Chapter 5: Fifth-Tier Divine Physique Life

Chen Meng followed the crowd and found Bus No. 17.

The current buses looked much the same as what he remembered, but their inner workings had changed dramatically. With mastery of rune technology, humans had already applied these advancements to every corner of the world, including the buses. From what Chen Meng knew, this bus had at least three types of runes attached to it: speed runes, which accelerated the bus and conserved energy; balance runes, which ensured that even sharp turns at speeds of a hundred meters per second wouldn’t cause the bus to topple; and reinforcement runes, making the outer steel shell nearly impervious to standard sniper bullets.

After boarding, Chen Meng gazed out at the familiar shops flashing past the window, feeling as if he were in a dream.

The Science Museum was about forty minutes away from their school—a straight-line distance of over fifty kilometers. The main reason was the sheer size of Jiangzhou nowadays; after the Earth’s surface area increased tenfold, Jiangzhou had expanded by an untold magnitude. According to the latest data, Jiangzhou now spanned 960,000 square kilometers.

...

“We’ve arrived. After getting off, everyone gather at the main entrance of the Science Museum. Because the museum has limited capacity, we’ll need to queue up to enter,” said their class leader, Ni Hu.

Chen Meng disembarked and swore this was the most comfortable bus ride he’d ever had. With the balance runes, he hadn’t felt a single bump along the way.

Ma Yiqun seemed like a different person upon arrival, and Chen Meng noticed the same excitement in others. It appeared everyone was quite interested in the Science Museum.

At the entrance, a long queue had indeed formed.

Chen Meng’s class joined the line in order. After about half an hour, the familiar luxury car arrived. Their classmate Tang Wenjing stepped out and joined the queue.

Chen Meng smiled, “Apparently, even the wealthy aren’t immune to waiting in line. Some privileges just don’t exist.”

Ma Yiqun agreed enthusiastically, “That’s true. Even for the college entrance exam, if rich kids don’t pass, they can’t get into top universities. The country ensures fairness on this front.”

As they spoke, Ni Hu shouted, “It’s our turn! Everyone, stay in line and follow the guide inside!”

At that moment, a tall, fresh-faced young woman approached. “Hello everyone, I’m Yan Ruoxi, a sophomore at Jiangzhou University. I’ll be your guide today as you tour the Science Museum.”

Jiangzhou University was the city’s main university, ranked as a second-tier institution. For science exhibits related to divine bodies, the museum often invited its students to serve as guides.

“She’s a beauty,” Ma Yiqun’s eyes sparkled, as did those of the other boys.

Chen Meng paid little attention to this; he was more curious whether Yan Ruoxi had advanced to a first-tier divine body. Her appearance gave nothing away.

He considered asking directly, but worried it might be awkward—after all, at a second-tier university, unless one performed exceptionally well, graduation didn’t guarantee a chance to advance to a divine body.

Yan Ruoxi led everyone into the museum, which was decorated much like the Science Museum of Chen Meng’s memories, though with far fewer exhibits.

...

“Everyone, please look—this is the remains of a first-tier divine body from ninety years ago. Though it’s disrespectful to display a fellow human’s skeleton, if it helps you understand divine bodies, I believe this predecessor would forgive us,” Yan Ruoxi explained.

Chen Meng examined the corpse carefully. It was remarkably short, less than one meter forty tall—almost like a dwarf. Had people really been so small ninety years ago?

Yet no one else seemed surprised.

Yan Ruoxi continued her explanation, “You may have noticed our predecessor was rather diminutive. The reason is that he took the advancement potion at age ten, becoming a first-tier divine body early. Though he gained that power eight years before his peers, the divine body’s burden halted his physical growth. Researchers recommend advancing only after eighteen, precisely because of this.”

Chen Meng immediately understood—it wasn’t a matter of unwillingness to cultivate early, but rather an impossibility unless one wished to become a dwarf.

Yan Ruoxi continued her lecture, fielding numerous questions with ease. Her knowledge was encyclopedic, especially regarding divine bodies.

Chen Meng witnessed many peculiarities of divine body cultivation and grew ever more curious about true divine life.

“Everyone, look here—these are the rune manuscripts of the renowned Professor Wang Li. He began by deciphering runes from the prehistoric world and later created his own. His mastery has reached unsurpassed heights. Professor Wang Li is also a top expert in artifact forging and potion making, and his cultivation stands as a pillar of our nation. Once, a heretic from the prehistoric world who surpassed the sixth-tier divine body arrived on Earth, only to be slain by Professor Wang Li at the East Sea,” Yan Ruoxi said, looking around, “Classmates, study hard. Knowledge is power—the foundation of your future strength. Today, on Earth and even in the prehistoric world, every being beyond the sixth-tier divine body is erudite, with knowledge far outstripping their peers.”

Wang Li?

Chen Meng pondered—the name sounded familiar. Yes, he’d seen news about Wang Li’s revolutionary optimization of flight runes, earning a top national patent.

