The Empyrean Terminus Sector, Planet Empyrean Terminus!
It had once been the capital of the Star Ocean Imperium and the heart of the civilization of mankind. It was also the place where the final battle between the Supreme Emperor and the Mad Armageddon, two unparalleled experts of mankind, had taken place ten thousand years ago!
In the legends, because the battle between the Supreme Emperor and the Mad Armageddon was too fierce, the whole of Empyreal Terminus, and even the entire Sector, had been shattered into countless fragments!
But right now, the weird ‘Star Child No.19’ claimed that the Imperium of True Human Beings was established on the debris of Empyreal Terminus a thousand years ago!
All seven Cultivators, including Li Yao, gasped at the shocking news. Their brains completely went blank.
Is he fooling us? Is he trying to buy himself more time? But what is he buying time for right now?
Li Yao thought quickly and tried to escape from the weird illusion. However, the soul power of the star child was too tremendous. The illusionary world he had built was so vivid that Li Yao could not find any loopholes. He even felt that this was the real world and he had been in a dream until then!
Li Yao was very clear that, when the black liquid that was spreading on his legs completely consumed him, his brain would be occupied by the will of the star child, and he would become the star child’s puppet!
He had to break the illusion!
In order to break the illusion, he needed to find a loophole first!
Star Child No.19 seemed to see through what was on his mind. He said casually, “Are you suspecting that I lied?
“Believe me. There is no need for me to lie right now. I’m very interested in a sincere communication with the seven unparalleled experts of the Flying Star Sector and showing the formidability of the Imperium of True Human Beings to you.
“If possible, I do not want to burn the Flying Star Sector to the ground, either. After all, every Cultivator in this place can be an excellent warrior of the Imperium of True Human Beings to fight for the future of the civilization of mankind. Wouldn’t it be a shame if you are killed in internal strife?
“If you are worried that I’m deliberately procrastinating, or if you are deliberately procrastinating, then just stop wasting your time. You are in the world of my brain. In this place, our communication is established purely telepathically. No matter how much we talk, it will be only several seconds in the real world.
“99% of my plan has worked out. The glow of the imperium will soon illuminate this dim world. Nobody can stop it. There are only two roads in front of you. You either bend and integrate, or you are obliterated!”
Ripples suddenly spread out in the space behind Star Child No.19. Like an overwhelming light beam, it displayed something brand new.
It was another space zone that was plagued by the fire of war. The crystal warships of countless Cultivators and space pirates were involved in a gory battle. Corpses and debris were floating in space, reflecting eye-catching colors under the illumination of mystic rays.
Li Yao and the other six Cultivators were no strangers to the space zone.
It was the Spider Den Space Zone, the nest of the space pirates.
Behind the battlefield, the space gate was particularly attention-grabbing.
The lighthouse, made up almost a hundred super star beacons, was adjusting its structure and being manipulated by a mysterious strength, changing from a perfect tube into a lozenge that looked like a diamond.
Starting from the bottom of the diamond, star beacons were illuminated one after another. The intensity of their brightness far exceeded everybody’s imagination.
Star Child No.19 smiled and said, “You think that the Grand Illusionary Soldier Project is the focus of the Immortal Cultivators and that the space gate is just a piece of insignificant magical equipment that has only been repaired because the Grand Illusionary Soldiers and the Cultivators need to be mobilized to the Spider Den Space Zone, don’t you?
“You are terribly wrong.
“The Grand Illusionary Soldier Project is, of course, very important. If it works out, I will be able to control the Flying Star Sector decades in advance. Then, in a few more decades, I will be able to transform the Flying Star Sector into the Imperium of True Human Beings and all the Cultivators into the Immortal Cultivators. The imperium will have a lot of backup soldiers.
“However, it is not the key of the plan. The real key is the ‘space gate’ that none of you have ever paid attention to!
“Ten thousand years ago, Spider Den was one of the most important mining planets of the Star Ocean Imperium. At that time, the imperium built a lot of super star beacons that allowed the crystal warships and carriers of all the other Sectors to jump to his place instantly.
“However, after ten thousand years, most of the star beacons have run out of their spiritual energy or are serious damaged.
“Right now, the super star beacons are shining again.
“With my precise calculation and distribution, the resonation of mystic rays and the radiation they send out will not only illuminate the entire Flying Star Sector but also reach the Empyrean Terminus Space Zone, where the signals will be caught by the ‘stargazers’ of the Imperium of True Human Beings.
“Hehehehe. You think that the space gate is meant to guide the way for the army of the Flying Star Sector so that they can jump to the Spider Den Space Zone simultaneously?
“No. Its real purpose is to guide the way for the army of the Imperium of True Human Beings and to inform them of the precise coordinates of the Flying Star Sector!
