428: Alien invasion?

Next, at the Silicon Valley headquarters, AI Research Center, Elliot, a top AI expert specializing in the ultimate evolution of AI, was so awestruck by the existence of the super-intelligent entity Zero that he prostrated himself in reverence, like a pilgrim, expressing his willingness to join the project!

Sophia Ortiz, who studies the climate change codes of million-year-old ice cores at the Antarctic Ice Core Laboratory;

Ivanov, who researches "antimatter bomb mass production technology" at the Siberian Underground Nuclear Physics Laboratory;

Koji Tanaka, who researches quantum bit stability optimization at the little japanese Kyoto University Quantum Computing Laboratory;

Lena Carter, who researches the "Mars self-sustaining ecosystem" at the Houston NASA Deep Space Life Laboratory;

Miri Chen, who researches gene repair at the Stanford University Gene Editing Laboratory;

...and so on, tens of thousands of top scientists worldwide were almost simultaneously invaded in their laboratories by Lu Chen, and then Zero conquered them with absolute knowledge, making them wholeheartedly agree to join the project.

Of course, some were unwilling to go.

Not everyone surrendered.

For example, Professor Hall from the MIT Department of Theoretical Physics—a top expert in string theory and a hot candidate for the next Nobel Prize.

When Lu Chen appeared and displayed the wormhole shuttle blueprint, Hall sneered:

"Absurd! Wormholes require negative energy, and negative energy cannot stably exist on a macroscopic scale! All of this is science fiction fantasy, you are a madman, I will not join you!"

Lu Chen watched him quietly and smiled.

"Very well, in the near future, you will personally witness a shuttle capable of traversing the multiverse, tearing through the star sea, and crossing the Universe. The names of all the scientists who participated in its creation will be engraved in the annals of civilization, lauded for ten thousand generations, while you... will only stand before a telescope, filled with envy and regret, without even the qualifications to approach that ship."

The scientist scoffed with disdain: "Absurd! What shuttle? What cosmic bubble? It's all your Eastern mysticism's Xuanhuan tricks! I won't regret it—and I'm not afraid of you!"

Lu Chen said no more, directly erased Hall's memory, and the next instant, his figure silently vanished into thin air.

Professor Hall suddenly woke up: "What just happened? It seems someone invited me to join some project."

In just ten minutes,

Ten thousand top scientists worldwide, covering the pinnacle of all key fields such as AI, nuclear fusion, quantum computing, gene editing, deep space exploration, nuclear physics, and climate research, collectively disappeared!

Each name was an existence that could influence a nation's scientific progress; the disappearance of each person meant the stagnation of research in a particular Domain.

The surveillance footage only showed a fleeting black stream of light and a suddenly closing spatial rift in the laboratory, as if these top scientists had never existed.

High-ranking officials from various countries were suffocated with panic!

U.S. President Trumb slammed his fist heavily on the solid wood desk, his face ashen: "17 Nobel laureates! 32 core national defense technology experts! The entire NASA deep space team! All gone! It must be China! Because only they have mysterious power!!"

The Director of Intelligence said in a deep voice: "Mr. President, intelligence shows that China also has 37 top scientists missing, including key figures like Pan Jianwei and Chen Jingming..."

"I don't care!" the President roared, "Whether China did it or not, we'll pin the blame on China and make them bear the consequences!"

At the EU headquarters, leaders of various countries held an emergency meeting.

"Thousands of our scientists have been taken away, Europe's scientific research is completely finished! China must provide an explanation!"

The Chinese officials were dumbfounded and replied to various countries: "Our 37 top scientists have also been taken away, covering key fields such as fusion, quantum, and aerospace. We are more anxious than anyone! The world wants an explanation from us, but who do we ask?"

The Minister of Foreign Affairs sighed and added: "The phones at various embassies in China are almost ringing off the hook, and the internet is full of conspiracy theories about 'China's mysterious power kidnapping scientists worldwide.' We are truly unable to defend ourselves!"

China's social platforms were completely boiling.

"I can't stop laughing! Which Undergoing Tribulation big shot did this? Come out and livestream quickly, I'll give you a carnival reward!!"

