The Whole Nation Begins Cultivating

Helu City, Hongfu Restaurant.

In a corner beside the spiral staircase on the second floor.

Lin Yi held a Source Energy Crystal in his hand. The source energy within was being slowly drawn out, then flowed with difficulty yet steadily along a strange path through his parched meridians. While it brought a tingling sensation akin to the warmth of a winter sun, it silently nourished and strengthened his body.

He sank his consciousness into his body, carefully savoring this long-lost, solid feeling of slow power growth. The faint roars and explosions in the distance seemed to be isolated in another world.

This process of focusing on his own strengthening was one of the few moments Lin Yi could feel at ease during his struggle for survival in his previous life.

Just then, a burst of hurried footsteps approached.

"Brother Yi, quick! Look at this!"

Chen Yu's face was flushed red with excitement. He practically lunged in front of Lin Yi and shoved his phone over.

Lin Yi was forcibly pulled out of his cultivation state.

The feeling was, well, slightly unpleasant.

However, looking at the mix of ecstasy and hope in Chen Yu's eyes, he swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

Forget it. I'll tell him next time that you shouldn't shout at someone while they're cultivating.

It's only because it's me. If it were a novice with poor control over source energy, their attention would have been scattered, causing them to lose control of the energy flow in the crystal. While it wouldn't cause serious injury, wasting a crystal would be inevitable.

Lin Yi grumbled slightly in his heart before taking the phone.

What met his eyes was the familiar official website of the Emergency Center, but unlike the lonely link from before, it was now suddenly packed with content.

There were dense, official-format text announcements and many images that were concise yet highly impactful.

Those images were of the currently known Abyss Beasts, with labels like "Abyss Beast - Corrosive Abyssal Wolf" clearly marked below them.

Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat, and his gaze swept rapidly downward.

[.Following research and a decision by the Supreme Command, the "Kindling" Survivor Shelter Plan is officially launched, effective immediately.]

[.Based on existing intelligence and analysis, the invading organisms from the different dimension are officially named "Abyss Beasts." Their nests are temporarily classified into six levels based on energy reaction intensity and the comprehensive threat level of the Abyss Beasts: Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Giant, and Main Nest.]

[.Attached are the characteristics of each nest level, a schematic diagram of estimated territory ranges, and a guide to identifying relatively safe "Gap Zones."]

[.Attached is the full text of the Basic Source Energy Guidance Technique, an overview video, and the first part of the instructional video.]

[.Survivors far from established settlements are advised to cautiously assess risks, provided their absolute safety is ensured, and seize the opportunity to head to the nearest nest Gap Zone to wait for rescue or proceed on their own to the nearest settlement to seek shelter.]

[.All military and local armed forces will fully organize search, rescue, and transfer efforts for survivors, covering fellow citizens as they move toward settlements.]

[.All fellow citizens must hurry to save and record relevant information. Those sheltering in groups should conserve phone battery, using them in turns when necessary. Power, communications, and the internet will be completely interrupted in the short term.]

Every word felt like a heavy hammer striking Lin Yi's heart.

He held his breath involuntarily.

This... how is this possible?!

Even with Lin Yi's temperament, he was momentarily stunned.

Because the official response was vastly different from his memories of the previous life.

In his past life, the first few days after the disaster broke out were pure, hellish chaos.

The official, massive war machine bled out while trying to defend vital strategic nodes, leaving them completely unable to care for or effectively contact civilians scattered in every corner.

It wasn't until three days after the disaster that the broadcast signals intermittently transmitted the locations of a few large "Safety Zones," calling for survivors to head there on their own.

There were no detailed nest distribution maps, no clear concept of "Gap Zones," and certainly no release of the full text of the Basic Source Energy Guidance Technique.

As for organized military search and rescue?

After the initial troop strength was largely consumed by the battles for strategic nodes, that was more of a pipe dream.

However, Lin Yi could understand.

The authorities back then didn't want to abandon people; they were truly powerless, forced to make cruel trade-offs, prioritizing the preservation of the final Kindling of civilization and core military strength.

But now?!

How much time had passed?

Counting it all up, from the outbreak of the disaster until now, it had only been half a day.

It wasn't even dark outside yet!

Not only had the authorities established a threat assessment system with astonishing efficiency, named the Abyss Beasts, grasped the basic laws of nest territories, and drawn up detailed "Gap Zone" maps, but they were also announcing large-scale search and rescue operations and the establishment of so many settlements?

This efficiency, this decision-making, this boldness—it was a world of difference from the tragic and helpless struggle of his previous life!

"But... why?"

After the massive shock, Lin Yi thought rapidly in his heart.

Why?

Why was there such a huge deviation between this life and the previous one?

"Could it be... my video?"

Lin Yi pondered back and forth, feeling that the only variable was his video.

As a high-ranking official in his past life, Lin Yi had naturally reviewed the archives regarding the official initial response patterns.

