I became a god by treasure hunting after arriving 500 years early-Chapter 702 - 522 Where Did Earth Go?

“The Seventh Epoch created [God]? There doesn’t seem to be definitive evidence confirming this,” Lu Tiantian said.

“I’m just guessing. According to historical texts, [God] already existed in the Eighth Epoch, but the Eighth Epoch was weak compared to the Seventh.”

“So we have to trace back further. The Sixth Epoch seems too early.”

“I highly suspect the Sixth Epoch was also an idle epoch.”

“Why do I say that? Because the Fifth Epoch was so mighty, it must have left behind major legacies. But the Sixth Epoch failed to resolve the ‘Epoch Disaster,’ likely because of its weakness or a major upheaval.”

“So, the Seventh Epoch fits just right.”

“As for the Monster Era, it’s simply too far away. There’s not much data to discuss.”

Old Cat rolled his eyes, thinking, “You’re just making baseless guesses.”

But upon reflection, it seemed to make some sense.

The fog of history is too dense, sometimes leaving us no choice but to rely on speculation.

Hai Zhiyun continued with confidence, “Everyone, the appearance of [God], is it good or bad? I think it’s not bad at all. At least it left behind some small rewards and established Safe Zones, protecting numerous civilizations.”

“If the civilizations on the Pangu Continent were numerous, perhaps the World Will would also be stronger.”

The logic was simple; the World Will represents collective will, not the will of any particular civilization.

Just like Earth’s ecosystem, the more species there are, the better.

If Earth only had humans as a single species, the ecosystem would be incredibly fragile—a mere microbial disaster might extinguish humanity.

But with more species?

The ecosystem gains self-regulation ability.

So the establishment of Safe Zones is akin to creating ecological reserves. Weak civilizations can obediently contribute to species diversity, providing nutrients to the World Will.

Meanwhile, stronger civilizations venture out on their own. If they are hunted down by predators, they have no reason to complain.

“Makes sense.”

The World Will and [God] should be within the scope of discussion. After all, they are allies and are unlikely to directly harm anyone.

Hai Zhiyun continued, “Have you considered what the epochs were like before [God] existed?”

“What would happen if an entire planet directly entered the Pangu Continent?”

“What would occur?”

“I believe the entire planet might integrate into the Pangu Continent. Billions of people directly entering this larger Idealist World.”

The Lanpeng Civilization’s Birdman slightly narrowed his pupils, “Wouldn’t that be even better? A whole civilization’s industrial power is leagues beyond that of a single city!”

“That’s not necessarily the case. Think about it: if a planet merges, would there be a peaceful outcome? Without [God], would you think the integration of both sides would be harmonious?”

“Things like earthquakes and volcanoes would already wreak havoc on most civilizations.”

“Without [God], there’s no such thing as Safe Zones. The planet might collide with the continent like an asteroid, triggering ecological disasters.” Hai Zhiyun drew a few simple diagrams on the computer.

A planet integrating into the Pangu Continent, no matter the method, would cause massive casualties.

In the early millennia, populations would be extremely scarce.

Industries and technologies would regress dramatically, and thousands of years would be wasted on repopulation. Social systems would also need to be rebuilt, which isn’t a task of small difficulty.

But now, with the help of [God], at least there’s a city of people. Even half the tech tree can be preserved.

“So, is this a good thing?” Lu Tiantian sighed softly.

Hai Zhiyun nodded solemnly, “Even if a miracle occurred where the planet seamlessly integrates, and industry and population remained intact, the number of Divine Skills would be pitifully low.”

“I hope you understand.”

After his explanation, everyone widened their eyes, suddenly enlightened.

“So there are all these intricacies.”

Divine Skills are the condensation of historical Qi Fortune!

When too many people share that Qi Fortune, fewer Divine Skills are born.

But if only one city is selected and the entire civilization’s Qi Fortune is focused on it, more Divine Skills can emerge.

For example, Lanpeng Civilization’s Quincy City demonstrates this perfectly. Among its eight million people, it boasts 3,500 Divine Skills—far exceeding the density in major human cities!!

“Makes sense. The appearance of [God] does seem to bring more benefits than harm.” Old Cat nodded in agreement. “Although it nurtures a batch of sheltered flowers in the greenhouse, we must recognize that most civilizations are destined to perish.”

