Humanity's Choice

The Three Moons Civilization voiced unusually strong opposition, something rarely seen among the surrounding civilizations.

The Lu Shu Elder let out a faint sigh as well.

Lu Yuan pricked up his ears and caught the whispers around him.

"Why had they made up their minds so quickly and rejected the Blood Sacrifice Rule?"

"The Three Moons Civilization has a unique ideology. Their transparent thinking is both their strength and their weakness. They developed rapidly, but they could never easily accept blood sacrifice!"

After thinking it over carefully, Lu Yuan understood.

Most civilizations had plenty of gray areas.

There were many blurred boundaries between good and evil.

For example, a human might like children yet hate small animals, possess the courage to save lives, yet also engage in petty theft.

Such duality was everywhere in human society.

Most civilizations were the same. Their laws were ambiguous, judges had discretionary power, and police enforcement was flexible—the so-called humane law enforcement. Lies were commonplace, and even relatives and friends told each other countless lies—once individuals in such civilizations were managed too strictly, they deeply felt that they were "not free."

But the Three Moons Civilization's "transparent thinking" meant its entire society operated under a militarized management system, with most of its population sharing similar ideologies.

For instance, I like cats, you like cats, everyone likes cats. Only then could society remain relatively harmonious. The moment someone who hated cats appeared, they would immediately be ostracized by the group.

Likewise, the Three Moons Civilization had to foster a highly moral social environment. Otherwise, transparent thinking would generate countless conflicts.

This meant that the gray areas in thought were drastically reduced. Therefore, the Three Moons Civilization would absolutely never agree to "dig up the Blood Sacrifice Rule again." Otherwise, their chains of thought would fall into complete chaos, and their civilization would decline as a result!

Amid the discussions, the Lu Shu Elder's eyes were weathered with age. "Three Moons people, if you intend to stop this, you must think carefully. Otherwise, only death awaits you."

He had seen too much. Civilizations were always a scattered mess.

The vast majority feared death and clung to life.

Under immense external pressure, most civilizations would submit.

"In any case, I am merely revealing this matter in advance and asking about your stance... If you cannot make up your minds, go back and think it over carefully."

"One year from now, a Five Stars Alignment will appear above Pangu Continent. That will be the best opportunity to dig up the Blood Sacrifice Rule again... They will not give you much time to think!"

Afterward, another auction was held here. There were all sorts of miscellaneous materials, ancient relics, artworks, and books.

One Legendary Level ore containing some kind of bloodline essence actually sold for the staggering price of 4,420 spiritual essence!

The human diplomatic team was preoccupied with worry, and the items here were not cheap either. Once the auction ended, they hurried back.

"Mr. Lu, what is your view on this matter?" The Lizardman Taduo's face was ashen. "No wonder they took away the Blood Bricks of my civilization."

"I'm afraid my Lize Civilization no longer has the right to vote..."

Lu Yuan smiled. "Losing your voting rights may not be a bad thing. At least you will not face any risks."

"But for civilizations like ours, once we oppose them, we may face total destruction!"

"But as long as enough civilizations oppose them, no matter how powerful the Ancient Races are, they cannot do anything to us!" Taduo said stiffly.

Lu Yuan shook his head. "It will be difficult..."

When had a coalition ever successfully defeated Qin?

Better to rely on themselves!

"Help us find out the attitudes of the surrounding civilizations, especially the powerful ones."

"No problem..." Taduo said. "But this matter is too significant. The information we gather may not necessarily be accurate."

"Even vague indications will do."

After returning to Green Field City, humanity specially convened a "Special Security Emergency Meeting," gathering government officials, military personnel, and experts and scholars from all walks of life. A total of three thousand people attended this security meeting.

This included the Ratfolk Artisan group and the Blue Peng People group.

Lu Yuan took out the recording from his Powered Armor and reported the matter exactly as it had happened.

Everyone was utterly stunned.

The enormous Meeting Room fell completely silent!

