I created an extraordinary era

Chapter 717 Five Years
After the press conference.

The wave of change sparked by the successful ignition of the "Golden Crow" is sweeping the globe at an astonishing pace.

From this moment on, the wheels of history have begun to turn.

The 45th year of the Extraordinary Era.

After six months of continuous and stable operation, the Supreme Academy has accumulated a massive amount of valuable data.

Huang Jinzhe and his team devoted their core energy to the design of the "Jinwu-2" demonstration reactor.

However, the goal at this point has become verifying the feasibility of its engineering and standardization.

At the same time, a long-term plan for adaptive transformation of the power grid throughout the entire Earth region began.

The scale of this plan far exceeds what ordinary people can imagine.

It must not only cope with the dramatic changes in the power structure brought about by the future grid connection of fusion energy, but also prepare for the coming era of energy surplus.

"We must launch the smart grid upgrade project immediately."

At the plenary session of the People's Federation, a representative from the Supreme Academy pointed to data that had just been transmitted back from the experimental base.

"According to the operational data of 'Jinwu-1', the output of a single fusion power plant in the future will be dozens of times that of an existing nuclear power plant. The existing power grid architecture simply cannot withstand this level of power surge."

"But the renovation will take time."

Another high-ranking human looked troubled.

"In particular, the upgrading of inter-regional transmission lines involves land acquisition, environmental impact assessments, and coordination among local power grids."

The issue has sparked heated debate.

After all, this is not just a technological upgrade, but a huge social systems engineering project.

Finally, with Xie Xuan's approval, three years were given for the renovation.

In fact, given the current mobilization capabilities of the People's Federation, it wouldn't take more than three years.

The reason for giving so much time is to allow the entire social system to transition smoothly and avoid violent shocks caused by too rapid changes.

The 46th year of the Extraordinary Era.

The first commercial demonstration power station based on the "Jinwu-2" design.

When the "Golden Crow Light 1" project was officially launched, the dream of unlimited energy finally became a reality.

In the same year, a megawatt-class fusion propulsion prototype emitted a dark blue exhaust plume during ground testing.

This also means that future spacecraft will no longer be able to rely solely on source crystals as their power core.

And ordinary people began to feel the tangible changes.

Electricity prices have begun a slow but definite downward trend, and fusion-related industries are attracting more and more investment.

The 47th year of the Extraordinary Era.

With the successful grid connection of "Golden Crow Light 1".

Clean, massive amounts of electricity have officially begun to flow into the city's lifeblood.

Electricity prices subsequently fell significantly.

In the second quarter of the same year.

The first-generation spacecraft "Qiming," designed specifically for the Earth-Moon route, has entered the development stage.

The year is now 48 of the Extraordinary Era.

The completion and commissioning of multiple "Golden Crow Light" series power plants have made fusion energy the dominant force in the new era of humankind.

The near-free electricity enabled large-scale projects that had previously been deterred by energy consumption to be launched on a large scale.

Technological development has reached an unprecedented speed.

It was also at the end of that year that the "Qiming" successfully completed its maiden flight.

This was also the most sensational event in the 48th year of the Extraordinary Era.

The "Enlightenment" is the first spaceship in human history to completely break free from dependence on source crystals and be powered by a fusion core.

This streamlined, silver-white spaceship is 82 meters long.

Its core component houses a miniaturized fusion reactor based on the "Jinwu-2" technology.

Although the "Qiming" spacecraft is not as maneuverable or explosive as the traditional spacecraft with the source crystal as its core.

But its advantage lies in its low cost.

Using source crystal as the power core is still too expensive.

And this is just the beginning.

With current iterative technology, within a maximum of twenty years, the Qiming spacecraft will be able to completely replace the current crystal-powered spacecraft and become the main means of transportation between the Moon and Earth.

By then, the price will only be one-fifth or even one-tenth of what it is today.

The 49th year of the Extraordinary Era.

The wheels of time are rolling forward faster than anyone expected.

In this year.

The first large public transportation shuttle, "Qingluan," developed based on fusion energy, has officially entered testing.

This streamlined, silver-gray shuttle is about thirty meters long and resembles a gentle water droplet, much like something out of a science fiction novel.

This air corridor connecting Kyushu Sea City and Kyoto is also the first public transportation line in human history specifically designed for large low-altitude aircraft.

