Chapter 368

In the 36th year of the New Heavenly Court, the 185th year of the Great Shun, you had a frank and thorough exchange with Shun Taizu Li Ziliang, ultimately reaching a substantive but nameless alliance.

According to the alliance, you need to assist the Shun dynasty with the Western Continent's industry and technological achievements as much as possible; then the Great Shun government will make use of the aid through legitimate channels…… Ultimately, the Shun dynasty will, with your strong support, complete its reforms and then wipe out the gods' agents in the mortal world!

This is a proxy war, with both sides extending tangible big hands, aiming to fight the 'god war' in the form of a 'mortal war'……

Thinking of returning to the Western Continent, the passionate you immediately ordered: effective today, the Western Continent's industry will be transferred to the Southern Continent as much as possible, and various technological achievements will be taught to the Shun dynasty free of charge or at low cost, to support the Great Shun people living in dire straits in the Shun dynasty!

Upon this order, the whole nation erupted in an uproar!

Everyone couldn't help but complain: Why? Why should we teach the good things we painstakingly developed to the Shun dynasty's country bumpkins?!

Throughout the industrial revolution, the Shun people not only contributed nothing, but even called themselves the 'Celestial Empire', looked down on us Western Continent folk, calling us 'Western barbarians' and our technology 'frivolous tricks'……

For such a vile ethnic group and state, what necessity is there for aid?

"Pasha! We have given the Shun people so much technology; what can they give us in return?"

Faced with this questioning, you could only forcefully explain: 'Yes! The Shun will give us many eggs, furs, and medicinal herbs……'

"Eggs? Furs? Medicinal herbs?"

The crowd burst into laughter: You might as well just say we're giving it away for free……

"Sultan! Given the Shun people's arrogance and vileness, if they develop in the future, won't they again call themselves the Celestial Empire and curse us as golden-haired barbarians, white-skinned savages?"

"Exactly! The Shun people might even claim that this aid was originally theirs, digging up relevant records from ancient texts and then accusing us of stealing their technology!"

"Yes yes! Augustus, you want to aid others and we have no objection, but you know the Shun people's nature—they consider everything theirs…… What if we raise a white-eyed wolf?"

"By then, they might even use our aided technology and weapons to turn around and attack us!"

"……"

Faced with the crowd's worries and sarcasm, you firmly shook your head: 'The situations you mention do exist…… but that is not the nature of most Shun people; most Shun people are diligent and brave, they possess sufficient morality, they are just easily led astray by others……'

"These, in fact, can all be overcome; as long as we approach them with sincerity, we can surely let them coexist with us equally and amicably!"

"Not only Southern Jambudvipa Continent, but also Northern Kuru Continent and Eastern Victory Divine Continent—this principle applies to all."

"Our friends are all over the world; across the four seas and four continents, everywhere are brothers and sisters; as long as we unite, those demons and monsters and their lackeys will surely be driven out and destroyed by us!"

"Long live the unity of the world's peoples!"

Your speech stirred the enthusiasm of most people, so many who originally opposed gradually softened their attitudes…… but there were still diehards who sneered and jeered.

"Assess the material strength of the West and win the favor of the Shun state! This is our great leader, too great, great leader!"

"When the Shun people take up the firearms and artillery we aided them with to attack us, I believe the Sultan will surely use his omnipotent divine power to help us annihilate all invading enemies!"

"Loyalty! Whatever Pasha says is definitely right; whatever Pasha orders, we must certainly carry out!"

"Handsome! Wheelchair otto!"

"……"

Although the sarcasm of the yin-yang people is detestable, given the current time of enthusiastic aid, you pay no heed to those remarks, instead devoting all effort to sending various industrial lines to the Shun dynasty.

With a grand gesture, you loaded onto the ships all the technical personnel and production lines representing the Western Continent's highest technological level, and set sail for the Southern Jambudvipa Continent.

The industries total 156 items, encompassing the essence of the Western Continent's industry over several decades; they will take root and sprout in the Southern Continent, helping the Shun dynasty, which has nearly become a tool of the gods, to regain vitality……

According to the alliance, when this aid arrives in the Shun dynasty, it will be presented to the Shun emperor as tribute; then Li Ziliang will remotely control the emperor to implement these things, thereby preventing the gods from directly obstructing.

