Yu Lian and the 101st Company, traveling aboard a military transport ship, finally arrived at the L8 Enlightener Star Gate on December 24, 829 common era.
This was also the only Star Gate controlled by the Blue Star Commonwealth, also known as the “South Heaven Gate.”
As introduced previously, among the “three main culprits that destroyed this world's technology tree and history,” we have already covered two: spiritual energy and Zero Element.
Then there is the third item, the so-called Enlightener legacy.
Let’s understand it this way: What would happen if a group of Watts, still researching how much water to put in a steam engine, how hot to make the furnace, and what shape would be most efficient, suddenly learned that archaeologists had dug up a complete nuclear reactor, and it even came with a full set of operating instructions?
In this process, how many technological development stages were ignored because there was no conflict?
How many social changes and advancements derived from these fruits were stifled in their infancy?
Superluminal engines utilizing stellar gravity wells, nebula communication networks built with Ansibles, and the collection and application of dark matter all belong to parts of those “nuclear reactors.”
Of course, some farsighted scholars have now realized this and are trying to catch up.
But as we all know, learning step-by-step is already painful, let alone going back to catch up.
And the so-called Enlightener Star Gate is the greatest, most mysterious, and most indestructible creation among all Enlightener legacies.
As we have said, the superluminal travel of the various Milky Way Civilization civilizations uses hyperspace channels formed by gravity wells between stars, also known as “Star Highways.”
This technology was obtained from ancient technology during a certain ruin thousand years ago.
It is precisely because of these “Star Highways” connecting the stars that the Milky Way Galaxy has a seemingly flat interstellar map.
So, the question arises: The Milky Way Galaxy is over 2 million light-years from the “New World,” the Andromeda Galaxy, and there are no stellar gravity wells to utilize in between.
How will they get there?
Not to mention the “New World,” even the dwarf galaxies between the two major galaxies, like isolated islands in the ocean, cannot be crossed.
The Enlighteners said, praise me! I have left everything for you!
Thus, the Star Gate suddenly opened.
As one of the “three main culprits that destroyed this world's technology tree and history,” hereafter referred to as the three main culprits, the Star Gate, as the general of the Enlightener Ruins, is naturally the most practical and religious.
Because from its appearance, it indeed makes people feel a mysterious metaphysical shock.
As we all know, natural wormholes are generally black, ominous-glowing spheres.
And the Star Gate is naturally also a sphere, but its appearance is much better than the former.
Through the ship's porthole, Yu Lian saw a translucent sphere from afar, as large as a young adult star.
Its transparent outer layer was elegantly engraved with faint patterns, emitting a soft, silvery glow.
That mysterious silver light illuminated the entire star system, and almost everyone could bathe in its quiet warmth, yet you could look directly at the center of the light source with your naked eyes.
Within the inner layer, enveloped by the silver sphere, was a golden object resembling a classical celestial sphere, also the size of a terrestrial planet, constantly revolving and tracing mysterious and profound orbits.
It’s the Universe Era!
Can’t we avoid these mystical, flashy accessories?
It’s because the legacies you left behind are all like this that the ideological imprints of the idealistic fools are so hard to shake!
Yu Lian spat.
He had seen such grand sights too many times, but each time he wanted to spit.
However, perhaps he was the only one in the All-Galaxy who wanted to spit.
Scholars from various major nations believed that it represented some of the Universe's most mysterious knowledge, so they mobilized the best human and material resources for concentrated observation, but after decades, they still found nothing.
Many people's enthusiasm naturally faded, and they gradually withdrew, but many still persisted.
They even built semi-permanent scientific research space stations near the Star Gate.
The Enlightener Star Gate belonging to the Commonwealth, Galactic Civilization Council designation L8, and called “South Heaven Gate” by the Commonwealth itself, is precisely this.
In the star system where this Star Gate is located, two detection stations have already been built, and a large scientific research station capable of accommodating thousands of researchers is under construction, having started last year, but is said to be completed next year.
There is also a large military fortress under construction here, which is said to be able to provide berthing, daily maintenance, and emergency repairs for hundreds of warships, including Dreadnoughts, once completed.
However, it has been five years since construction began, and less than a third has been completed.
This is understandable.
The military fortress is a project of the Commonwealth military, but those detection stations and research institutes are joint ventures between the Commonwealth and the Alliance.
Yes, regarding the research of the Star Gate, the Commonwealth Government indeed showed a selfless and boundless internationalism.
After a long period of discussion, the Council finally decided to share this legacy of the previous civilization with the two “most responsible” major nations in the All-Galaxy, inviting them to join in the research.
The difference is that the Alliance is responsible for the Andromeda Galaxy side, while the Empire is responsible for the Galaxy Native Land side.
