In a certain part of the East Sea Abyss, twenty young dragons of the Taiyi realm were busy at work. If anyone happened to see them, they would surely drop their jaws in disbelief.

Each of these youths wielded a special shovel made from unique materials, their expressions a mix of reluctance and frustration as they dug away. In a dim corner nearby, a young man dressed in a luxurious purple-gold robe, exuding an aura of nobility, sat comfortably on a stone bench. He poured himself a drink from a gourd on the stone table, savoring it with a satisfied sip.

Beneath his noble exterior, one might think he was a person of refined character, but—

“Hey, hey, hey… Aoqian, don’t slack off! Watch your back!”

As soon as those words left his mouth, any positive impression others had of him shattered, and they mentally rewrote his description: all glitter and no substance.

“What’s wrong? Can’t handle a bit of hardship? You’re all the pride of our dragon clan; how can you not endure this?”

“But we’re mining, not going to war! Ancestor, we’re the elite of the dragon clan; how can you make us do this kind of work?” protested Aoqian, visibly displeased.

“Elite? So what? Just because you’re elite doesn’t mean you can’t mine! I’m just short on some refining materials; why the long faces? You’re all supposed to be helping me!”

“But Ancestor, this isn’t just ‘a bit’! You’ve dragged us here to strip several veins of ore clean, and when we ask what materials you want, you never say. It’s obvious you want us to mine everything in sight while we came out just to help you!” Aoqian argued back, fuming.

“Wow, you know that too? Not bad for an elite! But I’m still using you as labor, so what are you going to do about it? Bite me?” The young man smirked, his demeanor defiant, seemingly intent on ruining his own image further.

Aoqian’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he could only huff in silence.

“Besides, I’ve given you all benefits. Didn’t I point out your Dao paths based on your circumstances? Haven’t your skills improved?” The young man suddenly turned serious.

His sudden gravity only fueled the complaints among the young dragons.

“What benefits? Just look at the Dao paths you’ve given us!”

“Aokun, do you have something to say?”

“I have plenty to say! Look at what you’ve called us to do: Earth-Digging Dao, Mountain Opening Dao, Well Drilling Dao—these are all mining techniques! You clearly had this planned all along! I can’t believe my dragon father let me follow you; there’s no future in this!”

“Is that so? Well, your parents told me to keep an eye on you. If you don’t want me to report your performance to your parents and broadcast it throughout the clan, you better keep mining. We’ll only rest after this vein is completely cleared. Or else… ahahaha…”

“You… you’re despicable!”

The young man ignored him and poured himself another drink, taking a sip with a slight smile.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Indeed, that young man was Shen Long.

After exiting his retreat, Shen Long had quickly grasped the current situation of the dragon clan. He selected over twenty young dragons as his guards and roamed the sixty percent of the sea territory the clan had claimed, leaving the troublesome matters to the three ancestor dragons.

But leading a group of young dragons around wasn’t a sustainable plan, which is how Shen Long ended up on this mining expedition.

At first, he sought valuable materials purely for cultivation, but he soon discovered the joy of collecting gems and treasures.

Thus began their frenzied excavation journey, leaving destruction in their wake—pits and holes scattered everywhere. Yet Shen Long didn’t care, as he found immense satisfaction in holding sparkling gems in his hands.

After all, in his previous life, he had known the fear of poverty.

Sometimes, he even wondered if the dragon clan’s obsession with gems originated from him. And there was no doubt about it—future generations would recall him first for his wealth, followed by their relentless pursuit of treasures.

One could say Shen Long had poisoned an entire generation of dragons.

----------------------------------------

“Ancestor, can we negotiate? We know we were wrong; don’t be so harsh! We’ll definitely work hard,” Aoguang cautiously approached Shen Long, offering him a beautifully crafted box. “A small token, please don’t hold it against us.”

“Do I look old?” Shen Long frowned at the comment. In truth, he had spent his time in the primordial world mostly in cultivation, so his mental age didn’t feel old at all.

“You're not old at all! Not at all!” Aoguang quickly flattered, sweating nervously while internally cursing the ancestor.

Hmph! Not old? Even the ancient ones born at the same time as this primordial realm are ancient; does that make us old?

Leading these young dragons was also a way for Shen Long to secure a future path for the clan.

As for “abusing” these naïve dragons, Shen Long genuinely wanted to gather various resources from the primordial world, while also providing them with some necessary training—both in cultivation and in character.

After teaching these young dragons a lesson, Shen Long sat quietly to cultivate. Even though he had reached the late Daluo stage, unless he achieved sudden enlightenment, this kind of cultivation wouldn’t lead to further progress. However, Shen Long believed that in this perilous primordial world, caution was paramount. Therefore, he always kept his cultivation at its peak. Another reason was that he genuinely enjoyed the feeling of cultivation; he had never dated in his previous life, but he found this sensation far more pleasurable.

----------------------------------------

When Shen Long came out of his meditative state and opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by young dragons.

Feeling their intense stares, Shen Long’s face flushed. He cleared his throat and shouted, “What are you all staring at? Never seen a handsome guy cultivating? Also, have you finished your work?”

“We’re done, just waiting for your inspection,” Aoqian quickly replied.

“Done? And now you can stare at your ancestor? Want some extra work?”

“No, no, no, Ancestor! No more! Look at our hands—yours are all pristine while ours are in tatters. You’re the best; you’re so handsome! We all admire you so much!”

That last statement left Shen Long speechless—such ambiguity!

He couldn’t help but think of a beautiful girl saying those words to him, and his excitement surged. But seeing that it was one of his juniors quickly quelled those thoughts.

To mask his embarrassment, Shen Long quickly seized the opportunity to leave, “Alright, I forgive you all. But Aokun, don’t say things like that to just anyone from now on.”

“Why? I hear that kind of thing when I see my dragon mother and father together all the time,” Aokun retorted.

“You…” Shen Long was exasperated, “I said not to use it!”

Seeing Shen Long’s flustered reaction, Aokun couldn’t help but laugh, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

Over the years, these young dragons had become quite familiar with Shen Long. His egalitarian approach, rooted in his past life memories, had prevented him from establishing authority over them. As a result, they treated him more like a friend than a revered ancestor, and Shen Long was more than happy to go along with it.

“Alright, let’s wrap things up here and move on to the next location.”

“Ugh, what a miserable fate!”

“Enough! Let’s go!”

“Boom, boom… rumble… rumble…” Suddenly, Shen Long heard a thunderous sound not far away.

“Everyone, be alert!”