High Martial: I Use Everything as Swords

Chapter 262: Chapter 219: Chen Beixuan’s Plan (Part 2)

Li Tiecheng’s breathing grew heavy.

He was a warrior, but he wasn’t a fool.

He instantly understood the weight behind Chen Beixuan’s words.

"You mean..."

"Exactly."

Chen Beixuan nodded, unable to hide the smile in his eyes.

"Star Sea Technology’s branch in East Sea City was raided, leaving behind a batch of off-the-books ’Ghost’ series prototypes.

The Council has already allocated these assets to our Martial Arts University and the Celestial Craft Group as a technological reserve."

"That kid doesn’t have his own fighter yet, does he?"

"Then let’s give him a chance to ’build’ the fighter he wants himself!"

"Let’s give him these prototypes and let him have free rein!"

"Isn’t this more meaningful than just giving him a finished product?"

Lin Guodong’s eyes lit up as he listened from the side. He couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration:

"Brilliant, Dean Chen, simply brilliant! Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime!"

"Having him participate in modifying the prototypes not only satisfies his interests and lets him hone his abilities in the safest way possible, but it also deeply binds him to the Celestial Craft Group.

That kid’s skill with Runes might just give us a huge surprise!"

"There’s more."

It was as if countless chess pieces were falling into place behind Chen Beixuan’s eyes, forming a grand strategy in an instant.

"With the launch of ’Project Kindling’ this time, all the major powers are sharing resources.

I’m preparing to apply to the Council to establish a special project group for ’single-person high-mobility flying devices,’ with Han Feng at its core."

"Ostensibly, it’s to cultivate cutting-edge combat power for East Sea City and to overcome the operational difficulties of fighting under the interference of the sky-fog."

"In reality, it’s to create a legitimate ’fiefdom’ for him, one directly protected by the Council!"

"All resources, personnel, and equipment will be handled through the Council’s books, and the location will be right inside the Martial Arts University!

Even if the Sun Family wants revenge, they’ll have to think twice.

To touch him would be to touch East Sea City’s entire ’Project Kindling’!"

Li Tiecheng and Lin Guodong exchanged a look, both seeing pure shock and admiration in the other’s eyes.

’This sly old fox!’

’His schemes run so deep!’

’On the surface, it’s for the public good, but secretly, he has completely protected Han Feng, paved the way for his future, and more importantly, hitched his wagon to the favorable winds of Project Kindling!’

"Fine, I have no objections."

This time, Li Tiecheng was completely convinced.

"The military can send a technical support team to fully cooperate with your project. However, I have one condition."

"Name it."

"This project group must report its results to the military on a regular basis.

Once there’s a mature technology, the military has the right of first refusal for procurement and full-scale deployment!"

Li Tiecheng stared intently at Chen Beixuan.

"Agreed."

Chen Beixuan agreed without hesitation.

This was a win-win situation from the start.

"Then it’s settled."

Lin Guodong, as the neutral party, gave the final word.

"The Martial Arts University will take the lead on the reward plan, with the military’s cooperation. I will report to the Council Chairman immediately upon my return.

We will formally incorporate this ’special project group’ into the highest priority sequence of ’Project Kindling’."

"As for that Jade Scroll..."

He looked at Chen Beixuan.

Chen Beixuan took a simple, ancient-looking box from his coat and opened it.

"I’ve already had it analyzed.

The knowledge of Arrays and the Spiritual Power utilization Techniques recorded inside are indeed exquisite.

But the system is ancient and conflicts with our current Spiritual Energy Technology. Its inspirational value is greater than its practical use."

"The most critical Spiritual Attack Secret Technique, the ’Three-Inch Heart Sword,’ has extremely high requirements for the strength and resilience of one’s Spiritual Power, and it carries a huge risk of injury.

The fact that kid could use it is purely due to his extraordinary Talent and a stroke of dumb luck."

"I will hand the item over to the Council to be placed in the highest-level archives.

That should prevent some clueless idiots from crippling themselves trying to practice it."

With their discussion concluded, a weight was finally lifted from their minds.

The night wind grew colder, and the atmosphere on the terrace became heavy once again due to the somber topic of "Project Kindling".

"Ten years..."

Lin Guodong gazed at the brilliantly lit Inner City in the distance and sighed softly.

"To put it bluntly, this plan is a huge gamble. We’re betting all of East Sea City’s future resources on a handful of geniuses."

"What choice do we have but to gamble?"

Li Tiecheng sneered. "Wait ten years for all of us to be finished?

