Translator: CinderTL
"Good."
A wry smile flashed across the old man's face. "However, our plans may be ruined. With so many civilizations destroyed, our clients for this journey have all dispersed. For a long time, no one will likely be in the mood for tourism."
"The planned development of the Great Onion Civilization..."
"Hmm."
Chen Mang nodded calmly. "Let's discuss these matters later. I'll take you somewhere first."
Without another word, he leaned on his staff and strode down the street, his destination clear: the stadium.
The old man was right.
Chen Mang's plans had been thoroughly disrupted. Both his tourism scheme and his Marrow Cleansing Pill plan lay in ruins. His meticulously laid plans, nurtured over days, had been shattered by the Kasha Civilization's unprovoked attack.
He finally understood what a dimensional reduction strike meant. TL: An overwhelming attack or competition from a higher dimension/level of ability that the opponent cannot resist.
He disliked this feeling.
He decided something needed to change.
Ten minutes later, Chen Mang led the group to the stadium. The triennial Alchemist Convention, once a grand event, had long since been abandoned. The grounds lay in disarray, devoid of any lingering visitors.
Amidst the empty seats, a solitary refrigerator stood out clearly.
This was where they had left the refrigerator when they departed the stadium.
The train's iron ore balance now stood at less than ten million units, insufficient to craft a Tier 200 refrigerator anytime soon. Recovering this refrigerator was crucial, and it was one of the primary reasons he had come to Central Continent City.
Despite his vast wealth and influence, bankruptcy could come in an instant.
When faced with a cosmic war, resources were simply insufficient. His stockpile of trillions of iron ore had barely raised his armor's tier from 100 to 102, and he hadn't even fired a shot—any actual combat would have consumed even more resources.
Just then—
"Chen Mang."
An aged voice, tinged with fatigue, suddenly spoke by his ear.
"Hmm?"
Chen Mang turned to see a white-haired elder, leaning on a dragon-headed staff, striding toward him with seven followers in tow. He glanced at the elder's staff, then at his own Hell Staff, and murmured, "Do you gentlemen know me?"
"We do."
The elder and his group approached Chen Mang slowly, studying him carefully before the elder rasped, "To make a long story short, I am the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion. The seven behind me are the remaining sect leaders from the Five Great Sects and Three Great Clans of Black Tortoise Star."
"We eight are the highest authorities on Black Tortoise Star."
"We haven't observed you for long, but you perfectly meet all the final selection criteria for our apocalypse plan. I'll briefly explain what the apocalypse plan entails."
When the old man revealed his identity, Zhang Qiudao and the old sect leader of the Venomous Serpent Sect, who were following Chen Mang, their pupils contracted sharply. This was a major figure in the cultivation world, someone they had never imagined they would meet, let alone see eight of them at once!
"I understand," Chen Mang said softly, his knuckles tapping unconsciously against the end of his staff. "Your cultivation civilization, unable to break through to higher levels, devised the apocalypse plan. You've accumulated resources from the cultivation world over a century, preparing to invest everything in a single 'train' to propel it to a new height, thereby helping your cultivation civilization escape the control of the Kasha Civilization?"
"Correct," the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion said slowly. "You're a clever man, and it's easy to speak with you. However, since the plan was devised recently, we haven't accumulated as many murphy stones and resources as originally intended."
"Still, your personal potential is exceptionally strong. We all believe that even without the resources provided by the Black Tortoise Civilization, you could still reach a significant height."
"So."
"You can think of this as angel investment."
"Though it's not much and won't carry you all the way to the pinnacle, it should shorten the time it takes to reach the top."
"How much is there?"
"1,792 Murphy stones, 5.1 trillion units of iron ore, 3.1 trillion units of copper ore, and assorted quantities of wood, titanium crystal ore, and Red Heart Rock."
"It's indeed not much," Chen Mang nodded lightly. "1,792 Murphy stones... For all the train's accessories, upgrading from Tier 1 to Tier 100 requires just one stone per level. Even reaching Tier 100 doesn't consume many stones."
