Those who face the wall, but are in the Nascent Soul stage.

Chapter 474 "Festivals That Cannot Coexist"

As the Eternal Song departed from the Silent Garden and flew toward the end of the First Deadline.

Lightship A, which destroyed the fringe civilization, floats in deep space along with two other lightships, less than 16 light-years from the Eternal Song, looking down at the blue-green disc-shaped planet below.

Lightship A: "Is this the civilization you found, about to hatch?"

Lightship B: "Of course! You've come at the perfect time; they're about to hatch!"

Lightship C, who had come specifically to see what was going on, asked, "Why is this planet round... Does this civilization have a name?"

Lightship B: "The disc-shaped planets are indeed strange. As for their names, let's just call them Disc Stars for now. They've given themselves names, but we'll have to ask them to find out. Right now, they're hatching, so let's not disturb them."

Lightship C: "Then let's wait a bit longer. After we've enjoyed watching them hatch, mark it so that the subsequent large rescue team can move this planet away. A Class 5B civilization can no longer be moved roughly; that would throw the civilization into panic. We must move the entire star system away without them even realizing it."

The remaining two lightships agreed.

If the civilization level is no higher than 3C, you can simply move the planet. However, if it exceeds level B, you need to consider moving the entire star system as well.

Currently, deep within the galactic disk region on the inner side of the first spiral arm, a 'refugee zone' with a radius of 500 light-years has been established, responsible for gathering interstellar refugee civilizations rescued by frontline rescue teams due to the carbon-silicon war.

Unfortunately, the lightships' ability is limited to moving planets; they cannot move stars. They can only wait for the Carbon-Based Federation's professional rescue team.

Civilizations below level 8A are at best considered civilian rescue teams.

The 6A-level Lamp Spirit civilization, along with what can only be described as a 'cat and dog' rescue team, is responsible for transferring interstellar refugees from civilizations below level B.

While A, B, and C were discussing the matter, a message came from the lightship E after a while.

"Is there any light coming to check on me? It's really strange. There isn't a single living intelligent being in this civilization... I've already decided to land on this technological planet and investigate it in person."

Lightships A, B, and C: "No interest, we want to celebrate this civilization's birthday."

Lightship E: "Holy crap, this planet has an automated defense system, and there are tons of nanobots attacking us. What the hell is this? What do you mean I've trespassed into the 'End Producer's' courtyard?"

The irritable lightship E was cursing and swearing on the communication channel, but unfortunately, lightships A, B, and C were already engrossed in the 'birthday' of the civilization below and didn't pay any attention to it.

...

On the azure forests and green meadows of the Epsilon Eridani star system, giant swarms of purplish-gold jellyfish dance gracefully in the breeze.

They are the "Eridanus," and also the symbiotic consciousness of this planet itself.

Though called jellyfish, they are more like some kind of crystal, but at this moment only jellyfish can describe them. The pulse of each jellyfish crystal stirs up tiny ripples in the breeze, and billions of ripples intertwine to form an ocean of thought, in which they communicate freely.

The Porianry civilization is a symbiotic civilization in which forests, grasslands, lakes, insects, and butterflies are all part of it. The entire Porianry civilization relies on the planet itself to share a single ocean of thought, but there is only one main race within the Porianry civilization.

Those are the delicate and radiant Pohenjeon girls.

They are very light, just like the Eridanus girls on Earth. Their total volume is over two cubic meters, but they weigh only a few dozen grams. Their tails are tied with transparent ribbons that refract crystalline rainbow light in the sunlight.

Flying freely in the meadows and forests with the gentle breeze is their favorite thing to do.

One of the radiant Pojang people, hovering among the treetops, suddenly had a thought and posed a question in the ocean of thought: "What do you think Pojang was like in ancient times? I heard it was a boundless ocean..."

This seemingly small question, like a butterfly that stirred up a hurricane, stirred up a lively discussion in the intellectual ocean of Eridanus.

An old man is conversing with the entire coral forest. His consciousness flows among the fluorescent branches of the coral, feeling the satisfaction brought by the new coral polyps.

