When Guan Tong's Mind Power ca into contact with Uenoshi's, they both naturally sensed sothing unusual.
Chen Na had said before that now, after activating her Perception Domain, she could distinguish different Ascendants just through their Mind Power, because every Ascendant's Mind Power was different.
Guan Tong hadn't felt this way before, but ever since hearing Chen Na ntion it, he had been paying attention.
At this mont, he truly sensed the difference between Uenoshi's Mind Power and his own.
If he had to describe the feeling of contact with her Mind Power in words, it would be that it made him feel cold and damp, which indeed made him think of a snake.
"It seems we failed." After a mont, Uenoshi, who felt nothing, spoke up.
"Mhm."
They let go of each other's hands. The Mind Network had not been successfully constructed.
"It might be my problem. Didn't that Zhang Minglu say that the test required Ascendants with the most top-tier Mind Power? My Mind Power Upper Limit isn't that high, it's less than seven hundred."
If other Ascendants heard the phrase "only less than seven hundred," they would definitely be furious, thinking Uenoshi was showing off.
But Guan Tong knew she didn't have that intention.
He rembered sothing and said, "I forgot... you were under confinent before."
Uenoshi had been confined by Yuzawa Jun inside the Sakura Prayer Country's administrative building. To restrict her, they even used an item on her that continuously absorbed Mind Power.
This resulted in Uenoshi being unable to perform normal, healthy Mind Power circulation during her confinent, causing her Mind Power Upper Limit growth to slow down or even stagnate.
"Perhaps, you should try with soone whose Mind Power Upper Limit is close to yours."
Although Uenoshi didn't know exactly what Guan Tong's Mind Power Upper Limit was, she knew it was definitely higher than hers, and not just by a little.
Hearing this, Guan Tong pondered for a mont.
His current Mind Power Upper Limit was 974, nearly three hundred points higher than Uenoshi's. Such a gap couldn't be called small.
Uenoshi suggested he try with soone with a similar Upper Limit. Leaving aside the fact that he could only confirm one person still above nine hundred, naly Shi Jingyi.
Just the suggestion of "trying with soone similar" itself, he felt wasn't very reliable.
"There are many Ascendants within the Counterasures Research Office base, not to ntion the nurous secondary departnts under its jurisdiction containing large numbers of Ascendants. With so many 'reference points,' Zhang Minglu couldn't have overlooked them."
"...I overlooked that. If similar Mind Power Upper Limits could lead to success, the research office should have verified it through experints long ago."
"Mhm, let's put this matter aside for now."
The ability to identify parasitized forms was crucial, but for Guan Tong at the mont, it wasn't the most urgent matter.
He wouldn't spend all his ti trying to restart the Mind Network without any clues.
Uenoshi asked, "What are your plans next?"
Guan Tong took out his phone and pulled up a number.
He had saved it but had never called this number or sent a ssage to it.
...
The Golden Throne of Xisiya was crafted hundreds of years ago by a vainglorious emperor to showcase his power and wealth, serving as a symbol of imperial authority.
Later, regis changed, those in power constantly shifted, but this Golden Throne was preserved. To this day, it still served as a symbol of the victor, belonging solely to the Administrator.
Yelanka stood before the throne, her gaze carrying a trace of heaviness.
She still rembered not long ago, her father Guttmann sat here, telling her and her brother Lijeka to compete for the succession.
In the blink of an eye, this throne now belonged to her, while her competitor Lijeka had died in the Ice Field prison.
Closing her eyes, she could still recall the recent family eting.
At the eting, Lijeka's corpse, pierced through the heart by a blade, lay in the coffin. Everyone in the family demanded she investigate thoroughly and provide an explanation.
Many of those who had originally sided with Lijeka believed she had ordered it. Especially since everyone knew her most capable subordinate, Sigaochin, was currently at the Sennantata Ice Field.
These people believed that, under her secret orders, Sigaochin was ostensibly guarding the Landing Site to prevent unauthorized personnel from approaching the alien parasitized form. Secretly, he had also accepted the mission to assassinate Lijeka.
Thus, these forr followers of Lijeka were like startled birds, banding together in protest for fear of being purged.
Of course, they wouldn't protest against her, but rather protest that the murderer was lawless, demanding severe punishnt regardless of who the murderer was. The goal was to drag Sigaochin out and force Yelanka to sacrifice a pawn to save the king.
