Chapter 25

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Chapter 25: Title

Yan Hua’s head throbbed. When first informed of his transfer to a newly established department, he’d considered it inconsequential. Serving the people and remaining loyal to the nation mattered most, regardless of position.

Even after discovering his assignment involved managing supernatural entities, he maintained resolve. This shadow operation protecting national stability held critical importance.

He resolved to devote absolute focus toward effectively leading the "Special Abnormal Events Investigation Bureau," overseeing management teams averaging under thirty years old – excluding the research division, whose personnel trended older.

Until 9:00 AM today, 36-year-old Director Yan had approached forthcoming duties with confidence, having drafted meticulous contingency measures overnight.

None anticipated those plans becoming obsolete by midmorning. The Awakening of Spiritual Energy was supposed to manifest gradually, not erupt overnight. Yet research teams now reported atmospheric concentrations of "spiritual particles" multiplying a thousandfold.

Director Yan Hua felt his hair thinning.

He immediately mandated a two-hour preparation window before convening an emergency meeting. The crisis escalated rapidly, with multiple senior officials phoning personally to stress its gravity and demand containment strategies – including plausible explanations for international inquiries.

Yan Hua could only acquiesce, vowing to justify their trust.

The emergency meeting occupied their standard meeting room though attendance swelled beyond precedent, nearly every section’s primary and deputy leaders present.

"Lin Jing. Begin." Yan Hua’s command brooked no delay.

Lin Jing rose with internal dismay, cursing his past eagerness that branded him the director’s go-to scapegoat. Clearing his throat, he addressed the assembly:

"The current deluge of paranormal reports across internet platforms makes total eradication technically feasible. However, deletion invites greater peril – public distrust. Repeating our 1018 Incident approach risks catastrophic backlash given the unprecedented scale."

"Zero alternatives?" The director’s frown deepened.

Lin Jing suppressed a sigh. Naturally, the reactionary response prevailed. All understood the national stance: conceal the irreversible Spiritual Energy surge until fully prepared. The Special Bureau remained understaffed, and modern technology proved useless against spectral entities. Unlike their bear-neighbor nation’s RPG solutions, they couldn’t brute-force this.

Upper echelons favored secrecy, yet current circumstances demanded partial disclosure. During his two-second contemplation pause under Yan Hua’s piercing gaze, Lin Jing’s eyes darted to Liang An – better the buck pass than break bureaucratic walls.

Liang An tensed under the sudden attention.

"Director," Lin Jing smoothly redirected, "perhaps Liang An should first present compiled data regarding current online anomalies."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room. Most attendees had glimpsed fragmentary reports; none possessed comprehensive insights. Even Yan Hua needed consolidated data from the bureau’s digital overseer.

"Proceed, Liang An."

That bastard Lin Jing! Liang An’s eyelid flickered as he rose, clutching his laptop like a shield. "Yes, Director."

He projected his screen, voice steady despite simmering resentment. "As of ten minutes ago, our Sky Net trawl captured these trending incidents…"

Kunlun Mountain has long been revered as the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains and the First Divine Peak in Zhongxia, believed to be the origin of the dragon veins coursing through the Nine Provinces. Throughout successive dynasties, this sacred range has been honored as Kunlun Xu – a celestial realm where heaven meets earth.

Mythology paints Kunlun as an ethereal paradise shrouded in enigma, and even in contemporary times, its status as the progenitor of dragon veins remains unchallenged. Over decades, innumerable travelers and climbers have journeyed to its slopes, with Yuzhu Peak in the eastern range becoming pilgrimage ground for mountaineering enthusiasts.

At precisely nine this morning, footage emerged from a neighboring summit showing tendrils of purple energy coiling upwards from Yuzhu Peak like celestial dragons ascending through wisps of cloud. The luminous haze stained stratospheric layers across a thousand miles, transforming swirling cirrus into violet maelstroms that danced through the firmament before plunging back into the mountain’s heart.

While this spectacle was captured by climbers, another viral recording from Kunlun shows a silver-clad figure gliding effortlessly through wind and snow before vanishing into the blizzard’s embrace. The grainy footage, relying heavily on its uploader’s vivid narration, remains hotly debated among online communities.

