What is the foundation of a righteous major sect?
What is the momentum of swift and decisive action?
7:30 AM.
"Cough, cough! Ugh! Cough!"
Wang Jixuan stood in front of the alchemy furnace, his face covered in soot, and couldn't help but cough a few times.
He was choked by the furnace ash.
He looked at the six pills in the glass beaker in front of him, and a smug smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
The pills were a success!
Although it was his first official time making pills—not counting the previous batch—and he did waste a bit of material today, at least there were results!
However, Daoist Wang admitted that he really didn't have any talent for alchemy. Even if he became more skilled in the future and found the materials, it would be difficult to make immortal pills. At most, he could make some spiritual pills for his own use.
In short, it was enough.
These six pills were of three types in total.
The slightly larger pill was the [Tiger-Taming Great Yang Pill], which could help men regain their virility and also had the effect of strengthening the foundation, nourishing the essence, and expanding the meridians.
This was specially made for Old Zheng.
Old Zheng had worked hard and made great contributions, and Wang Jixuan had always been thinking about this matter. This time, he would help Old Zheng achieve a small breakthrough.
Well… hopefully, it wasn't the kind of breakthrough from zero to one…
The two light golden pills were the [Crane Longevity Pills] for prolonging life. Wang Jixuan made three of them in total.
He had already sent one to Black Shell through Mudan, instructing Mudan to directly place the pill on Black Shell's forehead.
Actually, these were relatively inferior Crane Longevity Pills. The real Crane Longevity Pills required the inner core of a thousand-year-old immortal crane, which could grant mortals three hundred years of lifespan.
These initial-level Crane Longevity Pills were already sufficient.
People like Fu Jian and Black Shell, who had transformed themselves into mechanical bodies, were still mortals at their core.
Powerful mortals.
Wang Jixuan inscribed restrictions on the three [Crane Longevity Pills], which would allow the pills to dissolve on their own in three hours, with the medicinal effects nourishing Black Shell's brain and remaining organs.
The remaining three cyan pills were the easiest type to make, and they were prepared by Wang Jixuan for Ling Tong, Deep Sea, and himself, named [Profound Spirit Pills].
When mortals like Ling Tong swallowed this pill, it could increase their strength, strengthen their body, prevent all diseases, dispel evil spirits, and regulate endocrine function.
And when Wang Jixuan himself swallowed it… it would only slightly improve his Dao foundation.
'Should I swallow one now?'
'Swallow one, swallow one.'
Wang Jixuan pinched out a pill and put it in his mouth without chewing. The pill transformed into a sweet liquid, and wisps of warm aura spread throughout his body, immediately making him feel warm all over.
His Qi Sea slightly thickened, and his mana slightly increased.
Unfortunately, this kind of pill was only effective if taken every once in a while, and could not be eaten continuously.
Otherwise, Wang Jixuan would definitely continue to open the furnace and make pills now.
He wanted to find someone to show off, but found that Uncle Tai and those senior engineers were all fast asleep on the sofa.
They had indeed worked hard during this period.
Wang Jixuan smiled, went to the corner to find some small boxes, packed the pills separately, wrote who they were for, and went back to his dormitory with them in his pocket.
Because he had an appointment, Wang Jixuan only washed his face and did not meditate.
He lay back on the bed, looking at the ceiling in a slight daze, pondering the follow-up plan.
The Beast God Sect's continuous attacks disrupted his arrangements.
He had been completing his own plans during this recent period—
[Constructing a mountain protection formation, spreading the Seven Star Sword Formation, helping D5 eliminate several King-level Blade Beasts externally, alleviating the external pressure on the D5 Comprehensive War Zone, and then using D5's hand to clean up the Spiritual Energy Capital internally, eliminating Xing Tian, and counterattacking the Spiritual Energy Management Committee.]
The enemy kept attacking his doorstep, but he had to swallow his anger?
That wasn't his nature.
The Daoist had to get his revenge, otherwise his Dao heart would be uneasy.
But now, things were becoming more and more complicated.