But after Tier 100, the number of Murphy stones required for each level increases dramatically.
Take the "Space Gate" as an example:
To upgrade the Space Gate to Tier 200 requires 14,580 Murphy stones.
To reach Tier 500, it demands 224,550 stones—a staggering 200,000 stones.
This is an astronomical number.
Moreover, the Space Gate is merely a yellow-grade accessory. The higher the accessory's grade, the more Murphy stones are required to upgrade each level beyond Tier 100. This is precisely why the Kasha Civilization's military primarily uses main cannons at Tier 101.
It could either bring about a qualitative leap at Tier 100 or consume the least amount of Murphy stones. Any higher, and they wouldn't be able to upgrade it further.
However—
Although Murphy stones were scarce, the resources were abundant—5100 billion units of iron ore. He was deeply tempted by this, equivalent to several Mining Planet No. 1 in his space gate. Moreover, the mining operation on the far side of Mining Planet No. 1 was progressing rapidly, and once completed, another 100 billion units of iron ore would be added to the total.
This resource windfall couldn't have come at a better time for the Stellaris train. He desperately needed it.
With this iron ore, he could upgrade the train significantly, opening up a wealth of possibilities.
"What are your terms?" Chen Mang asked bluntly. Such a vast fortune, representing over a century of the cultivation civilization's foundation, couldn't possibly come without conditions. But as long as the price wasn't too steep, he was willing to pay.
"Only one condition," the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion said slowly, his gaze fixed on Chen Mang. "This resource will not be delivered all at once. Instead, it will be divided into eight portions. To claim each portion, you must marry one woman from each of the Eight Great Factions."
"Eight women in total."
"Each a celestial maiden meticulously nurtured over the years, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. You won't be disappointed."
"For every child you father with one of these women, we will provide you with a portion of resources."
"Eight portions in total."
Before Chen Mang could respond, the speaker continued, "We hope you understand. This represents the Black Tortoise Civilization's entire foundation, accumulated over a century, and a bet on our future."
"We cannot guarantee that you won't betray us after you rise to power, or abandon us altogether."
"We need some form of mutual commitment."
"Seven of these eight children can join your civilization, but only one needs to join ours, the Black Tortoise Civilization."
"This is worth trillions of resources."
"You won't be at a disadvantage."
As if fearing Chen Mang's refusal, the speaker added one last thing, regretting it immediately. It made them seem overly weak.
After a long silence, Chen Mang calmly looked at the eight people before him and softly said, "Let's go. I'll take you somewhere."
He turned and walked toward a refrigerator.
Biaozi and the others followed.
The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion exchanged glances with the others and also trailed behind.
In the next moment—
When the group pushed open the refrigerator door and stepped through, they found themselves inside the locomotive cabin of the Stellaris train.
The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's pupils constricted slightly. He hadn't sensed any spatial fluctuations; there was no feeling of passing through a wormhole. How had they suddenly teleported to this location? What kind of method was this? He had traveled to other civilizations before, but he had never seen a train conductor with such capabilities.
"Do you see that thing?"
Chen Mang, leaning on his staff in the locomotive cabin, casually pointed to a nearby screen and explained, "This is a special item called the 'Galaxy Map.' Few people in the entire Kasha Civilization Federation have one. It shows real-time updates on the movements and changes of planets and civilizations within a 100,000 light-year radius."
"Over there is the screen for the 'Target Acquisition Radar,' which monitors the real-time movements of all living creatures and trains within a 0.1 light-year radius."
"It's very useful after reaching Tier 200."
"That 'Radar Jammer' over there is also Tier 200."
"That single bed and the refrigerator you see are both Tier 200. Even the AI in the train is Tier 200."
"Xiao Lu, the 'Star-Devouring Beast' sleeping on that single bed, is a Tier 100 Cosmic Behemoth with S-rank potential. He hasn't fully matured yet, but once he does, his combat width will reach 0.1 light-years, and he'll feed on stars."
"Even with our current strength, annihilating a Tier 1 civilization would be child's play."
