A New Place On Earth

Hundreds of billions of light-years away from Earth, in another galaxy.

Isolated in the infinite black void, an elderly man with flowing white hair sat in tranquil meditation. His presence was serene amidst the backdrop of thousands of stars emitting a piercing blue light. The cosmic energy around him seemed to bend and swirl, but he remained undisturbed.

Suddenly, his eyes, as radiant as the stars themselves, opened wide with a knowing glint.

"Why would anyone dare to steal such a flawed world?" His thoughts echoed with a blend of curiosity and mild disdain. "It seems the fool did not grasp the intricacies of world creation. How careless, to suffer such a backlash..."

With a wry smile, the man contemplated the potential advantages that could be gleaned from the folly of this "God" who had mishandled his own creation. Millennia of existence had taught him the harsh realities of the universe—where the strong preyed upon the weak, and opportunities arose from the missteps of others.

"Niyanyu, come forth!" His voice resonated with authority and wisdom.

Instantly, a formless black shadow materialized before him. Towering twice the size of a human, the figure lacked distinct features, shrouded in an aura of mystery and power.

"Yes, Master," rumbled a deep, hoarse voice from within the shadow.

"Do you recall the location where I abandoned my insignificant world?" The old man's tone was measured, his gaze piercing through the shadows.

"Your failure... ahem, your previous experiment, Master?" The shadow hesitated briefly, sensing the gravity of its master's mood.

The old man's brow furrowed momentarily, but he waved it off with a dismissive gesture. "No matter. Someone has taken it upon themselves to appropriate what was rightfully discarded. I trust you will investigate this matter thoroughly."

With a nod of understanding, Niyanyu dissolved into the cosmic fabric. The old man closed his eyes again, with a slight smile on his face.

*******

Back on Earth,

Above the vast savanna, Leo, with his striking red hair illuminated by the sunlight, moved gracefully through the clouds. He seemed like a mythical figure, part angelic and part demonic, his presence commanding against the backdrop of the sky.

"I can't even remember the last time he gave me a task." Leo mused to himself with a wistful smile, reminiscing about his long history with his master.

Lost in thought, he scanned the horizon, feeling the Qi surging across the planet. The Earth intrigued him deeply, especially its diverse societies and unique governance structures.

"This place is truly fascinating. How they've developed their civilization, even their political systems differ from what I'm used to." He thought aloud.

Leo had spent decades investigating everything this world had to offer, from its history to its technology. Consequently, he had developed a thorough understanding of its people.

[It seems some of them will notice the denser Qi. But I'm not sure if that is what the master wants; he clearly stated that I must ensure they "follow the path of cultivation."]

As Leo contemplated the concept of the "path of cultivation," his thoughts delved into the profound journey he had embarked upon countless eons ago. To him, it wasn't merely a philosophical or spiritual endeavor; it was a relentless pursuit of power, wisdom, and dominance. The path of cultivation was a road paved with trials and tests, blood and death.

But in any case, it had to start somewhere. For him, and for people born in a cultivation world, it was a natural process to pursue. However, he had never thought about the possibility of the situation he was currently in: to introduce the concept of cultivation to an old world.

As Leo pondered, he floated down from the clouds towards the expansive savanna below. Lions feasted on their prey, and amidst them, a rare one with a fiery red mane and golden eyes was the first to sight Leo floating.

[Even though this world is a bit smaller, now it can be classified as a Mortal World. I think the techniques I've spread are enough and adequate to this level.]

A plan began to form in his mind as he recalled how the worlds were classified.

Usually, a world could range from Mortal World as the lowest and reach God World as the highest, albeit he knew that there were ranks even higher. That took into account natural energy levels (the Qi density), the size of the world, and the strength of its inhabitants.

Just minutes ago, Earth was an unclassified world - also called a failed one - because it was deemed to destroy itself due to the lack of Qi.

Now that the Tree of Life had been properly born, the world stabilized and evolved into a Mortal one. Even though the beings weren't strong enough and the world was still smaller than most, the energy quality and quantity was slightly higher because of its master.

"Well, I've seen better-born worlds, but I've seen way worse… Earth may not be the strongest, but it's stable and ripe for growth." Leo concluded as a plan to guide this world's development along the path of cultivation began to form in his mind.

As he was lost in thought, the animals down below were watching him with keen interest. Hyenas, gazelles, zebras, giraffes, and lions were all looking up in curiosity. They had never seen a human flying before.

At that moment, to impose his mightiness, the red-maned lion began to roar loudly.

The roar snapped Leo out of his thoughts. As he looked down and saw the source of the roar, a small smile formed on his lips.

[Oh! What an unexpected seed here.]

The man gazed deeply into the lion's eyes, they had the exact same color as his own.

"It seems that you have a similar bloodline as mine…" He mused aloud. "Well, Angareus never said that I should take a human as my disciple, right?"

At that thought, the red-haired man smiled with pleasure and released his aura.

Suddenly, the clouds were expelled, the sky turned red, and the sun turned golden! As if an invisible wall had crashed down on the animals, they prostrated heavily on the ground. Fear and admiration were visible on their faces.

