442: Chapter 443 The Eternal War, Tightening the Fence

Thinking of the cold, efficiency-and-rule-obsessed "Divine Envoys" and "Demon Ships" described by Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi...

Lu Chen felt a faint, almost imperceptible chill run up his back.

It was very faint, almost impossible to catch.

It was as if, in the sweltering heat of midsummer, a gust of wind from the extreme northern ice fields had suddenly brushed against the back of his neck.

But it was real.

This was the first time since coming to this world, after fusing the Dragon-Elephant Prajna, Nine Yin, Nine Yang, Vajra Indestructibility... and even practicing several Cultivation Techniques that pointed directly to the Origin of the Dao, advancing his cultivation by leaps and bounds, and condensing his Golden Core to the eighth turn, that he...

felt a chill that seeped into his very marrow.

It wasn't fear.

At his current Realm, he had long since taken the ordinary matters of life and death in stride; so-called fear was more of an instinctive vigilance against unknown forces.

Even if an entity capable of crushing him were to suddenly appear, he still had the nine tripods and the Palm Buddha Kingdom as his final trump cards. If he couldn't win, he could at least manage to escape.

It was even possible that he could drag the opponent along to experience the silence of the vacuum of the Universe.

What he feared was... the unknown.

It was that kind of cold, technological civilization that played completely outside the rules and regarded life as nothing more than blades of grass!

Damn it!

Lu Chen cursed inwardly.

Vague yet exceptionally vivid images flashed through his mind—cruel imaginings of cosmic civilizations he had seen in various literary works in his past life.

A metallic "droplet," impossibly smooth and ignoring all physical collisions, easily piercing through the massive fleets humanity took such pride in.

A microscopic "sophon," unfolded into two dimensions, omnipresent, locking down basic science.

A fluttering "dual-vector foil," like a final declaration of termination, dragging the entire Solar System from three dimensions into two, turning it into an eternal painting...

Do those things reason with you?

Do they discuss the Dao of Heaven and Earth or the equality of all living things with you?

No!

They only speak of physical rules, conservation of energy, cold calculations, and probability!

They only care about survival and destruction!

In their eyes, you, or your civilization, are just a potential threat.

No reason needed, no communication required.

Discovery means destruction!

Wipe it out!

This is the most efficient and safest choice.

Just like a human crushing an ant blocking their path, without any psychological burden, perhaps not even realizing they had just ended a "civilization."

Lu Chen's brows furrowed tightly, his expression darkening.

He recalled the myths and legends of the Western world; many were binary oppositions, black and white, kill or be killed.

Heaven and Hell, light and darkness, gods and demons... an eternal war.

Damn it, isn't this just the most primitive and simple manifestation of the "Dark Forest" Law?

"Husband?"

Yin Susu's voice carried a hint of undisguised worry. She stepped forward gently, her soft fingers cautiously touching Lu Chen's arm.

It felt slightly cool to the touch.

Unlike the warmth brought by his vigorous Qi and blood on ordinary days, this was a chill that seemed to seep from his very bones.

Yin Susu's heart tightened as well.

Just a moment ago, Lu Chen had spoken so lightly, collecting flying saucers, teasing Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, and even waving his hand to declare he would build some "Moon Base," acting as if he were second only to Heaven itself.

But she was clever and quick-witted; how could she not feel the heavy pressure behind his seemingly relaxed demeanor?

Seeing his changing expression and furrowed brows now, it was clear he had encountered a massive problem, or rather... perceived a massive threat.

Fang Yanqing also walked over, standing on Lu Chen's other side, her willow-leaf brows slightly knitted: "Was the consumption from collecting that flying ship too great?"

She also felt that Lu Chen's state was off.

That massive metal disk was clearly no ordinary object; for Lu Chen to take it into his Palm Buddha Kingdom must have surely cost an unimaginable amount of power.

But she vaguely felt that Lu Chen's gravity at this moment was not just because of the consumption.

Ji Xiaofu and Yang Huangyi also gathered around, one on the left and one on the right, their eyes full of concern.

Although they weren't as sensitive as Yin Susu and Fang Yanqing, able to detect deep-seated emotions from Lu Chen's subtle expressions and body temperature changes.

