The circular passageway retracted slowly, turning into a metal ball the size of dozens of cubic meters. It was taken back by the battleship, like the bait being swallowed by a huge fish.
The battleship was painted with the emblem of the Central Star Fleet, which was intermittently visible under the glow of the distant permanent star.
Seeing the battleship leave slowly and vanish into the space after turning into a rainbow, Jing Jiu was still standing by the window, deep in thought.
Hua Xi pushed the medical cabin out of the room and started boiling tea for Jing Jiu. "Are you worried?" she asked casually.
Thinking of what Jian Xilai had said earlier, Jing Jiu looked at the glinting ring, wondering when Ran Handong would send him the news. "I want to know everything that has happened to Jian Xilai," he said.
Hua Xi didn't pretend to know nothing as naively as before. Looking at the reddish lines on the surface of the iron kettle, she remarked softly, "You're actually concerned about others' affairs."
Jing Jiu said, "Others' affairs are often our affairs."
After a moment of silence, Hua Xi said, "The military is keeping a close watch on those secret bases. I need some time."
…
…
A few days later, the Scorching-Sun Battleship returned to the outer edge of the Galaxy 857. Like before, it didn't approach the dark planet. Jing Jiu led Hua Xi back to the circular base. The young biochemical officer wasn't waiting for them in the suite; it was unclear where he had gone.
The monotonous footsteps rang out in the quiet circular passageway.
Jing Jiu walked to the deep part of the base. He glanced at the alloy wall when he passed by the floor-to-ceiling window, but he didn't find any traces.
The bald Professor Long was nowhere to be found. It was unclear where he had gone.
Those professors and scholars were focused on their own research, so they had no idea what had happened in the outside world, nor did they know that an explosion had taken place on that holiday planet and what kind of danger the humans had encountered. It wasn't until those colleagues who had gone on vacation came back that the discussions broke out in the laboratory.
Passing through the transparent passageway where the lava came up and following the guidance of the formation of Yimaozhai, Jing Jiu landed on the cliff and pushed open the heavy bronze door. It was still the same patch of starry sky behind the door, but it looked a bit different in his eyes after a few days of traveling. He felt more familiar with it and more intimate with it. He had been involved in some karma after all.
Ceng Ju sat cross-legged in the air with his eyes closed. He was a little tired. The starry sky shone on his face, adding a sense of holiness.
Jing Jiu knew that this Sage was deducing and calculating the plan to ignite a star. He did not know how many years he had been thinking about it and how many more years he would need to think about it without Jing Jiu. Then, he thought of the scholars specially recruited by the military. They spent their entire lives doing research in this circular base, burning their lives and offering their wisdom until they died.
"Is it worth it?" he asked.
"The scholars and soldiers in the circular base and many other places will never be able to return to human society. They won't be able to have a normal or ordinary life. And the human society didn't even know what they had contributed to the war until they died. More importantly, they probably couldn't witness the decisive battle between the humans and the Sea of Dark Matter until the day they died. It's hard to say whether it's worth it or not, but it's for each individual. " Ceng Ju opened his eyes, looked at him, and said calmly, "I don't avoid it because of fortune or misfortune, because this is a catastrophe for the entire human race, and it is impossible to avoid it. Therefore, I don't think of myself and the human race as very great."
"That's a good answer," said Jing Jiu.
Ceng Ju said to Jing Jiu in a gratified tone, "Now that you're back, you should have your own answer."
It was true that if Jing Jiu wasn't willing to accept the request of the cocoon breakers and fight for the future of the human civilization for the rest of his life, why would he come back?
"As far as those scholars are concerned, such a life isn't too hard. They can meet like-minded colleagues and have access to the most advanced technological knowledge of the human civilization and the precious treasures left behind by the distant ancient civilization. It's hard to find such a happy life in the human society. There are many recreational facilities in the base, and they can also take vacations and have a family life. Of course, all of this is meaningless to you … "
Ceng Ju turned off the tracking program of the space probe and flew back to the edge of the cliff. "Why are you hesitating?" he asked Jing Jiu.
"Have you been managing this formation underground all these years?" asked Jing Jiu.
Ceng Ju said, "The closer the place is to Chaotian, the greater the difference in the flow of time. It's comparatively smaller in other places. I've been here for more than two hundred years, and I've gone out a dozen times during this period. It's not hard to endure."