“When the Pangu Continent can no longer protect them, they will die abruptly in their indulgent dream-like lives.”

What fairness? Justice?

Civilizational selection?

They’re merely weeds.

The Pangu Continent only needs powerful civilizations. The weak ones, merely ripples in the tides of history.

However, Epoch Disasters are too terrifying; previous civilizations were overwhelmed and could only leave behind scraps for future generations!

This truly is…

Everyone felt a deep heaviness.

After a long while, an expert from the Lanpeng Civilization asked, “But where did our mother planet go? Our city went to the Pangu Continent; surely the mother planet still exists.”

“Don’t dwell on it.” Hai Zhiyun replied, “It’s likely still in the pure Materialistic world, slowly being polluted by Idealism. Or perhaps an Epoch Disaster has already occurred in those worlds.”

“What?!?”

“Alternatively… Maybe it has already merged with the Pangu Continent but exists in a state of abandonment.”

“What do you mean by abandonment?”

“It means… The entire planet crashed into some corner of the continent, becoming a pool of magma. Survive if you can; otherwise, tough luck,” Hai Zhiyun said. “Don’t tell me you actually think planetary integration was a gentle affair?”

“Furthermore, the planet’s Qi Fortune might have been drained completely by the selected city. Even if someone survives, no Divine Skills will emerge anytime soon.”

“It’s one of two outcomes. Either way, the mother planet won’t just vanish completely.”

Everyone in the conference room shivered.

The humans weren’t too affected; the idea of a mother planet only existed in textbooks—they hadn’t spent a single day there and thus felt little attachment.

The Lanpeng people, on the other hand, were nearly brought to tears. This revelation—was ignorance truly better?

They could only silently pray for their mother planet’s survival.

Lu Tiantian coughed lightly, “Alright then, let’s discuss something else… The Eighth Epoch’s inaction has led to harsh conditions in the Ninth Epoch. These Strangers are angry, and our environment is dire.”

“What lies ahead for us? It’s truly worrisome.”

“Perhaps it’s not that the Eighth Epoch was inactive but simply lacked the ability,” Hai Zhiyun said. “To draw a comparison: Ideal Rules can create things out of thin air. Do you think our predecessors wouldn’t have wanted to create better ones? Of course they did—it’s that they couldn’t.”

“Those strong civilizations, after evaluation, likely discovered they couldn’t overcome an Epoch Disaster and chose to flee. If faced with the same situation, would we not do the same? Let’s not overestimate our moral integrity.”

“From Level 5 Civilizations onward, escaping becomes feasible. Space Technology, you know…” He rubbed his chin. Space Technology—humanity didn’t even have a shadow of it.

“Where would they escape to?” Magmit from the Lanpeng Civilization asked.

“I’m not sure. Maybe fleeing is just a slow death. Or perhaps there really is a safe haven?” Hai Zhiyun shook his head. “But I do know this: once an epoch shifts, even the strongest civilizations lose access to ‘Luck,’ which is high-grade Ideal Energy. If you abandon the Pangu Continent, the Pangu Continent will abandon you. It’s clearly mutual.”

“Escaping comes with a price.”

“The Eighth Epoch managed to leave behind a few scraps of legacy, which is already commendable.”

“We can only rely on ourselves.”

Everyone let out a collective sigh.

There wasn’t enough evidence to support deeper discussions.

“Then, everyone, keep digging.”

…

Historical retrospection continued.

However, no significant breakthroughs emerged next.

Occasionally recovered information consisted of trivial, irrelevant details.

For instance, a Snake-man awakened wisdom at some point but was immediately killed by a [Ghost].

Or a lone Traveler, confident and determined, somehow entered this world, witnessed its bizarre and extraordinary sights, and fled in terror.

Later, a certain civilization’s ruins featured myths of the “Eternal Youth Spring.”

“So the Old Snake Man was telling the truth! Someone did stumble upon this place and escaped alive,” Old Cat exclaimed with wide eyes.

History often reveals tiny anomalies.

But the rushing river flows inexorably eastward—a single water droplet that leaps high into the air is still just a droplet. It will eventually fall back into the river, altering none of its course.

Tragic, lamentable, and yet inevitable.

As for delving deeper—searching for traces of the Seventh Epoch or Sixth Epoch’s history—no clues could be found anymore.

…