But even more questions sprang up like bamboo shoots after a rain.
After a moment of silent contemplation, Li Chang’an identified the crux of the matter and continued his inquiry. "And what is this Dark Energy?"
The man replied without a second thought, "Dark Energy is an extremely terrifying and volatile form of Energy!
"To this day, we still haven’t figured out its origin or purpose. All we know is that whenever this Energy appears, the world quickly spawns all sorts of bizarre monsters beyond ordinary comprehension!
"These monsters are frenzied and bloodthirsty. All life, all Energy... even the World Consciousness and the planet itself in an affected area will eventually be devoured by the Dark Energy and assimilated, becoming a part of the darkness!
"We first detected this Energy over five thousand years ago, during a war with an external power.
"It didn’t attract our notice at first. Not until it completely devoured a medium-sized planet in under a thousand years. Only then did we begin to pay attention...
"This bizarre Dark Energy can’t be destroyed. Even when we tried our utmost to stifle it, we still couldn’t stop its spread...
"It’s like a cancer, constantly devouring the planets and worlds we inhabit. To solve this problem, the Immortal Palace paid a heavy price, even going so far as to cooperate with a past mortal enemy. It wasn’t until a joint fleet was established between the two sides in recent years that the situation with the dark incursion has finally improved slightly!"
As he listened to the man’s explanation, Li Chang’an didn’t immediately see the issue.
But toward the end, a sudden realization struck him. ’Isn’t this concept of a ’dark incursion’ he’s talking about almost the same as the Main World’s Dark Tide?’
The Dark Tide in the Main World just didn’t seem as terrifying or severe as what he was describing.
’No, that’s not right!’
’Perhaps the Dark Tide in the Main World is just as terrifying.’
’I just know very little about it.’
’So that raises a question. How did the Main World’s Dark Tide find its way into a Rebirth World? Could it be that this so-called ’dark incursion’ doesn’t just exist in the Main World, but is native to the Rebirth Worlds as well?’
Li Chang’an was reeling internally, but his expression remained thoughtful.
Suppressing the turbulent emotions inside him, Li Chang’an asked, "Who is this mortal enemy you’ve partnered with?"
At Li Chang’an’s question, a young man on the Immortal Ship gave a wry smile.
"That’s a rather interesting topic, now that you mention it..."
He paused, his emotions seemingly complex. "The mortal enemy we’re forced to hold our noses and work with... their origins are quite similar to your Jiuzhou Continent. They were originally just a minor world ruled by the Immortal Palace."
"And yet, this minor world—I don’t know what got into them—somehow managed to break free from the Immortal Palace’s grasp over a few thousand years and become an independent civilization on par with the Immortal Palace itself!"
Hearing the man’s reply, Li Chang’an felt his heart skip a beat.
His already tense nerves were stretched to the breaking point. He asked, "So, what are they called?"
Seeing his excessive interest, the young man frowned. "They’re called the Liyang Empire. Don’t tell me you’re asking all this because you want to join them?"
"While the Immortal Palace shares technology with them now, we haven’t started sharing talent. If you’re really thinking about it, maybe it’ll be possible in a century or two... but for now, you’d best give up that idea!"
At this, the man glanced at the time and brought the conversation back on topic. "We’ve told you this much only because we see you as a rare talent. The Immortal Ship has other, more pressing missions. Have you made up your mind? Will you choose to pursue advanced studies at the Cultivator University in the Imperial Capital?"
Hearing this, Li Chang’an nodded without hesitation. "No problem!"
Seeing that he had finally seen reason and agreed, all of them nodded in satisfaction. "You’ll be glad you made this choice one day. After all, the Immortal Palace’s Star Sea is nothing like this dump. The stage for your future and your achievements will be ten, even a hundred times greater than they are now!"
Li Chang’an didn’t doubt the man’s words. After all, he was the one who had created a civilization that grew to be just as powerful; he knew exactly how formidable such an entity could become once fully developed.
However, he intended to leave, but not right now. Thus, he continued, "This is all very sudden. I have some personal matters to attend to. Could you wait a little longer?"
At these words, the group of Cultivators were clearly displeased.
However, the situation had indeed been abrupt, so they could understand his need to make preparations.
The leading Cultivator handed Li Chang’an a translucent, crystalline stone. "Remember this," he said. "My name is Xia Zizhan, captain of the twenty-fourth warship of the Third Immortal Ship Fleet. Once you’ve handled your personal affairs, crush this stone. If I’m navigating nearby and detect the fluctuation, I’ll come back to get you..."
He paused, then added coolly, "And remember, this stone is only effective for three years. If you’re not ready by then, you can just stay here for the rest of your life and wait to die of old age!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the group of Cultivators departed without another moment’s delay.
They piloted the massive Immortal Ship into the sky, and it quickly vanished from sight.
Watching them depart, Li Chang’an remained stunned for a long time.
He had imagined becoming enemies with the Cultivators, a path that would likely end with him being forced to return to the Main World ahead of schedule. He had never, ever imagined he would receive an invitation from the Immortal Palace Cultivation University.
Not only that, but he had even managed to learn about the Liyang Empire, the very Empire he had founded.
It hadn’t been destroyed by the Immortal Palace. On the contrary, due to the dark incursion, it had reached a level of strategic cooperation with its former mortal enemy, the Immortal Palace.
...