The Blood Sacrifice Rule had been painstakingly buried by generation after generation of Peak Civilizations, all so that Pangu Continent could be more peaceful, with greater cooperation and fewer wars between civilizations.

More than that, the chaos of the First Era had actually been caused by the Blood Sacrifice Rule!

And now they wanted to dig it up again!

The very thought made their scalps tingle.

Lu Yuan expressed his opinion from the podium. "It is foreseeable that weak civilizations will not be able to withstand such immense pressure. They will submit to the Ancient Races. Some civilizations have already thrown in with them, and this will create a herd effect. The later they submit, the worse their treatment will be."

Old Cat questioned, "But once the Blood Sacrifice Rule is unearthed, their long-term interests will be harmed... Will these Ancient Races really keep their promises? These weak civilizations will become livestock in pens, liable to be blood-sacrificed at any time."

Another military official said, "There is no choice. Agreeing preserves their lives. Refusing means facing total destruction in an instant."

People discussed it all at once. "Any civilization that has developed this far is outstanding. There is no need for them to be so shortsighted, is there?"

"No, mediocre civilizations are the majority. Just like us, we have actually muddled our way to where we are today."

There were many intelligent people in the Meeting Room. In just a few words, they had clearly laid out the predicament they currently faced.

Everyone understood the principle that if you carried firewood to put out a fire, the fire would never go out as long as the wood remained.

Yet there were still more weak-willed people in the world.

The weak-willed always loved to fantasize, imagining themselves as the lucky ones chosen by fate—the Blood Sacrifice Rule was detrimental to most civilizations, but beneficial to civilizations standing at the summit, and to races with relatively primitive ideologies.

"To sum up, if a powerful civilization stepped forward and took the lead in opposing it, most civilizations would actually remain on the sidelines." Lu Yuan sat on the dais and asked, "Is that right?"

"Yes, Grand Commander... This matter absolutely does not align with the fundamental interests of most civilizations."

"Under the Blood Sacrifice Rule, the weak become prey to the strong, and ninety-nine percent of species will be reduced to livestock. No normal civilization would gamble on such a path, even with the Era Disaster looming before them." Magmette Duke of the Blue Roc Civilization analyzed, "What is more, the Blood Sacrifice Rule favors cultivating the strong, not cultivating civilizations."

"For a civilization to become powerful, it must be internally driven and progressive, filled with humanistic values, with a system that allows for failure."

"If someone encountered trouble in life and fell into a temporary slump, society would have enough reserves to support them."

"If a society was filled with oppression and rigid class divisions, where could progress possibly come from?"

"The Blood Sacrifice Rule advocates survival of the fittest and a jungle society. Driven by the benefits of the Blood Sacrifice Rule, a civilization's ideology will inevitably change, and society's tolerance for failure will gradually disappear. This is actually the opposite of making a civilization strong. Therefore, I believe this does not serve the interests of most civilizations."

"But who will be the one to step forward and resist... Us humans?" Lu Yuan asked. "Are you willing?"

This time, no one dared speak.

The strength of the Ancient Race was unknown.

Without ever truly testing themselves against them, it was difficult to judge.

"The Three Moons Civilization has reacted rather strongly..." Magmette Duke said, somewhat lacking in confidence.

"They have only reacted strongly. What if they ultimately don't step forward?" Lu Yuan countered. "Do you still want to place your hopes on others?"

The atmosphere once again sank into silence. No one knew what the Three Moons Civilization was thinking.

"If irreconcilable, acute conflict truly breaks out, would you dare go to war with them?"

No one knew the answer to that question.

The discovery of the Blood Sacrifice Rule was simply too significant. Even the Supreme Council could not make a decision.

After cautious deliberation, the Green Field Government disclosed all the information to the public.

In Lu Yuan's words: "Even if we truly have to fight the Ancient Race, the public deserves to know the truth."

And this disclosure immediately caused a massive uproar!

The sky was gray, heavy clouds hung low, and a fine drizzle fell.

