Second-Level Civilization!

Even Zhang Yang, already a million years old, was somewhat shaken!

Countless planets lay beyond Blue Star, none too far apart, revolving around an enormous planet.

It felt just like Earth revolving around the sun in his previous life.

Zhang Yang studied them. The planets formed rings, and he was in the tenth ring, farthest from that enormous planet.

As though drawn to the planet, Zhang Yang murmured, "What exactly is that planet?"

The medal on his chest glowed faintly, and a mechanical voice rang out:

["Congratulations, great Star Lord of a second-level civilization. You have successfully advanced to a second-level civilization, and Blue Star has ascended to the tenth ring of the Local Interstellar Cloud.]

[Your location is the tenth Star Ring of the Local Interstellar Cloud. Blue Star revolves around the Star Core. The closer you are to the Star Core, the more Energy Points you can absorb, and the higher their energy grade.]

[Cosmic energy is gradually transforming the planet's matter, evolving it toward a higher grade. A planet of a second-level civilization has a lifespan of 10 billion years.]

[The tenth ring provides 10 points per thousand years, the ninth ring 20 points, the eighth ring 30 points... and the first ring 100 points.]

Looking at the enormous planet in the distance, Zhang Yang immediately understood. That was the Star Core, essentially an energy source. The closer he was to it, the more energy he could obtain.

His previous corner of the universe really had been remote. One energy point every ten thousand years-a pitiful amount...

How do I advance?

As though sensing Zhang Yang's confusion, the mechanical voice continued:

[The peak combat power of a second-level civilization is 100,000 points. You may challenge the ninth Star Ring. A successful challenge allows you to advance one ring, all the way to the first Star Ring. Star Lords of the Fifth Ring and beyond may refuse challenges.]

[You may also challenge planets in the same ring. After a successful challenge, the Star Lord may choose whether to advance.]

Another thought struck Zhang Yang. What if the challenge fails?

Reader: "Stupid question. You croak if you fail. The end, cue the confetti."

It seemed that second-level civilizations had left the beginner village behind and officially entered the struggle for supremacy among the myriad races.

The Fifth Ring and beyond could avoid battle, but the first five rings had to forge ahead without retreat. That called for tactics.

[All functions of the Starry Sky Virtual Platform are now officially unlocked. You may interact with other Star Lords through communication, trading, contracts, entertainment, challenges, Star Wars, and other functions.]

[Blue Star's strength has been digitized. Combat power does not represent absolute strength.]

[Please log in to the Starry Sky Virtual Platform to claim your promotion gift pack.]

Star Lord: Zhang Yang

Planet: Blue Star

Status: peaceful

Level: LV.1 Microstar (planetary diameter: 2,000 kilometers; spend 2,000 Energy Points to upgrade to LV.2)

Race: Human Race (new species, named by the Star Lord)

Civilization level: 2

Combat power: 88,471 (estimated total combat power of all life on the planet! The combat power limit for a second-level civilization is 100,000.)

Energy: 1,005 points (can absorb 10 points of free cosmic energy per thousand years)

Divine cards: 0

Wonders: none

Prayers: 0 (a second-level Star Lord may pray once every hundred thousand years, with a relatively high chance of receiving a gift from the universe. Resources are random.)

Looking at Blue Star's digitized combat power, Zhang Yang wanted to kiss the Human Race. I love you all to death!

You did me proud! You nailed it! Beau-ti-ful!

They had debuted at the peak. Choosing not to advance to a second-level civilization immediately had clearly been absolutely right.

Only by lying lower than the lowest could you become the greatest planet among planets!

Looks like I'll have to keep lying low as I advance through the Star Rings, too. Gobble up more resources, take fewer beatings!

Hold steady! Don't get reckless! We can win!

Cosmic energy nourished Blue Star. Everything on it, even the rocks, began to change.

It was like suddenly leaving the smog behind and stepping into a forest brimming with oxygen. All life was bubbling with vitality.

Plants grew taller and sturdier, and their biological structures changed as well. However, the energy available was not yet enough to trigger evolution into new species.

The same was true of the animals. Their size did not change, but cosmic energy slowly transformed their bodies. Their constitutions strengthened, improving both their strength and speed.