……

The Spiritual Energy surge triggered explosive botanical growth resembling drought-stricken land receiving sudden rainfall, though mercifully most urban flora maintained manageable proportions. Lawn grasses rose merely from ankle to shin height, while municipal gardeners easily trimmed ornamental shrubs extending palm-length branches.

Yet the phenomenon proved impossible to conceal as off-season blossoms erupted nationwide – even the newly transplanted peach tree behind the Special Bureau headquarters burst into premature bloom. Concurrently, hospitals reported miraculous recoveries, with countless citizens claiming minor ailments vanished after the Purple Energy’s passing.

Internet users flooded forums with pet videos alleging their animals gained uncanny intelligence post-event, regarding owners with what some described as "disdainful enlightenment". Liang An cautioned against hasty conclusions, noting insufficient evidence for true metamorphosis since the nation’s founding.

Domesticated creatures showed minimal changes, but primitive jungles told different tales. Scientific Research cameras in Shennongjia captured unprecedented scenes – predator and prey momentarily abandoning natural enmities beneath the violet skies. Flora in these primordial woods expanded by half again their size, prompting experts to declare restricted zones pending ecological stabilization.

……

During a wilderness adventure streamer’s distress call from overgrown thickets, viewers witnessed a botanical marvel: an emerald sapling sprouting, fruiting, and ripening a crimson orb within five minutes. The apricot-sized fruit’s intoxicating aroma filled the live stream as armchair experts proclaimed it the legendary Crimson Fruit of immortality.

Though no rational person would consume unidentified wilderness specimens, the streamer – self-proclaimed fantasy enthusiast – succumbed to temptation amid viewers’ gift-fueled prodding. Post-consumption, he vanished into shrubbery for urgent relief, returning to reveal slimmer features and… a dancing flame upon his fingertip.

The chat exploded with "Who ARE you?!" and demands to know if this was survival streaming or CGI wizardry.

……

Mount Taihua’s granite ridges, stretching south to embrace Qinling’s embrace while surveying the Huangwei River’s northern course, birthed the "Hua" in Zhongxia’s ancient "Huaxia" identity. On that fateful morning, countless visitors scaling its cliffs paused mid-ascent to witness violet mists swirling through the sacred peaks – another cosmic marvel gracing humanity’s awakening.

Almost every visitor carried a phone, with some wielding professional cameras to capture the scenery. Countless videos flooded the internet within ten minutes of Purple Energy’s manifestation.

Why ten instead of five? Just as the violet glow dissipated, travelers on Mount Hua’s cliffside path witnessed a colossal Ancient Stone Tablet materializing mid-air over the misty ravines, its inscriptions frustratingly obscured by shifting veils of mist.

The relic lingered for mere three seconds – a fleeting vision that vanished as abruptly as it appeared, leaving spectators doubting their own eyes.

A North Peak video revealed a blue-robed Young Man with traditional hair bun, transfixed by the tablet’s former position.

As mountain breezes tousled his garments, his entire bearing shifted within moments. Unaffected by chattering tourists, he suddenly erupted into exhilarated laughter before darting down the mountain path.

The footage showed him moving with preternatural speed, covering dozens of meters per stride before disappearing entirely – bystanders behaving as though no phantom figure had passed through their midst.

……

At Wudang Mountain, a Taoist Priest leading disciples in sword drills appeared to achieve sudden enlightenment amidst the purple-tinged skies. Tourist recordings captured his long sword tracing arcs of cold brilliance that sent involuntary shivers through viewers.

……

Within Shaolin Temple, Radiant Light (Buddha Light) bathed courtyards where Golden Lotuses bloomed in transcendent harmony. From their midst rose a White Lotus Platform bearing a Revered Figure (gender unknown) with coiled hair beneath translucent veils.

Adorned in fragrant crown and jeweled vestments, this ethereal being’s phoenix-embroidered robes flowed like liquid rainbows. The celestial countenance – smiling lips, moon-pale brows, starlit eyes – radiated compassion that brought devotees to their knees.

Videos of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara enlightening a little monk while thousands prostrated themselves quickly dominated online platforms.

……

When Zhongxia’s guqin master passed, his funeral attendees witnessed phantom strings playing his cherished composition upon the layered instruments.

The haunting melody seemed to whisper farewells to a departing soul.