It adopts a magnetic levitation-assisted take-off and landing and a fusion-powered cruise mode.

The 800-kilometer journey from Kyoto to Kaijo took only 45 minutes by plane.

This shuttle could actually go even faster.

But if it goes any faster, it will put a strain on the body of an ordinary person.

"Since flying shuttles have appeared, perhaps in a few hundred years, automobiles will become history just like ancient horse-drawn carriages."

A young engineer who participated in the maiden flight experience said this to his companion, half-jokingly.

Although this statement was made in jest, it does indeed represent the direction of future development.

Given the current pace of technological advancements, there is a high probability that personal flying shuttles will emerge a century from now.

Even traveling between Earth and the Moon will be as convenient and commonplace as riding the "Azure Phoenix" shuttle today.

"Hehe, that's assuming you live to see that day."

His companion patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

Both of them were merely extraordinary individuals at the Body Tempering Realm, and they wanted to see the world a hundred years from now.

Then one must become a Grandmaster of the Transcendent Realm.

"Let's go, we still need to organize the test data."

……

Early winter, year 49 of the Extraordinary Era.

The city of Jiangcheng welcomed its first light snowfall. The glistening snowflakes landed on the renovated gate of the Seventh Middle School, outlining the traces of time.

Today marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of No. 7 Middle School.

It was also a special alumni homecoming day held for the Class of '75, who achieved the best results in history.

That's right, the best result in history.

This glorious record, jointly created by Chen Mo, Chen Jing, Li Si, and others, still hangs on the honor wall of No. 7 Middle School, inspiring later generations of students.

Five years have passed, and although No. 7 Middle School has produced a few promising talents, it has never been able to replicate the success of that graduating class.

In the following years, not only did no students get into the top 30 universities, but even ordinary universities saw very few students get in.

In the most years, only three people were admitted to the prestigious university.

This has also affected the reputation of No. 7 Middle School, leading to a loss of high-achieving students.

Therefore, taking advantage of its 80th anniversary celebration, No. 7 Middle School invited the 75th graduating class to return to the school.

We hope to leverage the exemplary influence of these outstanding alumni to revitalize the school's reputation.

Amidst the swirling snowflakes, a car slowly appeared at the school gate.

The car door slid open, and Zhang Hao, dressed in a crisp dark blue uniform, stepped out.

Six months after graduating, he joined the Hanzhou Extraordinary Administration Bureau.

The Extraordinary Administration Bureau is a department under His Highness the Arbiter, with dozens of branches throughout the entire human territory.

Those who can enter not only need to be exceptionally strong, but also need to pass the assessment set by the Extraordinary Administration Bureau.

It's quite impressive that Zhang Hao was able to get in!

Compared to five years ago, he is now more upright, and the youthful immaturity between his brows has faded, replaced by the fortitude and composure befitting a law enforcer.

"Haozi!"

at this time.

A familiar shout came from inside.

Wang Kai ran over from not far away, his demeanor also changed drastically, his previously somewhat unrestrained personality seemed to have become much more reserved.

The two hugged tightly and pounded each other's shoulders.

"Wow, Lao Wang, it's been over half a year, has this breakthrough come?"

Upon sensing Wang Kai's aura, Zhang Hao's eyes lit up immediately.

"You've already broken through to the seventh level of Body Tempering, I can't possibly still be at the fifth level, can I?"

Wang Kai smiled smugly; he had broken through to the next level two weeks ago.

Reaching the sixth level of Body Tempering in just over five years is actually not a slow pace!

Unlike the top 30 exceptional universities.

These students from ordinary universities typically become extraordinary individuals only after a year of enrollment.

One reason is the issue of resources.

Students at top universities can directly obtain cultivation techniques and guaranteed resources, a privilege not available at ordinary universities.

On the other hand, it is also because it takes a relatively long time to learn the basics of the exercises.

In addition, some people failed the first time they tried to refine their skills.

Such people are actually quite common in ordinary universities, especially those in lower-ranked universities.

The threshold from ordinary person to extraordinary person is actually very difficult.

Most people need to undergo several tempering processes before they can officially enter the ranks of the extraordinary.

Only a small percentage of people succeed on their first try.

