Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Heavenly Net

“If you want to hear about Sky Net, we have to start with the era before the resurgence of spiritual energy! Our Huaxia civilization has a long and rich heritage, and martial arts have existed since ancient times. However, after the Qin Dynasty, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gradually faded away. Records indicate that by the end of the Tang Dynasty, it had vanished completely. From the Song Dynasty onward, we entered the Age of Declining Magic. During that period, practitioners became increasingly rare, and most sects and families with cultivation traditions gradually fell into decline. Only a handful survived—Shaolin, Wudang, Dragon-Tiger Mountain, Qingcheng... Some families, though unable to practice without spiritual energy, still managed to preserve their lineage. That’s why our Huaxia cultivation techniques have an unbroken legacy; most of what we practice today has been handed down from the ancients,” Xie Guotao explained.

Yang Fan listened intently, his face full of curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

Xie Guotao felt slightly exasperated—surely the cultivation academies should have taught this! Why did this kid look as if he’d never heard any of it before? He was only giving this background as a prelude to explaining the origins of Sky Net. Though puzzled, Xie Guotao continued, “Do you know when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth returned?”

Yang Fan’s eyes widened. “What, you don’t know?”

Xie Guotao nearly spat blood. Damn it, of course I know! What’s with that shocked expression?

“Can you please speak properly? If you keep this up, I won’t go on!” Xie Guotao said, both frustrated and helpless.

Yang Fan immediately nodded. “It was 2008, the resurgence of spiritual energy.”

Xie Guotao shook his head and went on. “In 2008, spiritual energy returned, and a wave of practitioners and Awakened appeared—at least, that’s what people say. But let me tell you, the resurgence actually happened earlier.”

“Earlier?” Yang Fan asked.

“Yes, much earlier. As early as 1980, spiritual energy had already begun to return. By 1987, its concentration was sufficient for cultivation.”

“So early? Then why is 2008 marked as the year of resurgence?” Yang Fan wondered. If spiritual energy had returned decades ago, why hadn’t practitioners or Awakened appeared? Why hadn’t there been any news at all?

“Because before 2008, the world was peaceful. The return of spiritual energy was only useful to the handful of surviving cultivation sects, certain families, and the government. It meant nothing to ordinary people. The world had just emerged from a period of war, and all leaders prioritized stability. Back then, the information was suppressed globally.

“In 2007, the global relics opened—what we call the Dark Realm Portals. Once the portals opened, the two worlds connected. According to the explanation at the time, unpredictable changes occurred as our world linked with another, and Awakened began to appear here. Before then, there was no such thing as the Awakened.

“With the opening of the relics came war. We needed a new generation of strength, so the resurgence of spiritual energy was officially announced, cultivation academies established, Awakened training camps set up, soldiers began to cultivate, Sky Net expanded, troops were stationed at the relics, and portals were defended.

“In the beginning, Sky Net was a force of just a hundred people. Before the portals, Sky Net was responsible for combating crime and handling matters beyond the reach of ordinary people. After the portals opened, Sky Net became Huaxia’s top force for cultivators, nurturing new generations to stand against future crises.”

Yang Fan pondered deeply after hearing all this.

Xie Guotao continued, “Sky Net initially recruited mainly from the military. Over time, it adopted military standards for management: all personnel held military ranks, which is why there are so many generals. Your teacher is also a general in Sky Net.”

Yang Fan was bewildered. Li Tian, that old man who always pretended to be otherworldly? He was a Sky Net general? Was this some kind of joke? No matter how you looked at him, he didn’t seem the type.

Xie Guotao paid no mind to Yang Fan’s expression and went on. “General Wang was among the very founders of Sky Net.”

Yang Fan hurriedly asked, “How powerful is General Wang?”

Xie Guotao grinned. “General Wang? His strength is immeasurable. I reckon you could take on a hundred of him by yourself.”

Yang Fan reflected, then said, “A hundred of me? That’s not much. Even eighth-level cultivators could defeat me countless times over; before I run out of stamina, I could take on tens of thousands. A hundred... wait, did you say I could defeat a hundred of him?”

Xie Guotao rolled his eyes at Yang Fan’s initial remarks, but at the latter half, he could hardly keep from smiling, his face twitching with suppressed laughter, leaving Yang Fan rather exasperated.

“Can you be serious for once? Lower your voice—don’t speak so loudly. General Wang may have founded Sky Net, but he lacks cultivation talent. He’s always handled administrative affairs, never military matters. Yet in Sky Net, which is full of cultivators—even the bureaucrats—he became a general as an ordinary man. His wisdom is unmatched. But he also has his sore spots. Anyone who dares question him soon finds themselves put in their place! If you keep talking so loudly and that bastard reports you, you’ll have a hard time in the future!”

