Translator: AnubisTL
"Should we go?"
The young man watched Zhang Yiren's receding figure disappear into the distance outside the shop. He lowered his gaze to the dwarf.
"Go? Of course, we're going," the dwarf replied firmly, nodding resolutely. "This might be one of the few things in my life I can truly be proud of, something I can tell my children about. We absolutely have to go."
"You're still planning to have children?"
"Of course. I didn't want to before because I didn't want to bring a dwarf child into the world to suffer like me."
"And now?"
"Now it's just a matter of spending some money. Simple."
"True."
This rarely visited "Figure Shop" was merely a microcosm of the entire "human civilization."
While the Stellaris train waged war across the cosmos, the internal ecosystem of human civilization was gradually recovering. The overall market environment was thriving, with various commercial establishments springing up like mushrooms after rain.
Many aspects of "human civilization" would be highly sought after on Black Tortoise Star.
Although the Black Tortoise Civilization had previously joined the Kasha Civilization Federation, ordinary citizens had felt little impact from the outside world. This time, however, marked a complete integration of civilizations, with everyone now part of the human civilization. This created a completely blank slate for a brand-new market.
With such a massive consumer base, almost any product or service could turn a profit.
For ordinary citizens, this was the best of times. As long as they weren't lazy or gluttonous, poverty was virtually impossible. With even a little ambition, they could secure wealth for three generations, ensuring their children's financial security.
In this environment, consumer sentiment was soaring.
The Stellaris train hadn't introduced any specific policies to stimulate consumption, yet people continued to spend enthusiastically. The biggest factor driving this confidence was the public's optimistic outlook on their future income. Subsidies and other incentives had only a limited effect, failing to address the root cause.
Currently, the organizational structure of the human civilization remained somewhat ambiguous.
First-Level Power Structure:
The Stellaris train.
All orders issued from the Stellaris train would be designated as First Orders and strictly enforced.
Beyond this, the lower-level governing bodies were more numerous, including the municipal governments of various cities and the major sects of Black Tortoise Star. Many gaps in the power structure were still being filled in piece by piece.
Chen Mang had rebuilt "human civilization," but only the framework had been restored. The finer details required gradual refinement, a process that would take years, not just a year or two.
"Not bad," Chen Mang murmured.
Standing alone before the floor-to-ceiling window of a high-rise in Taiping City, he gazed down at the sprawling metropolis below, a faint smile playing on his lips. His heart was filled with contentment and tranquility.
This—
was the territory he had conquered.
The poor should never climb too high; it invites disaster.
When one stands at such heights, the ambition suppressed by life's hardships ignites like wildfire, burning through bone and marrow. Desire surges, discontent with the present state grows, and the urge to gamble everything takes hold.
This often plunges one's life into a Schrödinger's state:
Possible ascension to glory.
Possible descent into ruin.
He enjoyed visiting Taiping City on quiet days. It was the first city he had set foot in after transmigrating, the place where his dreams had begun, and a repository of countless memories.
Perhaps it was the weight of age.
He found himself frequently reminiscing about the past, recalling days gone by.
There was no particular purpose to it.
He simply watched quietly, refraining from interfering in any way, allowing the city to grow wild and untamed.
Just as he used to stand in the wasteland, gazing silently at his train, he now observed this city, watching it rise step by step from ruins to its present form.
In the distance, a suspended tunnel for hovercars was under construction, its workers bustling with activity.
This technology was not native to Aquablue Star.
It had been acquired from the Gemini Star after its capture, and the future of that planet was now being reshaped by his hands.
The universe was vast.
So vast that no one could ever hope to see its end in a lifetime.
But—
What did that matter? As long as he could carve out a corner of the cosmos and build his own world, his life would be complete.
The numbers in the universe are unimaginably vast. The mining star that Coco and her Backpacker train traveled to was only a single-digit light-year away—just 2.42 light-years, less than ten thousand. Yet even this seemingly small distance took them 12,800 years to travel round-trip.