The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and the others watched the scenes unfolding in the locomotive cabin, their astonishment growing. Though they were cultivators, they were well-versed in trains and fully understood the implications of Tier 200 accessories.
It was a nearly unattainable standard.
Hardly any Tier 1 civilization's train would possess even a single Tier 200 accessory.
Such accessories required not only astronomical quantities of Murphy Stone, but also an exorbitant amount of other resources.
Even advanced civilizations were reluctant to waste Murphy Stone on seemingly mundane accessories like "Single Beds" and "Refrigerators."
Yet here, even the bed they slept on was Tier 200. The value of this single bed alone was already priceless.
Even Zhou Shen and the others standing behind them were stunned. They had been part of the Stellaris for some time and knew it was strong, but Lord Mang had never revealed the specific tiers of the accessories. They had no idea that all these accessories were actually Tier 200.
How much resources must have been consumed?!
Biaozi, Old Pig, and the others cleared their throats and followed behind Chen Mang.
Although Stellaris had always maintained a low profile, this didn't mean it was weak. The new members of Stellaris were completely unaware of its true terror.
Chen Mang didn't provide detailed explanations, merely mentioning things casually as he left the locomotive cabin and headed towards the rear carriages.
Along the way, he offered brief introductions:
"The Train Armor is Tier 102, capable of withstanding direct hits from the main cannons used in the cosmic war three days ago."
"That's the Moldy Bread Slice Production Line, also Tier 200. When the train first started, it was our main food source. Later, when supplies became abundant, we only used it for special situations."
"This is the Clothing Production Line, also Tier 200. It works quite well."
"And that's the Cola Production Line, also Tier 200. The cola it produces has the same effect as the Marrow Cleansing Pill in your civilization, but with a 100% cleansing effect. According to my plan, I intended to make a name for myself at the Alchemist Convention before flooding the market with it."
"Over there are the Armed Black Hole Robot Production Line and the Robot Research Center, both Tier 200. They can mass-produce robots using minimal resources. The robots I gave to Zhang Qiudao were all produced here."
"The Steamed Bun Production Line is also Tier 200."
Chen Mang walked to Carriage 10 and looked at the space gates embedded within the carriage. "That's the Film Studio, used for filming movies on the train, and the Entertainment Base."
"The space gate next to it is Tier 200."
With that, Chen Mang pushed open the door.
Behind it was an extremely dark space, and in the distance, a small planet was brightly lit. He murmured, "Xiao Ai."
Soon—
The planet rapidly approached the doorway.
Until people could clearly see a large number of ant-like robots mining on the planet's surface.
"A Tier 200 space gate can accommodate a planet with a diameter of no more than 100,000 kilometers."
"This is one of the mining stars."
"Countless Mining Robots are working around the clock."
Afterward, Chen Mang closed the door and walked to another door in Carriage 10. He pushed it open again, revealing another pitch-black space where a planet clearly rich in seawater was suspended in the air.
"This is Aquablue Star, also the mother planet of my civilization."
"It's also inside the train."
"I'll take you inside to see."
With that, Chen Mang pressed a button on the doorframe. A small wormhole materialized nearby. He stepped through first, followed by the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and the others, who stumbled in after him, their eyes wide with bewilderment.
These eight individuals were the absolute rulers of Black Tortoise Star. They had seen and heard it all. While perhaps not the strongest in power, they were certainly formidable in cunning and strategic depth. They understood that Chen Mang was demonstrating his strength to gain leverage in the upcoming collaboration. To maintain their own position, they needed to remain calm and composed.
But—
Understanding this in theory was one thing; putting it into practice proved impossible!
The scenes unfolding before them shattered their worldview. They had never imagined a train interior could accommodate two planets!
Is this even a fucking train?!
"This is Aquablue Star," Chen Mang said softly as he walked through a city, his expression calm. "It's also the mother planet of my civilization. My civilization doesn't belong to the Kasha Civilization Federation. We're just a tiny planet in the cosmos."
