The job change is a bizarre and calamity; the nation begs me to tone it down.

hum-

These words caused an uproar in the audience.

It wasn't a loud commotion, but rather a buzzing sound.

It's like a swarm of bees having their nest disturbed with a stick.

A saint becomes a demigod?

It's easy to say, but who among those present doesn't know the weight of those five words?

The gap between a saint and a demigod cannot be bridged simply through cultivation.

That was an insurmountable barrier.

It requires talent, opportunity, and resources; none of these can be lacking.

Especially resources—the special materials needed to break through to demigod status are so scarce they're driving people crazy.

Many top-tier saints are not incapable of making breakthroughs, but are stuck on the lack of materials.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. How can you expect a peak ninth-level saint to break through to demigod status through meditation alone?

That's no different from asking someone to build a rocket with their bare hands.

"I know what everyone is thinking."

Gu Xu looked at the various expressions on the faces below the stage and chuckled.

"When a saint ascends to demigod status, the biggest deficiency isn't talent, but rather the necessary materials. Right?"

Many people in the audience nodded subconsciously.

"Alright then."

Gu Xu slapped the table next to the microphone, his voice crisp and clear.

"I can set the first strategic objective of the Calamity Army now."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the room: "Get the materials."

Three words.

Simple, crude, and direct.

But those two words changed the expressions of everyone present.

Specifically—

Gu Xu started counting on his fingers: "The top-tier materials needed for a Saint to advance to a demigod are produced in vast quantities, yet also in very limited quantities, both globally and in some cases."

"They're either in other planes, deep within high-level secret realms, or in certain special plane instances."

"We weren't unaware of these places before, but we simply didn't have enough military strength to conquer them."

"But things are different now."

Gu Xu pointed to himself: "The Calamity Army doesn't do anything else. I lead the team, specializing in attacking these high-risk secret realms and dimensional rifts. We extract the materials from inside to supply the saints across the country who are trying to break through to demigod status."

"Once the number of demigods in Shenxia increases, let alone the Forbidden Water Clan, even if the five major powers come together, we will have the confidence to go toe-to-toe with them."

Gu Xu paused for a moment at this point.

A slight smile appeared on his lips, a smile that everyone present was extremely familiar with.

It was a smile that made you think this guy was probably plotting something bad.

"As for the monsters in those high-risk secret realms and dimensional rifts..."

Gu Xu casually flicked his fingers.

"Leave it to me."

"I may not have many other skills, but I do have some experience dealing with unreasonable people."

He said it casually, but no one in the audience took it as bragging.

Because the person who said that had just been fighting four demigods and a source-level projection all by himself.

You think he's bragging?

Why don't you give it a try?

The entire room fell into a deathly silence.

There was silence for about five or six seconds.

Then--

Zhou Yi, who was in the first row, was the first to stand up.

Instead of clapping, he slapped his thigh hard and uttered two words.

"good!"

That single word was like a signal flare, instantly igniting the entire auditorium.

Li Podi was the second to stand up, laughing and cursing, "This kid's got some nerve! He's even stronger."

But his eyes were full of approval.

Lu Xingchen also stood up, a smile on his lips.

Then, the second row, the third row, the fourth row...

Like dominoes, everyone stood up one by one.

The applause went from sporadic to frequent, from frequent to thunderous, and finally coalesced into a deafening roar that shook the entire auditorium.

Su Qiong sat in the corner, watching the figure standing straight on the stage.

The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

That bastard, he actually proved himself quite capable when it mattered most.

Li Weiguo and Zhang Daoxuan on the stage were also applauding.

Li Weiguo, after puffing out his cheeks, suddenly lowered his head and muttered to Zhang Daoxuan, "Old Zhang, do you think this kid really thought about it for three days and three nights in the hospital? Or did he just make it up on the spot before going on stage?"

Zhang Daoxuan pondered for a moment: "Based on my understanding of him... I'd say 60% or 40%. 60% is improvisation, and 40% is something he actually thought about."

Li Weiguo's lips twitched: "Are you thinking the opposite of what I'm thinking? I think it's 40% improvisation and 60%..."

He looked at Gu Xu's seemingly carefree but actually serious face on the stage, and shook his head halfway through his sentence.

Forget it, it doesn't matter.

The important thing is that this path is viable.

The applause lasted for a long time before gradually subsiding.

Standing on the stage, Gu Xu faced the faces that were either excited, shocked, or deep in thought. There was something else about the smile on his lips that only he could perceive.

He was telling the truth.

During the few days he spent in the hospital, he appeared to be slacking off, but in reality, he was repeatedly pondering a problem.

The weaknesses exposed in the East China Sea battle were too fatal.

No matter how strong he is, it's impossible for him to appear on every battlefield at the same time.

He's not Sun Wukong, who can conjure a hundred clones from a handful of hairs.

The only solution is to deepen and expand the nation's pool of high-end combat capabilities.

The quickest way is to fill in the missing piece of the puzzle for those elites who are already at the peak of sainthood and are just one step away from it.

Material.

The world is never short of geniuses.

What's lacking are the resources to turn geniuses into monsters.

As for the risks of conquering those high-risk secret realms?

Gu Xu looked down at his palm.

He has the Realm of Calamity, the Bride of Evil, the Source of Plague, the Eye of the Ancients, the Gravedigger, and Brother Raven!

In addition, there are the two trump cards: the Mouth of the Abyss and the Brain of the Ancients.

High-risk secret realm?

What might be a near-death experience for others could be a matter of life and death.

But for him—

Those were gold mines waiting for him to empty them.

Thinking of this, Gu Xu nodded slightly to the audience below, then turned and walked off the stage.

As he passed by Su Qiong, he lowered his voice and said something.

"So, how would you rate what you just said?"

Su Qiong rolled her eyes at him and ignored him.

"At least it passed, right?"

"...70 points."

Su Qiong said softly, paused, and then added, "The thirty points were deducted because you were still thinking about the bonus before you went on stage."

Gu Xu retorted confidently, "What's wrong with wanting a bonus? It doesn't stop me from worrying about the country and its people. We have to do both things well. What do you call that? That's called having a broad perspective."

Su Qiong chose to give up trying to reason with him.

She turned her head and looked at Zhang Daoxuan, who was reading out the organizational details of the Calamity Army on the platform, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

The Army of Calamities.

This name will most likely resonate throughout the entire planet Earth in the future.

Not far away, Jiang Shu clung to the back of her seat, her eyes shining with excitement, and whispered, "The young master has become a legion commander! Does that mean I can be a deputy legion commander?"

"If that doesn't work, I'll be the chief of staff! If all else fails, I'll even take the position of logistics minister in charge of distributing snacks!"