Bai Xuan’s heart was also wrapped in a gentle glow. With every beat, he could feel his body undergoing a new transformation.
Just as he was deeply immersed in his cultivation, his consciousness gradually began to fade.
When he came to again, he found himself in an unknown space.
Mountains and rivers stretched for thousands of miles, with lush vegetation growing everywhere.
Bai Xuan’s gaze took in almost every breathtaking scene before him.
Rivers, weeping willows, bamboo forests, clusters of flowers…
Without a doubt, this world was brimming with vibrant life.
In fact, Bai Xuan could sense that the spiritual energy here was even denser than in the real world.
At that moment, the [Authority of Nature] fed him information about this world.
It was a small world, distinct from the real one—a world that belonged solely to Bai Xuan.
This world had no upper limit. The stronger Bai Xuan grew, the vaster its expanse would become, and the more immense its spiritual energy would be.
As for why it was created, the world’s consciousness gave him no answer.
It seemed that this realm would play a vital role in his future growth.
Bai Xuan touched the soil beneath his feet, casually picked up a stone, and a look of surprise flickered in his eyes.
He could actually sense a considerable amount of spiritual energy coming from this ordinary-looking stone.
A spirit stone?
That seemed like a fitting way to put it, but wasn’t the quantity a bit overwhelming?
Bai Xuan looked at the stones scattered all over the ground—they seemed no different from the one in his hand, the only variation being the amount of spiritual energy they held.
What a grand gesture!
Though partly due to the sheer size of this world, the density of spiritual energy here was indeed almost excessive.
If even ordinary stones could turn into spirit stones, then what about the flowers, trees, fruits, and streams?
Were they all heavenly treasures?
Bai Xuan shook his head. His mindset remained fairly steady. Though surprised by this small world, he wasn’t completely thrown off balance.
In the future, he thought, he could buy some animals to bring into this world.
Otherwise, it might feel a little too lonely.
Hmm… he could also get some Pokémon. He had a feeling they would enjoy this place.
It would give Pikachu a few more playmates, too.
With a single thought, Bai Xuan’s consciousness left that space, and he looked toward the corner of the room where the manifested items were stored.
During his baptism, some of those items had quietly vanished.
“I said the timing wasn’t right before—didn’t think it would come so soon.”
“I wonder who will end up getting them.”
Bai Xuan smiled and went back to preparing food. The spiritual tide had come so fast that Pikachu and the others would probably be hungry soon.
But compared to the peace here, things elsewhere were far from calm.
The effects of the second spiritual tide were simply too significant—for both humans and all other living beings.
If someone attracted too much spiritual energy because of their talent and couldn’t withstand it, causing a spiritual energy riot, it would be absolutely terrifying for everyone nearby.
Boom!
With a massive blast, terrifying flames erupted from an apartment building, engulfing the entire structure. The searing heat was accompanied by countless explosions. By the time the Spiritual Energy Bureau arrived,
what greeted them was a living hell on earth!
Meanwhile, on the streets and in the malls, countless people couldn’t endure the spiritual baptism and exploded into pools of blood.
Wails, screams, sobs…
The world had descended into chaos.
“Dad! Mom! Where are you?”
“I didn’t mean to, Dad—I really didn’t mean to…”
“I—”
Following the spiritual energy signature, Bureau agents found the source of the explosion: a little girl who had awakened a fire talent.
At that moment, she was curled up in a corner, hiding. On the ground lay two charred, unrecognizable bodies.
Sigh…
Ning Guang and the others let out a heavy sigh, then took her away.
That was the only thing they could do.
Compared to the gentle, nationwide awakening the first time around, this spiritual tide was clearly far, far more violent. No one knew how many casualties there would be this time.
Screech!
With a clear, piercing cry, countless birds in the sky spread their wings and swooped down toward the ground.
And they weren’t alone. Mutant beasts emerged from nowhere—wolf packs, rats, ants, feral cats, stray dogs. Their eyes were bloodshot, charging at humans with boundless madness.
Maybe humans held some benefit for them, or perhaps it was just mindless instinct.
But in truth, no reason was needed. Mutant beasts were enemies of humanity, and humanity was their enemy too.
They could never coexist peacefully, and there was no reason for them to do so.
Different races meant different stances by nature.
Right now, Earth was dominated by humans.
Though the previous spiritual revival had given mutant beasts some not-insignificant abilities, they were still incredibly fragile in front of humans. Back then, they couldn’t challenge humanity’s position at the top.
But this time was different.
This spiritual tide had given them the potential to challenge human dominance in the future.
As their intelligence continued to grow, they would inevitably develop other ambitions.
Who said humans had to stand at the top of the pyramid?
Why couldn’t it be them?
At that point, every top-tier mutant beast might command countless followers, posing a tremendous threat to humanity.
So before that happened, humans had to suppress them at all costs.
Having intelligence didn’t mean peaceful communication was possible. If you showed them mercy, they wouldn’t repay you with kindness.
And there was one more critical point.
Earth’s resources were limited!
Even with the spiritual revival causing countless plants and creatures to mutate, resources remained finite.
Humans occupied the richest land resources—so would the beasts just stand by and watch it all be taken?
Not a chance!
So, rather than holding back and waiting to see how the mutant beasts rose, it was better to suppress them from the very start.
Humans could be merciful, compassionate, and absolutely kind-hearted.
But those virtues were built on the foundation of human supremacy. Before that, humans had no right to pity anything that could threaten them.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Gunfire blazed, artillery pounded.
One after another, members of the Spiritual Energy Bureau wielded their powers, charging forward to suppress the mutant beasts. Their faces were filled with resolve and excitement—they had been waiting for this day for a long time!
Watching from the sidelines, the civilians felt a stirring emotion rising in their hearts.
