The reward package for ninth place on the Potential Rankings really was generous!
[Congratulations, Star Lord. You have received the following rewards.] [Energy points × 10,000] [Wonder mold ★★] [Wonders are the most miraculous creations in the universe. A mold emerges only once in hundreds of millions of years, and every Wonder is a supreme treasure that drives countless Star Lords wild.] [The Wonder's type and function can take shape according to the Star Lord's will. They can be simulated through meditation by burning energy points.] [This Wonder is rated two stars, with a maximum energy point limit of 5,000.] [Your potential has astounded the universe. We await your arrival! Grow stronger as soon as possible! - Proclamation of the Cosmic Elders Council.]
Zhang Yang declared, "I can't take it. Let me put my hands on my hips and laugh for a while! I'm just too damn awesome!"
Looking at his latest balance, Zhang Yang grinned like a blazing firework. He was rich overnight!
Balance: 12,005 points.
Zhang Yang composed himself and began exploring the Starry Sky Virtual Platform.
The Starry Sky Virtual Platform was no different from the real world. It was a world made up of Star Lords, where everyone could communicate, trade, and enter into contracts.
A stone tablet stood in the distance, with quite a few people gathered before it. Curious, Zhang Yang walked over.
Several large characters were engraved on the tablet: [Rankings].
The instant Zhang Yang saw the tablet, information appeared in his consciousness, bringing him sudden understanding.
It was an instruction manual...
[Battle Record Rankings: Star Lords may voluntarily join the rankings. Those whose battle records meet the required standards may receive rewards from the Cosmic Elders Council.]
Zhang Yang's eyes lit up as he read. So this was how you got divine cards!
Five victories: F-grade divine card (random)
Ten victories: E-grade divine card (random)
One hundred victories: D-grade divine card (random)
One thousand victories: C-grade divine card (random)
(Soliciting divine card designs in the book community. I'm begging on my knees!)
The highest available to a second-level civilization was a C-grade divine card. Win a thousand Star Wars?
Hard! Very hard! Extremely hard!
The explanation below also said that winning ten battles could be exchanged for two F-grade divine cards, and so on.
The rankings were packed with text. Zhang Yang entered Blue Star and instantly found its battle record: 0.
Zhang Yang continued wandering farther afield, like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden. Everything he saw was a fresh marvel.
A marketplace in the distance was packed with people. He could hear the hawkers from far away:
"Buying divine cards of every grade! Guaranteed satisfactory prices!"
"Divine cards for sale! Huge divine card sale, discounts on everything! Whatever you buy, it's a bargain!"
Zhang Yang headed toward the marketplace. A Star Lord who looked like an Elf Race member ran over and asked, "Selling divine cards? I guarantee you'll be happy with the price!"
Zhang Yang asked curiously, "How much per card?"
Seeing business coming, the Star Lord hurriedly said, "250 energy points for F-grade, 550 for E-grade. How many do you have?"
Zhang Yang was curious. "Why no D- or C-grade divine cards?"
"Obviously, cards of that grade wouldn't appear here. They're all traded at the Auction House. Anyway, are you selling or not?"
Zhang Yang shrugged. "I don't have any right now, but I will soon! You can wait!"
"Fuck!"
"Fuck you back."
Watching the Star Lord leave with a string of curses, Zhang Yang tossed back a casual reply and wandered deeper inside. He didn't care. Do you take me for an idiot? Until I figure out the market prices, I'm not spending even 0.001 ten-thousands.
Ah, a poor family's kid. I've got hundreds of millions of Human Race members waiting for me to feed them!
After wandering around all afternoon, Zhang Yang finally figured out the market prices.
If he wanted to sell divine cards, the buying prices were around 450 for F-grade and 950 for E-grade.
The first Star Lord he'd met was a swindler among swindlers. He had probably spotted a newcomer and wanted to fleece him.
Buying divine cards cost around 550 for F-grade and 1,200 for E-grade.
Those were reasonable prices. For higher-grade cards, he would have to visit the Auction House.
After an afternoon of asking around, he had also figured out the rules. Good divine cards were mostly traded at the Auction House.
Transactions carried a 5% fee, the same for buyers and sellers alike.
The auctions were run by the Cosmic Elders Council, which earned a little from the margins.
Apparently, D-grade divine cards came up for auction every so often, but no C-grade divine card had been auctioned in nearly a million years.
Mainly because Star Lords of second-level civilizations couldn't afford them...
The latest auction price for a D-grade divine card was 15,000 per card.
As for C-grade divine cards, prices were all above 200,000, with quoted prices but no market.
He hadn't dared ask about Wonders... Possessing a precious jade could itself be a crime!
On the other side of the trading market was the Slave Trading Zone, where slaves could be bought and sold.
These slaves were natives of defeated planets, brought out by Star Lords to trade for energy points.
Prices varied by species, but all bore soul contracts and could not resist a Star Lord's commands.
Slaves were bought to aid a civilization's development, merely adding flowers to the brocade.
