"Martial Mansion governs the whole country, more suited for civil or semi-civil positions, particularly requiring political resources and emotional intelligence. I know you don't want to choose it, no need to elaborate. Honestly, my dad struggled for years and never figured out politics, let alone me."
"Pioneer Company, some people look down on it, but those who work in the Pioneer Company, struggling hard to hunt demons, are all entrepreneurs. However, business is business, and essentially, the Pioneer Company is still about business."
"Extreme Martial Arts, as the name implies, focuses on martial arts, aiming to reach the peak. Everyone desires it, but not everyone can achieve it. This path is too grueling, especially before becoming a Grandmaster, it's like being part of a group of immensely suffering people, crazily cultivating, crazily slaughtering demons, crazily consuming resources on oneself. To cultivate, one must reduce contact with the outside world, that kind of loneliness and solitude I can't endure in this lifetime."
Zhou Leng said, "Indeed. Years ago, a young martial cultivator asked Martial Saint Zhao if the solitude in the beginning of Extreme Martial Arts would get better later? Martial Saint Zhao replied, it would always be lonely." ThΔ±s content belongs to π»πΌππ²πΉβ’ππππβ’π£ππ©
Xue Chengsong said, "I don't know you well enough to give you perfect advice. My suggestion is, you can set several directions for yourself, and then, before you have enough capability and resources, supplement with other paths to accumulate strength and resources. Or rather, many paths overlap at the start."
Zhou Leng was silent for a moment, then said, "I choose Extreme Martial Arts."
"Did I waste all my words? You really don't need to choose so early."
"I choose Extreme Martial Arts."
"Alright, you guys who walk the Extreme Martial Arts path are all so stubborn, but indeed, without stubbornness, this path can't be pursued. Then let me continue to share my views."
Xue Chengsong slowly said, "Extreme Martial Arts doesn't rely much on connections, doesn't need to learn social niceties, but it heavily depends on martial arts resources. This path is most suitable for those wealthy families, but ironically, most children of wealthy families, even if they consume massive pills, won't walk the Extreme Martial Arts path."
"I've been aware of my strengths and weaknesses since childhood, knowing full well I'm not fit for this path. Your martial arts resources can't compare to the wealthy families, they're not even comparable to mine, a small family. So, you can choose Extreme Martial Arts, but you absolutely can't walk this path alone."
Xue Chengsong continued, "Next, you need to consider adding two extra pathways to gain resources to assist Extreme Martial Arts. Extreme Martial Arts and Martial Mansion conflict, don't even think about it, bureaucratic burdens will erode all your martial arts will."
"So, I suggest you choose one path between the Demon City Army and the Martial Guard Department. Both paths offer abundant resources and high rewards, and there's no shortage of advancement channels. The key is, though both paths have cliques and unwritten rules, if you're strong, you become a boss, no need to watch others' faces."
"The distinction is, the Demon City Army is stationed near Demon City year-round, with stricter rules, more limitations, and more danger, but sharpening more, easier to hone into a sharp blade."
"As for the Martial Guard Department, it's not as strict as the Demon City Army, relatively safer, but with less sharpening, and sometimes its internal structure is closer to the Martial Mansion, more talk, less action."
"In other words, if you want more freedom, join the Martial Guard Department. If you don't mind high-pressure constraints, go for Demon City Army."
Zhou Leng thought for a moment, then said, "As it stands, the Martial Guard Department seems more suitable for me."
Xue Chengsong said, "Alright, then next is the Pioneer Company, strictly speaking, a subsidiary like my dad's. If your goal is just to reach Innate, the Pioneer Company isn't much use, as it's more about personal gain than anything else."
"However, if your goal is the peak of Innate, or even becoming a Grandmaster or higher Martial Saint, then you'd need a Pioneer Company in the background. Because as you grow, you'll need to exchange a vast amount of resources, converting unwanted resources into what you need for cultivation, while also requiring additional income."
"Let me put it this way, on the whole Blue Star, 90% of the Pioneer subsidiaries, if you trace upwards, are either backed by the Martial Saint Sect or Grandmaster aristocratic families."
"Without big supporters, it's hard for a Pioneer Company to grow, as the competition for resources is rife with blood and bone."
"Of course, there's also the civil position, but let's skip that, it's primarily research on pills, demonized weapons, cultivation techniques, contradicting your Extreme Martial Arts, high effort, low reward, unnecessary."
Zhou Leng listened while pondering.
Then Xue Chengsong explained more about related industries, giving Zhou Leng, who was engrossed in martial arts, a deeper understanding of the world.
After thoroughly understanding each path, Zhou Leng asked, "Besides these, are there other routes?"
Xue Chengsong thought for a bit, then said, "There's one more, foreign trade. No one around you, right?"
"No, I'm home alone."
"Well, since I've said so much, let me add a bit more. Foreign trade divides into the legitimate route and the demon route."
"The legitimate foreign trade route involves establishing trade routes with allied worlds like the Demon Spirit World, Dwarf World, Tree-man World, not only will it not be opposed by the country, but various incentives will be provided. However, this path is exceptionally hard to tread because it requires not only martial protection but also deep relations with otherworlds. Currently, except for Martial Clans and the state, it's nearly impossible for individuals to open this path."
"The demon trade route, as the name suggests, involves cooperating with hostile forces like the Demon Worship Sect, Demons, Undead Race, Sea Sirens to earn huge profits. Of course, aside from a few deeply complicit in demon dealings, most involve gray transactions, not that deeply implicated, and the authorities often turn a blind eye."