Chapter 111: The History of Life

Opening the system interface within his consciousness, sure enough, a translucent archive option appeared in a very inconspicuous corner. He selected it and was instantly drawn into a virtual space.

How did Wu You know it was only his consciousness entering, and not his body? Because the tactile sensation of his physical body remained on the familiar sofa upstairs at home.

Inside this space, he found he had no body—he was like an invisible, immaterial observer's eye. Surrounding him was initially complete darkness, which gradually gave way to faint specks of light. These lights were dim, so the environment remained shadowy and somber.

As the lights multiplied, Wu You’s consciousness felt as if it were riding a fast train, propelled forward. The lights drew closer and closer until he could see clearly—they were star clusters, sprawling star regions. The environment he inhabited was the universe itself.

Countless star clusters and galaxies flashed past like streaks of light. Gradually, the pace slowed until he stopped on a planet—or rather, not just one planet. Wu You realized his consciousness had somehow split, appearing simultaneously on numerous planets, like innumerable three-dimensional surveillance feeds flooding his mind.

It was somewhat akin to observing several alchemical creatures at once, but the scale here was incomparably vast. Yet curiously, Wu You felt no mental disarray or discomfort. His mind immersed deeply in these planets, which were undoubtedly unlike any celestial bodies known in other universes.

Inside these celestial bodies, rapid transformations played out as if fast-forwarded at super speed. Some planets were engulfed by violent storms, others saw soaring temperatures, some underwent energy fusion. Ultimately, all these planets gave rise to the same kind of entity.

An implicit voice seemed to whisper to Wu You: something never before witnessed in the universe had emerged.

Life.

All these observed planets were life-bearing worlds—the very first batch. The birth of life was rife with unpredictability, yet the vast quantity of cosmic bodies ensured that life-bearing planets were nonetheless numerous.

The scenes accelerated once more. These life-bearing planets began their own unique evolutions. Apart from some destroyed by celestial collisions or cosmic radiation, most life forms flourished in vigorous evolution.

A colorful array of distinct biological forms began to emerge. Much like Earth’s scientific theory of evolution, creatures evolved differently to adapt to survival needs. Some grew enormous, others shrank to miniature scale.

Due to varying star region environments and the fundamental elements composing each planet, the basic building blocks of life also diversified: metallic-based organisms, silicon-based, carbon-based, hydrogen-based, and even unknown radioactive lifeforms.

This was the cosmic explosion of life.

During this process, Wu You sensed another will—vast yet naive and puzzled. Unlike himself, a mere observer, this consciousness was part of the footage itself.

The scenes pushed forward again. This time, another crucial factor in life appeared: intelligence.

The emergence of intelligent life rapidly accelerated the evolutionary trajectory of life-bearing planets. These beings typically became the dominant rulers of their respective worlds, as various technological products born of different mindsets followed in succession.

At this point, Wu You couldn’t help but wonder. If this was the case, the universe should be teeming with aliens. So why had Earth never found any?

But he merely pondered this and continued watching.

Life’s strongest instinct was vividly displayed in the ensuing scenes. For survival and propagation, whether ordinary or intelligent, large or small, life relentlessly expanded wherever possible.

Cosmic wars broke out intermittently. With technological advancement, many lifeforms began spreading with viral rapidity, their expansion growing ever faster.

That vast will he had sensed before returned again. This time, it remained puzzled but was no longer naive; it felt irritation toward those self-moving “things.”

Time accelerated once more.

More and more life ventured beyond their home planets. For survival, they expanded ravenously, heedless of all else.

Some life groups engaged in deep reflection, sensing they had reached their limits and sought to pierce the cosmic cage.

At that moment, Wu You felt a slow yet intense emotion—revulsion.

Certain regions of the universe were struck by special radiation storms. Yet to other life forms, these cosmic tempests were insignificant among countless cosmic phenomena.

Within some highly advanced intelligences and mighty large organisms, toxic substances began to emerge.

The image blurred momentarily, and when it cleared again, life-rich planets had become exceedingly rare. The universe had passed through a great extinction event.

For a long time, silence returned to the cosmos.

...

The virtual archive footage ended here, and Wu You’s consciousness withdrew.

He glanced at his watch. Though it felt like ages had passed, in reality, less than a minute had elapsed.

There was little explanatory narrative in the footage, leaving Wu You with a flood of scattered thoughts.

If the universe possessed a self-awareness, though it had an incredibly slow reaction time, it would be immensely powerful.

Life’s birth seemed like a virus embedded within the cosmic body.

Some individuals, growing strong, developed a “cage consciousness,” yearning to peer beyond their prison.

From the perspectives of reproduction, expansion, and overcoming the cage, the cosmic consciousness must have felt threatened.

This threat might have been insignificant, but it was unprecedented.

In response, something happened—and life across the universe withered.

What was the biological alchemy system? Was it a resistance born from life’s refusal to be erased?

The scale seemed vastly different.

What of the aberrant entities appearing in the Eastern Domain? Were they connected to this footage?

If related, why had the planet hosting the Eastern Domain remained so stable for so long? Or why had its ecosystem endured?

After all, blood dragons had appeared within just two centuries.

On the other hand, it seemed unrelated. Damn, if unrelated, then why did this archive even record it?

“Snap, snap...” He slapped his face with both hands.

Focus, focus. These matters were too distant from himself. Things would resolve in due course.

Earth seemed to have appeared only after that period of cosmic life. Even if some cosmic consciousness were to awaken, it would take thousands or tens of thousands of years.

By then, his own ashes would likely have long turned to dust.