The Reynolds Civilization.
It is a constitutional monarchy, with the royal family being the Alfred Family. The current monarch is Aofa III, who rules over six ordinary planes and nearly a hundred Void bodies of varying sizes, with trillions of subjects under his command, far exceeding the population of the Golden Divine Kingdom.
In terms of technology, the Reynolds Civilization mainly developed magic technology. Its most powerful weapon of war was a magical fortress called the "Star Vault Megastructure," which was transformed from a small Void celestial body and could fight against the True God on its own.
Among the ruling class of the Reynolds Civilization, pure-blooded Reno People occupy an important position. This is a race of humanoids with golden skin, snow-white hair, blue eyes with double pupils, tall stature, arrogant and brave, love magic, and are born with good elemental affinity. They belong to the Mid-Rank Transcendent race, and their overall bloodline level is probably a notch higher than that of the Gendaya People who are not bound by bloodlines.
At the level of civilization, the dominant races of the Astral Realm civilizations do not all possess extremely powerful bloodlines. On the contrary, the bloodlines of the vast majority of the Astral Realm civilizations are generally at the Mid-Rank Transcendent, with a few being High-Rank Transcendent or Lower Transcendent.
This even includes a super-civilization like the Northern Spirit Empire.
The reason is that powerful bloodlines often have relatively low reproductive capabilities, and this is especially true for the more powerful the bloodline.
Take, for example, the Great God.
Any adult member of the clan could easily be considered True God, their breath causing the galaxy to tremble.
However, their reproductive ability is extremely poor. After two members of the tribe unite, it often takes thousands of years to produce one offspring, and the probability of pregnancy drops drastically with each additional offspring.
From an individual perspective, the advantages brought by lineage are undeniable.
This isn't just winning at the starting line; it's being born at the finish line.
However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages.
If we broaden our perspective to the level of civilization as a whole.
It expanded to the vast and boundless Astral Realm, and even to the even larger Chaos Sea.
Therefore, for a civilization to grow and prosper, the number of its people becomes an extremely crucial factor.
Only with a large enough population can a vast territory be maintained, and only then can a massive population be used to build a series of massive blood vessels to continuously extract nutrients from various resource-rich areas, sustaining the development and growth of civilization.
The large population size also endows the civilization with a high level of resilience. Even if a disaster strikes and a large number of people die or are injured, it doesn't matter, as they can quickly reproduce and recover.
However, this is not possible for high-bloodline groups. They are incredibly powerful, but they would be heartbroken if they lost someone.
Moreover, with a large population, there will always be geniuses emerging.
There are always some unreasonable individuals who can break free from the so-called constraints of genes and bloodlines, and with mortal bodies, rival gods, performing feats that even True God find difficult to comprehend.
Perhaps, to some extent, these geniuses are the rebound from the lowest point of mediocrity among the masses.
In the vast, dark Void, energy flows like raging torrents surging in the dark seabed, traversing freely and colliding with each other from time to time, stirring up invisible yet incredibly destructive shockwaves.
What appears as a calm and peaceful Void to the strong is, in the eyes of countless weaklings, a dark jungle fraught with peril.
A golden light flashed from the darkness and disappeared in an instant, leaving a dazzling trail of light that lingered for a long time.
After several teleportations, Lancelot arrived outside the mother plane of the Reynolds Civilization, where he completely concealed his aura.
Even if the entire power of the Reynolds Civilization were mobilized, it would be utterly ineffective against Lancelot, and the only outcome would be a crushing defeat.
But the Astral Realm is vast, and if Lancelot could treat the Reynolds Civilization this way, then other powerful beings could do the same to him.
There's always someone stronger than you.
When you don't have the power to sweep away all enemies, it's best to play within the established rules.
Having the footsteps of predecessors as a reference is always better than doing things blindly on your own; at least you won't suffer losses.
To destroy the Reynolds Civilization without incurring the hostility of even more powerful forces, one must follow the rules of the Civilization Council.
On the surface, the council's regulations stipulate that powerful civilizations are not allowed to arbitrarily invade weaker civilizations.
However, when it comes to practical implementation, there are too many variables.
It's important to understand that the Civilization Council itself was established by powerful civilizations that stood at the pinnacle of the Astral Realm.
