Chapter 277: Great Moves of the Nation!

Looking at these answer sheets and exam papers, countless Greater Xia High Officials fell into astonishment, and soon the remaining examinees' answer sheets were also found one after another.

What is astonishing is that the answers of these examinees to the cultivation law questions are exactly the same!

This situation left everyone stunned.

Because these examinees were not in the same examination hall, the distance between them could be said to be vastly different!

Moreover, their backgrounds were different; they normally had no interaction, like two parallel lines that would never meet, making it utterly impossible for them to collude and connect.

If there is any sole common point, it is likely just their identity as college entrance examinees; then what factor drove them, in different examination halls, to write such identical answers?

Most importantly, after completing these questions, they exhibited a series of abnormal behaviors, showing conduct and demeanor completely unlike their usual selves.

If one claims all this is coincidence, it would be far too coincidental!

After ruling out everything else, the remaining facts, even if impossible, forced the Greater Xia High Officials to believe; at this moment, everyone felt a tingling scalp, an indescribable chill rising from the soles of their feet to the crown of their heads.

All evidence and clues indicate that these examinees' such coincidence and abnormal situation should be due to the Longyuan Mountain cultivation technique taking effect, also corroborating from the side that what they said is true!

The universe contains a cultivation civilization; the construction of the Signal Tower will cause a great catastrophe on Earth, from which no living being can escape.

Thinking of this, the Greater Xia High Officials almost suffocated!

Some still harbored a faint hope, saying, 'Perhaps things haven't reached the worst point; although the cultivation method is useful, it does not mean that Earth's catastrophe is truly real.'

They dared not imagine that if catastrophe truly befell, how could Greater Xia resist it—let alone Greater Xia, even the whole Earth would suffer enormous disaster.

Just as the Greater Xia High Officials' hearts were in turmoil, another explosive piece of news arrived.

With white sideburns, over seventy years old, the elderly academician spoke solemnly:

'Report! Regarding observations and calculations of Earth's space orbit, we have obtained detailed data; Earth's orbit is being affected by an unknown magnetic field and has begun to shift!'

Upon hearing this, the high officials of the Space Bureau showed expressions of disbelief, asking, 'Is the news accurate?'

'We used Mars, Jupiter, Venus in space, and other asteroids orbiting far from Earth as calculation objects; after multiple rounds of deduction and prediction, we arrived at this conclusion, which can be confirmed as correct.'

In fact, not only the Greater Xia's academic scholars, to ensure data accuracy, these Greater Xia scholars even went so far as to invite foreign experts and professors to help.

It is not that they cannot compute it, but rather they are unwilling to believe this result, so they seek repeated verification.

However, what made them feel desperate was that scientists from countless countries, after being inquired by Greater Xia, also discovered all this.

Y Country Astronomy Meteorology Bureau: 【I am Dr. Chris; regarding the problems you have raised recently, we have conducted multiple detections and found that Earth's orbit seems to have changed.】

Miguo Space Bureau: 【Although Earth's orbit has undergone some changes, since the Jurassic period Earth's orbit has been full of instability; compared to this, I still hope your country can explain why the former Star Lock Satellite Plan fell without cause, and to this day has not given us a clear explanation.】

Tsar Glacier Meteorology Bureau: 【Earth's magnetic field has changed, so the orbit naturally changes as well; this is indeed a rare occurrence, but according to our country's prediction, this change should soon recover.】

Seeing the responses from many top scientists worldwide, the Greater Xia experts and professors all fell into silence.

They did not know the actual situation, only feeling that Earth's orbit had slightly shifted, which seemed not a big matter, after all, in this long span of time, the orbit had experienced several shifts before.

But Greater Xia clearly understood that the change in Earth's orbit is not trivial; in the coming time, the shift will become increasingly severe, and the distance from the Sun will keep growing.

Afterward, temperatures will gradually become abnormal, first scorching heat, then finally plunging into cold!

As the Sun is Earth's sole source of heat, if it moves away, one can imagine how severe the consequences would be, and the situation will become uncontrollably worse.

The relevant department summoned all of Greater Xia's top scholars and professors, employing the most advanced precise instruments and adding manpower, finally deducing a result.

Everyone's faces turned grim to the extreme.

The change in Earth's orbit causes the magnetic fields of Earth and surrounding planets to also change, and under its influence, they will enter a special region.

In this region, the magnetic field between molecules is extraordinarily strong, even able to squeeze out the existence of light particles; this means that the already faint illumination will be further reduced.

Especially when Earth's orbit reaches the aphelion point farthest from the Sun, the temperature will drop to its lowest!

According to the words of the Longyuan Mountain monster, at that time, heaven-earth catastrophe will occur, and natural disasters will come pouring in.

For example, large-scale land uplift and subsidence caused by crustal movement, displacement and squeezing between plates, etc., subsequently leading to a chain of reactions.

