Year 378 of the Dawn Era.
The story of Mo Yu has already become part of history more than two hundred years later, recorded at the forefront of the historical river.
Yet, the river of history continues to flow forward.
Though the Dawn Sword, standing tall on the front lines, has been drawn many times and has resolved countless crises, when people speak of Mo Yu, the new generation of the human race, who have yet to set foot on the front lines, often know him only through textbooks.
Through descriptions in textbooks, they learn of a legendary figure in human history, a man who carved out a new path for the human race through his own efforts and ultimately became the Dawn Sword, guarding the front lines.
Time has not erased Mo Yu's contributions to humanity. He is forever etched in the monumental history of the human race.
Each year, descendants of the human race still stand before his statue in the Hall of Heroes to sing praises of his contributions to the development of humanity.
However, like other historical figures, time has dulled the brilliance of Mo Yu's era.
But when people look back at history, Mo Yu remains, undoubtedly, the brightest star of his time.
And today, two hundred years later, new challenges, new opportunities, and new crises have quietly arrived... a new turning point in this era.
At this moment, in Star City, East District Library.
A handsome young man, about 15 years old, was flipping through historical books.
The book in his hand was titled Mistakes in Human History, detailing the setbacks and wrong turns the human race encountered during its development.
The content was quite complex, far beyond what one would expect for someone of his age.
Most of his peers were focused on studying the basics of cultivation, preparing for their future enrollment in the Dawn or Star City academies, learning primarily from the content in textbooks.
But the boy was different. He had no interest in the subject of cultivation.
In front of him, a stack of books lay on the desk, but none of them were related to cultivation.
The majority were books on history, resource wars, and other related topics.
Time passed quickly as the boy immersed himself in the sea of knowledge, reading until the night descended. Only then did he close the book.
At that moment, an elderly man with a head full of white hair approached the boy.
"Teacher!"
Seeing the old man, the boy immediately stood up, speaking respectfully.
The old man nodded, sat down in front of him, and smiled before asking, "How's your progress?"
"I've been reading Mistakes in Human History. As you said, I've realized that the human race has made many mistakes in its development, wasting both resources and manpower—only giving and receiving nothing in return."
"Do you know why these mistakes happened?"
"Most of it stems from the unknown. In the exploration stage, there will inevitably be wrong turns, but... some of it may also be due to wrong directions," the boy replied.
The old man's eyes showed a hint of surprise upon hearing this. "You think the problem is the direction?"
"Yes. I believe that in your teaching over the years, you've been subtly guiding me to discover this. In fact, I've already realized the mistakes Star City has made in its system and direction."
The elderly man nodded in satisfaction, saying, "You've really noticed, Ji He. I must say, you are the most talented student I've ever taught."
"Teacher, now that we've discovered the root of the problem, how should we change the current situation in Star City?" Ji He asked, still confused.
"With our abilities, we cannot change it," the old man replied.
"Why not?" Ji He asked.
"There's no reason. Even if the direction is wrong, it is the foundation of the human race. I once tried to change it, but in the end, I came to understand that we cannot change the human race, nor the future. We can only follow the tide of the times, unable to redirect the waves that rush forward."
Looking into the old man's eyes, Ji He's gaze flickered, and he began to get an inkling of the answer.
If there's a problem that concerns the unshakable foundation of the human race, then this answer seemed to be becoming clear.
The one who could be called the foundation of the human race and could set the direction for its development—only one person throughout history could fit that description.
At 8 PM, when Ji He left the library with his mother.
A magnetic levitation vehicle, parked outside, opened its doors, and a beautiful woman stepped out. As Ji He approached, she smiled and stepped forward, ruffling his hair and asking, "Xiao He, how was your studying today? Are you confident about the upcoming exam?"
Ji He nodded, somewhat perfunctorily, and immediately sat down in the car.
The woman sighed helplessly but followed him into the vehicle.
She felt she hadn't given him enough attention, which had made him very withdrawn, even somewhat eccentric.