Yelanka looked at the Golden Throne. She hadn't sat on it yet, but she was already experiencing the pressure and weight it brought.
"Was it you, teacher?" she whispered softly.
At that mont, a phone she carried with her vibrated. Sensing sothing, she took it out.
Only a few people knew the contact information for this phone. As she expected, the ssage was from the person she thought it was.
"This is Guan Tong. If you have ti, I'd like to talk with you."
Yelanka's pupils contracted slightly. She didn't reply imdiately.
After a minute or two, she finally replied to the ssage.
"Teacher, did you kill Lijeka?"
No pleasantries. She directly asked the question she most wanted to know right now.
Guan Tong's reply ca quickly, also not avoiding the question.
"It was ."
When Yelanka received the news of Lijeka's death, she had vaguely guessed it was related to Guan Tong.
But now, with Guan Tong directly admitting it, she was still sowhat taken aback.
She exhaled lightly and replied, "Aren't you afraid of my revenge, teacher?"
"Will you seek revenge?"
Guan Tong's reply was swift.
"Many people hope I seek revenge, because the one who died was Lijeka."
After she sent this ssage, she waited a mont this ti before Guan Tong replied.
"For , an enemy is an enemy; their identity makes no difference. Yelanka, if you want revenge, I can understand. We each have our own positions. But if you don't want revenge, and are only forced to do so due to various pressures, then I must advise you to think twice... being my enemy is very dangerous."
Just looking at the contrast in identities between the two parties in the ssages, a forr teacher from the academy actually daring to say such things to a country's Administrator seed like the height of arrogant ignorance.
But Yelanka, having spent so ti with Guan Tong, understood that Guan Tong was rely stating a fact.
Being his enemy was indeed very dangerous.
And being forced to beco his enemy due to external pressures was undoubtedly an extrely foolish act.
Yelanka was silent for a mont, then suddenly smiled imperceptibly.
She sent a ssage.
"Actually, I've wanted him dead for a long ti. Thank you, teacher."
In the small town room, Guan Tong fell silent for a mont upon seeing Yelanka's ssage.
He recalled Yelanka's usually indifferent expression at the academy, wondering if she truly ant this.
"Teacher, where are you? I want to et and talk with you."
Looking at Yelanka's ssage, Guan Tong had to judge whether this might be a trap.
But whether it was or not, since he was the one seeking help and had initiated contact, he had to go.
...
The Human Consortium eting was convened again.
Not even half of the month had passed, and the eting had already been held several tis. This frequency was vastly different from the average of once every half-month or month before.
There was no other way; too many major events had occurred recently. Leaving these major events unaddressed would affect every surviving country in the world; no one could stay aloof, so frequent etings to discuss solutions were necessary.
"Which side leaked the intelligence about the alien entity!"
As soon as the eting began, Mary, the representative committee mber from the Suroma Empire, swept her sharp gaze over the other committee mbers, her words sowhat aggressive.
"I believe it was precisely after obtaining the 'food' intelligence that the parasitized forms dared to confront the Joint Force with such confidence! The fool who leaked the intelligence should be severely punished!"
Although Mary's words were harsh, the committee mbers felt they weren't unjustified.
Those parasitized forms, upon learning they would be used as substitute food for humans to exchange for answers from the alien entity, were furious but also realized a key point: compared to eliminating them, humans would prefer to capture them alive.
At least within the current rule period.
With this understanding, the parasitized forms' offensive beca bolder—they believed the Joint Force wanted to capture them as food, so they wouldn't dare use large-scale destructive weapons, sowhat narrowing the combat power gap between the two sides.
This was undoubtedly very disadvantageous for the human side.
"Given that the parasitized forms may have secretly reached cooperation with the Fire Thief Worship Cult, every mber nation of ours must be vigilant against the infiltration or mind control of important figures within their own countries."
"If top-level figures are truly controlled, it would be difficult to investigate, right?" A committee mber from a small country looked troubled.
The other committee mbers understood what he ant; there were indeed a select few who could not be subjected to inspection and supervision.
Even Mary, who had opened fire imdiately, had no rebuttal for this point.
Just like the Empire's King and so highly respected, powerful Senators in the Senate, these people undoubtedly held a transcendent status within the Empire.
"Regardless of whether it's possible or whether they're willing, for the sake of humanity and themselves, this must be done."
Gao Liangwei, however, did not avoid this topic.
