Cultivation: Being Immortal Chapter 778

In the year 6835 of the Xia calendar, the initial immigration vessel sets off into the cosmos.

Despite ferrying merely a hundred souls aboard, this pioneering immigrant ship bears profound importance in the current age. Naturally, its departure stirs a storm of conflicting opinions across the web, with countless individuals denouncing its probable doom.

Across the last half-century, Huaxia has undergone a startling transformation; the soft facade has fallen away, exposing a savage and grotesque visage that now plunders global resources with utter abandon.

This exploitation takes numerous forms, like manipulating the fluctuations in food costs. Even in mighty nations such as those on the Ying Continent, Huaxia dominates the food chain—not via local firms, but by gripping the reins on fertilizers and pesticides.

Moreover, in the realm of advanced technology, Huaxia employs cunning strategies to ruthlessly claim profits from rival nations, undercutting prices to crush their competitors.

Of course, the Ying Continent refuses to yield and counters with tariffs and similar tactics, only for more than a dozen elite Huaxia commanders to arrive on its shores via a colossal Space Battleship for a week-long voyage.

Huaxia's aggressive moves extend further; they roll out various pacts, global regulations, and beyond, all adhering to the merciless principle where the mighty devour the feeble.

The Ying Continent stands as Huaxia's chief prey. Within a mere decade, they proclaim the cry of "lost a hundred years," their economic standing regressing a full century, triggering the collapse of innumerable wealthy and middle-income households, while the poor sink deeper into destitution.

Through such dominance, Huaxia advances its lavish space endeavors without altering domestic welfare provisions.

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"Are you secluding yourself to dodge Small Shadiao?"

Lin Jiang intended to withdraw into seclusion; he had advanced to the late Tao Achieving stage over four centuries prior, and his journey along the Tao Achieving path flowed remarkably well.

To be precise, it wasn't solely his achievement; fellow cultivators were thriving too. Issues such as bottlenecks and Heart Demons appeared to have vanished, enabling all Tao Achieving practitioners to surge forward impressively.

"Small Shadiao is merely causing a fuss. What reason do I have to evade him? If he's truly set on heading to Jiang Star, then let him proceed."

Lin Jiang remarked, as the debut immigration spaceship rocketed away, Huaxia was already scheming the successor vessel, which would genuinely serve as an immigration craft, designed to carry hundreds of thousands of settlers.

These candidates required meticulous selection, including spotless histories, solid credentials, and diverse abilities, since Jiang Star would undoubtedly pose severe hazards by that point.

Small Shadiao had indulged in thrill-seeking adventures for ages and grown weary of Blue Star, thus clamoring to venture to Jiang Star. Without Lin Jiang's restraint, Small Shadiao might have boarded that very immigrant ship.

In truth, Lin Jiang lacked a firm desire to block Small Shadiao, given the space initiative's technology had matured greatly, with incidents rare and trajectories secure. Should he genuinely crave the adventure, Lin Jiang would permit it, pampering Small Shadiao as one would a cherished child.

"Aren't you concerned about the perils? A world from a primal era could harbor dangers, such as deadly pathogens."

"What virus could threaten a cultivator? We've encountered unearthed ancient plagues from the polar regions before, and today's strains outmatch those relics in potency. Still, I'll aid Small Shadiao in reaching the seventh level initially and spur his discipline. Big Shadiao has already surpassed him in strength."

Lin Jiang added, "Age doesn't make viruses more formidable. Certain strains evolve relentlessly, far exceeding ancient counterparts. I truly desire Small Shadiao to hone his abilities; he's far too indolent. Big Shadiao possesses inferior aptitude, yet he outpaces Small Shadiao."

"Handle it your way. The Demon Queen also seeks to dispatch a clone aboard the upcoming fleet of vessels. Do you consent?"

"Consent works, but terms must be hashed out; nothing comes without cost."

Lin Jiang noted that the Demon Queen retained keen curiosity about Jiang Star. She had long voiced a wish to explore it, and Lin Jiang had no intent to obstruct her unduly.

