News of the Human Mother Civilization

Lu Yuan noticed that Seashell actually dared to look down on him, so he reached out and tugged at her pretty cheeks.

"Hey! What are you doing in broad daylight?"

"When the tiger doesn't show its might, you take it for a sick cat." Old Lu let out an evil growl from his throat.

Yet deep down, Lu Yuan was also secretly anxious. No amount of talk could change reality. He might as well focus on producing results—Mythical Industrialization!

The first major question was: where had all the mass of an Innate Mythical gone?

At five hundred meters tall, he weighed tens of millions of tons, like a mountain peak.

Yet in his current state, he weighed around one hundred kilograms, only somewhat heavier than an ordinary person.

Mass was an extremely important physical concept in Materialist Philosophy. It could not simply vanish for no reason.

"Where did the mass go?"

After returning to Green Field Mountain, Lu Yuan began continuously experimenting with "expanding" and "shrinking."

When he expanded to a height of ten meters, his weight swelled to twenty tons. With one step, he left a shallow crater in the soft dirt road.

In his normal state, at a height of one meter eighty, his strength was actually only around twice that of an ordinary Level Seven expert.

"In the shrunken state, Bloodline Power is transformed into a crystal-core-like, high-density energy substance. This substance is distributed near the heart and brain, while the soul is also highly compressed. So in this form, my combat power is far inferior to my normal body."

"But a smaller body has some advantages too. Food consumption is drastically reduced. I don't have to eat tens of thousands of tons of food every day."

"And it's easier to work in certain precision industries. Fingers the size of a house can't do needlework... Only in my current state can I read newspapers, watch television, and play games."

"Could this method of highly compressing mass be applied to other fields?"

"Hmm... a high-energy battery based on Mythical Bloodline?"

This was the first research direction Lu Yuan had discovered.

With that question in mind, Lu Yuan visited the scientists at the Bloodline Laboratory and several master artisans from the Hall of Artisans.

"Grand Commander, have you finally come up with an idea for Mythical Industrialization?!" Artisan Li Datie was incredibly excited. "The slander from outside has been endless. We can't even be bothered to argue anymore. We've just been waiting for you to personally step in and slap their faces swollen!"

In the eyes of the human artisans, Lu Yuan had merely been holding back a big move.

Artisans not having inspiration was perfectly normal. Taking more than ten years to nurture an idea was normal too.

"If no one envies you, you're mediocre. There's no need to care." Lu Yuan waved a hand. "I am indeed planning to enter the next Supreme Artisan Competition."

Everyone's spirits lifted. Even the younger generation of artisans crowded around. "Grand Commander, it's true that you haven't made a move in a long time! What are you planning to make?"

Lu Yuan laughed. "Don't get so excited. You're putting a lot of pressure on me!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

"Our opponents include Grandmaster Artisans, so we can't afford to let our guard down."

"First question: would an energy-storage battery capable of highly compressing energy have market potential?"

"How high would its energy density be?"

"It might rival fusion energy, but with a smaller size and greater power output."

Li Datie replied, "The prospects would naturally be enormous. Our current batteries for small Powered Armor are fission batteries. If they get blown apart, they cause nuclear contamination. Once an accident happens, the pilot's chance of survival is practically zero."

"Only large armor can fit fusion engines. Those things are huge, and once activated, they cannot be stopped. Their maintenance costs are also relatively high."

"Ordinary cars can only use lithium batteries. They're cheap, but their energy density is low."

"If there were an energy-storage device with greater power, better safety, and lower cost, it would naturally have broad applications. Who wouldn't want a better battery? It could even be used in phones—you'd only need to charge them once a year."

Lu Yuan nodded. "So, have you studied the energy substances inside the Ancient Races? Those are naturally occurring batteries, aren't they?"

"Grand Commander, we know what you mean." Professor Lu Tiantian, who had rushed over from the laboratory, said, "We also studied the corpses of those Acquired Mythicals. We named those high-energy substances 'Blood Crystals.' They require Bloodline Power to activate. Once separated from their original body, they rapidly lose vitality and dissipate into the world."

