261: Chapter 261 Refusal to Return

[Zhurong, this is the Luan Bird command center. I am General Wei. Per the orders of the Earth Fleet, your ship is to depart within three days and return to Earth.]

[Failure to comply will be treated as desertion.]

General Wei ultimately decided to follow Jiang Chen's lead for now.

Although he knew he would eventually be replaced, he chose Jiang Chen over Marquis Huaguo.

At least for now, Jiang Chen was the strongest individual on the surface of the Southern Heavenly Gate; he could still get by for a while.

If he could break through from the peak of a Level 2 Lifeform to a Level 3 Lifeform during this period...

Then his life level would be on the same tier as Qin Xue Yao.

If he held that rank, Jiang Chen would have no reason to let his wife replace him as the Commander-in-Chief of the Luan Bird.

After relaying the message, General Wei notified Jiang Chen: [Comrade Jiang, the signal has been sent. No reply has been received yet. I will notify you immediately once they respond.]

[Good. If the Zhurong does not reply within three hours, treat it as desertion! Additionally, hurry up and complete or hand over your flight missions on the Luan Bird within six months. Once you return to Earth, I can help you break through to a Level 3 Lifeform.]

Having struck him with a stick, Jiang Chen immediately followed up with a carrot.

Although General Wei's strength was currently inferior to Xue Yao's...

There were no issues with him yet, and he was willing to follow orders. Thus, Jiang Chen was in no hurry to force his early retirement.

Instead, he decided to include him in the plan and let him speed up his evolution as well.

Of course.

If he hadn't been willing to follow orders earlier, Jiang Chen would have given the spot to someone else.

General Wei, who had been feeling indignant and dejected, was suddenly stunned by Jiang Chen's offer to help him become a Level 3 Lifeform. He asked with a hint of pleasant surprise: [Comrade Jiang, according to the Southern Heavenly Gate's distribution order, the resources I receive are fixed. It shouldn't be possible for me to become a Level 3 Lifeform in such a short time, right?]

He had been at the peak of Level 2 for several years already.

Under normal evolution, it would take at least several more years and a fair bit of luck.

However!

If Qin Xue Yao could progress so rapidly, then he had a great chance as well.

[Rest assured, the source of the resources I provide has nothing to do with the Solar System and does not violate the order of the Southern Heavenly Gate!]

Jiang Chen told him not to worry.

After hanging up the communicator...

A staff officer nearby looked at General Wei. "Commander-in-Chief, if we issue this order to the Zhurong and they actually return, won't they retaliate against us?"

The staff officers looked at each other, appearing quite worried.

Although Jiang Chen had gained the recognition of the top three on the lifeform rankings under the new order of the Southern Heavenly Gate...

Jiang Chen hadn't actually fought them. Therefore, they couldn't judge who was truly stronger among the four.

They only knew that, for now, the top three on the lifeform rankings supported Jiang Chen, and that Jiang Chen was the strongest on the surface.

But now that the Zhurong had already gone to Saturn, getting it to return would likely not be easy.

After all.

Those three had always been mysterious and stayed out of specific affairs.

Their support for Jiang Chen back then might have just been a way to keep a low profile.

But now that Jiang Chen was demanding their return, it was very likely they would drop the act and conflict would erupt.

"What else can I do? If I don't issue this order, even my position won't be safe..."

General Wei couldn't help but rub his temples.

Between dying sooner or dying later, he chose dying later.

"I'll take a gamble. I bet that Jiang Chen is stronger than Elder Hua."

General Wei said, narrowing his eyes.

"That Qin Xue Yao was only at the peak of Level 1 a year ago, barely keeping her position as the commander of the Sister Li. Now, all of a sudden, she's become a Level 3 Lifeform. This speed is too fast; there are clearly special means involved."

"Furthermore, Jiang Chen just promised that he could help me become a Level 3 Lifeform without violating the Southern Heavenly Gate's order..."

"If he really can help me become a Level 3 Lifeform, what does it matter if I give him the position on the Luan Bird?"

The staff officer was still worried. "Elder Hua isn't alone; he has two helpers..."

Meanwhile.

The order relayed by General Wei had already been transmitted to the Zhurong.

Aboard the Zhurong.

Commander Zhu Fujun, who was originally the commander of the Zhurong, had now been demoted to a servant who served tea and water.

As for the current commander, it was naturally Marquis Huaguo himself.

He sat with his legs crossed, directing the crew to pilot the Zhurong toward a landing on Saturn.

Right then.

He suddenly received the order from the Luan Bird.

"Return to Earth?"

Marquis Huaguo was somewhat surprised.

However, seeing the mention of the Earth Fleet, he understood. That kid Jiang Chen had seen through his intentions and was urging him to return to Earth.

Only...

At this point, he had already reached Saturn.

He was about to begin a brand new path of evolution here; how could he have time to return to Earth?

