Chapter 33 The History of the New Era, The First Divine Chosen in History

Chapter 33: The First Divine Chosen in the History of the New Era

The final verdict was that, with the exception of Yu Xing and Miao Yuanjin, every new Divine Chosen in their group would be on toilet cleaning duty for a week.

Witnessing firsthand how Yu Xing and Miao Yuanjin had bested Jiang Lingwen, those assigned to latrine duty were now kicking themselves in utter frustration.

"We were too rigid! Our thinking was so limited! The teacher never said we could only use Divine Skills!"

When Jiang Lingwen finally gathered everyone, her expression was grim. Her icy gaze swept slowly across the group before she declared, "You've all disappointed me terribly."

Most hung their heads in shame, but a few still bristled with defiance.

Fei Mingming even dared to ask, "But, Teacher, if we could use methods other than Divine Skills, why didn’t you make that clear from the start?"

Hearing his question, Jiang Lingwen first pointed at him and said, "You, an extra week of toilet cleaning."

Fei Mingming: "???"

"I spelled it out upfront," Jiang Lingwen stated, her pale hand, cold as jade, pointing to herself. "I am a field instructor."

"When you join the Divine Chosen Squad or the military in the future and face contaminants, do you think they'll play by your rules?" Jiang Lingwen said coldly. "Based on your performance today, you'd be lucky if even one of you survived."

*That one will definitely be me*, Yu Xing thought to herself, feeling that Jiang Lingwen was subtly praising her.

At this point, everyone finally fell silent, standing with downcast eyes and burning cheeks as they received their reprimand.

Despite Jiang Lingwen's usual quiet demeanor, she could lecture them endlessly when provoked. Even after her lengthy scolding, she wasn't finished. She then told the group, "Now, each of you will step forward and summarize your own mistakes."

Everyone: "..."

They exchanged glances until Zhao Lan was the first to step forward.

Zhao Lan's expression was earnest as she said, "I took too much for granted. Seeing others only use skills, I did the same. My mind wasn't clear or flexible enough, and my thinking was too rigid. But I promise this will be the only time; I will never make this mistake again."

"Finished?" Jiang Lingwen, still dripping wet, asked Zhao Lan.

Zhao Lan was momentarily stunned. After carefully re-evaluating and confirming she hadn't made any other mistakes, she nodded. "Yes."

"Go back," Jiang Lingwen said. "Next."

Since everyone had made similar mistakes, their self-criticisms were also quite alike. By the end, even Yu Xing was struggling to stay awake.

When only Yu Xing and Miao Yuanjin remained, both stood motionless.

Jiang Lingwen looked at them. "Why aren't the two of you summarizing?"

Miao Yuanjin puffed out her chest, proudly raising her head. "We won!"

"Won?" Jiang Lingwen sneered, a sarcastic twist to her lips. "Why do you think you won?"

Miao Yuanjin faltered. Of course, she had won because Yu Xing's actions had inspired her. Thinking this, she straightened her back again and declared loudly, "You just said it yourself, this is a combat class. In real combat, victory is all that matters, no matter what method you use."

Hearing her, Jiang Lingwen countered, "When do you think this lesson actually began?"

Miao Yuanjin froze. Jiang Lingwen continued, "After you finished your nutrient solution, I announced that class had started. But what were you doing then?"

Miao Yuanjin looked bewildered. Jiang Lingwen said, "You were sniveling."

She then swept her gaze across the group again. "In the future, you will undertake all sorts of dangerous missions. In those situations, will anyone shout 'begin' for you? Will contaminants spare you just because you're unprepared or still crying? The ridiculous thing is, even now, you still haven't realized your mistakes."

Though Jiang Lingwen's latter words were directed at everyone, Miao Yuanjin felt her face burning, as if she were being publicly shamed.

Her face flushed crimson, and tears began to stream down.

Remembering Jiang Lingwen's words, she fiercely tried to hold back her sobs, but it was no use. Yu Xing, standing beside her, could feel her almost hyperventilating.

Fortunately, Jiang Lingwen didn't focus on her for long. Instead, she turned to Yu Xing. "And you?"

"Huh?" Yu Xing hadn't really thought about how to summarize her actions either.

Then Jiang Lingwen asked, "Why didn't you choose to use a skill at the time?"

"Uh..." Yu Xing had acted purely on instinct. "...It wasn't necessary, was it? Just getting you out of the circle didn't require a skill."

After a moment, she added what she thought was a fitting remark for a Divine Chosen, "This way, I could also save some psychic energy."

As soon as she finished, she saw Jiang Lingwen nod approvingly. "I'm very pleased you thought of that."

Then she pointed at Da Ya and asked, "What were you thinking when you attacked me earlier?"

