Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 216: Waste Utilization
A heavy atmosphere flowed through Great Xia Kingdom; in Ling Zhifeng’s words, a baleful aura had already enveloped the entire nation. All it needed was an outlet, and this aura would flood the entire land.
Li Xian gazed quietly into the distance. The old city walls of Anyang had finally been torn down under his orders, and the project was in progress.
While other cities were fortifying their walls and stockpiling grain, Anyang was tearing down its walls.
Around the demolished city walls, reinforced concrete buildings were being constructed in full swing. These buildings were not ordinary ones but… bunkers! Just like the three massive fortress bunkers that once defended Berlin, Li Xian was building similar structures. However, these bunkers were smaller, more numerous, yet still equipped with anti-aircraft guns, rapid-fire machine guns, and ammunition storage.
There were differences, of course. These bunkers featured simple computer-controlled hoists and were guarded by Foundation Establishment cultivators. However, for now, they lacked radar.
Two technologies, named “Thousand-Mile Eyes” and “Favorable Wind Ears,” designed to fit the cultivation world, were already under research and development. All Li Xian could do was wait and continuously pour funds, personnel, and precious materials into the research department.
The rare black iron that outsiders would fight over was scattered all over the research department’s floor.
Li Xian turned his gaze westward again, where agricultural machinery was busy in the fields. At the same time, a few engineering machines were constructing new railways and infrastructure. Thanks to the assistance of cultivators, construction was progressing at an astonishing pace.
Anyang was transforming in a way that was unfamiliar to everyone.
Yet, cultivators, with their broad minds, easily accepted these changes—some even welcomed more transformations in Anyang.
In just half a month, bicycles had flooded the streets and alleys of Anyang. The only missing technological component was inflatable tires, as the current ones were merely rolled-up animal leather. The development of rubber technology had to wait for breakthroughs in the chemical department. Anyang was advancing too rapidly; many things simply couldn’t keep up and had to be improvised.
Affordable household products had already entered thousands of homes, and mycelium-based wiring had become a common sight on the streets.
Yet, no one knew that mycelium was just a byproduct. The true core product was bacteria. Zhou Likun had already isolated several bacterial strains, and new alchemy techniques were undergoing revolutionary changes. It was foreseeable that before long, pills as common as spiritual liquid—perhaps even liquid pills—would emerge in Anyang.
The development of petroleum technology had filled the final gap in Anyang’s progress, in the growth of the Brilliant Star Group, and in Li Xian’s dream.
A roaring noise filled the sky as five large propeller planes thundered over Anyang. Cheers erupted from the ground; every time a plane flew overhead, many people would wave. Anyang was not just advancing technologically—Li Xian was also gradually winning over the people’s hearts, forming a budding sense of unity and cohesion.
Anyang had four major plazas, one in each direction. These plazas were lined with towering walls displaying the city’s laws in full transparency. There were even professional legal personnel offering explanations.
Laws such as “Abolish royal law” and “Legally owned property is sacred and inviolable” had become common sights. It was not uncommon to see the people of Anyang looking proudly at visitors from other regions who had come to learn.
The public display of Anyang’s legal system attracted not only citizens from Great Xia Kingdom but also people from neighboring countries eager to study and observe, especially the laws concerning industry and commerce.
Meanwhile, the military recruitment office in Anyang was packed with hopeful applicants. Despite the numerous oaths required to join the army, public enthusiasm remained undeterred.
With liquid spiritual energy available daily, Anyang’s soldiers were progressing at unprecedented speeds, with new breakthroughs into the Foundation Establishment stage happening every day.
After countless millennia of development, the cultivation world was not lacking in cultivation techniques—it lacked spiritual energy, pills, and spiritual materials. As long as spiritual energy could be supplied, everyone could cultivate to the peak of the Qi Refining stage. With even the slightest amount of alchemical aid, they could reach the Foundation Establishment stage.
Of course, reaching the Golden Core stage depended on personal comprehension and ability. However, with so many cultivation techniques available and hundreds of thousands of cultivation insights to reference, achieving the Golden Core stage no longer seemed so distant—so long as there were enough spiritual medicines and elixirs.
Serene Anyang was undergoing an indescribable transformation.
That night, Li Xian soaked in a pool of spiritual liquid, cultivating a new technique—Taihao. Compared to his previous technique, Taihao demanded over ten times the spiritual energy but granted an astonishing threefold increase in power! His cultivation, true essence, physique, soul, and spiritual sense all became three times stronger.
Finally, Li Xian let out a long howl, his overwhelming voice stirring waves in the pool. The precious liquid spiritual energy burst from his chamber, and the plants, birds, and insects in the courtyard scrambled desperately to absorb it. Some bold birds even darted through the open windows and doors straight into the room.
Li Xian slowly raised his right hand, and a powerful feeling surged within him. With a wave of his hand, a surge of spiritual energy burst forth, silently shattering the bricks and stones on the ground.
“So this is the power of the mid-Golden Core stage? It’s truly formidable! If I add magical treasures and other enhancements, my abilities could increase three to five times, or even more than ten times. No wonder people have always said that handicrafts are a lowly trade, and only cultivation is the noblest pursuit.
However, technology is not just handicrafts. You will all witness the power of technology! You will be amazed by its strength and limitless potential!
The advancement of technology has already brought me an endless supply of refined iron and spiritual liquid! And in the future, it will bring even more!”
Li Xian was not just talking to himself. Shortly afterward, he gathered Xu Ren and the others for a meeting and repeated his statement to reinforce their confidence. Xu Ren and his group had long been deeply convinced by Li Xian’s vision.
They say, “Let the facts speak for themselves,” and now, the facts were right in front of them.
The purpose of this meeting was simple: to unify their thoughts, assess Anyang’s current situation, summarize the problems they were facing and the lessons learned, and most importantly, to deliver the verdict on Zhao Guoshan and his son, Zhao Youdan!
Just as Li Yuanming had arranged and predicted, Zhao Guoshan and his son could not resist their greed and began manipulating things behind the scenes.
It was understandable. Anyang’s export plan to the State of Cai had now reached a daily volume of 100,000 bolts of cloth, along with ironware, paper, and even salt! The State of Cai, not being coastal, had limited salt production, while Anyang had already industrialized salt production.
Faced with such immense wealth every day, and with their own ambitions at play, Zhao Guoshan and his son finally succumbed to corruption. Initially, someone reported their misconduct, and Li Xian issued them a warning. However, after that, there was no further action. As expected, this only emboldened Zhao Guoshan and his son, making them believe that Li Xian would overlook their misdeeds out of past sentiment.
Little did they know—it was a trap from the very beginning!
Now, Zhao Guoshan and Zhao Youdan had been stripped of their cultivation and were being held by soldiers, their faces pale as they awaited their final judgment.
Li Yuanming spoke again, “Young Master, Zhao Guoshan and his son have disregarded your kindness. Now, we can make use of them to solidify Anyang’s legal system.
For laws to be effective, they must be enforced. Now that the legal framework has been established, tomorrow, let Gongsun Wushang conduct a public trial for these two, and at the same time, reward some individuals to demonstrate Anyang’s firm commitment to upholding the new laws.”