She quickly noticed the problems in her sea of ​​thoughts.

Faced with those flawed replies, her thoughts spread like a warm current: "It wasn't like this before."

The moment the old man spoke, the ocean of thought immediately quieted down.

The old man said, "In the past, Eridanus had a full ocean and a much denser atmosphere. We were all living beings that inhabited the atmosphere and the ocean. Back then, coral forests grew in the ocean, blue forests grew in the ocean, and meadows were like carpets on the seabed. At that time, apart from the ice caps of Antarctica and the North Pole, there was no concept of land..."

"There's no land... So where will we stand when we get tired of flying?" a Bojiang person asked incredulously.

The old man's voice remained calm, "Back then, the atmosphere was much thicker, and we could float without falling down, unlike now, where we can only fly when the wind blows... and the ocean is our birthplace."

“Ocean…” A ripple of contemplation spread across the ocean of thought.

They had never seen the ocean, and the largest water source in their minds was the small lake in the forest in the heart of the lake. These small lakes were the life center of the nearby forest and were carefully protected by all the Bojiang people.

As for the legendary boundless lakes... oh, it should be oceans, they couldn't imagine such a scene. Pojang Star was a big round pancake, and there were almost no lakes in its swollen equator, and even forests were almost nowhere to be seen. Due to excessive dryness, there were almost only some yellowed meadows and industrial bases built by the Pojang government.

There are only two depressions at the North and South Poles, which are rumored to contain super lakes hundreds of miles in diameter.

The Pojang government named these two lakes in the North and South Poles the Seas of Life. These two Seas of Life are the origin of the Pojang civilization and are firmly guarded by the Pojang army developed by the Pojang people.

Everyone was fantasizing about the boundless ocean scene, and just as the discussion was about to subside, a child's voice pierced the harmonious network.

Why are there no oceans anymore?

The old man fell silent, and so did the vast majority of the people of Bojiang.

They recalled the legend that had been passed down through generations.

Sixty thousand years ago, Eridanus experienced a devastating crisis.

Even the Po River civilization, which survived the catastrophe, is unwilling to recall that epic calamity.

The ring-shaped "tire" devourer spaceship, with a diameter of 60,000 kilometers, passed by the Eridanus-ε system on its journey home, which lasted for tens of millions of years. It then took Eridanus, the star in the Eridanus-ε system, as a supply for its journey and swallowed it whole.

Eridanus was once a full, crystal-clear ocean planet.

The moment this massive, generational spaceship appeared, it disrupted the gravitational balance of the galaxy. The life forms of Eridanus first felt their bodies inexplicably lighter and objects could easily float in the air due to abnormal gravity. Then, the atmosphere began to leak into outer space, and the colossal object that blotted out the sky gradually appeared in the sky. The continuous city lights on its surface were as dazzling as the Milky Way, outlining a huge ring of fire in the sky.

The Devouring Empire has arrived.

The planet seemed to have fallen to the bottom of a dark, giant well.

It blots out the sky and the sun, boundless and limitless.

By precisely calibrating its orbit after swallowing the giant ring and aligning it with Eridanus's revolution and rotation axis, the giant ring began to slowly move toward Eridanus's south pole. The moment it slipped the south pole into the ring, Eridanus was hit by a global tsunami.

Starting from the South Pole and moving deeper into the mid-latitudes, the seafloor plates of Eridanus begin to shift dramatically. Once the ring completely encircles the equator and stops advancing, the ocean surges towards the equator, forming a massive, towering water ring.

The underwater continents were torn apart by gravity like thin paper, and volcanoes erupted everywhere on the seabed. Countless Eridan creatures perished in this catastrophe. In the century that followed, the Devourers began a frenzied plunder of resources.

Tens of thousands of high-strength 'straws', each tens of thousands of kilometers long, hang down, continuously transporting seawater, air, and minerals. Large amounts of heavy metals and radioactive elements from the Earth's crust are excavated and then dumped onto the seabed. Under the continuous gravitational pull, Eridanus gradually flattens towards the equator, eventually becoming a flattened, equatorial, and thick disc-shaped planet.

