CHAPTER 27: 25 CHAPTER: MARINE CIVILIZATION

New Era 301.

"Back then, the gods had three hundred queens. There must be a certain number now as well." Zhong Qingyu planned to search for more Immortal Herbs and embarked on her journey.

New Era 305.

After three extensive searches, the harvest was substantial.

Of course, she cautiously bypassed the capitals of the three major kingdoms, not daring to approach, even avoiding the powerless Slave Dynasty.

The Shiguang Zhizheng Emperor, who once ambushed the three major emperors, claimed to be benevolent and upright, yet he was too skilled in such matters. Who knew if he released false information, claiming not to have acquired power, just to lure people to their deaths?

If the opponent had qi within them, entering the capital of their country would be no different than courting death!

"I’ve collected a total of 5 plants and can find no more. Is this the limit?" she pondered with great joy in her heart, "This is enough to create 5 Witches!!"

In reality, this was not the limit.

This time, the fourth batch of servers had a relatively infinite supply.

The reason she couldn’t find any more was because an immortal who traveled the world had acted earlier than her, plundering all resources before she could, leaving only weeds behind.

And these "plants" weren’t just terrestrial; there were marine plants as well.

Those that sprouted randomly on land were mostly picked clean, while those that grew in the sea hadn’t been pulled up.

Over time, more and more servers accumulated in the seawater, and ultimately, all 1000 servers were concentrated on the seabed, with no more appearing on land.

....

New Era 311.

People were terrified to discover the ocean had birthed terrifying, mysterious giant beasts, like shadows of the deep, attacking passing fishing boats.

Humanity realized it was no longer the apex predator.

The three major nations unanimously stopped their internal conflicts and focused their attention on the sea.

Because giant sea monsters had appeared.

...

New Era 313.

In some coastal regions of the Bronze Kingdom, fishermen couldn’t go out to sea, and the ignorant populace chose to offer sacrifices, creating a growing tide in the city, "To appeal for the Sea God’s forgiveness, we must make sacrifices!"

Ignorant!

Backward!

The City Lord was furious in the City Lord’s Mansion.

He was a scholar from the Bronze Jingshan Temple; how could he believe in such foolishness?

But without a doubt, that monster possessed power comparable to their emperor.

After much hesitation, he finally compromised, but not out of cruelty, "Send the female death row prisoners from the prison to the seaside to feed the monster as living sacrifices."

"Yes, sir."

"Wait." The City Lord called out again, "To prevent those death row inmates from swimming away, execute them by beheading at the seaside and throw the heads along with the bodies into the sea as sacrifices."

The City Lord thought it through.

However, this decision would completely change the course of human history.

In the distant future, he would be condemned as a historical criminal by some radicals. In his old age, he finally couldn’t bear the condemnation anymore and hanged himself in his study.

Thud! The head was chopped off, and blood spread.

The head and body were thrown into the sea, and the blood spread through the seawater.

A shadow of a giant deep-sea creature slowly approached, stretching its soft tentacles to grasp the corpse. Suddenly, a bizarre scene unfolded; one of the octopus’s eight tentacles suctioned the woman’s head, and her eyes slowly opened.

"Who am I?"

An octopus, with one main brain and eight subsidiary brains, had one tentacle that suctioned a human head as a subsidiary brain, causing a strange change.

...

New Era 318.

The sea monsters became even more terrifying, as if they had gained intelligence, attacking humans along the coastline.

The Seaside Ghost Kingdom, with the largest coastline, was the first to suffer!

Some fishermen even claimed to have seen a rudimentary underwater kingdom in the deep sea.

People saw the most terrifying shadow king of the deep sea, an enormous octopus with eight tentacles, each tentacle adorned with a human head, each expression ranging from fear, joy, happiness, numbness, to anger....

The Bronze Kingdom, Slave Dynasty, and Seaside Ghost Kingdom began to send envoys for the unprecedented first human civilization conference.

"A new civilization has emerged?"

"A second civilization distinct from humanity?"

"They’re evolving!"

