Chapter 1 Azure Skies

The azure sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds, and birds soared above. These birds varied in species, including pterosaurs and bats that glided on membranes, as well as seagulls and other birds that flew with feathers and muscle power.

Before him lay an endless expanse of rippling blue sea. Studding the sea were numerous islands, large and small, all overgrown with dense ferns reaching heights of two to three hundred meters. Such a sight was rarely seen on Earth, and Fang Senyan found it difficult to describe.

If he had to draw a comparison, the sea before him resembled a tranquil lotus pond, while the islands were like densely packed lotus leaves. The gaps between the islands were so close that it seemed one could jump across with a running start.

Even more astonishing, this scene appeared to stretch endlessly into the distant horizon!

Fang Senyan couldn't resist jumping out of the pipe's exit. At the same time, he extended his mental tentacles to their maximum range. If they could materialize, these tentacles would be like wisps of smoke, spreading around him for a kilometer or two.

Sensing no immediate danger, Fang Senyan reached the shore. He then discovered that the seawater, though seemingly clear, had an intense fishy smell. Although seawater was known for its fishy odor, this was excessive. He couldn't help but use a portable analyzer—often used in the wild to determine if water was drinkable—to examine the water.

The analysis showed it was non-toxic. The instrument then provided a list of components: cations of Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Sr2+, and anions of Cl-, SO42-, Br-, HCO3(CO32-), and F-. There was also H3BO3 present in molecular form.

Fang Senyan glanced over these components, but he was shocked by the analyzer's final conclusion:

"The sample is remarkably similar to the amniotic fluid in a human female's uterus during the third month of pregnancy, with a similarity of 95.32%." (Note: Amniotic fluid is naturally colorless; turbidity is usually due to contamination from fetal waste.)

"This... so that's why it smells so fishy!" Fang Senyan suddenly realized. He had even considered taking a sip of the seemingly clear liquid, but now he felt a strong aversion.

As he approached the amniotic sea, he realized that the water was incredibly deep, the dark depths disappearing from sight. The gaps between the islands weren't as close as they appeared from above, likely twenty or thirty meters apart.

Next, his mental tentacles detected an astonishing fact: each "island" was actually a living organism! These organisms weren't as powerful as turtles or tortoises, but were more akin to clumps of moss or algae solidified into floating masses. Their life force was extremely weak, like that of an elderly person on their deathbed.

Life density might seem mystical and unquantifiable, but it could be discerned through certain signs. For example, withered trees or a frail, hunched-over old person reeking of medicine gave the impression of low life density, close to its end.

Conversely, the approach of a powerful, muscular Siberian tiger or a tanned, athletic young man radiating heat gave the sense of intense life density.

As Fang Senyan was pondering, a heavy rain suddenly began, instantly creating a white curtain of water, accompanied by thunder and lightning! Just as he was about to seek shelter, he noticed that when the rainwater came into contact with the amniotic sea, along with the flashes of lightning, a strange chemical reaction occurred.

Organic matter began to form: amino acids and nucleotides, the ubiquitous and crucial building blocks of life. Then came bacteria, followed by single-celled organisms...

Fang Senyan watched the evolution of life unfold in mere minutes, compressing hundreds of millions of years of natural evolution, leaving him dumbfounded! Just when he thought humans would emerge, countless shimmering lights erupted from the depths of the sea!

The ultimate evolution was something Fang Senyan never expected—mayflies! The most famous ephemeral creatures! However, the life density within each of these mayflies was concentrated to an astonishing degree! Each palm-sized mayfly possessed a life force so intense that it surpassed that of ten blue whales!

It was also important to note that blue whales lived for over sixty years, sometimes even a century. Yet, these palm-sized mayflies, possessing ten times the life density of a blue whale, would completely exhaust it within a single day! The radiance emanating from their lives would be incredibly dazzling!

"This is Noah E Space's greatest and most valuable secret!" A slightly excited voice suddenly echoed in Fang Senyan's ear. A beam of light shot out from his Nightmare Imprint, quickly forming a faint image.

Though blurry and vaguely feminine, the image radiated an indescribable majesty, even arousing a sense of reverence in Fang Senyan. She turned to face the astonished Fang Senyan and smiled faintly:

"Don't be surprised. I am your mother space, Noah C Space. To facilitate communication with contractors, I appear in this way. You can call me Eve."

Fang Senyan immediately understood. No wonder he was so agitated; Eve, as the bestower of his power, must possess such powerful authority. The mayflies were now frantically swarming the islands, devouring the trees and leaves, growing, and then mating.

Mating was a process of creating life, and during procreation, the life force of both mother and offspring became extremely vigorous. In the real world, there were even cases of pregnant women with terminal illnesses spontaneously recovering during pregnancy and childbirth. The life density of these mayflies within Noah E Space was elevated to an astonishing degree through mating and reproduction!

"So, this is the method used for purification," Eve said with a slight smile.

Fang Senyan couldn't help but ask doubtfully:

"Though it may be impudent to say so, could you explain it a bit more clearly?"

Eve gave Fang Senyan a deep look, then said:

"Based on the achievements you have made so far, you are qualified to learn these secrets. Our Noah Spaces were not created by humans, but are products left behind by the creators of the previous era. Although the functions of all Noah Spaces are the same, their core methods of survival and combat are unique."

"It's like the modes of transportation you humans use. All are for the sake of more convenient travel, but bicycles are powered by human pedaling, electric vehicles by electricity, cars by petroleum, sailboats by wind, nuclear submarines by nuclear energy, and steamboats by steam engines. Each Noah Space is the same, with different secrets at its core."

Fang Senyan immediately understood after hearing this, and took a deep breath:

"So, you mean that Noah E Space's main core secret lies within this sub-world before us?"

"Yes," Noah C Space Eve said decisively. "You are absolutely right. Right now, this entire world is being pushed to its limit, and the sole purpose of the creatures living in this world is to provide a continuous stream of terrifying life force as the core energy of E Space! Look at this entire world; it is E Space's core engine, its heart!"

"These mayflies themselves are creatures whose evolutionary speed has been accelerated trillions of times. Their inherent, intense life essence is then purified during mating! Look, these mayflies don't even lay eggs after mating; instead, they wither and explode. Those white light particles floating into space are the purified life essence, which is then supplied to Noah E Space to support its activities!"

"But how can life be converted into energy?" Fang Senyan suddenly found it hard to comprehend.

But Eve's words left him stunned:

"Think about the Annihilation you use, or the Resurrection skill used by your teammate Reef. These are all powerful attack skills that require the consumption of a certain amount of life force to unleash!"

Fang Senyan was speechless. He stared blankly at the astonishing scene that looked like a blizzard of snowflakes. He never imagined that Noah Spaces had advanced to the point of using an entire world as an "engine"! After a while, he finally came back to his senses and said with difficulty:

"So, what can I do for you?"

Eve gazed at the sky for a moment:

"You should be able to notice that the extracted life essence is flying into the air. Clearly, there must be a hidden energy absorption device in the sky. Although I am in a phantom state and have no combat power, my analytical and computational abilities are still present. Your task is to go to the location of the energy absorption device and wait there for a while."