Mistress really is... impressive.

With just a few pointers, she opened up an entirely new line of thought for Wang Sheng.

Earth's thriving culture was like a sharp weapon. If it were fed back into the civilization of the Immortal Dao, it could spark some unexpected reactions.

Wang Sheng found the idea fascinating. As he strolled with Chi Ling and talked it over at length, he felt as though a door to a new world had been pushed open.

Conquest was not achieved through force alone.

Wang Sheng had spent so long fighting that he had overlooked, almost instinctively, Earth's greatest advantage.

In the endless space, the civilization of the Immortal Dao revolved around cultivation and the pursuit of immortality. Over vast stretches of time, this had shaped a massive and ancient atmosphere. Few cared about anything beyond cultivation. Chaos and disorder, where strength decided everything, had long become the norm out there.

Earth was different. After a thousand years without primal qi, the culture inherited from Immortal Dao civilization had rapidly developed on the land of the ancient Hua Republic.

Then came the blending of East and West, followed by waves of intellectual liberation. History itself had become a textbook. And if one were to extract its essence, that textbook could be used to influence the entire Immortal Dao civilization.

In Wang Sheng's mind, a series of images began to take shape.

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Wang Sheng smiled. "This idea is actually quite good. Once Earth's culture spreads throughout the endless space, Earth's uniqueness will naturally be concealed along with it."

Chi Ling replied, "My starting point for thinking about this problem was simply to conceal Earth's uniqueness. The goal is to ensure it does not stand out too much within the greater starry expanse. Since we cannot conquer them in a short time, we can only assimilate them. That said, carrying this out will be quite troublesome."

Wang Sheng grinned. "Mistress, we should formalize this as a project. I have a feeling this could become one of our trump cards in the future."

"Not ours," Chi Ling said as she glanced at him. "Most citizens of the Hua Republic live on Earth. Right now, I have three questions for you. To be precise, I am seeking your advice."

Wang Sheng nodded at once. "Please ask away."

If he can answer them, then he loses.

"First, if the current situation continues, will the Daoist sects one day leave Earth? Second, if, at some point in the future, a lifeform capable of crushing a celestial body with ease suddenly descends upon Earth, how would you respond? Finally..."

Chi Ling spoke slowly. As Wang Sheng listened attentively, a trace of bitterness rose in his heart.

These questions could not be answered in a few sentences. Each one was heavy... especially the third.

Chi Ling asked whether he had any way to reverse the increasingly obvious trend of ordinary people yearning for and worshipping immortals.

This was no longer just a question. It was practically a thesis topic.

In the end, he just said that he would write her an essay of no less than five thousand words later, doing his best to provide some possible approaches.

After Chi Ling left, he returned to the gathering but found no interest in it. He lay down in a hammock and planned his next steps.

He could not leave Earth yet since he was still in the process of accepting the Great Dao that Nuwa had left behind. However, there were still things he could do.

The next phase of his plans could proceed along three paths at once.

First was the search for the Human King. The second was to prepare to secretly export Earth's culture, starting from the eleven qi planets of the ancient battlefield. Or, to be safer, begin with a more distant celestial body. The third was to strengthen Earth's own defenses and disguise.

Because of the Time-Cycle Grand Array, he could remain on Earth while setting these plans in motion. From his perspective, it would not take long before he could observe their effects.

Searching for the Human King could not be rushed. It would have to proceed slowly.

As for strengthening Earth's defense and disguise, Wang Sheng already had some ideas. He could ask their forefather to step in and create a fake solar system.

To ordinary people, this idea would sound absurd, but for someone like the forefather, who could manipulate celestial bodies at will, finding a sun and a few celestial bodies within the vast starry space was not particularly difficult. If done carefully, it could also help avoid drawing attention.

Only one matter required detailed planning: exporting Earth's culture and spreading its ideas across the endless space.

Using entertainment as a medium seemed like a good option.

It was similar to what the Dami Empire often did. It used entertainment to project its culture, subtly twist right and wrong along the way, and easily occupy the moral high ground.

Such behavior was certainly shameless, but from the standpoint of protecting Earth, exporting certain values that could shake the Immortal Dao civilization could well create a ripple effect that spread far and wide.

Right after Mou Yue's gathering ended, Wang Sheng flew straight back to his house. He even ran a few red lights meant for cultivators and crossed several no-fly zones.

Once home, he quickly sorted his thoughts. He did not have to worry about the finer details; he only had to pass the idea to Xiaomiao and the others, who would then handle the planning and testing.

Everyone had their role. This was not him being lazy.

Wang Sheng knew himself well. He was a sword cultivator who walked the Dao of the Sword, not a strategist and certainly not a gifted poet. Just thinking about how to deal with Haotian was already enough to give him a headache.

