The power of money has inted to infinity in modern society.


    Even if the Nascent Soul ancestors were to promote it recklessly, it would be difficult to spread the sect’s lineage to every mountain vige within a year.


    Money can do it!


    From the east to the Great Zhou, west to the Buddhand, north to the desert of Red Continent, south to the Hundred Thousand Mountains.


    In every inhabited ce, one would see recruiters promoting, and even without the inte, one could record a video of reciting the Tai Xuan Jing and upload it to receive promotional funds.


    With the enormous poption base of modern society, there are more people with Spirit Roots.


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    As more and more people cultivated Mana, there became no need for promoters to advertise; they began to spread the teachings of immortality and martial arts on their own.


    The pursuit of powerful strength is human instinct!


    The magnificent momentum swept through the Nine Continents like a surging tide.


    The Great Zhou’s edict prohibiting martial arts seemed like a mere formality, and the cab couldn’t possibly go against public opinion, at least they were nominally supported by a stack of ballots.


    Today.


    The cab held a full meeting, voting on a major decision.


    ording to Da Qianw, decisions concerning the public required the presence of the Emperor, after all, as the nominal ruler of the Great Zhou.


    Emperor Mingxiang, Zhu Jin, sat in the highest seat of the meeting room, looking down at the officials and representatives arguing below, with a smile on his face like a mascot, showing no sign of dissatisfaction.


    Next to him sat Wei Zheng of the Imperial n, a Martial Arts Grandmaster before the revival, who was also Emperor Mingxiang’s uncle by marriage.


    The two of them appeared to be listening to the cab meeting, but in reality, they were secretlymunicating through voice transmissions. Read exclusive chapters at empire


    "This ruckus is as unsightly as a vegetable market. If I had known this earlier, I should have banned that officialwork. Now disciples of the Qi Sect are everywhere, and even the Imperial Court is wary!"


    Emperor Mingxiang’s tone clearly carried dissatisfaction, as the Qi Sect had disrupted the imperial family’s nning, failing to lead prominently in the new era.


    The Great Zhou Dynasty’s concealment of Spiritual Energy and ghostly entities was not only a resolution of the cab but also pushed by all families together.


    Four years after the revival of Spiritual Energy, ordinary people were still working overtime in ignorance, while those upper-ss families were already busily preparing, either collecting ancient methods or studying new techniques.


    When the new era fully arrived, the powerful would still be powerful.


    "They can’t stop the Heavenly Monarch Yuanling. The view of good and evil held by such ancient figures is different from ordinary people."


    Weu Zheng said, "If they really provoke him, a few ancient curses would be enough to wipe out the cab. The power of mortals can only oppress mortals and can never affect cultivators!"


    Emperor Mingxiang naturally understood this reasoning, and what truly rendered him helpless was exactly this: the cab had not stopped the spread of cultivation techniques, and by default, had chosen to submit to cultivators.


    "The power of the Royal Family is far less than that of the cab. In the future, will we have to take orders from cultivators?"


    "Wasn’t it like this in ancient times?"


    Wei Zheng said, "This is not necessarily a bad thing for those in power. For example, Da Qian hassted for eleven hundred years, whether under a foolish Emperor or a wise one, and has never fallen, all thanks to support from cultivators!"


    "This is indeed a direction..."


    Emperor Mingxiang’s expression was subtle; perhaps they could use the power of cultivators to return to the days of the Great Zhou Dynasty.


    In the face of the powerful strength of cultivators, the so-called freedom of ordinary people is trivial, after all, faced with democracy or death, ny-nine percent of people would choose to cling to life.


    "Do not try to stop the rise of others, the quest for immortality is determined by talent, after all. The Heavenly Spiritual Root and other Spirit Roots are like different species."


    Wei Zheng said, "When His Late Majesty took me as his adopted son, it was because of my exceptional talent. What others would cultivate in ten days could notpare to one hour of my cultivation!"


    Emperor Mingxiang faintly grasped the implication: "What do you mean?"


    "There are so many nobledies in the Royal Family, who usually live in luxury; now it’s time for them to contribute."


