Cultivation: Being Immortal Chapter 819

Lingjing Star, Wanfa Temple

A somber silence fell upon the host of Bodhisattvas, as they mourned for the fallen Changfeng and his comrades. The loss of over a hundred lives weighed heavily on Lingjing Star.

"Amitabha, esteemed Bodhisattvas, today's assembly is convened to deliberate on the matter of Bodhisattva Changguang and the others. Let us speak freely and without reservation."

"Senior Brother Kong Yan, the inhabitants of Blue Star are undoubtedly wicked demons. Our Buddhist sect champions universal kindness, yet these Blue Star denizens callously slaughtered Brother Changguang and his brethren. This is an egregious sin, and our Buddhist sect cannot idly stand by."

"Senior Brother Kong Yan, it is our sacred duty to purge the world of heretics. Command us, and our Buddhist sect shall muster an army to march upon Blue Star…"

"Senior Brother Kong Yan…"

In an instant, a wave of righteous anger surged through Wanfa Temple, with all present vowing vengeance for Bodhisattva Changguang and the eradication of Blue Star's heretical presence.

"Amitabha."

"I acknowledge the resolve of my junior brothers. I shall convene the major Buddhist temples of Lingjing Star to construct ten Sea-crossing Arks. Millions of Buddhist disciples will be dispatched to Blue Star to avenge Changguang, Puxiang, and the others, to vanquish the malevolent spirits and demons, allowing the beings of Blue Star to bask in the enlightenment of our Buddha…"

Bodhisattva Kongyan offered a solemn nod. Seeing the fervent outrage of his followers, he resolved to grant their plea for retribution.

Strong justifications were, of course, paramount. Blue Star's unwarranted slaying of Buddhist disciples unequivocally branded them as evil spirits and demons. The Buddhist order, in its divine mandate, was merely fulfilling heaven's will by cleansing the wicked, a course of action only natural and just.

However, gathering the necessary resources for the Sea-crossing Arks remained a crucial step. Changguang and his contingent had already established that a mere hundred-odd Buddhist disciples were insufficient; the enemy proved formidable. Should they venture forth, a significantly larger force was required – millions of Buddhist disciples were to be mobilized from Lingjing Star.

No Buddhist temple demurred this time. By and large, the Buddhist order of Lingjing Star operated with profound unity. Each temple harbored an unwavering conviction that Lingjing Star possessed the might to conquer Blue Star. The prospect of dominion promised a staggering four billion followers, an irresistible bounty that ignited fervent ambition in all.

The majority of the Bodhisattvas departed, leaving Bodhisattva Kongyan and a select few key figures to scrutinize intelligence pertaining to Blue Star. Bodhisattva Changguang had previously transmitted a substantial volume of data; though primarily in video format, it sufficed to furnish them with a general grasp of Blue Star over two days.

As the adage wisely states, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will be victorious in every battle." This profound truth resonated with them. Yet, the more information Kong Yan and his colleagues absorbed, the more intricate their emotions became. On one hand, they recognized the formidable power Blue Star wielded; on the other, the allure of everything Blue Star offered, from its billions of devoted followers to its sophisticated technology, stoked considerable envy.

·······

In the year 7780 of the Blue Star Xia calendar, within Huaxia.

As the teleportation array hummed to life, a contingent of cultivators emerged, their storage bags laden with resources procured from Jiang Star.

The Space Mother Ship, eschewing a direct trajectory to Blue Star, would make a scheduled stop at the terminus of the Interstellar Teleportation Array. Subsequently, the resources would be returned via the same array, a maneuver that considerably streamlined transit times.

Each storage bag bore a meticulously affixed label, detailing its contents and quantities.

Nearby, dozens of logistics officials, representing various sectors, engaged in conversation over cups of tea. They formed part of the administrative cadre, tasked not with direct labor but with oversight and supervision.

"Observing this shipment manifest reveals a quantity significantly exceeding prior deliveries. The aggregate weight approaches fifty million tons."

"Indeed, our Spiritual Energy Research Institute specifically greenlit the dispatch of one hundred storage bags for this shipment. However, they likely aren't filled to absolute capacity. Otherwise, we might have anticipated exceeding sixty million tons. It's plausible Jiang Star has retained a portion, unwilling to share entirely."

"That seems improbable; they wouldn't possess the audacity for such a maneuver."

"Who can truly say? Regardless, I've heard rumors of inspectors being dispatched from higher echelons. The prevailing situation concerning Buddhist cultivation on Blue Star is dire, and other nations remain impoverished. Presently, our reliance on Jiang Star for provisions is absolute."

One of the administrative personnel remarked, as news of the Qingyun Yangjiang conflict permeated Blue Star. The entire world became privy to the discovery of another world, inhabited by alien beings, a stark contrast to the uninhabited Jiang Star.

Under the formidable influence of Huaxia's media apparatus, coupled with a concerted disparagement campaign targeting Buddhist doctrines, global public opinion on Blue Star coalesced. A consensus emerged: a grand confrontation with Lingjing Star was not merely advisable but imperative.

