Big Black hall made of metal and machinery sits atop a solitary peak. Two mechanical floating islands, resembling planetariums, slowly rotate above the hall. A blood-red artificial Blazing Sun hangs in the sky, like a bloodshot eye, illuminating this desolate land.
The land surrounding the solitary peak is dotted with countless large mechanical mining platforms. Centered around the black temple, a ring-shaped mechanical city with a strong heavy industrial style is constructed. Tiny Enderman, like ants, move about in the city; these are countless Mechanic Faith followers clad in power armor. Waves of heat ripple through the city, and armored transport vehicles roar across the wide roads, their armor plates clattering and clanging as they bounce. The sounds fade into the distance with the exhaust fumes, and the air is filled with the smells of metal, engine oil, and industrial waste, adding to the city's heavy industrial character.
This is a branch of the Mechanic Faith, located on a famous planet in the Ancient Star Desert, known for its exploration of ancient battlefield ruins. These mines dig out mechanical wreckage day and night, sending it to Mechanic Faith priests for reverse engineering and to retrieve lost technologies.
The black temple in the city center is the Temple of the Cult of the Mechanic Faith. Each mountain that supports a Machine God Temple is called a Holy Mountain. Eight obsidian-like floating staircases extend upwards from the foot of the Holy Mountain in eight directions, connecting to the gate of the Machine Temple. According to the doctrine, unless in an emergency, ordinary believers who want to worship at the Temple must climb a pilgrimage path on their own two feet and cannot use flying vehicles.
Along both sides of these eight pilgrimage routes stand mechanical statues or metal monuments. The statues are different models of abandoned ancient machines, gradually evolving from ancient to advanced, while the metal monuments are inscribed with doctrines.
The fusion of mechanics and theology creates a unique and interesting effect.
The Mechanic Faith is a loosely organized cult, not a unified religious organization. While they share a common denomination of venerating mechanical technology and powerful mechanics, the Mechanic Faith is internally divided into numerous factions specializing in different areas, such as the biomechanical Mechanical Biochemical Faction focused on bio-engineering, the War and Destruction Faction believing "bigger is better, more is more," the Virtual Faction Firepower Superiority School interested in researching cognitive technology and mind manipulation, and the Natural Modification Faction who enjoys creating planets, among others.
This branch belongs to the Lost Faction, also known as the Lost Faction Archaeology Faction, which is passionate about finding and restoring lost ancient mechanical technologies and is one of the oldest Mechanic Faith.
At this very moment, in the main hall of this mechanical Temple, the local branch priests gathered, along with a large number of priests from other branches who participated via remote projection. The group formed a circle, and in the center, a virtual screen was playing a recording of the battle between Black Star and the Tyrant.
"As you all have seen, a new Mechanical Deity Descent the world, spreading good news throughout the universe."
Clad in luxurious heavy power armor, with only his head visible High Priests of the Lost Faction raised his arms high, speaking in a tone of pilgrimage.
"So magnificent, so beautiful!"
"What a magnificent creation this is..."
"It's been so many years since I've seen Mechanical Deity Descent; I can hardly remember."
The priests whispered amongst themselves, their eyes gleaming with excitement and fervor.
"Silence." The High Priests gestured with his hands, his face serious, signaling everyone to be quiet.
Everyone fell silent and turned to look at him.
The High Priests took out a mechanical scepter that resembled a twisted tree branch, pressed a button, and a metal altar suddenly rose from the ground behind him.
He turned and walked up, his back to the crowd, facing the other side of the hall, and spoke in a deep, resonant voice:
"Following the ancient teachings, in the name of the primordial god Nifogadi, we proclaim to all followers of the Mechanic Faith that we together witness the birth of a new god, and from this day forward, we will worship this new god. All beings, remember the name of this new god..."
As he recited the prayer, the High Priests opened the control screen on the altar, entered the battle footage and parameters, and the entire Temple shook violently the next moment!
Rumble--
Right in front of everyone, countless streams of metal and nanoparticles surged from the ground, combining together to form a statue, which depicted the Black Star Mechanical Deity.
Beside the Black Star God stand other statues, including one of Manison —all Mechanical Deity from various eras, standing beneath the towering Temple dome.
The largest and most prominent statue inside is that of Nifogadi, the mechanic. He was the First Ones to be Mechanical Deity by the Mechanic Faith, and he even established the Mechanic Faith's doctrine of worshipping Mechanical Deity.
As the original Divine Throne Mechanic, Nifogadi discovered the effects of the [Key to the Mechanic Faith] and thus interfered with the Mechanic Faith at the time. The development of the Mechanic Faith into what it is today was largely influenced by him, and the Divine Throne Mechanic who were later worshipped are actually enjoying the benefits he left behind.