The authorities had obtained the crystal containing the Basic Source Energy Guidance Technique early on, but the information within consisted only of abstract cultivation paths and energy sensing methods, with no clear description of its power manifestation or practical combat value.

At a critical juncture for the survival of human civilization, facing a completely unknown and seemingly "ethereal" path of individual strengthening, the high-level decision-makers could naturally not gamble the nation's fate and the lives of countless soldiers and civilians on it at the first opportunity.

Therefore, the highest leadership had no choice but to grit their teeth and initiate a two-pronged strategy.

On one hand, they invested top-tier resources into attempting to decipher and learn this "Source Energy Guidance Technique" to see whether so-called source energy cultivation and source energy technology were a true delicacy or a poisonous bait. On the other hand, they spared no cost in fighting for the strategic nodes they deemed vital.

In the end, they fell into a quagmire of attrition, suffered heavy losses, and missed the initial golden window of opportunity.

Yet, in this lifetime, things had changed.

His video seemed to have injected a shot of adrenaline into the highest leadership, allowing them to see a brand-new, feasible, and perhaps even more suitable path of strengthening and combat mode for the new era, following the collapse of the traditional industrial system.

"Truly... what immense courage!"

Even as the initiator, Lin Yi could not help but feel a surge of heartfelt admiration for the current decision-makers in his heart.

To make a strategic pivot that affected the entire nation's fate based solely on a single video within such a short time required incredible decisiveness and sense of responsibility.

This was a move made under the pressure of potentially becoming a sinner who caused the downfall of the nation and the extinction of the race if even the slightest mistake occurred.

Putting himself in their shoes, Lin Yi felt he could not have done it.

"Li Zhenguo, no wonder you were always held in such high regard."

In his past life, when he had ascended to the upper echelons, he often heard the elders gathered together, sighing and lamenting over the chaotic situation, "If only Chief Li were still here. If he were here, things would never have come to this."

It was said that this iron-blooded chief, who possessed immense prestige and the ability to keep all factions in check, had fallen ill from worry and indignation due to the rapidly deteriorating situation and the shocking casualty figures during the early stages of the apocalypse, passing away shortly thereafter.

Although his successors had also tried their best, they could never match his prestige, courage, and strategic decisiveness, leading to many correct decisions in the middle and later stages failing due to internal bickering or poor execution, and making it difficult for various factions to be effectively coordinated.

If it was Li Zhenguo who had made the decision after seeing the video, overriding all objections, then everything made perfect sense.

Perhaps only he could possess such prestige and courage to make such a earth-shattering decision when the weight of the world was pressing down upon them.

"Brother Yi, look here! There's a full version of the Source Energy Guidance Technique, and your teaching video is attached at the end! There's also a tutorial video for the introductory section."

Chen Yu, completely unaware of the turbulent thoughts within Lin Yi, poked his phone screen excitedly.

"I actually understood the introductory video just now! Uh, I don't mean you didn't explain it well, it's just that the old man is too amazing..."

"..."

Lin Yi helplessly patted Chen Yu.

"He is definitely an expert in teaching; it's only natural that he explains it better than I do."

He didn't take it to heart; every profession had its own specialty. An academician teaching elementary school students mathematics might not necessarily be more effective than a primary school math teacher with a senior title.

Compared to Chen Yu's excitement over learning the opening of the guidance technique, Lin Yi was more concerned with the impact this would have.

"The era of global source energy cultivation is about to begin."

Lin Yi reached this conclusion after only a brief moment of contemplation.

Because the decision made by Li Zhenguo would affect far more than just the Xia Kingdom.

It would affect the entire world!

With the sudden arrival of the doomsday crisis, countries around the world would naturally communicate frequently to discuss countermeasures and share information.

Just as the Xia Kingdom had stopped considering the use of high-yield nuclear weapons precisely because the Ross Federation had already test-fired two in a remote ice field with little effect.

Although many low-to-mid-level Abyss Beasts had died, the high-level Abyss Beasts were almost unaffected, and their nests also appeared to be illusory, ignoring the nuclear strikes.

This time, with the Xia Kingdom suddenly making a major strategic adjustment and releasing the complete Source Energy Guidance Technique to the public, it was hard to say that other countries would remain unaffected.

After all, in their eyes, the East would not act without a purpose.

Although they might not immediately believe that a decision was changed just because of a video—surely there were deeper, undisclosed reasons—since things were already a mess, they might as well follow suit and learn it.

In Lin Yi's view, publicly releasing the source energy cultivation method in advance was absolutely a great thing with only benefits and no drawbacks.

Compared to his past life, where network communications were severed and one had to risk their life killing Abyss Beasts to obtain crystals just to learn the Source Energy Guidance Technique, this was now essentially a free handout, available with a single click.

Furthermore, it came with a general outline and introductory tutorials, greatly lowering the barrier to entry.