Chapter 746

Chapter 746: Mother Ship of the Fifth Generation

Year 6400 of the Xia Calendar, Haigang City

In this year, two new-generation cultivators broke through to the Soul Changing Stage: Ning Li and Lin Liyan. They were the first and second to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage and stood out among the new-generation cultivators.

Their breakthroughs represented the complete growth of the new-generation cultivators. The Soul Changing Stage was fully capable of handling things on their own, and many tasks could be entrusted to them. The two also became role models, rising to high positions in Huaxia, wielding great power and gaining increasing prestige.

Lin Jiang gave them significant publicity, and the two began touring Huaxia to inspire the younger generations still striving on their cultivation journey.

It was also the year when Lin Jiang’s chief bodyguard, Wu Li, retired. In fact, for a long time, Wu Li had already been more of a title than a true bodyguard, as he was only at the Golden Core Stage, while Lin Jiang had already reached the late Void Achieving stage. It was unclear who was protecting whom.

"I am over four hundred years old, over three hundred years, sir. I have grown old."

Lin Jiang held a farewell banquet for Wu Li. Wu Li raised his glass, tears in his eyes. He was just over four hundred years old and had followed Lin Jiang for more than three hundred years. Their bond was deep after such a long time.

"You can still live for over a hundred more years. Live for yourself in the coming time."

Lin Jiang said, thinking of all his former bodyguards. Even though it was only a few hundred years, his memories of these people had grown a bit hazy, which made him sigh again and again.

"Yes, I have over a hundred years left, but I can no longer stay by your side, sir. I feel very ashamed."

Wu Li said, truly feeling ashamed. While by Lin Jiang’s side, he received excellent treatment and resources, even guidance from Lin Jiang, yet he couldn’t break through to the Nascent Soul stage. How could he not feel ashamed?

"You’ve done very well over the years, just like your father, diligent and hardworking."

"Sir…"

"No need to say more, I already know. You are living in Haigang City, so come back to see me more often when you have time. By the way, if your direct children have done well, you can recommend them to me."

"Sir, do you still need the bodyguards?"

"I don’t need bodyguards, but I need people I can trust. When you are around, I feel safe."

Lin Jiang said he really didn’t need these people to protect him anymore, but Lin Jiang needed comfort for his soul.

He had lived for many years, and people close to him had passed away one by one. If the descendants of these people were around, maybe Lin Jiang would feel more at ease, and perhaps he could recall memories from the past.

"Okay, I will recommend someone to help the gentleman with some tasks."

"Hmm…"

Lin Jiang nodded. In the face of such a farewell, he felt he was speaking less and less.

After parting with Wu Li, the days continued to pass by, simple and ordinary. Nothing much was happening, and the whole world was developing steadily.

The Penglai Continent is getting more and more prosperous, and the Ying Continent is also becoming more and more vibrant. Occasionally, some small conflicts happen, but they do not matter in the big picture.

Five years passed just like that, and the time reached the year 6405 of the Xia calendar. Cao Wang brought a ring, a brand new Storage Ring. It has a large space, and it can even allow living people to enter and exit. In the era of cultivation, this kind of Storage Ring is a true treasure.

"Cao Wang doesn’t think much of me at all. He gives you a Storage Ring, but not to me?"

After hearing this, Cao Ying said with a hint of sadness, "Cao Wang is a bit disrespectful. Doesn’t he know that I am the best in Huaxia?"

"This is a test product; the next one will be for you."

"You are not lying to me?"

"Why would I lie to you? This thing is very precious to others, but to you and me, it’s just normal. What is mine is yours."

"That’s true, but mine is still mine, and yours can’t be mine."

"Alright, alright."

Lin Jiang smiled, saying it was the same for everyone.

Six months later, Cao Wang gave Cao Ying a new Storage Ring, delivering it in person. He also learned about Cao Ying’s complaints and knew he couldn’t forget about it.

"Ancestor Cao, in this Storage Ring, I buried a spirit vein inside, and it is even better than Ancestor Lin’s."

"A spirit vein? Can people go inside to cultivate?"

Cao Ying was extremely surprised; she didn’t expect it to have such an effect.

"Theoretically, yes, but the spirit vein is fading. The spirit vein inside is like a rootless weed; it cannot grow, only slowly fade away. The generation of spirit veins is also a mystery that has not been solved yet."

