Earth a grain of sand

On a scorching summer day, the Chi Yun Rainforest in the eastern region of the Federation was enveloped in mist, as though a thin veil surrounded it. Towering ancient trees crisscrossed, their lush canopies occasionally disturbed by birds soaring into the sky, crying as they flew into the distance.

Above, the sun—once thought to be eternal—was no longer the same as it appeared in people's memories. Years ago, it had been pierced directly by an enormous bronaze ancient sword, revealing a small portion of its blade!

This ancient sword seemed to have endured the passage of countless ages, coming from the starry skies. It exuded an aura of profound antiquity, along with a powerful oppressive force that formed a halo, covering the heavens as if it could suppress the earth and make all beings bow in reverence.

From a distance, the scene of the sword’s light in the rainforest resembled a painting. This tranquil view was broken by the hum of a large red hot airship slowly descending from above the rainforest.

The hot airship’s cabin was large enough to accommodate hundreds of people, and many young boys and girls could be seen on the deck in small groups, laughing and talking joyfully.

They were students from Phoenix City, enrolled at one of the four great academies of the Federation. They were traveling aboard this airship belonging to the Miao Dao Academy, crossing thousands of miles to study at the prestigious institution.

Due to the long distance, the airship was equipped with a restaurant, spiritual cultivation rooms, a medical room, and other facilities.

At that moment, in the airship's restaurant, many students were gathered. At one of the tables sat a chubby young man with a protruding belly.

This young man was about seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a loose blue robe. His round face was somewhat charming, though his expression was one of regret as he patted his belly, making loud popping sounds. He looked at the seven or eight empty plates in front of him with a sense of deep regret.

"If I keep eating like this, I’ll gain another three pounds. Why couldn’t I resist? If I want to become the President of the Federation, I can’t die young!" the chubby youth muttered with a furrowed brow, letting out a loud burp.

This young man was Wang Baole, a student who had been accepted into the Miao Dao Academy. His lifelong dream was to become an official, with the position of Federation President being his ultimate goal. His grand ambition was deeply tied to his childhood experiences.

He clearly remembered that his father often patted his head with a heavy sigh when he was little, saying, "Baole, it’s best to become an official. Remember, while money can solve everything, people will still bully you. To avoid being bullied, the only way is to become an official, to rise above others."

At first, Wang Baole didn’t understand. It wasn’t until elementary school, when he had failed to hand in his homework on time and was scolded by the class monitor, that he experienced bullying firsthand. After bribing the class monitor with two candies, he was still reported to the teacher. That event left an indelible mark on his young mind.

From that moment on, Wang Baole decided he wanted to become the class monitor—not to bully others, but to ensure that no one would bully him.

As he grew older, he realized that even the class monitor could be bullied, so he thought the highest position, that of Federation President, was the only one where no one would dare to bully him. This was why he had made the decision to apply to the Miao Dao Academy, as all the high-ranking officials in the Federation graduated from one of the Four Great Academies.

However, his fate wasn’t exactly kind. His family lineage was peculiar, and he still remembered the night a year ago when his emaciated father had shown him the family genealogy in the family’s ancestral hall.

That was the first time Wang Baole had seen the family tree. He clearly saw that every ancestor who weighed over 200 pounds had passed away young, dying before the age of 35.

That night, Wang Baole had a dream… before he could even become the Federation President, he was reunited with those plump grandfathers in the afterlife.

Over the next year, losing weight became a priority for him. Despite the Federation entering the Spirituality Era, with the increasing presence of spiritual energy and the revival of ancient martial arts, countless weight-loss methods emerged. Wang Baole tried almost everything, but his weight continued to increase steadily.

The memory of his family's fate fueled Wang Baole’s resolve to lose weight, and with a sigh, he decided to start his diet again tomorrow.

After making that decision, Wang Baole felt much lighter. He began to hum a little tune, picking at his teeth as he gazed out the window at the blue sky. His mind started to race again.

"I wonder if Lu the Doctor liked the gift I gave him. It was an antique I 'borrowed' from home. That old guy should like it," Wang Baole thought, comforting himself. He believed that by befriending Lu the Doctor, he would have a small ally in the Academy.

"Teacher’s influence is limited, but I’ll send some gifts in the future. Lu the Doctor is old, but he must have a vast network. This step I took should be the right one," Wang Baole thought with satisfaction. He felt he was one step closer to his dream of becoming the Federation President.

In a good mood, Wang Baole looked out at the blue sky and felt everything seemed just a little more beautiful.

But soon, his eyes widened as he noticed dark clouds gathering in the distance. The clouds spread like a vast, ominous veil, flickering with lightning. They were slowly approaching, and this scene quickly caught the attention of many students, causing a chorus of gasps.

"It’s a thunderstorm!" someone exclaimed.

Wang Baole was also taken aback. Ever since the Federation entered the Spirituality Era, with the appearance of spiritual energy, the natural world had given rise to many astonishing phenomena. Flying objects were no longer safe, which led to the creation of airships powered by spirit stones.

"Everyone, immediately report to the spiritual cultivation room. Put on your magnetic spirit suits. In half a stick of incense, we will enter the Thunderstorm Zone!"

At his words, all the students quickly stood up, trembling in awe.

Wang Baole’s eyes lit up as he realized this old man was none other than Lu the Doctor, the very person he had given a gift to. Seeing Lu’s imposing presence, Wang Baole felt increasingly certain that his "investment" had been correct. This old man was no ordinary person, and he had made the right move in befriending him.