As he spoke, he pulled up the relevant materials from his portable computer.

Lu Yuan flipped through the documents. His reading speed was astonishing. He could memorize dense rows of data with a single glance, finishing hundreds of pages in less than ten minutes.

This quantum-speed-reading-like method left the scientists and artisans staring at one another.

"I more or less understand. These Blood Crystals rely on the underlying rules of Pangu Continent. They are equivalent to naturally existing Storage Spaces, while Bloodline Power is like a key used to open those safes."

"Once the key is lost, the Storage Space can never be opened again. It's equivalent to that portion of energy being swallowed by Pangu Continent."

"That is indeed the principle." Lu Tiantian nodded. "And research into Bloodline Power is too difficult. It belongs to the underlying mechanisms of idealism, so there is almost no possibility of cracking the password lock."

"Are there many Acquired Mythical corpses?"

"Yes. Among the more than twenty ancient civilizations, a conservative estimate is that five or six hundred Acquired Mythicals died in the war. Every civilization received more or less some body parts, such as arms and thighs."

"However, everyone's utilization rate is generally low. They can only extract the bloodlines to cultivate plants, which is somewhat wasteful."

"They actually created so many Acquired Mythicals?" Lu Yuan was startled. Five or six hundred—how many civilizations would they have had to blood-sacrifice? The brutality of the First Era was plain to see.

"Yes. No wonder these ancient civilizations are so eager to restore the Blood Sacrifice Rule."

"Take me to see the corpses."

Soon, the group arrived at a large cold-storage facility beside the laboratory. Even through the thick metal door, they could still feel the biting chill. It was not merely physical cold; it felt as though even their souls could be frozen.

A huge pile of bloody corpse fragments was stored in the massive freezer.

The Buzhou Alliance had generously gifted them a coating made from Weaver's Mucus. Just an extremely thin layer, less than 0.01 millimeters, allowed the Bloodline Power within the corpses to be preserved for a long time.

Lu Yuan let out a soft breath and stepped inside. The head before him had a diameter of roughly ten meters. Its three eyes were opened wide, as though it could not believe it would die like this.

Besides that, there was a heart, one thigh, and scraps such as hair.

Humanity's spoils were quite abundant, because heads and hearts contained the greatest number of Blood Crystals.

"Having only a powerful body and a clever mind isn't enough. If they can't keep pace with the times, even the strongest race will perish in the river of history." Lu Yuan sighed.

Lu Tiantian explained, "These Acquired Mythicals had to rely on blood sacrifices to maintain their combat power. Once they no longer had blood sacrifices, their combat power was far inferior to that of Innate Mythicals. A barrage of Electromagnetic Cannons could kill them."

Artisan Li Datie rubbed his hands together. "Their bodies really are enormous. No wonder every civilization received at least some meat. But trying to make use of Bloodline Power is truly difficult."

"Sigh, the Alliance has a vast family to support. Maintaining its current scale has exhausted everyone." Lu Tiantian said, "Sometimes, we can understand those council members too. From the standpoint of fairness, they can't really be faulted. But many civilizations are still dissatisfied. Who wouldn't want a larger share of the assets?"

"If they're dissatisfied, then they can leave the Alliance." Lu Yuan sneered. "Who begged them to stay?"

"Forget it. Let's not talk about that. Let's study these so-called Blood Crystals."

The researchers activated a large machine. A thread-like object slowly extended outward. Though it was thinner than iron wire, it was more flexible than a human finger.

It drilled through a large hole in the corpse's head.

A camera and light were mounted at the very front of the thread. Inside, the pale brain matter had frozen into a hard solid.

"This brain matter is actually quite useful. It can be processed into nutrient solution for plant growth." Lu Tiantian said, "It's just that we usually can't bear to use it."

Then, extending through the blood vessels toward the brainstem, they could see the translucent Blood Crystals one after another.

Each was only about the size of a sesame seed and looked utterly ordinary.

There were quite a lot of them—perhaps tens of thousands.

"Once these Blood Crystals are removed, they dissipate rapidly. They can only be preserved for about half an hour."

