novelraw Chapter 181: The Future Empire Pioneer
Chapter 181: The Future Empire Pioneer
The community world of the Myriad Layers Maze.
In front of the central stele cluster, the massive crowd of spectators gossiped for a moment after seeing "Ming" begin his challenge of the 100th Layer, before gradually starting to disperse.
This was perfectly normal.
After all, the trial of the 100th Layer required a massive amount of time. Even the absolute fastest clearance speed took nearly half a Reset Cycle.
No matter how extraordinary "Ming" was, he would undoubtedly be trapped in this layer for a while. Perhaps a short half of a Reset Cycle? Or maybe the better part of a Reset Cycle?
Therefore, there was no need for the crowd to wait around. They just needed to come back and take a look when "Ming" finally cleared this layer.
'I wonder if this Ming can break the Third Patriarch's record,'
The three-pupiled man in the crowd thought to himself. His Third Patriarch was the strategist who had cleared the 100th Layer the fastest in the past ten million years. He was currently serving the royal family of a High-tier Universal Human Empire, enjoying boundless glory and prestige.
'Back when I cleared this layer, it took me half a Reset Cycle...'
The three-pupiled man pondered before shaking his head and muttering aloud, "I will go continue my comprehension for a while and come back to check after a fraction of a Reset Cycle."In his heart, the three-pupiled man believed there was a high probability that "Ming" would fail to break the Third Patriarch's record.
However, judging from his previous clearance speeds, he wouldn't be much slower than the Third Patriarch either.
However.
Just as the three-pupiled man was about to log out of the community world, he caught another glimpse of the central stele cluster from the corner of his eye.
"Hmm?"
The three-pupiled man froze slightly, almost thinking he was hallucinating.
Because the name "Ming" had suddenly materialized on the one hundredth stele.
What did this mean?
It meant that "Ming" had already successfully cleared the 100th Layer of the maze.
A look of utter bewilderment washed over the three-pupiled man's face.
'He cleared the 100th Layer?'
'How long did that take?'
'Why is it even faster than his previous clearance times?'
"This?"
The three-pupiled man suddenly snapped back to his senses, his face flushed with deep disbelief.
'Ming cleared the 100th Layer?'
Meanwhile.
The other strategists also noticed the name "Ming" appearing on the one hundredth stele.
After the initial wave of disbelief, the Beyond Comprehension shock, and various speculations about whether the stele had malfunctioned, the crowd instantly erupted into an uproar.
"Holy crap, what am I looking at?"
"That new name on the one hundredth stele, is that Ming?"
"Did Ming break the Thousand Illusions and Myriad Phases Endgame?"
Figure after figure rapidly discussed the event. The more they understood it, the more they realized exactly what this signified.
The Thousand Illusions and Myriad Phases Endgame of the 100th Layer had been verified by countless strategists. It had blocked an unknown number of challengers.
Yet now, this layer—deemed an insurmountable maze in the eyes of many strategists—had been cleared by "Ming" in just a little over a hundred breaths?
"What exactly happened?"
"Could it be that the 100th Layer Ming cleared wasn't the Thousand Illusions and Myriad Phases Endgame?"
"Impossible! The trial of the 100th Layer in the Myriad Layers Maze is specifically the Thousand Illusions and Myriad Phases Endgame. I've never heard of there being an alternative test."
"Right, the trial couldn't be anything else."
No matter how incredulous the crowd was, they immediately dismissed the possibility of it being anything other than the Thousand Illusions and Myriad Phases Endgame.
"There are no tricks or shortcuts in any layer of the Myriad Layers Maze. Especially for the 100th Layer. If you want to clear it, you can only rely on pure skill."
"Exactly. Since Ming could clear the 100th Layer this quickly, it proves he genuinely possesses the capability."
"The Thousand Illusions and Myriad Phases Endgame has nearly infinite computational possibilities. How did Ming manage to unravel it in such a short time? Is he a Saint-level strategist?"
A so-called Saint-level strategist referred to someone whose Dimension of Wisdom had reached the Cosmic Saint level.
The Thousand Illusions and Myriad Phases Endgame could trap a Stellar Lifeform strategist for the better part of a Reset Cycle. But in the eyes of a Saint-level strategist, it was nothing special, entirely possible to solve in just over a hundred breaths.
After all, the cognitive processing speed and computational capabilities of a Saint-level entity surpassed those of a Stellar Lifeform by an unfathomable margin.
But would a Saint-level strategist bother challenging the 100th Layer of the maze?
Cosmic Saints weren't born out of thin air. They also had to evolve from a Starry Sky Lifeform to a Stellar Lifeform, and finally to a Cosmic Lifeform.
Over such a long span of time, how could a Saint-level strategist simply ignore the 100th Layer of the Myriad Layers Maze until now?
