novelraw Chapter 541: Follow-up
Chapter 541: Follow-up
Chapter 541: Follow-up
Jie Ming was aware that it was hard to change minds of people who didn’t support the translators by reading on original translation website but used shady places so he said: “I hex you all to eternal damnation!”
In the study of the City Lord’s Mansion, Jie Ming was once again immersed in a vast ocean of knowledge.
More than a dozen memory crystals floated around him, each emitting a faint glow of different colors.
Jie Ming’s spiritual power extended like countless tentacles, simultaneously probing into these crystals and greedily absorbing the knowledge contained within.
This was his twenty-seventh year in the Els plane.
Twenty-seven years was enough for a generation of mortals to go from birth to adulthood.
For wizards, however, it was merely a small interlude in their long lives.
During a break, Jie Ming opened his eyes and glanced out the window.
The newly built City Lord’s Mansion stood at the center of the city, replacing the former gray-black temple. From the window, one could see neatly arranged streets, orderly houses, and new communities under construction in the distance.
Twenty-seven years ago, this place had still been a land shrouded in arousal arrays and cognitive modification arrays.
Twenty-seven years later, those arrays had long been dismantled and replaced by the aptitude detection arrays and ecological regulation systems that Jie Ming had personally designed.
He withdrew his gaze and was about to continue studying the memory crystal in his hand when a wave of energy suddenly came from the doorway.
“Please come in.”
Jie Ming looked up.
David’s figure appeared at the door, travel-worn and still carrying residual spatial ripples from plane traversal.
“You’re back?” Jie Ming set down the crystal.
David nodded, walked into the study, and sat down opposite Jie Ming.
He leaned back comfortably against the chair and let out a relaxed sigh.
“How did it go?” Jie Ming asked. “I remember you went to investigate the surrounding resource planes.”
David shook his head, a trace of helplessness on his face.
“Nothing much to say,” he replied. “When the Chaos Secret Cult left, they carried out destructive exploitation on all of them. Any resources or plane origin with even slight value were completely plundered.”
He paused, then added, “All that’s left are some ordinary mineral resources and biomass. They’re not quite abandoned planes yet, but close enough.”
Jie Ming chuckled lightly, seeming unconcerned.
“Looks like the Chaos Secret Cult was quite unwilling at the time.”
David also smiled, though his smile carried a hint of bitterness. “If it were you, could you accept it? Not only did they lose the war, but they also had to spit out everything they had swallowed. It would be strange if they didn’t cause some destruction before leaving… It’s just troublesome for us working wizards. I’m exhausted. Just collecting the remnants took a lot of effort.”
Jie Ming nodded without saying anything.
The study fell quiet for a few seconds.
David suddenly spoke up, “By the way, the workshop asked us to catalog all remaining planes, even the abandoned ones. I don’t know why.”
Jie Ming smiled.
Of course he knew why.
Because of Starfall.
Or, more precisely, because of the Spirit Awakening Technique she had developed.
The Spirit Awakening Technique could transform planes into living planes. In this way, even abandoned planes would see a massive increase in value.
Before this, the final fate of all abandoned planes had basically been limited to being converted into ship planes or used as testing grounds for destructive spells. Of course, some were turned into large warehouses, but beyond that, they had almost no use.
But Wizard Starfall’s Spirit Awakening Technique had turned these abandoned planes into superpowers capable of turning the tide of war. It could be said that it had restored value to these abandoned planes—greatly increasing it, in fact.
Truthfully, from the perspective of the entire wizard civilization, it was hard to say whether the value brought by providing super combat power was higher, or the value brought by reviving originally useless resources was higher.
But there was no doubt that Starfall’s Spirit Awakening Technique had once again turned these abandoned planes into treasures.
However, not many people knew about this yet.
Outsiders only knew that Starfall had obtained a first-level cultivation protocol, but the matter of the Spirit Awakening Technique was still relatively confidential.
Aside from eyewitnesses like Jie Ming, probably only wizards of seventh-ring and above knew the truth.
Even so, according to the information Jie Ming had, the purchase prices for abandoned planes within wizard civilization had skyrocketed in recent years.
Jie Ming pulled his thoughts back and looked at David.
David was looking at him with a probing gaze. “You know something?”
Jie Ming smiled without answering directly. “You’ll know once the higher-ups release the news. In short, cataloging the planes is not a waste of effort.”
David raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further.
The two chatted for a while longer before David suddenly remembered something and asked, “How is the situation with the people of this plane?”
Jie Ming raised his hand, summoned a recording crystal, and handed it to David.
“The aptitude detection arrays have already been set up,” he said. “The ecological environment transformation is also nearing completion.”
David took the crystal, sent his spiritual power into it, and scanned through it. A satisfied expression appeared on his face.
“What about the mindset reversal work?”
Jie Ming spoke slowly, “Some of the older generation still can’t accept it. They’re used to that way of life and can’t change.” He looked out the window. “But the latest few generations of young people have gradually moved away from the previous situation. Once the older generation passes away and the new generation fully grows up, things will improve a lot.”
David nodded and was silent for a moment.
“Then next we should lay down the basic education and basic medical systems.”
Jie Ming said, “We’ve already applied to the workshop for the artificial human manufacturing system. It should be delivered in a while.”
He stroked his chin and added, “Once it arrives, we can roll out artificial humans on a large scale for education and basic medical care.”
David’s face showed a trace of relief upon hearing this.
“Very good,” he said. “Once it’s fully implemented, we can begin aptitude modification. Looks like everything is going smoothly. From now on, we just need to quietly wait for time to do its work.”
Jie Ming smiled and nodded.
The study fell quiet once more.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow on the floor.
Faint sounds of construction could be heard from afar—local residents personally building their new homes.
This time, however, it was not reconstruction, but outward expansion.
David stood up and straightened his wizard robe.
“I should go,” he said. “After submitting the intelligence, I still need to report back.”
Jie Ming also stood up, preparing to see him off.
David walked to the doorway, then suddenly stopped, turned around.
“Jie Ming.”
“Hm?”
David looked at him seriously and said, “Thank you for being willing to stay in this plane to handle the follow-up tracking.”
Jie Ming was taken aback for a moment.
David continued, “You’ve been guarding this place for more than ten years. After completing the mission, the others could move on to new missions in other planes or return to their laboratories to continue research. Only you have stayed here from beginning to end.”
Jie Ming smiled and shook his head. “No need to thank me. These years I mainly wanted to supplement my knowledge anyway; it’s the same wherever I am.”
David, however, insisted, “Still, thank you. Otherwise, someone would have to stay behind to handle these logistical follow-up tasks.”
He paused. “But in a few more years, a new batch of wizards should be coming down from the battlefield. At that time, quite a few wizards should be able to come and take over your duties.”
Jie Ming nodded. “That would be good too.”
The two looked at each other and smiled.
David turned and walked toward the teleportation array.
Jie Ming stood at the doorway of the study, watching his figure disappear at the end of the street.
Then he turned back into the study and sat down at the desk once more.
The dozen or so memory crystals still floated in the air, quietly waiting for their master’s return.
Jie Ming reached out, and his spiritual power once again probed into them.