"I remember when I was in school, Heavenly Capital. Isn't everyone cultivating immortality a kind of liberation of productivity?"
Seeing Tang Cheng's headache, Li Xingkong shared his thoughts.
"Anyway, I don't understand politics, and neither do you. Let's leave this kind of thing to the professionals."
We can't just stop the Spiritual Qi revival plan because of these issues; that would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
"Indeed, let those who study these things worry about it. Anyway, when the wheels of history start rolling, no one can stop them; the right path will always appear beneath the wheels."
Tang Cheng stopped thinking about it too much. After all, he was only a half-baked expert, so let his father worry about it.
"To be honest, I originally imagined the cultivation world to be like the kind you often see in novels, where there are only three kinds of people: ants, fellow cultivators, and seniors. It's a world full of deceit and cutthroat competition, with lower-level cultivators barely surviving every day, and geniuses from all walks of life challenging and challenging other cultivators..."
In Tang Cheng's mind, this kind of worldview seemed to have become a common concept in the cultivation world.
There was no trace of human warmth, nor any talk of national civilization.
"I felt the same way when I first started practicing."
This idea wasn't unique to Tang Cheng. Li Xingkong also had similar thoughts when he first obtained the system. He had imagined the cruelty and cunning of the entire cultivation world and wondered how he would grow up in such an environment.
Unfortunately, the world Li Xingkong faced was completely different from what he had imagined.
Throughout his cultivation journey, he lived in the world of contemporary society. Because he was so engrossed in cultivation, he rarely interacted with people. Although he witnessed many of humanity's flaws, his cultivation progressed faster than expected, allowing him to view all situations with an invincible mindset.
Having cultivated to this point, Li Xingkong now finds the current world order more in line with his wishes than the treacherous world he had imagined.
"In fact, the development pattern of cultivation civilization largely depends on the ideas of its leader."
Li Xingkong pondered for a moment and then shared his opinion.
"The cultivation civilization is actually more like a monarchical civilization than modern society. Modern monarchical autocracy is just a system; it can only affect the system of a country. Ultimately, it depends on the execution capabilities of the various institutions that constitute the country and the many people involved. When everyone is of one mind and the people's lives are acceptable, it can function normally, with the monarch's power rising from the bottom up."
"But cultivation civilizations are different. In the worldview of cultivators, the strongest being in the entire world is the true monarch. His power comes only from himself, and the power structure of the entire society is top-down. Moreover, the cultivator's abilities are not only reflected in the system; he has a real and tangible control over the entire world. He can summon wind and rain, change the heavens and the earth, recreate the universe, and return to chaos. These are all things he can do. This is true dictatorship."
Tang Cheng supported Li Xingkong's idea. After all, judging from Li Xingkong's current abilities, it was only a matter of time before he became the king of Earth Star, and it wouldn't take long—at most a year or two.
"Therefore, the future direction of our Earth Star depends on your decision."
Tang Cheng joked that, based on what they knew, Li Xingkong was currently the strongest cultivator on Earth Star.
"You could say that."
Li Xingkong took this obviously joking remark quite seriously, since it was indeed true given the current situation.
This is not arrogance, nor is it Li Xingkong making any unfounded assumptions.
He does indeed have the power to forcibly mold the entire civilization of Earth Star into the shape he desires, but he hasn't done so.
Subduing people by force may feel good, but it doesn't quite align with Li Xingkong's thinking. The real thrill comes from all over the world coming to pay their respects.
In plain terms, Li Xingkong is already poised for military victory, but he won't. He's determined to seize this opportunity and pursue a cultural victory, while also thoroughly humiliating the other players who are on the verge of economic and religious triumphs.
In his eyes, the entire world order has been reduced to a game of civilization spanning thousands of years.
He is now a player with cheat codes, capable of changing the game or even ending it at any time, but obviously not now.
In the first half of a game, you're at a disadvantage in every way. You finally manage to get to the mid-game, turn the tide, and the game is even developing in your favor. But if you just go in and beat up the opposing players at this point, it's not really a meaningful way to win.
In situations like this, most people would be hoping the other side would concede defeat sooner; the longer it drags on, the more enjoyable it is.
Even when playing games, you still need to beat up the fountain (a character in the game).
" Brother Li, you..."
Tang Cheng was genuinely surprised by Li Xingkong's response. It was rare to hear Li Xingkong speak so arrogantly.
"In my view, whether it's spiritual practice or daily life, they are both parts of life. Even if the world were to incorporate spiritual practice, the existing pattern of civilization wouldn't change much."
"Cultivation and self-cultivation complement each other. Without a heart turned towards the Tao, one is destined not to go far on the path of cultivation. And those who are truly devoted to the Tao, how often do they have time to wreak havoc on the world? It can only be said that it is very rare."
Li Xingkong had long ago made his own plans regarding the direction of universal cultivation.
Although the Qi Refining Method provided by the system is something that everyone can practice and is the culmination of countless civilizations' efforts, in Li Xingkong's view, it is not suitable to directly impart this cultivation method to everyone.
At least not at this stage.
While Li Xingkong believed that everyone has a kind side and that human nature is inherently good, this belief was one-sided. In the real world, there is too much deceit and treachery, and even he could not foresee everyone's true nature.
Some people, once they acquire power, will unleash their evil side, affecting social order and disrupting stability.
Some people, who have suffered oppression for half their lives, will have their dead hearts rekindled when they acquire this ability. If they remain calm, they are fine, but if they are not, they are like a powder keg.
Power itself is neither good nor evil, but people are. Therefore, this power is not suitable for direct dissemination, which does not align with Li Xingkong's thinking.
Li Xingkong was initially quite troubled because he didn't really have a good way to control this aspect, but after witnessing the methods of Foundation Establishment cultivators, Li Xingkong had a new idea.
Power itself is neither good nor evil, but Li Xingkong is. Moreover, by using the Divine Sense techniques of Foundation Establishment cultivator, he can imbue the power he radiates with a benevolent attribute.
It's very simple: he incorporates his own views on good and evil into the foundation of spiritual practice.
If someone who obtains the cultivation method shares or greatly aligns with Li Xingkong's overall beliefs, their cultivation will naturally proceed smoothly. However, if their own concepts of good and evil are flawed, or if their educational background and beliefs differ from Li Xingkong's —for example, Li Xingkong supports Divine Land's traditional culture and embraces diversity, but the person who obtains his cultivation method has been deeply influenced by the survival-of-the-fittest mentality of Western culture, which clashes with Li Xingkong's beliefs—then their cultivation will be fraught with obstacles at every step.
Either you simply don't cultivate, watching others live long lives and just remain a mortal for the rest of your life, or you abandon your own preconceived notions and conform to the concepts in the Qi Refining Method, so that when you embark on the path of cultivation, your entire being is transformed into a completely new person, both physically and mentally.
This was the first time Li Xingkong was preparing to exercise his power as the number one cultivator of terrain, a power that no one could challenge.