Chapter 446: Ordinary Citizens
After the election concluded, the only thought Yu Yin had was—it felt like traveling back five hundred years to the Human Sovereign selection trials.
Commander Liu had designed this test clearly intending for the candidates to fully utilize their resources for maximum benefit, not for the kind of antics Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu had pulled.
Yu Yin had tried her best to follow their twisted logic, but still found herself hopelessly outmatched.
“In critical moments, one can borrow others’ strength. I wonder if these youngsters have grasped the profound intentions behind our methods.”
“They should have. After all, we personally demonstrated through actions.”
Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu discussed the matter, both convinced they had sacrificed too much for the younger generation.
“When will the second trial begin?” Bai Hongtu asked eagerly, having not had his fill of fun yet.
“No need to rush. Let the youngsters recover first.” Through the Human Sovereign candidate marks, Jiang Li could see Qin Luan and others were currently summarizing their trial gains.
According to Commander Liu, the previous Human Sovereign would also review outcomes after trials, contemplating how to design the next challenge to limit Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu’s opportunities to showcase their talents.
Jiang Li thought the old Human Sovereign worried too much—no restrictions could suppress talents like his and Bai Hongtu’s.
Subsequent trials proved this point as the duo continued dominating every challenge.
“Enough talk. I need to return to preparing the Nine Provinces Spirit Plant Array.” Bai Hongtu bid farewell to Yu Yin and returned to the Dao Sect and Tianyuan Dynasty.
Finding himself idle, Jiang Li wandered to the nearest city.
“Is this the Great Zhou Imperial Capital?” Only then did Jiang Li recall that Dongyun Lake was located within Great Zhou territory, adjacent to its capital.
The imperial city remained as bustling as ever—no, even more prosperous than before.
“Candied hawthorns! Imported directly from Mingzhong World!” A vendor’s shout caught Jiang Li’s attention.
A realization struck Jiang Li: “Damn it, Bai Hongtu even monopolized the hawthorn industry…”
…
“Greetings viewers, this is DongSheng Television. I’m reporter Xiaoxin.”
“Recently, President Mingzhong and Human Sovereign Jiang Li jointly attended the Nine Provinces Assembly and signed the Multilateral Cooperation Framework, formally establishing diplomatic relations between Mingzhong World and Nine Provinces—the first such formal relationship for Mingzhong World with another realm, marking profound significance.”
President Mingzhong took greatest pride in two achievements: completely resolving the millennia-long beast calamity with Jiang Li’s help, and having their world officially named after him.
His prestige had reached unprecedented heights, surpassing all previous presidents.
Reporter Xiaoxin continued: “President Mingzhong stated intentions to strengthen cross-world cooperation, especially establishing long-term mechanisms for economic, cultural, and cultivation exchanges.”
“The Human Sovereign Hall also expressed that Nine Provinces citizens welcome interactions with Mingzhong World, encouraging major factions to engage in mutual exchange and learning.”
“The commercial street behind me was established under this initiative. Though newly built, it’s already thriving, with many Nine Provinces residents showing keen interest in Mingzhong products.”
“Let’s interview some local visitors.”
Several floating cameras followed Xiaoxin without need for cameramen.
Behind her, the newly constructed street bustled with cultivators examining Mingzhong’s technological products.
This was Mingzhong’s official television station’s latest project—live street interviews to help more citizens understand Nine Provinces. They also planned documentary productions for further promotion.
“What product interests you most here?”
“Definitely the time-limit-free holographic simulator! Earlier versions had restrictions we could bypass with spells, but now every unit comes pre-installed with restrictions personally designed by Bai Hongtu of Dao Sect—our magic can’t bypass them anymore…”
“Ah, this cultivator clearly enjoys our simulators! Let’s interview someone else.”
Xiaoxin quickly redirected the camera—publicly discussing restriction bypass methods… she dared not imagine what else this person might reveal.
“What would you like to purchase most?”
“Robots.”
“This cultivator appreciates our robots! What type interests you? Domestic or combat models?”
“Do you have… particularly beautiful ones that could… sleep with me? Customizable faces preferred. I’ve heard your robots are extremely lifelike. Money isn’t an issue.”
“…Let’s move to our next interview.” Xiaoxin maintained her sweet smile.
“You appear to be a student. What brings you here?”
The student sighed: “Our teacher assigned scripture memorization—completely impossible! Classmates mentioned Mingzhong’s memory chips can implant perfect recall. Also a nano-calculator—we have math exams soon, and the teacher hasn’t banned such devices yet.”
“Sir, what are your thoughts on Mingzhong World?” Xiaoxin changed targets, deciding earlier responses bordered on broadcast disasters.
“Eh? Why not ask what I want to buy? I was going to praise your candied hawthorns.” Ordinary citizen Jiang Li answered while snacking on the treat, having altered his appearance to avoid recognition.
“I find Mingzhong World remarkable—developing technology to combat beasts for millennia. Among worlds I’ve visited, your technological advancement is unparalleled.”
“However, you overemphasize rationality while neglecting emotional perception. Sometimes understanding through feeling yields greater rewards than mere observation.”
Jiang Li was actually referencing Mingzhong’s failure to discover spiritual roots.
Their ancestors were forgotten immortals who should have easily developed cultivation in such spirit-energy-rich environments. But Mingzhong pursued technological strength instead, missing opportunities to combine both paths.
Though now, collaborating with Nine Provinces, it wasn’t too late for progress.
“What are your thoughts on Human Sovereign Jiang Li?”