Volume One, Chapter 9: The Spiritual Energy Nexus

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With a thunderous crash! A van was lifted off the ground by Mo Lang with his bare hands. Several burly men nearby, caught off guard, were grazed and fell to the ground, coughing up blood.

Chu Ge hurried over, his eyes fixed on the vivid red handprint on Su Ran’s cheek and the bottle of acid in her hand. He immediately realized what might have happened if he had been even a moment later.

His expression darkened instantly, cold and unyielding.

Chu Ge approached Madam Xu. “Was this your doing?!”

Madam Xu’s eyes flashed with shock and terror.

What had she just witnessed?

A man lifting a van with bare hands?

Good heavens, was this even human?

Madam Xu’s heart was in turmoil, her courage barely holding. “My husband is Xu Da, chairman of Xingmeng Corporation. Don’t do anything rash.”

[Note in the diary: Fang Meilin, Xu Da’s original wife, a highly capable woman.]
[After the resurgence of spiritual energy, Fang Meilin conspired with her confidants to poison Xu Da, taking over his influence and ruling with impunity, lawless and ruthless, until she was soon slain by Su Ran.]
[Most likely, this event led to her fatal downfall.]

A lengthy passage appeared in the diary.

Since Chu Ge’s cultivation had improved, the restrictions on his communication with the diary had lessened greatly; he could now fill two full pages at a time.

“Who are you, and what do you have to do with me?” Chu Ge’s face was stern and cold.

Fang Meilin’s gaze was filled with resentment and venom. “I’m warning you, if you dare lay a finger on me, my husband will never let you go.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Ge’s eyebrows rose.

He had already mastered inhuman power; if he still feared threats from the weak, then what was the use of such strength?

Glancing at the burly men around him, Chu Ge sneered coldly, “Do you want to live?”

The men quickly nodded.

Chu Ge’s display moments ago had clearly shown his extraordinary nature.

This was a ruthless man, likely stained with blood.

To defy him was to invite a gruesome death.

“Then you’ll take good care of Madam Xu tonight, until dawn. Understood?”

The burly men were stunned, not quite grasping his meaning.

“Madam Xu is still charming; don’t you find her tempting?”

Only then did the men understand Chu Ge’s implication, their mouths twitching.

What kind of twisted tactic was this?

They exchanged glances, then each cracked a sinister smile.

Chu Ge’s method was indeed unorthodox – but for them, it was a good thing.

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“Madam, we want to live, so apologies in advance.”

“Bastards, you took my money and now treat me like this. Someone, help! Help!”

“Madam, save your strength. Soon you’ll need it for real.”

Chu Ge had no interest in watching the show. He scooped up Su Ran and quickly left.

Back at the Imperial Dynasty Hotel, Chu Ge carefully laid Su Ran on the bed.

No sooner had she lain down than Su Ran curled up defensively, warily watching him.

This man had saved her.

He was a good person.

That was why she hadn’t resisted or screamed throughout their escape.

But his way of doing things was so ruthless.

She was frightened.

“I mean no harm.”

Chu Ge explained gently.

He knew his earlier handling of Fang Meilin had been too brutal, and it had scared Su Ran.

Observing her closely, Chu Ge took a deep breath.

No wonder Fang Meilin had wanted to ruin Su Ran’s face with acid.

She was outrageously beautiful.

Not only beautiful but gifted.

One could only say that fate had thrown open the front door—and left the back door wide open too.

“There’s food in the hotel. Make whatever you want. Don’t go out for now.”

Su Ran needed rest. Chu Ge didn’t say much more.

Before leaving, Su Ran quickly asked, “How long will I stay here?”

“Two days.”

Two days until the resurgence of spiritual energy. Chu Ge had no intention of letting her go then.

“Two days… will things calm down by then?” Su Ran asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry. Everything will start anew in two days.”

“Start anew?”

Su Ran’s expression flickered with surprise, then she lay back, drifting off to sleep unknowingly.

When she awoke, it was already the next morning.

Chu Ge had vanished.

She got out of bed and looked around the suite, seeing only a black dog. The door wasn’t even locked. She could leave anytime she wished.

After some thought, Su Ran chose to stay.

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There was an aura of mystery about him. Though uncertain what would happen in two days, staying by his side was undoubtedly the best choice.

After leaving the hotel, Chu Ge followed the diary’s instructions, taking taxis to investigate several special locations in Jiang City.

These special locations were spiritual energy nodes that had appeared after the resurgence of spiritual energy.

The Imperial Dynasty Hotel was the first node, where vast amounts of spiritual energy surged daily, making cultivation nearby highly efficient.

The second was Times Square in the city center.

[In the first month after the resurgence, a pyramid suddenly appeared in Times Square, from which a ‘deity’ emerged.
These so-called deities were terrifying creatures born from the pyramid. No one knew their origin, nor how many existed.
They possessed immense power, with terrifying cultivation levels equivalent to the fourth tier of the Skywalking Realm at birth.
The deity in Jiang City was later called the Havoc Demon Ape, who slaughtered over half the city’s cultivators within two weeks.]

The third spiritual node was the Longhu Mountain Zoo.

[After the resurgence, flora and fauna evolved rapidly. Within ten days, the zoo had birthed a second-tier demon tiger. Killing this demon tiger and absorbing its core could save ten days of cultivation.]

Chu Ge made a symbolic tour of the zoo, then took a taxi out of the city; the remaining two nodes were outside.

On the way, his phone suddenly buzzed with activity in the landlord group chat.

Chu Ge had rented the same apartment for years and had never left the group.

He opened it and immediately frowned.

“Poor Old Wang’s family of six—no survivors. Old Wang’s little granddaughter was only six years old, such a sweet child, died so tragically.”

“Old Wang’s family were ordinary citizens, didn’t offend anyone. How did they get wiped out?”

“Maybe not by humans. I looked inside before calling the police—there were rats everywhere.”

“What? You’re saying Old Wang’s family was killed by rats?”

“No way, can rats even kill people?”

“Oh my God, I’m going to buy some rat poison just in case.”

“Things in Jiang City have been chaotic lately—heavy rains a few days ago, and now rat attacks causing deaths.”

“No, I’m going back to my hometown to lay low for a few days.”

Chu Ge silently exited the chat group, expressionless but inwardly unsettled.

The diary had mentioned a rat plague in the complex. He had only moved out a few days ago, and it had come true.

With the resurgence of spiritual energy, everything could cultivate.

Chu Ge had obtained the diary and started on the path of cultivation ahead of others.

But he was not the only one fortunate enough—many hidden forces also stirred beneath the surface.