In this catastrophe, Eridanus experienced the most severe death toll in its history, with 99.999% of Eridanus life completely wiped out. After consuming the rings and activating the ring engines to slowly detach from Eridanus, the planet, now free from external gravitational pull, faced yet another cataclysmic destruction.

A global geological catastrophe ensued, with mountains collapsing, lava erupting, and residual moisture being evaporated by the intense heat. The atmosphere nearly disappeared, and the once habitable planet that nurtured a sophisticated crystalline civilization was ultimately reduced to a lava hell with a surface temperature of thousands of degrees.

Some Eridan crystals escaped cultivation because they were 'unpalatable'. These abandoned Eridan crystals returned to the hellish planet Eridan, and thanks to the Eridan life seeds that survived the cataclysm, they became the starting point of this round of Eridan civilization.

Perhaps it was good luck, or perhaps the Devouring Empire took pity on them, but in any case, the Devouring Great Ring did not fully digest Eridanus. The emperor of the Devouring Empire used the Light Cone Telescope to see creatures like 'apes' and signs of a primitive civilization on their home planet, 10.5 light-years away, and hurriedly set off.

After the emperor of the Devouring Empire left, the planet Eridanus underwent tens of thousands of years of self-repair thanks to the remaining moisture and atmosphere... It wasn't until 20,000 years ago that large areas of vegetation reappeared.

The abandoned Pojang people, on the other hand, actively coexisted with this hellish environment, working tirelessly and gradually to change the ecology of Pojang Star. Ultimately, through their sacrifice, they made Pojang Star habitable again, becoming the starting point of modern Pojang civilization.

Life's transformation of the environment is boundless, especially with the successive sacrifices of countless Pojang crystals. Magma weathers into desert, desert gathers into soil, thin clouds bring rain again, and tender blue or green shoots sprout anew under the cultivation of the Pojang people.

Because the disc-shaped planet will gradually return to a sphere during its long rotation, the protracted earthquakes became an unavoidable disaster for Eridanus. The reborn Eridan civilization struggled to develop for 50,000 years on this arid land plagued by constant earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Finally, a technological explosion that had been brewing for 50,000 years began.

After the catastrophe, the people of Bojiang witnessed the vast megacity clusters and mountain-like engine arrays on the Great Ring of Devouring Earth, and from this they realized the importance of technology. This desire for technology and the obsession with revenge have been passed down from generation to generation of Bojiang people.

The large amount of mantle material brought by the earthquake also gave the Pomeranian civilization the possibility of retracing the path of fossil energy technology. The early Pomeranian civilization sages endured their instinct to coexist with the planet, forced themselves to mine minerals, 'destroy' nature, and forcibly forged a path of symbiotic science and technology that belonged to their own civilization.

...

In the year 51000 of the Cataclysmic Era, the [Eridan Civilization] gathered together the withered coral forest and ignited the first fire in civilization.

In the year 53000 of the Cataclysmic Era, the [Eridan Civilization] began to master metal smelting. Instead of building blast furnaces, they cultivated "ore-absorbing mosses" that could accumulate specific metal elements and "crucible corals" that could withstand high temperatures, forming a unique bio-metallurgical system.

In the year 55000 of the Cataclysmic Era, theoretical physics began to emerge in the [Eridan Civilization]. The "disc gravity" was proposed to explain and predict the planet's ongoing geological changes. The Eridan people began to consciously guide earthquake energy and mitigate the damage of geological disasters through "buffer meadows" and "resilient forests" that are spread all over the world.

In the year 57000 of the Cataclysmic Era, the "Pojang Community" was formed. The scattered tribal consciousness achieved initial connection in a global intellectual ocean through enhanced roots, and the unified will of civilization made large-scale engineering projects possible. The [Pojang Civilization] was officially changed to the [Pojang Symbiotic Civilization].

In the year 58000 of the Cataclysmic Era, bio-coal mines were utilized, ushering in the steam age.