Zhang Yang considered it. If he bought slaves, they had to be useful to the human race.
Orc Race, Elf Race, goblin race, Undead Race, plant species, angel race, bloodkin, diviners, elementals, Dwarf Race, God Race, Immortal Race, Dragon Race, Ghost Race, demon race, sea dwellers, devils, heavenly melody folk...
Zhang Yang's eyes swam. There were far too many bizarre races. Many also required the purchase of cores. Without their specialized equipment, they would lose their power until they died.
Races such as gods, immortals, bloodkin, dragons, devils, angels, ghosts, and undead all needed specific environments to regain their normal strength. Otherwise, they would soon die.
The God Race needed to comprehend a planet's laws, the Immortal Race needed Spirit Veins, bloodkin needed seas of blood, the Dragon Race needed dragon veins, angels needed reincarnation pools, the Ghost Race needed the Yellow Springs, devils needed altars, the Undead Race needed seas of bones, and so on.
Zhang Yang suddenly wondered what the Human Race needed.
Water, sunlight, suitable temperatures, oxygen, food, and living space!
If I upgrade Blue Star, will the oxygen become thinner? Plant creatures...
After picking through the options, he finally chose some plants with no offensive capabilities that suited Blue Star's attributes, spending 100 energy points.
Zhang Yang spent another five energy points on a copy of the Star Lord's Guide, then returned to Blue Star.
He needed to think about how to use the Wonder mold to maximize its benefits.
Upgrading Blue Star would expand its surface again. Where should he put the new continents?
A level 1 planet's initial diameter was 2,000 kilometers, one-sixth the size of Earth.
Upgrading to a level 2 planet required 2,000 points. According to the Star Lord's Guide, the planet's diameter would increase by 2,000 kilometers, doubling it.
Upgrading to a level 3 planet required 5,000 points. According to the Star Lord's Guide, the planet's diameter would increase by 5,000 kilometers.
Upgrading to a level 4 planet required 10,000 points. According to the Star Lord's Guide, the planet's diameter would increase by 10,000 kilometers.
Basically, one point equaled one kilometer of diameter!
With his current energy, upgrading to level 3 would give Blue Star a diameter of 9,000 kilometers, three-quarters the size of Earth. That would be enough for now.
The Human Race reproduced rapidly. That was its racial advantage. A large population base would give it an edge in any future development.
He still needed to experiment with development paths. If possible, he wanted the Human Race to develop fully in morality, intellect, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor.
An idea gradually took shape in Zhang Yang's mind. He first sent word to Ying Zheng, telling him to evacuate the population in advance. In ten days, Blue Star would undergo a tremendous transformation.
Upon receiving Father God's decree, Ying Zheng immediately summoned the Qin Kingdom's senior strategists to work out a plan.
With the Qin Kingdom's powerful state machinery mobilized, the news spread throughout the Human Race in advance through the internet, television, radio, and local government organizations.
Ten days later, the entire Human Race had moved into open areas as best they could, gazing at the sky with anticipation.
Zhang Yang tried to keep the disturbance as small as possible to avoid inflicting enormous harm on the Human Race.
A white giant condensed in the sky once more. This time, the form he manifested was enormous.
Every member of the Human Race on Blue Star could see him. After all, he was about to show off.
"Father God has manifested! Everyone, look!"
"It's starting! It's starting! Another multiple-choice question for the history exam..."
Soon, the entire Human Race had their cushions ready in advance and knelt on the ground, looking up at the sky.
The white giant pointed one hand toward the heavens, and a golden energy slowly enveloped Blue Star.
The Human Race looked at Father God as he recited an unknown incantation, their faces full of reverence.
"Upgrade to level 2."
[Confirm planetary upgrade? This will consume 2,000 energy points and increase the planet's diameter by 2,000 kilometers.]
"Confirm upgrade!"
Zhang Yang used energy points to control the formation of a continent, connecting it very slowly to the Human Race's continent. The instant they gently touched, the entire Human Race was violently shaken.
"Earthquake! Earthquake!"
"Don't panic! It's Father God!"
"Everyone, stay calm!"
With large numbers of Qin Kingdom officers maintaining order, no major unrest broke out.
He used energy points again to stabilize Blue Star, and the tremors stopped instantly.
With that, Blue Star had doubled in size, its diameter reaching 4,000 kilometers.
As Blue Star doubled in size, oxygen immediately began to decrease. Zhang Yang swept his great hand, producing vast quantities of plants on the newly formed continent.
These plants were all slaves he had bought with energy. They could supply large amounts of oxygen, improve the atmosphere, and even purify waste gases into plant energy, helping Blue Star's native plants evolve.
These plants already possessed rudimentary intelligence. They were no longer conventional plants.
Plant energy slowly drifted across Blue Star, making countless plants stir with joy. This was the scent of life, and their genes took another small step forward in evolution.
Some personnel monitoring through radar gaped in shock. Blue Star had... doubled in size. Was this Father God's power?
