An invasion from the Abyss? I, a demonic cultivator, laughed.

Chapter 291 Rapid Advancement of Civilization

"The spirit of the artifact..." Guan Ke's words made Chu Xiu look thoughtful.

He had indeed heard of this saying. In the legacy of the Demon Lord Duobao, there was also an introduction to artifact spirits. A suitable artifact spirit could greatly enhance the flexibility and power of a magical artifact.

For high-level magical artifacts, a spirit is almost a must-have, and some even possess their own consciousness.

A massive and complex system like the Titan Machine is just as difficult to control as a high-level magic weapon, and it certainly needs a spirit.

"So, to fully unleash the power of the Titan Machine, we still need to find a dedicated spirit for it, right?"

"That's the theory, but although I can't unleash my full strength, my mental power as a mechanic is stronger than others of the same level, and I have a natural affinity for machines, so I'm definitely better than others. The two King-level seniors are probably not as good as me." As if afraid that Chu Xiu would find someone else to replace him, Guan Ke quickly said.

Chu Xiu stroked his chin.

So, the best candidate would be a mechanic spirit?
But he didn't say anything more, only saying, "Don't think too much, just do your best. If you do well, I will give you an extra reward."

As he spoke, he flipped his wrist, and an upgrade core appeared in his hand.

This immediately made Guan Ke's eyes widen.

Is this the upgrade core for the S-class?

No, such a valuable item was just casually taken out like that?

As a mechanic, she would receive a huge boost if she could reach S-rank! However, upgrade cores are still too precious for someone from a commoner family like her.

If things had gone according to plan, and she hadn't risked her life to explore the abyss, but instead had worked honestly, it would have taken her at least several decades to barely save up enough money.

"I will come back to inspect it in a year. If you can satisfy me, this item is yours."

Chu Xiu was unusually generous this time. Guan Ke had already been hired as his bodyguard, and her improved strength provided greater security for the civilization.

These words brought a look of ecstatic joy to Guan Ke, who quickly replied, "As long as the government can give me enough support, I guarantee I will do my utmost, perfect every detail, and maximize the power of this weapon!"

Chu Xiu nodded and began talking to a nearby government official.

After talking for a while, he also had a clear idea of ​​what was going on.

The chain reaction triggered by the weapon that Chu Xiu brought back has a huge impact.

It has been almost ten months since the Blood Sea fell. According to government officials, it will take about one to two years for the various Blood Demons to reach their power limits and launch a worldwide "battle royale".

At that time, due to the failure of the Qin Xiang Trial, the government will be completely unable to protect civilization.

However, with the Titan machine, the stability of civilization will be greatly improved once security is guaranteed! The chances of developing into a portal between worlds will also be fundamentally changed, so the government can be almost 100% certain that it will increase investment.

Moreover, and more importantly, the government is able to recall the awakened ones who underwent the trials.

For some reason, Earth is quite unique; anyone who comes of age can participate in the Awakening Trial.

After the Awakening Trial, nearly 1000 Awakeners survived, but the vast majority of them chose to develop elsewhere due to their concerns about the dangers of the world.

Currently, there are only a few original Awakened Ones and dozens of high-ranking Awakened Ones recruited later in the Corpse Demon World.

However, if the safety of the base can be ensured, it is conservatively estimated that two to three hundred awakened individuals will flood back in! It is even possible that more than five hundred will be involved!
After all, this place contains a lot of opportunities. Just like what Teacher Chu Xiu and the others said before, the Awakening World is the greatest opportunity for an Awakener in the early stages.

Although they are generally of low rank, such an extraordinary force can still greatly accelerate the development of civilization.

Putting everything else aside, just having them work as free transporters would allow them to move a lot of goods in a two-week cycle!
Unfortunately, of the people Chu Xiu rescued from Peach Blossom Spring, only a few elites were passively conscripted, and it seems that this was also the case during the Aurora period, before the destruction of the Corpse World; only a minority of those who awakened.

