I've already reached the Nascent Soul stage, and you're saying I didn't time travel?

Chapter 126 Not really, not really

"...Next, we will go to the Zhao family."

Standing before the towering Qing Shen Mother Tree, Qi Xuan spoke in a deep voice to the camera:

"We currently have three main purposes for visiting the Zhao family."

"First, we need to further investigate the situation of other families, understand the extent of the spread of [osteophyte disease], and verify whether other families have discovered a cure."

"Secondly, as we mentioned before, the jade box left behind by Nangong Yaohua needs to be opened by Zhao Lingyun."

Two hundred years later, the chances of finding someone whose name is known but who is likely already dead are slim; there is a 99% probability that they will not be found at all.

Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, we have to try, since it concerns two Qing Shen Jade Dews that can be used immediately.

Having obtained the Dew of Purification is considered a guarantee, so even if the [Bone Disease] flares up immediately, there's no need to be too anxious.

After all, it's uncertain whether the mother tree seedlings will survive. Even if they do, it will still take a long time from planting to bearing fruit, and we might not live to see it.

"As for the third point, it is related to the mother tree species. Other families may have specially prepared spiritual liquid that can be used to cultivate tree species."

Of course, it doesn't matter if there is no spiritual liquid. You may encounter other usable spiritual plants on the way, so you don't necessarily have to rely on the major families.

But there's nothing I can do about nurturing treasures, since I don't know how to refine artifacts. I can only find these things through the various families.

In my estimation, finding a breeding treasure won't be easy, but we should still give it a try.

"Then let's set off. The Zhao family is not very close to here, and due to the impact of the sun's collapse, the terrain has changed a lot. The map we got before can only serve as a reference and we cannot follow the route on it completely."

The journey ahead may take quite a while; let's hope there are no unexpected setbacks and that we arrive at the Zhao family's house soon.

After saying that, Qi Xuan didn't delay any longer. He turned around, mounted Sunday, roughly determined the direction, squeezed his legs together, and urged Sunday to move forward.

Seeing Qi Xuan and Sunday both set off, viewers in the live stream started discussing:
"We never expected that the jade box would also contain the Dew of Refreshing the Mind. The progress we make next will surely far exceed our expectations."

"Yes, as long as we find Zhao Lingyun, we won't need to plant any trees; we can get the Dew of Purification on the spot."

"I don't know what Qing Shen Yu Lu looks like. If Qi Shen shows it to us in detail and provides various properties and characteristics, perhaps we can simulate its composition in reality."

"Forget about creating things from the void. If we want to get the Dew of Purification, I think we should thoroughly search the entire island and clean every corner of the land. Maybe we can find clues related to the Dew of Purification."

“The mainland is indeed a good option. After all, the four-armed monster is a real existence. Since there is a four-armed monster, there might be a Qing Shen Tree guarded by a four-armed monster. Even if that tree has withered, we might still be able to figure out the composition of Qing Shen Jade Dew through modern medicine and biology, and then produce it on a large scale.”

"The key issue is that even if the Pure Spirit Tree really exists, it's most likely in the dense forest where the four-armed monster roams. To access the Pure Spirit Tree, you first have to defeat the monster, but those monsters aren't so easy to deal with."

"Don't worry, the authorities have formulated a comprehensive defense plan, and the land and island early warning platform has been set up. We can share information about the four-armed monster anytime and anywhere and keep track of its movements."

Moreover, although the four-armed monster looks very strong and strange, judging from Qi Shen's handling process, it is not really impossible to kill. It's just that we are currently unable to deploy weapons of mass destruction because we are worried that there may be Qing Shen Trees in the dense forest.

For now, perhaps the only way to defeat the enemy is through high-precision, small-scale, targeted attacks, or perhaps to lure the four-armed monster out and then concentrate fire on it.

"It would be better to lure them out than to fail to kill them or send them back. If things get out of hand, it could escalate."

In my opinion, the four-armed monster can be dealt with by human martial artists, for example, by sending ten terrestrial immortals to besiege it.

Of course, although there are now grandmaster-level experts, it is not easy to become a terrestrial immortal. Even the world's top geniuses may need to spend several years. Perhaps during this period, the four-armed monster will show new unusual behavior, or the Qing Shen Tree that may still be alive on the island may die completely.

