I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

[Beijing, 749 Bureau Headquarters, Core Laboratory on the Fifth Basement Floor]

"Bang!"

A dull thud echoed through the closed testing room.

This was followed by a piercing scream of metal twisting.

Outside the bulletproof glass, a group of top medical experts and physicists in white coats stared in disbelief at the scene inside.

Inside the testing room, Zhao Feng was shirtless, his body covered with a dense array of sensor electrodes. His right hand was clenched into a fist, and in his palm, the specially made hydraulic grip strength gauge, theoretically capable of supporting 500 kilograms, had become a twisted lump of scrap metal, with black hydraulic oil dripping from between his fingers.

"this……"

The researcher responsible for recording the data dropped his pen to the ground. "The readings overflowed. Just a second before the instrument exploded, the instantaneous peak reached... 820 kilograms."

"And this is only his data under 'normal' conditions."

Professor Zhang Bowen, who was standing next to him, took a deep breath and said to Zhao Feng through the microphone, "Captain Zhao, now try to mobilize the kind of 'qi' you mentioned..."

Zhao Feng nodded.

He closed his eyes, recalling that stormy night, the strong liquor the old Taoist priest poured down his throat, and the burning sensation from the broken sword.

"drink!"

Zhao Feng suddenly opened his eyes and let out a low shout.

There were no exaggerated muscle bulges, but a faint, almost invisible golden-red sheen suddenly appeared beneath his originally bronze skin.

The thermal imager on the monitoring screen instantly turned a blinding red.

"His body temperature rose rapidly! His core temperature reached 42 degrees Celsius! But this didn't damage his enzyme activity; on the contrary... Good heavens, his cellular metabolism increased fivefold!"

Zhao Feng raised his hand and casually threw a punch at the Kevlar target plate used to test the strength of bulletproof vests.

There was no running start, and no charging up.

"boom!"

A loud bang.

The target plate, which was strong enough to withstand close-range fire from a 9mm pistol, was punched straight through! The fist even penetrated the supporting steel frame behind the target plate and became deeply embedded in the concrete wall.

The alarm blared loudly.

Zhao Feng withdrew his hand and shook off the dust. There wasn't a single scratch on his skin.

Outside the laboratory, there was a deathly silence.

Everyone knew what that punch meant.

This means that the human body, without the assistance of an exoskeleton, has broken the "lock" on its physiological limits.

This is something special forces soldiers cannot do.

This is... Superman.

……

[Bureau 749, Conference Room 1]

The air was as stuffy as solidified cement.

On both sides of the long table sat leading figures from various fields across the country. In front of each of them lay a freshly printed, still-warm, top-secret report.

The cover of the report was printed with the code name circled in red: [Awakener].

"Everyone has already seen it."

Director Li Guozhong sat at the head of the table, stubbed out his cigarette, and said in a hoarse voice, "The facts are clear. The 36 surviving soldiers of the Xiangxi Incident all underwent an irreversible 'evolution' in their physical fitness."

"This kind of evolution cannot be explained by radiation mutation."

Professor Zhang Bowen stood up, and even his voice trembled slightly.

"Mutations are disordered, chaotic, and accompanied by genetic collapse. But Zhao Feng and his team's genetic map... is too perfect."

He projected a slide onto the large screen.

That's a diagram of Zhao Feng's DNA helix structure.

"Look here. In their genetic code, there's an extra 'recessive segment' we've never seen before. This segment was previously dormant, as if it were locked. But after being exposed to the red light that night, the lock... opened."

"This gene is frantically absorbing energy, strengthening the host's bones, muscles, and nerve reaction speed."

"If we're not talking about science, but about metaphysics..."

Zhang Bowen pushed up his glasses and uttered a word that even he found absurd:

"This is called... cleansing the marrow and rejuvenating the bones."

The meeting room erupted in uproar.

"Professor Zhang, are you saying that those things in myths and legends are all true?" a military representative asked, frowning.

"Not just people."

Zhang Bowen switched to the next slide.

