144: Target Orion!

In Mars' synchronous orbit, the mechanical arm of the Cultivation-Tech Joint Probe grabbed the bronze halberd.

With the help of ancient power, the star-faring spaceship would receive an immense enhancement.

The light of the rune weapon pierced through the dust storm, casting a powerful glow upon the surface.

Meanwhile, inside the Antarctic Research Station, Professor Zhang tremblingly touched the newly emerged inscriptions on the ice stele—fragments from the ancient era.

Only a few words were written on it.

He couldn't understand them.

He could vaguely see the character 'Lu'.

On the streets of New York, many young people had recently awakened the ability to Cultivate; relying on this sudden talent, they didn't go to academies for System cultivation, but instead became adept at robbery.

Among them, a youth's Holy Light suddenly surged, even spiraling out of control to the point of slicing off the base of the Statue of Liberty.

Under the heavenly dao contamination, there were clearly more than just disadvantages.

There were also many benefits.

Global Spiritual Qi was undergoing a massive recovery.

In the underground archives of the Vatican, the long-sealed fragments of the Book of Enoch moved without wind.

A prophetic diagram emerged in the blank space.

On it was a small skeleton figure, pointing its sword toward the heavens.

Lu Chen stepped into the interstellar ship, and as the space shuttle's cargo bay slowly rose, Ignis confirmed the rocket boosters were fine.

She nodded toward Lu Chen.

Shelley checked the navigation route, while Morning Dew infused the last wisp of Holy Light Essence into the antimatter reactor.

This wisp of Holy Light Essence carried an incredibly vast power.

The energy it provided was comparable to a high-yield nuclear bomb.

And this was the secret treasure that the Cathedral of the Holy Mother had guarded for thousands of years.

Ning Xiwei checked the accompanying engineering personnel as they took over the work from the mechanical arms.

“All departments, prepare!” Lu Chen’s voice spread through the entire base via quantum communication. “This ship, the 'Seeds of Civilization', carries a hundred thousand years of human struggle and pride... Once again, Huaxia leads the charge against the Heavenly Dao.”

His fingertips lightly touched the cabin wall, and the bronze fragments suddenly resonated; in the direction of Orion, thirty thousand blood-red spots of light lit up in the Universe.

People all over the world who noticed this news...

...all cast their highest respect toward Lu Chen.

Even those countries that were not on good terms with Huaxia did the same.

If the Earth is gone and civilization is gone, then everything is gone.

In Huaxia, some students in cram schools stood up collectively of their own accord upon seeing this scene on the news in their classrooms;

In an astrology classroom in England, a Grand Magister took off his pointed hat;

In the Geneva conference hall, representatives from various countries stood in silent salute.

As the tail flames of the spacecraft's ascent streaked across the night sky, citizens across Huaxia simultaneously received a push notification on their phones:

【Huaxia Cultivation Department Announcement: Starting today, space testing for all types of cultivators is open. Registration link...】

The Great Era has officially begun!

...Seven days had passed since leaving Earth.

The quantum engine of the 'Seeds of Civilization' rippled with cyan-blue waves, and the cultivation runes on the outer hull complemented the nano-alloys.

Lu Chen stood before the bridge's observation window, watching Earth turn into a blue speck of light while the golden compass needle pointed toward Mars' orbit.

The entire ship carved a bronze-colored wake through the Void Realm of the Universe.

At that moment...

Ignis kicked open her safety harness, the flame demon tattoo on her fiery figure glowing with the luster of lava.

Her bronze, sun-kissed skin made her look exactly like a vibrant, hot campus girl.

Her red hair was even more endearing.

She floated behind Lu Chen, a flame on her fingertip illuminating the asteroid belt outside the window; being incredibly curious about the Universe, she was full of wonder toward everything!

“Little Skeleton, look! Those asteroids!”

“The sensors show that the trajectories of those asteroids are actually following us!”

“Don't they look like that old thief Xu Fu's teleportation array?”

Shelley looked at the 3D star map in front of her from the ceiling, precisely marking the gravitational anomalies. “According to the ancient star maps of the Arctic Realm, this Star Domain was known as the 'Eye of the Return to Ruins Sea' a hundred thousand years ago.”

Her ice-blue long hair spread out like an aurora in the zero-gravity cabin, and the ice crystals condensing at the tips of her hair reflected a different kind of beauty.

Morning Dew returned from the logistics department, her Holy Light permeating the life support System to ensure those golden light particles drifted through the circulation pipes.

She came to the bridge, looked at everyone, and said softly:

“The engineers in logistics said the oxygen content and air ratio are normal.”

Morning Dew then returned to her position, summoning her holy codex to float above the quantum computer.

She helped translate the oracle bone script information on the bronze fragments that had not yet been deciphered.

Ning Xiwei was in the rear overhauling the engines; because the accompanying experts used her Puppets to help, they could check the situation outside the ship at any time.

The antimatter reactor was functioning normally.

Sun Feifei was still acting like a little shaman, eager to place her family's five elements flags in the living quarters.

This thing had an automatic defense function.

The Yin and Yang fish on the young girl's Daoist robe looked lifelike, making her look like a nimble little fish.

“Kan hexagram turning to Li, this is a good omen!”

“La la la (～￣▽￣)～, Dad must be so proud, I've gone to the heavens.”

“I'll give an amulet to everyone on the logistics staff's dormitory tables!”

“This Young Miss is a Little Celestial Master—a seventh-stage expert!”

“I even Cultivate the ancient immortal arts of my Huaxia, a legitimate Eastern cultivator.”

“La la la—!”

Sun Feifei was doing what she could to work hard for everyone.

Amidst a violent space-time tremor, the phantom of a bronze giant gate flashed outside the porthole.

Such a thing shouldn't have existed in the Universe.

But unfortunately, the Heavenly Dao was now reviving.

The hundred-thousand-year Great Tribulation had reappeared.

Under the heavenly dao contamination...

...the Heavenly Dao, sensing Lu Chen and the others approaching, could not yet manifest an Incarnation.

But it could still use other methods to hunt and destroy Lu Chen and his group!

Lu Chen's tianwen sword unsheathed itself automatically, and the Power of the Undead on his body was ready to activate at any moment.

This gate didn't seem to pose much danger.

This was a crew member responsible for piloting the ship, one of the personnel sent by the state.

A fellow named Xiao Wu stood up and reported:

“Chief Lu Chen, this is a teleportation gate; inside is a powerful quantum leap gravity!”

Lu Chen thought of something and gave a cold smile. “We'll go through this gate. The Heavenly Dao intended to use it for transporting troops, and it probably didn't expect that humans could already reach the Universe. The Heavens have been at ease for too long; after countless cycles of Reincarnation and world destruction, it likely thinks humans can never reach the heights of the Universe through either cultivation or technology. Now, it will pay the price for its arrogance! — Initiate warp jump, target: enter the bronze giant gate.”

“Yes, Chief!”

“All positions, prepare.”

“Copy that.”

The various posts on the ship began to coordinate.

This ship didn't just contain Lu Chen and his small group.

There were other personnel as well.

This was a special expeditionary force.