At this moment, the public had no idea what was happening.
News of Haicheng had been sealed off immediately.
This was no longer like before—people simply couldn’t handle such a heavy blow right now.
Until Haicheng was completely liberated and every last invading sea beast had been suppressed, word of what happened there could not be allowed to spread.
“Heaven gave us the revival of spiritual energy, but it also took far too many lives.”
“Is this kind of era really what we wanted?”
Deep within the imperial capital, an elderly man in a Zhongshan suit gazed into the distance and let out a faint sigh.
It was true that, as time marched on and technology advanced, it was highly likely that the once-peaceful Earth would eventually descend into war again—but that was a matter for the distant future. The spiritual energy revival, however, was happening now.
Its arrival had accelerated humanity’s evolution and given technology new breakthroughs.
Countless people had benefited from it.
But at the same time, it had also claimed many lives, thrown nations into turmoil, and shattered the hard-won peace once more.
He couldn’t call the spiritual energy revival a tragedy—because he understood the countless benefits it had brought to this planet and to humanity. But neither could he call it a good thing, because they had paid an enormous price.
And in the future, they would continue to pay that price.
“Cough, cough, cough…”
As if stirred by his emotions, the old man began to cough.
At that moment, a stream of green light fell upon him. His coughing gradually subsided, and he felt considerably more at ease.
“Changsheng, sorry for the trouble,” the old man said to a young man with an innocent-looking face standing behind him.
“This is the least I can do,” Chen Changsheng replied earnestly.
The ability he had awakened was not particularly powerful—in fact, it had no combat application whatsoever.
But it was currently the strongest support-type ability out there, and one that countless people dreamed of having.
[Longevity]
He possessed a lifespan dozens of times longer than that of an ordinary human, and as his cultivation progressed, his longevity would only grow even further.
If this ability only worked on himself, it wouldn’t be anything special—aside from making others envious, it would have no real use.
But the key point was that his ability could be shared.
He could transfer his own lifespan to others through this sharing.
If it weren’t for his ability, the elderly man before him would have died of a severe illness a month ago. But thanks to his power, he had lived to this day.
If he could, Chen Changsheng would have gladly shared a full century of life with the old man—because he knew who this man was, and he knew just how much he had contributed to China throughout his life.
But the old man had refused.
Longevity could easily distort a person’s way of thinking, stoking greed and ambition. And for someone in his position, those impulses would only grow stronger.
With the constraint of a limited lifespan, he could devote himself wholeheartedly to China and accept those extra years with a clear conscience. But without that constraint—without the fear of death—he himself didn’t know what he might end up doing.
“Those who slay dragons often become dragons themselves.”
He didn’t want to become someone he despised, nor did he want to betray the country he had sworn loyalty to.
“Forging a new era is never easy.”
“It was true in the past, it’s true now, and it will be true in the future.”
He shook his head. His hazy eyes seemed to be reminiscing about something, but in the end, he merely let out another sigh.
Meanwhile, Spiritual Energy Bureaus in cities across the country began assembling their ability users.
Tianhai, Hangzhou, the imperial capital, Gusu…
The danger Haicheng faced this time was even more terrifying than during the second spiritual energy tide. Even though first-wave powerhouses like Qin Tian, Huo Yu, and Chen Bing had already rushed over, they still couldn’t shake off their unease.
That colossal shadow deep in the ocean had casually unleashed an attack of such horrifying power.
No matter how confident they were in those few individuals, they didn’t believe any one of them alone could surpass that beast.
They had even braced themselves for the possibility that it would take all three—Qin Tian, Huo Yu, and Chen Bing—just to match it!
If they could, of course they would hope that wouldn’t be the case, because they had no idea what level that mutant sea beast truly was within the ocean. If it really took all three of them just to hold their ground, and if that beast was only mid-to-upper-tier in the ocean…
Then they would be forced to accept a bitter truth.
The strongest ability users among humans were merely average in the vast ocean.
They certainly didn’t want such a scenario to play out—but they had no choice but to consider the possibility.
Sometimes, they really hated the phrase “just in case.” Because it meant they had to account for far too many scenarios—and most of the time, those scenarios never even happened.
“May you return in glory!”
In cities across the nation, instructors hoarsely called out to these warriors about to depart.
Though they were instructors, all they could teach were combat skills and battle experience—they simply didn’t have the talent to excel in abilities themselves.
If they could, of course they would want to go alongside them. But they couldn’t.
It wasn’t just because they still had more warriors to train—the main reason was that their own abilities were too weak for them to fight as ability users. And as for ordinary soldiers? Haicheng already had more than enough. There was no use in them going.
Living meant they could create greater value.
“Yes, sir!”
All members of the Spiritual Energy Bureaus roared in unison.
Although the bureaus had been established during the very first spiritual energy tide, and many had joined for the pay, after the second tide, those unsuited for the work had already left. Those who remained—and the new recruits who had joined—all understood what this organization truly stood for.
Joining the Spiritual Energy Bureau was an honor, but it also meant facing a greater chance of death.
After the second spiritual energy revival, many of their brothers had already fallen—some while protecting civilians, some while covering their teammates, some ambushed by mutant beasts, and some…
In the past, they had survived.
This time, they might not.
But it didn’t matter.
Dying to protect the people, dying to defend China—for them, that was an honor.
Throughout the long river of history, there are certain idioms and phrases that no man can resist.
Sealing the Wolf at Juyan Pass. Storming the walls to claim the banner. Unmatched valor across the army. Leaving a name in the annals of history. Bringing glory to one’s ancestors. A peerless hero of the nation. The pillar of the state. Achieving top honors in imperial examinations. Awe-inspiring across all of China. Chosen by Heaven, eternal and prosperous.
This battle—they were worthy of bringing glory to their ancestors. Worthy of shaking all of China. And most certainly worthy of being remembered through the ages!
Even if they fell, when they met their forebears in the underworld, they could proudly say:
“Ancestors—your descendant has made something of himself!”
“I haven’t brought shame to our family.”
And if they lived—if they returned home to see their parents—they could grin from ear to ear and shout:
“Mom, Dad—your son is a hero now!”
