"Primordial Heavenly Net?"
As they looked at the complex, precise network diagram on the light screen, every great power in the Hall of Civilization was stunned. What was this? Some kind of super formation spanning the Primordial World?
Chen Ran did not keep them in suspense. Pointing at the light screen, he began his explanation. His words were simple and direct, stripped of all complicated terminology to ensure that everyone could understand.
"Everyone, please look. This 'Primordial Heavenly Net' is essentially an information transmission system."
"Information?" Lord of the Heavens frowned, already growing impatient with these new terms.
"Yes, information." Chen Ran nodded. "Simply put, it means news and intelligence. Lord of the Heavens, imagine this: if the fleet of the 'Gestalt' civilization suddenly appeared off the coast of the East Sea, how long would it take Golden Ao Island to send that news to Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun?"
Lord of the Heavens considered it, then replied, "If a disciple were sent there by cloud, it would take several days at the fastest. If a communication jade talisman were used, it would still take an hour to activate."
"An hour?" Chen Ran shook his head. "Far too slow. For the 'Gestalt' civilization, an hour would be enough for them to erase Golden Ao Island from the Primordial World ten times over."
Lord of the Heavens's face darkened at those words, yet he could not refute them.
Chen Ran continued, "But the 'Primordial Heavenly Net' can reduce that time to... an instant."
"An instant?"
The entire hall erupted once more.
"Impossible!" Chi Jingzi of the Chan Sect's Twelve Golden Immortals was the first to rise and object. "The spatial laws of the Primordial World are incomparably stable. Even the Saints could not send a message from the East Sea to Mount Kunlun in an instant! You mere mortal, stop spouting such nonsense here!"
Faced with the challenge, Chen Ran did not argue. He merely made a calm gesture.
"Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth."
He said to the human guard who had been standing by at one side of the hall, "Connect to the East Sea Outpost Base."
"Yes!"
The guard walked to an inconspicuous stone platform and swiftly operated the crystal panel embedded in it. A beam of light shot out from the platform and projected into the air, forming a clear, moving image.
The image showed a churning expanse of sea, with several giant sea beasts frolicking in the distance. A young man dressed in the same standard human uniform appeared on the screen and respectfully bowed toward the hall.
"East Sea Outpost Base Commander Chen Hai sends greetings to the City of Origin! Greetings to all the senior great powers!"
His voice reverberated clearly through every corner of the Hall of Civilization by means of some amplification formation.
At that moment, the entire hall fell silent.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the clear, real-time image that seemed to be right before them, at the living human commander, their minds blank.
What... what kind of immortal art was this?
The legendary Water Mirror Technique? But the Water Mirror Technique could only vaguely reflect the scenery of one place. It could never be this clear, much less transmit sound from billions of miles away at the same time!
"Chen Hai," Chen Ran asked the image, "report your location."
"Reporting, sir! We are located off the coast of the East Sea, three thousand li from the shoreline. Below us lies the territory of the East Sea Dragon Palace. The weather is clear, the sea breeze is level three, and everything is normal!"
Chen Ran nodded, then turned to Ao Guang, the East Sea Dragon King, in the hall.
"Dragon King, do you need me to have him confront you in person?"
The old Dragon King Ao Guang had already risen from his seat in shock. His dragon whiskers trembled as he stared at the all-too-familiar sea in the image. Stammering, he said, "N-No need... Th-That truly is the East Sea! I can sense the moisture in the air there!"
After that, no one doubted it any longer.
Humanity had truly mastered a terrifying technology that could ignore spatial distance and transmit real-time "sound and images"!
The hearts of all the great powers burned with excitement.
They instantly understood the immense value of this technology. It was not merely about sending messages quickly.
With it, sects could keep track of disciples traveling abroad at any time.
With it, when two major forces went to war, seamless command between the front lines and the rear could be achieved.
With it, any sign of heavenly treasures emerging anywhere could be discovered at the very first moment!
And for resisting foreign enemies, its strategic significance was beyond measure!
"H-How did you accomplish this 'Primordial Heavenly Net'?" For the first time, Primordial Heavenly Venerate's voice carried a trace of urgency. As a master artifact refiner, he immediately recognized that behind this technology lay an entirely new "Dao" and "principle" that he had never encountered before.
"This is humanity's unique 'Rune Technology,'" Chen Ran answered frankly. "We miniaturized formations into runes, arranged the runes into Rune Sequences, then powered them with an energy called 'spiritual energy.' That is how we accomplished all this."
"And what I just demonstrated was merely humanity's internal communication network. The 'Primordial Heavenly Net' I envision will be built on this foundation and expanded billions of times over. We will establish large Heavenly Net nodes across the four continents, the four seas, the Heavenly Court, and even the Netherworld Blood Sea. Once it is complete, there will no longer be any information blind spots anywhere in the Primordial World! At that time, no matter which corner the 'Gestalt' invades from, we will discover them at once and mobilize the nearest forces for precise strikes!"
Chen Ran's description painted a magnificent vision of future warfare for all the great powers.
"Good! What a 'Primordial Heavenly Net'!" Lord of the Heavens could not help slapping the table in admiration. "If this network can truly be built, the defensive strength of our Primordial World will increase more than tenfold!"
Even Zhunti, who had been calculating the benefits all along, had a gleam in his eyes.
Seeing the fervent looks in everyone's eyes, Chen Ran knew the time was ripe.
"However," he said, changing the subject, "humanity alone is far from enough to build such a vast project."
"Constructing Heavenly Net nodes will require enormous quantities of rare materials. For example, Nine Heavens Divine Iron from Mount Kunlun, Deep Sea Silver from the East Sea, Bodhi Gold from Mount Sumeru, Karma Fire Red Lotus Seeds from the Netherworld Blood Sea..."
Each time he named a material, the great power concerned felt his heart skip a beat.
Those were all treasures they had kept hidden away.
"Humanity is willing to share the core technology of the 'Primordial Heavenly Net' free of charge." Chen Ran's gaze swept across every person present. "But the construction materials must be jointly provided by all of you."
"This is both a test and a choice."
"Will you cling to the old ways, guarding your own little patch of land as you wait for the enemy to defeat you one by one?"
"Or will you show your sincerity, contribute your own share of strength, and together forge the first Great Wall protecting our homeland?"
This was an Open Scheme, one that everyone could see through yet could not refuse.
The enormous allure displayed by the "Primordial Heavenly Net" had already made it impossible for anyone to let go. No one wished to be excluded from this future information system.
But at that moment, a cold voice sounded from a corner.
"Fine words. But once this 'Heavenly Net' is built, who will control it? Wouldn't every secret in the entire Primordial World then be exposed before humanity's eyes?"
The one who spoke was none other than Ancestor Minghe.
His question instantly cooled the heated atmosphere in the hall.
Indeed, trust was the most fundamental issue.
Before you continue