In the year 59000 of the Cataclysmic Era, the [Poland Symbiotic Civilization] entered the [Technological Explosion] stage, entering the modern era.

In the year 59004 of the Cataclysmic Era, Newton's three laws of motion were proposed.

In the year 59152 of the Cataclysmic Era, a breakthrough was made in chemistry, with efficient fuels being fractionated from specific lacustrine plants. The first "pulsating jet engine" based on biofuels successfully completed its test flight at the equator.

In the year 59350 of the Cataclysmic Era, the theory of electromagnetism was proposed.

In the year 59420 of the Cataclysmic Era, utilizing geomagnetism and bioelectricity, the Pomeranians established a wireless energy transmission network covering their main settlement areas. With the initial completion of a global observation system, the Pomeranian civilization, for the first time, examined their long-suffering, strangely shaped, disc-shaped homeworld from a holistic and scientific perspective.

In the year 59500 of the Cataclysmic Era, after a series of discussions, the modern government of the Pojang civilization was established, with the [Co-Crystal Council] serving as the highest political authority of the Pojang civilization.

In the year 59610 of the Cataclysmic Era, the first generation of "bio-crystalline tubes" was invented. This component, which utilizes changes in the cell membrane potential of a specific crystal to amplify signals, laid the foundation for Pojang's electronic technology, and civilization officially stepped into the threshold of the electronic information age.

In the year 59820 of the Cataclysmic Era, the Pojiang government built the first network of space telescopes on the equatorial ridge, beginning systematic observations of the stars and attempting to locate the "devouring empire."

In the year 59988 of the Cataclysmic Era, a leap forward occurred in the combination of materials science and biochemistry, along with advancements in fuel and materials technology. These two breakthroughs cleared the major obstacles for the development of large launch vehicles.

In the year 60000 of the Cataclysmic Era, the first batch of unpowered high-altitude sounding balloons, carrying simple instruments made of "biocrystalline tubes," were launched from the equatorial launch site.

In the year 60031 of the Cataclysmic Era, theoretical physics entered the microscopic realm, and the Eridanus scientists proposed the atomic model and the nuclear force hypothesis. In the year 60044 of the Cataclysmic Era, primary nuclear reactions were observed, and nuclear theory was proposed.

In the year 60052 of the Cataclysmic Era, the amplification effect of stellar electromagnetic waves was discovered.

In the year 60053 of the Cataclysmic Era, the Pojiang people detonated their first nuclear bomb.

At the end of the Cataclysmic Era 60053, the Pojang government announced its location to the entire universe through the electromagnetic wave amplification effect, and declared that the power of nuclear weapons could fight against the invaders of the Devouring Empire. It called on the victims of the Devouring Empire to unite near Pojang and fight a final battle against the despicable Devouring Empire.

In the year 60058 of the Cataclysmic Era, this electromagnetic wave was discovered by a cleanup ship from the Singer civilization, five light-years away. Considering that the Po River civilization did not possess the 'hidden gene', it was included in the textbook.

In the year 60063 of the Cataclysmic Era, the young singer passed his graduation exam. His cleanup ship, 50 light-years away in the Epsilon Eridani star system, launched a particle of light towards his personal textbook. (This corresponds to 2221 AD, which is Earth's current timeline.)
At the end of the Cataclysmic Era 60063, which is today, the Pojang government will test-fire its first manned spacecraft fueled by chemical fuel. Also on this day 60,000 years ago, before its destruction, the old Pojang civilization manipulated the magnetic field of the entire planet to fling a Pojang crystal containing a warning message toward the solar system, bringing a warning message to the people of Earth.

This time, however, the Pojiang civilization will use technology, rather than the planet's magnetic field, to achieve its first manned spaceflight!
...

Equatorial ridge of Eridanus, manned space launch site.

This is the place with the weakest gravity on Eridanus, and also the most desolate and unnatural region on the planet. Huge crystal steel structures rise from the ground, like silver thorns growing on the equator.

At the center of these magnificent buildings stands the Nature manned spacecraft.

