Chapter 362: One Willing to Be Beaten, One Willing to Beat

“How’s the progress?” On the rooftop of Qiancao Lingyun Pavilion, Feng Xue sat cross-legged on a makeshift platform, data from Xiao Lingdang flowing through countless devices, each monitor showing different Japanese people performing the same actions.

“Basically matching projections: forty-six have completed Stage Two, their breathing techniques flowing smoothly with physiological states nearing optimal; two hundred seventy-one have just broken through Stage One and are still adapting to the recorded cultivation method; two thousand seven hundred remain hesitant, and many more haven’t even exited the illusion.”

As Xiao Lingdang finished its report, it also highlighted several top-performing subjects on the screen.

Although the main goal was to stir up chaos in Uota City, Feng Xue also took the opportunity to conduct some experiments.

Emperor’s Dew can implant specific knowledge into a target; the Cai Yuan Technique can store energy—such as Qi and devotional power—into matter. By embedding strong suggestions and prayers into Emperor’s Dew’s knowledge, those who receive it can rapidly absorb the Qi Feng Xue provides, becoming third-rate Wu Xiu who worship Kitara.

He didn’t do this for their faith—truthfully, Feng Xue didn’t want any devotional power at all; he even poured extra Qi into them.

The real reason for all this effort? Naturally, the human body… damn it! He meant to conduct clinical trials.

After preliminary pharmacological tests, Xiao Lingdang integrated Feng Xue’s Wu Xiu techniques into the Xuanwu Can Tong Qi, then exhaustively generated thousands of viable schemes based on principles, compatibility, and synergy with Xiu and Shen Dao cultivation systems.

For Feng Xue to test each one individually was unrealistic, but Uota City had plenty of desperate lower-class people eager for power. Since one was willing to be beaten and the other willing to beat, Feng Xue simply distributed Wu Dao Guo en masse—each fruit containing a version of the Xuanwu Can Tong Qi, paired with Feng Xue’s free Qi bonus pack, letting anyone quickly enter cultivation, then resonate with him through devotional power, using the faith channel to deliver packaged devotional energy like “Yahweh granting miracles to believers,” aiding their rapid progress.

To refine further, Feng Xue subdivided those thousands of viable schemes, incorporating drug-assisted simulations and various spell combinations into the trial protocols.

This entire system had almost no drawbacks—except Feng Xue had to keep shoving fish cakes into his mouth nonstop.

“But these fish cakes won’t last long. I hope we get results before they’re gone.”

Feng Xue glanced at the several hundred jin of dried fish cakes in the Hutian Bag and shook his head. He said that, but he wasn’t really concerned—after all, once he released the official version of the Xuanwu Can Tong Qi, he could head to the Sea World. What did he care about fish cakes then?

“By the way, that dog woman—is she a human phantom beast? I wonder if she can control nanite division. If she can, we could scale up nanite farming. Then not only would Qi be guaranteed, but drones could be replaced with Moonlight Butterflies… hmm, that’s a bit exaggerated. Let’s start with the Hover-Return Lines.”

Feng Xue muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the subjects preliminarily flagged by Xiao Lingdang, correcting their mistakes and doling out bonuses via Kitara’s remote guidance based on their observed states.

The oppression of the Industrial Revolution was truly extreme. Only two hours after Mo Ying had spread the Divine Concealment Illusion, even lower-class civilians deemed lacking in rebellion spirit, who hadn’t reached the critical threshold and thus weren’t pulled into the illusion by Mo Ying, were gradually awakening.

It was hard to say whether this was blind conformity or genuine awakening of inner fire—but Feng Xue certainly didn’t mind having more test subjects. He immediately ordered Xiao Lingdang to further refine the techniques, convert them into Wu Dao Guo, and distribute them through the illusion.

…

“Phew, this ritual is ridiculously complex. What on earth were the Han people thinking when they developed this?”

The young Daoist wiped sweat from his brow, straightened his back, and frowned in confusion. The steady Daoist shook his head.

“Probably figured a Han envoy’s life was still a life?”

He carefully verified the ritual once more, then said:

“Go find the manager. We can bring those senior masters over now.”

The two walked out of the room, but felt an unusual commotion. As they headed to find the broker’s manager, a servant called out:

“Gentlemen, it’s dangerous outside—the manager has…”

“What danger? Did Feng Xue fail? Why didn’t anyone notify us?” The young Daoist panicked and moved to rush out. Just as the steady Daoist reached to stop him, the broker’s manager entered, wiping oil and sweat from his face.

“Not a failure—it’s a success! Too successful! I can’t even look! I thought the Shenxiao Sect was royalist? How come they’re rebelling harder than the Taiping Dao?”

“Huh?” The young Daoist’s eyes widened. He instantly slashed his hand through the air, summoning a water mirror—the famed Yuan Guang Technique. Without prior setup, it could only project scenes within a ten-li radius.

But it was enough. The young Daoist zoomed out—and saw the chaos in Uota City. Dozens of short, frail Japanese, wielding nothing more than makeshift tools, marched with disciplined breathing and steps, facing off against taller, sword- and gun-wielding Japanese warriors.

Their body types clearly reflected differences in living conditions, yet the strong, well-fed warriors were now in absolute disarray.

“What’s going on? Where did all these Japanese Wu Xiu come from?”

Even the steady Daoist was stunned. With his eye, he could clearly see that each of those seemingly weak, short Japanese was at least a third-rate Wu Xiu. Though their weapons were crude, their technique and Qi utterly crushed the pampered samurai.

“It’s ‘Scatter Beans to Form an Army’! I always thought it strange—modern versions turn beans into soldiers, but ancient texts say Zhang Jue’s Yellow Turbans were formed from peasants. I once wondered if Zhang Jue used some dark art to turn people into Dao soldiers. Now I realize—I was ignorant! These aren’t the same technique at all. This is the true ‘Scatter Beans to Form an Army’!”

The broker’s manager spoke incoherently. The steady Daoist said:

“Zoom the Yuan Guang Technique higher—see if there’s… never mind, I’ll do it myself!”

(End of Chapter)