CHAPTER 677: QIZHOU ISLAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Wang Hong waited until everyone's excitement had subsided before speaking, "The reason I've called you all here today is to arrange the affairs for the next several decades."

"Zhang Chunfeng, how are the preparations for your mission to the secret realm?"

His previous command for Zhang Chunfeng to guard the secret realm naturally required more than just showing up. It also involved gathering supplies and selecting suitable manpower.

"It's almost ready. We've selected a total of fifteen Nascent Soul Cultivators, fifteen fourth-tier warriors, five hundred Golden Core and third-tier warriors. They're all prepared and ready to depart at any time."

Zhang Chunfeng had been ready for several days, but Wang Hong had been in seclusion, waiting for his command.

"Good. Here are a few jade tokens for you. They can be used to control the All Heaven Departing Fire Array and the Nine Palace Three Talents Primordial Formation. Take them with you. Also, be wary of Demon Race attacks. They employ various tactics. Don't let anyone else enter the secret realm."

With that, he handed over several jade tokens. These were refined based on the array plates and formation pearls of the two large formations. They could also control the formations simply, but the authority lay beneath his array plate.

Since the secret realm had been found by the Demon Race and he had intercepted it, they wouldn't be happy when they found out. However, the Demon Race wouldn't launch a massive attack on the secret realm. With Zhang Chunfeng and the formations, small-scale attacks shouldn't be a problem.

After Zhang Chunfeng accepted the tokens and his orders, Wang Hong continued, "Also, let Yin Ze assist you in developing the secret realm. We can't allocate too many people for now, so prioritize the important areas."

The resources in the secret realm were abundant. Wang Hong had discovered several mineral veins and rich spiritual energy inside, which could be developed into numerous spiritual fields. However, the focus was still on Qizhou Island for now. They couldn't spare too many people, and the strength of Great Chu Immortal Nation was currently insufficient. Whether they could successfully occupy the secret realm was uncertain.

After arranging matters concerning the secret realm, Wang Hong turned to Liu Changsheng in the Great Hall, "Liu Changsheng, have the intelligence personnel search for the Redeye Bandit. If found, eliminate them."

"Your Majesty, this matter is currently under investigation, and we have some leads."

Since the Redeye Bandit dared to seek revenge, Liu Changsheng had already started searching for clues without waiting for Wang Hong's orders.

"Good! If found, you have my permission to act. It's better to root out the thief directly than to guard against them for a thousand days."

Even if the Redeye Bandit had connections with the Celestial Maiden Palace, since they had come looking for trouble, they had to be dealt with first.

"Your Majesty, the construction of the city wall is expected to be completed in about three years. Now, with the numerous Spirit Veins on Qizhou Island and every inch of land covered in rich Spiritual Qi, I have an idea."

Xu Lun proposed a bold idea, sparking a heated discussion among the people present.

This idea was considered bold because although Qizhou Island was an archipelago, its total area was not small, capable of accommodating over a hundred million people for living.

While the Great Chu Immortal Nation had developed over the years, it still only had a population of just over one million people, and on Qizhou Island, only two cities had been constructed: King's City and Harbor City.

Despite decades of operation by the Great Chu Immortal Nation on Qizhou Island, only a small portion had been developed. Most areas remained untouched.

"Although Fellow Daoist Xu's idea is commendable, our entire Great Chu Immortal Nation has just over a million people. How can we handle the cultivation and management?" This voiced the doubt of most people. The domestic manpower was not abundant; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many undeveloped spiritual sites.

Spirit fields couldn't just be cultivated and left; they required constant maintenance. Currently, the Great Chu Immortal Nation had a hundred thousand troops, nearly a tenth of the population. Additionally, there were tens of thousands assigned to various tasks across Fengwu Continent. The Ministry of Works, overseeing numerous workshops, accounted for at least three hundred thousand workers. Adding other professions and excluding children in school, the slightly over one million population barely met the needs.

As for recruiting from outside, this was tightly controlled. The nation had devoted decades of effort to education. While recruiting a few individuals could be gradually assimilated, recruiting too many at once would cause unrest.

Xu Lun wasn't bothered by the skepticism. After everyone had voiced their opinions, he chuckled.

"When was the last time any of you visited the Scripture Tower?" Xu Lun's counterquestion seemed unrelated.

"What does that have to do with anything? Stop beating around the bush and get to the point; we're all waiting for your follow-up."

"Well, when His Majesty returned, he brought back a Scripture Tower from the Wan Kui Sect. It contains countless cultivation techniques manuals. As you all know, the Wan Kui Sect excels in Puppet and Divine Sense techniques. Among the books brought back are many related to Refinement Puppet techniques. So, make sure to read more. Currently, based on the Wan Kui Sect's Refinement Puppet technology, the Ministry of Works has refined several samples. This one is specifically for planting in spirit fields."

With that, Xu Lun placed a puppet on the Great Hall table.

This puppet was at most second-tier, and the craftsmanship was not particularly refined. It had five eyes on its face, and if it weren't for the location, the nose would hardly be recognizable. Its mouth was just a simple hole.

"Is that it?"

"Don't judge by appearances. The strength of this puppet lies in its high intelligence, capable of performing intricate tasks."

Xu Lun then scattered some beans on the ground.

"Pick up the beans and separate the red ones from the green ones."

Following Xu Lun's command, the puppet squatted down, picking up the beans one by one and placing each type into separate containers.

Previously, attempts to use puppets for planting spirit fields had been unsuccessful due to their rigidity. When tasked with weeding, they often removed spiritual herbs along with the weeds, causing more harm than good.

Seeing the puppet meticulously sorting the beans, the crowd felt hopeful. With such precise control, using puppets for cultivating and managing spirit fields seemed viable.

Encouraged by the unanimous agreement, Wang Hong immediately declared that they would further discuss the matter and entrust Xu Lun with the responsibility in the end.

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