Chapter 321: Eye of the Abyss

The Abyssal Civilization?

Li Qingsong was taken aback.

At that moment, he couldn’t help but complain to himself. ‘These civilizations just keep getting better and better at concealment. I can’t believe I didn’t even notice another one was hiding here.

Hmm, judging by their communication power, this is most likely a Strong Core Level civilization. Their technology is on par with mine, or perhaps slightly superior, but not by much.

No need to rush for now. My advance scout fleet should be close enough for detailed observation soon. I’ll wait for their data to come back before deciding anything.’

If it were a Gravity Level or even higher-level civilization, Li Qingsong would have turned around and left without a second thought. But if it was just a Strong Core Civilization, then a little ‘communication’ might be in order.

After all, he had made a promise to Qing Lan, and he couldn’t just go back on his word.

Time passed quietly. Before long, data from the advance scout fleet came back, and Li Qingsong witnessed an astonishing scene.

He saw ships as dense as a swarm of bees, one after another: massive residential ships, Space-Air Carriers, large Warships, and more.

In addition, numerous industrial ships were orbiting a dwarf planet.

The dwarf planet had a radius of 400 kilometers and an estimated total mass of about 510 quadrillion tons, a full 92 times the mass of his own peak-quality Flying Star.

And now, this massive civilization calling itself the Abyssal Civilization had installed countless high-power Thrust Devices on this dwarf planet. The number of supporting facilities, such as various factories and fusion power plants, was as high as several hundred thousand.

It seemed they were trying to push the dwarf planet out of its current orbit!

Pushing an entire celestial body with a 400-kilometer radius and a total mass of about 510 quadrillion tons!

While Li Qingsong could also accomplish this, there was no doubt that even for him, it would be an incredibly massive undertaking.

And now, the Abyssal Civilization, which was most likely just a conventional sapient civilization, could actually do it too?

He could do it because of his special form of existence, which was free of internal friction and communication barriers. For a conventional sapient civilization to achieve the same feat… what level of industrial might did that imply? And what kind of hyper-efficient social structure must have forged that might?

This was undoubtedly a powerful Strong Core Civilization, far stronger than the Harville Civilization of the past—one that even the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity and the Black Mountain Civilization couldn’t match!

Furthermore, the Abyssal Civilization also seemed to be taking some kind of action near the White Dwarf Star at the center of the Star System.

Further observation revealed that the Abyssal Civilization had mobilized a sizable fleet to completely surround the White Dwarf Star, continuously firing some kind of incredibly powerful weapons at it.

The continuous explosions were even causing a slight, yet noticeable, effect on the White Dwarf Star’s radiation type and luminosity.

Li Qingsong immediately understood why this civilization was lingering here.

It was simple. Just as he had obtained extremely important and precious experimental Gravity data for a Strong Core Civilization by conducting tests on Qing Lan, this Abyssal Civilization had also set its sights on these Gravity Life forms, attempting to capture them to conduct research on Gravity!

Their current attacks were likely intended to force the Gravity Life forms away from the White Dwarf Star. The dwarf planet fitted with all those Thrust Devices was probably meant to be a threat.

‘If you don’t leave the White Dwarf Star, we’ll smash this dwarf planet into it and see if you leave then!’

After he sent the relevant data to Qing Lan, her reply was filled with anxiety.

“They’re bad people! They’re invading our home! Waaaah, Dad, Mom… Brother Li, I’m begging you, please help us! I’ll do anything you ask, waaaah…”

Looking at the wealth of incredibly precious data he had obtained from conducting “human” experiments on Qing Lan in the previous stage, Li Qingsong sighed softly.

‘It really wouldn’t be right to trick a child. Fine, fine. Since I’ve gained so much from you, I’ll help you out this time. Let’s just call it a transaction.’

Li Qingsong’s massive fleet immediately stopped decelerating. Its course remained unchanged, and it began to approach the inner Star System at an even greater speed than before.

He would only begin to decelerate once he was closer. As long as he used a higher deceleration power, he could still achieve the same result of stopping within the Star System.

The Abyssal Civilization clearly saw his maneuver and understood its implications.

Li Qingsong saw the Abyssal Civilization’s vast fleet converge at maximum speed. All industrial ships, transport ships, and the like entered low planetary orbit, while a large number of Warships gathered in the outer orbital layer.

At the same time, countless unmanned combat platforms were deployed into the vastness of space.

There were a total of three large planets orbiting the White Dwarf Star: two rocky and one gaseous.

Now, all three of these large planets were being protected by the Abyssal Civilization, with at least 400,000 Warships gathered around each one.

‘Their total Warship count is around 1.5 million…’

This number wasn’t particularly high. Compared to the final battle Li Qingsong fought against the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity Alliance, where both sides deployed three to four million Warships at a moment’s notice, it seemed quite small.

But this only made Li Qingsong’s expression turn more solemn, and he raised his assessment of the Abyssal Civilization yet again.

The reason was simple. As a civilization’s technology advanced, and as it truly approached or even reached the Peak of Strong Core, a Strong Core Civilization would gradually move away from its previous model of using crude Warships and relying on sheer numbers to increase its combat strength.

The complexity and combat effectiveness of their Warships would take a quantum leap, and while the total number would decrease significantly, their overall combat power would increase dramatically.

The fact that the Abyssal Civilization now possessed a total of only around 1.5 million Warships was a clear sign that they too had moved past that stage and entered the current phase of “victory through quality.”

Even the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity at its peak would likely be no match for this Abyssal Civilization!

‘A powerful civilization approaching the Peak of Strong Core, or one that has already reached it…

Perfect. A chance to test the true quality of my Primordial AI!’

At that moment, a powerful will to fight surged within Li Qingsong.

On Planet Two, aboard the “Eye of the Abyss”—the 10-kilometer-long flagship possessing the strongest defense and attack power of their entire civilization—the Grand Commander of the Abyssal Civilization wore a grim expression.

Out in the vastness of space, an ocean of stars was bearing down on the inner Star System, pressing in like a collapsing mountain.

They had already sent a warning, but the other party had completely ignored it, instead quickening their pace into the Star System.

Clearly, they were also here for the Gravity Life forms.

In that case, a war was now inevitable.

‘Then… we shall bury them here and absorb all of their technology.’