The humans on Blue Star suddenly felt every cell in their bodies cheering. Some people suffering from colds suddenly felt they had recovered!

Nourished by cosmic energy, the Human Race's constitution changed slightly, improving their strength, speed, intelligence, and even lifespan.

The most immediate change was that some weightlifters and runners would discover they could break their current personal bests and push a step further.

This was evolution at the genetic level, and they were only in a second-level civilization, at its very outermost edge.

As Blue Star advanced, there was really no telling what heights they might ultimately reach.

With the Human Race's government maintaining order, it did not cause much unrest. After all, things were clearly changing for the better.

When night fell, the entire Human Race on Blue Star erupted with excitement!

There were so many bright specks in the sky, along with an enormous sphere that looked very close.

The Human Race eventually named the sphere: the moon.

The Human Race named the bright specks filling the sky: stars.

For the first time, the Human Race saw the world beyond Blue Star. So many stars!

From that day onward, the night would no longer be pitch-black, with nothing to see!

The First Emperor and the other human leaders did not see it that way. Instead, their faces were grave. Those were clearly planets much like Blue Star.

Blue Star had humans and other living creatures, so the other planets surely did too. Those bright specks were all mortal enemies unknown to the Human Race.

They had to mend the roof before the rain came and prepare for war. Just then, the First Emperor suddenly froze.

Father God had sent information, telling the Human Race about Star Wars and Star Rings, including advancement levels and the benefits and drawbacks they brought.

He also told them that this was the Human Race's highest-level secret. It must not be spread, as it could easily cause panic.

Zhang Yang felt that after several Star Wars, the Human Race would understand the rules sooner or later. He might as well share some of the information with them early.

That would also let them make preparations in advance. After all, one person's skills fell short where two people's reached further, and the Human Race's think tank was no pushover.

With those arrangements made, Zhang Yang entered the virtual universe platform.

He had to collect his gift pack from the universe and look for materials useful to the Human Race while he was at it.

Upon entering a second-level civilization, Star Lords also gained an official gathering place.

First-level civilizations were too insignificant. The starry sky platform had next to nothing, with pitifully few tradable items or functions.

Everyone was working hard to develop. How could they possibly hand their resources over to others?

After all, a first-level planet's lifespan was a mere hundred million years, while a second-level civilization's was 10 billion years-a hundredfold difference. Star Lords also had more time to develop their civilizations and races, and enjoy life.

His medal flashed with golden light, and Zhang Yang appeared within the Starry Sky Virtual Platform.

Zhang Yang felt as though he were playing an online game from his previous life. Upon entering the platform, he had only one impression.

"There are so fucking many species! And so fucking many people!"

The universe's strange and wondrous species truly opened Zhang Yang's eyes.

Some species resembled the Human Race but had traits of other creatures. There were no pure humans, however, or the starry sky platform would not have let Zhang Yang name a new species.

Immediately after logging in, he clicked on his inventory. It held a balance of 1,005 energy points, along with two grand gift packs.

Zhang Yang was puzzled. Wasn't there supposed to be one grand gift pack? Why do I have two?

Is this fair to everyone else?

I must report this to the Cosmic Elders Council. They'll have to give me another hundred gift packs to buy my silence!

Only after inspecting them carefully did Zhang Yang realize he had gotten ahead of himself!

One was a Promotion Grand Gift Pack (potential), while the other was a special reward gift pack sent by the Cosmic Elders Council (9th place on the second-level Potential Rankings).

He had received a Rookie Rankings gift pack before. Placing 921st on the Rookie Rankings had brought generous rewards. Beast Speech and the 1,000 energy points had both come from that.

Zhang Yang's eyes lit up. He had received so many resources for placing 921st!

Wouldn't this gift pack for 9th place on the Potential Rankings send him soaring on the spot?

Zhang Yang opened the Promotion Grand Gift Pack immediately.

[You received 1,000 energy points.]

That's it? That's all?

Zhang Yang curled his lip. It was not even as generous as the reward for placing 921st on the Rookie Rankings.

Here comes the main event!

Zhang Yang took a deep breath and chose to open the Potential Rankings grand gift pack:

"Holy shit! I'm rich!"