"Tsk, these trade families have far more power than we initially expected," Xian Mu said with a faint smile as he read the report the Minister of Intelligence had placed on the table. He slowly turned another page, studying the information that had been gathered about the recent events in Europe. "Their response was remarkably efficient, and I see very little that we can criticize about the charges they brought forward."
"Yes, but we already knew that the ancient trade families were powerful," Yan Wen replied with a smile. He was clearly amused by the latest problems suffered by the United States, even though he remained focused on the report in front of him. "What is impressive is simply how quickly everything was handled." He tapped one of the pages with his finger before continuing.
"There is also nothing questionable about the evidence supporting the charges," Yan Wen added. "Everything appears to have been backed by credible information, which makes it difficult for anyone to challenge the decision." He leaned back in his chair and considered the implications. "Considering how much trouble the Americans have caused recently, I cannot say that I am particularly saddened by another loss."
"Speaking of which, I support adding regulations stating that mana veins cannot be sold to anyone outside China," Yan Wen continued. His expression became considerably more serious as he moved away from the subject of Europe. "I also believe that any experiments involving mana veins should have to be reported to the government beforehand." He looked around the room, waiting to see whether anyone would object.
"I support that motion," Hu Guanyu said immediately. His expression was equally serious, because the government had begun treating mana veins as one of the most important strategic resources in the new era. "The theory that mana veins represent gathering points for our nation's fortune and destiny cannot simply be dismissed." He paused before adding, "We cannot afford to allow something to happen to them without even knowing about it."
The problem was that China still had no reliable method of creating new mana veins. That made every naturally occurring mana vein significantly more valuable than an ordinary resource deposit. Until humanity understood how they formed, destroying or losing one could represent an irreplaceable loss.
"I support the suggestion," Wan Gengxin said. "Get it done."
The President of the People's Republic of China then leaned back in his chair and allowed the discussion to move forward. "Now, onto more serious matters," he said. "How are the breathing methods coming along?" His expression showed genuine interest. "The people are waiting for them, and we need some positive news on that front."
"Yes, sir," Yan Wen replied. "They are coming along well." He straightened in his chair before continuing with the report. "The responsibility for creating the breathing method was assigned to my department, and we have not let you down."
"The first version has been completed," Yan Wen announced. "We also settled on using the lower dantian as the foundation of the technique." He hesitated slightly before adding, "Quite frankly, people here would have been disappointed if we had chosen the heart instead." There was a small amount of awkwardness in his voice as he remembered how strongly Chinese tradition already favored the lower dantian.
"The most difficult part was not actually the breathing pattern," Yan Wen explained. "We understood relatively quickly how mana needed to move through the body to strengthen the physique and gradually become integrated with the individual." He turned toward the scientists' notes. "Our researchers studied the movements of the person with the Pure Heart Physique because mana circulated through her body exceptionally well."
"We then adapted those movements to the limitations of an ordinary human body," Yan Wen continued. "That part of the process went considerably better than expected." He sounded confident when discussing the physical portion of the technique. "Based on our testing, we are confident that the actual circulation method is sound."
"The picture was the difficult part," Yan Wen admitted.
Everyone in the room looked toward him.
"The breathing method needs to be taught to more than a billion people," he explained. "That means the image used to explain the movement of mana has to be simple enough for almost anyone to understand." He sighed before continuing. "We therefore asked Gaia for guidance when we reached the point where our own understanding was no longer sufficient."
"Gaia gave us an interesting answer," Yan Wen said. "According to her, it is acceptable to show people an example of what the picture should represent." He raised one finger to emphasize the next point. "However, they must never attempt to copy the image exactly."
"Her explanation was that copying the picture too precisely would mean giving up part of yourself," Yan Wen continued. "Doing so would apparently interfere with cultivation and could significantly slow the development of the energy responsible for strengthening the practitioner." He looked toward the scientists before adding, "That created an entirely new problem for us."
"The researchers believe that the reason is connected to the fact that the image does not originate from the practitioner's own mind," Yan Wen explained. "If someone simply reproduces another person's mental image without adding their own interpretation, the creation of the cultural energy involved in cultivation is either stopped or greatly reduced." He paused to make sure everyone understood. "That is why the example should only be displayed for about thirty seconds."
"After that, the practitioner must complete the image themselves," Yan Wen said. "The general concept has to remain the same, but the individual details should come from the person's own imagination." He folded his hands on the table. "That way, everyone learns the same technique while still creating a personal interpretation of the visualization."
