CH 167.4

Da Bai didn’t come empty-handed this time; he brought a large number of spiritual treasures, ranging from spiritual plants to spiritual artifacts. According to Da Bai, after they left, because the timelines of the two dimensions were different, hundreds of years had passed on the Huanxing Continent. Once the spiritual energy stabilized, the Huanxing Continent began to recover, and the cycle of reincarnation was established. Those lingering resentful energies that had nowhere to go re-entered the cycle and became new life forms.

The Huanxing Continent had once again birthed many treasures. This time, it was not the beautiful dream woven by Meng Mo Li but a genuine world—a prosperous, abundant, and lively world.

Because the spacetime channel was still unstable, Da Bai only stayed for less than a month before leaving. However, he learned about the situation on the Cang Zhan Star and heard about the Higher-dimensional Civilization, expressing his intention to help in some way, although he didn’t specify how.

After Da Bai’s departure, the greening efforts in the southern hemisphere continued, even during the winter. They used talismans and formations for their work, striving to plant more spirit trees before the arrival of the Higher-dimensional Civilization next year.

They crossed the harsh winter, and in the seventh year of the Era of Apocalypse, the prophesied year of destruction finally arrived!

Based on the images in Qing Mengxing’s prophecy, they deduced that the Higher-dimensional Civilization would arrive during the transition between the rainy season and the dry season, which meant they had three more months.

Thanks to Xie Feng’s development of long-distance communication, the practitioners of the Shui Jing Gong were stationed at various communication points well in advance. Their task was to connect the protective formations using their spiritual energy, creating a massive protective formation that would encompass the entire Cang Zhan Star.

The greening efforts in the southern hemisphere progressed smoothly, and with a substantial supply of high-quality spirit stones, there were no issues with the protective formations.

This year’s rainy season was not as terrifying as the previous ones, with abundant rainfall but without the world-engulfing floods. The rainy season had become milder, nourishing the earth along with the melting snow, and setting the stage for the upcoming months of planting.

On the 27th day of the rainy season, the number of protective formations in the southern hemisphere reached the expected target. On the 39th day of the rainy season, Tornado Mountain became the second spiritual energy support point for the southern hemisphere, and the protective formations were established. On the 48th day of the rainy season, there were one to ten practitioners standing on each of the major protective formations in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

These individuals were carefully selected by the Shui Jing Gong for their exceptional talents and their ability to proficiently control and communicate with spiritual energy.

At noon on the 48th day of the rainy season, following the orders issued by Xie Feng through their earpieces, all the protective formations worldwide emitted a soft, bright light, resembling stars. One by one, they transformed into a vast sea of light until, finally, the entire world was illuminated!

At the moment when the protective formations were completed, the Cang Zhan Star erupted in a dazzling radiance. As a small celestial body, the burst of light momentarily overshadowed the blazing stars in its vicinity in the cosmos.

Cheng Que stood on Cang Zhan Star, looking up at the azure sky. At this moment, he couldn’t see anything, but he knew that this scene had occurred in the previous life. However, in the previous life, it happened at the moment when the Higher-dimensional Civilization arrived. So, in this life, they had indeed completed the protection in advance.

In the monitoring center of the Galactic Alliance, the monitoring station emitted a harsh alert sound. “Warning! Asteroid H00462 has lost contact! Warning! Asteroid H00462 has lost contact! Warning! Asteroid H00462 has lost contact!”

The warning was repeated three times, but in reality, there was no need for the reminder. People near the celestial body could see that bright, gem-like star with their naked eyes. However, that brilliance only lasted for a few minutes before once again vanishing into the cosmos.

Nevertheless, this anomaly was enough to catch the attention of the Galactic Alliance. They immediately dispatched a large number of probes and spacecraft to approach. However, they quickly discovered that all foreign objects couldn’t get close to that area. Near Cang Zhan Star, time and space had twisted, and with their current technology, they had no way of reaching it.

“What’s going on? Didn’t they say Cang Zhan Star had entered the Era of Apocalypse? How could there be a super-dimensional phenomenon!”

“Hurry, investigate! Don’t forget, there’s Gu Langu in that star! We absolutely cannot let him come out!”