"Huh?" Da Ya was caught off guard and looked utterly terrified. "I didn't... I-I..."

"Did you think the rain would affect me?" Jiang Lingwen asked.

Da Ya hung her head in shame. "No."

Jiang Lingwen then asked, "Since it was useless, why did you keep using your skill until your psychic energy was exhausted?"

"I..." Da Ya's mind was a jumble, unable to form a single coherent thought.

"So when you face contaminants, even if you know your skill is useless, you'll still use it until your psychic energy is exhausted?" Jiang Lingwen pressed. "What happens after you're exhausted?"

Now Da Ya was crying too.

The others breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that they had given up once they realized their skills were ineffective against Jiang Lingwen.

"What is the most important lesson I wanted to teach you today?" Jiang Lingwen asked loudly. "Do you know?"

They murmured among themselves again.

After a while, someone ventured, "Don't exhaust your psychic energy?"

"Be flexible, there are ways to deal with contaminants beyond just skills?"

"Have a combat mindset?"

"Know when to retreat from contaminants you can't handle..."

After listening to their various answers for a while, Jiang Lingwen finally said, "All of what you've said are things I want to teach you. But what I most want to teach you is..."

She paused, then said with utmost seriousness, "To learn to protect yourselves, to survive."

The training ground fell silent. Everyone stared blankly at Jiang Lingwen.

Jiang Lingwen said no more. She turned and said, "It's lunchtime. You may go to the cafeteria now."

With that, she slowly walked away, disappearing from their sight.

Even long after Jiang Lingwen had left, no one moved. The morning's combat class had been a huge blow to them, a significant psychological shock. Jiang Lingwen's final words, however, left them somewhat confused. As Divine Chosen, wasn't their mission to protect the Federation and its cities?

Miao Yuanjin was also a bit bewildered. She had finally managed to stop her tears and, with swollen, red eyes, looked at Yu Xing, asking, "What did she mean?"

Yu Xing didn't understand why this was confusing. She said, "She told us to go to the cafeteria to eat."

"..."

The food in the church cafeteria was no worse than that at Seventh Middle School; it was just a bit bland.

Fortunately, Yu Xing had drunk too much nutrient solution, so now she loved any kind of meal.

When they went to the cafeteria, they found only a few clergy members eating. As Yu Xing got her food, she casually asked, "Has everyone in the church already eaten?"

"No," the lunch lady shook her head. "They practice abstinence and mostly drink nutrient solutions. They rarely come to the cafeteria to eat."

Sighing, she added, "If it weren't for you students, I'd probably be out of a job."

After getting her food, Yu Xing went to sit at Zhao Lan's table. Da Ya praised her, "Yu Xing, you're so smart! How did you think of not using your skill?"

"Yeah," Fei Mingming chimed in. "When I saw what you did, I was stunned."

Zhao Lan also spoke with admiration, "And you even knew to conserve psychic energy..."

"Oh, it was nothing," Yu Xing said humbly, holding her spoon. "I just have a bit of experience."

"Experience?" Zhao Lan's eyes immediately lit up. "What kind of experience?"

Since many people knew about the incident on the bus, Yu Xing had nothing to hide. She said, "Actually, my meeting you all was quite unexpected..."

More and more people gathered around them, all eagerly listening to Yu Xing recount her first encounter with a contaminant. Gasps erupted from the crowd from time to time, and some occasionally offered their own opinions, creating a lively atmosphere.

Miao Yuanjin took a long time picking and choosing her food before finally getting it. When she turned around, she saw everyone gathered together, with Yu Xing at the center of attention.

She stood there, conflicted for a long time, before finally scoffing and retreating to a secluded corner to eat alone. As she ate, her eyes welled up again.

But this time, she held back her tears. She would show everyone that she wasn't just someone who cried all the time.

By the end of the lunch break, Yu Xing had become friends with everyone except Miao Yuanjin. They chatted and laughed together, and at one point, Yu Xing asked a question: "If I want to find someone but only have a photo, what should I do?"

Fei Mingming asked, "Is it someone important?"

"Not really," Yu Xing replied, remembering the photo she had found at Sister Xiu's barbershop. She was a little curious—what had happened to Sister Xiu's boyfriend after he left her? Had he found new love and was now living happily? Did he know that Sister Xiu, even after becoming a contaminant, still loved him?

"Many systems can help you find them," Fei Mingming said. "But we don't have that authority. My parents do, but if I asked them to do this, they'd tag-team lecture me."

Zhao Lan suggested, "The Divine Chosen Squad can investigate. Once you leave the church and join the Divine Chosen Squad, you'll be able to check."

But Yu Xing wasn't eager to join the Divine Chosen Squad, nor did she dare let Bai Qinghe and the others know about this. She asked, "Are there any other ways?"

