The Creation of the Heavens and All Realms

Chapter 1: In Search of a Civilization of Cultivation

The boundless universe, a vast sea of stars. The F9-class spaceship was traveling at sublight speed; just moments ago, it had left a star system. “Xingling, still nothing?” The ship’s captain, Zhou Tianci, dressed in a long white robe, kept his eyes fixed on the crystal platform half a meter in front of him, where an elliptical, unidentified object hovered. Zhou Tianci furrowed his brow, deep in thought. In the vast hall, a pleasant voice rang out. “Tianci, I’ve scanned this seed using the proton resonance scanner, but so far, there are no results. I’ve detected an unknown energy shield surrounding the seed; our Type 3 protons simply cannot penetrate it.” As she spoke, a 3D image materialized before Zhou Tianci, showing a magnified view of the seed. From the image, Zhou Tianci could see that the seed was enveloped in a layer of black light. Zhou Tianci’s interest in the seed grew even stronger. “Xingling, according to your analysis, there was originally a civilization in the Modegan Galaxy. Around 20 million years ago, that civilization suddenly vanished, leaving behind only this thing—which we’ll tentatively call a seed…” The melodious voice sounded again: “Based on what I know, that is indeed the case.” “Then what level of development do you think the Mo De Gan Galaxy civilization had reached, and what kind of civilization was it?” Zhou Tianci asked. “The available data is limited, so I can’t make an accurate judgment. However, I believe there’s a more than 60% probability that this civilization was a cultivation-based civilization.” A gleam flashed in Zhou Tianci’s eyes: “A cultivation-based civilization… Although there’s no evidence, I actually agree with your assessment. In any case, this ‘seed’ is very likely connected to the secrets of a cultivation-based civilization, so I must study it thoroughly.” Zhou Tianci was a Cosmic Explorer, and Xingling was his bio-intelligent system. A “Cosmic Explorer” was a product of human civilization having reached a certain level of development. One million years ago, humanity officially left Earth and began establishing settlements on the Moon. Subsequently, humans attempted to terraform Mars, transforming it into the third habitable planet in the solar system. Interstellar migration brought about a leap in human technology, which in turn accelerated the development of human civilization. In just 200 years, humanity had completely conquered the Sun and began exploring other star systems. One hundred thousand years later, humanity’s footprint had spread throughout the entire Milky Way, and human civilization had advanced at a rapid pace. Against this backdrop, many people began leaving Earth to venture into the distant cosmos; these individuals were known as cosmic explorers. However, one factor severely limited humanity’s exploration of the universe: human lifespan. Even in the highly advanced interstellar era, due to inherent genetic limitations, humans simply could not live beyond 300 years. Of course, compared to the era before the interstellar age, a lifespan of 300 years was already quite long. Some humans began searching ancient myths and legends for a solution to the problem of lifespan. This group attempted to explore the mythical path of spiritual cultivation; unfortunately, in an era of peak technological advancement, this path seemed to have been severed. Yet fate works in mysterious ways. Just as humanity had given up hope on cultivation, a cosmic explorer discovered the ruins of a civilization dedicated to cultivation. Although information from the ruins was extremely limited, it provided immense encouragement to humanity, sparking a cultivation craze across human civilization. After 700,000 years of evolution, humanity finally took a step forward, extending the average lifespan to 500 years—and the most accomplished cultivators could even live up to 2,000 years! Zhou Tianci is one such powerful cultivator. Though he appears to be in his twenties, he is actually over 400 years old. Based on his cultivation level, Zhou Tianci’s lifespan is approximately 1,300 years. Like most cosmic explorers, Zhou Tianci is deeply fascinated by the unknowns of the universe, spending 90% of his life drifting through space. “Xingling, this is the ninth civilizational ruin we’ve discovered, isn’t it?” Zhou Tianci said softly as he gazed at the star system behind him through the control center’s screen. “Yes, Tianci. The Modegan civilization is also the 113,876,421st civilization ruin discovered by humanity.” “So many civilizations—it’s truly breathtaking. But I’ve never understood why these civilizations have left behind only ruins. What exactly caused their downfall…? Do you think there might come a day when human civilization, too, will suddenly vanish into the vast expanse of the universe, just like them?” Zhou Tianci murmured. “Rationally speaking, it’s inevitable. Nothing lasts forever—not life, and not the universe either.” Zhou Tianci asked, “Is there really nothing that lasts forever?” In a star system 1 billion kilometers away from Zhou Tianci, a golden light suddenly appeared. This light did not fall from the sky, nor did it materialize out of nothing; it