Compared to traditional rockets of the 20th century, Nature was more like a flower of metal and crystal about to bloom.

Its base is a sturdy crystal steel frame, wrapped with biofuel pipelines. The middle section is a cabin carrying various instruments, and the outer shell is covered with "light moss" that can photosynthesize to replenish power. At the very top is the return capsule, which looks like a giant flower bud.

—The return capsule of Eridanus astronaut "Xia".

Xia, the carefully selected Pohenian girl, is currently floating quietly in the buffer solution of the life support capsule. Her crystalline body reflects the soft guiding light inside the capsule, and the flowing ribbon at her tail sways gently in the buffer solution.

She was intimately connected to Nature, able to feel the vibrations of fuel flowing through the pipes and hear the health signals from the various biological components; the entire spacecraft seemed to be an extension of her body.

"Xia, how are you feeling?"

In the ocean of thoughts, a gentle stream of mental energy flowed from the ground control center commander, [Iwa].

"All is well, Commander."

Xia's response was clear: "The cabin is very comfortable, I'm ready."

Yan: "This is a great pioneering effort. The last time we witnessed the starry sky was 60,000 years ago when our ancestors were abducted by the Devouring Empire. Now, we have reached this point through our own efforts."

Xia: "Commander, we will definitely succeed. The Eridanus civilization will become a civilization in the sea of ​​stars."

Iwa: "Yes, after this successful launch, I believe the government will quickly enter the space phase. According to observations from astronomical telescopes, we have seen that the Devouring Empire's ring is about to enter the solar system. Since we are 10.5 light-years away from the solar system, what we are seeing is a scene from 10 years ago. Therefore, life in the solar system is likely to be being devoured by the Devouring Ring. Time is running out for the Po River civilization."

Over two hundred years ago, we received radio waves from the direction of the solar system (Ye Wenjie's radio waves). This indicates that there is also benevolent life in that star system. Analysis of the radio waves shows that they also harbor goodwill towards others. Therefore, the Pojiang civilization must develop rapidly, then organize a powerful fleet to fly to the solar system, defeat the Devouring Empire, and save their unseen compatriots in the solar system. This is the mission of the Pojiang civilization.

Xia: "We will definitely save our fellow citizens in the solar system. This is a small step for me, but it is the first step for the Po River civilization to reach the stars."

Her thoughts, transmitted through the ocean of ideas, instantly reached the hearts of every Bojiang person around the world who was concerned about this matter.

In the treetops of the Blue Forest, in the gentle breeze of the meadows, and amidst the shimmering waves of the Sea of ​​Life, countless Bojiang people temporarily paused their work and turned their attention to the equator, to the spaceship that was about to set sail.

The ocean of thought throughout civilization stirred slightly with shared anticipation, like a silent ode to the past.

Suddenly, a hesitant voice entered the sea of ​​thoughts, as if unable to contain his excitement, and he spoke to the girl who was about to leave.

"Keep going! I believe you can do it."

"Huh?" Xia asked in confusion. She realized that she had never heard this voice before, and the commander on the ground did not seem to have heard the voice.

"You are..." Xia asked, puzzled.

“I am Gagarin,” he replied, and then there was silence.

Inside the launch site, the final countdown sounded simultaneously via physical broadcast and telepathic network:
"ten……"

"Nine……"

"Ignition procedure initiated!"

"Eight……"

"seven……"

"Final stage of biofuel injection!"

"six……"

"five……"

"Engine pre-combustion chamber pressure is normal!"

"Four……"

"three……"

Navigation system locked!

"two……"

"one……"

"Ignition! Lift off!"

boom! ! !
Instead of the deafening chemical explosions typical of Earth, there was a deep, resonant hum. Emerging from the bottom of the "Nature" was a stream of pale blue plasma with bioluminescence.

The immense thrust caused the massive spacecraft to begin to break free from the planet's grip and slowly ascend. At first, it was very slow, like a lotus stem breaking free from the mud, but then it accelerated faster and faster, transforming into a sharp arrow piercing the sky, leaving a long, dreamlike blue trail behind it.

