"Rank Eight of the Initial Realm? This is..."
Even Lu Yuan was stunned, filled with disbelief.
In his previous life, how much time, price, and suffering had he endured just to become an Awakened?
Even on the brink of death, he had only reached Rank Nine, utterly incapable of taking that next step.
That was a full decade of agony.
Even so, he had still been nothing more than a nobody.
Yet now, merely fusing with the Ancient Bodhi Tree rivaled nearly ten years of his past efforts.
Furthermore, reaching that stage in his past life had completely exhausted all his potential.
Now, this was merely the beginning.
With the ancient tree fused, his physical body had shattered its shackles, and the treasury of his mortal form had swung wide open. It was as if, before erecting a skyscraper, he had laid down an unprecedentedly solid foundation—one that likely surpassed everyone else on the planet.
"Given my current state, it won't be long before I can step into the next realm—the Awakening Realm!"
Lu Yuan muttered to himself, sharp glints flashing in his eyes, confident and formidable.
As the name implied, reaching the Awakening Realm meant truly becoming an Awakened.
In this realm, one fully adapted to the environment following the global mutation and embarked upon the path of evolution.
At the same time, it awakened the deeper mythical genes within the body, giving rise to all manner of incredible, potent powers.
If the Initial Realm merely augmented strength and physique, things changed entirely upon reaching the Awakening Realm. Some gained the power of flames, some ice, some lightning, each differing from the next.
In short, the abilities were myriad and varied, differing according to each Awakened's unique constitution.
And this was the second realm of evolution for an Awakened.
Unlike the Initial Realm, which was divided into nine ranks, the Awakening Realm had only a single stage.
If one reached the utmost peak of this realm, it was possible to break through to the third realm: the Shackle Realm.
The mortal flesh of living beings was constrained by heaven and earth, bound within by numerous shackles that prevented a leap into a higher tier of life.
Thus, this realm was all about breaking those layers of shackles and continuously unlocking the body's latent potential, allowing life to sublimate and transcend the limits of mortal humanity.
Legend had it that the Shackle Realm was terrifyingly powerful, reachable by only a select few.
It could awaken even deeper potential, to the point where destroying a mountain with a single strike was well within reach.
"Supposedly, the human body contains a total of one hundred and eight shackles. An ordinary Awakened only needs to break twelve, but the higher one's potential, the more shackles can be shattered. I wonder how far I can go with my current foundation."
Lu Yuan muttered softly, but soon shook his head. He was still quite a distance away from that realm.
Pondering it now was somewhat premature.
With that, he reined in his wandering thoughts.
Just as he prepared to examine the next divine artifact, he suddenly noticed the light of day outside.
*Did fusing with the Ancient Bodhi Tree take me an entire night?*
He immediately picked up his phone.
The date displayed on the screen was September 10.
It hadn't been a single night—ten whole days had passed!
Lu Yuan froze, but quickly felt a wave of relief. After all, the Ancient Bodhi Tree was a peerless divine artifact without equal in the world; how could it possibly be assimilated in just a day or two?
After a moment's thought, he began browsing his phone to see what had happened over the past ten days. A quick look revealed that the entire world had practically descended into chaos. Anomalies had cropped up everywhere: vast rivers had abruptly materialized before people's doorsteps, and seawater had surged backward into inland waterways.
Yet even more news revolved around people.
Some had gained immense strength overnight, their bodies turning as tough as raw iron.
Others had consumed bizarre fruits, sprouting horns from their heads and ballooning into three-meter-tall giants, resembling the mythical Bull Demon King.
Still others had brushed against extraordinarily vibrant flowers and sprouted thin wings on their backs, enabling them to soar through high altitudes, swift as the wind.
Under these circumstances, certain wealthy elites began offering exorbitant sums online, desperate to purchase bizarre fruits or plants in hopes of acquiring extraordinary power. Yet their astronomical offers only drew ridicule and scorn.
Not long after the mutation, currency had depreciated drastically. In certain remote areas, a hundred thousand yuan could not even buy a single steamed bun.
*"The world has mutated, and humanity will embark upon the path of evolutionary leap! Strike early, and you may become a god in the future!"*
A post appeared on a certain forum, its author unknown.
Yet it stirred endless speculation.
Many believed it to be true.
Consequently, those who had not acquired extraordinary powers began posting one after another, seeking companions to venture into the deep mountains and vast forests in search of those bizarre fruits, hoping to change their destiny and eventually become the "gods" spoken of in the post.
Netizens had also taken to calling the days following September 1 the "New Era."
At the same time, Lu Yuan checked his college class group chat. Led by Li Hansheng, his classmates were fervently discussing the matter. The bolder Wang Zibo had even spoken up, asking if anyone was willing to join him in searching for those bizarre fruits.
However, everyone hesitated, unable to decide, for conditions outside were perilous in many places, making it exceedingly difficult for ordinary people to survive.
"Just like in my previous life. The world changes drastically, the New Era arrives, and after a brief bout of panic, everyone begins chasing extraordinary power."
Lu Yuan shook his head. Back then, he had been one of them, but his reaction had been too slow, causing him to fall behind at every turn.
Now, however, he walked ahead of everyone else, having laid his plans long in advance.
As for the strange flowers and bizarre fruits that could induce evolution after the cataclysm, they were merely mediums.
Almost all of them were of the lowest grade. Even if fused, the benefits were minimal, not even enough to reach the Initial Realm.
True top-tier mediums had either not yet been discovered or were largely monopolized by mysterious factions like the Wuzhou Group. Of course, a few had surfaced, yet no one paid them any mind.
Mediums were peculiar existences; it wasn't simply a matter of the older or rarer, the better. They required verification.
Lu Yuan, however, was different. His mind held countless memories of such things—the greatest advantage that allowed him to stay one step ahead in this lifetime.
Without dwelling on it further, he put the phone away.
Clearing his mind, Lu Yuan turned around.
In the courtyard, having completely fused into him, the Ancient Bodhi Tree had vanished.
Yet before him lay ten other divine artifacts, each radiating a distinct glow, every single one looking extraordinarily profound.
"With the arrival of the New Era, a period of turmoil will follow, taking several months to settle. During this window, no peerless divine artifacts will appear for the time being. It's the perfect opportunity for me to thoroughly familiarize myself with and study these treasures."
Lu Yuan knew well that the items he had gathered over the past three months were already the very best available right now.
If any one of them were brought into the open, it would cause a massive sensation and provoke fierce fighting among those shadowy powers.
Yet now, all of them rested firmly in his grasp.
He could explore them at his leisure.
Thus, he had no need to care about what was happening outside. Following his plan and quietly growing stronger was all that mattered.
At that moment, Lu Yuan looked at the ten divine artifacts before him. After a brief pause for thought, he focused his gaze entirely on the ancient book on the far right.
That was the complete version of the *Daodejing*!
Chapter 28