Yang Fan immediately shut his mouth, then came to an abrupt halt.

Xie Guotao turned to see Yang Fan standing still. “What’s the matter, brother?”

“You just said I’ll have a hard time in the future?” Yang Fan’s face was full of confusion.

“No, no, no,” Xie Guotao quickly waved his hands.

Yang Fan breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he heard, “If you don’t say what you just said, or no one reports you, then how could you possibly have a hard time? Right?”

Yang Fan almost coughed up blood.

What did that mean?

“I never planned to stay here long! I only came for a friendly exchange!” Yang Fan frowned, utterly perplexed.

“Not planning to stay? That’s not up to you. By entering here, you’ve become a member of Sky Net—truly an insider. This isn’t a place you can come and go at will. And as for an exchange? Well, it is an exchange, but it’s a battle to the death!”

Xie Guotao’s bright eyes fixed on Yang Fan, his tone frank and direct.

“A battle to the death? A Sky Net insider?” Yang Fan felt as if he’d been struck by lightning, inside and out.

“No, Xie, brother Xie, my teacher sent me here to challenge a few peers, nothing about a battle to the death or becoming a Sky Net member. Surely just walking through the door doesn’t make me one? If that’s the case, can I leave? I haven’t officially entered the city yet.”

After Yang Fan finished, Xie Guotao’s gaze changed—first puzzled, then confused, and finally wary.

“Enough nonsense. Come with me to see General Wang!” With that, he reached out to grab Yang Fan.

Yang Fan’s mind was in chaos. Seeing Xie Guotao reach for him, he instinctively prepared to resist. As soon as his hand touched Xie Guotao’s palm, he felt his strength pressing against cotton, and in an instant, Xie Guotao’s long arm twisted, gripping Yang Fan’s shoulder.

Yang Fan felt the weight on his shoulder, his body instantly beyond his own control, and was dragged forward by Xie Guotao.

Panic surged within him. He channeled his energy throughout his body and struggled fiercely.

Sensing Yang Fan’s restlessness, Xie Guotao increased his grip, energy surging into his palm.

Yang Fan realized that the hand he’d almost escaped from now held him even more tightly.

Damn it, why is everyone stronger than me? At the academy, Zhou Haifeng and Li Tian bullied him enough. Now, even out here, this soldier is pushing him around...

Yang Fan stopped resisting. The outcome was inevitable. If resistance was futile, he might as well accept his fate. He’d deal with this General Wang when the time came.

Within the underground city, two figures flashed through the streets, drawing curious glances from all around.

...

“General, I was really tricked! I had no idea it would be like this—please let me go!” Yang Fan pleaded, standing before a man in a gray robe, with long black hair, though his face showed traces of age—was he middle-aged or elderly?

Wang Yifa looked at the tearful Yang Fan with a hint of helplessness. An old friend had called recently, saying he’d found a promising young man for the job—his own student, no less. He’d been delighted and urged his friend to send the young man quickly. His friend had readily agreed. But now, seeing Yang Fan before him, Wang Yifa felt a headache coming on.

His old friend hadn’t told the boy what he was being brought here for—he’d just tricked him into coming. Some things never changed.

Looking at Yang Fan, Wang Yifa said, “Yang Fan, right? I’m Wang Yifa. You can call me Old Wang or General Wang. But I prefer to be called Mr. Wang.”

Hearing this, Yang Fan’s eyes, already somewhat red, grew even redder.

Is this old man teasing me? Who cares what you’re called—I just want to leave.

“Mr. Wang, Old Wang, please let me go...” Before Yang Fan could finish, Wang Yifa cut him off, “You can leave here, of course, but there’s a condition!”

Yang Fan’s hopes rose at once. “What is it? If I can do it, I won’t refuse!”

“Ten heads of fifth-rank Dark Realm creatures,” Wang Yifa replied with a smile, though inside he was cursing. That old fox Li Tian had tricked the boy into coming here, but to carry out the plan, they needed someone willing—and now, would he really cooperate wholeheartedly?

Yang Fan had no idea what Wang Yifa was thinking. All he knew was that at those words, he bristled.

Ten heads of fifth-rank Dark Realm creatures? How about my own head—if you like it, I’ll give it to you! I haven’t even seen a tenth of the great world out there. I’m only eighteen, just entered the cultivation academy, there are so many senior sisters and juniors waiting for me. And now you tell me I have to stay here for life?

Is this a joke?

As he thought this, his long blade flashed from its scabbard.

Just as it did, Yang Fan felt control of his body slip away once more.

With a thud, a blank wall was suddenly dotted with new marks.