Chapter 489

On the Skytrain’s science deck, the Unlimited crew gathered, listening in silence as Lin Xian recounted the two civilizational rehearsals he had witnessed; each face bore a different expression as they turned their gazes toward him.

“Sounds like a game computed by artificial intelligence,” Kiki said, still in her shorts and pajamas, arms crossed as she floated midair with a frown. “But what does it actually mean?”

“Could it be trying to tell us that human civilization inevitably ends in destruction?” Ningjing scanned the group.

“Impossible,” Huoge muttered from his corner, confidence radiating from his expression.

“Hmph,” Qian Dele sighed softly, fanning himself with a small palm-leaf fan. “So this is how the Foundation tries to crush our morale—because they’re bored, or because the Dark Civilization is bored?”

Chen Sixuan leaned against the table, head bowed in thought: “Lin Xian has now experienced two civilizational rehearsals, both ending in human extinction. Hua Xiaoling told him this game would grant him a new understanding of the Dark Civilization and the Star Abyss. I wonder if some hidden information lies within it.”

“It must be.”

Luo Yang nodded solemnly. “Didn’t Brother Lin just say the holographic experience was from an entirely different dimension? That means this isn’t human tech—it’s from another civilization. There must be more hidden here.”

“Then it’s simple,” Shasha added. “Lin Brother’s a mechanical adept—just scan it.”

Lin Xian shook his head, hefting the silver metal sphere in his hand. “It’s coated in something like a taboo force. I can’t scan it or dismantle it.”

Mo Nika spoke from behind the group: “Why does Civilization #1 go straight to #807? Did we miss something? Or were the civilizations in between failures with no reference value?”

“For example?”

“For example, the dinosaur era,” Mo Nika shrugged.

“Dinosaurs… how does that relate?” Lu Chang asked, baffled.

“She means the butterfly effect influencing civilizational development,” Ding Junyi said, setting down her tools and turning with hands in her pockets. “From the Triassic to human evolution—tens of millions of years. A single meteor strike, a century-long deluge, an ice age, or even a minuscule cosmic fluctuation could erase humanity before it ever took root. Strictly speaking, a civilization requires a precise convergence of cosmic timing, geography, and fortune to emerge.” She looked at Viola. “If the AI runs simulations under identical initial conditions, too many variables cause probabilities to diverge exponentially. Selecting only viable references for demonstration is logical.”

【I concur with this conclusion.】Viola’s calm voice echoed. She addressed Lin Xian: 【This civilizational rehearsal computes humanity’s trajectory 700 years ahead. Its computational power, preliminarily estimated, exceeds 10^{6700}, and this conclusion doesn’t fully account for nonlinear complexity growth, so it’s inaccurate.】

“Then the conclusion is clear,” Lin Xian said, placing the silver sphere on the lab table. All eyes locked onto it.

“This object comes from an extraterrestrial civilization. Since Hua Xiaoling gave it to us, it likely represents the Dark Civilization.”

The moment he spoke, tension snapped taut.

Chen Sixuan broke the silence with a complex expression: “The Dark Civilization clearly possesses extremely high intelligence. Then our actions in Dawn City…”

“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Lin Xian interrupted. “Chu Yan and I directly interfaced with the Dark Beings’ consciousness. We, including the Phoenix Society, have made similar judgments. This high intelligence and advanced tech are based on our limited understanding. Don’t assume the Dark Civilization is omnipotent.”

Qian Dele shrugged. “If they were that powerful, they wouldn’t have sent Sacred City and Holy Revelation agents to assassinate you. I think until the tide recedes, everything’s still unknown.”

“Right,” Kiki said, looking at Lin Xian, then gesturing to the metal sphere with her chin. “If it’s not dangerous and can enhance your ability, try it again. Maybe the answer’s simple—easier than all of us guessing here.”

"That's right." Kiki looked at Lin Xian, then nodded toward the metal ball on the table: "Since there's no danger and it can enhance your ability, you should try it several times—maybe the problem is actually simple, better than all of us sitting here guessing blindly."

“The Foundation’s watching us. Should we leave right after dawn?” Chen Sixuan asked cautiously.

“No rush,” Lin Xian said, eyes glinting at the sphere. “We’ve dealt with the Foundation before. Hua Xiaoling must be using me and the Phoenix Society to send a message. If they wanted to strike, they’d have done it already.”

He scanned the group. “A chance to rest is rare. We’re not being chased by the Star Abyss’s Eternal Night, no Dark Mark on us. Once we reach South America, trouble will never stop. The Dawn Center’s mass transfer is a hunt target for every Star Abyss faction. In the end, we’ll all flee toward the poles anyway. Why not rest here properly? Our gear, taboo objects—they all need refinement and adaptation.”

Shasha nodded vigorously, eyes bright. “I agree! My Flying Peach hasn’t been upgraded yet, and this island’s still full of unsearched spots. Since our big ship can carry it, don’t waste anything!”

Ningjing and Shu Qin nodded in agreement. “This kind of peace is probably rare.”

Qian Dele smiled, leaning back. “I don’t mind. Hawaii’s sunshine is so comfortable—might not get to enjoy it much longer.”

