Chapter 223

They utterly turn them into a civilization of mindless believers who do nothing but pray and chant.

Meaning: "They completely turned them into a group that only knows how to pray and chant, a follower civilization without self-consciousness."

We need concise: "They completely turned them into a group that only knows how to pray and chant, a follower civilization devoid of self-awareness."

The data also includes hundreds of examples of civilizations that have been cleansed.

"At the end of the data, there were also hundreds of cases of purified civilizations attached."

Better: "At the end of the data were also hundreds of cases of cleansed civilizations."

Those once-glorious civilizations ended up as holy sites where only prayers reverberate.

"Those once brilliant civilizations ultimately became holy lands where only prayer echoes."

Translation: "Those once brilliant civilizations ultimately became holy lands where only prayer echoes."

Their civilization was completely erased.

"Their civilization was completely erased."

Their history was completely rewritten.

"Their history was completely rewritten."

Their souls were eternally imprisoned.

"Their souls were eternally imprisoned."

This...

Just the quoted speech: "This..."

We need to keep quotes? Probably just translate content: "This..."

Zhou Shaoxing stared at the horrifying data, feeling a chill run down his spine: "These godmen! Compared to the iron lumps of the Silicon-based Union, they are ten thousand times more vicious!"

Zhou Shaoqing looked at those shocking materials, only feeling a chill, "These godmen! Compared to the Silicon-based Union's bunch of iron lumps, they are ten thousand times more vicious!"

We need to keep terms: Silicon-based Union is glossary. "iron lumps" is the translation of the Chinese term for iron lumps. Keep as is.

All the Silicon-based Union wants are lives and resources.

"The Silicon-based Union wants lives, resources."

But the Stellar Sea God Church wants souls—they aim to completely enslave a civilization at the conceptual level!

"While the Star Sea Divine Church Civilization wants souls, to completely enslave a civilization conceptually!"

Better: "While the Star Sea Divine Church Civilization wants souls, to utterly enslave a civilization in concept!"

Behind kindness lies absolute control.

"Behind kindness lies absolute control."

Zhang Yunfeng's face was just as grim: "They aren't gods; they're demons cloaked in divinity."

"Zhang Yunfeng's expression was equally grim: 'They are not gods; they are a bunch of demons wearing god's skin.'"

Lao Luo remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

"Luo Lao remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking."

All our previous speculations have come true.

"All our previous speculations have come true."

In their view, the universe holds only two types of beings: their believers, and those destined to become believers—heretics.

"In their eyes, there are only two kinds of existence in the universe: their followers, and heretics who will soon become their followers."

In their eyes, the Human Federation is a vacillating target prone to slipping into heresy.

"In their eyes, the Human Federal is that wavering target with a tendency to slide toward heresy."

The reason they are so patient with us is not because of our potential, but because...

"They are so patient with us not because of our potential, but because..."

Lao Luo turned to Qin Hao and said, "Your presence makes them feel a bit thorny; they aren't sure they can cleanse us through ordinary means."

"Luo Lao looked at Qin Hao: 'Because of your existence, they feel a bit thorny. They lack confidence to cleanse us by conventional means.'"

Qin Hao nodded.

"Qin Hao nodded."

They plan to first corrupt us with sugar-coated bullets, then, once we depend on their technology and aid, reveal their true knives.

"They want to first corrupt us with sugar-coated shells, then when we become utterly dependent on their technology and aid, reveal their true intent."

By then, even if I could block their fleet, our entire civilization would already be rotten from within.

"By that time, even if I could block their fleet, our entire civilization would already be rotten from within."

This discovery left everyone feeling a lingering dread.

"This discovery made everyone feel a chill."

If not for Kong Jie's intelligence risking their lives to get this data, they might have been led step by step into the abyss by this bunch of swindlers.

"If not for Kong Jie's Intelligence Department risking their lives to retrieve this data, they might really have stumbled step by step into the abyss under these godmen's deception."

"We must prepare on two fronts," Lao Luo said, his eyes becoming extremely resolute.

"We must make two-handed preparations." Luo Lao's eyes became extremely resolute.

"On one hand, we must continue to appease them, paralyze them, to buy ourselves more time."

"On one hand, we must continue to appease them, paralyze them, to buy us more time."

"On the other hand," he looked at Wang Hongbin, "the development of our hidden trump card against them must be sped up!"

"On the other hand," he looked at Wang Hongbin, "the development progress of our hidden trump card against them must be accelerated!"

Wang Hongbin immediately understood.

"Wang Hongbin immediately understood."

"Understood! All research on anti-faith meme jammers and space oscillators will be given top priority. All data will receive the highest level of physical isolation to ensure no faith-guided detector can detect it."

"Understood! All research on anti-faith meme jammers and space oscillators will be raised to the highest priority! All data will undergo the highest level of physical isolation to ensure no faith-guided detector notices!"

"We must prepare weapons that will make the Stellar Sea God Church feel pain for any future conflict!"

"We must prepare weapons that will make the Star Sea Divine Church Civilization feel pain for any future conflict!"

Lao Luo hammered the decision home.

"Luo Lao hammered the decision home."

The others had no objections.

"Others had no objections."

Just as the federation's high-ranking officials had finished drafting a secret plan to counter the Stellar Sea God Church.

"Just as the Federal high command had just formulated a secret plan to deal with the Star Sea Divine Church Civilization."

But the envoy Kane Ti's communication came uninvited, directly linking to Lao Luo's command channel.

