Sick Man of East Asia?

For the past hundreds of thousands of years, humanity has looked up at the stars, once shouting, "Our journey is to the sea of stars."

However, the universe is too vast.

So vast that the material carriers humanity painstakingly pieced together within the solar system, attempting to cross distances measured in light-years and the unknown, were met with a desolate, potent despair that instilled a sense of powerlessness and fear.

Facing astronomical units that generations could not cross even in a lifetime, the sea of stars seemed impractical. Earth humans, seemingly carrying the weight of continental and oceanic civilizations, could only circle within the solar system, like prisoners trapped in a cage, unable to escape.

This situation could persist for hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years.

Until a certain technological breakthrough.

Or the demise of civilization.

This was an iron wall before them; humanity looked up to infinity, down to infinity, left to infinity, and right to infinity.

But the appearance of the War Zone directly bored countless holes in this iron wall!

Compared to the unattainable sea of stars, the dimensional ocean was plastered directly onto everyone's faces.

On the other side of the sea lay infinite matter! Infinite energy!

Everyone in the world, even those in a vegetative state, had an opportunity to accept the summons of the War Zone and go to the Artificial Divine Realm for trials. All wealth and power gained from the trials belonged to you. Even if you failed the first trial and lost your qualification, as long as you subsequently completed Destiny Cluster cultivation, you could still apply to the War Zone again to undergo trials.

One could imagine.

When such a life-altering opportunity presented itself, anyone would feel a surge of desire from the deepest part of their heart.

On the very first day the War Zone descended, this desire directly drove tens of millions of humans to choose to enter the Artificial Divine Realm to undergo trials. Within a mere seven days, almost all of the world's 8.4 billion people experienced a wondrous journey to another world.

Out of 8.4 billion people, the number of first-time trial completers wasn't large, but there were always lucky ones, strong ones, and prepared ones who would quickly stand out, bringing earth-shattering changes to the world in just a few months, becoming crucial, formidable forces in the new era.

As one of the 8.4 billion.

Lan Yi's first Artificial Divine Realm trial was of moderate difficulty.

He was not lucky, not strong, and not prepared. He entered the Artificial Divine Realm as someone who had run out of options, lost all hope, and was driven by a desperate final push, a reckless abandon towards himself!

Even in his first trial, his activated Destiny Cluster had little effect due to the lack of cultivation methods and protective Daoist Arts. Instead, his martial arts and sturdy physique became Lan Yi's foundation for survival. At that time, there was one person who was like a mentor and a friend to him.

That person was Huo Yuanjia.

Artificial Divine Realm time, 1909 AD.

The rulers of the feudal dynasty, immersed in the dream of being the "Celestial Dynasty," were jolted awake by the humiliation of two wars waged by foreign powers. Treaty after treaty ceded territory and sovereignty, exhausting the resources of China to appease foreign nations. The imperial court became a tool for foreigners to bleed the nation dry, and national pride was utterly lost.

The people of Star Han were forced to recognize their backwardness, and backwardness led to being beaten.

To be whipped.

Unconsciously, they would either hate or worship those who wielded the whip.

When faced with the "powerful ships and advanced cannons" that represented scientific advancement and were high above, meting out punishment, the dream of the Celestial Dynasty citizens shattered. Many, experiencing severe psychological dissonance, chose not hatred towards the whip, but fervent, sycophantic admiration.

Foreign guns, foreign cannons, foreign matches, foreign cement.

No matter what it was, as long as it had "foreign" attached, it was top-notch. They wished they and the ground beneath them could also become "foreign," instantly transforming into advanced civilization, scientific progress, and people of a higher class.

Even the Boxer Rebellion, which had once flourished, vanished without a trace in the face of this sudden shift in sentiment, daring not to utter the words "exterminate foreigners" lightly.

At this time, Puhai.

Due to the mutual protection policy, it was not affected by the war. Instead, it was highly praised for prioritizing the protection of foreign residents, becoming one of the premier safe major cities along the coast. The International Anti-Opium Association further propelled it onto the international stage, and the ironclad warships that patrolled the Yangtze River were also happy to choose this city to anchor and rest, incidentally protecting the property and safety of their expatriates.

In addition to the International Anti-Opium Association, Puhai currently had another event that uplifted the national spirit.

That was the martial artist Huo Yuanjia, who had defeated a foreign strongman on the racetrack. He was now establishing the Jingwu Gymnastics Association. In the declining national power of the late Qing Dynasty, the association issued a slogan advocating martial arts, researching physical education, and forging a strong and resolute populace. It proclaimed that if the people practiced martial arts and strengthened their bodies, the nation's fortune could be revitalized.

This was the background of Lan Yi's first Artificial Divine Realm trial.

Shiliupu Kaitai Wharf.

Lan Yi was very conspicuous at this moment.

In 1909, the average height was around 164cm. Foreigners who came to China, whether from the East or the West, were mostly accustomed to a life of comfort, with ample access to meat, eggs, and milk. Their height was generally greater than that of the Star Han people, who, suffering from oppression and exploitation, were severely malnourished.

Lan Yi, however, was 188cm tall.

Furthermore, when Lan Yi chose his trial, he did not accept the services of the War Zone to change his short hair and shirt. Therefore, in the eyes of many sallow-faced, struggling laborers, this Lan Yi, dressed in Western clothing and appearing like a giant, was a significant figure they absolutely could not afford to offend.

The rickshaw pullers nearby were willing to pick up passengers to earn a living, but observing Lan Yi's expression as he gazed at the slowly passing warships, these shrewd individuals sensed a different atmosphere. Some of the more timid ones simply pulled their rickshaws away from the wharf.

These creatures at the bottom of the food chain had sharp senses.

Lan Yi's mood was indeed not good.

He had entered the Artificial Divine Realm at the wrong time.

According to his memory, he should have descended in Jinmen a month before Huo Yuanjia's fight with the strongman. But now he was in Puhai, and the time was on the eve of the Jingwu Gymnastics Association's establishment.

This was likely the result of the War Zone's dynamic difficulty balancing.

"Your demeanor is imposing, observing the fleet by the river, you seem deeply concerned about the rampant presence of white warships. This inspires me to seek your acquaintance, to discuss the future of competition between the yellow and white races. I am Tadokoro Koichi, may I ask for your esteemed name?" (Dongyang language)

A Dongyang man, shorter than Lan Yi but clearly more robust and taller than the laborers coming and going around them, observed him for a moment before stepping forward to strike up a conversation.

Clearly, Tadokoro Koichi had mistaken Lan Yi, who was wearing a shirt and had a buzz cut rather than the queue hairstyle, for a Dongyang person.

Most importantly.

Lan Yi possessed the national demeanor of a great power, something rarely seen among Star Han people of this era.

Lan Yi glanced at Tadokoro Koichi and didn't reply.

As Tadokoro Koichi walked along the river with his female companion, he immediately felt the pressure from someone of a higher status. Instead of getting angry, his expression became even more respectful, and he began using honorifics.

"Are you annoyed by these 'Sick Men of East Asia,' my lord? I can disperse them all for you."

"Sick Men of East Asia?" Lan Yi grinned, his teeth exceptionally white and sharp in the sunlight.