"Invaded by the Zerg Civilization."
"The term 'invaded' might be inappropriate; it was more of an infiltration."
"The apocalypse descended, claiming countless lives. People struggled to survive, unable to find peace even in sleep."
"It took me over a year to end this apocalypse, restore normal life, and set out into the cosmos with my home planet. I had only two major goals."
"First, to destroy the Zerg Civilization."
"Second, to destroy the Kasha Civilization."
"We are allies on the same battlefront. Whether you grant this honor or not, these are my future objectives."
"Do you see those goblins?"
This city was devoid of humans, inhabited only by a few goblins engaged in construction. Each goblin appeared utterly bewildered upon seeing Chen Mang.
"When my home planet faced the apocalypse, I encountered these goblins. Their Goblin Civilization had been annihilated by the Zerg Civilization, and due to some error, they became mindless monsters. Only a few retained consciousness and memories."
"When I first met them, I was very weak."
"I needed their help."
"I promised them that if they would help me, I would help them rebuild their goblin civilization in the future."
"There are only a little over a hundred goblins here, and only two of them have consciousness and memories. Even if I broke my promise, it would have no effect on me, and no one would even know. After all, the help they provided me back then was almost insignificant to my current self."
"But—"
"I kept my promise."
Chen Mang walked to the center of the square and pointed at the twisted, mangled train wreckage placed there. "This is the goblin train. It's the one I destroyed when we first met."
"When we first met, our relationship was far from pleasant. We were even hostile."
"Later, we became friends."
"I brought this goblin train out of the thousands-of-meters-deep Doomsday Abyss and placed it here as a symbol of the friendship between our two races. I will never forget my promise."
"I still haven't helped the goblin civilization officially rebuild their civilization."
"The time isn't right yet."
"My own civilization has yet to be rebuilt. In the universe, I am still a civilization-less wanderer."
"But every goblin trusts me. They believe I will keep my promises."
Just then—
Doba emerged from the alleyway with Mundo, approaching Chen Mang and bowing respectfully. "Lord Mang."
"Hmm."
Chen Mang nodded slightly before continuing down the street. "Many on the Stellaris train were once my enemies, even clashed with me. But once they join the train, I treat them all equally."
"Throughout the entire universe."
"Only I possess the ability to infinitely upgrade train accessories."
"I don't need any Murphy stones. As long as I have sufficient resources, I can upgrade train accessories without limit. This is my unique advantage."
"With minimal resources, I can reach the height of the Kasha Civilization's strongest train, perhaps even surpass it."
"One day."
"I will erase the Kasha Civilization and the Zerg Civilization from the universe. That day is not far off."
"After I ascend, I won't casually destroy any civilization."
"I will grant every civilization the right to survive. As long as they don't oppose me, not a single civilization will be destroyed."
"Now, then."
He stopped, turned to face the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, and said softly, "Do you wish for me to bear eight children and have resources distributed to me in batches?"
"Or do you want my promise?"
"To give me all the resources at once?"
His expression remained calm as he gazed at the Pavilion Master, patiently awaiting an answer.
He made no attempt to conceal it.
He had revealed much of the Stellaris's foundation, including its greatest asset: the Infinite Upgrade. There was no need to hide it; if this secret were to leak, it would undoubtedly cause trouble, but it couldn't be concealed within the train anyway; many already knew.
Since he had already entered the game, he needed to lay down his most powerful trump card to secure greater benefits for himself.
"..."
At that moment, the Pavilion Master and the seven figures behind him were filled with shock and disbelief. This was especially true of a stunningly beautiful woman among them, who couldn't restrain herself from stepping forward and tugging at the Pavilion Master's sleeve, fearing he might refuse.
This potential was completely unknown to them.
Without needing a Murphy Stone, as long as they had sufficient resources, they could upgrade the train's accessories without limit. This potential was truly SSS-rank—unrivaled in the entire vast cosmos!
This meant that the Stellaris train could potentially experience a rapid surge in power, reaching a level comparable to the Kasha Civilization in a short period of time, provided it had sufficient resources.
