Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Dawn of a New Era

Absorbed in leveling up through dungeon runs, Li Yunfei was oblivious to the sweeping changes that had overtaken the world during his time in the countryside.

A week earlier, the incident of a girl spontaneously combusting on Xiao Bei Street had sent shockwaves through the small county town.

Her whole body was engulfed in roaring flames, yet when the fire vanished, she emerged unscathed—not a single hair singed.

It was obviously unnatural.

The event had been witnessed by many bystanders and could not be concealed. Yet neither the police nor the media issued any reports, fueling wild speculation among the public.

Coupled with the recent surge of supernatural event videos that briefly appeared online, only to be swiftly deleted, even the most oblivious individuals began to realize: the world was no longer what it once was.

As this understanding dawned, some people grew uneasy, having grown accustomed to the ordinary world and its mundane rhythms. The sudden shift into something resembling a fantasy novel left them disoriented.

Others were filled with excitement, tired of mundane lives and yearning for a world of wonder and strangeness. Among them, fans of novels and anime were especially eager for the emergence of extraordinary powers.

Their hopes were soon realized. Days later, the national news broadcast aired an unprecedented four-hour special report.

The anchor began by explaining the frequent supernatural incidents of recent years. For the first time, the term "Spiritual Energy Awakening" was introduced to the public.

Next, the anchor showcased several of the videos previously deleted from the internet, selecting the most representative ones and explaining each in turn.

Awakened superhumans, martial cultivators, Taoist practitioners, Buddhist monks—even foreign paladins, magicians, and priests of light appeared.

That night, the entire nation sat bewildered before their television screens.

Yet after the initial shock, everyone realized that the bizarre, surreal world was truly about to arrive.

At the end of the broadcast, the anchor announced that in three days, the nation would conduct a universal physical examination to identify those with the aptitude for cultivation.

Every citizen above the age of five was required to participate.

Those found to possess cultivation potential would receive comprehensive support from the state: training in cultivation methods, gifts of resources, and guaranteed placement upon graduation—a highly privileged, ironclad position.

This announcement sent the country into a frenzy.

To those in the upper echelons, the promises of guaranteed placement, high benefits, and lifelong security sounded like a joke. In reality, it was a means to better manage those with extraordinary powers; for the powerful, it was more a restraint than a benefit.

But the elite are always the minority. The majority are ordinary people.

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For regular folks, guaranteed placement, high benefits, and lifelong security meant freedom from worry and the respect of others.

It held the same prestige as civil service once did.

Everyone began to dream of becoming a cultivator, convinced that their talent was exceptional and that they stood a chance.

Yet reality is cruel. In every legend, those who wield extraordinary power are always the rare few.

The largest group in society will always be ordinary people.

...

On the twenty-second floor of Water’s Edge Bridge, in Zhang Ziying’s apartment.

Zhang Ziying stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing distantly at the city below, a little lost in thought.

After a long moment, she returned to herself, took out her phone, and dialed a number.

"I'm sorry, the user you are trying to reach is currently unavailable..."

With a sigh, she hung up and frowned, murmuring, "What on earth is he doing back in his hometown? He’s been gone for days and still hasn’t returned."

Tomorrow was the day of the physical examination. She had already received notice from the bureau, to report in batches at the People's Hospital.

Retired soldiers like Li Yunfei were to gather at the Armed Forces Division and proceed together.

Compared to the police, the military took the matter more seriously and enforced stricter measures.

To maintain national and social stability during such a transformative period, the military was naturally of utmost importance.

Though retired soldiers were no longer active, they remained on the military roster; anyone under thirty-five was still in the reserve forces.

Whenever the country required, reservists could be called back at any time, ready to don the uniform once more.

Recently, Zhang Ziying had gradually learned more about the situation from various sources, chiefly from the two national security officers stationed at the county bureau.

It turned out that, from the initial stirrings of the Spiritual Energy Awakening, the country had begun preparations for this day.

A special organization was secretly established, and the first to be recruited as members were soldiers.

All soldiers with cultivation aptitude were gathered and taught various methods.

Thus, the nation’s first foundation was laid.

This organization was named "Zi Xiao"—Purple Firmament.

"Zi Xiao" signified the origin of heaven and earth, the dawn of the great path, marking the nation’s entry into the era of spiritual energy awakening, starting from this point.

Under Zi Xiao, there were four groups: Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and Yellow.

These groups were not ranked but distinguished by profession.

The Heaven group’s backbone consisted of orthodox Taoist cultivators, specializing in esoteric arts and Taoist techniques.

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The Earth group comprised experts from the nation’s martial families and sects, focused on martial cultivation.

The Mystic group handled logistics, split into two parts: one included experts with deep theoretical knowledge from various cultivation systems, dedicated to researching new methods and developing skills; the other scouted and collected cultivation resources.

The Yellow group was made up of those with extraordinary talents—awakened superhumans.

The four groups operated independently, each performing their own duties and cultivating separately.

When action was required, mixed teams were formed, ensuring that each group’s strengths compensated for the others’ weaknesses.

As an organization, Zi Xiao naturally had its own hierarchy.

Its true core consisted of twenty-three individuals.

The leader held the title "Zi Wei"—Purple Star—and beneath him were twenty-two others, each codenamed after the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

Currently, only thirteen of these positions were filled, with nine vacancies remaining.

Relying on Zi Xiao, the nation maintained firm control as spiritual energy surged and awakened individuals appeared everywhere.

Not only did this prevent chaos, it bought valuable time for further preparation.

Those who gained extraordinary powers but did not lose themselves to them were swiftly recruited.

Some, who caused minor disturbances but did not inflict harm, were educated and then incorporated.

Those who immediately abused their newfound abilities, acting without restraint, were secretly executed.

Such individuals were rare; unless someone was inherently evil or mentally deficient, awakening did not lead to unchecked excess.

Most awakenings manifested with obvious phenomena, making detection easy.

But a few slipped through, awakening quietly—such as those with sudden strength or speed.

These abilities produced little spectacle; if not self-revealed, they were hard to monitor.

Yet this posed little problem; as long as they did not commit crimes, their threat to society was minimal.

Should they cause trouble, they would quickly fall under state scrutiny.

Once society fully entered the era of cultivation, their abilities would scarcely be remarkable.

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