Chapter 62: Global Crisis

During the evaluation period of the Ten Great Academies of Blue Star, too many things happened.

The Seleukid gene agent suddenly developed problems, the Gene Alliance's homeland was slaughtered clean, and transmissions emerged from Kunlun Mountain about relics of Daoist cultivators…

Before these events were fully resolved, another terrifying message spread.

The high-speed train from Luohe to Puhai was swallowed by a beast tide.

This was not the first time; two months before the Ten Great Academies of Blue Star evaluation, this train line had already been intercepted by a beast tide.

Back then, the gene monstrous beasts were repelled by the military—only a few months have passed, and the beast tide has intercepted this train again.

Unlike last time, this beast tide was truly terrifying.

Rumors say no one survived on that train, and the military sent to intercept the beast tide also vanished without a trace.

This incident shocked not just China, but the entire world.

Yet as if prearranged, before anyone could fully respond, the world's gene monstrous beasts erupted in unison.

One city after another was erased under the gene beast tides; even some nations were swallowed whole—this terrifying trend left everyone in panic.

…

First Meeting Hall, Puhai Security Bureau.

Director Zong Han spoke slowly, "The high-speed train from Luohe to Puhai was intercepted by a gene monstrous beast tide, with no survivors."

"Before this incident, do you still remember the Luzhou City event? That is to say, gene monstrous beasts are no longer targeting only suburban towns and small cities—they've shifted to densely populated urban centers and major transportation corridors…"

The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy; gene monstrous beasts grew more violent each year.

The pressure on the Security Bureau grew daily—now even trains near Puhai were being attacked.

It's easy to imagine that soon, a metropolis like Puhai will face the threat of monstrous beasts.

"Relying solely on our Security Bureau, or even the military, cannot contain this global environmental deterioration…"

Zong Han's tone grew ever more grave; this was not like a world war.

In a world war, people still had conflicting interests—adjust those interests, and eventually it would end.

But this rampant spread of gene monstrous beasts shows no end in sight—unless humanity one day goes extinct.

"If not for the selfish bastards of the Gene Alliance, we could at least unite…" A discontented voice echoed in the hall.

Zong Han's gaze landed on the speaker, his tone slightly stern: "He Hu, you're our Security Bureau's Criminal Captain—how can you say words that undermine unity?"

After addressing He Hu, Zong Han turned to the others:

"Don't speak such words again. Whether it's the Gene Alliance or the Martial Alliance, both are now in the same trench as us—we all represent humanity's strength."

"Humanity must, and can only, unite to…"

At that moment, the meeting room phone rang.

Wang Qiusheng, the Operations Group Supervisor sitting beside Zong Han, hurried over to answer it, then heard a solemn voice say, "Is Zong Han in a meeting?"

"Yes, Director Dou." Wang Qiusheng's tone instantly became serious.

Upon hearing Wang Qiusheng address the caller as Director Dou, the entire meeting room fell silent.

This must be Dou Qingzhi, Director of China's National Security Bureau—when the Director himself calls the meeting room, it's no small matter.

"Speakerphone." Dou Qingzhi's voice came again.

"Yes." Wang Qiusheng switched to speakerphone, then returned to his seat.

In this age of rampant gene monstrous beasts, video calls frequently lost connection—it was only natural. Sometimes, the most primitive telephone signal was simpler and more direct.

From the other end of the line came Dou Qingzhi's heavy words:

"Comrades, not only are our transportation systems and some cities in China under assault by gene monstrous beasts—other nations are suffering even worse."

"According to our reliable intelligence, a top-tier gene monstrous beast has emerged on Earth—an entity stronger than Martial Primordial…"

Hearing "stronger than Martial Primordial," everyone's hearts jolted.

On Earth, Martial Primordial was the pinnacle of strength.

True, some had chosen gene cultivation—but gene cultivation had only begun twenty years ago and still lacked the depth of Martial cultivation.

"If only one gene monstrous beast stronger than Primordial had appeared, it wouldn't be so terrifying. The terrifying part is that this beast possesses extremely high intelligence—it appears to be coordinating all gene monstrous beasts across Earth…"

Even He Hu, who feared nothing, drew a sharp breath.

Dou Qingzhi's tone grew ever more grave: "The gene monstrous beast uprising in China, the beast tide that reached Puhai's train, Luzhou's fall again—all likely connected to this beast."