The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's lips trembled slightly. He tried to maintain composure, but his age and emotional state made it impossible to conceal his shock, putting him at a complete disadvantage in this negotiation.
This was a high-stakes gamble that had to pay off.
As long as Chen Mang didn't betray their trust, this gamble would be a guaranteed win.
Eight children.
And a single promise.
He didn't turn to consult the other seven. The seven pairs of burning gazes on his back told him everything he needed to know. Now, it only awaited his final decision. He slowly closed his eyes, exhaled lightly, and then looked up at Chen Mang, who was slightly bowed.
"We require only your promise."
"Only one promise. We will deliver the full amount of trillions of resources within three days."
"No staggered deliveries."
In his mind, staggered deliveries wouldn't have been a problem. After all, there was a shortage of murphy stones, and such a vast amount of resources couldn't be consumed quickly. Staggered deliveries wouldn't affect the Stellaris train and would be safer.
But now...
It was clear that giving everything at once would be more beneficial for the Stellaris train.
Since the gift was already being offered and Chen Mang had demonstrated sufficient sincerity by revealing such a trump card, he naturally wouldn't hesitate. Hesitation would only anger the other party and ultimately prove counterproductive.
"Good."
Chen Mang smiled, stepped forward, and helped the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion to his feet. "I give you my solemn promise. Every person standing here today is my trusted confidant, and I make this vow before all of them."
"I, Chen Mang, will never forget this generous gift from Your Excellency."
"If there comes a day when I overthrow the Kasha Civilization's rule, I will undoubtedly protect the Black Tortoise Civilization. While I, Chen Mang, remain, the Black Tortoise Civilization shall never face calamity. I will actively promote its development, through means such as population relocation, to restore its former glory."
"What do you say?"
"Good, good, good." Two streams of tears rolled down the Pavilion Master's cheeks, as if he could already envision the Black Tortoise Civilization's future splendor. Yet a flicker of sorrow deep within his eyes betrayed a hidden sorrow.
Father, did you see that?
The apocalypse plan has succeeded! We've found a candidate who is absolutely perfect in every way!
The Black Tortoise Civilization's glory is virtually assured!
But...
You'll never see this, though. You so desperately wanted the Black Tortoise Civilization to break free from the Kasha Civilization's rule and reclaim its former glory. If you could witness this now, you'd surely be overjoyed.
"Shall we... have a casual meal together next?" Chen Mang suggested after a pause. "Now that we've reached an understanding, perhaps we should get to know each other better through conversation?"
"Agreed. As you wish, Lord Chen Mang."
The banquet began.
This modest gathering, held within Goblin City, was a simple meal where everyone sat together to eat and converse.
At the banquet table, Old Pig continuously wiped cold sweat from his forehead, his heart still racing with fear. So close, so close... Tomorrow could have been his last day.
He was solely responsible for the reconstruction efforts on Aquablue Star.
Lord Mang had barely shown any interest in the project.
The plan included rebuilding a city for the Goblin Civilization. Initially, Old Pig had allocated all resources to developing Taiping City, unwilling to "waste" any on Goblin City. After all, there were only around a hundred goblins. He'd thought settling them in any existing city district would be more than sufficient.
Yet, in the end, he had strictly adhered to the requirements.
He had rebuilt the city into something respectable.
Fortunately, he hadn't gotten clever and acted on his own. Otherwise, when Lord Mang arrived at "Goblin City" with the pavilion master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion to deliver a speech, only to find the city in ruins and devastated, he knew Lord Mang would have found a way to continue his speech.
But afterward, he would undoubtedly face consequences.
Inside the Stellaris train, the number of passengers was growing steadily.
So was the competition.
A single misstep could lead to disaster.
The banquet atmosphere was subdued, with most attendees wearing forced smiles. The pavilion master and others, however, were undoubtedly in high spirits, thrilled to have found such a suitable target for their revival efforts. With success virtually guaranteed, how could they not be happy?
Yet they didn't dare laugh.