……

Europe reclaimed its trending list position as Purple Energy’s dawn coincided with foreign midnight. Entire skies ignited with false daylight – obsidian night transforming into dawn’s blush within heartbeats. This brilliance coalesced into a celestial web woven from unknown material, its prismatic strands holding observers spellbound until the ephemeral construct dissolved.

Unrestrained foreign forums exploded with apocalyptic cults and New Age prophecies, chaos surpassing domestic reactions.

……

At Kingdom of England’s Glassdon Castle, a forty-second mirage displayed winged sprites and ethereal maidens dancing through crystalline spires.

Citizens declared this vision Avalon – legendary afterlife isle where time holds no sway. The fairies were proclaimed guardian spirits, the maidens Arthurian lake nymphs preserved in eternal youth.

……

In Vatican City’s midnight celebrations, marble statues animated as the Pope recited scripture. A luminous dawn pierced night’s veil, revealing mist-wreathed sacred mountain crowned by holy light architecture.

Celestial choruses swelled as winged messengers circled the peak. The stunned crowd gaped at this potential manifestation of Nine Sacred Mountains – Yahweh’s purported throne within Crystal Heaven.

As the vision faded, a twelve-winged entity emerged: golden-haired, white robe flowing, red cross gleaming at its chest – before dissolving with the fading holy light.

The angel possessed a striking handsomeness, compassionate eyes cast downward in contemplation as he gazed upon those below. When both the sacred mountain and celestial holy light vanished from the sky, the prostrate devotees discovered miraculous changes within themselves – divine blessings that cured chronic illnesses and erased years of suffering…

At precisely 10:00 AM in Kyoto’s Ise Grand Shrine, Japan, an ethereal radiance illuminated the ancient grounds. Eyewitness accounts and video evidence revealed phenomena mirroring the Vatican City event, with observers claiming visions of Takamagahara and Amaterasu, supreme deity among Japan’s eight million gods. Shaman and priestess pressed their foreheads to the stone floor, trembling as they received the sacred prophecy.

"The most credible incidents we’ve currently verified…" Liang An pushed up his glasses, "…alongside several requiring further investigation." He methodically presented the compiled reports.

"Impossible!" Director Yan Hua massaged his temples. The global scale of these events made containment unthinkable.

"Three remaining matters, Director." Liang An gestured at the shifting screen. "Section Chief Cui’s new intern, Bai Ye – the bloodline bearer we discussed – was scheduled for headquarters examination this week. However…"

The surveillance footage showed the young man levitating before dissolving into air currents. Though captured on phone cameras, the enhanced resolution revealed crisp details of this impossible ascension.

Yan Hua’s stony expression concealed turbulent thoughts – no reasonable person could’ve anticipated this outcome, let alone blamed Cui Ming.

"Additionally," Liang An continued, "all containment facility ghosts have disappeared. More accurately…" he adjusted his collar, "…they’ve become completely undetectable nationwide since the incident."

Before the director could respond, the analyst revealed his pièce de résistance – satellite imagery timestamped 09:00:00. A gargantuan tree with jade branches and metallic foliage dwarfed Blue Star, the planet appearing as a cerulean berry nestled in cosmic foliage. Shattered limbs oozed black ichor while celestial fruits hung wilted among leaves.

"ESA’s deep-space monitors captured this for precisely one second." Liang An displayed a reconstruction engulfing the solar system – planets dangling like ripe fruit beneath Yggdrasil-scale boughs.

Lin Jing leaned forward, fingers steepled. "Those spheres in the foliage… planetary bodies? Or something more arcane?"

Professor Shi emerged from his stunned silence. "Jianmu from Eastern lore reaches celestial heights, yet this…" He gestured at the projection. "…resonates more with Yggdrasil’s World Tree mythology."

Director Yan Hua’s knuckles rapped hardwood. "Speculation later. Present strategy – how much do we disclose publicly?" The resulting silence weighed heavier than dying stars.

“I propose we first disclose the Awakening of Spiritual Energy while withholding other details. Today’s incidents have been conclusively linked to this phenomenon,” Lin Jing presented his premeditated proposal.

“Furthermore, we should locate the transformed individuals from Chief Liang’s surveillance footage. The Special Bureau urgently requires such extraordinary talents.”