Otherwise, even if only one-tenth of those 20,000 people can awaken, that would still be a great help.

Without giving it any further thought, Chu Xiu was already quite satisfied with the current trend of civilization's development.

However, he still wanted to add fuel to the fire on this rapidly developing train!

With a thought, Chu Xiu saw the Civilization Panel appear before him.

Civilization Points can be used to directly unlock [Technology], [Traits], and [Wonder Buildings]!
With just a thought, all three initial features of the Civilization Tree were unlocked!
[Establish the "Want to Survive" trait by spending 14.1 Civilization Points!]

[Consuming 12.4 Civilization Points unlocks the technology "Blood Energy Extraction"!]

[Each building, "Pioneer Sculpture," will be unlocked for 22.1 Civilization Points!]

In an instant, a magnificent statue began to take shape atop the Titan machine, and a wondrous radiance enveloped an area of ​​twenty kilometers in radius.

According to the people at the point, they felt that deep within their genes, something seemed to be being modified by some force, and a kind of magical change was taking place.

At the same time, beams of light formed in the void and fell into Chu Xiu's hands, containing all the knowledge of the "blood energy extraction" technology.

Next, a brand new Civilization Tree was unlocked, and a large number of extraordinary skills, traits, and buildings appeared before Chu Xiu.

Chu Xiu scanned the area with his divine sense and quickly browsed through all the newly unlocked items.

The three civilization trees include a technology tree that primarily focuses on the utilization of blood energy, while the wonders are incredibly diverse, encompassing everything from those that increase civilization points to those used for defense, and even those that alter the weather or increase agricultural output.

If Chu Xiu had enough civilization points, he could even create something out of thin air, like a geocentric orbital cannon to fight against extraterrestrial life.

"Currently, our civilization is focused on development, prioritizing the unlocking of blood-related special skills."

After a few quick calculations in his mind, Chu Xiu already had a plan in mind.

[Consuming 16.2 Civilization Points, unlock the technology "Basic Principles of Blood Energy"!]

[Consuming 12.9 Civilization Points unlocks the technology "Blood Energy Transfer Principle"!]

[Consumes 21.2 Civilization Points to unlock the technology "Blood Energy Conversion and Combustion"!]

……

As he continued to invest Civilization Points, Chu Xiu unlocked a total of six Blood Energy-related technologies!

In the world of Shiki, the main population is still the original inhabitants rescued from Peach Blossom Spring. Only by making full use of the power of these 20,000 people can the development of civilization proceed sustainably. Developing based on the world's existing resources will achieve twice the result with half the effort!

This is also why Chu Xiu prioritized unlocking Blood Energy Technology.

Blood energy, like nuclear energy, is not easy to extract and utilize, and it also poses similar hazards to nuclear radiation. Therefore, even though government scientists have discovered this energy source, they have been unable to find a way to utilize it.

Simply put, even if these unlocked technologies are handed over to the government, they may not be able to utilize them effectively.

We still need the indigenous people! They are the very spark of civilization itself!
Chu Xiu waved his hand and unlocked more! This time it was a special trait!
[Establish the trait "Blood Adaptability" by spending 17.2 Civilization Points!]

[Consuming 13.3 Civilization Points unlocks the trait "Blood Affinity"!]

[Consume 28.9 Civilization Points to unlock the trait "Blood Energy Absorption and Evolution"!]

Three more related traits have been unlocked, and the people of the Chu Xiu civilization now have a high degree of adaptability to blood energy! Not only can they manually extract it with their bodies, but they can even absorb and convert it into their own power! In other words, they can use blood energy to level up!
Once Chu Xiu's people have fully adapted and mastered it, their evolution level will begin to increase rapidly!
After doing all this, Chu Xiu finally unlocked one building.

Prayer Tower

The effect of this building is simple: when the seeds of civilization gather in the prayer tower, it increases the power of the civilization.

