Chapter 3: A Devastating Extinction of Lifeforms!
"Why has everything perished?" Jiang Ping awoke to the dreadful news that a staggering 99% of the living creatures in the once vibrant world had met their untimely demise.
Just yesterday, the fish had undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving into amphibians. Jiang Ping had anticipated witnessing the animated spectacle of animals traversing the newly emerged land. However, to his astonishment, even the heartland of the ocean teetered on the brink of extinction!
Furthermore, the terrestrial landscape appeared desolate and barren, devoid of any hint of greenery. The magnificent centerpiece of this world, the colossal tree, stood as a mere skeletal remnant, its once lush foliage completely depleted. Jiang Ping wondered if it had succumbed to the barren land.
Lost in contemplation, Jiang Ping's reverie was abruptly disrupted by a sight in the heavens. Swiftly, pitch-black clouds, native to this world, loomed overhead, as if a celestial force sought to chastise the very essence of the tree itself.
A resounding thunderclap reverberated through the air, fueling Jiang Ping's flickering hope. The grand tree, once destined to be the arboreal embodiment of the world, collapsed under the weight of expectations. It was truly lifeless now, having met its ultimate demise.
A perplexed Jiang Ping mused upon the rapid decay of his newfound world. How had his splendid advancements of the previous day resulted in such a profound transformation overnight? Moreover, he astutely observed that the rainfall from the darkened sky cascaded down as obsidian tears, emitting a hissing sound upon contact with the ground. Even the vast ocean had become tainted, cloaked in swathes of ebony liquid.
Quickly, Jiang Ping retrieved his Genesis watch log and opened it to the second page, eager to view the chronicles of this original world.
Primordial Calendar, Epoch Era, Proterozoic Era,
Archaic Era: The emergence of amphibians, the gradual appearance of land-dwelling creatures, and the ethereal dance of insects in the skies. The majestic central tree, while not exhibiting signs of growth, had still managed to absorb the scarce spiritual energy, albeit at a distance. The closer one ventured towards the heart of the world, the scarcer life became. Regrettably, the inhabitants proliferated recklessly, heedless of their own destructive tendencies, constantly ravaging their fragile environment.
As a consequence, oxygen and spiritual energy were relentlessly depleted, pushing the world to the very brink of its limits. Countless denizens of the seas met their demise, while plants and animals on the continents withered away, vanishing from existence. Ultimately, the heavens wept acid rain, precipitating the catastrophic demise of 99% of all creatures.
In a final act of divine retribution, the celestial thunderbolts summoned by a wrathful deity cast their fury upon the central tree, obliterating its presence. Only a flicker of life endured within the profound depths of the ocean.
Observing the dramatic metamorphosis that had unfolded while he slumbered, Jiang Ping found himself overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. Initially, he had attributed the calamity to external forces beyond the celestial realms, only to discover that it was, in fact, the culmination of the creatures' own misguided actions.
The central tree, once revered as the progenitor of all life, had occupied a sacred position at the very heart of the world. Yet, it had fallen victim to the celestial thunderclap, sent by none other than God Himself!
"These creatures possess an insatiable appetite, perpetually taking without regard for the harmony of existence. Even the central tree voraciously absorbed the spiritual energy, transforming
the surrounding thousand-mile radius into a lifeless wasteland. It is no wonder the world has met this tragic fate," Jiang Ping lamented, his voice tinged with melancholy. Despite the overwhelming misfortune, he found solace in the fact that the creatures, though ravaged, had not been utterly extinguished, with a glimmer of life still smoldering within the ocean's depths.
Jiang Ping cast his gaze upon the desolate remnants of the ravaged Earth, the aftermath of its devastation. A relentless downpour of acidic rain descended from the heavens, mingling with the vast ocean expanse, generating frothy white bubbles that burst upon the water's surface. Each eruption released a potent surge of methane gas, filling the air with its pungent presence.
Shaking his head in dismay at the desolation surrounding him, Jiang Ping understood that the natural recovery of this environment would require a million years to come to fruition. "Time must be manipulated!" he declared with unwavering determination, resolute in his mission to expedite the restoration.
The chronicle of the original world unfolded before his eyes, accelerating with a rapid pace. As the deluge of acid rain diminished, and the environment plummeted to its bleakest depths, a glimmer of hope began to emerge, signaling the possibility of a gradual decline and eventual recovery. It was at this lowest ebb that the faintest spark of optimism ignited.
The once murky ocean gradually cleared, revealing a delicate procession of diminutive creatures, emerging cautiously from the depths and venturing forth into the transformed world. Beneath the ashen shroud that blanketed the desolate ground, tender buds exerted determined effort, pushing through the debris in their unyielding quest for existence. As they broke free, they exhaled life-sustaining oxygen and released ethereal traces of mana, nourishing the soil and fostering its rejuvenation.
"It appears that the initial cataclysmic extinction did not transpire devoid of silver linings. The surviving creatures have acquired a profound understanding of responsible guardianship, recognizing the insurmountable toll of wanton pollution. They have commenced contributing positively to the world," Jiang Ping mused, his thoughts immersed in contemplation. "In the wake of innumerable animal and plant demises, the Earth experiences a resurgence in fertility. Ah!" A sudden realization sparked within Jiang Ping's gaze as it fixed upon the center of the original world, suffused with astonishment.
From amidst the wreckage of the fallen central tree, a tiny sapling emerged, its growth painstakingly gradual yet resolute.