Especially after learning that the civilizations behind figures like Zhou Shen, Qiu Yisao, the elderly man from Jimei Tourism Company, and Young Master Li—all destroyed in the Cosmic War—they grew even more wary of showing any amusement.
They had experienced that crisis themselves.
They knew the pain all too well.
Many lives had been lost on Black Tortoise Star as well.
But the planet hadn't been directly bombarded by the main cannon. The impact had been mitigated by the Heaven-Protecting Grand Formation, powered by the lives of eight Divine Transformation experts, which intercepted the majority of the meteorite fragments, preventing catastrophic casualties.
"Then, in the future..."
The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, seated in the first position on the left, asked tentatively, "If we ever encounter an insurmountable crisis, could the Stellaris train encapsulate the Black Tortoise Star, just as it did with the Aquablue Star, and escape with it?"
"Of course," Chen Mang replied softly. "But the train can only accommodate planets without a Civilization Imprint. You would need to clear the Civilization Imprint from the Black Tortoise Star. Once inside the train, it's impossible to reapply the Imprint. We'll release you at a safe destination, and you can reapply the Imprint then."
"I understand."
The Pavilion Master raised a cup of wine, his face full of gratitude. Holding the Civilization Stamp, he knew that clearing and reapplying the Civilization Imprint would be no problem.
Applying a Civilization Imprint was, in fact, a remarkably simple process.
There were no prerequisites.
All you needed to do was discover an Unclaimed Planet and stamp it with your Civilization Stamp. In the cosmos, that planet would then belong to your civilization.
On special items like galaxy maps, the planet would be marked as belonging to your civilization.
Theoretically...
As long as you're willing to run, you can leave the imprint of your civilization on billions of stars. The catch is that you must be able to defend such a vast territory. The larger the territory, the more problems tend to arise.
Just then—
Young Master Li, seated at the table, suddenly rasped, "Lord Mang, you mentioned earlier that your target acquisition radar is Tier 200. May I ask you a question? During the Cosmic War, did the Zerg Civilization truly invade?"
"."
Chen Mang set down his wine cup and tilted his head to look at Young Master Li. After a long silence, he murmured, "Why do you ask?"
"The 'Zerg Civilization' has always been the imagined enemy of the 'Kasha Civilization.' The Zerg Civilization's greatest advantage lies in their overwhelming numbers. When they attack, it's often a full-scale assault spanning tens of thousands of light-years."
Meanwhile, the Kasha Civilization's greatest weakness is their scarcity of numbers.
This is why the Kasha Civilization Federation was established, recruiting countless First-Tier Civilizations to serve as buffer zones and sentinels along the forward-most battlefronts, forming a train of nearly ten thousand civilizations to withstand the Zerg Civilization's flood-like saturation attacks.
The Kasha Civilization cannot match the Zerg Civilization.
"This is the consensus: although the Zerg Civilization is only a Tier 2 civilization, its combat power is extraordinarily formidable. The reason they haven't attacked the Kasha Civilization is because they believe conquering it would exhaust their resources. Instead, they're accumulating strength by devouring other civilizations, planning to launch a full-scale assault on the Kasha Civilization in the future."
"In the short term, logically speaking, the Zerg Civilization wouldn't pay any attention to the Kasha Civilization."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Chen Mang met Young Master Li's intense gaze and the stares of Zhou Shen and the others. He paused briefly before tapping his knuckles lightly on the table and murmured, "I could find countless arguments to refute you."
"You're seeing only the surface."
"But—"
"Since you've already guessed something, I'll be blunt."
"In the past three days, the target acquisition radar hasn't detected a single trace of the Zerg Civilization—no motherships, no zerg monsters, nothing."
"In the cosmos, there's only the military of the Kasha Civilization Federation."
"All the destroyed civilizations were obliterated by the Kasha Civilization."
"This is a prank they've staged themselves."
"A prank?" Young Master Li froze, his eyes instantly reddening as he shot to his feet, his voice trembling with emotion. "My father is dead, my entire civilization is gone, and even the planet he dedicated to growing green onions... it's gone."
