Chapter 28: Redrawing Geography… and the "Dead Earth" Protocol
The fall of Qi Feng was not merely the loss of an elite disciple—it was a declaration of the collapse of the logic of strength that had governed the continents for countless ages.
Upon the imperial palace balcony, Zhou Fan stood with his eyes closed as the Lost Ledger of Calculations hovered before him, its pages flipping at a frenetic speed, as though absorbing data from every particle of air still charged with the residual Sword Qi.
"Master Zhou…"
The young emperor Zhang Song stepped forward, his body trembling.
"Cloud Cutter has been destroyed. The Heavenly Sword Sect will not remain silent. They have Ancestors who have lived in seclusion for thousands of years—cultivators at the Soul Transformation Realm. If even one of them moves, the land itself will split apart."
Zhou Fan opened his eyes. There was not the slightest trace of concern within them.
"Zhang Song, you are still thinking like a cultivator," he said calmly.
"You fear the power of the individual. But in my system, the individual is nothing more than a data unit. No matter how powerful an Ancestor may be, they are still bound by the laws of conservation and dissipation."
He raised his hand toward the distant horizon, where forests and mountains marked the borders of Tian Long.
"Instead of worrying about their attack," Zhou Fan continued,
"you should be concerned about the space your empire occupies."
Terrain Modification Protocol: Activating Euclid Algorithm
In that instant, the entire continent shook.
This was no ordinary earthquake.
It felt as though the land itself was being stretched, folded, and compressed.
Villagers along the borders witnessed a terrifying miracle—mountains that once required days to reach began to slide across the earth, changing positions. Forests rearranged themselves into colossal geometric patterns, forming massive arcane circles visible only from the sky.
Re-defining coordinates…
40% of the biosphere converted into a passive defensive matrix.
Zhou Fan was compressing space.
All roads leading to the imperial capital became computational labyrinths. Any army advancing toward Tian Long would find itself marching for thousands of miles, only to return to its starting point—because the topology of the land itself had been rewritten.
Grand Sword Hall – Northern Continent
Deathly silence filled the central hall of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Before Sect Master Mo Jin lay the shattered remains of a Spirit Mirror that had once broadcast the battle.
"He turned Qi Feng's sword into… data?"
Mo Jin whispered, his voice trembling with fury and disbelief.
"He didn't kill him with a blade—he removed him from the equation. This isn't cultivation… this is heresy against the Dao of the Sword!"
A trembling elder stepped forward.
"Master, the geography of Tian Long is changing. Our spies report that mountains are moving of their own accord. We can no longer locate the capital. It's as if the entire continent is becoming… a single organism."
Mo Jin slammed his fist onto the throne, shattering solid stone.
"Summon the Immortal Ancestor.
Tell him a Computational Demon threatens to erase the foundations of the world we know. If we do not act now—there will soon be no reality left for us to inhabit."
Back in Tian Long
Deep within Zhou Fan's newly constructed laboratory beneath the palace, Ling'er watched the symbols floating through the air. She felt Zhou Fan drifting further and further away from her.
He no longer spoke of revenge.
He no longer spoke of ambition.
Only of efficiency… and stability.
"Zhou Fan…" she called softly.
"Why are you doing all this? Your enemies are dead. You rule the city. Why change the mountains and forests themselves?"
He turned to her. Behind him bloomed a violet halo—the power of the Second Volume.
"Because the world is inefficient, Ling'er," he replied.
"Look at these mountains—wasting spiritual energy into the air for no purpose. Look at humanity—spending lifetimes in conflicts that produce no optimal results."
"I am optimizing the world.
Every atom of this continent will become part of a grand computational process, one that leads to absolute truth."
"But… what about emotions? Beauty?" she asked, tears forming.
"Beauty is perfect symmetry," Zhou Fan answered coldly.
"Emotion is merely signal noise."
"I discovered within the Second Volume that this universe is nothing more than a simulation—an equation written by a higher-dimensional entity. Cultivators seek immortality through power. I will achieve it through decryption."
"I will become the Programmer of this world."
Suddenly, a massive red alert appeared within Zhou Fan's vision:
[Warning: Entity detected—Soul Transformation Level approaching atmospheric boundary.
Destruction probability: 65%.
Activating Absolute Zero Protocol.]
A faint smile curved Zhou Fan's lips—utterly devoid of warmth.
"They sent an Ancestor… excellent.
The matrix requires a high-grade processor to test its limits."
Zhou Fan stepped into the outer plaza as the sky turned a deep violet.
On the horizon, a massive black cloud emerged. Within it sat an old man clad in tattered robes, yet the spiritual pressure he emitted caused the earth beneath Zhou Fan's feet to crack.
"You are the boy playing with numbers?"
The Ancestor's voice echoed across the continent, shattering every window in the city.
Zhou Fan raised his hand.
The entire city began to glow with cold blue light.
"Welcome, Ancestor. You arrived at the perfect moment…"
"The matrix requires fuel of your level to be completed."