"Weak… indeed."
"But who says a weak Civilization can't have advanced things?"
Nuopeidan narrowed its eyes.
"Like your Human Civilization's Imagination Resource Theory, isn't that the case?"
"For you, aren't ordinary humans also weak existences?"
"The operation of the entire Civilization makes ordinary humans feel as if they are participating, but in reality, that's just an illusion."
In fact, the structure of Human Civilization is something that can be seen through at a glance.
Ordinary people are like livestock kept within the Civilization.
Nuopeidan's answer might be true, but it couldn't satisfy Yan Xia.
This might only be a part of the truth.
"It's different."
"This is an internal matter of our Civilization."
"So look, harmony is maintained here."
"And what about you? There are no friends between Civilizations, I imagine you must wish to destroy Human Civilization, but you haven't done so, absolutely not because of your benevolence, but merely because you lack the ability!"
When he was on Death E Star, Yan Xia already knew the essence of this Civilization.
They still yearn for destruction!
This is not a Civilization that loves peace.
"Oh… haha, you're right, you've come into contact with others of our kind."
Nuopeidan showed no panic at being exposed.
It continued calmly, "It seems you are not an easy person to deceive."
"You are adventurous."
"Even if I truly confirm what I said, you would still attempt a probe."
"So, to avoid unnecessary trouble, I might as well explain the truth."
"Our Civilization did indeed enter what you call Tier 3 in the distant past, but the craving for the unknown drove them to seek the ultimate truth of the universe."
"The Big Bang!"
"This is the truth that all Civilizations have glimpsed."
"But we have only observed what happened after the Big Bang, and within the Big Bang."
"Imagine, what was the universe like before the Big Bang?"
"Don't know!"
"Imagine, what is the universe like outside the Big Bang?"
"Don't know!"
"For us, these are all void, so we embarked on a journey, to the edge of the universe, to explore that truth."
"And we are the part that chose to remain at that time."
Yan Xia smiled.
"You're finally willing to explain your origins."
"But you're still lying."
"A powerful Civilization must possess a powerful lineage, or perhaps using 'lineage' isn't entirely accurate, as it also involves foundation and other elements."
"Would intelligent life, having been influenced by a Tier 3 Civilization for 2.8 billion years, make no progress, or even decline?"
"No!"
"So you are merely their servants, perhaps even just a group of pets!"
He unreservedly revealed the truth that the other party wanted to conceal.
This made Nuopeidan's expression turn grim.
"See, you are not clever, because you are so low-level."
Ella believed these life forms came from an Unknown Civilization.
Yan Xia, having interacted with them, knew even more profoundly how weak they were in all aspects.
Even that inherent lack of self-confidence deep down.
This is not something a survivor of a super Civilization should possess.
To put it plainly, they didn't act the part.
Nuopeidan composed itself.
"Indeed, as you said, we are actually more like servants of that Civilization, serving them, but in the end, we were still abandoned by them."
"Not only that, as servants, we were also permanently deprived of a certain ability, which is the ability to learn."
"So we are forever stuck at this Civilization level."
"We are still collectors, but what we collect are ways to unlock the shackles within us!"
"And we chose you, Human Civilization, you are the Civilization among non-top-tier Civilizations that has gone the furthest in biology."
"We can actually make a deal!"
Although it spoke softly, it perfectly disguised itself as incredibly sincere.
But Yan Xia directly refused it.
"No need!"
Nuopeidan fell silent for a moment, then spoke again: "You know the current predicament of Human Civilization."
"A deal for you…"
"No need!"
Yan Xia refused again.
"Why?"
Nuopeidan asked.
"Just those three words, 'no need'!"
"We are not servants, we will not grovel, we also have confidence that we can solve everything."
Yan Xia felt sorrow for Nuopeidan's Civilization.
When he questioned it, Nuopeidan chose to follow along and reveal its own predicament.
This was a humble approach.
This Civilization had knelt for too long, so much so that when facing anyone slightly stronger, their knees would buckle.
Yan Xia wasn't sure if this was a strategy.
It better be!
Otherwise, this Civilization was beyond saving!
Yan Xia felt that cooperating with such a Civilization would not bring any benefits to Human Civilization.
Although Yan Xia considered Nuopeidan a fool, it was at least from an Unknown Civilization, and its intelligence was still online.
It instantly understood Yan Xia's unspoken meaning.
"Am I really that clumsy?"
It looked up.
"When did you notice?"
Yan Xia's attitude was incredibly strong from the start, pressing relentlessly, which is not a choice a cautious person would make.
Nuopeidan believed Yan Xia was a cautious person, but still made this decision, so there must have been some guidance.
Yan Xia directly answered him: "Too petty!"
"A high-level Civilization, yet it contacts a small company ranked outside the top ten thousand in the Federation."
"Why do you think only I came?"
Actually, it was because of Ella's trust.
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However, Yan Xia naturally wouldn't tell Nuopeidan these things.
Negotiation itself is the art of deception.
If you deceive others, you win.
Even now, who can be sure if Yan Xia deceived Nuopeidan, or if Nuopeidan deceived Yan Xia?
Nuopeidan gave a wry smile.
"It seems that's indeed the case."
"Alas!"
"So what is your purpose in coming here?"
Yan Xia spoke.
"Get out of Human Civilization!"
Nuopeidan shook its head slightly.