Green Field City remained as prosperous as ever, yet something subtly seemed to have changed. Humanity needed to face a more real world.

Sea Snail Miss sat on a branch of the Opium Poppy Tree, gazing out at the hazy city. In her lovely voice, she said, "Before we knew it, everyone has grown up."

"Have they really grown up?" Lu Yuan chuckled. "A few years ago, the whole city was still in a lazy state. They nearly lazed themselves to death."

"Being lazy is normal, but at critical moments, they will make the right choice. I believe in them!"

Inside the military camp, a large group of recruits watched the television with rapt attention.

The television broadcast the words spoken by Lu Shu Elder. Linguists had specially added translated subtitles so that everyone could understand.

The atmosphere in the camp was heavy. Some were furious, while others fell into deep thought.

Just as everyone remained silent, Colonel Lu Ying shouted, "Train soldiers for a thousand days, use them for a single moment!"

"We have developed our military for so long—for what purpose?"

"Defend our homes and protect our country!" the soldiers roared.

"This matter harms our long-term interests. Should we oppose it?"

"Yes!"

The moment those words were spoken, the tense atmosphere eased considerably.

Everyone seemed to have let out a breath of relief.

"What about the danger? Aren't you afraid?" Lu Ying asked with a smile.

"Report! We are humans who have gone through a Ghost-level war. What is there to fear?"

"Shouldn't we ask the opposite? Aren't they afraid? Are they really so certain they can coerce every civilization?"

All the soldiers burst into laughter.

Sometimes, even a wrong decision was better than no decision at all.

In the center of the city.

Green Field University was holding a symposium on "The Impact of the Blood Sacrifice Rule on Pangu Continent."

Several professors jointly projected the changes that would occur in the world a thousand years into the future.

"Clearly, if the Blood Sacrifice Rule reappears, even the ecology of a paradise like the Northern Frontier will undergo tremendous changes."

"If there was a shortcut to a civilization's development, then path dependence would inevitably arise. Just like humanity's drug addiction—before it was completely eradicated, people would always want one last hit. Civilization was no different. Path dependence was very difficult to overcome."

This symposium was also being broadcast live online.

After the professors finished their deductions, it was time for questions from the audience.

"Professor Hai, humanity counts as a fairly powerful civilization, right?" A female student stood up from her seat and asked, "Do we really have to take the lead?"

The historian onstage, Professor Hai Mingrui, replied, "At present, that does seem to be the case..."

"It is unclear whether humanity ranks first in strength, but we are at least in the first tier."

"If humanity did not dare shoulder this responsibility, then we could only place our hopes on the other powerful civilizations. But if every civilization was unwilling to take the lead, then this matter would be utterly doomed, with no possibility of recovery."

"As for the Ancient Race, they are massive and their individual combat ability is indeed formidable, but..." He paused, pointing at the enormous Opium Poppy Tree. "The world is no longer in the First Era, and we are not a civilization without foundations. We have weathered countless trials, obtained ancient inheritances, and inherited the will to survive. We are one whole."

"And they came from the First Era. They do not understand the strength of the collective, nor do they understand the power of civilization."

All the students laughed. It was a subtle kind of confidence.

Government agencies, factories, and research institutions carried on as usual, their workers busy as though this were just another ordinary day.

During the noon break, the televisions in major cafeterias broadcast the news.

Everyone likewise fell silent.

War seemed like something from centuries ago. When it truly became a possibility, people still felt a faint sense of bewilderment.

It was not exactly fear, but rather uncertainty about the future.

People gathered in small groups, eating and drinking as they stared fixedly at the television.

Then their phones suddenly vibrated. It was a message from the government.

"Every adult has to vote?"

There were only two options.

1. Humanity should take the lead in opposing them.

2. Humanity should not take the lead in opposing them.

When the sky collapsed, the tallest person held it up. But now humanity had become the tallest one. There was no middle option. How should they choose?

It was a sleepless night.