“Those clips represent mere fragments. Full background checks would demand significant time,” Liang An replied through gritted teeth, his expression betraying nothing.

After brief consideration, Yan Hua issued directives:

“Chief Liang’s division handles target identification. Lin Jing will coordinate Analysis Section 3’s screening of civilian experts, assisted by Special Operations Section.”

“Professor Shi Fan – compile mythological references from the Supernatural Phenomena Division’s data.”

“Lin Jing, have publicity draft an official statement for my review. Timing remains pending.”

“Upon retrieval of subjects by Special Operations and Analysis teams, Scientific Research Division 6 conducts non-invasive examinations. Avoid provoking distrust – remember those persistent lab experiment rumors online.”

Division 6 Chief Lv Qiuping interjected impatiently: “What’s the ETA on subject delivery?”

Attendees suppressed eye-twitches at his eagerness. Lin Jing maintained composure: “Expect immediate assignments. Di Yun reports Cui Ming’s returning with Bai Ye, Miss Ghost in Red, and… another spectral entity.”

The council extended another hour, debating not just benefits but impending challenges from the spiritual awakening – threats humanity remained oblivious to.

*

Within Ye Linlang’s exclusive office, the architect of this new era sprawled exhaustedly. Her marathon had spanned Shaolin Temple’s sacred halls to Japan’s shrines.

Materializing Guanyin and Amaterasu – both high-tier entities – demanded exorbitant Fantasy Points. Her system permitted two illusion types:

1. Autonomous constructs like Ghost in Red, imbued with self-awareness – essentially divine creations.

2. Basic projections: temporary, non-interactive holograms for tactical use or memory storage.

Below tier seven, spiritual energy sufficed for maintenance. Beyond that tier, practitioners touched fundamental truths – their very existence reflecting cosmic comprehension. Fabricating tier seven+ entities required not just Fantasy Points but rule-system emulation.

Tier thirteen demanded divine authority (Western "divine rank") – currently impossible on Blue Star until global tier seven ascension.

Amaterasu’s solar dominion (tier thirteen) and Guanyin’s tier twelve status presented challenges. The bodhisattva’s script significance prohibited half-measures.

Aura differentiation proved critical – practitioners discern tier disparities. Divine signatures mustn’t resemble lower tiers, lest exposure follow planetary advancement.

Ye Linlang’s solution? Leverage her tier seventeen supremacy to mimic lower divine auras flawlessly. Current deception came easily; future-proofing required meticulous planning.

*

Earlier at Shaolin Temple…

A novice monk tended Guanyin’s altar beneath murals of merciful manifestations. Pilgrims flowed endlessly – lighting incense, donating oil, whispering desperate prayers to the stone-faced goddess who’d soon walk among them.

Outside the main hall, young adult monks greeted visitors with practiced smiles as they approached to light incense. Their expressions grew a touch more genuine whenever coins clinked into the donation box.

Ye Linlang arrived at Shaolin Temple just in time to witness this scene.

Sweeping her Fantasy Points across the temple’s monks, she absorbed their innermost thoughts. After a moment’s contemplation, she waved her hand to alter her appearance.

"Either not sincere in faith or too advanced in years…" She sighed, having come to propagate Buddhist teachings as she’d once disseminated Daoist principles through the Ancient Stone Tablet, enlightening that sword-wielding Taoist.

Yet Buddhism’s particular emphasis on devotion compelled her to manifest as Guanyin. Scanning the temple, she found none suitable—proof of Shaolin’s rumored worldly ambitions.

Her gaze settled on a thirteen-year-old novice sweeping the hall. Without his shaved head, he might have passed for a fair-complexioned youth with rosy lips and bright eyes in modern society.

"The flowers of the nation are its children—he shall be the one. Unclouded mind, untarnished thoughts."

Suddenly, the golden Guanyin statue emitted a soft radiance. Ye Linlang materialized in the folkloric image of the bodhisattva—serenely seated upon a lotus throne, compassion illuminating her countenance.

Golden Lotuses descended upon the awestruck devotees as she observed them in her Guanyin guise. After stunned silence, the crowd prostrated themselves, the young novice setting aside his broom to kneel quietly.

