Border of the Pure Land

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It was as if a soul hidden in the darkness had awakened, its breathing and heartbeat reviving in unison.

The rhythm that followed was utterly different, no longer solemn and dignified, but instead tumultuous and restless.

The ancient tree in Lu Bu'er's dream collapsed and burned to ashes, which the wind then lifted. Like a devil's graceful dance, his breathing and heartbeat were just as vigorous, as though the throes of hell itself were stirring!

It was truly a nightmare.

Within Saint Hall, the old Priest sensed that both young men had entered the proper state and nodded slightly, "Yes, indeed, they both possess high combat talent, having grown accustomed to and remembered this melody. When it comes time for meditation, entering the rhythm's state will allow for awakening."

The two brothers awoke as if from a dream, gasping for air in great heaves.

Anna and her fellow female classmates stared in amazement with their mouths agape.

They hadn't expected them to possess such high talent.

They had practically ascended to the heavens in one step...

A faint sourness arose in the girls' hearts.

It seemed as if, in that moment, former schoolmates were now worlds apart.

"However..."

The old Priest stopped mid-sentence, "Lu Bu'er has maintained his physical condition well, although his nutrition is somewhat lacking, requiring careful nurturing in the future. He Sai, according to the revelation I have received, I understand your yearning for the opposite sex in your teen years, but for your physical and mental health, it's best to avoid browsing through such content, particularly yourself, practice restraint..."

Lu Bu'er silently turned his head, looking towards his childhood friend.

He Sai's face turned ashen, suddenly feeling it would have been better to have died in the Land of the Departed.

At that moment, a hunched old man in a black robe entered from outside the hall, leaning on a cane and hoarsely saying, "Captain Qingmu, I hear there are newcomers in need of memory erasure?"

"Mr. Hei Shan, you have arrived," Qingmu responded with a grunt, "those two high-talents, along with these individuals..."

Officer An and Boss Zhang among others had no idea what was happening, only feeling the black-robed old man to be chilling and eerie, resembling a sorcerer from a fairy tale, sending shivers down their spines.

Mr. Hei Shan merely gave them a cold glance, standing at the end of the hall before the sacred statue, bathing in the Sacred Entity's radiance, and pulled a pocket watch from his pocket.

With a light flick of the watch, the hands began to move.

Within the hall, the Cocoon Breakers heard a piercing sound as if steel needles were penetrating deep into their brains, short-term memories becoming mottled and shattered as if torn apart viciously.

Lu Bu'er and He Sai were also affected, recovering from overwhelming hallucinations, their brains throbbing as though stabbed, their bodies drenched in cold sweat.

After a brief stupor, they felt as though they had forgotten something.

But they couldn't recall it no matter how hard they tried.

Only Lu Bu'er, thinking back to the devil he dreamt of, seemed to remember something.

He looked at the palm of his hand, full of doubts and questions.

The thing he had integrated was called the Seeds of the Heavenly God.

What on earth was that?

After ensuring that unwanted memories had been erased, Mr. Hei Shan looked at them, then leaning on his cane, departed shakily. Before leaving, he whispered, "Qingmu."

Qingmu's expression changed instantly.

"The Deity wishes to see you," after speaking, Mr. Hei Shan turned and left without lingering any further.

A strange light flickered in Qingmu's eyes as he bowed slightly, seeing off the old man.

"Congratulations, you are about to step into the realm of the Transcendent. Remember the gifts of the Deity, keep the Sacred Rhythm close to your heart; at times of great anger and despair, you may awaken yourself," the old Priest bent down, bestowing upon them a golden emblem each.

After Lu Bu'er and the others had calmed their emotions, the Sacred Rhythm from the dream seemed to have been engraved in their hearts, so deeply etched in their memories that it could not be forgotten.

Perhaps from this moment on, they had become Evolvers.

Lu Bu'er was silent for a moment, then suddenly recalled the mechanical prompt in his mind when he had fused with the Seeds of the Heavenly God, the authority of Dark Matter yet unlocked.

By now, Lu Bu'er had mastered the method to evolve, which meant he could unlock the Seeds of the Heavenly God's authority, but if he stayed in the city, he wouldn't encounter the Specter Fiends.

And thus, the Seeds of the Heavenly God would have no place to be used.

Don't give me a desk job, dammit!

The old Priest continued, "With great power comes great responsibility. As Cocoon Breakers about to embark on the path of evolution, you are guardians of the new world. It's only natural that you should assume the duty of protecting human society's peace and stability. Serving in the Defense Army is a path every Evolver must take,"

"You will go to the Third City Guard Army Base and enlist to defend Wuzhen, west of yifeng City's western suburbs. That mountain range, close to The Forbidden Zone of Life centered around Yifeng City, teems with plentiful Specter Fiends who often threaten this city." He paused, "Therefore, the living conditions for new recruits are extremely harsh, but it is also the fastest way to accrue Merit Points. Only the truly strong can stand out in such conditions."

Everyone was taken by surprise.

So this was the price of high talent.

They had gained the privilege to evolve and now had to join the military on the front lines.

"High talent means combat personnel; those with medium talent can also be combat personnel through assessment and training, and even those with low talent aren't without hope. In the new world, only combat personnel are eligible to evolve. However... even among high talents, some stand above the rest."

Qingmu laughed, "For example, I am much stronger than you are."

This meant the young men were headed for the battlefield.

To battle those demonic things!

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