As the lunar base continued its construction, its area gradually expanded. The construction was confined within that large canyon, surrounded entirely by high mountainous terrain, making the base appear easy to defend and difficult to attack.

The canyon floor was a rectangular plain, five kilometers long and two kilometers wide. All base structures were built upon this flat expanse. Although the distance between each building was considerable, they were not isolated. All structures within the base were interconnected by circular passages, forming a vast human community that allowed for transit throughout the entire complex.

It was only at this point that the lunar base could truly be considered established, possessing a full suite of functional capabilities. Humans could now live and study there, conduct scientific experiments, and even set up factories to refine the Moon’s abundant resources.

More than three months had passed since Liu Hui first set foot on the Moon, and the main structures of the lunar base were nearly complete. The next step was the final phase: installing the Gravity Array beneath the entire facility. This array was designed to replicate Earth's gravity within the base, minimizing the inconvenience of environmental adaptation for the workers living and toiling there.

Liu Hui took out two hundred and fifty-two Level Seven Magical Beast Crystal Cores. Following the precise locations calculated by the supercomputer, he buried these cores underground, ensuring they were completely fixed and unable to shift. Then, Liu Hui produced a large True Essence Orb. According to the requirements of the Gravity Array, he controlled the flow of True Essence within the Orb, guiding it into the beast cores, using the True Essence to link them together.

When the True Essence flowed through all two hundred and fifty-two Level Seven Crystal Cores, forming a closed circuit among them, the most marvelous event occurred: gravity suddenly manifested within the lunar base.

The staff of Starry Sky Group, who had been living weightlessly for over three months, immediately felt a heavy sensation and found themselves standing firmly on the ground. This sudden gravity, however, made them feel unaccustomed.

Although the Gravity Array was activated, the magnitude of the gravitational pull was not the same as Earth’s. Thus, Liu Hui and An Qi began to regulate the array's central control zone, adjusting the gravitational strength until the pull inside the lunar base matched Earth's exactly.

With this, the construction of the entire lunar base temporarily concluded, with all initial planned structures fully completed.

Liu Hui had now spent four months on the Moon, witnessing firsthand the birth and gradual perfection of the lunar base from nothingness. From this day forward, Starry Sky Group had truly stepped beyond Earth, securing a vital foothold in space.

Having the lunar base as their greatest fallback option would allow Starry Sky Group to handle affairs on Earth with far greater ease. After all, the group now possessed an escape route; should remaining on Earth become untenable, they could relocate everyone to the lunar base and continue their development.

Just as Liu Hui was reveling in the joy of successful construction, the Base Command and Control Center suddenly blared an alarm, demanding his immediate presence.

Liu Hui was greatly alarmed. Having lived on the Moon for so long, this was the first time he had heard a warning signal from the Command Center. Hurrying there, he found An Qi already present, actively receiving updates on the situation.

“Anqi, what happened? Why is the Command Center sounding an alarm?” Liu Hui asked.

An Qi pointed to a moving speck on the radar screen. “Liu Hui, look here. This is an object detected by our Spirit Qi Fluctuation Radar. It’s a large meteoroid. Based on its current trajectory and speed, it will impact the Moon five kilometers east of our base in half an hour.”

Liu Hui’s heart skipped a beat; his greatest fear—a meteoroid strike—had finally materialized. Because the Moon lacks an atmosphere, its barren surface is frequently bombarded by space debris, evidenced by the countless impact craters scattered across it. Fortunately, they had long anticipated this scenario and had prepared giant electromagnetic cannons and high-energy laser weapons to defend the base.

Even though the base was prepared, Liu Hui felt a knot of tension as the meteoroid approached. The true test of the lunar base’s defenses was moments away.

“How large is this meteoroid?” Liu Hui inquired.

“According to the data monitored by our Spirit Qi Fluctuation Radar, its shape is elongated elliptical, with a maximum length reaching five hundred meters and a total mass exceeding one million tons. If it strikes the Moon five kilometers from our base, the energy released will be equivalent to five thousand Hiroshima atomic bombs. Everything within a fifty-kilometer radius of the impact zone will be affected, and our lunar base will be completely annihilated,” An Qi reported.

An Qi then switched the computer display to project the flight path of the large meteoroid onto the adjacent main screen.

Liu Hui stared at the massive object still hurtling through space. Knowing the catastrophic consequences of its impact, he immediately commanded, “Then what are we waiting for? Activate our electromagnetic cannons! Shatter this meteoroid in space.”

Upon receiving Liu Hui’s order, the weapons operators immediately initiated charging for the colossal electromagnetic cannons. Then, the barrels of the twenty cannons in the defense system began to pivot, angling toward the direction from which the meteoroid was approaching.

The electromagnetic cannons opened fire. A continuous barrage of projectiles streaked toward the meteoroid still in space, manifesting twenty fiery dragons that soared toward their target.

The Moon’s low gravity, coupled with the vacuum of space, allowed the lunar base’s electromagnetic cannons to unleash their full combat potential. The projectiles fired by the cannons could strike the meteoroid directly in space.