For example, nearly 70% of the freshmen in their year at Hanzhou Martial Arts Extraordinary University failed during their first body tempering attempt.

Wang Kai is one of them.

If it fails, and there are no original medicines or treatments available, it often takes one or two months before you can try again.

If it fails a second time, it will probably take more than six months to recover.

Therefore, it is already quite good if a student from an ordinary university can become a superhuman within a year.

Wang Kainian became a superhuman in the second semester of his second year.

Zhang Hao, on the other hand, was quite lucky. He successfully tempered his body on his first try and eventually became a superhuman by the end of his first year.

Upon graduation, Zhang Hao even broke through to the seventh level of Body Tempering.

Such a result would place them in the top 20% at Hanzhou Martial Arts and Literature University.

Very few students from ordinary universities can break through to the eighth level of Body Tempering before graduation.

The seventh and eighth levels of body tempering are the watershed between the middle and late stages.

The main reason is that the eighth level of body tempering involves the head, which requires extremely precise energy control.

The slightest mistake can damage one's spirit or even one's very essence.

Therefore, many extraordinary individuals spend a long time at the seventh level of body tempering to hone their mental strength.

Many people are stuck at the seventh level of Body Tempering for seven or eight years, or even more than ten years. Such people are basically stuck in the late stage of Body Tempering for their entire lives.

It will be very difficult to break through to the Innate Realm in the future.

of course.

If you're rich and can use mental potions to repeatedly hone your skills, then that's a different story.

As for Zhang Hao...

He expects it will take him about two or three years to break through to the eighth level of Body Tempering.

This is because the Extraordinary Administration offers relatively good benefits.

People like Wang Kai, who work as martial arts instructors at martial arts schools, have far fewer opportunities to earn contribution points each year.

If nothing unexpected happens, Wang Kai will likely never even reach the Innate Realm, let alone awaken his full potential.

"Speaking of which, the changes in the past five years have been truly remarkable!"

Looking at the endless stream of people at the school gate, Zhang Hao couldn't help but sigh:
"Who could have imagined that fusion energy could develop to this point in just five years?"

"Times are changing too fast."

Wang Kai nodded in agreement, reaching out to catch a few snowflakes:

"Who can disagree? The changes in the past five years feel greater than those in the previous fifty years."

"I heard a few months ago that the plan to immigrate to Mars had been put on the agenda, but the first batch of slots would only be given to extraordinary individuals."

"The Tiangang Alliance behind our Tiangang Martial Arts School has already begun preparations for this!"

"Oh"

Zhang Hao raised an eyebrow.

He was well aware that the Heavenly Gang Alliance was the largest supernatural force in Hanzhou. In the past six months, he had also dealt with the Heavenly Gang Alliance several times.

Three months ago, I met with the captain and a formal member of the Heavenly Gang Alliance.

That person's name was Lin Xiaoyu, a Grandmaster Transcendent Realm expert at the fourth level of the Transcendent Realm.

He ranked fifteenth in the Heavenly Gang Alliance.

"Old Wang, do your job well. If you can become a formal member of the Heavenly Gang Alliance, then I'll have to watch your face."

Upon hearing this, Wang Kai couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Also, official members.

He doesn't even have a good chance of becoming a peripheral member.

Currently, all peripheral members of the Heavenly Gang Alliance need to have at least the strength of the late stage of the Body Tempering Realm.

As for formal members, they must be at least Grandmasters, and not just any ordinary Grandmasters.

Instead, only those with the potential to break through to the mid-stage of the Transcendent Realm or even become Grandmasters can become official members.

After all, the Heavenly Gang Alliance now has six Grandmasters.

The strongest Qin Alliance Leader even became a top Grandmaster at the eighth level of the Transcendent Realm last year.

Most importantly, a formal member of the Heavenly Gang Alliance has entered the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Path.

Moreover, the Sky Road has been open for ten years and has not been eliminated.

The leaderboard shows that the opponent's strength has reached the seventh level of the Transcendent Realm, making him a Grandmaster.

With such strength, the Heavenly Gang Alliance could rank among the top ten not only in the Nine Provinces, but even in the entire human race.

"Zhang Hao, Wang Kai."

Just then, a clear voice rang out.

The two turned around to look.

A girl dressed in gray appeared in front of the two as she approached.