"Hmm..." Da Ya offered a suggestion, "Perhaps you could post the photo online? Maybe someone will recognize the person in it?"

That could work.

Fortunately, there were anonymous online forums that didn't require registration. Yu Xing posted the photo with a caption:

"Hey good-looking people, help me find this person!"

[Photo]

[This is a photo from twenty years ago. Does anyone recognize the man in it?]

By the time she finished posting, lunch break was over. Zhao Lan and the others called Yu Xing to go to class together.

The afternoon class was history, taught by a kind-faced, white-haired old man who handed out several books to each of them. Standing in the church classroom in his white robe, the old man said, "Even though everyone reads e-books now, I still prefer paper books."

He flipped through one of the books with a rustling sound, closing his eyes in delight. "The scent of books truly elevates the soul."

Someone raised a question, "Isn't it said that it's just the raw smell of the materials that wasn't fully removed?"

"Hmph!" The old man turned his head away in annoyance. "Class has started, class has started! Everyone, open your books!"

The original owner of Yu Xing's body had also studied history at Seventh Middle School, but the content here was different. Here, the focus was on the Purple Moon, the apocalypse, and the Divine Chosen.

"On the last night of the Old Era, a purple moon suddenly appeared in the sky, shrouding the earth in purple light as madness descended upon the world.

Birds fell from the sky, beasts fought each other, and schools of fish leaped onto the shore, dying of thirst on the sand.

Humans held hands and climbed to the tops of buildings and cliffs, shouting about the true god, and fervently threw themselves off from great heights.

On the first day of the New Era, the sun rose as usual. Survivors rebuilt their homes amidst the ruins, blood, and corpses..."

The old man read the opening passage in a somewhat hoarse voice. Yu Xing turned to observe the others; they all looked nonchalant, clearly already intimately familiar with this content.

But Yu Xing was different. She was genuinely interested in this history, so she raised her hand.

The old man was surprised—it was rare to find a student who still raised their hand to ask questions in class these days. He immediately called on Yu Xing, "Yes, student? What's your question?"

Yu Xing asked, "How did the Purple Moon appear?"

The old man choked. The very first question had stumped him.

"Well..." The old man clutched the book and explained, "The Purple Moon is an evil god. The paths of evil gods are inscrutable."

"So you don't know?" Yu Xing pressed. "Then do you know why the Purple Moon appeared?"

The old man: "..."

The old man remained silent. Zhao Lan, sitting in front of Yu Xing, turned around and whispered, "No one knows that. It's always been an unsolved mystery."

Yu Xing nodded, and the old man breathed a sigh of relief. Most students who came here had some basic knowledge and knew such questions had no answers. He hadn't expected to encounter a complete novice this time.

Just as he relaxed, the novice spoke again, "Then let me ask a question you should know, Teacher."

Hearing this, the old man's heart sank, a sense of foreboding washing over him.

The novice asked, "Before, this world only had one moon. Now there are two. What physical effects has the extra moon had on this planet? For example, tidal forces..."

The old man: "..."

"I don't see any of this written in the book," Yu Xing said, flipping through the pages.

"These aren't part of my lecture..." The old man sounded weary. "I mainly teach divine history."

Although he disliked students who asked too many questions, he still explained, "There are specialized research departments for what you're asking about. If you're truly interested, after graduating from the church, you can return to school and continue your studies, then apply for a university major in that field. With your status as a Divine Chosen, you'd have a great chance of joining such a department in the future."

Here, the old man sighed. "The technology of the Old Era was relatively underdeveloped and followed a different path. When the Purple Moon appeared, all artificial satellites and probes were instantly destroyed. World communication was instantly reset to its most primitive state, relying only on spoken words to transmit information. That disaster was truly terrifying..."

As the old man spoke, his eyes still flickered with fear. "After the disaster, we lost ninety-five percent of the population. Since then, although we've been working hard—building high walls, expanding human living space—the truth is, humanity's current habitable area is less than a tenth of the planet. Before the 21 cities were built, we lost the oceans for ninety years. And..."

The old man raised his head at this point, "We have permanently lost the sky."

"In the Old Era, humans actively explored the universe, but all that is no longer possible." The old man's neatly combed white hair was now slightly disheveled. "Today, the sky is what we fear most."

"To this day, we still don't know the conditions of those unexplored places after the New Era, or the current state of species from the past. Because we don't understand these situations, we also cannot know the specific physical effects an additional moon has had on this planet."

"Of course, I don't know—perhaps the relevant departments know more. But I'm not interested in this area and haven't specifically studied it, so my knowledge is limited..."

The old man rambled on for a while before suddenly realizing the time. He slapped his forehead, "Darn it, I only have this one class!"