"Mr. Commander, the Earth Fleet is summoning us to return to Earth. Shall we turn back?"

Commander Zhu Fujun asked with a fawning expression, though he was cursing inwardly.

If he had known, he would have just surrendered to Earth. It wasn't that big a deal, but now he'd been turned into a water-pouring servant—it was practically a fate worse than death.

Marquis Huaguo casually tossed a cup of boiling water into Commander Zhu Fujun's hands, making the latter howl in pain. He said, "Return so I can hand you over? We're not going back!"

Just then.

Old Fungus Lao and He Shiqi also walked over.

Upon hearing the news, they realized Jiang Chen was urging the Zhurong to return to Earth, or else they would be treated as deserters.

"Are you sure we're not going back?"

Old Fungus Lao looked at Marquis Huaguo.

Jupiter had already had a fifth of its Qi absorbed. If they continued, the planet would collapse, and the structure of the Solar System would be damaged. They could only head to the next outer planet—Saturn.

But now, Jiang Chen was urging the Zhurong to return.

Given Jiang Chen's status in the Southern Heavenly Gate, if they didn't return, the nature of the Zhurong's mission would change.

"Old Fungus, in your past life, you were one of the Three Pure Ones. Supporting that kid's Southern Heavenly Gate and declaring the Zhurong's inclusion in the Earth Fleet was nothing more than a stalling tactic."

Marquis Huaguo complained repeatedly, "That kid wants to take the entire human race with him to ascend. Isn't that nonsense? Resources are already insufficient, yet he wants to allocate a massive amount to Earth. This method is too naive; it won't be executable in the long run..."

After hearing this, Old Fungus Lao understood Marquis Huaguo's point.

Resources in the Solar System were limited, and Jiang Chen had been restricting higher-level lifeforms from taking a large share. This naturally hindered the evolution of advanced lifeforms like them.

"I'm not saying this because I hold a grudge about him striking me with lightning back then. I'm telling the truth. He will definitely be dragged down by those ordinary people... Even the cleverest housewife can't cook without rice. His ideals are too grand, and they will ultimately fail."

Marquis Huaguo said, shaking his head.

The evolution of life was cruel and exclusionary of its own kind.

When the Solar System only had one cake, whoever ate more was the strongest.

The Southern Heavenly Gate order Jiang Chen built aimed for the most balanced distribution possible. In his view, this was too idealistic and was destined to drag everyone down.

"Moreover, as you know, there's a black hole waiting for the Solar System not far ahead. Plus, with the reincarnation of the gods, the mass of the Solar System is increasing, and its speed will get faster and faster... If we don't hurry and evolve, it's a dead end."

"When that time comes, Southern Heavenly Gate, Northern Heavenly Gate—it'll all be for nothing!"

Marquis Huaguo said with certainty to Old Fungus Lao, "That kid's Southern Heavenly Gate order will definitely collapse before long. It can't even compare to a single hair of the previous generation's Southern Heavenly Gate."

"You monkey, are you going to be the arch-enemy of the Southern Heavenly Gate in this life too?"

"In your last life, opposing the Southern Heavenly Gate didn't end well for you. Have you forgotten how you were beaten down?"

Old Fungus Lao paced in place. He had already evolved to be indistinguishable from a normal human. After hearing Marquis Huaguo's intentions, he couldn't help but lament that there truly was nothing new under the sun in the universe. In the previous life, this Deep Space Giant Monkey had once fought the gods of the Southern Heavenly Gate. Although they eventually reconciled, he remained at odds with the Celestial Emperor.

He hadn't expected it.

Now, with the new generation of the Southern Heavenly Gate appearing, this monkey was still as incompatible as fire and water with it.

"I'm not making an arch-enemy of anyone. During the Battle of the Milky Way's Right Spiral Arm, I, the Deep Space Giant Monkey, also made contributions! I believe in my own judgment. I must hurry and evolve to escape the Solar System."

Fire burned in Marquis Huaguo's eyes as he spoke with a firm tone.

He was not originally of the human race, so he naturally lacked the faith to lead all of humanity to ascension.

He only wanted to evolve to a high enough level before the Solar System collapsed and then flee.

"Old Fungus, you can follow that kid if you want, but you'd better think it through. There's a black hole waiting for the Solar System ahead. No immortal or god sucked into a black hole has ever come out. It's true soul-dispersion with no path to reincarnation. As one of the Three Pure Ones, even you likely wouldn't make it out."

Marquis Huaguo warned.

According to Jiang Chen's resource distribution method, once the Zhurong was flown back, Jiang Chen would definitely not let him continue piloting the battleship to the next planet for a feeding frenzy.

Old Fungus Lao frowned, lost in thought for a long time.

He weighed his options in his heart.

In the past six months, his divination abilities had recovered significantly.

Although he still couldn't find which bodies the other immortals and gods had reincarnated into, he had recently discovered that Earth's orbital path was exceptionally magnificent, graceful, and beautiful.

