And so, Liu Hui followed Chen Changsheng into the submarine. Because this vessel utilized a high-grade energy stone as its power source, and given the stone's modest size, the traditional space hogged by massive reactors and battery banks in other submarines was freed up, resulting in an exceptionally large interior.

As Liu Hui moved through various chambers within the submarine, he noticed numerous scientific instruments installed inside. He didn't recognize what everything was, but he could discern that these instruments were likely for deep-sea surveying and exploration.

Chen Changsheng led Liu Hui through the crew's living quarters. Liu Hui observed that this area was quite spacious, and the amenities appeared designed for a comfortable life.

Next, they arrived at the control room. Chen Changsheng powered up the main computer and pulled up an image on the display, pointing for Liu Hui to see.

“What is this thing?” Liu Hui asked, looking confusedly at the two long tracks displayed on the monitor.

Chen Changsheng replied, “Boss, this is our railgun. It is also the sole defensive weapon for this super-submarine.”

Liu Hui asked in surprise, “This is the railgun? It’s my first time seeing one. I see now; the railgun’s projectiles must be launched from these two tracks, right?”

Chen Changsheng affirmed, “Correct. These two tracks are used for launching the railgun's ammunition. Considering this railgun is mounted on a submarine and will primarily engage in combat underwater, we made some modifications to the projectile. We converted the launched rounds into supercavitating conical projectiles. Only this design allows them to travel at high velocity over long distances underwater. This railgun’s maximum underwater attack range is fifty kilometers. It can fire up to fifty rounds per minute, and the projectiles can reach supersonic speeds. However, the biggest current issue with this railgun is that it becomes obsolete after firing more than one thousand rounds. Of course, we are researching this problem to see if we can extend the railgun's lifespan.”

Liu Hui inquired, “Obsolete after only a thousand rounds? Hmm, this flaw is temporarily acceptable. Since our submarine’s immediate purpose isn't warfare but rather routine surveys, a thousand rounds should suffice. With this railgun installed, our submarine’s survivability should have improved significantly, right?”

Chen Changsheng stated, “Indeed. At long range, we can attack enemy submarines with the railgun. Because the projectile speed is very fast, reaching Mach 2, no submarine can escape within our range. At close range, we can also use the railgun to defend against incoming torpedo attacks, and even destroy depth charges deployed by destroyers. The railgun offers long-range offense and close-range defense, coupled with the inherent strength of its materials and its immense range, ensuring this submarine is virtually invincible underwater. However, if it encounters too many enemies, its only option will be retreat. But since our submarine can dive to depths of ten thousand meters, torpedoes and depth charges will be crushed by water pressure past a thousand meters, meaning virtually nothing can reach it. Furthermore, its maximum submerged speed is 70 knots; if it needs to flee, nothing underwater can catch it.”

Liu Hui marveled, “So it’s practically invincible beneath the waves.” He then pointed at the projectiles shown on the screen, asking, “I never authorized the purchase of any shells. Where did those shells come from?”

Chen Changsheng chuckled, “Boss, you can certainly call this submarine invincible on the seabed. Its existence is bound to trigger a new era of naval warfare, as it completely overturns the balance of power on the surface. As for those projectiles you see, they aren't actually shells. They are solid blocks of iron shaped like supercavitating cones.”

Liu Hui asked, surprised, “They’re just iron blocks? Then how do they attack the enemy?”

Chen Changsheng explained with a smile, “Essentially, the railgun relies on the immense kinetic energy of the projectile to attack the enemy. Because of the powerful kinetic energy contained within the round, any enemy submarine hit by these projectiles will be severely damaged, regardless of whether the round explodes. Moreover, purchasing actual ammunition would be too conspicuous and likely raise suspicion. That’s why we opted for these solid iron blocks as projectiles. However, the destructive power of these iron blocks is comparable to that of explosive shells.”

Only then did Liu Hui relax. He thought carefully for a moment, then suddenly remarked, “Dean Chen, something feels off. Our foundational research wasn't that strong to begin with. How could we possibly construct such a powerful submarine in just over a year?”

Chen Changsheng smiled, “Boss, it seems you still underestimate the value of the high-grade energy stones and the wondrous formations you provided. Modern scientific research has hit a bottleneck; many technologies cannot be widely utilized due to limitations in materials and energy. Yet, the underlying principles of these technologies are not complex, and we can fabricate them easily. The high-grade energy stones and the mystical formations you provided perfectly solve the limitations of energy and materials; they are the key technologies needed to break the scientific bottleneck. Therefore, even with our very weak research foundation, possessing these two assets allows us to build something far surpassing the world's most advanced capabilities.”

Liu Hui scratched his head and asked doubtfully, “Are the things I provided really that significant?”

Chen Changsheng stated solemnly, “They are incredibly significant. It’s just a pity we cannot publicize them. Otherwise, you would become the Father of Science for the new century.”

Liu Hui laughed lightly, “Father of Science? I’m not quite that grand, am I?”

Chen Changsheng continued, “Although we have achieved massive breakthroughs in some areas, we are still completely lacking in the manufacturing of cutting-edge precision instruments. To put it plainly: we can build laser weapons and railguns now, but we cannot fabricate the core chips for computers.”

