Chapter 2094: Mutually Drawing Big Plans

He possessed the Illusion Sect's cultivation methods and divine abilities, which he had extracted from the Upside-Down Sea years ago. However, he could not naively offer them to Panglong City for use.

As one of the oldest existing sects, the Illusion Sect's core cultivation methods were thoroughly preserved, and their characteristics were distinct, but they presented two major problems. Since they were created by Thousand Illusions, the Illusion Sect's core methods emphasized the concept of "Illusion" and primarily focused on divine and magical arts. A large number of these illusions and magical barriers were unsuitable for military use. Unless one cultivated to the level of an immortal, illusions could easily be exposed by elemental energy—not to mention that the laws of elemental energy had changed again, making its effects even sharper. After significant deductions, only four or five core combat methods were truly suitable for military use, along with a pile of illusions. For the vast Panglong Plain, with hundreds of thousands of troops, countless tribes, and civilians, how could learning just these few methods be sufficient? The cultivation methods provided by the Enhancement Bureau needed to be diverse and varied, because human talents were so wide-ranging, with individuals differing greatly.

The second problem was, if he handed the Illusion Sect's core methods over to Panglong City, how would he explain their origin? How could General Hu Yi, who had never left the Panglong Wasteland or Maohe Plain, produce so many sets of the Illusion Sect's highly secretive core methods? How would he explain these techniques to Panglong City and Zhong Shengguang?

Lastly, and most troublesome, the Illusion Sect's core methods had very distinct characteristics. It was one thing for He Lingchuan to secretly practice them himself. But if they were widely distributed as military cultivation methods, wouldn't he fear the Illusion Sect coming to cause trouble? What He Lingchuan least wanted now was for Thousand Illusions to set its sights on Panglong City, so why would he needlessly attract their attention? From a practical standpoint, Spirit Mountain was still the best source of cultivation methods—safe, reliable, and traceable.

Then Xin Yi continued to tempt him: "The silver manganese and white steel purchased by Baile from the Blazing Gold Plain are excellent materials for crafting special weapons. This month, we plan to transport them to Baisha Bay using the new shipping route." What are special weapons? Previously, the swords, spears, and lances used by soldiers were all considered ordinary weapons, or "mortal weapons." Because spiritual energy was too scarce, mortal weapons were sufficient for combat.

Special weapons are somewhere between mortal weapons and magical artifacts, often possessing only one characteristic, such as "sharpness," "armor penetration," or "steel-cutting." Some shields might even have an additional "battering" characteristic. They don't quite reach the threshold of magical artifacts and lack their rich, varied characteristics, but they excel in lower cost, stable quality, and customizable characteristics. The refinement of magical artifacts has uncertainties; it's hard to say what characteristics they will have after completion. However, when refining special weapons, as long as the ratios are strictly followed, there will be no surprises, good or bad.

Special weapons only emerged in the mid-to-late Middle Ages when spiritual energy gradually declined. Conversely, if the spiritual energy of heaven and earth recovers to the level of the Middle Ages, special weapons will become useful again. For any force or nation aspiring to the future, the demand for special weapons, in addition to powerful divine cultivation methods, is currently very high. Raw materials like silver manganese and white steel are also found in the Panglong Wasteland, but their output is small, so they can only be prioritized for the Great Wind Army, and even then, the quantity isn't quite enough. He Lingchuan also wanted to equip his Ximo Legion with them. So, the prospect Xin Yi presented was very appealing.

But he specifically mentioned Baisha Bay. He Lingchuan naturally understood the implication: for Panglong City to freely use the port and docks of Baisha Bay, they would have to go through Spirit Mountain. This was Panglong City's current top priority.

Xin Yi continued: "Also, along the second sea trade route that Panglong City is developing, there are many sects and powers friendly with Spirit Mountain. At that time, Spirit Mountain can act as an intermediary for both sides, facilitating cooperation." In reality, while cooperating to develop trade routes offers many benefits, not every nation or power is willing. In the short term, it might significantly increase economic revenue, but in the long run, having strangers constantly passing through one's territory could easily lead to security leaks. Moreover, the composition of trade caravans is usually complex and difficult to control; what if an army disguised as a caravan took the opportunity to seize local power? This had actually happened before.

The second sea trade route passes through more countries and regions, making it less straightforward than the Maohe Plain's Baisha Bay. For Panglong City to negotiate with each one individually would be extremely frustrating. Negotiations between nations could take a few months at the shortest, with no upper limit. Some national agreements have been under negotiation for over a decade; even with some progress, signing them remains a distant prospect. If Spirit Mountain acted as a bridge, with everyone belonging to the Spirit Mountain faction, there would be a natural foundation of cooperation and mutual trust, as well as an unspoken obligation, making such agreements easier to reach. This prospect was also very appealing.

Of course, while Xin Yi was painting an enticing picture, he also sweetened the deal considerably to enhance its appeal. He Lingchuan could see from this that Spirit Mountain was also very eager to reach an agreement with Panglong City, but currently, it was all talk and no concrete action, with no substantial commitment.

"That's fine; we can negotiate," He Lingchuan thought. "Actually, we have an even better solution than simply being provisioned," He Lingchuan said, having been devising ways since his conversation with Sun Fuling.

Xin Yi immediately showed interest: "I'd like to hear more."

"Here's the main point." He Lingchuan took out a portable sand table. Xin Yi, understanding, cleared the food away to make space on the table. The sand table had been pre-calibrated; once opened, it displayed a miniature map of Panglong City's territory.

"The past few years have been a period of development for Panglong City," he began. "Our territory has expanded threefold, the population has surged ninefold, and grain production has reached new highs every year." These were old facts that Xin Yi already knew, and He Lingchuan was not afraid to state them openly. "On the surface, everything seems prosperous. However, Panglong City has actually encountered many issues, such as insufficient arable land development, new official roads awaiting construction, canals, bridges, and dams requiring maintenance and reinforcement, and new cities and towns needing accelerated development to accommodate the large influx of new residents."

Interestingly, the actual Blazing Gold Plain faced similar problems, only on a larger, more numerous, and more complex scale. As He Lingchuan gained practical experience in building Cangyan Nation, he could then re-examine Panglong City's development opportunities with more flexible and varied ideas. His current position, vision, and strategic perspective had, in fact, far surpassed the limitations of Panglong City's "General Hu Yi."

Xin Yi nodded, "Yes, I know all of this is very expensive." These were all areas where official finances and effort were required, and many represented long-standing bottlenecks.

"But they can also be very profitable," He Lingchuan said with a smile, pointing at the sand table. "For example, a dam is to be built on Luzui River, at this very spot. Initial surveys have been completed. Once constructed, it will not only benefit the downstream farmlands but is also estimated to generate over thirty thousand silver taels annually in boat taxes." He emphasized again, "This is stable annual income, like a golden goose laying eggs. When the local economy improves, this amount will only become more substantial."