The evening sky above Eastern Horizon Academy glowed with shades of gold and crimson.
Within one of the academy's highest meeting halls, a rare gathering was taking place.
Not governments.
Not international councils.
Not Saint assemblies.
Only a handful of people sat around the large circular table.
Krishak.
His five disciples.
Principal Rudra.
And several trusted academy elders
The atmosphere remained calm, but everyone understood the importance of the discussion.
Because after years of preparation-
The time had finally come.
The room became silent the moment Krishak finished speaking.
"It is time."
Three simple words.
Yet everyone present understood their significance.
For nearly three years after returning from the Worldheart Chamber, Krishak had focused entirely on stabilizing humanity's foundations.
Public cultivation systems.
Research networks.
Resource distribution.
Education.
Infrastructure.
Only now had he finally spoken the words many people had been waiting to hear.
The academy.
The academy he had mentioned years ago before entering the Worldheart Chamber.
The academy he specifically ordered everyone not to establish until his return.
Arun was the first to recover. His eyes brightened immediately.
"Master... are we finally beginning?"
Krishak nodded.
"Yes."
Across the table, Rohon grinned.
Even Tara looked visibly interested.
Only Principal Rudra remained calm, though a faint smile appeared on his face.
"I was wondering how long it would take before you brought this up."
Krishak looked toward him.
"Eastern Horizon has fulfilled its purpose."
Several academy elders immediately straightened.
Not offended.
Curious.
Because that statement carried deeper meaning.
Rudra folded his arms.
"And what exactly was that purpose?"
Krishak turned toward the large window overlooking the academy.
Thousands of students trained below.
Formation towers illuminated the mountains.
Research facilities remained active even at night.
Compared to the academy he first entered years ago, Eastern Horizon had transformed completely.
"It proved humanity could change."
His voice remained calm.
"It proved knowledge could be shared."
"It proved cultivation did not belong only to powerful organizations."
Silence settled briefly.
Then he continued.
"But Eastern Horizon was never designed for the future I envision."
That immediately captured everyone's attention.
Arun leaned forward.
"What future?"
Krishak remained silent for several seconds. As though carefully organizing thoughts. Then he asked a question.
"How many students does Eastern Horizon currently have?"
One elder answered immediately.
"Approximately eighty thousand."
Krishak nodded.
"How many cultivators are there on Earth now?"
The elder hesitated.
"...Several hundred million."
Another silence followed.
Nobody missed the implication.
Eighty thousand.
Several hundred million.
The gap was enormous.
"Master..."
Meera frowned slightly.
"Are you planning to create a larger academy?"
Krishak shook his head.
"No."
The answer surprised everyone.
Then he added:
"Size is irrelevant."
Now they looked even more confused.
Finally, Tara spoke.
"Then what exactly are we building?"
Krishak walked toward the center of the room.
A holographic projection appeared.
Mountains.
Rivers.
Cities.
Transportation routes.
Spiritual vein networks.
The map covered a massive portion of central Asia.
The room immediately became serious.
Because they realized this was not a rough idea.
Krishak had been planning this for years.
His finger touched one location.
Several mountain ranges lit up. Three major spiritual veins converged beneath the region. Countless smaller branches extended outward. The terrain itself formed a natural defensive structure.
Tara's eyes widened first.
As a formation master, she immediately understood the value.
"This..."
She stood up involuntarily.
"This place is extraordinary."
Krishak nodded.
"The terrain naturally amplifies formations."
Tara continued studying the map. The more she looked, the more shocked she became. "If a grand-scale formation network is constructed here..."
She paused. "...the academy could operate for centuries with minimal energy expenditure."
Rohon immediately focused on another part of the map. "Wait." He zoomed in. "There are spiritual metal deposits here."
Meera pointed elsewhere. "And medicinal ecosystems."
Arun began calculating distances.
After several moments, his eyes widened as well.
"It also sits near the center of the major cultivation transportation routes."
Now everyone looked toward Krishak. Because this location wasn't merely good. It was almost perfect.
Rudra narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You chose this years ago, didn't you?"
A faint smile appeared on Krishak's face.
"Yes."
The room suddenly felt much quieter. Because they realized something. While everyone else spent the last three years reacting to changes in the world—
Krishak had been preparing for decades.
Not just as Krishak.
But with the perspective of someone who had watched civilizations rise and collapse countless times.
Finally, Arun asked the question on everyone's mind.
"Master..."
"What makes this academy different from Eastern Horizon?"
The room fell silent again. Because that answer would determine everything. Krishak looked around the table. Then slowly spoke.
"Because it will not be an academy created to produce strong cultivators."
Everyone frowned.
Even Rudra.
Wasn't that the purpose of every cultivation academy?
Then Krishak continued.
"It will be an academy created to produce civilization builders."
And just like that—
The discussion truly began.