Chapter 117: Changes on Earth

"Huidu Star can be considered a planet with a relatively high level of technology and a thriving economy; it's far superior to a primitive world like Lanque Star. Since you’ve been looking forward to seeing what a high-tech planet is like, you should go and experience it for yourself," Bai said with a smile. "By the way, you should take this opportunity to purchase a decent spatial storage device so you can clear out the items currently taking up space in your private storage."

"I have actually always disagreed with my master's philosophy. What is the point of keeping things in private storage? All treasures should be kept on one's own person to be truly secure! If he had kept the Red-Grade Token of the Qingcang Holy Land on him at all times, he never would have died!"

Bai had always harbored deep regret over the death of the God of War, Mang Feng. Because of this, it hoped that Lan Tian would carry all his treasures with him to avoid them falling into someone else's hands again should he die.

Lan Tian couldn't help but laugh at this. He noticed that Bai had specifically said "falling into someone else's hands again," clearly implying that the person who had benefited last time was none other than himself.

"Um, I have another question. Since I already have my own Initial Universe, can't I just store my items inside it? Why would I need to buy a spatial storage device?" Lan Tian suddenly thought of this and asked.

"You really are using your brain less and less these days..." Bai rolled its eyes disdainfully. "Do you even need to ask me that?! Aren't there plenty of energy crystals in this meditation room? Why don't you try to store them in your Initial Universe and see what happens?"

"Hehe, I’m just used to asking you. In my eyes, you, Lord Bai, are an omniscient, all-knowing expert!" Lan Tian chuckled sheepishly and immediately followed Bai's suggestion to try it out.

"Huh?"

"Why is it like this?"

Lan Tian was dismayed to discover that his Initial Universe, which felt incredibly real within his mental perception, became ethereal the moment he projected it into the physical universe. It couldn't interact with solid objects, and furthermore...

Why was the projection only the size of a basketball?!

Are you kidding me?! This is the number one Initial Universe in the universe!

"Tsk tsk, I must say, you really have nerves of steel..." Bai shook its head with a hint of emotion, its expression quite strange. "It’s been nearly half a month since your Initial Universe was born, right? And this is your first time projecting it? I don't know whether to call you big-hearted or just plain stupid..."

"If it were anyone else, wouldn't they have projected it immediately to see the effect? You really are something..."

"Uh... I just didn't think of it. First, I was interrupted by City Lord Ba, then by the Lord of Lanque Star, and after entering seclusion, I got sidetracked by the 'Soul-Suppressing Tower.' I only just remembered now." Lan Tian laughed, rubbing his nose in embarrassment. "You still haven't told me what's going on. In my mental perception, my Initial Universe is bigger than the entire Lanque Star, so why is the projection only this small? And it's ethereal—I can't touch anything..."

"Nonsense, that’s to be expected. What level are you at, and how long has your Initial Universe been born? Of course it’s ethereal! Only when you reach the Creator level, like my master, can you materialize your Initial Universe," Bai explained. "Besides, you should be content. Don't complain about it being the size of a basketball; if it were anyone else, it would probably only be the size of a ping-pong ball!"

"Alright... I see. That's a relief." Hearing Bai's explanation, Lan Tian breathed a sigh of relief. As long as there wasn't anything wrong, he was fine.

As for it only being the size of a basketball, he could just cultivate it slowly. Rome wasn't built in a day; considering how short a time he had been cultivating, he really should be satisfied.

Afterward, Lan Tian did not end his seclusion just yet. He still had one important thing to do—a very, very important thing!

...

Far to the north of the Yuanlan Empire, a blue planet inhabited only by ordinary mortals rotated at a constant speed.

If any cosmic cultivator were to pass by, they would be astonished to find that this low-level planet, composed entirely of ordinary mortals, actually possessed a virtual network similar to the Virtual Universe Network!

This planet, of course, was Earth, the home planet of Mr. Lan Tian, now a fifth-class citizen of the Virtual Universe Network.

Because Lan Tian had left behind a virtual network that could be said to benefit all of humanity before he left, the lifestyles of everyone on Earth had undergone a tremendous transformation over this period.

Whether they were yellow-skinned people with black hair, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Caucasians, or people with pitch-black skin, every human on Earth had undergone a complete change.

Suddenly, there seemed to be far fewer overweight people on Earth, and streamlined or even explosive muscles began to appear on more and more ordinary people.

And the legendary martial arts masters of Huaxia—those who could leap over roofs, vault over walls, or even walk through the air—appeared openly in streets and alleys across the globe.

In fact, the most significant change was reflected in education. Children are the foundation of human development; children are the future.

Take Huaxia's elementary school students as an example. The traditional core subjects were Chinese, Mathematics, and English. But because of Lan Tian, Chinese had become the most popular language globally, sparking a worldwide craze for learning it. Consequently, English had been removed from the core curriculum.

However, in place of English, schools had added a new core subject: Cultivation!

As soon as Cultivation class was introduced, it immediately surpassed Chinese and Mathematics to become the most dominant subject. Conversations among parents shifted from "How are your child's grades in Chinese?" and "How is your child doing in Math?" to "What is your child's talent like?" and "Which cultivation technique is your child studying?"

And as they talked, the conversations turned into exchanges between parents about things like, "What's your 'Hero Glory' account name? Let's add each other as friends," or "Have you successfully cultivated to the first level of Energy Gathering yet?"

It can be said that Earth is transforming at an incredibly rapid pace, constantly moving closer to becoming a cosmic civilization. And Huaxia, Lan Tian's motherland, thanks to the things he left behind, had become the undisputed number one power in terms of economy, technology, and the national level of cultivation!

Ningcheng was also different now. Although it hadn't been long enough to leap into becoming the largest city in Huaxia, rumors were already circulating that the Huaxia leadership had considered moving the capital, and in the near future, the capital might be relocated from Jingdu to Ningcheng!

Wang Ling and Chen Xiaoxuan were currently sitting in the front row of the large conference hall at the Virtual Network Company headquarters, listening to Fan Ming speaking eloquently on stage.

Some time had passed, and the two of them looked a bit thinner, but they also appeared even more graceful.

Lan Tian's parents no longer came to the company. Compared to being busy with work, they preferred to travel all over the world. Anyway, after practicing the basic exercises Lan Tian left behind, even with their aptitude, they had reached the third level of Energy Gathering. On Earth, almost no one could bully them.

Of course, no one dared to bully them. As Lan Tian's parents, their images were already well-known to people all over the world. Wherever they went, they were the center of attention, much like big stars—a fact that Lan Tian's mother quite enjoyed.

In the Virtual Network Company's main conference hall, just as Fan Ming was in high spirits and talking animatedly, a ripple suddenly flashed on the stage. A blurry projection suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes. Although the projection was flickering significantly, appearing clear at times and blurry at others, the moment everyone saw it, the large conference hall fell into dead silence, where even the dropping of a pin could be heard.

Everyone, including Fan Ming, looked as if they had been choked; they gasped for air, their faces flushed red, staring at the suddenly appeared projection with an expression of utter disbelief!