Having already regained her power, the True Dragon of Divine Land naturally wouldn’t take sothing like the Harmony Express all the way north to the capital. She didn’t even want to fly—she simply felt more secure when her feet were on solid ground.
Still, she was a True Dragon; even if she chose the slow way, she could never truly be slow.
After arriving in the capital, Long Xiruo effortlessly entered the headquarters of the Managent Bureau.
She held the title of one of its highest consultants, with her own private office. Yet over the years, that office had been opened only a handful of tis—the last being more than a decade ago.
The Bureau’s underground headquarters had been under construction ever since the founding of the New Nation and had continued expanding ever since.
While outsiders didn’t know much, the Bureau’s own personnel were well aware of just how massive this base beneath the capital truly was—and how astonishing its technology had beco.
Combining Daoist arts and modern science, the facility could even withstand a nuclear explosion at full capacity. When Mount Tai’s spiritual energy eruption occurred, the nation’s highest leaders had taken refuge here.
But Long Xiruo wasn’t interested in how the place had changed over the years, nor in its newly developed technologies.
If she ever wanted to take this place down, no matter how sturdy it was, it would only be a matter of minutes—or at most, hours.
As long as she stood upon the earth, she was nearly invincible. The saying that even immortals could be slain by her wasn’t an exaggeration.
“This is the baby who was born with an ability?”
Through a special glass window, Long Xiruo looked into the adjoining room. Several newborns lay in separate incubators. Her brow furrowed.
Even setting aside her identity as the True Dragon of Divine Land, just the title of “chief consultant” warranted high-level company. None of those accompanying her held a rank below the Bureau’s second tier of managent.
In fact, those present were the Bureau’s deputy director, the four National Heroes led by Firecloud Evil God, and Dr. Zhao, head of the R&D division.
As for why only a deputy director was present—it was because the Bureau, being a special organization, had no appointed supre commander. The position of deputy director was already the highest rank within its structure.
In one of the incubators, a newborn’s body was visibly floating—sucking its thumb in midair as it slept.
Though the baby hovered only a few centiters above the bedding, Long Xiruo’s keen eyes easily caught it. She could tell this wasn’t Daoist magic, demonic power, or any sort of anti-gravity device. The force ca purely from within the child itself.
Next to that baby, another infant’s body glowed like a tungsten filant bulb—though it was rely emitting light, not energy capable of harm.
The other two babies each displayed different abilities as well, though their powers seed trivial for now—what Dr. Zhao called “micro abilities.”
He temporarily classified these phenona as a new stage of human evolution following the recent spiritual energy resurgence.
He even called these newborns the “seeds of a new humanity,” theorizing that more such infants would continue to appear—and perhaps, one day, even adults might awaken abilities too.
Long Xiruo remained silent, lost in thought.
She was thinking of Mo Xiaofei—whose extraordinary telekinesis ca from advanced brain developnt, a mutation of spiritual power gained later in life.
The sa applied to three of the National Heroes besides Firecloud Evil God. Their powers were the result of decades of research by the New Nation.
But these babies were different. Their powers seed innate, unrelated to any kind of neural developnt. And newborns only days old couldn’t possibly have developed such ntal capacities.
“What do you plan to do?” Long Xiruo finally asked the deputy director directly.
The question wasn’t aid at Firecloud Evil God—though he too was a top advisor and had personally trained many Bureau agents, he was essentially just a high-ranking enforcer. The real decision-makers were the administrative executives.
The deputy director, Kuang Jianguo, a man in his fifties whose na perfectly matched his generation’s style, straightened his back and replied earnestly:
“At the mont, we can only collect these newborns. If left to grow up freely in society, their potential impact would be impossible to predict. But if this phenonon keeps spreading, even we may not be able to suppress it. We’re preparing for the worst.”
Long Xiruo frowned. “A special legislation?”
Kuang Jianguo nodded firmly. “This is just the first step—to prepare for the worst-case scenario. If more and more newborns are born with such powers, we may have no choice but to publicly reveal the existence of the extraordinary.”
“If that’s the case,” Long Xiruo said coldly, “I suggest you move faster.”
“Why do you say that?” Kuang Jianguo asked, startled.
