On the light screen, the footage began to play.
It was footage recorded from the flagship Civilization's main perspective, edited and processed by Chen Ran to amplify its impact countless times over.
The image opened with the diamond-shaped black warship slowly emerging from a spatial wormhole.
Its massive hull radiated overwhelming pressure.
Its cold, lifeless metallic texture stood utterly at odds with the Primordial World.
When it appeared, even the surrounding chaos qi retreated before its domineering presence.
All of this was displayed clearly through the light screen before the great powers of the Primordial World.
Gasps echoed throughout the Hall of Civilization.
"What... kind of magical treasure is that?"
"No, it isn't a magical treasure! There isn't the slightest trace of spiritual qi fluctuation from it! It... it seems to be nothing but a dead object!"
"What a terrifying aura... Just watching this footage makes my Nascent Soul ache."
Everyone present was among the foremost experts of the Primordial World, with exceptionally broad knowledge.
Yet they had never seen such a strange and powerful creation.
Then, the cold countdown and the unquestionable ultimatum of "formatting" resounded through the entire hall.
"Resource Points?"
"Gestalt System?"
"Outrageous! That Outer Realm Demonic God dares to treat our Primordial World like meat on the chopping block!"
The hot-tempered disciples of the Jie Sect slammed their hands onto the tables, furious beyond restraint.
Anger also appeared on the faces of the other great powers.
They could fight among themselves and scheme against one another, but they were all Living Beings born from this world. Faced with such naked contempt and threats from the "outside," a shared hatred for the enemy naturally arose.
The footage continued.
The world-destroying Causality Erasure Beam roared forth.
Everyone's hearts leaped into their throats.
They asked themselves: if they had faced that strike, could they have stopped it?
The answer was no.
Even supreme saints like the Three Pure Ones wore grave expressions. They could sense that the attack contained a domineering law that erased "existence" itself, something even they could not fully comprehend.
Yet the next scene made everyone's eyes widen.
Nuwa appeared and casually extended one finger.
The beam vanished.
The entire hall fell silent.
Everyone looked at Nuwa, seated in the place of honor, as though she were a monster.
Nuwa remained cool and aloof, as though the one who had performed that miracle in the footage had not been her.
Yet the other five saints were swept by towering waves of shock.
They knew Nuwa was powerful, but they had never imagined she had become so powerful that she could casually "alter reality"!
The footage did not stop.
The Mass Storm descended, and the rain of death formed from three million neutron star warheads seemed to lower the temperature of the entire hall.
The Chaos Green Lotus bloomed, treating every attack as nourishment and devouring them all.
Nuwa's counterattack, the divine punishment of "Creation," caused a war fortress to bloom with flowers.
Scene after scene struck the hearts of the Primordial World's great powers like heavy hammers.
In that moment, their worldview was utterly overturned.
So battle could be fought like this.
So the power of saints could be this unreasonable.
And beyond the Primordial World, beyond their knowledge, there existed such a terrifying civilization founded upon pure technology.
When the footage ended, the light screen slowly dimmed.
The Hall of Civilization remained deathly silent.
Everyone was still immersed in the immense shock of what they had just witnessed, unable to pull themselves free.
After a long while, Grand Supreme Elder finally spoke slowly, his voice slightly dry.
"Chen Ran... young friend."
He did not address Chen Ran as "human," but called him "young friend" instead. That alone was an enormous acknowledgment.
"That Gestalt civilization, in the end... what happened to it?"
Everyone's eyes turned toward Chen Ran.
Chen Ran answered calmly, "I used a few small tricks to frighten it away for now. But it will certainly return. And next time, it will return with an understanding of our world and even greater strength."
"The purpose of convening this meeting was not to flaunt force, nor was it to boast of my achievements."
Chen Ran's gaze swept across every great power and every saint present.
"I want to tell everyone a fact that none of us wishes to admit, yet one we must face."
"That is, the Primordial World beneath our feet is no longer safe."
"An unprecedented calamity that will sweep across the entire world has already arrived in silence. This time, our enemy is no longer the witch race, no longer the demon race, nor is it one another."
"Our enemy is a cold civilization from beyond the stars, one utterly unlike us. It sees us as 'resources' and wants to completely 'format' us!"
"Before a war between civilizations, all our past grudges and schemes seem so insignificant."
"Because once we lose."
Chen Ran's voice echoed through the hall.
"The entire Primordial World will cease to exist. Every one of us will become dust in history, or become a piece of cold data within that Gestalt System."
"So today, standing here, I want to ask everyone one question."
"When the true apocalypse arrives."
"Will you all choose to continue fighting among yourselves and wait helplessly for death?"
"Or will you choose to cast aside your prejudices, unite, and fight with all your strength for our shared home and for our own survival?"
His words struck the ground like thunder, deafening and profound.
Every great power in the Hall of Civilization was deeply moved by Chen Ran's words.
Indeed.
When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?
If their home was gone, what meaning would there be in fighting over fortune and legacies?
Thus began a profound discussion concerning the future fate of the Primordial World.
And Chen Ran, that obscure young human, had quietly stepped onto the chessboard of the Primordial World in that moment, becoming the true player capable of influencing the course of the entire game.
Before you continue