I became a god by treasure hunting after arriving 500 years early

The image in the mirror, in that instant, disappeared completely.

Only the silent people in the conference room were left.

This was truly a sad story, especially when comparing the past to the present.

The robust dragons and the decrepit dragons...

The proud dragons and the humble dragons...

The invincible dragons and the lowly, begging dragons...

It even learned to plead, begging Lu Yuan not to enter that tomb, for therein lay all its hopes.

As long as no one entered, those Fire Source People were just in hibernation, just asleep.

Yet there is no eternity in this world, everything changes, and when all returns to dust, who can prove we were ever here?

Epoch Disaster, Fire Source Civilization, and Mirage Cloud Dragon—these three keywords, under the deliberate control of the government, were not very popular.

But after prudent discussion, the upper council still decided to inform the public in detail about most of the content.

"Regarding the investigation of the Fire Source Civilization, it's been over two months. After the detailed research by the scientific investigators, we now inform the citizens of Green Grass City of the approximate cause of the 'Fire Source Civilization's' extinction."

The 7 PM news broadcast was a daily compulsory lesson for the citizens of Green City.

In an era with no computers and lousy phone performances, watching television became the best entertainment option, and thus the viewership of "News Broadcast" was exceptionally high.

And this time, the news broadcast lasted much longer, usually wrapping up in half an hour.

But this time, it went on for a full two hours!

"Epoch Disaster"—this keyword drew everyone's attention at lightning speed; the streets were virtually empty.

At first, everyone listened with a playful attitude, munching on sunflower seeds, chatting away... What Epoch Disaster, that's way too remote, isn't it?

By the time the disaster erupts, we'll be long gone, not even ashes remaining.

What's the point in thinking about that?

But gradually, a profound sense of sorrow began to pervade every corner of society.

Inside various evening self-study classrooms in schools, students held their breath, eyes glued to the television screens, tears welling up in their eyes.

And in the cafeterias, diners held their chopsticks motionless, even if the food had gone cold, they could not bring themselves to take another bite...

Epoch Disaster was a grieving, inevitable event.

But this time it was different from the past; alive was a "Mirage Cloud Dragon," acting as a Tomb Guardian, plus the "Fire Source Civilization" was a third-level civilization that could be imagined, could be touched, triggering a deep empathy.

Surviving the Epoch Disaster was extremely difficult.

Even for a civilization like the Great Lai Empire, it was unknown whether they had survived.

When you know nothing, you feel like trying hard might just work; but the more you know, the more you realize that surviving the disaster is as difficult as reaching for the moon in the well.

Only despair remained.

"By disclosing these, is there a chance it will crush human will?"

Old Cat actually had his reservations about fully disclosing the matter: "You know, when people feel utterly powerless no matter how hard they struggle, they may choose to give up and slack off, or even cause internal chaos."

The minds of the Fire Source People were not duller than humans'!

They too had their share of experiences, "Mirage Cloud Dragon," "High-Level Puppet Technology," "World-Class Volcano" were all part of their encounters in the Eighth Epoch.

What humans could do, they... could do too!

But the final outcome...

Old Cat was greatly worried.

"No! This is something we all must come to understand; we must focus on the present, care about every day."

"And the spirit of never yielding is also an essential quality to become a powerful civilization," Lu Yuan said earnestly. "If mere knowledge of this reason is enough to crush us, then mankind is indeed destined for extinction."

"Alright..."

On this point, Old Cat quite agreed.

For humanity to develop, it wasn't enough for just Lu Yuan to be powerful. More people needed to stand up; the previous confrontation with the Shu Mi Dam Civilization brought forth Jin Dongliang.

But that was far from enough; in science, industry, craftsmanship, and other fields, true masters needed to emerge.

That is, those who, when visiting other civilizations, could be received with respect—those are the sorts of people who truly stand out.

"I've always been thinking about what humanity lacks. Everyone seems to be pretty progressive already; there seems to be nothing that can be improved."

The average quality of these generations of people was high enough.

The resources they had were also good; not even the Earth People had such high quality.

Lu Yuan clenched his fists and said in a low voice, "Now I finally understand what they lack, a true, life-guiding great goal!"

"Our first goal is to return to the human world, to meet our mother civilization."

"The second goal is to survive in this cruel world for the long term."

"The third great goal, survive... the Epoch Disaster!"

