329: temptation

After speaking, Lin Bi looked at Li Yang and asked, “So, does your fleet have any items acquired from xuanhuan civilizations?”

Li Yang paused slightly, then fell into thought.

After a moment of contemplation, his eyes lit up; it seemed there really was something like that.

He remembered that when they first encountered a Level 1 xuanhuan civilization, out of respect and curiosity for different cultures, he had specifically kept some of their local products on board the starship. He hadn't expected them to potentially come in handy now.

“Yes, but what’s the use?”

Li Yang looked at Lin Bi with a puzzled expression, genuinely unable to understand the connection between these items from a xuanhuan civilization and the mysterious barrier before them.

Lin Bi’s lips curved into a confident smile, and he slowly explained, “Have someone take those items from the xuanhuan civilization and throw them at the barrier to see if they can pass through unimpeded. If my deduction is correct, since this barrier exhibits characteristics suspected to be rule power, it likely has some special connection with xuanhuan civilizations. Perhaps these items from a xuanhuan civilization will break the deadlock we face.”

Seeing this, Li Yang understood and gave Pal a look.

Pal immediately understood and, without any delay, quickly turned and hurried out of the Command Room to prepare the relevant matters.

Not long after, on the Command Room’s main screen, a starship slowly approached the invisible barrier.

The starship cautiously drew near, and upon reaching the barrier, its hatch slowly opened, and some items from the xuanhuan civilization, emitting a unique glow, were thrown out.

Just as everyone watched the screen intently, a miraculous scene unfolded.

The barrier, which had just effortlessly blocked a galaxy-class starship and was as impregnable as an iron wall, seemed to lose its power to obstruct these items from the xuanhuan civilization.

These items easily passed through the barrier, as if it didn't exist at all, floating unimpeded into the space behind it.

This scene astonished everyone present and led to more speculation and questions about the relationship between this barrier and xuanhuan civilizations.

Pal found it hard to believe the situation before him, still holding a glimmer of hope.

Thus, he stared intently at the screen, a stubborn look in his eyes, and decisively ordered the starship to attempt to proceed again.

The starship slowly accelerated, heading towards the invisible barrier. However, unfortunately, everything was as before. When the starship approached the barrier, it seemed to hit an unseen, solid wall, being firmly blocked outside and unable to advance an inch.

Pal knew he couldn't continue trying blindly. If he did, the barrier might suddenly unleash a powerful force to attack the starship again.

After weighing the pros and cons, he quickly issued an order via the communication channel for the starship to return as soon as possible.

Watching the starship gradually move away, Pal frowned slightly, his heart filled with helplessness.

“Haha, indeed, just as I thought.”

Lin Bi watched this scene, a confident smile on his face, as if everything was within his expectations.

He turned to Li Yang, his eyes gleaming with wisdom, and began to explain, “This rule power repels the products of our technological civilization. To put it plainly, it prohibits technological civilizations from entering. The phenomenon of the starship being blocked while the items from the xuanhuan civilization passed through smoothly is sufficient proof of this.”

“I see… No, wait!”

Li Yang, who had been nodding thoughtfully, suddenly seemed to realize something crucial. His eyes widened abruptly, and he quickly said, “According to the smart brain signals of the surviving personnel, they are on that planet, and the wreckage of the destroyed starship is also inside the screen, not blocked outside. If this rule prohibits technological civilizations from entering, then what about these?”

“Yes, you are right.”

Lin Bi seemed to have anticipated Li Yang’s question. His expression remained one of prior knowledge, and he unhurriedly said, “So, this rule is not strong, or rather, it is incomplete. Although it can obstruct our starship, it cannot completely prevent all things related to technological civilization from entering. Things like smart brain signals and starship wreckage can break through the limitations of this rule. There must be some special reason for this, which is worth our in-depth investigation.”

To put it simply, entering is definitely possible, but one must find the right method.

“Hmph, based on the power that resisted the starship just now, I dare to assert that the xuanhuan civilization inside definitely does not exceed Level 5. At most, it’s a Level 3 peak, but certainly not Level 5.”

Lin Bi’s expression was arrogant, his eyes shining with confidence, and he said firmly, “Don’t let this rule power seem mysterious. If all 24 of my star river class starships concentrate their firepower and attack together, they can forcibly break through it with overwhelming military might!”

As he spoke, he clenched his fist tightly, a gesture as if defying this so-called rule power, full of disdain.

“However, having said that…”

Lin Bi’s tone shifted, a cunning smile appearing on his face.

“But to forcibly break through it would be an act of a fool. In this situation, wouldn’t it be better to report it to the Empire and let the Military Department’s Research Division send more professional personnel to study it?”

With that, he even winked at Li Yang.

Li Yang instantly understood the deeper meaning behind Lin Bi’s words.

Compared to the initial simple mission of finding the missing starship and related civilization, the sudden discovery of this rule power undoubtedly made the entire event more complex and important.

Once reported, the Empire would certainly attach great importance to it, and the corresponding mission rewards would be more generous.

Moreover, with the Empire’s formidable strength, in the face of an absolute power disparity, this seemingly mysterious rule power was not unconquerable; in fact, it was insignificant.

Thinking of this, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck Li Yang. He seemed to instantly understand the principle of the Star Controller.

The Star Controller could enlarge and shrink celestial bodies at will, clearly observe everything on the celestial body, and even control the flow of time.

Isn’t this a manifestation of rule power in practical application? It seemed that the Empire’s research into rule power might have already achieved considerable progress, and the distance to an Eighth-Level Civilization no longer seemed out of reach.

However, research into rules, it was feared, would commonly span hundreds of millions of years.

Li Yang couldn't help but feel a little emotional, wondering if he would be fortunate enough to witness the glorious scene of the Empire ascending to an Eighth-Level Civilization in his lifetime.

“Alright then, I will contact comrade Yan Ze now.”

Li Yang no longer hesitated, saying decisively, his eyes revealing firmness and determination.