The person who arrived was none other than Chen Jing.

Her long hair was tied into a neat ponytail, and her face remained beautiful.

However, his eyes appeared sharper than they had five years ago.

"Sister Jing!"

Zhang Hao and Wang Kai quickly went to greet them.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Chen Jing smiled slightly.

Although she and Zhang Hao last met two and a half years ago, they haven't grown distant because they occasionally communicate in the group chat.

"Sister Jing, I heard before that you had already reached the ninth level of Body Tempering."

"It seems that you'll be able to break through to the Innate Realm in another year or two, right?"

Chen Jing gently shook her head.

"The Innate Realm is not so easy to reach."

“I’ve heard too many stories from Ling Shu University about people who have remained stuck at the tenth level of Body Tempering ever since they graduated.”

She didn't say anything.

Many people cultivate very quickly before the eighth level of Body Tempering, but once they reach the later stages of Body Tempering, especially the tenth level, they often get stuck for a long time.

As for Chen Jing, although her talent is not bad, it will probably take her at least five more years to break through to the Innate Realm.

There's no way around it; the transition from physical training to innate level is a huge watershed.

This requires not only talent and hard work, but also a lot of resources.

Even at top universities like Ling Shu University, most people don't get many contribution points.

Only the top geniuses who have a good chance of being admitted to the Extraordinary Academy will receive more resources.

In this day and age, if you don't want to become an extraordinary person, you can actually live a very comfortable life.

Low energy prices have significantly reduced the cost of living, and the convenience brought by fusion technology is everywhere.

But if you want to become an extraordinary being and continue down this path, you have to fight for it.

Compete for resources and opportunities.

For example, the qualifications for the Extraordinary Academy.

Each year, the Extraordinary Academy admits only a little over six thousand students.

However, the number of extraordinary individuals graduating from university each year reaches hundreds of thousands.

The chances are less than five percent.

Only the very best of the best are eligible to pursue further studies.

Moreover, things are actually not too bad while in school, but the competition after graduation is much greater than in school.

Many positions can generate fewer contribution points per year than schools.

For example, Wang Kai.

He worked as a martial arts instructor at the Tiangang Martial Arts Academy for half a year, and only earned a little over fifty contribution points.

It's basically the same as a high school teacher's salary.

Zhang Hao is much better, but he's still only around 100.

In this era, it is actually much more difficult for ordinary people with extraordinary abilities to gain contribution points than they imagine.

Five years ago, they thought that getting into university was the key to success, but they later realized that it was just getting an admission ticket.

The real competition begins the moment you become an extraordinary being.

Those once spirited vows and dreams have gradually lost their luster under the wear and tear of reality.

Wang Kai still remembers the vows they made at graduation.

To become a Grandmaster and leave one's name in the history of humanity.

But now, even breaking through to the innate level has become an unattainable goal.

Sometimes I think,

Wang Kai gazed at the falling snowflakes.

"If we hadn't chosen to become superhumans back then, would our lives be easier now?"

Zhang Hao remained silent for a moment, then gently shook his head:
"It might be easy, but you'll definitely regret it."

"That's right!"

Chen Jing nodded, her gaze extremely firm.

“I’ve seen too many people give up over the years. They may have an easy time in the first few years, but as they get older and watch others go further and further down the path of the extraordinary, regret slowly consumes them.”

"Only by becoming extraordinary can one live longer and witness a wider universe!"

"In this era of unprecedented change for humanity, are you willing to turn into a handful of dust in just a hundred years?"

It can be said that the biggest reason why most people want to become extraordinary is that they hope to have a longer lifespan.

The Transcendent Realm has a lifespan of two hundred years, and the Unity Realm has a lifespan of three hundred years.

It is said that beings in the True Spirit Realm, above the Unity Realm, can live for thousands of years.

A thousand years—just thinking about it is exhilarating.

Although the probability of reaching that level of cultivation is extremely low, there is no hope at all if one does not become an extraordinary being.

"I was just saying!"

Wang Kai smiled and waved his hand.

"If I hadn't become a superhuman, I wouldn't have the status I have now."

Putting aside their long lifespans, those with extraordinary abilities do indeed enjoy a very high status.

Even a transcendent being at the Body Tempering Realm is far superior to an ordinary person.

Take Wang Kai as an example.

