Stepping through the Realm Gate, Qin Yi and his group found themselves instantly transported to a completely different space.
Elysium could be considered a decent science fiction film. The futuristic world it depicted wasn't vast or expansive, and it didn't even feature aliens. Instead, it focused on the political conflicts arising from extreme wealth inequality in a future era. The wealthy elite resided on space stations orbiting Earth, enjoying clean air, advanced medical technology, and lives of comfort and security.
Meanwhile, the impoverished masses were trapped on Earth, living amidst severe environmental pollution and dwindling resources.
To Qin Yi, this Earth, seemingly on the brink of collapse, held little practical value, lacking even the resource richness of the worlds under his control.
What he sought were its technologies, specifically, the means to construct space stations and its seemingly omnipotent medical technology. Throughout the film, what truly astonished Qin Yi was the medical machine capable of curing almost any disease, a realization of humanity's greatest dream!
From birth to death, humans endure countless illnesses and torments. Even in their twilight years, they may be ravaged by cancer. Those who truly die peacefully in their sleep are exceedingly rare. In fact, the very methods of Immortal Cultivation aim to circumvent biological death and evolve the physical body. Yet even Immortal Cultivation cannot escape the Five Signs of the Celestial's Decline, there is always an end!
For Qin Yi, this medical technology was a true game-changer, a cheat code to mortality itself!
That's why, despite the allure of technologically advanced interstellar travel, he hadn't chosen it. Of course, the film Starfield Crossing depicted an extraordinarily advanced civilization, even hinting at future civilizations, which was both astonishing and terrifying.
Now, the five of them stood on Earth. The particulate-laden air, reeking of decaying metal, made them involuntarily wrinkle their noses.
"This air..." Minato murmured, then fell silent.
Such severe air pollution was unimaginable in Qin's Nation. If any region there reached such catastrophic levels, it would trigger a cataclysmic crisis! Local officials, along with the source of the pollution, would be dealt with swiftly and ruthlessly.
In the civilizational development of Qin's Nation, pollution was considered the most critical issue to address. Naturally, they had developed numerous methods to mitigate such phenomena.
Most Qin's Nation cities were built in interlocking patterns with small forests or completely surrounded by greenery. Beautification and afforestation had always been at the core of their urban planning.
"Just bear with it. It won't take long," Qin Yi said indifferently.
The four nodded, their eyes reflecting a poor impression of this world.
Scanning their surroundings, they noticed the world's oddities but remained discreet about it.
"Follow me."
Qin Yi shifted his gaze, his senses expanding outward until he located their target, Max.
The plan was simple: follow Max into Elysium, and this space station would naturally fall under Qin Yi's control.
In this world that prioritized technological might above all else, individual power was relatively weak. Once they evaded the missile barrage targeting their spacecraft as it approached the station, the rest would be a cakewalk.
At that moment, Max, the protagonist, had just been released from prison and was experiencing the opening scene of the story.
Qin Yi led Minato and the other three, silently following behind.
Max had grown up as an orphan under the care of the "Chief," and since childhood, he had yearned for Elysium, the paradise in outer space. But as he grew older, he realized his dream was drifting further away, and he had become a parolee with a criminal record.
Under the skeptical gaze and words of the Robots, Max walked down the street with a resigned expression.
Life was tough, but he had to keep going. As people grow older, they often find that helplessness outweighs happiness.
When he was young, he might not have understood the meaning of those words, but now, he understood them all too well.
Just as Max had taken a few steps, a group of strangely dressed individuals blocked his path.
"Max!" Qin Yi called out in English, smiling.
"Who are you?" Max frowned, not recognizing this group of unconventional figures.
"Who we are doesn't matter. What's important is that we can help you!" Qin Yi replied.
"Help me?" Max paused, then brushed past the group of five and turned to leave.
"I don't need your help right now!"
Fresh out of prison and already harassed by robots, his resentment was overflowing, leaving him in no mood to deal with a group of strangers.
"Our King, why are we looking for him?" Minato asked, puzzled.
"My guess is that the space station hanging in the sky, that's our target, Elysium, right?"
Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Ling'er stood silently behind them, observing their surroundings with wide-eyed wonder. Everything here felt miraculous to them.
"Because we can't survive in space yet," Qin Yi said with a faint smile.
"Space!" Minato pondered.
Humans need oxygen to survive, but space is a vacuum. The radiation, solar rays, and immense pressure differences, both internal and external, are unavoidable and would crush a human body in an instant. Even those who practice the Cultivation's Way can't withstand such extreme pressure.
"That man can take us to Elysium!"
Qin Yi offered only a brief explanation before falling silent.
"So, what should we do?" Ace asked, puzzled.
"Wait patiently and protect that man," Qin Yi replied.
For the next stretch of time, Qin Yi and his group found a place to rest.
Ace was assigned to guard Max. In the original story, Max had been exposed to lethal radiation while working, leaving him with only weeks to live. His only hope lay in reaching Elysium for treatment, igniting a desperate will to survive.
Until this critical moment, Qin Yi's objective could be fulfilled simply by keeping Max alive.
Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, the moment arrived when the mechanical arm was implanted into the back of Max's head.
Sensing the impending climax, Qin Yi's eyes flickered with anticipation.
The technological prowess of this world was truly extraordinary. After the mechanical arm was implanted, ordinary humans were transformed into superhuman beings with extraordinary strength.
"Our King, they're fighting! A spaceship has descended from Elysium, it seems to be carrying the world's leaders!"
Minato appeared beside Qin Yi and quickly reported.
"Have Ace protect Max," Qin Yi said gravely. "Only the Undead are necessary."
"Yes, sir!" Minato replied and hurried off to inform Ace.
At the crash site of the spaceship, a fierce battle was raging between the snakehead spider smuggling ring and Elysium's management forces. After a prolonged firefight, nearly all of Elysium's personnel had been killed. However, they now faced a formidable opponent: Kruger.
Kruger, a former special forces soldier with immense strength, had worked exclusively for Elysium's elite. With a single slash of his blade, he had already slain Max's friend and was now charging toward Max himself.
"You bastard!" Max roared, realizing that nearly everyone around him was dead.
Facing Kruger, he felt an overwhelming psychological pressure. The life-or-death threat made his entire body tremble.
"Die!" Kruger sprinted forward. Max roared in response, preparing to strike back.
But just then, a blaze of fire erupted between them.
(End Of This Chapter)
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