Chapter 4: The Fragrance of Plum Blossoms Comes from the Bitter Cold

This mass extinction event was much better than the last one, yet it was still profoundly brutal. As the cycle of elimination continued, only the elites were left after each catastrophe.

“But how is it that after tens of millions of years, there aren’t even traces of civilization?” Jiang Ping wondered aloud. Could it be that their births were too fortunate? There was no pressure, much like the ancient ruling dinosaurs of Earth.

In fact, Jiang Ping had always managed to stabilize things using his identity as the Creator God during each catastrophe. However, helping once doesn’t mean he could help for a lifetime. Allowing natural development was the best course.

He would provide opportunities at most but wouldn’t constantly support them. After all, he was a Creator God, not their babysitter; he had to maintain a degree of authority! After the second mass extinction, Jiang Ping quickened his pace once again. The earth gradually settled, and various surviving creatures began to cautiously emerge, starting to reclaim their former ecological niches. They evolved remarkably well, with the skies almost fully dominated by them! Instead of merely pursuing size, the new creatures were faster and stronger, better adapted to complex environments. Jiang Ping even discovered an animal resembling a pangolin with sharp protrusions, its spikes as hard as diamonds in the real world!

Such evolution would be nearly impossible on Earth; only a world infused with spiritual energy could foster something like this. Jiang Ping named this creature the Golden Armored Beast.

With even a trace of spiritual energy, such astonishing creatures could evolve. Jiang Ping grew increasingly eager about worlds brimming with ample spiritual energy. The higher the world’s rank, the more Initial Points it consumed! He was still broke! Otherwise, he could create countless deities and demons with a wave of his hand.

The central tree revived once more from the ashes; this was its second rebirth. Considering its survival from the branches of a real-world tree in the Original World, it could be considered the third rebirth.

Jiang Ping marveled at its vitality. It repeatedly surpassed its limits, and every time it did so, it came back even stronger.

This era following the volcanic eruption would be known as the Ancient Era.

This time, competition in the oceans was even more brutal. The second-generation marine dominator grew to a length of 30 meters. While it wasn’t as immense as the Azure Dragon, its attack power was several times greater! Its massive teeth were a full two meters long, capable of tearing flesh effortlessly. The first-generation Azure Dragon wouldn’t last more than five rounds against this second-generation champion! Jiang Ping named this second-generation ruler the Sea Sword Dragon.

The central tree became increasingly lush, surrounded by vibrant life. Countless beings clung to it. Though it stood only two kilometers tall, it was undeniably the king of the entire continent! However, good times didn’t last long—though from Jiang Ping’s perspective, this era of prosperity lasted a full two million years according to the Original World’s timeline.

This time, influenced by the projection of the stars, the sun began to shine less on the Original World. The temperature gradually fell until the oceans began to freeze. Ice layers up to 3,000 meters thick caused 90% of marine life to perish in an instant. The second-generation champion, the Sea Sword Dragon, met the same fate.

The ice swept across the land from the four poles of the ocean, eventually converging in the world. The central tree was the last surviving organism. It painstakingly carved through the thick ice layer, stretching five thousand meters just to absorb a bit of sunlight!

Unfortunately, it was a lone soldier fighting a losing battle. The earth fell silent. Despite resisting for a thousand years, the central tree ultimately collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Genesis revealed a new record: Original Calendar, End of the Ancient Era. The temperature plummeted, and 3,000 meters of ice blanketed the land. The entire world turned white, a desolate sight. In the ocean, 90% of the creatures perished, leaving only the deepest trenches for any meager survival.

99% of the life on land was extinguished, leaving behind only cells trapped within the ice. Perhaps some life might survive once the ice melted.

The Original World transformed, as if clad in a white cotton coat, looking chubbier and dazzlingly bright! The Ice Age lasted for a million years. During this time, life at the ocean’s depths continued to dwindle. Eventually, Jiang Ping could hardly watch anymore. Yet he never intervened; at the last desperate moment, only ten thousand creatures remained in the deep sea!

However, it was precisely these ten thousand creatures that evolved structures capable of enduring extreme cold! They could survive temperatures as low as minus fifty degrees! Genesis: Original Calendar, Ice Ancient Era. The world fell into slumber, and the creatures that survived in the deep sea evolved robust, cold-resistant bodies.

Boom! The massive glacier melted and collapsed. The icy river below was formed by the melting ice from the depths of the continent. Against this unimaginable backdrop, a young man in a short sleeve shirt walked calmly through the snow, unbothered by the glacier.

“The glacier has begun to melt. I wonder if there are any creatures beneath it that can revive?” Jiang Ping gazed down at the glacier, over a thousand meters thick.

Perhaps after witnessing so many mass extinctions, Jiang Ping had become much more composed. He was no longer as easily moved as during his first experience. As the saying goes, a sword’s edge is honed by labor, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold.

Aren’t these trials just tempering the essence of an entire era? “This must be the place—the world’s center,” Jiang Ping said as he climbed a towering ice peak. This icy mountain was clearly much taller than the others because once upon a time it had hosted an indomitable king! And now, it too, was starting to melt away.

“This little one has already begun to draw water from the ice to prepare for rebirth again,” Jiang Ping chuckled. Despite these repeated disasters, the central tree continued to die and revive. Its will astonished even Jiang Ping, the Creator God.

“It’s truly hard to imagine that this little twig could survive for tens of millions of years. After enduring these endless calamities, it might really have a chance to evolve into a world tree.”

Genesis, rarely proactive, spoke up, obviously impressed by the great tree. “Perhaps its formation could be the greatest achievement of this creation event.

Jiang Ping hadn’t expected Genesis, usually so stable, to give such high praise to the central tree.

The world tree represents the pinnacle of plant evolution. Any plant could possibly evolve into a world tree, but to harbor worlds and gods is another matter. Unless one consumes massive amounts of Initial Points to cultivate it, ordinary plants can hardly hope to evolve into a world tree.

The central tree had endured thunder tribulations, wildfires, and ice disasters. Each disaster made it stronger. Just like now, its reborn self was no longer afraid of thunder, fire, or ice. But it was still infinitely far from becoming a world tree—this long march had only just begun! Jiang Ping continued to explore the Original World, leaving footprints in the snow.

“Haha, I didn’t expect this little one to survive until now!” Jiang Ping laughed as he gazed at the creature curled inside its shell near the shoreline.

Though this being frozen in the ice appeared dead, Jiang Ping could still sense a flicker of life hidden deep within its shell. This was none other than the ancient Ancestor Shell Beast, having miraculously survived century after century.

While others perished, this ancient ruler remained in the world, evolving stronger and resisting water and fire.

“Looks like being the strongest doesn’t guarantee survival; persistence is key!” Jiang Ping lamented.

During the Cretaceous period on Earth, when a meteorite struck, the dominant rulers, the dinosaurs, faced extinction. Meanwhile, the weaker mammals managed to survive and eventually evolved into the terrifying upright apes that unified the entire globe.

*Squelch*

Jiang Ping looked down curiously, having accidentally stepped on a four-leaf bug. Who knows if it will become a fossil after millions of years? Imagining future intelligent beings digging up fossils and discovering history, Jiang Ping pondered what it would be like if they unearthed this shoe print fossil. With that thought, Jiang Ping returned to reality.