As for whether these things will be fully utilized in the Shun dynasty, that depends on the micro-operational skills of that Shun Taizu……

Not long after, a sea vessel sailing from the Great Shun also arrived at the Western Continent's coast!

You were very happy and personally welcomed this ship; on board were over a hundred children, boys and girls, who had crossed the ocean to come to this foreign land, naturally feeling anxious and frightened. Especially when they saw a large group of blond-haired, blue-eyed 'foreigners' on the shore, they became even more afraid……

These children are all smart kids carefully selected from within the Shun dynasty; they were forced to leave their parents in order to study advanced knowledge in this foreign country, so as to later serve the Great Shun!

This is Li Ziliang's intention, after all, development cannot rely solely on equipment and foreign technicians; the core is systematic knowledge, and the overseas students need to learn this knowledge in order to truly contribute to the Great Shun's development……

Faced with these children, you kindly received them, then arranged for them to pursue further studies at the best schools in the entire Western Continent, with all kinds of benefits, everything provided!

Such generous treatment, even surpassing that of local students, naturally aroused envy, jealousy, and hatred……

For a time, rumors spread everywhere.

"They are all Pasha's illegitimate children in the Shun dynasty", "The Sultan will give each of them 500,000 per year", "One Shun person must be matched with three Western Continent study companions"……

But you not only ignored those slanderous rumors, you even personally took time to give lessons to the overseas students.

Under your soothing in fluent Shun official speech, these overseas students, unfamiliar with the people and place, finally gradually relaxed and quickly entered a learning state……

"……"

Year after year passed, and under your conscientious governance and guidance, the already prosperous Western Continent became ever more vibrant and changing.

And as the population grew, the resulting incense offerings also became increasingly considerable!

Since the establishment of the New Heavenly Court over thirty years ago, more than ten true gods have been born; adding the few true gods you subdued in the Eastern and Northern Continents, plus the 'Eight Immortals' you originally had, your number of true gods amounts to nearly thirty.

This is indeed a formidable force; with such strength, were it not for the risk of a reckless landing on Southern Jambudvipa Continent provoking a united siege by the gods, you could almost sweep the world!

But the problem is, the gods are truly united……

No choice, you can only continue accumulating true gods to aim for a future desperate comeback: the Heavenly Court's gods total over a thousand, and the heavenly and earthly divine positions together number three thousand; as long as you secure the remaining nearly two thousand slots…… you don't even need to take them all, just having three to five hundred would be enough to break that loose alliance of the opposing side!

To achieve this, you must at least devote several centuries of effort…… but you can afford to wait, you still have plenty of time; as long as you can ultimately pacify the world, even if it takes several centuries or a millennium, you can wait!

But what about the future?

After defeating the gods in the future and pacifying the world, how then can we move toward perfection?

You don't know; decades have passed, and you still have no clue about clearing the level; all your present efforts and struggles are merely your diversion of attention—only by not thinking about those things can you find a moment of peace……

Just suppose…… just suppose I was never the protagonist, just suppose I never knew anything about the eternal primordial chaos and dreams……

"……"

In the 39th year of the New Heavenly Court, someone finally invented a steam engine of practical value, and you almost immediately realized its greatness, because in the 'Divine Path Civilization' you developed in your previous life, this very thing existed!

The steam engine and its upgraded power machinery largely replaced human labor and established the prosperous peaceful era of the 'Divine Path Civilization'.

Thus you directly invested in and supported it, providing the most ample resources and conditions.

And it did not disappoint you; under your strong support, countless scholars swarmed to study it, both enhancing its performance and developing many applications for it……

【In the 45th year of the New Heavenly Court, the first line of steam locomotives began to belch black smoke!】

【In the 48th year of the New Heavenly Court, the first steamship began to sail on water!】

【In the 50th year of the New Heavenly Court, the first steam textile machine and steam rolling mill were simultaneously put into production……】

【All industries, under this suddenly appearing steam engine, experienced drastic changes and development, causing productivity to continually increase.】

【The populace universally cheered and leapt for joy; everyone believed a brand-new era was arriving!】

【But all this splendid scenery, when it fell before your eyes, not only failed to make you happy, but instead often made you feel gloomy……】

……

(End of chapter)