Adorned with a fragrant jeweled crown and robes embellished with jade pendants and phoenix-feather embroidery, her presence exuded grace. Her face radiated innate joy, lips crimson, brows arched like the moon, eyes bright as stars—every aspect of her form embodied solemn compassion, enveloped in an aura of auspicious radiance.

None could doubt this was the Revered Guanyin.

"We greet the Merciful Mother!"

"Hail the Bodhisattva!"

"Honored Revered Guanyin!"

"I am Guanyin, come to propagate Dharma in this era of Spiritual Energy’s Awakening."

With an elegant gesture, she bade them rise. "No need for ceremony." The crowd found themselves standing despite themselves.

"Though deities remain hidden in this end-time, worldly prosperity flourishes." Her gaze settled on the novice. "Approach, child."

The boy pointed uncertainly to himself, then hastened forward at her nod.

"Will you bear Buddhism’s legacy? Guide mortals to virtue, rescue them from peril?"

"Me? Could I…?"

"You carry Buddha’s pure heart within," Ye Linlang affirmed, studying his guileless features—remarkable purity in this ambition-driven temple, rare even beyond its walls.

Meeting the bodhisattva’s benevolent gaze, the novice felt lingering doubts dissolve. He kowtowed fervently.

"I accept."

"Treasure this transmission." Her fingertip brushed his forehead, imparting cultivation techniques and ancestral memories.

As her voice echoed, the hall stood empty. Moments later, the novice opened enlightened eyes—luminous yet composed—to face the visitors.

"Amitabha. This humble Huixin greets devotees."

Temple authorities soon arrived, dispersing crowds before confronting the self-styled "Wise Heart."

"The Revered Guanyin truly manifested?"

Abbot Shi Yixin turned to the young monk by Guanyin Hall’s entrance. "Yuan Guang—you witnessed this. Truth or illusion?"

“Master Uncle, it’s true—many tourists witnessed it firsthand.”

“The Revered Figure bestowed teachings upon Little Seven—I mean, Wise Heart.”

Wise Heart stood aside, his smooth scalp flushing under the collective gaze of monastic elders and abbots. “Abbot speaks truth—it was Revered Guanyin herself,” he affirmed with devotion. “She not only imparted Buddhist cultivation techniques but elevated my cultivation to Tier One.”

“Cultivation?” Abbot Shi Yixin blinked, struggling to grasp the young monk’s terminology.

“The Revered One declared the end-time has concluded.”

“Purple energy fills the dawn…spiritual veins awaken…”

While Shaolin Temple buzzed with these revelations and Special Bureau envoys prepared their approach, Ye Linlang vanished—reappearing instantly in Japan.

Though diminutive in size, this land claimed eight million deities. Among them, she selected Amaterasu, sovereign of Takamagahara’s celestial realm, as her “Awakening’s” vessel.

Manifesting at Kyoto’s Ise Grand Shrine—a bustling tourist site—she diverged from Guanyin’s subtle approach. Through her system, the World Tree’s crimson sphere materialized, projecting Takamagahara’s divine dominion that hovered like a blood-tinted glass orb.

The phantom of this sacred realm shimmered above the shrine. Upon its celestial throne sat a figure crowned with golden filigree, midnight tresses flowing over twelve-layered crimson and white robes etched with gilt patterns.

“Where stands my shaman?” Her voice cascaded like mountain stones, pinning visitors and shrine attendants alike beneath divine gravity.

A priestess in white robes and scarlet hakama pressed against the earth. The trembling chief shaman finally managed, “Ise’s chief shaman greets Amaterasu-sama.”

“Upon rousing, I find my people’s lands choked with malice. How does my chosen steward permit such defilement…?”

The goddess’s image—radiant and terrible—lingered until Daoist rituals bridged mortal and divine. As Takamagahara dissolved into heavens’ veil, Ye Linlang reviewed the footage in her office.

“Not bad for a debut performance.” She grinned, fingertips brushing her chin. Stage fright avoided, Japan’s awakening secured—one chess piece properly placed.

Her attention turned inward. Other nations would discover their destined marvels; her current priority gleamed brighter. “System,” she summoned, anticipation sparkling in her eyes, “let’s savor Tier One’s delights.”

