AZI Volume 5 Chapter 50.5 Part 2 Intermission – Message Exchange

[Extract the fragmented souls of the collapsed planets?]

[Combining the fragmented souls into one?]

[The creation of a metal vessel to contain a planet's soul?]

[…As advanced as our world's technology is, an idea of this sort is still nonsense.]

Towards Sui Yan's proposal of creating an artificial planet out of metal, the members of the online meeting had naturally dismissed it to be nonsense. 

And towards their remarks, Sui Yan replies—

"A researcher's job is to offer suggestions to an issue. That's all I'm doing. Whether to go with it or not, the choice is naturally up to the decision makers."

[…]

[…]

Unable to say much else, the participants of the meeting begin to log off. 

...…

A few hours after the meeting—

"…Ai."

Filling out the paperwork needed to send food supplies to Colony Seven, Xu Qingxiang raises a sigh, as she sends the documents through email. 

"…"

Leaning back in her office chair, Xu Qingxiang stares at the ceiling, while contemplating the proposal that Sui Yan had given. 

As a means to save space, all the personal residences on the ship shares a uniformed design and layout. 

Meaning, the room that Xu Qingxiang possesses isn't very different from Sui Yan's room. 

Although if a difference must be pointed out, then it would have to be the presence of a window beside the desk. 

(Collect the fragmented souls of old planets, then combine them. Finally, transferring them into a metal vessel… It all sounds like utter nonsense. But then again…)

Blinking her eyes, Xu Qingxiang mutters—

"…Did anyone ask if it was actually doable?"

Raising a frown, Xu Qingxiang stares at the main monitor in an absentminded manner. 

"...…"

Eventually, opening a messaging software, Xu Qingxiang places her hands onto the keyboard, and begins to type out a message. 

...…

Returning to her room with a smoking pipe that is decorated with a red tassel, Sui Yan shuts the door, and in the same instance—

*Ping.* a sound comes from her computer. 

"…"

Throwing off her white coat, Sui Yan walks over to the office chair, and takes a seat. 

[What's the possibility of your proposal succeeding?]

"…"

*Shaaa…* raising a hiss, the black serpent slithers over, and stares at the same message that had originated from "XYXiangCL03," Xu Qingxiang. 

Spewing out a stream of smoke, Sui Yan rests her chin on her hand. 

Eventually, Sui Yan types out—

[Collecting the fragmented souls of the collapsed planets isn't anything difficult—at least for me. As for the vessel itself, the easiest method would be to use a ship.]

Sending this message to Xu Qingxiang, Sui Yan opens her storage ring, and retrieves a self-heating kit of instant ramen and a bottle of water. 

The entirety of the storage ring is crafted from jade, and throughout its body, white vein-like patterns are abundant. 

Just as Sui Yan finishes setting the ramen up for heating—

*Ping.* 

[Explain the process.]

A new message from Xu Qingxiang arrives. 

"…"

...…

SYanRe05: I have a divine art capable of extracting the fragmented souls. The fusion process is something that I can deal with as well. It's mainly the vessel preparation process that will be somewhat difficult.

XYXiangCL03: Tell me about the vessel preparation process then.

SYanRe05: A specialized magic array must be carved onto a vessel that will act as a core. This core will act as the container for the combined soul. Besides the core, more magic arrays will need to be carved onto the body of the ship. Considered this network of magic arrays to be the bones of a skeleton, or the nervous system of a human body.

XYXiangCL03: So long as this is accomplished, the natural energies of Heaven and Earth will be generated?

SYanRe05: Without a greater volume of celestial bodies, do not expect too much energy to be generated. 

XYXiangCL03: We can't make more than one of these vessels?

SYanRe05: It's not possible to do that when we're working with fragmented souls that can collapse at any given moment. Combining planetary souls of the same origin together will ensure their stability, and the greater their numbers are, the better the results. Ultimately, this is only a temporary measure. To make up for the lack of a second celestial body… Either History or life will need to be exponentially greater. Under normal circumstances, it's impossible to increase History's density. That being the case, we can only choose to increase life count. As for how much… It's theorized that when their numbers are in the trillions, they can serve as a replacement for an additional celestial body. 

XYXiangCL03: Would food supplies even last if more life is produced? Life production has already been banned in a few colonies because of food supply shortages. 

SYanRe05: It's not my job to find the balance point between life count versus food supply demands. The only thing that I can guarantee is that the natural energies of Heaven and Earth will be generated so long as this vessel is created. As for how much, it's difficult to say. But there should be enough energy to maintain a single planet's worth of life.

XYXiangCL03: If the natural energies of Heaven and Earth returned, would that hasten food production?

SYanRe05: Isn't it common sense that places infested with the natural energies of Heaven and Earth would cause a greater volume of vegetation to grow? Adding active practitioners to the farmland as bait to draw the energy over—that would hasten the process a bit more, especially so if these practitioners were to actively pour the gathered energy into the soils. 

XYXiangCL03: Your plan is to have a single artificial planet act as our civilization's final bastion, while maintaining a stable supply of food and life—to passively generate enough energy to eventually support the construction of additional planets, correct? This proposal of yours is a major gamble…

SYanRe05: If we're all going to die eventually, what does losing a major gamble matter at this point? Might as well try every insane idea possible before it's too late. Patience, that's a trait that all practitioners must have. Especially so if this proposal is to be carried out. 

XYXiangCL03: How long would it all take—just to build one vessel?

SYanRe05: Five or six years. 

XYXiangCL03: You said we can only make one vessel. Assuming we can't support a population in the trillions, is there any other place that we can obtain planetary souls from?

SYanRe05: Other star regions. Invade them, and if we're able to, we'll plunder their suns, moons, and other celestial bodies over to our region. That would hasten the revitalization process. 

XYXiangCL03: The cultivation bases of our denizens aren't enough to go and offend Immortal realm practitioners…

SYanRe05: Make up for the difference in cultivation via magic treasures.

XYXiangCL03: …?

SYanRe05: No point in talking about something that may not even happen. Whether to gamble or not, make your decision.

...…

"…"

Reading the message sent by Sui Yan, Xu Qingxiang raises a frown. 

For a while, she doesn't type out any new messages. 

But eventually—

[I'm willing to cooperate with you on this proposal. Send over the designs for the core, and the magic arrays.]