It Didn't Seem Like Such a Bad Thing

In fact, Yi Xuan the difference between technology and cultivation.

Cultivation can be a journey of daring and perseverance, a path to success even under odds, and a chance to defeat countless opponents single-handedly. As long as one's Spirit Root is strong enough, one cultivates diligently enough, and is sufficiently cautious, one day that person will dominate the Cultivation Realm.

But technology is completely different. As a researcher in his previous life, Yi Xuan all too well how technology depended on population.

To put it bluntly, technology is not something that one person can master, not even the greatest scientists of past lives.

Whether it's Newton, Einstein, or Tesla, their great achievements were all built upon the work of their predecessors.

We cannot deny their great contributions to this scientific system, but we also dare not ignore the many unknown ordinary researchers who have elevated them to such high positions.

Now that he knew he possessed a province, Yi Xuan kept weighing the options in his mind.

At first, when he learned that there were no Spirit Stone mines in this state, Yi Xuan was instinctively somewhat disappointed from the perspective of a cultivator.

But he soon realized how helpful this state was to him.

Yi Xuan wasn't particularly interested in the land of this state, but besides the land, there was also the entire population of the state.

What does the population of a state mean? In my previous life, this would have been a provincial-level region. Even though this mortal realm in the Cultivation Realm is based on ancient agricultural civilization, the population of a province here is not as large as in my previous life.

Don't forget that this world belongs to cultivators. Even if ordinary people can't cultivate, their physical abilities are far superior to those of humans in their previous lives, thanks to the environment surrounded by Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

This resulted in a single state in this world having a population of tens of millions. What does that mean? In Yi Xuan's previous life, this could be considered a small to medium-sized country.

If technology were to be promoted among such a large population, Yi Xuan couldn't even imagine how much he could shorten the cycle of technological explosion with the Book of Technology in his mind.

Perhaps a hundred years from now, this world will have been completely transformed into a technological civilization.

Just as Yi Xuan was imagining a wonderful future, Xiao Anhe's voice interrupted him.

"Yi Xuan, this matter is settled. Xiong Province will be incorporated into the Youyun Kingdom and administered by the sect. This way, you won't have to worry about this prefecture anymore. As for the annual tribute from Xiong Province, the sect will not take a single penny; it will all be yours!"

"Ah?"

"What? Is there anything else you're not satisfied with?" Xiao Anhe asked, somewhat displeased by Yi Xuan's questioning.

It's clear that Xiao Anhe's proposed solution was already the best possible outcome, as evidenced by the expressions of the other elders in the main hall. They wouldn't waste time managing Xiong Province —the sect would take over—and they could even receive free offerings. What a wonderful thing!

Unfortunately, this wasn't the best option for Yi Xuan, who had just made up his mind. Looking at his somewhat impatient master, Yi Xuan cautiously said, "Master, perhaps we shouldn't trouble the sect. Letting me manage this province doesn't seem like a bad thing!"

"You!"

Xiao Anhe never expected that Yi Xuan would be so ungrateful. As his master, he had considered everything for him from beginning to end, but he never expected that this kid would be completely ungrateful.

He was just about to speak to Yi Xuan, telling him not to let this state of affairs delay his cultivation.

But Xiao Anhe suddenly realized that Yi Xuan was Rootless Person, and even without this state, he would still be unable to improve his cultivation.

The others in the hall realized this as well, and for a moment, they all fell silent, looking at Yi Xuan with pity.

Because of the strength Yi Xuan demonstrated during this period, they selectively forgot the fact that he was Rootless Person.

As Yi Xuan's teacher, Xiao Anhe naturally thought further ahead. He felt that Yi Xuan was preparing for his own death, so that when his lifespan was nearing its end, he could pass on Xiong Province to his descendants, which would be a kind of guarantee.

Thinking of this, Xiao Anhe felt a pang of heartache for his disciple, then said in a trembling voice, "From this day forward, Xiong Province belongs to Yi Xuan. This order is incorporated into the sect rules, and no one may change it!"

"Forehead!"

Yi Xuan was somewhat bewildered by his master's order, and the way everyone in the hall looked at him made Yi Xuan feel extremely uncomfortable.

Fortunately, the final outcome was good, Yi Xuan quickly knelt down to thank his master. Afterwards, because the atmosphere in the main hall was rather strange, and since there was nothing more for him to do, he quickly excused himself and left.

After returning home, Yi Xuan did not linger but boarded the subway directly to No. 2 Base.

Throughout the journey, Yi Xuan kept weighing his next steps.

Whether it's right or wrong to expand technological development in this world of cultivation at this stage is not clear to Yi Xuan.

This is why, even though Yi Xuan understands the role of population in technology, he has been working alone until now.

Yi Xuan was afraid; he was truly afraid.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this world may lack capital; it does have cultivators.

Cultivators are far more terrifying than capital. Capital may at most steal your things, but cultivators are all about physical annihilation.

Yi Xuan couldn't imagine what the outcome would have been if he had fully deployed technology throughout the world from the very beginning.

Initially, things might develop smoothly because, in the eyes of those cultivators, Yi Xuan's methods were nothing more than strange and ingenious techniques, posing no threat to them.

But what if Yi Xuan mass-produced Barrett rifles? With everyone in the Cultivation Realm Barrett, even the status of Golden Core True Person would become precarious.

By then, even a fool would know that the top figures in the Cultivation Realm wouldn't stand idly by.

The best outcome would be to confine Yi Xuan to serve these top tycoons.

However, it is highly likely that Yi Xuan will not enjoy such treatment. When faced with unknown threats, the most direct means for people is to eliminate them, that kind of world-level elimination.

Now, why isn't Yi Xuan afraid of the cultivators attacking him?

On one hand, it's because Yi Xuan's strength at this point is far greater than when he first arrived in this world; even Nascent Soul Cultivator have fallen at his feet.

Although he couldn't directly communicate with the big shots in the Cultivation Realm, Yi Xuan felt that he didn't need to worry too much about his safety in the Southern Frontier.

On the other hand, although Yi Xuan planned to develop technology in Xiong Province, he also wanted to proceed gradually.

Historical experience taught Yi Xuan that reforms achieved overnight would not end well; the best approach was to gradually boil the frog in water.

The subway quickly arrived at No. 2 Base. Yi Xuan went straight to the valley above and ran towards the cave where Shi Zhenghao was in seclusion.

When they were still some distance from the cave, Yi Xuan couldn't help but shout, "Old Zhuo, do you want a wife?"