The Awakening of Spiritual Energy had seeded global energies at Early Tier One. Three moons would nurture this to Tier One Pinnacle—thereafter, Tier Two’s ascent demanded her personal cultivation.

【Awakening of Spiritual Energy System】

【Owner: Ye Linlang】

【Cultivation: Early Tier One】

【World Tier: Early Tier One (Upgradeable)】

【Fantasy Points: 75,608,500】

This global spectacle—surpassing both haunted castle mystique and Xiao Tianji’s affair—yielded seventy-five million Fantasy Points. Exactly as calculated.

Moreover, it had only been half a day. Given more time for events to unfold, surpassing 100 million Fantasy Points should pose no problem.

Ye Linlang glanced at her status panel. Tier One already? It felt almost the same. She frowned pensively before sighing. The thrill of tier twelve and thirteen during her alias days must have dulled her perception of lower tiers.

Though those past powers were mere Fantasy Point simulations, the visceral experience had felt utterly authentic.

"Never mind. Tier One’s perk of staying awake for days without exhaustion is decent enough." She wouldn’t starve before her spiritual energy depleted completely, though hunger pangs would persist.

"System, report on Rule Solidification progress."

【No anomalies detected. All parameters align with projected outcomes.】

The stabilized Heavenly Dao rules now governed phenomena like the Special Bureau’s discussed veil preventing ordinary people from perceiving spirits. Ghostly manifestations no longer required her Fantasy Point expenditure – death itself triggered their automatic formation through established protocols.

The netherworld’s newly appointed Black and White Guardians would soon patrol cities, ferrying week-old souls to their final rest. Allowing public ghost sightings across Blue Star’s teeming population would invite pandemonium.

Ye Linlang’s vision for world ascension demanded controlled chaos – enough to stimulate growth without plunging civilization into prolonged disorder. With a wave, holographic displays materialized showing global leaders’ conferences, including the United States president’s crimson-faced tirade.

"Special Bureau performs adequately. Others scrape by. As for America…" She stifled laughter watching the political spectacle. "Not my oversight. Your nation’s brief history lacks mythological roots after displacing Indigenous Peoples. No legends mean no salvation through Spiritual Energy Awakening."

"Fear not – fairness compels me to extend opportunity. Whether you seize it…" Her voice trailed off. Summoning the Feathered Serpent from Amerindian lore would backfire spectacularly given historical atrocities against its worshippers.

"None detected the traps I’ve planted." Her left screen displayed curated scenes – mist-shrouded villages, demonic statues in curio shops, Shennongjia’s primal depths, and roiling earth veins beneath Kyushu’s crust.

She stretched languidly. Beyond mandatory appearances for key events, her schedule lay open. "System, remaining manuscript count? Vacation feasible?"

【Single chapter remains.】

"What?! Didn’t I draft several recently?" Her gaming plans evaporated. "Fudge! Now leave me to type!"

【Daily quota: 10k words across three chapters. Current progress insufficient.】

Tears welling, she yanked out her keyboard. "Screw consistency! Barely anyone reads this anyway. Might as well abandon- "

【Novel ‘I Am a Goddess on Earth’ maintains 35,895 collections with 80% subscription retention. Performance exceeds 97% of website works.】

"Royalties mean nothing now. Divine beings shouldn’t debase themselves typing!"

【Behavioral analysis suggests gaming addiction. Note: Two days prior, user pledged ‘Mwah~ No hiatus ever!’ to readers.】

"…Recycle bin awaits when I’m done with you." Her keyboard clattered under furious keystrokes. "Worthless system!"

【Uninstall Awakening of Spiritual Energy system?】

"—Cancel!"

The cosmic architect orchestrating global upheaval finalized her impromptu vacation plans. Three pre-written chapters would enable brief respite. Her system-managed gaming accounts likely boasted max levels and complete achievements – perfect for glorious returns.

Let systems manage her meticulously crafted world. Flawless protocols required minimal oversight. Only loose ends needed tying before leisure.

The alternate space-concealed World Tree remained invisible below tier seventeen – preserving mystique and security. While not indestructible, its stability ensured planetary safety.

Cross-dimensional invasions couldn’t occur spontaneously. World consciousnesses required proxy conflicts between intelligent beings to claim dominance. Should entity rivalling planetary will emerge… well, that’s what goddesses were for.