’Project Kindling’ may be radical, but at least it offers a glimmer of hope."

"That’s not what I’m worried about."

Chen Beixuan shook his head.

"I’m worried about human nature."

"Resources are limited. Once they are skewed towards a select few, it will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among others.

Especially the so-called ’geniuses’ who were eliminated, and the old, established families accustomed to their privileges."

"Once the plan begins, the existing class barriers will be forcibly shattered.

Geniuses from common backgrounds will obtain massive resources and soar to the heavens.

Meanwhile, some Noble Family Members with mediocre aptitude will be ruthlessly eliminated."

"That kind of shockwave will be more terrifying than a beast tide."

Li Tiecheng fell silent.

Having spent his life in the military, he knew better than anyone how much turmoil the redistribution of resources would bring.

Those with vested interests wouldn’t give up their piece of the cake so easily.

Even if the Council Chairman forces it through with his absolute power, there will inevitably be muddle-headed fools who stir up trouble.

A bloody storm was unavoidable.

"Ten years is too short!"

Lin Guodong couldn’t help but lament, "It’s so incredibly difficult to cultivate a large number of Tier Five experts.

Ten years... is that enough time?"

"It has to be enough."

Li Tiecheng gritted his teeth, his voice filled with grim determination.

"We have to at least try."

’Our generation, back then, in order to resist the descending Tier Five lifeforms, almost all of us used forbidden methods. This damaged our foundations and made it impossible to break through to the Celestial Being Realm. When the Tier Six lifeforms descend, if we don’t have enough Tier Five experts to hold back the large-scale assault of other Tier Five lifeforms, then even if all the Council Chairmen of the major Fortress Cities reach the Tier Five Celestial Being Realm Peak, and even with the aid of technology, it will be difficult to stop the invasion tide led by the Tier Six lifeforms. We must have more Martial Artists of the younger generation advance to Tier Five, or at least Tier Four, to have any chance of survival in the cataclysm ten years from now.’

Chen Beixuan and Lin Guodong didn’t speak, but the solemn look in their eyes showed they shared the same thoughts.

Faced with a crisis of their Race’s survival, all the internal factions had to band together and work as one if they hoped to weather the coming storm.

"Old Ye exiling that bunch of lunatics from the Sun Family to Suspended Mountain was a risky move,"

Chen Beixuan said suddenly. "That place is the bridgehead for a High-dimensional Channel. The Spiritual Qi concentration and the degree of Law distortion will only get higher and higher.

Throw a group of the world’s top biotech maniacs in there, and there’s no telling what they’ll end up creating."

"Indeed."

Lin Guodong was worried. "They might research weapons to fight the High-dimensional Creatures.

But they could also... create monsters even more terrifying than the High-dimensional Creatures.

They might even proactively surrender to the other side to save their own skins, becoming a second Blood Feeding Sect."

"Hmph, they wouldn’t dare!"

Killing intent flashed in Li Tiecheng’s eyes.

"I’ve already had a detachment of the ’Blood Saber’ fleet permanently stationed at the entrance to the Secret Realm.

If they dare cross the line or create anything anti-human, what awaits them is total annihilation."

"Let’s hope so."

The three fell silent again, each lost in their own thoughts.

The night grew deeper. The silhouette of the Fortress City in the distance flickered in and out of view, like a colossal beast crouching in the darkness.

It seemed indestructible, yet who knew if it could withstand the monstrous wave destined to arrive in ten years.

"By the way, Old Chen."

Li Tiecheng suddenly remembered something and asked with great interest.

"That Protective Mark you gave the kid—what Tier of attack can it withstand?"

Chen Beixuan glanced at him, his tone as casual as if he were discussing some trivial matter.

"It’s nothing special."

"Just a sliver of my Lifebound Primordial Qi that I’ve been Nurturing for ten years."

"What?!"

Li Tiecheng and Lin Guodong were instantly stunned.

Lifebound Primordial Qi Nurtured for ten years!

That was practically equivalent to the full, unrestrained strike of a Tier Four Grandmaster!

"You... you’re insane!"

Li Tiecheng pointed at Chen Beixuan, unable to form a complete sentence for a long moment.

"You think that highly of the kid? You’re betting your own nest egg on him?"

Chen Beixuan just smiled without explaining.

He clasped his hands behind his back and turned to walk back inside, leaving only a soft-spoken sentence to echo slowly in the night wind.

"A genius who can even get the better of you, Li Tiecheng. A monster who can fight his way out of a hopeless situation on his own."

"To bet a sliver of Primordial Qi on the future."

"I think... it’s a bargain."