Liu Hui and An Qi watched the target intently. Suddenly, one projectile struck the meteoroid, causing a violent explosion on its surface. Then, more shells hit, and following a rapid succession of intense detonations, the meteoroid in space was blasted into fragments. Some fragments continued toward the Moon, while the majority re-entered the void, becoming entirely new meteoroids adrift in space.

The projectiles used by the lunar base were loaded with Super Explosives, giving them immense destructive power. The two hundred shells fired by the twenty cannons were more than sufficient to shatter the incoming meteoroid. Although Liu Hui had no intention of using these Super Explosives on Earth, it did not prevent him from deploying them for the lunar base’s defense.

Seeing the large meteoroid destroyed, but noting that many smaller fragments were still heading toward the base, the base’s Spirit Qi Fluctuation Radar immediately locked onto them. The laser weapons deployed around the perimeter began charging. Under the guidance of the radar, each weapon targeted its assigned object. In moments, three hundred high-energy laser beams shot out, obliterating the leading three hundred fragments, vaporizing them to dust, ensuring they posed no further threat to the base.

The three hundred laser weapons continued firing relentlessly, utterly destroying the meteoroid debris. Within a minute, the laser units had discharged three thousand beams, eliminating countless fragments. On the Spirit Qi Fluctuation Radar, no more meteoroid fragments were visible.

Liu Hui witnessed the formidable defensive power firsthand. The lunar base weaponry took less than five minutes to eliminate the incoming celestial threat, preventing even the fragments from approaching the facility, thereby securing the base completely. He was extremely satisfied.

However, Liu Hui still felt uneasy. He decided to install an additional two hundred electromagnetic cannons and four hundred laser weapons around the lunar base perimeter. With the protection of these increased assets, the lunar base would become truly impregnable.

With the threat from space neutralized, both An Qi and Liu Hui breathed a collective sigh of relief. An Qi then brought up another topic with Liu Hui.

“Liu Hui, the energy currently powering our base still comes from the high-grade energy stones. However, for the long-term development of Starry Sky Group, I don’t intend for us to continue using those stones here on the Moon,” An Qi stated.

“Oh? If we aren't using high-grade energy stones, what do you plan to use as the energy source for the base? The energy demands here are enormous,” Liu Hui asked curiously.

“I plan to implement nuclear fusion power generation technology as the core energy source for the lunar base,” An Qi replied.

“Nuclear fusion power? I’m familiar with that technology, but didn't you previously mention that it still had defects preventing its formal commercial operation?” Liu Hui questioned.

“Our fusion technology did indeed have flaws before, but our research into it has been continuous over these past four months. Through relentless experimentation and refinement, we have finally overcome the shortcomings of nuclear fusion, achieving a perfect iteration of the technology. Therefore, we can now apply fusion technology practically,” An Qi declared triumphantly.

Liu Hui was overjoyed to hear that the Starry Sky Scientific Research Institute had finally developed a practical fusion technology. Although Starry Sky Group had solved its energy needs on Earth by utilizing deep-sea pressure generation, future interstellar travel or Mars colonization would require large interstellar transport vessels. In space, deep-sea pressure would be unavailable for power generation; where would that energy come from? While they could continue to rely on the immense energy stored in the high-grade energy stones, a hidden concern had always troubled Liu Hui.

Although Alexander and Liu Hui were currently aligned, with Alexander working tirelessly to collect beast cores—amassing billions of cores of various grades for Starry Sky Group—this did not guarantee Alexander’s eternal loyalty.

If, in the future, Alexander discovered the great secret contained within the cores and felt shortchanged, refusing further trade, Starry Sky Group would lose its source of energy cores entirely. What would the group use for development then? How far could it advance in the vast expanse of the cosmos?

Thus, only upon learning that Starry Sky Group had mastered fusion technology did Liu Hui truly relax. Nuclear fusion involves the process where two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier one, releasing energy—a reaction that has sustained the Sun for five billion years, earning fusion reactors the nickname "artificial suns." Fusion generates vast amounts of energy without the long-term, high-level radioactive contamination or nuclear waste produced by fission, and it generates zero greenhouse gases, meaning it is essentially environmentally benign.

Most critically, the primary fuel for fusion, Helium-3, is stored in enormous quantities on the Moon. Starry Sky Scientific Research Institute calculations showed the lunar Helium-3 content to be as high as 715,000 tons. Considering that one ton of Helium-3 could power all of humanity for a year, harvesting the Moon’s supply would provide enough electrical energy for Starry Sky Group for over a million years.

Furthermore, Helium-3 is not the only fuel usable for fusion power. Deuterium, contained in Earth’s seawater, can also be used. The Earth’s oceans hold approximately forty-five trillion tons of Deuterium; using all of it for fusion power could sustain humanity for tens of billions of years.

Starry Sky Group had already collected over one hundred thousand tons of Deuterium during its prior seawater desalination processes. Using this stockpile for fusion power alone would sustain the group for over a thousand years.

Fusion reactors are relatively compact and can be installed as core energy sources within interstellar vessels, providing sufficient power for ultra-long-distance voyages. Henceforth, whether for Mars colonization or further exploration of the universe’s mysteries, the issue of an energy core would no longer be a hurdle.

