Returning to hometown to farm: The apocalypse system arrived ten years earlier?

Chapter 384 Earth Rebirth Festival

It is now nearly the seventh year of the apocalypse. In my previous life, Li Xiang had been dead for almost three years at this time, and Earth's civilization did not last long after his death. Base after base was destroyed, and after several years, only a little over a thousand people remained on Earth. Not long after that, the last person on Earth also died of illness in a dark and cold underground cave.

The whole team was wiped out.

Today, fate has naturally reversed. The Earth's population remains above seven billion, especially in Country C. Before the apocalypse, the population dropped to around one billion, but now, nearly seven years later, it has not decreased but increased, exceeding the 1.4 billion mark, surpassing its former peak. In a few more years, it may break through two billion.

In the last century, the preference for sons over daughters intensified. With ample food and clothing and a high level of safety in the country, the gender ratio in China became severely imbalanced in the past few years. Many men could not find wives, so a large number of eligible women had to be imported from other countries, which greatly alleviated the problem of more men than women and a large number of bachelors in China.

At the same time, it solved the problem of surplus women in those countries, making it impossible to support them, and those countries also received material aid from Country C. It can be described as a win-win situation, with each side getting what it needed.

Women, especially those from Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and some Southeast Asian countries, are more in line with Chinese aesthetic standards.

Of course, there are also many from Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Central Asia, and North America. Even a small number of Black women from Africa have married into Country C.

Due to the influx of foreign women, the number of mixed-race children in China has increased in recent years. However, apart from differences in appearance, these mixed-race babies are no different from native Chinese in other aspects such as language, accent, and lifestyle.

This move also encountered much opposition, but ultimately the demands of bachelors prevailed, and numerous underground cities abroad also strongly requested it, which finally led to its implementation. It could be considered a unique form of ethnic integration.

The trend of Sino-Kazakh relations is growing stronger and will continue to grow.

……

The dark, cold earth had never been so bustling with activity.

Led by three massive fleets, various underground cities dispatched troops and extraordinary individuals to fight. This battle lasted for over a year. Many human extraordinary individuals advanced in this protracted conflict, breaking through to the Holy Spirit Revelation Realm, also known as the Saint Rank.

Li Xiang's cousin Shen Wenqian and cousin Shen Ziming, Yao Yao's brother, Zhao Xueqing's brother, and others have all broken through to the Saint Rank.

The number of human beings with extraordinary abilities has exceeded one hundred million.

The rise of the human race accelerated Li Xiang's refining of the Heart of Earth.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa~"

Above the sky, the warships' shipborne particle cannons fired frequently, and with each shot, a strange beast fell into a pool of blood.

Under the cover of warships, on the surface, human superhumans drove the alien beasts into a retreat.

Frost and flames intertwined, the roars of strange beasts and the clash of weapons shook the wilderness, blood soaked the scorched earth, and the air was filled with the smell of rust and gunpowder.

Suddenly, a deep hum came from the depths of the earth, as if the earth itself had awakened.

The people fighting looked up and were horrified to find that the thick black fog that had clung to the earth for years was receding at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if it had been grasped by an invisible giant hand.

The black mist churned into towering waves, roaring and surging into space, its force like a flood bursting its banks, or an undercurrent breaking free of its shackles.

Although darkness still exists, the feeling of being "seeing through the fog" and constantly shrouded in thick fog is gone, and the clarity of peacetime has been restored.

"what happened?"

"How is this going?"

Few people knew that Li Xiang was working hard to merge with the Heart of Earth, so everyone was very curious. However, some clever people soon made a connection to the "spectacle" that had appeared on the moon in the past.

When Li Xiang became the Lord of the Moon, it was accompanied by the dissipation of the black mist and his retreat to an altitude of 300 kilometers in space. There are videos online that specifically explain this.

"Holy crap, could it be that Li Shen has refined Earth and become its master?"

"My God, a planetary-level overlord? Only this can make sense."

"No wonder we haven't seen Li Shen for the past year or two. Turns out he's been hiding underground doing something earth-shattering!"

