I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

Gu Qing looked at the huge global holographic projection floating in front of him.

The black spots, representing small rifts in the void, spread across the globe like a virus. The blue dots, representing the more than one thousand disciples of Kunlun, tried their best to extinguish the black spots in various places, but with a population of billions, their efforts were like throwing a stone into the sea—utterly inadequate.

"A thousand people is too few."

Gu Qing's slender fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the throne, producing a crisp, cold sound. "Even if they work tirelessly, even if they burn their very marrow, they still can't protect this vast sea frontier and its billions of people."

[System notification: The host can initiate a second round of large-scale recruitment using system privileges.]

"We need to expand enrollment. But in chaotic times, harsh measures are necessary. I don't need geniuses raised in a greenhouse, much less ruthless madmen with no bottom line."

Gu Qing's eyes turned slightly cold. With a thought, he brought up the backend data panel of the [Spirit Realm Community].

"System, perform a full version upgrade of the Lingjing Community."

Gu Qing's voice echoed throughout the hall, carrying the divine authority of "words becoming law": "Add the [Entry Trial] module. I will conduct a cross-dimensional consciousness extraction across the entire country. The trial consists of three stages: first, questioning the heart; second, refining the will; and third, drawing blood."

Om-!

As Gu Qing gave the order, an invisible and vast wave of soul energy radiated from the spiritual veins at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, instantly spreading across the entire Chinese landscape.

……

At the same time.

Within China, hundreds of millions of netizens noticed that their mobile phone screens suddenly flickered.

Immediately afterwards, regardless of what software they were using, the screen was forcibly redirected to the homepage of [Lingjing Community].

The originally simple webpage background has now transformed into a vast and profound starry sky. In the center of this starry sky, several lines of large, imposing golden characters slowly emerge:

【Kunlun Sect Structure】

[One: Unofficial Disciple. Instructed in basic breathing techniques, assisting with defenses in various regions, and slaying low-level monsters.]

【Second: Outer Disciple. Upon entering the Kunlun Mountain gate, one will be taught orthodox immortal techniques and enjoy the sect's resources.】

[Three: True Disciples. Anyone who breaks through to the Foundation Establishment stage will automatically advance.]

[Four: Sect Steward. Those who have formed their Golden Core are granted the position of steward, wielding the power of life and death.]

[Fifth: Sect Elder. A powerful cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage, authorized to establish a sect peak and accept disciples, sharing the same fate as Kunlun Sect.]

These few lines of text were like a depth charge, instantly detonating throughout China!

In this desperate era where monsters roam and firearms are ineffective, this is no longer just a game setting; it is a real, visible ladder to the heavens! Class, power, lifespan, and the right to survive are all vividly portrayed in these few lines.

But what truly takes your breath away is the blood-red button at the very bottom of the webpage, throbbing like a heart:

[Kunlun Phase Two: National Trial]

[Click to enter]

A food delivery driver, lying on his bed in a rented room, stared at his phone screen, his eyes suddenly blazing with intense longing. He gritted his teeth, and with trembling, extended his calloused finger, pressing hard on the blood-red button.

The instant your fingertip touches the screen.

There was no electricity, nor was there any bright light.

The delivery driver felt a weightless sensation deep within his brain, as if his soul had left his body, and the world before him instantly went black.

"Clatter."

His phone fell to the ground. His body went limp and he collapsed onto the bed, his breathing steady and his heartbeat normal, but his consciousness had been forcibly pulled into an absolute illusion constructed by the system.

At that moment, across the land of China, tens of millions of ordinary people who had clicked the button with different purposes all fell into a deep sleep.

……

Trial Space, First Trial: Questioning the Heart.

Countless people's consciousness has fallen into the trap of pleasure, wealth, or the pinnacle of power.

Some people get lost in the embrace of stunning beauties, some stop in their tracks before mountains of gold, and some become obsessed with the vanity of wielding great power.