"Billions upon billions of lives lost in this war."
"And it turns out there was no real enemy? Just a prank by the Kasha Civilization?"
"Billions upon billions of lives!"
"These were billions upon billions of lives! Does the Kasha Civilization have no fear? No fear of the vengeful spirits of those billions haunting them for eternity?"
The elderly man from Jimei Tourism Company sat silently to the side, his silence telling. He had already suspected this outcome ever since he saw the Kasha Daily's headline proclaiming "Total Annihilation." When had the Kasha Civilization become so powerful? But he dared not entertain such thoughts. After all, this war had consumed vast resources and claimed countless lives. Even from the Kasha Civilization's perspective, he couldn't fathom the logic behind such an act. It made no sense.
"I don't know the reason either," Chen Mang replied.
Chen Mang shook his head slightly.
"But—"
"One thing is clear: the Kasha Civilization has gone mad."
"We must strengthen ourselves quickly to overthrow their rule and restore clarity to the cosmos."
At that moment!
The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, standing nearby, suddenly gritted his teeth, as if making a difficult decision. "Lord Mang, if your trump card—the Infinite Upgrade—were suddenly exposed, would it have a significant impact on you?"
"It would."
Chen Mang turned to look at the Pavilion Master calmly. "The Stellaris train currently lacks the capability to withstand the full wrath of the Kasha Civilization. What is it you want to say?"
"I propose we publicize this incident, making all civilizations in the 27th Galaxy aware that it was a self-staged drama by the Kasha Civilization."
"Let every civilization understand that their lives mean nothing to the Kasha Civilization."
"And I will reveal your trump card, Lord Mang."
"With this, many civilization leaders will likely invest all their resources in you, accelerating the Stellaris train's development to unprecedented heights."
"No," Chen Mang shook his head, rejecting the proposal. "Once this matter spreads, the Kasha Civilization will need to eliminate its negative impact to prevent the remaining nearly ten thousand Tier 1 Civilizations from living in constant fear. The best solution would be to completely eradicate all civilizations in the 27th Galaxy."
"This is a path to certain death."
"Moreover, I've interacted with people from other civilizations before."
"Most believe war is far removed from them. Even with this warning, many will still focus solely on their own petty gains. The chances of success are slim. Not every civilization's leadership is as united as yours in the Black Tortoise Civilization."
"Nor will every civilization have the audacity to stake over a century of accumulated foundation in a single, desperate gamble, like your Black Tortoise Civilization."
"Most importantly, every civilization can build their own train. They'd rather construct their own, even if it's slower and of a lower tier. It's their train, not one built by proxy."
"Leave the rest to me."
"Everything discussed today must be strictly confidential."
"Meeting adjourned."
Three days later, it was time for the resource transfer.
Zhang Yi, Zhang Er, and others carried refrigerators, continuously shuttling back and forth, each trip bringing massive resources back to the Stellaris train.
The balance on the train's resource panel soared rapidly.
This was the foundation accumulated by the cultivation world over a century.
Along with the resources came eight celestial maidens.
Although there was no requirement for them to bear children, the maidens were still sent over. Chen Mang temporarily settled them in Carriage No. 4, accepting this goodwill without refusal.
He had once fantasized about this very scenario.
If other civilizations were to hand over all their foundation resources to him, he could instantly soar to new heights.
But...
He knew this was unrealistic. It wasn't until he encountered the Black Tortoise Civilization that he realized it. If every civilization could have a apocalypse plan like the Black Tortoise Civilization, he was certain he wouldn't disappoint them.
Inside the Stellaris train, in Carriage No. 15, the Breeding Carriage.
In a carriage gradually fading into obscurity, all the livestock and crops that were once cultivated here had been relocated to Aquablue Star, where they now thrived in a larger, more expansive environment. The only occupants remaining in this carriage were:
Uncle Li, a young man, a gentleman and a horde of zombies.
"..."