Prior to the major conflict, preparations were deemed essential, prompting Huaxia to specifically instruct Jiang Star to escalate resource shipments from tens of millions to almost fifty million tons.

However, this quantity was still deemed insufficient. Huaxia dispatched inspectors to Jiang Star to oversee operations, with the objective of boosting Jiang Star’s shipments to one hundred million tons before the impending war.

"Once these fifty million tons of resources arrive, Huaxia will be completely swamped. I took a quick look, and the high-grade spirit rice alone amounts to tens of millions of tons. Oh, high-grade spirit rice tastes absolutely divine; I could devour three large bowls without any side dishes!"

"At your cultivation level, can you even meaningfully consume high-grade spirit rice?"

"Don't underestimate me! While my personal level isn't high, I have a cousin. My cousin is a Soul Changing cultivator, so I do get to partake in a meal with him now and then."

"Ha ha, so you're just relying on others. I had assumed you had your own means to acquire high-level spirit rice."

"What's spirit rice compared to this? Look at the sheer volume of spirit herbs listed here. I truly believe that once Jiang Star completes this resource delivery, the prices of pills will see a reduction. This gives me real hope of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage."

The group continued their lively conversation. Jiang Star's resource deliveries were always of paramount importance to Huaxia. Even items like spirit rice, primarily used as ballast, held significant value.

Meanwhile, within Haigang City, Lin Jiang and Cao Ying were also engaged in a discussion concerning the manifest of supplies originating from Jiang Star.

"Ye Chen's assessment is accurate. In a mere few centuries, the new generation on Jiang Star has cultivated its own distinct perspectives and begun to hoard certain precious resources."

"Should we task Ye Chen with rectifying this situation?"

"Rectification is indeed necessary. For the upcoming wave of immigrants, we must dispatch individuals to reorient Jiang Star's perspective. They need to grasp that without the mother star, Jiang Star is merely a vulnerable entity, susceptible to destruction at any moment."

"Is that the rationale behind sending inspectors?"

"Precisely. If they exhibit a cooperative attitude, the process of rectification will be considerably smoother. However, should they persist in their obstinacy, a comprehensive restructuring of Jiang Star's management will be implemented."

Lin Jiang nodded in agreement. His inclination was not to resort to extreme measures, but if the leadership on Jiang Star failed to comprehend the gravity of the situation, he could not be held accountable for subsequent actions. Physical removal of some individuals might become unavoidable.

"This particular shipment of resources is of critical importance to us. Currently, the entirety of Blue Star is experiencing an economic downturn. A capitalist financial crisis looms on the horizon, and its onset is inescapable."

Cao Ying remarked that Blue Star had luxuriated in an extended period of tranquility. Over the past few centuries, the population had experienced explosive growth. In fact, the Blue Star population, recorded at 40 billion in a census over a hundred years prior, was now estimated to be 50 billion.

With such a burgeoning populace, the economy had not seen proportional benefits due to the substantial number of impoverished individuals. Consumption remained stagnant, and coupled with various internal schisms, the trajectory towards a financial crisis had already commenced. This was an immutable law of economics, beyond their capacity to halt.

At this juncture, if Huaxia were to continue extracting resources at an accelerated pace from the global economy, it would inevitably exacerbate internal conflicts, potentially igniting civil war. Consequently, Huaxia had deliberately decelerated its economic exploitation of external entities, relying instead on Jiang Star for sustenance.

"Therefore, this conflict with Lingjing Star is not entirely disadvantageous. Warfare has historically served as the most effective means of diverting internal strife, contingent, of course, upon achieving victory. Should we falter, all would be lost."

"Do you genuinely believe we have a chance of winning this time?"

"Yes, you must place your faith in me and in us."

Lin Jiang stated that overcoming more than a hundred experts from Lingjing Star was not the primary challenge. In truth, all of Lingjing Star's formidable cultivators were not the decisive factor in the war. Nevertheless, Lin Jiang maintained his conviction in their eventual triumph; unwavering faith in victory was essential.

"I too believe we will prevail; we absolutely must win."

"Indeed, victory shall be ours. Let us cease this discussion and proceed with the distribution of resources."

Lin Jiang explained that each time Jiang Star returned with resources, it triggered intense competition among various factions within Huaxia. This was due to the immense value of these resources, and no faction wished to forfeit such opportunities.

For instance, this current consignment of nearly fifty million tons included items where the least valuable were the high-grade spirit rice. The core components consisted of diverse refined minerals, whose value diminished with increased quantity. Conversely, items such as spirit herbs, characterized by their rarity and extreme value, were objects of intense focus for all factions. As the leader, Lin Jiang's foremost responsibility was to endeavor to safeguard the interests of all parties involved, ensuring no one felt slighted.

The art of distributing benefits had consistently proven more crucial than the creation of those benefits themselves.