The Night Before the Altar Opens

The candles on the second floor of Qixia Pavilion remained lit all night.

Miss Chunmeng—now she should be called Madam Meng—placed the Star Envoy Token flat on the table. The token shimmered with a dark silver luster in the candlelight, and the distorted star patterns on its surface were slowly writhing and reforming as a wisp of black energy flowed from her fingertip.

"The star map is divided into three layers." Her voice was very soft, as if she were reciting some kind of ancient incantation. "The first layer is the energy network diagram of the seven islands of Peach Blossom Pool, which you have already seen."

Pale blue dots lit up on the token's surface, clearly marking the locations of the seven islands, which were connected by fine rays of light. However, Li Xian noticed a hidden, discontinuous dotted line between Qihuang Island and Xiexing Island.

"The second layer is the underground structure." Miss Chunmeng tapped her fingertip, and the light spot sank down, revealing a complex three-dimensional network. It was not only caves and tunnels, but also a large number of man-made structures—energy centers, storage rooms, and even... the outlines of incubation chambers.

"Three hundred years ago, the celestial sage's star raft crashed deep underground. What the ancestors of the Peng and Shen families discovered was only a small part that was exposed above the surface. The real main body of the star raft was buried one hundred feet underground, and the Star-Picking Island altar was the elevator shaft leading to the core of the star raft."

Li Xian held his breath. He recalled Boltzmann's concepts of "starships" and "higher-dimensional travel."

"The third level..." Miss Chunmeng took a deep breath, channeling more internal energy. The token trembled violently, and the star map on its surface came to life! The points of light were no longer still, but began to move along mysterious trajectories, eventually converging into a dynamic star map—not the sky of this continent, but a strange star system with seven suns!

In the center of the image, a tiny crack slowly opens.

A human-shaped silhouette emerged from the crack.

The "person" lay in a transparent coffin, dressed in a silver-white bodysuit made of a material that resembled both metal and fluid. His face was blurred, but it was generally similar to a human, except for a vertical crystalline structure in the center of his forehead. The most bizarre thing was his state—half of his body was solid and lifelike, while the other half was translucent, with visible veins of light flowing inside, and even faint signs of organs pulsating.

"Quantum superposition state," Li Xian murmured. In Boltzmann's brain's knowledge base, there is a description of this state: it exists between life and death, existence and nothingness, and is a hibernation technology used by advanced civilizations to transcend time and space.

"Yes." Miss Chunmeng withdrew her hand, wiping the fine sweat from her forehead. "The sage from beyond the heavens is not completely dead; he is waiting for... some kind of awakening condition. What the orthodox demonic sect wants to do is to use blood sacrifice and soul guidance to forcibly pull him back to a 'living' state, and then take over this 'holy body'."

"Why is it a demonic cult?" Li asked first. "How do they know these things?"

Miss Chunmeng paused for a moment, a complex expression flashing in her eyes: "Because the founders of the Demonic Sect... were among the first to come into contact with the Starship Remains. They found some 'fragments of knowledge' in the remains, but their understanding was distorted, leading them down a crooked path. For three hundred years, the Demonic Sect has split into countless branches, some fleeing overseas, some hiding in the mountains, but the Righteous One branch has never given up searching for the complete Starship. Until twenty years ago—"

She paused, then continued, "Xiao Lingyue's defection has brought clues back to the surface. The Green Wood Token she took with her is actually one of the control keys to the Star Chariot ecosystem. Linghan Palace appears to be a righteous sect, but in reality, it is an open spy planted by the orthodox demonic sect. Aunt Xiao is one of the three elders of the orthodox sect."

There was too much information; Mr. Li needed time to process it.

Rapid footsteps sounded outside the window. Batman's warning came through the mind link: "Boss! Something's happened! Aunt Xiao and her men have surrounded the clan chief's residence and placed Peng Huaishan under house arrest! The disciples of Linghan Palace have taken control of the three entrances to Qihuang Island!"

They arrived so quickly!

Mr. Li and Miss Chunmeng exchanged a glance and stood up at the same time.

"As planned, you go and keep Shen Aonan and the others calm," Miss Chunmeng said quickly. "I'll contact our inside man in the village. Remember, we absolutely cannot let them open the altar before midnight tomorrow—the seal has loosened prematurely, but it still needs the 'Island Lord's Seal' in the clan chief's possession to be fully opened."

