Global Era of Star trekking Chapter 1844 - 896: Undercurrents (Part 3)
Previously on Global Era of Star trekking...
The City of Transcendence's public statement stayed ambiguous, simply stating it aimed to "prepare for potential chaos from the Divine Land’s transcendent forces siege," yet in secret, the local Star Realm powers buzzed with wild guesses and heated arguments, all unproven.
Suddenly, a wave of pressing urgency washed over Song Chi, evoking the sensation of an imminent tempest.
On instinct, he realized this spelled trouble.
The City of Transcendence occupies a lofty status; the powers pulling its strings are beyond comprehension. Such an extended, massive buildup of battle supplies signals a grave purpose, with the looming "threats" or "foes" probably far more daunting than anyone could fathom.
Could it be a colossal conflict spanning various turbulent star domains? Or gearing up for a terrifying disaster across the All Heavens Star Sea? Or perhaps...initiating an assault from outside?
No matter the cause, once it unleashes, the fallout won't confine itself to the City of Transcendence and could engulf the whole All Heavens Star Sea.
Even the Torch Human Civilization in the Shattered Starry Sea might not escape unscathed.
After careful consideration, Song Chi reached a firm resolve.
He sent the Ancient Demon back to the Ruins Market. Taking advantage of its access, he gathered the conflict supplies required to exchange for the Evil Spirit Divine Tree Heart. Right after the deal wrapped up, the Ancient Demon triggered the Spatial Anchor Point and headed straight to the Zhu Tian Ruins Market.
Gripping the icy, sharp-edged tree heart brimming with soul essence, Song Chi displayed scant delight.
The City of Transcendence's odd, thousand-year hoarding of war provisions loomed over his mind like a dense shadow.
This crushing pressure prompted him to hold off on advancing the Golden Apple Mother Tree and instead leave the Ruins Market to call an emergency confidential gathering with core Song family members such as Song Yan, Song Wujiang, and Song Shiyuan.
Following that, he tapped into the top-level Torch Network to reach out to Jiang Yuan, Ying Yi, and fellow seasoned Torch Human Emperors, sharing his observations and worries regarding the City of Transcendence.
At first, Jiang Yuan, Ying Yi, and the rest doubted it. After all, the City of Transcendence was utterly unknown to them, distant from the Torch Civilization's sphere.
Yet upon hearing Song Chi cite terms like "millennium-long", "comprehensive acquisition", "top priority", and "suspected major catastrophe", alongside the City of Transcendence's mighty reputation that might match the Chaos Divine Land, their faces grew grave.
It was wiser to treat the warning as real than to brush it aside as fiction.
At their stature, hunches about dangers demanded attention.
Before long, a clandestine assembly restricted to the Torch Human Civilization's uppermost leaders took place. Backed by Song Chi's in-depth reports and the support from Jiang Yuan and others, they agreed: the society would shift into a "silent preparation for war" mode.
The whole Torch Civilization quietly rerouted its assets:
Output from key war-focused Floating Lands and labs ramped up without fanfare;
Government bodies and prominent Gates and groups started subtly, sporadically, and in modest batches, stockpiling essential assets, especially Energy Crystal Stones, scarce alloys, and vessel maintenance supplies;
During growth efforts, systems rich in resources gained higher focus;
In dealings abroad, purchases of ready-made ships, advanced onboard parts, and supplies for upgrading low-to-mid tier Torch vessels surged, even as luxury goods and unnecessary tech sales dipped a bit.
All these moves happened under the radar, steering clear of alarming nearby societies or the populace inside.
As ruler of the Zhu Tian Ruins Market, with its vast reserves built up across twenty millennia, plus gains from the prior venture into the Third Torch River System Cluster (Lanikea River System Cluster), Song Chi moved with bold swiftness.
He harnessed the Zhu Tian Ruins Market's trade perks to launch sweeping operations:
Silently offloading huge reserves of basic materials, opulent goods, non-critical tech, and design schematics held in the market.
The resulting capital and supplies transformed rapidly into bulk purchases—myriad war essentials streamed covertly via Zhu Tian Ruins Market routes and stashed away in concealed Floating Land depots controlled by the Heavenly Ruins Song Family.
Song Chi couldn't predict the nature of the brewing "storm", its timing, arrival, or shape.
Still, he grasped fully that early readiness and ample "stockpiles" would grant greater protection and chances for himself, his kin, and the whole civilization amid any looming turmoil.