It couldn't be helped.
Her job was as a combat instructor at the Dawn Academy, and her husband was the leader of the "Domain Combat Squad" in the Western Supply Zone of Star City.
Both of them were busy with work, and they only occasionally had time to return home. Most of the time, Ji He was looked after by a nanny.
Perhaps because the house was filled with various books, Ji He had developed an early interest in reading, particularly in historical knowledge.
He had even taken a librarian as his teacher, often spending time in the library.
As for other subjects, he lacked interest.
For a long time, both she and her husband had hoped Ji He would join the Tiger Fang Research Institute in the future. But with his attitude toward cultivation, this hope seemed increasingly distant.
...
The next morning, Ji He, led by his mother, arrived at Star City Central Park.
Today was Feng Qi Memorial Day.
The park was packed with people, and similar scenes were unfolding in other public areas throughout Star City.
A large number of citizens had come to pay their respects at the statue of Feng Qi.
As Ji He walked through the crowd with his mother, his expression remained cold, clearly out of place among the fervent worshippers around him.
After a long wait in line, he and his mother finally reached the statue.
Next to the statue, a sign was planted, filled with many words, the main message requesting the citizens who came to worship to refrain from placing offerings, as this caused waste.
This rule had been personally set by Feng Qi, and it remained in place even after his death.
At the mat in front of the statue, Ji He's mother guided him to kneel. She pressed her hands together, closed her eyes, and murmured softly, speaking of her firm faith in Feng Qi. She prayed for Feng Qi to protect her husband, who was out fighting in the wars, and to help her child be accepted into the Tiger Soul Institute in the future, among other things.
But Ji He did nothing. He just tilted his head back, gazing at the Feng Qi statue.
After a long while, his gaze became distant, and he whispered to himself:
"History proves, you too have made mistakes. You were not entirely correct."
"Ji He, what did you say?" His mother opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion.
"It's nothing."
In response to his mother's inquiry, Ji He immediately brushed it off and then closed his eyes, mimicking his mother.
After the prayer, Ji He followed his mother back home.
After lunch, he locked himself in his study, reading books.
When he turned to one of the pages, it featured a portrait of Feng Qi, with the Dawn flag fluttering behind him.
At that moment, Ji He's eyes flickered.
He understood why his mother, father, and everyone around him revered Feng Qi.
History had proven that Feng Qi made an indelible contribution to the rise of humanity.
But now, it felt like political correctness.
Those who did not revere Feng Qi would be classified as outliers.
But Ji He understood that the development of humanity had reached a turning point in history.
Reading history, studying it closely, he realized that Feng Qi's character was not suitable to be the true leader of humanity.
Feng Qi was too sentimental. Sometimes, he would abandon the pursuit of benefits for the sake of emotions.
Ji He acknowledged Feng Qi's contributions to humanity's development.
But he also felt that Feng Qi was a thing of the past. The new era no longer suited his way of thinking.
Humanity was facing a crisis from the new era.
Powerful enemies were eyeing Star City from all directions.
In particular, the Rift Heaven Divine Clan that appeared after the Devouring Core Bone Clan's domain field increased the pressure on humanity's surrounding regions.
History had shown that Feng Qi always wanted a united, peaceful ending, but Ji He believed that this ideology was no longer suitable for the current age.
When humanity faces new challenges, it must make choices.
The times create the environment, and heroes make history—both are interdependent, and one cannot exist without the other.
This era needs new policies.
This was also his teacher's view.
Through the years of study, his teacher taught him how to think about problems rationally from a macro perspective, and it greatly benefited him, allowing him to see the essence of problems more clearly.
His teacher, although working in the library, had once served at the highest council of Star City.
According to his teacher, ideological differences led to conflicts with mainstream thought, and in the end, he had no choice but to withdraw.
His teacher had once tried to initiate a reform for Star City.
But in the end, he failed and was forced to step down.