Therefore, I have a suggestion: lower the martial arts level, for example, to Grandmaster or Grandmaster.

A legion composed of one hundred grandmasters might not have enough individual attack and defense power, but we can enhance them with various modern equipment.

Humans are too fragile, so many weapons cannot be equipped by an individual in a single combat setting. This includes things like body armor. Even the strongest body armor is no match for a piece of warship armor, but a piece of warship armor can easily crush a person to death.

But now, the physical abilities of Grandmasters far surpass those of ordinary humans. We can completely customize bulletproof vests for them using warship armor and equip them with missile-level heavy weaponry. In this way, even with only one hundred Grandmasters, it's not impossible to successfully surround and kill a terrestrial immortal.

"This suggestion is interesting, but while simple armor and bulletproof vests can greatly improve the wearer's defense, their extremely high weight will also affect the Grandmaster's reaction ability and mobility."

The land-based immortals have extremely fast attack speed and deal massive damage; we can't just turn them all into sitting ducks. Besides, even armored sitting ducks couldn't withstand a land-based immortal's relentless beating.

"I studied aerospace engineering, and I have a suggestion regarding mobility: we could equip armored body armor with miniature turbojet engines or electric propulsion systems, enabling three-dimensional maneuvering through vector nozzles. High-energy-density batteries could be used as the power source to ensure endurance."

Additionally, an auxiliary control system integrating an attitude control module and biosensors can be added to monitor the Grandmaster's muscle movement intentions in real time and automatically adjust the thrust direction to achieve human-machine collaboration. For example, when leg exertion is detected, the engine automatically provides boost thrust to enhance explosive power.

"Adding AI to coordinate operations, the intelligent platform can build a battlefield awareness network in real time, connecting weapon systems and long-range firepower. Firstly, it allows Grandmasters to mobilize long-range firepower, including drones, to assist in encirclement and kill. Secondly, if a Grandmaster is unable to withstand a Land Immortal, drones can be concentrated to attack, giving them time to retreat."

"I've got it! I'm in the Daqian login group. Brothers, if you say more, I'll draft a report and submit it to the higher-ups."

"No, buddy, are you serious?"

"Since we have the resources, why not give it a try?"

"What conditions are you referring to?"

"I've done a preliminary calculation for you. For armor materials, there are silicon carbide, boron carbide, fiber-reinforced composite materials, and multi-layered heterogeneous structures to choose from."

We already have many types of micro turbojet engines, such as the MTE-160 and other models.

As for guided missiles, there is the world's smallest sleeve-guided missile, with a range of 2 kilometers and a weight of 1.2 kilograms. The Grandmaster can easily carry 100 of them at a time. If you think the power is too small, we can replace them with larger ones.

The electromagnetic interference-resistant optical link technology in AI can ensure zero-latency transmission in complex environments... This patchwork of technologies seems to be able to be put together, and it doesn't seem like it's impossible.

"Holy crap! You can do that?!"

"I want to see it now, immediately, right now!"

"If you want to see this, please give us your feedback, everyone."

……

Many netizens actively participated in the live broadcast, while on the No. 4 aircraft carrier, Officer Li recorded the broadcast with a camera and frantically noted down relevant information.

After the live stream ended, he roughly organized the relevant intelligence and, combined with the currently available equipment, produced a report.

The report was then submitted to Liu Wang's desk.

After carefully reviewing the document, Liu Wang didn't say anything, but instead summoned relevant personnel for an internal meeting.

At the meeting, he first had Xiao Li explain the report in detail, and then he said:
"Regarding the Grandmaster weaponry that Xiao Li reported, given our current level of technology, I think it is quite feasible. Everyone is welcome to share their opinions."

Upon hearing this, the room immediately became lively, with many attendees beginning to express their opinions:
"I don't think it's feasible to build a Grandmaster-level weaponry. Putting aside whether the technology and equipment can build such a weaponry, we don't even have a single Grandmaster right now. We have no way to evaluate the various data of a Grandmaster. We don't even have the basic personnel to wear the equipment. How can we build a Grandmaster-level weaponry on this basis?"

"If the Grandmaster Armament project is established, it will definitely require a lot of funds from research and development to actual application. This may crowd out the resources of other research projects and thus delay their progress."

