C28 How Big Is the Universe?

Chu Xing noticed that his clothing indeed bore the emblem of the 32nd school. At that moment, a robot assisted them by unlocking the metal door. Facial recognition was used, enabling them to access their room simply by using their faces in the future.

The room spanned roughly 20 square meters, featuring white walls, an en suite bathroom, and three beds. It was adorned with futuristic decor, including a large screen.

Upon settling into the room, Chu Xing pondered a question that had been on his mind. Elder Hsu had mentioned that in his universe, the Mechanics were a force capable of rivaling humans. Yet here, the most formidable spaceship seemed incapable of besting the Transcendency Stage.

"Could it be that the technology here isn't sufficiently advanced?" Chu Xing wondered, puzzled.

"This spaceship is incredible," Wang Youfeng exclaimed, his excitement palpable.

"I wonder what this screen can display?" Chu Hao mused, circling the screen and fiddling with the switch.

"Turn on the TV... Activate screen!" Wang Youfeng called out. To everyone's surprise, the screen flickered to life, his guess proving accurate.

"We're in the cosmos now, in a world of cutting-edge technology. Earth has already embraced smart control systems; this place must be even more sophisticated," Wang Youfeng declared with confidence, giving Chu Hao a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"You nailed it! Isn't that the view outside?" Chu Hao gave a thumbs-up, pointing at the screen.

"Indeed, it is. Could this be a window?" Wang Youfeng wondered aloud.

"It's way more advanced than any window. Have you lost your mind?" Chu Hao chuckled.

The technology was indeed impressive, but it seemed they were without a network connection, limiting what else they could view on the screen. After a bit of fun, they decided to head to the spacecraft's main hall.

Following the robot's directions, they made their way down the corridor toward the hall. They hadn't taken the time to fully observe the spaceship before, but now they noticed it spanned two levels, with the entrance leading straight to the main hall.

Before long, they entered a vast 300-square-meter hall.

Inside, a group of more than ten people were engrossed in the screen's display. Joining them, they peered at the screen with curiosity.

"I've found it—I'm assigned to the seventy-eighth elementary school," Wang Youfeng announced first.

"I'm at the fifty-second elementary school. Looks like we're not at the same school," Chu Hao said, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"I'm at the thirty-second elementary school, the same one as Wei Mi," Chu Xing revealed.

"Chu Xing, looks like you've got a head start on meeting a senior," Chu Hao quipped.

"Who's Chu Xing?" someone suddenly interjected.

Chu Xing turned to see a young man about 5'5" tall with squinty eyes and a slender build approaching them.

"That would be me," Chu Xing responded.

"Hehe, I'm Zhao Ming. I'm aware you possess intermediate-level talent in mental energy control. Turns out we're at the same school," Zhao Ming approached with a slight upturn of his lips.

"It's a pleasure. I had no idea we'd be attending the same school," Chu Xing replied with a smile.

"The fifth-ranked talent! Brother, I'm counting on you to look out for Chu Xing," Chu Hao said with a grin, moving to shake hands with Zhao Ming.

Zhao Ming didn't offer his hand but instead smiled faintly and said, "I'll help out where I can. I've got to go now." He then turned and left the room.

"So full of himself," Wang Youfeng muttered under his breath as Zhao Ming walked away.

"He's earned his pride, what can we do?" Chu Hao replied, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Forget about him, let's keep looking," Chu Xing suggested, turning his attention back to the screen to see if he recognized anyone else from his school.

"Looks like that's a no," Chu Xing concluded after scanning the screen.

For the next few days, with nothing else to occupy them, they focused on their cultivation in the room, waiting for the spaceship's departure.

Three days later...

"Quick, look outside, we're about to take off," Chu Hao and Wang Youfeng exclaimed as they burst into the room and switched on the screen.

"Isn't it still two days away?" Chu Xing asked, puzzled. He thought for a moment and realized they were indeed two days shy of the ten-day mark.

"They said we can leave now that everyone has arrived," Chu Hao explained.

Chu Xing glanced at the screen. There weren't many people around the spaceship—national leaders, government ministers, and a handful of corporate executives. Among them, Chu Xing spotted Lin Tianhe waving at the spaceship.

"Is Lin Miaoke aboard this ship too?" Chu Xing pondered, "I'm curious about Earth's future governance. But it seems inevitable that Earth will eventually become part of the cosmos."

Just then, four figures approached from the horizon. Chu Xing recognized them as Immortal Chilian and Immortal Qingqiu, whom he had seen on the big screen the first day.

Trailing behind Immortal Chilian was a man dressed in black.

