Cultivation... for the entire populace?

*Hiss...*

The sound of several sharp intakes of breath filled the living room. Never mind whether outsiders would believe such a thing; even to them, it sounded utterly absurd. Yet, it was the truth.

They had seen it with their own eyes. It couldn’t be faked.

The military chief slowly sat back down. He might have appeared calm and composed, but in reality, he felt like he was in a dream, unable to believe it.

He knew exactly what Ms. Celeste Grant’s words implied. It meant that Cultivation could become a reality, that the entire world of Earth was about to undergo a massive transformation. A human lifespan was a mere hundred years, but a Cultivator’s could last hundreds, thousands, or even longer.

At that moment, the old chief stood up and saluted Celeste Grant.

"Ms. Grant, on behalf of the entire nation and the military, I express our gratitude to you."

"Despite achieving success in your Cultivation, you have not forgotten your country or your people. We are deeply gratified by your high sense of duty."

"Indeed, Ms. Grant. A truly fine example."

The local city leader beside him also stood up. His face was filled with pride; this was a high-level Cultivator from his city. That she possessed such power and, instead of hiding it, was prepared to bring the entire nation along with her—what a remarkable sense of duty. This would also be a mark of his own political achievement.

Led by the chief, everyone in the living room rose to their feet and saluted Celeste Grant, showing her the highest form of respect.

Celeste gestured with her hand.

"Chief, everyone, please sit."

"As a citizen of Veridia, this is what I ought to do. Earth is where I was born and raised, and Veridia is my home. I was sheltered by my country, and now that I have the ability, I want to do my part to strengthen it. I just don’t know if my interference in the world’s development is the right course of action. That’s why I wanted to meet with the national leaders and hear your opinions."

She was very proud to have been born in Veridia.

A warmth spread through the hearts of everyone present.

They were deeply moved.

Yes, this was something etched into the very bones of every citizen of Veridia.

Opinions?

They had no objections.

The military chief was both excited and forthright.

"What opinions could we have? Cultivate... We must pursue Cultivation." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"A Spiritual Energy Revival, ushering the world into a cultivation civilization, is an era-defining event. That you can make this happen is our nation’s honor and a blessing for all of Earth. We understand what you’re saying. A reform of this magnitude will inevitably cause some tremors, but there’s no need to worry. The nation will handle everything." As long as the greatest power remained in the hands of the state, order would not collapse.

Celeste nodded slightly.

"Good. In that case, it’s decided. Leave the matter of the Spirit Vein to me. I already spoke with my son in the Cultivation World before you arrived. In a little while, he’ll come over from the Cultivation World and bring a Spirit Vein for the nation. This Spirit Vein was birthed by heaven and earth and has already gained sentience. A very high level of Cultivation is required to retrieve it. Earth isn’t vast, so two Spirit Veins will be enough to cover the entire globe with Spiritual Energy. The Spirit Veins will belong to our country and will be buried in the soil of Veridia, so in the future, Veridia’s Spiritual Energy will be the densest on Earth."

They naturally understood.

The Spiritual Energy Revival would certainly cover the entire planet, not just Veridia. But since the Spirit Veins would belong to their country, it meant that in the future, their nation would have the final say on Earth.

Wait a minute.

Something wasn’t right.

Did they miss something just now? Or mishear?

Son!

Whose son?

"Hold on. I think I just heard you say ’son.’ You have a son in the Cultivation World?"

As far as they knew, Celeste Grant was only twenty-three this year and had never even had a boyfriend since birth. At her age, in modern society, she was still in the prime of her youth. So where did a son come from? Did she have him after she transmigrated to the Cultivation World?

Celeste glanced at them and said with a slight smile, "About that... haha, you probably don’t know. Although in reality I was only lying in bed for a month, a very long time has actually passed for me since I crossed over to the Cultivation World. I have a Taoist Companion and a son there."

The military chief couldn’t help but ask, "Ms. Grant, after you crossed over, did you join a Cultivator Sect? Can the sect’s teachings be shared with outsiders? Of course, it’s fine if you can’t talk about it."

"Well..." Celeste gave a dry laugh. "It’s not really a secret. After I arrived in the Cultivation World, I didn’t join any Cultivator Sects. On the contrary, the Bloodfiend Den, where I reside, is considered one of the Demonic Sects."

As Celeste was speaking, a voice suddenly came from the Onyx Ring on her hand.

"Mother... are you there?"

"Mother."

Everyone present heard the voice, and their gazes all shifted to Celeste’s hand.

Celeste held up her hand in a placating gesture.

"Wait a moment. That’s my son calling. It might be something important."

The chief she had been speaking with waved his hand and said with a smile, "It’s no problem, Ms. Grant. Please, speak with your son. It could be urgent."

Celeste raised her hand.

Her finger lightly touched the Onyx Ring. The space before her sizzled, and in the next moment, a screen-like image appeared.

Behind him, the background was a courtyard in the Bloodfiend Den. Aaron Sinclair was standing by the railing of a corridor as he spoke to her.

A smile appeared on Celeste’s face when she saw him.

"Son."

"Mother... Huh? You have company?"

Celeste nodded slightly.

She introduced them.

"Yes, these are the leaders of my country in this world. Son, come and say hello."

Aaron Sinclair smiled faintly, then greeted them politely. "Hello. I am Aaron Sinclair, Mother’s son. Since I’m not there, I’ll have to entrust her care to you all. I’m not sure what you like, but when I come over, I’ll bring you some local specialties from my side."

The screen-like projection was like a Barrier, allowing them to see and speak to each other across two different worlds. This scene could not be faked; it was already beyond their scope of understanding. Nothing was more shocking than seeing it with their own eyes.

Furthermore, the young man before them was so handsome he didn’t look real, like a figure who had stepped out of a painting. They knew he was a Cultivator, and the fact that he was being so polite to ordinary people like them was surely out of respect for Ms. Grant.

The military chief smiled and said, "Rest assured, your mother will receive the best care here."

"Thank you."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries.

Celeste’s gaze returned to her son.

"Aaron, what did you call me for?"

From the other side, Aaron Sinclair began his report. "Mother, I’ve already made arrangements for matters here with the Demonic Sects. With the Bloodfiend Den leading the way, all the businesses under the Demonic Sects’ control have resumed operations. Also, the several Undercity locations we established before have now been cleared out. I figured since they’re just sitting idle, I’d put them to use by expanding our ventures and turning them into underground auction houses."