Ji He had learned his teacher's ideals in detail and deeply agreed with them.
His parents hoped he would apply to the Tiger Soul Institute, but Ji He wanted to apply for the Administrative Management program at the Dawn Academy.
Like his parents, he loved the city under his feet.
Because of this, he felt he should take on the heavy responsibility, continuing his teacher's unfinished vision and attempting to change the flaws left by the old era.
He had shared his thoughts about applying for the Administrative Management program with his mother.
But his mother thought his idea was too childish. She had tried several times to persuade him to give it up and continue applying for the Tiger Soul Institute's cultivation program.
As he thought of this, Ji He's fist slowly clenched.
He believed that there must be others in Star City who shared his teacher's ideas. They, too, had realized that Star City was at an important historical juncture and needed to undergo reform.
But, like his teacher, they were powerless to change the status quo.
The higher-ups of Star City were the ones who set the city's direction.
And these high-ranking officials were all loyal followers of Feng Qi.
There must always be someone to break the balance, just as Feng Qi once proclaimed:
"Someone must step forward, and why can't that person be me?!"
Ji He felt that he should be the one to step forward, to change Star City's current situation, leading the city to cast off the shackles of outdated thinking and use the new era's mindset to face the new challenges.
But he was just a 15-year-old child. Even though his heart was full of ideas, he had no ability to change anything.
But it wasn't without hope.
The Administrative Management program at the Dawn Academy would be his next goal.
There were many competitors on this road, but he was confident that he could carve out a path for himself and rise to the decision-making level of Star City.
With thoughts swirling, Ji He's gaze became even more determined.
Three years later.
Ji He received the bad news about his father.
On a snowy day, Ji He knelt before his father's memorial hall, staring at his father's black-and-white photo. In front of the photo was the urn containing his father's ashes, and in his ears, he could hear his mother's uncontrollable sobs.
The casualty rate on the front lines was always high, and unexpected accidents were common.
But his father hadn't died protecting the rear, but for a batch of insignificant resources.
The desire to change Star City's status quo burned fiercely inside him, stronger than ever before.
His gaze shifted to the right wall, where the admission letter from the Dawn Academy, which he had received five days ago, was hanging.
After staring at it for a long time, Ji He stood up, walked to his mother's side, knelt, and knocked his head twice on the ground. Without looking back, he left the memorial hall.
Tomorrow would be the first day of school at Dawn Academy.
He had to prepare in advance.
Thirty days later.
After military training, Ji He gave a speech as the representative of the new students, standing on stage.
Looking down at the teachers and students below, Ji He didn't speak his innermost thoughts. Following the tradition, he praised Feng Qi and expressed his bright outlook for the future.
This was part of Ji He's plan.
He knew his ideas could not be accepted by society now, so he had to learn to hide them. At least until he had the ability to implement reforms, he had to be a firm follower of Feng Qi's ideology.
After the speech, listening to the endless applause, Ji He wore a warm smile on his face, bowing humbly to the teachers and students below.
Deep inside, he knew that his plan officially began from this moment.
...
In the years that followed.
Ji He began his career of disguise in academia.
Management, organization, coordination... The workload was heavy, but Ji He dared not slack off for even a moment.
He understood that he was still just starting out, and there was a long road ahead before he could achieve his goals.
During this time, in order to better disguise himself, he began researching everything related to the believers.
Belief was a stepping stone for promotion.
Becoming a believer of Feng Qi would grant him a great deal of external recognition.
But being a believer didn't come with a certificate, nor did it have any official validation.
It was a spontaneous action.
If you believed yourself to be one, then you were.
However, a disguise was always destined to be a disguise, and there was always a possibility of revealing a flaw.
To make himself appear more like a true believer, Ji He would display abilities like "mental focus" during his studies, to show the outside world that he had established a spiritual connection with Feng Qi.
But he never deliberately advertised this.
When asked by others, Ji He would humbly explain that his spiritual connection was still weak, often experiencing disruptions.