By the time they returned, everything had changed. The Niya Civilization had vanished without a trace from the cosmos.
These numbers always evoked a profound sense of emptiness. Human lifespans seemed utterly insignificant compared to the universe, less than dust motes. Yet in Taiping City, one could feel a tangible sense of groundedness.
It was a feeling...
called peace of mind.
Chen Mang stood motionless for a long time, gazing into the distance before turning and entering the refrigerator behind him to leave. He had urgent matters to attend to. This precious peace required sufficient strength to protect; otherwise, it would shatter like a mirage.
The more beautiful something is, the more easily it can be destroyed.
Back in the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang glanced at the Doppler Radar screen. The Zerg Civilization was still probing, showing no signs of launching a full-scale assault. It seemed as though they were waiting for something.
Yes.
They were waiting.
At first, he thought the Zerg Civilization was simply unaware that the Kasha Civilization had already fled, and was probing their defenses. Now it seemed otherwise. Whether they knew the news or not was unclear, but it appeared they were also waiting for something to fully develop before launching a full-scale assault.
Perfect.
Just as he intended.
He was waiting too, needing time himself. The only question was which side's preparations would prove superior.
Mining all the mining stars would still take considerable time.
But—
He glanced at the control panel screen, shrinking the train into a brooch that embedded itself in his clothing. His body drifted through space, plunging into the refrigerator below. In the blink of an eye, he materialized in another region of the cosmos.
He had no idea how far this was from the Kasha Civilization Federation Ruins, or even which direction it lay in.
This was another zone of the universe, precisely where the Kasha Civilization had fled.
Soon!
The Stellaris transformed back into a train, and Chen Mang settled into his seat, his expression calm as he murmured, "I'm back again."
He hadn't forgotten that the Kasha Civilization's resources were far from plundered. He'd only taken one planet; countless others remained.
When he left last time, he had scattered several refrigerators across the cosmos. None had been destroyed; all remained intact. Though drifting through space, far from the Kasha Civilization's planets, it didn't matter. His Doppler Radar had a detection range of 100,000 light-years—the Kasha Civilization couldn't possibly escape him.
Immediately, the Doppler Radar began operating at full power, displaying all civilizations, energy fluctuations, and other anomalies within its range.
The next moment—
"Warning! Warning! Warning!!!"
A piercing alarm suddenly blared through the train—a sound not heard in ages!
As Chen Mang stared at the radar screen, his breath caught in his throat, a flicker of dread flashing deep in his eyes.
The Kasha Civilization had vanished.
Or, more likely, been annihilated.
On the Doppler Radar screen, a massive red dot remained fixed, while another screen displayed a live feed of this anomaly. The red dot was a Cosmic Behemoth—colossal beyond measure, its length spanning a staggering 2.5 light-years!
2.5 light-years!
At this distance, Coco's round trip would have taken 12,800 years!
Yet the Cosmic Behemoth's body stretched across this entire distance—a colossal entity utterly incompatible with the laws of physics. Sensing it was being detected, the behemoth now charged furiously toward the Stellaris train.
The Stellaris was 7.1 light-years away.
Normally, Chen Mang wouldn't have worried. Cosmic Behemoths rarely create wormholes; he could simply wait here for a century, and the creature would never catch up.
But...
The train's warning alarms blared urgently.
"Estimated time to arrival: 7289 seconds, 7288 seconds, 7287 seconds..."
This speed far exceeded the speed of light!
The Cosmic Rules were being violated.
On the control panel screen, the Cosmic Behemoth—a creature approximately 24 trillion kilometers long—hurtled through space at near-light speed. Neural signals raced through its body at velocities far surpassing the speed of light, reaching every corner of its colossal form in an instant.
Its mere passage through space triggered a series of catastrophic phenomena.
The gravitational forces instantly tore apart the surrounding celestial systems.
Countless stars and planets were ripped apart and captured, forming a debris field around the behemoth like a defensive armor. The immense mass hurtling at near-light speed warped spacetime violently.