He had thought Long Xiruo would oppose such legislation—given her usual stance—so they hadn’t inford her earlier. If the True Dragon had objected, the bill would never have passed. After all, humanity was powerful, but not enough to challenge the True Dragon of Divine Land.
Long Xiruo glanced mockingly at Firecloud Evil God. “What, that old fool didn’t tell you?”
He frowned. “Dragon King, what do you an?”
Long Xiruo said, “You’re only looking at their powers—but not at their physical constitution. These children’s spiritual energy is strong, their ridians open and clear. In the ancient days before the world’s energy waned, they would’ve been top-tier cultivation talents. Do you understand now?”
Firecloud Evil God pondered for a mont, then said solemnly, “You an… the Daoist sects will fight over them?”
Long Xiruo shook her head. “Not exactly fight—but there will be competition. You know the Daoist sects have been declining, their lineages withering. The lack of spiritual energy has made high-aptitude disciples increasingly rare. Over the past century, their numbers have even gone negative.
Now imagine—if a whole generation of high-aptitude children were born… do you think the Daoists would just stand aside and let it happen?”
Firecloud Evil God fell silent. He understood all too well what her words implied.
The Daoist decline had been long and steady—but with spiritual energy now returning, they were bound for revival. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but in a few decades, they would surely rise again.
And that was only the Daoist side. The Demon clans would be another unpredictable factor altogether.
If the new generation joins the Daoist sects, it ans that from early childhood they’ll be taken in as disciples, severing all karmic ties with the mortal world. Once grown, they’ll devote themselves entirely to their sects. That’s completely different from the Managent Bureau’s current system of selecting trainees and sending them to the major sects or Demon clans for study and exchange.
The latter is controllable; the forr, completely uncontrollable.
“Dragon Consultant, what do you an by that?” Kuang Jianguo caught the implication and asked carefully.
“I don’t support either side,” Long Xiruo said directly. “But whoever causes chaos in the mortal world, harms the innocent, or ruins the mountains and rivers—I’ll beat them until they can’t take care of themselves. Now that spiritual energy has revived, humanity, Daoists, and Demons will inevitably face a three-way standoff. After Mount Tai, humanity’s fate has shifted. Whether humans can continue to stand as the dominant side depends on your own effort. I won’t interfere. My fists are for hitting outsiders—and the trash within.”
Kuang Jianguo quickly said, “Please rest assured, Dragon Consultant. After this incident, we’ve already purged the corrupted elents in our ranks. Over the years, everyone beca too complacent. The R&D departnt kept achieving breakthroughs, and so people lost their judgnt, got arrogant, and drifted away from the people…”
Long Xiruo waved her hand impatiently. “Don’t give that nonsense. Thousands of years of Huaxia history—I can recite it backward. You think I don’t know what kind of people you are?”
Kuang Jianguo could only fall silent in embarrassnt. The truth was, during the Mount Tai incident, certain powerful individuals had secretly abused the Bureau’s authority—capturing Demon clans, conducting illicit experints—which fueled their resentnt and ultimately triggered the tragedy. It was indeed one of the causes of the disaster.
But the New Nation preferred stability; a large-scale purge might have caused even greater turmoil. Still, such a quiet cover-up clearly displeased the True Dragon of Divine Land.
“Dragon King… are you saying humanity’s fate is truly changing?” Firecloud Evil God asked in shock.
“This spiritual energy eruption has completely entangled the fortunes of humans, Daoists, and Demons,” Long Xiruo said. “Even I can’t clearly tell them apart right now.”
She nodded slightly. In truth, everything still ca down to strength. Firecloud was the inheritor of the Tiger Soul Blade, destined one day to face Xuanyuan Palace. Within Divine Land—aside from her—Firecloud Evil God stood among the few true apex powers.
That was precisely why he remained the Bureau’s greatest pillar.
As for that damned rchant? Long Xiruo didn’t even count him!
After so many encounters, the True Dragon knew all too well what that scoundrel was like—apart from flirting with won, he cared nothing for the suffering of mortals!
That shaless rchant! He was probably off charming another girl right now!
She grew angrier the more she thought about it, and her expression darkened. Everyone nearby felt their hearts tighten, unsure whether she was still angry about the Bureau’s earlier actions.