Many people tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

The citizens of Green Field City had received a high-quality education since childhood. They understood deeply that this vote concerned their future fate! If anything went wrong, humanity would fall into a state of eternal damnation.

They... could not make up their minds.

Early the next morning, at the Green Field Third Manufacturing Factory south of the city, an ordinary worker named Bei Lei got up before dawn.

He was an insignificant figure in this great era, part of the new generation bearing the surname Bei. His grades had been average, his character upright, and he possessed no innate God's Skill. Perhaps people like him made up the majority of the masses.

Fortunately, in the Supernatural Era, anyone with 12 points of Spirit Attribute could learn glyphs and enter the extraordinary engraving industry.

Thus, these idealistic factories absorbed the greatest amount of employment.

These people should not be underestimated. Many combinations of materialism and idealism—such as the latest Supermagnetic-Alpha Power Engine, the Sixth Generation Nuclear Fusion Device, and the Seventh Generation Light Storage Battery—were the results of generations of accumulated experience and scientific calculations by countless workers.

After breakfast, Bei Lei looked out at the dim morning mist. The sky was like a vast tent, covering the fields in every direction.

"Yo, you're here so early today? It's only five in the morning. Something on your mind?"

When Bei Lei entered the workshop, he discovered that he was not the first to arrive. An older colleague, Bei Guangming, had gotten there ahead of him.

Bei Guangming said, "There really is. War's about to break out! We should hurry and finish the projects in our hands, just in case they're needed!"

His current task was a propeller blade for a power engine. It was quite difficult to make and highly useful.

"Did you vote?"

"I did." Bei Guangming laughed loudly. "My younger sister was scared to death. She actually wanted to vote against it, so I scolded her. I think she's a refined egoist, but she turned around and said she was doing it for safety."

"Haha, why are you going off on your younger sister? It's normal for a girl to be afraid of dying."

"That's why I voted! I want to witness the death of the Ancient Race with my own eyes!"

"If I die, she'll shed tears for me. If I live, I'll mock her forever, and my status in the family will rise... It's a guaranteed win-win deal!"

Bei Lei could not help laughing at his colleague. "You're not even going to the battlefield. Why are you acting so tough?"

A while later, a large group of people entered the workshop, young and old alike, all of them animated and excited.

They were all factory colleagues who had come early to work overtime.

"You all..." Bei Lei's whole body trembled slightly as he clenched his fists. Things seemed completely different from what he had imagined.

"We're going to fight the Ancient Race!" someone shouted.

"Who said we're going to war? It's not settled yet!"

"We have to prepare for the worst!"

"What is there to be afraid of? It's not a ghost."

"Alright, everyone, stop arguing! I hereby announce that I'm treating everyone to lunch!" The workshop director was a seventh-grade fitter with graying hair. "Finish your tasks early. Who knows, we might be producing missiles tomorrow! And when that happens, it'll be assembly-line production, so don't start complaining."

"We can use robots for the assembly line!" someone said.

"Sure, but we'll need to add some runes... Otherwise, if idealistic interference gets involved, wouldn't the missiles break down? Think of something, everyone. The missiles need at least Level A protection!"

The crowd could not help laughing. As they took off their clothes and changed into work uniforms, they revealed muscles like twisted steel threads.

Within this civilization, where could there possibly be cowards?

Silence. Such silence.

If they did not erupt in silence, they would perish in silence!

After a week of deliberation, the number of people making their choice increased dramatically!

By the tenth day, the voting was essentially complete.

More than 90% of the population had actually chosen, "Humanity should take the lead in opposing this"!

When he saw the result, not only was Comrade Old Cat, who had put the most thought into it, deeply moved—even Lu Yuan, who usually did not concern himself much with such matters, felt his heart surge with emotion. A bitter feeling welled up inside him, and he could not help wiping away his tears.

"Human 18 Civilization has truly grown up... It is willing to shoulder some responsibility for Pangu Continent."

This was Human Civilization's first choice in the face of an era-defining event! It was the will of all the people!