A Small Gift for Yunhai City

Faced with the mass of reporters and the stirred-up crowds, even the most hard-hearted leaders were moved from the bottom of their hearts.

"We've finally taken the first step."

"The dead are gone. We still have to live well."

"Seek common ground while setting aside differences, and create glory!"

Naturally, the Human Alliance adopted an "alliance system."

In other words, the management systems of each city would basically remain unchanged. Yunhai City, New York City, and the others would continue to be governed according to their original political systems, without major changes.

However, they had to present a united front to the outside world. Each city would send representatives to establish the Human Alliance Supreme Council.

The Human Alliance Supreme Council would be responsible for foreign exchange, the management of supernatural items, military authority, and so on.

Since Yunhai City had made the greatest contribution to the war, it occupied 50% of the seats in the Supreme Council, while the remaining five cities divided the other 50%.

This approach did carry certain hidden risks, but it was also a compromise reached by all sides in order to cooperate as quickly as possible.

Besides, competition between cities was not necessarily a bad thing.

Cities with poor governance would gradually decline and vanish, while cities with superior systems and transparent institutions would grow ever stronger.

The following banquet was even livelier.

Even after a war, food and alcohol could still be supplied.

Officials and scientists from various departments put forward suggestions one after another. "The eleven destroyed cities also contain some supernatural items. We need to seize those resources as soon as possible."

"Three hundred kilometers north of here, there's a Marble Mine. The main base can be built there, allowing us to construct Sky City more quickly."

"There's a small Black Iron Mine to the west... It's estimated to yield 15.9 tons of black iron."

The geological experts were thrilled. Compared with the Safe Zone, Pangu Continent was unimaginably rich.

"Our population exceeds forty million... Sky City should be divided into five levels, with an overall shape resembling a stepped pyramid."

"The structural mechanics must be carefully planned! It must be capable of responding to war. Even if it suffers a nuclear bomb attack, the city cannot collapse."

Amid clinking glasses, Li Chunhong negotiated and discussed matters with the leaders of various cities, while exchanging ideas and conducting research with the scientists.

Before he knew it, Li Chunhong was a little drunk.

Deep down, he even developed the illusion that "this disaster had been a good thing for humanity."

At least for Yunhai City, the benefits had indeed been tremendous!

The other cities had lost a hundred million people, yet Yunhai City's casualties had been almost nonexistent!

Only some houses on the outskirts had been damaged by the cold. Such losses were practically negligible!

As the city that had killed Diggedit, its prestige had also reached its peak among the people, and it held the most council seats.

There was also a massive influx of high-quality immigrants. There were five hundred immigrants with God's Skill alone... How could that be considered a bad thing?

Just then, several white leaders approached him with Wine Glasses and offered a toast.

"Mr. Li, forgive my presumptuousness, but may I ask... Is it truly impossible to contact Lord Lu Yuan?"

"Such a major event has happened to us. We should have informed him."

Li Chunhong also raised his glass. With a light clink, he said, "To be honest, we tried to contact him before opening the Safe Zone, but we never received any response."

"Five hundred years have already passed on Pangu Continent... Anything could have happened."

The faces of the many leaders immediately turned pale.

Light Curtain Spirit Speech had been the most important trump card in the war.

Without Light Curtain Spirit Speech, even if they had torn apart Yao's shield, the plan would not have gone so smoothly.

But now, that trump card was gone...

Li Chunhong added, "There's no need to worry. They're already a Level Three Civilization. Even if they encounter difficulties, they'll be able to turn danger into safety."

"I hope that in the future, we can reunite in victory. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Though they said so, none of them held much hope. Pangu Continent was so dangerous that even a low-level Yao had caused humanity to lose seventy percent of its population!

If they encountered an even more terrifying disaster, even a Level Three Civilization might not withstand it!

Still, they politely said a few words on the surface. "Yes, they'll definitely be fine."

"It's normal not to be able to contact them after so long."

Li Chunhong observed a moment of silence in his heart. "There's no need for everyone to be sad. Taking the path of independent development is the right course."

"Indeed."

"Besides, we have another trump card in our hands: Yao Drizzle."

"But we don't dare touch it... We don't have the ability to Dominate it..."

Yao Drizzle remained a massive iceberg, and for the time being, no one dared touch it.

That Yao was indeed covered in treasures. Its hide was Legendary Level Extraordinary Material, while its flesh and bones were Rare and Excellent Grade materials—this was only because it was dead. A living Yao would be even more valuable!

But how could they develop it? What if it revived and caused another catastrophe?

Blow it up directly with a Hydrogen Bomb?

The human leadership was unwilling to do that. After all, it was a trump card.

