142: The truth about Ceres!
"Big Head, what's going on? Don't scream!"
Li Hu said it casually, but his gaze was already locked onto Song Haidong's screen.
"Holy crap! Is this... Jupiter? Mars? No, no, this is Ceres!" Song Haidong's expression was grave as his fingers frantically scrolled the mouse wheel, continuously zooming in on the captured target image.
In the center of the screen, that largest planet in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter—Ceres, with a diameter of over nine hundred kilometers—was actually cracking and peeling like an eggshell!
What was even more shocking was that beneath the peeling outer shell, the corner of the interior that was revealed was flashing with a cold, smooth metallic luster!
That was by no means a natural creation, but a product of technology that was precise and rigorous to the extreme!
"Big Head, this is bad! I'm contacting the director right now!" Both of their hearts were pounding wildly as they scrambled to open their Smart Terminal to urgently report this shocking discovery.
Upon learning the news, the director did not dare to delay for even a moment and immediately reported the intelligence directly to the highest level of Huaxia!
...
Time rewinds to ten minutes ago.
Deep within Ceres, which had been sleeping for who knows how many years in this silent Star Domain, a sudden change occurred.
A cold mechanical voice sounded in the core area:
【Abnormal energy fluctuation detected! Level 1 detection program activated, continuing analysis...】
【Severe distortion of the Blue Xingxing geomagnetic field detected. Probability analysis of myriad worlds pearl projection arrival: 99.9%.】
【Level 2 detection program activated, depth confirmation in progress...】
【"Dong, dong, dong..."】
【Level 2 detection program confirmation complete. Determination: Blue Xingxing civilization form has grown to Elementary standard. Meets the conditions for activating the Civilization Assessment!】
【Sleep mode forcibly lifted! Activating core energy source!】
A brief, violent tremor erupted from the core of Ceres.
A torrent of massive energy converged instantly, pointing directly at a peculiar black object the size of an egg deep within the core.
"Ha~... Is it... time?" A consciousness heavy with sleepiness slowly awoke from within.
"It feels... like billions of years have passed..."
"Huh? Who... am I?" This suspended, pitch-black "egg"-shaped object, its smooth surface eerily twisted into an anthropomorphic expression of confusion.
This "black egg" was connected by several thick metal pipes and floated steadily in the center of a vast metal hall.
The hall was filled with countless strange-looking machines of unknown purpose, as well as devices similar to monitors.
With the awakening of the "black egg," the entire hall seemed to be injected with life.
The lighting System lit up one by one, the energy pipes hummed, the silent instruments started up one after another, and display screens lit up with ghostly blue or pale white light.
Suddenly, deep black light erupted from the surface of the "black egg"!
"This lord remembers now! I remember everything!" The anthropomorphic expression on the surface of the black egg instantly became incomparably arrogant and ecstatic. "Hahaha! This lord is the noble omega!"
"The long wait of hundreds of millions of years! Finally, I have waited for the moment when the Blue Xingxing civilization accepts the assessment!"
"This lord will never wander in this godforsaken Star Domain again!"
"Get the star ring! Must get the star ring! Leave this damn place!"
Dazzling light flowed over omega's body, and the light surged and spread along the pipes connected to it!
Wherever the light reached, the silent machinery sounded with a deafening roar as if it were a steel beast being awakened, and began to operate crazily!
Only now was it clearly visible that omega and these huge and complex mechanical devices were all inside an unimaginably huge spaceship.
Where omega was located was the core control center of this spaceship.
With the issuance of the core command, the entire spaceship was completely activated!
【Core power module, activated!】
【Multi-layer composite defense field, activated!】
【Ship hull repair nanobot swarm, activated!】
【Humanoid combat unit queue, activated!】
【Remote monitoring array, activated!】
【Remote strike weapon arsenal, activated!】
On the surface of Ceres, mountains collapsed and the ground cracked!
The planet's shell, which had been disguised for hundreds of millions of years, completely shattered and peeled off under the immense force, revealing its shocking true face—
A giant shuttle-shaped spaceship with a length of over eight hundred kilometers, shimmering with a cold, eerie metallic luster!
