Chapter 101: The Upper Universe

“This universe… is too small.”

Shen Xing gazed out the window, as if recounting something insignificant, and slowly uttered these words amidst the stunned silence of those present.

Everyone fell into sudden silence. Su Xiaoyi and Ye Lian held their breath, and even Qu Shixin, who knew little about science, was struck by an overwhelming sense of disbelief and shock.

Their teacher, the greatest emissary of the Star Father, had truly reached the legendary so-called “end”?

The boundary of the universe!

It was the ultimate concept that no star chart or calculation could truly depict!

Sevis merely nodded slightly upon hearing this, for he believed that with Shen Xing’s power, such a feat was entirely plausible.

“High Priest, I assume you already know what I am about to say.”

“I come from the First Supercluster, where the universe is far smaller and its boundaries far more distinct than here.”

Shen Xing looked quietly at Sevis, awaiting his next words.

“In the First Supercluster, two vast civilizations have united: the Star Sea Collective and the Intergalactic Civilization Council.”

“The leading civilizations among them possess technology far beyond that of the Sevis Civilization.”

“Among them, capable individuals have attempted to explore the universe and shared their findings with all civilizations within the First Supercluster that can receive such information.”

“You must be wondering why such critical information would be disclosed to other civilizations.”

“Because…”

“The universe is a ladder!”

Sevis sighed deeply, as if no matter how many times he pondered this, a feeling of powerlessness overwhelmed him.

“The universe is a ladder composed of superclusters! The universe is like a vortex!”

“The First Supercluster is merely the lowest ‘layer’ of space. More advanced civilizations and vaster universes exist in higher layers.”

“Without utilizing the already existing hyperspace pathways, it is impossible for any civilization to reach higher superclusters through their own technological means.”

“And currently, the data released by the Star Sea Collective and the Intergalactic Civilization Council only extends up to the Third Supercluster.”

“No one knows what exists in the higher cosmic spaces beyond that.”

Sevis spoke the truth about the universe in a solemn tone. Shen Xing carefully digested Sevis’s words, while the others were left frozen by the sudden, earth-shattering revelation.

“The universe… is a ladder?” Su Xiaoyi was the first to speak, muttering to himself as he recorded the information on the holographic screen.

Ye Lian fell into deep thought, Qu Shixin furrowed his brow, and Xu Yiyi’s forehead indicator softly pulsed, as if comparing some data.

Only Shen Xing remained quietly contemplative, absorbing this new concept.

“A ladder… intriguing,” Shen Xing finally spoke, breaking the silence.

“So it’s not that the universe itself is small, but rather the dimension or tier we occupy… is limited.”

Sevis was somewhat surprised by Shen Xing’s calm acceptance of this information and nodded in agreement.

“Yes, High Priest.”

“For civilizations born at the lowest rung of this ladder, this is the harsh truth of the universe.”

“Without the hyperspace pathways constructed by higher civilizations, we would be trapped, endlessly circling within our own small pond.”

At this point, Sevis spoke slowly, his gaze lingering on Shen Xing.

This was an individual who, by sheer personal capability rather than the power of his civilization, could reach the shore within that pond.

Among all the capable individuals Sevis knew, none had achieved such a feat!

Shen Xing did not press further but gestured to Su Xiaoyi to continue questioning.

Su Xiaoyi nodded. “What do you know about the hyperspace pathways and capable individuals?”

Sevis then elaborated on the information he possessed. Regarding capable individuals, what he shared was nearly identical to what Xu Weiyi had previously provided; in fact, he knew less clearly than Xu Weiyi.

However, he offered quite a bit of useful information concerning the hyperspace pathways.

Hyperspace pathways are structures naturally existing within the universe, resembling vast, distorted wormholes, stabilized and maintained by an organization known as the Intergalactic Civilization Council.

This so-called Intergalactic Civilization Council appears to have influence across various superclusters. The hyperspace pathways within the First, Second, and Third Superclusters accessible to the Sevis Civilization are all maintained by this council.

The First Supercluster remains embroiled in a period of warfare, a chaotic battleground.

The Second Supercluster is more like a wild frontier, often home to wandering or lower-level civilizations that develop peacefully there. Interstellar marauders such as the Dark Energy Pirates are also active in this region. The Second Supercluster holds one crucial function—it serves as the gateway to the Third Supercluster.

According to Sevis, the largest civilization within the Third Supercluster is called the Albana Trade Consortium. They hold a dominant position there, controlling much of the trade from the First through the Third Supercluster and wield partial authority over some of the star gates that connect to the hyperspace pathways. Occasionally, their business even extends into the Star Sea Collective.

Sevis’s journey to the Star Origin Civilization was made possible through a star gate controlled by the Albana Trade Consortium, whose partial control is granted by the Intergalactic Civilization Council.

Shen Xing had previously heard of the Intergalactic Civilization Council through the legacy of the Deel Civilization.

It was said their purpose in constructing the hyperspace routes was to connect cosmic civilizations and foster mutual growth.

They sounded like benevolent overseers of the universe, yet in reality, their actions often emboldened certain higher civilizations to oppress those less advanced.

For the sake of so-called stability, the Intergalactic Civilization Council mostly ignored these matters, despite possessing the ability to monitor entire superclusters.

As Sevis spoke, Su Xiaoyi diligently took notes.

“Why are you so determined to pursue Earthlings here?” Su Xiaoyi asked, not looking at the screen but driven by genuine curiosity.

After all, why would a high-level civilization already making a name for itself in the First Supercluster relentlessly pursue Earthlings?

Upon hearing the question, Sevis first opened his mouth, then lowered his head as if debating whether to reveal the answer.

Yet as his thoughts surfaced from the depths of his memory to conscious reflection, Shen Xing clearly sensed his intentions without the need to breach any mental barriers.

Having seen through Sevis’s thoughts, even Shen Xing—with his nearly extinguished emotions—raised an eyebrow but refrained from interrupting, waiting for Sevis to speak.

Sure enough, after a brief silence, Sevis uttered a statement that shocked everyone present.

“In truth, within the higher layers of the universe, human civilizations still exist!”