Chapter 1604: Chapter 298: Artificial Genius
Ian steadied himself, then looked at the Great Prince and said slowly, "This idea is indeed good, but obviously, there isnât enough time."
"By the time you spread religious beliefs, stabilize the Empireâs mindset, and then spread artificial souls, itâs possible that the Fiery Flame Land and other countries conducting related experiments will already have adopted it â and undoubtedly, everyone having a soul will result in more Sublimators."
"Look at my domain; in just two years, thanks to the artificial soul, Iâve already selected nearly a hundred seeds with Sublimator potential... Could this have been imagined in the past?"
At this point, Ianâs expression turned grave: "The era of universal souls is destined to arrive; from the moment this technology appeared, it was destined to be unstoppable."
"The experiments Iâve conducted over the past two years can give the Empire a quicker step forward. Why should I refuse? Do you expect me to allow the Domain of Void to be twisted into the Abyss by Terraâs flames of war and countless Undead in a possible future, and let the Empire become a desolate ruin, defeated by other nations, creating a real earthly hell?"
This is actually a fallacy, for even without artificial souls, the Empire may not necessarily loseâthe Guardian wishes to spread artificial souls not just to strengthen national power, but for other purposes.
But at this moment, Carlos fell silent.
He wasnât quickly persuaded by Ian; itâs just that Ianâs words indeed reflect the current problems faced by Terra.
Who doesnât know that some technologies are extremely dangerous, and once used, could lead to irreversible disaster for both sides or even the entire Terra?
However... if someone else uses it and I donât, then the result wonât be a shared destruction, but rather my sideâs complete defeat, with the other side taking all the spoils!
This is the essence of humansâwhen humans are anxious, they absolutely wonât fear mutual destruction; when facing death, itâs instinct for humans to take the enemy down with them.
But humans absolutely cannot allow the possibility of their enemy winning while they lose.
For any extreme and dangerous technology, if you have it, youâll use it; if not, there are others who dare!
Itâs precisely because of such a game that todayâs Terra is in a situation where extreme technologies are everywhere, with the technology repositories of previous civilizations providing everyone with such nuclear launch buttons.
"...So."
Carlos lifted his head, looking intently at Ian: "Are you in favor of spreading these technologies so as not to be destroyed by others?"
"Yes."
Ian answered without blinking, not lying, though not revealing the whole truth.
And Ianâs real thought is simple.
With everyone having a soul, the Heart of Terra would become more fertile.
Not only that, but if conditions are ripe, Ian even wants to spread the meditation technique throughout the Empire.
If everyone practices the meditation technique, they would all become the cornerstone of Ianâs Path of the Daoâthen, the Ian with the Heart of Terra will be the deity most needed by every meditation practitioner.
Because he can control the Heart of Terraâs computational power distribution, deciding whose cultivation speed is faster and whose strength is greater.
For Ian, who controls the core technology, âThe Dao and the Lawâ, the foundational âtechniqueâ of meditation is trivial and can be easily disseminated.
"I understand."
Carlos nodded, not saying much more, looking at Ian with a bit of admiration.
This young Prophet, though youthful, thinks extremely maturely, and all his decisions are well-considered with his own stance and logic... Having such talent in the Empire is truly an honor for the Empire.
"I can see that Your Highness still has some doubts."
At this moment, Ian stood up, extending an invitation to Carlos: "The artificial soul does indeed carry risks, but its value far exceeds those risks, and I will prove it with facts."
"Please follow me."
Carlos also stood up, curious about what sort of âfactsâ Ianâs confidence pointed to.
Soon, Carlos followed Ian to an underground laboratory located in the West Suburb.
This used to be a secret lab, only known to those most trusted by the Silverpeak Domain, and every name of the personnel coming and going is remembered by Yindou.
But now... hiding it? Whatâs there to hide?
If the Guardians were not particularly focused, thatâs one thing, but theyâre clearly closely observing Silverpeak Domain, and Ian isnât foolish enough to think such minor tricks could shield them from the Sunbirdâs gaze.
The laboratory did not particularly astonish Carlos; heâd seen too many similar secret labs, and even had several in location scattered throughout the Empire.
"This place probably studies Spirit Energy Technique; I can see the equipment."
He observed the laboratoryâs details with interest, noticing numerous spirit energy detection instruments inside, as well as charts similar to spirit energy structure analysis: "Are you trying to tell me that artificial souls can effectively increase the number of Spirit Energy Users and Artificial Spirit Users? Yes, I already know that, but spirit energy ultimately relies on determination and talent, forcing it will lead to little difference whether it exists or not."
"Yes, but not just that."
Ian shook his head with a smile, leading Carlos to a series of wards: "What I truly want you to see is this."
He pointed to a ward, with a nameplate and the name of an illness at the door.
[Dorch Hos]