This was no mere Cosmic Behemoth!
It was a mobile galactic-Scale catastrophe!
The appearance of this behemoth in any galaxy would spell its apocalypse.
As it advanced, the extreme mass and near-light-speed velocity of the behemoth caused intense spacetime distortion, creating massive, momentary wormholes. These wormholes allowed the behemoth to rapidly close in on the Stellaris train.
"Good," Chen Mang said expressionlessly. Without hesitation, he seized the opportunity while the effects hadn't yet reached him, immediately shrinking the train and returning it to the refrigerator, completely bypassing the Countdown.
This Cosmic Behemoth didn't need to attack with its limbs; the sheer terror of its passage was enough to annihilate him instantly.
Back in the 27th Galaxy, Chen Mang sat in his chair, exhaling deeply. He lit three cigarettes and stuck them into a nearby flowerpot, a makeshift memorial for the Kasha Civilization and a farewell to his lost resource investment.
The Kasha Civilization was utterly destroyed.
This was a Cosmic Behemoth of extreme ferocity.
It seemed that upon detecting any probe, it would instantly erupt in rage, willing to destroy its target at any cost.
Its Tier was unknown.
The Doppler Radar couldn't detect the Cosmic Behemoth's Tier, and he finally understood how these creatures had come to dominate the universe. Many civilizations' histories recorded the terror of the Cosmic Behemoths, including the Niya Civilization's records.
He himself had witnessed the terror of Xiao Lu firsthand.
But one question had always lingered in his mind:
Given the vastness of the universe, where even a single light-year was an insurmountable barrier without wormholes, how could a Cosmic Behemoth threaten an entire galaxy?
Now he knew.
The principle behind human-made wormholes was simple: imagine the universe as a sheet of paper. Fold the paper over, poke a hole through the layers with a pencil, then unfold the paper. The two holes now represent the ends of a wormhole.
This was the method used by the Zerg Civilization and most other civilizations to create wormholes:
One end and the other.
Corresponding to each other.
Using wormholes, they began their conquest of the universe.
The Cosmic Behemoths, however, traversed the cosmos differently. By leveraging their immense mass and terrifying speed approaching the speed of light, they could instantly warp spacetime in localized areas.
It was as if a flat sheet of white paper had been instantly crumpled into a corrugated shape, like a tiled roof. Then, propelled by its immense mass, the Cosmic Behemoth charged through, creating a wormhole—similar to a warp bubble.
This wormhole would collapse immediately, but it was sufficient for the Cosmic Behemoth to pass through.
This method of propulsion was devastating to the local universe. Planets along its path would be completely annihilated, and the radiation unleashed would obliterate entire galaxies in its wake.
"Terrifying," Chen Mang sighed, gently massaging his temples. When had that Cosmic Behemoth entered this zone? It hadn't been on the radar during his last visit. And was it really that volatile? All he'd done was scan it with radar!
He hadn't even done anything yet!
Was he not even allowed to glance at it?
In the historical records of the Niya Civilization, he had encountered the Cosmic Survival Law, the first tenet of which was:
The First Law of Cosmic Survival: To observe is the greatest malice.
This was the first time he had truly grasped the full weight of that statement.
"Wait!"
His eyes narrowed as he studied the playback on the Doppler Radar screen. "Xiao Ai, zoom out further. Keep zooming out."
He continued zooming out until the image was reduced to a tiny speck.
He hesitated before asking, "Do you think it looks a bit like Xiao Lu?"
"Similarity level: 67%," Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the locomotive cabin. On the adjacent screen, full-body images of the Cosmic Behemoth and Xiao Lu appeared, connected by countless white dots forming lines for a rough comparison.
"Same species? Another Star-Devouring Beast?"
"The radar screen doesn't display any information about this Cosmic Behemoth, but it's highly unlikely to be a Star-Devouring Beast. Given its method of movement, any planet would be utterly destroyed before it even reached its mouth. It would never get to eat a single star and would starve to death."
