Chapter 56: Priority

“So that’s how it works…”

“Through specialized equipment, extracting primordial cosmic energy from the void, converting it into mechanical power and storing it, or manufacturing standardized energy blocks…”

“Universal cosmic energy isn’t just for cultivation—it can also serve as a power source for machinery. I never thought of this approach.”

“This kind of design seems to have similar solutions in other civilizations that possess extraordinary systems.”

After spending half a day reviewing the information obtained from the ‘Energy Tower,’ Jiang Chen couldn’t help but sigh.

Primordial cosmic energy is not only a resource for cultivation, but also a natural fountain of power. By means of special devices, it can be gathered and transformed into electricity or other forms of energy to supply various machines.

Of course, with certain unique designs, mechanical devices could even use cosmic energy directly as their power source.

In fact, this is superior and more convenient than traditional electricity.

Energy blocks made from cosmic energy boast high energy density, are easy to store, and simple to replace.

“To realize this design, the technical challenge isn’t particularly high—it just requires more materials. It’s worth studying further. In the future, the mechanical legion could be retrofitted en masse to use energy blocks as their power supply, which would also enhance their combat capabilities…”

Countless thoughts flashed through Jiang Chen’s mind.

However, truly accomplishing this is not something that can be done overnight.

Even gathering the materials needed to construct the ‘Energy Tower’ would be difficult on Earth.

The best solution is to build a new base on Mars and try to repair the energy towers there.

It’s not just a matter of energy.

With the enormous reserves of ‘Dark Iron Ore’ on Mars, it is necessary to open a mine there and collect resources.

A8-grade metal is already highly practical.

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B8-grade ‘Dark Iron Essence,’ and even C8-grade ‘Dark Iron Mother,’ are valuable hard currency throughout the universe.

If forged into higher quality alloys or finished machinery, their value would soar.

Even after resolving everything on Earth, once venturing into the universe, these Martian resources could serve as Jiang Chen’s ‘start-up capital,’ giving him a solid foundation for his development among the stars.

With this in mind, Jiang Chen immediately ordered, “Send a message to the base: expedite the construction of more transport ships and SCVs. Within three months, establish a base on Mars primarily focused on resource extraction and collection!”

“Yes, master. Message sent. Estimated reply from the main body in fifteen minutes.” Jarvis’s subroutine quickly complied, sending the message back to Earth, to the base in South America.

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A few days later, Jiang Chen returned to Earth carrying vast quantities of resources, as well as numerous blueprints exchanged from the system and personally revised to suit the current situation.

“Jarvis, from now on, this ship will shuttle continuously between Earth and Mars, constructing the base there and bringing extracted resources back. Also, arrange production for these blueprints, and ensure they’re completed as soon as possible.”

Jiang Chen uploaded the blueprints and related data into Jarvis’s database.

“Yes, master,” Jarvis replied, then promptly reminded, “Master, the Moon also contains many resources worth developing. Now that we can exploit Mars, lunar resource extraction should be added to the agenda.”

“The Moon…” Hearing this, Jiang Chen nodded thoughtfully.

Every planet—even those without life—can be considered a treasure trove in the universe, each possessing its own unique allure.

Even before the Great Nirvana, it was confirmed that the Moon held abundant rare earth resources and high-quality materials such as helium-3, suitable for nuclear fusion.

While these resources may not match the value of Martian ