Chapter 878

The virus was erupting, but they had been observing it from beginning to end. After all, it had originated from them.

“A few more months? That's a conservative estimate! In three months, they could be fighting someone like Renimansga, a peak Ninth-Tier powerhouse capable of overturning everything! I feel they could take on the Three Pillar Gods and Emperor Qi in just a month! Even those who have already reached the complete Ninth-Tier!”

“Indeed, that's correct. Although this alien civilization is currently very weak, their technological civilization has truly advanced to the path of natural laws. On the transcendent side, this is equivalent to a transcendent civilization embarking on the Ninth-Tier path.”

“With such a high starting point and taking over this legacy, they are bound for a massive explosion!”

They were horrified. Yet, they also felt immensely proud of themselves.

They had stolen a bit of the Three Pillar Gods' virus and released it here, only for it to evolve directly based on the native civilization… In a short while, the Three Pillar Gods might be so thoroughly defeated they'd be begging for mercy!

After all, what characterizes a purely technological civilization?

It’s all about mass production!

By expending resources, they can rapidly generate immense combat power. Unlike transcendent powerhouses, who require slow cultivation and the accumulation of time…

At this moment, they still felt immensely proud.

Look at those 'primitive' civilizations? They were terrified! Decimated so quickly, the viral tide was unstoppable. In an instant, they understood the might of a higher civilization from the cosmic center!

However, a netizen immediately pointed out: “Are you sure they’re on your side? That they’ll only fight the Three Pillar Gods and Emperor Qi? What if they turn on *you*?”

The players’ expressions stiffened.

At that moment, someone quickly retorted:

“But we’re fast runners! We can have a race with the Three Pillar Gods to see who escapes faster… I don’t think they’re as good as us. Why? Because they took their heads and left all those headless corpses on the lava-covered ground! That’s quite troublesome for them.”

“Exactly. The Three Pillar Gods can escape with their heads, but not their bodies.”

“Poor Three Pillar Gods, about to be taken down by their own creation!”

Some netizens laughed aloud, observing that these individuals were already burying their heads in the sand, deceiving themselves.

The situation at hand had taken a bizarre turn. After all, no one had anticipated that the 'Super Saiyans' and the virus would suddenly and inexplicably emerge, leading to this whole state of affairs.

“It seems the myriad worlds are in for a rough time.”

Everyone knows they're going for a mass production strategy.

Even though these mechanical beings *could* potentially follow the transcendent path and cultivation system, would they actually choose that route? Definitely not.

“Cough cough cough.”

The Alchemy Emperor’s expression was calm. “Someone is working overtime and can’t spare a hand, so this time, I’ll be conducting the assessment and leading this discussion.”

Everyone nodded.

It seemed the review master, Akina Mountain Speed, had been quite busy lately.

“First, Armin and I studied the structure of this technological civilization, and we discovered something very peculiar. After close examination, we found the technological civilization’s path quite fascinating—we couldn't help but laugh. Why? Because, in a sense, it’s identical to the path my own civilization took back then!”

“Yes, my Alchemic Dynasty back then was actually the prototype of a technological civilization path.”

“Right! You think I’m talking nonsense? Do you remember? Back then, the wizard civilization was a transcendent cultivation civilization. After I, the Alchemy Emperor, descended, I used technology to alter the ecosystem, creating various mechanical alchemy constructs, and even mechanical airships appeared. Tens of thousands of ordinary slimes could band together and fight Medusa.”

Of course, everyone remembered.

After all, it had only been a few months.

At the time, everyone had speculated that the Alchemy Emperor, in reality, must be a military-industrial giant, or even a high-level executive at a well-established industrial conglomerate.

“At that time, I led the civilization into the Alchemic Era. But after my death… the Alchemic Era declined, and the civilization returned under Medusa’s rule. When you think about it, it's as if the seeds of a technological path had just emerged back then, only to be suddenly pulled back onto the traditional wizarding path. Now, it's finally returning to technology.”

Everyone paused.