"Moreover, there are distinct differences."
"And the differences might be quite significant."
"Data collected by the train indicates that this behemoth's mouth remains open during its rapid movement, completely distorting spacetime around it and creating bizarre luminous vortices. Additionally, certain surface zones glow like molten lava veins. These characteristics suggest the presence of a black hole within the Cosmic Behemoth, and it's not a small one."
"This black hole likely serves as its primary energy source. Otherwise, the instantaneous energy expenditure during its rapid acceleration would be astronomical. If converted to iron ore, it would require at least tens of trillions of tons of iron ore."
"I haven't seen any other energy sources. The black hole must be providing the energy."
"Normally speaking..."
"I mean, normally speaking, because the universe is just too strange. Normally, no creature would have a black hole in its stomach, nor should such a thing even be possible. I suspect this Cosmic Behemoth might be a strategic weapon modified by some civilization."
"And the prototype is likely the Star-Devouring Beast."
"..."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes slightly, deep in thought, and remained silent. This explanation made sense.
Xiao Lu was an S-rank potential Star-Devouring Beast.
These Cosmic Behemoths reach Level 180 upon adulthood. If Xiao Lu hadn't been on the Stellaris train and had grown freely in the cosmos, he would likely have reached Level 200 or even Level 220 without encountering any major setbacks.
But reaching higher levels would be nearly impossible without external assistance.
To achieve higher tiers, they need external forces.
For example, the Giant Beast Car on the Stellaris train, or this Cosmic Behemoth that has been modified into a chaotic mess.
Compared to Xiao Lu, aside from a superficial resemblance, there's hardly any similarity.
At that moment—
He glanced at the control panel screen, which showed that the refrigerator he had left in that cosmic zone had been completely destroyed. This meant he had no way to return to that region. Whether the Kasha Civilization had been utterly annihilated or not, it was now entirely irrelevant to him.
Third-Tier Civilization: The Kasha Civilization.
Having evaded the Zerg Civilization, they had vanished into the cosmos without a trace.
Few even knew of their demise.
As a Third-Tier Civilization, they had been the most powerful force in the Niya Star System. Yet, beyond its borders, they were as insignificant as a roadside pebble, easily crushed.
Rewind time to a few days earlier.
After fleeing back to their homeworld and losing the Gemini Star to Chen Mang, the Kasha Civilization's leaders ordered all murphy stone to be concentrated on upgrading the Doppler Radar to Tier 200.
The previous loss of the Gemini Star had deeply impressed upon the Kasha Civilization's leaders the critical importance of radar level.
Even though this accessory consumed far more murphy stone than other Seven-Colored Accessories, upgrading it was imperative.
They couldn't afford to make the same mistake twice.
Soon—
Under a single decree, the Kasha Civilization finally upgraded their Doppler Radar to Tier 200—a momentous milestone. Before activating the radar for the first time, the Kasha Civilization's leaders even convened a special summit, preparing to publicly activate the Doppler Radar for the first time before all witnesses.
The Tier 200 Doppler Radar's overpowered effect was its ability to detect cloaked objects and display all major energy fluctuations within a 100,000-light-year radius, along with visual images.
This news sent countless people into a frenzy of excitement!
100,000 light-years!
This meant that in future wars, they would possess an almost absolute strategic advantage!
They could now detect far more information.
Finally,
With the Kasha Civilization's top officials gathered, they collectively activated the Doppler Radar for the first time. Almost immediately, all galaxies within a 100,000-light-year radius materialized on the massive screen suspended high above the conference room!
This sparked thunderous cheers from the crowd.
The Kasha Civilization had originated in this resource-poor region. After years of relentless effort, they had finally broken into the resource-rich zone. Though they had been forced to retreat after a defeat, they remained confident that they would soon return to reclaim their territory!
However—
As the images materialized on the screen, the Kasha Civilization Leader froze in confusion. The display revealed an astonishingly sparse distribution of planets and stars within a 100,000-light-year radius. Civilizations were virtually nonexistent, and mining stars were equally scarce.
