Prologue
In the vast universe, stars are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and Earth is but a tiny speck among trillions of stars!
Epigraph.
In the year 2100, after nearly a century of rapid technological development, humanity had not only mastered technologies such as controlled nuclear fusion, limb regeneration, gene recombination, cancer treatment, and energy crystallization, but also gained control over space carriers, communication with animals, synthesis of various rare materials, and virtual world technology. They had even made some progress in areas like superpowers, ancient martial arts, and space tourism.
In short, many things once considered 'pipe dreams' had become or were about to become reality, and human civilization had reached its historical peak.
Yet, even so, there were many problems beyond human resolution, such as large-scale natural disasters, celestial collisions, and human greed.
As humanity ushered in the dawn of the 22nd century, a cataclysmic disaster quietly approached—a celestial body several, even nearly ten, times the size of Earth was hurtling towards them.
This uninvited guest arrived abruptly, evading all of humanity's spatial detection methods before silently approaching. By the time humanity discovered it, a colossal planet already loomed overhead. This instantly plunged humanity into panic, for against a celestial body several to nearly ten times the size of Earth, humanity was helpless. Even the strongest chain of nuclear explosions could not stop the behemoth from descending. In other words, the massive planet was about to collide with Earth.
A collision between such a large celestial body and Earth could directly shatter it and then 'devour' it. This was a scene many astronomers had witnessed countless times through various telescopes. Knowing this, humanity fell into despair. This was undoubtedly a doomsday scenario for humanity!
However, at this critical moment, a strange power emerged, seemingly halting the massive planet. Its speed gradually decreased, and by the time it collided with Earth, its speed had slowed to less than 3 meters per second. For two celestial bodies, this speed was akin to two billiard balls gently bumping into each other, causing no catastrophic results. At the very least, Earth would not be reduced to countless fragments.
Although it did not shatter into fragments, due to the immense gravitational pull and the impact, Earth became deeply embedded within the larger planet, with only about two to three-tenths of its original surface exposed. While this was still a vast area, to the larger planet, it was merely like a large hill appearing on its surface.
It is worth mentioning that Earth struck the larger planet at a favorable angle. The entire Antarctic continent was submerged into the massive celestial body. The immense impact and collision force also caused significant shifts in the tectonic plates of other continents. The South American, Australian, and African plates were squeezed closer to the Asian and European continents, causing the landmasses to draw closer, giving the impression of merging into a single supercontinent.
Although the collision of the two celestial bodies did not directly shatter Earth, disaster had already arrived. After the collision, Earth's environment underwent drastic changes. After all, Earth being 'embedded' in the other planet meant it had merged into a new, unified celestial body.
A new planet meant drastic environmental changes. The first to change was gravity, which became several times stronger than before. The sudden increase in gravity was a death sentence for many life forms, leading to the direct or indirect extinction of many species on Earth due to the severe gravitational shift.
Besides the significant change in gravity, the atmospheric composition of this planet also altered noticeably. For instance, the oxygen content increased slightly. Although it was only an increase of less than 2% to 3%, for a planet that had been stable for tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, of years, this was a drastic change. This change was enough to cause significant alterations. Moreover, these were just minor changes after the collision of two planets. Life still had to face various large-scale natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and meteorite impacts. The geology of a newly 'formed' planet is always unstable, leading to frequent geological disasters, which posed a severe test for life.
Fortunately, life possesses immense resilience, especially with humanity's technology advancing by leaps and bounds compared to a century prior. After immense sacrifices, humanity finally adapted to the new environment. Many other species also adapted alongside humans.
As they gradually adapted to the new environment, humanity began exploring the new planet. With various high-tech means, they quickly discovered many new existences, not only new living environments but also new species. Even species that originally existed on Earth began to evolve, and at a rather rapid pace—compared to the static state of tens of thousands or even hundreds of millions of years, this was a massive change.
Giant dragonflies, ants, tigers with enormous teeth, elephants covered in thick fur, monkeys exuding flames—these were creatures that seemed to belong to history or mythology, yet they now appeared before humanity one by one.
Along with their appearance came their power. For example, giant dragonflies preyed on cats and dogs and even attacked humans. Monkeys covered in flames could bite through steel as thick as a finger. Gorillas with thick fur possessed the strength to move mountains and overturn seas, and so on.
These were just the initial discoveries. As time passed, humanity discovered more and more bizarre species. Even the previously discovered species exhibited various peculiar abilities, such as breathing fire, freezing ice, soaring through clouds, or splitting into clones and burrowing underground. These abilities were unlike anything earthly, resembling powers from legends.
The most troublesome aspect was that these creatures did not intend to coexist peacefully with humans. Their various peculiar abilities posed a significant threat to humanity, making the already heavily damaged human population even more precarious. Especially since the weapons humanity used to deter each other were not very effective against these creatures.