[Ding! Indulging in worldly desires, lacking a firm Daoist resolve. Eliminated.]

In this one hurdle alone, more than 60% of people were ruthlessly kicked out of the trial.

Trial Space, Second Stage: Refining Intent.

Those who resisted the temptations of desire suddenly found themselves on a seemingly endless stone staircase. Gravity was increased tenfold, twentyfold. With each step, it felt as if steel needles were piercing their souls.

Countless people broke down in tears and chose to give up due to the unbearable pain.

[Ding! Weak will, unsuitable for improvement. Eliminated.]

Only those who truly crave power and possess unwavering willpower managed to crawl through the second stage, covered in blood.

But they didn't know that the real hell was only just beginning.

On the Lingxiao Palace, Gu Qing looked at the survivors who had entered the third level, a cold smile curving his lips: "System, activate the final assessment. Block all their memories of the 'Click Trial,' and increase the pain simulation to 100%. I want them to believe... that when they're dead, they're really dead."

hum!

System command issued.

All subjects who entered the third stage had their surface memories of the "Spirit Realm Community" and the "Cultivation Trial" instantly severed!

……

Trial Space, Final Stage: Bloodshed.

A keyboard warrior who usually wields considerable influence online suddenly opens his eyes.

He found himself standing in a dark, damp dead end, the air thick with the nauseating smell of blood.

"I...I went downstairs to buy cigarettes, didn't I? Where am I?"

He completely forgot that he had participated in the trial and looked around blankly.

Before he could think further, at the end of the alley, a Void Predator, the size of an adult water buffalo and covered in barbs, was tearing apart a mangled corpse. Hearing the noise, the monster turned its head, its six scarlet compound eyes fixed on him.

A foul stench filled the air as the monster's gaping maw, filled with fangs, lunged straight at them!

"Aaaaaah! Monster! Don't eat me! Help!"

Having lost the psychological comfort of "this is just a game," even though it was just an extremely weakened version of a void creature, the 100% realistic pressure of death and the real stench of decay emanating from the monster instantly shattered the man's mental defenses.

He was so frightened that his crotch felt hot, and he collapsed to the ground, covering his head with his hands. He huddled in a corner like an ostrich, trembling, unable to even muster the slightest thought of resistance.

"Click."

The monster in the illusion bit off his head. The extreme pain of his brains splattering made him feel true death.

【Ding. 】

A cold voice echoed in his fading consciousness.

Faced with the void, they lost the will to resist. Cowards are unworthy of cultivating immortality.

[Assessment Result: Failed. Deportation.]

The man jolted awake in his computer chair, gasping for breath, his body drenched in cold sweat. He touched his unharmed neck in terror; the excruciating pain from his skull being bitten open still lingered in his cerebral cortex.

He looked at the computer screen; the "Enter Trial" button had turned gray with a glaring red cross on it.

He was completely eliminated by Kunlun.

……

Trial Space, Examination Room No. 30,000.

The delivery guy was also facing the terrifying monster that was lunging at him.

His memory was locked, and he thought he was lost on his way to deliver takeout. Looking at the giant beast dripping with venom in front of him, he was terrified, his legs shaking like a leaf.

But in the illusion, behind the monster, a phantom of a little girl crying appeared.

The monster roared, passed him, and pounced on the little girl.

The delivery driver thought of his younger sister, who was the same age as him, who lived far away in their hometown.

"A monster of the alpaca!!!"

In the face of overwhelming, real terror, a spark of courage and raw bravery, deeply ingrained in the Chinese psyche, was instantly ignited. He didn't run; he thought he was really going to die. But with bloodshot eyes, he roared, grabbed a rusty iron pipe from the side of the alley, and recklessly stabbed it into the monster's eye!

"Pfft!"

The chaotic attack resulted in the monster's bone scythe piercing his chest and pinning him to the wall. The excruciating pain caused him to vomit mouthfuls of blood, and his vision blurred.