When a crack in the dimensional space appeared on the Huangyu No. 3 Planet nine years ago, this Saint was the first one to rush over and stayed there for a long time at great risk.
Though the fairy bodies of the ascendants wouldn't be contaminated by those spores, it would still cause problems if they stayed in contact with the Sea of Dark Matter for a long time.
A few days ago, the Central Star Fleet had suddenly been contaminated by the spores, and it was he who rushed over to help Shen Yunmai stabilize the situation.
It could be imagined that Ceng Ju had left the 857 Base a dozen times not for a vacation or for relaxation, but for a dangerous mission.
Because of Bu Qiuxiao and Xi Yiyun, Jing Jiu had a good impression of Yimaozhai. The main reason was that Liu Shisui should have become the house master of Yimaozhai.
Jing Jiu had a good impression of Ceng Ju, so he decided to be more direct with him. "I have a question," he said.
Last time he asked Jing Jiu what weapon the distant ancient civilization had used to destroy the 857 Planet, and Jing Jiu said that General Li would tell him. Besides that, he had other questions.
"The Old Dragon, the Unicorn and the Round Turtle didn't ascend, but there should have been other ascendants before the humans."
Jing Jiu went on, "For instance, the Rosefinch in the legend, and the Giants on the ocean. Where are they?"
"The Federation of the Milky Way hadn't recovered yet, and that being hadn't woken up yet. It was too long ago, so there aren't many records about it."
Ceng Ju continued, "According to our calculation, those powerful beings might have tried to cross the vast milky way; of course, they might have encountered the Sea of Dark Matter."
"What is the Mother Nest?" asked Jing Jiu. "Shen Yunmai's explanation is terrible."
After a moment of silence, Ceng Ju said, "Yes, maybe the Mother Nest is a monster that was infected by those powerful beings."
"Is this why the ascendants need to be investigated?" asked Jing Jiu.
"I've spent most of my time here since I ascended, calculating and setting up the formations. I have little contact with the outside world."
Looking at the stars outside the cliff, Ceng Ju continued nonchalantly, "You are in a special situation this time, which is why I joined the investigation. Speaking of which, it was my second time to go to the Main Planet when you talked to General Li in the Museum of Modern Art. What you said is correct. This is why the ascendants need to be investigated before they can be trusted. "
If the Giants on the ocean and the Rosefinch could be infected by the Sea of Dark Matter and eventually become a formidable monster like the Mother Nest, why would the ascendants be an exception?
If an ascendant didn't have the courage to commit suicide when facing the final darkness, he would become the greatest threat to the human civilization.
The ascendants had to be investigated, and all of them had to answer the same question, "Do you dare or not?"
He would be accepted only if his answer was correct; otherwise, he would be erased in advance.
The ascendants who didn't have the courage to leave the vicinity of Chaotian like Bai Ren and the disgraced fairy were not in any danger.
In comparison to this question, the difference between the orthodox and the deviant was not important.
Though what Zhao Layue said sounded sensible, Jing Jiu still didn't think so, saying, "It's ridiculous."
"The existence and destruction of a civilization requires caution. Though I can't completely accept what your Aoyama Sect has done, I can understand it."
Ceng Ju went on, "Life is truly peculiar. The human nature is merely a hidden part of it; one can do anything to survive."
Jing Jiu suddenly asked, "Where is the Grandmaster?"
It became deathly quiet in the area because of this question; even the sea of stars outside the cliff seemed to be twinkling.
Ceng Ju was surprised. It took him a long time to calm down, saying, "I don't know."
"You know," Jing Jiu said.
"I really don't know," said Ceng Ju.
"You should know," said Jing Jiu.
"Why?" asked Ceng Ju, feeling baffled.
Jing Jiu said, "It's because you've been looking at this patch of the starry sky for more than two hundred years. If you can't calculate it, how can you ascend?"
Billions of stars hovered quietly in the space of the earth's core; in fact, many changes were hidden in them.
The changes were regular, and the regular changes would point to many points that people wanted to know.
Looking at the patch of starry sky, Ceng Ju remained silent for a long time before asking, "Why did you ask me?"
"Because you trust me," replied Jing Jiu.
Ceng Ju pulled back his gaze and asked while staring into Jing Jiu's eyes, "What do you intend to do?"
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