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The Pope first pressed his fingerprint, and after the fingerprint lock was unlocked, he brought his face close to the sensor for a retinal scan. This verification method is beyond Terra's technological capabilities.

"Authentication successful!"

The emotionless, mechanical voice filled Andorn with an indescribable sense of panic.

The door burst open with a bang, and the sound of gears turning was like an old house finally seeing the light of day again.

The Pope stood at the very front, turned back, and sighed softly:

"Andorn, the answer you seek is here. Successive popes have taken it upon themselves to protect what lies behind the door, prioritizing it even above the lives of all the Sarkaz."

Actually, you should already know without me saying it: Hai Si was never an isolated individual. If we had sent people to rescue Tidestone Town back then, although we could have temporarily repelled Hai Si, we would have soon faced annihilation.

At this point, Andorn was no longer listening.

The sight behind the gate surprised him so much that he almost forgot to breathe.

Rows of life support devices, resembling space hibernation pods, contained countless Sarkaz. Their eyes were closed, their fates uncertain.

Several robotic arms operated automatically, appearing quite busy. And in the center of the front, surprisingly, stood a figure five or six meters tall—a Sarkaz?!

In an instant, Andorn felt his head buzzing as if it were about to explode. Were they mass-producing Sarkaz using Sarkaz bodies here?

……

"A cyborg?"

Xi stood on the rocky platform as they flew, arm in arm with her lover. Looking puzzled, she asked, "..."

"Could it be alien technology you obtained?"

"You could say it is, or you could say it isn't. In any case, it's technology from a pre-civilization era, and it doesn't belong to this land."

Shi Lei had already discovered the mysterious area deep beneath the cathedral when he attended the World Summit.

No matter how well Lateran tries to hide, they have nowhere to hide in the face of mental scanning.

Those rows of biological culture chambers looked like something out of Resident Evil. If Anmataru hadn't mentioned them to him in Sami, there might have been a real misunderstanding.

After Shi Lei successfully closed the stargate and obtained the storage unit device, he consulted Anmatalu about the previous civilization and learned many unknown details.

For example, the North and South Star Gates were built in the previous civilization.

If they are discovered by a cosmic force called the 'Observers' in the future, they can escape through any stargate.

The starry sky was the work of a previous civilization, designed to prevent other cosmic civilizations from discovering the planet.

There's also the Sealings, another ocean cleanup project launched by a previous civilization. After tens of thousands of years of being released, the Sealings have completely broken free from the control of their creator.

Anmatalu has lived in northern Sami for many years and is unaware of what Haisi has evolved into. He simply warned Shi Lei to be extremely careful and not to provoke him lightly.

The Originium that has caused disasters over the past century, as well as various natural calamities that have swept across Terra carrying Originium, were all released by Precys, one of the survivors of the previous civilization.

Precyth's whereabouts are currently unknown, and Anmatar also doesn't know her location. However, they tell Shi Lei that there was a survivor from the previous civilization, namely the Doctor from Rhodes Island.

Shi Lei had collaborated with him many times and long considered him a friend. Given that the Doctor had been suffering from amnesia since waking up in Chernobog, it would be unfair to provoke him if he didn't remember anything from the previous civilization.

Therefore, Shi Lei turned a blind eye and tried his best not to mention civilized matters in front of the doctor.

Then there's the Sarkaz, who are androids created using technology from a previous civilization.

According to Anmataru, the Sarkaz, formerly known as the 'Tikaz,' were the original inhabitants of this planet.

The previous civilization used the genes extracted from them to create the Sarkaz. To distinguish them from the Sarkaz, each Sarkaz was equipped with a halo.

The Lateran Commandments are essentially the survival rules for androids set by the Creator. Similar to the Laws of Robots, these are rules that every Sarkaz must abide by.

If a regular Sarkaz violates this rule, they will be stripped of their Empathy privileges. With all amplification privileges disabled, a Sarkaz will regress into a Sarkaz.

Sakotas, such as the Pope, have higher authority, but Anmatalou is not entirely sure what that authority is.

Shi Lei wouldn't easily leak information that would cause a huge uproar if it were exposed. He only told his bedmate while they were flying in the sky.

Xi is a fragment of the Year Beast's consciousness. Having lived for over a thousand years without aging, it is clear that it has attained immortality. It is highly likely that Xi will remain by its side indefinitely.

As for Texas and Mudrock, their lifespan is at most around one hundred years old, based on human lifespan. This number could increase as productivity increases in various countries.

They're not even thirty yet; thinking about things seventy or eighty years from now is too far-fetched. Shi Lei is a person who lives in the present and just wants to enjoy every day with them.