The beasts seemed to have realized the truth as well, and their morale plummeted, leading to a crushing defeat.

Some powerful Saint-level beasts that had initially fought desperately now realized that the situation was hopeless and fled.

Some escaped into space and flew to other planets, some fled into mountain streams and deep cliffs in a panic, and most desperately fled to the nearest coastline.

They knew that if they hid in the sea, there would be a glimmer of hope for survival.

"We should press on with our remaining strength to eliminate the enemy!" Jiang Cai'er ordered, sounding the charge.

The rousing bugle call resounded throughout the Earth, but Jiang Cai'er separated a digital life clone and arrived in the dark universe near the Earth's core.

"Brother Xiang, you succeeded?" Jiang Cai'er was overjoyed.

Soon after, Yao Yao, Eileen, Chiba Yukio, Asaru, and Yuugiri also appeared in the Dark Universe of the Earth's Core, crowding around Li Xiang and happy for him.

"Such a joyous occasion should be celebrated with a bottle of sparkling spirit wine!" Yao Yao took out a bottle of fine wine worth hundreds of thousands of energy coins from her space gem ring. It was a limited edition specialty of her Los Santos. She then took out several wine glasses and filled them for everyone.

Unfortunately, Luo Feifei returned to the Qingling Starfield, while Zhao Xueqing and Lei Xiaohui were on the moon overseeing the overall situation and were unable to attend.

"This wine is excellent. It's smooth and mellow on the palate, with a unique aroma and rich layers of flavor. More importantly, it has a high spiritual content," Li Xiang praised.

"Thank you, brother. If you like it, I'll pick out some better quality ones and send them over later. Well, everyone gets some, so please don't mind." Yao Yao didn't want to give only to Li Xiang; she was good at handling people and wouldn't make such a small mistake.

This sparkling spirit wine originated from grapes that mutated in a valley near Los Santos. The superhuman team from Los Santos discovered them, dug them up, and presented them to Yao Yao, who then ordered them to be planted in an underground farm.

Originally there was only one plant, but this mutated plant grew extremely fast, and within a year the garden was full of lush greenery and abundant fruit.

Wine made from these grapes has become a specialty of Los Santos; however, high-end wines have specific time requirements for brewing and have not yet been officially released to the market.

They couldn't just drink alcohol. With a thought, Li Xiang conjured a round table in front of him, with a chair for each person. He also took out many precious spiritual fruits and arranged them on a plate on the table, along with various snacks and nuts that he had previously stored, for everyone to enjoy with their drinks.

This can be considered a victory celebration, a unique event in the dark universe of the Earth's core.

Jiang Cai'er didn't want to spoil his fun, and besides, they were just eating and drinking, and didn't do anything else.

For a moment, they were chatting and laughing.

Li Xiang also learned about the big and small things that had happened to them or those around them in the past two years.

When Li Xiang emerged from seclusion and announced to the world that he had become the master of Earth, reaching the planetary ruler realm of level 49, the world was in an uproar.

"Holy crap, our guess was right! Li Shen really succeeded!"

"Planetary Ruler Realm, what does that mean? Does it mean something that lives as long as Earth?"

Actually, that's not the case. The Planetary Ruler Realm only integrates the planet's will, which is equivalent to taking a shortcut. Their lifespan still has its limits, which is only a few hundred thousand years.

But for many, hundreds of thousands of years is an eternity. The recorded history of the C Kingdom is only five thousand years; hundreds of thousands of years is an incredibly long time. Some people despaired, completely giving up any thought of competing with Li Xiang. Originally, one of them was happy that he had broken through to the Saint rank and had hope of catching up, but who knew that Li Xiang had progressed even further. Now, the gap was so huge that it would take several lifetimes to catch up.

Most importantly, there is only one Earth. Li Xiang has occupied both the Earth and the Moon. What way is there for others to ascend?

"In any case, Li Shen succeeded. The crisis for humanity has been resolved, and returning to our home on the surface is just around the corner!"