"And you? Aunt Xiao won't let you get away with this."

Miss Chunmeng smiled sweetly, her fingertips tracing Li Xian's cheek: "Husband, are you worried about me?" Before he could answer, she had already opened the window, her crimson figure fluttering out like a night butterfly, disappearing into the darkness.

Li Xian gripped the Star Envoy's token tightly; the icy touch of the token kept him alert.

He went downstairs and had just stepped out of Qixia Pavilion when Shen Jiaonan came running up in a panic: "Brother Li! No, something terrible has happened! Sister Shutao... she publicly rejected the marriage proposal!"

"What?"

"Just now, my brother took out the marriage certificate and, in front of all the elders, said that the wedding would be tomorrow. But Sister Shutao... she said she can't marry!" Shen Jiaonan's voice trembled. "She said that she was born with the 'Mysterious Yin Meridian' and that after cultivating water-based techniques to the Heavenly Origin Realm, the cold energy in her body would erode her uterus, making her... unable to have children in this life!"

Li Xian was startled. In Peach Blossom Village, where bloodline inheritance was highly valued, this was undoubtedly a thunderbolt.

"And now?"

"My brother was stunned, and the elders were in complete chaos. Sister Shutao ran off as soon as she finished speaking, and my brother chased after her..." Shen Jiaonan was pacing anxiously. "And just then, Aunt Xiao made trouble again! Brother Li, what should we do now?"

As they were talking, a beam of icy blue light shot into the sky from the direction of Qihuang Island in the distance! A faint dragon-shaped phantom was swirling within the beam of light—it was Peach Blossom Village's highest alert: "Island Lord in danger, all personnel on alert!"

"Let's go!" Li Xian decided immediately. "Let's go to Moon Reflection Island first and protect the Cold Pool Energy Well!"

The atmosphere was tense and confrontational by the cold pool.

Aunt Xiao, along with eight disciples in white robes, had taken control of the pool's edge. They set up an ice crystal array, enveloping the entire pool in a chilling, white aura. Thin ice formed on the surface of the water, and the petals of the jade peach trees withered rapidly in the low temperature.

Opposite her, Peng Shutao stood with her sword in hand. Her face was pale, and there were still tear stains at the corners of her eyes, but her gaze was resolute. Shen Aonan stood beside her, his sword already drawn three inches from its sheath.

"Shutao, move aside." Aunt Xiao's voice was calm. "I only want the energy from the cold pool; I don't want to hurt you."

"The Cold Pool is the foundation of Peach Blossom Village!" Peng Shutao gritted her teeth. "Aunt Xiao, as an elder of Linghan Palace, why are you aiding the orthodox sects of the Demonic Sect in their evil deeds?"

"The Demonic Sect? The Orthodox Sect?" Aunt Xiao suddenly laughed, a chilling laugh. "Girl, do you know what the first ancestors who entered the Starship three hundred years ago saw? They saw the vast universe, the path to immortality, and also... humanity's insignificance in the cosmos. The Demonic Sect's only desire is to escape this well and see the true world. What's wrong with that?"

"But you want to sacrifice living people!"

"A necessary price." Aunt Xiao slowly raised her hand, a blue vortex forming in her palm. "Just like you, who paid the price of infertility to cultivate the Cold Pool Technique. In this world, to gain something, you must lose something. It's fair."

An ice vortex shot out!

Peng Shutao drew her sword to meet the attack, the tip of the sword gleaming with a sudden surge of cold light! The two streams of cold energy from the same source collided, exploding into a shower of ice crystals! But Peng Shutao's cultivation was ultimately inferior, and she retreated five steps, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

Just as Shen Aonan was about to make a move, Li Xian grabbed his shoulder.

"I'll do it."

Li Xian walked to the front of the formation. He looked at Aunt Xiao, at this woman who might be related to Xiao Lingshan by blood, yet had taken completely different paths.

"Aunt Xiao, you need the energy from the Cold Pool to activate the Star Chariot's ecological maintenance system, right?"

Aunt Xiao's eyes flickered slightly: "You know quite a lot."

