Chapter 170: Entry into a Preliminary Level-4 Civilization

After forming his hypothesis, Xiao Yu immediately began the process of verification.

He first conducted graviton detection at the engine section. Once he built the appropriate sensors and installed them onto the engine, sure enough, Xiao Yu detected a large number of gravitons. The presence of gravitons confirmed the presence of gravity, and Xiao Yu also found a direct correlation between the amount of gravity and the power output of the ship’s engine. By measuring the rate at which interstellar dust particles gathered, he could calculate the strength of the gravitational field. The results showed: the more powerful the engine, the greater the gravity produced.

At that moment, Xiao Yu was reminded of a weapon he once acquired from the Luka Civilization—a Level 4 civilization’s creation—the Gravitational Bomb.

The principle of the Gravitational Bomb was to convert energy into gravity and use that immense gravitational force to harm enemies. The similarity between that and what he was experiencing now was striking.

Having confirmed the presence of gravity, Xiao Yu began checking for electromagnetic forces. Photons are the mediators of electromagnetic force, and the engine’s abnormally bright flames already hinted at an unusually strong electromagnetic field.

Understanding all this, Xiao Yu grew tense.

“This is dangerous. I need to find a way to restore the ship’s propulsion… but how?” Faced with an unknown phenomenon, Xiao Yu felt a sense of helplessness.

He had already shared his findings with the Luka scientists, who were now fervently engaged in discussions alongside him.

Luka three said to Xiao Yu, “Master, perhaps… we may have a solution.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it,” Xiao Yu responded distractedly.

“This unknown gravitational source has enveloped us and stripped our ship of mobility by converting our thrust into gravitational and electromagnetic energy. So, if we can either block that conversion process, or convert the gravity and electromagnetic energy back into propulsion, we could regain mobility.”

Xiao Yu gave a bitter smile. “I understand your thinking. But with our current technological level, it’s just not possible—unless… unless we master the Grand Unified Theory.”

Luka three said quietly, “It’s the only viable solution, isn’t it? Otherwise, we’ll have to wait for this gravitational anomaly to dissipate on its own. But it’s already been several days with no sign of dispersal. We suspect the special alignment of the three stars may have created a long-lasting gravitational source—it may persist indefinitely. If we want to escape, mastering the Grand Unified Theory is our only option. Otherwise, we’ll remain trapped here, leaving our fate in the hands of the Great God.”

“Although you’ve honored me with the title of the God’s Emissary, entrusting my fate to your Great God isn’t my style. Fortunately, the gravitational anomaly doesn’t affect the ship’s interior. That means we can still conduct research here. Then let’s not waste time. Let’s master the Grand Unified Theory and find a way to escape!”

Xiao Yu made up his mind.

He threw himself back into his work. In the following period, his processing power was overwhelmed by a flood of complex data. His mind swam with terms like graviton, gravity, gluon, strong interaction, weak interaction, bosons, Higgs field… Countless models and hypotheses were constructed—only to be dismantled again and again.

He ran endless engine tests, scrutinizing every subtle phenomenon. The Luka scientists also showed their characteristic zeal—sleepless nights and ceaseless toil became the norm.

Mastering the Grand Unified Theory—learning how to control energy conversion—became the top priority.

Under these conditions, the full potential of both Xiao Yu and the Luka scientists was unleashed.

But Xiao Yu never forgot one looming truth: in twenty-five years, the information storm would arrive in the Milky Way.

Faced with enormous pressure, it was Xiao Yu who made the first breakthrough. Three years into the gravitational anomaly, he succeeded in unifying electromagnetic force and gravity—confirming that photons and gravitons were different expressions of the same strange particle. When the particle exhibited photon characteristics, it mediated electromagnetic force; when it exhibited graviton characteristics, it mediated gravitational force.

This was the first and most important breakthrough.

Inspired by Xiao Yu’s discovery, five years later, the Luka scientists made the second major breakthrough: unifying strong force and gravity.

