"Let's stick with the Convention's symbol, but there's still the symbol for the Sihali Kingdom, isn't there?"
"According to the projection, the marker given by the Sihali Kingdom is a bus stop. Once this thing is set up, other civilizations in the Convention can use it to travel to and from the Solar System. Although we can control its on/off switch, this thing is not suitable for either Venus or the Moon."
"There are too many crucial things on the moon, so we definitely can't put them here. As for Venus, according to Li Xingkong, the Sihali Kingdom is after our virtue. If we set up a base on Venus, those guys would start fighting and killing as soon as they came out, and they would lose all face."
"Who knows what those rat-headed men are really up to..."
"You can't say that. They're the ones who helped us join the Convention. We can't just turn around and complain."
"Since they value virtue, let's find a place that showcases the virtue of our Divine Land to them. If you ask me, let's place them on Mars. Most of the cultivators on Mars are Foundation Establishment cultivators, and their character is generally good. Those problematic cultivators have already fled into space and are hiding; they wouldn't come to Mars to cause trouble."
"Yes, Foundation Establishment cultivators are also our main force. Even if something happens, they can handle it."
"It's said that although these aliens are technologically advanced, very few of them can physically break through space..."
"Technological development also has its limitations. If everyone could fly into space and live to be a hundred, then who would those oligarchs who research technology exploit?"
"Exactly. A world of perfect harmony is, after all, an ideal society. Most civilizations have experienced rapid technological advancements, and their systems haven't kept pace. By the time the lower classes develop this idea, society has already evolved to a point where they can no longer resist."
"Robot armies, monopolies in various industries, and nations controlled by a select few, leaving ordinary people with no chance of turning the tide—such a civilization, by the time it reaches the StarCraft age, will naturally not consider any reforms; it will simply be a larger form of slavery."
"Sigh, no matter where you put it, it's always the common people who suffer. Wasn't our previous vision of a world of great harmony a bit too narrow? We've already unified Earth Star; shouldn't our next step be to unify the entire universe?"
"Taking such big steps, aren't you afraid of tearing your balls?"
"We've gone off on a tangent. The coordinates of this Sihali Kingdom are set on Mars. Do you have any other opinions?"
"No problem."
"No problem."
"Alright, next up is the movement of the major forces mentioned in this projection. Can we seize any opportunity, or at least have a plan for when we face them?"
"What's there to say? We have hunting rifles when wolves come, and good wine when friends come. When has our way of treating guests ever changed?"
"While that's true, they're clearly not friendly. Since Li Xingkong has warned us like this, it means there are some civilizations among them that even he can't handle. If we needlessly anger them, we'll be in big trouble."
"Although joining the Convention is like having a tiger's skin, now the big tiger is coming in person. At most, that tiger's skin will only make them a little more restrained. We still need to remain cautious."
"Caution is necessary, but we can't lose our fighting spirit. We can only be courteous to these aliens at most. If they insist on being ungrateful, we'll fight tooth and nail and spill our blood on them."
"If we lose land but save people, we can save both; if we lose people but save land, we can lose both. In any case, we must be prepared for anything. If we have no other choice, we will have to find a way to send a group of people out so that the bloodline of our Divine Land will not be cut off here."
"These aliens are so powerful, how could we possibly send people out right under their noses?"
"Wasn't this what we were talking about last time? The teleportation station of the Sihali Kingdom is set up. It's not like only they can use it. As soon as it's set up, a batch of seeds will be gathered and scattered throughout the universe directly through the station."
"That makes sense. Even if it's a major power, it wouldn't go to the trouble of turning the entire universe upside down just to hunt down a few people. But the choice of who to send out these people..."
"We'll select from the good families in our army. This is the worst-case scenario. When we choose, we'll treat it as selecting a group of vanguard soldiers to advance into space. As for the matter of continuing the bloodline, let's keep that a secret for now."
The participants discussed the potential situation around Earth Star for some time before settling on a general direction.
"Finally, there's some good news regarding the Shield of Truth that Li Xingkong captured. This thing has extremely strong defensive capabilities; it can even withstand a galactic explosion. Unfortunately, there's only one."
"We'll definitely need this thing, but where should we put it?"
"Of course, you're all stuck on the moon, so naturally we should get this thing there."
"What are you talking about? This kind of equipment is naturally meant for Earth Star. Earth Star is our home. Even if something happens, the moon is so close to Earth Star, we have a chance to relocate."
"I think we should place it on Venus. Venus allows for resurrection, and we can't afford to lose this advantage. If a real war breaks out, this will be the last inch of battlefield for Divine Land."
"I also think we should release Venus. Don't forget how Li Xingkong destroyed the Snail People's capital protected by this thing. If someone else launches a strike that bypasses the shield, they'll die no matter where they hide. At least on Venus, they have a chance to start over."
"Start over my ass! We've already been pushed all the way to Venus, do you want to be tortured like a corpse a few more times? We still have to put it on Earth Star. Other planets can be abandoned, but not Earth Star."
They were all in agreement on other matters, but a disagreement arose among those present regarding the placement of the shield.
"Alright, alright, let's stick to the old rule: vote."
After arguing for a while, neither side could convince the other, so in the end, they had to follow the tradition of Divine Land and hold a vote to decide who would receive the shield.
In the end, Earth Star was elected with the most votes, after all, it is the root of Divine Land.
Just like an old mother, although she allows him to take without expecting anything in return, once her son has made a name for himself and has money, his first thought will definitely be how to give back to her.
"Our discussion on the information revealed in the projection ends here. Further analysis and discussion will focus on how Divine Land can develop among the many civilizations in the universe, what our pillar industries should be, and how we can unlock the door to the cosmic trading system."
The conference was nearing its end, and most of the important matters had been discussed, so everyone finally relaxed.
Just then, the meeting's moderator posed a question to Tang Cheng and Old Tang.
What kind of person do you think Li Xingkong is?
This question seems easy to answer, but to answer it, we first need to understand one thing: why ask it here, and why now?
Having been in politics for so many years, Old Tang saw through the problem at a glance.
Li Xingkong's actions against the Snail People this time were somewhat too cruel, which led to a certain deviation in the characterization of him by the higher-ups in Divine Land.
After thinking for a moment, Old Tang spoke first.
"I think Li Xingkong is a qualified student of Confucianism. Although he has studied a wide range of things, his core beliefs are very similar to those of Mencius."