Moreover, the Grandmaster Armor requires at least a Grandmaster to equip it. Not to mention that we don't have any Grandmasters now, even if a large number of Grandmasters appear in the future, the number will still be too small for the entire martial arts system.

On the contrary, breakthroughs in the research of various spiritual plants and medicines will benefit all citizens of the Great Qian Dynasty, or at the very least, all martial artists. This scope of beneficiaries is far greater than that of the Grandmaster group alone!

"My opinion is that even if this Grandmaster weapon is manufactured, it won't be of much use. In the modern technological system, there are far too many weapons that are more powerful than a Grandmaster's, and there are even quite a few that are comparable to a terrestrial immortal. There is absolutely no need to go to the trouble of manufacturing a Grandmaster weapon."

"Instead of investing heavily in developing this Grandmaster weaponry and sending a hundred Grandmasters in these armors to deal with the Land Immortals, why not just use fighter jets and warships to launch missiles and annihilate the Land Immortals? What use are the Grandmasters here? Moving targets to absorb the firepower of the Land Immortals?"

"I think it is still very necessary to manufacture Grandmaster weapons. In my opinion, the Grandmaster is an unprecedented intelligent small mobile firepower platform. Previously, this role was replaced by robot dogs, but the performance of robot dogs is not very good. Although they can move, their flexibility is ultimately not as good as that of humans, and their load capacity is extremely low. They cannot carry any heavy equipment. The only advantage is probably reducing casualties among our own personnel."

But it's different when you reach the Grandmaster level. Grandmasters are extremely powerful. Based on current estimates, they can easily dodge bullets. In addition, they are extremely fast and highly mobile. If they are equipped with the heavy firepower they lack and their defense is further strengthened, they will be human tanks that can go anywhere and blow up everything in their path.

Unlike warships, which can only remain at sea, or fighter jets, which cannot traverse forests and mountains, the Grandmaster's abilities are applicable in far more diverse situations.

“I also agree with building up the Grandmaster Armed Forces. Although the current weapons and equipment can deal with the four-armed monster, its movement speed is too fast. If it wants to escape, we may not be able to catch up. If there are Grandmasters equipped with weapons, they may be able to delay the enemy's escape at critical moments, or even kill them on the spot. As a supplement to the main battlefield, they are still very necessary.”

"Even if there were no four-armed monsters to deal with, I would still strongly agree with building a Grandmaster-level armed force."

As martial arts cultivation gradually spreads, many terrestrial immortals may emerge in the future, and due to the large population base, a considerable number of these terrestrial immortals will reside among the common people.

With their superhuman physical abilities and firepower far exceeding that of ordinary weapons, they might unconsciously disregard the law and rules. If we can control them, that's fine, but what if one day a terrestrial god suddenly goes mad and goes on a killing spree in the city? We can't exactly send fighter jets to bomb them.

The other side is so fast that even if you send out fighter jets, you might not be able to catch up.

If the military cannot mobilize official land immortals in time, the large number of grandmasters becomes the best option. Relying on the grandmasters' armed forces, even if they cannot defeat the land immortals, they can still entangle them and prevent larger-scale casualties.

We bear the responsibility of protecting the people, and it is essential that we possess the military force to counter the intimidation of terrestrial deities.

"That's right. Putting aside domestic issues for now, if a foreign country were to send a 'land god' to our country and wreak havoc in busy urban areas, we must have the ability to respond in a timely manner. Otherwise, even if we manage to eliminate him afterward, the losses in all aspects will be irreparable."

"In addition to the points mentioned by the previous speakers, there is one more thing I need to add. That is, in future explorations of land islands and even floating continents, dispatching Grandmasters in full armor will definitely greatly accelerate our exploration progress."

Once the floating continent becomes accessible, all nations will take drastic measures.

However, the number of terrestrial immortals must be extremely small, while the number of grandmasters is quite considerable.

If we possess personal armed forces capable of significantly enhancing the martial prowess of Grandmasters, then other countries might only deploy a few Land Immortals, while we, in addition to deploying a few Land Immortals, can also deploy tens of thousands of Grandmasters equipped with weapons.