To his dismay, news arrived that gave him an even bigger headache the very next day. Something could have happened to the Qiling Immortal Sect.

***

Mou Yue read the telegram in her hand and relayed it to Wang Sheng.

"Two Heavenly Immortals claimed to be disciples of the Qiling Immortal Sect's sect master. However, when Elder Linyuan asked them to identify some alchemical pills, they failed to even recognize their supposed sect's own celestial pills."

Xi Lian and Qinglin, who stood nearby, both frowned.

"This is clearly a probe," Xi Lian said. "The fact that they went straight to the Xinghai Sect suggests that the Xinghai Sect may already be exposed."

Qinglin added, "Actually, we do not have to second-guess ourselves here. It is pretty much certain that the enemy already knows Fei Yu once served as an elder of the Xinghai Sect."

"No secret can stay hidden forever," Mou Yue said. "We had already considered this possibility. Right now, only a small number of trusted people know that Fei Yu is still alive, and all communication devices used by Earth are under strict control. Outside, aside from Xiaomiao, Daoist Master Qing Yanzi, Daoist Master Zhou Yinglong, and the two sect masters of the Daoist sects, no one knows that Fei Yu is still alive."

Wang Sheng frowned. "My connection to the Qiling Immortal Sect has likely been uncovered. Visiting under the excuse of strengthening ties? That excuse is far too lame."

"That just means whoever is behind this does not care," Xi Lian said.

"How did Xiaomiao handle it?" Wang Sheng asked.

Mou Yue glanced at the paper, then answered, "Xiaomiao instructed Sect Master Yao Xingzi not to entertain them himself. Instead, she had Elder Linyuan of the Xinghai Sect receive them and deal with them until they left.

"They asked about your time cultivating in the Xinghai Sect as Pi Kachew. Elder Linyuan gave them a sorrowful expression and said that the grief he had spent hundreds of years trying to forget had been stirred up again."

Xi Lian smiled. "With Xiaomiao guiding him from the side, Elder Linyuan showed no flaws."

"The problem is that they have already set their sights on the Xinghai Sect," Wang Sheng interlaced his fingers as he thought carefully.

"Could that person be making a move?" Qinglin asked.

"Mm," Wang Sheng replied. "Most likely. The rise and fall of the sacred spirit was a plan that took three hundred years to execute. It didn't have that many flaws. When the sacred spirit became famous, and the entire Immortal Saint Realm was searching for it, Fengmo's corner of the ancient battlefield remained calm the whole time, without any issues. Logically speaking, it can only be that person."

"Then why would he not come to Earth himself and wipe it out?"

"Perhaps he is wary. With the sacred spirit awakening, Nuwa may have left a countermeasure here that would protect it. That has made him cautious enough not to dare come here... I think."

Xi Lian laughed softly. "I do not understand what you are talking about, but that 'I think' of yours says a lot."

"What should we do now?" Wang Sheng asked.

Mou Yue commented, "Commander Xiaomiao hinted in her message that she wants to consult Earth's think tank. That probably means she wants you, Fei Yu, to come up with a plan."

Wang Sheng answered softly, "Hide in plain sight. Break up Earth's cultivators into smaller units and have them take root across the eleven qi planets. Anyone we cannot trust gets sent back immediately. Advise the Xinghai Sect to move its core members away as well. If necessary, they should relocate entirely from Fengmo. By the way, did Xiaomiao mention anything about the Qiling Immortal Sect's situation?"

Mou Yue muttered, "She has already arranged for people to investigate, but it seems the fastest way to get information is through a senior known as Hostess Su."

"We can only wait for news, then."

Wang Sheng leaned back on the sofa and fell into thought for a moment.

Mou Yue took her leave, but he called her back and handed her the written report that he had prepared for Chi Ling. He also passed along two matters that had to be handled officially: searching for the Human King's wandering soul and exporting Earth's culture to the endless space.

Wang Sheng found the idea of cultural infiltration quite interesting.

Of course, the priority was ensuring Earth's safety. If the planet were gone, there would be no culture left to speak of.

Wang Sheng turned to Qinglin, who stepped forward with a smile.

"I believe I am the most suitable choice for delivering the message."

"Mm, then I am counting on you, Senior. I will write a letter shortly. Please take it to my forefather."

"Very well," agreed Qinglin.

Wang Sheng remained deep in thought, his eyebrows tightly knit as he continued pondering countermeasures. He only hoped Haotian would not suddenly act unpredictably and send a few powerful beings to outright crush Earth.

Fortunately, after waiting just two days, which was more than half a year in the endless space, news about the Qiling Immortal Sect finally arrived, stating it was unharmed. Moreover, the Xinghai Sect's two visitors were not disciples of the sect master.

The situation only grew more confusing. Still, Wang Sheng could feel that a large hand seemed to have already reached out toward him.