    Wei Zheng said, "I believe they will not refuse; to marry a cultivator, after all, once one achieves sess in the Dao of immortality, their temperament and appearance will naturally be extraordinary!"


    Emperor Mingxiang nodded slightly andmunicated through a whisper.


    "Thank you, uncle, for showing me the way!"


    As long as the Imperial n formed matrimonial ties with enough top-tier Spirit Roots, they would at least gain an early advantage in the new era. In the future, they could aim to restore the imperial system, or at the very least, ensure the continuity of the Zhu family’s lineage.


    At that moment.


    The Cab was still in an uproar, with the great figures haggling over everyst detail for their interests and doing their utmost to assign me, no different from the aunties at the market who would argue over a few dimes for half an hour.


    After a half-day’s quarreling, the responsibility for the proliferation of Cultivation Techniques fell squarely on the head of the Investigation Bureau Chief.


    After all, while the others were elected by the people, only the Bureau Chief was appointed by the Cab, akin to the Jinyiweimander of ancient times, born to carry the emperor’s burdens.


    "I am willing to take full responsibility for this matter and will submit my resignation after the meeting is concluded."


    The Bureau Chief bowed and said, "In addition, I am willing to join Laboratory Zero and contribute to the development of the new Cultivation Techniques!"


    "Very well."


    The Grand Secretary nodded slightly. Such a punishment was sufficient for public announcement. The people would surely apud and praise the fairness of the Cab upon hearing that someone as important as the head of the Investigation Bureau became a test subject, a veritable guinea pig.


    Then, turning to the microphone, he dered, "The spread of Cultivation Techniques is now inevitable!"


    "It’s toote to stop it now, and the Cultivation Techniques collected by the Imperial Court can’tpare to those of the Yi Qi Sect. If we truly stopped them, the other Continents’ rate of cultivation progress would surpass that of Great Zhou, and it would be harder to maintain our dominant status across the Nine Continents..."


    "This would be irresponsible to the people of Great Zhou..."


    After a verbose speech of several hundred words, he finally announced two decisive resolutions.


    "Initiate nationwide Spirit Root testing, so the officials can control the number and identities of the cultivators, and attempt to recruit them for the use of the Imperial Court!"


    A show of hands for the vote, all in favor.


    "elerate the development of Elixir Zero, to grant those without Spirit Roots powerful strength too!"


    A show of hands for the vote, all in favor.


    "Meeting adjourned."


    The Grand Secretary had anticipated this oue. He had already conducted a private consultation with the Cab and the Council before the meeting, settling on the distribution of interests before the public meeting.


    After the meeting concluded.


    The Grand Secretary sent an invitation to Emperor Mingxiang for a dinner, iming there were important matters to discuss, and it also included the present-day leader of the Red Alliance.


    By current terminology, that would be the party chief, one who would qualify topete for the position of Grand Secretary in the future.


    An extremely frugal dinner, with food and drinks not exceeding ten thousand yuan, made Emperor Mingxiang quite ufortable. The Imperial n still maintained the traditions of the old days, such as a feast of a hundred and eight dishes.


    Even though the imperial pce had be a public tourist attraction, the Royal Family had spent billions to construct a simrlyid-out resort pce.


    Every act and gesture of the Imperial n was governed by strict rules in order to distinguish themselves from themon folk and maintain their mystique and nobility.


    "Has the Imperial Court be socking in funds?"


    Emperor Mingxiang wiped his mouth, intending to signal someone to bring the mouth-rinsing water before remembering he wasn’t in the imperial pce: "The Royal Family can donate a few billion to improve the Cab’s dining situation."


    "The Imperial Court is not short of money, but that money belongs to the taxpayers."


    The Grand Secretary nced at the Alliance Hierarch and smiled, "The New Party, the Red Alliance, the Emperor. It seems like a long time since we all sat together."


    "We were all together at the meeting just now!"


    Emperor Mingxiang huffed coldly. He clearly understood the Grand Secretary’s implication. Back then, the revolution led by the Red Alliance’s main adversaries were the emerging noble families who oppressed workers in their workshops.


    The oue, however, was that Great Zhou was alternately ruled by the New Party and the Red Alliance, while the Royal Family, sitting back and watching from afar, had be but a mascot.