“The Gu family sent a message, requesting enhanced monitoring, or even a planet-breaking attack!”

“All detection devices have malfunctioned, and we can’t examine the star’s conditions!”

“The planet’s surface has a dimension higher than our current technology can handle; this is the 347th failed attempt!”

One piece of information and report after another converged at the Galactic Alliance’s central command. The leaders of the Galactic Alliance had expressions as grim as the bottom of a pot. They truly hadn’t anticipated this situation. What had happened to Cang Zhan Star? No one knew, and no one could guess.

Until…

“Warning! Detection of superluminal matter approaching! Warning! Detection of superluminal matter approaching! Warning! Detection of superluminal matter approaching!”

“Warning! Higher-dimensional Civilization spacecraft docked in the Zeo Energy Zone! Warning! Higher-dimensional Civilization…”

“Warning! The Higher-dimensional Civilization scanner scanned the Xian Ge Galaxy and the Canghai Galaxy, taking 1’12″0711 minute 12 seconds 7 millisecond! Warning! The Higher-dimensional Civilization has hostile intent! Warning! The Higher-dimensional Civilization has clear hostile intent. Warning! The Higher-dimensional Civilization has launched a space compression device! Warning, dimensional descent initiated! Warning! No countermeasure technology available! Warning! No escape technology available! Warning! Dimensional descent will be completed in 7’21”27 minutes 21 seconds! Warning! Warning! Warning…”

The piercing, shrill alarms echoed throughout the entire Galactic Alliance! At that moment, not a single person screamed. It wasn’t until the detectors could only repeat the simple word “warning” and couldn’t even provide evacuation instructions that the reality of the situation sank in!

A colossal wave of despair swept over them! In 7 minutes and 21 seconds, what could they do? They feared they wouldn’t even have time for tears or a chance to see their families again!

How could this be happening? Today’s sun was no different from usual, and even breakfast was the same as always. So why was this happening?

In the last three minutes of dimensional descent, the entire galaxy was put on the highest crisis alert. The entire Canghai Galaxy plunged into enormous panic. What kind of scene was it? Whether viewed on the scale of the entire galaxy or zoomed in to a single planet, it was a landscape of confusion, bewilderment, helplessness, fear, and overwhelming despair.

Screams that had become meaningless filled the air, tears flowed, and the sky was filled with the cold, mechanical warnings from the detectors, but it was all futile. Some people fled in their spacecraft in a panicked escape from the stars, but the order that once existed was lost, leading to collisions and out-of-control craft exploding in the sky.

Others clung tightly to their most cherished loved ones, standing quietly by the window, watching the absurd and sudden arrival of doomsday outside.

Seven minutes and twenty-one seconds later, the entire universe returned to silence. Yes, utter silence, a more profound form of doomsday.

Some perished in the moment of dimensional descent, while others survived. Some became as thin as a sheet of paper, and some could touch their own bones without feeling pain. Some saw a distant rock on another planet, and some could no longer see anything at all.

All the cries were frozen in the crumbling spacetime. The Canghai Galaxy and Xian Ge Galaxy, after the compression of space, had become hollow emptiness.

They were compressed into a tiny button, an infinite space that was both infinitely small and infinitely large. It was a world they couldn’t comprehend, and they didn’t know why they were still alive in this kind of spacetime, nor did they understand where they were.

Some people rapidly aged, turning into withered corpses, and then their bodies disintegrated into dust. Some people grew younger gradually, becoming babies, and eventually turning into embryos, vanishing into nothingness. Yes, the beginning and the end were the same—there was nothing.

In this endless chaotic spacetime, there was one planet emitting a radiant light, dazzling, serene, and perfect! There! It was the Cang Zhan Star!

Some went mad, some were bewildered, some were perplexed, and some suddenly realized.

The unsolvable questions from not long ago finally found an answer. What was Cang Zhan Star doing? It was saving itself, and it succeeded! How ironic that the forsaken wasteland, the planet once labeled as a prison, had become everyone’s longing.

In this disorderly spacetime, when everyone thought they were going to continue living without meaning or die without consequence, a voice suddenly echoed in their minds. “Mang Ya 003 is at your service. Would you like to bind?”