Uncle Li sat on the ground, his expression vacant, his eyes filled with bewilderment. His journey had been fraught with twists and turns. Once, his future had seemed bright: he was on the verge of developing the Zombie Grinding Cage and held the position of Accountant in Neon City. His prospects had looked promising.
He had even daydreamed about climbing to the position of deputy train conductor.
But then...
Overnight, Neon City emptied, and all his plans were put on indefinite hold. Progress on the Zombie Grinding Cage stalled indefinitely.
Though he still enjoyed the perks of an Advanced Talent, on the train, he felt invisible. Watching Biaozi, Old Pig, and others bustling about while his own prospects stagnated, he felt deeply frustrated.
Everything had been going so well.
How the hell did he get laid off again?
Has the job market become this brutal?
"Uncle Li..."
The young man sitting beside him timidly suggested, "What if we try a different career path and give it another go?"
"I believe you can do it."
Just then—
The gentleman bound to the crossbeam, his composure crumbling, pleaded hoarsely, "Please, just kill me. Kill me, alright?"
"Shut him up."
Uncle Li waved impatiently, then lowered his head in deep thought.
He, surnamed Li, was one of the earliest residents of the Stellaris train, with a resident ID number under 100. He refused to be abandoned by the tide of history. He had to find a new direction and make another bold move!
In Carriage No. 2, the Mecha Research Center:
The words "Surprised" and "Amazed" appeared on Xiao Ai's face as he stared at the small pill in his hand. "Did you develop this?"
"Mm-hmm."
Qi Kexiu nodded eagerly. "During the last meeting, I learned that Lord Mang has many secrets. I thought, what if someone was captured and tortured into revealing them? So I compressed a steamed bun into this small pill."
"It can be embedded in your teeth. If you're captured, swallow this pill and choose to erase part of your memories. This ensures the secrets won't be revealed."
"President Ai, do you think this is useful?"
He had grown accustomed to President Ai's conversational style. Although he believed there could be more refined ways to express emotions, President Ai seemed to enjoy this straightforward, unadorned approach.
"Not bad. What did you use to compress it?"
"Black Hole Beast."
"Black hole beast?"
"Mm-hmm, it's a demon beast from the cultivation civilization. I encountered one being sold in Central Continent City. This creature can drastically compress the mass of an object. According to ancient legends, during the ancient era, they could achieve infinite compression, creating numerous black holes."
President Ai's expression turned slightly peculiar. "Theoretically, any object, if compressed continuously, can collapse into a black hole. I'm aware of that."
"Even a steamed bun."
"Although any black hole formed this way would instantly evaporate."
TL/N: Referring to Schwarzschild Radius and Hawking Evaporation Time.
"But I'm even more curious about how you managed the entire process."
"The black hole beast's body structure is quite unique. It has an enormous mouth but a tiny tail. Anything that enters its mouth comes out the tail end with the same mass but significantly reduced in diameter. All you need to do is stuff a whole steamed bun into its mouth."
"And then?"
"And then retrieve it from the tail end."
"You're going to shove this thing into my teeth?"
"The black hole beast's interior is remarkably clean. It doesn't produce any waste at all. Its mouth and tail are purely for rapidly burrowing underground. It grinds up the excavated soil into small pellets and expels them behind it. Normally, it sustains itself by absorbing spiritual energy, or core energy."
President Ai rolled his eyes at Qi Kexiu but said nothing. Even if there was waste, it wouldn't matter. Science was like that—everything could be utilized. Even cockroaches could be used for medicine. He nodded thoughtfully.
"You've actually given me an idea."
"Many of the demon beasts on Black Tortoise Star could be quite useful for the Stellaris."
"Wait here."
"I'll go to Lord Mang to apply for funding and purchase a batch of demon beasts."
"The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion is right here in the locomotive cabin. Couldn't we just ask him for some?"
"Are you stupid? How could I ask so bluntly? If I openly declare my intention to apply for funding to purchase demon beasts in front of the Pavilion Master, wouldn't he send me away?"
"Just keep working here. I'll go find Lord Mang."
(End of the Chapter)
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