Chapter 568 - 524: Pillar Stone? False God? Just a Harvest
If any problems arose, he wouldn’t have to get involved personally. He had powerful supporters who would argue on his behalf.
These members now clearly understood that the rewards from the "Ultimate Slow-Seller" were a one-time opportunity. To capitalize on it, they had to earn Civilization Stones as quickly as possible during the initial exploration phase. If they fell behind, they might lose the sole 50% discount, forcing them to pay double for any future redemptions.
This made the guide all the more valuable.
Another wave of [Pioneer]s signed up.
"Heh heh."
’If I try to earn Civilization Stones alone, even as the Regent King, it would take me a year, or even several, just to redeem a single treasure from the top one hundred.’
’But if I have ten, a hundred, or a thousand people earning Civilization Stones for me,’
’then clearing out the top-ranked treasures in the Divine Treasure Vault will no longer be a dream.’
More and more powerful individuals came to understand the authority and value of the guide, generously donating Cosmic Crystals in exchange for the A-rank title of [Pioneer], which came with only minimal privileges. With a growing number of generous "employees" working for Shi Ming, his rate of earning Civilization Stones would multiply.
This was just the beginning.
After all, the A-rank universal title was just the most basic one.
The Regent King could grant titles from rank A to K to other beings.
People from Earth were far inferior physically to the strange races of the cosmos, but it seemed their evolutionary attribute points had all been dumped into intelligence. In Shi Ming’s past life, the art of money-making and marketing had been developed to an astonishing, praiseworthy level. Standing on the shoulders of those marketing giants, Shi Ming was confident he could leverage his authority as Regent King to its absolute fullest.
’It’s been so long. Those false gods should have left the outer regions of the Cosmic Country by now, right?’
’I wonder what roles they’re playing in the [Lost Kingdom] community? And Ron from the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country... he’s most likely in the community too.’
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Huang Ji left the team to act alone. Besides her, the Time Giant, Candela, was also operating solo. In his own words, he needed to "follow the guidance of fate."
The other three gods traveled together.
As for A’li and Ron, they did not participate in the five false gods’ operation. The former had her own mission, while the latter needed to lead his own faction within the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country and fulfill his duties as Sovereign.
With the universal title [Pioneer] above her head, Huang Ji followed a route from her memory, twisting and turning until she reached an unfamiliar planet.
This was once her territory.
As one of God’s favored, she once possessed a domain granted by a deity. However, compared to the Heirs of the Gods or the direct descendants born in the Cosmic Country, her domain, the "Withering Matriarch Star," was located on the edge of the Cosmic Country. This wasn’t a good thing 120,000 years ago, but now, it had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. She couldn’t help but marvel at the strangeness of fate.
After 120,000 years, stepping into her own domain once more filled Huang Ji with a flood of emotions.
She subconsciously caressed her stomach.
Even though there was currently no new life gestating within it.
The deathly aura of the Withering Matriarch Star had completely dissipated, but it now showed a state of true decay. A light wind blew, stirring up dust as fine as the ashes of her former subjects. The rustling of the wind sounded like her children weeping.
This planet could also be considered her child.
Now, it was well and truly dead.
But it didn’t matter. She could still give birth to new children, and her old domain could once again become a cradle of civilization. Huang Ji walked step by step until she arrived at the old site of the Matriarch’s Hall.
Here, some of her accumulated wealth was hidden.
Huang Ji waved her hand. Her ankles stepped from the void onto the fine dust, and then her entire body seeped into the ground as if she had become ethereal. She sank continuously downward. About three minutes later, the false god finally reached the core of the desolate planet. She opened her eyes, and the dark heart of the planet lit up.
At the planet’s core was an extinguished ever-burning candle.
This was a treasure Huang Ji had once crafted by combining the umbilical cords of over 100 of her children with the planet’s telluric veins. It possessed a portion of the authority of [Life]. It was originally meant to nurture the planet’s entire civilization. Unexpectedly, when the great extinction arrived, it had slightly counteracted the erosion of deathly silence, preventing the collection here from being completely destroyed.
Huang Ji beckoned with her hand.
FWOOSH—
The ever-burning candle lit up again as if it had awakened. It flickered unsteadily, its mottled light pulsing, but the flame gradually grew stronger.
Countless dazzling Crystal Stones, each with 256 facets, refracted the candle’s light, bathing the entire planetary core in brilliance. Round Treasure Pearls glowed with a soft, pure light, merging into flowing rivers of silver-white. A portion of everything was there: collections offered by her subjects, her own accumulated wealth, and even the boons once granted by the gods—all had survived!
It made Huang Ji’s face light up with vibrant joy!
Civilization Stones!
With a single glance, she knew the exact number of stones: 223,196! This amount was less than a tenth of her former wealth, but now, it was a godsend!
With these 220,000 Civilization Stones.
Not only could she now teleport at will, but she could also use the surplus Civilization Stones to do things other new gods couldn’t.
With a wave of her long sleeve, Huang Ji collected all the Civilization Stones, along with the rare Treasure Pearls and the other treasures that had survived the erosion. Finally, she gently picked up the flickering, burning candle and returned to the surface of the desolate planet.
In the [Divine Treasure Vault], the 178th-ranked treasure was a title.
This title was originally worth 380,000 Civilization Stones.
With the discount for an ultimate slow-seller, it was 190,000.
Huang Ji had just enough to redeem it.
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"Oh?"
’A Pioneer exchanged for the universal title [Son of Civilization], worth 190,000?’
This was unexpected for Shi Ming, but it was still within the realm of reason.
The First Civilization Cosmic Country contained countless planets. Even if he could resonate perfectly with the will of the Cosmic Country, he couldn’t be everywhere at once, nor could he detect every hidden treasure. It was within Shi Ming’s expectations that a lucky traveler or Pioneer would occasionally find one of these caches and strike it rich.
’Who is this lucky Pioneer?’
’Huang Ji?’
’Some intel from the Primordial Star indicates that this God’s favored one’s domain is called the Desolate Matriarch Star, located in a Star Domain on the outskirts of the Cosmic Country. If I calculate based on the time that’s passed and the rate at which a Pioneer can acquire Civilization Stones, the progress certainly matches up.’
’Interesting.’
’It seems she’ll be the first false god to reach the Primordial Star in her true physical body. Perhaps she’ll also be the first to achieve "Civilization Stone freedom." The rate at which a Son of Civilization earns Civilization Stones is much, much higher than a Pioneer’s.’
Shi Ming actually felt a faint sense of anticipation.
He lit the Star Lamp.
He decided to share this good news with his partner.