Did these powerful civilizations establish Civilization Council solely for the Astral Realm peace, for harmonious coexistence and common development?
No!
Their real purpose is to achieve more consistent blood draws!
In order to gradually boil the frog in water, without provoking fierce resistance from below, one uses the established system of order to control everything, seize resources, and develop oneself!
In this context, it would be a joke to suggest that the Civilization Council would truly and completely prohibit any wars of annexation between civilizations.
The existence of the Civilization Council did not give rise to peak civilizations and super civilizations.
The Civilization Council only gained its significance because of the entry of super-civilizations and peak civilizations.
A closer look reveals that since the beginning of the Third Astral Realm Era, the number of the Astral Realm that have not died naturally has long exceeded ten thousand.
The reason it didn't cause too much of a stir is that there are more newly emerging Astral Realm civilizations, and the Astral Realm itself is expanding at an increasingly rapid pace, with its territory becoming larger and its resources abundant. Under this virtuous cycle, some internal conflicts have been masked.
If one day the Astral Realm were to stop its rapid expansion, turmoil would inevitably erupt among the many civilizations within it. In fact, signs of this are already emerging, but not at the level of civilizations, but at the level of individual powerful individuals.
Over the long course of time, the number of Transcendent beings in the Astral Realm has reached a critical point, like a fragile bottle filled with venomous insects, ready to explode at any moment.
Especially for the group of peak experts, when they look up at the sky, the nine radiant suns hanging high in the sky bring not only light and heat, but also Endless ambition and pursuit!
If nine of them can do it, why can't I?!
Standing in the Void dimension, particles surged in Lancelot's eyes, transforming into double pupils. His gaze pierced through the Endless Void, looking at a distant plane and analyzing its rules and structure.
Several hours later, Lancelot had a thought, and the Steel Feather Cloak transformed into strands of golden threads that flowed out from his body, enveloping him and instantly transforming him into another person.
Her long, flowing hair was as white as snow, her pupils were azure like the ocean, and her skin was golden; she exuded an aura of nobility.
"From this moment forward, I am Zhuoya Alfred!"
Lancelot's lips curled slightly as he muttered to himself.
His new identity was arranged by Logo. Nominally, he was the uncle of the current leader of the Reynolds Civilization, Aofa III. He was a cultivation genius and Peak Demigod long ago. He once fell into Void wormhole during an adventure and disappeared without a trace. Over time, he was regarded as dead, and even his title was inherited by his descendants.
Now Lancelot has returned as Zhuoya Alfred, with a simple goal: to overthrow the Reynolds Civilization and make it the first stepping stone for the Golden Divine Kingdom to advance further.
Having completed his disguise, Lancelot swaggered towards the Reynolds Civilization's mother plane, making no attempt to conceal his presence, emphasizing his clear conscience.
Are you kidding me? I went through countless hardships to come back alive from that dangerous place, do you expect me to open my door trembling with fear?
How pathetic!
That's so damn shabby!
With nothing to hide, he naturally chose to enter through the main gate openly. After all, no one could discern his true identity. The power of the Miracle Divine Artifact was still somewhat beyond the reach of a power like the Reynolds Civilization, which only had two True God in charge.
Peak Demigod still holds a significant position within a low-level Astral Realm civilization.
Moreover, Lancelot, disguised as Zhuoya, was a member of the royal family with noble blood. Therefore, after being stopped by the guards from outside the plane, he revealed his identity and immediately received extremely high courtesy.
"Your Highness, please wait a moment. I have already reported to headquarters, and someone should be here to take over soon."
A middle-aged man in a crisp black military uniform, with the rank of colonel on his shoulders, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and bowed as he spoke.
Lancelot's expression turned rather unpleasant. He coldly stared at the colonel before him, his gaze lingering for a moment on the inconspicuous scales on the colonel's neck. He said with disdain, "You're a half-blood, aren't you? Bring a pure-blooded Reno People. I don't want to have any more conversation with you!"
After saying that, Lancelot turned his head away and ignored the colonel. However, the pressure emanating from his body became more and more intense, putting immense pressure on the half-blood colonel who only possessed High-Rank Transcendent strength.
"Damn it, you really are an old fogey. Don't you know times have changed? You're still looking at us mixed-race people with the eyes of your era. Hey, what are you?! You deserve to almost die out there."
