IMC Chapter 135

This hypothesis was terrifying. The people of the base universe already harbored a deep fear of the Mechanoids. The ascension of the Mechanoids to higher dimensions amplified that fear, casting the base universe into an overwhelming atmosphere of dread.

In this state of fear, some began advocating for cutting off contact with the participants and halting the survival livestream. After all, no one could be certain whether the Mechanoids might exploit the live stream system for their purposes. If the system became a source for participants to extract data from the base universe, the universe itself would be in grave danger.

However, others argued that such concerns were overly paranoid. The livestream system was clearly a one-way signal transmission. It was impossible for the base universe to send any information to the chaotic universe through the system. Moreover, with the live stream in place, they could monitor the participants’ actions in real-time and respond defensively if needed.

Amid these debates, Shu Bao and the others returned to Fu Xia Planet. Faced with the cheering crowds, the group found it hard to feel truly happy. Yet, to avoid causing panic, they forced smiles and maintained a composed demeanor.

Yu Lingqi’s unreserved joy at being back in his homeland, free of any sorrow, seemed so genuine that it dispelled any lingering doubts among the people. Everyone basked in the excitement of welcoming back their divine figures.

For the next few days, the Qing Wang Star System remained lively and celebratory. However, since the departure of their divine figure, the expansion of the Chaotic World had accelerated alarmingly. Its power had grown stronger, as evidenced by the increasingly challenging night defenses of Xia Wang City.

Upon hearing this news, Shu Bao immediately instructed Lan Qing to return to the imperial capital. Shu Bao had already deduced that Lan Qing’s absence likely unsettled the hearts of the people. When human minds are vulnerable, they can be easily consumed by negative emotions, which in turn empower the dark forces.

Lan Qing’s return to the Chaotic World quickly stabilized the empire. From the empire as a central point, the order spread outward, gradually bringing stability to the Chaotic World. However, the monsters born from the fears of the populace during this period would not vanish so easily.

Compared to the Chaotic World, the situation in the real world was far better. Under the leadership of the high priests and others, the Qing Wang Star System grew increasingly prosperous.

The rapid development of the Qing Wang Star System was largely attributed to the high priest’s decision to openly recruit participants. After learning of Shu Bao’s unique identity, the high priest realized the importance of the participants to the system’s growth.

Different participants had varied preferences for advancing civilization, ensuring the technological diversity of the Qing Wang Star System, and preventing overreliance on a single form of technology or energy. Of course, Tesla’s numerous achievements played a critical role as well, enabling participants to achieve energy independence, which in turn allowed for unfettered development.

Upon landing, the high priest, as was customary, briefed Shu Bao on the system’s progress over the past seventeen years and took him on a tour of representative areas.

However, after two days of showing him around, the high priest noticed that Shu Bao seemed somewhat distracted, which puzzled him. Could it be that his work wasn’t up to par?

“Divine One, do you feel anything is amiss?” Seeing the fluffy little figure zoned out again, curled into a ball, the high priest finally couldn’t resist asking.

Shu Bao immediately snapped out of his thoughts, realizing his distraction was causing the high priest’s stress. He quickly shook his head. “No, you’ve done wonderfully. Even if I were here, I might not have done as well as you.”

This praise flustered the high priest, whose face turned bright red as he struggled to figure out what to do with his hands and feet. But soon, he seemed to grasp the real issue. “Was this expedition not successful? It’s alright. You’re our deity, but that doesn’t mean every problem must rely on you to solve.”

“I know.” Upon their return, no one had pressured him to reveal the results of their exploration. Everyone merely welcomed the members of the expedition team, clearly valuing their safe return rather than imposing expectations on them.

This eased the mental burden on the expedition team, though it didn’t erase the reality of their failure. “We visited the Mechanoids’ home planet and obtained the information we sought, only to find that even the Mechanoids haven’t found a way to stop the universe’s descent into chaos. This universe is destined for great chaos…”

Under the high priest’s warm and understanding gaze, Shu Bao finally mustered the courage to recount the expedition’s journey and, ultimately, the bitter truth of their failure.

After listening to Shu Bao’s account, the high priest knelt down respectfully and said, “Divine One, thank you for everything you have done for us. You’ve shown us a broader world, introduced us to the universe, and helped us understand magic. That is already more than enough. Even if the ultimate fate of this universe is great chaos, we will strive to use the knowledge and power you have given us to survive. If there is one regret, it is that we cannot protect you from the harm of darkness.”

The high priest’s steady and resolute words dispelled the heavy weight pressing on Shu Bao’s heart since his return. At that moment, Shu Bao finally realized that while the Xia Wang people revered and relied on him, they also supported and protected him. Faith wasn’t one-sided—just as the people depended on their deity, the deity could depend on his people as well.

With this realization, Shu Bao seemed to find his strength again. The once-distracted furball regained his spirits. It wasn’t over yet—how could he give up before the very end? If the Mechanoids couldn’t accomplish something, who said a little mouse couldn’t?