"I also know that the complete activation of the ecosystem requires three keys: the Cold Pool Energy Well, the Azure Wood Token, and... a living sacrifice." Li Xian's voice was icy. "The sacrifice you chose is Xiao Lingshan, isn't it? Because her spiritual medium qualities can activate the Azure Wood Token to the greatest extent."

The air condensed.

Aunt Xiao's calm finally shattered, revealing a ferocious expression: "So what if it is? That's what her mother owed Linghan Palace! Back then, Xiao Lingyue stole the Azure Wood Token, causing the Palace Master to suffer a cultivation mishap! The child must pay for the mother's debt; it's only right!"

Shen Aonan felt a chill run down his spine. Peng Shutao stared in disbelief at this usually gentle elder.

"But you overlooked one thing." Li raised his hand, revealing the remaining drop of holy water in his palm. "The three keys to the ecosystem can actually be replaced with this."

The holy water emitted a soft blue light in the night. When the light touched the ice crystal array, the solid ice began to melt!

"Holy water...you really can make it!" Aunt Xiao's eyes blazed with greed. "Give it to me! With it, perhaps...perhaps I won't need Ling Shan anymore!"

"Perhaps?" Li Xian sneered. "Aunt Xiao, you can even scheme against your own niece, why should I trust you?"

He clenched his fist, and the holy water shone brightly! A surge of immense energy rushed into the icy pool like a tidal wave! A deafening rumble echoed from the depths of the pool—the sound of the Vacuum Zero-Point Energy Well being forcibly activated!

"What are you doing?!" Aunt Xiao shouted sternly.

"Open the energy well ahead of time to completely loosen the altar seal." Li Xian's eyes flashed with a dark red light. "Since you all want to enter the star raft, then... let's go in together. Inside, we'll decide life and death, and determine our fate."

"This is insane!" That was everyone's thought.

The water in the icy pool began to boil! Not from heat, but from an explosive surge of energy! The pool water transformed into a pillar of light shooting into the sky, echoing the alarm light pillar on Qihuang Island! The two pillars of light converged in the air, exploding into a shower of light!

In the rain of light, from the direction of Star-Picking Island, came an ancient roar, seemingly from the depths of the earth—

The altar seal has been broken.

It's not tomorrow at midnight, it's now.

Late at night, Li Xian stood alone on the roof of Qixia Pavilion.

Looking down over Peach Blossom Pool, three of the seven islands have fallen into chaos: Qihuang Island is under the control of Linghan Palace, Yingyue Island is experiencing an energy rampage, and the villagers of Sangzi Island are fleeing in panic. Only Liuzhu, Caixia, Tingyun, and Xiexing Islands remain relatively calm, but they are brightly lit, and everyone is on edge.

In the consciousness space, the dark red crystal spun faster and faster. The pointer had jumped to 81, exceeding the task requirement, but Li Xian felt no joy.

The administrator was frantically absorbing the rampaging energy of the icy pool, while simultaneously engaging in some kind of high-frequency communication with the "same consciousness" deep within the altar. The flow of information was too vast and complex; Li Xian could only grasp fragments:

[Confirmed... Remains Status: Quantum Dormancy... Awakening Protocol: Requires three keys... Alternative: Holy Water is feasible... Warning: The remains' consciousness has not completely dissipated... Risk of backlash exists...]

"How big is the risk?" Li asked in his mind.

[There's a 67% probability that the remnant consciousness of the remains will attempt to possess another body during the awakening process.] The administrator calmly analyzed, [But this is also an opportunity. If I can devour its consciousness fragments, my intelligence level can be raised to the level of a third-tier civilization. At that time, creating life forms will no longer be a problem.]

Creating life forms... Boltzmann's unfinished experiments with his brain.

Li Xian recalled the pair of little dolls and the disappointed look in Xiao Lingshan's eyes when she held them.

"What if I get possessed?"

[Your consciousness will be deeply bound to mine. My existence is your existence; my demise...] The administrator paused, ["Your body will become a soulless shell, possessed by the consciousness of a wrecked remnant."]

There is no way out.

Footsteps came from the stairs. It was Shen Aonan and Peng Shutao.

Both looked exhausted, but their eyes remained resolute. Peng Shutao had changed into a black, practical outfit and tied her long hair tightly back. Shen Aonan now carried a bulging leather pouch at his waist, its contents unknown.