Yu Xing: "?"

Fei Mingming, sitting beside Yu Xing, noticed her confusion and whispered, "History here in the church is mainly for general understanding; there's no exam. We usually just read the books ourselves, so there's only one class."

*I see*, Yu Xing thought, looking down at the book in her hands. So, what they were truly meant to learn at the church wasn't this.

"Where was I?" The old man frowned. "Never mind, let's start from the beginning. Since the Purple Moon only appears at night, it gives humans a chance to breathe during the day. After the Moon God returned, even at night, humans could resist the Purple Moon's pollution with their strong willpower."

"But as the pollution grew more severe, everything around began to change, and anything could become a source of contamination. Not just the surroundings—humans themselves were also suffering from cumulative pollution. At first, mental problems appeared; some became irritable and eccentric. Then came physical changes, with human bodies undergoing indescribable and terrifying transformations. This pollution accumulates over time, and no matter how strong one's willpower, eventually, they will be polluted into a monster."

As he spoke, the old man's voice grew impassioned. "It was at this very moment that the Moon God once again performed a miracle—the first Divine Chosen in history appeared!"

"She was the great Lady Ku Lan!"

"Not only was she the first Divine Chosen, but also the Moon God's first Beloved. She brought the sacred purifying moonlight, which could cleanse the accumulated pollution within humans, bringing humanity the hope of survival..."

Hearing this, Yu Xing quickly flipped through the book. Sure enough, she found content about the first Divine Chosen. There was not only text but also an accompanying illustration.

It depicted a long-haired woman dressed in what resembled the traditional attire of an ethnic minority on Earth. Her skin was somewhat dark, and she stood by a small river, her eyes downcast, exuding a sense of compassion.

At this point, everyone present showed expressions of reverence. Miao Yuanjin clenched her fists, her eyes filled with longing.

"Is she still alive?" Yu Xing asked. Given the advanced technology and increased human lifespans, Yu Xing suspected Lady Ku Lan might still be alive.

"Lady Ku Lan reached the highest level of Divine Chosen twenty years into the New Era and departed for the Moon God's world," the old man replied.

"Huh?" Yu Xing was utterly confused. What did that answer mean? Was Ku Lan dead or not?

Next, the old man began to introduce the first appearances of other gods' Divine Chosen in chronological order. Because there were so many gods, he had to speed up, barely managing to finish the last one before class ended.

This was the only history class, and the old man could only cover so much content in one session.

When class ended, the old man suddenly closed his book. He turned and looked at Yu Xing with piercing eyes.

"Next, I will introduce the most recently appeared god to date, the God of Misfortune." The old man looked at Yu Xing. "A week ago, the God of Misfortune's first Beloved appeared. All of you here are very fortunate to live and study alongside the God of Misfortune's first Beloved. We anticipate that the new god will bring some positive changes to this world."

As the old man spoke, everyone's gaze converged on Yu Xing.

Yu Xing swallowed, feeling inexplicably nervous.

The old man's cloudy eyes shone with fervent expectation, but Yu Xing knew the truth herself: she wasn't a Divine Chosen at all. She was just a person with mental issues and a Broomstick Star Skill...

After class, everyone rushed to carry their books back to their dorms, Yu Xing included.

After moving the books back to her dorm, Yu Xing picked up the book the old man had lectured from and turned to the page about Ku Lan. According to the book's content, the photo of every god's first Divine Chosen would be included. Did that mean her photo would also appear in this book someday?

It was a strange feeling. Who would have thought their photo would end up in a textbook?

And... Yu Xing looked at Ku Lan in the book. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but she always felt there were faint tears in Ku Lan's eyes in the photo.

This was someone born in the Old Era. Yu Xing suddenly turned to Miao Yuanjin, who was inexplicably sulking, and asked, "Is Ku Lan dead?"

Miao Yuanjin's eyes widened, her voice sharp. "Don't talk nonsense! Lady Ku Lan went to the Moon God's side—many people saw her leave!"

"Huh?" Yu Xing was shocked. So she really left this world, and it wasn't a euphemism for death?

Yu Xing remained stunned for a long time, unable to resist sharing this with her friends on the Transmigrator Exchange Forum.

Before opening the forum, she remembered her attempt to find someone online during lunch and opened her terminal to check.

Wow, there were a lot of comments, but most were useless. The majority were just commenting on the appearances of the two people in the photo or speculating why the poster was looking for someone from twenty years ago. Some suspected the poster was the man's child, now grown up and searching for their father.

Yu Xing rolled her eyes. Just as she was about to put the terminal down, she suddenly saw a private message.

The message contained only one sentence:

[Is the woman in the photo named Xiuxiu?]