Chapter 119: Remaking the World, The Existence Above Gods

With a ten hour flight and the reverse time difference, it was already morning by the time they approached East Xia. Unlike on the way there, they hadn’t encountered any mutated birds, which resulted in a smooth flight.

Looking at the sea of clouds rendered golden by the sunlight, Chen Chu couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental as he recalled everything that had happened during this trial.

It had been a journey with few dangers, but many surprises. His cultivation had skyrocketed to the middle stage of the Third Heavenly Realm, and his combat prowess far exceeded his current realm. Under normal circumstances, he was now stronger than an average middle stage cultivator in the Fourth Realm. If he activated the Elephant Fury Rune, he could suppress even late stage Fourth Realm cultivators.

Or at least, he could suppress them for around twenty minutes; after slaying the Blood Emissary, he had discovered that the amount of vitality the rune consumed to fuel its effect would leave him weakened for at least two days, with the aftereffects getting worse the longer he kept the rune active. This was what had prevented him from picking up any more missions before the trial officially ended.

Chen Chu leaned his head to the side, gazing out of the aircraft window at the boundless sea of clouds, lost in thought. He didn't notice that Luo Fei's face had taken on a blush at some point.

Even though she knew he wasn't staring at her, she still felt a bit shy when she noticed his gaze sweep across her face. Under the sunlight, the girl's slightly blushing face had a rosy hue, making her profile look very attractive.

The broadcast suddenly rang with an announcement from the cabin crew. "Attention, we are about to enter the airspace of East Xia."

Chen Chu snapped out of his reverie, a puzzled expression crossing his face. He found it strange that they felt the need to make such an announcement.

The clouds outside thinned, and one could faintly see the undulating mountains and rushing rivers on the ground below, resembling a magnificent and breathtaking painting.

Right after that, Chen Chu suddenly felt a massive surge of transcendent energy rushing towards him.

Phew!

Chen Chu took a deep breath, his face showing a look of astonishment. He turned his head and saw that Liu Feng, Li Meng, and others had had reactions similar to his.

At that moment, Pang Long appeared at the cabin door. "Everyone felt the change, yes?"

"Yes, sir." Bai Mu nodded. "That felt like walking from a barren desert into an oasis. It was strange; I've never felt that before."

"Since you have always lived in East Xia, you were all accustomed to the rich amount of transcendent energy within this country,” Pang Long replied. “And you hadn’t noticed the sudden drop in the amount of transcendent energy on the initial flight, due to your power being weaker then."

Suddenly, he remarked, "Do you know why the school has different levels of initial access based on Foundation Building completion time, and allocates more resources to students with better talents?"

As he spoke, Pang Long's gaze shifted towards Chen Chu. As the only student on this plane that was cultivating low-level arts, he could only nod.

Pang Long casually said, "Transcendent energy has a profound effect on living organisms. It allows ordinary creatures to mutate; unborn fetuses and children who grow under such rich energy are healthier; and, of course, absorbing it is what allows us to cultivate.

“However, it is not simply the air around us; it is a finite resource due to its origin. The more people who absorb it for cultivation, the greater the overall consumption, and the lower the concentration of energy will become over time.

“This is why the spread of cultivation arts is tightly controlled, even as more and more people gain cultivation qualifications in East Xia every year. Reckless consumption of it would bring only trouble for our society, and that’s not something the authorities can risk until a solution to this problem is found.

“The school’s system of resource distribution is for a similar reason, to make the most effective use of finite resources. The importance of a genius who cultivates to the king level far exceeds that of tens of thousands of ordinary cultivators, both in terms of combat power and the value they create.

“This isn’t to say that the authorities have given up on average cultivators. They still provide the standard training packages, but whether one can stand out depends on themself and their own efforts. After all, the initial Foundation Building is just the first screening. It can’t pick out all geniuses, and not being a genius doesn’t mean that one lacks value entirely.

“The Human Federation is an entire system, consisting of billions of people, and each one can find a suitable position and existential concept within this system.

“Just like us. Back when we were cultivating in school, our talents were only average at best. But over the past decade or so, we’ve managed to reach the peak of the Sixth Heavenly Realm, and have become teachers as well.”

"What? Sir, your talents were only considered average at best back then?" Liu Feng was somewhat surprised. "You're all at the peak of the Sixth Heavenly Realm now. Does that mean the geniuses from your period are all at the Eighth or even the Ninth Heavenly Realm?"

Pang Long nodded. "More or less. However, many of them are also dead."

Instantly, the entire cabin fell silent, and everyone's faces showed a look of astonishment.

"Dead?!" Bai Mu swallowed hard.

Pang Long said calmly, "While they enjoy more abundant resources from the Federation, as geniuses, they also bear more responsibilities. In such circumstances, the dangers they face far exceed what we experience.

"Some have perished on even more brutal battlefields, some have died in battles with terrifying colossal beasts, and others have vanished while exploring unknown territories. Even we have experienced countless battles on the frontlines.

"Of course, these were all voluntary choices, no one forced us to do these things...

Ahem

, I've gone off track. These matters are still too distant for you. Let's get back to the main point. As our newest generation of geniuses, the better you perform, the more resources you'll receive.

"For example, in addition to the contribution points and resources you've already received, those who have broken through to the Third Heavenly Realm during this trial will also gain access to secret arts. Those who rank in the top hundred also receive some additional rewards. Almost all of these individuals have gained the achievement of killing Fourth Heavenly Realm cultivators."

