I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

China's airspace, at an altitude of 12,000 meters.

If the previous scene was shocking, then the current scene is "terrifying" that makes all radar operators' scalps tingle.

Two J-20 fighter jets, responsible for combat readiness patrols, are carrying out routine missions above the clouds.

The pilot, codenamed "Falcon," glanced at the radar screen, where the few green dots that had previously marked commercial airliners were suddenly covered by a dense cluster of red dots.

"Control tower! Control tower! This is Falcon 01!"

The pilot's voice trembled with disbelief, "Radar indicates a large swarm of unidentified flying objects is approaching! Speed... Mach 0.8! They're accelerating to follow the leader!"

"What is that? A swarm of drones? Or a barrage of missiles?"

The control tower remained silent for a full three seconds.

Then, an aged but extremely steady voice came through; it was the highest-ranking military commander who had directly switched to the communication channel:

"Falcon 01, maintain course, do not lock on, do not attack."

That's not the enemy.

The pilot was stunned: "Not the enemy, sir? Their radar cross-section is very small, and they don't have any transponder signals..."

"Falcon 01, that's a Kunlun trainee."

"Those are our children, they've gone to guard our nation's borders."

Just then, the magnificent "river of light" burst forth from the clouds below.

They were a group of "young people" riding flying swords and surrounded by flowing light.

The azure spiritual energy released by the identity jade pendants not only provided them with a continuous propulsion for flight, but also formed a semi-transparent spiritual energy shield on the surface of each person's body.

This shield perfectly insulated against the fierce winds and extreme cold at high altitudes.

They didn't need to be fully armed like fighter jets; some were even wearing only thin sweaters, while others wore traditional Chinese clothing for New Year's greetings. They stood with their hands behind their backs, riding flying swords, their clothes fluttering, their demeanor as relaxed as if they were strolling in their own backyard—if you ignored the Mach 2 speed beneath their feet.

"Is this... what cultivators are like?"

The wingman muttered to himself, "There's no aerodynamic design whatsoever, completely ignoring gravity... This is just too absurd."

The lead pilot took a deep breath and looked at the group of resolute faces.

He saw one of the boys, perhaps just eighteen years old, notice the approaching fighter jet, turn his head, and nod slightly at the jet through the shield and cockpit glass.

There was no fear in those eyes, only a detached calm.

The pilot instinctively raised his hand and gave a standard military salute.

Even if the other party cannot see him, even if the other party is an "immortal" and he is a "mortal".

But he knew where the children were going.

"Good luck, fellow Daoists of Kunlun."

He said in a low voice over the communication channel.

The fighter jet then rolled over, clearing the way.

The river of light accelerated instantly, transforming into countless meteors that pierced through the sea of ​​clouds and rushed headlong into the East China Sea, which had turned purplish-black.

……

The ground, Suzhou, in the Jiangnan region.

Half an hour after Zhang Xiaofan left.

The house remains the same as it was at breakfast, except that the child who ate the most is gone.

The mother sat blankly on the sofa, clutching the napkin she used to wipe her mouth.

The father squatted by the door, smoking one cigarette after another, the snow at his feet littered with cigarette butts.

"Do you think... Xiao Fan can come back?" the mother finally couldn't help but ask, her voice breaking.

The father's hand trembled slightly, and some cigarette ash fell onto the back of his hand, burning a red spot, but he seemed not to feel it.

"Yes. Definitely."

The father's voice was hoarse. "He's going to become a god. Gods don't die so easily."

"But...but it was just reported on the news."

The mother pointed to the television, where an emergency news broadcast was interrupting the broadcast: a massive storm surge had occurred in the East China Sea, and coastal cities were being evacuated.

Although it wasn't officially stated, anyone who experienced the changes of the year of "revitalization" knows what it means.

That was war.

Suddenly remembering something, the mother rushed into Xiao Fan's room like a madwoman, kneeling on the floor and searching for the box under the bed.

That was what my son told me before he left.

The box was dragged out and opened.

There was no gold or silver treasure inside, only two small white porcelain bottles neatly arranged, and a letter that had been written long ago.

[Dad, Mom:]

By the time you read this letter, I may already be on a mission.

These are "Rejuvenation Pills" and "Longevity Pills," which I exchanged for with contribution points this year. Although it's not much, it's enough to ensure you two live to be a hundred years old without illness or disaster.

[And that bank card, it contains the stipend I earned doing tasks for the school, the password is my birthday.]

Don't be stingy; eat and drink what you want.