“Knowledge is power; knowledge changes destiny,” Chen Meng murmured unconsciously.

...

At last, Yan Ruoxi led them to the final exhibition hall.

“Now for the highlight of this science exhibit—a fifth-tier creature from the prehistoric world: the Dragon Rock Lion!” Yan Ruoxi announced as she approached the hall’s entrance, guarded by two people in black, marking this area as distinct from others.

“Are those two already divine bodies?” Chen Meng wondered as he observed them.

The two guards noticed his scrutiny, and seeing he was just an ordinary student, their gazes turned cold, making Chen Meng feel as if he’d plunged into an icy abyss.

Noticing this, Yan Ruoxi stepped in front of Chen Meng and gently nudged him into the hall.

There, Chen Meng finally saw the so-called fifth-tier divine body—the Dragon Rock Lion. It was a massive lion-shaped head, housed in a glass container about a meter in length, width, and height.

Remarkably, only the head remained, yet it was still alive. Its eyes were open, its mouth moved, and sometimes it would even bounce up, striking the glass. When it did, runic marks flashed across the container, generating arcs of electricity that made the Dragon Rock Lion bare its fangs.

It would open its mouth as if to roar, but no sound emerged.

Within its eyes, Chen Meng could clearly see hatred and fury.

Other students were already excitedly taking photos, some even daring to pose beside the Dragon Rock Lion’s head.

...

Chen Meng said nothing—the spectacle before him was profoundly shocking. Just a head, yet still so vital. Was this the power of a fifth-tier divine body?

Once the students had finished taking photos, Yan Ruoxi began her explanation, “As you can see, this is a genuine fifth-tier divine body. Even if you decapitate it, it won’t die. Let me briefly introduce their unique traits. Upon advancing to the fifth-tier, a divine body’s speed, strength, neural response, defense, and perception all far exceed ordinary humans. In terms of strength alone, a casual blow might carry tens of thousands of tons of force. Their skin becomes as tough as alloy—even a rocket grenade can’t breach their defenses. Some fifth-tier divine bodies, specializing in defense, can even withstand small nuclear explosions. Their blood flows like fire, scorching hot; their bodies weigh over a ton. Their speed reaches three times the speed of sound—about a kilometer per second. A breath from them is like a flying sword, lethal to ordinary people. A roar can shatter a person’s heart. You can’t hear this one’s roar for your own safety—otherwise, your lives could be at risk.”

Everyone involuntarily drew in a breath, Chen Meng among them.

Just the head of the Dragon Rock Lion alone could wipe them out—this was the terror of the fifth-tier divine body.

Chen Meng clenched his fists, his desire to advance to a divine body growing stronger.

“Miss Yan, does the Dragon Rock Lion possess intelligence?” someone asked. It was Tang Wenjing, surprising everyone.

“No. In the prehistoric world, ninety-nine percent of beasts lack intelligence, even those with fifth-tier divine bodies like the Dragon Rock Lion. But on Earth, it’s different; many beasts with divine bodies, and even some without, can develop intelligence. Research shows that in places with higher energy density, cultivation is easier, but beasts find it harder to develop intelligence. While Earth’s energy density has risen in recent years, it still lags far behind the prehistoric world,” Yan Ruoxi replied, then added, “On Earth, animals that develop intelligence are protected by law—they are part of our community. Killing them can result in the death penalty.”

Finally, she said, “This Dragon Rock Lion tried to break through the Earth garrison stationed at the spatial rift, but was ultimately slain by Major General Hong Qing of our nation. Hong Qing’s hometown is Jiangzhou, which is why we have the opportunity to exhibit a fifth-tier prehistoric creature here.”

...

After touring the Science Museum, those wishing to return to school could take the school bus, while others were free to stay, since it was Saturday.

“Thank you, Miss Yan!” Chen Meng said, recalling how she’d helped him at the entrance.

Yan Ruoxi saw it was Chen Meng and nodded, “They are soldiers, already divine bodies. If you stare at them so intently, they may interpret it as a challenge—a sign of disrespect to a divine body.”

Chen Meng finally understood. He thought for a moment, realizing this senior was quite impressive, and asked, “Miss Yan, you know so much. Could we add each other as friends? If I have questions in the future, I’d love to ask you.”

Yan Ruoxi was momentarily stunned, but seeing Chen Meng’s sincere gaze—he wasn’t simply asking for her phone number—she nodded.

Having successfully added Yan Ruoxi as a friend, Chen Meng departed, satisfied.

Ma Yiqun caught up, praising, “Chen Meng, impressive! You got the senior’s contact info—respect!”

Chen Meng was momentarily speechless and didn’t know how to respond.

Neither chose to go home. Chen Meng was considering how to spend his twenty thousand yuan, while Ma Yiqun claimed he was just going to wander around, though Chen Meng suspected he was headed to an internet café.