Just then, Li Chunhong's communicator suddenly rang.

Seeing the message on it, his spirits lifted. "The Chinese Parasol Tree has recovered? Come, let's go see our greatest contributor!"

Ten minutes later, a huge crowd gathered in the square where the Twin Chinese Parasol Tree stood.

The dying Chinese Parasol Tree had only a few leaves left on its bare branches, and it was even receiving nutrient drips.

A faint halo bloomed across the surfaces of those leaves, making them look like glowing jade.

Many leaders felt somewhat envious. This Chinese Parasol Tree truly was a treasure. It could fight and provide resources. Fortunately, they would all be one family from now on, so there was no real reason for jealousy.

"Mr. Lu left the Safe Zone five hundred years ahead of us, endured countless hardships, and became a Level Three Civilization."

"Next, it will be our turn."

"This tree is our great contributor. We must treat it well."

"We've already used high-grade nutrient solution."

They exchanged pleasantries and encouraged one another.

Suddenly, an indescribably grand aura spread from the Chinese Parasol Tree. A breeze passed through, bringing a refreshing coolness that made everyone feel renewed!

The surrounding flowers and grass unexpectedly blossomed with specks of light, swaying along with the breeze!

To be honest, the Human Mother Civilization's level of understanding was indeed not very high. They had no Level Six Field Grandmasters. They only knew the term "field" and had never truly experienced one.

For a while, these leaders simply stood there, suspicious and unsettled.

A large number of technicians hurried over to inspect the Chinese Parasol Tree.

"The Spirit Plant Field is complete! Consider it a small gift for Yunhai City." Lu Yuan was quite satisfied with his performance.

Creating something in a dream and projecting it into reality was no easy task. It also required the Chinese Parasol Tree's cooperation.

"Invite them in."

After examining it for a long time, the technicians finally identified it as what might be the legendary "field."

Zhang Hui explained, "Some extremely powerful Extraordinary Creatures naturally possess fields. For example, that Yao."

"And this current field can accelerate plant growth... We have no idea how it appeared. Could this tree have undergone a transformation during battle?"

"You mean this is a good thing?"

"Of course. If this field can be maintained long-term, all extraordinary plants will be able to increase their output!"

Everyone was delighted. They had obtained something good for free. It truly was a blessing upon blessing.

A Plant Affinity user suddenly pressed close to the bark. "The Chinese Parasol Tree seems to be inviting us into the dream... Shall we go in and take a look?"

Very quickly, Li Chunhong, Zhang Hui, Li Jun, and the others entered hibernation chambers, closed their eyes, and fell into the Chinese Parasol Tree Dream Realm.

Something astonishing happened!

They... they actually saw a familiar phantom!

"Mr. Lu!" Li Jun choked up, unable to contain his excitement.

"Long time no see." Lu Yuan shook hands with Colonel Li Jun. "I only just saw the messages you sent today. I didn't delay anything important, did I?"

"No... We... We won... So many things happened during that time..."

"Our time ratios are finally identical."

The leaders of the other cities were also meeting Lu Yuan in a dream for the first time, and every one of them was exhilarated.

"That field just now..."

"Haha, it was a gift from me to everyone." Lu Yuan did not hide it.

"Your technology over there... is truly miraculous."

"It's called Field Industrialization."

Li Chunhong quietly instructed a secretary, "Leave the dream first and bring his family here."

"Understood!"

For humanity, their separation had only lasted five years, a span of time that was easy enough to accept.

But to Lu Yuan, the words "hometown" had become like a yellowed old photograph.

Now, as he suddenly took it from the album of his memories, those blurred recollections gradually came back to life. He could not help sighing from the depths of his heart. So my Younger Sister is still in graduate school.

So Yunhai City has only just opened the Safe Zone.

So the Human Mother Civilization has only just set out...

When his hometown had truly escaped danger and entered the right path, he felt an inexplicable sensation of having finally laid down a heavy burden.

The Chinese Parasol Tree Dream Realm was bustling, with more and more high-ranking officials entering!

These blond, blue-eyed foreigners in suits were entering this mysterious space for the first time. Their faces were filled with excitement, as though they were meeting an idol.

"Oh my God! Mr. Lu, I've heard so much about you. My family has a portrait of you! You were also the one who sent humanity the cultivation method for the Fire Seed."

"It was only what I ought to do. No need to thank me." Lu Yuan kept a straight face.

"Dealing with a Yao over there must be effortless for you, right?"

"No. You can never let your guard down against Catastrophe-class anomalies."

"You came here through Dream Ability?"

"Yes. My wife is an alien from the Eighth Era. She controls an anomaly and can use dream energy."

