Chapter 139: Restless Elders

“I remember Mr. Jiang Li once said, after finding the Brahma Tower, he would come by to catch up. Has he found it?”

At the dinner table, Ming Zhong seized the moment to ask.

He’d been sneaking glances for a while and hadn’t seen anything that looked like a tower.

“I did find it, but for various reasons, it doesn’t want to show itself.” Jiang Li smiled.

In fact, the Brahma Tower was right here, just cloaked in a spatial barrier—invisible to this world’s level of technology.

Since arriving in this world, the Brahma Tower hadn’t spoken, nor did it shout about establishing a Buddha Nation—its silence was a bit unusual.

Jiang Li asked it via Sound Transmission why it was acting this way, and the response made him laugh and cry at the same time.

The Brahma Tower said it had discovered that in this world, basic necessities were free, people lived freely without chasing wealth or materialism, and their spiritual lives were alarmingly fulfilling—

There was simply no soil to plant a Buddha Nation in.

In fact, no religion would likely gain traction in this world.

Since it couldn’t preach, the Brahma Tower was sulking—but it also didn’t want to show a bad side in front of others, so it hid itself.

“Now that the Brahma Tower has been found, we can set up a fixed portal between our two worlds. President Ming Zhong, what do you think?”

“There’s really such a good thing?”

Of course Ming Zhong was willing.

Establishing ties with a strong and friendly world like this was something he couldn’t ask for more.

But he also had his concerns.

From their conversations, he learned that the Nine Provinces wasn’t a monolith—it was made up of many powers, big and small.

Among them, there were surely some factions harboring hostility toward their world.

Such factions might only have a single Fusion Stage cultivator—what Jiang Li considered a small power.

But for Ming Zhong’s world, that was a massive force they couldn’t resist.

Jiang Li noticed Ming Zhong’s hesitation and smiled.

“My plan is to set the portal entrance inside the Dao Sect. Anyone from the Nine Provinces who wants to enter your world must go through Dao Sect verification. Your safety will be the Dao Sect’s responsibility.”

This was something Bai Hongtu had requested himself.

He knew there were all kinds of bizarre and shady characters among Nine Provinces factions—

They couldn’t be allowed to come and go freely in this world.

Bai Hongtu and Immortal Elder Changcun had a natural fondness for the people of this world.

After all, they were Celestial Realm refugees, protected with the Dao Ancestor’s life.

From a root-level perspective, the Dao Sect and this world’s people both originated under the Dao Ancestor’s lineage.

“Also, at the start of our exchange, we shouldn’t allow large-scale movement.

Let’s have both worlds handpick their best.

Start by letting a few selected individuals travel between worlds to learn and broaden their horizons.

Once familiarity grows, we can gradually expand the quota—eventually removing all limits.”

Openness had to be a gradual process. You couldn’t eat the whole feast in one bite—Jiang Li understood this well.

“Very good, very good.”

Seeing how thorough Jiang Li’s plan was, Ming Zhong said “very good” twice in a row.

Jiang Li smiled. “I’ve never formed diplomatic ties with another world before—

We’re all crossing the river by feeling the stones.

This is all a trial run—I might have overlooked something.

If you have ideas, feel free to say them.”

Ming Zhong and Jiang Li had a harmonious atmosphere, exchanging thoughts.

By the end, they decided to sign an agreement—though only under their personal identities.

But let’s be honest—

One was the supreme leader, the other was the Human Sovereign respected across the Nine Provinces.

How could they truly act as private individuals?

Everything they did represented their respective worlds.

But this was their tacit understanding.

Acting personally gave them more flexibility and convenience.

Otherwise, establishing formal treaties between worlds would be no simple matter—unless the Nine Provinces intended to use force and colonize.

The agreement’s content was simple: just what Jiang Li had previously proposed.

To ease communication, the agreement also formally named this world Ming Zhong World.

This wasn’t Ming Zhong’s own suggestion—it was Jiang Li’s idea.

Ming Zhong half-heartedly resisted, but ended up laughing so hard his face couldn’t close.

To have your name become the name of a world—what an honor!

Even if Ming Zhong didn’t care for fame or wealth, he was thrilled.

After learning the agreement’s content, Bai Hongtu immediately gathered the elders and made an announcement.

“After discussion, Elder Wang, Elder Li, Elder Su—you three will stay in this world for two months to study. After two months, another three elders will replace you.”

Bai Hongtu had picked three elders with different specialties.

The chosen three grinned from ear to ear.

This world was just too fascinating.

All sorts of strange technologies dazzled their eyes and inspired endless ideas.

The other elders sighed and began plotting how to win the next rotation.

Ming Zhong approached Bai Hongtu, requesting that the visiting elders keep a low profile—

They weren’t yet ready to fully disclose the Nine Provinces to the public.

Bai Hongtu gave a solemn warning:

“Let me remind you three—you’re here for learning and exchange, not to show off.

Most people in this world don’t yet know about the Nine Provinces.

You must keep things discreet when outside.

No moving mountains, no Heaven and Earth Dharma Forms, none of that stuff science can’t explain.

Don’t create trouble for President Ming Zhong.”

One elder tentatively asked, “What if I just shift a few dozen mountains? That’s not allowed?”

This elder was a Feng Shui master.

Back in the Nine Provinces, he often reshaped terrain to adjust geomancy—he was the mortal enemy of all mapmakers.

Now he wanted to test if Feng Shui could work in this world too.

“No.”

“What if I move them back afterward?”

“Still no.”

“I’m good at illusion arts—I can trap over a million people in an illusion without them noticing me using spells.”

Clearly, this elder had great confidence in his illusions.

Bai Hongtu’s face darkened. “No.”

“I want to engrave runes on their mechas to enhance them.”

Bai Hongtu’s expression softened. “Watch the power level.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll only engrave like 100,000 of them.”

Bai Hongtu’s face turned darker. “No.”

He now realized these three elders were dead set on stirring trouble in this world.

“Sorry, these few elders tend to get… creative. Please don’t mind them too much.” Bai Hongtu apologized.

“No worries, no worries.” Ming Zhong quickly waved it off, though cold sweat ran down his back.

This wasn’t cultural exchange—this was like inviting three celestial beings to do as they pleased.

They talked about relocating mountains like moving furniture, casually trapping millions in illusions, and modifying 100,000 mechas…

Thank goodness Sect Master Bai had a good head on his shoulders—otherwise, their world would’ve been wrecked in days.

By comparison, the people Ming Zhong sent were far more reliable.

All were outstanding young talents from various fields.

They were grouped into a 20-person study team to spend a year in the Nine Provinces.

The Nine Provinces had no need to hide Ming Zhong World.

Even if cultivators hadn’t visited other worlds, they’d at least heard of them.

This study team could openly train in the Nine Provinces without needing to conceal their identities.

Before leaving, Bai Hongtu and Immortal Elder Changcun quietly leapt beyond the gravity field, landing on a certain planet.

From there, they gazed at the continent below, faintly seeing the outline of the Dao Ancestor’s visage.

Moved to tears, they kowtowed three times and bowed nine times toward the continent.