So, the Alchemic Civilization established by the transmigrator, Grantham, using Earth's technological knowledge, could have fully industrialized and adopted a technological path if it had continued to develop? But it was pulled back?

As everyone pondered, a sense of sudden realization dawned upon them.

Alchemists, relying on external forces—various devices, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Adolph Giants, and other world-class artifacts—were, conceptually speaking, indeed following a technological path.

Because at that time, they did not rely on individual transcendent power.

“Now that I think about it, the reality of history feels incredibly marvelous.” The Alchemy Emperor remarked with emotion,

“This is the charm of time. If I hadn’t died back then, if Medusa hadn’t overthrown the Alchemic Dynasty, and if the Cthulhu Evil God hadn’t descended, history would likely have taken a completely different turn. Alchemists, not focusing on cultivation but on studying alchemy, would have seen their personal power weaken as their external tools grew stronger… most likely evolving into an alternative technological civilization.”

Everyone was momentarily stunned, feeling a sense of poignancy.

Fate is always so peculiar; a single turning point in a civilization can influence countless generations, sending it down an entirely different path.

The Alchemy Emperor continued: “As you all know, I’m a research fanatic. Let’s get back to the main topic. After studying this civilization’s data, I can confidently say that there’s a reason this technological civilization has been stuck on the Ninth-Tier path for tens of thousands of years!”

“What reason is that?”

“I’ve studied their history. Their ancestors were a Ninth-Tier civilization that associated with Renimansga; their leader was even once the second disciple of that ancient being. So why are they so dilapidated now? It’s because they lost one of their most crucial ancient technologies, something even more vital than the Clone God Factory: the Divine Fitness Center!”

The Divine Fitness Center?

Upon hearing the name, everyone looked slightly bewildered.

“Yes, a fitness center. On Earth, our fitness centers are for exercising the body, at most turning people into muscular, physically strong individuals… But *their* fitness centers are extraordinary. After a workout, one can become comparable to many powerful beings, even gods.”

“That’s the incredible power of a high-level, Ninth-Tier technological civilization in the cosmos!”

“It’s magnificent, isn’t it? Just thinking about the splendor of that era makes you wish you could go back over a hundred thousand years to witness their glory.”

“In fact, I’ve consulted many surviving records. In that era, fitness centers were ubiquitous, and many people exercised and engaged in health preservation. Of course, these centers varied in efficacy and had different tiers… Only after training at a lower-tier center could one advance to a higher one. This strongly suggests they were tied to breakthroughs in cultivation realms, with each tier of fitness center corresponding to a specific stage, like First-Tier, Second-Tier, and Third-Tier.”

“It was extremely common back then; many ordinary citizens would go to a fitness center after work, while the wealthy frequented higher-tier ones. It was a popular leisure activity across the civilization during that period. Naturally, it was incredibly expensive, becoming outrageously so at higher levels… At this point, you probably realize that this was, in essence, their method of cultivation.”

“Did you think that technological civilizations were comprised solely of mortals? A society of ordinary people? That’s a misconception. It’s simply that their method of cultivation differs from that of the transcendent side.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Some players had, prior to this, already discovered the history of this civilization.

In their ancient era, there were indeed god-level powerhouses. Of course, they didn’t undergo the arduous, monotonous self-cultivation typical of the technological side; instead, they utilized special rooms.

These rooms contained nutrient solutions and various high-tech apparatuses.

One could enter, and *snap*! Emerge as a Third-Tier being. Re-enter, and *snap*! Emerge as a Fourth-Tier! The speed of these breakthroughs was remarkably fast.

At the time, everyone was discussing:

“The rich achieve breakthroughs through technology, while the poor rely on cultivation!”

“The transcendent side, they’re all just 'primitives,' taking one laborious step at a time.”

However, everyone also knew that these terrifying beings essentially had no combat power themselves; they merely possessed the realm. And they didn't *need* personal combat power!

What they needed was the corresponding life level, lifespan...

They also needed the authority to enter high-dimensional space-time. If they were to engage in combat, they would undoubtedly rely on various mechanical weapons.

