Gu Yunchen issued a decree:
> In two weeks, all citizens of Hua Country would cease external activities for two full months.
Factories paused. Construction halted. Markets closed.
Within two weeks, every single human was home.
Using improved holographic projection technology, the entire population could sit face-to-face with the royal family in real time. It felt as if the Emperor and his kin were present in every living room across the nation.
Gu Ruisheng took responsibility for teaching the public the Hundred Refinement Technique.
He appeared before millions, calm and composed.
"Refinement," he began, "is not about force. It is about control. Mana and Spirit Qi must obey you—not overwhelm you."
Across the nation, citizens followed every gesture.
A young woman whispered to her brother, "I can feel it compressing… it's purer."
An elderly man laughed in disbelief. "My meridians feel cleaner than they did before the apocalypse!"
Though many temporarily dropped to lower levels during refinement—some even to Level Two—they did not panic.
Instead, they were thrilled.
"We're rebuilding our foundations!"
"This is real strength!"
By the end of two months, most had regained their previous levels without encountering bottlenecks. Many surpassed them.
Xiao San and Tang Guo stepped into the Disciple Realm.
The Gu family hovered close to the Tutor Realm.
And thus, the Hundred Refinement Technique officially became Hua Country's national cultivation method.
Those two months felt like a national conference.
With minds calm from meditation, hearts purified by refinement, discussions unfolded with unusual clarity.
Three major issues were placed before the entire population:
1. Rules and Laws
2. Repair of Cities
3. Allocation of Land for Farming
And this time, the voices of citizens rose stronger than any decree.
A holographic forum opened nationwide.
A middle-aged teacher spoke first.
"We cannot return to old corruption. Cultivation increases power. Power must be restrained."
A young cultivator countered,
"Restraint, yes—but not suffocation. We need freedom to innovate."
An elderly woman added firmly,
"Strength without morality caused the apocalypse. The law must punish abuse of cultivation."
Voices overlapped across the nation:
"Equal law for commoners and royals!"
"No hereditary privilege beyond responsibility!"
"Crimes committed with cultivation should receive heavier penalties!"
Gu Yunchen remained silent for long stretches, listening.
Finally, a teenage boy spoke hesitantly:
"If everyone lives five hundred years… shouldn't laws focus on long-term consequences? Rehabilitation instead of execution?"
The discussion quieted.
A farmer nodded slowly.
"He's right. We're not fighting for survival anymore. We're building centuries."
In the end, the Cultivator Way Legal Code was drafted:
Cultivation misuse carried strict penalties.
Royal authority could be questioned publicly.
Long-term restorative justice replaced short-term punishment.
Knowledge suppression was illegal.
The loudest applause came not for the Emperor—
But for the clause declaring:
> "All cultivators are equal before the Law
Maps of the country appeared in holographic display.
Some cities were beyond repair.
Others were relics of old inefficiency.
A construction worker spoke first.
"Rebuild smart. Not sentimental."
A historian protested.
"But we cannot erase heritage!"
A woman from a ruined inland town raised her voice.
"Our city was small and inefficient. Let it go. But preserve the temple and the old academy."
A chorus of agreement followed.
"Yes! Preserve what carries meaning!"
"Demolish what drains resources!"
Another citizen suggested,
"Why rebuild densely? We have fewer people. Spread out. Design for the future."
After days of discussion, consensus formed:
Cities too damaged or obsolete would be respectfully demolished.
Historical and culturally significant structures would be preserved or relocated.
New cities would integrate Mana-based infrastructure from foundation upward.
Urban planning would prioritize sustainability over prestige.
Gu Mian finally spoke.
"We are not rebuilding the old world."
"We are designing a better one."
This time, it was the citizens who finished her sentence:
"For five hundred years ahead."
Food security became the third debate.
A cultivator from Y Province proposed expanding farmland aggressively.
Immediately, environmental voices responded.
"We just restored forests!"
"We need ecological balance!"
A rancher suggested,
"With Mana-enhanced agriculture, we don't need as much land."
A scholar added,
"Spirit Qi concentration increases with forest density."
A lively debate erupted.
"Forests protect our future cultivation!"
"But people still need food!"
A soft-spoken woman, formerly a botanist, offered a solution:
"What if we integrate vertical farming in cities powered by Mana arrays?"
Silence.
Then excitement.
"Yes!"
"Less land wasted!"
"Protect forests and grow smarter!"
After extended discussion, the resolution passed:
Hua Country would maintain at least 30% forest coverage.
Farming would combine traditional fields, ranches, and Mana-accelerated vertical agriculture.
Y Province would expand forest zones, becoming a protected ecological sanctuary.
The citizens cheered.
Not because of imperial order—
But because they had chosen it together.
As they meditated and refined, people began noticing something remarkable.
"The Mana feels denser today."
"It's increasing."
"It's responding to us."
Because the entire nation had settled into collective cultivation, atmospheric Mana and Spirit Qi concentration rose steadily.
After discussion, another month was added.
By the end of three months:
Several hundred citizens reached the Tutor Realm.
The lowest cultivation base nationwide was Disciple Realm, Level 5.
For the first time, Hua Country was a nation of true cultivators.
With hope renewed and knowledge abundant from the National Library, businesses reopened.
Workshops.
Research labs.
Mana-powered machine industries.
Spirit Qi engineering.
"Let's build engines that refine Qi automatically."
"What if demolition arrays recycle materials instantly?"
"Can we design sky-lanes powered entirely by Lunar batteries?"
Nothing stagnated.
Books from the Library prevented intellectual collapse. If Mana mutations caused discrepancies in old theories, researchers simply studied deeper.
Because of Gu Mian's foresight, civilization did not stall.
It evolved.
With lifespans now averaging five hundred years, urgency softened.
"We don't need to rush."
"We have time."
Jade became a critical energy source.
Spirit Qi cultivators extracted liquid energy from jade cores, producing highly condensed fuel batteries for vehicles and heavy machinery.
A new industry was born.
Two Years Later
All cities were fully repaired and enhanced.
Ownership of cities was granted strategically:
Each Gu child received one city.
Gu Mian received two—D City and C City—as she preferred.
Additionally, every citizen was granted three extra homes in cities of their choosing.
One city in each of the four directions of Y Province was demolished to allow forest expansion.
A 200-meter wall encircled the newly demarcated Y Province.
Burned forests regrew.
Hua Country became 30% forest.
The coastal cities were the final to be rebuilt.
They belonged directly to the Empire.
Three coastal cities stood gleaming beside the sea—
With W City as the primary port.
Ships now floated not just on water—
But sometimes above it.
Hua Country had survived annihilation.
And instead of returning to what it once was
It had become something entirely new.