"But how? Did not the thunderous wrath unleashed by the gods vanquish its vitality? Such an occurrence seems implausible," Jiang Ping murmured, his voice laced with awe, as he turned to consult his Genesis watch in an earnest quest to unravel the enigma shrouding the past.
Under the relentless barrage of divine retribution, the colossal behemoth, soaring to a staggering height of nine kilometers, had been utterly defenseless. The central giant tree should have succumbed to its inevitable demise. However, in its final moments, it unleashed the accumulated reservoirs of spiritual energy amassed over millennia, channeling it selflessly back into the Earth.
It was through this altruistic act that the faintest flicker of life within the planet persisted.
"It seems that in its final breaths, the tree comprehended that survival is not attained through plunder but through a cycle of reciprocal nourishment," Jiang Ping finally grasped the intricate tapestry of the narrative, marveling at the sheer grandeur of the world's unfolding evolution.
Death invariably begets new life, breathing vitality into all creatures. This time, the process of evolutionary transformation unfurled with astonishing celerity, endowing the organisms with heightened vigor and fortitude.
Emerging from the ocean's depths, a colossal monster of unparalleled proportions, spanning a majestic fifty meters in length and weighing a staggering three hundred tons, revealed itself. Jiang Ping christened this indomitable force of the sea Canglong, an undisputed overlord commanding unrivaled supremacy. Though other creatures evolved unique traits such as powerful cellular generation, lethal venom, and specialized attacks, none could contest the dominion of this colossal entity. In this realm, size equated to strength, while strength epitomized ferocity.
Yet amidst this diverse array of creatures, one particular mollusk seized Jiang Ping's attention. It had managed to survive the cataclysmic mass extinction that had claimed the lives of other formidable overlords. This extraordinary being stood alone, bearing a single name that held a profound significance, its true nature and purpose veiled in mystery.
"Dog"
In the vast tapestry of existence, there is a creature that encapsulates the very essence of resilience and adaptation—a creature whose evolutionary path defies the conventional norms of growth and survival. While other beings strive to increase in size for improved hunting capabilities, this remarkable creature treads a different path. With each stride in its evolutionary journey, it shrinks in size, defying the notion that mightier is better. Astonishingly, it has developed the ability to thrive by subsisting on mud, and it can even endure in a protective shell for a remarkable span of a hundred years!
These unique beings, known as the Ancestral Shell Beasts, have recently embarked on a daring migration towards the coastline, perhaps driven by an innate yearning to evolve into amphibians. They seek to adapt themselves further, enhancing their chances of survival in a changing world. This profound transformation has not gone unnoticed, and a renowned scholar named Jiang Ping bestowed upon them this apt name, which pays homage to their ancestral origins.
Gradually, numerous other creatures have followed suit, crawling towards the ocean's edge. Unlike the wild proliferation of continental plants in bygone eras, the flora of this age has exhibited a newfound sense of self-awareness and harmony with their surroundings. No longer do they blindly compete for sunlight and water, but instead, they thrive in balance, embracing a more symbiotic relationship with their environment.
The passage of millions of years has witnessed the majestic resurgence of a colossal tree, its towering height stretching once more to a grand kilometer. However, this time, its growth unfolds at a measured pace, imbued with an aura of tranquility and stability. Life no longer flourishes beneath its canopy, but a cluster of parasitic plants has established residence upon its sturdy branches. These tenacious organisms, having evolved in symbiosis with the tree, have taken on a fragrant carnivorous nature akin to the pitcher plants found on Earth.
Alas, the tranquility was not destined to last, for it seemed that the echoes of the preceding era still reverberated through the ages. The continental masses trembled with seismic intensity, volcanoes erupted in an unending symphony, and torrents of molten magma swept across the world, leaving in their wake a merciless wave of forest fires that relentlessly pursued fleeing creatures.
In the wake of a cataclysmic eruption from a colossal super volcano, reaching a staggering height of 5,000 meters, the very fabric of the skies and earth underwent a dramatic transformation. The hue of the world shifted, and a multitude of creatures succumbed to their demise. Only a mere tenth of the original inhabitants of the continent managed to cling to survival, with the underground dwellers, capable of burrowing intricate tunnels, barely escaping the clutches of destruction. In this dire epoch, it became apparent that those endowed with colossal frames faced a swifter demise.
Even the mighty Canglong, the ocean's first-generation super overlord, met an untimely end. Its colossal, fifty-meter-long carcass drifted lifelessly upon the sea's surface, leaving Jiang Ping to ruefully shake his head at the spectacle.
In the aftermath of the volcanic eruption, a dense shroud of dust cloaked the sky, obscuring the sun and casting its somber pall across the entire world. The ocean, too, fell victim to this contamination, as a macabre parade of lifeless creatures floated upon its surface. A morbid tableau unfolded, with the unending expanse of water bearing witness to an eerie sea of carcasses.
On the second page of Genesis, ancient inscriptions began to emerge, etching a chronicle of the original calendar, the desolate epochs of the past, and the world's gradual renaissance. A new era of prosperity and abundance commenced, surpassing even the splendors of antiquity, yet it was tainted by the specter of mortality that clung to every soul.
The magnificent central tree, though ravaged by fire, clung valiantly to a sliver of life at its core. Revitalized by a flicker of vitality, it stood as a testament to resilience in the face of destruction.