But before he breathed his last, the iron pipe in his hand smashed one of the monster's eyeballs.

【Ding. 】

[Of mediocre talent and weak strength. But when faced with dire straits and death, he dares to draw his sword against a powerful foe, showing a certain amount of courage.]

Assessment Result: Partially Passed.

[Judgment: Granted the status of [Kunlun Unofficial Disciple]. Authorized to exchange contribution points for the shop. Responsible for guarding the mortal realm and clearing out low-level monsters.]

The delivery driver suddenly opened his eyes in bed. He instinctively covered his chest, where there was no wound, but it still ached faintly.

Immediately afterwards, a cyan mark symbolizing the peripheral forces of Kunlun appeared on his retina. In his mind, an endless list of exchanges was clearly visible.

He clenched his fists, feeling a faint warmth suddenly rising within his body. His eyes welled up with tears, and he trembled with excitement.

……

Trial Space, Examination Room No. 790,000.

A short-haired girl in a high school uniform with a cold gaze watched the monster pounce on her.

Having her memories of the trial erased, she believed she had simply taken a shortcut after evening self-study. Faced with the threat of death, she didn't scream like a keyboard warrior, nor did she frantically throw herself into it like a delivery driver.

She calmly took a half step back, pressing her body against the wall, her mind frantically calculating the monster's attack trajectory.

The monster's enormous body grazed her nose as it missed its target and crashed heavily into the wall.

It's now!

Without the slightest hesitation, the girl picked up a sharp shard of glass from the ground and leaped out like a cheetah. Instead of aiming for the monster's hard carapace, she used an extremely tricky and cruel angle to plunge the glass into the gap in its jaw, then twisted it forcefully!

Green, toxic blood sprayed all over her face, sizzling and corroding her. Intense pain shot through her brain, but she didn't even flinch, gripping the glass shard tightly until the monster finally stopped convulsing.

【Ding. 】

Extreme calmness, precise killing instincts, and absolute rationality maintained even in the face of genuine fear of death.

A born cultivator, a god of war born for battle.

[Assessment Result: Passed completely.]

[Judgment: Granted the status of [Outer Disciple of Kunlun].]

Please proceed to the nearest Kunlun reception point within three days, using your retinal imprint, to enter the mountain gate.

The short-haired girl wakes up at a realistic school desk.

She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead caused by the "severe pain," looked out the window at the red sky that was beginning to change, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.

……

It lasted a full three hours.

More than 300 million people across China clicked that button.

This is a war without gunfire, a soul-searching process that strips away all pretense and confronts humanity and life and death.

Inside the Lingxiao Palace.

Gu Qing quietly watched the data stream refresh like a waterfall in front of her.

Failure rate: 81.5%.

"Most people have lived in peacetime for too long, and their bones have softened. When faced with the real threat of death, they don't even have the courage to raise a fist. Such people are only fit to be kept as providers of moral support." Gu Qing's voice was cold and ruthless.

"Number of students admitted as non-official disciples: 21 million."

"Very good. These 20 million people will become the militia and informants stationed in mortal cities. They will be like a large net, nipping all low-level Void Infected in the bud. At the same time, they will also be the foundation of the cultivation world in the mortal realm."

Finally, Gu Qing's gaze fell on the last line of data, and her eyes lit up.

"Outer disciples admitted: 280,000."

"Two hundred and eighty thousand pieces of raw jade stained with blood."

Gu Qing stood up and looked at the boundless sea of ​​clouds outside the hall.

Once these 280,000 people arrive in Kunlun, he will use the harshest methods to refine and eliminate them. Even if only one-tenth survives, they will still be nearly 30,000 blood-soaked killing machines.

This is the true foundation he uses to fight against the void of the heavens.

"The blood and bones of the Chinese nation have been drawn up, and the seeds of revolution have been sown."

Gu Qing slowly turned her head, her gaze seemingly piercing through the barriers of space, looking towards the western continent on the other side of the earth.