"And those Star Spirit Stones could be found almost everywhere, across the entire continent and in every ocean and lake. After all, they had rained down from the sky for three hundred years. It would have been strange if there were few of them. Well, these Star Spirit Stones were probably what we now call Star Soul Stones."
As the little fatty reached this point, Zuo Xiaoduo slowly nodded as well. So that was the story behind the origins of Star Soul Stones.
"After the Great Cataclysm, the surviving humans rose from the ruins and resumed production and everyday life. Some continued to study science and technology, but others discovered by chance that the spiritual energy constantly emanating from Star Spirit Stones could nurture the body. There were even inheritors of scraps of Martial Dao teachings who used them as aids while feeling their way toward cultivating the Martial Dao."
"However, the utilization rate of Star Spirit Stones was not very high at the time. Even when they were occasionally used to cultivate the Martial Dao, the decline of its teachings meant that little could be achieved. Several hundred years passed like this, and human society once again returned to the path of the technological age. The technology they developed anew could already withstand the meteor bombardments that had yet to cease... then another earth-shattering change arrived without warning!"
"Of the eight continents that had split off in the early years, two suddenly returned from the stars and rejoined the Star Soul Continent. This enormous change shook the entire continent. The seas heaved, monstrous waves towered into the sky, and earthquakes shook the whole continent. Countless lofty mountains were even transformed into seabed in an instant. Human civilization suffered another devastating blow!"
"And the two sects that returned had been opposing sects back in those days."
"One sect felt that the existing humans occupied their original territory and wanted to slaughter all the humans of Star Soul to restore their former glory. To put it plainly, they were merely coveting this spiritual domain that had been baptized by countless meteors."
"Humanity deployed high-tech weapons to resist, only to discover that their so-called firearms were utterly useless against these people. Their so-called weapons of mass destruction were destroyed before they could even be used."
A smile filled with mockery appeared on the little fatty's face. "When humans saw their enemies strolling toward them in flowing robes, while thousands upon tens of thousands on their own side fired machine guns and cannons like mad, yet their opponents remained unmoved; when any single one of their opponents could easily slaughter tens of thousands; when their supposedly advanced weapons capable of destroying heaven and earth could do their opponents no harm at all; when they saw enemies seated atop the rising mushroom clouds, their lips curving into mocking smiles... they finally realized that the road humanity had taken all these years was wrong!"
"Utterly, completely wrong!"
"Only then did humanity finally wake up again and realize that no power was more reliable than possessing supreme power oneself!"
"No matter how advanced technology became, if the person using it was nothing more than a feeble ant, there was not the slightest chance of a lucky escape when facing the strong!"
"It turned out that one person's strength truly could stand against natural disasters, against earthquakes, against volcanoes, and even against tsunamis..."
"Father God gave us bodies and minds that could be cultivated to the utmost, but we did not cherish them at all. Instead, we used them to seek comfort and shun toil, to reap without sowing, to seek shortcuts and exploit opportunities!"
The little fatty sighed wistfully. "This mistake... how many years did we spend making it..."
"Fortunately, two sects returned together. One revealed its ambition to wipe out the native humans completely the moment it arrived. The other may well have initially intended the same, but its overall strength was inferior to that of the first sect. So they chose to join forces with humanity, passed down the seeds of the Martial Dao, and began a long, desperate struggle to the death against the other sect."
"Stop!"
As the little fatty reached this point, Qin Fangyang, who had been standing to one side all along, suddenly cut in and said evenly, "Leave out the next part. With your current cultivation, you are not yet qualified to know anything deeper."
The little fatty nodded.
"Well, that was the formative period of our current era. Or perhaps we should call it the second formative period."
"Next came the high-martial era we live in now. Having obtained cultivation teachings anew from one of the returning sects, and after many years of development, powerful human experts emerged one after another. Gradually, humanity embarked on an entirely new path of the strong, giving equal weight to the Martial Dao and technology-or rather, a path of cultivation supported by technology. For example, the white mist released over you just now to heal your injuries and restore your stamina used Star Soul Stone energy as its foundation, with mechanical adjustments to precisely match each person's current condition."
Li Chenglong looked solemn. "My friends, do you understand now? We are still struggling on the brink of survival! The strength of our enemies is not something we can understand much of at our present level."
"Countless powerful experts are guarding the borders day and night without rest at this very moment, whether atop snowy mountains, on islands, amid the waves, or..."
The little fatty pointed overhead. "...high above the nine heavens!"
"Perhaps one day, when we wake up, this city we live in will no longer exist! Or perhaps one day, when we fall asleep, everything will end... while we are dreaming!"
"This is our high-martial era! Outside are incomparably powerful enemies, unimaginably powerful forces. Perhaps they have already infiltrated our surroundings... or perhaps they are right inside our homes!"
"Moreover, meteors from the starry universe are still falling without a moment's pause!"
"Of the eight continents cast out, only two have returned so far. The others may not necessarily have perished among the stars. Who knows when they might return as well."
"When that time comes, it will once again be a world-destroying catastrophe!"
"Our city only remains safe and sound because powerful experts protect it, diverting the falling meteors into the wilderness!"
At this point, the little fatty glanced at Qin Fangyang.
Qin Fangyang gave a slight nod.
Li Chenglong straightened up. "That is all Teacher Li will cover in this lesson. Does anyone have any questions? Zuo Xiaoduo, did you understand?"
Zuo Xiaoduo raised his right hand. "Reporting to Teacher Li, I understood."
Li Chenglong nodded in satisfaction. "If you understood, that means everyone understood. Your teacher is very pleased, very happy!"