Chapter 306: Chapter 195: It’s Not That I Can’t Cultivate, It’s Just That Cheating Is More Cost-Effective! (Part 2)

However, as early as a week ago, the local authorities issued a statement saying that Dragon Country plans to build a natural ecological reserve here. From today onwards, the mountain will be closed, and tourists are not allowed to enter.

This announcement naturally drew complaints from many people in Dragon Country. After all, quite a few tourists from the south had just flown in that morning, so it’s inevitable they’d be upset.

But the local authorities were well-prepared for this, and with the help of Dragon Country’s officials to guide public opinion, this minor storm quickly subsided.

"This is Wolf Fang Second Team! This is Wolf Fang Second Team! No anomalies have been found yet, no anomalies have been found yet!"

"Command center received! Command center received! Continue the search! Continue the search!"

"Received! Received!"

In the dense jungle, a figure armed to the teeth put down the walkie-talkie and made a gesture to continue forward.

Then the sound of rustling kept coming from the jungle, a cluster of green grass suddenly rose, then moved forward cautiously.

There were dozens of such teams around, and although they were insignificant compared to the vast Mountain and Sea Mountain Range, pinpointing a specific location is not too difficult for them.

Dozens of small teams spread out in a fan shape, continuously moving outwards. At their center, space was left for a passage where many army-green trucks came and went. Judging by the appearance of the deeply embedded tires, it’s clear it’s not just for transporting people.

This place is located at the eastern part of the Mountain and Sea Mountain Range, not far from the central region. Even the most adventurous travelers rarely venture here.

It’s uninhabited, with no roads to follow, just untouched landscapes.

The local officials initially wanted to develop the central area directly, but the workload was too massive. They couldn’t achieve it all at once, so they had to start with the eastern part, which is closer to human habitation, and work their way slowly from there.

The roar of massive machinery and the thick black smoke managed to carve out a path traversable by vehicles in less than a week, no matter how vast the mountain range. Of course, the road is quite rough and barely keeps military vehicles’ tires from blowing.

Countless life supplies were arranged, along with many sealed green boxes that were also carefully placed.

In this living base, besides the ever-present army-green figures, there are researchers in white lab coats walking briskly everywhere.

Additionally, many soldiers have transformed into laborers, unloading items from the trucks and constantly improving and expanding the base.

These people are just the vanguard dispatched by Dragon Country. It’s quality over quantity here.

Once they finished organizing, a large number of staff will follow to contribute to this base.

In contrast to these two colors, at the center of the base, Ning An, dressed in a light blue dao robe, was walking side by side with a kind-looking elderly man, talking and laughing, appearing to have a very harmonious conversation.

This elderly man, of course, wasn’t just any ordinary person. His name is Shi Changming, a master in the field of material research in Dragon Country.

Many international award-winning articles on materials have been guided by Elder Shi, who is greeted with the utmost respect as a teacher by those who meet him.

Yet, this legendary figure was now waving his arms as happily as a child.

"Little Ning, you wouldn’t know, we’ve basically researched all materials thoroughly now. What we’re studying now is just the known stuff, which isn’t interesting at all. As for breakthroughs in materials, not until physics advances first can we make any headway, and that’s just torturous for us."

This was the last sentence from Elder Shi before the topic took a sudden turn:

"Little Ning, about that spiritual qi you mentioned, I’ve categorized it as another type of gas. Every object has solid, liquid, and gas forms. We may not detect its gaseous state, but once we find its solid and liquid states, we can figure out its basic principles!"

"Uh, this."

Sweat formed on Ning An’s forehead as he felt like he was back in high school, being questioned by his physics teacher, and he could only try his best to explain:

"In theory, spiritual qi does have solid, liquid, and gas states, but our current conditions aren’t enough. Unless it’s in certain special locations, it’s quite challenging to find its solid and liquid states."

"Not enough pressure?" Elder Shi immediately caught onto the key point, his eyes lighting up:

"That’s simple. Compressing air isn’t hard; our current equipment can do it. Let’s go, follow me."