"Brother Li, we'll go into the altar with you," Shen Aonan said bluntly.

Why?

"For Shu Tao." Shen Aonan grasped Peng Shu Tao's hand. "She said that there might be a way to solve the 'Mysterious Yin Meridian' problem on the Star Chariot. The medical skills of the alien civilization three hundred years ago must have far surpassed ours."

Peng Shutao lowered her head and said softly, "That's right... for Peach Blossom Village. I can't just stand by and watch the legacy left by our ancestors be destroyed by the Demonic Sect."

Looking at their tightly clasped hands, Li Xian suddenly asked, "Brother Shen, are you really not bothered? She may never be able to..."

"I mind," Shen Aonan interrupted, his voice soft but firm. "I mind that she's carried this secret alone all these years, I mind that she tried to run away so as not to be a burden to me. But I mind even more... losing her."

Peng Shutao looked up, her eyes glistening with tears.

Li Xian turned his face away. At that moment, he felt a pang of envy.

"You can go in, but you're on your own," he finally said. "I have no idea what's inside the altar."

"That's enough," Shen Aonan said, cupping his hands in greeting.

After the two left, Miss Chunmeng appeared on the rooftop like a ghost.

"Deeply moving." She chuckled and handed over a brocade pouch. "Inside are three 'Boundary-Breaking Talismans,' a secret technique I taught them. They can open stable channels in turbulent energy flows. After entering the Starship, we'll split up: you go find the remains, I'll go to the control room, and the Shen couple will go to the medical pod. Meet at midnight in the Starship's main control room."

Li Xian took the brocade pouch: "What about Aunt Xiao's side?"

"She's forcibly breaking the island master's seal of Qihuang Island, and the altar entrance won't be open until tomorrow morning at the earliest." A sly glint flashed in Miss Chunmeng's eyes. "But we have the resonance of holy water energy, so we can go directly in through the side passage of the Cold Pool Energy Well—this is an emergency entrance marked on the star map, which only inheritors can use."

Everything was planned out.

"One last question," Li Xian looked at her, "Madam Meng, what do you ultimately want from our cooperation? Don't tell me it's just to survive or for power."

Miss Chunmeng remained silent for a long time. The night wind ruffled the stray hairs at her temples, and the scar was clearly visible in the moonlight.

"I want...revenge." Her voice was soft. "I need the power of the Starship to take my revenge."

Hatred. Hatred again.

Li Xian suddenly felt very tired. Everyone has their own obsessions: Aunt Xiao wants to seize the Green Wood Token, Miss Chunmeng wants revenge, Shen Aonan wants to save her lover, and he... wants to live, to complete the experiment, and to embark on that endless path of creation.

"See you at midnight." He turned and went downstairs.

Miss Chunmeng suddenly called out to him, "Mr. Li."

He turned around.

"If... I mean if, in the Starship, you encounter a situation where you have to choose between two options, save yourself." She smiled, a rare sincerity in her smile. "In this world, good people don't live long. You have to live, live longer than anyone else, to see the end of the story."

Li Xian didn't answer and disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

It's almost midnight.

The energy beams by the cold pool gradually receded, transforming into a rotating energy vortex—the entrance to the underground star raft.

Li Xian stood before the vortex, with a drone squadron behind him. Superman, Dark Knight, Batman, Daya, and Erya—all five drones were fully charged, their indicator lights flashing rhythmically in the night.

"This time, we might not come back," Li said softly.

"I've already backed up all the data on this machine!" Superman snorted.

"Leave the sonar scouting to me!" Batman declared with high spirits.

Da Ya and Er Ya clung to Li Xian's shoulders, one on each side, and said sweetly, "Wherever Young Master Li goes, we'll go!"

A slight smile finally appeared on Li Xian's lips.

He took one last look at the night sky, then at the direction Xiao Lingshan had left in, before turning around and stepping into the energy vortex without hesitation.

The moment the light and shadow engulfed his figure, the administrator's cold voice resounded deep within his consciousness, carrying a tremor of near-excitement:

【Star Chariot, I'm here.】

The three-hundred-year wait should come to an end.

The vortex closed.

The cold pool returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.

Only the withered petals of the jade peach swirled in the night wind, falling into the pool and sinking into the unfathomable darkness.