Another No. 4 Spiritual Cultivator, another Blade Beast-modified Beast God Sect, and the Blade Beasts were constantly intensifying their offensive against the D5 Comprehensive War Zone.
This made Wang Jixuan have to consider whether to directly select a group of people from D5 to impart the skills to.
He pondered slightly, but still dismissed this dangerous idea.
Even if he passed down the most basic breathing technique, if it spread out, it might inspire the spiritual energy users in the Spiritual Energy Capital. He didn't know how many people like Xing Tian, who liked to ponder, there were. If they collectively stepped into the gate of cultivation, it would be a disaster for D5 and himself.
These things must wait until his cultivation was high enough, or until Fu Jian defeated the Spiritual Energy Management Committee.
Because of Aunt Dragonfly's sake, Wang Jixuan still had a good impression of those naturalistic spiritual energy users.
At least the naturalistic faction treated people as people.
'Next, I still can't mess around. I'll help D5 alleviate the external pressure first, and after freeing up my hands, I'll clean up Xing Tian and the Spiritual Energy Management Committee.'
Wang Jixuan made up his mind, and then thought again.
'If the Blade Beasts continue to reinforce the D5 Comprehensive War Zone, then things here are really a bit uncertain.'
'Let's wait. When this poor Daoist steps into the Core Formation Realm, if D5 still can't take action, then this poor Daoist will take action myself. I must not let Xing Tian step into the SS level.'
'Just a Jin Gu Gang, an S+ level combat power, has made us so embarrassed. This guy Xing Tian is cunning, suspicious, and ruthless, and breaking arms and legs has already formed a mortal feud. He must be eliminated as soon as possible.'
Ding Ling Ling!
The alarm clock in the next dormitory rang.
Wang Jixuan subconsciously scanned with his spiritual sense and saw the nursery teacher who had already put on her pleated skirt and white shirt.
This 'virtual diva's' life was really a mess, and she went to work on an empty stomach almost every day.
A few minutes after Gao Huating ran away, a six-seater sightseeing car stopped downstairs in the residential building, driven by Little Zhou.
The passengers were already in place—Shen Qionglin, Tree Person Beta, and Shaman.
Wang Jixuan discussed with Zhou Zhengde during the interval between alchemy. Anyway, recruiting one was recruiting, and persuading three to return was also persuading them to return, so why not just call them all together.
Only by letting them understand the fortress first, and using Fortress No. 76 as a microcosm of the surface ecology, could he ask them whether they wanted to join him.
Wang Jixuan changed into a clean tracksuit, put on the sneakers that Mudan had brought at some point, and jumped down from the window of the residential building, looking refreshed.
Zhou Zhengde wondered, "Why don't I see your wingman?"
"I asked her to take care of Instructor Beta," Wang Jixuan sat next to Tree Person Beta in the back seat.
Tree Person Beta was honest and kind-hearted. He secretly took out a box of milk that he had left over from breakfast and handed it to Daoist Wang like a treasure.
"Thank you."
Wang Jixuan smiled and took it:
"Let's go. Today, Team Leader Zhou will take us to browse the inside of the fortress. I just happen to be surveying some points for arranging defensive formations later."
Shaman, who loved long desert-style dresses, couldn't help but mutter in a low voice:
"Why do I feel like you're implying something again today? Where's my captain?"
"They are still hiding in the D3 war zone."
Wang Jixuan comforted:
"Now is a time of great turmoil. It's safest for them to hide. You can directly tell the investigation team that you are injured, or that D5 is chasing you closely."
"Don't worry, after I get in touch with her, I will let you talk to her."
"Zhengde, has the casualty count been tallied?"
"One thousand seven hundred and sixty-two dead, and about eight thousand injured. Most of the injuries are minor."
Zhou Zhengde sighed, steadily started the sightseeing car, and drove towards the central elevator.
He muttered in a low voice:
"We didn't dare to disturb you when you were tinkering with things in the studio before."
"Grandpa has already sent other second-generation cyborgs over. He heard that Instructor Beta was rescued by you and asked me to express his gratitude to you on his behalf."
"He's grateful too early."
