Chapter 358: History's Giant Wheel

Xu Zhi had already decided to create a new sandbox.

The next day, temperatures in the south suddenly plummeted, dropping several degrees. The weather forecast indicated that a massive cold air mass from the ocean was blanketing a wide area. The most noticeable change was the diminishing sight of girls in short skirts and stockings on the streets, replaced by those bundled in jackets and long sleeves. Some girls, reluctant to give up their style, resorted to eccentric combinations like long-sleeved jackets paired with short skirts and black stockings.

Along with the cold air, a shadowy giant dragon was incidentally captured on film by some individuals in an obscure small county in the south. In the pitch-black forest, slender, snow-white pillars of light shot up from the ground. Above, a shadowy, elongated giant dragon, immense as a mountain range, seemed to blot out the sky, consuming its darkness as it drifted over countless dense forests and even a large stretch of highway.

"What is that?"

At the time, countless onlookers were left agape and stunned. The breathtaking sight was so grand and awe-inspiring, it made people question if they were witnessing a scene from a major Wuxia drama or a promotional poster for a blockbuster film.

"In the south?"

This greatly distressed many research institutes across different countries. As expected, Mengmei hadn't spoken a single truth; the enemy was too cunning! She had sworn it was in the north, near the desert, even marking the precise location. They had deployed satellite surveillance to monitor that area, patiently waiting, only for it to appear in the south...

Although they had anticipated the lie, they still clung to a sliver of hope, trusting Mengmei's character. Nevertheless, they swiftly dispatched personnel to investigate. They quickly located the site from the video, but regrettably, nothing remained. They did find some black powder, suspected to be the remains of the soaring dragon, but no DNA could be extracted, nor any living cellular structures identified. It appeared to have undergone complete genetic disintegration.

Nevertheless, this shadowy black dragon made headlines in numerous southern magazines and newspapers, even greatly exciting professional content creators from certain "shocking news" online departments.

"Shocking! A once-in-a-millennium event! A descending cold air current actually condensed into a shadowy giant dragon! It has whiskers, dragon eyes, and scales!"

"Somewhere in the south, a dragon maiden, pregnant for ten months, descends to the mortal realm to find her unfaithful lover!"

"What kind of dragon?! That's a Kun Kun! With this much hype, it must be that!"

In an era where clicks equal traffic and traffic equals money, many on the internet frantically hyped the phenomenon. Even some idols joined the frenzy, aiming to boost their own popularity. Conversely, other idols argued that such statements were clearly made by anti-fans, inviting negativity. They lamented that their fan communities had been overrun by these detractors.

In any case, it caused a massive stir.

Naturally, following the previous "small meteorite incident"—which featured alleged images of ancient sword immortals in outer space—this "dragon sighting in the south" prompted some international observers to start deliberating and believing that the world was undergoing a transformation. They speculated about the existence of unimaginable supernatural powers, suggesting that vampires, sword immortals, ninjas, and zombies could all be real.

"True dragons, sword immortals, the ancient Chinese people, over five thousand years of history, indeed hold great secrets!"

"Immortals! Ascending, they've reached outer space!"

Some foreign visitors even flew specifically to China, traveling to its famous mountains and rivers in search of masters to learn from. Domestically, discussions were also lively, especially on Tieba forums and in chat groups.

"Supernatural powers have awakened, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is in turmoil, and various fantastical phenomena are constantly appearing. However, having read so many supernatural revival novels, I am already well-prepared! I plan to cultivate!"

"Our Earth, seemingly simple! In reality, it is an ancient land, a graveyard of ancient gods and demons, a holy ruin!"

"The Earth is recovering, and ancient gods and demons are also awakening. That chapter of history, sealed for ten thousand years, will finally be reopened. The shackles of the supernatural world have been broken. What path should humanity on Earth take?"

Many people eagerly anticipated these developments, finding them fascinating, and even made remarks typical of chuunibyou.

Inside the room.

"Supernatural revival?"

Regarding these news reports and online discussions, Xu Zhi, already wearing his black jacket, merely smiled.

Xu Zhi couldn't help but sigh, "You can fantasize all you want, but then you'll still go about your ordinary lives, working, studying, and occasionally frequenting the wizard community until you're bald from overwork."

Cultivation is impossible. Without time acceleration, even grasping the system is futile. The practical application would take far too long.

Despite the internet's clamor, Xu Zhi continued his serene, leisurely rural life in his secluded orchard.

"Now, the two realms have truly merged. From now on, it will be one large sandbox world, so I will call it... the Three Realms."

