Cultivation: Being Immortal Chapter 796

In the year 7420 of the Blue Star Xia calendar, within Huaxia

Efforts to prepare for immigration to Jiang Star continued apace, drawing fervent backing, particularly from the middle class brimming with eagerness.

Society's middle class stands as the most restless bunch. They've expanded their views, glimpsed the upper class's grandeur, and strive fiercely to ascend, yet spots at the top remain scarce and tough to claim.

This holds especially true in Huaxia, where despite Lin Jiang's relentless pushes, class barriers persist rigidly, social climbing proves exceedingly difficult, leaving the middle class struggling even more.

Jiang Star immigration sparked their hopes, as Huaxia had revealed numerous laws targeting the new world. Take, for instance, the free housing grant upon arrival—one hundred square meters per individual.

Further perks loomed ahead. Occupying the same role on Jiang Star promised over triple the earnings compared to Huaxia. Elite educators would arrive too, securing top-tier schooling there.

Moreover, business ventures on Jiang Star enjoyed tax exemptions, alongside countless such incentives that thrilled Huaxia's middle class.

Lin Jiang crafted these measures drawing from expert and professor input, aiming to attract immigrants of solid caliber—high-end folks indeed. Lowlifes or rabble-rousers wouldn't fit; they'd drag down quality and hinder progress.

For the second wave's million slots, Huaxia brass held back a hundred thousand, leaving nine hundred thousand open to applications and scrutiny. Still, applications topped ten million.

"Scrutinize immigrants' family setups closely. Bar all elderly, no exceptions for status. Eliminate or urge withdrawal for seniors…"

"Watch the gender balance; women must comprise at least one-third, prioritizing singles. Maintain precise logs…"

"Catalog every talent type—engineers, doctors, teachers, plus experts in Pill, Talisman, Item, and Formation…"

Cao Wang issued directives to his team nonstop. With the Jiang Star initiative under his watch, he wielded vast review powers over applications, basking in substantial authority.

"Other nations crave a Jiang Star visit too. Your thoughts?"

Meanwhile, in Haigang City, Cao Ying informed Lin Jiang, "The Jiang Star buzz has exploded; rival countries itch with envy and seek to dispatch envoys there."

"Allot Qingyun and Zhou Liao fifty slots for their families as an observation squad; deny everyone else."

"Why fuss over an observation team?"

"Dangle some hope—they get to taste cosmic rewards. Humanity shares a destined bond."

Lin Jiang noted, "Blue Star boasts over forty billion souls, Huaxia just ten billion. The rest command vast riches. Lin Jiang eyes tapping that pool."

"And the demon race? The Demon Queen begs for Jiang Star trips at every encounter; her Jiang Star avatar likely vanished."

"Dare she bare her fangs now?"

"No chance. The Demon Queen plays smart; she grasps the chasm separating demons from Huaxia. Her stance has humbled greatly. Better to offer her faint hope, curbing any sabotage urges."

"Fine, have her spawn a new avatar and feed her universe intel, stirring some optimism."

Lin Jiang explained that while Jiang Star anchored the space thrust, cosmic scouting never paused. They'd pinpointed more spots akin to Jiang Star—potential life worlds—though it remained nearest for now.

Tech leaps or Jiang Star milestones would unlock further hunts for life-bearing orbs. Likely finds would emerge to counter the demon race effectively.

"Got it. Truth be told, I pity the Demon Queen a touch. Like Li Qing, she craves eclipsing us, only to face unclimbable peaks. That despair cuts deep."

"Your words stir my pity too. They're exceptional souls, doomed by birth or allegiance. Sympathy aside, duty demands firmness."

Lin Jiang grasped Cao Ying's sentiment; such hopelessness tormented worse than wounds, potentially shattering minds.

Yet feelings wouldn't sway action—Lin Jiang's crew stood for Huaxia's billions, safeguarding their stake unyieldingly.

········

Cape III Planet.

Long ago, Cape III marked Blue Star humanity's remotest probe, centuries back. Now dubbed Cape IX farther out, with Cape X eyed for the next teleportation array.

Cape III's past luster faded, yet it held key space program status. Beyond anchoring the Interstellar Teleportation Array, its riches sustained a base, automated plants, and over twelve hundred personnel.

Those twelve hundred-plus were chiefly engineers, vital for tending factories and arrays despite automation.

One routine day, Shi Rong arrived at Cape III's command hub for duty. Top new-gen cultivator with early Soul Changing realm, Shiyi's grandson relished this prime posting.

He claimed his station, brewed tea, then fired up a casual game on his terminal. Command offered light loads—bots managed most—so shifts passed idly till clock-out.

"Warning: satellite feed streaming…"

"Meteor swarm inbound; scans predict imminent meteorite barrage…"

"Level three alert…"

"Intercept incoming rocks?"

Soon, alarms blared from the command console, flagging a meteor shower nearing Cape III. Modest scale—no colossal ton-heavy boulders—and impact zones likely missed the base, capping alert at three.

"AI, launch threat eval. Zap every rock posing base risk."

With the crew unfazed, Shi Rong stayed calm too. Cape III weathered meteor storms dozens of times yearly; habituated, they'd neutralize even big ones.

AI tracked relentlessly, data flowing, downgrading alerts as projections placed falls remote.

Next day, impacts rocked Cape III's far side—minor quakes, nothing more.

"Dispatch ships and bots to retrieve meteorites."

Shi Rong promptly mobilized craft and drones for harvest.

Meteor makeup varied wildly—some mere iron scraps, others packed rare alloys, prime for forging superior magical items.

Gathering yielded personal gains too; valuables meant bonuses. Thus, Shi Rong unleashed the collectors.

Half-day later, ships docked. Shi Rong directed bots to quarantine the haul for full sterilization, guarding against alien bugs.

Post-quarantine, samples headed to labs for breakdown. Gems got stored; junk discarded.

Shi Rong shrugged it off—meteors dropped routinely, rare hits slim odds.

Yet three days on, Cape III's max alert shrieked, freezing Shi Rong in shock.