Chapter 311

Why!!

Zhou Shaoqing's eyes were bloodshot; he threw a punch, slamming hard into the icy alloy control console before him, producing a dull thud.

The console's surface instantly dented, electric sparks flickered a few times, then went out.

He felt no pain at all.

What is this?!!

He stared fixedly at Qin Hao, his voice trembling with excitement: "We fought bloody battles, we became a fourth-level civilization, we became a new Overlord!"

And the result?!!

The result now tells us that everything we did was merely moving from one corner to another within a larger cage?!!

The final barrier? Forever unable to leave?!!

Zhou Shaoqing's questioning struck a chord in several people's hearts.

Yes.

What is this?

A prison from which one can never escape.

Then what meaning do their so-called "sea of stars" and "civilization's journey" still hold?

And beside him, Mao Xinyang's complexion also looked somewhat grim.

On the light screen before him, data streams were refreshing at a frantic pace.

I conducted a preliminary projection; assuming the description of the "final barrier" is true, our faster-than-light technology completely fails ten thousand light-years outside the Milky Way Galaxy...

Then, with our current most advanced sublight engines, reaching the nearest extragalactic galaxy—the Andromeda Galaxy—would require... over 2.5 million years.

2.5 million years.

When that number was spoken, several gasps of cold air sounded within the Command Center.

2.5 million years—for a civilization—what does it mean?

It means eternity.

It means an insurmountable imprisonment.

A prison...

A young staff officer's eyes glazed over as he muttered to himself.

His body swayed, barely able to stand.

Not only him; many young officers and technicians who had just earned great merit in the war, full of infinite hopes for the future, now seemed to have had their souls drained.

Their gazes turned hollow, the color draining from their faces.

The lofty ambition of having just defeated two great empires and established a new galactic order was shattered before the cold figure of 2.5 million years.

Hope, at this moment, became the cruelest joke.

They are not new gods.

They are merely a group of slightly stronger prisoners in this star system.

The entire Command Center was utterly shrouded in a cloud named despair.

Lao Luo drew a deep breath, forcing himself to break free from that chill.

In his weathered eyes, a flicker of wavering appeared, but more so was a resilience forged by great storms.

His gaze unconsciously turned toward Qin Hao.

While everyone else sank into shock, anger, and despair, he alone continued calmly reviewing all the original data on the "final barrier" and the "Singularity Sea".

His fingers flew across the light screen, lines of complex code and observation records streaming before his eyes. Finally, Qin Hao stopped scrolling.

He lifted his head, his calm gaze sweeping over the dazed faces.

Both great empires know this secret.

He spoke, his voice clear and reaching everyone's ears.

The Biteen Empire discovered it over 300,000 years ago, and the Ke Luo Empire is similar.

But did they give up?

Qin Hao's voice carried a peculiar penetrance, causing those immersed in despair to involuntarily lift their heads.

No.

He asked and answered himself.

They not only did not give up, but over the past several hundred thousand years they have frenetically advanced technology, sparing no effort to break the shackles of a fourth-level civilization.

Don't you find that strange?

Yes.

If they know it's a dead end, why would they still rush forward desperately?

The crowd's chaotic thoughts seemed to be forcibly pulled back by an invisible hand.

Qin Hao didn't give them much time to think; he reached out and pointed to the center of the holographic star map.

That dark core that devours everything.

The Singularity Sea.

The first part of the file tells us where the wall is.

And the second part perhaps... is telling us where the door is.

Door!

That word, like a bolt of lightning, split the gloom in everyone's hearts!

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on the mysterious region representing the relics of a Fifth-level Civilization.

Exactly!

A cage that large must have a "lock"!

And that place suspected to be a Fifth-level Civilization relic isn't the most likely answer?

"But…"

Zhang Yunfeng furrowed his brows and immediately pointed out the crucial issue, "The two great Empires also thought of this; they've tried countless times, yet cannot break through the 'spatial stagnation' zone.

That star region can even devour their most elite fleet. What… what can we do?"

Indeed, the two great Empires have amassed a million years of foundation, yet cannot get close.

Even the Yanhuang Civilization, with its superior technology, probably cannot achieve it.

"That region is like a preset forbidden zone; no conventional means can surpass it."

Zhang Yunfeng added, his tone exceedingly heavy.

The atmosphere in the Command Center grew oppressive again.

However, Qin Hao seemed as if he hadn't heard Zhang Yunfeng's concerns at all.

He turned his head, his gaze passing through the screen toward Academician Qian on the other side.

He did not answer Zhang Yunfeng's question.

Instead, he posed a question that no one had thought of, sounding rather odd.

"Academician Qian."

"Based on the observational data left by the two great Empires, the 'spatial stagnation' effect—does it act directly on a ship's engine system, or …"

Qin Hao paused, then asked word for word.

"Affecting space itself?"

The question made Academician Qian pause for a moment.

Is there a difference?

A ship sails through space; if space malfunctions, the ship naturally cannot sail.

But he immediately mobilized the supercomputer to re‑analyze and model the massive data.

A few seconds later.

A hint of realization flashed across Academician Qian's face, then became utterly certain.

"From the data model, this effect is not interference or suppression of the engine's energy output; it resembles a …"

He weighed his words.

"More like a 'locking' of the space's fundamental curvature!

It makes space itself exceedingly 'viscous' and 'heavy'; any conventional engine technique attempting to warp or jump within it fails because it cannot move space itself!"

"The conclusion is, it acts on space itself!"

Upon hearing this answer.

The ever‑expressionless Qin Hao's mouth corner suddenly lifted in an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible curve.

It was a smile that only he could read.

"I see."

So the "lock" is constructed like this.

He slowly turned, looking toward Old Luo beside him, whose expression remained solemn.

"Old Luo, I need to convene an immediate closed‑door meeting with the highest authority right now."

"Attendees will be only the few of us."