Chapter 279: The Qi Meridian Wall! The Method to Break the Seal! (I)

Shen Sui'an, whom the authorities had repeatedly commended for his recent contributions of rare materials, rushed over with two elders in tow. "Daoist Master Bu Yan, an immortal just gave me a message from Fairy Bu Yu. It seems she's currently at a critical moment in her seclusion. She asked me to deliver this handwritten letter to you."

Hovering in midair above Mount Pingdu, Qing Yanzi froze in surprise.

A letter?

Qing Yanzi immediately grew anxious.

This better not be a farewell letter of some sort!

Upon opening it, the Heavenly Abode Realm Daoist master, who had already become the representative of the righteous path, was rendered speechless. His expression darkened, and a corner of his mouth twitched.

Haaaa... Being the master just isn't like being the junior. In the end, raising a daughter means eventually watching her get married and leave. She has even begun to disobey and refuse to see me anymore!

Before arriving, Shen Sui'an had secretly taken a peek at the letter. He had expected Qing Yanzi to leave dejectedly, but to his surprise, the Daoist master actually smiled faintly. The worry in his gaze also disappeared.

Shen Sui'an could not help but ask, "Daoist Master Bu Yan, what does the letter say?"

"It's a meme. Have you ever used them before?" Qing Yanzi chuckled as he folded Mu Wanxuan's letter and tucked it back into his sleeve.

"Everyone has used emojis before. I used to rely on them when doing business, but what is the meaning behind the one that Fairy Bu Yu drew?"

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"She's telling me that she has already moved on. Let her be. If she feels happier guarding the Small Nether Realm, then as her master, I have no reason to forcibly pry her away from it."

Shen Sui'an sighed. He thought of his daughter, who had become an immortal in the Small Nether Realm. "It seems our children have matured enough to decide for themselves. Aside from respecting their choices, there is little we can do."

"There is still an urgent matter that requires my supervision," Qing Yanzi said. "The fiends and devils we have to eliminate are not easy to deal with. I must take my leave."

"If you need the Hidden Earth Sect's assistance, do not hesitate to ask, Daoist Master Bu Yan."

"It's fine. I'm just going over to oversee. The main goal is to train some skilled fighters for the Special Warfare Unit."

Shen Sui'an bid him farewell. Qing Yanzi stepped on two daggers and controlled the wind as if walking through the void. In a blink, he vanished into the sky.

Behind Shen Sui'an, an elderly woman softly asked, "Sect Master, why didn't you bring up the qi meridian matter? With Daoist Master Bu Yan's connections, it could progress much faster."

Shen Sui'an shook his head. "I've already submitted the qi meridian proposal to the Cultivation Research Institute. I'm not really concerned about what we stand to gain or lose, but if we hand this over to him, we'll get less out of it than if we go through official channels.

"Although the Hidden Earth Sect currently enjoys good relations with the cultivation world, we still have to prepare for what may come. Increasing our influence with the authorities is our topmost priority."

The old woman lowered her head. "You truly have profound foresight, Sect Master. Forgive my lack of precaution."

"Daoist Master Bu Yan is Daoist Master Fei Yu's master. He is worthy of trust and reliance." With his hands behind his back, Shen Sui'an gazed at the horizon. "Once the qi meridian emerges, the pressure on the Hua Republic will likely surge. Our sect has to be ready to respond to that."

"We'll follow your arrangements."

Shen Sui'an nodded. A trace of contemplation flashed in his eyes as he stood in silence for some time.

***

After Wang Sheng's "heroic death," the world naturally kept turning.

Though the Hua Republic's cultivation world had lost a rising star and a young sword cultivator, it was not enough to cause a major impact. In the cultivation world, significant events happened nearly every year.

The year Wang Sheng made his untimely sacrifice, people naturally talked about the near collision between the Small Nether Realm and the Mortal Realm the most. Hence, Wang Sheng was awarded a series of honors as a martyr.

That same year, the Hua Republic finally sent a delegation to Sakura Island. Unfortunately, Wang Sheng, who had been looking forward to it for a long time, couldn't join.

Afterward, Sakura Island's cultivation world and the Hua Republic's cultivation world began a long verbal battle, further escalating the conflict. Sakura Island's cultivators were initially haughty and provocative, but the Hua Republic's delegation firmly trampled on them in front of Mount Fudo.

The Daoist sects thought that they had temporarily intimidated the cultivation world of Sakura Island. However, to their surprise, the Sakura Island cultivators had simply been biding their time and waiting for a chance to rise again.

The Sakura Island cultivators soon launched a public recruitment campaign under the name of the Yin-Yang All-Creation Sect. In response, over a dozen Daoist masters crossed the eastern sea and dealt them a resounding blow, swiftly and decisively striking them down.

Shi Qianzhang later single-handedly flamed half of Sakura Island's cultivation world, intensifying the conflict between the Hua Republic and Sakura Island. In the third year after Wang Sheng's death, the two sides clashed in a grand battle at sea, and the once-dominant high-level cultivators of Sakura Island were nearly wiped out.

