novelraw Chapter 102: Fury
Chapter 102: Fury
On Blue Star, aboard the Interstellar Colonial Ship.
Director Zhou and the others were nervously waiting for a reply to their email.
According to Su Yuan, not every application for a planet to be included under the empire's management would be approved.
The empire's participation in management incurred costs.
Such as dispatching personnel over, among other things.
Since costs were involved, there had to be a return on investment.
If the employees of the Imperial Planetary Management Bureau deemed that a planet was not worth managing, they would reject the application.
And the basis for determining whether management was necessary lay in whether the returns could cover the costs.
The Azure Surge Universal Human Empire was willing to provide help and protection to life-bearing planets in their early stages of development, but the prerequisite was that it could not operate at a loss.
This was the crucial criteria for whether an application would be approved.In contrast to the anxious waiting of Director Zhou and the others.
Su Yuan was naturally much more relaxed.
The application email he sent expounded on the numerous values of Blue Star from all angles, and even outlined a future development plan for the planet.
It was highly organized.
And impeccably logical.
More importantly, Su Yuan had used the gray mirror to figure out the reading habits of the Planetary Management Bureau employee reviewing this application.
The email was written entirely to cater to that employee's preferences, ensuring it would read exceptionally smoothly for them.
Under these circumstances, the application was bound to be approved.
Su Yuan had also confirmed this outcome by consulting the gray mirror.
'The main value of Blue Star lies in its mineral veins, and the best way to extract those mineral vein resources is to mine them slowly,'
Su Yuan thought to himself.
The formation of mineral veins was a continuous process. The benefit of slow extraction was that it could provide a steady and endless supply.
If a portion was mined, the mineral vein itself could slowly generate another portion.
As for mining everything in a short period? That was essentially draining the pond to catch all the fish.
In the Multieye Civilization's original plan for taking over Blue Star, they intended to strip-mine the planet in a short period to maximize their profits as quickly as possible.
After all, their actions against Blue Star had already violated the Planetary Life Protection Act, so they naturally had to resolve the matter swiftly.
Two minutes later.
While Director Zhou and the others were waiting.
A video call request suddenly popped up on the console screen.
Director Zhou, having long been instructed by Su Yuan on what to do, immediately accepted the video request.
"Do you guarantee that the contents stated in the application email are true?"
A cold voice rang out from the screen.
"I can guarantee it."
Director Zhou immediately replied.
"Do you guarantee that the applicant is the ruler of Blue Star?"
The cold voice inquired once again.
"I can guarantee it."
Director Zhou repeated.
Next.
The cold voice continuously asked over a dozen questions, and after receiving Director Zhou's confirmation for each one.
It finally delivered its concluding response:
"After confirmation by the Azure Surge Universal Human Empire, the application to include Blue Star at the provided coordinates under imperial management has been approved. Imperial staff will travel to Blue Star within one year. Please be prepared."
After the cold voice finished speaking.
The video feed cut off.
"It... was approved?"
Director Zhou and the others exchanged glances, letting out a massive sigh of relief.
Only at this moment were they certain that Blue Star was truly safe in every sense of the word.
With the management and protection provided by the Azure Surge Universal Human Empire, Blue Star's civilization would enter a stage of stable and rapid development for a very long time to come.
"Alright, you may all step down for now,"
Su Yuan's voice chimed in. "I will provide you with a machine that connects to the imperial Virtual Network. From now on, you will use that machine to log in."
"Thank you, Lord."
Director Zhou and the others promptly expressed their gratitude and followed Su Yuan's instructions, departing from the interstellar warship.
Shortly after, under Su Yuan's control, the entire interstellar warship took to the skies once more, descending upon the Arctic continent.
Su Yuan made his way inside the warship.
Now that the entire warship was under the control of AI Xiaolan, Su Yuan was effectively its master.
"I can finally access the imperial Virtual Network."
A smile spread across Su Yuan's face.
Killing Captain Ao Qu and the other two Starry Sky Lifeforms brought Su Yuan one paramount benefit: acquiring this warship, and by extension, utilizing its Virtual Network Pods to access the empire's colossal Virtual Network.
Through the Virtual Network, Su Yuan could strategize and lay out his plans across the territories of the thirty-six great universal human civilization empires without ever having to leave Blue Star.
With this thought in mind, Su Yuan immediately proceeded to the warship's control room and lay down inside a Virtual Network Pod.
The Virtual Network of the Azure Surge Universal Human Empire was interconnected with the virtual networks of the other thirty-five great universal human empires, boasting immensely robust protections for personal privacy.
Su Yuan had verified this through the gray mirror.
The moment he lay inside the pod, Su Yuan felt his consciousness extending through it, reaching out toward the starry sky and plunging into the Virtual World.
"Detected that your Consciousness Fluctuations have not yet been recorded. Would you like to register as an Imperial Citizen of the Azure Surge Universal Human Empire now?"
A sweet voice drifted into his mind.
"Yes."
Su Yuan nodded.
Identity verification for the universal human empires' virtual networks was conducted via Consciousness Fluctuations, which served as the most fundamental characteristic of any lifeform.
