With the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array providing cover, Ding Yun's subsequent actions became even bolder and more direct.
She combined technology with cultivation and artifact refining techniques.
She refined many practical magical artifacts.
For instance, network base stations, projection phones, mass production lines for mid to low-grade pills, mass production lines for mid to low-grade magical artifacts, and life simulation enhancers.
And she gradually promoted these artifacts.
Cultivation is not a simple matter. The foundation of cultivation requires literacy and basic sustenance. High-yield grain and relatively low taxes are sufficient to ensure the populace's basic needs are met, so the next problem Ding Yun needed to solve was:
Universal literacy.
This was also the primary reason she refined network base stations and projection phones. Currently, she had a considerable number of cultivators and martial artists under her, but very few individuals capable of teaching others cultivation and martial arts.
Even combined, they wouldn't reach a hundred thousand.
The number of literate individuals might be higher, but still far from enough for universal literacy, let alone teaching everyone martial arts and cultivation.
With insufficient manpower,
She naturally had to rely on machines.
Each village would receive a projection phone, larger villages two, and cities three to five, or seven to eight.
The distribution would primarily depend on the population.
Once they had the phones, one teacher could simultaneously project lessons to hundreds of thousands, or even tens of millions, of people. The teaching videos could also be directly saved and recorded.
Those who didn't learn could replay them a second or third time.
As long as they had the determination and perseverance,
They would eventually learn.
This was the significant role of network base stations and projection phones. The mass production lines for mid to low-grade artifacts were the core for manufacturing these two items on a large scale and promoting them throughout the territory, as they weren't needed in the dozens or hundreds, but in the tens of millions.
If Ding Yun refined them all herself, it would take ages. If she delegated the task to others, they would first need to learn the technological aspects for several years.
And they might not even succeed.
It was better to directly create intelligent assembly lines for production.
At this point, most of the populace firmly believed that having a skill was very important, and reading, practicing martial arts, and cultivating were the only three paths to improve one's social status. Previously, they had no opportunities and could only lament their fate, but now that the opportunity existed,
Who would be willing to give it up?
Therefore, a few days after Ding Yun's widespread promotion of projection phones and the commencement of universal literacy education, over a hundred million ordinary citizens began learning with great enthusiasm.
The older generation might not be as diligent, perhaps thinking of letting their descendants strive, while the younger generation, even if not diligent themselves, would be urged on by their elders. The learning atmosphere was incredibly fervent.
As for the learning progress, that was another matter.
There would naturally be differences between those who learned quickly and those who learned slowly.
After all, there were distinctions between geniuses and ordinary people.
To avoid delaying the learning progress of geniuses, Ding Yun specifically arranged monthly exams. Those who performed excellently in the exams would receive rewards. If they could pass the graduation assessment, they could enter the Liu Family Martial Arts Academy or the Junior Cultivation Academy for further specialized instruction, all of which were taught by actual instructors.
That's right, projection phone teaching was merely foundational, introductory, literacy-focused education, and an introduction to martial arts and cultivation. The subsequent Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Academies were the true paths to advancement.
The Martial Arts Academy did not distinguish between junior, intermediate, and senior levels.
Graduation was achieved upon reaching the Xiantian realm.
The Cultivation Academy was divided into junior, intermediate, and senior levels. Reaching the Foundation Establishment realm earned a junior academy graduation certificate, the Golden Core realm a middle academy certificate, and the Nascent Soul realm a senior academy certificate.
This was an educational model Ding Yun had devised, blending family instruction, sect teachings, and imperial examination systems.
It was currently in an exploratory phase.
Only the junior academies had officially commenced classes. The intermediate and senior academies were not yet necessary, as most people had just begun. The few Liu family members who had reached the Golden Core realm were currently overwhelmed and had no time to attend the yet-to-be-built intermediate cultivation academies.
Once Ding Yun had everything arranged, the next phase would naturally be rapid development within a closed-door policy.
Within the first five years, universal literacy would be largely achieved.
The illiteracy rate would drop below 0.1%.
Within the second five years, universal cultivation would be largely achieved.
Ninety-four percent of the population would officially become martial artists, and five percent would officially become cultivators.
Only less than one percent of the population, due to exceptionally poor aptitude, physical deficiencies, damaged dantian, or severed meridians, would be completely unable to cultivate and would remain ordinary people.
The third and fourth five-year periods would also be developmental stages. By the fifth five-year period, it could be said that Xiantian realm was common, and Foundation Establishment cultivators were everywhere. A new population census revealed that the number of Xiantian martial artists had exceeded thirty million, and Foundation Establishment cultivators exceeded one million.
This result was not exaggerated. Under the shroud of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array, they had no worries about insufficient spiritual energy. Coupled with the unlimited supply of spirit rice and spirit wheat, which were comparable to spiritual herbs, it had taken people twenty-five years from the start of literacy to have a large number break through to the Xiantian realm; this was considered slow.
