Ying Shaojun smiled as he reached toward the azure sky, grasping tightly as if seizing the future itself:
"Zhou Tianming, you've truly given me a surprise. But it's not enough—only by spreading the power of the Immortals can we secure a glimmer of hope." He murmured, "Delve deeper. I hope you can fulfill their wishes."
Time seemed to rewind as Ying Shaojun found himself transported back over forty years to that fateful afternoon.
Mount Li, Deep Within the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, Central Hall
The 20-year-old Ying Shaojun stood dumbfounded, staring at the enormous golden whale-like carcass at the center of the hall. "How is this possible? This can't be..." Beside him, an elderly man with a goatee, clad in purple Taoist robes, nodded. "Indeed, this is a kin of Evidence 01."
Suppressing his excitement, Ying Shaojun's expression darkened with concern. "Are they a species? How many still live? What threat do they pose to humanity?"
The old Taoist shook his head. "Unknown. This carcass has been preserved since the Qin Dynasty, alongside a stone stele." He pointed beneath the remains, where a five-meter-tall black stele stood, its edges shattered and riddled with cracks.
Though lifeless, the stele exuded an oppressive weight. Just standing twenty meters away left Ying Shaojun gasping for breath. "What... is this?" He barely managed the words before feeling suffocated.
The old Taoist remained unaffected, speaking clearly. "That is the power of the Immortal."
"Immortal?" Ying Shaojun scoffed. "Don't jest. That's superstition. There's no such thing as Immortals in this world."
"Then what you're feeling now—is that an illusion?"
Ying Shaojun fell silent.
"'Immortal' is merely a title. You may replace it with any familiar term," the old Taoist explained. "We call him such because he was the one who slew this beast."
"What?!"
Ying Shaojun stared at the golden carcass—its bones alone spanned over seventy meters. With flesh, it would have been the size of a small spaceship.
"How could a human accomplish such a feat?!"
"Hence, he is the Immortal." The old Taoist gestured to the stele. "Read the inscription."
Ying Shaojun examined the stele, covered in Qin-era seal script—now he understood why his clan insisted everyone learn it. As he read, his eyes widened in shock.
In the reign of the First Emperor, a colossal beast descended from the skies, its wings like a thousand threads, its fleshless form resembling a carcass, its belly harboring a golden core as radiant as the sun.
The beast devoured a city daily, leaving no survivors. Its presence bathed the land in golden light, vanishing without a trace. Where it passed, men lost their souls, forgetting their very selves. Only the Immortal, steadfast in Mindpower, retained his awareness and glimpsed the truth.
No blade could pierce this fiend—only the edge of the Soul could shake its spirit.
He lured armored warriors as bait into the Taiyi Formation Core, then used divine will to annihilate them there.
In this battle, the Immortal armored warriors perished, their souls and bodies utterly destroyed, and the world remembers none of it.
Only the First Emperor, through the imperial seal of the nation, knew this calamity was no illusion.
Thus, he sought Immortals to craft a weapon against the enemy, yet even at his life's end, he found none.
The inscription ended here, with the final lines bearing the seal's emblem and eight bold characters: "Mandated by Heaven, Longevity and Eternal Prosperity."
The old Taoist said, "Young Master, choose—whether to keep this memory or forget it. Either way, you will lead the Ying clan. You need only preserve this legacy and await the next successor."
"Forget?" Ying Shaojun's eyes burned with unwavering resolve. "How could I forget? How can I tolerate them treating Earth as their hunting ground?"
The deep wrinkles on the old Taoist's face creased further as he smiled. "I hope you can achieve that."
"After the First Emperor, have they appeared again?"
"I don't know," the old Taoist shook his head. "As the records say, no one remembers their deeds."
"Then what about us now?"
"The moment you leave the imperial mausoleum, you will forget them too."
A chill ran down Ying Shaojun's spine. "From ancient times until now, has no one found the Immortals?"
"Yes, they have."
His eyes lit up. "Where are they?"
"All dead."
Frowning, Ying Shaojun was puzzled. "Did they leave no useful information? No research after all these years?"
The old Taoist sighed, gazing at the golden remains before speaking after a long silence. "I don't know what they saw or learned, but each left only three words before taking their own lives."
Ying Shaojun's scalp prickled as he stared intently at the old Taoist.
Meeting his gaze, the old Taoist uttered, "We... cannot... win!"
Clenching his fists, Ying Shaojun gritted his teeth. "Cowards! Did they just give up like that?"