“With the precise coordinates, it won’t be long before the expedition army of the imperium marches to this world. You and your Sector alone are far from enough to compete with the imperium!
“You have already lost!”
His words frozen all the Cultivators’ heart and brain instantly.
…
In space, in Heavenly Saints City, in the Spider Den Space Zone, and in dozens of other space zones of the Flying Star Sector, countless Grand Illusionary Soldiers, which had just entered their idle mode, stood up again after a period of beeping sounds, with coldness beaming out of their eyes, surrounded by dazzling electric arcs!
It was the same on Heavenly Phantom. Except for some of the Grand Illusionary Soldiers on the bridge and inside the control room of the star brain, which were still under the control of Professor Mo Xuan, the majority of the Grand Illusionary Soldiers fell into the star brain’s hands again and charged at the bridge.
Both parties were Grand Illusionary Soldiers, and the battle was quite evenly-matched. However, there were fare more Grand Illusionary Soldiers under the star brain’s control than those under Mo Xuan’s. It would only be a matter of time before they broke into the bridge.
“What has happened? The enemy’s computational ability soared all of a sudden and annihilated the virus we planted!”
“I sensed that the enemy’s thinking pattern underwent drastic changes. It seems that the star brain… possess self-awareness now!”
“Huh? Would that make it just like us?”
The five star spirits looked at each other in bewilderment.
“Li Yao and the other Cultivators must be in an unimaginable crisis. The star brain is much more terrifying than we expected. We are definitely no match for it in the competition of computational ability!”
There was unwavering determination in Professor Mo Xuan’s voice, as he said, “There is only one way to counterattack now. We march inside ourselves!”
“Professor?”
The other four star spirits were confused.
“The enemy’s computational ability is higher than ours. It has most of the Spiritual Nexus under its control, too. Fighting against it online is a dead end. But don’t forget—”
Professor Mo Xuan smiled and then continued. “Don’t forget that the body of the star brain is just regular metal and crystals. But our bodies are made of the mustard-seed liquid metals from the Star Ocean Imperium that can swallow other metals and crystals to reproduce!
“We are definitely no match for the star brain in terms of computational ability, but physically… we can totally devour it!”
“Devour it?”
The four star spirits were dazed. They then waved their hands merrily. “Right! Right! We will swallow the crystal chips and the computational arrays that constitute the body of the star brain. Let’s see what it can compute when all its materials are gone!
“Its life form is similar to ours. Chances are that our ability will be increased a lot after we swallow it!”
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Liquid metal that looked like mercury leaked out of the five artificial bodies and quickly flowed to the control room of the star brain along the tubes and gaps of the starship!
The five star spirits were very clear that, as easy as the process sounded, it would definitely be the most perilous battle since they had become star spirits.
Nobody was sure whether they would swallow the star brain or be manipulated by the star brain with its immense computational ability!
But this was their only choice right now.
“If we digest the star brain and improve our computation ability to the maximum, we will certainly be able to activate the super crystal processor system in the Star Prier’s House. Then, we will locate the Heaven’s Origin Sector and find our way home!
“Let’s go, Cultivators from the Heaven’s Origin Sector!”
…
In the illusion built by the star brain, a grandiose new world was slowly rising in the endless flames of war.
“Ten thousand years ago, the final battle between the Supreme Emperor and the Mad Armageddon almost destroyed the Empyreal Terminus Sector. However, this place was the heart of the civilization of mankind. We had the most powerful magical equipment, the most advanced training facilities, and the most sophisticated techniques.
“Soon after the final battle, countless experts of mankind crowded into the Empyrean Terminus Sector from various places and struggled to survive the disaster.
“However, it was not just the human beings who were aware of the value of the Empyreal Terminus Sector. The demon race, the extraterrestrial devils, and all kinds of bizarre alien species in the universe discovered it, too.
“The collisions between the Supreme Emperor and the Mad Armageddon was too powerful. They ignited a torch in a dark forest. As a result, countless hunters lurking in the shadows discovered traces of new prey!
“Therefore, for the ten thousand years, fighting has never ceased in the Empyrean Terminus Sector!
“The Empyreal Terminus Sector became a world of bloody battles. Wars, massacres, and destruction have filled every second of the past ten thousand years!
“The Imperium of True Human Beings was established exactly in such a world of bloody battles!”
The illusion behind the star child suddenly changed into magnificent metropolises, sky-blocking warship, and countless experts that were soaring up and roaring in the sea of stars!
Crushed by the experts, the hideous demons and the alien species were all blown to smithereens and ended up as meat patties and oceans of blood after miserable screams!
“We are the brand-new human beings that have evolved in the bloody battles of ten thousand years. The Imperium of True Human Beings is a new summit of the civilization of mankind as well as the only future for humanity in the dark forest!”