Within Yu Duan's inner space, the Book of Causality, which contained endless mysteries, floated silently, suffused with a dreamlike, shifting seven-colored glow and concealing some unknown secret.
On its timeworn pages, a line of text danced as if alive: "Repaying the cost: basking in sunlight for 400,000 hours. Current progress: 6,393.6 hours."
"As expected, every time I advance one level in my domain, the time needed to repay the cost of borrowing doubles."
Yu Duan's expression was calm. He wasn't surprised that borrowing the Triple Domain would require him to grind away for 400,000 hours.
"By that pattern, the final cost of borrowing the Ninefold Domain should be 25.6 million hours of basking in sunlight. Converted into years... that's about 2,900 years."
"Factoring in the 37-fold increase in efficiency, it'll take roughly 78 years. That's definitely not slow."
Yu Duan did a quick calculation. From borrowing the first level of his domain all the way to the ninth, the total time required would be less than 160 years.
If the universe's super geniuses found out that a little Planetary Level nobody could reach the Ninefold Domain from a fully mastered artistic conception in such a short time, who knew how many of them would have a complete breakdown.
And that was only the most conservative estimate!
As Yu Duan's cultivation improved, he would be able to get closer to the star, and might even be able to live inside its core.
By then, his efficiency would increase by far more than the current 37-fold.
"Home!"
Beneath the blazing light of the star, a tiny single-pilot spaceship abruptly ignited its engines, tearing through space as it raced toward Light Source Planet, 76 million kilometers away.
It was expected to take about two days to reach Light Source Planet.
Light Source Planet, the Civilization Temple.
On the final day of New Year 51, the solemn plaza of the Civilization Temple was packed with Grandmaster-level experts from all the forces across the Light Source World—Apprentice Level 7 and above. They stood with respectful expressions, waiting to pay their respects to the Heavenly Saints.
Time slipped by, and the moment when the old year gave way to the new finally arrived.
"Voom—!"
Brilliant radiance rose above the Civilization Temple, illuminating the surrounding area.
Three figures emerged from the depths of the temple, their presence radiating an indescribably powerful aura. They stepped through the air and came to a steady halt above the center of the plaza.
"Greetings, Saints!"
Below, hundreds of Grandmaster-level experts were shaken to the core and hurriedly bowed. Following the highest form of greeting among the Light Source Race, they opened the third eye on their foreheads and gazed at Zhen Li, Kun Zhu, and Shen Jian with awe and reverence.
Master Zhen Li stood at the head of the group, his hair and beard completely white. His face was benevolent, yet his bearing was grave and dignified. His aged, resonant voice rang clearly in the ears of every Grandmaster.
"Today, I announce some important news."
Master Zhen Li's gaze swept across the crowd below, his expression solemn. "Yu Duan, once the number-one Grandmaster of the Light Source World, has successfully ascended to sainthood! From this day on, our race has four Heavenly Saints!"
"Boom—!"
Like a boulder dropped into a still lake, an uproar instantly erupted across the plaza. After a brief, stunned silence, the Grandmaster-level experts grew excited and jubilant.
"Whoosh—!"
A dazzling white radiance, like the first glimmer of dawn piercing the night, shot skyward from behind the temple, revealing Yu Duan's tall, upright figure.
"Greetings, Saint Yu Duan!" The Grandmaster-level experts hurriedly bowed to him, greeting him in unison.
Yu Duan gave a slight nod and drifted down to stand shoulder to shoulder with Master Zhen Li.
Master Zhen Li spoke again, his aged voice echoing in every direction. "It has been 51 years since I broke through the peak of the ninth level. Since then, our race has given rise to four Heavenly Saints."
"After reaching a consensus, we have decided that from this day on, the realm above the peak of the ninth level shall officially be named—Planetary Level!"
"Furthermore, to lead our civilization to greater heights, we have decided to establish the Light Source Palace as the highest governing body for the development of our civilization..."
The Light Source Palace was the highest governing institution Yu Duan had proposed, modeled after the War God Palace.
All Grandmaster-level experts could join it and form its foundation.
The true decision-making core, however, belonged to the four Planetary Level powerhouses, including Yu Duan. They would be known as the Light Source Palace Elders.
As the only one among them who wielded domain power, Yu Duan would naturally be the First Elder, holding the highest authority.
"Saint Yu Duan... is the First Elder?"
The unexpected appointment sent a shock through many of the Grandmasters below, and doubts spread rapidly like ripples on water.
"Saint Yu Duan's talent is unprecedented. It may only be a matter of time before he surpasses Saint Kun Zhu. But he has only just ascended to sainthood, and he's already the First Elder. Isn't that... a little too hasty?"
Similar thoughts churned in the minds of many Grandmasters. They exchanged glances, seeing the same surprise and confusion in one another's eyes, but none dared voice them.
At that moment, Kun Zhu, as imposing as a mountain, stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice. "The Light Source Palace Elders' seats are decided by strength alone!"