Chu Xiu unlocked a whole bunch of special skills and traits, but it only cost him a little over 200 civilization points. Since they were all basic technologies and traits, the cost wasn't high.

Chu Xiu didn't dare to spend too much at once, otherwise it would inevitably arouse suspicion from those with ulterior motives. He still needed to keep his ability to clear the End difficulty level a secret.

He'll get investment through the single-player mode, and once he clears the final stage, even the Heavenly King will probably be tempted to take action against him.

Furthermore, any extra civilization points can be used as his trump card.

The ruler of a civilization gains attribute bonuses within their civilization's domain. The Prayer Tower built by Chu Xiu further enhances these bonuses based on the strength and faith of the people who enter it.

At the same time, Chu Xiu can also consume civilization points to increase his power.

Some civilization leaders have accumulated hundreds of thousands of civilization points in their own civilizations, making them virtually invincible in their respective domains.

Civilization points can be considered equivalent to a civilization's stockpile of weapons and ammunition.

Chu Xiu intends to use this place as his last trump card. At that time, even if someone covets his civilization, they will have to defeat him fair and square in his territory!

Within this domain, Chu Xiu was even confident he could fight against powerful heroic spirits!
Furthermore, if he were to engage in deep-sea diving in the future, he planned to mark the diving safety rope in his own world to enhance safety.

At the same time, he also plans to accumulate a batch of prerequisite technologies, namely [Spatial Anchoring] and [Short-Term Spatial Rift], to unlock the interdimensional portal.

The Titan machine is already equipped with all the necessary tools to enable this special ability. Once these two technologies are unlocked, remote fire support can be achieved immediately.

Their requirements are not difficult to meet; even including prerequisites, they only require a little over two thousand civilization points to accumulate, so there is still hope.

Next, Chu Xiu handed over the technology he had unlocked to government staff and then left the project to these professionals to plan the development of civilization.

Unlocking so many technologies and traits at once left the government officials completely bewildered. They had barely gotten their civilization into a period of rapid development and hadn't even had a few days to rest before they had to work overtime again.

They had never seen such rapid progress in the development of civilization.

The development of civilization is measured in years.

Other civilizations take years or even decades to develop a rudimentary form of civilization, and many more are plundered before they even take shape.

Chu Xiu has only been here for less than a year, yet he has already entered the next stage, which is utterly outrageous.

As for the shock of the crowd, Chu Xiu felt it was nothing serious. Civilization was just one of his opportunities, and not the main force of his development.

"The most important thing is still the strength of my physical body. At present, I still need to focus my main energy on earning a lot of causal points to cultivate the six fundamental techniques."

Chu Xiu pondered for a while before making his decision.

The primary goal at present is naturally to re-enter the world of the Hundred Demons' Furnace and replenish the demon army.

After his battle with Meng Xuanshu, the strength of his ghost army has plummeted to less than one-third. However, if he can successfully hunt that super-large ghost, he can not only make up for all the losses, but also strengthen the overall strength of the ghost army to another level.

At the same time, the agreement he made with the domain spirits can also be fulfilled.

After defeating that giant ghost, his strength will be enhanced once again. At that time, he can choose to hunt heroic ghosts at the bottom of the Hundred Ghosts Furnace, participate in the King-level duel in the Blood Arena, or directly begin free deep diving.

"Although I have now been promoted to the King rank, it is still a bit difficult to confront and kill this behemoth head-on."

If the Titan Machine could be built and developed to have cross-space attack capabilities, then he could replicate the battle in the Trial where he killed the Blood Demon Colossus. But now, he is alone and still lacks effective means to deal with such a large creature.

"Let's upgrade first and see."

With his mind made up, Chu Xiu couldn't wait to start adding points. He was very curious about how much strength four million karma points could push him to!
Thinking of this, he immediately prepared to find a secluded place to begin his cultivation.

However, just as he sat cross-legged in a cave and set up a defensive array, he suddenly sensed someone in Yuancheng sending him a message.