Although the textbooks have always written this way, when students studied, it was merely a routine like an old granny reciting prayers, just enough to pass an exam.

At most, they could grasp the first minor goal: What's the point of traveling? Oh, to return home, there's also a human mother civilization; let's go back and see how the mother civilization has developed.

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This was the limit of the students' imaginations!

The other two goals were vague and superficial, rooted in formality and standardized education!

Yet this time, the precedent of the "Source Fire Civilization" was laid out before them, and most crucially, there was a living Guardian Dragon here.

They had even uncovered corresponding information!

That beam of red light, the final cry of "Mom," "the keeper and the dragon"...

There was no better educational material than this!

Not even with Spirit Essence could you buy these!

Lu Yuan took a deep breath, anticipating the response from the human masses.

...

It was a sleepless night.

A pervasive fear hung over the city of Green Grass, subtly filling the skies that soon saw a light rain falling.

Raindrops shattered upon flowers and trees, rustling with a "sha sha" sound.

Inside various rooms, some people cried, some grieved, others remained silent.

People had really begun to seriously contemplate the "faraway" Epoch Disaster!

Lu Tiantian, Lu Yue, and others even went so far as to buy a bottle of Pomegranate Fruit Wine as a tribute to the Craftsman Master Shu Gongye.

Even the second-generation humans had not suffered much hardship; their souls were very tender, and the presence of tragedy always seemed to strike a chord more easily.

"Drink while there's wine, for worry is for tomorrow," Shu Gongye sighed after a swig of wine, "worrying about such things is nothing but needless anxiety!"

"You're all so green, what's the point in considering these things!"

Lu Tiantian chuckled and said, "Mouse Master, we come in search of knowledge; please teach us. I'd even offer you my entire quota of Level A resources... I just want humanity to grow a little faster."

Shu Gongye snorted disdainfully, as if to say what are your trifles to me, an esteemed Craftsman Master; what do I care for Level A or S?

But he knew, to some extent, that this great scientist represented the attitude of human civilization in its state of fear...

He mocked, "An Epoch is so long... you'd be long dead, and after death, who cares if there's a deluge?"

Lu Tiantian simply offered an apologetic smile, "Just teach us a little of what we don't know. Life and death are too vast; it's best to focus on the present."

Shu Gongye's beady eyes shifted slightly as he said, "How about a bet... how long will it take for your humans to recover their spirit? To lie down, or to strive harder?"

"The rats are teasing the children. Have humans been scared stiff by the Epoch Disaster?" The ratmen burst into laughter.

"We'll be staying here for a while!"

"Without that spirit, it would be so boring."

The downfall of the Shu Mi Dam Civilization... because there was no hope.

...

Many more creatures were watching.

Discussing, doubting, being silent.

Tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

We most likely won't live to see the Epoch Disaster.

We... really shouldn't worry.

We could live out our lives comfortably and at ease.

The fate of future generations... isn't that important.

But, what if we spent our lifetimes fighting against a disaster that was destined to happen... wouldn't that be a kind of romance?

A young man wrote in a forum: "I suddenly understood the meaning of travel."

"From one place to another, encountering different things, wars, crises, civilizations, relics..."

"There was a time when I understood these things superficially, but deep down... I really didn't get it."

"I too longed for a comfortable life. Every departure filled me with unease."

"I hoped civilization would grow stronger, only to nourish myself, to make my life better, more comfortable, but secretly, I did not want to be that sacrifice."

"Yet it was that immense force driving me, urging me to distant lands."

"I wandered in a daze, swept along by the crowd, gazing upon the world."

"But today, I took a leap, jumping from the sea of humanity onto the high clouds."

"I caught a glimpse of the spectacular distance."

"I want to witness more stories."

"I want to become stronger, not just for myself, but for all of us... we need to be stronger!"

"I want our descendants, when facing the Epoch Disaster, to be able to proudly stand up, flip their little finger with contempt, and emphatically say ***..."

Okay, the last sentence was a swear, but in this context, it felt especially real.

Soon after, someone commented, "Having read your words, the frustration in my heart dissipated in an instant."

"I wondered why I felt so troubled; thank you, philosopher, for clearing my confusion. It turns out I lacked foresight; I had no real goal in life."

Another person added, "Indeed, we're not far-sighted enough!"

"The Epoch Disaster is real, tangible! Overcoming the Epoch Disaster without repeating the tragedy of the Source Fire Civilization is a grand objective."

...

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