"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."
"Every individual in our Civilization is an independent existence, I cannot control or command them, I can only represent myself."
Yan Xia thought it was still acting.
This was a cunning life form.
"Then that's a pity. If you have no value, then I think you don't need to leave!"
During the conversation, Yan Xia had already absorbed enough energy.
Specks of light glowed around his body.
And all the other Yan Xias.
He showed no mercy, nor did he give Nuopeidan more time to talk.
"Star Flash!"
A different energy attack descended, shining with extreme brilliance.
"Alas!"
Nuopeidan sighed.
Around them, the people who had died in the war, and those who were still alive, had a mass of Spirit pulled from their bodies by it.
These Spirits were extremely vast, hundreds or thousands of times larger than the Spirits Yan Xia had seen leaving human bodies on the Death E Star battlefield.
It was using these people as Spirit cultivation vessels!
Yan Xia instantly understood.
"No wonder you were looking for a biological company, and specifically Bachia!"
Bachia was enough to spread Spirit to every corner of Human Civilization.
By using all life as a pasture, the opponent would cultivate a massive number of Spirits.
"I have to say, you are truly very clever, but this is absolutely not a good thing, just like now."
"This might be your death knell!"
Nuopeidan's body appeared before Yan Xia as if teleporting, pointing at Yan Xia.
Yan Xia instantly felt a sensation of spirit and flesh separating.
The moment this feeling appeared, countless Spirits surged from within Nuopeidan's body, instantly occupying his original body.
"Plundering bodies, that's this ability!"
"But do you think it's useful against me?"
Yan Xia instantly regained his clarity.
The Spirits rushing into his body occupied it too slowly.
Nuopeidan was somewhat surprised.
"Your body seems to be a bit different!"
The essence of Spirit is actually similar to consciousness. Yan Xia's consciousness permeates every one of his cells; every cell can be said to contain an independent him.
Nuopeidan's attack, for a life form like him, while not entirely useless, certainly presented difficulties.
"This Spirit energy is very special. Originally, I thought you were like the Spirit, but now, I have some doubts."
"These Spirits, perhaps in essence, are your tools."
"What are these tools used for?"
Yan Xia's body was suddenly covered by a set of mecha.
This wasn't a thin layer of mecha, but a truly heavy, silver-white mecha.
The exaggerated iron wings on its back released a type of wave.
All Spirits affected by the wave instantly dissipated.
Yan Xia smiled, "It seems I guessed correctly!"
This wave was not a macroscopic wave, but a super-microscopic wave.
In the super-microscopic world, this wave directly shattered the Spirits.
"For a newly entered Tier 3 Civilization, the most important things, besides dimension, are the super-microscopic world."
"And you, in essence, are the miners of that Tier 3 Civilization, constantly using Spirit to excavate energy from the super-microscopic world."
"As for why you were eventually abandoned, I imagine it's because your efficiency was too low."
The Federation publicly releases some war information to promote the development of Imagination Resource Theory.
After all, imagination doesn't come out of thin air; it needs guidance and cultivation.
The Advancing Civilization's technology for directly excavating energy in the super-microscopic world—the Federation doesn't know the specific technological details or how it's achieved, but they can detect on the battlefield that the Advancing Civilization's endless energy comes from the super-microscopic world.
Yan Xia had reason to believe that after that Tier 3 Civilization entered Tier 3, it also underwent a development of the super-microscopic world.
Tier 3 Civilizations are not omnipotent either.
The super-microscopic world is just one technology branch of a Tier 3 Civilization.
The main focus of a Tier 3 Civilization is still dimension, so not all Tier 3 Civilizations have developed the technology tree for the super-microscopic world.
It's possible that a Tier 3 Civilization only began to interact with the super-microscopic world after becoming a Tier 3 Civilization.
Nuopeidan for the first time had the thought of retreating.
This human in front of it was too clever!
Yan Xia saw through its desire to leave and said, "It's not that I'm clever, but that you are too foolish."
"Your intelligence has most likely been sealed, hasn't it!"
As a member of an Unknown Civilization, being intelligent is inherently the most basic requirement.
Whether through genetic screening or technological augmentation, these abilities can be significantly enhanced.
From the very beginning of its conversation with him, Nuopeidan had been coaxed into revealing a lot of information. Afterwards, it even presumptuously shared some half-truths, allowing Yan Xia to directly see through it.
Nuopeidan's face turned extremely grim, as if Yan Xia had truly hit a sore spot.
Having its intelligence insulted, for a higher life form, this was quite devastating.
"I feel that our meeting this time is not a suitable moment."
"Next time, I think both of us should calm down. I can definitely provide you with things you are interested in."
Nuopeidan finished speaking, and Yan Xia immediately replied.
"I've said it, no need!"
"I don't need to trade with a fool. Sometimes, a fool, thinking himself clever, will have a sudden inspiration, and the losses caused will already exceed any benefits brought by a trade."
"Including now, do you really think you can escape?"
"This is the Federation's territory, look at the shadow on the surface of that Star, it's watching you!"
Machine God.
There was a Machine God in this Stellar System.
The Machine God could perfectly mobilize all resources within a Stellar System.
Nuopeidan, and even the Spirit Civilization behind it, were not particularly strong in terms of technological capability, so trying to evade these detections would be somewhat difficult.
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