This Black Hole Is Too Flat

"Clear out an area. There must not be any matter within it. Then concentrate all your psychic energy at a single point," Lu Shang ordered.

"Understood."

At the command, the new generation of planetary organisms drove their immense psychic energy into one spot.

A small, perfectly round black sphere the size of a glass bead appeared out of thin air where the planetary organisms' psychic energy converged.

Under Lu Shang's command, the planetary organisms freely altered the trajectory of the little black sphere.

However, unlike the usual method of using psychic energy to alter an object's trajectory, the planetary organisms did not impart momentum to any matter. They merely changed the location where their psychic energy converged.

Lu Shang thought for a moment, then gave another order. "Try flattening this sphere. Turn it into a plane with no thickness."

Following Lu Shang's command, the little black sphere rapidly spread out at a speed visible to the naked eye. About seven minutes later, an enormous pitch-black curtain with an area no smaller than the planetary organisms' field of vision appeared roughly two hundred thousand kilometers away from them.

This black curtain was extremely thin. Through the various senses of the Behemoth beasts responsible for observation, Lu Shang could roughly determine that it was around three nanometers thick.

Had Lu Shang not called for a stop midway, the planetary organisms could have continued extending the black curtain all the way to the edge of their psychic range.

Furthermore, this enormous black curtain emitted an unusual gravitational pull.

The Dominator and the brain cores were also observing the test through the swarm network.

They could understand everything else, but they had no idea what Lu Shang was doing by directing the new generation of planetary organisms to create such a thin black curtain.

"What is that?" the Dominator asked curiously.

"A black hole with no thickness," Lu Shang answered.

The Dominator first gave an acknowledging response, then suddenly realized what he had heard. He looked at the pitch-black wall in astonishment, then asked with a sense of cognitive collapse, "A sheet? This is a black hole?"

Of course the swarm knew what black holes were. After roaming the stars for so many years, the Babel Swarm had encountered black holes before.

But a "sheet" of black hole like this was truly something the Babel Swarm had never heard of.

Lu Shang explained, "The formation of a black hole is essentially the result of matter distorting spacetime. If something else can distort spacetime, it can achieve the same effect."

"Psychic energy can act upon spacetime and distort it into a black hole, and psychic energy can be controlled freely by the brain. Therefore, it is possible to alter the shape of a black hole formed purely through psychic energy distorting spacetime."

After saying that, Lu Shang directed over a hundred planetary organisms to remove the Scout Nebula surrounding them and hurl stones traveling at sublight speed at the unfolded pitch-black curtain.

Those stones, carrying kinetic energy close to light speed, fell into the black curtain like fish plunging into the gaping maw of some abyssal beast, unable to stir even the slightest ripple.

Afterward, Lu Shang successively tested black-hole-induced attacks and beam-type attacks.

Planetary organisms did not often use beam-type attacks in combat, but they could indeed produce them. They simply used psychic energy to bind a stream of particles into a straight line, then hurled it out with psychic energy like a sublight-speed stone, turning it into a high-energy particle stream moving at near-light speed.

Neutron jets, positron cannons—psychic energy could produce them all. It was simply too cumbersome. In battle, throwing rocks directly was more convenient.

The results of the series of tests all confirmed the black curtain's impenetrability.

Naturally, that was how it should be. A sheet-like black hole was still a black hole. What could possibly penetrate a black hole?

This was practically a shield capable of blocking anything!

The Dominator watching the test naturally understood the black curtain's strategic significance. He also regretted never discovering it sooner, sitting atop a mountain of treasure without realizing it.

Level-twelve psychic energy could actually be used like this? Why had I never discovered it before?

The Dominator felt like coughing up blood.

"End the test," Lu Shang announced with satisfaction. He simultaneously issued orders to the new generation of planetary organisms and those that had yet to upgrade.

"Devour stellar matter and reproduce your kind. The other level-ten psychic planetary organisms will hatch and transform into level twelve."

"Understood."

The planetary organisms responded.

After the test ended, Lu Shang found the Dominator, who was still doubting himself, through the psychic network.

"Dominator, how have you considered the matter I mentioned before?" Lu Shang asked.

"Before?"

Still caught in self-doubt, the Dominator did not react immediately.

"The matter of changing the swarm's social structure."

With Lu Shang's reminder, the Dominator understood what he meant.

"Must it be done this way? I think things are fine as they are now."

"The swarm's current structure is the most stable and perfect. The swarm selects an outstanding individual to become the Dominator, and the Dominator guides the swarm's development and growth. I do not believe the change you speak of would be a good thing."

"It is not efficient."

Lu Shang raised an eyebrow and asked, "A highly efficient, stable, and perfect system was forced by its enemies to the brink of extinction?"

The Dominator retorted, "Your existence proves precisely that the swarm's social structure is perfect. Even when at a disadvantage and on the verge of destruction, as long as the leader is capable enough, they can continue guiding the swarm out of its crisis."

"The swarm's crisis arose from the inadequacy of the former Dominator and myself. Brain core Lu Shang, you are more capable than I am. You should become the swarm's Dominator."

The Dominator was not particularly attached to his own position. As an individual chosen by the swarm, if the swarm could recognize someone as the new Dominator, he would naturally place the swarm above himself.

"You still do not understand. If I truly wanted to become the Dominator, you and those brain cores would not still be alive," Lu Shang said frankly.

"Have you considered this? The fact that I can solve the Galactic Alliance's current problems does not mean I can solve every problem the swarm will face in the future. At that point, it would merely repeat the former Dominator's failure—development stagnating once again, and one day in the future, once more approaching the brink of extinction."

"What the swarm needs is not some exceptionally capable individual to lead it. It needs more individuals willing to think for the swarm's future and seek progress through that thought."

The Dominator found it absurd. Although what Lu Shang described sounded wonderful, he could not imagine what such a swarm would even look like.

"What if it fails?" the Dominator asked.

Lu Shang answered, "If it fails, then we can return to the old system and explore again. But change must continue. Only then can there be eternal development and progress."

"Changes in technology inevitably bring changes in thought. Thought and technology will always influence each other, because every technology must ultimately serve its users. A civilization unwilling to change its thinking is destined to enter a dead end of development, wandering there for a long time until it is destroyed by those who surpass it."

"Dominator, if you are unwilling to agree, then I can only make you agree."

The Dominator froze, then understood. Lu Shang had not said all this to ask for his opinion. He was demanding that he do it!

Because that would make what he wanted to do easier to accomplish!