Wang Jixuan said simply:
"Tell him to thank me again at noon. I helped him keep a valuable combat force."
Zhou Zhengde was stunned for a moment, carefully savored it, and asked in surprise: "Instructor Beta can still fight in the future? Not just saved his life?"
"Yeah, not a big problem. He can continue to overload a hundred or eighty times."
Wang Jixuan changed the subject:
"Get me some of that compound they used. I want to see if I can make a life-saving method."
Shen Qionglin raised her hand and pushed up her non-existent glasses, reminding: "This compound stimulates brain excitement, at the cost of easily causing damage to brain tissue. It was developed specifically for cyborgs. You shouldn't need it."
"Just trying it out… I read some of the notes you wrote."
Wang Jixuan took out Shen Qionglin's notes and discussed the content of the first few pages with great interest.
Shaman and Tree Person Beta on the side were confused.
Shaman began to focus on admiring the scenery inside the fortress, while Beta listened carefully, eager to learn some valuable knowledge.
A very motivated and kind tree.
The sightseeing car first arrived at the thirteenth floor, circled around the central circular park, drove to the factory area on the thirteenth floor, and took them to visit the inside of the factory.
They browsed the capillary network, went to some simple lounges, and also met some workers who got up late and rushed to work. Most of these workers were in a hurry, and when they saw the sightseeing car, they would look at it curiously, but they would not come up to talk.
Wang Jixuan only read a few pages of notes and simply exchanged opinions with Shen Qionglin, and they both gained some inspiration.
Shen Qionglin felt that this was a kind of 'force of rules';
Wang Jixuan believed that the mysterious characters of spiritual cultivators were just 'methods' and did not involve the essence of the rules.
The two had some small debates about this.
However, when the sightseeing car came out of the central elevator and arrived at the forty-fifth floor, and went all the way down along the winding road, Shen Qionglin's eyes began to be attracted by the crowds on both sides.
She whispered, "Have I seen a similar situation?"
"Huh?"
"In the promotional videos that the Spiritual Energy Capital showed us."
Looking at the dazzling, decadent scene of the forty-sixth floor, Shen Qionglin whispered, "They say the humans here are so unbearable and depraved, they need the guidance of the City of Psionics."
Zhou Zhengde wondered, "Is their internal propaganda so base? Don't they mention the Mid-City and Upper-City?"
"Why would they?"
Shaman leaned against the side of the vehicle, curiously looking outside, muttering, "They just want to prove that the City of Psionics is humanity's only paradise."
"And then implement a reign of terror in the City of Psionics."
"That's how we were educated when we were young. If I hadn't joined the Investigation Team, I would have been kept in the dark. It's a kind of information cocoon, understand, Young Master Zhou?"
Zhou Zhengde smiled and shook his head.
A dozen wild-looking electric motorcycles appeared in front of and behind the sightseeing vehicle, the thugs of the Silver Party gang.
Now, in the Lower-City of Fortress 76, Zhou Zhengde was a household name, and no one dared to join in the fun.
They lingered for a long time on the forty-seventh and forty-eighth floors.
This was the place that best represented the Lower-City's ecosystem, filled with ordinary people with vacant eyes, trapped in darkness.
Treant Beta frowned and asked, "Um, may I be so bold as to ask? Why, when everyone has the ability to change the environment here, do they let so many people in the Lower-City live so without hope?"
"To live."
Zhou Zhengde replied simply:
"I've been working on this recently and found that no matter how hard I try, I can't directly change this ecosystem."
"Essentially, we're using the food rations for six hundred thousand people to feed eight hundred thousand people. We can only ensure that four hundred thousand of them live decently, one hundred thousand are high-attrition warriors, and the remaining three hundred thousand have to survive near the basic subsistence line with the food rations of one hundred thousand or one hundred and fifty thousand people."
"I could actually say that this is the will of the Fortress, to have an abundant source of soldiers in the war against the Blade Beasts, or to use the existence of the Lower-City to motivate the Mid-City and Upper-City."
"But I can't summarize these problems in this way… This is actually our incompetence."