Someone couldn’t help but ask, “So, are you implying that this imperial civilization can’t break through to the Ninth-Tier because it’s crippled, having lost its heritage?”

“Yes, seen in that light, it’s severely crippled. A top-tier Ninth-Tier technological civilization surely isn’t composed of ordinary people… A nation’s leader would undoubtedly possess the lifespan and realm of a deity. Otherwise, what good is a mere mortal who lives for only a few hundred years? That would be utterly pathetic.”

“So, if this Mechanical Pillar God takes over their civilization’s tech tree, it could also just *snap, snap, snap*! And keep breaking through rapidly?”

Everyone was astonished; this was simply unbelievable!

In the current myriad worlds, everyone follows the transcendent path, cultivating realms painstakingly, one step at a time. And their neighbors just achieve it so easily?

They felt their worldview had been utterly overturned.

However, unlike a certain Akina Mountain Speed, the Alchemy Emperor was extremely serious and meticulous in his analysis. This, after all, was his specialized field.

It seemed something significant was about to be revealed.

The Alchemy Emperor said: “By now, you all understand, right? In the universe, there are broadly two systems: transcendent and technological. You now grasp the technological path: they also advance their realms, but their method of advancement relies on some special external force.”

Everyone nodded, indicating their understanding of this civilization’s structure.

One could say that both systems have their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Each, when developed to its pinnacle, would undoubtedly be immensely powerful.

The top figures on the technological side—scientists who have lived for thousands, even tens of thousands of years—though they might possess only the empty realms of Eighth or Ninth Tier without personal combat ability, their knowledge is terrifying. A single individual can embody an entire civilization, piloting starships and deploying various mechanical mechs, making you utterly helpless.

“Seen this way, Caroline isn’t much of a fighter either; she also relies on summoning for group combat. It’s quite similar… Truly a civilization that’s half-transcendent, half-technological.”

Putting all the pieces together, everyone felt that everything had become clear!

Many things, it seemed, were subtly connected all along. It was just that their knowledge at the time was insufficient to comprehend these links. Now, upon reflection, it truly all made sense.

“Hahaha, hanging out with you big shots, I feel like my knowledge base has expanded once again!”

“Indeed, I’ve taken another step closer to becoming a keyboard sage. I feel I’m now qualified to reincarnate into the myriad worlds; I possess the potential of a Great Emperor!”

“Cough cough cough.”

The Alchemy Emperor stated: “Please hold your comments for a moment. After all this setup, I presume you all understand the general situation: both the Mechanical Pillar God and this imperial civilization cannot break through to the Ninth-Tier realm because they lack a crucial threshold—the divine breakthrough system. This is quite natural. After all, a normal human can wield a Gatling gun, but can an ant? If your life’s foundation is too weak, no matter how powerful the weapon, you won’t be able to use it. This empire, for instance, compensates for some of this deficiency using cloned gods.”

“So, the question is: what exactly *is* this Divine Fitness Center? What kind of classified technology is it? The imperial civilization researched it for tens of thousands of years, and now the Mechanical Pillar God has taken over. Can it truly be researched and understood?”

Everyone listened intently, as the Alchemy Emperor delivered a rather startling declaration:

“However, I must tell you all something! The mystery of this terrifying technological civilization’s Ninth-Tier breakthrough—they don’t know it… But *we* do! In fact, we mastered this technology long ago!”

Everyone’s minds went momentarily blank.

What did this mean? It meant that they, too, could just *snap, snap, snap*—no cultivation, no grueling '996' regime—and become 'the rich who get breakthroughs via technology'?

“Yes.”

The Alchemy Emperor stated: “To be frank, the ancient, great Ninth-Tier deity, Hermes, revealed this very threshold for breaking through to the Ninth-Tier to us long ago!”

“What?!”

Hermes told *us* this already?

As soon as these words fell, all the netizens were left stunned and utterly perplexed.

Xu Zhi’s expression darkened slightly. “Hermes’s clone just passed away and came here to become Renimansga, and these netizens are already desecrating his memory.”