For a moment, the red-maned lion tried to resist but was unsuccessful. Yet, it showed no fear in its eyes, but only admiration and desire.

"I'm here to announce that from this day onward will be the turning point for all the animals!" His voice filled the sky. "I'll be responsible for leading you to a bright new future, one where you will grow stronger and fight!"

He cared not what they thought, as the animals weren't yet evolved to understand his meaning fully. He had to imprint the idea directly into their minds.

"And you…" Leo pointed at the lion, which disappeared and immediately reappeared in front of him. "You'll be a direct disciple of mine from now on!"

The lion looked at him with reverence.

"You shall be named Chiyo-Saja, which means the fierce lion!"

The red lion, now named Chiyo, lowered its head in a gesture similar to what humans referred to as bowing.

Without waiting any longer, Leo placed his newest disciple behind him and raised his right hand to the sky.

Immediately, his aura increased tenfold. Fortunately for the animals, it wasn't aimed at them, but at the ground below.

The dried soil trembled once again.

Suddenly, hundreds of thousands of seeds sprouted from the ground. As Leo continuously released his Qi into the air, the buds grew at an alarming rate. Seconds later, they were already taller than a human, and trees were taking shape, but he didn't stop there.

Soon, Leo lowered his hand, and the Qi stabilized. However, the environment around him was no longer the same.

Trees larger than the giant sequoias—the biggest trees on Earth—now dominated the savanna. These 'newborn' trees were actually twice the size of the sequoias, with circumferences exceeding 30 meters. If that wasn't shocking enough, their leaves were a mixture of blue, green, and yellow. Because of this, when sunlight shone through the treetops, it created a scene that gave the trees their names: The Twilight Heavenly Trees.

Within the new forest, the brightness was similar to that of sunset or sunrise, casting a variety of beautiful colors.

"Ah... Our trees have certainly made this world more beautiful, haven't they, my dear?" Leo sighed and spoke to himself, reminiscing about the past.

He descended and placed his feet on the tall grass, which was now lush green and higher than his knees. Leo knew he had turned the soil rich, and it would eventually grow plants that didn't belong here.

"This forest shall be our Sacred Place!" Leo declared, his voice resonating with authority. "Henceforth, all animals are to gather at the heart of this jungle, and let it be known—no deaths are permitted within these sacred grounds!"

He amplified his aura, sending waves of power across the entire continent, ensuring his message reached every corner. "From this moment on, no human shall set foot in this forest until I decree otherwise!"

Roars, growls, and screeches echoed through the newly formed forest as animals joyously explored their transformed habitat. They ran freely, exhilarated by the denser Qi and abundant resources.

For animals, the cultivation process differed from humans—they instinctively knew how to harness Qi. Earth had lacked Qi until now, and with its return, it was only a matter of time before these creatures experienced significant increases in strength and vitality.

Leo understood that it wouldn't be long before humans attempted to breach this sanctuary. Yet, this was part of his plan. Humans needed to grasp the importance of cultivation quickly.

[I can't wait to see their faces when they discover it's impossible to cut these trees with their feeble machines!] He thought, laughing maliciously.

Turning around, he found his newest disciple, Chiyo-Saja, gazing at him with fervent admiration.

"Alright, alright." Leo said, smiling. "I'll teach you a thing or two now. But remember, your task is to protect this place until the animals grow stronger, okay?"

Chiyo-Saja opened his mouth in a way that resembled a smile.

"You better not disappoint me, boy."

With a wave of his hand, Leo and Chiyo-Saja vanished from sight.

*********

Hundreds of kilometers away, still within the African continent, a young brown-skinned boy played amidst the beaten soil, skillfully hurling rocks at the nearest tree with precision. The houses surrounding him were crafted from wood and clay, typical of one of the oldest tribes in the region.

As he approached the tree to retrieve his stones, a flash of red caught his eye. A peculiar red book adorned with unfamiliar golden symbols lay nestled among the stones. The boy was instantly captivated by the book, and as he gazed at its cover, a few words seemed to imprint themselves in his mind:

[Red Sun Body Cultivation Technique].

Before he could open it though, the ground beneath him began to tremble violently. The boy stood frozen for a moment, clutching the book tightly against his chest, then sprinted towards the village. He knew what the tremors foretold: a stampede of wild animals!

Dashing past the thatched shacks, he saw adults hastily packing their belongings and assisting the children. Many wore expressions of fear, their eyes fixed westward. In the distance, a massive horde of wild animals thundered northward, kicking up a colossal cloud of dust.

It wasn't clear if they were heading directly toward the village, but they were certainly close. What astonished the villagers wasn't just the size of the herd, but its unprecedented composition; predators and prey ran shoulder to shoulder, and a multitude of eagles and birds soared above.

Never before had they witnessed such an event in their lives; It seemed like a scene straight out of their ancient legends, tales passed down through generations with whispers of extraordinary migrations. Where were these countless animals headed? Were they driven by fear, escaping from an unknown threat lurking in the distant horizon?

They would soon find the answer.