Cultivation: Being Immortal Chapter 767

Year 6525 of the Xia Calendar, Haigang City

The mystery surrounding the Lu Xuan incident lingers without resolution, as Lu Xuan himself stays missing. Even though Lu Xuan met his end on Fangzhang Continent, prominent figures such as Lin Jiang refuse to accept his permanent demise. Specialists in the field have determined through calculations that he engaged in cloning research; it could be that the deceased was merely a duplicate, or that the duplicate endures to this day.

The search efforts must press on relentlessly. Lu Xuan poses a grave danger that Lin Jiang dares not overlook, prompting him to dispatch investigators with utmost haste.

Cao Ying's sweeping anti-corruption drive has finally wrapped up, spanning more than three years and ensnaring over two hundred thousand individuals.

The probe kicked off targeting the Bahuang Group, delving into their illicit smuggling schemes and ruthless land seizures across the Penglai Continent, which exposed hundreds of culprits and reshuffled roughly two-thirds of the leadership from the uppermost echelons down to mid-level positions.

From there, the scrutiny ballooned outward from the Bahuang Group to rival mega-corporations and eventually engulfed the Huaxia government itself, resulting in the ousting of tens of thousands.

With those matters settled, attention shifted to the immortal clans, since those corporate giants served merely as their marionettes, steeped in deep-seated alliances.

In confronting the assorted clans, Cao Ying addressed their patriarchs and key figures head-on, bluntly declaring that this operation served as a stark warning. Should they muster the audacity to defy it, Cao Ying vowed to unleash total annihilation without a second thought, inviting any dissenters to test their fate.

Cao Ying's formidable authority kept everything in check, compelling the powerful clans to refrain from any rash moves, allowing the investigative squads to advance with remarkable ease and doling out penalties to more than one hundred thousand offenders.

Among those disciplined were Lin Liyan, emblematic of the rising youth, alongside other Lin clan members. Lin Jiang displayed impartiality throughout, earning widespread admiration.

Upon the affair's closure, Huaxia's societal climate cleared dramatically, instilling a potent chill in potential malefactors across the realm while igniting boundless aspirations for ambitious climbers.

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Year 6565 of the Xia calendar, Huaxia Space Base

Lin Jiang, Cao Ying, and Cao Wang viewed a classified recording. This footage originated from the Pioneer spacecraft, with the data transmission requiring numerous years to arrive.

The recording captured a world tinged in yellowish-brown hues. As the image magnified, torrential downpours emerged, drenching the entire globe.

Such a sight evoked memories of the deluge marking the close of the Immortal Cultivation Era for Lin Jiang and his companions, yet this storm dwarfed it in ferocity.

What unfolded before Lin Jiang and the rest was a realm shrouded in ominous clouds, crackling with thunderbolts, and battered by ceaseless rain, as though the planet submerged entirely.

"The Pioneer spacecraft launched one hundred sixty years back, following a leap in aerospace advancements. Constructed on Cape III Planet, it blasted off at year's end in 6005 of the Blue Star Xia calendar. Its blueprint emphasized velocity, forgoing nearly all other features. The vessel tipped the scales at a mere 1.5 tons, thanks to space gear supplanting much of the mass, achieving an intended average velocity of fifteen thousand Mach."

"During real travel, the mean speed surpassed fifteen thousand Mach substantially, since cosmic gravitational pulls went unconsidered…"

"After traversing for one hundred fifty years, Pioneer spanned three light-years. It then maintained steady pace while scrutinizing the planet dubbed New Hope en route…"

"The footage we witnessed depicts the computer's rendered observations…"

"It's common knowledge that water sustains all life; no organism thrives without it…"

"Hold on, you dragged Cao Ying and me here solely to reveal that the footage was fabricated, a mere illusion?"

Cao Wang pressed on with his fervent account until Lin Jiang cut in, questioning the point of his stirred anticipation.

Lin Jiang had genuinely assumed Cao Wang's team discovered a viable world, but learning of its falsity left him reeling.

"Ancestor Lin, the Pioneer remains distant from New Hope Planet…"

"Spare me the details; just how distant?"

"Roughly midway, approximately 3.5 light-years out."

"Could it cover that in one hundred fifty years?"

"No chance; Pioneer's fuel reserves fall short. Ancestor, hear me out. Though the footage was simulated, solid scientific data backs it up."

"Proceed."

"Pioneer carried the era's top-tier space observatory, boasting ample processing capacity. Based on our…"

Cao Wang elaborated further. Though puzzled, Lin Jiang and Cao Ying grasped the essence.

Cao Wang explained that despite not arriving at New Hope Planet, the Pioneer drew near enough for its onboard automatons to survey via the telescope. They generated a simulation drawing from key scientific tenets, yielding the video that faithfully mirrored the planet's true state.

"So you're saying New Hope Planet holds genuine potential as a livable world?"

"Precisely, Ancestor. It's our second-nearest candidate for habitability, hence the name New Hope. Our own world endured a colossal ancient deluge, plagued by storms for over a million years, as geologists attest."

"Over a million years? Certain? Cultivation history stretches far, yet verified records span less than two million years."

Lin Jiang expressed profound astonishment; this revelation eluded his knowledge. Had Blue Star harbored such an epic history?

"Absolutely confident; it occurred three to five hundred million years past. Back then, Blue Star sweltered in humidity, lashed by rain for over a million years amid constant volcanic blasts and quakes. Life was absent, save perhaps primitive microbes."

"Then what followed?"

"We term that epoch the prehistoric period, or the chaotic age. Thus, this world now endures the authentic chaotic age. Once the rains cease, vitality will sprout on New Hope Planet."

"How certain are you?"

"Scientifically, I can't promise absolute certainty, but consensus holds a probability exceeding fifty percent. For interstellar relocation, this stands as our prime option."

"State your requirements."

"Grant additional funds, around one trillion Huaxia coins, and I'll construct a superior vessel. Launching from Cape VII Planet, it'll take roughly two hundred years to near New Hope Planet, followed by deploying probes for surface examination. Should it verify true, interstellar migration could commence within a millennium at latest."

"Two hundred years for seven point five light-years equates to one-thirtieth light speed. Feasible?"

"Affirmative, for the vessel alone. Spacecraft differ vastly from colossal Space Mother Ships; the scale and mass vary by millions-fold."

Cao Wang added, "Vacuum lacks pull, yet mass persists. With weight disparities in the millions and velocity mismatches, spacecraft and Space Mother Ships remain distinct entities."

"Upon arrival at New Hope Planet, what's the plan? Won't it be endless rain? Over a million years, right?"

"Elder, planets vary uniquely, and you undervalue our prowess today. Blending tech with cultivation empowers us to reshape environments profoundly. If confirmed, we'll devise countermeasures. I foresee a full strategy in a century, and terraforming the world in three to five hundred more years poses no issue. Advances in interstellar transit ensure migration completion in under a thousand years."

"Elder, space endeavors have devoured incalculable fortunes over centuries of toil; this sum is trivial. Approve it!"

Cao Wang begged with fervor, prompting Lin Jiang and Cao Ying to share a knowing look. This investment seemed inevitable, even at the cost of their all.