The star in this system before Xiao Yu was a red giant that had evolved into its late stage. Its mass was somewhat greater than the Sun’s, so after reaching the red giant phase its volume had expanded to an unbelievable degree.

As a star evolves into its late stage, its volume gradually swells. Take the Sun, for example. After several billion years, its volume will even expand to Earth’s orbit, engulfing Earth entirely. The star before him was even more exaggerated. Its current radius had expanded to several billion kilometers. If it were placed where the Sun is in the solar system, it would directly swallow Jupiter. One could imagine how enormous it was at this moment.

Right beside such a gigantic star there still existed a pitiful gas giant. The research station Xiao Yu had found was on this gas giant’s moon. A vast base-like structure had been built here, and next to the base, he could see researchers wearing specially designed life-support gear collecting samples in the field. Xiao Yu broadcast his message to this location. He believed that the staff stationed here would soon notice it, then report it layer by layer to the capital star system of this civilization, and finally it would reach the highest leader of that civilization.

Things proceeded exactly as Xiao Yu had predicted. The signal collection instruments at this base received the message and imported it into the central computer. Because Xiao Yu had included a dictionary within the message, the central computer quickly translated it.

A staffer left on duty here saw the information. His expression changed in an instant. He knew the message exceeded his authority to handle, and he also knew how important it was. He snatched up the emergency communication device beside him with lightning speed. The message was then transmitted by Superluminal communication to a planet in the Pegasus Civilization’s home star system five hundred light-years away. After another handoff, it finally reached the capital city on the capital planet, where it was received by the highest leader of the Pegasus Civilization.

All of this took less than half an hour.

Xiao Yu’s fleet was still advancing rapidly. During curvature flight, his fleet had not entered the gravitational influence of this red giant, so there was no need to drop out of curvature flight. In just this half hour, Xiao Yu had traveled nearly twenty billion kilometers.

Just then, Xiao Yu received a reply from the Pegasus Civilization. This reply also contained a dictionary, so Xiao Yu translated it with ease.

“Honored guests from afar, our Pegasus Civilization extends a warm welcome to you. Indeed, just as you said, in this vast galaxy, there is nothing more important than development, and mutual exchange and trade of unique technologies is undoubtedly one of the fastest paths to development. Our Pegasus Civilization has long awaited such an opportunity, and we are fortunate to have met you.”

“Our Pegasus Civilization fully agrees with your proposal. However, there are some matters we hope you can accept. Although you are a wandering civilization without a fixed planetary residence, there is no doubt that your fleet is very powerful, even stronger than ours. To avoid unnecessary trouble, we invite you to enter the following sector, after which we will dispatch civilian vessels to conduct detailed exchanges with your civilization. Respectfully, the Pegasus Civilization.”

Xiao Yu checked the star map and identified the sector mentioned by the Pegasus Civilization. It was a white subgiant star with roughly three planets orbiting it. This place was about two hundred light-years from the Pegasus Civilization’s capital star system.

From the perspective of the interstellar era and a Level 5 Civilization, this place was roughly equivalent to the Pegasus Civilization’s national border. Xiao Yu found this request understandable. In fact, if the roles were reversed, he would make the same request. The two sides were unfamiliar, and no one knew whether the other would suddenly make a hostile move. Before they were fully acquainted, it was natural not to allow such a powerful fleet to enter one’s borders.

After this brief exchange, there was nothing substantive in their conversation. The two sides began to probe each other, exchanging topics that seemed to have little content.

Although such topics appeared meaningless, they were very important. This was a necessary process for two unfamiliar civilizations to move from unfamiliarity to familiarity, and also a process of mutual understanding. During this stage, not only was the Pegasus Civilization probing Xiao Yu, but Xiao Yu was also probing the Pegasus Civilization. Regardless of how they truly felt deep down, by the time more than ten years had passed and Xiao Yu’s fleet arrived in the sector designated by the Pegasus Civilization, the two civilizations already seemed quite familiar with each other.