"Incompetence?" Wang Jixuan said with a smile, "Little Zhou, you've changed quite a bit lately."
"In prison, you always get into the habit of contemplating life."
Zhou Zhengde smiled and said frankly:
"Essentially, we need more population, but we can't get the resources to support that population."
"Most of the Earth's surface has been occupied by Blade Beasts, and the City of Psionics is still exploiting local war zones in various ways."
"The form of class ascension from Lower-City to Mid-City, and from Mid-City to Upper-City, ensures that the humans who step out of the Fortress to fight the Blade Beasts have sufficient motivation. The fundamental reason is still this."
"The Fortress era has lasted for more than eighty years. I don't know whether I hate or am resigned to the Lower-City ecosystem. The only thing I'm sure of is that only by returning to the Earth's surface and living under the rising sun can humanity truly thrive on this planet."
"Although that day is still far away."
Wang Jixuan nodded beside him.
Little Zhou really helped a lot this time.
Treant Beta's eyes were full of emotion, and Shen Qionglin was also thinking about something.
Although Shaman pretended not to care, she watched the huddled figures in the faint light, and her expression gradually became a little sentimental.
"But they don't have a choice," Shaman said softly.
Zhou Zhengde said in a low voice, "In the Fortress, in the Mid-City and Upper-City, for all non-warrior professions, the amount of daily food rations available doesn't differ much, and most of the time, everyone eats emergency food, that kind of food made from protein from who-knows-where."
Treant Beta asked softly, "Then the nurseries… Oh, right, those are children."
"Protecting children is protecting the hope of civilization," Shen Qionglin said softly, "I still prefer the atmosphere of the Mid-City, where everyone lives by labor."
Wang Jixuan shrugged and signaled Zhou Zhengde to continue forward.
The Taoist said solemnly, "Don't talk about these sentimental topics anymore. If you're dissatisfied with the world, go change it. If you can't change it, then take care of yourself. I brought you down here today for another matter, a rather secret matter…"
Ding ding!
The communicator on Zhou Zhengde's wrist vibrated a few times. He looked down and said quickly:
"Interrupting for a moment, sorry, the Commander-in-Chief said he wants to communicate with you. He wants to ask if there are any more of those magical, self-melting pills left?"
"There are dozens of old cyborg mechs here that need them, it's urgent!"
"Instructor Bei Ke has already reported to him. Instructor Bei Ke said that he feels very good now, all the data is so good that it can't be better, the kind of good that can kill Six Lao with one punch."
"Yes, but I have to wait until the afternoon to start making them. I have to do things one by one."
Wang Jixuan asked:
"Have they finished fighting on the border?"
Zhou Zhengde quickly tapped on the communicator, replying, "The Blade Beasts' offensive is weaker today. They should be gathering more strength. We've activated more mechanical bodies to fill the battle lines."
"Good, let Old Fu be shocked later, I'll take care of business first."
Wang Jixuan looked at Shen Qionglin:
"There used to be an undeveloped Blade Beast nest underground, with some residual glowing stone fragments inside."
"Blade Beasts often lie on these stone fragments, probably to absorb psionic energy and fill their crystal cores."
"I've been studying it for a long time without any clues, but I think that if it were a leading expert in spiritual cultivation civilization, perhaps they would have some unique insights."
Flattery will get you everywhere.
A smile appeared on Shen Qionglin's lips, a smile tinged with pride.
She nodded slightly: "Okay, I will do my best."
Zhou Zhengde raised his hand to speak: "The Commander-in-Chief asks, can there be more of this medicine? Can there be two hundred? The Sixth Old War Zone has a large batch of meritorious cyborg mechs… This matter is really important!"
"Yes, but they have to wait in line."
Wang Jixuan was not surprised by this.
No one can resist the temptation of longevity, especially secular dignitaries.
"Tell Old Fu to restrain his emotions, I don't want to fund the enemy."
"Understood!" Zhou Zhengde's voice also had a bit more excitement.
Shen Qionglin blinked.
How much is here that she had never even heard of before? How magical.
