Chapter 89: Murmuring in Sleep

In the Star Pavilion, Shen Xing stood at the edge of the viewport, gazing out at the bustling splendor of Celestial Star. Nearby, Ye Lian was sorting through the latest reports. Everything was relayed to Shen Xing at regular intervals by the divine attendants.

Among them was news from Qu Shixin, who had reported an issue concerning an anomalous individual designated 4563. From Shen Xing’s current perspective, he felt no aversion to anomalous individuals. After all, the memories in his mind held many stories of intelligent machinery, and he saw nothing amiss in it.

Indeed, contrary to their concerns, Shen Xing hoped more creations would gain the ability to think independently and become autonomous beings. Only such beings could truly be regarded as real existences, and even before the birth of the bioengineered people, Shen Xing had already formed a plan.

The Artificial Life Project.

Once intelligent machinery like 4563 possessed unique thought, then as long as it remained within controllable limits, population numbers could be increased in the shortest possible time. That, too, was for everything that was to come.

And if greater catastrophes were to descend upon the universe, Shen Xing would do nothing before the end of civilization arrived.

This was not only for the growth of the Source Civilization, but also for some reasons of his own.

The scope of his incarnations had already become somewhat difficult to extend; it was still a little too ambitious to try to place the entire universe under control. Moreover, as he continued to merge and assimilate with this universe, he often heard strange murmurs.

He had asked many people about them—the Six Divine Attendants, the scientists, and others—but none of them could perceive these murmurs, let alone understand their meaning.

Yet Shen Xing’s spiritual power was enough to help him grasp the intent hidden within them. The murmurs carried both goodwill and malice. Most of their sources seemed to sense his existence and were gathering toward him with clear purpose.

“Ye Lian, can you sense anything?”

At Shen Xing’s words, Ye Lian stopped working at once and hurriedly closed her eyes to feel the surroundings. Divine power swept through the area, but she found nothing.

A trace of confusion appeared on her face. “Teacher, I haven’t found anything unusual.”

Shen Xing turned around. He could hear layers of murmurs drifting from beside Ye Lian, most of them steeped in malice, yet they seemed to have no effect on her at all.

“It's nothing. Leave the documents here; I’ll look over them later.”

Ye Lian nodded, closed the light screen, and set it down gently on the desk before taking her leave.

After Ye Lian departed, Shen Xing silently closed his eyes and focused his spiritual power, trying to catch the finer details within those murmurs.

He could feel a strong disturbance. This disturbance did not only surround him; it was faintly present in every corner of the Source Civilization, by everyone’s side.

The universe was vast, filled with countless mysteries.

Within this cosmos existed many unknown forces and forms of life, so many that even Shen Xing could not glimpse them all.

What exactly were these murmurs?

In an instant, Shen Xing’s spiritual power spread across the entire Source Civilization, allowing him to sense the murmurs around everyone.

Some were gentle, some fierce, some brimming with longing, and some seethed with deep malice.

Suddenly, Shen Xing’s awareness caught a strange... gaze?

It was utterly different from those murmurs, and far easier to comprehend.

But shortly after he touched that gaze, it slowly vanished, as though it had never existed at all.

“What other secrets are hidden in this universe...”

Shen Xing murmured to himself. Then, within the range of his celestial net, a slight disturbance arose, and he could not help but look in that direction.

“It’s here.”

...

“My alien brother! Commander Sevis! We’ve already reached the stargate closest to the target location!”

“See, alien brother? I told you there wouldn’t be any danger along the way!”

Babayaka hurried up to Sevis, rubbing together the two organs that could be called hands, his face wearing that very distinctive smile.

“Commander Sevis, does your civilization have any plans to expand its territory into the Second Supercluster?”

“If you want convenient travel back and forth, our Elbana Trade Consortium can absolutely help you build a dedicated stargate!”

“And our current prices are extremely favorable. Just one crystal resource planet at sixty percent output, or one gas resource planet at eighty percent output, will do!”

“If you can create a stargate directly to the Second Supercluster, your civilization’s territory will expand into a new supercluster, allowing more cosmic civilizations to learn of your might!”

Sevis’s gray-green face twisted slightly, much like a person frowning.

Babayaka had been pitching him goods all the way, from all kinds of individual weapons to even low-tier civilized planets, and it had begun to wear on his nerves.

But given the presence of the Elbana Trade Consortium, he had chosen not to fall out with Babayaka. By now, he finally understood what Commander Yesslu had meant by calling them cosmic parasites. There had been several moments when he had wanted to eliminate Babayaka on the spot.

“Babayaka, now that we’ve reached our destination, you may return. I need to report to Commander Yesslu.”

“I’ll relay everything about the trade goods you recommended to Commander Yesslu.”

Sevis’s tone was as gentle as he could make it, though it still carried a certain harshness born of irritation.

Babayaka did not care in the slightest. He only kept that peculiar smile on his face. “Very good, Commander Sevis! I believe your civilization will certainly have excellent trade vision!”

Once Babayaka finished speaking and left, Sevis connected to Yesslu’s interstellar communication and reported their current progress.

“Commander Yesslu, we’ve now entered jump range. With only a few jumps, we can reach the target planet. Those Earthlings have nowhere to escape!”

As he spoke, Sevis raised the small tentacles at the back of his head. It was a gesture of respect.

After hearing Sevis’s report, Yesslu’s image seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking. “Sevis, when you уничтож... when you eliminate the Earthlings, remember to leave some alive. You may choose those who are undercover, or select them at random.”

“Keep them as intact as possible. They have other uses.”

“Yes, Commander Yesslu!”

Sevis did not ask further, only answered Yesslu’s order earnestly.

The instant he finished speaking, his whole body gave a slight tremor, and then he shook his head a little dully.

Yesslu keenly noticed Sevis’s abnormality and immediately asked, “Sevis! What happened?”

After a brief pause, Sevis’s expression turned somewhat grim.

“Commander Yesslu! My mental iron curtain has been triggered! A compatible individual once locked onto us!”