Chapter 523 - 258: You too?
On a planet of azure blue, white clouds drifted lazily by.
The scars left behind by the great war were slowly healing. Countless construction vehicles and personnel were bustling about.
Collapsed skyscrapers, buildings smashed to pieces by falling debris from the sky, and the tough, hard-to-damage hulls of alien machine ships littered the ground, leaving it a complete mess.
War often brings destruction and ruin, but to some extent, it also brings vitality and creativity.
After all, technological innovation is often inseparable from war.
This alien invasion had thoroughly exposed Blue Star’s vulnerability.
If not for the overwhelming power displayed by Zhao Rui and Mo Longteng, Blue Star’s entire defense system would have been utterly shattered.
The fighter jets they had once been so proud of were completely useless against the enemy’s defensive shields.
Now, humanity’s most pressing needs were to develop space combat capabilities, break through the atmosphere, and urgently strengthen their defenses on a cosmic scale.
Upon returning to Blue Star, Zhao Rui immediately contacted the highest echelons of the Central State Government Office and stressed the importance of researching and reverse-engineering the alien aircraft.
The Boundary Wall was broken, and humanity was now exposed to the eyes of the greater universe.
No one would dare to disregard Zhao Rui’s words.
As the ultimate fighting force who had single-handedly annihilated the alien fleet and could destroy a nation by himself, Zhao Rui now had the final say in front of anyone.
If the title "Emperor Zhao" had been just an empty name before, the moment he single-handedly destroyed the giant mechanical insect, it became a true honorific.
It was just like the title of the Great Sage Equalling Heaven; when he first raised his banner, no one took it seriously. But after he smashed the High Firmament Palace, no one ever again questioned if he was the real deal.
The Central State Government Office was extremely efficient. Soon, research institutes and scientific academies across the country were dedicated to studying the alien technology.
Vast numbers of talented individuals were gathered to tackle the difficult challenges ahead.
Under the government’s public campaigns, an atmosphere of urgency spread throughout society.
Entertainment activities were, for the moment, subject to certain restrictions and limitations.
People began to rapidly strengthen their individual and societal power along two paths: technology and the Martial Dao.
The various Sects were also reflecting on their shortcomings in the recent battle, the first of which was a lack of offensive power.
Due to a scarcity of resources, many Dharma Realm masters lacked suitable weapons. Relying on their Martial Dao strength alone, it was difficult to break through the defenses of alien technology unless they held an overwhelming advantage.
If every one of them had a Divine Weapon, the outcome of the battle would certainly have been completely different.
Furthermore, they lacked experience fighting against a high-tier mechanical civilization.
For the past several hundred years, most battles had been life-and-death struggles between humans, or between humans and Exotic Beasts.
These were predominantly land-based battles, and thus the main focus for cultivating Dharma Power had been on powerful, heavy-hitting, destructive force.
This was quite effective against Martial Artists and Exotic Beasts, but when facing highly mobile machine warships, they were often outmatched.
The masters of the various Martial Arts sects, led by the Qingcheng Sect, all entered seclusion to study and try to find more suitable cultivation methods for dealing with mechanical civilizations or any other alien civilizations that might appear in the future.
From top to bottom, from the government to the common people, from the Jianghu to the military, the entire Central State was like a colossal beast on the run, mobilizing every muscle and nerve.
It wasn’t just Central State; the Great Shang was not idle either. Thanks to their cooperation this time, the two sides had cast aside their past grievances, set aside their disputes, and established a new alliance.
The two sides initiated exchanges in everything from technology to the Martial Dao, from economics to politics.
Naturally, Zhao Rui’s presence was indispensable for coordinating all of this.
After a whirlwind of activity, a month flew by in the blink of an eye.
Zhao Rui knew he could delay no longer. He soared into the air and flew toward the starry void beyond their world.
By the time he reached the asteroid near the Boundary Wall, Mo Longteng had already entered a state of dormancy.
Although his power was immense, he had not yet opened his Hidden Meridian for True Qi absorption, so unlike Zhao Rui, he couldn’t draw Dark Energy from the void.
Therefore, he could only enter a dormant state to maintain a basic level of awareness.
Sensing Zhao Rui’s arrival, Mo Longteng opened his eyes and said with a sigh of relief, "You’re finally here."
"When you go back, you must tell your father to be wary of the Great Zhou."
Zhao Rui said gravely.
’With such a major event happening on Blue Star, I refuse to believe that the number one expert of the Great Zhou, a master in the Realm of Transcendence, would not have noticed.’
’His inaction under these circumstances can only mean that his ambitions are vast, and he’s likely playing his own game.’
’Or perhaps... he’s being restricted in some way!’
"Yeah, I know. It’s dangerous out here. If things go south, don’t fight to the death. Retreat immediately."
Mo Longteng was quite concerned for his "brother-in-law." After all, a brother-in-law this powerful would be hard to find even with a lantern.
With him around, the Mo Family would have three supreme masters in one family. They could dominate all of Blue Star.
Even that figure from the Great Zhou would probably have to think twice before messing with the three of them.
"I know!"
Zhao Rui smiled and waved his hand, telling him not to push himself and to hurry back and recuperate.
Mo Longteng laughed heartily. A pair of wings sprouted from his back, turning into a raging crimson blaze as he flashed once and vanished into the vast, starry sky.
Watching Mo Longteng leave, Zhao Rui turned to look toward the Boundary Wall. It was perfectly calm, with only the occasional meteor streaking by, leaving a brief flash of light.
His entire field of vision was terrifyingly silent, without the slightest sound.
Even if there were sounds, they couldn’t travel in the perfect vacuum of space.
Infinite True Qi radiated from Zhao Rui’s body, shielding him from the corrosive, extreme cold of the vacuum. He sat cross-legged on a peak of the asteroid, his gaze fixed on the vast expanse of the sky before him.