Deep down, Ji He always believed that the belief in Feng Qi was very necessary.
History had already proven the importance of the belief in the development of humanity, and it was a future path full of possibilities.
But belief and Feng Qi's ideology were two different matters.
He believed that Feng Qi must be the god of belief for humanity, but should not be the ideological constraint on Star City's path forward.
This was also one of the reasons he wanted to change the status quo of Star City.
One year after entering school, at the Dawn Academy.
Ji He performed excellently and won the "Feng Qi Award" scholarship that year. He was selected as a representative of his major to visit Star City for an exchange.
The following year, Ji He took the initiative to apply to go to the front lines.
For Ji He, this was a process to deepen his qualifications and lay the groundwork for the future.
After graduation, they would all start from the grassroots level in Star City.
But his target was the highest decision-making level of Star City, which required qualifications from the front lines.
As a member of the highest decision-making level, every decision would have a profound impact on the future. Although each decision-maker had their own area of expertise, to go further, a broader knowledge base was required.
The front line was Star City's most important resource acquisition channel.
By going to the front lines himself, Ji He could learn about resource allocation, domain combat squad configurations, and more.
In addition to qualifications, these knowledge would also be the foundation for his journey to higher levels.
Six months later.
Ji He returned from the front lines.
Although he hadn't participated in front-line combat during his six-month stay, he learned a lot of related knowledge by following the front-line staff. He even compiled a notebook about the front lines.
With a clear future goal, Ji He knew exactly what he needed.
To become the highest decision-maker of Star City, he needed to understand all aspects of Star City.
He viewed this process as one of filling in the gaps of his growth.
He saw Star City as a huge framework, and each piece of knowledge and experience was a part of filling that framework.
Now, the front-line knowledge had filled in one of the gaps.
During his time at the front, he gained a deeper understanding of front-line affairs, especially the challenges the front-line faced.
These were valuable foundational experiences.
The learning process also filled in the content required for his reform dreams.
In his third and fourth years...
In the next two years, Ji He, in addition to studying at the Dawn Academy, also participated in grassroots management internships in Star City. Through this grassroots perspective, he discovered the various problems in Star City.
He never stopped for a moment during his four years of study.
As a prominent figure at the academy, Ji He had several opportunities to experience love.
Faced with confessions from senior students, classmates, and even younger students, he politely declined every time.
Deep inside, Ji He had never been interested in love.
The teacher who once wanted to change Star City could no longer continue. So Ji He chose to step onto the relay journey himself. Any thought that might cause him to hesitate was seen as an obstacle to his progress.
Love was beautiful, but precisely because it was beautiful, it was also terrifying.
It could make someone hesitate, even reluctant to continue moving forward.
Ji He felt that rather than pushing himself hard in the future, it was better not to start at all.
It was this determination, coupled with his excellent performance in his academic career, that attracted the attention of the academy's higher-ups, earning him much praise.
There were even rumors that the president of the Dawn Academy was willing to write him a letter of recommendation.
Ji He viewed these honors as the foundation of his growth, the stepping stones on his path to his ideal future.
When graduation arrived, Ji He, as the representative of his major, gave a speech at the graduation ceremony.
On this day, Ji He stood on the stage, wearing his graduation robe, calmly summarizing the setbacks and personal growth he encountered over the four years.
Compared to others, Ji He's speech had much more impact.
When he finished discussing his outlook for the future, he gazed at the Feng Qi statue under the spotlight in the distance. Then, he clenched his right fist and placed it on his chest, speaking firmly:
"Swearing on the hero Feng Qi, I will forever be loyal to my ideals and dedicate my life to the rise of humanity."
The enthusiastic applause echoed in his ears. Looking down at the crowd, Ji He's face broke into a radiant smile.
The light breeze caused his graduation cap's tassel to sway. He knew that his journey at Dawn Academy had come to an end, but the road to his dreams had only just begun. Many challenges still awaited him in the future.