The plunder of the heavens begins with the Spirit Cage.

"Whether he has a powerful backer or not, and who his powerful backer is," Hong Qingcang said, a cold glint in his eyes, "you all know the answer."

“In my opinion, we should just blow up the spaceship!” Jones’s voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone turned to look, no one expected that the director of a research institute would say such radical things.

"Heh~ Am I wrong?" Jones slowly adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.

A half-smile played on his lips as he said, "They're just afraid we won't have tickets for their ships when we escape."

Were you just stirring up trouble?

"Blowing up the spaceship cut off their hopes of escape, and those with ulterior motives naturally became quiet."

"Jones, are you perhaps researching how mana makes blood pigment stupid?"

"Do you think that massive structure is so easy to blow up?!" The captain, sitting to the side, finally couldn't help but curse.

He cherished Colony Spaceship 04 like his own treasure. It hadn't been activated for years, and now it was going to be bombed. How could he tolerate that?

Just as they were each sticking to their own version of events, Bai Jingyu, who had been silent all along, tapped the table lightly.

The few crisp sounds, though not loud, silenced the clamor filling the room.

“Alright,” Bai Jingyu looked up at Hong Qingcang, “Director Hong, from now on, you will be fully responsible for investigating the mastermind behind this matter. You don’t need to have any reservations.”

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across the room. "I think everyone is aware of the situation regarding why Colony Ship No. 04 cannot be started."

"I'm not afraid to tell you, I've already traded this spaceship with people from Jingxu."

Once they've finished repairs at the Australian shipyard, I won't stop any of you from leaving if you want, but please don't try to incite others!

"I've made this so clear, yet people are still dragged into it. I will deal with them severely and without leniency!"

Bai Jingyu's words were so soft you could hear a pin drop.

Some people looked calm, while others showed a fleeting, almost imperceptible stiffness.

But as the HR manager gave his report, the focus of the meeting quickly shifted away from the controversy surrounding the exodus of the exodus faction.

The group then turned their discussion to the subsequent defense reinforcement plan, energy supply and the five-year plan, as well as the resettlement of people living outside Jiuchuan City.

As the various resolutions were discussed and finalized one by one, the sun was already setting in the afternoon.

With Bai Jingyu's words, "Meeting adjourned," the meeting, filled with debate and decisions, came to an end amidst the sound of everyone standing up.

Having shed his imposing demeanor from the meeting, Bai Jingyu looked at Bai Yuetian at the back of the crowd and waved, calling out, "Yuetian, don't leave yet, I have something to ask you."

"What is it?" Bai Yuetian's voice was neither warm nor cold.

Others might be deceived by this appearance of "filial piety and loving father".

But both of them knew the reason.

In Bai Yuetian's view, the "Bai Jingyu" in front of him was nothing more than a copy of consciousness uploaded by ASH.

Just a cyborg with consciousness.

The real Bai Jingyu is long dead.

The only thing that allowed the brother and sister to let go of their resentment was the guilt they felt after learning that their father had committed suicide out of guilt after they ran away from home.

But this doesn't mean they are willing to accept their current father.

But in Bai Jingyu's eyes, who had regained his memories of that suicide attempt, he was simply in a different body.

They still believe he is who he is.

In short, both sides are caught up in Schrödinger's theory of causality, and neither can convince the other.

Maintaining this state is only due to the circumstances.

Looking at his increasingly composed son, Bai Jingyu felt a subtle sense of relief in his eyes.

"Where has Yue Kui been lately? Even Horn didn't come to this meeting."

"She and Horn were performing a routine check-up on the craniotomy, and it seems that a life essence expert named Xia Zhengguo has also come from Jingxu."

They are documenting some aspects of cranial biology.

Bai Jingyu nodded slightly. According to ASH's future calculations, cranial growth is the key to disrupting the future ecological evolution of Mana.

The idealistic view of human nature as an anchor point seems somewhat incongruous coming from the mouth of an artificial intelligence.

But ASH's disaster warnings and preparedness in those years were accurate.

Then he would have no reason to use craniotomy as a tool.

I just hope that with some kind care, he can truly become the savior of humanity in the future.

Thinking of ASH, he asked about the recent activities of the White Moon Lighthouse.

"The lighthouse patrols the area according to our agreement and has roughly recorded the data on the mana ecology in various places."

"However, in the Tarim Basin, the Klotto system on the lighthouse still conveys the message of avoidance."

No records of manna growth or ecology were obtained there.

"A hidden bunker, huh?" Bai Jingyu murmured.

ASH emphasized his cooperation with Lu Qianwei before deciding to invade the giant's brain.