They still knew that what had just happened was absolutely no small matter.

"God-Demon War," "Flying Ships and Demon Ships," "World Destruction"... these terms combined were enough to make any normal person's heart race with fear.

Looking at the beautiful faces before him—each one charming in its own way, some intelligent, some alluring, some gentle, some aloof—all carrying the same undisguised concern.

The chill in Lu Chen's heart, born from the fear of the unknown, seemed to be illuminated by the midday sun, or brushed away by a warm spring breeze, quietly dissipating quite a bit.

He took a deep breath, and the turbid air in his chest, caused by overthinking, was slowly exhaled, dissipating invisibly into the fresh air.

Fear?

Fear is useless!

What's coming will come; you can't hide from it!

Since he couldn't run and couldn't hide, there was only one word—

Fight!

He forced a smile onto his face again. Although compared to his earlier devil-may-care attitude, this smile had a bit more sharpness and... ruthlessness, making it seem a bit forced, but it was more real.

He reached out and firmly patted the back of Yin Susu's hand; the warm touch made her heart settle slightly.

Then, he habitually reached out to pinch Yang Huangyi's smooth, delicate, jade-like cheek.

Yang Huangyi seemed to have anticipated this; she tilted her head slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering, and skillfully dodged his "attack," though a faint, barely noticeable blush quietly stained her earlobes.

Lu Chen didn't mind, his large hand smoothly brushing over her soft, lustrous hair, feeling its silk-like texture.

"It's nothing," he said, his voice a few degrees deeper than before, but also firmer. "I just suddenly felt... that our little planet, in the eyes of those potentially existing 'big shots' out there, probably really is just like an anthill."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the women, his eyes carrying an unquestionable determination, and his smile tinged with a cold murderous intent.

"If we aren't careful, we might just get stepped on and wiped out by someone passing by."

"When something really happens, I can't exactly go crying back to the Immortal Realm to beg my Revered Master for help, right?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of Yin Susu, Fang Yanqing, Ji Xiaofu, Yang Huangyi, and even Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi—who had just stood up and were standing not far away, not daring to breathe loudly—all changed slightly.

They were all smart people and could naturally hear the heart-stopping, cruel truth within Lu Chen's seemingly casual analogy.

This wasn't just a comparison of strength; it was a form of indifference at the level of life itself!

However, the trace of gravity and chill in Lu Chen's eyes had been completely suppressed.

Replaced by the sharp edge of an unsheathed sword, and a burning determination like a volcano before eruption.

The fear of the unknown from just a moment ago had been forcibly reversed by him, transformed into an even more powerful driving force!

Improve strength! Must be faster! Stronger!

Refine Magic Treasures! Need more! More powerful!

Research technology! Cannot stop! Must accelerate!

Mass-produce soldiers! Mass-produce soldiers! Mass-produce soldiers!

Whether it's cultivation mastery, technological power, or human-wave tactics, anything that can improve his odds of winning, he wants it all!

To Hell with whatever damn Divine Palace! Demon Palace!

To Hell with whatever alien fleets! Divine Envoys or Demon Envoys!

To Hell with whatever Dark Forest or dimensional strikes!

Want to come and stomp on my nest?

Fine!

Ask my fist if it's hard enough first!

Taste whether my Flying Sword Magic Treasure is sharp enough!

See if the divine weapons I forged with Nine-Turn Reincarnation, Four Symbols Spirit Suppression, and the Yin-Yang Edge-Quenching Array can poke holes in your iron shells!

Finally, let me show you what real technology and hardcore skills are, what a saturation strike is!

Lu Chen's gaze swept over the women before him again—Yin Susu, Fang Yanqing, Ji Xiaofu, Yang Huangyi... They were his soft underbelly, but also his armor!

To protect all of this, he had no other choice!

His fist clenched tightly at his side, his knuckles emitting a faint but clear crackling sound.

The sound was not loud, yet it seemed to carry an unshakeable power.

"So..." Lu Chen grinned, "we need to hurry."

"Before those potentially existing 'passersby' wander over here..."

"We need to first reinforce the fence at our doorstep, and by the way..."

He paused, a glint flashing in his eyes.

"...prepare a few dog-beating sticks."