Chapter Forty-Nine: The Ambition to Shake the Heavens

“Xiaofan, what is this?” Liao Zhong stared at the stalk of rice before him, his eyes filled with disbelief. He stepped closer to examine it carefully.

The grains were plump, the panicle heavy with seeds, brimming abundantly. The stalk stood upright, a vivid green tinged with strands of gold, radiating an extraordinary aura.

Meng Fan nodded. “This rice variety, based on my estimation, contains an essence of water and grain energy that is easily absorbed by the body. It has the effect of stabilizing the foundation, gradually enhancing vitality, essence, energy, and spirit—the three treasures of life.”

“Continuous consumption not only improves physical fitness but also boosts immunity, sharpens neural responses, and comprehensively upgrades the human body.”

“In cultivation, there’s the concept of refining essence into energy, and the philosophy of the sage's theft. I’ve merely extracted these ideas to develop a plant variety beneficial to the human body.”

“Most importantly, this rice is not picky about soil and is not limited by temperature or environment. Its yield is over three times that of ordinary rice.”

“The only drawback is that, due to its extraordinarily rich nutrients, it takes a full year to mature.”

“My suggestion is to keep it under wraps for now, have officials assigned to breed from the mother plant, then introduce it gradually to ‘Jundui,’ while withholding it from the general populace.”

“Ultimately, the higher authorities should unify its distribution, releasing it through strong clans and robust lineages.”

As he spoke, a shadow flickered in Meng Fan’s eyes, his expression fierce. “If anyone tries to lay a hand on it, they’ll meet their death.”

Liao Zhong swallowed nervously and trembled as he said, “Xiaofan, this is no longer something within our jurisdiction to decide.”

“I understand. So next, I’ll trouble you, Uncle Liao, to contact Director Zhao and the others, and then have them report it up the chain.”

“All right, I’ll go immediately.”

After Liao Zhong left, Meng Fan gazed at the rice stalk, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curling at his lips.

The reason why the gifted are restricted within a small circle is because they differ from ordinary people and are few in number, hence the population red line.

The population red line is a ratio researched by countries in the world beneath one superior—one in fifty thousand—meaning the proportion of gifted individuals the world can tolerate relative to the total population.

If the gifted population increases wildly, their previously loose racial consciousness would strengthen, and the risk of ordinary people broadly noticing their existence would rise.

When the ratio surpasses this red line, societal pressure thresholds would be breached, leading to events similar to the Northern Wei’s Buddhist persecutions or the witch hunts of the Western medieval period.

---

But such a powerful tool for the great Shenzhou lies before them—how could the upper echelons not use it? Even if it’s an overt plan, the benefits it brings are immeasurable.

With this “Foundation of the World,” the population red line will inevitably be broken one day.

Madness has never been lacking in Meng Fan’s nature.

This was also part of his plan. Did he join the company just for the networking and the materials it could provide?

Without the company’s backing—in other words, without Uncle Liao, the regional head who indulges his reckless experiments—he could never have completed this “Foundation of the World” rice stalk.

Anyone who eats this rice will be subtly transformed, their physical and mental states improved, their body cleansed of impurities.

It brings a person’s body to the best possible condition for their age.

It was also thanks to the hidden books in the secret fortress that Meng Fan completed this research: choosing the rice’s external form, filling in other genes to produce rich nutrients.

Then, by guiding the rice through generations with innate primordial energy, it evolved through cultivation methods originally used to enhance beasts—cultivating powerful individuals by pushing them toward perfection.

Even in nature, this evolutionary direction can be artificially influenced.

Meng Fan simulated generations of rice plants, immersed in primordial energy, then applied the beast-enhancing method to stabilize and fill their genes, ultimately creating this ultimate product.

There’s also a benefit to regularly eating this rice that Meng Fan did not mention.

Among all animals, humans are one of the few—perhaps the only species—that do not live to their natural lifespan, the theoretical limit granted by heaven and earth.

Ancient Shenzhou health practitioners and physicians called this natural lifespan “heavenly years,” believing it to range between one hundred and one hundred twenty years.

As stated in the “Su Wen · Treatise on the True Nature of Antiquity”: “The ancients all lived over a hundred years without decline in movement; nowadays, people at fifty show decline. Is it the times, or have humans lost their way?”

Qi Bo replied, “The ancients, understanding the way, regulated yin and yang, harmonized with the arts and numbers, ate and drank moderately, maintained regular habits, and avoided undue exertion. Thus their forms and spirits endured to their heavenly years, passing after a hundred years.”

Even Laozi agreed, considering a human’s lifespan to be around one hundred twenty years—also called heavenly years, the heavenly lifespan.

And for the people, food is heaven.

---

Persistent consumption of this rice helps the body expel impurities and refine itself, theoretically enabling people to approach this heavenly lifespan.

According to Meng Fan’s information, the world beneath one superior is itself a fallen world—originally a mid-sized world, now reduced to a small one.

Meng Fan speculated—though it was only his personal view.

Through his methods of beast and bird cultivation, he knew this world once had a divine era. Could the ancient upheaval, when the leader supposedly reenacted earth, water, fire, and wind, have caused the world’s fall?

The mythic four great continents resemble today’s regional patterns; the records in the Classic of Mountains and Seas overlap with modern geography.

There are too many coincidences.

The ancient era of cultivation in this world was once prosperous but remains unknown.

Meng Fan’s ambition is to use his discoveries of the world’s legacies and his ability to traverse countless realms to usher in a genuine age of divine cultivation.

Of course, these are just his current hopes.

Yet with this “Foundation of the World” rice stalk before him, all possibilities and hopes are awakened.

When impoverished, one cultivates oneself; when accomplished, one aids the world.

Though unworthy, I often recall these words: A true man guards the Way and awaits the time. When time does not come, he withdraws like a mist leopard or a dark swan—silent and secluded.

When time arrives, he rises like a cloud dragon or a soaring roc, bursting forth with full strength!

Now, Meng Fan stands in obscurity, an ant struggling against the mighty roc, daring to stir waves.

Though a mere speck, he bears the ambition to shake the heavens!