He knew this region was resource-poor, but he remembered it once teeming with civilizations. How could it have dwindled to so few?
Suddenly, a red blip appeared on the radar screen several light-years away. A colossal Cosmic Behemoth, seemingly sated from a recent meal, drifted leisurely through space. But the next moment, as if sensing its detection, it turned furiously toward the Kasha Civilization and charged at near-light speed!
With a body stretching 2.5 light-years long and hurtling at near-light speed, the behemoth tore through everything in its path, leaving utter devastation in its wake.
Simultaneously—
A warning alarm blared through the entire conference room and across all Kasha Civilization trains!
"Warning! Warning! Warning!"
Panic gripped everyone, but they were powerless. This was a galactic-scale catastrophe beyond their civilization's ability to withstand.
The Galactic Wormhole was temporarily unusable.
"..."
Inside the Stellaris train, Chen Mang leaned back in his seat, gazing at the control panel screen. Though he hadn't witnessed the Kasha Civilization's destruction firsthand, he could vaguely piece together what had happened, and he believed his guess was likely close to the truth.
The Unknown Cosmic Behemoth was the culprit.
Before this, he knew the Kasha Civilization lacked Tier 200 Doppler Radar. It was likely his earlier appearance that made them realize the importance of radar level, driving them to upgrade at any cost. By sheer coincidence, the Cosmic Behemoth happened to wander within the radar's detection range.
Thus, disaster struck.
The Second Law of Cosmic Survival: A weak candle's light cannot measure the immeasurable darkness of the cosmos.
Radar level isn't always better when higher.
If he now possessed a Level 5000 Radar, he would likely face instant annihilation—crushed by the dimensional reduction tactics of High-Dimensional Civilizations or beings. Yet a lower level wouldn't suffice either, as it would fail to detect abnormal attacks in time. There was a delicate balance to strike, one he needed to master himself.
However...
He suspected the Kasha Civilization might not be entirely extinct. After all, they had the means to escape through Galactic Wormholes. Even if they couldn't evacuate everyone as they had before, he reasoned that such a massive creature couldn't possibly strike instantaneously, right?
We should have started construction earlier, shouldn't we?
Just then, Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train: "Train Conductor, after recalculating, I've identified some discrepancies. This information might be helpful."
"Speak," Chen Mang said, raising an eyebrow and listening patiently.
"During our first expedition to that zone and our arrival at Gemini Star, the radar detected no trace of the Cosmic Behemoth within its range."
"After returning from Gemini Star, we spent seven days collecting mining stars left by the Kasha Civilization and another three days organizing the history of the Niya Civilization, totaling approximately ten days."
"When we encountered the Cosmic Behemoth earlier, it was 7.1 light-years away. The train's warning system estimated we'll reach it in 7,289 seconds."
"That's an astonishing speed."
"It can traverse 7.1 light-years in just over two hours."
"This equates to roughly 30,700 times the speed of light. Of course, this doesn't mean the Cosmic Behemoth itself is moving at that speed. It's achieving this by leveraging its immense mass and velocity to destroy and warp local spacetime."
"But—"
"Even so, if the Kasha Civilization had upgraded their radar to Tier 200 and the Cosmic Behemoth happened to appear within a 100,000 light-year radius, at that speed, it would still take the behemoth 3.26 years to traverse that distance and reach the Kasha Civilization."
"Yet just over ten days later, when we returned to that zone, the Cosmic Behemoth was already there, and the Kasha Civilization had vanished."
"This suggests the behemoth didn't simply rush in from the edge of the 100,000 light-year radius to find the Kasha Civilization. It's more likely it was directly dropped onto them."
"Like dropping a bomb."
"..."
Chen Mang remained silent, his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered the implications. He didn't have a concrete grasp of what 100,000 light-years truly meant. Humans only develop a tangible understanding of distances they've personally traversed.
He understood 100 meters because he'd run the 100-meter dash.