But just as Wang Baole was feeling pleased with himself, Lu the Doctor looked over, snorted, and walked toward him. He pulled out half of a black mask from his robe and tossed it at Wang Baole.

"At your young age, stop thinking about such nonsense. You haven’t even entered the Academy yet, and you’re already sending gifts. I’ve seen it all. You can keep this mask for yourself." Lu the Doctor’s voice was stern, almost as if scolding him.

Wang Baole caught the mask and his heart sank. He immediately realized that Lu was upset. He wanted to explain but remembered a killer trick from the biographies he’d read: when confronted by superiors, immediately admit your mistakes and humble yourself. This often turned a big issue into a small one.

With a deep breath, Wang Baole quickly adopted a repentant expression and admitted his mistake.

"You’re right, Teacher. I was wrong."

Lu the Doctor was slightly surprised. His intended reprimand was halted by Wang Baole's swift apology, and he found himself unable to continue.

Wang Baole felt relieved, and a bit smug, thinking to himself that the high-ranking officials’ biographies had certainly been useful.

Lu the Doctor snorted and then looked around the room, sweeping his gaze across the students. He pointed at them and spoke with a voice filled with deep disapproval.

"You’re all future students of Miao Dao Academy. Look at how you’ve been behaving these days. Always remember this—our path as martial artists is to first establish our character, then our words, and finally our actions!"

His words echoed in the room, and all the students lowered their heads, feeling a sense of shame. Wang Baole, however, suddenly had an epiphany. This was his moment to shine.

He quickly pulled out a small notebook from his pocket and began writing down

notes, occasionally looking up at Lu the Doctor with a serious expression, nodding thoughtfully, as if committing every word to memory. This trick, too, was one of his officialdom strategies.

The other students stared at him in awe, as if witnessing a genius in action.

"Little one, you’re not going to flatter me that easily. You should thank the thunderstorm. Otherwise, I’d have scolded you for three days and nights. Let’s see if you can write all that down!"

Wang Baole blinked, his fingers brushing against the jade slip in his pocket. After a long moment of deliberation, he decided against using it. He felt that bowing down to his superior wasn’t a loss of face.

As the tension in the room built, Lu the Doctor, feeling pleased with himself, continued speaking with growing enthusiasm.

"You must remember to focus on your cultivation. In the future, never be greedy or lacking in virtue. Don’t constantly think about finding a romantic partner. Remember, lust is a deadly poison!"

As the alarms sounded louder, the students fell silent and made their way to the spiritual cultivation room.

The spiritual cultivation room was located at the heart of the airship, a place for students to cultivate their skills, and also the most secure part of the ship as it passed through special zones.

As the students gathered, a teacher from Miao Dao Academy began checking everyone’s attire, ensuring they wore the airship’s special magnetic spirit suits.

Once the suits were properly donned, Wang Baole, still fuming from his encounter with Lu the Doctor, absentmindedly glanced around. His bad mood worsened when his gaze landed on a girl with long legs sitting nearby. She was also frowning, clearly uncomfortable. Their mutual animosity was evident, as they avoided looking at each other.

"Annoying!" both of them thought silently, as they quickly looked away, as though even glancing at each other was unbearable.

"This is so unlucky! I have to deal with that Du Min again!" Wang Baole grumbled under his breath. He and the girl, Du Min, had been in the same class since childhood, and she had often bullied him with her position as class monitor. It was because of her that he had bribed her with those two candies years ago...

"What’s so great about her? Just a class monitor. When we get to the Academy, with my officialdom tricks, I can also get a position!" Wang Baole snorted.

Soon, as everyone finished preparing, the teachers gave final instructions. They warned that the Thunderstorm Zone ahead was dangerous and that there was a real risk of life-threatening situations.

After seeing the students' anxious reactions, the teachers left, and the doors to the spiritual cultivation room were sealed. The lights dimmed.

After a moment, the entire airship shook violently as it entered the Thunderstorm Zone!

~~~~~~

This year was the 37th year of the Spirituality Era.

In the year 3029, Earth's technology had rapidly advanced. Borders were erased, and Earth was unified under the Federation. It was during this time that a giant sword fell from the heavens, piercing the sun, causing a worldwide sensation.

The sword's handle was shattered into pieces, which scattered across the universe, some of them landing on Earth. With the arrival of the bronze sword and the falling shards, a new energy source appeared, which was later named... spiritual energy.

Spiritual energy, like air, existed in varying concentrations across the world. The Federation and other powers began to study it, uncovering methods for cultivation, forging, and even creating spiritual stones, which led to the rise of ancient martial arts and ushered in a new era of spiritual cultivation.

This marked the beginning of the Spiritulity Era.

~~~~~~

Inside the spiritual cultivation room, all the students, including Wang Baole, had unknowingly fallen into a deep sleep, as if guided by an unseen force into a dream.

Meanwhile, in the main cabin at the front of the ship, a group of seven or eight teachers were casually drinking tea and chatting with relaxed expressions—nothing like the stern, intimidating manner they had shown earlier.

At the head of this group was the elderly Lu the Doctor, smoking his pipe as he chuckled softly.

"Master, everything is ready. Should we begin the trial for this year’s students from Miao Dao Academy?" asked a middle-aged teacher.

Lu the Doctor smiled faintly.

"Yes, let’s begin."