When everyone returned to the Life Sciences Research Institute, it was still not yet seven o'clock. They had acquired their first piece of divine equipment in less than three hours, which greatly boosted everyone's confidence. On the way back, Xiao Jie and the others couldn't help but envy Zhuzi, who rode on the back of the Golden Phoenix while everyone else had to rely on their own magic to fly. Even Zhuzi himself felt incredibly proud and imposing.
Upon their return to the institute, they happened to encounter Director Liu.
The old man glanced at everyone but didn't ask if they had obtained the divine equipment. Instead, he urgently said, "You’ve come back at the right time. Follow me to the second-floor laboratory. The professor has results from the samples collected from Dawei's body. Let's go take a look."
Hearing this, everyone hurriedly followed Director Liu to the laboratory. In room 203 on the second floor, four or five staff members were analyzing some strange spectrograms on computers. Two other staff members were examining samples under microscopes. The professor was writing test results on a computer.
Director Liu approached the busy professor. The others followed suit.
Without looking up, the professor said, "Five minutes. Give me five more minutes."
Xiao Jie thought to himself, "These people wake up so early every day. It's only a little after seven, and they're already hard at work. They work even harder than I did as a salesman!"
Five minutes later, the professor saved the data and stood up. He said, "Let's talk somewhere else so we don't disturb others."
Director Liu nodded in agreement. Everyone followed him to a small reception room in room 201 and sat down.
The professor, with a serious expression, said, "The test results are out. Whoever killed Dawei must be very powerful. The Security Bureau found no signs of struggle or resistance on his body, indicating he had no chance to fight back before he died."
Master Wang, impatient with unnecessary details, interrupted, "Professor, just tell us the test results. What elemental power caused Dawei's death, and can you identify the perpetrator?"
Realizing he had been rambling, the professor cleared his throat and continued, "This elemental power does not come from our dimensional world, which is why we couldn't identify it initially. Last night, I discovered signs of cellular transformation in Dawei's blood sample. In the transformed cells, a unique genetic chain was revealed. I spent the night analyzing it and finally obtained the result. The elemental power lingering on Dawei's body was not an attack magic. This power seems designed to preserve the body and provide memory revival. It resembles Daoist magic."
Lin Kainan asked, "Professor, are you saying that after Dawei was killed, someone used this magic to protect his body, possibly as a message to us?"
The professor replied, "Theoretically, yes. We've also identified the user of this Daoist magic, but we're not entirely certain. Lin Kainan, since you're here, you have broad knowledge, please help us analyze this."
He continued, "After the cellular transformation in the blood sample, the mysterious elemental power vanished. The genetic chain revealed two sets of information. One indicated that Dawei died due to a rapid influx of blood into his brain and heart. The other was an external SOS message. Based on this use of elemental power, only one race could have done it."
"You mean the Amandans?" Lin Kainan asked.
"Yes," the professor confirmed. "They are experts in using energy and elemental powers but not in offensive magic. I can't think of anyone else who could wield such subtle Daoist magic."
At this point, Xiao Jie and the others recalled what Emperor Huang had mentioned about the Amandan people, who excelled in using elemental power and controlling green energy. But how had they come to Earth?
Feeling guilty about Dawei's death since it was her duty to guard the liaison station, Yue Nannan asked anxiously, "What should we do next?"
The professor looked at Yue Nannan and said, "We should go to the Five-dimensional space and see if we can take action early."
Xiao Jie asked, "Professor, do you mean we should go to Amand Planet to destroy their energy source and investigate the situation?"
"I think it's our only option. What do you say, Director Liu?" the professor asked.
Director Liu pondered for a moment and then nodded, "That seems to be the best course of action. But not all of you can go. We still need people to find divine equipment. If necessary, I'll assign some elite newcomers—Taoists, mages, and warriors. Our sharpshooters can also be deployed. This mission is very dangerous. You top mission-bearers can't all go and take this risk. I can't afford to gamble on it."
Director Liu's pragmatic approach made sense. Amand Planet, now a Morga Daran colony, could have many hidden experts. And on Earth, few had the exceptional abilities of those in the room.
The professor said, "We can decide who goes and who stays, but getting to the Five-dimensional space is still a challenge. If the Five-dimensional beings don't come, we have no way to go there."
Lin Kainan interjected, "I can open the space-time door. Although I can't send everyone back thousands of years like my master, getting to the Five-dimensional space isn't a problem."
Xiao Jie added, "Traveling to the Five-dimensional space isn't hard for me either. I have a pocket watch given to me by Fuler, which serves as a key to the space-time door. It connects to the Five-dimensional space but has a 24-hour cooldown period."
Everyone looked at Xiao Jie, especially Yue Nannan.
Xiao Jie quickly explained, "She gave it to me when I saved her. It has no other use, so I never mentioned it. Why are you all staring at me?"
Aside from Master Wang, who knew the inside story, almost everyone speculated about the relationship between Xiao Jie and Fuler, especially Yue Nannan.
