CHAPTER 177: UNIQUELY BEAUTIFUL SCENERY

Wang Sheng had never even heard of this so-called international exchange meeting in his previous life. However, several years ago, he did hear the Special Investigation Unit mention that foreign cultivators were coming to the Hua Republic in search of cultivation methods.

Events like this weren't originally under the Special Investigation Unit's jurisdiction. Apparently, the Hua Republic had established a dedicated International Bureau of Anomalous Affairs specifically for foreign-related matters, aimed at fully protecting its intangible cultural heritage.

On the way to the exchange meeting, Wang Sheng asked Mou Yue about the gist of the situation. Naturally, she told him everything she knew without reservation.

According to her, before the resurgence of primal qi, the Hua Republic had already achieved national prosperity and stability thanks to the efforts of several generations over decades, making its domestic environment among the safest on Earth.

When it came to crime rates, it couldn't compare to some of the smaller countries with tiny populations. Still, considering the sheer number of people in the Hua Republic, the overall situation was quite commendable.

At the very beginning of the resurgence of primal qi, the Hua Republic had already made all the necessary preparations. As the government that had initiated the event, they weren't going to just let things spiral out of control.

They united the Daoist sects, suppressed the corrupt Daoists, and established three organizations: the Special Investigation Unit, the Special Warfare Unit, and the Cultivation Research Institute. As soon as possible, they also set numerous policies that applied not just to domestic matters but also to external affairs.

In the early years, all unofficial visits by foreign cultivators were treated as illegal entries and summarily deported. By the second year of the primal qi resurgence, the Hua Republic had issued strict directives to all Daoist heritages across the land. For one, disciples were not only to be chosen based on character and virtue but also on nationality and background.

Just two or three years after the resurgence of primal qi, chaos had already begun to erupt in several foreign regions. Foreign networks were now flooded with all kinds of so-called cultivation methods, with varying degrees of authenticity and wildly differing principles. Most of them focused on two approaches: enhancing the body and strengthening mental power. Witchcraft, shamanism, and curses also gained popularity.

As for the general public overseas, about half of the world's population had seen their lives disrupted to varying extents by the concept of cultivation. Some small countries even openly promoted so-called cultivation methods, walking a path of faith-based cultivation. Within two years, their domestic economies collapsed, and anti-government forces seized power and took control of major cities.

Meanwhile, when major nations began cracking down on cultivators and trying to seize control of cultivation resources, they discovered that the trend had already silently infiltrated their military ranks, leading to significant internal chaos.

Compared to the increasingly chaotic situation around the globe, the Hua Republic appeared exceptionally calm and orderly. Hence, foreign forces were constantly testing and probing even the Special Warfare Unit members stationed along the borders. Everyone knew that the Hua Republic now possessed a powerful military made up of cultivators.

Various international organizations had already made countless public calls for the Hua Republic to reveal its cultivation practices and details of its internal cultivation world. As the only one among the Earth's four ancient civilizations to preserve a complete heritage, the Hua Republic had continued to deny the existence of any cultivation practices within its borders.

If asked, the official response was always "No such thing," "Impossible," "Do not speak of strange powers or gods," or "Let us all continue to promote science and culture, and pursue a path of sustainable scientific development."

It wasn't until last year that certain foreign nations and organizations, who had conducted decades-long espionage activities targeting the Hua Republic's Daoist sects, began spreading a "Hua Cultivators' Threat Theory" worldwide based on the intel that they had gathered.

With the shift in international public opinion, the Hua Republic had no choice but to respond, "We pledge not to prioritize the use of cultivator military forces and uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. We also pledge to adhere to the non-proliferation principle of cultivation practices and respect every individual's right to life on Earth."

In truth, the majority of the chaos was confined to already unstable regions. Countries with long-standing histories underwent changes quietly.

Ancient family heritages began to re-emerge, and those who mastered secret techniques gained greater influence. In particular, signs of a resurgence in theocratic power had begun to emerge in the West, where religious fervor ran deep. The small groups that controlled most of the world's social resources had already begun using all means to obtain cultivation methods that suited them.

In contrast, the situation in the Hua Republic was entirely different. For countries and organizations that tried various ways to obtain cultivation methods through official Hua Republic channels, the government responded with nothing but indifference.

Some tried to secretly recruit Daoist masters and smuggle them back to promote cultivation techniques. However, the ones they managed to poach were either unaffiliated practitioners or corrupt cultivators. Moreover, the Daoist masters they had recruited quickly lost their momentum once abroad...

Despite being taught what "Dao" truly was and being given accurate instructions on how to cultivate, just reaching the Breath Condensation Realm proved extraordinarily difficult for foreign cultivators. There seemed to be some kind of unexplainable limitation in place. Eventually, the international community concluded that if they wanted access to cultivation techniques, their only option was to deal with the Hua Republic government directly.

Unfortunately, the Hua Republic's diplomatic language was subtle and full of nuances, repeating only a few polite phrases over and over. It remained firm in its stance: both nuclear power and cultivation should not be allowed to proliferate.

Having listened to Mou Yue's explanation throughout the journey, Wang Sheng began to feel that the resurgence of primal qi had brought a new opportunity for the Hua Republic's development.

