Chapter 346 - 343: Imminent Departure

Chapter 346: Chapter 343: Imminent Departure

Nearly a month had passed since the founding of the Attendant Empire.

It was a far cry from its wild beginnings, when everything had to be built from scratch.

After this period of development, the entire nation had taken proper shape, successfully sprinting into the information age.

Even after Fang Can’s departure, they could now guarantee the replication of their current industry and continue to innovate.

The core personnel selected by Fang Can to be the future of the Empire had already been conducting trial management across the planet for a week.

The results were satisfactory, and the Empire was running in an orderly fashion.

After all, although Fang Can had only appointed them to their official posts seemingly at random, the great hand of fortune had ensured that each person he pointed to possessed the exact talent required for their position.

But unlike the common people, whose thoughts were transparent, Fang Can had not opened the minds of these future pillars of the Empire.

These future empresses and high-ranking officials of the Empire were considerably different from the common folk with their transparent minds.

In response, someone among the populace had given these officials the title of "Wallfacers," and it spread rapidly.

The "Wallfacers" would lead them, the "Trisolarians"!

Although their minds were closed, just like the Martial Artists, the people were reasonably accepting of them because they were hand-picked by Fang Can. They weren’t met with the same guardedness reserved for other Martial Artists.

Now, their main worry was what would happen after Fang Can left.

As the final moment arrived, the people of the Empire, who had strived passionately for thirty days, all stopped their work in unison to listen to the sacred voice.

After all, this was to be Fang Can’s final address before his departure.

As the final three-minute countdown for the psychic network’s trial period began...

An image of Fang Can appeared in every citizen’s mind’s eye: a handsome, elegant man with white hair that cascaded down to his waist.

Unlike his previous more revealing appearance, he was now draped in silk, and the fierce glint in his eyes had softened considerably.

In outer space, a group of Martial Artists listened to the message transmitted by Jingxu through a Heart Image. Their expressions were solemn, but their true thoughts remained hidden.

Facing the gaze of the entire world, Fang Can smiled faintly and announced:

"This is the thirtieth day since I founded the Attendant Empire, and it is also the day of my official departure."

"First, I am very pleased that this Empire has achieved so much in just thirty days. It has far exceeded my expectations."

"This is not my achievement, and there is no need to sing my praises."

"You should remember that I never participated in the construction. All I provided was a platform for you to work together in unity, along with a portion of knowledge."

"From beginning to end, every brick and tile of the Attendant Empire is a testament to the hard work of you, the laborers."

"Both Martial Artists and commoners have contributed their strength."

"I, the Immortal Master, on the other hand, have wasted a considerable amount of your manpower."

"For me, it was like being a video game player, just clicking a mouse and watching a progress bar fill up."

"But this is not a game. Every building and piece of equipment was built with the sweat of your brow."

...

In these final moments before his departure, Fang Can was not as tyrannical as he had been during his rule.

Instead, he smiled and praised every single person in the Empire.

Within this past month, every commoner had contributed their strength.

Having been granted a relative equality, their initiative had been maximized.

As the young man spoke, a sense of pride in building the Empire welled up in everyone’s hearts, but it was mingled with a trace of self-reproach.

They felt they hadn’t worked hard enough over the past month and were somewhat ashamed to accept the Immortal Master’s praise.

At the same time, a flurry of pleas to stay were sent to Fang Can through the psychic network, but they were all rejected by the network for various reasons.

When he finished speaking, Fang Can gave a light wave, and a voice sounded in everyone’s ear.

[Fang Can’s Heart Image Network service has officially ended. Thank you for your use.]

[And as I take my leave, I wish you a good morning, a good afternoon, and a good night, for all your days to come.]

As these last two parting sentences were spoken, everyone on site felt a sudden emptiness in their hearts. Then, the clamor of thoughts that had filled their minds vanished completely.

They had been disconnected from their state of telepathy. The connections between people were severed, turning them back into isolated islands.

Instinctively, some people clutched their chests, feeling an unbearable emptiness.

The bonds they had grown so accustomed to over the past thirty days, which had become inseparable, were now completely severed.

"Immortal Master? Are you still there?" someone asked instinctively.

But this time, no answer came to their minds. Only a profound silence awaited them.

Only then did some of them belatedly realize: from now on, the person who had woken them up every morning and urged them to rest properly every day was gone.

...

Back in outer space, as the broadcast disconnected, thousands of white crystals scattered throughout low-earth orbit began converging on Fang Can at a visible speed.

In the distance, watching the crystals streak across the upper atmosphere at supersonic speeds, some of the Fourth Turn Martial Artists wore expressions of unprecedented apprehension.

Each of those crystals contained power on the level of a Half-Step Fifth Turn.

Lacking an unshakable foundation, they couldn’t fathom how Fang Can’s body could remain alive and active after being segmented into so many pieces.

Theoretically, the bodies of Martial Artists were primarily governed by their minds.

Once a living body was divided, the flesh should have become mere dead matter, devoid of any emotional fluctuations—nothing more than rapidly decaying chunks of meat.

It was utterly impossible to achieve what Fang Can had done, creating a human-array computer.

’Still... the Immortal Master is finally leaving...’

Watching the crystals roar through low-earth orbit, an inscrutable look flickered between some of the Martial Artists.

If Fang Can hadn’t brought them into space, they might still be on the surface, mixing aimlessly with the mortals.

While there was nothing inherently wrong with a commonwealth, ruling over the people offered them a much vaster world of possibilities.

This world was meant to have a hierarchy of superior and inferior.

Otherwise, what was the point of all their grueling training, through the dead of winter and the height of summer?

Every single one of them, these Heaven-Ascending Road Martial Artists, could easily survive in space, free from the constraints of a biosphere.

These people had even planned their next move: to establish a paradise for themselves on the moon.

Then, they would designate this planet, sealed by a Sixth Turn restriction, as a lower realm, meant only to serve and make offerings to them.

Fang Can opened his palm, and the crystals filling the sky began to converge inward at a visible speed.

It was like watching a file being compressed. Before the astonished eyes of the many Martial Artists, he gave a light wave of his hand. The thousands of crystals, the computer separated from his body, compressed and merged into a single black bracelet that clasped onto his wrist.

"Just a small application of spatial structuring," Fang Can explained with a smile. "I’m leaving now. From now on, the entire Empire is in your hands. Don’t disappoint my expectations."

"Of course, Sect Leader. You can rest assured," Yang Xiao and the other Fourth Turn Martial Artists declared, thumping their chests in assurance. What they were truly thinking, however, no one could know.

"Well then, until we meet again."

Fang Can raised his hand and gave a small wave. The next moment, his body reappeared silently and without a trace before Ying Han.