People had assumed that Sakura Island's cultivation world would fall into a lull, unable to stir up further trouble. Once again contradicting the masses' expectations, Sakura Island cultivators began slandering the Daoist sects, accusing them of brutal slaughter and using that "tragic" battle at sea as evidence.

From the elders to the junior disciples, every member of the Daoist sects stopped holding back. They crossed over every few days to spar in Daoist arts with Sakura Island's ninjas despite repeated "advice" from the Special Investigation Unit. In doing so, the Daoist masters gained a surprising number of fervent fans within Sakura Island, somehow turning an international war of words into a local drama on their own turf.

The sea battle in the third year after Wang Sheng's "death" had been a formally agreed life-and-death duel. Neither side could claim the moral high ground. Moreover, the Hua Republic authorities had long made it clear that they condemned cultivators settling personal grudges through Jianghu-style vendettas. They even issued a verbal warning to Qing Yanzi and several of the main instigators after the incident.

Meanwhile, Sakura Island became unusually restrained. Either because the defeat of its cultivators had stunned its government or because they had received certain news, they switched to playing the fence-sitter between the Hua Republic and foreign powers eager to suppress its rise.

The Hua Republic began promoting its Universal Cultivation Method a few years later. To Sakura Island's dismay, the Hua Republic did not share its research with them.

In truth, Sakura Island was not the only threat around the Hua Republic. After the resurgence of primal qi, billions of people on Earth became immersed in it. Many ancient, fragmented inheritances began to shine once more.

Corrupt cultivators who had fled the Hua Republic quickly took root on its southern border. Ghost-raising and poison-refining practices spread like wildfire. Although the Hua Republic had prepared in advance and kept the Special Warfare Unit stationed along the borders, it still inevitably suffered losses.

Especially after Sakura Island had been repeatedly trampled with ease, many hidden corrupt cultivators extended their helping hands into the south, supporting the rise of corrupt cultivator factions. The local cultivators, who were more traditional, barely had time to resist before they were wiped out.

The southern threat grew endlessly. By the sixth year of Wang Sheng's confinement, Daoist sects had begun sending Daoist masters and their disciples to temper themselves through real experience.

Strangely enough, they always gained good results from it.

Another year later, two major events occurred in the Hua Republic: cultivation was made public, and the first phase of the Universal Cultivation Method was launched.

Nationwide cultivation was promoted so swiftly that many citizens who firmly believed there were no immortals or ghosts in the world found it hard to accept. Nevertheless, the Hua Republic had clearly made thorough preparations. One policy after another was introduced, and regulations on the Daoist sects were publicly announced. The challenges and opportunities facing the nation were clearly explained to its people.

Social order remained stable, but only citizens under fifty could enjoy the full benefits of cultivation. Those over the age limit were still treated equally, though their cultivation results would be far from ideal.

If not for the Cultivation Research Institute's immense efforts, the age limit would have been far lower. Sadly, most of the scientists involved in the research were already too old to benefit from it themselves.

The advancement caused such immense shock that some turbulence was inevitable, yet within a year, order had returned to the Hua Republic.

Around the same time, several international organizations promoting the idea of "human destiny" joined hands with certain domestic voices—some of which were likely hired commentators or genuinely altruistic people. Together, they called for the Hua Republic to share its research on the Universal Cultivation Method.

The Hua Republic's government issued a clear response.

"This cultivation method was developed based on the average constitution of the Hua Republic's citizens. It requires tremendous investment and is only suitable for our people's cultivation."

The Universal Cultivation Method was set to only be promoted nationally, but secrecy was impossible. Eventually, the method was leaked. Nevertheless, even those geographically closest to the Hua Republic, like Sakura Island, could not use it.

The Cultivation Research Institute had not done it intentionally. After all, ethnic Chinese across the world could cultivate using the method. It did not recognize nationality or passport.

It truly came down to racial talent, which no one could alter.

The Universal Cultivation Method's true strength was in its ability to extend ordinary lifespans while only producing enough internal qi and true essence for basic circulation, preventing common citizens from using Daoist arts. Moreover, though it increased strength, speed, and agility as well, it also improved self-control and recovery. Hence, it did not lead to more violence.

What made it even more remarkable was how broadly compatible the foundational method was. For instance, if a thirteen or fourteen-year-old kid cultivated using this method in school and was found to possess exceptional talent and willingness to follow the path of cultivation, they could apply to join the Special Warfare Unit or an officially recognized Daoist heritage based in a sacred mountain.

If they passed the character assessment and were accepted, they could start using other cultivation methods to cultivate, which would overwrite the Universal Cultivation Method.

To keep the power of Daoist sects balanced, a limit was imposed on the number of disciples that Daoist heritages could accept. The authorities had clearly reached agreements with all major Daoist heritages before promoting the cultivation method.

Wang Sheng had been trapped in the Earth Qi Seal the entire time, leaving him with virtually no involvement in those major events. He never got to witness the Hua Republic's true rise to glory.

Whether Wang Sheng would feel regret upon his return remained uncertain. However, his parents being able to live longer would be a great comfort to him.

If the promotion of the Universal Cultivation Method marked the beginning of national cultivation in the Hua Republic, then the next major event put it in a precarious global position.