90: Chapter 90: Let's also set up a cultivation university
As Sect Leader Lu Yun tremblingly signed that ninety-nine-year "labor contract," a voice that hadn't sounded in a long time rang out in Jiang Ning's mind.
[Phase Task "Visitors from Beyond" completed.]
[Task Evaluation: Perfect.]
[Objective: Capture the otherworldly cultivator Lu Yun and seize the key item "star-fixing compass."]
[Extra Achievements:]
['Dimensional Reduction Strike': Completely destroyed his will to resist using only the technological gap, without resorting to force.]
['Waste Utilization': Converted the target's attack energy into city electricity.]
['Talent Recruitment': Converted the target into usable labor.]
[Comprehensive Evaluation: S+]
[Reward settlement complete: 5,000 merit points, 1x High-Level Technical Blueprint Treasure Chest.]
Jiang Ning's face remained expressionless, but she felt reasonably satisfied.
Five thousand merit points.
She was more interested in that technical blueprint treasure chest.
"Open it," she thought.
[Congratulations! You have obtained a rare blueprint: "Guide to Inter-Realm Trade and Preliminary Stargate Construction"!]
Jiang Ning's eyes instantly lit up.
This item had come at the perfect time.
The "star-fixing compass" she had seized from Sect Leader Lu Yun was, to put it bluntly, just a positioning beacon; it couldn't perform large-scale teleportation. But this "Guide," as the name suggested, was to teach her how to use that beacon to truly build a two-way spatial passage.
"Stargate..." she murmured the word in her heart.
This was what she truly wanted.
Earth's resources were limited. Even if she transformed the entire planet into a super factory, there would eventually be an end to it.
As for the Immortal-Mortal Realm, although the cultivators there fought fiercely among themselves, it was after all a cultivation civilization that had developed for countless years. Its resources and technical systems were an entirely different matter.
If she could open up trade between the two realms...
No, with Earth's current foundation, it was too early to talk about trade.
It should be called... unilateral "targeted poverty alleviation" and "sending technology to the countryside."
An entire set of plans instantly popped into Jiang Ning's head.
Sell Earth's surplus industrial goods to the Immortal-Mortal Realm in exchange for the spirit stones they used as firewood and the common spirit plants that were everywhere.
Bring Earth's concepts of "standardization" and "assembly lines" over there to crush their small-workshop production model.
She could even treat the low-level cultivators of the Immortal-Mortal Realm, who spent all day fighting and killing, as "cheap labor" and recruit them to Earth for Infrastructure Construction...
Just like what she had just done to Sect Leader Lu Yun.
"This business can grow big," Jiang Ning calculated, as if seeing countless merit points waving at her.
However, she also knew this couldn't be rushed.
Building a "Stargate" was a massive project that would burn through a sea of resources and energy, and it required an absolutely safe location.
Current conditions were still far from enough.
The urgent priority was still to lay a good foundation for Earth itself.
"Engineer Jiang? Engineer Jiang?"
Director Zhao Lixin's voice interrupted her train of thought.
"Look, Comrade Lu Yun... oh no, Consultant Lu Yun, has been settled. Do you have any further instructions?" Director Zhao Lixin asked for guidance.
"Mhm." Jiang Ning snapped back to reality and glanced at Sect Leader Lu Yun, who had been led to the door. He was holding a pile of "introductory textbooks" like "Basic Principles of Marxism" and "Materialism and Dialectics" with a look of utter bewilderment.
"Let him study well first to reform his thinking. That report must be written in detail. Additionally, starting tomorrow, arrange for him to go to The Ninth Bureau's training center to give classes to Dongfang Shuo and the other Kunlun disciples. He'll talk about the local customs and basic cultivation knowledge of the Immortal-Mortal Realm."
"Huh? Let him be a teacher?" Director Zhao Lixin was a bit dazed. "Is he... reliable?"
"A person whose arrogance has been completely shattered and who is terrified of death is more obedient than anyone," Jiang Ning's tone was flat. "Besides, this is also a test. Let's see what he can teach and how much intelligence we can dig out from what he teaches."
"Squeezing every bit of value out of him is the greatest respect we can show him."
Director Zhao Lixin felt a shiver in his heart but quickly nodded. "Understood, I'll arrange it immediately."
Watching Director Zhao Lixin lead the people away, Jiang Ning turned and went back to the lab.
She pulled up the "Stargate Construction Guide," and complex information flooded into her mind.
A moment later, she reached a conclusion.
To build the most basic "Stargate Version 0.1," which could only send a probe through one way, at least three things were needed.
First, a facilitator with an energy level reaching at least the Golden Core Stage. She was currently at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, still one step away.
Second, a "base" that could withstand massive spatial energy. Currently, the spiritual energy grand array of the entire Donghai City was barely enough, but not stable enough.
Third, a vast amount of purified high-level spiritual energy materials. These were almost non-existent on Earth.
"I still need to upgrade."
Whether it was for building the Stargate or dealing with the next wave of people the Tianyan Sect might send, increasing her own strength and Earth's defense level were top priorities.
And the foundation of all this was people.
No matter how powerful she was alone, how much work could she do?
Alchemy factories needed more alchemists and engineers, spiritual fields needed more spirit plant masters, and the future Stargate project would need countless people who understood formations and spatial technology.
Relying on her to teach alone, or on Dongfang Shuo's few dozen disciples, was simply not enough.
An educational system capable of large-scale training of "cultivation infrastructure talent" had to be established.
A... true cultivation academy.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning picked up the encrypted phone on the desk and dialed the Capital's Supreme Command Center directly.
The call was quickly connected, and the image of that elderly man in the main seat appeared on the screen. His expression was serious; he had clearly been waiting for news.
"Comrade Jiang Ning, what is the situation?"
"Chief, the matter is resolved," Jiang Ning stated the result directly. "The intruder has been recruited, and technology and intelligence are being organized. In the short term, we are safe."
On the other side of the screen, everyone visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
"However," Jiang Ning's tone shifted, "from a long-term perspective, we must speed up. The intelligence I just obtained shows that we are facing what may be a complete cultivation civilization that is stronger than us."
The atmosphere in the command center instantly tensed up again.
"I need more 'engineers'," Jiang Ning made her request directly. "I need a place, a group of talented young people, and the highest level of support from the state. I want to build a school—a school specifically for training 'spiritual energy construction' talent for our country."
"I want to use the shortest time possible to forge a modern cultivation engineering corps for Xia Country that can use formations, spiritual energy, and our own methods to defend and build the nation!"
The old man was silent for a moment, then he nodded heavily, his eyes firmer than ever before.
"I agree!"
"We will give you the people, the land, and the policies!"
"I've already thought of the school's name," the old man said to Jiang Ning, emphasizing every word.
"It shall be called—Kunlun!"