Ocean Life

Today wasn't too hot, and the breeze blowing from the vast Taihe Mountain Range was unexpectedly refreshing.

When Lin Tuo spoke these words, a subtle change seemed to occur in his entire being.

Was he a god?

This was a very interesting and very important question.

If he hadn't seriously considered it before, then from the moment he used the Secret Seal to hypnotize the entire continent, he finally had to confront this question with gravity.

If "god" was defined by creating life, then he clearly was not.

Even though he had opened up a land for life to thrive, the evolution of living beings followed its own rules; at most, he could be considered Pangu, not Nuwa.

If judged by the magnitude of power, then for the lives within the sandbox, he undoubtedly was.

His breath was a gale, his cough a thunderclap. As long as he wished, he could easily overturn and destroy the entire sandbox world, or tear everything down and start over.

The crux of the matter was how he viewed himself.

This was crucial.

When manipulating the Secret Seal, Lin Tuo had once mocked himself, saying he was different from the Mad Emperor—he was not a mad god.

The moment he said that, he immediately realized that the Secret Seal's "negative effects" had already quietly influenced him, amplifying some hidden thoughts within his heart.

Only then did Lin Tuo jolt awake, realizing that deep in his subconscious, he had already harbored the notion of considering himself a god.

This was an extremely dangerous thought.

Lin Tuo knew very well that his true power was at most equivalent to a martial arts expert from a film or TV drama; placed in a xianxia or fantasy setting, he would barely have set foot on the path of cultivation.

His deterrent power over the sandbox's inhabitants came entirely from the mysterious item known as the Evolution Sandbox.

He was like a game administrator, seemingly able to use permissions to decide life and death over characters in the game, but in the end, he was just an ordinary person relying on external force.

A true "god" clearly should not base their authority and power on external forces.

That was like water without a source—once he lost sight of his position and got lost in the illusory thrill of domination.

Given time, even without the Secret Seal, Lin Tuo might evolve into the "Mad Emperor" and ultimately head toward destruction.

There were too many similar examples in reality.

Almost every year, some ordinary people suddenly go viral online, gaining wealth and fame in months or even days that most could never dream of in a lifetime...

And many of these people lost themselves in it, becoming dizzy with success, only to end in ruin.

Rising like a meteor, falling like a meteor.

After suddenly acquiring "power," being able to guard one's true heart and recognize oneself was no easy feat.

To guide the development of the sandbox civilization, Lin Tuo could "pretend" to be a god for convenience.

But he knew very well that he must never truly consider himself a god.

Or wield his power recklessly.

Otherwise, it might not be long before his personality gradually twisted, leading to backlash.

In fact, Lin Tuo even suspected that bringing Hua Xi out might have been, subconsciously, a way to remind himself.

Seeing Hua Xi, he could clearly realize that the humans in the sandbox were no different in essence from himself—they were not "ants" on the ground, but living individuals.

Thus, he could avoid falling into a state similar to the "Mad Emperor."

These thoughts and reflections had been hidden in his heart until now, facing Hua Xi's question, he finally spoke them out without a doubt.

And just as he said those words, Lin Tuo's heart stirred, his body suddenly warmed, and a wisp of nearly invisible black qi seeped out from within him, dissipating completely.

In the depths of his mind, the dust was swept away, clear and pure as before.

At that moment, Lin Tuo felt as though his "state of mind" had undergone an invisible "elevation."

"An ordinary person?" On the mountain path, Hua Xi naturally had no idea about the change that had just occurred in Lin Tuo.

She only questioned in confusion, then looked at him seriously and said, "You're not an ordinary person."

"Mm... maybe, this matter is a bit complicated to explain..."

Lin Tuo smiled, and as he walked, he brought out a set of explanations he had prepared.

In the end, he still did not tell Hua Xi about the "Evolution Sandbox."

He only vaguely said it was a kind of "special ability" he had accidentally obtained—a power to traverse time and space and exert influence. Well, surprisingly, it wasn't hard to understand.

And Hua Xi, from start to finish, just listened earnestly, her eyes showing surprise and confusion, but in the end, it all turned into trust.

Though she couldn't fully grasp the logic behind it, she was very sure that Lin Tuo, this "god," was not bad, let alone "evil"... For her, that was enough.

"So, you're a good god?"