The colonel was cursing inwardly, but dared not show it on his face. He quickly retreated in a state of fear and trepidation, behaving quite wisely.
A wise person does not stand under a dangerous wall.
Facing a Peak Demigod whose status far surpasses his own and who also intensely despises hybrids, it wouldn't be surprising at all if he stubbornly refused to admit defeat and was killed.
Before long, a pure-blooded Reno People, also a colonel, hurried over and saluted Lancelot.
"Greetings, Your Highness." The pure-blooded Reno People bowed respectfully.
Lancelot's attitude towards him improved considerably. After a brief chat, he sighed, "Has the situation at home deteriorated to this point? A half-blood can actually stand on equal footing with a noble pure-blooded Reno People?"
"You noticed all of that?" The pure-blooded Reno People remained silent, his head drooping involuntarily, like a child over a hundred years old.
"Hmph, the person who greeted me was a half-blood. Isn't that enough to explain things? Even if my identity is fake, I'm still Peak Demigod. The only one qualified to greet me should be the leader of this stronghold, but he's a half-blood!!"
Upon hearing this, the pure-blooded Reno People gave a wry smile. "Your Highness, you understand. There's nothing we can do about it. Who can blame us when a True God has emerged among the hybrids? With peak military strength at the helm, coupled with the dominant position of hybrids in the military, the Reynolds Civilization today is completely different from your era!"
As he spoke, the pure-blooded Reno People sighed repeatedly.
Your perspective is determined by your position.
No matter how good his personal relationship was with that mixed-race colonel, it couldn't change the fact that they belonged to different political camps.
The difference in appearance is the most direct standard for distinguishing between different factions.
"Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts" is not a saying unique to Blue Star.
"A mere knight True God, how can he compare to Mage has achieved True God?" Lancelot said disdainfully, his contempt for the knight profession overflowing in his words, perfectly matching Zhuoya Alfred's character, who was a typical magic fanatic who always looked down on other Transcendent professions.
Once in disguise, Lancelot quickly got into character, and quite deeply so, displaying a natural and convincing performance.
Neither of the two colonels who spoke with him noticed anything amiss.
His posture, his manner of speaking, his old-fashioned way of thinking—he's just like those pure-blooded Reno People old fogies, so similar.
Soon, the self-evaluation reports of the two colonels were submitted.
After analyzing the matter, the garrison command quickly reported it to the royal family, and the military leaders did not intend to get involved.
In the past, they might have engaged in open and covert struggles.
However, with the rise of the Golden Divine Kingdom and its joining the Civilization Council, the situation in the Prado Universe System changed dramatically.
The two factions of the Reynolds Civilization, who were originally locked in fierce battles, have shown signs of backing down and joining forces to fight against external enemies.
This is normal. There are plenty of sensible people in the Astral Realm. When it comes to survival, all internal conflicts can be temporarily set aside.
After many twists and turns, Lancelot, disguised as Zhuoya Alfred, finally met his nominal nephew, Aofa III.
After exchanging greetings, Aofa III's eyes flashed, and he spoke first, "Where did my uncle go after entering that Void wormhole? Why hasn't he contacted the clan since?"
Lancelot sighed, as if recalling a dangerous scene, and said with lingering fear, "It was a completely sealed magical dimension, full of dangers and opportunities. There was no way to contact the outside world. I escaped only through great difficulty and luck."
"Oh? There's such a place? I'm really curious." Aofa III smiled.
"It seems you still don't trust me." Lancelot suddenly stood up. "Although I don't know what happened to make you so wary, I am your uncle, and the bloodline cannot be mistaken. The Ancestor should be able to sense that, right?"
As he spoke, Lancelot looked toward the side and behind the throne of King Aofa III, where there was nothing, yet he kept his eyes fixed on that spot.
Aofa III was startled, "How could you...?"
"Surprised? My nephew! Don't be surprised. When you reach my level, you'll know everything. You can't hide anything from a god!" Lancelot grinned, but his gaze remained fixed on that spot.
Seemingly knowing he could no longer hide it, a young man dressed in a dark purple Mage's robe, wielding a twisted staff, appeared with an expressionless face.
"Zhuoya, have you become a god?" asked the God Level Mage, Eye of the Storm, Soren.
He was the first True God of the Reynolds Civilization and the bloodline of the Alfred Family.