Many people were excited, and endless crowds cheered when the army of alien beasts was driven into the sea or space.

Many civilians who were not involved in the war also took to the streets to celebrate.

The long-closed alloy gates of the underground city opened, and some people wearing thick protective suits came to the dark surface, breathing in the cold air, where the air was filled with the scent of freedom.

Coinciding with the New Year's Day holiday, Jiang Cai'er announced that on top of the New Year's Day holiday, there would be an additional five days off, for a total of eight days off, without any adjustments, to celebrate with the heavens.

Other countries followed suit. This eight-day holiday has been passed down ever since, especially January 6th, which has become the annual "Earth Rebirth Day".

It originates from the symbolic significance of human civilization ushering in a turning point in the Black Fog apocalypse and the earth regaining its vitality. It is also a special holiday to commemorate Li Xiang's meritorious service.

On the contrary, the traditional New Year's Day holiday is not mentioned much anymore.

It's like the five-day holiday for May Day. There are supposed to be May Day Labor Day and May Fourth Youth Day, but most people only mention Labor Day.

The sense of ritual associated with Earth Rebirth Day far surpasses that of New Year's Day.

A global celebration.

Country C hosted a gala that spanned both Earth and the Moon, exceeding the scale of the Spring Festival Gala.

There were 36 branch venues alone.

The most eye-catching and popular sub-venue was undoubtedly the "Moon Palace Starry Sky · Fantasy Moon Wonderland" amusement park on the moon, which was broadcast live and interacted with globally through holographic projection technology.

Its signature programs include: superhuman demonstrations of abilities, a starship formation flight show, and reenactments of epic scenes of humanity's battle against alien beasts (such as several key battles from "Earth's Counterattack," which are the six major battles recorded in later history books).
Of these six major battles, the most famous is undoubtedly the "Battle of the Dark Universe at the Earth's Core," which is considered by later generations to have "opened the prelude to the great counter-offensive on Earth."

Li Xiang, along with nine goddesses including Jiang Cai'er and Luo Feifei, and four earth spirits, besieged and defeated the five-headed beast king at the God King realm. This laid the foundation for Li Xiang to seize the "Heart of the Earth" and completely reversed the power balance between humans and beasts.

This decisive battle has been adapted into countless versions of movies, tokusatsu dramas, anime, etc., and has remained popular online for tens of thousands of years.

Rumors about Li Xiang and the nine goddesses spread like wildfire. I don't know who started it, but it's probably true.

However, given Li Xiang's current status as "Heaven" in "celebrating with Heaven," no one has any objections. On the contrary, people talk about it with great interest during their leisure time, regarding it as a refined and elegant affair.

Shortly after humanity's great counter-offensive achieved a complete victory and celebrated "Earth Rebirth Day," something shocking happened.

That is, Chiba Yukio, with her twin magatama, led her eight dungeons to voluntarily merge into Country C. From then on, the doujinshi ceased to exist, and only Country C's doujinshi province remained.

Originally, the little book had many dungeons, but later only eight remained. These eight were gradually taken over by Chiba Yukio and her daughter. After they joined them, the original kingdom naturally disappeared into the long river of history.

The global internet is in an uproar.

On social media platforms in various cities, hashtags such as "#JapanDestroysNation#" and "#CNationExpandsTerritory#" dominated the trending topics, while the comment sections presented a stark contrast between the two sides.

On the North American Free Forum, a highly upvoted comment read: "My God! Country C annexed a country without bloodshed! Their superhumans can even 'buy' land online?" The accompanying image was a holographic image of the Xuanming mothership floating in Tokyo Bay.

A European historian tweeted sarcastically: "This is far more efficient than Napoleon's approach—Li Xiang accomplished what Hitler couldn't with tanks using Spirit Fruit and a spaceship."

South Asian netizens brought up old grievances: "They used to laugh at our dungeons being breached by alien beasts, and now they've directly defected to the enemy? What happened to their Bushido spirit!"

A netizen from the Sahel region of Africa posted a photo of a holographic ecological dome in Country C, commenting: "While we are still struggling for a sip of clean water, residents of Japan Province can already ride the 'Moon Palace' interstellar roller coaster!"