When Elder Shi says it, he means it, ready to drag Ning An along to start an experiment.

Ning An, feeling awkward, quickly held back Elder Shi, explaining, "Elder Shi, wait, wait, spiritual qi isn’t like water vapor. It can’t just be transformed into other states through pressure or temperature alone."

Elder Shi stopped, looking at Ning An with a puzzled expression, about to write the words "Don’t fool me" on his face.

Ning An organized his thoughts and said, "Elder Shi, to understand spiritual qi, you must step beyond the concept of matter and mix it with the spiritual aspects. It’s not just a dead thing; the word ’spiritual’ implies that it has a sort of consciousness, not a cognitive one, but a kind of mystical spirituality."

"As written in ’Guanzi: Inner Work,’ spiritual qi resides in the heart, coming and going, so fine it lacks an interior, so vast it lacks an exterior. This refers to the essence flowing through the human body’s meridians, which is where one’s spiritual qi resides: formless, without substance, invisible to the naked eye, undetectable by instruments, yet it truly exists in traditional Chinese medicine."

"Or take the ’Tao Te Ching,’ which states: Tao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to all things. All things bear the negative and embrace the positive, blending the vitality to achieve harmony. This also explains spiritual qi, going beyond material limits without being constrained by form."

Elder Shi’s eyes moved quickly. Though he didn’t quite understand, he quickly grasped the main point: "Do you mean, when spiritual qi enters the body, it produces so-called vital essence, causing reactions in the human body?"

"Uh, you could interpret it that way. After all, though it seems mysterious, its existence is rational. It’s just that it makes us stronger, so we pay attention to it. But for most people, spiritual qi is like an inert gas, non-toxic and harmless, unless absorbed excessively by plants, leading to mutations from cumulative changes, resulting in accidental ingestion by humans." Ning An tried to use scientific language to describe the concept.

Elder Shi, hearing this, revealed a wide grin, looking at Ning An as if he was a rare treasure: "Little Ning, if I recall correctly, you must have absorbed this spiritual qi before, right?"

Ning An suddenly had a bad feeling: "Maybe, possibly, probably, it should be..."

"Little Ning, let’s say, what do you lack? Feel free to tell me. Whether it’s beauties or wealth, or looking at any cultivation technique, the old man here will figure out how to get it for you."

Elder Shi chuckled wickedly: "As long as you cooperate in my experiments, I promise the country will fulfill all your needs. If it can’t, I’ll make up for it from my share!"

Ning An took a deep breath, earnestly staring into Elder Shi’s eyes, saying, "I don’t want any of those."

"What nonsense?" Elder Shi’s eyes abruptly widened, finding it absurd: "What did you say just now? I might have misheard, being old and poor-eyed. Say it again."

Ning An chuckled, leaning close to his ear, loudly declaring, "I don’t want beauties or wealth, nor do I lack any cultivation techniques. I just want to be the Commander of the Military District. How about that, Elder Shi? If you agree, feel free to study me."

"Study you..." Despite Elder Shi being a man of restraint, he managed not to spit out the curse that came to his lips, only quietly muttering something as he distanced himself from Ning An.

Ning An laughed heartily, then softly hummed a love song.

For an old child at heart like Elder Shi, even if Ning An asked for something excessive, Elder Shi would mobilize all his connections to help him achieve it.

Rather than troubling others, it’s better to propose a request that shocks even Elder Shi, so he could have some peace.

Still, speaking of it, who hasn’t dreamed when they were young?

Sigh!

It’s just that everyone’s dream gets fractured by life.

Ning An shook his head, ready to take a stroll, and use his Dragon-Seeking Ruler to check the surrounding environment when he saw Elder Shi, stubborn once more, returning with a fawning smile:

"You’re still so young, the perfect age to make a mark. How can you let these things hold you back?"

"How about being deputy director of the Supernatural Bureau, no! How about director?"

"Hey, don’t go. If you’re not satisfied, we can negotiate."

"Slow down, wait up for this old-timer..."