Chapter 778: Years Are Long, Can No Longer Protect the Homeland

Schools and workplaces across the globe were closed today. This was a day marking a civilizational leap for the entire planet—a day when humanity would finally leave its home world, confront the universe, and truly enter the vast solar system.

"Oh, Dad! Come out and see the rocket!" a boy shouted from in front of the sofa, clutching a fluffy golden canine pet. "It's so big! Really, really big!"

"Has it started?" a man called out from the kitchen, where he had been busy. He poked his head out hurriedly, staring at the TV. "My dear little Jack, wait for me! And go wake up your mom—she's still sleeping! We'll watch this historic moment together as a family!"

In a flash, the family of three sat on the sofa. The man gazed intently at the television, muttering, "It's a shame your dad doesn't have any cultivation talent, and I was never naturally fond of studying. I didn't research those secret manuals well, so it's all up to you now, my clever little Jack! Work hard on your cultivation, and then teach Jenny and me so your mom and I can live longer and stay young forever!"

This scene was playing out all over the world. The rocket shown on TV was unimaginably large. It resembled a towering, perilous peak, piercing directly into the sky. This colossal rocket, built through the combined efforts of the nine continents, stood rooted in the earth, nearly a hundred times the size of ordinary rockets. In recent years, it had been hailed as a contemporary world-class marvel, comparable to the Pyramids of Giza or the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. It was named the Nine Continents Interstellar Rocket.

Their technology stemmed from the fundamental knowledge of the Ishdar people. Lunar landing technology had long been mature, even reaching an exaggerated level of sophistication, with every lunar occupation specialist being exceptionally powerful. However, due to various political and complex factors, the actual launch had been delayed until today.

Boom! With a massive burst of flame, rolling waves of fire scorched the earth. The rocket's base ignited like an inverted golden mushroom of fire, and the immense craft slowly ascended into the sky, a magnificent sight. Soon, it soared beyond the firmament.

Through the live television broadcast, people across all continents of the planet observed the howling winds around them within just a few hours. It was a marvelous journey, piercing through white clouds and the atmosphere, which gradually thinned completely, turning black as the rocket slowly entered outer space.

"It's actually in outer space!"

"Oh my god, is this the real universe? The world beyond our planet is so vast and mysterious!" Everyone watched, filled with awe and wonder. The perspective shifted, looking back from space to behold their infinitely beautiful, vast blue planet. Was this truly the land where they lived?

Whoosh! After flying for some time, the rocket began to detach, splitting apart in the vacuum. Its enormous sections floated in space. Boom! Nine massive, artificial continental satellites, each with a different form, slowly drifted out. There were saucer-shaped ones, traditional satellite shapes, cigar-shaped ones, and even tall-hat-shaped ones. Without exception, all were as immense as Mount Tai, majestic and grand, slowly drifting in the vast cosmos like reinforced steel cosmic beasts cast from molten iron, creating a truly astonishing visual spectacle.

Whoosh! Leaders from every nation watched the scene with intense nervousness. This was a historic moment. Although countries presented smiling faces and expressed a desire for joint lunar exploration, each was secretly prepared with a large arsenal of weapons. If even a slight disagreement arose, they would wage war in space, potentially triggering a second world war.

"Everything depends on what's discovered on the far side of the moon! Whether it's worth fighting for," a leader from Central State said, taking a deep breath. "On the surface, it's about joint exploration and shared human assets, but the specific lunar landing plans are only known to their highest decision-making bodies. At the same time, those spirit beasts from the ancient prehistoric era, claiming to be awakened, are quite astonishing, and we must remain highly vigilant against them."

The nine satellites continued their journey toward the moon. Soon, some astronauts, tethered by specialized ropes, exited their spacecraft, exposing their entire bodies to the vast cosmos. They drifted slowly, swaying like kites in the air, their faces filled with enchantment.

"Ah! Is this the universe?" They were naturally capable of moving in the vacuum of space. After all, they were originally vacuum-dwelling beings, although the extreme pressure of space was still harsh for them, and they found living in air much more comfortable.