That's an autopsy diagram of the "Golden Silkworm Gu".

"The structure of this thing is so perfect that it's like a biological weapon sculpted by God himself. It can directly utilize free energy, its shell is harder than diamond, and it possesses a collective consciousness."

"And the high-energy residue left behind by the 'Chi You Banner'..."

Zhang Bowen took a deep breath and looked at Li Guozhong:

"Director, as a scientist, I should uphold materialism. But data doesn't lie."

"We must acknowledge that there exists a higher-dimensional energy system in this universe that we have either never discovered or have long forgotten."

The ancients called it "spiritual energy" or "the Way".

"And the person who wields this energy is the one we've been searching for... the extraordinary individual."

Li Guozhong remained silent for a long time.

He looked out the window at the sky; the Beijing sun was still shining brightly, but his worldview was already in ruins.

But he cannot afford to lose his way. As the helmsman of Bureau 749, he must build a new order from the ruins.

"Record."

Li Guozhong's voice suddenly turned cold and hard.

The secretary immediately turned on the highest-level recording equipment.

"Minutes of the Top Strategic Meeting of Bureau 749 (Top Secret):"

"First, confirm the objective existence of 'extraordinary power.' Characterize the Xiangxi incident as a landmark moment in the 'revival of spiritual energy.'"

"Second, establish the 'Extraordinary Archives.' Here, 'extraordinary' no longer refers to special abilities, but rather to—cultivation of immortality."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.

The fact that the bureau chief personally uttered the words "cultivating immortality" means that the state has officially recognized this concept.

Ignoring the shock of the crowd, Li Guozhong continued to issue orders:

Third, launch the "Seeking Immortals Project".

"Zhao Feng will serve as the leader of the action team, with the thirty-six 'Awakened Ones' as the core members. From this moment on, based on these thirty-six people, we will expand into 'Special Operations Unit One'."

"Mission Objective: Search for all clues left behind by the 'Ferryman' (if he is still alive) or the 'Nameless Old Taoist.' We need to find their lineage and the so-called 'Hidden Taoist Sect.'"

At this point, Li Guozhong stood up, his gaze sweeping across the room, a glint of almost greed in his eyes.

"Now that this power has manifested, it must be in the hands of the state."

"If this sword cannot be used by me, then it must be broken."

"But now..." Li Guozhong paused, "we not only need to use it, but also learn how to build it."

Meeting adjourned.

……

[Changsha, Hotel]

Gu Qing looked at the series of golden notification boxes that popped up on the system interface.

[Official secrecy level upgraded.]

The concept of "cultivation of immortality" has received national-level endorsement.

[Faith points are continuously being added...]

He closed his laptop with satisfaction.

"Director Li is indeed a smart man."

Gu Qing stood up from the sofa and stretched. His reconstructed body crackled like popping beans, and his abundant energy made him feel like he could punch through a wall.

But he did not become addicted to this power.

He knew very well that Zhao Feng and the others' "awakening" was actually the result of his "accelerating" it with a high concentration of spiritual liquid and baleful energy. That was something that could not be replicated.

To truly establish a cultivation civilization, these thirty-six "samples" are not enough.

"The authorities must be frantic right now, desperately trying to find a way to cultivate immortality."

Gu Qing walked to the mirror and looked at his own rosy complexion and handsome appearance.

The cancer-related lesions that once clung to her have vanished completely.

"Don't rush."

"The bait has been cast, and the fish have taken the bait."

"Now it's my turn, the 'harvester,' to enjoy the fruits of victory."

Gu Qing touched his chest.

Although his body was reshaped, the cancer should have disappeared along with it. However, to Gu Qing's surprise, perhaps due to the "system binding," the stomach cancer that had tormented him had not actually disappeared completely. It was merely suppressed by the powerful spiritual energy, turning into a kind of frozen data.

To completely eradicate it, one final step is needed.

"system."

Gu Qing's eyes turned fervent.

"Open the redemption interface."

"This time, I'm going to buy my own life."