Ten years after the ships had been trapped, Xiao Yu and the Luka scientists completed the final breakthrough together: unifying weak force and gravity.

Thus, the Grand Unified Theory had been conquered.

There were now fifteen years left before the information storm arrived.

To celebrate the breakthrough, Xiao Yu and the Luka scientists held their first celebration in a decade.

After ten full years of grueling research, Xiao Yu—being an electronic lifeform—was relatively unscathed. But the Luka people had suffered dearly. In their desperate pursuit of scientific progress, more than ten scientists had died from exhaustion. Yet it was through this relentless struggle that Xiao Yu’s civilization entered a new technological epoch.

Mastering the Grand Unified Theory marked the civilization’s initial entry into Level 4 Civilization status.

And that was undoubtedly worth celebrating.

At the banquet, every Luka scientist drank themselves into oblivion. Some collapsed to the ground, beating their chests and wailing, vowing to burn the critical formulas of the Grand Unified Theory as offerings to their fallen comrades in the next ritual—so that they, too, might share in the joy of success in the Great God’s embrace. Others hugged one another, roaring and screaming like madmen—completely unrecognizable from the solemn, disciplined scientists they usually were. Most, however, just fell asleep in the streets, snoring peacefully.

This was the highest-tier celebration among the Luka people.

In fact, ten days after Xiao Yu’s fleet had become trapped, rumors had already begun to spread within Luka society, stirring panic. Although Xiao Yu’s ideological control prevented any rebellion, the collective mood was heavy and anxious. Now, hearing that “the Master” and the scientists had together achieved a critical scientific breakthrough, even the general populace erupted into celebration.

Previously, due to the uncertainty of a breakthrough, Luka society had been placed under strict rationing. But now that restriction was lifted. The wide avenues of The Paradise and New Homeland were lined with bountiful food and drink—unlimited and free.

After ten years of repressed fear, the Luka people could finally relax.

The festivities lasted for three whole days. Afterward, Xiao Yu mandated that all Luka scientists take time off, taking over the remaining tasks himself. Now that the key technology had been conquered, the rest—fine-tuning and application—was something he could handle alone.

During this time, Xiao Yu successfully built a miniature version of the gravitational bomb. Its mechanism and destructive method were identical to those obtained from the Level 4 civilization. The only difference was its reduced power. Xiao Yu concluded that the lower output was due to energy acquisition and efficiency limitations.

He also successfully prototyped a conversion-blocking device. After installing it onto the ship’s engine, he witnessed a thrilling sight:

After ten years of drifting, the ship—which had been stranded and helpless—finally moved again.

Over 100,000 ships, including dozens of massive cargo vessels, ignited pale-blue flames at their sterns and began to slowly depart the Aquila IV star system.

Drifting near the edge of the system, Xiao Yu gazed back at the five chaotically orbiting stars, at the persistent stellar displacement phenomena, and reflected on the fifteen years he had spent here.

“No matter what… I’ve broken through. From here on out, all I need to do is perfect the details. Full entry into Level 4 Civilization is now just a matter of time…”

“Zhang Shengya… was it? I really should thank you. If not for the reminder in your journal, who would have thought that the secrets of the Grand Unified Theory were hidden in this chaotic star system? Hmm… even though I did encounter some danger, the end result was still good.”

“Well, the Grand Unified Theory is conquered. What now? Advancing detailed technologies won’t happen overnight, so I don’t need to rush that. There are still fifteen years until the information storm arrives. Where should I go next? How do I escape the coming cataclysm?”

Leaning back against the backdrop of this quintuple star system and gazing at the faint red hues of interstellar space, Xiao Yu felt a sense of bewilderment.

“The road ahead is uncertain. I don’t know where to go…” he sighed.

But just then, Xiao Yu suddenly jolted upright.

Because he had received another message—a spatial broadcast from the Guardian Alliance.

“Spatial Broadcast #13,644 – Milky Way Galaxy.”

“If you are receiving this message, it means you have achieved at least preliminary interstellar navigation capability. The following information may be critical to your survival—please analyze it thoroughly.”