Chapter 583 - 578: Heartrending Truth
"Your starfield, your planet, your continent, your home is about to meet its end!" The calm, settled voice set a stark contrast to this devastating piece of news. Clearly, there was no emotion held within, and there was even a bit of indifference. Yet it was enough to provoke incredible responses, including confusion and incredulity!
"How is that possible?!" A human man, a farmer who worked several decades maintaining his fields, feeding his family, and living out most of his life in a single location, couldn't help but exclaim aloud.
"You're lying! Why would we believe you?!" The voice was from a strong-willed, yet clearly at the precipice of shedding tears, young woman. She angrily pointed towards the massive face with her trembling finger. Shockingly, these two voices were heard by the trillions as if spoken through a sound amplifier.
This instigated a series of rage-filled accusations and disbelieving questions.
"Who the HELL are you?!"
"TAKE US BACK HOME!"
"Yeah! Why should we believe you?!"
Despite the face being as large and massive as a star, being witnessed by the trillions present, most were so overwhelmed by the situation that they hadn't registered the utterly terrifying difference in means… Most of those speaking were at the Qi Condensation or lower, those who fought for their land, home, and struggled to live everyday.
Tuo Bihan remained silent. A forlorn feeling emerged within the depths of his heart, with memories of the starfield that raised him, fed him, and carried his greatest memories floating to the forefront of his mind without end. Unlike the others, his breadth of mind and emotional composure was greater, and having lost many things in his long life, friends, family, lovers, he understood how to prioritize and compartmentalize his feelings.
The face merely watched calmly as the crowd became rowdy. Some even executed attacks at the face, yet they were unable to reach it, and had their cultivation bases subsequently sealed. This raged on for several minutes, with some even crying as the situation seemed to weigh on them.
Perhaps their home was going to meet its end?!
A little boy, no more than ten, regarded as a talented genius within his clan, already at the Sixth Phase of the Qi Condensation Realm, the False Reality False, couldn't help but speak. When he did, his voice was like a washing tidal wave of sound, enveloping the trillions present.
"Why?"
One word.
It was enough to surge over everyone, and as if by some unseen force, people slowly calmed down as that single word reverberated throughout the world. That calm, gentle voice that sought answers, not accusatory or defaming intentions.
"…" The rowdy world settled into an awkward silence. They looked towards the face for answers, for that question to be answered.
The face swept his glance at the crowd, seemingly satisfied with their responses. He said: "Your solar stars attracted the attention of a Star-Devourer, a being that consumes Solar Stars for nutrients. It was an unfortunate situation, and the best course of action we had was to extract you all at the earliest with the quickest means. Here you are."
It didn't stop with just that. A screen projected in the air above, causing the heads of every living being to lift and view it. It was the scene of a white fox with crystalline eyes that seemed to contain the endless stars of the world. It floated onto a starfield with a single Solar Star, a star a little smaller than theirs.
Some of these people weren't aware that the Starfield had three suns, so a few even misunderstood it as their starfield at first, such as the inhabitants of the Myriad Yore Continent. Most hadn't even known about the vast expanse of the world, so they couldn't imagine the scale. They just saw a fox walk towards a Solar Star like object surrounded by tiny flat continents and spherical planets.
The fox-like creature opened its maw and sucked in the Solar Star. The next scene was devastating and heartrending. Because it didn't show the creature discharging immediately, but split into simultaneous viewpoints of various continents, planets, and the people like them lived there.
Regardless of what scene you focused on, you saw the shadow of the creature in the distance. The outline, and then you slowly see the Solar Star in the sky move and cause endless rippling changes. The sky slowly went dark. Like a flaming light snuffed out by a dreadful chill.
The encroaching darkness was interrupted by a white, discharge of energy that swept through the world. Those people like them still had their eyes on the vanishing light, but they couldn't react. They were smashed by the energy and faded without a single whimper. Without a single roar of resistance or act of defiance.
They just ended.
The screen returned to the creature that was now a black dog, slowly sleeping amongst the boundless void. It was as if it didn't just commit genocide of an entire starfield. There was even a hint of a contentful smile on its lips.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Silence. Silence. And more silence.
No one knew how to react. Was that them? Was that supposed to be them? To die without knowing why or how, to simply vanish?!
The face allowed them to digest their feelings, to process their loss. But it didn't do so forever, "The Star-Devourer will do the same to your starfield in the next few days. However, you're safe. You'll have a second chance at life. If you want it."
"…" The ten-year old genius, who could even be regarded as a talent even amongst the Hegemonic Powers of the Imperial Dawn Starfield, clenched his fists and teeth with tears streaming down his face. He, with a quiver to his voice, asked: "What about our family? Will we see them again?"
Many of the people here were surrounded by unknowns, people they've never met, and unless they could search through the presence of billions, they would find it extremely difficult to locate them. So the question as to where they were was pressing.
The face calmly nodded, "Yes. The transportation had to be performed in a specific order, sending you all in random locations within this World-Shifting Realm, but you will all see your family and companions again. However, before we proceed with that, I must explain to you your situation clearly."
"You all belong to a remote corner of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, and will be transported to the Aeternal Sky Starfield, the ruling Starfield of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region. There, based on a variety of factors, you will have three choices ahead of you:
"To stay on a newly created planet yet to be named. It is nascent, but it could house hundreds of billions with ease. It was created specifically for you. The cultivation resources and development of this planet is little to none, so it won't generate sufficient resources outside of basic living needs for a few centuries. However, you'll be allowed a fresh start.
"To join one of the three other Domains, staying in their advanced territory with established hierarchy and brimming resources. This will highly depend on your race, so I don't recommend this if you're a family of more than a single race. You will have to integrate into a new, different society.
"Or lastly, to try out for a chance to join the various forces of the Aeternal Sky Starfield. Your cultivation path will not be limited, and your future might actually be breached open. Of course, this will depend on age, cultivation, and race, as well as the specific requirements of the force itself." After explaining this, the voice went silent and waited.
The crowd began to murmur and shuffle amongst themselves. There was a planet created just for them? Some didn't even know what a planet was, but they had some idea. Still, they didn't have much choice.
Tuo Bihan watched all this and sighed in his heart. While the voice had delved into explaining it well, there were many implications within that would go unnoticed. For example, a fresh planet meant no cultivation resources, likely no trade routes. You might have land, but what else?
The second option was seemingly promising, but entering a society that you knew nothing about was extremely difficult. There were all sorts of unknown variables that couldn't be considered. Furthermore, race seemed to hold incredible importance in this world. What if cultivation held even more importance? Who knew how Qi Condensation Cultivators would be treated?
The third option was likely only available to those with a high cultivation or geniuses, so that was an option most couldn't even consider.
The face allowed them to continue for a few minutes before he spoke again, "You don't have to decide now. First, we'll organize you while we are en route to the Aeternal Sky Starfield. You'll all have a screen placed in front of you soon. All you have to do is write your name, age, gender, and cultivation. Then, write the name, age, gender, and if you know it, the cultivation of two other people you wish to see.
"If you belong to an organization, a faction, or an association, write that name instead of two individuals. For now, we'll be placing you all in these specific groups. As for infants and children, they'll be sent to the one with the closest life aura as theirs. So mostly to their parents." After speaking, flat screens formed by strange energy appeared in front of everyone. They could be written on with just one's finger.
Tuo Bihan glanced at the screen and thought for a moment. He didn't write down the Myriad Monarch Sect. Instead, he placed two names: Su Mei, 45, Female & Qin Rui, 682, Female, Sixth Stage of Astral Core Realm.