Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

Chen Lingyun's intelligence always seemed to be one step ahead of the official reports.

Before the afternoon had even arrived, Yan Yu was summoned to the headmaster's office once again.

Li Weiguo had not returned, and waiting for him in the office was still Chen Tianming, who directly asked for Yan Yu's opinion on the new Three Arts.

"My view is that, like the Sword Control Technique, the Soul Refining Technique is of utmost importance in cultivation," Yan Yu didn't intend to hold anything back, and spoke frankly, "As for the Sound Transmission Technique and Invisibility Technique, being able to use them is enough; there's no need for in-depth research."

This answer did not surprise Chen Tianming.

In fact, based on the feedback from the scientific research department, the ultimate result of the Soul Refining Technique – Divine Sense – indeed exhibited a range of exceptional characteristics.

It was like a radar on a cultivator's body, capable of automatically detecting suspicious targets in the vicinity, as well as providing target lock for both Sword Control and spells.

Moreover, Divine Sense also contained certain intelligence.

Researchers discovered by accident in daily life that Divine Sense could scan and mark not only high-threat targets but also other things that the cultivator's own will desired to search for—for instance, if you suddenly couldn't remember where you left your car keys at home, you scan with Divine Sense, and it would highlight them for you right in your field of vision.

Although it had not been tested in formal combat, the unique value contained within Divine Sense meant that the Soul Refining Technique was highly likely to become a mandatory daily practice for cultivators.

There was a consensus that the Sound Transmission Technique was a utilitarian spell, and the research department also highly praised the Invisibility Technique, which was completely at odds with Yan Yu's view that "being able to use it is enough."

Chen Tianming sized up Yan Yu's expression and suddenly smiled,

"You mean, if the Soul Refining Technique is the spear, then the Invisibility Technique is the shield."

"The best defense is a good offense," Yan Yu said impassively, thinking to himself that this man, who indeed was someone's father, could actually guess his thoughts so accurately.

Focusing on the Soul Refining Technique meant enhancing the ability to detect enemies; delving into the Invisibility Technique represented improving concealment abilities.

The two underlying strategies represented "focusing on offense" and "strengthening evasion," respectively.

Powerful cultivators could treat spells as tools, using the most appropriate method for different situations, but most cultivators were not capable of this—their tactics often depended on what cards they held in their hands.

If they practiced the Soul Refining Technique more and developed their Divine Sense, they would tend to favor seeking out and attacking enemies on the battlefield; if they were more proficient in Invisibility Technique, they would tend toward hiding and ambushing—Yan Yu's attitude was clear: if forced to choose between the two, offense was definitely the priority.

Only the weak would consider hiding themselves; the strong, of course, should be out there wreaking havoc!

"Take a look at this," Chen Tianming stopped discussing the matter of teaching materials and pointed at the confidential bag on the desk instead.

The document was inside a confidential bag, sealed with a red stamp marked "Top Secret," but Yan Yu felt no burden about it (what storms hadn't I seen in my previous life?), he took out the document and casually flipped through it.

It was a military intelligence brief about Tianzhu. Its information sources and description manner were very concise, even somewhat elusive, so Yan Yu quickly found the key data:

83 times.

The number of Transcendents in Tianzhu was reported to be 83 times that of the Rikoku Cultivators.

Yan Yu closed the document, placed it back on the desk, and listened as Chen Tianming asked,

"What do you make of this data?"

"It's as expected," Yan Yu replied, "The current method we use to select cultivators is through blood testing to detect the Spiritual Energy in their bloodlines, and this method has quite significant flaws."

The number of Transcendents in a country is related to the country's population base and the prevalence of mysticism. Although Rikoku has a tradition of "children not speaking of monstrous strength and chaos," the number of Transcendents in Tianzhu being a staggering 1:83 could no longer be explained by "a long-standing tradition of materialism."

The obvious fact was that the method of testing blood to detect a Spirit Root had a serious issue with "missed detection."

For example, of a hundred Rikoku people with the qualifications for cultivation, blood testing could only identify one, and the remaining ninety-nine, due to reasons of confidentiality control, would not even know that they also had the chance to become cultivators. Continue reading on empire

Out of a hundred qualified people from Tianzhu, due to the government's lax management methods and the wide circulation of cultivation techniques among the populace, eighty-three of them would learn the techniques.

Thus, reflected in the numbers, for every eighty-three new Transcendents in Tianzhu, Rikoku could only add one.

Sufficient quantitative change can lead to qualitative change, even a child could see that continuing this way would definitely lead to major problems.

"Blood testing is indeed not accurate enough," said Chen Tianming indifferently, "Extremely inaccurate."

