Chapter 62 What! Public Sentiment? Loyalty? Agricultural Prosperity Value?

A choice between two options, and it genuinely is a tough one to make?

Li Muchen was completely torn...

After hesitating for a long time, urged by the system's countdown, he finally made his ultimate decision.

[Countdown initiated—]

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five..."

Right at the very last moment, Li Muchen voiced the reward he desired.

"I've made my choice—"

"I want the second reward: to advance directly to a lower-tier intermediate cultivator."

Although this decision was made in a rush, Li Muchen had still given it quiet and careful thought.

Regarding the advancement of his cultivation, he had discovered that his physique seemed different from ordinary cultivators who possessed spiritual roots.

This was something his master, Yun Qing, had personally checked and told him.

After arriving at the Immortal Seeking Sect, the elderly grandmaster also examined him.

They confirmed that his physique was indeed distinct from that of ordinary cultivators.

Faced with Li Muchen's unique spiritual-root physique, neither master nor disciple had any idea how to solve this difficult problem.

This meant that if Li Muchen wanted to break through his cultivation level by level from a lower tier, there would be no existing cultivation methods for him to reference.

Even with the godly medical cultivation of Yun Qing, a master of the spirit-healing lineage, nothing could be done about the peculiarity of his body.

That being the case, he might as well directly choose the second reward, first elevating his cultivation to the intermediate tier before considering anything else.

As for the development of the national strength of the Great Tang Kingdom, didn't he still have the points mall?

He had plenty of points right now anyway; he could just check the mall later for any good items that could help him rapidly boost the Great Tang Kingdom's national strength.

[Ding! Reward successfully distributed.]

As the system's voice faded, Li Muchen suddenly felt a magical change taking place within his body.

He felt a powerful current of vital energy surge out of thin air inside him.

That robust current flowed through every meridian in his body, continuously assaulting every single blocked acupoint.

With every impact against a blocked acupoint, Li Muchen felt an agonizing, bone-deep pain.

"What the hell!!"

"System, what is happening to my body?"

"Damn it—so painful!!"

"Damn it all!!"

The pain was so intense that Li Muchen could not even stand steady, and he dropped straight to his knees, barely managing to support his weight.

He felt as though he was on the verge of death!

[The host need not worry.]

[This is a normal physiological phenomenon when breaking through a cultivation barrier.]

[This surge of energy will impact all the blocked and congested acupoints within the host's body.]

[Once the host's meridians are cleared, this energy will cease its assault on the meridians, and the host's physique will undergo a complete transformation, making you a true intermediate-tier cultivator.]

The system briefly explained some of the conditions that would be encountered during a breakthrough.

Learning that he was not about to die, his mind settled down considerably.

However, the persistent pain coursing through his body still caused Li Muchen to bite down so hard on his lips that they split, and blood trickled down.

Kneeling on the ground, the agony made him want to bash his head against the ground just to relieve the torment of the energy rushing to the crown of his head.

Only at this moment did Li Muchen truly understand why it had been so difficult and painful for Yun Qing when he made his breakthroughs back then.

He was merely breaking through to the early stage of the intermediate tier, and it was already this excruciating.

If he were to continue breaking through and advancing upwards in the future, wouldn't he have to endure pain a hundred or a thousand times worse than this?

The mere thought of it made Li Muchen's head ache even worse than before!!

Fortunately, this state lasted for two quarters of an hour before coming to a complete end.

Li Muchen had successfully broken through to the intermediate tier, and his current cultivation was at the early stage of the intermediate level.

Looking at his completely transformed self, he felt that the pain he had just endured was entirely worth it.

Li Muchen could clearly feel that his body had become stronger, more vigorous, and much lighter.

A casual sweep of his palm carried a force entirely different from the magic power of a novice lower-tier cultivator.

Not bad!

He was quite satisfied with this reward.

Right at this moment, the system's voice sounded once again.

[Reminder, the new main quest is about to be issued:]

The system's voice dragged Li Muchen's attention back.

He slowly began to regain his composure from the excitement of his newly promoted cultivation.

"Speak, what is the new main quest?"

[New main quest: Within half a year, the host is required to raise the public sentiment of the Great Tang Kingdom to a value of one hundred, the loyalty of the subjects to a value of one hundred, and the agricultural prosperity of the Great Tang Kingdom to a value of one hundred.]

The system rattled off a long list of numerical targets, leaving Li Muchen dazed and bewildered.

"Wait, no? This gameplay... why is it different from before?"

Listening to the system's new requirements, Li Muchen clearly remembered that there had been no such demands regarding public sentiment and loyalty previously.

"Oh? No wonder..."

"You mentioned just now that the subjects' loyalty to me would be a very important matter in the future."

"So it turns out you were laying the trap for me here?"

"Then tell me, what is the current value of the Great Tang citizens' public sentiment toward me?"

"And what is the loyalty value?"

"As of right now, what is the numerical value representing the agricultural prosperity of the Great Tang Kingdom?"

"You at least need to tell me the initial values so I know how to start pushing these numbers up."

Li Muchen had already accepted this new gameplay mechanism.

It was not because he approved of it, but because he knew clearly that he had no other choice.

Everything he currently possessed was tied to the rewards bestowed by the Celestial God System.

Only by continuously completing the tasks given by the system and advancing the main quest progress at the fastest possible speed could he reap the best rewards.

Otherwise, he would be knocked right back to square one, remaining nothing more than a deposed emperor of the Great Zhao Kingdom.

Now, no matter what kind of main quest the system issued...

Li Muchen understood that he just needed to complete it as quickly as possible.

The absolute priority was to figure out what the initial baseline numbers were.

"Within half a year..."

"Not only are there numerical targets to meet, but the task must also be completed within a specified timeframe?"

"Right, hold on...?"

Li Muchen suddenly thought of a very, very important question.

"System, let me ask you."

"If I fail to complete this main quest within half a year, what will happen?"

"There wouldn't be some kind of punishment waiting for me, would there?"

A reward system existed.

Logically speaking, a penalty system should exist as well, right?

[Correct, there will be punishments.]

[If, within the span of half a year, the public sentiment value of the subjects, the loyalty value, and the agricultural value in the Great Tang Kingdom under the host's rule...]

[If all these values fail to meet the required standards simultaneously...]

[The host's cultivation will drop back to the lower tier, the prosperity value of the Great Tang Kingdom will be halved, the population of Great Tang citizens will be halved, and the points in the system mall will be halved...]

The system chattered away, listing a long series of penalties, causing the light in Li Muchen's eyes to instantly vanish.

"Holy shit!"

"This is basically equivalent to being sent straight back to the Stone Age...!!"