The Mechanic Faith does not need to communicate with the object of their worship; sometimes... worshipping you is none of my business.
However, only living Divine Throne Mechanic can provide believers with the blessing of feedback. These deceased Mechanical Deity of the past are only of commemorative significance. Nowadays, the vast majority of believers in the Mechanic Faith worship the "Mechanic Emperor" of Manison.
Now, Black Star's rise has torn a small hole in the solidified faith, something even Manison couldn't stop.
Facing the statues of the past gods, the High Priests and the people behind him prostrated themselves in worship, completing the ceremony.
Welcome, Black Star!
I always feel like someone's saying I'm handsome behind my back...
Inside the warship's cabin, Han Xiao pinched his nose, suddenly sensing something.
"Hey, hey, don't get distracted while you're talking to me." Tarrokov with a helpless expression through the communicator.
Han Xiao snapped out of his reverie and joked, "Sorry, I was just thinking about what to eat tonight. Where were we?"
"Do you think I don't know you only eat nutritional paste?"
"Who leaked the news!"
"Alright, let's get back to the point." Tarrokov shook his head speechlessly. "I can tell you that the Empire's high command has already scheduled the development plan for the Shattered World into its fourth phase. Only the first phase will give you ample time for construction. After that, more foreign capital will be introduced, and development will proceed simultaneously with construction."
"In other words, only after these three star clusters have completed all construction will the Empire begin the next phase of the plan. We, as allied forces, will have few opportunities left to lay the foundation in the Shattered World in advance." Han Xiao stroked his chin.
Tarrokov neither confirmed nor denied, "In short, the development of the three star clusters is progressing better than expected and is going very smoothly. We anticipate completing the construction plan in 5 to 7 years, at which time we will begin the second phase of development."
Five to seven years, that's a good timeframe... Han Xiao nodded to himself.
When version 4.0 was launched, Shattered World was in its fourth phase of development, which meant that his main quest in Shattered World still had several stages to go through, and completing the [Exploration Pioneer] milestone was not a problem... He chatted with Tarrokov to find out some inside information.
After chatting for a while to build rapport, Han Xiao hung up the call and fell into thought.
More than a month has passed since the defeat of the Tyrant, and the effects are gradually becoming apparent. During this period, the number of newcomers applying to join the Black Star Army has increased by 43%, and the total investment amount from major conglomerates has increased by about 35%. In the War Realm, the momentum of expansion has been hit and the pace has gradually slowed down.
As a trendsetter, Veyne Cards made changes, issuing a statement announcing that the next version will provide an epic buff to the Black Star Army deck and a comprehensive nerf to the War Realm deck. They also updated the Strongest in the Star Field series commemorative deck, adding Black Star to it, demonstrating their skillful ability to ride the wave of trending topics.
Several Beyond Grade A friends also sent their congratulations, including Sorokin, which once again refreshed Han Xiao's understanding of his shamelessness.
It turns out that shamelessness can really bring happiness...
The Black Star Army has now established itself Strongest in the Star Field. The competition with the Infinite Financial Group has become a protracted tug-of-war, with neither side able to gain the upper hand in the short term. Meanwhile, I have already completed the level 300 advancement, but I haven't accumulated enough experience for the next advancement. Therefore, my focus now is on building up my territory.
Having spent so much time exploring the Empire, Han Xiao had seen most of the potential stars he was looking for. He planned to return to the Shattered Star Ring for a while, firstly to oversee the headquarters and process the impact of the battle, and secondly to adjust the details of the territory's construction. He also planned to use [Mechanical Life Seed Proliferation] to convert more first-generation mechanical life forms and accelerate the development of mechanical civilization.
Secondly, leveraging the logistical capabilities of the main base, they began to build Secondary Dimensional Factory and a new generation of mechanical legions. Although they could also manufacture these within the Empire, the legions here were only branches, making them far less efficient than those at the main base.
"Phillip, set the course, return to the Shattered Star Ring."
"Okay, buzz!"
"The Strongest in the Star Field? Heh..."
The retro-style tavern was nearly empty. A tall, thin man standing by the wooden bar looked up at Han Xiao's figure on the virtual screen, a playful smile on his face, and gently put down his glass.
This person is an extraterrestrial human with unhealthy pale skin, seemingly suffering from chronic malnutrition and a state of perpetual darkness. He has an ordinary appearance, the kind of person you would easily lose in a crowd.
Staring at Han Xiao on the screen, the tall, thin man's eyes revealed a look of reminiscence.
