Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World

The highest combat strength of other sects or families is no more than Foundation Establishment.

These forces, if they have no connections, cannot rank among the Hundred Immortals Alliance... they can only depend on a sect within the Alliance.

The division is based solely on the number of forces.

Eighty percent of the wealth in the territory of the Hundred Immortals Alliance is possibly in the hands of less than one-fiftieth of the sects or families.

The third part is the structure of cultivators, which makes Xie Qingxue frown even more.

In the Hundred Immortals Alliance, aside from the Chongxuan Sect, including the Jiushan Sect, there are now thirty-two cultivators above the Nascent Soul level.

There are a total of two hundred and eighty-six Golden Core cultivators.

The total number of cultivators, estimated by Master Pang, is about eighty thousand.

In other words, if wealth is divided on an individual basis, cultivators above Golden Core, totaling just over three hundred people, make up less than one two-hundredth of the total number of cultivators.

Yet the resources they occupy probably far exceed eighty percent...

It must be known that other small forces also rely on them for survival.

As for the fourth part about cultivators' income and expenditure, Xie Qingxue read it carefully.

It states that out of every Foundation Establishment cultivator's income, fifty percent has to be handed over to the sect or more powerful cultivators.

Qi Cultivation cultivators have even more to give.

She only skimmed through it, but it also proved a thought in her mind:

Every high-level cultivator occupies resources that others cannot easily reach, and the more they cultivate, the more resources they need, leading to increasingly harsh exploitation of lower-level cultivators.

What makes her uneasy is...

This is only about cultivators.

Cultivators are already the most in control of their fate in the Xuanwei Realm.

As for mortals...

She doesn't need to look at an investigative report to understand that the exploitation suffered by mortals is a hundred times more than that of cultivators.

Every cultivator either understands this or doesn't understand this, but they are used to living above mortals.

In such an extremely opposing situation, to entrust their lives to mortals...

Who would be willing?

Who would dare?

Therefore, when the Ancestor Master crafted the Four Immortal Slaying Swords, even his Direct Disciples betrayed him, right?

Thinking of this, Xie Qingxue's mind became confused.

The question her Master asked before appeared in her ears again—

What would you choose?

She doesn't know the answer, or rather, she knows the answer but doesn't want to think deeply.

...

Zheng Fa seemed to see the conflict in her expression and asked curiously, "Is the matter of the Immortal Trapping Sword very troublesome?"

Xie Qingxue shook her head slightly, "I haven't figured out why the Immortal Trapping Sword is in the Chongxuan Sect..."

She repeated what Sect Leader Yan told her to Zheng Fa.

After listening, Zheng Fa also frowned.

"No wonder the Feiyun Sword I forged caused an unusual reaction in the Immortal Trapping Sword..."

Zheng Fa had his suspicions before; now that it's confirmed that the black sword is indeed the Immortal Trapping Sword, he was naturally convinced of his speculations—

Probably because he used some sword refining techniques from the Tianhe Sect, making the Immortal Trapping Sword somewhat responsive.

Xie Qingxue reminded, "My Master said, although Haori Mountain seems unable to control the Immortal Trapping Sword now, its power should not be underestimated... they might have some plot by placing this sword in the Chongxuan Sect."

"We cannot be careless."

Zheng Fa certainly understood this point.

This Immortal Trapping Sword could be said to have changed the situation in the Xuanwei Realm, even causing Tianhe Venerable to overturn, showing its power.

Not to mention, for an era, even Haori Mountain can't do anything about this Immortal Trapping Sword.

It's definitely not something he can handle rashly.

"In this case, we still have to figure out what Haori Mountain is trying to do..."

On the other hand, a supreme treasure like the Immortal Trapping Sword would never be casually placed by Haori Mountain.

Putting it in the Chongxuan Sect must have a purpose.

Even...

Can that thing be refined by Shi Gandang and those seven Divinity Transformation cultivators?

Zheng Fa found it hard to believe in his heart.

Thus, this Chongxuan Sect might have some peculiarities.

Zheng Fa calculated all sorts of possibilities in his mind, and then saw Xie Qingxue lost in thought, as if troubled by something difficult.

"Fairy Xie?"

Xie Qingxue slowly returned to her senses, looked at the Qingping Sword on her waist, and then quickly looked away as if shocked. She then gave a bitter smile and said, "I only realized today... if I were the Four Veins Ancestor, I would also..."

Zheng Fa nodded naturally and said, "Among a hundred cultivators, probably ninety-nine... are the same."

"Hmm?"

"Tianhe Venerable might not be wrong, but... he was too hasty..."

Zheng Fa sighed lightly and said to Xie Qingxue:

"Beside him were all traditional Xuanwei cultivators... never from the same path."

"The choices they could make, needless to say."

Xie Qingxue was stunned for a moment, sharply catching a new concept from Zheng Fa's words: "Traditional... Xuanwei cultivators?"

"Oh, look, this is a report given to me by Zhang."

Xie Qingxue took over the account book in Zheng Fa's hand curiously.

"After the textile factories were established... the number of products in the clothing market increased tenfold, with the average price dropping by thirty percent, export income..."

"Food processing factories... the daily food share in the Twelve State Cities increased fourfold."

"Last month, the newborn population in the Jiushan Realm doubled, and the mortality rate is less than ninety percent of last month."

"Average household assets increased by fifty percent, with each family storing half a year's grain..."

This was the change in the mortal world of the Jiushan Realm after the initial expansion of trade by the Hundred Immortals Alliance.

Zheng Fa had felt excited while reading this before—combining rough cultivation methods with modern technology may not be that powerful, but it is very effective in changing the fate of mortals.

When mixed with the Hundred Immortals Alliance investigation sent by Master Pang, the contrast becomes even more apparent.

The simplest change is what cultivators actually bring to this world.

"We must admit that cultivators' strength lies in themselves, and what they pursue is personal strength, which is an unchangeable fact." Zheng Fa also looked at the report in her hand, and said softly, "Tianhe Venerable's idea is actually good... to establish a mutually balanced Xuanwei Realm."

"The problem is, maybe he indeed has the ability to execute immortals, but he cannot change people's hearts..."

"I don't have the ambition and drive of the Venerable..."

Zheng Fa laughed at himself, as a coward, he really doesn't have the confidence to stand against all cultivators.

"So you chose... to change the relationship between cultivators and mortals?"

"Fairy Xie, the wealth of this world was distributed based on strength in the past... I was thinking, could it be distributed based on contribution in the future?"

Xie Qingxue stared blankly at Zheng Fa.

Comparing the Ancestor Master, she naturally understood Zheng Fa's meaning—cultivators possess great power, which is an immutable fact. What Zheng Fa was hoping for is to find a way to benefit all beings within this powerful force.

What if cultivators and mortals were no longer opposed...

What if mortals prospered because of cultivators, and cultivators became more powerful because of mortals?

Zheng Fa tilted his head and looked at Xie Qingxue, smiling:

"Fairy Xie, this path may not be any simpler than the path of the Tianhe Ancestor..."

A question echoed in Xie Qingxue's ear again: "Would you... like to join me?"

... Master, I may have found the answer to your question.