He understood 1,000 meters because he'd run the kilometer.
But he lacked a concrete understanding of 100,000 light-years. He hadn't even considered this aspect earlier. Xiao Ai, however, focused solely on the data. For an AI, data was the most direct form of reality. By cross-referencing the data, she could easily identify inconsistencies.
This meant that the Kasha Civilization had gone from being just unlucky to being the target of a premeditated attack.
To him, these were two entirely different pieces of information.
After a long silence, he sighed softly, glanced at the mining progress on the train's screen, and thought, Another fucking advanced civilization popping out of nowhere?
He had only one thought now:
Mine faster!
Get the advanced civilization's technology sooner!
Otherwise, he'd never feel safe again.
These advanced civilizations were like cosmic psychopaths, constantly hurling bombs across the universe. Who knew when one might land on his head?
When he upgraded the Spider Leg to Tier 500, he'd thought he was invincible. He could even launch attacks from the Pseudo-Fourth Dimension. Even if he wasn't the strongest in the universe, surely no one could threaten him now, right?
But now, he realized...
He'd underestimated what it truly meant to be invincible.
Just then, Xiao Ai's voice chimed in again.
"Train Conductor, the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion requests an audience."
Chen Mang straightened his clothes and composed himself before sitting down. "Let him in," he said softly.
Moments later, the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion entered alone, approached Chen Mang from behind, and bowed respectfully. "Lord Mang."
"Hmm."
Chen Mang swiveled his chair to face the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, gesturing for him to sit. He smiled and asked, "How's the communication between Black Tortoise Star and Aquablue Star been lately? Going smoothly?"
"Everything is going very well," the Pavilion Master replied, nodding gratefully. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he hesitated slightly before saying, "Lord Mang, I've been considering something these past few days that might greatly advance human civilization."
"Black Tortoise Star once had Immortals."
"They possessed Heaven-Opening Earth-Splitting power."
"But for years, they've been suppressed by the Kasha Civilization. Even the Immortal Realm was slaughtered. I've been wondering if human civilization could allocate some resources to rebuild the Immortal Realm, allowing cultivators to ascend to Immortality. This would strengthen our overall power and create a high-end combat force."
"Sounds interesting. Explain this 'Heaven-Opening Earth-Splitting power' more clearly—in plain terms, without all the mystical jargon."
"Understood."
The Pavilion Master nodded solemnly. "Currently, the highest Cultivation level among cultivators on Black Tortoise Star is the Nascent Soul Stage. Once they reach the Transformation God Stage, they can freely roam the cosmos without needing any external assistance."
"Upon reaching the Tribulation Transcendence Stage or Great Ascension Stage, one can roam freely through the cosmos and even travel to other planets."
"However, with cultivation at the Human Immortal or Earth Immortal level, a mere gesture can easily destroy an entire planet."
"As a Celestial Immortal, one can shrink cosmic distances to mere inches, crossing several light-years in the blink of an eye."
"A True Immortal's full-power strike can instantly reach targets dozens of light-years away."
"A Golden Immortal can obliterate all life within a radius of hundreds of light-years with a single thought."
"If one cultivates to become an Immortal Emperor, attains the Immortal Emperor's throne, and fully comprehends the dao, they will master the Cosmic Rules. Their flesh will become indestructible, transcending cause and effect, and they will stand above the River of Time."
"Sounds decent enough," Chen Mang said with a faint smile, nodding slightly. "So, once you reach the True Immortal level, you can wipe out all life within hundreds of light-years with a single thought? That sounds like a foundation-tier weapon of mass destruction."
"Quite impressive."
"Tell me, how much resource and time would it take to achieve this?"
"Uh..."
The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion cleared his throat awkwardly and said in a low voice, "This matter primarily depends on fate. The strongest being recorded in the history of Black Tortoise Star is the Celestial Immortal. No True Immortal has ever emerged. The realms beyond that are conclusions drawn from exchanges between the Profound Martial Immortal and Immortals from other cultivation civilizations."