Firecloud Evil God quickly shot a look at Bihua—since she was also female, maybe she could smooth things over.
The so-called “Godmother” Bihua caught the signal, stepped forward with a bright smile, and said, “All right, we’ve seen the newborns’ situation. Why don’t we sit down and talk? Lord Long, I have so fine tea with —let’s share a pot?”
“Heh.” Long Xiruo gave a dry laugh and waved her hand. “No ti. I still have business to attend to.”
Kuang Jianguo hurriedly offered, “Dragon Consultant, if we can be of help…”
Long Xiruo rolled her eyes. “I’m going to seal off the entire Divine Land’s borders—are you coming along too?”
“Seal… seal off Divine Land’s borders?” Firecloud Evil God froze, then realization dawned on him.
Long Xiruo snapped, “I just rembered! With all this spiritual energy bursting out, if I don’t lock it within Divine Land’s boundaries, won’t those foreign barbarians get to freeload off it?”
Her reasoning made sense—but sohow, the tone sounded all wrong…
---
A few students trudged out of an office, heads hanging low—they’d clearly just been chewed out.
They even had to write self-reflection essays and take disciplinary marks for bullying classmates and causing a negative influence.
“Damn it, that brat Zhao Le must’ve reported us,” one of them muttered angrily.
The tall guy whom Zhao Le had once caught red-handed leaned against the wall, lighting a cigarette.
“Boss Feng, should we deal with Zhao Le again?” a friend asked.
“That coward doesn’t have the guts to report us,” Feng said calmly. “Soone else did it.”
“Who? Must’ve eaten a leopard’s gall to dare that!”
Feng sneered. He might think Zhao Le was a coward, but his two cronies were straight-up idiots. Still, idiots had their uses—they listened—and more importantly, he had money.
“Use your pig brains for once,” Feng jabbed a finger against his friend’s forehead. “The post’s already up on the campus forum. You think the teachers wouldn’t see it?”
“So that’s it then?”
Feng’s smile turned cold. “I told you—I’ll ss with that kid every ti I see him. I spent two months chasing that chick, and I was this close. Now he’s avoiding every day.”
“But Chen Mingming seems to be protecting him,” another said with a frown. “Though I heard he’s dropping out—moving abroad or sothing. Maybe we should wait a bit. Once Zhao Le loses his backer, he’s finished.”
It wasn’t that they bullied for fun—more that this university was full of elite students, most from wealthy families. Soone like Zhao Le, from an ordinary household, was a rare and easy target.
“No rush.” Feng smirked. “We’re good students here, right? How could we bully anyone?”
He reached over, straightened his friend’s collar, patted him, and said, “You know what to do.”
“Got it.” His friend snapped his fingers, eyes narrowing coldly.
(End of Chapter)
华夏 (Huáxià) is a historical and cultural term that represents the Chinese nation and the shared cultural ancestry of the Han people. It embodies the common way of life, language, and culture of people living in the central plains of China.
- Origin: The term originated from the self-awareness of a common cultural ancestry among the ancestral populations of the Han people. These populations lived in the central states of the Yellow River valley.
- aning:
- Xià (夏) originally ant "grand" and was associated with the elaborate ceremonial etiquettes practiced in the central states.
- Huá (華) ant "splendid" and referred to the beautiful Hanfu clothing worn by people in those states.
- Together, Huáxià (华夏) embodies the cultural identity of the Han people.
- Historical Significance:
- During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), the Huaxia identity developed as a distinction between civilized society and surrounding peoples perceived as barbaric.
- The term Huaxia evolved to represent a confederation of tribes along the Yellow River, who were the ancestors of the Han ethnic group.
- Modern Usage:
- Huaxia is still used in conjunction with Zhongguo (中國), aning "Middle Kingdom," in the official nas of both the People's Republic of China (Zhonghua Renmin Gonghe Guo) and the Republic of China (Zhonghua Minguo).
- The term Huaren (華人), aning a Chinese person, is an abbreviation of Huaxia. It generally refers to people of Chinese ethnicity.
In summary, Huaxia is a significant historical concept representing the cultural and ancestral identity of the Han Chinese people. It is often used to evoke a sense of shared heritage and culture among Chinese people worldwide.
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