"Based on the recent movements of these gene monstrous beasts and our deductions, these are merely probes."

In the future, all gene monstrous beasts across the globe may unite under this powerful beast into a terrifying collective."

"If these gene monstrous beasts form a collective, they will advance—from cities to nations, then to the entire Earth…"

Dou Qingzhi didn't need to finish—the meaning was clear to all.

They intended to unite all gene monstrous beasts across the globe, crush every nation, and turn Earth into the domain of gene monstrous beasts.

This was not a future threat—it was already happening. In South America and Africa, it was unfolding now.

"This powerful beast originated in the Andes Mountains of the First Range and now dominates all of South America."

"All nations of the world, together with the Ten Great Academies of Blue Star, the Gene Alliance, and the Martial Alliance, have decided to establish a defensive line to prevent gene monstrous beasts from leaving South America."

"This line will be built at Dakar, called the Human Corridor Defense Line."

"We will dispatch troops and elite cultivators to the Human Corridor Defense Line to assist in its defense. Our Security Bureau naturally leads the charge—on a voluntary basis, who is willing to go? Zong Han, compile a list."

"Yes." Zong Han stood and replied.

The call ended. Everyone remained silent.

Decades ago, if gene monstrous beasts had emerged in the Andes, they wouldn't have panicked—North America would have been the first to suffer.

But over twenty years ago, a catastrophic tectonic event killed tens of millions—and forcibly squeezed out a narrow strip of land in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean: the famed Undersea Highway.

The Undersea Highway nearly connected South America directly to Dakar in Africa.

In another light, though many died, the Undersea Highway did bring immense convenience to transportation.

But gene-monsters could now travel unimpeded from South America to Africa.

In fact, Africa was already a land overrun by gene-monsters; with the influx from South America, human survival became even more difficult.

If these gene-monsters had a commanding beast-king, the extinction of Earth's humanity was not impossible.

North America, however, had been completely severed from South America by that tectonic movement, and some islands and nations vanished in the catastrophe.

After gene-monsters became rampant in South America, the ocean became a protective barrier for North America.

"I'll lead the team myself—who's willing to come with me?" After several minutes of silence, Zong Han made his decision.

"I'll go with you," Captain He Hu stood up.

If we don't block the undersea highway, once that intelligent, powerful monster takes control of all the gene-monsters on Earth, humanity will truly face extinction.

……

Ding Huan awoke from cultivation, sensing the thick flow of true qi within him, and stepped out of his tent.

After nearly two months of cultivation here, what pleased him most was not that his cultivation was about to reach Third-Level Gene Cultivator, but his enhanced recovery ability.

In just two months, his right eye had fully healed. This was because his cultivation was still low—if it were higher, he might have recovered in only one or two weeks.

Ding Huan stood up and decided to go to the central pond to catch a few more fish.

Second-Level Gene Cultivators still cannot abstain from food. Though long-term practice of the Luo Shi Jing reduced his need to eat, he still had to consume something.

Standing at the pond's edge, Ding Huan didn't even use tools—he simply reached out and grabbed, and a one-foot-long fish flew out of the water and landed in his hand.

This was a technique he had developed himself, using internal qi to grasp objects from a distance.

Now he was only a Second-Level Gene Cultivator; by the time he reached Third-Level Gene Cultivator, he wouldn't even need to come to the pond's edge—he could snatch fish from the water with a mere gesture.

As Ding Huan caught the fish, he suddenly noticed a shadow beneath the pond's surface.

But the shadow was quickly shattered by the waterfall cascading down from above.

Ding Huan tossed the fish aside and stood at the pond's edge, studying it carefully again.

This time he saw clearly—it was indeed a shadow, not from the pond's bottom, but cast down from above.

Having come here to cultivate for two months primarily to heal his eyes, Ding Huan had never properly examined his surroundings.

Now he looked up: the waterfall flowed from cracks in the rock ceiling; the rain must have been scarce, for the water flowed in intermittent spurts.

Seven or eight streaks of mottled light slanted down, and then he saw a monkey-like creature lodged within the crack at the top.

Ding Huan estimated the height—from the ground to where the monkey sat, it was likely sixty to seventy meters.

With his current strength, using Wind Riding Technique to ascend sixty to seventy meters would be difficult.

There was no rush—he wasn't particularly curious—he decided to advance to Third-Level Gene Cultivator first, then practice Wind Riding Technique for a while.

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