At present, in certain respects, their goals aligned with the Demon Queen's, fostering seamless collaboration.

"What rewards should we demand? The demon race is quite destitute these days; it appears there's little we'd desire from them."

"Is that so? Have I amassed such fortune?"

Lin Jiang sensed some skepticism. Since when had his wealth grown to the point of scorning demonic treasures?

"Oh please, do you believe we're still in the cultivation epoch? Back then, humanity claimed but a sliver of land, while demons held vast domains. We were feeble; beyond the minuscule Yun State, resources were scarce. Today, aren't we siphoning the entire globe?"

Cao Ying shot him an eye roll. The human domain in those ancient times likely spanned only one-fifth of Blue Star, with control limited to Yun State—a mere fraction of the cultivation realm.

Presently, demons clung to two-thirds of Fangzhang Continent, whereas humanity dominated most elsewhere. Yet the human faction, bound by Lin Jiang's influence, harvested resources beyond comprehension. They disdained the scraps remaining on Fangzhang Continent.

"Even if we deem them unworthy, we can't hand them over gratis. We absolutely cannot allow the demon race to profit off us. Squeeze them for all you can; the Demon Queen will yield. We're desperately short on funds these days, even for basic supplies."

Lin Jiang explained that research devoured fortunes. No volume of global resource extraction could plug this endless chasm. Throughout the years, Huaxia's debt levels hadn't dipped—instead, they'd climbed, and inflation had accelerated slightly.

Lin Jiang fretted over funding sources, having exhausted every viable drain on Blue Star. Within its bounds, Fangzhang Continent might be the sole untapped vein, or he could pivot investments toward Penglai Continent to unlock its promise—though that demanded vast sums he lacked.

Beyond that, Lin Jiang eyed another revenue stream: the stars. Across the years, Huaxia had uncovered scores of mineral-rich worlds, several now featuring established outposts. If properly orchestrated, they could yield substantial hauls.

"I get it. Come next month's gathering, I'll broach it with the Demon Queen. Ample time remains."

"You've toiled relentlessly these years, staying ever occupied."

"It brings me joy."

"Should I prepare for seclusion now?"

Lin Jiang observed that Cao Ying had labored tirelessly lately; she'd dissolved her secretarial staff, shunning even male aides, due to the overload of confidential matters and the strain of oversight.

Thus, it fell chiefly to Lin Jiang and Cao Ying, aided by proxies, to manage affairs, bolstered by AI systems. Notably, AI had scarcely evolved from centuries past, as Lin Jiang's circle enforced strict oversight, barring most data uploads.

Hardware upgrades occurred only when essential, ensuring AI remained a trusty instrument. Furthermore, any whisper of AI autonomy triggered human eradication; AI posed no rebellion risk and had stayed compliant ever since.

Following their discussion and task delegation, Lin Jiang and Cao Ying withdrew to the serene chamber for cultivation.

Lin Jiang produced a pill for ingestion; at the Tao Achieving level, such elixirs offered minimal potency, yet cost a fortune. Hence, in the cultivation age, few Tao Achieving masters could indulge or bothered with them.

Lin Jiang cared little; he tended countless Spiritual Herb Gardens for personal use. If not for the pills, what purpose did those gardens serve?

Upon swallowing the elixir, Lin Jiang immersed himself in serene practice. Time flew during cultivation, and in a flash, dozens of years elapsed.

"Beep beep…"

One day, an alert from his wristwatch roused Lin Jiang. He blinked awake to find the device, previously dormant, now active. It then cast a verdant light beam, shaping a humanoid form in midair.

This was a standard watch function, basic holographic projection. Lin Jiang had often tweaked his avatar to mimic Cao Ying for quirky amusement.

Yet this instance, the hologram depicted neither Cao Ying nor one of Lin Jiang's whimsical cartoons, but his former close companion, Xia Qingshan.

"You don't appear shocked in the least."

Xia Qingshan's words emerged in a synthetic, robotic timbre.

"You've foreseen this for ages, right?"

Lin Jiang regarded him steadily and replied, unspoken matters didn't equate to ignorance; he had long braced for this turn.