At this moment, Yuan Qinghua, along with a group of ants, was hiding inside one of the satellites. Even as a Celestial Emperor, taking a group of fifth and sixth-tier divine beast descendants, it would still be very difficult to land on the moon, despite them being vacuum organisms. Hitching a ride on the rocket to the moon was a necessity.

After flying for a period, just as they were about to reach the moon, Yuan Qinghua declared, "Time to act!" Whoosh! His group of small ants quietly flew away from the satellite and into the vast cosmos, instantly expanding their bodies to an immense size. He transformed into a handsome young man in human form, draped in a black robe, presenting a very comely appearance. Along with several equally handsome youths, he drifted in the boundless universe. Their current forms were human-shaped and of normal human size. This was precisely the state of the Pangu True Body. The fundamental principle of the Pangu True Body was the continuous expansion of flesh and blood to become a towering giant; thus, they could freely expand into any desired shape. In this case, they had expanded into human forms. This was what he referred to as "shapeshifting!"

"This is the secret of the ancient divine beasts—the Seventy-Two Transformations! They can become giants, or ants, or take on human form! The truth is, because their true bodies are ants, they can expand and change shape freely. Otherwise, how could a giant shrink? It simply wouldn't conform to the laws of physics." He mused, continuously taking screenshots for his live broadcast. At the same time, he felt that this lunar space expedition had the same competitive atmosphere as the Soviet-American space race of the last century.

In the distance, the satellites suddenly detected these young figures. The operating personnel inside the satellites were instantly overwhelmed with shock; the sight before them was utterly unimaginable.

"My god, what is that?"

"Humans?"

"How did they suddenly appear?"

"Teleportation." In front of television screens, countless viewers also watched, wide-eyed and astonished. Who could have imagined that mythical beings would suddenly appear, suspended in the void?

"This display worked pretty well. After all, spatial teleportation arrays are abilities that only gods can use. It's time to act," Yuan Qinghua said, taking a deep breath. His body suddenly expanded again. Boom! In the desolate and profound universe, these human-like figures suddenly expanded once more, transforming into colossal divine beasts. Their bodies were covered in black, iron-like scales, with sharp angles like ancient trees, exuding a powerful sense of strength and grandeur as they drifted in space.

"Oh, my god!"

"What is that!?"

"From humans, they've expanded countless times in size and become divine beasts?"

"Is that their true form?"

"This simply defies the laws of physics!" Watching the live cosmic broadcast captured on television, everyone's minds were shaken, and their scalps tingled with shock. Countless lunar occupation specialists trembled, their eyes glued to the screen.

"Incredible, simply incredible!"

"The Age of Mythology!"

"My god, it's an ancient divine beast, a symbol of auspiciousness!"

Yuan Qinghua was very pleased; this was precisely the effect he desired. His plan was simple: during the lunar landing, he would secretly board a satellite, hitch a ride, then appear to create a sensation, immediately cut ahead, be the first to explore the mysterious moon, obtain treasure, and then gracefully depart. It was a perfect plan.

"Charge!" He took the lead, quickly accelerating and surpassing the satellites. In an instant, he landed directly on the lunar surface, in a crater, but then he suddenly looked up, goosebumps rising all over him.

"What's that?" In the sky, countless terrifying cosmic beasts, concealing themselves with divine consciousness, were slowly drifting closer. It seemed they had timed their arrival perfectly and were about to descend. They were semi-elemental beings, each wreathed in various energies of fire, electricity, water, and sun! Their bodies bore wounds, suggesting they had likely fought and battled among themselves during their journey, eventually reaching an agreement: to eliminate the humans first, and then study the artifacts of the Moon God's land.

Yuan Qinghua's face darkened. The target of these creatures was the human satellites, but he had arrived first, running straight into the line of fire. After all, it would be almost impossible for them to arrive coincidentally at the same time as the human lunar landing, unless these mysterious cosmic beings had deliberately calculated their timing to intercept humanity.

