311: New Era

New Year's Eve, keeping vigil.

Yang's Parents sat in front of the TV, watching the Spring Festival Gala, which was no different from usual, casually remarking, "Everywhere there are Mecha Martial Artists and Awakened, but why is the Spring Festival Gala still the same as previous years? Even with high-tech and superpowers, it still lacks novelty."

Yang Dian, Yang Lele, and Lin Ling sat at a table, holding playing cards.

After only a few minutes of playing, Yang Lele's face was already covered in paper strips, and she muttered, "How can a child lose every year?"

Little Orca controlled its speed, circling around the living room again and again, occasionally letting out a soft cry.

If anyone or any animal's gaze fell upon it, it would flip over and fly on its back, flapping its wings against its belly.

After gaining freedom, this little creature seemed to have Awakened the street-smart nature of its Orca species and became increasingly fond of being an attention-seeker.

The similarly shrunken Moose and Little Black Cat sat facing each other, eye to eye, playing 'One, Two, Three, Red Light, Green Light'.

But as they played, the Moose's eyes turned into knowing cross-eyes, and then the Little Black Cat broke character, meowing that he was cheating.

Dudu also left Yang Dian's head, wearing a red scarf that Lin Ling had enchanted with a waterproof effect, and was in the sea tank, 'Dudu'-ing and scolding his little brother, Clownfish.

Little Yellow Dog (Little Yellow) was nestled in Big Yellow Dog's embrace, sleeping. Big Yellow Dog was nestled in his dog bed, watching the whole family, gently wagging his tail.

Chicken Bro stood on the perch by the door, eyes slightly narrowed, chest rising and falling.

He was still Cultivating, fulfilling his promise to tread the path of an emperor through his own efforts.

Only the Dimension Butterfly remained hidden in Yang Dian's glabella.

He wove a cocoon, preparing for evolution despite being a hundred and eight thousand li away from his next evolution... The night wind blew gently.

As the Spring Festival Gala countdown reached zero, the Western calendar—the Common Era—completely became a thing of the past.

Next was a new year, the Great Expedition Era, named after the era of expeditions, with the calendar revised under China's leadership and unanimously passed at an international conference.

Year One of the Expedition Calendar.

China expanded its territory, adding one hundred million square kilometers of land to Earth.

It opened a spatial passage to annihilate the interstellar spy race, the Lingwen Clan, and helped the World Tree and natural life forms resist the invasion of Cosmic Creatures.

It captured the Lizardman God and liberated the 8 million square kilometers of enslaved Four-Armed Lizardmen, bringing them a wonderful life they could never have imagined.

The liberation efforts were still ongoing, and upon completion, tens of millions of Lizardmen were expected to escape enslavement with China's aid, turning over a new leaf and singing praises.

Apart from China, other countries were all mentioned in passing.

Except for America.

They, who allowed Orcs to enter Earth, were destined to be nailed to the pillar of historical shame.

With the arrival of the new era, in Changle, Fuzhou City, Minjiang Province, the land of China, the Moon base, the Mars base... wherever there were Chinese people, countless fireworks and firecrackers soared into the sky, exploding into brilliant displays against the dark sky, celebrating the dawn of the new era.

After setting off fireworks and firecrackers at home and offering incense to ancestors to pray for a safe and prosperous New Year, the entire family walked towards the ancestral hall.

As soon as Yang Dian arrived, he was pulled into the ancestral hall by Third Uncle under everyone's gaze.

They were waiting for him to light the first stick of incense.

After bowing to the ancestors and Goddess of the Sea, he placed the first stick of incense in the censer.

Walking out of the smoke-filled ancestral hall, he greeted his uncles, aunts, and cousins, then took Lin Ling to the seaside, pulling out two copies of the "Spark" Visualization Method and handing them to her:

"Burn one to offer to your father, and put the other in the sea."

Lin Ling took the two copies of "Spark," blinked, and looked at Yang Dian with a hint of confusion.

Yang Dian let out a long breath towards the sea and explained:

"I had a video call with Uncle Wang earlier. He said that visualizing 'Spark' helps maintain human stability."

Lin Ling was no longer confused.

She took two steps forward, immersed her lower legs in the sea, placed one copy of "Spark" on the surface of the water, then took out a lighter, lit the cover of the "Spark" book, and burned it page by page.

Besides being a Visualization Method, "Spark" also recorded China's five thousand years of history.

Therefore, compared to other Visualization Methods, it was exceptionally thick.

After burning for a while and finishing the entire book of "Spark," Lin Ling was stunned again:

"Did my father come here?"

The other copy of "Spark" she had placed in the sea had disappeared at some unknown point.

Lin Ling unleashed her water control ability and desperately tried to sense it, but she couldn't detect the presence of that "Spark."

Yang Dian shook his head when he heard Lin Ling's question:

"I didn't notice when that 'Spark' disappeared either."

"But he probably came."

Hearing Yang Dian's words, Lin Ling showed a somewhat happy smile, smoothed her hair, and walked onto the beach.

"It's good that my father came to see me. Let's go back."

"Uncle and Auntie will worry if we're out too long."

With that, she left the coast first. Yang Dian glanced at the sea, which was as usual, with waves gently lapping the shore, smiled, and followed Lin Ling.

Things are always developing for the better... Time flies like a white steed passing a crevice.

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed, and the calendar reached the sixteenth day of the first month of Year Two of the Expedition Calendar, marking the annual start of the school year.

After sending the early-rising Yang Lele and Lin Ling to school, Yang Dian went to Fuda University and entered the underground Research Institute.

He had been idle for half a month, and although he was consuming rare treasures every moment, Yang Dian still felt he was wasting his life, so he recalled the goal he had set long ago.

For example, researching how Clayton got so big.

After greeting Professor Shen Fei, he arrived at the Research Institute's recuperation room.

To Yang Dian's surprise, Chen Wenqian was also there.

"What, do I look strange to you?"

Yang Dian nodded:

"Isn't today the start of school? I thought you'd be in class."

Chen Wenqian tilted her head back:

"I know the textbooks by heart. Going to class is just a way to relax when I'm tired of researching."

As she spoke, she looked at Yang Dian curiously:

"Shouldn't a busy person like you be thinking about how to conquer Alien Planets? Why do you have time to come to the Research Institute?"

Yang Dian patted Clayton, who, though in a coma, had begun his second or third growth spurt, his body already seven meters tall:

"I came to see him, and incidentally, to see if you've researched anything new."

Chen Wenqian shook her head:

"We haven't researched anything new."

"Clayton can grow so large entirely because his cells have extremely strong expandability and extensibility. He grew larger because the extraordinary power within him erupted, expanding his cells and causing his body to grow."

"As for how the cells possess such strong expandability and extensibility, that belongs to the knowledge of extraordinary gene sequences. Research on extraordinary gene sequences, both domestically and internationally, has only just begun, and no one knows exactly how it works."

Yang Dian attached a wisp of thought to his Qi and blood, delving deep into Clayton's body, and after a moment, he understood.

"It should be related to the extraordinary power he Awakened."

"The extraordinary power within him has an extremely strong regenerative ability..."