Ji Chang'an cleared his throat. "Once Comrade Zhang Weiguo reaches Foundation Establishment, we can begin screening for spirit roots nationwide."
"Then we will gather all cultivators with heavenly spirit roots and mobilize resources for their cultivation. If any of them harbors ill intentions, Comrade Weiguo can step in and execute them on the spot!"
Ji Chang'an used the word execute, showing not the slightest mercy on account of their heavenly spirit root talent.
No matter how great their talent was.
If they could not behave themselves.
They would ultimately be ticking time bombs.
Great Xia absolutely could not waste the resources Comrade Lu had worked so hard to obtain in the cultivation world to raise an ungrateful wolf.
Cultivation was a gift to begin with.
If they still dared harbor crooked intentions.
They were courting death.
Hearing this, Great Xia's senior leaders considered it for a moment, then nodded in firm agreement.
After Zhang Weiguo successfully reached Foundation Establishment, he would possess extremely powerful strength. If any cultivators selected from the general population dared cause trouble.
He could step in directly and slay them.
Something suddenly occurred to Ji Chang'an. He looked at Chen Guowei. "How are the arrangements for Comrade Lu's family coming along?"
Chen Guowei answered immediately.
"Comrade Lu's father, Comrade Lu Dahai, has essentially familiarized himself with the relevant work. In private, we introduced him to quite a few comrades within the system. He is no longer the man he once was."
"Arrangements were also made for his mother, Jiang Rumeng, to establish a national pharmaceutical company. It is currently flourishing and should successfully go public before long."
"Young Comrade Lu Chenyu's eyes are recovering very well. Oh, before he became a soldier of Great Xia, I took it upon myself to test his spirit roots ahead of time with the Spirit-Sensing Stone."
Ji Chang'an raised an eyebrow. "And the result?"
"A dual-attribute fire and wood high-grade spirit root!"
He had a spirit root!
That meant he could cultivate.
Unfortunately, it was not a heavenly spirit root.
The cultivation resources currently in Great Xia's possession were limited, and they had already found themselves in the awkward position of having no resources available several times.
This had also led Ji Chang'an and the others to settle on a policy.
For now, they would nurture only the top geniuses with heavenly spirit root aptitude.
But Lu Chenyu...
"Old Ji, strictly speaking, Comrade Lu sent all these cultivation resources back. They should belong to the Lu Household. His own younger brother..."
Ji Chang'an understood what Chen Guowei meant.
So did all the other senior leaders of Great Xia.
"Last time, we consumed over thirty thousand spirit stones in nearly a month. At that rate, we should consume sixty thousand spirit stones over two months, or seventy to eighty thousand at the absolute most. That means we should have at least sixty to seventy thousand spirit stones left over."
"What if Comrade Lu doesn't send back any more resources two months from now?"
This was a very important question.
So even if there were spirit stones left over, saving them might be the right choice.
"That shouldn't happen. Research has found that conflict in the cultivation world is extremely severe. The importance of law artifacts is beyond question. The few law artifacts we produce in Great Xia are nothing but a cup of water against a burning cart of firewood in the cultivation world as a whole. They could never fail to sell. Since the law artifacts can be sold, there will inevitably be a steady supply of resources coming back."
The analysis was well reasoned and supported, leaving everyone unable to find fault with it.
It was also quite right.
Law artifacts in the cultivation world never lacked buyers.
Even low-tier law artifacts had low-tier cultivators to buy them.
As long as Great Xia could produce them, the cultivation world could absorb any quantity.
If the market at Mist Spirit Mountain Market became saturated.
There were other markets in the cultivation world, as numerous as the stars, too many to count.
Thus, Great Xia's senior leaders were correct in their assessment. There was no need whatsoever to worry about selling law artifacts.
The artifact refiners in the cultivation world were nowhere near as formidable as Great Xia's production lines, so demand always far exceeded supply.
"So I would even suggest allowing some of the soldiers with high-grade spirit root aptitude to cultivate."
"That would also let us feed more cultivation back to Comrade Lu!"
There was nothing wrong with that reasoning.
As long as resources were sufficient and cultivation did not stagnate.
Then, of course, the more people cultivating, the better!
Those words sent everyone present into contemplation again.
Allowing soldiers with high-grade spirit root aptitude to begin cultivation ahead of time ran counter to the policy they had previously upheld.
But cultivation was something completely unfamiliar to Great Xia.
Its senior leaders were all effectively crossing the river by feeling for stones.
How could anything be certain or inevitable?
Everything had to be adjusted at any time according to changing circumstances, striving for the optimal choice.
As their pillar, Ji Chang'an had to make a decision.
"I think Old Liu makes a very good point. We cannot leave spirit stones sitting around. We must turn them into cultivation and feed it back to Comrade Lu."
"But we cannot consume them without restraint either. I suggest setting aside one hundred thousand spirit stones for Zhang Weiguo and the other three heavenly spirit root cultivators, and using the other fifty thousand to nurture others."
"I remember there are twelve soldiers with high-grade spirit roots in total. With Lu Chenyu, that makes thirteen." At this point, Ji Chang'an suddenly paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone seated there in turn.
"Speaking of Lu Chenyu, I think it is time to bring something up."
"Everyone seated here has rendered meritorious service to Great Xia. We cannot deliberately favor some over others. Each of you will be responsible for gathering your direct relatives within three generations who are under fifty years old for a collective spirit root test. Anyone with high-grade spirit root aptitude or better may begin cultivation with the next batch."
At these words, everyone present grew visibly excited.
However many thoughts they had harbored.
To avoid any appearance of impropriety.
They had never dared bring it up.
If a cultivator could emerge from their own lineage, that blessing might extend through countless generations.
After all, cultivation could grant longevity!
Once the excitement subsided, Ji Chang'an issued one order after another.
All concerned cultivation.
At present, cultivation was the focus of everything in Great Xia.
All the strength of the entire nation had to prioritize cultivation!
Once Great Xia had spirit stones and resumed cultivation, Lu Chenxing, far away in another world, immediately received the feedback.
The spiritual power within him once again surged at tremendous speed.
A few days later, the increase in his spiritual power grew greater.
He immediately understood that Great Xia had probably increased the number of cultivators.
This was the confidence that abundant resources brought.
Lu Chenxing had thought his days would pass peacefully, but an unforeseen turn suddenly arrived.
Heavenly Traversal Peak.
The cave abode he had visited when he first arrived.
Lu Xuanqing lay on the stone bed, barely clinging to life.
Around him, all four Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Lu Household had gathered.
Worry showed on every face.
Lu Chenxing felt a pang in his heart. Although he had not had much contact with his grandfather in this world, the goodwill the man had once shown him had let him feel the warmth of family.
"Grandpa, didn't I tell you to lie low and wait for me to carry you?"
"How could you..."
"Alas!"