"Is it Yazi? The Investigation Bureau is really quick."

Chu Xiu also had something to discuss with the other party. Meng Xuanshu's words had bothered him greatly, so after a moment's thought, he immersed his consciousness into Yuancheng.

The moment he opened his eyes, he met a pair of cold, angry eyes.

"You went to participate in the trials? Why didn't you tell the government beforehand?"

Ya Zi immediately questioned him.

Chu Xiu said, "I feel that I'm almost ready, so I'll start the trial. The government has already helped me a lot, and I can't trouble the government with everything."

Ya Zi was not convinced by his words at all, and sneered, "I think you're just afraid that someone will discover your identity during the trial, so you've kept quiet, haven't you?"

"You don't trust the government? I can understand that, but do you know how reckless your actions are? That's the ancient trial of the King Rank! Countless Civilization Envoys have lost their qualifications there!"

"Your ancient evidence is not just yours! If you lose the authority of the Lord of Civilization, all that government investment will be wasted! Do you even understand the responsibility you bear now?"

Seeing that Ya Zi was truly angry, Chu Xiu quickly smiled apologetically and said, "This junior knows he was wrong, but didn't it pass?"

Ya Zi's expression remained displeased: "Even if you manage to pass this time by luck, if you communicate with the government beforehand and strengthen your defenses, you might be able to pass a higher level of difficulty. So what difficulty did you finally pass?"

"Single," Chu Xiu said with a forced smile.

Hearing this, Ya Zhi's expression softened slightly, but her tone remained unfriendly: "Listen carefully, I'll let this go this time. But for the next Heroic Spirit Trial, you must communicate with the government before participating!"

"The Trial of Heroes is a threshold, and its difficulty is absolutely incomparable to any trial you have participated in before. If you participate based solely on your past experience, you will almost certainly die inside!"

"Let me tell you, so far, no one has been able to pass the Ancient Trials of Heroic Spirits. Every civilization in the history of Earth has failed in it, and half of them challenged the easiest four-person difficulty!"

Hearing Ya Zi's angry voice, Chu Xiu quickly said, "Senior, don't worry. I was reckless this time. I will definitely inform you before the next trial!"

After hearing his words, Ya Zi's expression improved.

He waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's not talk about that. There's another matter I wanted to discuss with you today."

"That means it's time for you to choose a faction to join."

"Your advancement this time has caused too much of a stir. Even if our Investigation Bureau wanted to suppress the news, it would be impossible. It's almost certain to attract the covetous eyes of those with ulterior motives regarding that [Soul-Gathering Treasure Box], haven't you? Don't be fooled by the calm surface now; countless people are watching you from the shadows!"

"But if you have a powerful backer, you can fend off many covetous eyes."

"Unions, the military, and chambers of commerce are all good options. If you wish, I can even personally introduce you to the Heavenly King. Moreover, the cultivation of the King rank requires a large number of karma points and resources. Without the support of a force, your path ahead will be very difficult."

Ya Zi's words made Chu Xiu ponder. In fact, what he said made a lot of sense, but what Ya Zi didn't know was that he had the ability to safely dive deep.

With the ultimate rewards of the [Deep Diving Safety Rope] and the [Xi Huang Searchlight], which no one had ever obtained before, deep diving, which was extremely dangerous for others, was just a challenging option for Chu Xiu.

If one can safely dive deep, the resources in the abyss are far more than any other faction can provide, and while hiding in the abyss, one need not worry about others spying on one.

Joining a faction actually means that he has to trust that faction.

Chu Xiu quickly made a judgment: if he were to encounter a crisis one day and his life-saving deep-sea diving safety rope were used up, he would begin to consider Ya Zi's arrangements.

With this thought in mind, Chu Xiu clasped his hands in agreement.

After saying all this, Ya Zi prepared to leave, but at this moment, Chu Xiu suddenly asked a question:
"Senior, are you familiar with the Path of Heroic Spirits?"

(End of this chapter)