Twin Rocks Wildlife Reserve sat a hundred miles west of Meridian City. It was a large forested area home to a hundred thousand plants, fungi, and animals.
In the center was an expansive lake, 25 mi2 in size. While one could see the mountains on the other side, a person couldn't see the shore. It looked like an endless sea that landed on a mountain.
While the park was once peaceful, the Sky Plane cultivators seeded a Spirit Vein inside the lake. A Spirit Vein was a treasure that sucked large quantities of Qi into an area.
It was a precious treasure that created natural cultivation havens in the upper planes. Once a Spirit Vein was present, cultivators would pay large quantities of money to cultivate under denser Qi.
While such treasures weren't rare, obtaining one was exceedingly difficult for two reasons. The first was a person needed to be of a realm high enough to sustain the intense Qi influx, or their meridians and dantian would rupture. The second was that it was dangerous to get near one.
SQUAAAAWK! HUOH!-HUOH!-HUOH!
SPLASH! Splash!
A massive seagull the size of a bald eagle shot into the lake and returned with a 10-pound baby walleye. Another ten did the same thing within three seconds.
There were thousands of seagulls doing the same. In addition, there were eagles the size of wolves, yellow jackets the size of murder hornets, and countless other overpowered creatures flying directly above the lake.
Below the water was a galaxy of deadly walleye and northern pikes ranging from ten to two-hundred pounds. Due to the abrupt power shift, the predatory fish went on a breeding spree, turning it into a hellscape stew prepping ground.
Between the sky and water, creatures circling the Spirit Vein turned it into a death trap far beyond the capabilities of most cultivators.
Since Spirit Veins stayed stagnant, everything around them became stronger. They turned water into a treasure, feeding beasts and expediting natural Spirit Qi creation.
"I'll leave the Spirit Vein here for now." Kaze shifted his gaze from the birds to Earthians fighting with beasts in the forest. "To steal this vein would be to steal my own life as well as yours. However, I will return for both when the time is right."
Only those handed earth-grade techniques or higher in his past life got them unless they won them in an event. Therefore, people had to survive using cunning and skill.
The fastest way to boost one's power was to eat Soul Qi-rich meat, found in predators, constantly eating Soul Meat from other predators. And during the rapture ergo events, the cultivators announced the Twin Rocks Wildlife Reserve and the value of Soul Qi.
As a result, countless survivors traveled to the area to hunt and grow. Kaze was one of them in his past life, so he had a strange connection to the place.
"I wonder what these tortured souls will think when all the birds disappear?" He chuckled mischievously, "Gratitude? No, such rationality does not exist where fear flourishes.
And oh, will there be terror before the gratitude sinks in. Divine Transfiguration: [Soul Gift]."
Kaze's body lit up with runes as he pulled his hand back.
Whooooooooooosh!
A golden sphere of Qi shot into the center of the birds and exploded, creating a profound ripple of golden light. As it shot through the birds, their eyes lit up with greed as power welled within them.
ROAAAAAR!
SQUUUUEEEEE! SQUEEEEEEEE!
The animals in the area also went wild, looking above the clouds and finding a cultivator hovering in the air.
"Tasty?" Kaze smirked, developing another ball of Qi and turning to Meridian City, "Fetch."
The emperor waved his hand, and a ball of Soul Qi shot across the air at 200 miles per hour.
SQUAAAAWK! HUOH!-HUOH!-HUOH!
A massive flock of seagulls shot from the lake at high speeds, cutting through the sky.
All the survivors stopped and screamed in fear, running for their lives as the beasts in the forest stampeded and thousands of biblical-sized birds took to the air, blocking out the sun. Everyone thought that their lives had finally reached their climax.
"Yup, fear." Kaze smirked, watching their terrified expressions, "They'll be grateful once they realize that these loathsome scavengers are gone from the lake."
The emperor chuckled and turned to the flying birds, spotting eagles and serious threats. "I suppose hunting is necessary. Luckily, everyone will benefit from the wind elementals to help them learn flying."
Unlike Qi which was invariant, elemental affinities were unique to the animal.
Soul Qi cleansed bodies of impurities, strengthened bodies, and facilitated healing. Each animal was different in what it needed, so the Qi developed qualities to help beasts. When cultivators consumed an animal's meat, they obtained a unique cocktail of magical benefits designed for it.
For that reason, all animals contained elementals. Eating nocturnal animals gave a person better night vision and hearing. Eating birds helped with air resistance and developing aerodynamic Qi patterns. Desert creatures and winter animals gave heat and ice resistance.
However, certain elementals like electricity were legendary, as animals capable of electrogenesis were already rare, located on multiple continents and oceans, and had to be strong to survive.