It was from this year onwards that
The sixth five-year plan differed significantly from the previous five. Instead of urging cultivation and advancement, the focus shifted to educating officials and governing the populace.
Over twenty years of universal education and cultivation
Had been sufficient for them to stand on their own.
The management personnel that Ding Yun had always lacked were now generally sufficient. With over thirty-one million Xiantian and Foundation Establishment cultivators, was that not enough to manage the entire world? The world comprised only a dozen or so countries, so over thirty million management personnel was more than ample, with no concerns about staff shortages.
Furthermore, she couldn't possibly eliminate all the management personnel from the old order; after re-education, they could still be useful. Therefore, after the sixth five-year plan concluded, Ding Yun lifted the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array.
And officially began leading troops to sweep across the land.
Even this statement wasn't entirely accurate. To be precise, she led the charge, apprehending all cultivators at the Golden Core realm and above from various sects, aristocratic families, and royal lineages, imprisoning them. Then, the remaining resistance forces, facing an army of over thirty million Xiantian and Foundation Establishment cultivators—no, after five years of development, there were now over fifty million Xiantian and Foundation Establishment cultivators—facing so many Xiantian and Foundation Establishment cultivators, who could possibly stand against them?
Almost all forces crumbled like rotten wood.
The entirety of Great Gan was conquered in less than two months, with most of that time spent traveling.
Next, Ding Yun had her subordinates, the Xiantian and Foundation Establishment cultivators, rest and stabilize the order in the newly conquered territories. Meanwhile, she herself began targeting the sects, aristocratic families, and royal lineages throughout the world.
With these individuals, it was crucial to act swiftly and apprehend them all at once. If they were alerted or managed to hide,
They would be difficult to find.
Under Ding Yun's most strenuous efforts in searching,
All cultivators at the Golden Core realm and above were captured. In this world, besides herself, there were no Tribulation Crossing cultivators. The most profound cultivation was only at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, and at most, with the aid of a supreme treasure, they could exert power close to the Tribulation Crossing realm. However, Ding Yun's cultivation technique allowed her to fight beyond her level. It wasn't just that they were at the Tribulation Crossing realm; even if they were truly at that level and there were dozens of them, Ding Yun could still suppress them.
Thus, the entire process was truly without risk.
Only breaking through formations and the like was slightly troublesome.
Additionally, because she essentially did not kill anyone, but merely sealed and imprisoned the cultivators, she incurred no negative karma and was not deliberately targeted by the world.
Overall, the plan proceeded very smoothly.
The process was also quite safe.
Afterward, the conquest of the world no longer required her active involvement; she simply waited for her subordinates to advance gradually.
Three years later, the world was basically pacified.
Unification was thoroughly achieved.
The stabilization of order, the comprehensive implementation of various policies, and the full execution of reforms took a full ten years to be largely completed.
Only then did Ding Yun officially announce the establishment of a nation.
The nation was named Liu, and she became the Empress of Northern Darkness Creation.
The magnificence of the process was self-evident, as was the participation of countless individuals in congratulating her. After ascending to the throne, she successfully imprinted her mark into the world's origin, completing the pioneering task.
She did not leave immediately afterward.
Instead, she continued to consolidate the fruits of her victory with steady progress.
For example, the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array, which could previously only cover a region, was transformed to cover the entire globe. This would not only increase the global spiritual energy concentration to a certain extent, ensuring that so many cultivators would not suffer from insufficient spiritual energy, but also protect the planet.
Whether from meteor impacts or external invasions,
It would provide a degree of defense.
Another example was the establishment of a Heavenly Dao Network based on the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array. All cultivators would be recorded in the network, and anyone violating the rules of the Heavenly Net would be subject to warnings, punishment, or elimination, depending on the severity.
This was a form of intelligent law enforcement. Because this model was relatively simple, the rules were also relatively strict, only encompassing behaviors that were clearly defined and universally deemed wrong.
These behaviors would be recorded as Heavenly Net rules.
Behaviors that were relatively ambiguous would not be recorded, thereby avoiding wrongful harm or misjudgments.
Another example was further technological advancement, and so on.
…
Ultimately, Ding Yun spent a total of three hundred years in this world. It was only after cultivating hundreds of Nascent Soul cultivators that she released the previously imprisoned and sealed cultivators. After they completed their respective legal education, they were permitted to leave the imperial palace.
Subsequently, Ding Yun abolished all imperial power.
All authority was transferred to the Grand Secretariat, which had been established over two hundred years prior, rendering the emperor a mere symbol. She then abdicated her throne to a descendant of the Liu family.
And outwardly claimed to have ascended.
In reality, she directly chose to return.
Her physical body, during her feigned ascension, was transformed into a small universe bead, which she tossed to the current Prime Minister as a national treasure before departing.