"Giant crabs, large fish, snails are invading the coastline and preying on humans!"

...

Finally, the conference reached an agreement to form a global alliance.

"The fall of one will lead to the fall of all; we humans will use the Seaside Ghost Kingdom as the frontline battlefield, with the Bronze Kingdom and Slave Dynasty sending soldiers, troops, and scholars to support the frontline!"

Under external pressure, humanity united for the first time.

The inland Slave Dynasty, which had no coastline, also agreed because the Shiguang Zhizheng Emperor knew this was not only about human survival but also the best opportunity to divert attention.

In recent years, the other two nations became increasingly suspicious of their lack of suppressive force.

"Our nation agrees."

"Our nation also agrees."

Soon, under external pressure, humanity achieved the first great unification in history.

The three nations pooled their accumulated historical data, gathering the wisdom of countless strong individuals, leading to a burst of civilization.

New Era 325.

The emperors of the three nations consolidated the Witch and Priest Qi Eating Theory, leading to rapid progress in cultivation techniques.

New Era 327.

One of the four strongest emperors, the Black Copper Cloud Crab God attacked the Seaside port, its enormous pincers severing countless mortals. Emperor You You personally intervened, coordinating with countless troops for a fierce battle, during which he had an epiphany about witchcraft. "Grip of the Nether" harnessed the qi of heaven and earth, crushing the crab shell, and repelled the beast king.

On this day, the Seaside Ghost Kingdom officially realized their research path: Energy-Introducing Skill, harnessing the qi of heaven and earth, truly swallowing wind and eating qi to launch attacks.

The following August, during the peak of summer, the Bronze Emperor led the Bronze Jingshan Temple in researching the monsters’ remains along the coastline. With the help of numerous ascetic monks, they finally developed witchcraft weapons, reaching a new frontier as well.

Only the Slave Dynasty had no breakthroughs.

It seemed they were in the last regional country with no coastline and no battles. Yet, to the discerning eye, this appeared unnatural.

"If this continues, our dynasty will face extinction."

The Shiguang Zhizheng Emperor, already an old man in his mortal years, was exhausted and had no true combat power, only devising various ways to delay.

But other nations were progressing rapidly, while they alone...

On the throne, this aging man held a golden scepter, gazing at the empty, magnificent palace, reminiscing about the past.

He remembered the strange gesture of the Shiguang Changshou Emperor before dying and his lifetime of resistance, even recalling the first encounter with a traveler at the tea stall.

That day, the wind was fierce and the sun scorching. A man with a tear mole sipped tea, conversing passionately with him.

"What you strive for is often right beside you." It was as if he could hear that gentle figure bathed in golden sunlight, looking at the top of the tea stall, whispering as if the God of Destiny were speaking in his ear.

Suddenly, he realized something and rushed out of the palace, climbed the Wall of Hundred Stones, overlooking the tea stall of those years. Decades later, the wild grass still stood there, identical to the weed grasped in the dying Shiguang Changshou Emperor’s hand. He finally understood the meaning behind those eyes...

"Hahahahaha!"

He suddenly laughed heartily, overwhelmed with joy, "That man with the tear mole..."

On this day, divine mandate descended, once again returning to the Slave Dynasty.

...

...

As for their wars, their experiences through life and death, and their tribulations, Zhu Zhengwei had no interest.

Zhu Zhengwei was interested in the progress of civilization, the ultimate birth of the extraordinary!

"They finally united. Indeed, throughout history, humans are such creatures; they need some pressure before they stop fighting internally and bring out whatever data and information they have, integrating the spiritual cultivation system, advancing the civilization process!"

"War and disaster are catalysts for sandbox civilization!"

Zhu Zhengwei played computer games with his two foolish dormmates, glanced over, feeling faintly excited. It was the first time he experienced the thrill of instigating events, "It seems I should do more of this in every era of civilization in the future!"

He scratched his head, then thought to himself, "Witchcraft is becoming established, and the Bronze Kingdom even created Soul Witchcraft. Doesn’t that mean I can use them in reality too?"