"The most formidable Celestial Immortal in history was named 'Profound Martial True Immortal.'"
"Black Tortoise Star was named after him."
"He was also the most naturally gifted individual on Black Tortoise Star, spending over 5,000 years to successfully attain the Celestial Immortal realm. The resources required to reach that level remain unknown. If someone with equally extraordinary talent were to receive abundant resources, they should be able to reach the True Immortal realm in about 7,000 years."
"Hmm."
Chen Mang nodded calmly, his expression unchanged. "So, with abundant resources, 7,000 years should be sufficient, correct?"
"Not exactly..."
The Pavilion Master's voice grew increasingly hesitant. "Cultivating such a figure isn't as simple as finding the right person and training them. First, we need to improve the cultivation environment on Black Tortoise Star. Moreover, geniuses of this caliber appear only once every ten thousand years."
"Adding up all the odds and ends..."
"With a minimum of 100,000 years, we should be able to produce at least one."
"Not bad."
Chen Mang replayed the footage of the Cosmic Behemoth they had encountered earlier on the screen. "Assuming you truly reach the True Immortal realm, do you think you could defeat this Cosmic Behemoth?"
"This..." The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion stared at the terrifying spectacle on the screen, his scalp tingling and eyelids twitching. "Perhaps... perhaps we might stand a chance?"
"Alright."
Chen Mang rose with a sigh and walked over to the Pavilion Master, patting him on the shoulder. "I remember the favor of the resources you provided. But let's not dwell on this matter anymore."
"The Era has changed."
"Your cultivation civilization is no longer the dominant form of civilization in the universe."
"Admittedly, if you reach the Immortal Emperor realm, you'd still be among the elite. Based on your description, I believe you could easily crush a Sixth-Tier Civilization, and might even rival a God-Tier Civilization."
"But—"
"How do you plan to get there?"
"In the cosmos, time is both the most worthless and the most precious commodity. A hundred thousand years is far too long; I likely won't even live that long. In the Train Civilization, I can get immediate results by simply using enough resources."
"But in cultivation civilizations, everything depends on fate."
"Unless..."
"Unless you can truly find me a peerless genius, I wouldn't mind finding a way to create a temporal rift for them, just to see if we can shorten their cultivation time."
"This genius's cultivation speed must be many times faster than that Profound Martial True Immortal."
"Go now."
Chen Mang watched the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's retreating figure, his expression calm and silent. His words were merely meant to comfort the Pavilion Master; the real reason was his reluctance to allow such a powerful individual combatant to exist within human civilization.
If that happened...
He would have to watch his back constantly.
After dealing with the Zerg Civilization, he planned to thoroughly explore the ruins of the Mechanical Civilization. Though the Mechanical Civilization was plagued by internal strife, this intense conflict had also spurred the development of many exceptional technologies as each faction sought to surpass the other.
For example, the "temporal rift."
Through his experiences on Aquablue Star, he learned that the Mechanical Civilization could actively create temporal rifts. Before this, temporal rifts had only appeared spontaneously by chance. This technology essentially allowed them to manipulate the River of Time.
If not for the Zerg Civilization, the Mechanical Civilization might have one day advanced to a 4th Tier Civilization.
But it had to be said:
The Immortal Emperor sounded truly formidable.
The fact that he might encounter many civilizations in the future suggested that somewhere in the cosmos, a cultivation civilization was thriving in an obscure high-resource zone, steadily developing. If someone had truly cultivated to become an Immortal Emperor, that cultivation civilization would undoubtedly rank among the top-tier civilizations.
Deep-sea creatures often exhibit bizarre and diverse forms.
There are many theories to explain this.
One theory posits that in the pitch-black depths of the ocean, where no one can see anyone else, evolutionary constraints are relaxed. It doesn't matter what form they evolve into; they simply evolve randomly.
He was increasingly convinced that the universe itself was a vast black box.