Indeed, firearms, tanks, and aircraft, which once possessed destructive power, were not very effective against these new creatures. This was not only because these creatures possessed various strange and powerful abilities but, more importantly, because their numbers were extremely vast, seemingly endless, making them impossible to defeat in sufficient numbers.
To give an example, consider ants the size of footballs that could spray strong acid. Human firearms, artillery, and even small nuclear bombs had little effect on them because they were inexhaustible. For every batch killed, another would quickly emerge, making them impossible to defeat in sufficient numbers. And this was just one species. On this new planet, there were no shortage of species that could pose a significant threat to humans.
Facing them and the drastic environmental changes, humanity's living space was severely compressed, forcing them to build massive cities for defense. However, this meant humanity could only huddle within these specially built cities and fortresses, struggling to survive.
At this time, humanity faced not only attacks from various strange creatures but also other crises. For instance, the extreme compression of living space led to various resource shortages, with the most urgent being the food crisis. Due to the drastic environmental changes, the crops that could previously grow on Earth withered from being unable to adapt to the new environment. Even if some crops managed to survive, their yields were greatly reduced, and the food produced was insufficient to meet human needs.
Of course, even if some resilient crops could adapt to the new environment, there wasn't much space to plant them. After all, humanity was now confined to extremely small 'prisons'—those cities and fortresses, while temporarily protecting humans, also trapped them, making them undoubtedly like prisons.
In this time of survival crisis, humanity made another discovery: perhaps the drastic environmental changes also triggered human evolution, or perhaps the abundant 'Spiritual Energy' stimulated human potential. After some time, some individuals discovered the presence of 'inner strength' or 'Spiritual Energy' within their bodies. This led to a qualitative leap in their physique and strength, allowing them to fight those terrifying creatures even without firearms, at least giving them some capital to contend with them.
Witnessing the power of this force, humanity naturally began to value it. After deliberation, they soon defined this power as 'Qi'.
As time went by, humanity discovered that Qi had various other peculiar uses beyond combat, such as strengthening the body, prolonging life, healing injuries, and aiding in combat. In short, Qi's role grew increasingly significant, gradually becoming indispensable to humanity.
Recognizing the power of Qi, humanity intensified its research into this force. Soon, based on Qi, various Cultivation Methods, martial arts, and even Secret Techniques were created. Concurrently, various Cold Weapons were born or rediscovered—because humanity found that Cold Weapons, when used in conjunction with Qi, could unleash attacks even more powerful than thermal weapons. At the very least, the former had greater potential, as thermal weapons had their limits. As for Qi, when combined with various martial arts, Secret Techniques, and even Cold Weapons, it seemed to have no limits.
With the discovery, research, and growth of Qi, humanity further stimulated its potential. Subsequently, some superpowers gradually awakened. For instance, some humans could control natural forces like fire and Frost. Some could transform their bodies into steel. Some gained the ability to fly or burrow underground. Various abilities emerged, and these abilities also became capital for fighting against various creatures.
However, these alone were not enough. Humanity's crisis was far from over; in fact, as time progressed, they would face even greater challenges. Humanity could only forge ahead, as the saying goes, "The road ahead is long and arduous; I shall seek high and low!"
Oh, right. The new planet is still named Earth. Even though Earth is now vastly different from its past, nostalgic humans still consider Earth their home.
But can humanity survive on the new Earth? We shall wait and see.
Above Luo City, leaden clouds gathered like mountain ranges, creating an imposing sight of black clouds pressing down on the city. Within the city, silence reigned, with only the faint sound of water dripping onto stone slabs audible.
A series of clattering footsteps echoed, and then a young man appeared on the street. He was about sixteen or seventeen years old, clad in a tight-fitting black leather suit. His build was tall and slender, standing straight like a Spear. Although not particularly muscular, he appeared exceptionally agile, and the subtly bulging muscles beneath his black attire hinted at immense strength.
Upon closer inspection, the young man was remarkably handsome, with sword eyebrows that reached his temples, exuding a heroic aura. His eyes sparkled like stars, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards in a charming arc. If he shed a bit of his youthful immaturity, he would undoubtedly be a heartthrob capable of captivating countless Young Girls.
Strapped to the young man's back was a Spear, about a Zhang Xu in length. It was entirely black, faintly emitting a metallic sheen. The fact that his leather suit was visibly indented by the Spear indicated its extreme weight. The spearhead was identical to the shaft, clearly forged from a special metal throughout.
Such a long Spear, relative to the young man's height of about 1.7 to 1.8 meters, could be considered a great spear. Below the great spear, or more precisely, at the young man's waist, was a Long Saber. Its shape was as straight as the Spear, and judging by its appearance, it was a Tang Saber.
The Tang Saber was less than three feet long, making it somewhat short compared to a normal saber, especially when placed alongside the Spear. Furthermore, the scabbard and handle of this saber were also entirely black, blending with the young man's black leather suit, making it difficult to spot without careful observation.
