Next Steps

After Jiang Yun repaired the Earth Vein beneath the Spirit Bamboo Valley Dao Field, he used the Minor Heavenly Cycle Stars Array to draw in starlight. Then, through a Spiritual Energy Conversion Array, the purified Innate Spiritual Qi was channeled underground to nurture the Spirit Veins and improve the Dao Field's environment.

With these tasks completed, he found himself with ample free time to contemplate future developments.

The great battle between Hongjun and Luohu had concluded long ago, and the era of Saints preaching was imminent.

How could he cultivate peacefully amidst the frequent calamities and abundant Great Gods of the Primordial Desolation, undisturbed by the outside world? This was the question he needed to address.

Being in the West was both fortunate and unfortunate for Jiang Yun.

The Western world had been severely damaged by war, resulting in a poor cultivation environment. This led to the Spiritual Energy cultivation aptitude and speed of its inhabitants generally lagging behind other regions. Consequently, many top-tier beings in the West sought to migrate outwards, searching for places with better cultivation environments. This resulted in a shortage of top talent. Even a Golden Immortal like Jiang Yun was sufficient to become a local ancestor, ensuring a high degree of personal safety for the time being. Moreover, even future calamities would have little bearing on the Western world.

However, on the other hand, the scarcity of cultivation resources would severely impede personal progress. Cultivation relies on "wealth, companions, methods, and location," and none of these can be lacking. The absence of exchange between cultivators of the same realm meant a lack of Dao companions needed for the path of cultivation, which had a significant impact. He thought of later generations in the West, where obtaining anything required going to the East: lacking talent, they would raid the Chan and Jie teachings; lacking Fortune, they had to rely on the benevolence of Yuanshi and Laozi to barely gain the opportunity for Buddhist teachings to spread East, accumulating Fortune by preaching to the human race.

To ensure stable cultivation in the future, he would inevitably need to find a patron. Relying on himself alone, to be honest, wouldn't amount to much. Currently, he was far behind the top demons of the Primordial Desolation in terms of cultivation, origin, Fortune, wisdom, and everything else; he was completely outmatched. The only thing he could rely on was his knowledge of certain plot points from later legends, which still needed verification.

Therefore, with great pragmatism, he left his Dao Field and traveled to Mount Sumeru to seek apprenticeship and a powerful connection, believing that the two eager-for-talent individuals would not refuse him.

It was precisely after his departure that the array formations he had set up, which he hadn't paid much attention to, began to reveal their immense power over time.

With the ample support of starlight, the Spirit Veins formed above the Earth Vein continuously expanded outwards along it.

Initially, the newly formed Spirit Veins were only a few hundred meters long and three zhang thick, not even covering the extent of the Spirit Bamboo Valley Dao Field. However, in the subsequent period, centered around Spirit Bamboo Valley, the Spirit Veins grew rapidly, nourishing the Earth Vein below.

Driven by this, the Earth Vein's recovery time was greatly shortened, and more Spiritual Energy was converted. This Spiritual Energy, in turn, further promoted the growth of the Spirit Veins. Under this virtuous cycle, the original Spirit Bamboo Valley was continuously lifted upwards by the growing Spirit Veins as they expanded.

Once the Spirit Vein reached a certain scale, the Spirit Bamboo Valley naturally transformed from a sunken valley into the towering mountain range it was today.

If Jiang Yun's personal energy hadn't been limited initially, and he had only repaired the Earth Vein within a radius of ten thousand li around the Dao Field, perhaps Spirit Bamboo Mountain wouldn't have grown so tall today.

Because the Earth Vein ten thousand li away was still blocked, the outward expansion of the Spirit Veins was hindered. However, the conversion of Spiritual Energy continued unabated. Under these circumstances, the Spirit Veins within ten thousand li could only develop horizontally instead of vertically. The Spirit Veins became increasingly thicker, and the mountain's terrain grew steeper accordingly.

Listening to the explanations from Gao Shou and Ling Xi, Jiang Yun gained a clear understanding of how Spirit Bamboo Valley had become Spirit Bamboo Mountain.

Based on this understanding, he briefly summarized the information and issues he had collected.

Firstly, the current development of the Dao Field was progressing well, with significant improvements in the cultivation environment. This had led to an increasing number of living beings gathering within a radius of ten thousand li around the Dao Field, which was a very positive phenomenon and would greatly aid the future development of the Dao Field. However, for now, unified planning and management of these migrating beings were necessary.

Secondly, the development of the underground Spirit Veins was currently constrained by the blockage of the external Earth Vein. If this continued, a large amount of Spiritual Energy would accumulate in these areas, much like silt blocking the Yellow River, and significant problems would arise once a certain point was reached. A plan of action needed to be devised as soon as possible to address this situation and make specific arrangements to resolve the issue early.

In response to the current situation and the purpose of his return, Jiang Yun's idea was to immediately establish a similar system on Spirit Bamboo Mountain, following the model of Pengxuan Grotto-Heaven.

He even gave this system a name: the Western Teachings First Five-Year Plan Office, or "Planning Office" for short. The original various halls would all fall under the Planning Office, with him serving as its head.

His original intention in bringing a few people back from the grotto-heaven world was with this in mind, planning to establish the local branch of the Planning Office in Spirit Bamboo Valley.

According to his vision in Pengxuan Grotto-Heaven, the personnel he brought back upon returning to Spirit Bamboo Valley would surely be insufficient. Therefore, he could start by setting up the framework.

The Earth Vein within a ten-thousand-li radius of the Dao Field had been repaired by him earlier. After so much time had passed, it should be able to gradually attract some beings to gather here. At that time, he could cultivate personnel from this gathered population to meet future development needs.

However, he hadn't expected the development around the Dao Field to be so rapid; it had completely exceeded his expectations.

Next, Jiang Yun found a spot outside the Spirit Bamboo Mountain Dao Field and had the individuals from the grotto-heaven world construct the main hall for the office there.

He then assigned positions to them: Chi Mei would be in charge of the Net, Yuan Tong would oversee the Mission Hall, Gao Shou would head the Enforcement Hall, Gui Sun would manage the Exchange Hall, Xue Yu would be responsible for the Transmission Hall, and Ling Xi would oversee the Scripture Hall. The remaining individuals would be chosen by the respective hall masters as deputies to assist them.

Once the heads of each hall were confirmed, he instructed them to leave the Dao Field and scout the outer areas, recording the geographical environment and simultaneously demonstrating the strength of the Spirit Bamboo Mountain office to their neighbors.

After they completed their reconnaissance, he and the others began planning together.

Jiang Yun planned to follow the First Five-Year Plan model, initially designating eight areas in the eight directions of Spirit Bamboo Mountain as key development strongholds for the first phase of expansion. Based on the reconnaissance results, considering factors such as the strength and Fortune of the surrounding tribes, he would, when the time was ripe, arrange for several tribes to settle at each node, gradually expanding the spiritual land area of the primary node, Spirit Bamboo Mountain, outwards...

After completing the plan, Jiang Yun decided to preach at the foot of Spirit Bamboo Mountain. He had already demonstrated his strength to his neighbors; next, he would give them some benefits. The "one stick, one carrot" approach was something he could now skillfully employ!