Director Liu, unbothered by the speculation, continued, "Since accessing the Five-dimensional space isn't a problem, let's decide who will go to Morga Daran and who will stay to find the divine equipment."
The discussion about who would go and who would stay became heated. Xiao Jie was definitely going; he had two pieces of divine equipment for protection, a space-time key, and unmatched strength, making him the best candidate for the mission. Because Xiao Jie was going, Yue Nannan insisted on accompanying him. Lin Kainan, not wanting to be left out, also wanted to go. Zhuzi didn't care much, preferring not to compete. However, Director Liu and the professor opposed Yue Nannan and Lin Kainan joining Xiao Jie. Lin Kainan was essential for finding the equipment due to his knowledge of the map, and Yue Nannan, being a girl, was a concern for such a dangerous mission. Even Xiao Jie was against her going with him. Master Wang was eager to see aliens and insisted on going. After over an hour of debate, no consensus was reached.
Finally, Xiao Jie suggested, "Stop arguing. Only a few of us should go to Amand Planet. The task involves destroying the energy source and gathering intelligence, which doesn't require many people. Besides, the remaining team will still face significant challenges in finding the equipment. It’s best if I go with one assistant. There will be Five-dimensional beings accompanying us since we don't know how to operate the spaceship. A large team would make the mission harder to complete."
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Director Liu made the final decision, "No more arguing. Xiao Jie and Five Courage will go to Amand Planet. The rest will stay to find the equipment. This is an order and your assigned task. No further conditions."
As the saying goes, a family of a thousand people needs one person in charge. With Director Liu's decision, everyone complied. It was then that the professor noticed a beautiful woman he didn't recognize in the room. She hadn't spoken a word and was standing behind Zhuzi, occasionally massaging his shoulders. Director Liu also noticed her presence and looked questioningly at Zhuzi.
Under the professor's and Director Liu's questioning, Zhuzi introduced Jin Jie. The room erupted in congratulations and teasing, making Zhuzi and the Phoenix Lady feel a bit embarrassed. Even the normally serious professor joined in the fun. The professor and Director Liu genuinely felt happy for Zhuzi, who, without any warning, had found a wife—an obedient and powerful one. Most importantly, Zhuzi had become the owner of the Houyi Divine Bow.
Director Liu promised Jin Jie that her identity would be quickly formalized and that they would hold an official wedding after completing the mission, ensuring she and Zhuzi wouldn’t be wronged. This made the Phoenix Lady feel immensely happy.
The next day at noon, Xiao Jie used the space key to open a portal and, along with Master Wang, entered the five-dimensional space. Everyone sent their blessings to them, and Yue Nannan watched Xiao Jie's back, her eyes brimming with tears. The feeling of reluctance constantly tugged at her heart.
Huangdi and Jiutian Xuannü were somewhat surprised by Xiao Jie and Master Wang's sudden visit, but upon learning their purpose, Huangdi smiled and said, "You will need to wait a bit longer. The spaceship has been successfully modified, and our people are currently conducting comprehensive inspections on it. This is for your safety. Wait for a few more hours, and I promise to send you into space within ten hours."
Meanwhile, in the three-dimensional world, Yue Nannan and the others bid farewell to Director Liu and the professor in the afternoon and set off on their treasure hunt.
With Huangdi's full support, ten hours later, Xiao Jie and Master Wang boarded the spaceship and embarked on their unknown journey. They were accompanied by two five-dimensional beings. One was named Yuri, responsible for piloting the ship, and the other was named Guo Linton, in charge of technical maintenance. Both of these individuals were guardians of the five-dimensional space and, besides their technical expertise, possessed considerable combat skills. They informed Xiao Jie and Master Wang that the spaceship would reach the center of the Milky Way in 240 hours and would activate the dimensional conversion system at latitude 102 to arrive at Amande planet. During the journey, with nothing else to do, the two knowledgeable five-dimensional beings shared extensive knowledge about space and dimensions with Xiao Jie and Master Wang. According to them, within the same universe, there exist many different levels of spatial hierarchies from one dimension upwards. Essentially, they all inhabit the same world but in different forms. Just like how humans can observe the activities of insects, whereas insects perceive humans as higher life forms. The fourth-dimensional space is an exception; it is semi-closed because many elements within it are unsuitable for life forms from other dimensions, preventing shared experiences. For example, the flames of hell would be unbearable for any life form from other spaces. Higher-dimensional beings view the three-dimensional world as humans view insects, and beings in the three-dimensional world cannot see creatures from higher dimensions. Due to the increasing complexity of dimensions, their manifestations also change. Additionally, within the same world, different planes exist, a concept similar to the Buddhist notion of the three thousand worlds. Each dimension represents a separate world, albeit with different positions. If we traverse the planes on Earth, there exists a new world, but it is currently uninhabitable, resembling Earth's primordial state.
Xiao Jie found this quite fascinating. Modern science is highly advanced, yet no scientist has comprehended these concepts. If not for Xiao Jie's ability to move freely between the three-dimensional and five-dimensional worlds, hearing this would have been hard to believe. However, now Xiao Jie understood why these five-dimensional beings could easily comprehend matters on other planets. As long as it was below the fifth dimension, they could see it all. These people were akin to the Kaiōs in Dragon Ball, casually peeking into worlds of lower dimensions.