Liu Hui laughed heartily, “Dean Chen, that will have to come gradually. Haven’t we already built this invincible submarine? Given enough time, I’m confident we can manufacture those components as well.”

Chen Changsheng also smiled, “That’s true. Our scientific research institute is currently buzzing with vitality. The young people inside all appear exceptional. I believe a scientific leap forward should occur in the near future.”

Time flew quickly, reaching midnight. After thoroughly inspecting every aspect of the submarine, Liu Hui finally commenced the submersion ceremony.

Having reviewed the submarine, Liu Hui was deeply satisfied. Listening to Chen Changsheng detail its immense power, Liu Hui felt an urge to pilot it himself for deep-sea exploration. However, for safety reasons, the maiden voyage was strictly a performance test to identify any necessary improvements, so Liu Hui could not board—neither could Chen Changsheng.

The first crew members aboard this super-submarine consisted of the subtly trained operational staff and a contingent of scientists. They would undertake a two-week trial voyage underwater to ensure the vessel was entirely free of defects.

As the crew members boarded sequentially, all hatches were sealed. The submarine began taking on water and descending, silently gliding along the prepared channel into the sea, sinking to the abyss, and speeding toward the depths of the Pacific Ocean.

Liu Hui pulled back his reluctant gaze and commented with feeling, “The launch of this submarine is merely the beginning. In the future, countless more submarines will slip beneath the waves. And those infinite treasures buried deep beneath the sea for countless ages will be made available to us, becoming a part of Starfall City.”

Chen Changsheng echoed his sentiment, “Indeed, this is just the start. In the future, we will surely conquer this vast ocean. We cannot compete with others on land, but this boundless sea will be our independent kingdom, free for us to command.”

Ahead of them, on the sea's surface, construction on the immense floating island continued tirelessly through the night. Countless workers bustled across it, striving to build Starfall City.

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After the super-submarine departed to sea, all contact with headquarters was severed for security purposes. Thus, no one knew what they might encounter, and Liu Hui, despite his anxiety, had no immediate recourse.

Liu Hui’s enterprise had grown to an almost unimaginable scale by this point. His ventures spanned every conceivable sector, and the number of employees under him now exceeded half a million. Counting the families dependent on the Starfall Group, the total population relying on his success surpassed two million.

It was at this juncture that Liu Hui discovered a new, pressing dilemma: with such a massive workforce, how could he guarantee the secrecy of his company’s classified information and prevent the infiltration of commercial spies?

When Starfall Group was still a small company with fewer business lines and a smaller staff, discreet screening via the Starfall Eye was sufficient to prevent the leakage of trade secrets. But now, with the sudden surge in personnel, relying solely on the Starfall Eye for covert monitoring was impractical. Too many people meant too many loose lips; a secret could easily be divulged unintentionally. Liu Hui needed a novel method to secure his secrets, as the premature exposure of his current research would cause every nation on earth to drop all pretense and engage in outright plunder, ensuring the utter destruction of his Starfall Group.

The magical plane of Alexander lacked the capability to assist Liu Hui with this issue, and the Zerg from the insectoid race were equally helpless; their expertise lay in genetic technology, and even they hadn't fully deciphered the nature of their own peculiar control waves. After deep consideration, Liu Hui decided to contact the renowned figure from the Cultivation World, Grandmaster Xiaoyao, to see if he possessed any viable solutions to this fresh challenge.

Xiaoyao responded eagerly to Liu Hui’s summons and soon appeared on the trade communicator's screen. His broad smile made his visage appear even more ancient. Xiaoyao greeted him warmly, “Young friend, greetings!”

Liu Hui smiled back, “And to you, Senior. I notice your cultivation seems to have advanced; you’re beginning to exude an air of immortal grace.”

Xiaoyao was overjoyed, “Young friend, even you can perceive my increased cultivation?”

Liu Hui inwardly muttered, Who could possibly tell your cultivation increased? That was merely polite flattery. Nevertheless, he replied superficially, “Indeed, Senior’s countenance is more refined; even an amateur like myself can tell your cultivation has deepened considerably.”

Xiaoyao’s eyes narrowed with delight as he boasted, “My cultivation has progressed from the Nascent Soul Departure stage to the Spirit Division stage. Since the devastating wars within the Cultivation World, no one has managed to advance from Nascent Soul Departure to Spirit Division!”

Liu Hui feigned enthusiasm, “I must congratulate you, Senior. But how did you reach the Spirit Division stage? You mentioned before that advancing your realm is exceedingly difficult; even with an abundance of high-grade spirit stones, it should take another hundred years to reach Spirit Division.”

Xiaoyao paused slightly before replying, “Truthfully, I am not entirely clear how my realm advanced. After you told me that humans possess souls after death, and that these souls can reincarnate, I began contemplating the issue deeply. I now believe everything I witnessed in that Minor Thousand World must have been events from a past life, because the experiences felt overwhelmingly real. This immediately made me question the nature of our own world—why has no one discovered the existence of souls here? And why can people in your world, whose individual strength is so low, discern the existence of souls? I pondered this several times, and then, inexplicably, I noticed my realm had improved.”

Liu Hui was momentarily stunned. That actually works? Is Grandmaster Xiaoyao a philosopher who can advance his realm merely through contemplation?

Liu Hui paused, then said, “Senior, I congratulate you on your advancement. However, I contacted you today to seek your consultation on a matter.”

Seeing a potential transaction, Xiaoyao immediately reverted to his usual demeanor, complaining ruefully, “Ah, I’m running low on high-grade spirit stones lately, and my mind isn’t as sharp. It's possible I won't recall the answer to your query.”

Seeing Xiaoyao revert to his old ways, Liu Hui couldn't help but smile wryly. He quickly transferred ten Level Four Monster Cores across the trade channel and stated, “Can you answer now?”

Xiaoyao snatched the ten Level Four Monster Cores with glee and said, “Ask away, Young Friend. Your old servant knows astronomy above, geography below, and human affairs in between. There is nothing in this world I do not know.”

Liu Hui asked, “Senior, you are referred to as Immortals by the mortals in the secular world. Is it true that you can see through the thoughts of those mortals with a single glance?”

Xiaoyao proudly affirmed, “Naturally. We cultivators possess exceptionally powerful spiritual energy, which, when combined with a technique called Mind Reading, allows us to clearly know what those mortals are thinking.”

Liu Hui was delighted and asked, “Then, Senior, can you transmit this Mind Reading technique to me?” The inheritance sphere Xiaoyao had previously traded to Liu Hui contained knowledge only of formations and artifact refining; it lacked esoteric arts like Mind Reading.

Xiaoyao shook his head, “Young Friend, it's not that I’m unwilling to teach you Mind Reading, but that technique can only be utilized properly once one cultivates to the Nascent Soul stage. You can only cultivate up to the Foundation Establishment stage at most. After Foundation Establishment comes the Golden Core stage, and only then the Nascent Soul stage. So, even if I transmit this art to you, you cannot employ it.”

Liu Hui was instantly crestfallen upon hearing this. Seeing Liu Hui’s disappointment, Xiaoyao advised, “Young Friend, the human heart is exceedingly complex. What people say and what they think can often diverge completely. Once you know someone’s inner thoughts, you might deeply regret it.”

Liu Hui understood Xiaoyao’s implication, but his enterprise was now vast, and certain matters required utmost secrecy, necessitating protection against infiltration by commercial spies. Detecting every high-level operative trained by an organization was impossible using only the Starfall Eye, as human inspection methods were prone to error. This was why he sought a solution from Xiaoyao, but Xiaoyao had clearly disappointed him this time.

However, Liu Hui’s mind quickly shifted gears, and he asked, “Senior, do you possess any magical artifacts that can detect a person’s inner thoughts?”

Xiaoyao shook his head, “The human mind is incredibly complex; they have countless fleeting thoughts every instant. Only Mind Reading can uncover what they are thinking. Artifacts cannot discern the true intentions within a person’s mind because there are simply too many thoughts.”

Liu Hui froze, immediately noticing a potential loophole in Xiaoyao’s statement. He pressed immediately, “Does that mean, Senior, that because the mind conceives so many thoughts, no artifact can detect what they are thinking?”

Xiaoyao replied, “Yes, the mind forms so many thoughts in every moment; there truly is no artifact capable of knowing what they are thinking.”

Liu Hui asked, “If I only wanted to know a small portion of a person’s thoughts, would an artifact exist for that purpose?”

Xiaoyao blinked in confusion, “A small portion of thoughts? What do you mean by that?”

Liu Hui brightened, explaining, “For instance, I might want to know if this person harbors any intention of harming me. I don’t care about their other thoughts. Is that achievable?”

Xiaoyao began to ponder deeply, while Liu Hui watched him expectantly. After a long silence, Xiaoyao finally spoke, “I recall an ancient text in our sect where an Ancestor mentioned this exact concept you describe. He spent some time attempting to research an artifact that could observe specific, targeted thoughts within a person’s mind. However, his artifact proved impractical because if one needed to know the thoughts of a mortal, one could simply use Mind Reading instantly. Therefore, his research did not receive serious attention from the sect elders and was eventually abandoned.”

Liu Hui was thrilled, “Then please hurry and check that ancient text! See if there is a solution outlined for creating such an artifact.”

Xiaoyao weakly protested, “But researching ancient texts is mentally taxing. I am old; I fear I cannot sustain the effort.”

Liu Hui fixed the old man with a determined look, “Listen here, old man. If you help me construct this artifact, I will reward you with ten thousand high-grade spirit stones.”

Greed instantly flared in Xiaoyao’s eyes. He nodded vigorously, “Young Friend, rest assured. I will immediately begin searching for that ancient text. I shall certainly inherit the Ancestor’s dying wish and craft this artifact for you. I will not disappoint you.” Stimulated by the colossal sum of spirit stones, Xiaoyao instantly became energetic and vigorous, behaving as if injected with adrenaline in his enthusiastic pursuit.