Pupils? Fingerprints? Even the soul.
All of these could change.
But Consciousness Fluctuations?
Even if one performed Body Snatching and occupied the physical body of another lifeform, they could still log into their original Virtual World account through their specific Consciousness Fluctuations.
"It's a pity... I still can't forge Consciousness Fluctuations yet, otherwise I could just log straight into the accounts of Ao Qu and those other two Starry Sky Lifeforms and transfer all their funds to myself..."
Su Yuan sighed.
While Consciousness Fluctuations served as the gold standard for identity verification in the universal human empires, it wasn't impossible for Su Yuan to find a way to forge them.
He just couldn't do it at his current level.
"Identity registration is complete. Please choose your display name."
The sweet voice continued.
"Let's go with 'Mirror'."
Su Yuan stated.
"Name confirmed."
As soon as the sweet voice finished speaking.
The scenery before Su Yuan shifted, and he appeared in a vast, sprawling expanse of white space.
"Mirror, this is your personal space. You may configure and alter the environment here as you see fit,"
The sweet voice explained.
Hearing this, Su Yuan willed it with a mere thought.
The surrounding blank white space immediately began to shift, eventually taking the form of an elegant Chinese-Style Manor.
"Mirror, would you like me to proceed with the Virtual World Tutorial?"
The sweet voice asked.
"No need. I'll let my artificial intelligence take over."
Just as Su Yuan's words fell, AI Xiaolan's voice echoed out. "Master, Xiaolan has already familiarized herself with the various functions of the Virtual World."
Xiaolan stated.
When she successfully hacked into and seized control of the warship's network, she had already begun interfacing with the imperial Virtual Network, gathering a wealth of information about its systems.
"Mhm, give me a quick rundown."
Su Yuan nodded.
Su Yuan had already gleaned a highly detailed understanding of the universal human empire's Virtual Network through the gray mirror.
But no amount of secondhand knowledge could compare to personal experience.
"Master, a primary feature of the Virtual World is the Friends List Function. You can visit the current Star Region Communities to add friends, or input a specific Citizen ID Code to add someone directly,"
AI Xiaolan explained. "Once you become friends, you can communicate at any time. Instant communication is possible anywhere within the territories of the thirty-six great universal human empires, save for a few restricted areas."
"Got it."
Su Yuan nodded.
"Also..."
"There is the gaming zone within the Virtual World."
After AI Xiaolan spoke.
A massive projection screen materialized in front of Su Yuan.
"The universal human empires created the Virtual Network not only for communication and trade, but also with the hope of using a digital realm to guide Imperial Citizens in their cultivation and evolution..."
"And the primary method of this cultivation and evolution is through these games."
As AI Xiaolan spoke, Su Yuan browsed through the various games displayed on the screen.
There were titles like "Ten Thousand Layer Labyrinth", "Dark Battle Royale", "Shattering the Void", "Endless Staircase", and "Divine Body World"...
These diverse games each served the purpose of driving the evolution of a specific aspect of a lifeform.
For example, the game "Ten Thousand Layer Labyrinth" stimulated the Dimension of Wisdom, one of the Six Dimensions of life. The more layers of the labyrinth a Player cleared, the greater the mental tempering they received.
Although Wisdom did not provide as direct a benefit to cultivation as Comprehension did, it allowed one to master real-world situations. Much like the ancient strategists of Great Xia, they could devise strategies from a command tent to ensure victory a thousand miles away.
Against the backdrop of the starry sky, a cultivator or evolver specializing in Wisdom possessed crystal-clear foresight and excelled at analyzing and steering the tides of power.
Many factions in the universe were eager to befriend cultivators and evolvers skilled in Wisdom, hoping to rely on their counsel and strategies during critical junctures.
While Wisdom-oriented cultivators and evolvers might not be adept at frontal combat, no powerhouse ever wanted to provoke them.
Because their revenge would never be shallow or straightforward; they would orchestrate overarching events to retaliate, ensuring their enemies died without ever knowing why.
"Wisdom..."
Su Yuan fell into silence.
In a way, the gray mirror was the most formidable 'strategist' in the entire universe when it came to the Dimension of Wisdom. Armed with its omniscient capabilities, it orchestrated plans as silently and naturally as a spring breeze—by the time the enemy noticed, it was already too late.
The myriad game worlds didn't just propel lifeforms' evolution; they also harbored vast fortunes. Certain precious materials found in-game could be directly sold or traded.
Moreover, some games natively offered massive bounties. For instance, the "Dark Battle Royale" game world featured matches with thirty-six thousand participants each.
The final surviving cultivator or evolver would claim the ultimate grand prize.
"The 'Shattering the Void' world?"
Su Yuan stared at one of the game worlds, a strange look flashing across his face.
This particular game world had only been released in recent years. It was exceptionally popular within the Azure Surge Universal Human Empire and provided a substantial boost to a lifeform's evolution.
Furthermore, the game's officials had promised that the first ten Players to successfully shatter the void would receive an exclusive reward.
Su Yuan was paying close attention to the 'Shattering the Void' world because the gray mirror had highlighted it as a way to accelerate his ability to Fully Comprehend the Ultimate Yang power and Ultimate Yin power.