The Thousand Illusions and Myriad Phases Endgame was undeniably difficult, but under normal circumstances, a strategist at the Mid or Late stages of the Stellar Lifeform level would have a solid chance of clearing it. It was merely a question of how much time it would take.
A Saint-level strategist challenging the 100th Layer? That was incredibly rare. This was precisely why the fastest clearance speed over the past ten million years was merely a fraction of a Reset Cycle.
"A Saint-level strategist is highly unlikely. Perhaps it's a particularly unique Stellar Lifeform strategist."
"Right, it must be an exceptionally unique Stellar Lifeform strategist at the very least."
After their heated discussions, the crowd categorized "Ming" as a special Stellar Lifeform-level strategist.
What did it mean to be special? It meant completely surpassing all other beings of the same level in a specific area.
'This Ming is truly remarkable,'
The three-pupiled man thought to himself, sighing with deep admiration after a long period of silence.
He also believed it was impossible for this person to be a Saint-level strategist. Such entities held immensely exalted statuses across the entire Thirty-Six Great Universal Human Empires.
The Dimension of Wisdom was the absolute hardest to improve among the Six Dimensions of Life. Elevating it to the Cosmic Saint level was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Currently, the Cosmic Saints of the Thirty-Six Great Universal Human Empires primarily practiced Four-Dimensional or Five-Dimensional cultivation methods, completely lacking in the cultivation of the Dimension of Wisdom.
Of course, as their Life Level continuously evolved, a Cosmic Saint wouldn't have exceptionally low intelligence even if they couldn't actively focus on the Dimension of Wisdom. They just wouldn't be anywhere near a true strategist of the same level.
Just as the three-pupiled man was staring at the newly appeared name "Ming" on the one hundredth stele.
A figure silently materialized right beside him.
This figure was a middle-aged man, with six slowly rotating pupils within his eyes.
"Third Patriarch,"
The three-pupiled man instantly bowed and greeted the middle-aged man respectfully.
This middle-aged man was his Third Patriarch, who, up until today, had been the record holder for the fastest clearance of the Thousand Illusions and Myriad Phases Endgame in the last ten million years.
The moment he noticed that "Ming" had cleared the 100th Layer, the three-pupiled man had immediately relayed the news to him.
"Mhm,"
The middle-aged man nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the name "Ming" upon the one hundredth stele.
"Third Patriarch, what do you think of this Ming?"
The three-pupiled man couldn't help but ask.
"He is not a Cosmic Saint,"
The middle-aged man fell silent for a moment, a strange gleam flashing through his eyes. "Not a Cosmic Saint?" The three-pupiled man was stunned, but he quickly realized something was amiss.
He also believed that "Ming" wasn't a Cosmic Saint, but that was ultimately just a hypothesis without any substantial evidence.
However, the tone of his Third Patriarch suggested it was more than just a mere guess.
"Why do you say that, Third Patriarch?" the three-pupiled man asked in a low voice.
"Because I cannot find a single trace of information on this Ming," the middle-aged man replied calmly.
As a strategist employed by the royal family of a High-tier Universal Human Empire, the middle-aged man possessed immense authority within the Virtual Network world, granting him the right to query the identity information of any ordinary Imperial Citizen.
Yet, when he had tried to look up Ming's data just moments ago, not only had he found nothing, but he had also received a stark warning from the Virtual Network system.
What did this imply? It meant that the identity of this "Ming" was already under the specialized protection of the Virtual Network, and his access level had been elevated to a significantly high tier.
Otherwise, even if the search yielded no results, it certainly wouldn't have triggered a systemic warning.
And if "Ming" were a Saint-level strategist, an entity whose wisdom alone was enough to dictate the rise and fall of Low-tier or Mid-tier Universal Human Empires, he wouldn't need this kind of specialized, hidden protection from the Virtual Network.
"Alright, there is no need to concern ourselves with this Ming anymore. He is destined to soar into the heavens in the future."
The middle-aged man declared before his figure vanished, logging out of the community world.
'Destined to soar into the heavens?'
The three-pupiled man was inexplicably shaken. For someone of his Third Patriarch's immense status to claim someone would soar into the heavens... just what kind of unimaginable heights would that entail?
'Hmm... so many friend requests.'
Just as Su Yuan was about to log out of the Myriad Layers Maze world, he discovered that his pending friend requests were skyrocketing at a terrifying speed.
By unraveling the Thousand Illusions and Myriad Phases Endgame in a mere hundred or so breaths, Su Yuan's reputation within the strategist circles was expanding at an explosive rate.
Factions from numerous other Universal Human Empires, and even High-tier Universal Human Empires, were now casting their attentive gazes upon him.
Although the Myriad Layers Maze was a game published by the Canglan Cosmic Human Empire, it was constantly monitored by many other Universal Human Empires. The moment a strategist with profound Potential emerged, they would not hesitate to recruit them.
Even before this current Reset Cycle, Su Yuan had received overtures from numerous organizations, including invitations from massive entities comparable to the Galaxy Corporation.