Inside the launch center, data flowed like a waterfall. Technicians monitored various parameters intently, but their communication was mostly conducted instantly through telepathy—efficient and silent.

"Initial flight was normal."

"Stability."

"Overload 3.2 standard units, astronaut's vital signs are stable."

"First-stage biofuel compartment successfully separated!"

Xia felt the pressure of her body being tightly pressed into the buffer solution. Through the specially designed observation window of the "Voyager's Cocoon," she saw the earth below rapidly changing. The robust, industrially-marked structure of the equatorial ridge grew smaller and smaller, gradually revealing the breathtaking, disc-shaped full view of Eridanus.

—The center is a relatively flat depression, and the edge is a swollen and bulging equator. Blue-green forests and meadows are attached to the surface of this strange planet like moss. The two precious "seas of life" at the North and South Poles are like two sapphires set on the edge of a disc, shining brightly.

An indescribable emotion welled up within her. This was her homeland, weathered by hardship, strangely shaped, yet still beautiful, still bearing witness to the history and hopes of their entire civilization.

“We…we really took flight.” She whispered in her mind, a whisper that resonated and cheered across the globe.

"Breaking through the Kármán line! We've entered space!" came an uncontrollable cheer from the control center.

Outside the window, the deep black void replaced the azure of the atmosphere, and the stars had never appeared so clearly and densely before her eyes. Eridanus became a vast, vivid painting suspended beneath her feet.

"Happy birthday."

The ethereal male voice gently brushed past the girl's ear.

...

Lightship A: "Did you record everything?!"

Lightship B: "I recorded it. It's really beautiful. That rocket left a string of white bubbles in the atmosphere, like an umbilical cord."

Lightship C: "We must sell it at a high price to holiday lovers!"

"Who will you sell it to?" a voice suddenly asked.

Lightship C was full of confidence: "Sell it to the Festival Tribe. Those big idiots of the Festival Tribe would never guess that there is a civilization in such a remote place that can break through to 5B... Wait, who are you?"

"Me? I'm the big idiot you bunch of idiots are talking about." A human wearing a white spacesuit from the Soviet era walked in from outside. He was 159 centimeters tall, with delicate features and a charming smile.

"Festival Clan!!!" The spirits were startled and fluttered around, just like the glowing puffs on the train.

"Hmph, I have a name, I'm called Gagarin... Do you think you bunch of little lamps are so great? Let me tell you, wherever there's a civilization about to emerge, we Festival Clan will be there."

The three lightships huddled together in fear.

The Festival Clan's civilization level is a terrifying 1S level. They can scare these timid lamp spirits out with a wave of their hand. If they were in the Silver Sphere District, with the adults of the Federation backing them up, the lamp spirits would naturally not be afraid of the Festival Clan... But this godforsaken place is just too remote.

"Um, shouldn't you change your name to Xia now?" the golden lantern spirit of Lantern Ship A asked boldly, knowing that individuals of the Festival Clan had a habit of changing their names and appearances.

'Gagarin' shook his head: 'That depends on whether the Po River civilization has a 'Miscarriage Festival'. I'll be staying here for a while. Once it's confirmed that there won't be a 'Miscarriage Festival,' I'll naturally become 'Xia.' But what are you bunch of immature little lanterns doing here?'

The Golden Lantern Spirit mustered its courage and replied, "We've come to relocate the civilization here... because this is a border war zone, and they are all in great danger."

Gagarin shook his head again: "This place is under the watchful eyes of a bunch of gods. You are really young and fearless... Well, since you are here, let Yideng leave a blessing for the Pojiang civilization. Hmm, there must be a cake for a birthday, and candles on the cake."

The Golden Lamp Spirit asked, "Then what do we need to do?"

Gagarin stared at the string of bubbles for a long time, lost in thought.

“Let’s light up their space center, with the softest light, uh, the beat is…”

Gagarin paused.

"Let's use 'Happy Birthday to You'."

(End of this chapter)