As five elders appeared, Zhou Ningdong and the other two immediately became restless, jumping to their feet and saluting the five with perfect military precision. Xie Yifeng and Ding Yi, along with the other five, stared at Song Ji among the elders, their faces etched with awe. Having frequently seen these esteemed figures on major news broadcasts, they were undeniably familiar with him.
"Alright, Xiao Ye, is there something so urgent that it required all five of us to join this video conference?" Song Ji asked, looking at Ye Yun and nodding to Zhou Ningdong and the others.
"Indeed, we only met a few hours ago, didn't we? Could it be you've already settled things with the combined forces of the US and their allies?" Tang Zhe couldn't help but grumble.
"Enough, Xiao Ye must have an urgent matter to be so hurried. Let's hear what Xiao Ye has to say first," Xia Xingchao, the most composed of the group, finally intervened to calm Tang Zhe.
"Esteemed elders, this noon, didn't I mention the impact of 'Tiandao' on real-world strength?"
"Now, we can begin to validate my hypothesis ahead of schedule!"
Although Ye Yun knew the outcome better than anyone, he still had to confer with these influential figures to prevent society from descending into chaos.
"Oh? You don't need to wait until level 30?" The elders' bodies jolted upon hearing this.
"That's right. You all should be aware of Fengle Village under my command, right? Just now, I completed a quest and the system rewarded me with a Pagoda of Enlightenment!"
The mention of the Pagoda of Enlightenment sent a jolt through Zhou Ningdong and the others. As high-ranking members of the Dragon Palace and core personnel of Fengle Village, they were naturally aware of the two new structures in their village. They never imagined these were obtained through Ye Yun's quests!
Following this, Ye Yun meticulously explained the functions of the Pagoda of Enlightenment to them.
The Pagoda of Enlightenment, as its name suggested, was a place for enlightenment assessments. However, entry into the pagoda was restricted. For instance, to attempt the first level, one needed to reach level 10 and have all attribute points reach 10,000.
Upon entering, the system would randomly match three players with C-grade talent, each specializing in a different profession, for one-on-one duels. Players needed to achieve three perfect victories to advance to the next level. Upon successfully clearing all three levels, players would manifest 1% of their strength in reality.
Clearing at level 10 manifested 1%, level 20 manifested 2%, and so on...
As Ye Yun elaborated, the expressions of everyone in the conference grew exceptionally solemn. While they were astounded by Ye Yun's words, they also understood that if Ye Yun's claims were true, 'Tiandao' would bring about unimaginable transformations in the real world. However, 'Tiandao' was no longer under the control of any nation, making it impossible to halt its progression.
"Xiao Ye, what are your thoughts?" After a long silence, Xia Xingchao finally looked up and asked Ye Yun.
"My suggestion is to expedite the process for our military and police forces. Those who meet the requirements should be prioritized for certification! Of course, I will instruct Zhou Ningdong to offer moderate discounts on the fees."
"Frankly, within a month at most, players will gradually reach level thirty, and by then, our military and police will have sufficient numbers and strength to maintain public order."
After Ye Yun finished speaking, he remained silent. He felt he had done his utmost for the nation.
"Xiao Ye, how will the fees be collected? You know, if it's too high, with the sheer number of our military and police, it will be difficult for us to manage," Tang Zhe, more familiar with the military and police than anyone present, said.
"Under normal circumstances, certification at level 10 costs ten thousand gold coins, level 20 costs fifty thousand gold coins, and level 30 costs two hundred and fifty thousand gold coins, increasing by a factor of five. If the nation requires it, I can charge our military and police forces only twenty percent of the gold coins! For other players in Huaguo, I will charge ninety percent." Ye Yun tapped his fingers rhythmically on the desk.
"That's acceptable, but could you postpone the public opening for a few days? Grant us a few days exclusively?" Xia Xingchao looked at Ye Yun, knowing this was unavoidable. Furthermore, he had already begun to believe Ye Yun's words.