"Many years ago, the tomb of the Green Emperor and the resting place of the four great families were actually linked to the Qing State, which is how they maintained their longevity."

"So the spiritual energy inside can only be used in emergencies?"

"Yes, it is only for emergencies. I wouldn’t dare to put important spirit veins inside; it’s just for temporary use. However, once it’s used up, you can place the Storage Ring in a place rich in spiritual energy. I set up a Spirit Gathering Formation inside, which will actively absorb spiritual energy, like charging, allowing for recycling."

"You have a kind heart, Cao Wang."

"This is what I should do."

Cao Wang said, "Lin Jiang is the big investor. If we don’t take good care of the investor, what else can we do, right? He also knows that pleasing the investor’s woman can sometimes be more important than pleasing the investor himself."

"How is the new generation of the Space Mother Ship?"

"It is currently being built. It will take about three to five years to finish, and with the testing time, it can be launched in at most ten years. This generation of the Space Mother Ship might have the best technology for the next several decades or even hundreds of years. It will be hard to make another breakthrough, but we can improve some details."

"How good will it be?"

"The design’s top speed can reach over four thousand Mach."

"One-twentieth of the speed of light?"

"I can’t be sure; it’s still just a theory for now and needs to be tested. But four thousand Mach is a conservative number, which is ten times better than before."

Cao Wang said that this is the result of a breakthrough in engine technology, not entirely related to space technology. After this, there will be a long period of bottlenecks.

"Has there been any development in the weapons system?"

"There hasn’t been a major breakthrough, but it’s much better than before."

"That’s good, that’s good. Maybe new breakthroughs will come after your Tao Achieving. There is still hope."

"I hope so."

Cao Wang said, "Four thousand Mach is much faster than the flying speed of Tao Achieving. Perhaps the Tao Achieving or Demon Emperor could reach this speed using some secret methods, but which Tao Achieving or Demon Emperor can use secret methods for a long time? There is always a cost. However, his Space Mother Ship can be used for a long time."

·······

"Having too many geniuses is also a trouble. Right now, there aren’t enough treasures, and the number of people in the later stages of Void Achieving is increasing. This will give you a headache."

After sending Cao Wang away, Cao Ying said to Lin Jiang. She could see that Lin Jiang had high hopes for Cao Wang. At first, Cao Wang was not one of Lin Jiang’s trusted aides, but now he is valued even more than a close confidant; he is considered one of Lin Jiang’s main generals. Even Lin Huafei from the Lin family cannot compare to Cao Wang’s status.

"Yes, it is becoming harder for me to choose. Many people have reached the point of needing to achieve Tao, and I don’t want to miss any of them. It is not easy for them to grow to this stage."

Lin Jiang said, "For example, if Lin Huafei, the alchemist, can break through to Tao Achieving, Alchemy can rise to another level. With such an alchemist around, life will be much better."

Zhu Bin, the master of formations, has worked hard too. Other Formation Masters cannot compare to him, and we still need his help for the Interstellar Teleportation Array.

Many others who have reached Void Achieving have also made great efforts and earned honors on the front lines fighting against the demon race. They deserve rewards; they are all talented individuals.

"The whole world has been searched clean. I believe there will be no treasures left that can help people achieve Tao."

"That’s about right. Both the North and South Poles have demon races, and they are not easy to deal with. I hope they can be patient; new treasures still need time to grow."

Lin Jiang said, "These treasures have seeds left and are being cultivated. The profession of Spiritual Farmer has basically been replaced by experts from agricultural research institutes. They do better than traditional Spiritual Farmers, but no matter how good they are, it takes time to cultivate spiritual herbs."

"I expect that in thirty or forty years, there will be people reaching the peak of Void Achieving. It is really important to take this time well for the breakthrough."

"Sigh, I have a hard time too. It would be great if we could discover other cultivation worlds to raid; we could find everything there."

"That’s a lovely thought, but what if we meet someone like Yang Luo? We wouldn’t know who would win."

"There are only a few people like Yang Luo, and besides, I’m not afraid of her anymore, as long as I can find her."

Lin Jiang shook his head; he knew this was still a wishful thought. It would probably take hundreds of years to find a new planet with life. For now, they could only keep circling around Blue Star.

Tao Achieving’s choice needs to be made in just a few decades, which truly gives Lin Jiang a headache. It’s like being caught between a rock and a hard place.