Chapter 535: Civilization Lacking 'Creativity' and 'Curiosity

Hm?

Xu Xing rose from the bamboo chair and turned his head toward Bie Xuening.

"Practice swordplay?"

For her to say this suddenly truly surprised him.

"Mm."

"Since Sister is inviting me…"

Xu Xing asked no reason, only raised his hand and beckoned.

Two green bamboo stalks beside him snapped at the top, their side branches falling away, leaving only straight trunks that dropped into his hands.

He handed one to Bie Xuening.

"I naturally have no reason to refuse."

As he spoke, the tops of both bamboo stalks were visibly regrowing—within the brief moment Bie Xuening took the branch from Xu Xing's hand, they had fully restored to their original state.

Both rose from their bamboo chairs.

"Just sword techniques?" Xu Xing said.

The two of them were no longer what they once were; if they truly clashed, the entire Central Continent would tremble.

"Yes."

That was exactly what she had intended.

She hadn't fought her younger brother in years—this was merely a sudden whim.

Suddenly, a spirit fish in the pond leapt from the water, fighting for the last bit of feed.

Hu!

The air in the grove suddenly churned, and both figures vanished instantly.

For a moment, the entire bamboo courtyard seemed utterly frozen, leaving only countless sword shadows churning wind and clouds, forcing the dense bamboo to bend in all directions.

Though merely testing sword techniques, they used only basic moves: point, thrust, parry, strike.

But their cultivation was no longer what it once was; their sparring swordplay… was beyond the comprehension of ordinary cultivators.

In an extremely short time, the bamboo branches clashed countless times.

The sword intent was clear and radiant.

Yet throughout the entire Xiang Jianzong, only a few Dao-Realization sword cultivators sensed the anomaly immediately.

In the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, Li Ke sat behind his desk, frowning, yet as if sensing something.

His heart stirred, and he gazed toward the mid-slope of the mountain where the Sword Lord's Hall stood.

Deepest within the Silutang prison.

Before the Tai Xuan Blood Calamity, this place held the most vicious, brutal, and extreme demonic elders, who routinely slaughtered millions in cultivation-killing rampages.

In even more distant ancient times, some Cang Clan beings beyond the Dao-Union realm were also imprisoned here.

Of course, both groups are now utterly extinct.

Added to which, the few remaining demonic elders were very well-behaved and rarely caused trouble, so this place had long gone unused.

Now, the deepest level of the Silutang prison held only thick bloodstained stench mixed with solidified resentment and blood calamity.

Though the cells were brightly and grandly decorated, they could not mask the unyielding gloom and malevolence.

Faintly, the blood calamity and resentment seemed to carry the shrieks of demonic ghosts and the wails of divine beasts.

Only because the Xiang Jianzong was suppressed.

Otherwise, if this place's resentment and blood calamity spread, it would corrupt a hundred thousand li in an instant.

Yet now, those dense, undispersed blood calamities and solidified resentments seemed suppressed, utterly motionless.

A middle-aged man in black martial attire, his hair bound with a bamboo crown, stood inside a prison cell.

Before him, a disheveled youth stared blankly, saliva dripping continuously from his mouth, lightning and fire flickering beneath his skin.

It was Jie Ye and Yi Feng.

Jie Ye's expression was calm as he examined his own soul, split into countless fragments, carefully sifting through them for any potentially useful information.

Suddenly, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, and he looked upward.

In the Dan Ding Pavilion.

In the courtyard, Cheng Ding sat on a reclining chair, half a fruit in hand, recalling the recent… Ninth Fish's… true sword.

After so many years of cultivation, he had never seen a sword so…

Uh…

So versatile.

But soon, he paused, lifting his gaze upward.

Feeling the vast, boundless, supreme sword intents towering above all else.

Though only a trace, they shook his soul—his Dao-Realization cultivation could not withstand the endless, terrifying pressure.

Master and Senior Brother…

Are they fighting?!

As the Dao-Realization sword cultivators of the Xiang Jianzong gradually became aware.

Among the bamboo grove on the mountain where the Sword Lord's Hall stood.

Xiu!

A flash of emerald shadow—two straight bamboo branches, three feet long, pierced the ground, their tips sunk three inches deep.

The bamboo trunks gleamed emerald and smooth, like jade, faintly glowing.