The Immortal Realm: Nine Heavens. Above the Nine Heavens lies the Immortal Land, guarded by the Heavenly Dao. Powerful cultivators in the mortal realm can face lightning tribulations and ascend to the Immortal Realm.

The Demonic Realm: Netherworld. The environment is harsh, guarded by the Origin Demon God. Demon races gain power by believing in the Demon God, forming various strange professions.

The Mortal Realm: Earth. There are great dynasties forming incense-fueled dragon veins, and Shu Mountain Sword Immortals guarding the entire land.

Now, with the progression of time and integration, the overall structural rules of the Wizard World and the Ancient Barren World have been significantly adjusted.

"My world has entered its new 3.0 version — the Era of Three Realms!"

Standing by his living room window, bathed in the fragmented, bright sunlight, he gazed at the Wizard World. Fifty years had passed since the Night of Celestial Witches, and now, dawn had broken, ushering in a sweeping cold wind. Many understood that with winter's arrival, withered leaves on the ground would sometimes swirl beautifully in the wind. To these leaves, the land felt like miniature hurricanes; to mortals, these winds brought terrifying destructive power.

"The world might truly be ending! Hurricanes and bitter cold are relentlessly descending!" Powerful professionals traversed the land, issuing urgent warnings.

A young newspaper boy, from a humble background, his face dotted with freckles and acne, rode a bicycle with a stack of newspapers in its front black basket, waving and shouting his wares through the streets and alleys:

"Latest newspapers! The newest from Dandis, City of Holy Light! Alchemists from various professional churches, acting on the deities' will, are constructing alchemical windmills to harness energy from these hurricanes, which may provide us with warmth!"

"Great Lord above, Hermes, God of Wisdom, grant us the wisdom to escape disaster!"

And monarchs in their divine kingdoms murmured, "We've only developed the power of faith for a century here, and like that other realm, various supernatural and eerie phenomena are beginning to emerge. All sorts of terrifying creatures, some even more horrifying, combined with elixirs and the remnants of Cthulhuian evil gods, now possess true physical forms, an unspeakable dread. They are genuine evil gods, possessing immortality..."

"Other abominations are manageable, but... true Cthulhuian evil gods have emerged. Based on the historical catastrophes these evil gods brought in the past, sentient beings, fueled by fear, have unwittingly given birth to them anew. They have transformed into Outer Gods; Azathoth, the 'Blind Idiot God,' has truly manifested in the world!"

All living beings and mortals still recalled Azathoth, the Blind Idiot God, who had vanished from history; his idiotic laughter was simply unforgettable. He had indeed revived.

"Not only that, the primordial chaos of the universe, Shub-Niggurath, the 'Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young,' and Yog-Sothoth, the 'All-in-One,' have also reappeared. Anyone who glimpses them will be swallowed by boundless dread, experiencing unspeakable terror, leading to death."

Whispers circulated that the age of evil gods had returned, and these were truly malevolent deities. "In the Ancient Barren Mortal Realm, Shu Mountain has already established the Demon Suppressing Pagoda to suppress countless terrifying abominations for the world. But what about us?"

Consequently, various churches spontaneously organized, pooling significant financial and physical resources. The "SCP Foundation" was established with the goal of containing anomalous phenomena, events, and entities worldwide, collectively categorized as "contained objects." The reborn Cthulhuian evil gods, Outer Gods, and Old Ones were identified as the most formidable and challenging objects to contain.

"Humanity can no longer live in fear; nothing can protect us. We must protect ourselves."

"We control! We contain! We protect!"

In some Nordic cities, major faith-based churches and imperial monarchs immediately ordered the deployment of personnel to protect mortals and their adherents. On the streets, powerful figures of the elixir sequences, alongside various professional arcane gunners and mechanical swordsmen, began secretly containing and neutralizing forbidden artifacts.

*Click!*

Xu Zhi abruptly closed the window, as if shutting out a chaotic world.

"The great tide of history and disaster is inevitable. Though delayed by the Mother Earth Green Vine, it cannot be evaded. There is no truly perfect future, no future without death... Let me see how you will confront it, what brilliant civilization will emerge, or if you will be annihilated by it?"

"How should I describe it? The massive wheel of an era, slowly rolling forward?"

Xu Zhi's expression gradually calmed. He turned away from the closed window, sat on the leather sofa in the living room, poured himself a pot of hot tea, and rested his chin in his hand.

"The initial outbreaks of disaster, the full maturation of fear, will still take time to give birth to even more potent abominations... I have my own work to do. Indeed, I must now create a brand new sandbox world."