Within it, civilizations and organisms evolved and developed haphazardly. In such an environment, all sorts of strange phenomena could emerge. Long ago, the dominant civilization form in the universe might have actually been cultivation civilizations.
Who could say for sure?
Just then—
Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train again.
"Train Conductor, there's been an incident at the Cyber Mine. You might need to go there."
"Oh?"
Chen Mang's brow furrowed slightly. The mine had been operating smoothly for a long time, with no incidents. What could have happened now? He immediately rose and strode out of the locomotive cabin.
Since the civilization's advancement to First-Tier Civilization, the maximum Dreamstone storage capacity had increased, leading to another expansion of the Cyber Mine. The current daily mining output was remarkably high.
Of course, it couldn't match the output of the mining stars.
But the mining stars weren't a daily occurrence, whereas the Cyber Mine provided a steady, consistent yield every day.
That stability meant a great deal.
Soon—
Chen Mang arrived at the Cyber Mine, where a Cyber Miner was recounting the recent events to Old Pig.
"Lord Mang," Old Pig hurried forward to explain. "Just like last time, a miner encountered an armed robot while mining. But this time, the robot didn't attack. Instead, it delivered a note."
"A note?"
"Yes, the miner has already sketched it from memory. But... we can't decipher its meaning."
Chen Mang took the paper from Old Pig and stared at the strange symbols scrawled across it. He frowned, studying them for a long time without understanding their meaning. The lines and curves didn't resemble any script he recognized; if he had to guess, they looked more like Arabic.
"This might be Cosmic Language, Xiao Ai. Take this to Coco and ask her what it means."
"Understood."
Xiao Ai, standing nearby, briefly flashed a red light from the probe in his eye socket as he scanned the paper, recording all the information. After a few seconds, he spoke again: "Coco confirms this is Cosmic Language. The specific meaning is..."
"Dad, you're my real dad, please, I'm begging you, can you go to another mine? I have a family to support, and running this mine is hard enough. You come here every day like it's your job, taking a 9th-grade ore each time. What do you even want?"
"You never take more than one, so you're not greedy, but you can't just show up every day like this! Please, give me a break. Name your price—anything I can afford, I'll pay it. Just stop coming here every day, okay?"
"..."
Chen Mang glanced at the message displayed on the tablet Xiao Ai handed him, his expression slightly odd. He had to admit, Cosmic Language was remarkably concise. How could such a few casual strokes convey so much information?
"Xiao Ai, pull up this miner's mining records for the past few days."
"Right away."
The miner's mining records quickly appeared on the screen.
For the past 14 days, he had mined one 9th-Tier Iron Ore every day. This mining success rate was far beyond normal, bordering on the anomalous. Typically, a Cyber Miner would be lucky to find one such ore every ten to fifteen days.
This guy...
Chen Mang turned to the somewhat anxious miner beside him and asked, "Have you been going to the same mine in the Dream Realm every time you dream dive these past few days?"
"Well..." The miner replied cautiously, "To be honest, Lord Mang, I don't think it's any different from before. Aren't all the mines in the Dream Realm created by President Ai?"
"He hasn't done anything," Xiao Ai interjected, spreading his hands in explanation. "It's exactly the same as before—the process hasn't changed at all. This is likely the Cyber Mine's real-world counterpart, and this miner has some kind of connection to it."
"It's like quantum entanglement," Xiao Ai continued. "Each time, it pulls him to that specific mine. This deep connection allows him to consistently bring back a 9th-Tier Iron Ore."
"According to the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, this is all fate."
"Fate has arrived."
"..."
After pondering for a long time, Chen Mang finally looked up at the miner before him. "Do you have parents?"
"No," the miner replied cautiously. "I grew up in an orphanage. I was abandoned and never knew my parents."
Chen Mang's expression gradually turned strange.
This guy...
Could he be some illegitimate child lost in the cosmos, or perhaps a transmigrator?
Is the foreman of that mine actually your father?
Otherwise, why would two completely unrelated people share such a profound, cross-cosmic connection?
(End of the Chapter)
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