Perhaps it was just a few minutes, or perhaps it was tens of thousands of years of silence that made the voice seem like an illusion. After a long while, their sluggish minds gave a response. “I’m willing!” Whatever you are, whatever you want to do, as long as it means escaping this despair, I’m willing!

“System binding in progress, binding successful! Welcome to the Shui Jing Gong System. Based on your traits, the following missions are available for you to choose from: Love Strategy Group, Apocalypse Rescue Group, Daily Slack Off Group, and Supporting Character Revenge Group. Please make your selection.”

The person, still in a daze, couldn’t distinguish the details but felt it didn’t matter. As long as they could grasp this last straw, anything was acceptable.

“Alright, you’ve been assigned to the Supporting Character Revenge Group. For the next ten worlds, please guide us. I am Mang Ya 003, cutie ~ We have a long journey ahead ~”

The formerly serious system suddenly became eccentric. The person’s vision darkened, and both their body and mind disappeared from the twisted spacetime, transported to another dimension.

On Cang Zhan Star, the sky remained blue, as if the impending apocalypse from the outside world had nothing to do with them. However, everyone on Cang Zhan Star knew that they had narrowly avoided being crushed to pieces. When the spatial compression swept over, the protective array of the planet cracked under immense pressure, even sparking purple electrical discharges. The advanced civilization was still too formidable, and the protective array alone wasn’t sufficient. Fortunately, at a critical moment, Da Bai transmitted a large amount of spiritual energy through the spacetime channel from the Huanxing Continent.

It was the protective array that prevented them from being crushed into fragments, bearing the immense pressure and stabilizing through the spatial compression.

The advanced civilization was overly confident, or perhaps their technology couldn’t support detailed observations of the compressed space’s interior. In any case, Cang Zhan Star survived.

“But continuing like this won’t work. The advanced civilization will continuously extract energy from the compressed space, and they will eventually discover it!” Cheng Que hadn’t seen Cang Zhan Star’s final fate in the previous life, but if it was discovered by the advanced civilization, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“Let them discover it! Hmph! Are we afraid of them?” Da Bai sneered.

Xie Feng shrugged. “There’s some good news. The sub-system is now operational. It has the ability to traverse through time and space, can bind with people from the outside world, obtain energy by assigning tasks to them, and then transfer those people to Cang Zhan Star.”

“Can Cang Zhan Star accommodate them?”

“It can’t, but there’s also the Huanxing Continent. As long as Cang Zhan Star doesn’t perish, the Canghai Galaxy still exists. Sooner or later, the dimensions will shift back, and we can rebuild the Canghai Galaxy!” Shu Shuishui reassured. “By the way, can the sub-system also bind with Gu Lanyi? Xiao Yi Yi is probably terrified right now.”

The little frog proudly raised its head. “No problem, it’s just using connections, I get it!” Although it didn’t know who Gu Lanyi was, the name alone indicated that they were from the Gu-Shu Clan.

Most of the people present were residents of the Canghai Galaxy. At the moment of Canghai Galaxy’s destruction, they had observed it through instruments created by Xie Feng. Their hearts couldn’t help but feel a sense of bitterness. Despite being exiled to Cang Zhan Star for various reasons, the Canghai Galaxy was still the place that nurtured them.

“In fact, I think it’s not only a coincidence that we all gathered on this barren star,” Shu Shuishui’s words drew the attention of everyone present.

Shu Shuishui went on to explain one by one. “Gu Gu ended up here, my arrival through time travel was a coincidence, Shi An’an and Little Green coming to this timeline were coincidences, Xiao Cheng Cheng ending up on Cang Zhan Star was a coincidence, Xiao Feng Feng joining the Shui Jing Gong was a coincidence, the simulator gathering because of Little Tornado was a coincidence, even Little Green becoming the main god is a coincidence. The two simulator dungeons we tackled in succession were coincidences, and Xiao Xing Xing and Xiao Po Po coming here were also coincidences. Who could manipulate so many coincidences?”

People fell into contemplation. Indeed, the ability to save Cang Zhan Star relied on these indispensable coincidences. However, were there just too many coincidences?