He told Xi about the androids, not worried that she would leak the secret, treating it as a little secret between lovers.

Before long, Rock Terrace arrived at the Church of Requiem.

Using the rock-forged moon sword that Lappland always carried, Shi Lei pinpointed her location. After landing in the courtyard, he led Xi to find her.

Cecilia's mother's funeral was completed ahead of schedule thanks to Andorn's intervention. The body is currently being cremated, and the ashes will be placed here after the cremation.

Ezel staying by Cecilia's side was not only his personal wish, but also a task required for his official promotion.

Lappland, with her keen sense of smell, immediately came to greet them upon noticing their return:

"So, is it all done?"

Shi Lei nodded, glancing at the dejected Cecilia, but did not go over to disturb her.

After they left the room, Shi Lei inquired about Cecilia's personal intentions. Now an orphan with no parents, it was time for her to consider her future.

"Cecilia, do you want to stay in Laterano or go somewhere else?"

"I, I don't know..."

Shi Lei is wealthy and can sponsor her upbringing. However, continuous sponsorship would diminish Cecilia's ability to be self-reliant, so sponsoring her until adulthood is just right.

"If you want to stay in Laterano, I will cover all your daily expenses until you come of age."

If you don't want to stay here, I'll take you to Longmen to study. There you'll find kids your age everywhere, so you can transfer and study with them.

Seeing Cecilia's troubled expression, Shi Lei smiled and patted her head, comforting her:

"Don't rush, I'll probably stay in Laterano for about three days. Just give me your answer before then."

After saying that, he left his contact information with Aizel, telling him to take good care of the child and to remember to call him if anything happened.

After finishing all that, Shi Lei took Xi and Lappland back to the Central Hospital to meet up with Exusiai. Since she wanted to stay here with her sister Remian, they decided to stay a few more days.

Not long after Shi Lei and his two companions entered the ward, they happened to run into Fiameta and Mostima, who were returning from the cathedral.

Although Remien is currently recuperating, she has not given up her work at the Papal Court and informed them:

"All the lost individuals we just apprehended at the hospital have been released."

Fiamet was taken aback, utterly perplexed. Perhaps they could glean information about Andorn from the lost souls, but they'd let him go so easily.

"Is this His Holiness the Pope's intention?"

"Yes, you'll be going through the five-hall process later, using a notary office agreement to register with Rhodes Island."

Not only did they release the people they had arrested, but they also arranged for her to work for a pharmaceutical company, which puzzled Fiameta greatly.

"why?"

"How would I know? I only know someone who's a mouthpiece. Besides, that company isn't bad."

As someone who has worked with Rhodes Island, Mostima has some authority to speak on this matter:

"The Night Watchman of the Glimmering Light, you've got it all. Travel the world with Rhodes Island, and who knows, you might even get news of Andorn."

"Please shut up!"

Fiameta disliked the nickname Mostima had given her, and her voice suddenly rose. But she quickly realized Shi Lei was present and hurriedly apologized:

"I'm sorry, Mr. Zhongli. I wasn't targeting you just now, it's just..."

"Hehe, it's nothing. But she just mentioned Andorn, are you looking for him?"

Fiameta glanced at Mostima, without going into details of the mission, and gave a general overview:

"Yes, we've been looking for him for eight years."

Before Shi Lei could speak, Lappland interjected:

"Hey, that monk in the Church of Requiem is named Andornye. He has gray hair and a very bright halo around his head."

"what?!"

Fiamet was shocked upon hearing this. After a brief thank you, she immediately went to the Church of Requiem.

She is very efficient and her obsession with capturing Andorn is even stronger than Mostima's.

After searching for eight years, I never expected Andorn to be hiding in Laterano. No wonder I couldn't find him!

Seeing this, Mostima apologized and followed his partner out to avoid any accidents.

……

During the few hours Shi Lei spent at the hospital, both inside and outside the city underwent tremendous changes.

Fiameta first arrived at the Church of Requiem, but Andoan was nowhere to be found. She traced him to the cathedral, only to learn that the Pope had met with him privately and released him.

This led to a major argument between Fiametta and the Pope, or perhaps it was a one-sided venting of her anger. The outcome of years of investigation was something she simply couldn't accept.

Afterwards, Fiameta accepted the mission assigned by the Papal Court and prepared to go to Rhodes Island to relax. Mostima would also accompany her, leaving Laterano for a while.

When Oren's unauthorized departure was exposed, it was discovered that he was linked to an organization secretly attempting to overthrow Lateran. However, the Pope pardoned him upon hearing the news, only stripping Oren of his post as messenger of nations.