"Take one out and let me see." Lu Yuan frowned slightly. "I have Weaver's Mucus here as well. It can preserve it for a long time."

"No problem."

The thread emitted a high-energy laser, and the Blood Crystal immediately fell.

Then a pair of tweezers extended out, precisely gripping it and bringing it out of the corpse.

Lu Yuan picked up the Blood Crystal and studied it carefully. He even sniffed it. It truly carried the scent of Bloodline Power.

But every person's Bloodline Power was different. He really had no way to crack the secret key within it. He could only take a small amount of Weaver's Mucus and wrap it up for further study later.

He thought to himself, Interesting... But even if I create a high-energy battery similar to a Blood Crystal, would it be enough to shock the world?

Difficult!

Getting into the top three would not be much of a problem.

But taking first place would depend on the strength of the competition.

Words once spoken were like water spilled. Lu Yuan only wanted an unquestionable first place. Otherwise, he would be lowering his own standing too much.

"Do you have any good ideas for the Supreme Artisan Competition?"

"Grand Commander, we do have some ideas, but we actually don't want to hand over our most core technologies."

"First place really does depend on the strength of the opponents."

Li Datie rubbed his rough palms. "The Alliance allows ten percent of core technology to remain confidential during the competition, but ten percent is still too little. If it involves civilization secrets, we definitely can't hand it over."

That was true. Things like Blood Guai Bullets and Aberration Bullets involved research into Ghost-level anomalies, and their value was astonishing.

There was also Light Curtain Spirit Speech, Humanity's greatest foundation for war.

Especially now that they had become a Level Five Civilization, their materials technology had improved as well. The power of Blood Guai Bullets and Aberration Bullets could rise accordingly.

And now that Seashell had become an Innate Mythical, she could completely keep Demon Painted Skin in check, allowing the power of Light Curtain Spirit Speech to continue increasing.

Even Seashell's own Spirit Speech ability had improved by a great deal.

"Therefore, we can only create civilian tools and carefully manage that ten percent of core technology. If other civilizations become interested, they can purchase from us. When the time comes, we'll sell them inferior versions of the technology, usually priced in Civilization Points."

Lu Yuan understood. It was like selling fighter jets during Earth's era—the exported versions would definitely be somewhat inferior to the ones they used themselves. Even if secrets leaked, it would not be a major problem.

"Send me the project reports. I'll study them properly over the next three years."

"Understood!"

In the days that followed, besides teaching the children as usual, Lu Yuan often discussed matters with the artisans and attended university at night to study the latest Materialist Philosophy courses, including freshly developed spatial theories.

He worked around the clock, twenty-four hours a day!

On the human side, more and more artisans heard that Lu Yuan would personally lead the team at the next grand event, and their expectations continued to grow.

Grand Commander Lu had remained out of the public eye for a long time. There were countless rumors outside, and everyone had been holding back their frustration!

Moreover, Lu Yuan had indeed participated in relatively few collective projects in the past. It was not only because Grand Commander Lu was too busy, but also because of the guiding principle of "self-reliance."

"...You cannot expect to rely on me for everything! The development of Human 18 Civilization requires the joint efforts of everyone! In the future, organize yourselves to participate in competitions and exchange conferences. You don't have to insist on having me lead you. Human Civilization must stand independently and build a first-rate pipeline of artisan talent!"—those were Lu Yuan's original words from three hundred years ago.

But this time, Grand Commander Lu was personally leading the team. If they did not take first place, that would simply be outrageous!

Thus, heavy pressure settled onto Lu Yuan's shoulders.

It left him unable to eat, unable to sleep, and restless at night.

"I really brought this on myself. Why did I have to show off back then?"

Lu Yuan faintly questioned his life as he looked at the mountain-like sea of documents. There was no shortage of experts among humanity, but those proposals were still far too distant from Mythical Industrialization.

And he himself had no inspiration at all.

Not even a single drop!

Artisan inspiration required life experience and an opportunity. He had just experienced a major burst of inspiration and then slept for more than ten years. Right now, he truly could not squeeze out even the slightest idea.

So he could only settle for the next best thing and seek a little inspiration—by using the long-neglected Collapse Artist!