Generally speaking, the more magnificent and graceful a celestial body's trajectory, the more it indicated that a great power was maintaining it from behind. Otherwise, it would be impossible to maintain such a beautiful form.

It was like a beautiful woman or a handsome man—the better-looking they were, the more it implied good genes, a wealthy family background, and a disciplined lifestyle behind them.

The same applied to stock market K-lines. Stocks with jagged, messy trends were usually junk stocks, while the trends of powerhouse stocks were as pleasing to the eye as a beauty's figure.

In short, that which is extreme must be extraordinary.

In his recent divinations, he found that Earth's orbital path over the past year had become increasingly graceful.

This indicated that Earth's future fortune was actually improving.

This contradicted the Deep Space Giant Monkey's judgment that the Solar System would be swallowed by a black hole.

This was the source of Old Fungus Lao's hesitation.

With a black hole ahead of the Solar System, how could Earth's trajectory be getting better and better?

"Actually, I've always wondered why Jiang Chen wants to build a Southern Heavenly Gate system with balanced resource distribution?"

Old Fungus Lao suddenly asked Marquis Huaguo.

He vaguely felt that the improvement in Earth's orbital path might be related to Jiang Chen and the Southern Heavenly Gate.

Marquis Huaguo curled his lip and said, "He's too young. After all, he's just a fifty-something-year-old cutie who doesn't understand the darkness of the universe or the cruelty of evolution. He always wants to take everyone else along."

"The more he acts like this, the less likely he is to get far."

Marquis Huaguo shook his head.

During the Battle of the Milky Way's Right Spiral Arm, although he and the Southern Heavenly Gate had once fought the Qi God Tribe together...

During that time, it wasn't just the Qi God Tribe that wanted his life; the other immortals and gods weren't exactly innocent either.

After all, he had offended many of the first-generation Southern Heavenly Gate immortals back then.

Precisely because of this.

He kept his guard up against everyone.

As for Jiang Chen's so-called Southern Heavenly Gate order, he didn't take it to heart at all.

Joining the Earth Fleet earlier had merely been a stalling tactic.

"He knows there's a black hole ahead. Under these circumstances, he still chooses to distribute resources equally. Is he stupid, or does he plan to lead everyone to total annihilation?"

Old Fungus Lao was puzzled by this.

Knowing about the black hole and still distributing resources equally meant everyone would die together.

"Isn't his background in technology? Maybe he thinks that by relying on the collective wisdom of all humanity, they can create a Light-speed Spaceship?"

Marquis Huaguo sneered.

Reaching the speed of light was something a Level 7 Lifeform could achieve.

But with the meager resources of the Solar System, the probability of nurturing a Level 7 Lifeform was zero.

Even if the entire Solar System were consumed, it wouldn't be enough.

Because of this, he didn't believe any technology could achieve true light speed.

Being able to achieve one-sixth the speed of light through magnetic field jumps was already extremely fast.

This was also why he was unwilling to let the Zhurong return.

Once the Zhurong returned, he would lose the speed needed to reach the next planet.

He would be left waiting for death.

And that.

Was not his style.

In his previous life, he had trampled the Lingxiao Palace of the Southern Heavenly Gate; in this life, he was even less likely to sit and wait for death.

He had to be strong himself.

"Technology?"

"What if he really does rely on technology to build some kind of light-speed battleship?"

Old Fungus Lao speculated.

Resources were insufficient for evolution.

But technology was a new path evolved by humans. If some kind of black technology really was developed, it might just allow for a rapid escape from the Solar System.

"So, Old Fungus, are you planning to go back?"

Marquis Huaguo didn't intend to persuade Old Fungus Lao.

He just asked for his plan.

"I don't plan to go back, but I don't want to oppose the Southern Heavenly Gate either. I'll just stay on Saturn."

"As for you, since you've chosen to oppose the Southern Heavenly Gate, Jiang Chen will surely send other battleships to capture you. I'll just follow them back when the time comes."

Old Fungus Lao said.

He planned to go back first to see how Jiang Chen intended to deal with the black hole ahead.

If Jiang Chen didn't have a good solution, he could always follow suit and hijack an interstellar battleship himself.

After all, both the Starship and the Tudigong Starship were equipped with magnetic field jump capabilities...

Marquis Huaguo looked at He Shiqi. "Husky, what about you?"

"Me? I have difficulty making decisions."

He Shiqi began drawing circles on the ground.

Each circle created several points of intersection.

He said, "If it's an odd number, I'll listen to Old Fungus. If it's even, I'll follow Monkey Brother."

Marquis Huaguo didn't wait for him to finish counting and replied directly to the Luan Bird.

[This is Marquis Huaguo, Commander of the Zhurong. On behalf of the Zhurong, I refuse to return!]

[If the Earth Fleet has an objection... come here and do something about it if you have the guts.]