A young man from Russia launched a poll on VK: "Support the Siberian city-states to follow Chiba Yukio's example! Is it too much to exchange three uranium mines for Jiang Cai'er's quantum computer?"

Some people retorted: "The knowledge base needs to be updated. What era are we living in? Uranium mine? Would Goddess Jiang even look at your garbage uranium mine?"

In fact, these comments online are far from the truth. After all, most ordinary people are just repeating hearsay.

The most blatant example is a Southeast Asian internet celebrity who, dressed in Hanfu and wearing a replica of a "fairy feather hairpin," shouted during a live stream: "Does Manager Li Xiang need any concubines? I can dance the 'Little Apple' breathing method version!"

This is a self-recommendation of a female internet celebrity, who calls herself "Southeast Asia's Little Luo Feifei." She bears only a slight resemblance to Luo Feifei, but is already an absolute beauty. Her background is also quite extraordinary; she is the eldest daughter of a powerful and wealthy family in the area.

However, to the disappointment of this wealthy social media influencer known as "Little Luo Feifei of Southeast Asia," Li Xiang did not give any response.

She begged her father to apply to join Country C as well. After careful consideration, her father thought it was feasible and might be an opportunity for them to take off. He was just afraid that Country C might not even look at them.

Not everyone was envious or jealous; many others were deeply disarmed. For example, a former exiled politician from the Japanese Empire denounced on the dark web: "Chiba and her daughter are traitors! They were long ago bought off by the AI ​​butler and the sparkling spirit wine of City 03! Their servitude to Li Xiang is a disgrace to our Yamato people!"

But netizens retorted: "Hilarious! The last person who said that was still digging potatoes in Siberia—thanks to Captain Linye for 'escorting' the nuclear battery?"

Lin Ye's betrayal prompted Li Xiang to personally take action, wiping out the entire "Skull and Bones Society" in Siberia. This caused a sensation at the time and can be considered a rare stain on the history of China. It has since been frequently mentioned as a negative example.

Even more disheartening was the trending topic in Country C: a real estate agency in City 03 advertised a "Special Offer for Japanese Immigration," which included a dialect translation earring developed by "Tiansuan Energy Technology." The advertisement read: "Zero communication barriers, choose your own hot pot!"

Not long after, on the European continent, Eileen's base, along with fifteen surrounding underground cities, also voluntarily applied to be incorporated into Country C.

Eileen originally had only one small base with a population of just over ten thousand, but the fifteen underground cities voluntarily submitted to Eileen's command, begging her to lead them to join Country C.

If they were to make the request individually, they might not have enough face, but with Eileen's connection, there would be virtually no obstacles.

In an instant, many underground cities demanded to be incorporated into Country C.

After discussing it, Li Xiang and Jiang Cai'er decided to establish the Earth Federation.

Jiang Cai'er was actually quite gratified: "It wasn't for nothing that I was so generous. These girls are indeed quite sensible."

Eileen and Chiba Yukio came to visit as a way of reciprocating Jiang Cai'er's previous generosity.

From then on, Jiang Cai'er's "supercomputing center" will be located in all the underground cities that have been incorporated into Country C, and digital life clones and various cameras, surveillance cameras, robot dogs, and robot spiders will naturally follow.

Not only will Jiang Cai'er's strength increase significantly, but with such efficient management, these underground cities are poised for great prosperity. As humanity on Earth prospers, Li Xiang will be blessed with good fortune and naturally become even stronger.

In return, since she had taken over someone else's business, Jiang Cai'er decided to give each of Chiba Yukio and her daughter, and Irene, 8% of the shares in "Tian Suan Energy".

Tiansuan Energy Technology Group is a conglomerate encompassing multiple sectors including aerospace, energy, and military industry. It is expanding at a high annual growth rate of 30%, and an 8% stake represents an astonishing amount of wealth.

As for Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, and Lei Xiaohui, they already had shares in the company.

(End of this chapter)