The two figures reappeared beside the pond.

"Stop here. If we go on, the commotion will be too great." Xu Xing smiled.

"Mm."

Bie Xuening nodded slightly.

At this moment, the fish that had leapt from the water finally fell back into it.

The two sat back down on the bamboo chairs.

Bie Xuening gazed at the pond before her; the fish swimming within, having just eaten the feed, drifted lazily through the water.

It was rare to test swords with my junior brother, but alas…

It simply wasn't like before.

Drip-drip~!

A sudden phone call interrupted her reflection.

She turned her head and saw her junior brother pulling out his phone…

Xu Xing glanced at his phone screen, then explained to her:

"It's from the communication group. Someone asked about the progress of selecting test worlds for the second batch of Ascension Envoys."

"Oh."

She hadn't joined that group.

Immediately, she picked up the fishing rod she'd set aside, mimicking Xu Xing's earlier motion, casting the line so the hook sank beneath the surface.

But unfortunately, these fish had just eaten and paid no attention to the bait hanging in the water, let alone chase after it as before…

Seeing this, Xu Xing cast an unobtrusive glance at his senior sister.

Then he looked again at the fish in the pond.

Compared to the previous batch, these newly replaced fish clearly hadn't endured much of reality's harsh blows…

His gaze swept over the Dan Ding Pavilion, then continued downward, finally passing through the Xuan Realm and landing on the worlds visited by the first batch of Ascension Envoys.

So far, none of the Ascension Envoys had found a way to break the deadlock.

It seems the mission difficulty was set too high.

The difficulty for the second batch of Ascension Envoys can be lowered.

…

…

Mission World 1.

A nameless star system, its central star radiating infinite light and heat, with several barren, lifeless planets orbiting it.

Zhou Kongming stood beside the star, though pulled by its immense gravity, he remained unmoved. His face was grim, his eyes fixed fiercely on the star before him.

Since locking onto the gene library deployed by the Pinxing Project, he had traced its trajectory.

But he discovered that the No. 2 gene library had been captured by the star's gravity during its drift and ultimately fell into it—now long since burned to nothing by the star's searing heat.

His spiritual sense checked again and again, yet found not a trace.

"..."

He involuntarily closed his eyes, his hatred for Kaluofaers deepening further.

Fuck!

If you're going to die, why destroy the gene library?

Wait till I attain Dao Union and forge a Time-Space Sword Array—I'll show you why the flowers are red!

When he opened his eyes again, golden light blazed once more in his pupils.

The No. 2 gene library of the Pinxing Project is gone. Now we'll see if the No. 1 still exists…

In the flash of a thought, Zhou Kongming glanced at the feedback from his Sword Intent Spiritual Body.

Confirming that Chi Zheng was still progressing with the gene optimization project and behaving himself, he unleashed sword light around his body and vanished again toward another direction.

…

…

Zhan Yuan Star System.

This was a star system hundreds of light-years from the star system where Qixing lay, yet outside Qixing Civilization's observational range.

The civilization born here had long ago learned to hide itself within the cosmos.

Zhan Yuan Planet.

If translated into Qixing Civilization's language, its name would be even more complex.

As the cradle of Zhan Yuan's civilization and its current core, the entire planet appeared a hazy white.

If one drew closer, one would see the planet's surface dotted with spherical objects, each the size of a basketball, emitting a faint white glow.

Some clustered together; others hid alone in remote corners.

When two drew near, their internal glows flickered, as if communicating.

Beneath these white spheres lay a horrifying sight.

Dense, twisted limbs crisscrossed in chaotic tangles, their skin a gray-yellow hue.

At a glance, they resembled human limbs spread across the planet's surface—but most were grotesquely distorted, sending chills down the spine.

Suddenly, a spacecraft pierced the atmosphere and crashed violently onto the planet's surface.

Boom—

Amid the thunderous roar, flesh and blood flew everywhere as the twisted limbs scattered across the planet's surface were smashed open, leaving a gaping hole.

Blood splattered onto the floating white spheres but did not cling—it simply slid off.

And in the lake formed by the pooling blood—

The so-called "spaceship" was clearly a human skull with its mouth gaping wide and eyes rolled white, now submerged in plasma, looking especially eerie.

Soon, white spheres flew out from within the human skull's mouth.

