Di Ping sat on the rooftop, leaning against the wall as he gazed at the starry sky. Through his intoxicated eyes, he seemed to see the aged faces of his parents, and in that moment, tears streamed down his face.
It had been two years since he last visited them.
All of this stemmed from his love for a girl he should never have loved—Su Xiao. He had struggled in Zhongzhou for three years, finally meeting the conditions set by the Su family. However, the result was devastating—news arrived that Su Xiao, who had been studying abroad, was now engaged to the young master of the Li family in the capital.
Upon hearing this, Di Ping collapsed on the spot. When he regained consciousness, he isolated himself in the so-called "love nest" he had meticulously prepared, going two days and nights without food or water. On the third day, he descended the stairs and bought an abundance of alcohol—he intended to drink himself into oblivion.
Wiping the tears from his face, Di Ping let out a self-deprecating laugh. Only now did he feel he had truly matured. It was no wonder people said that a man who has never experienced love remains immature, even if he has battled in the business world for years.
"Tomorrow, I'll go home!" He took a deep swig of beer and then smashed the can onto the ground.
In the distant sky, the stars twinkled one by one, illuminating his face. The view stretched infinitely, and the Milky Way, like a vast whirlpool, had been slowly rotating for billions of years. The countless shimmering stars were both mysterious and mesmerizing.
Yet, on this night, amidst the infinite expanse of the cosmos, a figure in a black robe stood silently at the edge of the galaxy, his eyes flickering with an enigmatic light.
"Who has such audacity? To have arranged such an immense interstellar formation in this galaxy… Even I cannot construct such an array. I must uncover the secrets hidden here!"
As he spoke, the black-robed figure began to weave intricate patterns with his hands, sending streams of radiant energy into the void.
"Boom—"
The long-silent void trembled violently, as if the entire Milky Way shuddered.
Suddenly, torrents of energy surged madly into the galaxy from beyond, forming vortexes in the vacuum as they rushed inward with terrifying force.
"This is bad! It's an energy-restraining formation!" The middle-aged man's expression darkened. "Who could have set this up? Blocking the flow of cosmic energy to halt biological evolution—such ruthless means!"
"Oh? There is even a planet with intelligent life here?" As his divine sense swept across the area, his brows furrowed. "With such an intense influx of energy, mutations will be extraordinarily violent. The human race on this planet will struggle to survive."
The black-robed figure remained silent for a moment, seemingly making a decision. He extended his hand, revealing a pitch-black sphere in his palm. His expression showed a trace of reluctance, but after a brief hesitation, he clenched his teeth and flung the sphere forward. Then, in a flash, his figure disappeared into the vast cosmos. The black sphere transformed into a streak of light, hurtling straight toward a blue planet.
Di Ping was still gazing at the night sky when he suddenly noticed a distant star flashing. A strong, warm gust of wind rushed past, producing a wailing sound as it billowed his clothes.
Almost immediately, he felt the ground tremble—like an earthquake. In the residential complex, one car alarm after another blared into the night.
"Could this really be an earthquake?" Di Ping, puzzled, prepared to head downstairs.
"What the—? What is that?" Just as he retracted his body from the rooftop railing, he saw a glowing object streaking straight toward him through the night sky.
"A meteor? Just my luck!"
This was the only thought that crossed his mind before the brilliant meteor struck him. His vision went black, and his consciousness faded.
"Low-level intelligent lifeform detected, meeting the conditions for inheritance… Initiating fusion… 1%... 2%... 100%. Fusion successful."
"Ding… Scanning for information. Low-level civilization electronic devices detected. Connecting to network… Information collection in progress…"
"Ding… Civilization inheritance program detected. Initiating program integration."
"Ding… 1%... 100% integration complete. Apocalypse Shelter Inheritance System awaiting activation."