The difference between the two worlds had only become greater and greater over time. With the great influx of sea life from the Depths, the oceans of the Inner World became far more diverse. Sage had slowly collected many species of land creatures before heading to the Depths, and while it wasn’t comparable to the actual outside world, it was still enough to create many complex ecosystems. Especially after all those creatures had thousands of years to develop and change. Yet, the development of the natural beasts seemed trivial in comparison to the changes among human culture.

The original inhabitants of the world were prisoners from the outside world and prisoners from the psychic Hidden Realm that Sage had visited. They’d mingled with Hoplites and Dragoons along with a small trickle of new arrivals every few centuries. They eventually caught up to the type of civilization that existed in the outside world, similar to ancient earth with a smattering of Magical Tools and devices that were far more advanced. Only the more powerful Cultivators could operate and create these sorts of things and they were quite rare until Sage introduced the systematic training materials he gained from the Holy Flame Sect.

It was this time that caused a massive change in the world. A clear path of progression and earning for Professions was enough incentive for so many to step into this arena. It was much like the mystical version of an industrial revolution. This was especially pronounced by Sage’s initiatives to expand the Prosperity Company to rapidly spread mass media. Along with the more serious production professions many purely entertainment related ones also grew popular. It was just like in Earth’s history, the advancement in technology allowed for a massive increase in productivity which then freed up more time for people to indulge in entertainment and other pursuits they never had the time for in the past.

Sage’s children had grown up in what might be equivalent to a renaissance period in the Inner World. Some of them were even involved in the spread of art and film with their mother, Ling, who spread the Prosperity Company throughout the Inner World. They’d only left for a few decades, but thousands of years had gone by on the Inner World. The locals were always changing and improving, and the Lang Clan Researchers developed specific things that Sage knew would make huge changes. The creation of long distance communication and bio-computers were the keys to push the Inner World into a modern Earth era.

Of course, that was only superficially. Bio-computers could do complicated calculations and allowed for rapid iterations in research. Specialized software allowed for different Professions to simulate different alchemical formulas, Formation Arrays, or how certain materials reacted together when forged together with different techniques. The Inner World had not quite entered an Information Age, but it was close. The Lang Clan maintained their control of bio-computers, limiting them to large organizations and public emplacements. Sage preferred they maintain their monopoly on Adjutors and not spread them outside the Lang Clan. He was sure that the Inner World would develop its own methods, so he wanted to let them develop naturally. Now that he’d gained access to the technology he needed he was no longer eager to keep interfering.

Once the technology of the Inner World advanced far past what the Earth had ever had, he would no longer have any idea of what to expect or how to deal with it. The Qi emitting bugs, the Blastids, had become the power source for so many products and devices. The Lang Clan prevented the spread of the Insect Immortal Index, so other groups couldn’t use it to so easily modify and mutate the Blastids, but that didn’t stop them from developing their own methods. Insect and Beast Taming knowledge was part of the Profession paths that Sage had introduced. Among those, there were methods to breed insects and so the locals had created their own variations. What was even more impressive was the unusual ways they came up with to use the Blastids that the Lang Clan created.

Sage was always interested in exploring the differences in the rules of the world. Electricity and combustion seemed to work differently than back on Earth, but water still turned into steam when heated. He had no idea the rhyme or reason as to why some things were the same and others were different. He had spent quite a bit of time researching in this direction, but then he realized how dangerous this world was. All it took was the purchase of one wrong item and the safe life he thought he had at the Holy Flame Sect crumbled instantly.

He had to leave it to the locals of the Inner World and his Lang Clan researchers to explore all these things he was curious about. Or at least, that’s what he’d thought before. As he increased his mastery of the Thermal Law, he realized there was another way to find out what he wanted to know. The Laws were the keys to the true secrets of the universe. It was a different sort of understanding, an inherent sense of knowing without any of the detailed knowledge or processes as science.

Maybe if I master the Law to a greater extent I can work with the researchers to decipher another way to access the powers of laws. Hmm, is this how the greater powers developed a guaranteed way for people to learn laws? I wonder if I can take it a step further and incorporate Law into objects?

As Sage predicted, once the Lang Clan saw the change in the Inner World they were quick to bring them to the outside world. The many uses of the Blastid flooded into Lionheart Town and those who hadn’t yet had their turn were astounded. They didn’t have to wait too long though, as it only took a few weeks for the whole Clan to rotate through their first two day trips, and only a few months for all of their time there to be completed.

They wanted to immediately start selling all these advancements to the outside world, but Yating was wise enough to realize how dangerous that could be. They restricted these sales to the Prosperity Company instead of allowing them to form a hundred different new business groups. The Dou Kingdom was dominated by the Four Major Businesses and Yating was wise enough to realize that all of their new products would upset them. If they formed many new small companies it would definitely garner a lot less attention from the Four Major Businesses. At the same time, all these smaller businesses would be far more vulnerable to being bullied by the Four Major Businesses. At that time, since they’re all owned by the Lang Clan, they would probably choose to team up and fight back. Since they would inevitably be forced to work together as one anyway, why not just take that stance from the start?

Ling was quite smug as she told Sage and Jiao about the excellent acumen of her first son. They both nodded and praised her, secretly finding it amusing that she was so quick to praise Yating’s business mind, especially since she had never bothered to brag about him becoming the new Clan Leader. Her praise proved correct as the Four Major Businesses came knocking on their doors. To their credit, due to the existing relationship between Thousand Treasures and the Lang Clan, they didn’t approach with outright hostility just yet. Airships were already a pretty lucrative business, so they gave them at least a modicum of respect as they approached.