"To instantly take away ten thousand top scientists, this is simply not something humans can do! Most likely it's aliens!"

"That logic is wrong, if aliens' technology is so awesome, why would they still capture scientists?"

"How is that logic wrong? Suppose your wife is very beautiful, but now you have a chance to get ten thousand women who are not as beautiful as your wife, would you want them?!"

"Holy crap, brother, what you said makes a lot of sense! So it's very possible that aliens want to understand Earth's technological level, which is why they captured the scientists."

...In the Tianxuan Higher Universe, Star Dome Academy.

"Aires has been out of contact for thirty standard days."

Mentor Quinn Solaris stood before the holographic star map, his brows tightly furrowed.

He wore a silver-patterned robe and a "Universe Evolution Observer" badge on his chest—an honor only scholars who had participated in three Higher Civilization experiments could obtain.

"Nothing could have happened," the assistant next to him shook his head. "He is the tenth son of the Star Lord! He carries three Star Domain-level life-saving artifacts, and the 'neutron star core amulet' on his wrist can preserve his Divine Soul even if a cosmic singularity explodes.."

Quinn's voice was low: "But he went to a place he shouldn't have. I checked his thesis topic records."

Data streams flashed by—

"Research on the Abnormal Stability of CVI<1.0 Cosmic Bubbles"

Application for deployment: Single-person Cosmic Wormhole Shuttle (Model: Ω-7)

Application for deployment: heavenly dao system Test Version (Number: UDE-T09)

Target Area: Chaos Edge Observation Station Raw Data Stream Coordinate No. 4,728913

"Sub-Universe?!" The assistant gasped. "He's crazy?! That's an area even professors are forbidden to research!"

Quinn's face suddenly changed: "Report to the Star Lord immediately! If he encounters misfortune there... the entire Star Dome Academy might be held accountable!"

Star Lord Aurorax sat on a throne forged from the remnants of nine stars, surrounded by slowly rotating phantom galaxies.

After hearing the report, he showed no anger, only said indifferently:

"I know."

He closed his eyes for three breaths, his Divine Thought penetrating billions of dimensions, reaching directly to the edge of Chaos.

"That area... indeed has an anomaly," he opened his eyes. "A Universe with a CVI of only 0.3 actually has a will resisting my Divine Sense interference... Interesting."

He raised his hand, and a golden decree appeared:

"My decree:

Command Star Dome Guard Captain Kyros to lead the 'Annihilation Eye' fleet to the target coordinates.

If Aires is still alive, retrieve him;

If he has fallen, investigate the truth;

If there is a hostile civilization... obliterate it."

Deep in the star sea, the Annihilation Eye fleet officially set off, twelve warships slowly departing from the starport.

Flagship [Eternal Silence] (Star Domain-level main ship, equipped with a "Dimensional Tearing Cannon," capable of shattering small cosmic structures with one blow)

Four auxiliary ships: [Silent Class] (Star Sea-level cruiser, equipped with a "Spacetime Anchoring Array," capable of blockading an entire Star Domain)

Seven frigates: [Echo] (Galaxy-level, mainly used for high-dimensional consciousness tracking, a common search-type warship in Higher Universes)

Fleet Commander—Kyros, three meters tall, covered in dark silver bio-armor, with six mechanical compound eyes flickering with cold light.

He once personally suppressed seven rebellious Middle Universes and was known as the "Blade of the Star Lord."

He stood on the bridge of the [Eternal Silence], his voice like metal grinding:

"Target: Lower cosmic bubble.

Mission: Recover the Tenth Prince's Divine Soul, eliminate potential threats.

Note: This Universe may contain an unknown high-dimensional will; all personnel activate 'Anti-Divinity Shields.'"

The fleet's engines roared, and space was torn open like cloth.

Twelve streaks of light pierced into the Chaos, heading directly towards the edge of the cosmic bubble where Earth is located.

This fleet was capable of annihilating a Higher Civilization.

Moreover, their target this time was just a third-tier planetary civilization that hadn't even mastered warp travel.