A supernova explosion was one of the most violent phenomena in the universe. Even this smaller, artificial imitation still left Xiao Yu inwardly shaken by its terrifying power. Fortunately, because it was a man-made, inferior product, this particular supernova did not last long.
It was precisely because of this that Xiao Yu was able to barely hold on. Otherwise, the stellar cannon would have been completely destroyed, and if that had happened, Xiao Yu would have been lucky if even one hundred thousand of his 1.2 million ships survived.
When the first and most violent wave of the explosion finally ended, the stellar cannon, used as Xiao Yu’s shield, had already lost six full kilometers from its diameter. Of the millions of engines, barely a few hundred thousand remained. But it had endured. It had shielded Xiao Yu’s fleet from catastrophic losses.
In just three days, the star rapidly dimmed, or more accurately, its corpse dimmed. At the center of the system now remained only a white dwarf, small in volume, extremely dense. During the explosion it had shed an immense amount of mass, pushing the orbit of its surrounding planets outward by over ten million kilometers.
This star had now been erased from the universe. Born from a nebula, it ended by scattering its body back into one. Aside from the lonely white dwarf, nothing remained to testify that it had ever existed.
The environment of this star system was still hostile. The vast stellar debris had completely reshaped it. High-energy radiation, though greatly diminished compared to the initial blast, still remained at levels sufficient to kill any form of life. This was, beyond doubt, a true hell.
The Molian soldiers, who had personally witnessed the total destruction of their star, had completely lost their will to fight. Xiao Yu did not let them go. Once the most dangerous period of the supernova had passed, he launched his fleet to wipe out the last remnants of the Molian Civilization, annihilating their remaining forces in this system.
It was over. Xiao Yu had obtained the complete Level 5 Civilization technology tree. The envoy of the Guardian Civilization had retreated. Now, there was no longer any power that could threaten his safety.
“Time to leave.” Xiao Yu thought silently, directing his vast fleet to slowly head toward the edge of the system.
The star system had been reduced to complete ruin. The Molian Civilization’s capital planet had become a lifeless husk. The star’s overwhelming energy had reforged its surface entirely, no more towering mountains, no more ten-thousand-meter-deep oceans, no more thick atmosphere. Nothing remained. Looking at it now, one would never believe that just days ago it had been a vibrant, living world.Its surface temperature was still extremely high, but with the supernova’s most violent stage past, and with the white dwarf unable to sustain such enormous energy radiation, it meant the planet’s temperature would gradually cool in the long ages to come. Without stellar heat, it would eventually become a frozen, dead world.
This star system was completely destroyed.
This was war at the level of a Level 5 Civilization. Such wars could affect more than a dozen star systems. The destruction of one or two stars was not unimaginable at all. Xiao Yu began to imagine what war between Level 6 Civilizations would be like.
He had witnessed such a scene once, when the half Four-Dimensional Taihao from the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Guardian Civilization, several other Level 6 Civilizations, and hundreds of Level 5 Civilizations joined forces to besiege the Sweeper Civilization. Xiao Yu had not dared to personally survey the battlefield afterward, but he was certain of one thing, within that region spanning hundreds of light-years, at least dozens of stars had been destroyed.
Xiao Yu began to ponder a matter, that of so-called ‘Luck Value’ and the saying that ‘the universe hates intelligent life.’
“Perhaps the existence of Luck Value has a deeper reason. The idea that the universe itself detests the presence of intelligent life is not without logic. A civilization brings enormous changes to the natural environment. Even without war, a Level 5 Civilization with tens of billions of people would severely erode at least hundreds of planets. And that is only Level 5. If it were a Level 6 Civilization, it would open up its own small universes, directly influencing the fabric of space itself. As for the ethereal Level 7 Civilizations and those even higher, who knows what incredible methods they possess? If the universe had its own consciousness, of course it would instinctively dislike such alterations.”