"I am no match for the First Elder, so I will gladly take the position of Second Elder. Saint Shen Jian and Saint Zhen Li will rank third and fourth, respectively!"
Hearing this, the Grandmasters who still had doubts were first and foremost incredulous.
Kun Zhu had held the position of the Light Source civilization's strongest expert for decades. His prestige and strength were deeply rooted in the minds of all.
But then reason told them that Kun Zhu had no reason to lie in such an important setting.
In that instant, countless gazes turned toward Yu Duan, full of awe and hope.
Yu Duan had just broken through, yet he was already able to overpower Kun Zhu and claim the top position. In the future, he would surely become the race's indispensable pillar and lead its civilization forward.
Once the crowd had settled down, Master Zhen Li spoke again. "Next, I will distribute the login devices for the Light Source Palace's virtual network. All Grandmaster-level experts may use them to access the network, communicate, and discuss matters..."
Building a virtual network was not difficult. With an Optical Computer as the host and an Auxiliary Intelligence to handle the programming, it wouldn't take long to create a rudimentary network.
Even so, for the Light Source civilization, which had only entered the Information Age a little over a decade ago, even the simplest virtual network was groundbreaking technology.
The Light Source Palace's day-to-day operations would be entrusted entirely to Master Zhen Li, the most prestigious among them.
That would allow Yu Duan and the other two to step away from the trivial matters of running their civilization and focus on cultivation and growth.
In the brutal society of the universe, only the birth of more and stronger members of their race could secure its future.
The next morning, outside Light Source Planet's atmosphere.
The 400-meter-long Chilian Star seemed like a ghost, perfectly blending into the backdrop of space.
While cloaked, the crimson alien spaceship, brimming with futuristic design, was invisible to everyone.
In the ship's main control room, Yu Duan was speaking with Master Zhen Li through a floating display. The old man's face was etched with unshakable worry as he repeatedly reminded Yu Duan of one matter after another.
Yu Duan's expression was serious, but his tone was steady as he reassured him. "Don't worry, Master. Our destination isn't any planet under the Crimson Empire's jurisdiction. We're heading straight to Molian Star, a core administrative planet directly governed by the Chilian Divine Empire."
As he spoke, Yu Duan gestured toward the ship beneath his feet. "Besides, the Chilian Star is a common ship from the Chilian Divine Empire's Chilian series. It won't attract any extra attention."
Hearing Yu Duan say this, Master Zhen Li felt a little less worried.
The Crimson Empire had several Domain Lord Level powerhouses, more than 20 Universe Level experts, and control over 14 star systems and over a million habitable planets.
To Light Source Planet, the Crimson Empire was an immense power they could not afford to offend.
But the Crimson Empire was only a low-level civilization in the universe. Compared to the Chilian Divine Empire, it was merely one of more than 600 vassal states.
"All right, all right... I won't say any more. Just remember to be careful."
Master Zhen Li ended the call, and the projected display dissolved into scattered blue particles.
Yu Duan turned to face Kun Zhu and Shen Jian, who were already prepared to depart. A steady smile appeared on his face.
"Senior Brothers, remember to stick to the identities and forms of address we agreed on when speaking with people outside."
Kun Zhu and Shen Jian looked at each other, both of them serious. "Understood, Little Junior Brother!"
"Boom—!"
A low rumble rose from the ship's core, and the entire hull began to tremble faintly.
The curvature engine powered up to its full capacity, sending invisible ripples through space from the bow.
The next moment, the crimson Chilian Star transformed into a dazzling streak of light that tore through the void and resolutely shot toward the boundless depths of the universe!
As a B6-level Spaceship, the Chilian Star could eventually accelerate to the speed of light and enter the Dark Universe for faster-than-light travel. However, its acceleration was relatively slow. It took nearly two hours to break through the light barrier and enter the Dark Universe.
"Vmmm..."
The lights in the main control room dimmed instantly, and the vast starry sky beyond the windows became a pitch-black expanse.
"Number One, activate the external view simulation," Yu Duan ordered calmly.
The walls around the bridge flickered slightly, then displayed a simulated view of the Dark Universe.
In the Dark Universe, the ship was moving faster than light, so it couldn't see the scenery outside. However, it could project a simulated view.
The Dark Universe stretched on without end. Not a single star was visible, only countless dazzling points of light that flickered in the distance.
"So this is the Dark Universe?" Shen Jian's eyes moved as he examined the simulated scene.
Yu Duan nodded and swept his hand through the air. A clear, precise holographic star map appeared before them.
A tiny blue dot on the map marked their current position.
Yu Duan pointed ahead, toward a prominent red dot. "This is our destination, Molian Star, about 1.02 million light-years from Light Source Planet."
"Molian Star is far more prosperous than the Crimson Empire's capital planet. It's the central trade hub for more than 400 nearby star systems, and it's directly governed by the Chilian Divine Empire."
Yu Duan pointed to the ship's trajectory on the star map. "Our ship can only just reach the speed of light. With the Dark Universe's 10.08-million-fold speed increase, we should reach our destination in about 36 universal days."
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