Chapter 475: Eight, Ninth-Level Civilizations? Merely the Universe's Grave Keepers!

But when it fell into the Inspector's ears, it was no less than a thunderclap from the nine heavens.

The Inspector's body shuddered violently, and he finally regained his own consciousness from that tremendous impact.

He raised his head, that blurred visage fixedly staring at Qin Hao, while countless data streams and causal lines frenziedly intertwined, deduced, and calculated in his mind.

He couldn't make sense of it.

It was incomprehensible.

What on earth is the origin of this civilization?

What kind of existence is this man?

His daughter can casually tamper with logic—what about him himself?

And what about his other children?

For the first time, the Inspector felt a fear rising from the depths of his soul.

He had lived through ages, believing he had already seen through the essence of the universe, his heart as still as still water.

But now, his water had been brought to a boil.

He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but in the end only squeezed out a few utterly dry syllables from his throat.

"You… you… what exactly are you?"

Qin Hao hearing the Inspector's question, felt as if he'd heard a hilarious joke, and let out a light chuckle.

Without answering directly, he slowly descended the steps of the throne,

step by step, until he stood before the Inspector.

The distance between them was no more than three meters, but for beings of their level, it held no meaning whatsoever.

Yet each of Qin Hao's steps felt like treading on the Inspector's heart, causing his heart, which should have been as firm as rock, to develop tiny cracks.

"Before answering your question, let me first tell you what you are."

Qin Hao's gaze calmly rested on the other's blurred visage.

"You style yourselves as the maintainers of cosmic order—what a lofty title."

"But in my view,"

Qin Hao's tone suddenly shifted, becoming sharp as a blade: "You are merely a bunch… of grave keepers."

"Grave keepers?"

In the Inspector's consciousness, emotion flickered for the first time.

"Exactly, grave keepers."

Qin Hao's voice was full of penetrative power.

"You have discovered that this universe is ill, heading toward decay, toward ultimate nullification."

"You are fearful, you are desperate, yet you dare not investigate the cause, nor dare to think of a cure."

"All you can do is huddle on this universe's corpse, soon to stiffen, erect a so-called alliance, enact a ridiculous set of rules, and then, like a flock of crows guarding a tomb, merely cling to life."

Each of Qin Hao's sentences struck hard against the Inspector's cognition.

"You block any technology that could introduce variables, such as causality, soul, and rules."

"Because you fear that any new change would accelerate the decay of this corpse."

"You suppress any nascent civilization attempting to break free, labeling them heresy or viruses, and using your so-called causal locks to seal and correct them."

"Just as you did to me moments ago."

Qin Hao extended a finger and lightly tapped the Inspector's chest.

The Inspector's body shuddered violently, yet he did not dodge.

"You think you uphold order, but in fact you merely maintain a tomb's tranquility; you think you rectify chaos, but actually you are strangling every possible spark of life."

"You and the Universe Alliance behind you are this universe's greatest cancer cell—not because you are strong, but because you are desperate."

"Your very existence spreads a plague of doom and despair throughout the universe."

Qin Hao withdrew his finger, his tone turning indifferent.

"Now, do you understand what you are?"

The Inspector fell silent.

He could not refute.

Because each word Qin Hao spoke pierced his innermost heart, striking the truth he himself dared not touch.

Yes, grave keepers.

That term describes them all too aptly.

Their so-called eighth- and ninth-level civilizations, over the ages, have long exhausted all passion and hope.

They have witnessed too many civilizations rise and fall, ultimately reaching a desperate conclusion: the universe must return to zero, and everything will ultimately be meaningless.

Thus, they ceased to advance, ceased to explore.

Their sole aim was to employ the technology they mastered, before this destined doom arrives,

to maintain the status quo as much as possible, letting themselves live a little longer, then a little longer still.

Anyone attempting to change the status quo is an enemy.

This is the supreme guideline of the Universe Alliance headquarters.

"And what about you?"

After a long while, the Inspector spoke again, his voice hoarse, full of bewilderment.

"Since we are grave keepers, then what are you?"

"We?"

Qin Hao laughed.

He turned, arms wide, as if to embrace the whole temple, to embrace the vibrant energy garden outside that he himself had created.

We are Divine Doctors.

Divine Doctor? the Inspector wondered.

Yes, Divine Doctor.

In Qin Hao's eyes shone a light never seen before, a confidence and passion capable of illuminating the entire dark universe.

A quack doctor, seeing a tumor on a patient, first reacts by cutting it out.

Just as you see a Zero Return outbreak, your first reaction is to amputate, to use the Cause-and-Effect Collapse Cannon, erasing that star field and the countless lives within it.

A good doctor would try to control it with drugs, with chemotherapy. Just as you now suppress yourselves, clinging to life, hoping the tumor grows slower.

But I am a Divine Doctor!

In my eyes, a tumor is not an enemy; it is merely life growing in the wrong place! Zero Return is not a natural disaster; it is merely the universe's life force run amok!

The deadly poison you shun like snakes and scorpions, in my eyes is a medicine containing endless mysteries!

The disaster area you cannot avoid, in my eyes is fertile soil for nurturing new life!

What I want to do is not cut out and suppress, but to guide! To assimilate!

To let this runaway energy return to the right track, to let this terminally ill universe burst forth with new vitality!

I want to turn this lifeless grave into a garden blooming like brocade!

Qin Hao turned his head, his gaze burning as he stared at the Inspector.

Now, do you understand what we are?

The Inspector was completely dumbfounded.

Divine Doctor…

Heal the whole universe…

What madness, what grandeur this goal is!

In his long life, he had never heard such heretical yet so inspiring words.

His worldview was completely overturned at this moment.

The order he had long upheld, the truth he had maintained, before Qin Hao's Divine Doctor proclamation, seemed so petty and ridiculous.

Perhaps they were wrong from the very start?

Is this universe truly still savable?

That thought, like a seed buried for hundreds of millions of years, quietly sprouted in his heart.

Watching the Inspector tangled in great ideological struggle, Qin Hao's mouth slowly curled.

The fish has taken the bait.

The era of the Tomb Keepers has changed.

Qin Hao's tone carried allure, also pity.

Now I give you a choice.

To continue clinging to your rotten tombstones, to be swept together into history's trash heap.

Or…

To pick up a scalpel, join us as a Divine Doctor, and witness a universe you could never have imagined?