Assuming one hundred Grandmaster-level warriors are equivalent to one terrestrial immortal, then we've essentially deployed hundreds of terrestrial immortals at once. Our exploration speed of the floating continent will far surpass that of other countries, perhaps even rivaling their combined speed.

"Other countries may also develop Grandmaster-level weapons in the future. We may not have them, but we must have what others have!"

……

After a heated debate on site, the project "Grandmaster Armed Forces" was finally selected.

Following that, regarding the preliminary design of the project, Liu Wang looked directly at Master Xu Wei, who was sitting in the corner, and asked:

"Xiao Xu, you are now the first Grandmaster in the country. If nothing unexpected happens, you will definitely be the first to be promoted to Great Grandmaster in the future. Everyone is now preparing to research Great Grandmaster weapons. As the martial artist who is closest to becoming a Great Grandmaster, what are your thoughts on this?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Wei immediately sat up straight and slowly replied:
"If this equipment is meant for a Grandmaster to deal with a Land Immortal, to be honest, I can't quite imagine it. The more I cultivate, the more I can feel the terror of a Land Immortal. For a Grandmaster, even standing upright next to such a being would be a luxury."

However, if it's just to deal with the four-armed monster on the island, there might still be a chance. After all, the monster has gone completely mad and doesn't possess the various powers of a terrestrial deity. In a sense, it can't be considered a true terrestrial deity. So, we might have the possibility of dealing with it using our equipment.

Given this premise, I want to say that slightly lower equipment mobility is acceptable. Even with a small engine, a Grandmaster's reaction speed is still far behind that of a land-based god, and in actual combat, they will most likely be constantly on the defensive. Therefore, the equipment's defense must be as strong as possible. On top of that, firepower must be as intense as possible, ideally equipped with small nuclear warheads. Even if they ultimately lose, they can at least wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop.

Based on my personal estimation, once I reach the Grandmaster level, with a nuclear warhead equivalent to five megatons of TNT, I should be able to carry it while fighting the enemy.

After Xu Wei spoke, the entire conference room fell silent for a long while.

Immediately afterward, the others, realizing what was happening, quickly responded:

"No, not really."

"It's really not that bad."

"We are here to defeat the enemy, not to perish together with them."

"Yes, if we can't win, we can run away. There's no need to go to such lengths."

"Let's think about how to increase the survivability of Grandmasters. For example, we could use an emergency ejection in life-or-death situations. Grandmasters are tough and resilient, so it doesn't matter if they are ejected a little further or higher."

……

After that, no one asked Xu Wei any more questions.

As the discussion was taking place, the phone in the corner suddenly rang.

After Liu Wang answered the call, he listened in silence for a while before finally speaking:

“We do not intend to offer any items for auction. No, not just the Swift Orchid, but any resources we obtain from the mainland islands. To be more precise, compared to the negligible amount of money, those resources are simply not enough for us. You don’t need to persuade us anymore; this is the final decision.”

The Swift Orchid is the same spiritual plant that Daqian and Lighthouse were fighting over not long ago, which hid in the mountain crevices. Because it can run by dragging its roots, it is very fast and looks like an orchid, so it is temporarily named Swift Orchid.

Nine Swift Orchids were later discovered. According to the distribution principle, after giving up many other spiritual objects and benefits, the Great Qian got three, the Lighthouse got one, and the remaining five were divided among other countries. The Great Qian also secretly traded for one more, so the Great Qian had four in its hands.

Although the outside world has confirmed that the Swift Orchid is a spiritual plant, it does not know what its effects are, so it remains somewhat doubtful about its value. Many similar unfamiliar spiritual plants have been discovered during this exploration. Different countries have different attitudes toward these spiritual plants. Some are desperately fighting for a certain type, while others are desperately exchanging them for other benefits.

The reason why Daqian was so fixated on the Swift Orchid was simply because when Xu Wei picked it, he noticed that this spiritual plant had a stimulating effect on the blood and qi in the body. If this thing were used to make medicine, it would likely greatly enhance the blood and qi of martial artists, making it a rare and precious medicine.

Because Xu Wei was the only Grandmaster present, and he had even cultivated the "True Explanation of Spiritual Clarity and Perception" to the fourth level, he was the only one who possessed this information.

Having confirmed this intelligence, aside from certain key resources that were difficult to give up, Daqian boldly abandoned many resources that should have been allocated to them, all in order to exchange for more Swift Orchids.