"If the country is destroyed and humanity perishes, no matter how much power one holds, it's just a castle built on sand, collapsing with a gentle push."
Everyone hearing this deeply agreed.
At that mont, a committee mber asked Mary, "How is the situation with the attacks in your country... in Fahe?"
Mary said with a cold face, "These cultists are overestimating themselves, only courting their own destruction. The Empire's powerful war machine will soon crush them!"
"So, you Suroma can handle it yourselves, no need for the Human Consortium's help?" Gao Liangwei asked.
"Not needed."
"Good. Everyone, aside from these bad news, we do have so good news."
Gao Liangwei said, "The two manned rockets, 'Dream Boat One' and 'Empire Pioneer,' have both successfully landed on Terra according to the established plan. Currently, both groups of astronauts have established basic survival points."
Hearing this, the committee mbers showed pleased expressions. This was indeed heartening good news.
Although Terra was just a satellite of Tianshui Star and lacked an atmosphere, making it unsuitable for natural human survival, as long as long-term survival points could be established and self-sufficiency achieved later, there was hope.
This hope was like playing checkers: jump the first step, then based on the first step jump the second, based on the second jump the third, jumping further and further.
If humanity could establish survival bases on Terra and develop its mineral and other resources to build spaceships and rockets, then Terra could serve as a springboard to other planets.
Although clumsy, progressing from one planet to the next like this could allow humanity to go further while establishing enough survival bases on different planets.
If it was later discovered that a certain base could be exempt from the restrictions of the Doomsday Rules, then perhaps humanity would see the dawn, clearing this terrifying ga brought by the Fire Thief ahead of ti.
"Afterwards, we will launch more resource-saving reusable rockets as soon as possible to transport construction materials and other resources there, allowing the survival bases on Terra to take shape quickly."
"And then, we will begin the first batch of large-scale Space Migration."
Gao Liangwei's words made everyone feel more optimistic.
"I think we should quickly discuss the next question to ask the alien entity," said Xisiya committee mber Torafuto at this point. "It's better to ask as many questions as possible within the rule period."
"Correct."
"What should we ask this ti?"
"Based on the integration of proposals and information from various countries' counterasure departnts, there are five questions, listed in no particular order."
"These five questions are as follows:
One, please provide a complete and verifiable unified field theory in a way humans can understand, requiring this theory to explain all fundantal forces and material phenona.
Two, please tell humanity how to better develop and apply Mind Power. Apart from the thods currently mastered by humans, does Mind Power have other modes of application?
Three, based on humanity's current situation, please tell humanity how to more efficiently and easily cope with the challenges brought by the Fire Thief and the Doomsday Rules.
Four, please tell us your spacecraft's jump theory in a way humans can understand, guiding us to obtain interstellar jump capability.
Five, please provide a set of safe, cheap, nearly infinite clean energy that humanity can obtain."
As soon as these five questions were stated, the committee mbers each had their own opinions.
"I think only the second question among these five has so possibility; the other four are too difficult!"
"Indeed. Unified field theory, the Fire Thief and Doomsday Rules, interstellar jump travel, cheap, almost infinite clean energy... Even if that alien entity can answer these questions, how much food would we need to prepare for it?"
"Previously, just the question of how to identify parasitized forms cost nearly three thousand. For these questions, I think thirty thousand wouldn't cover it."
"Thirty thousand? Three hundred thousand!"
"I firmly object!" Torafuto said loudly. "Unless we can capture all parasitized forms and transport them to the Landing Site. Otherwise, asking questions of this difficulty is equivalent to risking the lives of all our Xisiya people!"
Gao Liangwei also said, "Although these top-voted questions are important for humanity, most of them co at a cost we cannot bear. I also believe the second question is relatively more valuable to ask."
Mary had a different opinion: "We in Suroma value the fourth and fifth questions more. With humanity's current space travel speed, we wouldn't even leave the galaxy by the ti all forty-nine rules end...
We need jump technology. And massive amounts of energy are probably the foundation of this technology, so these two questions are complentary."
"In that case, let's decide by vote according to the Human Consortium's regulations."
"Wait." Torafuto said seriously, "If it's a question with a huge cost, our Xisiya should have veto power, because our citizens are the closest to the alien entity."
"Veto power?" Mary raised an eyebrow. "Does your Xisiya have that capability?"
Torafuto insisted, "If the Human Consortium disagrees, then please move the alien entity away from the Sennantata Ice Field to your own country's territory."
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