Lu Yuan was long accustomed to such a noisy scene. After all, he had met far too many leaders and races.

He shook hands with them one by one, exchanged a few pleasantries, and answered some questions.

"Our Human 18 Civilization cities... have had a difficult journey of development and experienced many disasters."

"At present, we are trapped in a very distant place called the Northern Frontier, so dream contact is extremely difficult."

"Today, we only happened to discover the dream signal, so we rushed over in a hurry and happened to witness the establishment of the Human Alliance."

"Congratulations, my friends, on having the courage to cast aside your former prejudices and establish an even greater civilization!"

This war had indeed been a great victory for the Human Mother Civilization.

Lu Yuan did not believe that he himself deserved the main credit.

It was the result of the diligent efforts of all Yunhai City's soldiers and civilians over five years, as well as the careful planning of the soldiers and experts.

"I'll send another copy of Light Curtain Spirit Speech over."

"However, this is our unique technology. It will be very difficult for you to replicate, so I can only send it to the Chinese Parasol Tree and have it activate it on your behalf."

"That will be enough." Li Chunhong bowed deeply in thanks.

Next, Lu Yuan and the leaders of more than twenty Human Cities sat on a large lawn and held a brief discussion.

There was nothing particularly serious about it. Everyone chatted freely and shared what they had seen and heard.

Compared with humanity's brutal war, Lu Yuan's experiences had been far richer, filled with both challenges and opportunities. He selected some interesting stories that could be told to boost everyone's morale.

Things like the Gear Civilization and the Da Lai Empire left everyone dumbfounded.

The prosperity of the Northern Frontier, where hundreds or even thousands of civilizations developed together, also gave the Human Mother Civilization a subtle sense of urgency—although we are naturally a technological civilization with a decent materialist foundation, if we are five hundred years behind, others will eventually catch up to us!

As for deeper matters, Lu Yuan did not say much. Humanity simply... was not qualified to know them yet!

"Our experiences over these years have indeed been filled with both joy and sorrow..."

"We encountered several Catastrophe-class anomalies."

"You've already seen Yao. As for the others... sigh, just pray that you don't encounter them too frequently. Those things are practically catastrophes!"

"Mr. Lu, what does the World Will of Pangu Continent think of these catastrophes? Why doesn't the World Will act to eliminate them?"

Lu Yuan shook his head. "According to the information we know, Catastrophe-class anomalies are not necessarily bad for Pangu Continent as a whole."

This matter had actually been discussed many times within Green Field City.

The protagonists of Pangu Continent were certainly the various intelligent civilizations.

But the flowers, grass, trees, ordinary animals, and naturally occurring anomalies were also part of Pangu Continent.

Therefore, the World Will did not serve "civilization" alone. It had to care for all living beings.

Anomalies destroying civilizations was merely one link in the food chain. After all, civilizations were not scarce on Pangu Continent. One more or one less made little difference.

"For civilizations, catastrophe anomalies bring both benefits and harm. If you can't endure them, you'll be destroyed outright. If you survive, you may instead gain enormous rewards. The relationship between hunter and prey goes both ways."

"I roughly understand." Li Chunhong nodded. "Heaven and Earth are indifferent; they treat all things as straw dogs. Anomalies also possess the ability to defend Pangu Continent."

"So, in Pangu Continent's eyes, anomalies and humans are no different. They hunt each other, and it doesn't care."

These words were cruel, but they were reality.

Lu Yuan added, "Only upon reaching a Level Four Civilization can you make Pangu Continent regard you more highly. That is very difficult..."

"And then there are the aliens, civilizations that have remained from the previous era until now. At minimum, they began as Level Three Civilizations, and they are even more likely to be Level Four Civilizations."

"They were the protagonists of the previous generation. Their strength is certainly not weak."

"But aliens have one characteristic: they cannot generate fortune themselves. Therefore, they must invest in Ninth Era civilizations, or... slaughter Ninth Era civilizations."

"You must be careful."

Everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

This information was far too crucial!

If they encountered Outsiders in the future, they would formulate diplomatic strategies accordingly.

Lu Yuan thought for a moment, but ultimately chose not to mention that "the Outsiders might even have caused the Era Disaster."

After all, he himself did not fully understand it.

Besides, most Outsiders were indeed rather friendly.

After they talked for a while, Li Chunhong asked, "How do you think we should deal with that self-sealed Frosty Drizzle?"

"Even with a one-use Light Curtain Spirit Speech, we wouldn't dare study it rashly."

"And using a Hydrogen Bomb to kill it would be such a waste..."

Now that the Yao had sealed itself away, there was a chance that a high-yield Hydrogen Bomb could kill it outright.

But just as Diggedit had predicted, humanity had fallen into a dilemma.

