"Good, opening up your Divine Sea is excellent," Yi Tianxing said. "It means your life level has begun to transform. Even with just a single strand of true energy, you already possess strength beyond that of an ordinary person. Once activated, it can unleash power far exceeding the norm. I took a look earlier—your innate energy is of the Rosy Mist type."
"Rosy Mist energy… elusive and dreamlike. Its meridians are long and flowing, constantly shifting. I'm not exactly sure what its effects are, but if you ever get a chance to cultivate in an area rich in Rosy Mist energy, your progress should be astonishing."Yi Tianxing smiled as he gently patted Zhao Ziyan's head, clearly pleased.
Opening the Divine Sea was like gaining the power of self-destruction. At the very least, one could now hunt ordinary monsters. Moreover, the intense cold outside could now be resisted. She wouldn't freeze to death so easily anymore. It meant she had gained the basic ability to survive.
"Mm. The Heart Sutra of Oblivion is really amazing. It directly activated my innate energy and transformed it into a type of true energy most compatible with my body. With ten thousand different physiques, cultivating the Heart Sutra might result in ten thousand different cultivation paths. It's truly miraculous. As long as I continue to visualize the Primordial Qi, I can keep drawing in the world's vitality and convert it into Rosy Mist energy."
Zhao Ziyan was visibly excited.
The sensation of becoming a cultivator was hard to describe with words. It was a transformation on the level of life itself.
The moment she awakened, the world had changed. The vitality of heaven and earth—once invisible—was now something she could perceive. She could sense its turbulence, the unique rhythm with which it fluctuated.
This was the result of the world itself changing, affecting the movement of vital energy. Even the energy carried a strange, mysterious aura. That rhythm even resonated with the Primordial Qi inside her, subtly enhancing her cultivation. This was why breaking through had felt so smooth.
"Ziyan, how large is your Divine Sea?"Yi Tianxing asked, curious.
He had opened his Divine Sea with the help of the mysterious Primordial Dragon Qi. It had instantly expanded to nine zhang wide—an incredible size. But he wasn't sure what was considered "normal," so he couldn't really compare.
"It's just under one zhang across," Zhao Ziyan answered after some thought. "Any further, and I felt like it might collapse, so I stopped."
[1 zhang = 3.333 meters]
"Just under one zhang, huh…" Yi Tianxing nodded thoughtfully.
That was already pretty big. Ziyan's natural talent was likely above average. Compared to most people, her Divine Sea was large. But when compared to his own nine zhang, the difference was immense.
At that moment, Tang Zitong finished her breakthrough as well. She opened her eyes, joy shining in them.
"So this is what it feels like to become a cultivator… It's unbelievable."Tang Zitong looked around, as if seeing the world through new eyes. Within her Divine Sea, her true energy was flowing, warm and steady, driving out the cold from her body.
"Zitong-jie, you've broken through too? That's great! Now we can fight together, side by side!"Zhao Ziyan beamed with joy.
"Yeah, cultivating really is mysterious. I never would've believed it if you told me this a few days ago."Chen Xuerou also awakened, a look of amazement on her face.
In the past, humanity had relied entirely on technology. Anything beyond science was considered superstition. People believed in tools—planes, submarines, cars—not in cultivating the human body. But now, with a mere shift in energy and thought, they could awaken powers, reshape their destinies, and even fly or move mountains. The joy that came from such a transformation could be felt from every cell in their bodies.
It was a beauty ordinary people could never imagine.
After some chatting, the three girls discovered that the size of their Divine Seas was about the same. Their natural talents were similar, and they all cultivated the same technique. Their future potential would depend entirely on their choices, efforts, and experiences.
"Alright. Soon, each of you should start cultivating with a Will Crystal. It'll help you refine more true energy in a short time. Once you're strong enough, you'll be able to hunt monsters outside."Yi Tianxing nodded. With their breakthroughs, the trio had shed their weaknesses and could now contribute to survival. They could even help in exploring and retrieving treasures.