Submarine volcanoes, global volcanic eruptions, and various geological disasters and harsh weather disasters, etc.; it is feared that at that time there will be a minor disaster every three days and a major disaster every five days, utterly beyond human imagination!

An unprecedented heaven-earth catastrophe sweeping the entire Earth—how are they to face it?!

The old academician reported their deduced situation to the superiors; this news was like a great mountain, pressing down so that everyone could barely breathe.

Even the old chief was alarmed, issuing the highest order with a solemn expression.

Besides the old chief, the heads of several major regions and countless top figures standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid also all gathered here.

Some had solemn faces, as if the sky had collapsed, while others were bewildered, whispering quietly, unaware of what had happened.

In the urgent situation, there was no time for pleasantries; the old chief directly had the experts present the data results, dropping a bombshell out of the blue that left the uninformed reeling for half a day.

'Where do these things come from?'

'What heaven-earth catastrophe? Longyuan Mountain even has monsters, and even cultivation techniques have appeared, plus those exam questions on the test papers, etc.; let me slow down—is this really the world I know?'

'A global catastrophe is too exaggerated; in my opinion, such a major matter should not be concluded too hastily; otherwise, we should first study it carefully.'

Many leaders showed expressions of disbelief, suspecting they hadn't slept well today or that someone was joking; however, with the old chief seated in the chief position, who would dare to joke like that, unless their official rank had reached the top.

Hua Tiancheng, being impatient, could not hold back and said, 'Now time is urgent; how could there be so much time for you to hesitate? The evidence is right before our eyes—heaven-earth catastrophe is imminent, and all living beings will face great calamity!'

'Do you really have to wait until disaster strikes, with casualties exceeding half of humanity, before you take action?!'

'Show some actual action! At this critical juncture, don't give me empty talk and keep investigating; by the time you finish your research, humanity might already be extinct.'

Faced with his tirade, plus his status and background, the entire hall fell silent at once.

A leader of the same rank spoke up to advise: 'You shouldn't get so angry, after all——'

Before he could finish speaking, Hua Tiancheng interrupted, 'Don't try to calm me; when it's a matter of life and death, how could I not be anxious?'

The old chief coughed a few times, 'Alright, did you gather here just to argue?'

Even if Hua Tiancheng's anger were great, hearing this voice he could only force himself to endure; he instinctively looked toward the old chief, his expression somewhat dejected, saying, 'Sorry, chief; I have lost my composure.'

Although the old chief is advanced in years, he is spirited, his back straight as a rod, bearing no air of old age; the aura of a superior who commands respect without anger is fully displayed in him—just sitting there already inspires reverence.

'It's fine; I know you are worried for Greater Xia.'

'Everyone, please share your opinions.'

The old chief's face remained calm, giving no hint of joy or anger; his voice was not loud, yet it conveyed a sense of weighty solidity, as if one had found their mainstay.

After hearing the old chief's words, Qihai, standing nearby, pondered for a moment and said, "Chief, we can now confirm that everything Longyuan Mountain said is true; the urgent priority should be to actively face it."

The old chief nodded, obviously agreeing with his suggestion, and asked, "Then what good plan do you have?"

Qihai took a deep breath and said, "Without a doubt, this heavenly and earthly calamity is absolutely an unprecedented disaster in Daxia's history, and even in the entire history of Earth—a heavenly and earthly catastrophe that no living being can escape."

"'Our only fortunate aspect is that we knew in advance, and we also have some preparations; our several major regions previously discussed and formulated two plans.'"

"'First, we will establish underground shelters in each city; if surface natural disasters cannot be dealt with, moving underground to live might be a good decision, as long as the earth does not suffer a destructive explosion, we have a chance of survival.'"

Everyone's expressions changed slightly; building a huge shelter sounds simple, but in practice it faces enormous difficulties, and with Daxia's huge population, it's impossible for everyone to enter.

This means only a small portion of the fortunate will survive, like Noah's Ark; they are all compatriots, and abandoning any part of them is something they cannot bear to do.

Moreover, the shelter is not a long-term solution; if geological disasters occur frequently, how would we respond, let alone the subsequent series of problems—implementation would still be difficult.

The old chief frowned slightly and asked, "What about the second plan?"

Qihai unconsciously glanced at Hua Tiancheng and Zhao Hai beside him; the latter nodded slightly, as if he had made a great determination, before he spoke.

"'The second plan is to use supernatural power and join forces with the monsters of the Longyuan Mountain Range.'"

In the previous talks, Longyuan Mountain also showed sincerity and the intention to cooperate; the news of the heavenly and earthly calamity was also leaked by them, although they did not state it explicitly, but I infer that these great demons must have countermeasures.

Qihai paused in his tone, his gaze sweeping across the room,

"'Whether great demons or humans, at this moment we should unite; since they have given us cultivation techniques, we should promote them, hire the many monsters of Longyuan Mountain, rely on supernatural power, and resist this heavenly and earthly calamity!'"