Shaking his head, the old Taoist's eyes swept across the mausoleum. "They've been waiting here all along, waiting for someone to change the future, for someone to find hope in their remains."
Ying Shaojun looked around in horror.
Shipyard Maintenance Room
Having built another [Mental Resistance Device 1.0] and connected it in parallel with the old one, Zhou Tianming finally secured a 10-square-meter activity range. As he sketched designs for the 2.0 version, he curiously asked Natarle, who was assisting him:
"Don't you need to return to the military?"
Shooting him a glare, Natarle picked up a hammer and banged loudly on a metal plate. "How could I leave you in this state? I had my father pull some strings to get me leave."
A shiver ran through Zhou Tianming. "Does Uncle Williams know about... us?"
Rolling her eyes, she retorted, "What's there between us that my father shouldn't know?"
"You don't understand," Zhou Tianming muttered gravely. "Any father with a daughter would freak out hearing his precious girl got snatched by some pig."
Natarle burst into laughter, covering her mouth as her cheeks flushed. "So, are you the pig?"
"It's a metaphor! Don't take it literally!"
After the laughter subsided, Zhou Tianming turned serious. "Joking aside, won't staying here affect your career? I don't want to hold you back."
Natarle shook her head. "It's really fine. Though my father left the military, he still has connections."
Recalling Natarle's original circumstances, Zhou Tianming grew curious. "What exactly happened with Uncle Williams?"
Natalie sighed and put down the tool in her hand. "The night I enlisted, Dad talked with me all night. I never thought joining the military could be so complicated. The factions within the Atlantic Federation are chaotic, but they can generally be divided into three groups: Blue Cosmos, the Innovator Faction, and the Neutral Faction."
"Dad used to be part of the Innovator Faction, but after ordering the attack on that civilian spaceship years ago, he faced backlash from within the faction."
"Backlash?" Zhou Tianming was puzzled. "Wasn't that case settled? It wasn't Uncle's fault. A commander with that kind of decisiveness is rare."
Natalie's lips curled up in a pleased smile, but then her expression darkened again. "Unfortunately, the Innovator Faction didn't see it that way. They believed Dad was reckless with lives just to curry favor with Blue Cosmos."
"At the same time, Blue Cosmos has always wanted to recruit Dad. Because of this, he couldn't stay in the Innovator Faction, and he absolutely refused to join Blue Cosmos. That left only the Neutral Faction."
"Too bad..."
"What's wrong?"
"The Neutral Faction lacks the strength of Blue Cosmos and the talent of the Innovator Faction. Their internal structure is rigidly hierarchical. Dad said staying there would rot a person, so in the end, to keep our family safe and avoid factional struggles, he left altogether."
Zhou Tianming mentally simulated the situation and suddenly realized how brilliant Uncle Williams' move had been. "That was a masterstroke—cutting the problem at the root. Staying would've made our family easy pawns for other factions."
"Yeah, it was only during that heart-to-heart talk that I understood why Dad had to leave," Natalie sighed.
"And now you?"
"I'm technically with the Innovator Faction, though I'm pretty marginalized. But since all my scores are A-rank, they can't deny me what I've earned." Zhou Tianming nodded in understanding.
This was just about setting an example—showing off the faction's magnanimity to boost morale and reputation.
If you could withstand the pressure and prove your worth, they wouldn't hold back. If not, you'd be discarded without a second thought.
Leaning over, Zhou Tianming wrapped his arms around Natalie's slender waist from behind, pulling her close. "You really won't consider staying in East Asia? Sure, we have factional issues too, but overall, the higher-ups keep things under control."
Shaking her head, Natalie relaxed into his embrace. "It's still my homeland. I want to try."
Rubbing his cheek against hers, he chuckled. "Fine then. Let them see what my Natalie is made of. Screw those factions—we'll sweep them all away when the time comes!" Natalie smiled without refuting, enjoying the warmth of his arms, unaware of the thoughtful look on his face.
According to the original plot, the Atlantic Federation would collapse later. Too bad East Asia didn't seize the chance to rise.
But now that I'm here, I'll give East Asia a boost. Maybe even push them to swallow the Atlantic whole.
Once the three-way balance is broken, Eurasia alone won't last long.
Still, no need to rush. Can't let Eurasia and PLANT ally—either strike decisively or not at all.
Pleased with his thoughts, he planted a firm kiss on Natalie's soft cheek.
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