Above The Sky-Chapter 1922 - 400: Listen, to the Eternal Tides
All of it stems from a lack of resources.
From the first budding of life underwater, to the gigantic beasts of the Stone Age, to when humans first stood upright, the development of civilization, the transformation of human morality, the many scientific and technological advancements, and the evolution of thought, one question has always plagued everyone.
The scarcity of resources.
Single-celled organisms competed for organic matter, multicellular organisms preyed on other creatures and algae, the photosynthesis of plants required competing for the best positions in sunlight, algae grew longer, trees grew taller.
Because of scarce resources, competition arose between organisms. Those who adapted to the environment of their time were able to survive, thus leaving descendants... Generation after generation of mass extinctions and ecological upheavals eventually led to the birth of humans.
From birth to death, life is entirely a process of struggle.
And the origin of struggle lies in ’scarcity’.
The human society was born from this as well.
Because of lack of strength, there is a need for unity to accomplish things that one person alone could not;
Because of lack of resources, there is a need for expansion, to venture into distant unfamiliar lands to find new resource points.
Due to a lack of security, intangible morals, laws, and philosophy began to nurture and emerge. People used these imaginary constructs and consensus to bind each person’s mind together, creating a massive human collective known as city-states and nations, the Leviathan Behemoth.
And due to the scarcity of resources, these Behemoths would also fight to the death, the survivors consuming the bodies of the deceased, much like their ancestors hunted billions of years ago.
Indistinguishable.
As long as there is still resource scarcity, and internal competition and conflict over resources, a civilization cannot be considered mature... However, at the very least, those that manage to build up a nation and civilization, and begin to gaze at the stars, could be considered children.
Even though they still lack resources, they already have the boundless stars to explore, and the process by which a civilization gradually probes into the starry sky, develops its technology, and eventually creates a ’Perpetual Motion Machine’ is the ’coming of age’ ritual for all civilizations in this universe.
They step onto the ’Path of the Dao’ of the ’Star Gods’.
Of course, this is just the first step.
What the Perpetual Motion Machine solves is merely the scarcity of resources, the shortage of energy. But shortages of security, of life, and of Logos remain to be solved... Nevertheless, it marks the first step.
The first step towards the [Infinite].
However, Terra lost this opportunity.
This is a planet scarce in ’hope’, a solitary speck of dust preserved in a Cradle and Infernal Heaven.
Their growth was interrupted, their future path sealed.
As it stands now, if they wish to escape the aimless and uncertain childhood phase and become a mature civilization, thereby solving all the problems on Terra, there is only one possibility.
Which is, the Perpetual Motion Machine.
[Ethereal Crystal Perpetual Motion Machine]
[People, we have forgotten our past, forgotten history and Logos, so today I must proclaim all this to you, so you may understand how profound the shadows behind everything in this world are.]
[Thanks to Inega II, whose memory and personality are like a sun, piercing through this haze for you. Otherwise, even I would probably be unable to make you comprehend all of this.]
[Everything originates from the ancient ’Star God’, the creator of all life, intelligence, and civilization in this universe.]
Without any concealment, what Ian narrated was the ’truth’, the oldest and most authentic ’truth’ of this universe that even most Fifth Energy Level powerhouses were not fully aware of.
For most of those at the Fifth Energy Level, they indeed understand some secrets about the starry sky, the distance, and pre-epoch civilizations, but that is all. In the end, they are prisoners born on starless Terra, more concerned with the present over these faraway matters.
Even if they are aware of some information about the Star Gods, none would delve further—it brings no tangible benefits to their dreams and rule given that these entities are too ancient and completely vanished. Since that’s the case, why bother to understand the so-called ’truth’?
The truth cannot alter the present nor make them stronger.
But now, things have changed.
Because this Black Sun, this Silverpeak Seer, is proclaiming to everyone, to everyone, announcing the ancient secrets and the source of the ’most powerful force’!
Amazingly, he is revealing the secrets of the Star Gods and Perpetual Motion Machine to ordinary people?!
—Intolerable, how can these things be shared with ordinary people!
—What is he trying to do? Why is he telling me all this?
—What kind of future has Ian Silverpeak seen to be driven to such madness?!
Some powerful figures tried to stop Ian’s discourse, but another group of powerhouses stopped them.
[Do not let him continue speaking!]
[Let him speak!]
[I must see what the Setal Imperial Family and your Seer truly know to drive them so mad!]
Some knew, therefore did not want others to know, some did not know, and thus wanted to find out.
When curiosity is piqued, the world will advance regardless of who you are.
So, Ian paused for a moment, then laughed softly, raised his hand, and endless stardust floated up, weaving into intertwined chains of dazzling light in the Firmament, these chains interconnected and fused, forming a colossal structure, appearing like cotton again and budding new branches.
