Gui shining towards Tang Song.
A stream of Demonic Fire enveloped Tang Song. The Demonic Fire blazed fiercely, burning with sizzling sounds. Tang Song's face was expressionless, but his body twitched slightly, clearly in great pain. In the years Tang Song had been in Marvel, not to mention the countless people he had killed directly or indirectly, just looking at the piles of White Bone on these four Ghoul White Bone Banners...
...one could know how vast the Karma he had accumulated was.
Tang Song wasn't sure if there was such a thing as Karma Retribution in the Marvel World. His Refinement of Demonic Dao Magic Tools like the Ghoul White Bone Banners was merely for early Capital Accumulation, but now that he had reached the critical Nascent Soul Stage...
...some matters needed to be cleaned up.
Just like a Godfather of a Mafia Family who is Laundered into a Congressman, some Business must be abandoned, or even if not abandoned, it must move into the shadows.
Therefore, he borrowed the power of the Naihe Gui to cleanse his own Karma.
In the unseen realm, the Demonic Fire grew stronger and stronger. In the end, it actually enveloped Tang Song completely, forming a huge Pitch black sphere.
It is unknown how much time passed. Suddenly, a faint cracking sound was heard. Everything fell silent, and the trembling stopped. In the Garden Altar, the huge Pitch black sphere formed by the Demonic Fire shattered. The Phantom of Netherworld Yama dispersed, and the figures of the Yin Commanders returned to the Ghoul White Bone Banners. Above Tang Song's head, the black and white Yin-Yang Fish continued to spin ceaselessly. Two clusters of White Light pulsed and flickered with Tang Song's breathing.
Tang Song shed the shackles of Karma. His whole body felt light. With a single breath, countless Spirit Qi and Yuan Power surged towards him.
The scene was like thick White Mist rolling towards Tang Song, as if he were smoking.
Over a dozen Yellow Turban Warriors transported a large amount of Metal Ingots to this Garden where Tang Song was in Closed-door Cultivation. After the two clusters of White Light circled around these Metal Ingots once...
...these originally smooth Metal Ingots immediately turned into pieces resembling honeycomb briquettes weathered for millions of years.
The two Sword Pills that had absorbed the Metal Qi from these Metal Ingots transformed back into two streams of Primeval White Astral Qi.
Piles of Metal Ingots, like small mountains, were carried in by Yellow Turban Warriors and then carried away. With the Metal Qi overflowing, many Plants in the Garden even faintly projected a Chilling Aura.
"Hmm?"
Boss Tang, who was in Closed-door Cultivation, suddenly felt a pang in his heart. He used Calculate with Fingers, and his Complexion instantly turned furious.
"Someone dares to touch my Money!"
The reason Tang Song had the confidence to establish this massive thirty-six-layered Heavenly Court was because he had sufficient Manpower, Financial Resources, and Material Resources.
The True Spirit of his Magic Treasure, the Demonic Heaven Blood Transformation Blade, had occupied one large and five small Deep Abysses, so he didn't lack Miners.
Coupled with the Yellow Turban Warriors bred from the mysterious Barracks on Paradise Mountain.
As for Financial Resources, the Energy Crystals produced by the Space Gem are the best Hard Currency in the Universe, the kind that can be used directly as Money.
Under the Temptation of the large amount of Energy Crystals he scattered, tens of millions of people in the Milky Way Galaxy are working for him.
For Tang Song, the Energy Crystals produced by the Space Gem are his Money. Now, someone actually wants to touch his Money.
Tang Song reached out and grabbed. A Metal Ingot nearby, cast from Alloy and strong enough to be used as Warship armor, was grabbed by him and crushed into powder.
Tang Song used purely the Strength of his Physical Body for this grab, without using any Magic Power. During this period of Cultivation, Tang Song had not forgotten Body Tempering, and he faintly showed some semblance of those Ancient Saints who achieved Physical Body Attains Sainthood.
"Venerable Sovereign!"
A Yellow Turban Warrior appeared before Tang Song, kneeling on one knee.
Tang Song waved his hand and left the Garden, leaving behind a group of Yellow Turban Warriors to clean up the area.
Mutant Nation, Utopia, Leon Military Base.
Several Stealthy figures quietly appeared outside the Base at this moment.
"Beep beep!"
A Dark Iron Blood released a reconnaissance mechanical bird. The mechanical bird, entering Stealth Mode, quickly swept over the Base. Simultaneously, the number of personnel inside the Base and the Firepower Configuration situation flooded into the portable Wrist Device Computers of the Dark Iron Bloods like a tide.
Shadow Storm looked at the powerful Firepower Deployment within this Human Base, then looked at the detected target Energy Radiation data and Position.
The Gemstone Thanos wanted was inside this Base, but obtaining it would require some Strategy.
Shadow Storm rejected his Subordinate Hunter's idea of using Spaceships to Bomb the Base. He wasn't sure if the Gemstone Thanos was looking for could withstand the Force of powerful Energy Cannons.
Compared to using Ship Cannons, as an experienced Hunter, Shadow Storm had a better idea.
(End of chapter)