Chapter 510: Chapter 499 Spirit Stone
The ancient tree explained, "Our Blue Star collided with your planet, shattering it into pieces, causing countless Demon Beasts to perish in the aftermath. But in reality, because of this accident, Blue Star, which should have been completely destroyed due to the exhaustion of Spiritual Qi, managed to survive. In a sense, isn’t this akin to a hero sacrificing a hand to save the body?"
Saying this, it looked at the two stunned individuals.
She laughed, "Do you find what I said unbelievable? But it’s true. Blue Star also once interacted with foreign settlers, including those who had lost their homes. Their planets, like ours, also suffered from Spiritual Qi depletion due to over-extraction. From what they shared, I can almost conclude that first comes Spiritual Qi turmoil, then geomagnetic chaos, and finally, the entire planet gets destroyed.
"Spiritual Qi is the most crucial element for a planet’s existence. Once it’s lost, the whole world will lose its vitality."
She sighed, "This is probably the result of excessive exploitation—endlessly demanding from the land without giving back. When nature’s wrath comes, the consequence is catastrophic. Either leave this planet to find a new home or stay and perish with it."
Han Yun City was already shocked beyond words. He never imagined that, from the perspective of these Demon Beasts, Blue Star’s descent was not the loss of their homes but their salvation.
"Then why do Demon Beasts appear in the Secret Realm every year, causing heavy casualties to our Four Great Martial Mansions?"
"Why did you establish Martial Mansions there in the first place?"
The ancient tree said, "Though our land was reduced by ninety percent, we not only escaped the crisis of planetary destruction, but also the Spiritual Qi here became several times denser than before, making it truly a paradise for survival. However, the lands were still reduced, and the Demon Beast’s breeding ability is astonishingly high, making some degree of culling inevitable."
She explained, "Therefore, we drive newly born Demon Beasts to live in what you call a safe zone for a period. Only those who survive can truly join our Secret Realm, which is a more stringent test. Unfortunately, the survival territory is limited, and we had no choice. In reality, didn’t you establish Martial Mansions here for the same possibility—to train your soldiers?"
"Is this why Blue Star is targeted by the Mysterious races of the heavens?"
Xu Lingjun said, "Blue Star, which should have been destroyed, not only survived but thrived, and according to what you said, the surviving Blue Star, though with a reduced land area, actually has even more flourishing Spiritual Qi than before."
"Exactly, if we were to pinpoint a reason why Blue Star is targeted by the Mysterious races of the heavens, I think this would be it."
The ancient tree said, "In this cosmos, Spiritual Qi is the most vital resource, second only to the oxygen you humans breathe, but it is a non-renewable resource. Once depleted, a homeland planet is destined for destruction. The cosmos is vast with countless planets like grains of sand, but finding a planet that perfectly matches a native one is exceedingly difficult."
"That’s indeed the case."
Xu Lingjun understood the ancient tree’s meaning.
The existence of all races in this universe relies on Blue Star. The ancient tree mentioned that other planets also have travelers post-destruction... meaning perhaps the timeframe varies, determined by the foundations of each planet.
Yet, as populations increase and dependency on Spiritual Qi deepens, especially as racial power strengthens over time,
they inadvertently march towards destruction...
Though it’s possible to exist relying on other planets, even conquering them,
but a gold nest or a silver nest, nothing compares to one’s own doghouse?
And where to find a planet that matches their physique, strength, even lifestyle habits?
Once a home is lost, they become a rootless drifting weed...
Even the mightiest race, at this juncture, embarks on a path to destruction.
Xu Lingjun then understood why this universe is dominated by the theme of plunder.
It turns out that while they were plundering resources to replenish their planets, they were also searching for suitable homes...
as their second homeland.
And amid the impending crisis of planetary extinction throughout the cosmos,
Blue Star, a planet that should have perished, survived, even thrived, and has a Spiritual Qi purity superior to the past.
If Xu Lingjun were in the place of the Mysterious races of the heavens, he might adopt the same approach because this is no longer a battle between good and evil but a struggle for racial survival.
"So that’s the truth, then."
Han Yun City shook his head, "We always regarded Demon Beasts as an imagined enemy, but instead, we’ve actually been your benefactors."
"Not exactly benefactors, just as you argued before, Blue Star’s descent wasn’t a result of your actions; it was fate giving our Blue Star a lifeline. Although we’re interested in outer land, Demon Beasts are very attached to their homes, unwilling to leave unless survival is impossible."
The giant tree said, "But you helped us repel the enemy this time, and we are indeed very grateful, which is why I am willing to share these secrets with you..."
"However, given this explanation, it’s unreasonable for the Baoxue Empire to attack you with such effort."
Xu Lingjun said, "Based on our guesses, the Baoxue Empire attacked you completely because they wanted to uncover Blue Star’s secrets. They learned these secrets by colluding with the Mysterious races of the heavens..."
He paused, frowning, "But if it’s truly as you say, then the collusion between the Mysterious races of the heavens and the Baoxue Empire makes sense. But what is the Baoxue Empire after? Blue Star is doing fine now, and who knows how many years until the next spiritual exhaustion. They don’t need to pay such a high price..."
"As for this issue... perhaps the Baoxue Empire also has its intentions."
The giant tree hesitated for a moment and said, "Indeed, Blue Star survived, but do you know why it survived?"
The two shook their heads in unison, and Han Yun City asked, "Do you know?"
"In fact, I don’t know."
The giant tree said, "But back when even the Spiritual Qi was most tumultuous, I couldn’t move, so I witnessed the scene when the two Blue Stars merged, discovering a stone... This stone contains very pure Spiritual Qi, much purer than what we currently extract. Such stones are only formed when two planets fuse. I estimate that Blue Star’s renewed vitality is inseparable from these stones."
She said, "I named this stone Spirit Stone, and I’m sure the Baoxue Empire is after this stone as well."
