Chapter 309: Setting Sail

Purple Moon Civilization!

Li Qingsong remembered clearly. The Electric Calamity and its kind had been mercilessly tortured in the laboratories of the Purple Moon Civilization. They had only managed to escape thanks to the sacrifices of their predecessors, who had paid with their lives.

It was the Purple Moon Civilization that had instilled in the Electric Calamity its profound hostility toward traditional intelligent civilizations.

And now, he had learned that human survivors actually existed within the Purple Moon Civilization, and… they were being treated as pets and exotic animals by the Purple Moon People!

An irrepressible wave of anger surged through Li Qingsong.

To be stripped of one’s dignity as an intelligent being, to become a pet, or to be put on display like an exotic animal for the amusement of the Purple Moon People—this was the ultimate insult to humanity.

The Purple Moon Civilization was courting death!

‘The most crucial point is this: Human Civilization was wiped out for some unknown reason, and afterward, all traces of its existence were erased. What role did the Purple Moon Civilization play in that process?’

‘Why are there human survivors within their civilization?’

‘If I can defeat and capture the Purple Moon Civilization, I might be able to uncover the truth behind humanity’s extinction.’

‘But… the Electric Calamity did say that my current strength is still relatively weak compared to the Purple Moon Civilization.’

‘The Harville Civilization also had a brief encounter with them. The Electric Calamity was “stolen” by the Harville Civilization from one of their labs, and Harville didn’t even dare let its main fleet be seen by the Purple Moon Civilization.’

‘In that case… the Purple Moon Civilization’s technology must be at least at the Peak of Strong Core, and it’s even possible they’ve surpassed that and entered the next stage!’

‘Over a thousand years have passed since the Harville Civilization’s encounter with them. If they were already at the Peak of Strong Core back then, they might have become a Gravity Civilization by now.’

‘Regardless of their strength for now, there’s another important question.’

‘Where are they?’

Li Qingsong quickly reviewed the Harville Civilization’s records on the Purple Moon Civilization.

There wasn’t much intelligence, only a single entry: “Observed the launch flare of a Purple Moon Fleet from a distance of approximately 4 light-years. It was traveling on a heading 16 degrees offset from the Galactic Core before visual was lost.”

Furthermore, data the Harville Civilization gathered from observing the engine trail indicated that the Purple Moon Civilization Fleet’s overall speed was likely as high as 90% of the speed of light.

This speed further solidified Li Qingsong’s assessment that the Purple Moon Civilization was at the Peak of Strong Core.

Such a powerful civilization… ‘I’ll take them on!’

Li Qingsong made his decision in an instant.

‘So what if they’re at the Peak of Strong Core! So what if they’re a Gravity Civilization! Just give me time, and I will inevitably reach that stage as well!’

Gazing at the myriad stars in the vastness of Deep Space, Li Qingsong remained silent.

No more messages came from the Long-range Communication Equipment. Clearly, the Recorder Civilization considered that one piece of information a fair trade for the intelligence he had provided.

‘Unless I have new, high-value intelligence to offer, I won’t be getting any more information about the Purple Moon Civilization from the Recorder Civilization.’

‘At the Purple Moon Civilization Fleet’s speed, over 1600 years have now passed. If they’ve been traveling this whole time, they must have covered a distance of at least 1,400 light-years.

A heading 16 degrees offset from the Galactic Core, was it…?

Alright, I’ll start by heading in that direction. I can track them while developing my technology and building my strength!

But before all that, I need to regroup, repair the damaged warships, replenish the number of Clones, and stock up on supplies for the journey.’

This meant another round of large-scale construction.

But the Lyra G16 Star System was clearly not a suitable place for a long-term stay.

The reason was simple: the commotion he had caused during his war with the Harville-Mechanical Calamity Alliance had been far, far too great.

Bombarding the star, firing the Stellar Cannon… all of it.

It was as conspicuous as lighting a bonfire in a dark wilderness. If any other civilizations or Celestial Calamities existed in the vicinity of the Lyra G16 Star System, and if they took an interest in intelligent life, they could already be on their way.

Li Qingsong had no desire to attract any more trouble.

‘Then I’ll just do some basic packing, stock a few supplies, and get out of Lyra G16. I’ll find another Interstellar System to regroup properly.’

With his industrial systems already in place, producing enough supplies to support one leg of Interstellar Travel wouldn’t take long.

A mere four years later, the necessary supplies were ready. And so, the massive fleet embarked on its voyage, leaving the Lyra G16 Star System behind.

Compared to before, the fleet was a motley assortment. It included not only Li Qingsong’s own Space-Air Carriers and various spacecraft, but also a mix of residential ships and Space-Air Carriers from the Harville and Black Mountain Civilizations.

Many of the ships were still covered in damage, with no time yet for repairs.

Watching the light of Hydrogen Bombs flaring up on the system’s planets, Li Qingsong steered his fleet into a slow departure, his heart filled with a swirl of emotions.

He still remembered the desperate state he was in when forced into this Star System hundreds of years ago. He remembered the crisis brought upon him by the Harville Civilization, and the constant, gnawing dread of being pursued by the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity.

Thank goodness, thank goodness, that was all in the past. He had finally won the war and earned a new beginning.

What awaited him now was the even vaster expanse of the Cosmos.

“Goodbye, goodbye…”

The still-raging Lyra G16 Star gradually dimmed in the distance, eventually becoming just another ordinary point of light in the night sky.

Li Qingsong’s fleet had truly entered the void of interstellar space, speeding toward a star 16.7 light-years away.

He estimated the journey would take thirty years. Once there, he could begin the formal process of regrouping and bring his fleet’s strength to its absolute peak.

Time flowed by quietly. The more than twenty billion Viller People gradually settled down, fully accepting their fate and beginning to carry out the tasks Li Qingsong assigned to them.

The slaves from the 19 different races he had rescued from the Black Mountain Civilization also finally began to recover from their previous lifeless stupor.

Compared to the Viller People, these former slaves were far more loyal, respectful, and obedient to Li Qingsong, who had rescued them and given them a new life.

Through his inquiries, Li Qingsong confirmed that the members of 18 of these races had been captured and enslaved only after their home civilizations had been wiped out by the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity.

However, the situation was different for one group, hailing from the “Yunluo Civilization”—a race Li Qingsong had designated as the Yunluo Race.

According to them, while the Yunluo Civilization had suffered devastating losses against the Black Mountain Civilization, it had not been completely annihilated. A contingent had managed a lucky escape.

The Black Mountain Civilization had also sustained considerable damage at the time and was unable to mount an effective pursuit, forced to watch as the main Yunluo Civilization fleet escaped. It was possible the Yunluo Civilization still existed to this day.

In response to their situation, Li Qingsong made them a promise.

“This Cosmos is too vast, and we of Human Civilization have our own mission to complete. We cannot go out of our way to search for the Yunluo Civilization for you. But I promise you, if you work hard and make sufficient contributions to us, and if one day we do happen to encounter the Yunluo Civilization—and if returning you to your people would not bring harm to my own—then I will send you back to your home civilization.”