"The holy envoy Kane Ti's communication came uninvited, directly connecting to Luo Lao's command channel."

This was an extremely unusual move, full of oppression.

"This was an extremely unusual move, full of oppression."

In the virtual meeting room, Kane Ti's perfect figure gradually appeared.

"In the virtual reception room, Kane Ti's perfect figure gradually appeared."

This time, although his face still bore a gentle smile, behind that smile lay an undeniable aura of divine authority.

"This time his face still bore a gentle smile, but behind that smile lay an irrepressible 'divine might'."

"My dear friend, Representative Luo," his voice sounded even more grandiose than before.

"My dear friend, Rote Commissioner." His voice was even more grandiose than before.

"To help you more effectively resist the impending heresy, and for our shared great cause."

"To more effectively help you resist the impending heresy, for our shared great cause."

"I, on behalf of the Stellar Sea God Church civilization, propose a new, deeper cooperation."

"I, on behalf of the Star Sea Divine Church Civilization, propose to you a new, deeper cooperation suggestion."

He spread his arms, and the light wings behind him radiated brilliant light.

"He spread his arms, and the light wings behind him radiated brilliant light."

"We hope the Human Federation will open part of its core military bases. We, the Stellar Sea God Church, will station our finest holy engineers to assist you in deploying the most advanced holy-word defense system."

"We hope the Human Federal will open part of its core military bases. We, the Star Sea Divine Church Civilization, will station our finest holy hall engineers to assist you in deploying the most advanced holy-word defense system."

"At the same time, we propose establishing a joint operations command center, jointly directed by both sides to command this holy war."

"At the same time, we propose establishing a joint operations command center, jointly commanded by both sides for this holy war."

As Kane Ti's words fell, the atmosphere in Lao Luo's office instantly plunged to freezing point.

"As Kane Ti's words fell, the atmosphere in Luo Lao's office instantly dropped to freezing point."

Open core military bases?

"Open core military bases?"

Assist in deploying defense systems?

"Assist in deploying defense systems?"

Establish a joint command center?

"Establish a joint command center?"

This is no longer a probe; it is blatant, unabashed military infiltration!

"This is no longer probing; it is blatant and unabashed military infiltration!"

"Bullshit!" Zhou Shaoxing was the first to slam the table, his eyes turning red with anger.

"Damn it!" Zhou Shaoqing was the first to slam the table, his eyes turning blood-red with anger.

"These charlatans have finally dropped the act! They want to put a knife to our throats!"

"These godmen have finally dropped the act! They want to put a knife directly to our throats!"

"Open military bases? Let their people in? That's no different from handing the keys to our house straight to bandits!"

"Open military bases? Let their people in? That's no different from handing the keys to our home straight to bandits!"

"A joint command? I think they just want to seize our military authority and turn us into cannon fodder!"

"Joint command? I think they want to directly seize our military authority, making us cannon fodder!"

"Representative Luo, this condition cannot be accepted! Absolutely not! We might as well turn against them now—worst case, we fight on two fronts; when has the Human Federation ever feared death?"

"Rote Commissioner, this condition cannot be accepted! Absolutely not! We might as well turn against them now; worst case, we fight on two fronts—when has the Human Federal ever feared death?"

Zhou Shaoxing's roar voiced the sentiments of all the hawkish generals in the military.

"Zhou Shaoqing's roar voiced the sentiments of all hawkish generals in the military."

Better to be shattered jade than intact tile.

"Better to be shattered jade than intact tile."

This is not just a matter of dignity; it's a matter of survival.

"This is not just a matter of dignity; it is a matter of survival."

Once the Stellar Sea God Church's military power infiltrates the federation, the Human Federation will truly become fish on a chopping board, at anyone's mercy.

"Once the Star Sea Divine Church Civilization's military power infiltrates the Federal interior, the Human Federal will truly become fish on a chopping board, at anyone's mercy."

However, Lao Luo was unusually calm.

"However, Lao Luo was unusually calm."

He ignored Zhou Shaoxing's outrage, merely raising his hand to signal him to calm down.

"He ignored the furious Zhou Shaoqing, merely raising his hand to signal him to calm down."

Then he turned his gaze toward Qin Hao.

"Then he turned his gaze toward Qin Hao."

Qin Hao's expression was also calm.

He looked at the holographic screen, where Kahn Ti still wore a kind smile, and said slowly:

He's in a hurry.

His sudden demand for such a radical, even unreasonable measure shows he is anxious.

Why the hurry?

Qin Hao's mouth curled with a hint of coldness: "Our development speed has exceeded his expectations. He realizes that boiling a frog in warm water may no longer be fast enough."

Before the Silicon-based Union arrives, we are likely to have grown into a hedgehog he cannot swallow in one bite.

So he wants to use this method to apply hard pressure, to see where our bottom line really lies.

Qin Hao's analysis calmed everyone present.

Yes, the other side's anxiety actually shows that the Human Federal's strategy is effective.

What should we do then?

Zhang Xianzhong asked, "Should we just refuse and break relations, like Old Zhou said?"

No!

Qin Hao and Luo Luo shook their heads almost in unison.

"Now is not the time to break relations." Luo Luo's eyes were deep and sharp.

"Our biggest enemy remains the Silicon-based Union; this cannot be shaken."

"Before we eliminate this major threat, we cannot and should not create another equally powerful enemy."

"Fighting on two fronts, we have no chance of winning."