Meanwhile.
Outer space above Blue Star, geosynchronous orbit.
Absolute vacuum and silence were the eternal backdrop of this region of the Star Domain.
A moon-white spaceship suddenly appeared in the void, like a lustrous pearl set against black velvet.
Its lines were graceful and fluid, as if naturally grown vines and frozen starlight had woven it together. Countless tiny emerald-green runes pulsed slowly across its hull, exuding an ancient, mysterious aura that formed a strange contrast with the lifeless void around it.
Irelia Hina stood silently before the observation window at the bow of the ship.
Her long dress seemed woven from pure starlight and hazy mist. Her skin was as white as jade, and her features were exquisite and ethereal. A diamond-shaped crystal on her forehead shimmered with a restrained glow, reflecting the blue planet below.
Her expression was calm and serene, yet the depths of her eyes, as profound as the Star Sea, roiled with emotion.
Her five-thousand-year term as Guardian was nearing its end. She only had to wait for the Civilization Promotion Assessment to conclude before she could lay down her burden, yet Irelia had never felt so nervous.
That was because, by the Human Race's rules, the Civilization Promotion Assessment would be overseen by an Eternal Deity-level being in person!
But as a powerful race, the Human Race had few spots to offer the Spirit Race for Civilization Guardians.
After all, serving as a Civilization Guardian allowed one to observe the rise and fall of an intelligent civilization, greatly aiding a Star Vortex Rank cultivator's comprehension of the laws of the universe. More importantly, for those at Star Vortex Rank, even a single word of guidance or a hint of favor from an Eternal Deity could change their fate!
As a result, competition for Human Race Civilization Guardian positions within the Spirit Race was fierce.
Irelia's slender fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the observation window.
A thousand years ago, her family had suffered a crushing loss when her Star Domain Rank ninth-stage grandfather died unexpectedly, and two of the family's three Star Domain Rank elders were injured while the third was killed. Their rival family had then suppressed them on every front, and they had quickly fallen into decline.
In their moment of despair, her grandmother had overruled all opposition and spent most of the family's resources to secure her this chance to serve as a "Human Race Civilization Guardian," putting her in contact with an Eternal Deity.
After running into a wall at every turn, it was the only solution the family could think of.
An Eternal Deity-level being had connections that transcended racial boundaries. Even if the deity belonged to the Human Race, they could still exert influence within the Spirit Race.
Though the chance was slim, the family had nearly emptied its coffers to pursue it.
As a direct descendant of the family and its most talented Star Vortex Rank member, Irelia knew how heavy her responsibility was. For five thousand years, she had worked diligently without daring to slack off for even a moment. At last, this day had arrived.
The assessment was beginning. A deity was descending!
She prayed silently, hoping that the deity who arrived would at least be friendly toward the Spirit Race or belong to a neutral faction.
Time passed in mounting anxiety.
Irelia drew a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
"According to the time announced in advance on the Virtual Network, they should be arriving soon."
A flicker of grim resolve passed through her eyes.
In the next instant, Irelia's figure turned into a cool streak of light. She passed through the ship's hatch and multiple layers of shields, appearing in the cold void outside the Emerald Whisper Starship.
She dimmed the light of the crystal on her forehead and arranged herself in the most respectful pose possible, then floated there in silence, waiting.
A moment later, as if to confirm her premonition—
Boom!
Without warning, a terrifying pressure from the source of the universe descended!
The pressure directly shook the underlying laws of space. The space around the geosynchronous orbit seemed to twist as though torn by an invisible giant hand.
Irelia's heart clenched.
Hiss.
The void in the distance split open without a sound, and a streamlined, shuttle-shaped spaceship slowly glided out as if emerging from the shadows of a higher dimension.
It was a little over a hundred meters long, its entire surface matte black and smooth as a mirror, without a single unnecessary ornament. It looked utterly ordinary, yet radiated an absolute, suffocating pressure, like the purest, coldest rock formed from the universe itself. It stood in stark contrast to the ornate Emerald Whisper Starship beside it.