Waiting for Xiao Yu in this white subgiant system was a massive ship whose size and mass were no less than those of the America. It led at least five hundred thousand warships arrayed at the edge of the system, like ceremonial guards lining up to welcome guests.

Xiao Yu understood what this display by the Pegasus Civilization meant. It was nothing more than a show of strength. This was very normal. Bringing warships did not necessarily mean war.

Xiao Yu’s fleet dropped out of curvature flight and hovered quietly in space, maintaining a position relatively stationary with respect to the white subgiant. The two fleets were separated by roughly three hundred million kilometers.

A medium City-Class ship with an entirely red hull flew out from the Pegasus Civilization’s formation and slowly approached Xiao Yu’s fleet. Having come to understand the Pegasus Civilization to some extent, Xiao Yu knew that such an entirely red ship was specifically used to receive distinguished guests in their civilization. The grade of this vessel was high, roughly equivalent to luxury cars of various brands in Earth’s era.

Prior to this formal contact, the etiquette departments of both civilizations had already communicated and agreed on some details of the meeting. Among Xiao Yu’s one million ships, there was naturally no dedicated etiquette department, so Xiao Yu took on that responsibility himself. The Pegasus Civilization did not know this.

Faced with this red reception City-Class ship, Xiao Yu dispatched a Nation-Class ship to meet it. The two sides approached slowly using conventional navigation. After about an hour, the distance between the two ships had shrunk to less than one hundred kilometers.

At that moment, something occurred that greatly shocked Xiao Yu.

He saw the enormous hatch at the port of the City-Class ship slowly open. Then some instruments on the underside of the ship began operating according to principles Xiao Yu did not yet understand. As these instruments ran, light began to emanate.

These rays of light seemed different from ordinary light. Instead of propagating outward at light speed as usual, they began, under the manipulation of some unknown force, to move forward at a relatively slow pace, like a metal plate gradually extending.

But Xiao Yu knew that this was not a steel plate made of metal. It was a formed from light, ‘light plate.’

This reception City-Class ship of the Pegasus Civilization constructed a roadway out of light, extending it to a length of eighty kilometers, where it stopped.

Controlling the advance of light and reducing its speed is not difficult. Humanity in the Earth era could already do it. The speed of light in a vacuum is a constant and cannot be changed, but to slow light down one can employ certain special media, allowing light to propagate within them. In such special media, the speed of light can even become slower than a human walking speed.

But that is within special media. Now, Xiao Yu did not believe there existed anything in the cosmic vacuum that could reduce the speed of light.

“Although I do not yet understand the specific details of this technology, one thing is certain. The Pegasus Civilization’s research into and understanding of optics surpasses mine.” Xiao Yu thought silently.

“To honor your esteemed status as guests, please have your negotiators walk over along this Bridge of Light. Our civilization has already sent people to receive you.” As Xiao Yu silently observed the so-called Bridge of Light and speculated about the technology involved, he received this message.

“Bridge of Light, hmm?” Xiao Yu murmured. “It is indeed a vivid name.”

Truly, calling this band of light a Bridge of Light could not be more appropriate. A strip of seemingly tangible light cut across the dark starry void, emitting a soft glow, just like a bridge.

After receiving that message, Xiao Yu witnessed something that shocked him even more.

He saw objects like automobiles from Earth’s era driving out from the port of that red reception City-Class ship. These cars, as if traveling on land, sped forward along the Bridge of Light.

Light is intangible, yet here it had truly become substantial. Not only had it formed a bridge, but this bridge could also bear loads.

This scene left Xiao Yu profoundly shaken.

“What in the world is going on? Constructing a bridge from light is one thing. That at least lies within the realm of understanding. But having these car-like things driving on it is hard to imagine. What technology is this, what principle? Why do I know nothing about it?”

“No matter what, I must obtain this technology.” Xiao Yu made a silent resolution.