"Hello—" he began, attempting to communicate. In an instant, countless lights flared, and various combat techniques assailed him.

"Quickly, into my inner space!" Yuan Qinghua roared. The nearby exotic beasts instantly entered his space. Yuan Qinghua barely managed to block the attack a second later before he was instantly knocked flying. Battle erupted in an instant. As a Seventh-Tier Celestial Emperor, Yuan Qinghua was immediately surrounded and attacked by several super-sized Celestial Emperor monsters. Despite his extensive combat skills, having been the champion of the Elite V Fighting Competition and an exceptionally powerful combat genius far surpassing the unrefined fighting styles of his opponents, he was instantly battered and beaten by these massive creatures! Bang, bang, bang, bang! He felt as if he had been struck by an aircraft carrier. His entire enormous, shapeless body, his makeshift Pangu True Body, was instantly battered to pieces and sent flying backward.

Rumble! The speed was unimaginably fast. At this moment, the satellites from the nine continents watched as this divine beast flew backward, faster than it had advanced, leaving them momentarily stunned. However, a faint divine thought from the "Four-Unlike Beast" transmitted: "Go, quick! That's not something we can resist! I've used my last life's essence to teleport my companions away!"

"Oh, humans of the future! We, who were once the mounts and guardian beasts of ancient emperors, had intended to pave a bloody path for you, but we never imagined..."

"Argh!" With a mournful cry like that of a beast, its massive body was instantly struck away, becoming dim and tragic, its divine consciousness fading further and further. "The enemy has grown even stronger! Yes, those adversaries who destroyed the ancient human civilization... they are unstoppable in this era. This ancient legacy can only be entrusted to them now..."

The Four-Unlike Divine Beast was sent flying backward. Finally, it stopped in the silent cosmos, staring blankly into a corner of the void. In its last moments of life, it suddenly began to murmur, as if seeing the phantom image of its master. Whoosh. A towering, peerless being, as if spanning an eternal river of time, revealed its true form in the present world like a miracle. It gently embraced the tattered divine beast.

"Woo-hoo..." The divine beast let out one last whisper, revealing a tender, childlike smile. "Through ages and eons, across the vast heavens and earth, Ming Zun, I have finally fulfilled my mission: to guard this land where my master once fought."

"The years are long, but I can no longer guard my homeland." It completely lost its life force.

Boom!—As those words faded, everyone's minds were shaken.

"This..." The astronauts on the nine satellites widened their pupils, pressing against the windows, watching the corpse drift away into space, now completely devoid of life.

"Wuwuwu..." On the live television broadcast, countless people stared blankly at the scene, their hearts pounding.

"Mommy, Daddy!" cried little Jack, sobbing as he buried his face in his parents' laps on the sofa. The same scene was unfolding across all continents.

Everyone fell silent. The shattered body of the dead divine beast drifted in the void, exuding an overwhelmingly tragic and unsettling battle intent. "Before, the fallen dragon in Yingkou and the Qilin's warning had already brought sadness."

"And now today..." At this moment, everyone felt dazed, as if seeing visions from ancient times. Towering, magnificent figures of peerless emperors, sacred and majestic, radiated an extraordinary brilliance that was impossible to behold directly. Yet, a cataclysmic war had erupted, and the masters of these divine beasts had perished. Still, these beasts had silently guarded humanity through the ages.

"Damn it!" Countless people were filled with both grief and rage, their anger soaring as they clenched their fists. But in the next second, their anger was replaced by terror. For it was too horrifying: the battle prowess of those mysterious super-giant beings was so exaggerated and terrifying that they could send the nine satellites flying and crush them. It was like a giant squashing a laughable fly!

"We humans are doomed..."

"Tens of thousands of us marched and protested against launching the satellites, and it turns out we were right. We're facing immense misfortune!!" Countless people gazed at the corpse drifting in the void, feeling both moved and enraged. Perhaps this day would mark the end of humanity on this planet.