Chapter 1284: Your spaceship is too slow

With Aether's assistance, the Supreme Council predictably approved Lu Yang's proposal to dispatch personnel to support the cultivation world's modernization.

The Interstellar Alliance has established procedures for deploying support teams to remote regions, encompassing not only technological experts but also professionals in economics, education, arts, and many other disciplines. The Alliance first meticulously planned the round-trip routes, support durations, and other minute details. Subsequently, notices were cascaded down through various levels to screen and select applicants. The entire process took over half a month to complete.

Aware of the Interstellar Alliance's interest in spirit stones and spiritual energy, Lu Yang specifically presented them with several top-grade spirit stones before his departure.

Eternal System, Spaceport.

A colossal silver spacecraft was docked at the spaceport. Its elegant lines and smooth, rounded edges cast soft shadows under the dim, amber lights, seemingly whispering countless tales of interstellar journeys. Standing beneath it, one felt incredibly small, filled with boundless wonder.

"It's truly enormous," Lu Yang murmured, hands in his pockets, as he stood beneath the spacecraft. Compared to the spacecraft, his Wupeng boat seemed as rudimentary as a broken plank.

This particular vessel was the "Starfarer," which the aid team would board for their journey to the cultivation world. Having received notification from the Supreme Council that the aid team would assemble here before departing for the cultivation world, he had arrived a little early to explore the unfamiliar spaceport. As the Eternal System served as the de facto capital, its spaceport was naturally the most advanced in the entire Interstellar Alliance. Larger than many cities, it saw tens of thousands of ships dock, refuel, and depart daily, traveling to and from various star systems through artificial wormholes.

Once Lu Yang completed his tour of the spaceport, the aid team arrived, descending to the port via space elevator. These individuals were all exceptionally talented professionals, hand-picked by the Interstellar Alliance and distinguished in their respective fields. Each possessed at least one prior aid mission experience. They carried themselves with an air of distinction, exuding a palpable sense of superiority. To them, a support mission to a remote region was an opportunity to demonstrate the Alliance's comprehensive advanced capabilities. It was an experience that, once undertaken, invariably left one yearning for more. What's more, the team was being led by none other than the renowned Chief Scientist of the Alliance, Dean Gao.

Lu Yang paused in surprise when he saw Dean Gao leading the team.

"Why are you here?"

Dean Gao said solemnly, "Self-exile."

"Didn't you claim your cultivation world was backward? Then my going there counts as self-punishment."

When Dean Gao first volunteered for the cultivation world mission, the entire Supreme Council was utterly astonished. Never before had a council member, especially a Chief Scientist like Dean Gao, who controlled the Alliance's most cutting-edge technology, personally participated in an aid deployment. Unknown to them, Dean Gao's underlying motive for instigating the Aether revolution was his profound desire to accelerate technological progress. He was convinced that the cultivation world was far from as straightforward as Lu Yang described and held the potential to significantly advance technology.

"Here, take this," Dean Gao said, handing Lu Yang an iron box.

"What is this?"

"It's an Aether avatar, which you can consider a part of Aether itself. It can synchronize with the Aether main unit through quantum communication."

The iron box was, in fact, the Alliance's most advanced quantum computer. On its screen, Aether's friendly smiling face appeared: "Mr. Lu, we meet again."

"...Could we perhaps discuss something? Could you consider changing your expression in the future?"

"Huh?"

The aid team was somewhat taken aback to see Lu Yang conversing so casually with the legendary Dean Gao.

"That's Lu Yang, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's him. I've heard he's one of the most powerful individuals in their cultivation world."

While it was rare for aid recipients to engage in equal dialogue with the Interstellar Alliance, the aid team found it understandable given Lu Yang's past methods of handling the film crew.

Lu Yang cast a sidelong glance at the spacecraft. "Are we taking this?"

Dean Gao looked surprised. "Otherwise, what? Your Wupeng boat?"

