Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Impending "Assessment"!

Yang Ye sat down on a stool in the laboratory, glanced around at the current scene, and asked, “Nezha, you came here over a hundred years ago, following those alien cultivators?”

Nezha replied, “To be precise, I smuggled myself here. After my previous master died, I wandered about until I secretly hid aboard a Pioneer’s spaceship and arrived on Earth.”

“Pioneer?” Yang Ye was puzzled.

Nezha explained, “The Pioneers are what you call those alien cultivators from over a hundred years ago. Their mission is to monitor the development of intelligent civilizations on various seed planets. When they deem it appropriate, they intervene in the development of these civilizations, either covertly or openly. The current batch of Earthlings is not the first intelligent civilization on this planet. Earth has existed for tens of billions of years, and has been destroyed many times. Including your civilization, there have been a total of one hundred and eleven civilizations. Fifty-one of these civilizations self-destructed before the Pioneers arrived, even annihilating the entire planet. Another forty-nine failed the assessment and were destroyed by your main race, which then rebuilt the planet and planted the seeds of intelligent life anew. The remaining ten civilizations passed the assessment and were accepted by your main race. Calculations show that the probability of your civilization passing the assessment is very low. The time is almost up, and you have not produced thirty-six super-star-level powerhouses. Last time, in less than a hundred years, Earth even produced a galaxy-level powerhouse.”

“What is the main race?” Yang Ye asked curiously after Nezha finished speaking.

Nezha said, “The main race is the one that created your kind! In your language, it’s the human race. Countless years ago, after a long war of forms, the human race achieved a decisive victory. So now, throughout the universe, regardless of species, everyone generally takes on human form as they traverse the cosmos.”

With that, Nezha pointed at Long Xiaoqing. “For example, the dragon race. Upon reaching adulthood, they also transform into human form. But I must say, the human form is remarkably perfect.”

“How many races are there in the universe?” Yang Ye asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

Nezha replied, “Countless, really. The universe is vast, far bigger than you can imagine. Though there are innumerable races, if we classify them by physical form, there are three branches: beast race, spirit race, and mechanical race. Humans are naturally classified as part of the beast race, beings that combine soul and flesh. The spirit race is an ethereal type of life—using Earth’s knowledge, you might think of them as soul-form beings. As for the mechanical race, you’ve seen movies like Transformers, right? Yes, those are the kind of beings I mean.”

“What about the dragon race?” Long Xiaoqing asked, his curiosity piqued.

Nezha replied, “The dragon race is also part of the beast race! Among the beast race, dragons are the most powerful. Of course, in the entire universe, their numbers are very few. That’s because the cost of reproduction is high, and their growth cycle is slow.”

Yang Ye nodded, deeply agreeing. Long Xiaoqing was already so big, yet still not ready to ‘eat’!

“How does the assessment work?” Yang Ye paused for a moment before asking.

Nezha answered, “It’s your main race testing the strength of your kind. To put it bluntly, it’s about combat power! Survival of the fittest is an eternal law in the universe. The universe may be vast, but resources are limited. A weak race—say, your civilization from over a hundred years ago—only consumes resources limited to Earth and nearby planets, so their needs can be neglected. But once cultivation begins, you start absorbing power from the universe, what you call star force. At that point, you’re competing with all other life forms in the universe for sustenance, and your main race will not allow a mediocre, powerless race to waste resources. Destruction is the best option.

When life on a planet is annihilated, a vast amount of resources is released—a process you can hardly imagine. If you get the chance, you should witness it yourself. Moreover, your main race doesn’t just plant life on Earth; there are many other planets as well. When the assessment comes, you’ll see for yourself.”

“If we fail the assessment, will we really all be destroyed?” Yang Ye clenched his fist, frowning.

Nezha replied, “Not entirely! At that time, the main race will grant a certain number of spots, allowing some strong ones—like you—to survive. As for everyone else, there’s only one outcome: death. That includes your loved ones, so it will be hard for you.”

“The requirement is thirty-six super-star-level powerhouses?” Yang Ye thought of his sister and asked again.

Nezha shook his head, “That’s not the requirement for passing the assessment, but the minimum strength. In the ten previous assessments of Earth, there was one where thirty-six super-star powerhouses worked together and barely passed. Later calculations showed that missing even one wouldn’t have sufficed. Of course, the assessment isn’t static—it depends greatly on the strength of those assessing you. If you’re lucky and draw weak opponents during the assessment, your odds of passing increase greatly.”

“Nezha, with your abilities, you can help us, right?” Yang Ye stood up, wrapped his arms around Nezha, and lifted him up with a smile.

Nezha replied, “Certainly! Haven’t you noticed? My research focuses on creating powerful life forms, and recently, I’ve made a breakthrough. When the time comes, mass-producing super-star-level powerhouses won’t be a problem.”

Yang Ye kissed Nezha’s chubby cheek. “Then, I’ll leave everything to you from now on!”

Nezha chuckled, “Don’t worry, you still have twelve years. That should be enough.”

“Why only twelve years?” Yang Ye was surprised.

Nezha raised his four arms helplessly. “Time just flies! Ever since the Pioneers arrived, the countdown began. And those Pioneers aren’t very diligent. They just carry out their tasks mechanically.

Haven’t you noticed, cultivation on Earth—whether the practice itself or the use of star force—is far too simplistic? For example, the more complex arts of alchemy or runic arrays are all sealed away in secret realms. Even when Earth’s cultivators enter those realms, they can hardly unravel the secrets.”