Yi Tianxing hadn't forgotten that several mysterious items had fallen in the area. If they could find more, it would be a huge advantage.
The girls had already noticed that many of the weapons and supplies in the house had disappeared, but none of them asked questions. They trusted that when the time came, Yi Tianxing would tell them everything. There was no need to pry.
After a round of cultivation, hunger returned. The three girls rushed to the kitchen and quickly prepared a table of food. Ever since becoming cultivators, their appetites had grown massively. Even six servings of rice were devoured in one meal.
Without delay, they each took a Will Crystal and began their next round of focused cultivation.Yi Tianxing did the same.
It was far too cold outside. Even the monsters rarely showed themselves. Hunting was no longer practical. Strengthening their own power was far more important. Not a moment was wasted.
But things weren't so easy for others.
The cold had become unbearable. Many couldn't survive in their homes and froze to death. Some, with no food left, had no choice but to risk going out. Most of them never returned—claimed either by the cold or by monsters lurking in the darkness.
Chaos and slaughter continued without pause.
Still, some lucky individuals managed to kill monsters, gain access to cultivation techniques, or even stumble upon mysterious relics. Some awakened their spiritual apertures and became "gifted ones," wielding strange abilities.
These kinds of miracles were happening all over the world, constantly.
Good fortune was not reserved for just one person.
Time flowed quietly.Another day passed.
Outside, the darkness had not lifted. The temperature kept dropping. Even thick winter coats couldn't keep out the chill. The elderly were dying in droves, unable to withstand the cold. Most of the survivors were young or middle-aged. Even children were dying in waves.
Despair wrapped around the world like a shroud.
Screams, sobs, and the cries of the bereaved echoed through the streets. Countless parents lost their children. Too young, too weak to survive. The cold was a silent killer.
"It's a new day," Yi Tianxing muttered.
He had fully replaced sleep with cultivation. Glancing at the mechanical watch on his wrist, he then looked toward the black void outside. The stars were gone. So were the sun and the moon. Even the constellations had vanished.
Endless darkness. Not a shred of hope to be seen.
CRACK!!BOOM!!
Suddenly, bolts of lightning tore across the sky—violent, monstrous, like the claws of demons slashing the void. The thunder roared, a terrifying sound that felt like divine judgment.
Countless survivors were shaken awake in terror.
"Such huge thunder! And lightning! Is something else about to happen? The last time this happened, the sky split open and monsters poured through. It was an apocalyptic nightmare. So many died, and there weren't even bodies left behind."
"What's happening to this world? First day, monsters. Second day, the sun, moon, and stars vanished, and the world entered an ice age. How many people froze to death? Now it's the third day… What terrifying change is about to come?"
"Look! What is that?!"
A wave of fear swept across the survivors. It was fear of the unknown. Some even fell into complete despair.
But the sky did not care about human fear.
As thunder cracked and lightning flashed, massive multicolored vortices suddenly appeared in the sky, one after another. They looked like gateways to some unknown, mysterious world. From each vortex burst forth beams of radiant, multicolored light.
The light shot out fast—too fast to track—before quickly vanishing into the sky, fusing with the air itself. As if it were all a dream, too surreal to grasp. But the multicolored light continued to pour forth, endlessly, like an unstoppable tide.
The number of these vortices was beyond imagination. Everywhere across the sky, huge swirling gateways hung suspended, pouring out rainbow-colored radiance.
"Brother, what are those things?"Zhao Ziyan had rushed to the balcony with the others, their faces full of shock and confusion.
"This world has become something we no longer recognize," Chen Xuerou said with a bitter smile. "It's clear that heaven and earth are undergoing some kind of transformation again."
"What exactly is that light pouring out from the vortices?" Tang Zitong frowned, clearly thinking hard.
"No… something's not right. The concentration of heaven and earth's vitality is increasing. And it's increasing fast. Faster than before… These vortexes are spraying out pure world vitality—immense and overwhelming!"
Yi Tianxing's gaze sharpened.
The entire world was about to shift again.