Lu Yuan considered it. He did indeed possess the Domination ability and could command a self-sealed Yao.

But on one hand, he was far away, and transmitting the Domination ability over there would be difficult.

On the other hand, judging by how terrified these people looked, it was better not to reveal this ability recklessly. Otherwise, everyone would fear him, and the drawbacks would outweigh the benefits.

Suddenly, he slapped his forehead. "Since you have a 'Domination' God's Skill on hand, it can actually be used even without injecting it into a human soul."

Everyone immediately became interested and asked, "How can that be done?!"

"Level Four Civilization technology—the Group Superbrain."

The Group Superbrain was essentially a supercomputer on the idealistic level. It could connect the minds of all human citizens and form a collective consciousness.

"It resembles a 'collective will' or a 'hive mind,' and exists only within the civilization itself."

"The Group Superbrain can maintain a civilization's operations and maximize resource efficiency."

"For example, if I decide what I want to eat today and where I want to go, by the time I leave the house, a self-driving car is already waiting outside, with steaming-hot food inside."

"Plant cultivation and animal husbandry can both be handled by the Group Superbrain."

"Since the Group Superbrain is a collection of minds, it can also seek benefits and avoid harm. It can use certain God's Skills, such as precognition, treasure-seeking, weather forecasting, and so on. I think the Domination ability should also be usable through this superbrain."

The Group Superbrain project in Human 18 Civilization was still in the research stage. Since its prerequisite technology, "dream technology," had already been explored fairly thoroughly, its theoretical difficulty was not especially high.

The reason it had not been launched was that it cost a little too much, and there was no immediate need for it—the current population was only a little over six million, so management was not difficult.

A Group Superbrain was generally used to manage an enormous civilization with hundreds of millions of people. With too few people, the collective will's intelligence would be relatively low.

However, upon hearing "Level Four Civilization," everyone could not help but frown.

Their current technological level was only that of a Level Two Civilization. They were two major stages behind!

"Level Four Civilization technology truly is unimaginable... We cannot... achieve it for the time being."

A golden-haired scientist asked, "Has your side already reached Level Four Civilization?"

Lu Yuan straightened his back and immediately shook his head. "We are in, and will remain in for a long time, the Level Three Civilization stage. Level Four Civilizations are the pillars of Pangu Continent. They are simply too difficult to attain."

For some reason, whether it was Li Chunhong or the other city leaders, all of them let out a breath of relief.

There was still a chance to catch up to a Level Three Civilization.

But a Level Four Civilization...

Li Chunhong asked again, "Is there no other way?"

"If you merely want to command this Yao, I think a Legendary Level extraordinary item could do the job... It depends on the skill of your craftsmen." After pondering for a moment, Lu Yuan drew an image on the grass.

"Create an item related to 'dreams'—a mirror, a crystal ball, or something else. Any Dream Ability will do."

"Seal Domination into that item and keep it safe."

"If you want to command Yao Drizzle, pull it into a dream and issue orders in Diggedit's form."

"Anyway, its pitiful intelligence cannot distinguish dreams from reality... It is still under Domination now, right?"

Everyone's eyes lit up.

This method did indeed sound feasible.

It was just that... the Legendary Level requirement was rather high.

"Is there a more convenient solution?" Zhang Hui from the Supernatural Laboratory asked. "For instance, could we raise and tame it? We have more than ten people here with Animal Affinity."

Lu Yuan shook his head. "Difficult! That thing has already eaten people. Don't expect to tame it—the risks are too great."

In his impression, all animal-type Yao were extremely savage.

Only plant-type ones had a possibility of being tamed.

"As for a Legendary Level dream wonder, that is already the minimum standard, so stop being picky. With anything lower-level, you wouldn't feel safe either."

The pressure now fell upon the craftsmen of the Human Mother Civilization.

There were fifty craftsmen in total across so many cities, which was no small number.

But forging a Legendary Level item... remained a distant prospect!

Lu Yuan added, "I'll send you our latest papers on craftsmanship. As long as you work hard, it is still possible to forge a legendary item."

"Oh, right! A Yao cannot be controlled permanently. The more often you command it, the harder it will resist and break free."

"Especially as it grows stronger and stronger..."

"But it is indeed a trump card. Please use it wisely."

He was actually somewhat worried about humanity's safety. Inside the Safe Zone and outside the Safe Zone were two completely different worlds.

"With a Yao guarding them, perhaps they will be much safer..."

The people looked at one another before finally exhaling the stale air in their chests.

They finally understood why Diggedit had been so insane, destroying so many cities.

So... there was such a condition.

"This is a legacy forged through the lives of 100 million people. We will cherish it!"