The reason why Divine Land did not choose to start a war with foreign powers now, but instead deployed the Nation-Protecting Grand Formation first, was also out of precaution. In case these guys really went for it, at least the entire ecosystem of Divine Land could be protected from collapse.
Finally, there are some small countries in the south. There's not much to say about these small countries. Their national power is too small, and they don't even have much say in the international arena. The only information they can get is from the announcements made by the major powers, let alone any understanding of the changes happening in Divine Land.
In their view, the world order remains the same as before, with no changes, and they live each day in a daze.
The only difference is that there are fewer and fewer tourists from Divine Land. In the past, many people would come here every year during holidays to experience the local culture, but now a few people just disappear on the spot.
In recent years, I've had too little time for spiritual practice, let alone traveling abroad. Even the domestic tourism industry isn't doing well. Apart from a few Buddhist and Daoist temples that are much more popular than before, other scenic spots are seeing very few visitors.
In this vast region centered on the service and tourism industries, many small countries are experiencing a severe decline.
Of course, Divine Land also has its own thoughts about these small countries. After all, many of them are politically aligned, not much different from South Korea, and are essentially exclaves of the Eagle Country Stick Country. How can we allow others to sleep soundly on our own turf? These venomous fangs will have to be pulled out sooner or later.
However, their priority is relatively low, since they are a disorganized group and relatively easy to organize. Just look at how they could reach his capital in half an hour back in the last century; now, it would be even faster.
In any case, judging from the current situation, the surrounding countries have all been affected to varying degrees and are basically in a state of decline. After all, in the past, in addition to being the world's factory, Divine Land also contributed a lot to the world's tourism revenue. However, in recent years, as Divine Land's external exchanges have decreased, other countries have also been affected.
Of course, at the very beginning of cultivation, some people couldn't resist the urge to go out and explore. But when they went out, they found that the whole place had no Spiritual Qi at all. Having gotten used to the environment where Spiritual Qi was reviving, being in this state without Spiritual Qi was like being drowned, which was extremely uncomfortable.
The purpose of travel is to relax. If you're already feeling down, what's the point of traveling? Most people obediently come back after a few days.
The neighboring countries were not doing well, which gave Divine Land a period of stable development.
The chat with Old Tang lasted for the entire afternoon. The group sat there until it got dark before reluctantly ending this reunion of old friends.
After all, compared to chatting, Old Tang and the others had a lot of work to do, and it was already quite an achievement that they could spare so much time. Li Xingkong also had other things to do; having been away for so long, he naturally wanted to go back and see his parents.
The afternoon's casual conversation gave Li Xingkong a much better understanding of the current situation, which could be considered as a refresher course for himself after returning to Earth Star.
Li Xingkong came out of the Earthly Capital. Everyone else seemed quite busy, so Li Xingkong didn't bother them too much, since it would obviously be faster for him to go home by himself.
After leaving the Earthly Capital, the night view of the Imperial Capital became even more dazzling and colorful. The vehicles passing by in the sky formed colorful ribbons, like flowing water, surging forward along the channel, endlessly.
Li Xingkong did not join such a colorful river; his flight speed was too fast. According to Old Tang, at his speed, he had his own exclusive flight path.
Air routes are distinguished by altitude. At a complex intersection, there may be dozens of distinct traffic flows converging and then proceeding according to their own routes. The air routes that Li Xingkong flies are much higher than the flight altitude of these suspended vehicles.
He simply stepped lightly at the exit of the Earthly Capital, and silently soared into the sky. In just a few flashes, he arrived at a very high position, where the entire Imperial Capital was below him, a truly commanding view.
On the way home Li Xingkong didn't fly fast; he wanted to see the scenery along the way.
For those working in the Imperial Capital, the greatest advantage of spiritual practice is that their place of residence and workplace can be far apart. Everyone travels by air, a straight-line distance, which is much more convenient than taking the subway or bus.
What used to take half an hour to get stuck in traffic on the Second Ring Road could now take half an hour to get out of Imperial Capital.
The biggest impact is probably on the real estate sector. People are willing to rent a place further away for a more comfortable life, which has made landlords who divide a living room into eight rooms unemployed.
As a result of these changes, cities have become different. Where buildings with different functions used to be mixed together, the division of urban areas has become more distinct. Office areas, factory areas, and residential areas are now separated, clearly dividing the city into different zones.
Li Xingkong encountered many people along the way. At this time, most people were going home. Judging from their direction of travel, the Imperial Capital had now become a circular city. Inside the circle were various office areas, while at the edge of the circle were numerous residential areas.
Of course, the number of people in the city is much smaller than before. After all, many people who feel they are not short of money have chosen to return to their hometowns to devote themselves to spiritual practice. Only some people who are still attached to material enjoyment are still struggling for a salary.
Don't underestimate the power of capital. Even when spiritual practice is right in front of them, some people are willing to give it up for temporary pleasure. Especially in this era where the power of discourse is in the hands of major media outlets, even if spiritual practice is entirely beneficial, they can still use Distortion values to make most people feel averse to it.
Most people are blindly following the crowd; they live only to live according to the voices of others and never consider what they really want.
This is also why the country is vigorously promoting education. With a solid foundation of knowledge, one will not be swayed by all sorts of rumors and gossip, and will not live an increasingly tiring life.