179: Earth has not fallen; who wields a heaven-defying sword to annihilate an army?!

Countless fragments of past life memories surged forth!

Lu Yuan recalled the planet he saw emitting a faint red glow when he gazed at the night sky—Mars.

He remembered all the descriptions of Mars in textbooks.

That planet, believed to be the most likely in the solar system, besides Earth, to have once harbored life.

It once had liquid water and a relatively dense atmosphere.

Scientists even speculated that billions of years ago, Mars might have been a vibrant world, only to later transform into the current dry, cold, and desolate red desert due to various reasons.

Civilization?

Did civilization truly emerge on Mars?

And, was it a super civilization capable of interstellar travel across galaxies?!

"Holy crap!"

Lu Yuan could no longer suppress the turbulent waves in his heart, and a national expletive slipped out. Even in this consciousness space, it felt so real.

"Martians?!"

His voice changed pitch.

This conjecture was too shocking, almost overturning all his previous understanding!

Yan's consciousness seemed unsurprised by Lu Yuan's profanity, responding calmly:

"According to the common designation in your memory database, yes, you can call our civilization—Martian Civilization?"

"And my main body, the flame heart crown, strictly speaking, is the last hope and legacy artifact of the Martian Civilization."

Martian Civilization!

Legacy artifact!

Lu Yuan felt his head buzzing.

He had always thought he was an Earthling, accidentally transmigrating into this card world.

Now, this crown consciousness, calling itself "Yan," told him that the crown on his head came from Mars, and she seemed to hint at some inexplicable connection between Lu Yuan and Mars.

"Then... what about Little Red?"

Lu Yuan suddenly thought of the Flame Sprite who was incredibly close to him, and was even integrated into the crown at this moment.

Was the innate sense of closeness between him and Little Red also related to this?

"Little Red... is it also... a Martian?"

"It is one of the last bloodline embers of the sai'an clan."

Yan's voice carried a rare gentleness and reminiscence.

"Through a series of coincidences, this ember, nourished by the crown's primordial power over a long period, finally reawakened its vitality and intelligence."

"The innate closeness between you and it, perhaps, partly stems from both of you having bathed in the light of the same star—the Sun."

"The deeper reason, perhaps, is the most primitive and purest goodwill and acceptance for 'compatriots' deep within your soul."

The sai'an clan... bloodline embers... the same source of sunlight... goodwill for 'compatriots' deep within the soul... Lu Yuan's heart tightened fiercely.

What... what was all this?!

A complex and inexplicable emotion surged in his heart.

There was the bewilderment of meeting an "old acquaintance"—no, perhaps it should be "old kin"—in a foreign land.

If the crown came from Mars and Little Red was also an orphan of the Martian Civilization.

Then what about Earth?!

His true homeland, how was it doing now?!

According to Yan, the Sai'an Civilization? Which was the Martian Civilization? It was destroyed by a higher-dimensional existence.

Would those destroyers also target Earth... He dared not think further.

"Yan!"

"Then what about Earth?! Earth, how... how is it?!"

"Was it also captured by those... 'hunters'?"

At this moment, the card world, and all grudges and affections, were thrown to the back of his mind.

Only one thought remained in his heart—the safety of Earth!

That was his root!

It was the starting point of all his memories!

If Earth really met with misfortune... "Hoo..."

In the consciousness space, Yan let out a soft "sigh."

"In the solar system of your memory, Mars was not the only victim."

Yan's voice slowly spoke.

"In the hundreds of years that my residual memories awakened and arrived at Mars with the crown, preparing to pass on the embers of civilization, Earth, and another inner planet of the solar system—Mercury—were coveted by that higher-dimensional will almost simultaneously."

Lu Yuan's heart sank.

Mercury... was also targeted?

What exactly was that will?!

"They call themselves the 'card Universe Will,' and those who carry out hunting and destruction missions are their endless stellar legions—the Wanjiang Starship Army."

card Universe Will!

Wanjiang Starship Army!

Lu Yuan etched these two names deeply into his mind.

It turned out that the "cards" of this world originated from such a terrifying source, an existence that spanned the universe and destroyed civilizations!

The [Ember] was still too low-level!

"So..." Lu Yuan's voice was a bit strained, "Earth... didn't escape either?"

Yan's consciousness was silent for a few breaths.

This brief silence, for Lu Yuan, felt like centuries.

He could almost foresee the worst outcome.

However, Yan's next words made his mood rollercoaster, instantly throwing him from the depths of despair to the clouds!

"No."

Yan's tone also carried surprise, seemingly shocked by that memory as well.

"In my limited perception, and in the records from when the crown finally escaped the solar system... Earth was not captured."

"At least, at the moment I left, it still stood in the starry sky."

Earth!

Not captured!

It was still there!

Lu Yuan even felt his consciousness body lighten a bit.

"That's great... that's great!"

"Uh... well, my condolences!"

"Mars and Mercury, due to their unique stellar structures and primordial energies, became the primary targets of the Wanjiang Starship Army in the solar system."

Yan continued to explain.

"We were almost simultaneously subjected to devastating blows."

"Although the Martian Civilization tried its best to resist, in the face of an absolute disparity in power levels, all struggles seemed pale and powerless."

Lu Yuan could imagine what a desperate scene that must have been.

A super civilization, once glorious enough to span galaxies, was crushed like an ant under the iron hooves of a higher existence!

"Then... why did Earth escape?"

Lu Yuan suppressed the excitement in his heart and asked the most crucial question.

If even a super civilization like Mars couldn't resist, how did Earth, with its far inferior technological level at the time, survive that catastrophe?

"I don't know."

Yan's answer, however, was beyond Lu Yuan's expectation.

"I only remember that at the moment Mars was about to completely fall, and the crown, carrying the last embers of civilization, tore through space and entered the cosmic turbulence, preparing for an unordered long-distance jump..."

Yan's voice paused, as if struggling to recall that fleeting image.

"From afar... through the shattered spatial rift, I saw the direction of Earth..."

"There..."

Yan's voice carried an unbelievable reverence and shock!

"There, a... peerless sword light... that spanned the entire starry sky... erupted!"

"Sword light?!"

Lu Yuan's heart trembled!

"Yes, a sword light!"

Yan's tone was still agitated.

"That sword light, pure in color, seemed to contain the supreme sharpness of the universe's creation! Just a flash, and the terrifying pressure it emitted almost crushed the crown, which had entered the spatial turbulence!"

"It... it struck from the direction of Earth, directly tearing through the starry sky, and instantly annihilated several vanguard fleets of the Wanjiang Starship Army responsible for blockading the space around Earth!"