“High priest, becoming the deity of Xia Wang is the most beautiful thing that has happened to me in this world,” Shu Bao said, lifting his tiny head, his eyes curving into a smile.

The high priest returned the smile. “Becoming your people is the most beautiful thing to ever happen to Xia Wang.”

With his doubts resolved, Shu Bao could no longer stay idle. Bidding farewell to Tesla and the semi-mechanoids who were still studying the Mechanoids’ data, Shu Bao first visited Fu Qing at the base after days apart. Then, he set off for the Chaotic World.

The people of Xia Wang City had grown accustomed to their deity’s occasional absences. But soon, the core members of the city received a secret summons from the high priest and learned of Shu Bao’s expedition and its outcomes.

Their reactions mirrored the high priest’s. After a discussion, they unanimously decided they too must protect their deity. What the unseen Mechanoids couldn’t do, Xia Wang certainly could!

Unbeknownst to Shu Bao, his people shared the same thoughts as he did and had already begun their quiet investigations, preparing to contribute their strength to resolve the universe’s chaos.

Upon re-entering the Chaotic World, Shu Bao didn’t head straight to the imperial capital. Instead, he toured the world on Yinzi’s back. The flow of time in the Chaotic World was inherently slower and its unique environment showed no signs of progress. Instead, the increasing strength of the dark creatures had left much of it in ruins.

However, as he moved closer to the imperial capital, this bleakness began to ease. Even in damaged areas, people were actively rebuilding.

For several days, Shu Bao rescued a few villages along the way, eliminated numerous dangerous dark creatures, and then made his way to the capital. Since returning to the Chaotic World, Lan Qing has been overwhelmed with work. Yet the dependable dragon beast had prevented any major unrest in the capital.

Upon returning, Lan Qing swiftly dealt with a few disruptive elements. Using the ancestral dragon’s might, he quickly stabilized the situation, then organized teams to venture into monster-infested areas, rebuild villages and cities, and reallocate resources to repair magical formations.

Lan Qing was delighted by Shu Bao’s arrival but grew anxious upon learning about his next destination. Shu Bao intended to head to the place where chaos in the universe first emerged—a location the inhabitants of the Chaotic World called the Heart of Darkness.

While everyone understood that chaos had an origin, no one knew exactly where it lay. But one thing was certain: whatever had been born or survived there would be unimaginably terrifying. In the Chaotic World, not a single soul dared to claim they did not fear the Heart of Darkness. As the earliest site of chaos, only the strongest and most fearsome chaotic creatures could have survived its trials over time.

“If the real world has no clues, then we can only start with the Chaotic World.” The Mechanoids had traversed nearly every corner of the real world without finding a solution, leaving Shu Bao with no choice but to explore the untouched Chaotic World.

“I’ll issue a bounty to gather information on the Heart of Darkness. Don’t act recklessly, okay?” Clearly, Lan Qing was still upset about missing Shu Bao’s previous journey to the Mechanoids’ ruins. This time, he was determined to accompany Shu Bao to the Heart of Darkness, no matter what.

“I know, and we still have to wait for Fu Qing. His base has rebelled again. Tsk, tsk, Xia Wang Tribe really is better,” Shu Bao remarked, recalling his visit to Fu Qing’s base, where Fu Qing had been busy beating up the rebellious city lord.

“I’ve always said that brute strength alone isn’t enough,” Lan Qing chimed in. While everyone acknowledged Fu Qing’s formidable power, there were times when sheer force simply couldn’t solve every problem.

The progress in collecting clues was much smoother than expected. Many people came forward with information about the Heart of Darkness, including details about its ecology, the types of chaotic creatures there, and various legends associated with it.

During the wait, Shu Bao had an unexpected encounter. One day, while buying rare potions in an apothecary shop, he came across someone selling potions. Although the person was disguised, Shu Bao’s sharp instincts told him there was something suspicious about them.

Especially after the person noticed Shu Bao’s gaze, they became flustered, abandoning even the money from selling their potions and bolting for the door. Naturally, Shu Bao couldn’t let such a suspicious individual escape. The small, fluffy furball launched himself with precision, smacking the person squarely in the face.

Though small, the furball packed a punch. The person stumbled in panic, ending up in an awkward position—half their body sprawled outside the door, the other half stuck inside the shop.

Instinctively, the individual tried to retaliate, raising their hand to attack. But before they could strike, a massive silver figure loomed over them. Looking up, they found themselves face-to-face with a giant silver dragon glaring down, its wide eyes conveying a clear message: if you dare move, you’ll lose that hand.

Faced with such a situation, the person abandoned all thoughts of resistance. All they wanted now was to shake off the fluffy ball clinging to them and flee. But in Shu Bao’s hands, it didn’t matter if you were a person or even two princes—escape was impossible. Ultimately, the suspicious individual was carried to the capital by Yinzi.

“Ah, you’re back. No need to bring gifts, though. I don’t eat meat, you know,” Lan Qing commented politely as he watched Yinzi land in the courtyard.

---