Huaxia, Highest Strategic Command Center.
A group of high-level officials and top experts, including Song Xian, were holding their breath, watching the terrifying scene of Ceres disintegrating and the giant ship appearing through the real-time images.
The air was so heavy it felt like it could drip water.
"Gentlemen, I presume there is no need for me to elaborate on what the scene before us means." Song Xian, who had become a core member of the Heavenly Dao Academy with a pivotal status, spoke in a low voice.
A top scientist pointed to the screen, his voice filled with unconcealable shock:
"According to existing data, we cannot even determine how long this 'Ceres' has existed in the solar System! This spaceship... its technological level must far exceed ours; it comes from an alien civilization we cannot imagine!"
An authority in the field of sociology frowned and threw out a key question: "The core issue is, why did this spaceship, disguised as a planet, choose to wake up at this moment? Is it friendly or malicious toward Earth? Does its awakening... have some connection unknown to us with the ongoing 'Civilization Assessment'?"
...
This scene that shocked the Universe was also transmitted to Zhang Sheng's Smart Terminal.
The violent vibration instantly interrupted his joy at having just successfully refined a second-order supreme-grade "dragon horn crushing gold spear".
Zhang Sheng frowned slightly, quickly put the cold, gleaming spear into his storage ring, and clicked on the video image urgently sent by Hou Wu—whatever could make the terminal vibrate like this must be a big deal.
"Alien civilization!" Looking at the slightly blurry but still sky-covering silhouette of the spaceship in the video, Zhang Sheng's pupils shrank, and this was the first thought that flashed through his mind.
As for whether aliens existed, no Earthling would doubt it. Yao Beasts were considered a type of alien.
The key was, did this giant ship have anything to do with the 'Civilization Assessment'?
Was it a blessing or a curse for Earth? If it was the latter... with the current power of Earth's Cultivators, could they really fight against an eight-hundred-kilometer-long interstellar warship?
"Wait!" Zhang Sheng suddenly thought of a key point, "If this spaceship is part of the assessment, it's impossible for Xiao Ling not to mention it in the information she gave me!"
He immediately calmed his mind and communicated with the star ring on his finger:
"Xiao Ling, a giant spaceship suddenly appeared on the outskirts of Earth! Is this also part of the Civilization Assessment?" Zhang Sheng asked tentatively.
Inside the star ring space, that seductive figure appeared lazily, a playful smile on the corner of her lips:
"Of course not. Your Civilization Assessment only has one path: the 'Secret Realm'."
"However..." Xiao Ling deliberately dragged out her tone, a hint of cunning flashing in her eyes, "It is very likely coming for your star ring!"
"Coming for the star ring?" Zhang Sheng's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly followed up, "But doesn't every nascent civilization have to undergo an assessment? Don't they need a star ring for Ascension?"
"Zhang Sheng, ah," Xiao Ling's figure swayed, looking at him with a half-smile, "Telling you this is not my obligation."
Sensing Xiao Ling's attitude of watching a good show, Zhang Sheng had to lower his posture and plead:
"Lord Xiao Ling, please guide me! In the future, I, Zhang Sheng, will surely reward you generously! Even if you want the Xingxings in the sky, I will..."
"Tch!" Xiao Ling interrupted him unceremoniously, her tone full of disdain, "Little trash, do I need you to pick Xingxings for me? As long as this lord speaks, countless Divine-Grade and Domain God powerhouses are lining up to lick my toes! Relying on you to repay me in the future? That hope is as slim as a speck of dust in the sea of Xingxings, understand, kid!"
"My Lord, calm down!" Zhang Sheng braced himself, "Then please enlighten me, what can I do now to obtain the true knowledge of this Universe?"
"Sigh, you are truly stupid!" Xiao Ling looked like she was disappointed in him, "Didn't I tell you my requirements long ago?"
"It's not that I'm talking about you, to use your Huaxia old saying, you are just—timid as a mouse!"
"Are you still doubting whether you can deal with the Yao Beast at the True Fetus Realm in the Red-level Secret Realm?"