But the feedback from the Klotto system over the years has left him confused about what its 'avoidance' means.

Is the bunker dangerous, or is something else threatening it?!

Just as he was deep in thought, a message from the bunker arrived on his terminal.

Bai Jingyu looked at the contents and felt they were somewhat far-fetched and fantastical.

As he scrolled through the photos of Gina Star that had been sent, his expression grew even more serious.

I felt that Lu Qianwei didn't need to make fun of him at this time.

After thinking for a moment, he finally decided to say, "Yue Tian, ​​go and contact Yue Kui and Professor Horn..."

Chapter 53 Aristocratic Alliance – The Ming Family

If Jiuchuan is the front line in the fight against manna ecology, then it is a beacon of human civilization.

In contrast, the alliance of aristocratic families in the south of the Heluo Kingdom presented a completely different picture.

The families here hold onto several ecological parks, taking advantage of the natural defenses.

Under those temperature- and humidity-controlled domes, the rice paddies ripple, fruits and vegetables hang from the branches, and even the livestock are glossy and healthy.

After five of the six southern clans fled to Mars in spaceships, Ming Cang became the undisputed local emperor of Nanli.

With a large army and three transport ships, this man, nearing fifty, could be gone in less than six months.

They then took over all the resources and technologies left behind by the five tribes.

Even the energy cores and gene seed banks that the families didn't have time to take with them when they fled in panic all fell into the hands of the Ming family.

In the center of the largest ecological park, there is a manor with carved beams and painted rafters, and winding corridors.

In the manor hall, celadon cups hold spirit spring wine, sandalwood plates display eight delicacies, jade chopsticks divide the rich and creamy dishes, and golden goblets sprinkle fine wine.

The nobles in the room chatted and laughed, their voices filled with the smell of alcohol; they had long forgotten the wasteland and desert beyond the border.

Ming Cang sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over the minor nobles below the stage, his brows slightly furrowed.

Indeed, there was a reason why these people didn't have tickets to leave Earth back then.

The eldest daughter, Ming Yeyuan, sitting to the side, took in all the subtle expressions on her father's face.

She lightly tapped the rim of the glass with her fingertips, the crisp sound instantly drowning out the clamor in the room.

His tone was as cold as ice: "My uncles and aunts have been eating and drinking to their hearts' content today, and have probably forgotten about the crisis outside?"

"The Devouring Beasts have destroyed three outposts."

The defenses are now in dire straits. What decent countermeasures can you all come up with?

As soon as he finished speaking, the laughter and chatter in the room subsided considerably, but a few dismissive sneers still drifted out, mixed with the soft clinking of glasses.

The short, stout nobleman sitting in the front seat put down his wine cup and said nonchalantly, "Miss, you're just worrying unnecessarily."

We've assessed those Devouring Beasts; although they have regenerative abilities, they can't withstand our firepower.

"If we really go to war, one volley of bullets will leave those things not even ashes!"

"Absolutely! No matter how many of those creatures there are, they can only be beaten when they are in the air against the ground."

Beside him, the middle-aged man in charge of the three energy stations immediately echoed his sentiments.

He added, "The loss of the outpost was merely due to the garrison's negligence."

"If we really bring out our 'Extinction Celestial Pivot' to crush those Devouring Beasts, what difference would it make from crushing a few ants?"

The Extinction Pivot is a strategic nuclear weapon left behind by the Underworld Clan's Calamity.

The underground fortresses, normally sealed off within the ecological park, serve as their ultimate deterrent for establishing themselves in the wasteland.

There's only one, and it's gone after you use it.

When the Coastal Alliance left, it recovered a large number of satellites, and the remaining satellites were monopolized by Tiangong.

Without precise guidance, nuclear weapons cannot be launched too far, and launching them too close can cause irreversible damage.

The Devouring Beasts were not afraid of death, and Ming Cang watched as the group of people straightened their backs and rose and fell again.

The nonchalant smile on his face made him completely give up on this group of idiots!

The reason I changed my mind and stayed was because I discovered that the outbreak of the spore virus was caused by changes in the lunar phases.

According to calculations by astronomers and physicists, there will be no more incurable viruses for thousands of years to come.

Ming Cang took a gamble and stayed on Earth to win over people's hearts and resources.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if handled properly, he might be able to rebuild civilization.

Who knows, their family might one day become a force to be reckoned with on Earth and rival the Martian Coastal Alliance.

But who would have thought that not only did a prince remain in Jingxu, but the ecology near Aoda Jiuchuan was also completely undamaged!

To make matters worse, the sudden appearance of the Devouring Beast and the collision with the tectonic plates completely ruined his plans!