The hatch slid open silently, like liquid mercury.
A figure slowly stepped out.
He was no flesh-and-blood being. He was made of pure light and shadow, along with countless runes of profound mystery, each so minuscule that they were nearly imperceptible, constantly appearing and vanishing in an endless flow.
His very existence seemed like a distorted node in the Space Rule, radiating a cadence of laws that made souls tremble instinctively.
Almost at the same time, a silver-white Smart Light Orb appeared beside the light-and-shadow avatar, streams of pale gold data flowing across it.
"Master, target planet designation: TC-YHLHXB-ZJ-G-7392113. Arrival confirmed."
The orb's synthesized voice was calm and emotionless.
Irelia merely glanced at him, yet felt the source of her soul tremble violently.
She knew that this was an absolute suppression in terms of life level.
Daring not to look directly at the face formed from runes, she hurriedly lowered her head, moved forward a few steps, and performed the most ancient and exalted salutation of the Spirit Race:
"Irelia Hina, the thirty-seventh Guardian of Blue Star Civilization, welcomes Your Excellency Xu Chen. May your will guide the course of the Star River."
The light-and-shadow face of the deity's avatar showed no emotion. When his gaze passed over the Spirit Race mark on Irelia's forehead, the flowing tide of runes seemed to pause for the briefest moment.
"Spirit Race."
His cold voice rang through the void.
Irelia's heart contracted sharply, but she didn't dare move. She remained in her respectful pose.
Then came a long, unbearable silence that filled her with despair.
Only after cold sweat had beaded on her forehead did Irelia hear a calm voice.
"So be it. She can handle the trivial matters."
"As you command, Master."
The Smart Light Orb's glow pulsed steadily.
Irelia froze for a moment, then raised her head abruptly. Immediately realizing her mistake, she quickly lowered it again.
Suppressing her excitement, she spoke in an even gentler, humbler voice, her gratitude perfectly measured.
"Thank you for your trust, Your Excellency! You must be weary from your journey. Would you care to rest aboard the Emerald Whisper Starship? We have prepared the Spirit Race specialty, Clear Radiance Dew."
The deity's avatar did not shift his gaze in the slightest. He didn't even respond to Irelia, as if she were nothing more than an insignificant mote of dust in the starry sky.
He simply gave a calm order.
"Begin the assessment."
"As you command, Master."
The Smart Light Orb flickered for a moment.
"Comprehensive assessment of Blue Star Civilization's development index: 0.73. Energy environment assessment: extremely barren. Intelligent species potential model projection: low. Estimated potential rating: Level 2.
"Recommendation: execute the standard low-energy assessment procedure. Resource allocation level: 2."
The light-and-shadow face of the deity's avatar, formed from runes, showed no change in expression.
He did not even look toward the beautiful planet below, wrapped in blue oceans and green continents, as if it were nothing more than a speck of cosmic dust.
He gave an almost imperceptible "nod" with his head, formed from pure law and Source Energy.
"Proceed."
His calm voice rang directly through the void.
The Smart Light Orb's glow flashed in a steady rhythm.
"Instruction confirmed: executing the standard Level 2 promotion assessment procedure."
The next instant!
An invisible, immense force of law, so vast it defied imagination, erupted from the deity's avatar!
This force was no physical shock wave. It acted directly upon the underlying structure of space.
The region containing Blue Star rippled like a superfluid struck by a boulder, warping the rules in invisible waves beyond the reach of even the most precise instruments.
A colossal, translucent "light membrane," seemingly made up of countless flowing illusory runes, expanded instantly and soundlessly, completely enveloping Blue Star and the space around it.
On Blue Star's surface, every high-precision timekeeping device in operation, whether an atomic clock or a quartz clock, developed an extremely tiny, almost imperceptible synchronization error in that instant.
Deep-space exploration signals were instantly blocked across the globe, and the images transmitted to Earth by satellites in low orbit briefly flickered with static.
The Illusion Law Divine Kingdom Projection—the Abyssal Realm—had descended!
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