Chapter 828: Procreation
Chapter 828: Procreation
The Great Qing.
Ever since Fang Xi took over the various mortal nations on Trapped Sky Island, the Kyushu School cultivators gradually found the chaotic scene of numerous small states and conflicting policies intolerable, and began consciously integrating the various dynasties.
First, they used the small nations as a foundation to establish the "Great Qing United Nations," reclaiming economic and military power.
Then, they began to popularize education, planning for complete unification and transformation into a modern nation after three generations.
This way, they would not violate the Kyushu School's original promises to those monarchs.
One could say that high-level cultivators, due to their long lifespans, possessed such patience.
Three generations, a mere sixty-year cycle, just sixty years. . .
But those mortal monarchs would have long since died of old age or illness, perhaps even several cycles over. This was not "killing the donkey after it had delivered the flour," and the resistance to implementing new decrees was relatively small.
In a city, people gathered beneath a public notice board, looking at a new proclamation posted by the government.
Thanks to the widespread establishment of schools, it was now possible to find some literate people among the populace.
Immediately, someone began to read aloud:
"Procreation Commendation Order!"
"The Imperial Court decrees: The populace shall proliferate their offspring to strengthen the Divine Dao of the state. . . Therefore, previous laws are strictly enforced. . . If a woman is not married by eighteen, or a man not wed by twenty, their parents shall be fined two jia. . . Hospitals shall be established, and those giving birth shall enter the obstetrics department. . ."
"Procreation rewards are doubled: If a family gives birth to a son, they shall be rewarded with three hundred catties of 'Fire Corn' and one ox. If they give birth to a daughter, they shall be rewarded with three hundred catties of 'Jade Corn' and one fattened pig. Those who raise more than three children to adulthood shall be rewarded with one low-grade Spirit Stone. . . Those who raise a total of more than ten children to adulthood shall have one child inducted into an 'Immortal Sect'!"
...
"This. . . is the Emperor's divine grace!"
An old man listened and scoffed at the previous punishments. After all, in ancient times, it was common for girls to marry at fifteen or sixteen; eighteen was already considered an old maid.
As for men, they had to marry early, otherwise, how could they proliferate descendants?
To be without an heir. . . was a great filial impiety in ancient times!
This was actually due to the different views of the Kyushu School cultivators, and because women giving birth too early was detrimental to a smooth delivery, they had postponed the legal marriage age by a few years.
The so-called punitive decrees basically couldn't penalize anyone.
On the contrary, the reward decrees were something many people could meet the standard for!
Neither 'Fire Corn' nor 'Jade Corn' were "quasi-spirit rice," or rather, "half-spirit rice"!
These were seeds popularized by the Kyushu School. Although they weren't first-order spiritual rice, their advantage lay in their low spiritual energy requirements, allowing mortals to plant and cultivate them in ordinary fields. . . and they also contained an extremely subtle trace of spiritual energy.
When mortals consumed them, they could strengthen their bodies, prevent illnesses, and even increase the probability of their descendants possessing superior spiritual root aptitudes!
Not to mention, there were also rewards of oxen and pigs, and even if one raised more than three children, they would be rewarded with a Spirit Stone!
In those times, which family didn't have ten or eight children?
After hospitals were widely implemented, the number of children dying in infancy decreased, and most could live to reach "eighteen years" of adulthood.
And once the number of adults exceeded three, a Spirit Stone could be rewarded!
This was currency more valuable than copper coins, gold, or silver, and might even be exchanged for many benefits from immortals!
As soon as this order was issued, many people secretly began to calculate if they could add a few more mouths to their families.
Not to mention, there was also a quota to recommend one child to an Immortal Sect if ten children reached adulthood!
Mortals in this world knew of the existence of cultivators and dreamed of their descendants obtaining immortal destiny and entering an Immortal Sect!
Now, as long as one raised ten children to adulthood, there would be a quota for one to enter an Immortal Sect?
Wouldn't that cause people to fight tooth and nail?
"I've heard. . . to cultivate immortality, one's spiritual root must at least be low-grade. . . What if I raise ten children, and none of them have a low-grade spiritual root?"
An old man, however, had a worried expression on his face.
