Chapter 532: The Stele
"Then there's this." Bai Mo used his right hand to draw a cross in front of his chest.
Immediately, his body began to emit a pale white light, and at the center of the cross he had just drawn, a seam slowly began to crack open.
This cross-shaped fissure, which initially resembled a cross-star, expanded outward under the support of the white light, gradually eroding Bai Mo's projection.
Soon, the fissure created a head-sized void near the projection's heart.
Looking into the void from the outside, there was nothing but white light, white light, nothing else discernible.
At that moment, the ultimate light was indistinguishable from darkness.
...
The events unfolded somewhat unexpectedly; they hadn't guessed why this projection of Bai Mo would mutilate itself.
The power contained within the projection surged into the void at a terrifying speed.
This rate of decline was extremely alarming; for all cultivation systems, Tier Six represented an exceedingly long period of accumulation. A cultivator at Tier 6-8 possessed at least ten times more spirit energy and magic power than one at Tier 6-1.
In other words, in less than thirty seconds, this projection had poured ninety percent of its power into a bottomless pit.
...
If one were to cultivate strictly according to the original Ten Thousand Phantoms Sutra, the most widely circulated version on the market, the limit of an avatar would be one tier lower than the main body.
However, many present were geniuses who had forged their own paths, and they had, to varying degrees, modified the Ten Thousand Phantoms Sutra to suit their individual circumstances, allowing them to create Tier 6-0, or even Tier 6-1, avatars to roam around while their main body was still only at roughly the mid-stage of Tier Six.
"This is... spatial teleportation?!" Several people who had researched this field exclaimed in unison.
"The void in his chest is actually a teleportation gate!"
"Or perhaps he transformed a long-range teleportation gate into the appearance of an avatar."
"He already possesses trans-planetary spatial teleportation abilities?"
"But it seems the cost for this distance of teleportation is immense; we don't need to worry about being mass-airdropped for now."
...
In half a second, over a dozen council members exchanged a massive amount of information. Glancing at each other, they grew restless.
Their wariness regarding what lay on the other side of the teleportation gate far outweighed their curiosity.
"Should we activate the Sky Track?"
Even before the meeting, they had prepared for the worst-case scenario, activating the Moon's overall defense system, the Sky Track's, preparatory module as a precaution.
This system, designed with reference to the former Huaxia Federation's Spirit Energy Network, served as the foundation for humanity's control and subsequent transformation of the Moon. It was extensively laid out across hundreds of nodes on the Moon, with nearly a hundred thermonuclear fusion stations serving it.
Relying on the vast quantities of Helium-3 contained within the Moon's soil—enough to propel a planet forward—the Human Federation began undertaking previously unimaginable engineering projects.
These projects were not only to counter threats from Earth but also an essential requirement for expeditions to alien planets.
According to the data returned by Explorer Twelve to Explorer Forty-Two, the outburst of Spirit Qi had miraculously given birth to intelligent life on every planet that could be surveyed by spacecraft.
"This is no longer a Dark Forest; it's a stellar deathmatch arena," wrote the astronomer in charge of the exploration project in their submitted report.
"If Spirit Qi has fostered civilizations on every planet within the Milky Way, then humanity, before being utterly annihilated or dominating the galaxy, might have to endure endless death and war."
...
"Wait a moment, I don't sense any malice from him. That man is strange; he has neither goodwill nor ill will," said Mo Li, the Mind Mage most adept at discerning others' emotions, as she stopped the others.
Bai Mo's chest continued to expand, and more than half of his avatar had already been swallowed by it.
The three individuals with the keenest senses present began to vaguely perceive what was coming.
After a strenuous effort, a corner of gray-white finally appeared before everyone.
...
The stele, seemingly made of white marble, appeared unremarkable, yet no one would believe that Bai Mo would expend such immense effort just to transport something utterly worthless.
"There's a Spirit Energy reaction."
"This is a stele I found in an anomalous spatial layer. If you agree to the calendar change, I can give it to you as well," said Bai Mo, his figure somewhat ethereal after the transmission was complete.
His avatar was now barely maintaining a Tier 6-0 energy level, appearing somewhat precarious.
"Anomalous spatial layer? Is that the theory from the Xierdesi laboratory?"
"Cackle cackle cackle, those madmen were actually right?" Edward Teach, with his usual cackle, stretched his back.
"To think, they actually found another world."
"Those mad Columbuses."
...
"Why aren't you keeping it?"
"What exactly is its purpose?"
"You'll know soon enough," Bai Mo replied ambiguously.
"So, what's your decision?" The somewhat weakened projection asked the council members, while playing with the rotating stele on his fingertip.
"Deal." After a period of silence, the eighteen council members approved the transaction with twelve votes in favor, four against, and two abstentions.
The decisive factor remained Mo Li; she couldn't perceive any malice.
"Now can you tell us, what exactly is this thing for?"
"Void, Eighteenth Day, Open!" Bai Mo didn't answer immediately; instead, he uttered a phrase that no one understood.
No sooner had he spoken than lines of runes suddenly appeared on the previously smooth, unmarked stele.
"In the beginning of primeval antiquity, who imparted the Dao? I now emulate Heaven and Earth, establishing the Five Immortal Paths: the first is Celestial Immortal, the second Earth Immortal, the third Human Immortal, the fourth Divine Immortal, and the fifth Ghost Immortal.
A Celestial Immortal ascends beyond form, unconstrained by shape.
An Earth Immortal transforms their body into myriad forms, with myriad hearts as one.
A Human Immortal possesses an indestructible body, capable of regenerating from a drop of blood.
A Divine Immortal endures in spirit and form wherever their will reaches, their body and spirit imperishable.
A Ghost Immortal undergoes a hundred reincarnations and a thousand lifetimes, their true spirit undimmed.
..."
Wen Jian, who was fluent in ancient texts, read out the entire passage without much difficulty.
"Isn't this ancient Chinese?!"
"No, this is Old English!"
"Why do I see hieroglyphs...?"
In the eyes of people with different native languages, these runes were expressed as different languages.
"As long as one stands within a one-mile radius of the unmarked stele, recites the runes on the stele from memory, and then chants 'Void, Eighteenth Day, Open!', they can roam freely in the legacy world carried by the unmarked stele."
"But each person only has three chances, and the rewards depend purely on destiny... No wonder he was willing to give up the stele; in fact, he can't enter it anymore at all!"
After hearing the information imprint embedded within the stele itself, all their doubts were dispelled.
"Anyone has a chance? Including ordinary people?" they asked.
Bai Mo shrugged, appearing as if he didn't know either..
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