Dean Gao's reaction was entirely reasonable; a Wupeng boat could only accommodate five or six people, making it an impossible vessel for the entire aid team to reach the cultivation world.

Lu Yang slapped his forehead. It was an oversight on his part; he had forgotten to inform the Alliance that a spaceship wouldn't be necessary, as he possessed his own means of transportation for the team.

"How long would it take to get to the cultivation world on your spaceship?"

"Seven or eight years, approximately," Dean Gao calculated. "During that time, we'd be immersed in nutrient fluid, minimizing our bodily functions to the lowest possible level, essentially putting ourselves in a state of suspended animation." This was a standard procedure for long-haul voyages within the Interstellar Alliance.

Just as Dean Gao was about to speak further, Lu Yang abruptly drew his Azure Edge Sword, causing Dean Gao to jump, thinking Lu Yang was about to make a move. Lu Yang activated the Azure Edge Sword's miniature world, encompassing both the spacecraft and the entire aid team within it. The aid team's initially relaxed and casual expressions vanished instantly, replaced by undisguised shock and bewilderment.

"What happened?"

"Where are we?"

"Did we teleport?"

One moment they were at the spaceport, the next they found themselves in an unbelievably beautiful world of lush mountains and clear waters. They rubbed their eyes repeatedly, attempting to confirm if the miraculous vista before them was truly real. It truly existed.

"There's a positioning system on the ship! Get it out and identify our location!"

"Retrieve all other tools too; we need to record the data of this place!"

"Dean Gao, where are we?"

Dean Gao himself was speechless. Before departing, he had thoroughly prepared himself mentally, vowing not to be flustered no matter what occurred. And yet, before they had even begun their journey, something utterly beyond his comprehension had already transpired!

Lu Yang then entered the Azure Edge Sword's miniature world. Seeing Lu Yang, Dean Gao hurried over to inquire about the situation.

"Oh, you mean here? This is the miniature world within my sword," Lu Yang explained casually.

"A miniature world?" Dean Gao repeated, hearing the term for the very first time.

"It's simply a space artificially created. You weren't aware?"

Dean Gao's jaw dropped. He understood each individual word—"artificially created space"—but strung together, they made no sense to him.

"Then why did you bring us here? To demonstrate your miniature world?"

"Your spacecraft is too slow. I'll take you there with my boat; we'll arrive in just a month."

If it were only Lu Yang traveling, he could use the rudimentary form of the Origin Tracing Dao Fruit to instantly return to the cultivation world. However, since the aid team and the Aether extension were also accompanying him, Lu Yang had no choice but to diligently row back.

"A month?!" Dean Gao's jaw dropped in disbelief. Such speed was utterly inconceivable.

"Can I... can I not remain here? Your boat still has room for passengers, doesn't it?" Dean Gao inquired, his face alight with anticipation. Dean Gao was incredibly curious. His previous trip on the Wupeng boat had been too short; he'd arrived at the destination before he could properly examine anything. This time, he was determined to understand its mechanisms thoroughly.

"Alright."

Dean Gao then explained the situation to the aid team, reassuring them. The scientists among the aid team, upon learning of Lu Yang's capabilities, were also eager to witness them firsthand and expressed a desire to board his boat. However, given the limited capacity of the boat, Lu Yang devised a compromise: he created a window in the Azure Edge Sword's miniature world, allowing those inside to observe the external environment.

Only then did Dean Gao and Lu Yang emerge into the outside world.

The control tower's navigator hailed the Starfarer: "Starfarer, your departure time has arrived. Please exit the port."

"Repeat, Starfarer, your departure time has arrived. Please exit the port."

His colleague, eyes wide with disbelief, nudged the navigator. "Stop repeating yourself. Where *is* the Starfarer?"

"What do you mean?"

The navigator looked up in confusion, only to see the enormous Starfarer had vanished without a trace, leaving only a single small boat sailing into the black expanse of space.