"Haha, Old Man Zhang, your son might not have it, but perhaps your grandson will!"
Another familiar neighbor couldn't help but laugh.
"Cough, cough. . ."
Beneath the official document, a government official coughed: "Do not let your imaginations run wild, the Immortal Sects have their own methods. . . If all else fails, you can still switch to the Divine Dao!"
"The Divine Dao is good, the Divine Dao is good!"
Old Man Zhang's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this.
Compared to cultivating immortality, the Divine Dao actually had more contact with the common people, and they also knew more about its benefits.
Especially. . . the Divine Dao did not require cultivation aptitude, which was enough to make many mortals go mad.
Many mortal nobles were now fully cooperating with the government's policies, just hoping to obtain an official conferment, so that their yin souls would not perish after death and they too could transfer to the Divine Dao!
In fact, even if one wished to enter an Immortal Sect for cultivation, the Kyushu School was not without methods.
After all, everyone possessed a spiritual root, merely of varying quality. The Kyushu School's criteria for determining a low-grade spiritual root were far lower than the cultivation world's standard.
Not to mention the existence of aptitude optimization liquid.
However, what these common people and government officials thought more about was still the Divine Dao. . . even feeling that the Divine Dao was better.
"This old man will go back and work hard to try and have another son."
Old Man Zhang's eyes lit up. He had five sons and four daughters, most of whom had already come of age.
If he just put in a bit more effort, it seemed he could meet the requirements?
Didn't this mean that the path to longevity was right before his eyes?
To cultivate immortality by having many children and much fortune?
Many people's eyes gleamed with the fire of ambition. . .
...
"This Great Qing United Nations, its decrees are quite smoothly implemented."
No one noticed that high in the sky,
Fang Xi was seated on a cloud bed, looking down, and praised.
Beside him, a Divine Dao official wore a fawning smile: "Precisely so. . . our Kyushu School places the utmost importance on ensuring that decrees are transmitted from top to bottom."
One must know that the bureaucracy had two great tactics when dealing with superiors: first, outwardly agreeing but inwardly defying, and second, intensifying things to an extreme!
To govern the people, one must first govern the officials. If the officials were not first satiated or made obedient, even the best laws would be difficult to enforce, and decrees might not even leave the imperial palace.
"Hmm. . . compared to local cultivation sects, our Kyushu School is indeed skilled at governing mortals."
Fang Xi secretly nodded, knowing his choice was correct.
The Divine Dao and the Kyushu World were indeed a perfect match.
The greatest contribution of the Kyushu World's cultivation technology was not in cutting-edge innovation, but in popularization!
For example, 'Fire Corn' and 'Jade Corn' could indeed be researched to first-order, but then their growth requirements would be higher, at least requiring Spirit Farmers to cultivate them.
Fang Xi had many high-grade spiritual rice varieties, and was even routinely consuming seventh-order spiritual rice now.
But he didn't have "half-spirit rice" suitable for ordinary people to grow. . .
People regard food as their heaven!
With spiritual rice production increasing, coupled with good medical care, a population explosion would happen in an instant. . .
For cultivators, waiting a few decades or a century was not long.
For the Divine Dao, it was even more so.
"This matter. . . you handled it well."
Fang Xi looked at the deity: "You no longer need to be a Prefecture City God; ascend to the position of Provincial City God!"
"Thank you, Dao Lord!"
The Prefecture City God bowed down in great joy.
He was originally a legitimate Kyushu World cultivator, at around the Foundation Establishment stage, who had ascended to the Earthly Immortal World with Ghost Axe Venerable and other respected figures.
Then, during a ceremony he hosted, he inadvertently offended a powerful figure in the sect, and it was rumored that he was to become a ghost cultivator.
This person was also a ruthless character; he immediately volunteered for the Divine Dao experiment at that time, winning the top spot.
Now he really was a "ghostly talent" (ghost talent-guǐcái, a pun on'genius' and'ghostly talent'). After becoming a Prefecture City God, his divine power was comparable to a Core Formation cultivator, and within the divine domain, even a Nascent Soul True Monarch would struggle to defeat him.