Luckily, most elementals were easy to obtain for an overpowered Immortal who could fly and use spatial rifts to transport animals. So the power was easy to obtain and convenient.
"I'll give the eagles for the elites... soldiers can eat the seagulls... and...." Kaze eyed a condor the size of a baby pterodactyl with a predatory glint in his eyes. "You'll be a gift for my lovers."
a??a"�a"?a"�a??
"Why are we always playing babysitter for these idiots?" Rein scoffed, sitting on the roof of a medium-height skyscraper.
"Information control." Steve sighed, sitting next to her and looking toward the west.
"Who cares?" Larkin asked, "Emperor Scrawn's asking more of us. We should be grateful; that's a one way ticket to promotion town! "
"That's right...." The short-haired brunette muttered to herself, eyes lighting up. She was so critical of Kaze's antics that she often forgot he was her boss!
Steve twirled his fingers to the sky unenthusiastically. "Yay."
"Why do you hate attention, S Man?" Larkin asked curiously, "You've got the skillz, and the favor from the big man."
"Government officials are held to a higher standard of integrity." Steve explained seriously, "I'd rather if my humble gambling addiction didn't get reframed as a scandal or sign of corruption."
Rein's eyes widened in surprise. While the message was lamentable, the thought process behind it was shockingly rational. "I just thought that you were trying to shirk responsibilities."
"No, that's just a latent benefit." The Asian man sighed, eyes closed, "While... hold up, guys. There's something moving from the west."
"Are you seeing somethin'?" Larkin asked suspiciously, "I ain't seein'--"
Squawk... huoh-huoh-huoh....
"A seagull?" Rein asked in confusion, "I've just realized I haven't heard a seagull in weeks. Steve... Steve, what's wrong?"
Steve's face contorted into a grim expression, looking to the west. "Use the Sensory Enhancement technique."
Following his ominous request, she activated the technique. When she did, her face turned grim. "You got to be fucking kidding me. We need to get off this building--NOW!"
"Why, though?" Larkin asked stubbornly, "Why are ya'll freaking out about a seagull--"
"NOW!" Rein snapped, picking him up off the ground.
"OKAY, OKAY!" The jester snapped indignantly, "I'm just saying that... oh."
Larkin's eyes trembled in disbelief, looking into the distance.
"Yeah, [oh]!" She growled, "Now jump! We need to get closer to the shipping yard, now!"
a??a"�a"?a"�a??
"This atmosphere is hella awkward." Denzel sighed, watching soldiers get up after the group cultivation session, "It's like genuine hope crawled into 1984."
"Well yeah, no one wants to be shipped out." Eric said seriously, "At the same time, everyone has a right to feel excited. The results we've gotten in the last few days have been... shocking."
While Eric's team focused on learning Combustion, the rest of the soldiers practiced Guided Arrow and Slash Attacks.
When they did, they realized that their performance had skyrocketed! Their control was refined, and their nuanced goals were easier to accomplish. It showed that Evalyn's "training" wasn't pure punishment and had profound benefits. Combined with Soul Meat, new techniques, and encouragement, morale was at an all-time high.
However! The threat of death or exile was tangible, as Evalyn demonstrated both recently. As a result, people were excited about the future but fearful of others, creating a paranoid environment where people spoke less to prevent conflicts. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.
"You're all worrying too much!" Jackson smiled energetically, getting up from the lotus position and stretching, "General Skye's not the type to start fights; she's more the type that ends them.
If we keep practicing and showing our value, we'll be fine. The rest should be common sense, anyway."
"You're way too fuckin' optimistic, man." Chen scoffed, getting up and grabbing his framed hiking backpack, "The General's not our biggest concern--right now, it's scavenging in that hell hole.
So let's get this shit over with and be grateful we're still kickin'. It's already late, and I don't want to sleep in another building again."
The team sighed in understanding. No matter how magnanimous, fair, or righteous Evalyn was, it didn't change their dangerous roles or realities of the apocalypse.
With the surprise training, they were departing midway through the day, leaving half as many hours to scavenge and return. So the day was far harder than usual. It was bittersweet.
"REMEMBER!" Sandra yelled out, "IF YOU SEE AN IMMORTAL, REPORT IT TO THE BASE IMMEDIATELY! IF YOU MUST CONFRONT THEM, RESOLVE IT PEACEFULLY BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!"
"You don't have to tell me twice." Denzel chuckled bitterly, "If this policy had come out a few days ago, I'd have complained that they were creating laws to herd us like cattle.
Now, I'm grateful for the policy. It's funny how things change."
"Isn't that the truth?" Moe chuckled wryly, nodding her head. She also understood the sentiment.
After a shared laugh, the group walked into the city, where they'd prove their words simultaneously ironic and prophetic.
Visit freewe𝑏nove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺 for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience