Cosmic Demon

Chapter 312 A Generation's Long-cherished Wish, Unwilling to Be Wasted

Qin Shi floats in He Lanchan's memory; more accurately, this is the past of that deputy commander, and everything unfolds from his perspective.

The entire process of Dongxia, established by the nine generals, from its infancy to its first steps, was imprinted in the minds of Qin Shi.

It is an extremely grand image, carrying the ideals of countless living beings who have followed one another in their footsteps.

"On a macroscopic scale of the universe, a thousand years, ten thousand years, or even a hundred million years are all very short moments."

The existence of an individual is insignificant in the face of time.

From the perspective of the deputy commander, Qin Shuai's figure always walked in front, like an insurmountable and reassuring monument and beacon.

The setting sun was like blood, and the clouds on the horizon were dyed crimson by the afterglow.

Qin Shuai, wearing a military overcoat, stood on the mountaintop, overlooking the towering peaks and raging waves, a magnificent view.

"For an individual life to reach that level of immortality, it needs to embrace civilization and resonate with the universe. In ancient times, this was called 'harmony with the Tao'."

"Yan Haishan and Ning Yuanhai lived in an era when Dongxia had not yet shown its current prosperity."

As the most outstanding beings born of civilization, they could only submit to the will of the pillar deities.

They became war gods, but they also lost the possibility of going any further.

Qin Shi heard the deputy commander raise a question:

"Brother, why does conforming to the pillar mean losing the future of advancing to 'immortality'?"

Qin Shuai raised his hand and pointed into the distance. Wild geese were migrating across the sky, and below them was a vast and boundless jungle where all kinds of animals were running around, showing the vitality of nature.

The wonder and mystery of life lie in its infinite possibilities.

Natural selection drives individuals to continuously evolve towards becoming stronger or more suitable.

Ah Yue, if you look down from the highest point, you will understand how long it takes for a vast civilization to produce a person with the potential to challenge the God of War after generations of inheritance, mutation, competition and elimination.

That was a miracle, a miracle that even the pillars of the gods could hardly replicate.

Qin Shuai said slowly:

"Therefore, the most valuable thing for any individual race in any civilization is 'infinite possibilities'."

Once they choose to give up, that door closes.

At this point, Qin Shuai turned around, his gaze seemingly encompassing mountains and seas, infinitely broad and distant.

Even though they were separated by a great distance of time, Qin Shi could still feel that unique aura that swept over him and filled his heart.

"Ah Yue, there is no savior in the universe. To create a future for civilization and to move towards an infinitely brilliant future, we must rely on ourselves."

It turned out to be like this...

Qin Shi suddenly realized.

Only by grasping the "infinite possibilities of individual evolution" can one have the opportunity to step into the hall supported by those pillars.

"Beyond the God of War, one becomes a pillar of the universe..."

Qin Shi's thoughts were in turmoil. He felt as if he were walking in a fog, with scenes constantly changing: the Fourth Battle Group's bloody expedition, several large-scale battles, the successive slumber of the Nine Marshals, and their eternal rest in the Heavenly Crystal Coffin...

"Brother, I cannot take over the Fourth Battle Group..."

Inside the Great Hall of the Imperial Capital, Qin Shuai was dressed in a gray suit, with a few strands of silver hair.

Although this supreme meritorious official of Dongxia stood straight and still had a majestic figure, the years had still left indelible and clear marks on his body, which was once a god of war.

The grand hall, majestic and expansive, seemed to be covered by a dome. The two brothers walked side by side to the center, where a huge totem of civilization hung like a painting.

"You have concerns?"

"I asked Qin Shuai."

"Several marshals will soon be laid to rest. I am very close to that step. Once I take it, I will become the true standard-bearer of the new Dongxia."

If the Fourth Battle Group were also under my control, coupled with my entanglement with the various royal families…

The vice-commander's voice was low and deep.

"Has someone from the Zhu royal family come to you?"

Qin Shuai keenly sensed the unfinished meaning in his younger brother's words.

"Yes. The restorationists have been lobbying me several times in secret, hoping that I will revive the destiny of the Zhu clan."

The vice-coach spoke frankly and directly.

“Ah Yue, you are not the type to be afraid of rumors. Those remnants of the restoration party hiding in the shadows are only being spared because they care about the Zhu family and don’t want to wipe them out completely.”

There must be other reasons.

Qin Shuai knows his younger brother very well. He has never married and never hesitates for personal reasons. He has always been grooming Qin Yue as his successor.

"Some people say that I handed over the Fourth Battle Group to my younger brother because I wanted to establish a family dynasty, but I have seen your ability, your character, and your enthusiasm for Dongxia."

I don't want to be some kind of saint of the new Dongxia, nor do I intend to be a deity placed on an altar to be worshipped and fed with incense.

As the saying goes, the way to distinguish truth from falsehood always lies in practice.

Ah Yue, don't hold back, let's talk things out openly, brothers.

Qin Shuai chuckled. In fact, in the memories Qin Shi had seen, this supreme figure who supported most of the new Dongxia did not have the profound and majestic presence of a leader.

On the contrary, he almost always appears as a kind, approachable, and even fatherly figure.

"Big Brother." The deputy commander seemed to be in a dilemma. For a natural-born general who had led the Fourth Battle Group and won many group battles to hesitate like this, it was clear how heavy the words he was holding in his heart were.

“I…have been to the summit of the stars and made contact with powerful races beyond the Milky Way.”

"Ah."

Qin Shuai nodded. The summit of the stars was the "road" leading beyond the Milky Way.

To be precise, they are beacons leading to the various sources of life in the vast universe.

Anyone who carves their name atop the stars and wins the "championship" will have the opportunity to be baptized by the source of life in the universe.

This is exactly what the ancients called a predestined connection with the immortals!
The ultimate goal of developing vitality is to reach the "source" that has existed through numerous great extinctions.

The benefits that any race can gain from entering it and receiving baptism are immeasurable.

Qin Shuai was one of them.

Of the nine great powers, only six remain today. The powerful 'Undead' race and the glorious 'Machine' race have both vanished.

The reason behind it, brother, you probably already know: they chose to resist the Great Annihilation, and then they were annihilated.

Qin Shuai gradually stopped smiling; he seemed to understand what his younger brother wanted to say.

The deputy commander's voice was stirring. He gazed at the enormous civilization totem and said in a deep voice:
"That was an extraordinary winter, the end of civilization. All that was real would become illusion; all that existed would be erased."

If the universe is a vast ocean, then every civilization is a castle built of sand; it will collapse when battered by the waves.

Qin Shuai remained silent.

The deputy coach is still continuing:

"The twelve divine pillars represent twelve super civilizations that have been completely wiped out!"

They extinguished the flame of civilization with their own hands, then embraced the universe and became its pillars.

They intend to devour more paths, making their foundations stronger, so that they can stand firm through one great annihilation after another.

I have no intention of criticizing, nor am I qualified to. The pillars are lofty and enduring, and they must be right.

I'm just thinking about how Dongxia should face that great annihilation now.

Maintaining the flame of civilization solely through great expeditions is far from enough! Even if we were to reclaim all the territories from the imperial era… Brother…”

Qin Shi seemed to have reached a spiritual resonance with the deputy commander. He sensed that this legendary figure who had taught He Lanchan and whom the Fourth Battle Group still remembered to this day actually had a trace of fear in his heart.

It seems that students are afraid of making mistakes and disappointing their teachers.

"No need to continue."

Qin Shuai raised his hand, interrupting the vice-commander.

“Ah Yue, that path goes against the way I believe in and practice.”

The vice-commander seemed unsurprised, but visibly disappointed. He hung his head, like a child who had done something wrong, and murmured:
"I'm sorry, brother."

Qin Shuai waved his hand again. He stood in front of the huge civilization totem, and even though his younger brother, his most favored successor, was next to him, his figure appeared somewhat lonely.

"Among the nine marshals, I am not the only one who has been to the Summit of Stars."

Many years ago, we discussed which direction New East Asia should go.

Civilization is a very complex concept; it is both collective and individual, both grand and insignificant.

Old Yang told me that this path is not easy to choose. If you go left, you will return to the old path. If you go right, you will have to submit to the pillars and willingly wear shackles.

I've talked to Lao Ying about this, and he has a slightly different view. He believes there's no perfect solution in this world; as long as it benefits the vast majority of people, even if it's only in the short term, that's enough. No one can see what will happen 10,000 or 100 million years from now. Let future generations judge right and wrong; worrying too much about that is just trying to gild your image and become a saint.

Old Ying comes from a scholarly family and has a deep cultural background; he's deliberately using this to put me down.

Qin Shuai spoke of these things with a smile, but it quickly turned into a long sigh.

"Old Yang can see the problems, but doesn't know how to solve them. Old Ying, on the other hand, is pragmatic and comprehensive. You can't say that the path he wants to take is wrong, but the long-term development of civilization often takes a thousand or ten thousand years to see whether it's good or bad."

Short-term gains are like living beyond your means; you'll have to pay the price eventually.

Qin Shuai gazed deeply at his younger brother and sighed:

"You're too left-leaning, and Lao Ying is too right-leaning. You want me to be the emperor of Dongxia, to use civilization to elevate me to become the thirteenth pillar of the universe."

But if I become the pillar, everyone in Dongxia will lose that 'infinite possibility.' They will be lives confined in a cage, no longer possessing an individual future or the freedom to choose.

The vice-commander's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Qin Shuai's gaze remained calm:

"You mean to say that it's not important, right?"

The supreme ruler, universally acknowledged by the new Eastern Xia, shook his head very slowly and solemnly:

"This is very important! Civilization is a cradle, not a pasture, but if the cradle can no longer nurture hope, but instead provides nourishment for a certain existence... then things change."

I do not wish for the Eastern Xia Dynasty to be usurped by some behemoth for the next thousand or ten thousand years, and for its 'infinite potential' to be continuously exploited by some living being.

In that case…”

For the first time, a look of sadness appeared on Qin Shuai's face.

“I feel like all of us, and all those who have sacrificed alongside me, have… gone down the drain.”

(End of this chapter)