Chapter 144: Group at Full Speed! Preparing for Battle!

The strategic meeting had ended, but the flames it ignited burned fiercely throughout the entire Ascension Group.

All departments operated like tightly wound machines, running at an unprecedented level of efficiency.

The Logistics Department was inventorying all deployable resources, the Security Department was intensively drilling the “special operations formation” newly taught by Chu Feng, while the Public Relations Department, under Wu Hao’s leadership, worked through the night to rush out the “Group Promotional Jade Slips” that would be distributed at the “roadshow”.

And the heaviest burden, without a doubt, fell on the Group’s two core female executives—Leng Yanran and Murong Xue.

Within the “Ten Thousand Souls Cavern Central R&D Special Zone”.

This place was no longer the gloomy, terrifying soul cavern of the past. After Chu Feng refined the Divine Spark and became the master of the Divine Kingdom, a single thought from him transformed it into the most top-tier cultivation and research holy land.

Pure soul power turned into visible white mist, flowing through the valleys.

The once violent Soul Kings had now become docile “energy sources”, confined within designated areas and continuously supplying power to the Divine Kingdom.

Leng Yanran, dressed in white, stood at the center of this land that belonged exclusively to her “private laboratory”. Her snow-white hair gently fluttered in the breeze of soul power.

Before her, the task jade slip given by Chu Feng floated in midair.

“CPO, I need a new product.”

“First, it must showcase our Group’s unrivaled ‘technical strength’ across the mortal realm. It has to be eye-catching, shocking—once taken out, it must make those so-called ‘prodigies’ feel ashamed, and leave those ‘great powers’ utterly dumbfounded.”

“It must be a luxury product.”

“Second, it must be usable as a ‘sample’, to be given to those ‘potential strategic partners’ we want to win over.”

“The value can’t be too high, otherwise we can’t afford to give it away; but the effect must make them feel they’ve gained an enormous advantage.”

“It must be a door-opener.”

“Finally, and most importantly, it must, at critical moments, become our trump card—a ‘nuclear weapon’ capable of turning the tide of battle.”

“It must be a piece of weaponry.”

“To sum it up: I want a pill that’s as dazzling as a luxury product, as practical as a door-opener, and as deadly as weaponry.”

“Can it be done?”

Leng Yanran looked at the text on the jade slip. In those glassy, cool eyes, there was not the slightest hint of difficulty—instead, a blazing, unprecedented fervor ignited.

For a true R&D genius, the most terrifying thing was not challenges, but the absence of them!

The seemingly contradictory, almost fantastical demands proposed by Chu Feng precisely struck every one of her excitement points!

Luxury goods? Weaponry?

Was there any R&D project more thrilling than this?

What was more, what she possessed now were research conditions unmatched by anyone in the entire mortal world—

—the resources of an entire Divine Kingdom, all at her disposal!

“President…”

Leng Yanran murmured softly, the corner of her lips lifting into a faint yet heartfelt smile,

“Your imagination has never disappointed me.”

She extended her jade-white fingers and lightly tapped the air.

In an instant, countless strands of soul power converged, condensing before her into a massive virtual alchemy furnace composed of pure energy.

Countless runes related to the Dao of Alchemy, soul power, and laws flickered into existence and vanished within her eyes.

This newly born Pill Immortal, the Ascension Group’s Chief Product Officer, plunged into the most important “product R&D” of her career with unprecedented confidence and passion.

……

At the same time, in another quiet chamber at the Group headquarters.

The atmosphere there was far more solemn.

Before Murong Xue, jade slips were piled up like a small mountain.

These were all pieces of intelligence given to her by Chu Feng—some from Yao Yue of the Thousand Illusions Pavilion, and others from the newly joined “strategic partner” Feng Zhiruo.

“CRO, your task sounds simpler than Leng Yanran’s, but its importance surpasses it.”

“I want you to treat every heavenly prodigy at this Dao Discussion Assembly who might pose a threat to us as our ‘competitors’, and conduct the most comprehensive ‘due diligence’ on them.”

“I need to know their ‘core technologies’—that is, their main cultivation techniques and their ultimate hidden divine abilities;”

“Their ‘financing background’—that is, the strength of the sects behind them and their family connections;”

“Their ‘historical performance’—all past battle records, win rates, and preferred combat styles;”

“Finally, and most importantly, their ‘personality flaws’, such as greed, lust, impulsiveness, or any particular obsession… any weakness we can exploit.”

“Feng Zhiruo will serve as your ‘local consultant’ to assist you.”

“Remember, what I want is not a simple list, but a competitor analysis report that can be directly used to fight a ‘business war’, filled with data and executable plans!”

Murong Xue rubbed her aching temples, feeling a wave of dizziness.

As a righteous cultivator, the Saintess of Heavenheart Holy Land, she was now being made to do something akin to a demonic spy—digging up others’ secrets and weaknesses.

Her Dao heart suffered another violent impact.

But… she did not refuse.

Because she knew Chu Feng was right.

This was a war. The battlefield was simply not outside the sects, but on the stage known as the “Dao Discussion Assembly”.

Intelligence was their sharpest weapon.

“Ah, forget it. I’ll just treat it as eliminating harm for the people, getting to know in advance those who might endanger the Cultivation World in the future.”

Murong Xue could only comfort herself this way.

At the side, Feng Zhiruo watched her conflicted expression, a strange glint flashing through her eyes.

As the main force in this intelligence work, Feng Zhiruo provided a large amount of exclusive insider secrets from top-tier powers that the outside world could never obtain.

For example, which holy land’s Holy Son was actually all show and no substance, propped up entirely by pills;

Or which aristocratic heir looked righteous and upright on the surface, but was in truth ruthless, having secretly harmed fellow disciples for the sake of a single treasure.

During this process, she was deeply shaken by the Ascension Group’s efficient, pragmatic, and even somewhat cold and ruthless “corporate culture”.

In her understanding, sects either fought and killed, or engaged in hollow politeness.

But the Ascension Group was different. They seemed to quantify everything—clear objectives, clear division of labor, and terrifying execution power.

Everyone was like a high-speed rotating screw, striving toward a single, shared,疯狂目标.

Cultivation—so it could be like this?

A subtle sense of belonging quietly began to sprout in her heart. She even felt that joining this group of “madmen” to challenge the entire mortal realm seemed… rather exciting.

“Sister Murong, look at this.”

Feng Zhiruo handed over a new jade slip, her expression tinged with gravity,

“This is intelligence concerning your Heavenheart Holy Land. It’s said that to deal with this Dao Discussion Assembly, your Holy Land… has brought out a truly number-one prodigy who’s been hidden away for many years.”

“Oh?”

Murong Xue was somewhat surprised as she accepted the jade slip.

She was naturally familiar with Heavenheart Holy Land, yet had never heard of any hidden prodigy.

However, the moment her divine sense entered the jade slip and she saw that name, her entire body felt as if struck by lightning. The jade slip in her hand fell to the ground with a “pa” sound.

That always cool and peerlessly beautiful face lost all color in that instant, turning deathly pale.

On the title page of the jade slip, a name was clearly marked in blood-red vermilion ink.

——Heavenheart Holy Land, Murong Tian.

And beneath the name was a shocking annotation personally added by Yao Yue:

“This person harbors an almost pathological possessive desire toward junior sister Murong Xue.”

“This emergence from seclusion serves two purposes: first, to gain fame; second… to ‘clean house’, sparing no cost to ‘bring back’ Murong Xue to the Holy Land.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep