Li Yang fell silent as he listened to Shen Xuan speak.

Shen Xuan had a way to directly contact other civilizations, but doing so meant that Earth would be immediately exposed to them.

As an incredibly weak planet, Earth’s fate would then depend entirely on the mercy of those powerful civilizations. That was a risk Shen Xuan dared not take.

From what he knew, most planets that were taken over didn’t meet with a kind fate.

While there were some benevolent rulers, the chances of that happening were exceedingly slim.

Shen Xuan would never bet Earth’s fate on such a small probability.

Shen Xuan continued, "If someone on Planet Zero breaks through to the Law Realm before the age of thirty, it will be designated a planet with potential. The human civilizations of the Cosmos would take such a planet much more seriously. They would send personnel to assist in its development, but its administrators would still be from Earth."

"I’ve been waiting for such a genius to emerge from our planet."

One scenario is having personnel dispatched to forcefully manage Earth; the other is having Earth’s own people continue to govern, merely assisted by members of other civilizations. Naturally, there’s a huge difference between the two!

Li Yang remained silent. ’Shen Xuan’s words must mean he was over thirty when he broke through to the Law Realm.’

As if reading Li Yang’s mind, Shen Xuan said, "I was already thirty-five when I broke through to the Law Realm. I exceeded the standard, so I won’t be acknowledged by the human civilizations of the Cosmos."

"That’s why I established the Celestial Origin Palace, revealed my strength, and even fought a battle against the United States. I did it all to elevate the status of Cultivators! Only then would the world’s nations take Cultivators seriously! And only then would those with the Talent for cultivation have a chance to rise!"

"As long as a single Cultivator on Earth can comprehend a law and break through to the Law Realm before the age of thirty, I will immediately contact the other human civilizations and reveal Earth’s existence!"

As Shen Xuan spoke, Li Yang was reeling. In fact, he’d had a question bugging him for a while.

Cultivators had only been revealed to the world a few decades ago. Before that, they had operated in secret, and almost no one knew of their existence.

He never imagined that Shen Xuan had orchestrated all of it, even that battle where he’d faced down a nuclear bomb. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I’ve told you a bit about the alien civilizations. Now, let me tell you about that specific alien."

Shen Xuan continued, "I was trying to develop Earth, searching everywhere for those with the Talent for cultivation, hoping a true genius would emerge who could lead our planet to make contact with other civilizations. But before that genius appeared, an alien named Jin Mola arrived on Earth twenty years ago. He discovered the rich mineral deposits on Mars and the Moon!"

"Mineral deposits?" Li Yang was taken aback.

"That’s right! Li Yang, we don’t have many resources on Earth itself, but Mars and the Moon hold vast, precious mineral deposits. These are resources that even Cultivators at the Longevity Realm would be desperate to acquire! The Longevity Realm, by the way, is a realm above the Law Realm..."

After that brief explanation, Shen Xuan said, "Those resources would have been perfect for us to exploit once Earth made contact with other civilizations as a free planet. We could have partnered with other worlds, and all of Earth could have developed rapidly. Unfortunately, Jin Mola found them first."

If Earth were deemed a planet without potential and taken over, then Earthlings would have no say over the resources on Mars and the Moon. Who knows how the new administrator would deal with them?

Selling off all the resources and giving Earth only a tiny fraction is a very likely outcome.

Only with autonomy can Earth reap the immense benefits of those resources.

A grave look appeared on Shen Xuan’s face. "When Jin Mola discovered those deposits, he wanted to eliminate Earth and kill all its Cultivators. That way, the mineral deposits would be all his. However, shortly after he made his move, I fought him. Afterward, he learned that I could contact other civilizations at any moment. So, Jin Mola didn’t dare act rashly again and left Earth."

Hearing this, Li Yang asked in confusion, "Palace Master, why would he be afraid?"

Jin Mola is from an alien civilization too. If he just called for reinforcements, Earth would be completely defenseless.

He came to Earth twenty years ago, yet nothing has happened to the planet so far.

"Greed."

Shen Xuan said in a low voice, "Based on my speculation, this Jin Mola isn’t someone with any real power or status. Li Yang, if you discovered an orchard full of Spirit Fruits, would you keep it all for yourself, or would you tell others so you could all share?"

Li Yang understood immediately.

’It’s like a hundred million dollars. If I take it all for myself, I get the full hundred million.’

’But if ten people come to split it, each person only gets ten million. If my standing in the group is low, I’d get even less, maybe only a few million.’

’Given the choice, almost no one would choose to share.’

"Jin Mola wants to monopolize those mineral deposits. If he continues to kill Earth’s Cultivators, I’ll drag him down with me by immediately exposing Earth to the other civilizations!"

"Once Earth is exposed and the main forces of the Cosmos’s human civilizations arrive, our planet might be taken over, but at least our lives wouldn’t be in danger."

"And after the takeover, those mineral deposits would be exploited by the new administrators. That Jin Mola would be left with nothing."

Li Yang nodded. Once Earth was exposed, Jin Mola would lose any chance of getting his hands on the resources on Mars and the Moon.

Since Shen Xuan had the means to expose Earth at any moment, Jin Mola was naturally terrified of him.

’So that’s how it is,’ Li Yang thought, then asked, "Palace Master, where is this Jin Mola now?"

Shen Xuan replied, "He’s probably on Mars, mining those mineral deposits."

"Mining..." Li Yang fell silent.

To think that a single alien miner, someone with no real status or power in the greater Cosmos, could plunge the entire Earth into such a perilous situation if not for Shen Xuan’s presence.

"So, Earth is in a very dangerous situation right now. Jin Mola has fought me several times, trying to kill me, but I have my own countermeasures."

"I’ve set up a failsafe on that civilizational device. If I don’t give it any command for twenty-four hours, the device will automatically send a message, contact the other civilizations, and expose Earth," Shen Xuan said grimly.

That would only happen in one scenario: if he had been killed.

The gap between the Law Realm and the Spirit Awakening Realm was immense.

Just as before, when the combined power of every Cultivator in the Spirit Awakening Realm on Earth couldn’t open the Relic Space, Shen Xuan had opened it easily by himself.

If Earth had no one in the Law Realm and had to face Jin Mola, who was, you could imagine what the planet’s fate would be.

If that Jin Mola went mad with desperation and ruthlessness, he might even wipe out all life on Earth!

In that case, the mineral deposits on Mars, the Moon, and elsewhere would all belong to him.