"This is now your new home."
In the study of Lishan, Lin Tuo slowly withdrew his body from the boundary of the "isolation field," overlooking the entire expanse of Sandbox No. 2, whispering to himself.
As his hands moved, the automatically adjusting map within the sandbox "zoomed out." At this scale, unless he focused deliberately on a specific region, human presence was almost invisible.
They were simply too small.
The migration had gone smoothly: each of the three factions—the Doomsday Floaters, the Grey Mountain Group, and the Burning Flame Company—had brought with them large groups of refugees, settling in different regions of the northern and southern continents.
At the same time, mutated beasts would accompany human society into the coming eras, evolving side by side with them.
With the change in environment, and no more radiation from the wastelands, weaker individuals and flawed genes would gradually be eliminated through natural selection over generations.
Predictably, after only a few generations of such refinement, humanity would eventually return to health, looking once again like normal beings, not unlike the "Evolved."
It was at the moment Lin Tuo resettled these lives and restarted time acceleration that something new appeared before his eyes.
In the corner of the virtual panel, the line reading "Current Environmental Ether Concentration" shifted from None to Faint.
Clearly, the presence of intelligent life caused ether to naturally precipitate out of the spirit realm and manifest within the sandbox.
"Considering the barrenness of the new continent, in the first few generations humanity's main efforts will naturally be devoted to pioneering, planting, hunting, carving out a foothold for survival.
Few will truly have the time or strength to dedicate themselves to cultivation. For them, a faint concentration will be enough…
But as their population grows, and newer, healthier generations are born and raised, the concentration of ether within the sandbox will increase dramatically.
A few among them will practice breathing techniques and achieve some success, which will then set off a positive cycle from within."
"Once this cycle stabilizes, I can attempt ether harvesting again."
Lin Tuo reflected silently.
Although cultivation had only just begun to spread widely back in Sun City, the feedback he had observed over time had convinced him further of the viability of universal cultivation.
However, unlike Sandbox No. 1, when drawing from Sandbox No. 2, he could not simply drain it dry in one go.
Otherwise, he would risk creating an "Age of Decline in Dharma," leaving nothing for the humans within Sandbox No. 2 to cultivate.
He must leave enough behind, ensuring a mutually beneficial balance between himself and the sandbox's inhabitants.
Such foolish "draining the pond to catch fish" acts were something he would never commit.
…
Having arranged everything, Lin Tuo cheerfully returned the potted plants and fish tank to their proper places.
Back in the study, he looked down once more, using the "zoom map" function to observe the three human factions. To his relief, they had already begun building cities.
Of course, these "cities" were still rudimentary—more like massive encampments.
The apocalypse had destroyed the once-developed industrial system, throwing civilization into ruin and severing countless lines of knowledge.
The people of the wasteland could only dig up and use the remnants of the old age, having lost the ability to produce such things anew.
Even if some still retained fragments of knowledge in their minds, without the means of application, such knowledge was nearly worthless.
Lin Tuo recalled once reading a book that proposed a thought experiment: if modern civilization were suddenly struck by a catastrophic collapse, humanity's situation would become dire.
On one hand, modern humans—long adapted to comfort—had severely weakened physiques, let alone the skills to hunt and survive.
On the other hand, in the industrial age, each person's expertise was only a fragment of a massive system.
For example, even a skilled surgeon—stripped of medical instruments, pharmaceuticals, and an operating room—would find themselves helpless in the wilderness before disease and injury.
Therefore, Lin Tuo believed that as the first generation of "immigrants" wore down their tools, as they broke and aged, the last traces of industrial civilization would vanish within only a few generations.
Humanity would have to start anew, drawing directly from nature, rebuilding civilization from the ground up.
Still, compared to primitive humans who had evolved slowly from apes, this would save immense time.
At the very least, they already had established languages, writing systems, and the knowledge of division of labor and cooperation.
Over time, with the pressures of new environments, even their appearances and skin tones might change.
Those living in the frigid north would need to conserve heat, while those under the scorching southern sun would need to disperse it more efficiently.
Geographic divergence would, sooner or later, transform these once-shared origins into distinct peoples.
"I truly look forward to it," Lin Tuo murmured.
He pulled a wicker chair to the side, sat down slowly, and with a glance at the rapidly shifting world before him, summoned the virtual panel by thought and opened the "Operation Log."
The log had already filled with many new lines:
[Operation Log:]
Year One of Settlement: Humanity arrived in this world. Along the rivers and plains they built vast dwellings, felling trees, gathering food and seeds. Mutated beasts likewise took root in this young world and began to multiply.
Facing rapid population growth, humans scattered across the northern and southern continents began—without prior agreement—to fell trees and plants, burning them, using ash to fertilize crops, practicing fallowing, and migrating steadily.
The Age of Slash-and-Burn lasted for centuries. During this era, humanity continually migrated, exploring and integrating into this world. In this process, a handful of powerful individuals played pivotal roles—leading others to conquer and tame the wilds. This came to be known as the Pioneering Age.
These pioneers claimed vast territories, founding families and lineages of rule. The old social order gradually fractured. In the north, alliances formed around pioneering knights; in the south, alliances gathered around mystics who wielded arcane powers.
Year 1300 of Settlement: The first great human war erupted on the northern continent, sweeping across thirty-two pioneer territories. The clash of two ancient power blocs ensued. One side suffered total defeat, absorbed by the other. The northern continent was unified under the Sano Empire. The first pioneer knight became its founding emperor, styling himself Augustus. Thus began the Imperial Age.
Year 1428: A plague ravaged the southern continent, reshaping faith. Four major circles of mystics united, forming the Southern Sect.
Year 1722: Civil war broke out within the Sano royal family, splitting the empire into Eastern and Western Sano.
Over the next thousand years, kingdoms rose and fell, territories expanded, commerce linked north and south, the Southern Sect spread north, and new faiths arose. A northern church gradually rose to power.
Year 2895: The North-South Religious Wars began, lasting nearly three centuries. In the end, the primitive southern sect was annihilated.
Year 2937: The Wizards' Association was founded. Over the following centuries, it expanded, rivaling the church. Theories of sorcery and magical power exploded in growth, marking the dawn of the Age of Knowledge.
End of Chapter.