Not long after these spheres emerged, the severed stumps of malformed limbs in the plasma-filled "lake" created by the skull's impact began to wriggle with budding tissue, extending outward.

Like a wound healing, the budding tissue intertwined, continuously entwining...

Eventually, the massive hole carved out by the skull "spaceship" was completely "healed."

Looking around, apart from the newly formed flesh being slightly pink, everything was identical to before.

When the spheres emerging from the skull's mouth reached the same altitude as the other white spheres...

Hum~!

The humming sound layered like rolling waves, echoing across the entire surface of Changyuan Star, pulling forth visible ripples of storm-like winds.

All the spheres began to flicker, as if engaging in collective communication.

Changyuan Civilization.

They possessed individual self-awareness and could achieve seamless communication within a collective consciousness network.

Coupled with their innate talent—

Invasion, transformation, utilization of external matter.

This granted them interstellar travel and the ability to observe the depths of the stars from their very inception.

One could say they began at a height unattainable by many civilizations.

But this came at a cost.

They recognized only three concepts toward all things: "invasion, transformation, utilization," never seeking to investigate principles or study essences.

Many years ago, they observed Qixing.

They discovered that a new, entirely different civilization had arisen on Qixing.

Through observation, they gradually uncovered two "treasures" their own civilization lacked: "creativity" and "curiosity."

Investigating and understanding the principles behind all things was behavior beyond Changyuan Civilization's comprehension.

So, they decided to invade!

But due to differences in their concept of time, by the time they were ready, Qixing Civilization had already entered the technological age.

The development of thermal weapons, and the wars among Qixing people themselves.

Caused them to feel "fear" for the first time.

How could identical individuals disregard their own annihilation merely to erase another's existence?

Would this alien civilization truly submit peacefully to their invasion, transformation, and utilization?

Yes, Changyuan Civilization had no concept of "war" or "resistance."

Having witnessed the "brutality" of Qixing people, the decision to invade was terminated!

They continued observing until "Heng" appeared, and Qixing Civilization left its home planet, beginning to modify its surroundings.

Witnessing firsthand how previously uninhabitable planets were transformed, this behavior utterly beyond their comprehension deepened their "fear."

This observation continued until the "Pinxing Project" emerged.

Upon discovering Qixing Civilization broadcasting its information into the cosmos, they immediately intercepted one of its gene libraries.

Through their talent—namely, "invasion, transformation, and utilization"—

They successfully infiltrated it and deciphered Qixing people's thought patterns.

Using the gene library, they transformed it into malformed limbs and skull-shaped spaceships covering the planet's surface.

But "creativity" was still lacking.

It was during this process they discovered Qixing people were dying out and gradually losing "creativity."

"Creativity" itself had been transferred to the entity named "Heng."

Since Qixing people were gone, why couldn't Changyuan Civilization take over "Heng," becoming the new Qixing Civilization, the new humanity?

Through years of observation, they yearned for Qixing people's "creativity" and "curiosity."

Especially after deciphering Qixing people's thought patterns, this yearning intensified.

To understand and explore the laws of the universe, the principles behind all things!

What a magnificent, powerful ability it was!

So, they imitated Qixing Civilization: first dispatching "spaceships" for reconnaissance, formulating "battle plans," preparing for a full-scale invasion of Qixing Civilization to become the new Qixing Civilization!

But again, due to differences in their concept of time, over a thousand years passed between their decision and execution.

At this moment!

Outside the Changyuan star system.

A blade of light suddenly appeared, and Zhou Kongming's figure emerged from within.

His eyes, swirling with Jin Guang, gazed into the star system; his ability to pierce illusions and reveal truths instantly saw through the system's disguise, revealing the Changyuan star system's true nature.

"If not for tracking the trajectory of the Pinxing gene library, this place would have been nearly impossible to detect."

Before the Spirit Source Seed was planted and the Spirit Tide revived, his divine sense dared not spread widely.

To discover such a hidden star system amid the vast cosmos was incredibly difficult.

Soon, he saw the dense clusters of white spheres on Changyuan Star, and the malformed limbs crisscrossing the entire planetary surface.

His expression darkened.

On the Tai Xuan Immortal Net's personal interface.

The loaded map module's column for "number of intelligent entities" had already displayed relevant data.

【Number of Intelligent Entities: 487956472581.23】(End of Chapter)