"I told you, I'm not... Sigh, think whatever you want."

Unnoticed, the invisible barrier between them gradually dissolved, and the look Hua Xi gave him lost some of its reverence, gaining more warmth.

"Alright, this is your room. Clothes, bedding, and such—sort them out yourself, then get a good night's sleep... digest a bit... We'll handle the rest tonight. I still have things to attend to."

Back at the Martial Arts Hall, Lin Tuo settled Hua Xi into the room next to his.

Watching the girl waddle into her room, clutching a bundle of belongings with her belly round and full, he shook his head with a smile and returned to the study.

In the study, after absorbing his Avatar back into his body, Lin Tuo looked at the Sandbox in a fairly good mood.

His gaze first landed on that "Potted Plant."

While taking Hua Xi shopping, Lin Tuo had found a moment to "switch consciousness" back to his main body and feed the lifeforms within the Potted Plant.

Initially, Lin Tuo had planned to toss them a ham sausage or a potato or something.

Considering the scale, that would have been enough for them to eat for a long time.

But as he pictured it in his mind—a group of people witnessing a sky-obscuring sausage, as massive as the Taihe Mountain Range, crashing down to earth—

Lin Tuo shuddered, finding the thought far too terrifying. In the end, he only chose to sprinkle some breadcrumbs down.

Though still terrifyingly large to the Sandbox lifeforms, it was at least within acceptable bounds...

Humans and carnivores could eat it. As for the herbivores, Lin Tuo simply went to the yard, plucked a blade of grass, and tossed it in.

He also added some water.

"Mm, looks pretty thriving, doesn't it."

Standing by the flowerpot, Lin Tuo swept his gaze across several partitioned zones.

Herbivorous and carnivorous mutant beasts were either gathered around the grass blade and breadcrumbs, gnawing away, drinking at the water's surface, or resting in the shade of the trees.

A few, full of energy, were locked in pairs, fighting.

Overall, it was quite peaceful.

"Turns out, as long as food is plentiful, these simple-minded animals aren't so brutal after all."

Lin Tuo couldn't help but sigh, then turned his gaze to the human zone.

Compared to the mutant beasts, the humans had already formed clustered communities led by the Three Major Powers, even starting to use the tools they'd brought along to set up tents and establish order.

When Lin Tuo fed them, he had also "played" the role of a deity publicly, issuing warnings and reassurances to the humans.

The gist was that they should temporarily settle here and avoid causing trouble.

Additionally, he permitted them to cut down and use that "ornamental tree" for firewood and building shelters.

"After all, that tree's so big—any single piece of bark would be enough for you to squander for ages."

Confirming that the "Transit Hub" was running smoothly, Lin Tuo slowly let out a breath and shifted his gaze to Sandbox No.1.

When he'd left, he had activated "Time Acceleration." Several hours had passed, and the entire Wasteland was still a vast ocean, but the murky waters had already turned clear and azure.

The gray, heavy sky had fully recovered as well.

Operation Log:

[...In the seven hundred millionth... year of the world's operation, the great flood destroyed the world. Sentient Beings were relocated and departed... The entire world returned to tranquility.]

[After a very, very long time, annihilation radiation vanished completely. Under the combined effects of nature and endless time, pollution disappeared. The world returned to its original form. The entire continent was submerged, becoming a paradise for marine life.]

"Marine life?"

Lin Tuo searched through the Operation Log and wasn't too surprised.

Land life had either been moved by him into the Transit Hub or drowned by the flood. Since he had injected freshwater, many marine mutant fish had likely died as well.

But in the end, some life could still survive.

Parting the clouds above, Lin Tuo looked down at the Sandbox, drawing close to the sea surface.

Inside Sandbox No.1.

Here was an endless ocean.

The entire world brimmed with a primal atmosphere.

As far as the eye could see, only a handful of tall mountains still jutted above the waterline, but even they could hardly give rise to any life.

Yet, if one looked closely, they would notice that on those mountains—or rather, "islands"—at the spots with the strongest sunlight, a large group of bizarre fish were sprawled out.

Languidly, as if sunbathing.

Occasionally, one would even flip over.

Suddenly, at that moment, the sky stirred. A vast, formless face slowly descended from the heavens, covering the entire sea.

It also noticed those strange fish covering the islands.

"Huh? What the hell are these?"