This is why Anqi was so proud of achieving practical fusion technology; her breakthrough had fundamentally solved the energy bottleneck confronting human development, ensuring that humanity would not have to wage wars over resources in the foreseeable future.

Liu Hui fully grasped the potential value of this fusion technology, and his heart swelled with happiness, making him view Anqi with even greater satisfaction.

With this technology in hand, even if Liu Hui were suddenly deprived of the aid of the Planar Trade Device, he would have far less cause for worry. Starry Sky Group now possessed the inherent capability to conquer the stars, relying on its fusion mastery.

So, Liu Hui inquired, “Anqi, since your fusion technology is mature, when do you plan to construct the first fusion reactor?”

Anqi replied, “I have already instructed the Scientific Research Institute aboard ‘City of Stars’ to manufacture a fusion reactor. It’s quite compact and suitable for interstellar transport. Now, we just need to bring this reactor to the lunar base. Once we inject it with either Deuterium or Helium-3 fuel, the reactor can be activated, providing a continuous stream of energy to the base.”

Liu Hui asked, “Can a single fusion reactor provide enough energy for such a massive lunar base?”

Anqi confirmed, “Absolutely. The first fusion reactor we manufactured has a power generation capacity of one hundred billion kilowatt-hours annually. This vast amount of electricity will not only meet all the living and operational needs of the base but can also be utilized to refine the Moon’s abundant resources.”

Liu Hui smiled. “This means that once the base construction is finished, we can immediately begin exploiting lunar resources to expand our base, and perhaps even supply rare mineral resources back to ‘City of Stars,’ is that correct?”

Anqi smiled back. “Precisely. Once equipped with the fusion reactor, the lunar base will require almost nothing from ‘City of Stars’ except essential life support items. Relying on the Moon’s vast resources, it can achieve self-sustaining growth. Lunar rock contains all the elements found on Earth, plus about 60 types of minerals new to Earth. The Moon also holds rich deposits of iron, titanium, uranium, rare earths, and other valuable resources. These can not only fuel the base’s expansion but can also supply ‘City of Stars’ with a massive quantity of rare materials for its own development.”

The plan to commence mining and utilization of lunar resources upon completion of the base had been set from the initial blueprint stage. Nevertheless, hearing this confirmed still thrilled Liu Hui.

For so many years, humanity had relied solely on Earth’s resources. Such prolonged plundering of nature had led to widespread resource depletion. Now that Starry Sky Group had broken free of Earth, they discovered the cosmos held boundless resources. With sufficient diligence, they could access an astronomical supply of materials for development, rendering Earthlings unnecessary to fight over finite terrestrial reserves.

Starry Sky Group had taken a step ahead of the world, gaining access to the Moon’s massive resources, overcoming development bottlenecks, and even achieving a significant surplus. However, Liu Hui had no intention of offering these resources freely to Earth’s population. He cared only for the welfare of the people in his ‘City of Stars,’ as they were the populace of his ideal world under construction. As for other nations wishing to acquire lunar resources, they would need to offer equivalent resources in exchange; Liu Hui would certainly not act as a do-gooder offering free aid.

After discussing the development strategy for the lunar base with Anqi, Liu Hui prepared to board an interstellar transport vessel back to Earth. He had been away for four months. While his convenient Spirit Qi communication provided him with absolute control and complete awareness of every Starry Sky Group operation, managing its direction remotely, external speculation regarding the four-month unexplained absence of ‘City of Stars’ ruler, Liu Hui, had begun to surface. Certain nations were already exploiting this anomaly. Therefore, to avert greater trouble, Liu Hui needed to return to Earth immediately and make a high-profile reappearance to crush these intrigues.

Anqi, however, had to remain on the Moon to oversee command operations.

Anqi was reluctant to see Liu Hui leave. During their four months together, she had enjoyed his exclusive company, filling her heart with sweetness. But Liu Hui’s departure to Earth was unavoidable, as Starry Sky Group still required his leadership.

So, on the night before Liu Hui’s departure, they passionately made love in their room, venting all the longing they would feel for each other during their separation into that single night. By the time Liu Hui woke the next morning, he felt a long-forgotten ache in his back—a sensation he hadn't experienced since receiving his physical evolution fluid injections.

That morning, just as Liu Hui was about to board the interstellar transport vessel leaving the lunar base, the Command Center alarm blared again. Startled, Liu Hui rushed back, only to find the entire center hushed and solemn, every face etched with tension.

“What is happening now? Why this expression?” Liu Hui demanded.

Anqi pointed to the computer screen and said, "Liu Hui, come look at this."

Liu Hui leaned in and saw a bright point of light blinking persistently on the screen. "What is it?" he asked. "Could it be another meteor?"

Anqi shook her head. "This isn't a meteor." She then zoomed in on the flashing spot until its true nature was revealed.

"Huh... This isn't a meteor; it's an artificial satellite? Which country manufactured this satellite? And why is it in lunar orbit?" Once Liu Hui clearly saw what the flashing object was, he asked Anqi in astonishment.

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