Lu Xingchen nodded. “Hey, this place is perfect for cultivation.”

“Too many zombies, though—chirping and squealing all the time,” Kiki shrugged.

“Alright then,” Chen Sixuan sighed in relief. “Tomorrow, we split into teams and thoroughly search the island. Consider it rest and recuperation.”

“Agreed,” Lin Xian said calmly. “Most areas on the island now have signal coverage. You can move freely as long as you stay in contact—but go alone if possible.”

“Lin Xian,” Kiki said. “Now that we have the chance, should we try lattice evolution? We’ve got plenty of Level-4 Blood Essences. We could boost everyone’s strength—what do you think?”

At once, everyone perked up. Mo Nika looked at Lin Xian with a bright smile.

Lu Xingchen lowered his hands, eyes gleaming with excitement. “Brother Lin, I’m willing to risk it for this cultivation method.”

“No need to risk it,” Lin Xian said. “Phoenix Society data shows using Level-4 Blood Essence with a Dangling Value above 10,000 has almost no failure rate. If done under an Dark Energy Synchronization Device, it reduces bodily damage.” He paused. “The only issue remains the possible side effect….”

"No need to take risks," Lin Xian said at this moment. "Data from Phoenix Hill shows that using Grade-4 Blood Essence with a Dangling Spirit value above 10,000 carries almost no risk, and if performed under an Dark Energy Resonance Device, it further reduces bodily damage. The only remaining issue is the possible side effects—what we can confirm for now..."

Silence fell. No one looked alarmed. Qian Dele burst out laughing. “That’s it? Lifespan? Every day’s a bonus now—world’s ending, who cares?”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone’s eyes flickered, but no one looked alarmed. Qian Dele burst out laughing: "You mean lifespan? Every day lived is a bonus—when the world’s ending, who cares about that?"

Lin Xian shook his head. “Uncertain. Phoenix Society derived this from cellular lysis. At minimum, it cuts five to ten years—possibly more.”

Ningjing nodded instantly. “Ten years? No problem. If it doubles combat power, twenty years is fine.”

After hearing this, Ningjing immediately said: "Ten years? That’s no big deal. If it doubles combat power, twenty years is fine too."

Lin Xian smiled helplessly. “I agree. If it’s just lifespan, it’s not a big issue. Other side effects—we’ll take it one step at a time.”

He turned to Ding Junyi. “Last night, I had Viola draft a plan. For team safety, we’ll divide into three groups for lattice cultivation. We’ll use cryo-sleep pods as cultivation chambers. I’ll oversee the final stage. But we have no prior experience. Ryan and Vanessa said lattice cultivation takes at least 72 hours. For safety, I’ve already discussed it with Mo Nika—she’ll run the first trial. We’ll proceed in bulk only after she succeeds.”

Shuowan ， Tazhijiekanxiangdingjunyidao ：「 Zuowanwoyijingrangweiaolazuoleyigefangan ， Kaolvdaoquanduianquanxingwenti ， Suoyourenfenweisanpijinxingjinggepeiyu ， Shiyongxiumiancanghelengdongxitongzuoweijinggepeiyangcang ， Youwolaizuozuihoubaozhang ， Buguowomenzhiqianmeiyouzhefangmiandejingyan ， Laienhewanishagaosuwojinggepeiyuzhishaoxuyao 72 Xiaoshi ， Baoxianqijian ， Woyijinghemonikashangliang ， Tahuixianjinxingyicishiyan ， Dengtachenggongzhihou ， Womenzaipiliangjinxing 。」

[47] Shuowan ， Tazhijiekanxiangdingjunyidao ：「 Zuowanwoyijingrangweiaolazuoleyigefangan ， Kaolvdaoquanduianquanxingwenti ， Suoyourenfenweisanpijinxingjinggepeiyu ， Shiyongxiumiancanghelengdongxitongzuoweijinggepeiyangcang ， Youwolaizuozuihoubaozhang ， Buguowomenzhiqianmeiyouzhefangmiandejingyan ， Laienhewanishagaosuwojinggepeiyuzhishaoxuyao 72 Xiaoshi ， Baoxianqijian ， Woyijinghemonikashangliang ， Tahuixianjinxingyicishiyan ， Dengtachenggongzhihou ， Womenzaipiliangjinxing 。」

[47] He turned directly to Ding Junyi and said: "Last night, I had Viola draft a plan. Considering the team’s overall safety, everyone will be divided into three groups for Lattice Cultivation, using cryo-sleep pods and freezing systems as Lattice cultivation chambers, with me providing final safeguards. But we have no prior experience in this—Ryan and Vanessa told me Lattice Cultivation requires at least 72 hours. For safety, I’ve already discussed it with Mo Nika; she’ll conduct a trial run first, and only after she succeeds will we proceed with mass cultivation."

Everyone turned to him. Huoge, eager to speak, bit his tongue. Though the prospect of advancing his “cultivation” thrilled him, he always supported Lin Xian’s decisions—and forced his excitement down.

Several people turned to look at him; Fire Brother, who had been eager to speak, swallowed his words—though his nature drew him strongly to anything that could enhance his cultivation, he always supported Lin Xian’s decisions, so he suppressed his excitement once more.