65: Chapter 65 Flesh and Blood Suffer, Mechanical Ascension?

Chu Xingyang had been listening quietly from the side.

Taking Beicang so quickly meant the Xingyang Civilization now spanned three star systems. However, he hadn't expected the humans in the Bei Cang Star System to still be in a primitive society.

The next destination, the Banma Star System, was a triple-star system where three suns could be seen rising and setting irregularly from every planet.

Could there really be intelligent life in such a star system? If so, creatures born and surviving in such a harsh environment certainly couldn't be underestimated.

The Gospel Army remained in the Bei Cang Star System for a considerable amount of time; after all, the Beilun people here were just primitive humans who had only recently developed language.

Time had to be spent teaching them writing and spreading civilization. Fortunately, the Beilun people were indeed an intelligent race, and gradually, many skilled workers like carpenters and masons emerged.

Under the step-by-step guidance of the Blue Star people, they built the first Cathedral on their planet and selected the first batch of Holy Maidens from their race.

Helmsman Xuan Yue of the "divine ascension," who was originally a Music Person, sang a melodious and lingering hymn to God in front of the completed Cathedral.

Countless Beilun people wept, covering their faces in the song: "Thank the Great Deity Xingyang for bringing us civilization and light. Xingyang God is the only god in the universe, and we Beilun people will follow in God's footsteps for generations!"

In the year 300 of the Xingyang Calendar, twenty stellar-class warships from Blue Star assembled and advanced majestically toward the Banma triple-star system.

Chu Xingyang immediately used Consciousness Projection to Blue Star to switch to his physical form, then arranged for himself the position of squadron leader for the "divine grace" carrier-based aircraft through the Church to follow along.

After all, it was a triple-star system; if there really were intelligent life, it would surely be very troublesome.

Tomwence, the captain of the flagship "divine grace," was always steady, but now his heart was filled with both excitement and worry.

He was excited because, after being stationed in the Solar System for the previous two missions, he could finally go to another star system to execute a mission.

The reason for his worry was whether intelligent life, or even life itself, could truly exist in such a chaotic star system.

Would this hard-won first extra-solar mission end in failure?

But as the fleet entered the Banma triple-star system, his doubts vanished.

Although there was only one planet in the entire star system, the dense rings of strangely shaped man-made satellites above the planet showed that there were, or once had been, intelligent beings.

While relieved, he also wondered, "Why are there three stars here, yet only one planet?"

Murphy, the Science Officer on board, thought for a moment and replied, "This triple-star system is very unstable; the other planets were swallowed by these stars."

The surfaces of those man-made satellites seemed to confirm his statement. Some were scorched, some were covered in ice crystals, and many even had both.

But the Gospel Army seemed to have arrived at the right time during a Stable Era. After entering the atmosphere, two suns, looking much smaller than they did on Blue Star, hung in the sky.

Although the surface temperature was as high as over forty degrees, it wasn't unbearable.

Under the bright sun, a massive modern steel city was revealed before them.

A tall iron tower stood abruptly in the center of the city.

A trace of doubt flashed through the minds of all the Blue Star people—why was there no one? They didn't see any vehicles, and they couldn't even find an entrance to the buildings.

After a long time, a sentence from Murphy startled everyone.

"Looking down from above, why does this city look so much like the circuit board of an old-fashioned electronic appliance?"

Soon, a complex and gorgeously designed aircraft rose into the sky.

It broadcasted to the twenty Blue Star warships: "Please leave our Holy City and do not interfere with our lives."

Tu Kulei on the "divine ascension" immediately responded, "Spreading divine light and slaying heretics, we have come to spread the blessings of the Great Deity Xingyang!"

The aircraft was silent for a moment before speaking again: "We already believe in the god gaimu. That tall iron tower is the Holy Tower where we worship God gaimu."

"Flesh is weak, mechanical ascension. The great god gaimu came from a distant galaxy and uploaded the consciousness of all our people."

"This is what saved us from the pain of the Chaotic Era. You are late; please go back."

"Presumptuous!" The remaining half of Tu Kulei's face showed a distorted and terrifying rage. "There is only one god in the entire universe, and that is the Great Deity Xingyang. Your so-called gaimu is just a false god who seeks fame by deceiving the world, a charlatan!"

He finally couldn't help but roar, "All starships, move out! Find their false god and grind his bones to ashes!"

Although Tu Kulei, as a Missionary Officer directly under the Church, held a high status, he did not have command authority.

But clearly, everyone in the Gospel Army was filled with righteous indignation at this moment, so naturally, no one cared about such details.

Thus, countless carrier-based aircraft soon flew out from the twenty starships, circling above the city.

Under the search of various scanners and survey devices, let alone the false god gaimu, not even a single moving living person was seen.

Chu Xingyang flew his carrier-based aircraft through those steel buildings in the city that had no windows or entrances.

He wondered, had the Banma people really achieved mechanical ascension and consciousness upload?

He soon noticed something suspicious beneath the iron tower and immediately transformed a huge opening in the airtight steel ground and flew in.

Several members of his squadron also followed in their carrier-based aircraft.

Soon, everyone disembarked and entered an exceptionally large room, which contained countless tall machines that looked like servers, flashing with lights and emitting a "sizzling" sound of electric current.

Eerily, in the transparent cabinets beneath each server, several Banma people wearing helmets lay side by side. Although their body temperatures were extremely low, they were not dead, but merely in a state of suspended animation similar to hibernation.

Chu Xingyang was very puzzled. Since they had already ascended, did they still need to specifically preserve their bodies?

He opened a cockpit at the very edge of the room, which contained a chair and a helmet—clearly a Brain-Computer Interface.

Without a word, he was about to put it on his head.

A teammate nearby immediately stopped him: "Captain, don't be in a hurry. What if your consciousness is uploaded and you can't come back? Let's wait for Murphy to come and take a look first."

Chu Xingyang laughed and said, "I can come back, but you guys might not. Just wait here for me."

After saying that, he immediately put on the helmet. After a dazzling screen of pure white light, his consciousness was uploaded to the virtual world.

Was this the world after mechanical ascension? It should be a utopia filled with the fragrance of flowers and the singing of birds.

Why was it a desolate grassland?

At the edge of the grassland, several squads of soldiers in armor were besieging a castle.

Crude catapults, arrows like rain, spears and sharp swords, and even fire-breathing dragons that had come to assist.

Chu Xingyang took a few looks and then projected his consciousness elsewhere, soon discovering that this was a chaotic old world with elements like dragons, alchemists, and assassins.

And there were actually boundaries! After passing through the giant curtain wall at the boundary, he would arrive in a completely different world.

Mecha wars, cyberpunk, luxurious casinos, starcraft, pools of wine and forests of meat...

This world after mechanical ascension seemed to have countless large and small unrelated areas.

Chu Xingyang was suddenly enlightened. He finally understood the true face of that god gaimu; he was indeed a false god!