And the Dao Lord's promise to promote him to Provincial City God meant breaking through the ceiling of a fifth-rank official position and entering the entirely new realm of a fourth-rank official!
Golden divine power could nurture part of green divine power, which was akin to reaching heaven in a single step!
"Do your job well; don't be like last time."
Fang Xi instructed, his figure transforming into clear light and vanishing instantly.
That "ghostly talent" was stunned on the spot, cold sweat even seeping from his now materialized body: "The Dao Lord. . . still remembers. . ."
He had made a great decision when he abandoned the immortal path to cultivate the Divine Dao.
What he valued was that at that time, there weren't many colleagues competing in the Divine Dao, and there was immense room for advancement.
Indeed, in less than a few decades, he easily rose to the fifth-rank Prefecture City God, surpassing many of his peers.
Now, he could even break through to the fourth-rank!
But as Dao Lord Fang Xian gradually shifted his attention to Trapped Sky Island, and even established a "mini-Dao Court" to recruit various mortal talents without spiritual roots, this "ghostly talent" also felt a strong sense of crisis.
How could mortals lack heroes and distinguished individuals?
It was just that previously, they were limited by their spiritual roots; even with abundant talent and intellect, they found it difficult to rise.
With a rare opportunity in the Divine Dao, how could one not seize it desperately?
Even those low-level cultivators with poor spiritual root aptitudes came to join the fun.
The Divine Dao was "one radish, one hole" (limited positions), and feeling the increasingly tense atmosphere, this Prefecture City God had already tried his best to climb, finally getting a chance to show his face to the leader.
Yet, he didn't expect that the leader still remembered his embarrassing past.
At this juncture, how could a single word "sorrow" suffice to describe it?
...
"The Great Qing United Nations has done a good job."
Fang Xi inspected his territory and was very satisfied with the results.
Mortals, though like weeds, possessed tenacious vitality.
With just a little rain and dew from him, they immediately expanded at a frantic pace.
In less than thirty years since the Great Qing United Nations was established, its population had quadrupled, and the power of faith flowed in continuously.
Even his Shinto Avatar, while in slumber, could feel this assistance, and its various digestion speeds had significantly increased.
When it emerged from seclusion, it would be a Mahayana combat force!
"A deity's divine power greatly weakens upon leaving their divine domain. . ."
"Wielding power only on Trapped Sky Island, or even within the Great Qing nation, is still not enough. . ."
"Research in this area still needs to be accelerated."
Regarding the limitations of the Divine Dao, Fang Xi was already working to resolve them and had long since come up with many alternative solutions.
The simplest would be to carry a cave-heaven treasure and relocate the populace into it.
As for hiding them within the divine domain?
The divine domain had a special nature; it was only suitable for yin souls and not for the long-term survival of living beings with flesh and blood. Otherwise, they might gradually be assimilated, turning into special half-human, half-ghost entities.
The Earth Immortal Way, on the other hand, was a perfect match for the Divine Dao, but Fang Xi did not want his main body to dabble in the incense Divine Dao, lest he suffer the tribulation of being Dao-transformed and losing himself.
"At this current pace, it's still a bit slow. . . By the time the Shinto Avatar emerges from seclusion, it might take several hundred years, and by then my main body would have already cultivated to Mahayana, rendering it somewhat useless."
Fang Xi secretly thought: "Population proliferation also requires more land. . . A battle with the foreign races on Trapped Sky Island is inevitable, sooner or later!"
"Or rather, the foreign races aren't foolish. Seeing the human race reproduce so desperately, even a fool would know to compete for living space! Currently, my reputation as Trapped Sky Island's foremost cultivator is suppressing things, so there aren't any major incidents, but once the Divine Dao continues to ascend and exhibit terrifying potential, even if there are further conflicts, the foreign races and demons and monsters might unite to attack me."
Fang Xi saw the situation clearly, like looking at a fire.
It was somewhat amusing: In the outside world, the Demon race was currently allied with the alien alliance, frantically attacking the human and demon races, forcing the human and demon races to cooperate.
However, on Trapped Sky Island, the human race found itself besieged by myriad races.
All these choices were based solely on self-interest, nothing more. . .
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