If he converts his annual contribution points into Jiuzhou coins, he can get at least 200 million.

An annual income of 200 million yuan is a figure that many ordinary people cannot earn in their entire lives.

Of course, Wang Kai never even considered exchanging it.

In the world of extraordinary beings, contribution points mean cultivation resources and the possibility of breakthroughs—opportunities that money can't buy.

Even those who have completely given up on continuing on the path to transcendence are rarely willing to exchange contribution points for money.

After all, many high-end items can only be purchased with contribution points.

For example, spiritual plants and monster meat can only be purchased with contribution points.

Only Lingmi can be bought in extremely small quantities with money.

"By the way, will Brother Mo be coming back for the school's 80th anniversary celebration?"

Upon hearing Wang Kai's question, Chen Jing shook her head.

"I asked him before, and he said he didn't have time!"

"That's it!"

Upon hearing this, both of them felt a little regretful.

Chen Mo was the only one among everyone present who was admitted to the Extraordinary Academy.

When Chen Mo graduated from Kyoto University six months ago, he had already reached the mid-stage of the Innate Realm and his martial arts realm had reached the late stage of the Ming Jin Realm.

That's why he successfully passed the Starlight Academy's assessment six months ago.

Starlight Academy ranks seventh among the eleven combat-oriented extraordinary academies. Although it cannot compare with top academies such as Lingxiao Academy, it is still considered quite good.

Once you can enter the Extraordinary Academy, it basically means that you will definitely become a Grandmaster in the future, or even a Great Grandmaster.

"Speaking of which, Brother Mo should be at the late stage of the Innate Realm by now, right?"

Zhang Hao's tone carried a hint of longing.

"I've heard that at the Extraordinary Academy, even the most ordinary students can break through to the Grandmaster level before graduation."

"In a few years, when Brother Mo becomes a Grandmaster, I'm afraid I won't even have reached the Innate level yet."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Even the most talented Chen Jing wouldn't dare say that her breakthrough to the Innate Realm would be faster than Chen Mo's awakening.

The resources and training that the Extraordinary Academy can obtain are simply incomparable to those of these people.

"What are you talking about? Who broke through to the Grandmaster level?"

"Lin Hao!"

Upon seeing the person who had arrived, Zhang Hao's eyes immediately lit up.

Back in high school, he and Lin Hao were the closest of friends.

But ever since Lin Hao went to Icefield University, the two have rarely seen each other.

Lin Hao hasn't even come back more than a few times in recent years.

"Didn't you say you were going to join the army? How come you have time to come back?"

"I just finished a training camp recently, so I took leave to come back."

Lin Hao smiled and patted Zhang Hao on the shoulder.

"Mainly because it's been many years since I've been back, so I took this opportunity to come back and visit."

At this moment, Lin Hao was even more upright and muscular than in high school. His skin was slightly dark due to long-term training in the polar regions, but his eyes were sharper and more spirited than before.

"Eighth level of Body Tempering?"

Sensing Lin Hao's aura, Chen Jing's eyes narrowed slightly.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Hao and the other person realized what was happening.

"What the heck? Didn't you tell me six months ago that I only had the seventh level of Body Tempering?"

"I broke through during the previous training camp."

Lin Hao smiled but didn't say anything more.

He really didn't think there was anything to brag about in reaching the eighth level of Body Tempering.

There are just too many geniuses in the Northern Legion!

There are almost every innate realm cultivator of his caliber.

Some of the top geniuses have even become grandmasters in the Transcendent Realm.

"The military?"

Chen Jing murmured to herself, recalling that she had considered joining the army when she graduated half a year ago, but ultimately chose to stay at the university.

After all, once she breaks through to the Innate Realm, she can serve as a teaching assistant at Ling Shu University.

If one becomes a grandmaster, one can directly become a mentor.

Now it seems that joining the army might have been a better choice.

"Let's go, the school anniversary celebration is about to begin."

Lin Hao looked towards the auditorium, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

"It's been a long time since I've been back to No. 7 Middle School. I wonder if the training ground from back then is still the same."

The four walked side by side toward the hall.

The light snow had completely stopped at some point.
Sunlight streamed onto the snow-covered campus, bathing everything in a golden glow.

Despite the challenges ahead, their era has only just begun.
(End of this chapter)