Without pausing, Zhang Yang immediately chose to upgrade again!
"Upgrade to a level 3 planet."
[Confirm planetary upgrade? This will consume 5,000 energy points and increase the planet's diameter by 5,000 kilometers.]
"Confirm upgrade."
This time, he chose to form two continents, one in the sea a hundred li from the newly created landmass.
The other continent was built in the sea three thousand kilometers away.
Zhang Yang swept his great hand, distributing all the remaining plant slaves across the two new continents.
Blue Star now had four continents.
Land accounted for 65%, and oceans 35%.
Zhang Yang offered no explanation. The giant in the sky slowly dissipated.
The Human Race was baffled. Apart from the continent shaking a little, nothing seemed to have changed.
Not daring to say much, they all chose to resume their daily work.
When the survey personnel reported Blue Star's latest surface area to the Qin Kingdom's senior leadership using radar measurements.
Everyone's mouths gradually fell open as they stared blankly at the surveyor.
After a long while, they slumped to the floor, dazed.
That evening, the Qin Kingdom made an official announcement on television:
Father God had altered the planet's diameter with his supreme power. Blue Star's diameter had grown from 2,000 kilometers to 9,000 kilometers.
Blue Star had four continents. The land the Human Race currently inhabited was named the Primordial Continent.
The land connected to the Primordial Continent was the Firmament Continent.
The land a hundred li from the Firmament Continent was the Heavenly Mystery Continent.
The land three thousand li away was the Sea-Listening Continent.
(Any brothers out there willing to draw a map?)
Countless members of the Human Race were stunned! More precisely, countless primary and secondary school students were stunned!
"Oh, my Father God! Countless new facts for geography and history class!"
"I've got the college entrance exam next year!"
"Hehe, good thing I've already graduated!"
Regardless of what the Human Race thought, this day would surely be recorded in Blue Star's history.
Zhang Yang looked at the Wonder mold in his hand, then checked his balance: 4,850 points.
He had spent 105 points, plus 7,000 on upgrades and some energy stabilizing the planet. These were the energy points he had left.
What kind of Wonder should he create?
The Wonder's energy limit was 5,000 points.
After thinking it over during this time, he felt defense was better than offense.
Only by lying lowest among those who lay low could a planet become the finest among planets.
The rules for second-level Star Wars were somewhat different. He had learned this from the Star Lord's Guide.
The number deployed by either side was decided by their Star Lord, and they could freely choose to attack or defend.
The attacking side invaded through a Star Gate, but the opponent could also counterattack.
For example, suppose he sent an army of a hundred thousand to invade another planet through a Star Gate.
If the vanguard was wiped out just after reaching the enemy planet, the opponent could launch a reverse invasion through the Star Gate.
The Star Gate would remain open for ten years, disappearing only after those ten years passed.
Fail to do the screwing, and get screwed instead!
You never knew what divine cards your opponent held. There were too many uncertainties.
Until the very last moment, you never knew whether you could win.
The victory conditions for Star Wars had also changed.
Victory required three conditions to be met.
①: Eliminate the leader of the opposing core race.
②: Eliminate the opponent's organized resistance forces.
③: Occupy 51% of the opponent's territory.
Defeating the opponent completely would be hard, hard, hard!
Considering those conditions, Zhang Yang decided to create a defensive Wonder.
That way, he could advance to attack or fall back to defend.
If I can beat you, I'll wipe you out! If I can't, I'll invade and plunder. If you strike back, I'll defend-or fight a defensive counterattack!
Zhang Yang mulled it over. The Qin Kingdom... Suddenly, his eyes lit up. I've got it!
He connected to the Wonder mold with his will and began running simulations to see whether it was feasible.
Zhang Yang's expression kept changing along with the simulation results.
A Human Race child suddenly pointed at a white cloud in the sky and exclaimed, "Mom, look! That cloud is putting on a face-changing show!"
"Where? Where?"
Seeing no change whatsoever in the white cloud outside, the child's mother said angrily, "What face-changing show? Go memorize your geography and history. They'll be on tomorrow's exam!"
"Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo X﹏X"
Zhang Yang had finished his simulations. Even 5,000 energy points would not be enough to cover all of Blue Star.
But protecting just the Primordial Continent would be no problem.
He would even have some energy points left over to trade for a few precious divine cards.
With everything planned out, a map slowly appeared on Ying Zheng's desk, with the specific requirements written on it.
Ying Zheng, the destined errand boy, once again summoned the Think Tank to begin planning.
Although he had no idea what Father God intended, he only needed to carry out the orders.
The requirements were just a little strange. Was this a forced demolition?
Three years later.
Ying Zheng finally completed the task according to Father God's requirements.
Looking at the cleared space, Zhang Yang swept his hand, and energy points began burning away rapidly.
He gathered the mighty power of heaven and earth to forge the Human Race's foundation for ten thousand generations.
With that, Blue Star gained its first Wonder, which would play an extraordinary role in countless future wars and astound the myriad races!
Its name was:
Before you continue