But Su Yuan had rejected them all.
As of right now, he had no intention of serving any faction.
'If the Information Matrix Qing Xu hadn't elevated my clearance, my true identity would have likely been dug up by now.'
Su Yuan thought to himself.
The Virtual Network's protection of an Imperial Citizen's identity was merely relative. Special agencies and powerhouse factions of the High-tier Universal Human Empires inherently possessed the authority to look up the data of ordinary citizens.
But now, backed by the protection of the Information Matrix Qing Xu, Su Yuan's personal identity was classified as absolute top-secret within the human race. To access his information, one would first need the explicit consent of the Information Matrix itself.
This layer of impenetrable security would bring Su Yuan tremendous benefits, making countless endeavors far more convenient in the future.
'The Information Matrix Qing Xu?'
Su Yuan fell into deep thought for a moment. The Information Matrix of the Virtual Network World was the only entity he knew of that could be considered truly immortal in a narrow sense, serving as one of the fundamental pillars and hidden foundations of the entire human race.
After all, even a Cosmic Saint was far from immortal. For instance, countless eras ago, the Great Sage Wuji—who had been universally hailed as having the absolute greatest defense of his era—still ended up dying in the deepest depths of The Abyss.
'These friend requests...'
Su Yuan glanced at the list and handpicked several hundred applications to accept.
These specific individuals were all people who would be capable of providing him with assistance in the distant future.
Shortly after approving the requests, an Imperial Citizen named "Jitian" requested permission to enter Su Yuan's Personal Space.
'Jitian...'
A strange light flickered in Su Yuan's eyes.
Out of the hundreds of people he had just accepted, this "Jitian" was the one he valued the absolute most.
Because the other party was a Cosmic Saint.
And he wasn't just any ordinary Cosmic Saint. In the near future, this man would pioneer an entirely new Universal Human Empire, expanding the human race's Territory by another massive margin.
It had to be known that founding a new Universal Human Empire—even just a Low-tier one—demanded an utterly unimaginable price.
At the very least, back in his prime, the Great Sage Wuji never entertained the idea of establishing a Universal Human Empire. It wasn't because he lacked the strength, but because the cost was far too steep.
First of all, to found an empire, one had to seize a vast tract of Territory directly from the hands of an Alien Race to serve as the empire's foundation.
But the Alien Races were hardly generous benefactors. Could their domains really be plundered so easily? Any Alien Race that had managed to survive until now was not to be trifled with. One misstep, and an aspiring pioneer could end up losing their own life in a failed conquest.
Furthermore, the human race would not offer much assistance during this process. After all, the moment the human race as a whole intervened, the political implications would completely change, immediately alarming the other Peak Racial Powers.
Secondly, even if the Territory was successfully conquered, one still needed enough manpower to govern and defend it.
Conquering a kingdom was easy; defending it was hard.
The exact same logic applied to pioneering a Universal Human Empire.
In short, establishing a new empire was an overwhelmingly arduous task. Throughout the endless eons, aside from the three High-tier Universal Human Empires, only thirty-three other Universal Human Empires had managed to survive to this day.
Hum!
Within his Personal Space, Su Yuan sat casually in a reclining chair, watching the figure materializing a short distance away.
It was a man with a gentle gaze. He didn't exude a single trace of energy, appearing no different from a perfectly ordinary Imperial Citizen.
However, Su Yuan knew perfectly well that the other party had flawlessly concealed his entire aura, demonstrating absolute mastery over his power.
As a Cosmic Saint at the very peak, Jitian's true strength was not inferior to the Great Sage Wuji in the slightest. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to carve out a new Universal Human Empire in the near future.
"Mr. Ming, I hope I am not intruding,"
Jitian, the man with the gentle gaze, spoke up with impeccable politeness.
"Not at all,"
Su Yuan replied with a faint smile. He was also observing Jitian—or more accurately, he was peering through the gray mirror, scrutinizing every tiny detail of the man's future.
"I saw that Mr. Ming cracked the Thousand Illusions and Myriad Phases Endgame in just over a hundred breaths. Filled with admiration, I simply had to come and pay you a visit," Jitian explained.
Su Yuan's expression remained perfectly serene.
Thanks to the gray mirror, the true purpose behind Jitian's visit was Crystal Clear to him.
That was exactly why he had agreed to meet with him.
The two exchanged pleasantries for a short while.
Then, Su Yuan took the initiative and said, "Mr. Jitian, if you have any questions, you may ask them directly. I will do my best to answer."
"Mr. Ming is remarkably straightforward and refreshing,"
Jitian sighed. He had initially been somewhat hesitant, but after hearing Su Yuan's blunt invitation, he decided to thoroughly seek his counsel.
"Mr. Ming, please take a look."
Jitian extended his right hand, and a massive Star Map instantly materialized between the two of them.