Am I also included?

Chen Chu's gaze flickered slightly, unable to resist his curiosity as he asked, "Sir, what are the additional rewards?"

Pang Long glanced at him and nodded slightly. "Higher exchange and information access. For example, the high-level version of your Dragon Elephant Art, the Dragon Elephant Tyrant Body, is not something an ordinary student can exchange for.

"You can also freely choose one ordinary secret art. Normally, each of these secret arts would require hundreds of contribution points to exchange for."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chu's face lit up with a smile. He hadn't expected such good rewards.

Especially the secret art worth a hundred contribution points, which was almost equivalent to the total amount he had earned in this trial.

Li Meng asked curiously, "Sir, may I ask how the Federation confines transcendent energy within the boundaries of East Xia?"

Regarding this question, Pang Long simply said, "It's a simple matter. Just set up a barrier that covers the entirety of East Xia and only restricts transcendent energy."

"...Barrier?" Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"You don't need to think too much about it. This is a method beyond the king level. The person who set up the barrier surpasses the conventional notion of deities. They are an existence beyond gods.

"And it's not just us in East Xia. Similar boundaries exist in West Meng and North Lin as well.

"Alright, we'll be arriving at Wujiang in about an hour. When we arrive, everyone can go home and rest for two days. Report to the school the day after tomorrow," Pang Long announced, before heading back into the front cabin.

The news he had just revealed left everyone stunned. Chen Chu was also somewhat surprised.

While he knew that transcendent energy originated from the mythical world of the colossal beasts, he would have never thought that there was an actual barrier around all of East Xia that could keep in only that energy.

Chen Chu turned slightly and looked at Luo Fei, who also appeared somewhat stunned. He asked, puzzled, "Luo Fei, is this your first time hearing about all of this?"

"Mhmm." The girl nodded slightly.

Chen Chu was somewhat puzzled. "Doesn't your family have high-level cultivators like Lin Xue’s? How come they didn’t tell you anything about this?"

"Who said there are cultivators in my family?" The girl couldn't help but give Chen Chu a playful glance, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her eyes and making her resemble a fox with a subtle charm. "And even Lin Xue's family probably wouldn't have told her or her sister about this in advance.

"Learning some information too soon will only add unnecessary worries, and might even lead to overreaching and other negative effects on one's cultivation mentality."

"No, it’s not just high-level cultivators your family is lacking. There aren’t any cultivators at all." Chen Chu keenly grasped the point.

He had always assumed that Luo Fei's background was similar to that of Lin Xue and the others, but he hadn't expected her to be just like him, from an ordinary... no, that wasn't right, ordinary families couldn't afford weapons like sniper rifles. Even each bullet she had used to kill a Blood Emissary at the Third or Fourth Heavenly Realm was worth a considerable sum.

Almost as if she could read his mind, the girl just smiled faintly, without revealing much.

Pang Long's words not only impacted Chen Chu, but also sparked discussions among Liu Feng and others.

They were clearly envious of the fact that Chen Chu, along with a few others who had records of surpassing their levels in combat, could choose a secret art. Moreover, upon returning to school, their access to cultivation resources would become higher than those of their peers.

The next hour passed quickly, accompanied by the diminishing roar of the engines. Suddenly, the plane shook violently as it landed on the runway.

On the side of the runway, Lin Xiong and the other five teachers stood in front, their voices solemn. "Everyone has made great progress in this trial, and you have handily met our expectations. However, we teachers and the school are just paving the way for you. We can only provide limited assistance and guidance.

"Only you and your efforts can determine whether you become top-tier cultivators of the Ninth Heavenly Realm, or fade into obscurity among the masses.

"Alright, according to regulations, your weapons and equipment will still be stored at the school. Later, there will be staff to help you check them in for transport back. They'll accompany you along the way.

“Now, let’s get on the buses.”

Chen Chu and the others boarded the school shuttle buses one by one. Soon, the two vehicles entered the urban area, where towering skyscrapers came into view, and the roads were bustling with traffic.

Chen Chu inexplicably felt like he was returning to civilized society. Kyrola had been too backward and barren.

"Ah Chu, I suddenly feel a bit nervous. What should I do?" Xia Youhui started to anxiously fidget in his seat in front.

The question took Chen Chu by surprise. "What are you nervous about? We just went on a trial mission, it’s not like we committed murder or something. Besides, it's only been two months.”

Xia Youhui looked at him strangely. "Didn’t we go to kill people?"

Pfft!

Luo Fei couldn't help but burst into laughter beside them.

Lin Xue, sitting across from them, said indignantly, "Xia Youhui, if you can't speak sensibly, then don't say anything at all. We went to deliver justice on those evil cultists, not to commit murder."

"Uh... but it was clearly Ah Chu who said it. Why are you blaming me?" Xia Youhui looked a bit innocent.

Lin Xue said naturally, "I can't beat that guy right now, and I don’t have any reason to challenge him. What if he challenges me in front of everyone in school?"

"So you're just picking on me. Class Monitor, you're too practical," Xia Youhui said with a look of grievance.

Sitting together with Lin Xue, Lin Yu chuckled and said, "It's not being practical; it's called being wise. My sister has always been like this."

Now that they had returned to familiar sights, everyone's tense spirits completely relaxed. Amid jokes and laughter, the faint solemn atmosphere in the bus dissipated completely.

Meanwhile, in the other bus, Lin Xiong and the other teachers were discussing rewards for outstanding students in this trial, aside from the official rewards.