"Things are urgent, Senior. If there's anything you need to say, please tell me now," Lu Yin urged.
Ancestor Mountain let out a deep sigh. "I don't know what to say. I've lived far, far too long. Looking back, every fragment of memory contains civilizations rising and falling. There are too many important things I want to tell you, but with so many, I can't even decide where to begin."
"What is the Fishing Civilization's understanding? What does it really mean to be a Fishing Civilization?" Lu Yin asked.
Ancestor Mountain replied, "This understanding isn't something I should tell you. When your Human Civilization truly reaches that level, you'll know for yourselves. You can think of this understanding as the line that marks the Fishing Civilization. Until you know it, don't leave your ecosystem. Once you do, you'll be qualified to leave—and that will mean you've become a Fishing Civilization."
"But I want to know now," Lu Yin said.
Star Toad said softly, "I want to know too."
Ancestor Mountain fell silent for a moment, then slowly began, "The universe moves. So one day, all the Universe Civilizations will gradually encounter one another. From this comes the theory that the Cubic Distance is shrinking."
Lu Yin's eyes narrowed. No wonder. No wonder every Fishing Civilization was destroying other civilizations. They weren't bloodthirsty; they were fighting to secure living space and resources to defeat the other Fishing Civilizations.
One day, they too would face an existential crisis. Before that day came, they were fighting for everything they could.
"Do all the Fishing Civilizations think this way?" Lu Yin asked.
Ancestor Mountain's voice was grave. "That's only a broad summary. Civilizations don't communicate with one another, but as they develop, they observe, think, make deductions, and search for the course of the