Entering this game world was specifically listed.
Through the "Shattering the Void" world, Su Yuan would drastically shorten the time required to Fully Comprehend the Ultimate Yang power and Ultimate Yin power.
It had to be noted that Cosmic Power such as Ultimate Yang power and Ultimate Yin power were the absolute focal points of cultivation during the Starry Sky Lifeform stage.
Mastering them didn't just grant massive enhancements in actual combat; it also brought immense benefits to a lifeform's evolution.
'When I have the time, I'll dive into this game world,'
Su Yuan gathered his thoughts. Now that Blue Star had been successfully placed under the Azure Surge Universal Human Empire's jurisdiction, it wouldn't face any danger for a very long time. There was no need to rush into it immediately.
"I should go check on Ye Kunlun."
Su Yuan left the warship and headed inside the Arctic Base.
Several years prior, Su Yuan had ordered Ye Kunlun to sever a portion of his own flesh and blood and store it within this base.
He had been waiting for the man to execute the Heavenly Phoenix Nine Transformations Nirvana Sacred Method, allowing him to resurrect using this very piece of flesh.
However, due to the incredibly thin Phoenix Bloodline running through Ye Kunlun's veins, even if he hit the jackpot and seized that one-in-ten-million chance, the resurrection process would still be an arduous trial, requiring Su Yuan to lend a helping hand at critical moments.
Before long.
Su Yuan arrived deep inside the Arctic Base.
"Ye Kunlun..."
Deep within the base, inside a cultivation chamber, a mass of flesh and blood was slowly squirming.
"Condense!"
Su Yuan's expression turned slightly solemn as he unleashed a massive surge of mind force, continuously compressing the squirming mass of flesh until the fragmented Will inside it coalesced.
"Done."
Su Yuan gave a slight nod.
With his Will consolidated, Ye Kunlun's consciousness had effectively awakened. From here on out, reconstructing his flesh and blood would be much easier.
On a planet three times the size of Blue Star.
Members of the Multieye Civilization, sporting multiple eyes, constantly streamed in and out.
At the planet's highest peak sat a magnificent palace. Nearly half of the Starry Sky Lifeforms belonging to the Multieye Race were gathered in this very place.
"What's going on?"
A Twelve-Eyed Multieye expert's expression shifted slightly. "Qu'er's life signature just vanished?"
This Twelve-Eyed Multieye expert was named Toran. He was none other than Captain Ao Qu's father and a High-Ranking Official in the Multieye Civilization.
"Qu'er, he..."
The Twelve-Eyed Multieye expert Toran's expression grew ugly. He swiftly contacted the elders of the other two individuals who had accompanied his son to Blue Star.
A moment later.
Toran learned that the life signatures of Dosien and the others who had traveled with Ao Qu had also disappeared.
Ten minutes later.
A multitude of High-Ranking Officials from the Multieye Race convened an emergency meeting regarding the matter.
Looking at the bigger picture, the death of three Starry Sky Lifeforms was no trivial matter. The entire Multieye Race only possessed a little over a thousand Starry Sky Lifeforms in total.
On a more personal note, the elders of these three Starry Sky Lifeforms were all High-Ranking Officials within the clan. How could they possibly let the deaths of their outstanding descendants slide?
"Is this because of that life-bearing planet named Blue Star?"
"Did that planet birth a Starry Sky Lifeform? Did they ambush Ao Qu and his crew?"
"That shouldn't be possible. We surveyed it over a hundred years ago. That Blue Star had no Starry Sky Lifeforms; the strongest inhabitant was merely a Level 3 Life Form."
"It's impossible to birth a Starry Sky Lifeform in just a short hundred years."
"If no Starry Sky Lifeform was born there, does that mean another faction intervened? Did they also set their sights on Blue Star's resources?"
After a round of analysis from the High-Ranking Officials, two conclusions were drawn regarding Captain Ao Qu's death.
First, that Blue Star had birthed a new Starry Sky Lifeform.
Second, that Blue Star had received the backing of another extraterrestrial faction.
"Regardless of which scenario it is, anyone who dares scheme against our Multieye Race like this must pay the price,"
Toran's voice was frigid. He looked toward the figure seated at the head of the table and declared, "Patriarch, I volunteer to lead the elites of our Multieye Civilization to Blue Star personally and resolve this matter."
If it was the first possibility, Toran planned to simply purge all life from Blue Star to avenge his son.
If it was the second possibility, he would demand an explanation from whichever faction was supporting Blue Star. His son could absolutely not be allowed to die in vain.
"Enough."
Right at that moment, the figure seated at the head table—the Patriarch of the Multieye Clan—spoke up. "There is no need to go to Blue Star."
The moment those words left his mouth.
Toran furrowed his brows tightly.
But before he could argue.
The Multieye Patriarch continued, "Blue Star has just been included in the empire's managed planetary jurisdiction."
After stating this, the Multieye Patriarch cast a sweeping gaze over Toran and the other involved High-Ranking Officials. "This matter ends here. I do not want the empire to have any grievances against our race."