"Okay, I think I understand," Wan Gengxin said. He considered the explanation for several seconds before his expression brightened. "It sounds similar to how every painter develops their own style." He looked toward Yan Wen with a questioning expression. "Someone who spends their entire career copying another painter may reproduce the original work, but they will never develop the same understanding or creativity."
"Yes, sir," Yan Wen replied enthusiastically. "That is an incredible analogy." He immediately began considering how useful the explanation would be when teaching the technique to the public. "I would like to borrow that expression for the educational material, with full credit given to you, of course."
"Enough," Wan Gengxin said with a small wave of his hand. "What picture did you finally settle on?"
Yan Wen immediately smiled.
"We settled on a panda eating bamboo," he announced. The idea was simple enough that everyone understood it immediately. "The black of the panda represents the body, the white represents the soul, and the bamboo represents the mana that the practitioner possesses."
"The longer and thicker the bamboo becomes, the more mana the practitioner has stored," Yan Wen explained. "The panda itself remains the central representation of the person, while the bamboo provides an obvious visual indication of their mana reserves." He looked rather proud of the solution. "It is simple enough to understand without requiring complicated explanations."
"That is genius," Wan Gengxin said.
He seemed genuinely impressed by the solution. "Everyone knows what a panda and bamboo look like, so nobody will have trouble understanding the basic concept." He then considered the other advantage. "At the same time, the image remains vague enough that every individual can add their own details and create something unique."
"What is the rarity of the technique?" Xian Mu asked.
"It is only Common rarity," Yan Wen answered with some disappointment. "We simply did not have enough time to improve the technique before it needed to be released." He glanced at the research notes. "More importantly, we have a much larger problem."
"We do not have enough people at Stage One yet," Yan Wen continued. "The technique is intended for the entire country, which means it cannot be designed exclusively for talented cultivators." He sighed. "Even with the improvements to intelligence provided by the System, there are still plenty of people who struggle to understand complicated instructions."
"The technique therefore has to remain extremely easy to learn," he said. "If we make it too complicated, we will exclude a significant portion of the population." His disappointment was obvious because the researchers knew the technique could have been considerably stronger. "Unfortunately, a stronger technique would also require greater understanding from the person using it."
"That is where our biggest problem lies," Yan Wen explained. "The intelligence and comprehension of the people learning the technique vary enormously." He looked around the room. "Because this breathing method must work for almost everyone, we had to design it around the weakest practitioners rather than the strongest."
"That limitation also affects how much mana can safely enter the body," he continued. "Not everyone possesses a powerful or well-conditioned physique, so the circulation rate has to remain low enough that ordinary people can use it without suffering complications." He shook his head. "In other words, we deliberately made the technique weaker than it could have been."
"But that weakness is intentional," Yan Wen emphasized. "A technique that can be used safely by the entire population is far more valuable to the government right now than a powerful technique that only a small percentage of citizens can master." He looked toward Wan Gengxin. "Once more advanced methods become available, they can be distributed to people with the talent and physical ability to use them."
"Good," Wan Gengxin said.
He nodded decisively. "I want the breathing method published so that people can become familiar with it and begin learning the technique." He then looked toward Yan Wen. "I also want a press report explaining that this is only the basic method for now."
"We should make it clear that better techniques are being developed," the President continued. "People with greater capabilities should eventually have access to methods that allow them to cultivate more efficiently." He paused before adding, "However, nobody should feel that they are being left behind simply because they cannot use a more advanced technique yet."
"Yes, sir," Yan Wen replied.
He made a note of the instruction before remembering something else. "There is one additional matter the scientists asked me to bring up." His expression became slightly more uncertain. "They cannot determine why people are unable to switch breathing methods until they officially reach Mortal or, as previously known, Stage One."
The room became quiet.
"They have tested the process repeatedly," Yan Wen continued. "However, nobody has discovered a reason for the restriction." He looked toward Xian Mu and Wan Gengxin. "The researchers believe that understanding this limitation could be important for developing better cultivation methods in the future."
"We will look into it," Xian Mu said. "It is a reasonable question, and we should know why the System has imposed that restriction."
Wan Gengxin stood from his chair, signaling that the meeting was coming to an end. Xian Mu followed him almost immediately, already thinking about the next set of documents waiting on his desk. The other officials rose as well, gathering their reports and preparing to return to their respective departments.
The first breathing method was finally ready.
It was not the strongest technique China could have created, nor was it particularly impressive by the standards of the people already walking the path of cultivation. But that had never been the point. The technique was designed for an entire nation, and for the first time, billions of people would soon have a way to begin cultivating for real.