"To have Pillar of the Nation like Black Star is a blessing for the empire," the bar owner remarked, wiping glasses and glancing at the screen.
"Yes, it's truly a blessing for the empire. If I had the chance, I'd love to see him again."
"Have you seen Black Star before?" the bar owner asked, intrigued.
"I guess so. Come to think of it, he took some things from me, haha. I just wonder if he still remembers someone like me... a nobody."
The tall, thin man smiled slightly, stood up, picked up the clothes from the seat next to him, and turned to walk towards the door.
"Still on credit?" The bar owner put down his glass, his tone clearly indicating familiarity with the man.
"Okay, same as always, we'll settle it together next month after I get paid."
He gave a casual reply, then walked out of the bar, casually putting on a coat... a junior officer's uniform from the Imperial Army.
Somewhere in the Sea of Star Spirits.
Inside the room, a dozen or so creatures of various species were gathered around a long table, engaged in a lively and animated discussion. On the table were a dozen or so printed books, their covers untitled.
"Starting from the Central Galaxy? Are you insane? This isn't how you seek death!"
"Remote star systems lack sufficient influence; territories ruled by supercluster civilizations are the most suitable for development."
"We can only promote our ideas through physical books. The quantum network is monitored by countless civilizations, so we will not only not enjoy its convenience, but we will also attract attention."
"If you ask me, let's wait and see for a while longer. Now might not be the right time..."
Listening to their discussion, Lothaire, who was leaning against the sofa not far away, yawned.
Edmund glanced at the table, thought for a moment, tapped the table to quiet everyone down, and then turned to face Lothaire.
"What are your thoughts? Let me share them too."
Lothaire smiled faintly, "You all look like a rabble."
Upon hearing this, many people present frowned, showing some dissatisfaction.
Edmund waved his hand, showing no anger whatsoever. "You're right. We haven't accomplished anything yet, so of course we're just a mob. I'd like to hear your opinion."
Lothaire clicked her tongue, sat up, and slowly said, "The current cosmic environment is relatively stable. The friction between the Three Universal Civilizations will not escalate into Head-On Conflict for the time being, but there are undercurrents beneath the surface. Each civilization is on edge. The reason lies in the Shattered World and the Evolutionary Totem. In essence... I have already explained it very clearly in my program. The root of the problem lies in the internal strife of the Three Universal Civilizations themselves, as well as their opposition to many star cluster-level civilizations."
The Shattered World presents an opportunity for a reshuffling. While the entire universe's attention is focused on the Shattered World, we can quietly develop, promoting our ideas in a low-key yet gradual manner, packaging them with religion, lying low, and patiently waiting for the right moment.
"At what time?" someone asked.
Lothaire said calmly, "Cluster-level civilizations hope to gain a channel for advancement through the new starfield, but the Three Universal Civilizations will definitely hold the interests of the new starfield firmly in their hands, leaving only a small amount of profit for these super-cluster and cluster-level civilizations. Since the beginning of the exploration era, the Three Universal Civilizations have suppressed them for too long. Everything has its limits, and one day a critical point will be reached. Those cluster-level civilizations cannot wait forever. After all, only a minority of civilizations give up their pursuit of progress. However, the loss of hope after gaining it may ignite conflict. Therefore, the Shattered World has the potential to become the fuse, and this is the soil for our development."
Edmund nodded. "That's what I think too. Now is the best time; our cause cannot be delayed any longer."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Lothaire chuckled.
To be honest, she looked down on the group of people in front of her. Among them were troublemakers like Edmund who insisted on his twisted ideas, ambitious people with ulterior motives, and herself who thrived on chaos.
Breaking the restrictions imposed by the Three Universal Civilizations on the development paths of other races? It sounds good, but she doesn't care. Overthrowing the Three Universal Civilizations is her real motivation, which excites her—no power is more suitable as an adversary than the Three Universal Civilizations.
Edmund may have firmly believed in his own ideas, but in her view, this was merely a good starting point.
In the resource-rich interstellar age, no one will worry about survival anymore; the struggle for interests is the eternal theme. This is a revolution not initiated for survival. Lothaire saw in this the unsolvable contradiction Three Universal Civilizations and the supercluster-level civilization, and could take advantage of Edmund's ideas to act accordingly.
The world often stands on the edge of a cliff, struggling to maintain its balance. What it lacks is simply someone to give it a push, like pushing a lever at a fork in the railway tracks, leading history down an unknown path... If there is no such era, then try to create one. It simply wants to dance freely on the stage.
"If we're going to start our business, we need a name," Edmund said in a deep voice.
Lothaire glanced at his silver skin and smiled knowingly.
"How about... we call it the Silver Revolutionary Army?"