This way, everyone gets a share, how perfect!
However, even so, Yu Lian knew that even 50 years later, no one had figured anything out.
The “researchers” on this side and that side of the Star Gate, however, had already fought fiercely, while the Earth “cooperators,” the minor transparencies, trembled in fear on the sidelines.
And the Star Gate remained as it was.
The transport ship slowly approached the silver-white, soft, water-like spherical surface, and plunged in, like a small pebble sinking into the sea.
The starry sky outside the window transformed into a tranquil silver light that refreshed the mind, as if wrapped in the brightest moonlight.
Yu Lian wanted to close his eyes and doze off, but a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
“Go find your destiny!”
“Grow up!”
“Then, find me.”
Yu Lian sprang up, searching for the source of the voice.
He looked around, but could only see the unappealing metal cabin interior.
A single bed, 1 meter wide and 2 meters long, with a thin blanket and a hard mattress.
A table with a folding chair, plus a separate washroom.
The total usable area probably didn't exceed 5 square meters, but this was already quite good treatment.
He was a (reserve) officer, a “Moon People,” and had a dazzlingly splendid resume in New Yumen, with a bright future, which was why he was assigned an empty officer's bedroom.
If he were an ordinary soldier, seven or eight people could be crammed into his small room.
However, none of the above were the main points.
Yu Lian searched the entire room but found no sound source, then simply spread his spiritual sense, yet still found nothing.
His thoughts immediately became obstructed again, and he thought that so-called “monks” were trash, far inferior to “Star Hunter” and “Explore” in terms of perception and spirituality.
He even suspected it was an illusion, but his memories from later generations told him that all “illusions” of a spiritual energy user should not be ignored.
Some spiritual energy users who became famous in history had mentioned that they occasionally heard whispers from the unseen, which must be the teachings and guidance of the Enlightener mentors, and also the most important reason that allowed them to achieve “Saint” or even be ranked among “Myth.”
These whispers, called “Enlightener Whispers,” were one of the most important protagonist halos for spiritual energy users.
In other words, I could also be one of them, right?
Yu Lian indulged in a moment of pleasant fantasy.
...Like an idiot.
One of the biggest illusions in this world is that I am the protagonist.
In the history of the spiritual energy user field, there have been “Asura” End “Star Realm Sword Masters,” “Driving” Limit “Azure Sky Mentors,” “Starfall Messengers,” “Planet Inserters,” “Integrated Overlords,” and “Truth Saints;” however, there has never been any mention of any top-tier experts from the two branches of “monks,” “Balance” and “Eternal.”
Seven Rings, and incomplete Seven Rings, are the known end points of these two Star Ring paths.
Yu Lian felt that if he were still the lawless, carefree rogue of his previous life, he might really consider completing the “Balance” or “Eternal” paths.
However, now he was on the imperial payroll!
He now had an identity, family, and friends, too many ties, and had just set a small goal.
Yu Lian clutched his head and squatted down, apologizing to the owner of that voice in the unseen.
Whether the other party was the pioneers of the Enlighteners or an even more awesome universe spirit, they would surely be reasonable, right?
At this moment, the room's communicator chimed, and after three rings, it automatically connected, and Captain Winter's figure appeared on the screen that pulled open on the wall.
...Is this some kind of spiritual energy user prayer ritual?
“Ah, yes, I am praying to the universe spirit for abundant harvests and peace in the world!” Yu Lian stood up without changing his expression, adjusted his collar, and remained a handsome, dashing man.
Captain Winter smiled indifferently and said casually, “We have arrived in the Galaxy Native Land, and it's time to say goodbye.”
Only then did Yu Lian notice that the scenery outside the ship's porthole had changed from a soft and elegant silver glow back to the vast galaxy.
In the dark sky, countless brilliant stars, like jewels, were scattered, profound yet magnificent.
However, this magnificent beauty seemed to be veiled in an inauspicious color, impossible to appreciate.
A large amount of artificial light emanated from the vast artificial constructs, gathering in the space around the Star Gate, as if forming a viscous mist, making the light of the distant stars no longer clearly visible.
Yu Lian looked at the cluster of artificial constructs emitting ominous light, and quickly found the colossal object that was the center of attention.
That was the Outer Rim Fleet's flagship, the Hyperion, the 4th ship of the Yinglong-class Dreadnought, one of the Blue Star Commonwealth's most powerful war machines, and a famous ship renowned throughout the galaxy.
“Yes, the main force of the Outer Rim Fleet is gathering.
I don't know what's going on…” Captain Winter said with a wry smile.
Today, I've returned to being a two-update beast with full integrity; this is the first update.