emerged from the void into reality in a most mysterious manner. The light stretched 8 million li in length and instantly overshadowed the stars in the star system. Strangely, the light it emitted was neither intense nor scorching; on the contrary, it gave off a cold sensation. The moment the glow appeared, the star system seemed to be torn apart and began to collapse. An expanding black hole formed around the glow, radiating outward like ripples on water and swallowing the entire star system in the blink of an eye. Just as the star system was undergoing this transformation, Zhou Tianci aboard the spaceship sensed something—as if something momentous had occurred. It wasn’t just him; countless civilizations throughout the universe, every sentient being, felt it. No one could articulate that sensation, but all beings perceived it with crystal clarity. Zhou Tianci, being closest to the anomaly, felt it most intensely. “What’s happening, Star Spirit?” Zhou Tianci asked. “Everything is normal,” replied the AI, Xingling. Zhou Tianci, on the contrary, felt that something was even more amiss. But in the blink of an eye, he saw himself engulfed by darkness; he saw the entire star system engulfed by darkness; he saw the entire Pegasus Galaxy engulfed by darkness; he saw the entire universe engulfed by darkness… “Is this the end of the universe? Why can I see it?” This was Zhou Tianci’s final thought. On the grasslands of the Northwest frontier of the Great State of Yu, a war had just ended, leaving the battlefield in utter chaos. Judging by the scene, casualties among the forces clad in black and red were roughly equal; tens of thousands of corpses lay scattered across the open wilderness, a testament to the war’s brutality. At dusk, a flock of red-eyed vultures descended upon the battlefield. To the east, over a hundred blue wolves were also approaching; to them, the corpses of tens of thousands of soldiers were nothing less than a feast. As the sun set, more and more predators arrived—red-eyed vultures, blue wolves, short-tailed hyenas, giant-toothed lizards, and human-faced bears… What was terrifying was that all these predators were waiting quietly on the outskirts of the battlefield; not a single one dared to approach. As night fell, the stench of blood from the battlefield spread in the night breeze, stirring the beasts waiting to prey. “Clang…” In the stillness of the night, a sound rang out abruptly—the clang of heavy armor colliding. Immediately afterward, at the center of the battlefield, a corpse rose to its feet, only to fall again; then, a gaunt figure sat up in the starlight. The scene startled a red-eyed vulture into flight and drew a long howl from a blue wolf. “Is this… a battlefield?” Zhou Tianci held his still-dizzy head and took over ten minutes to stand up. He scanned his surroundings by starlight—the ground was littered with corpses and weapons. “How did I end up here? Could I have survived the collapse of the universe?” Zhou Tianci’s mind was swirling with questions at that moment, but he quickly pushed them aside. As a seasoned explorer of the cosmos, Zhou Tianci possessed a level of composure and resilience beyond the imagination of ordinary people; even after experiencing such a bizarre event, he remained calm and collected. Zhou Tianci tried to recall what had happened, but his mind was a blank. “I don’t seem to be the person I used to be. Could this be a dimensional shift?” Zhou Tianci looked at his hands, then ran a finger along his cheek, speculating to himself. In the Interstellar Age, various theories and speculations about time travel had taken deep root in people’s minds; it was no longer merely fantasy—some had actually put them into practice. Although Zhou Tianci found such ideas absurd, he couldn’t help but pay attention to them himself. However, as far as he could recall, he had never heard of a successful case. Dragging his weary legs, Zhou Tianci staggered forward. Whether or not he’d traveled through time, simply being alive was the best thing that could happen to him. Under the starlight, he searched through more than a dozen corpses and found some water and food. After regaining his strength, Zhou Tianci gained a rough understanding of his surroundings. The fact that he was still alive was absolutely abnormal; whatever the reason, it was all the more worth cherishing. He also noticed the ferocious beasts all around him. Although he didn’t recognize many of them, that didn’t stop him from realizing just how terrifying they were. “It seems something is keeping these beasts from coming near…” Zhou Tianci speculated, and reality soon confirmed his hunch. After searching through dozens more corpses, Zhou Tianci gathered even more food and water. “My stamina has mostly recovered. The question now is how to escape the clutches of these ferocious beasts,” Zhou Tianci said after eating and drinking his fill, as he began to devise his escape plan. To his delight, this body was far stronger than the one he’d had in his previous life. Calming his mind, Zhou Tianci could clearly sense a flow of energy coursing through his body. “This is the hallmark of a cultivator. Could it be that I’ve been transported to a cultivation civilization?” Zhou Tianci couldn’t help but rejoice.