His voice was resonant and powerful, echoing in the meeting room, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

In Daxia's Supreme Council Hall, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the atmosphere was terrifyingly silent, everyone stared wide-eyed, unable to believe their ears, looking at Qihai, their expressions extremely complex.

This plan is really somewhat fantastical!

No one dared to speak, or rather, no one knew how to speak; everyone's eyes fell on the central position, waiting for the old chief to speak.

No one knew how long it had been, but the secret meeting finally ended, although the general public did not know what the meeting had discussed.

But soon, a larger-scale meeting was held in the political center, the capital.

"Issue an emergency notice, requiring all leaders from all sides to attend!"

The previous meeting with Longyuan Mountain, for secrecy, was not accessible to everyone, so only a few senior personnel.

But this time is different; they can confirm that the cultivation technique is genuine, the information brought by Longyuan Mountain is also true, concerning Daxia's survival, they must treat it seriously.

Subsequent matters and response methods all require full cooperation from all sides; only then can we work together, seize the opportunity, and handle things as quickly as possible!

It is also time to let other high-ranking officials know about this; otherwise, a great catastrophe will loom, and they still don't know what happened, nor can they comprehend the decisions from above.

All regions received the notice of the emergency meeting from above; it was truly sudden, and this was the first time such a large-scale action had been taken—only when they arrived at the venue did they discover that this meeting's scale was unprecedented.

At the Capital's Supreme Council Center Building, countless bulletproof red-flag cars were neatly parked here, with teams of trained special police, armed with live ammunition, guarding the building's surroundings.

Around the council building, all roads, office areas, residential areas, etc., were completely cleared, and idle personnel were strictly prohibited from entering.

Everyone returned to their own rooms; drones rose into the air, scanning the surroundings for possible electronic cameras, and even carried specialized shielding equipment.

The streets were filled with fully armed soldiers, effectively encircling the entire building like an impenetrable iron barrel.

Inside the Supreme Council Hall, everyone sat silently, with no journalists, no idle personnel, and no host to open the session, indicating the meeting's high level and secrecy.

On the high platform, there was only an old man; he held a microphone, his expression very solemn, with no opening remarks or pleasantries, and went straight to the point.

"Through the National Research Institute, the Geological Bureau, the Astronomical Bureau, as well as land and sea areas, dozens of domestic top experts and professors have researched and discussed."

"Our country will launch a plan codenamed 【Earth's Calamity】."

"Effective immediately, all national departments must cooperate with the plan's actions and construct the many areas required by the plan."

"At the same time, Daxia's education departments must also begin adding numerous outlines of the 【Earth Catastrophe】 plan in universities and colleges, and start a three-month teaching experiment."

In the brightly lit council hall, as the old man's words fell, the entire venue fell silent; everyone looked up in shock, their faces filled with astonishment and surprise.

Although we knew this meeting would be important, we never expected it to be so sudden, with no preparation, as if a heavyweight bomb had dropped directly.

Shut down all construction departments, real estate departments? And still need the whole country to coordinate and mobilize the plan?

Halting real estate for the nation's economy—what enormous losses would that cause!

Everyone present were old officials who had been immersed in the bureaucracy for years; almost without thinking, one could see that once this order is issued, it will absolutely cause an unprecedented terrifying impact on Daxia's real estate industry.

Moreover, what exactly is the 【Earth's Calamity】 plan?

Why add a course in all national universities?

What exactly are these outlines?

Countless doubts and questions arose in their hearts, yet they did not dare to ask in this setting.

Some looked bewildered, some seemed to face a great enemy, some had grim, unpleasant expressions, as if the apocalypse were imminent—each person's demeanor varied.

Looking at the many below, the old man had no intention to explain, but continued speaking: "According to multiple discussions, as the 【Earth Catastrophe】 plan begins, there are many other matters as well."

"Starting now, we will gradually increase the export trade of various special materials, such as rare earth, tungsten, and antimony, expanding the trade scope; at the same time, we must also purchase storable food, clothing, steel, and similar items from countries worldwide."

"Relevant departments must quickly develop genetically modified crops that can grow and survive in harsh environments."

Orders were sent out one after another; the lower-level leaders who were still unaware of the truth could be described as utterly confused, their bewilderment almost tangible.

Increase the export of special materials?

If we say to halt real estate and have the construction industry cooperate, although it will damage Daxia's economy, it will not reach the point of vital injury.

But these special materials are different; Daxia's control over rare resources such as rare earth, tungsten, and antimony has always been strict, and even a tiny amount requires a complex approval process.

After all, these things are non-renewable resources, of the kind where using a bit reduces the bit; Daxia itself is reluctant to use them, yet now it actually wants to increase export volume!

Especially, why suddenly purchase storable food, and even clothing and steel, as well as develop genetically modified crops?

The massive amount of information left the personnel below stunned for a long time. (End of chapter)