[If... I mean if, I didn't come back. The school will give you a compensation payment. The compensation payments in Kunlun are quite high, enough for your retirement.]

Don't be sad. What your son did was something important that brings honor to the family.

[Your son, Zhang Xiaofan, kowtows.]

The letter was short and the handwriting was somewhat messy, clearly written in a hurry.

But at the end of the letter, there was a noticeable tear stain, which had already dried.

"Wow--!!!"

Clutching the box of medicine, the mother burst into heart-wrenching sobs on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year.

This is hardly a gift.

This is clearly a son using his own life to buy "retirement insurance" for his parents.

……

The color of the sky changed. The further east we flew, the darker the sky became.

The original blue sky and white clouds have disappeared, replaced by a depressing leaden gray, with low-hanging clouds that seem almost within reach.

The sea breeze carried a strong smell of fish and sulfur, and even through the shield, one could almost feel the malice emanating from it.

"Attention all troops! Arrive at the designated airspace!" Chu Tian's voice, clear and calm, resounded throughout the entire army via the divine sense network.

More than two thousand sword lights paused simultaneously, hovering in mid-air. When the group of young cultivators first saw the scene beneath their feet, everyone involuntarily held their breath.

Shock. It was a fear born of primal biological instinct.

The sea below was no longer blue. The area of ​​sea, spanning nearly a hundred kilometers, had taken on an eerie deep purple hue.

The seawater seemed to be boiling, with countless huge bubbles churning and rising, each bubble bursting and releasing a plume of black mist.

At the horizon, a massive black rift, like a scar in the sky, stretched across the horizon. Within the rift, countless twisted shadows could be vaguely seen writhing, as if some creature not of this world was trying to squeeze in.

What made them even more uneasy was the extremely high concentration of spiritual energy there.

It reached a level of ferocity. The spiritual energy there wasn't for cultivation; it was filled with radiation and pollution.

"This is... what we're going to face?" At the back of the group, a female disciple was pale, her hand holding the flying sword trembling slightly.

"What are you all trembling about!" A sharp shout rang in everyone's ears. Chu Tian stood at the very front of the group, his Azure Nether Sword emitting a deep hum, its light forcing the surrounding black mist back three feet.

He didn't turn around; his back was like a black mountain, standing steadily in front of everyone.

"The spiritual energy within the jade tablet can sustain high-intensity combat for another half hour." "That half hour will be our exam time."

Chu Tian drew his sword, the tip pointing directly at the crack: "We only have one mission—" "No matter what crawls out of there, chop it up and throw it back into the sea to feed the fish!"

……

At the summit of Kunlun, above the sea of ​​clouds.

This place is thousands of kilometers away from the East China Sea, but for Gu Qing, the battlefield is right in front of him.

He was still dressed in a white robe, standing with his hands behind his back, and a huge holographic water mirror was floating in front of him.

On the water mirror, the vital signs, remaining spiritual energy, and energy level readings of each disciple were displayed in real time.

He was like a cold-blooded chess player, watching the pieces on the board take their places.

[System notification: Enemy advance force is about to break through the dimensional barrier.]

[Energy Level Determination: Qi Refining Stage (Large Amount) ~ Foundation Establishment Peak (Small Amount)]

[Comparison of enemy and friendly forces: Disadvantageous.]

"Host, do you want to activate remote fire support?" the system's voice sounded. "The attack module of the mountain protection formation is fully charged and can launch an over-the-horizon attack on the crack, which can reduce casualties."

"No." Gu Qing refused calmly.

"But they are still 'children,' they haven't experienced real war yet."

Although the system has no emotions, its logic determines that such a loss is too great and does not maximize benefits.

"It is precisely because they are children that they need to shed blood." Gu Qing's gaze pierced through the water mirror and landed on those resolute faces that, though pale, still gripped their flying swords tightly.

"Flowers in a greenhouse can't grow into towering trees." "I gave them the best cultivation techniques, the best magical treasures, and even overdrawn the resources of Kunlun to give them the ability to fly." "If we can't even withstand this weakest first wave of impact, then there's no point in continuing human civilization."

Gu Qing sat back down on the boulder, closed his eyes, and refused to look at the scene any longer. He wouldn't intervene. Unless... all the children were dead, or that big guy (a lord at the Golden Core stage or above) really crawled out.

"Just watch." Gu Qing's voice drifted through the wind and snow, carrying an almost divine indifference.

"Today is their coming-of-age ceremony."