“But one thing I don’t understand, the half Four-Dimensional Taihao once told me that the universe hates such changes. Yet it is not a collective consciousness, it has no independent self-awareness. So why would it hate?”
“Luck Value… Luck Value… Destroying other civilizations can increase one’s Luck Value. On the surface, it seems as though the universe itself is encouraging intelligent beings to slaughter one another, reducing the number of civilizations through such means. But doesn’t the universe know? War itself is a form of communication, a means of driving civilization’s progress. I am the clearest example. Without war, I could never have grown this quickly. To use a simple comparison, if destroying one hundred Level 3 Civilizations allowed me to advance into a Level 5 Civilization, the total number of civilizations would indeed be reduced, but I would become far stronger. And as a Level 5 Civilization, the impact I could inflict on the universe would certainly be greater than the combined influence of a hundred Level 3 Civilizations. From this perspective, the increase in Luck Value seems like a losing bargain. So then… why would such a system exist?”
Xiao Yu’s heart was filled with doubt.
The mysterious Taihao Civilization, the elusive Level 7 Civilizations, the seemingly contradictory idea of Luck Value, war and peace, growth and death, all of it tangled endlessly in Xiao Yu’s mind, leaving him with the constant feeling that a fog hung before his eyes, obscuring the road ahead.
“For now, best not to dwell on these things.” Xiao Yu sighed lightly. “As I grow stronger, one day I will come into contact with them. Every mist must be cleared by me, every mystery answered.”
“Then… Molian Civilization, farewell. I’m busy, and I have no interest in chasing your remnants through other star systems. I hope you won’t come to bother me again either.”
He glanced once more at the white dwarf, then, after uniting the biological army with his fleet, Xiao Yu set off on his long journey.
The complete Level 5 Civilization technology tree he had obtained from the Molian Civilization needed to be digested. His fleet, heavily battered, required time to recover. In such a situation, the proper course was to find a remote, inconspicuous star system and quietly rest.
“Well, star systems are mostly alike. Any one will do. Let’s just leave here first.” Xiao Yu thought as he guided his fleet onto the road of voyage.
There were many kinds of stars. Dividing them by mass into categories like red dwarfs, yellow dwarfs, subgiants, and blue giants was only the most superficial method. In truth, by spectrum, metallicity, age, and other factors, Xiao Yu could sort stars into tens of thousands of classes. But all of that mattered only for scientific research; it had no effect on his choice of destination.
No matter the type, so long as planets were present, it was enough. Planets meant resources, and with sufficient resources, his growth could be sustained. The choices available to Xiao Yu were countless, scattered everywhere.
Within the biological army, damage statistics had already been compiled, and the roll of fallen warriors completed and distributed to every Home ship. At this moment, more than seventy Home ships and tens of billions of intelligent beings were immersed in grief.
“For the growth of our Divine Ark Civilization, these brave warriors gave their lives. With their lives as the price, they pushed our civilization forward.”
“Their deaths have bought today’s victory. Our Divine Ark Civilization is like a towering building, and these warriors are the stones and bricks that form it. Their names will forever be remembered by us, their deeds forever spread among us. They are all heroes. Today, we grieve for their passing, but grief alone is not enough. We must inherit their will, make our Divine Ark Civilization stronger still. Only then can we comfort the spirits of the heroes above.”
At this moment, Xiao Yu presided over the memorial service for the fallen warriors. His personal appearance meant that this was the highest-level memorial possible. Across dozens of Home ships, tens of billions of intelligent beings were watching through every available means.
“I will build a Hall of Heroes in every Home ship, so that all may come and pay respects. The heroes’ deeds will never be forgotten by us.” Xiao Yu spoke calmly, while solemn silence filled the Home ships.
The populace spontaneously began holding grand commemorations. On the very first day after the Halls of Heroes were built, they were covered in flowers.
“The road ahead holds infinite possibilities and infinite hope. No matter the cost, we must march forward with strength, must we not?” Xiao Yu smiled as he spoke. “The Divine Ark Civilization will advance, and it will never stop.”