Chapter 609 - 602: Atlas
’What is this?!’
The pupils of everyone present constricted. Even Gleb, who was not far off, saw his expression change slightly, his face filling with wariness.
After all, according to the previous test data, if this thing were to lose control, it could easily sink the entire continent.
The white Square Box began to act like some kind of puzzle box or machine. Incredibly precise dividing lines appeared on its smooth outer shell, and a section of the box seemed to open. At the same time, everyone clearly saw an object resembling a blooming flower slowly rise from within, finally coming to a stop and hovering silently above the box.
They could see it clearly, yet could not perceive it in any tangible way.
The sight of the flower-like object left everyone stunned.
The flower-like object had a filigree structure, as if woven from countless threads. Pure white in color, it rotated slowly in the air.
In that moment, everyone shared the same impression.
It was utterly perfect.
Whether in proportion, shape, color, or anything else, the hovering object seemed to evoke the most profound yearning from the depths of one’s subconscious.
If one were to describe it as "beautiful," everyone present felt that there was likely nothing more beautiful in existence.
It was an ultimate goal worth pursuing for a lifetime.
"What in the world is that?!"
Gleb’s mouth hung slightly open. As a being at the Peak of Saint Awakening, just one step away from transcending biological limits, he could sense far more than the others.
The moment he saw the flower, a restless stirring began in both his Spirit and his body. His entire being seemed to unconsciously want to imitate its existence, as if it represented the perfect form of life.
Vaguely, he seemed to gain a new layer of peculiar insight into his own life and that higher realm.
If even Gleb felt this way, it went without saying for Zhou Yuanjue, who was at the center of it all.
As the informational magnetic field emanated from the Square Box, his entire mind and gaze were completely captivated by the mysterious flower. In an instant, he understood exactly what it represented.
It was a near-perfect core structure, applicable to the mind, genes, the physical body—everything.
For the mind, it could be the perfect foundation for the structure of a soul.
For the body, it could be the perfect foundation for the structure of a life imprint.
It seemed to represent the pinnacle of Life Evolution in the material world.
And at the center of this flower, within a space of pure void, he sensed a Power that was untouchable, incomprehensible, existing only as a faint intuition.
’So beautiful...’
Zhou Yuanjue’s expression grew dazed, filled with yearning. It was as if this perfect structure was the very goal he had always been pursuing. If he could just alter his genetic structure and body according to this design, one day, he could transform his own core structure into its likeness.
He couldn’t stop himself from reaching out his hand, wanting to touch the flower.
Suddenly, his body jolted.
Deep within his consciousness, a faint light, like a candle flame, flickered. It managed to slightly dim and disperse the flower’s radiance, leaving a pocket of clarity and reason within his mind.
It was the will hidden deep in his subconscious, the will to challenge everything.
It was the candle flame of transcendence.
Whenever he was lost in confusion, this unquenchable flame deep within his will would awaken him, urging him to press ever forward, to constantly transcend.
The faint smile on his face faded. The daze in his eyes vanished as reason returned to his consciousness. Without realizing it, a cold sweat had soaked his clothes.
CLICK!!
Just then, a hand landed on his shoulder and yanked him backward.
SWOOSH!!
As his hand left the white Square Box’s area of influence, the box lost its subject and instantly began to change.
The near-perfect white flower slowly descended, retracting into the white Square Box. The box’s partially opened, puzzle-like shell slowly contracted, gradually returning to its original form.
Smooth and flawless, illusory and ethereal.
"What happened to you?!"
Gleb immediately asked Zhou Yuanjue.
He had seen cold sweat instantly break out on Zhou Yuanjue’s back and realized something was wrong. He snapped out of the strange state himself and pulled Zhou Yuanjue away.
"I’m fine."
Zhou Yuanjue stood up straight and let out a breath.
’That was really dangerous just now.’
His mind had almost been ensnared. Even now, he wasn’t sure if that intense attraction was due to the flower’s inherently near-perfect structure—much like how Truth is naturally alluring to humans—or if it was an attraction artificially created by some other being.
In any case, this white Square Box was far more complex than it appeared.
"That thing... what exactly is it? What happened to you? Did you encounter some kind of danger?"
Gleb fired off the questions rapidly.
"I’m not sure if it was dangerous, and it’s hard to tell if there was any malicious intent... but if I’m not mistaken, that thing just now was an ’Atlas.’"
Zhou Yuanjue said.
"Atlas?"
Gleb asked with a frown.
"That’s right. It guides the direction of Life Evolution. It represents the most perfect form and structure of life’s essence, a viable path discovered by a High-level Civilization. It’s just like the Celestial Demons—they also possess a specific Life Atlas. By transforming themselves according to the Atlas’s contents, their progress is greatly accelerated."
Zhou Yuanjue explained.
"That sounds pretty good, then. Does that mean this thing is beneficial for us?"
Gleb asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I wouldn’t say that. If I’m not mistaken, this thing is indeed related to an extraterrestrial civilization, but it’s hard to say whether their intentions are good or bad. Since they set up such a Device, they must have a purpose."
"If I’m not mistaken, this Device is meant to screen civilizations, or rather, to screen individuals."
Zhou Yuanjue said.
"Oh? What do you mean?"
Gleb said, frowning.
"For beings who have transcended biological limits, those who can freely control their evolutionary path are essentially a different species from ordinary creatures. What do you think would happen if such a being were to follow the Life Atlas provided by these unknown entities?"
"Those beings who have transcended biological limits would, in the process of imitating the Atlas, find their fundamental nature gradually converging with that of the Atlas. When they reach a state of complete convergence, they would become one of them. It’s like how humans are human because of a shared genetic structure; the result of following this Atlas is the same."
"This is likely a tool used by some vast civilization to screen the entire universe for new ’kinsmen.’"