The reactions around the table were exactly as Jiang Chen had anticipated. In truth, when he had first learned this information, his own reaction had been no better than theirs.
"Young Master, these spirit veins are shattered, which has caused the cultivation environment of the human domain to deteriorate. The quality of all kinds of Spiritual Medicine has been steadily declining—fine varieties keep disappearing. The result is that the overall aptitude of the human domain has been degrading over time. This is universally accepted as fact. Could there really be something wrong with this reasoning?"
Though the crowd was shocked, they were even more confused. In their eyes, this logic was perfectly objective and virtually unassailable. Why would Young Master Jiang Chen say it wasn't the real cause?
"Your reasoning isn't wrong. It's just that these ancient spirit veins, while damaged during the Sealing War, were not severely harmed. The Sealing War destroyed many sects, devastated many places, and even turned some regions into literal hells on earth—ruins and nothing more. However, the foundational spirit veins of the human domain were not comprehensively destroyed. The reason they disappeared is not that they were annihilated. Rather, several great cultivators of the ancient era, with their far-reaching foresight, used their immense Divine Abilities to seal them all away. This was the treasure they left for future generations."
Everyone was stunned, their expressions immediately becoming vivid with shock.
The revelation had come so suddenly that they could barely digest it. They stared blankly at one another, as though just waking from a vivid dream and still savoring its sweetness.
A long moment passed before someone finally recovered: "Young Master… you're not joking, are you?"
Indeed, it sounded far too much like a joke.
Jiang Chen said solemnly, "This is absolutely true, and I have precise evidence to support it. There is no need for doubt. Moreover, I am familiar with the method of sealing. I also understand how to break the seal. Originally, I had planned to attempt unsealing the veins while simultaneously reactivating the Myriad Spirits Divine Locking Formation. However, it appears now that the time to unseal them and restore the ancient spirit veins has not yet come!"
Mo Wushuang's expression was a kaleidoscope of emotions as he exclaimed with feeling, "If the spirit veins are restored, does that mean our human domain will once again enjoy the same environment as in the ancient era? Given enough time, we could restore the splendor of ancient times?"
"If the spirit veins are restored, the cultivation environment will naturally be the same as the ancient era. But growth in other aspects will still require time," Jiang Chen sighed.
This was not difficult to understand. Restoring the environment did not mean everything else would snap back instantly. For instance, with Spiritual Medicine—even with the right environment, the seeds were needed first, and even the seeds required time to grow. For everything to return to ancient-era levels would take several hundred years at minimum.
Everyone broke into hearty laughter.
"So you're saying that from now on, we'll enjoy the same treatment as the cultivators of ancient times?"
"Who would have thought such a thing could happen. The ancients truly operated in ways beyond the reach of gods and demons to fathom."
"Young Master, why did those great ancient cultivators make such a choice? Did they seal the spirit veins out of fear that the demon race would destroy them?"
"Yes, were they worried the demon race would stage a comeback and cause havoc?"
Jiang Chen smiled and shook his head. "It wasn't the demon race they feared. Those great cultivators had long foreseen that once the demons were sealed, they would be powerless to run wild for a very long time. What they were worried about was something else entirely."
"What?" Everyone looked puzzled.
"Since ancient times, the downfall of the human race has never come from foreign races—but from within," Jiang Chen sighed.
Everyone present was sharp-witted, and upon hearing this, they began to catch the implication. Trouble from within the walls, as the saying went—meaning civil strife.