"We are considering adding more methods for screening cultivators. But the fact is, as long as there's a screening step, there will inevitably be misses."

His speech was not finished, but the implication was clear: now it's your turn to decipher my meaning.

Yan Yu didn't even need to guess. Those with the surname Chen were thinking nothing but to remove the sieve, to completely deregulate the cultivation techniques, "Let everyone have a technique to practice," "Let all who can become Transcendents achieve it."

Indeed, this would rapidly increase the number of Cultivators in Lu Country, but...

What would be the cost?

Officially-trained Cultivators required the nation to provide resources for their cultivation, so their numbers inevitably had to be strictly limited. If 100 people became Cultivators and only the strongest one received an official position, what would you do with the remaining 99 Cultivators?

The Western world, which advocates for small government, says: Let the market take care of it.

The results of handing over the military-grade weapons to the capital market, was the entire Western world speeding towards a cyberpunk reality.

If at this moment in time, the big businesses' methods of commercial warfare were financial infiltration, industrial confrontation, and collusion with the administration, at least they were still willing to compete within a mild order; in the future, the methods of commercial warfare would become transnational conglomerates hiring squads of incredibly powerful Transcendents, to steal their competitors' equipment and goods, to bomb their office parks, to devour all the innocent employees and bystanders...

For those Transcendents obsessed with power, a world where violence was unrestrained might be exciting enough for them to raise the flag, but for the vast majority of ordinary people? To call it hell is no exaggeration.

"It's not a big deal if some fall through the sieve," Yan Yu firmly replied, "The essence of a Cultivator lies in quality, not quantity. One top-notch Cultivator is absolutely incomparable to hundreds or thousands of worthless ones."

If Commander-in-Chief Li Weiguo were here, he would certainly remind Chen Tianming not to give Yan Yu this opportunity. But unfortunately, Old Li was not here, so Chen Tianming simply replied with a faint smile,

"Perhaps as the Spiritual Energy Resurgence progresses, the ultimate strength of the Cultivators may indeed become extremely exaggerated, but that would only increase the uncertain risks."

After all, if the overall number of Cultivators falls behind compared to other nations, who can guarantee that the number of great Cultivators wouldn't lag as well? Great Cultivators are, after all, grown from ordinary Cultivators.

"Oh, you misunderstand," Yan Yu said, raising his right thumb and prodding his chest, "What I mean is, having me is enough for Lu Country."

Chen Tianming: ???

"So what if Tianzhu has 83 times the number of Transcendents as our country?" Yan Yu said nonchalantly, "Can 83 archers from the era of cold weapons defeat one mecha pilot? I think this number is actually too small. It would be better to reach three or even four digits, to inflate their confidence enough for them to invade us, then I can go and wipe them out cleanly.

Wouldn't that settle the matter once and for all? Very simple."

Chen Tianming stared at him for a long time and then suddenly burst into hearty laughter,

"Old Li said you are very ambitious, and I didn't believe it before, but now I've finally seen it."

"It's not that I'm ambitious," Yan Yu said calmly, "I'm just telling the truth."

"Hmm," Chen Tianming did not express any agreement or disagreement, but picked up a cigarette from the side, did not light it, and held it in his hand, revealing a pensive expression.

Yan Yu did not disturb his thoughts, just waited until the other's eyes became increasingly profound and inscrutable.

"How long will it take?" he suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Yan Yu was puzzled.

"For you to operate the mecha," Chen Tianming asked calmly, "How long?"

"Let's wait until next year," Yan Yu replied, "We'll see how the Spiritual Energy Resurgence is progressing."

"Okay," Chen Tianming casually lit a cigarette, "You go on with your work."

Yan Yu then stood up and left Old Taishan in the room, enveloped in a haze of smoke, deep in thought.

Upon leaving the administrative building, he saw Chen Lingyun waiting outside again.

"Are you so afraid that I'll say something wrong to your father and anger him?" Yan Yu sarcastically teased her, "Ah, I wouldn't have thought Princess Jiang Hai would also harbor such delicate thoughts of a little housewife."

"So, what did you say to him?" Chen Lingyun asked with a smiling smile.

She was already exquisitely beautiful, and with her perfect, unblemished fake smile, she could make any man who liked mature women instantly betray his preferences. But Yan Yu was too familiar with her smile from his previous life; he lost the urge to tease her further and simply replied leisurely,

"Nothing much. Your old man is worried that if Lu Country doesn't engage in universal cultivation, we won't be able to catch up with the number of Cultivators in other countries, and the gap will become more and more pronounced."

"And what did you say?"

"I said, as long as I periodically wipe out a bunch of Cultivators from other countries, won't that control the ratio of numbers? Hahaha, I am such a genius~"

Chen Lingyun: ..........