The chairman of the joint auction house who just called tried to persuade them to put a Cymbidium goeringii up for auction, and even guaranteed that it would be the last item to be auctioned.

Liu Wang decisively chose to refuse.

Just kidding, he only has too many Swift Orchids in his hands, how could he possibly put them up for auction?
Having just dealt with the chairman of the joint auction, Xiao Li hurriedly approached him again and said:

"Sir, we just received several invitations from the auction house, inviting our people to attend the auction. What do you think?"

"Then I'll attend!"

Liu Wang replied decisively:

“We don’t sell things, but we can buy things at auctions. Many small countries are willing to exchange valuable resources for money, so this is a good opportunity for us to take them into our pockets!”

Xiao Li nodded, then, as if remembering something, said to Xu Wei:
"Master Xu, here is also an invitation for you. We hope you will attend the auction."

"For me?"

Xu Wei was immediately surprised.

Xiao Li explained with a smile:
"I heard that this auction not only invited government officials and top tycoons, but also many martial artists. The minimum requirement is innate talent, and there will be further screening. As a grandmaster, you are naturally among those invited."

"They even invited many innate masters?" Xu Wei's eyes flashed. "Then I'll go take a look."

"Shall we go together then?"

"Together!"

……

United Camp, the base of the Beacon Nation.

"An invitation to the auction?"

William, the "beacon of light" from the United States, looked utterly incredulous.

"Do you think I was born rich?"

"I'm so sorry, I haven't even finished paying off my student loans yet, I'm sorry to disappoint you."

The staff member quickly smiled and said:

"Even if you don't have money, you can come to the site to observe. We do not force you to make a bid."

"Moreover, many innate talents are participating in this auction. It would not be an exaggeration to say that martial arts geniuses from all over the world have gathered together."

William said lazily:

"Tell me what kinds of innate talents you have."

“I don’t know about the others yet, but Master Xu from Daqian has already agreed.”

"What did you say? Xu Wei agreed?!"

A sharp, piercing light suddenly flashed in William's eyes.

The staff member was so intimidated by the imposing aura that he took several steps back and quickly replied:
"He did agree."

"Then I'll go too!"

……

Alfonso's camp.

The blond captain, who was preparing to travel to the Great Qian Dynasty to fulfill his promise, looked completely bewildered upon seeing the suddenly appearing invitation:

"You're inviting me to the auction?"

"Well, let's just consider it a rest before setting off."

"The auction has just ended, so I can fly to Daqian on the plane."

……

Lighthouse, California, a luxury villa.

The Child of Nature, who had just hung up the phone, revealed a hint of interest in his eyes:

"Are all the world's martial arts geniuses gathered here?"

"This is truly a rare and magnificent event; I absolutely cannot miss it!"

As he spoke, he immediately instructed his assistant to book plane tickets.

……

In a tribe in Africa.

The eighteen-year-old boy, who had just returned from killing a lion, casually tossed the lion aside and prepared to go back to his house to cultivate.

The old chieftain, who had recently consumed silver-winged goat honey, beckoned him over:

"Mufasa, the auction is about to start again, and they've invited you to attend. Are you going?"

The old chief handed him the invitation.

After Mufasa turned over, he shook his head and said:
"I only want to cultivate; I have no interest in auctions."

"I heard that many top-tier innate talents from all over the world will be coming this time. Don't you want to meet them?"

"What's there to see?" Mufasa said calmly, "I'm about to break through to the Grandmaster level."

"That's quite a coincidence, as a grandmaster also happened to be going this time."

"What? Someone has become a grandmaster? Who is it?"

Mufasa's eyes suddenly narrowed.

The old chief smiled with great interest:

"He is Xu Wei, the first Xiantian born in the Great Qian Dynasty after the spread of martial arts."

“I know his name.”

Mufasa gripped the invitation tightly, a fierce fighting spirit suddenly rising on his face:

"I've never had a chance to meet him, but now it's time to meet this pioneer!"

……

Across the world, as invitations to the auction were sent out, one after another top-tier innate master and martial arts genius set off for that place where the winds of change were gathering.

P.S.: It's almost the end of the month, please give me some monthly votes!

(End of this chapter)