But he quickly discovered that this method no longer worked, because his wife was now an Innate Mythical-level powerhouse. Her allure was like an ultra-powerful magnet. She merely placed a few God's Skills on him, and Lu Yuan's mind collapsed. He revealed the same wickedly arrogant expression as Old Wolf...

By the time he came to his senses, he found himself in sage mode, with all the energy drained from his body.

"It's over. The contest between spear and shield was balanced at first, but now the spear is far stronger than the shield. My willpower can't withstand a single blow!" Lu Yuan sighed toward the sky.

Of course, there were other methods, such as Legendary Level Inspiration Mushrooms, produced in the Underground Fissure.

With the resistance of an Innate Mythical, he could completely withstand the side effects.

There was also the Innate plant, the Enlightenment Tree. This thing was essentially an upgraded replacement for Inspiration Mushrooms and could trigger an even higher level of inspiration.

However, Lu Yuan did not use them rashly.

"At the root of it, I just haven't had enough experiences lately." Sitting in his office, Lu Yuan analyzed his current predicament. "I've been so immersed in reproduction that I can't pull myself out, like marrying a new wife and being completely unable to stop."

Old Cat sat across from him and transmitted a huge pile of materials. "Then use reproduction as inspiration."

"That won't work. The whole world would know that Old Lu is a horny scoundrel..."

"Heh heh." Old Cat showed no sympathy and added some more pressure. "First major matter: the fourth Supreme Artisan Competition. Civilizations from the Northern Frontier and the Iron Key Clan's side will also participate. It will be an unprecedented spectacle."

"Oh, the Northern Frontier team."

"You know the teams over in the Northern Frontier. Their artisans are no weaker than those of the Buzhou Alliance. Their Materialist level is also advancing rapidly, and they're gradually catching up."

The Northern Frontier had dedicated support from the Turtle Civilization, while humanity continuously teleported equipment to the rear and established branch bases. Their Materialist strength was indeed increasing dramatically.

"The Iron Key Clan's side also has Level Four Civilizations. They didn't participate a few years ago, so they must have been holding back something big..."

"The rewards this time are more generous than in the previous competitions. Even the top ten will receive immortal materials."

Lu Yuan did not care much about the rewards. Stronger opponents instead gave him more motivation.

"Second major matter: Taduo and the others have returned home. The city of the Lize Civilization happened to be parked within three hundred thousand kilometers of the Space Tunnel, so we dispatched an army to send them home."

"Their city isn't too far from the Iron Key Civilization's headquarters. They should join the civilization cluster over there."

Lu Yuan nodded. He had always liked the Lizardmen, and helping them return home safely was a reasonable arrangement.

"There's a third major matter." Old Cat paused. "At the end of the Space Tunnel, in the region near the Kuxi Great Desert, we found some suspicious artificial remnants. Things like soda cans and mineral water bottles. They look relatively new and should have been left behind within the last few years."

"Isn't that stuff everywhere on Pangu Continent?" Lu Yuan was speechless. There were plenty of civilizations that littered indiscriminately.

Recently, the Alliance had been holding one council meeting after another over environmental protection. Some civilizations, in order to save industrial costs, directly discharged pollutants into rivers. The downstream civilizations were unhappy. If you pollute all the water, what are we supposed to do? Water resources throughout the Buzhou Ruins were limited!

The matter had caused a huge uproar. The Alliance was urgently drafting laws to regulate environmental protection.

After all, the Buzhou Alliance possessed military force. Anomalies such as Flame Demons and Ancient Insects were among that force, but advancing environmental protection still required tremendous time and effort.

Therefore, household waste could be found everywhere on Pangu Continent.

"Look carefully at this mineral water bottle." Old Cat's tone was somewhat strange.

Lu Yuan focused his eyes and saw that the bottle looked somewhat like a Nongfu Spring bottle. The label had already disappeared, but there was actually a laser-printed production date on the bottle neck.

At first, he found it baffling. What could one possibly tell from a transparent plastic bottle?

But gradually, his breathing grew heavy, because that production date was actually written in—Arabic numerals!