"That's why I contacted you. I will arrange for formal Dragon Palace members to undergo assessment starting today. Afterwards, I'll have Zhou Mingdong send you the results." With that, Ye Yun ended the video call and turned to his eight subordinates.
"General, what you just said..." Zhou Ningdong's face was solemn.
"It's all true. We will begin arranging for our people to conduct on-site testing shortly and then proceed to the Tiandao Pagoda of Enlightenment for the level 10 assessment! Afterwards, a detailed comparative report will be sent to Elder Song."
"Yes!" The eight men immediately stood at attention.
"Remember, this matter is currently classified. The Pagoda of Enlightenment will not be open to the public for the next few days!" With that, he dismissed them to their tasks, knowing they would be working through the night. After all, there were nearly twenty thousand formal members and reserves, and if the reserves were included, the number would exceed fifty thousand!
Next, the military and police would visit Fengle Village for assessments in batches, numbering in the tens of millions! Even verifying their identities alone would be a colossal undertaking.
Time ticked by. Ye Yun gazed out the window at the setting sun painting the sky, possessing strength that could disregard money and power. However, ever since his rebirth, the taut string in Ye Yun's heart had never relaxed. Especially after the journey to the Shan Hai Realm, Ye Yun felt an even greater pressure.
The disparity in overall strength was immense. It was important to remember that each demon in the real world was a powerful cultivator. After being manifested by 'Tiandao,' their real-world strength would only increase. And the current Earth? Only three individuals had reached the Innate realm, and including himself, that made a mere four.
Even with Ye Yun having manifested 15% of his strength, he still couldn't claim to rival them.
A gust of wind blew, scattering the ashes.
"General! The first batch of Dragon Palace members to be certified has finished!" At this moment, Zhou Ningdong rushed in, his face filled with incredulity, as if he had seen a ghost.
"Calm yourself!" Ye Yun gently flicked the cigarette into the ashtray before accepting the file Zhou Ningdong handed him. He could imagine Zhou Ningdong's expression.
- Liu Jianji, Male, 21 years old, Height 176 cm, Weight 68 kg
Pre-assessment test (average of three attempts): Punching Power - 168 kg, 100m Sprint Speed: 10.58 seconds.
Post-assessment test (average of three attempts): Punching Power 319 kg, 100m Sprint Speed: 9.12 seconds.
- Lin Jianyi, Male, 20 years old, Height 177 cm, Weight 67 kg
Pre-assessment test (average of three attempts): Punching Power - 167 kg, 100m Sprint Speed: 10.64 seconds.
Post-assessment test (average of three attempts): Punching Power 322 kg, 100m Sprint Speed: 9.09 seconds.
...
Ye Yun scanned the simple test sheets before him, a satisfied smile appearing in his eyes. If he recalled correctly, the world record for the 100m sprint was no more than 9.58 seconds. Now, after manifesting just 1% of their strength, every one of these Dragon Palace members had surpassed this record in their sprint speed alone.
"General, these numbers are truly terrifying. You don't know, these individuals who previously couldn't even lift barbells with two hands can now lift one in each hand with ease. I estimate their strength has already entered the realm of martial artists." Zhou Ningdong, seeing Ye Yun silently reviewing the reports, couldn't help but speak.
"Heh, the cultivation system and realm divisions for martial artists will likely need to be redefined in the future! Their strength should be classified under the Body Tempering realm! Although the initial gap in strength might be significant, the further one progresses, the smaller the gap will become as long as they pass through the stages. Later, you will transmit this information to Elder Song as well."
Ye Yun took a blank piece of paper and wrote down a series of terms.
Body Tempering (Level 10) - Refining Body (Level 20) - Refining Spirit (Level 30) - Golden Core (Level 40) - Nascent Soul (Level 50) - Void Return (Level 60) - Dao Integration (Level 70) - Enlightenment (Level 80)...