Cecilia took two hours to make her decision: she wanted to stay in Laterano. Aizer promised Shi Lei he would help her register her household and would take good care of her in the future.

The exciting news that Liyue was providing alien technology spread rapidly through international communication networks. Like snowflakes falling in winter, it swept across the continent within hours.

Whether the leaders of the nations of Terra acknowledge it or not, this land is about to enter a new era.

Liyue Era!

Because Shi Lei alone raised the level of technology in the Terran countries by hundreds of years.

He then spent three days in Laterano before returning to Liyue with Xi and Lappland.

Exusiai wanted to spend more time with her sister, so she didn't leave with them. Since she didn't have much to do lately, she planned to stay there until she was ready to take a bus back home.

Since outsourcing all of Penguin Logistics' orders to Fengchi Logistics, the messengers have been sitting back and counting their money, no longer needing to return to the Lungmen headquarters. The Emperor, also wanting some peace and quiet, gave everyone a year of paid leave.

During Shi Lei's three days in Laterano, leaders from various Terran countries came to make contact with him one after another.

Some national leaders still have a businessman's mindset, thinking that his claim of providing alien technology is just a gimmick. He publicly says he'll share it for free to gain a good reputation. But when it comes to actual contact, he'll ask for a so-called "friendship price."

But when they actually received these high-tech technologies, enough to spark an energy revolution, for free, they were truly impressed by Shi Lei's grand vision. The potential of these technologies is immeasurable, and it would be reasonable to charge exorbitant prices. But he kept his word and didn't charge a single penny for free.

As the saying goes, "He who takes a man's money is bound to him, and he who eats another man's food is bound

Seeing that the other party hadn't taken a single penny, the leaders of the Terran nations were somewhat uneasy. They had no relation to Shi Lei and couldn't accept this gift with a clear conscience.

After repeatedly confirming the value of these alien technologies with domestic scientists, the leaders, on the same day, announced on the official accounts of government agencies within the Liyue region the establishment of visiting delegations, tourist groups, and trade caravans, signifying increased interaction with Liyue in the future.

They wanted to repay Shi Lei for providing the technology by promoting Liyue's economy in various ways. It would be unreasonable to do nothing.

More importantly, this sharing of alien technology is only the first batch; there will be three more batches in the future. If we don't show a positive and friendly attitude now and maintain our eligibility for future acquisitions, we'll really be losing more than we gain later.

Shi Lei learned of this information, but did not comment on it online or in public.

He now has enough resources and money from the fees he receives from cross-border communication network subscriptions to support the population of over 50,000 in Liyue City and Guili City.

When Shi Lei has enough wealth, money is just a number to him. If he were to publicly say that he is not interested in money, many people would understand.

Upon returning to Liyue, Shi Lei, as usual, delegated internal affairs to his subordinates. He rarely left his residence, focusing his attention on Texas and Mudrock, who were pregnant and awaiting childbirth.

With the help of Hrag and Theresa, Liyue is experiencing an unprecedented period of prosperity. The people live in peace and contentment, and their lives are vastly different from what they used to be.

Theresa was grateful for this.

For millennia, the fate of the Sarkaz Demon Lords seemed predetermined. No matter what changes they made, they would ultimately walk a path paved with thorns and blood. They could only either destroy others or be destroyed; there was no other way. But she found a completely different path with Shi Lei.

As long as Shi Lei lives, the Sarkaz can avoid getting bogged down in war. They can recuperate in Guili City and live the peaceful life they've always dreamed of.

As for dominating the world, forget about it.

In the past, the Demon King conquered the world to allow the Sarkaz to live with more dignity, but now he has achieved that.

Theresa was content as long as her Sarkaz compatriots were doing well. Afterward, she sent people to Kazdel to bring the elderly and children back to the city. As for the refugees who didn't mind the city being full of Sarkaz, they could be allocated houses in the city as long as they signed a pledge not to cause trouble.

The Sarkaz, who had been wandering the world, flocked to Liyue after learning of its beauty. Most of them went to Guili City, which at its peak had a population of 60,000.

Thus, not only is the Sarkaz legitimate in Liyue, but Liyue is also the country with the largest number of Sarkaz.

The people of the world have long suffered from war and discrimination, and people are flocking to seek refuge with them. Seeing that housing was insufficient, Shi Lei spent a day expanding a large economic and trade zone in the outer city of Liyue. In addition to providing comfortable residences, he also built an offline trading exchange.

When Shi Lei was building a transnational communications network, the resulting online shopping took away a share of the profits of many capitalists.

Due to their limited individual strength, they knew they could not contend with Liyue and could only accept reality with resentment.