However, the most concealed item was a peculiar circular scabbard tied to the young man's left calf. A Combat Dagger, less than a foot long, lay quietly within the scabbard. Its entirely black color, further obscured by the black leather suit, made it even harder to detect.
A Spear, a Tang Saber, and a Combat Dagger—a single young man possessing three distinct weapons was enough to highlight his peculiarity.
Yet, such a peculiar young man attracted no attention, as there were few people around him. Following the young man's gaze, one could see faint figures on the walls of Luo City. Clearly, the people in the city had rushed to the city walls. The low growls emanating from outside the city broke the silence within, but they also made the air more oppressive. Everyone knew a great battle was about to erupt.
Indeed, outside Luo City, countless Exotic Beasts could be seen. Some growled softly, others roared loudly, and some were eager to charge, appearing ready to rush towards the city walls like arrows loosed from a bow. On the walls, people stood ready, armed and prepared to face the onslaught of the Exotic Beasts.
The reason for the presence of so many Exotic Beasts was the collision between Earth and a planet several times its size, forming a new Earth. The drastic environmental changes had led to the emergence of many powerful Exotic Beasts on the planet, possessing various peculiar abilities such as Crystal Souls, Fire Control, or Water Control, among countless other strange traits.
A beast tide attacking the city, a great battle on the verge of erupting, yet the young man walked almost alone through the city. He looked towards the direction of the city walls, specifically at the figures on the walls, his eyes subtly revealing envy and regret. Envy for those standing on the city walls, and regret for his own inability to fight the Exotic Beasts on the front lines.
Shaking his head, the young man withdrew his gaze. He muttered to himself, "I hope more Exotic Beasts break through the city walls this time, so we'll have food for the next few days."
The young man's name was Di Yi Ye. His peculiar name was naturally thanks to the vulgar old man in his heart—that old man said he was the first child he found, and he found him at night, so for convenience, he named him 'Di Yi Ye'.
After Di Yi Ye, the old man found several more orphans, giving them equally peculiar names: Di Er Meng, Di San Liu Yun, Di Si Qing Wu, Di Wu Chang Feng...
Thinking of this, Di Yi Ye began to miss the old man who had been missing for a long time. He shook his head again, casting these thoughts aside. He also walked to a small hill, and from this high vantage point, he could see further, making it easier for him to search for Exotic Beasts that broke into the city from outside. His mission was to kill these Exotic Beasts one by one, not just to prevent them from harming people, but more importantly, because the Exotic Beasts were his source of income and food.
Luo City, as an isolated city on the new Earth, was vast in scale. However, due to the gathering of people from all directions and the rampant Exotic Beasts outside making it difficult for ordinary people to venture out or farm, the limited farmland within the city yielded very little grain. Therefore, they could only focus on hunting Exotic Beasts.
Facing the pressure of survival, Di Yi Ye had no choice but to fight Exotic Beasts from a very young age.
Indeed, although Di Yi Ye was only sixteen or seventeen, he had been fighting Exotic Beasts under the old man's guidance since he was ten. Now that the old man was missing, he had to step forward and participate in more intense battles for himself and his younger siblings.
Di Yi Ye envied those on the city walls because they were 'enlisted' and belonged to the city's Guard Team, with their basic needs met. Unlike Di Yi Ye and other freelancers, they had to rely on their own strength to hunt Exotic Beasts for sustenance and to exchange the beasts' hides and meat for essential supplies.
Just then, a piercing alarm sound pierced the sky. The roars of Exotic Beasts outside the city intensified. Based on experience, Di Yi Ye knew the beast tide had begun its assault, and he was prepared. He knew that soon Exotic Beasts would charge into the city—each time the beast tide attacked, the City Guard would open the city gates slightly or open deliberately preserved holes to allow Exotic Beasts to rush in. This not only reduced the pressure on the defending guards but also turned the Exotic Beasts that entered the city into trapped prey. Afterward, the City Guard and the three people living in the city could earn some 'extra income'.
It is worth mentioning that the Exotic Beasts that entered the city did not belong to anyone; whoever could kill them could claim them. There were some freelancers in the city like Di Yi Ye, but they had a tacit understanding to guard different areas to avoid multiple people fighting over a single beast. Previously, situations where multiple people fought over a beast had led to brawls and even deaths. To prevent such incidents, dividing 'territory' was undoubtedly the wisest course of action.
For the sake of human development, under the City Lord's call and with everyone's support, a rule prohibiting private fights within the city was soon established. The best way to achieve this was to minimize conflicts of interest. Thus, dispersing hunters like Di Yi Ye throughout the city was the best solution.
Just then, several fiery red figures rushed from afar. This immediately made Di Yi Ye's eyes light up, as he instantly recognized them as several Exotic Beasts heading towards him. This was something he had always dreamed of. After all, according to the agreement, the Exotic Beasts that charged into this area belonged to him. It had been a long time since he had such good luck with multiple Exotic Beasts entering his 'territory' simultaneously.
✦✦✦