?Mobile reading Qin Feng saw that they were still unconvinced and added, "In fact, having the entire cultivation realm know about it isn't a disadvantage, because the final candidate is chosen by all of them—everyone will have to respect this decision. With that in mind, the person who holds the Lotus Platform won't have to worry about the issue of 'an innocent person being punished for having valuable assets.'" The three nodded in agreement. Indeed, while a single, localized competition might allow the winner to claim the Lotus Platform, it wasn't guaranteed that all cultivators would be convinced. Should a group of rivals keep coming in to challenge, the situation would surely become overwhelming. Dong Qiankun was the first to express his support: "I believe this is feasible. Moreover, we can use this opportunity to gather our colleagues from across the cultivation realm and jointly explore how to further develop and promote the cultivation world. After all, over these years, not a single cultivator has achieved transcendence—shouldn't we exchange ideas and share experiences?" "The Fire God Elder nodded in agreement, saying, 'That makes sense. For years now, we've all been working in isolation—eventually, our efforts will only fall short when we finally step out!' Both parties agreed. The Mysterious Elder sighed, 'Very well, I'll concede. No matter what method we use, the one who ultimately wins will surely be me. That way, I won't have to worry about anyone else claiming my share later!' Dong Qunkuan smiled and said, 'Why don't I extend my congratulations to Brother Pi Miao in advance?' Qin Feng then proposed, 'The Lotus Platform will be jointly managed by the three senior masters until a clear winner emerges—how does that sound?' Naturally, no one doubted it; each of them remained cautious about the others, and it was essential that the Lotus Platform remained within their sight. The three figures, carrying the Lotus Platform, departed swiftly without being noticed by anyone. Qin the Young Lord didn't rush. He collected several more 'crystals' before leaving at a calm, unhurried pace. Upon returning to the tent, he found that the six had been waiting for him for half an hour already." Hou Bao spoke first, asking, "Xin Feng, what did you see down there—any material resembling 'crystal'? How abundant is it?" He answered with action, waving his hand and causing dozens of crystal blocks the size of persimmons to rise from the ground, saying, "The reserves are substantial—we should be able to extract several tons, or even ten tons, without difficulty!" "That's excellent," said Yapo, lifting one block and examining it closely. "If there are indeed several tons, the energy contained would be equivalent to the total coal reserves on Earth!" Hou Bao nodded, adding, "That's still a rather conservative estimate." Lin Caivie tugged at Qin Feng's sleeve, asking, "I just sensed the presence of some high-level practitioners leaving—what exactly happened down there?" Qin Feng shrugged, saying, "Your feeling was accurate. Three individuals arrived moments ago and took away a structure resembling a lotus platform—just that single crystal block alone weighs more than two tons!" "What?" "He Mu Qing widened her eyes: 'You just watched them take them away!' Qin Shao smiled: 'On the lotus platform, there's a lotus blossom—that's the most important thing. I placed it in my storage ring before they even arrived. Moreover, I noticed that the closer to the platform's core, the purer the crystal becomes. I believe this is directly related to the lotus. The lotus platform and the crystal formations on the stalactites are both influenced by it!' Hearing his explanation, the girls couldn't help but become excited. He added: 'Also, I've set up traps for the three elders. They've decided to notify every true cultivator and hold a fair competition—only the one who wins will be granted the lotus platform. That means I still have a chance, hehe!' Lin Beauty glanced at him with a slightly scolding expression and murmured: 'So they all fell for your scheme, didn't they?' 'Hehe, that's exactly right.'" He smiled warmly and replied, then turned and pointed, adding, "Their attention is all focused on the lotus platform—they show no interest in those individual crystals. I'm going down again to collect all the large ones, and leave the rest for the national team to develop!" Qin's most generous side shone through—someone else would surely have claimed all the crystals for themselves. Yet this generosity seemed to fall flat with the girls, who each gave him a withering look. Since the situation below had now been clarified, it was necessary to call Wei Qingtian and give him a little cheer. Upon hearing that vast reserves of new energy were stored underground, the elder danced and clapped with delight—this was a unique asset of China's. You Europeans will surely be envious. When China's military vehicles and ships all begin to run on this energy, your current advantages will no longer hold. Such advanced technology naturally begins in the military sector, while civilian applications come later. Successive batches of more advanced drilling equipment arrive, and an increasing number of military personnel assigned to security duties are deployed, transforming the entire area within 300 kilometers into a military zone, where all non-essential personnel are strictly prohibited from entering. As for Hou Bao and Ya Shi, they are specially invited by the military as senior experts, and to secure their loyalty, the military even offer them the rank of civilian major general as an incentive. This situation leaves Qin Dashi restless—he has risked his life and accomplished numerous missions, yet he still holds only the rank of lieutenant colonel. How can they not think of promoting him? In the end, he slams his desk, stating that while he is willing to accept the civilian major general ranks for his two colleagues, he demands one condition: all the so-called experts must be removed from their positions, as he finds their presence increasingly bothersome. As a result, those experts, bewildered and confused, end up going back where they came from. To this, Hou Baohu and Yapo had no reservations, as in their view, the experimental facilities and premises provided by the military far surpassed those of Da Qin Group—and crucially, they required no out-of-pocket expenses from them. Yet the research outcomes were not solely the property of the military; what a delight, then, to have such shared benefits. "Crystal" was continuously being extracted, and since this research was closely tied to Hou Baohu and Yapo, both of them held the right to name it. After a brief discussion, they decided to call it Energy Crystal. While they were vigorously conducting various studies on their side, the cultivation world was also abuzz with activity. For years, cultivators had operated independently, with sects maintaining only occasional ties—such as trading herbs and medicines—never having convened for large-scale gatherings, let alone engaged in meaningful exchanges. Taking advantage of this opportunity to settle the ownership of the Lotus Platform, a group of them organized what they called the Gathering of the Celestial Immortals. To be honest, these people do have thick skins. Though they are ordinary cultivators, none of them has ever successfully transcended in the past several centuries—yet they dare to claim the title of "the Gathering of Immortals." Truly, they are overconfident.