“Before this, you all mentioned that the Xian Ge Galaxy has its own consciousness, and it conveys the message of impending disaster to the life forms of the Xian Ge Galaxy by repeatedly playing exquisite songs. So why didn’t the Canghai Galaxy, which is on par with the Xian Ge Galaxy, provide any hints?” This question had been raised a long time ago but hadn’t been explained.

“What Shui Shui means is that the hint from the Canghai Galaxy was gathering us together! Compared to the hint from the Xian Ge Galaxy, the Canghai Galaxy is taking action to save itself!” Nan Ge expressed surprise. “If that’s the case, does it imply that the Canghai Galaxy has a higher level than the Xian Ge Galaxy?”

However, the system spoke up at this moment. “I don’t think it’s that the Canghai Galaxy has a higher level than the Xian Ge Galaxy, but rather that the price it paid was heavier. Systems like us typically engage in fast-travel tasks, which means we switch from one world to another. This isn’t because our ability to traverse time and space is strong, but because if we stay in one world for too long, we’ll be rejected by the original world’s world consciousness. But here, I don’t feel rejection; instead, it’s like scrutiny and acceptance. That’s also one of the reasons why I agreed to stay here and evolve into the main god. I guess the original world consciousness of the Canghai Galaxy was punished for intervening in the system’s issues without authorization by a higher-level cosmic consciousness. The world consciousness may have strict limitations and requirements, at most providing subtle hints like the Xian Ge Galaxy. If exceeded, the outcome might not be optimistic.”

Silence spread for a moment. If the system’s guess was correct, then none of them coming to Cang Zhan Star was accidental but rather destined from the depths of fate. Even the system itself was chosen as the new inheritor by the Canghai Galaxy, which knew it would face punishment.

Yu Jin clenched his teeth. “Don’t make it so sentimental; it’s just coincidences!” His reddened eyes, however, lacked convincing power. He knew that so many coincidences didn’t really seem like coincidences.

Nan Ge patted Yu Jin’s shoulder. “No matter what, we still have a long way to go, at least until we reach the seventh-dimensional civilization before we qualify to rebuild the Canghai Galaxy!”

In this catastrophe, not only countless lives perished but also the unknown and silent Canghai Galaxy, which had done everything. Even the people couldn’t be sure of its existence, but it seemed like it had always been there, piecing together the last remaining hope amidst the despair. Who would willingly die? Who would willingly be devoured by someone else? Even if it truly disappeared at this point, they would give their all to leave behind a glimmer of hope.

In the following period, the Little Green Frog system became the busiest person in the Shui Jing Gong, while the clones of Mang Ya became the first group of people to be bound to the system. However, their binding was not to complete tasks but to become a part of the sub-system, just like the original Mang Ya. This way, the sub-system also had its independent intelligence.

Some of Mang Ya’s clones accepted binding to experience the scenery of different times and spaces, while others chose not to bind the system and died on Cang Zhan Star like ordinary people. But regardless of which choice they made, it was where their hearts truly belonged.

Though the Canghai Galaxy and the Xian Ge Galaxy had been destroyed in chaos, a seed named Cang Zhan Star quietly took root and sprouted. With the support and nourishment of the Huanxing Continent, it would one day grow into a towering tree and rise again. For nothing can be built without being broken first, nothing can be born without perishing first, otherwise, where would myths and legends come from?

Cang Zhan Star stumbled along a dark path filled with thorns and challenges, but it didn’t matter because they were not alone. This collision was not just between Cang Zhan Star and the high-dimensional civilization; it was a collision of two timelines.

Huanxing Continent was willing to bear the risks of colliding with the high-dimensional temporal civilization, just as Shu Shuishui promised. It became their mighty support. Under the leadership of those skilled in creating miracles, they would personally forge a new myth.

This was destined to be a legendary timeline. In this timeline, the chaotic space reunited lost loved ones, allowed Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu to have each other once more, and gave the displaced Canghai Galaxy a glimmer of hope.

Many years later, we reunite in the Canghai Galaxy, live alongside the Xian Ge Galaxy, and the path we’ve walked together is nothing short of a legend.

We celebrate saving you, rejoice in embracing you, and find the greatest happiness in having you!