Cultivation: Being Immortal Chapter 784

In the Xia calendar's year 6988, Jiang Star

Intense tectonic shifts are causing the continent of Jiang Star to fracture, as deep fissures emerge, some merely dozens of meters below the surface with visible lava flows.

One hundred eighty apocalyptic nuclear devices have been positioned inside these fissures, each spot precisely determined by elite demolition specialists.

"Lord Lin, the nukes are set up, signals are strong for a synced blast."

"Alright, start the countdown then."

"Ten, nine, eight…"

Lin Guobin gave a nod before grabbing the detonation button from the expert, who stood there stunned. The expert missed his shot at making history. Had a fight broken out, he might have wrestled it back.

"Boom"

A thunderous sound echoed as Lin Guobin slammed the button, sending the command racing to Jiang Star.

The fission triggers in the one hundred eighty thermonuclear devices ignited initially, generating extreme heat that set off the fusion reactions, unleashing a cataclysmic blast equivalent to two hundred million tons of TNT.

One hundred eighty vibrant displays of light erupted from the thermonuclear detonations like fireworks, captured by satellites deployed from the Space Mother Ship and beamed toward Blue Star, though the transmission would span years.

A vision resembling a sun's violent eruption unfolded. All onlookers held their breaths, eyes fixed on the blinding glow as the mushroom cloud surged upward, carrying ash and rubble into the heavens.

"Incredibly magnificent!"

"Totally worth a whole lifetime."

This sentiment echoed in the minds of nearly all one hundred cultivators present. Witnessing such a sight made their existence worthwhile.

"Beep, beep…"

Within the Space Mother Ship, persistent alerts sounded as instruments gathered readings.

"Earthquake's underway."

"The landmass is shifting now."

"It's in motion; the entire crustal layer is stirring."

"Volcano's erupting once more."

"Jiang Star's downpour temperatures are climbing past one hundred degrees; impurities are rampant."

Shouts of concern filled the air; the crustal disturbance kicked off right at the blast's instant, unleashing a horrifying quake. Scans from the Space Mother Ship indicated a scale of at least nine, trailed by fresh volcanic outbursts. Magma even spewed from the fissures.

"Snap to it, everyone! Collect that data fast and gear up for the next detonation. We need to shatter this whole continent."

Lin Guobin reminded them they'd hauled hundreds of nukes; this was merely the opening salvo. Post-quake and eruptions, further blasts—second or third—awaited, based on Jiang Star's state.

·······

Xia calendar year 6996, Haigang City

Lin Jiang and Cao Ying observed Lin Guobin's squad demolishing Jiang Star, catching the spectacle of the 180 nukes going off.

"Destruction scenes can be just as breathtaking as building ones. Wow, it stirs up this urge to wreck things."

"This footage is from seven and a half years back. Barring surprises, Lin Guobin's crew has likely triggered a follow-up blast by now. Curious if they fully split the continent."

"We've run these tests repeatedly; issues should be minimal. If not even hundreds of doomsday nukes suffice, what could? Anyway, my current strength probably can't rival those apocalypse-level devices."

"No need to downplay yourself. Lately, I've chatted with folks. We're plenty strong; it's our Immortal Language proficiency that's lagging."

"Explain that."

"Ever notice how scarce secret arts are for us cultivators? Back in the immortal era, barely a dozen peak techniques existed, and today, just four remain."

Lin Jiang replied, "Probably, Blue Star's immortal legacy stems from Xia Qingshan, with limited high-end knowledge. Peak secret arts are rare. Schools like Danxia Sect have faded into history, taking many arts with them."

"That tracks. When you next meet Xia Qingshan, squeeze him for more perks."

"Got it. Still clueless on the migrant vessel's status."

Lin Jiang noted, "In Xia calendar year 6935, Blue Star dispatched a Space Mother Ship carrying five hundred thousand settlers—all volunteers, including some Demon Queen affiliates. It's been cruising for decades now."

"Patience; it'll be over a century more before arrival. Genesis II hasn't made it either."

"By the timeline, Genesis II's closing in too. Launched in Xia year 6835, that's 161 years underway. Thirty-nine left to go, while Small Shadiao's group has flown nearly a century. Time slips by quick."

Lin Jiang let out a sigh; he vividly recalled the launch schedules of various Space Mother Ships, spaced every fifty years. He pondered if that pace sufficed.

"Don't you feel this pull to head to Jiang Star and take control?"

"Sure, but Xia Qingshan blocks it. Our actual bodies on a ship? Instant malfunction."

Lin Jiang explained they'd attempted escape from Blue Star twice already, only for Xia Qingshan to intervene both times.

"Fine, we skip it then; can't anyway. Let's figure our true commitment level to Jiang Star."

"Tough to tally total input, but annually it's at least a trillion Huaxia coins and five billion spirit stones. The Jiang Star venture's sucking me dry, unclear when returns kick in."

Lin Jiang stated tracking the full Jiang Star outlay was impossible. The Space Mother Ships alone tallied astronomical costs, nearly bankrupting Huaxia—a near-ten-billion population holder and global economic leader.

As for Jiang Star project yields, tech spin-offs offered minor gains, negligible against the massive spend.

"Truth is, I'm concerned that draining Blue Star without solid gains could doom humanity's future here."

"Not quite. The renewal initiative worked well. Huaxia's 136 cities have ditched major spiritual energy drains, adopting Liang Long's solar cells to conserve spirit stones hugely. Refining low-grade ones should sustain us for centuries at least."

Lin Jiang pointed out Huaxia's cities guzzled spirit stones alarmingly, especially public and industrial uses—like the yearly feast for defensive arrays.

Now, solar power blanketed all 136 cities, supplanting spiritual energy, aside from vaster industrial needs.

"How many acres of solar panels cover Venus?"

"Hundreds of millions, and it's not only Venus—other worlds too, plus Blue Star's ramping up solar adoption. I'm pushing legislation to phase spiritual energy out of Huaxia industry."

"Will solar handle Huaxia's industrial load? Haigang City alone chews through over a trillion kWh yearly for industry, excluding homes."

"It's solar plus electricity and nuclear. Huaxia's built over 300 major nuclear plants lately. Transition's key, and next we'll export these techs worldwide to preserve Blue Star's spiritual resources overall."

Lin Jiang emphasized sole reliance on solar wouldn't cut it; even millions of acres fall short, hence the surge in nuclear and alike lately.

"Safety's crucial too; Ying Continent's itching for a comeback."

Cao Ying chuckled, redirecting to Ying Continent. Lin Jiang eased up on it as recovery stirred, with Li Qing's media rants for revival.

"Bunch of dreamers; if Ying Continent rebounds, I'll call Li Qing master."

Lin Jiang smirked. At their level, revival was pure fantasy. Had they forgotten who gripped their leash?

"Hehe, should Li Qing hit Transmigration Stage, she might go all-out desperate. Huaxia boasts over a thousand nukes now, wow…"

"Relax, they lack the nerve. If they try, it's suicide. Ship some aid to Xia Qingshan. Honestly, his inaction against worldwide Tao Achieving cultivators makes me suspect a grand scheme."

Lin Jiang mentioned Xia Qingshan viewing Tao Achieving experts as prime treats. Since spiritual recovery, only Lin Wanli, one such powerhouse, had perished. Was a major play brewing?