With the final evacuation of Sinoveran citizens complete, Sinovera sealed its borders, forbidding anyone from crossing the national frontier.
A massive arsenal of military weapons stood ready, more than sufficient for any need.
Countless martial practitioners were stationed along the borders.
This was an unprecedentedly tense situation; every nation across the globe was making urgent preparations. Martial arts, extraordinary powers, and the threat of Demons and Specters became the hottest topics, with endless debate and most people feeling a sense of heart-pounding dread.
"Does practicing martial arts mean you qualify for power?"
"Don’t even ask what kind of power it is—just look at those border images: Martial Artist Realm cultivators shake the earth with every step, Martial Generals glow with power, and Martial Lords can walk through the air, commanding fire, wind, water, and countless other forces."
"Oh my god."
"Only those who practice martial arts qualify for power. Just think about all those martial arts students we used to look down on. I really regret it now—if only I’d switched to the martial program back then."
Television and the internet fell under direct control of the Sinoveran government.
Forums and message boards that couldn’t be managed were temporarily shut down. All live broadcasts were suspended; private streams became illegal, and any violations would be severely punished.
Under wartime state, all speech was strictly coordinated—no stray voices were allowed.
All broadcasts shifted to images of black clouds pressing down over the frontier, threatening to crush the land, and to constant government bulletins from every region. There was oppression before the war, but also hope; public attention gradually shifted to the wonders of martial arts and the menace of Demons and Specters.
Just how strong is this so-called power?
What do Demons and Specters really look like?
No matter how curious people were, anxiety and tension remained the dominant emotions. The scale of Sinovera’s war preparations was simply overwhelming—grand and stretching on without end.
Tanks and artillery lined the ground; fighter jets and warships filled the ports—this was the military might of a great and powerful nation.
Martial practitioners crowded the borders; their astonishing strength began to surface, along with the responsibilities and obligations that came with martial practice, spreading throughout Sinovera.
If you’re not willing to shed blood and sweat, why practice martial arts at all?
If you’re not willing to charge to the front, why practice martial arts at all?
In so many contemporary dramas, people gain mystical powers and just want to look down on the world, living selfish and leisurely lives. It’s absurd—completely and utterly wrong.
The whole world was broadcasting a single message: strength exists to protect home and country; martial practitioners and Gifted individuals bear heavy responsibilities and missions… To gain power for free and enjoy unchecked privilege is nothing but a delusion.
In short.
If you don’t defend the land, don’t protect humanity, and don’t fight Demons and Specters—then you have no business practicing martial arts or seeking extraordinary powers.
......
It was early November.
Sinovera’s Martial Arts World revealed its unparalleled strength to the public.
Southridge Province’s frontier, as the main port facing the brunt of the threat, saw fighter jets circling overhead and warships packed along the coast.
Jin Qiyu, clad in red robes, gazed southward.
The vast sea before him concealed untold numbers of Demons and Specters; beneath the blue surface, danger lurked. He hadn’t expected the wartime state to arrive so quickly.
"Actually."
"We’ve been preparing for this for a long time."
Jin Qiyu murmured softly. Beside him stood a middle-aged man with blue hair, his skin shining like crystal.
"It’s funny, really," the blue-haired man said with a chuckle. "Today, the internet is obsessed with one question… Do you want to practice martial arts? Do you want to gain power? Do you want to know the meaning of life?"
"Oh?"
Jin Qiyu squinted, unable to hold back a smile.
The blue-haired man shook his head. "Want to practice martial arts? You can’t do it without sacrifice. Statistics say seventy percent of people are scrambling to learn martial arts, but when war breaks out and they witness the carnage, at least half will shrink back and give up."
That’s the harsh reality—this is no utopia for chasing dreams.
For hundreds and thousands of years,
humans have fought Demons and Specters, always at a disadvantage.
“Sigh.”