As long as the Special Warfare Unit could guard the nation's borders, and the Cultivation Research Institute could swiftly promote a universal cultivation technique, the Hua Republic would be able to firmly stand its ground. The research institute just had to distribute life-prolonging alchemical pills based on ID while the orthodox path suppressed the corrupt cultivators.

There was no need for the Hua Republic to stir up trouble, but they had no reason to fear it either. The Daoist heritage was a lineage of cultivation accumulated over centuries. It was rooted in the principles of tranquility and non-action—of cultivating both mind and virtue. Abducting a few cultivators alone was not enough to spread it.

The exchange meeting was held in a prosperous coastal city. This was the second international exchange meeting that the authorities had agreed to, but it naturally posed no possibility of revealing any genuine cultivation methods. It was merely a platform for mutual discussion and probing each other's strengths.

Although it came right at the time of the plan revolving around the ancient devil, Wang Sheng had already agreed in a moment of confusion and could only hurry over to help.

Originally, the Special Investigation Unit had only prepared to send six Daoist masters, with the ever-persuasive Qing Yanzi leading the group to share some tea and conversation with the foreign guests. However, the delegations from Sakura Island, Gelan, and Jinta had clearly come to witness the strength of the Hua Republic's cultivators firsthand.

As the spokesperson for the righteous unaffiliated practitioners, Qing Yanzi did his best to accommodate them. When a challenger from each nation stepped forward, he responded by slapping each of them unconscious.

Sakura Island, named for its cherry blossoms and four islands, was once known as the Eastern Lands. It was arguably the country with the deepest understanding of the Daoist sects among foreign nations.

Hence, as soon as Qing Yanzi made a move, one of the elders from Sakura Island immediately identified that he had already formed a Golden Core and could potentially live for eight hundred years. The discovery stunned the entire delegation from the three nations.

The Gelan Empire, sometimes called the Empire of Ying Gelan, was known for its reputation as a land of gentlemen. It represented a faction of faith-based cultivation. Meanwhile, Jinta, one of the four ancient civilizations, was now mostly a ruin of its former self. Though it remained famous for its ancient golden towers, its cultivation methods now revolved solely around mental power. They had no real understanding of what a Golden Core was. All they could comprehend was the implication of an extended lifespan.

Qing Yanzi merely smiled calmly and offered no further explanation.

The disparity in strength between the two sides was too great, making the exchange meeting quickly reach a stalemate. Hence, the three foreign delegations proposed letting the younger generation spar and exchange techniques instead.

Since Qing Yanzi was already part of the exchange, the Special Investigation Unit naturally thought of Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan. Mou Yue gave them a quick call, and the two immediately set off, taking a connecting flight to the site of the exchange meeting.

Since they had one night to prepare, there was no need to worry. Wang Sheng had a few questions, though.

Around the pre-Qin era, Daoist heritage began to spread, and the Great Divine Land of Hua became a sacred place for cultivation. By that time, humans had already spread to nearly every corner of the world. Why was no Daoist heritage passed down in those other regions?

Taking the known mythological systems into consideration, could those major foreign mythologies really be all purely imagined? Is it possible that the deities in those foreign myths were somehow connected to the immortals who disappeared a thousand years ago?

If only he could ask the female corpse. She could have the answers he sought. Unfortunately, regardless of whether she had successfully reincarnated or perished somewhere underground, these mysteries could remain forever unsolved for modern cultivators.

Once they arrived at the designated hotel and reunited with their master, Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan were called in for a meeting.

Calling it a meeting was a stretch, though. The Daoist masters simply gathered to drink tea, chat about foreign cultivation systems, and introduce Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan to the opponents they would be facing the next day.

These Daoist masters already had full confidence in the strength of the martial siblings. Learning that Wang Sheng had already reached the Illusory Core Realm only reassured them further.

Soon, the conversation drifted to other topics. Wang Sheng took the opportunity to voice the questions he had been pondering. The Daoist masters exchanged glances, then burst into laughter.

Heng Chu of Mount Lao chuckled. "In the pre-Qin era, people used to call everything outside of Hua 'barbarian lands.' While that may sound arrogant by today's standards, it wasn't entirely baseless."

Qing Yanzi sighed. "You should read more books outside your cultivation studies."

Wang Sheng quickly lowered his head and respectfully replied, "Yes, Master."

Liu Chan, an unaffiliated Illusory Core Realm practitioner, gently said, "A few of my old friends have looked into this matter over the past two years. It turns out that many ethnic groups did have their own cultivation systems. However, a thousand years ago, when primal qi was still around, religious authorities controlled most of the foreign cultivation methods.

"They often fought among themselves, unlike us Daoist sects. Since the entire orthodox community values seclusion in times of peace and chivalry in times of chaos, we consider anyone who disrupts the state order as corrupt Daoists, and we deal with them accordingly."

Wang Sheng nodded thoughtfully.

Qing Yanzi smiled faintly and sent him a few photos on his phone. "Take a look. Some of the foreign girls in these delegations are quite charming. Tomorrow, they might just fall for your graceful swordplay."

The other Daoist masters were at a loss for words, wondering if this was really how Qing Yanzi usually taught his disciples. Meanwhile, Wang Sheng felt a little embarrassed. His master was getting more outrageous by the day.

Ignoring everyone's reactions, Qing Yanzi just observed quietly, silently worrying over his two disciples.