Master Wang questioned, "We've visited the five-dimensional space twice. Why haven't we seen any three-dimensional or four-dimensional worlds? Let alone other planes and planets?"
Guo Linton replied, "It's understandable. You aren't five-dimensional beings, so you can't enjoy this privilege. You've seen the floating castles in our space, right?"
Master Wang responded, "Yes, but aren't those equivalent to our homes on Earth? Do they serve any special purpose?"
Yuri explained, "Of course they do. Each floating castle contains a 'World Window.' This World Window is like a browser for observing other spaces and planes. This is why we five-dimensional beings can know everything about the universe without leaving our homes. It's said that the second floor of the Tongtian Pavilion has four such browsers, but I’ve never been there."
"Wow! An all-powerful computer!" Xiao Jie exclaimed excitedly.
Master Wang thought, "If I had such a World Window, I’d be awesome. I could spy on Zhuzi and the Phoenix Woman's private moments. That would be like watching a live show of a modern-day Xu Xian and White Snake, so thrilling."
Feeling bored, Xiao Jie began exploring the spaceship. The internal layout was very well designed. In the center of the entire space, there was an interconnected pillar with a diameter of about one meter. One meter above the ground, it expanded to a diameter of over two meters, forming the main control panel. Around the ship were four observation windows, offering a clear view of the outer space. Various colored, differently sized celestial bodies could be seen distinctly. Occasionally, an errant asteroid would pass closely by the ship. In the outer ring of the cabin were twenty recliners, evidently for the crew to rest. Each recliner had two safety belts. Close to the recliners, the outer ring had four protruding objects, about one square meter each, resembling storage boxes. Each box had a handle on top. Out of curiosity, Xiao Jie opened one and found various food and drinks inside, clearly prepared for the journey.
At this point, Yuri walked in, took out a few cans of drinks, and distributed them. He then said to Xiao Jie, "This is a storage box, protected by green energy. Whatever you put in, no matter how long it stays, it won't spoil. These supplies were brought by the Mologadans; we didn't bring anything. Thanks to them."
Holding the drink, Xiao Jie asked Yuri, "Bro, can you move around freely? Doesn't the control panel need to be watched?"
Yuri nearly spat out his drink, laughing at Xiao Jie's question. "This ship can travel in space; of course, it has an autopilot function."
Xiao Jie was embarrassed. How could he forget such a basic principle?
Guo Linton added, "If you’re tired, you can lie down, but remember to fasten the safety belts. Sometimes, the ship encounters cosmic windstorms or asteroid clusters, causing violent shaking. There are also times when the ship must change course suddenly to avoid danger. If you're not strapped in, you'll be thrown from your recliner."
Xiao Jie and Master Wang felt enlightened once again.
The 240-hour, ten-day journey through space didn’t bore Xiao Jie and Master Wang in the slightest. Their first venture beyond Earth made everything new and exciting. Even the occasional meteor showers thrilled them. When the ship reached longitude 102, the control system automatically alerted everyone. Here, they saw a miniature solar system with a star only one-third the size of the Sun and nine moonsized planets orbiting it. The observation windows clearly showed that these planets had conditions suitable for life, featuring oceans and landmasses. Unlike the nine planets of our solar system, which have varying environments due to their distances from the Sun, these planets all seemed habitable. Master Wang attributed this to differences in the ozone layer concentrations.
Yuri confirmed Master Wang's theory. The distant planets had thinner ozone layers, increasing sunlight exposure, while the closer planets had thicker layers, blocking more UV rays, ensuring habitable conditions. However, whether these planets hosted intelligent life was uncertain. The five-dimensional beings didn’t concern themselves with every detail, as they weren’t omnipotent and didn’t need to care about everything.
Amid their lively discussion, the ship received a distress signal from the third planet. Evidently, this planet had intelligent life facing some crisis. Driven by curiosity, Xiao Jie and Master Wang decided to investigate. The two five-dimensional guardians, naturally competitive, agreed. United by their sense of justice, they headed for the planet.
This planet was small, possibly smaller than the moon, with half ocean and half land. Unlike Earth, it didn’t have multiple continents. Upon entering the atmosphere, they saw the land, where most buildings were destroyed, reminiscent of a world war. Smoke and fires were everywhere. The observation window’s far-reaching imaging feature revealed the ground’s situation.
The inhabitants seemed technologically backward, with tall warriors in metal armor wielding axes or spears fighting against shorter, green-skinned beings—the Mologadans. These giants were likely the natives, battling against the invaders. Despite their robust physiques, the natives were no match for the elite Mologadans. The entire continent was mostly ruined, with a third still resisting. What was unbearable was that only about twenty Mologadans were causing such devastation among countless natives, like lions in a sheep pen.
Unable to watch any longer, Xiao Jie and the others exchanged glances and said in unison, "Let's go down and take them out."