"That has to be Ouyang Chong, doesn't it? Could his talent have impressed Chilian enough to take him on as a disciple? What fortune!" Chu Xing mused, a look of surprise crossing his face.

"Immortals! How amazing it must be to fly. That's Ouyang Chong and Lee Zifeng behind them—I've seen their pictures before," Chu Hao exclaimed, pointing at the screen with excitement.

Chu Xing noticed Lee Zifeng, who looked to be about twelve, with a small braid on her head and a face that was a mix of shyness and excitement as she gazed down at the ground.

"Have they been taken on as disciples? Such luck!" Wang Youfeng remarked with a hint of envy.

"With enough effort, our accomplishments can rival theirs," Chu Xing offered words of encouragement.

"Yes, we must strive. The opportunity to ascend to immortality is there for everyone," Chu Hao affirmed, gripping his fists with resolve.

Suddenly, a black spaceship halted overhead. A grim-faced old man descended from the ship, casting a brief glance at Chu Xing's vessel before flying towards Immortal Chilian with a menacing look, seemingly embroiled in a dispute.

Chu Xing wondered if the man represented some other cosmic power.

"The spaceship will soon depart," announced the voice alert within the ship.

As the vessel gently ascended, the Earth shrank away, revealing its beauty from space—a luminous pearl against the backdrop of the night.

The Earth continued to dwindle in size. Watching the planet fade into the distance, Chu Xing whispered a solemn farewell, "Goodbye, Earth."

"The spacecraft will now accelerate. Please secure yourself," the spaceship's AI voice intoned once more.

Chu Xing settled onto the bed, feeling a surge akin to the thrust of a bullet train, as his body pressed firmly against the mattress.

The spacecraft's display began to indicate its velocity: "Ten thousand times the speed of light," "Twenty thousand times the speed of light," "Thirty thousand times the speed of light." Chu Xing did a quick calculation and realized it took roughly six minutes to reach thirty thousand times the speed of light.

Once they hit that breakneck speed, the thrust vanished.

The spacecraft's voice sounded again, this time eerily reminiscent of Wei Mi, whom Chu Xing and his companions had previously encountered. It seemed to be addressing their unspoken questions.

"Welcome aboard the Qi Rong spacecraft. We have now reached thirty thousand times the speed of light, and as you can see, space outside is enveloped in darkness. We are currently in a state of relative stasis."

"We are now connecting you to the network. Feel free to explore information about various spacecraft in the universe, learn about the Dao Seeking Sect and the Alliance Federation, or enjoy some entertainment programs. We wish you all a delightful journey."

"Senior Brother, your foresight and attention to passenger comfort are impressive!" Chu Hao couldn't help but admire.

Eagerly, the trio dove into researching the Dao Seeking Sect and the Alliance Federation.

The Alliance Federation was established by three Divine Monarchs three hundred million years ago with the aim of fostering unity and presenting a united front to the cosmos. It is divided into thirty-six administrative districts.

The Milky Way Administrative District is one of the Alliance Federation's thirty-six districts, encompassing over twenty billion uninhabited galaxies and fifteen thousand inhabited ones, with twelve significant powers.

The Dao Seeking Sect is among these twelve formidable forces within the Milky Way Administrative District. Founded by the Dao Seeking Celestial three hundred million years ago, the sect now governs nine hundred eighty inhabited galaxies, one thousand thirty inhabited planets, and over two billion uninhabited galaxies. Its home is the Fifth Peak Galaxy, with the Myriad Restraint Gold Immortal presiding as the current Sect Master.

"The universe is incredibly vast!"

"And the Dao Seeking Sect is massive too!"

"I can't even begin to fathom the full extent of the Alliance Federation!"

"Well, it's certainly immense!"

"Compared to all this, Earth seems minuscule."

"We've truly been frogs in a well."

The three friends continued their conversation, wide-eyed and awestruck, like children discovering a new world.

In addition to the Alliance Federation, the cosmos also boasts the Yang Cauldron Empire, established by the Yang Cauldron God King 150 million years ago and spanning one-third the size of the Alliance Federation.

Adjacent to both the Alliance Federation and the Yang Cauldron Empire are the demon clans, whose known territories eclipse those of humanity. Humans have yet to fully chart the vast expanse of the universe, and it is these very demons that stand as their principal adversaries.

There are also various races that align with neither humans nor demons, occupying a smaller number of star systems.

Humanity continues to uncover uninhabited galaxies and encounter unique species.

Chu Xing strained to grasp the sheer magnitude of the universe, yet it remained beyond his comprehension, and that didn't even account for Elder Hsu's whereabouts.

"Thank goodness for the coordinates my master left behind. Without them, how could I ever locate my master's foe and exact revenge?" Chu Xing mused.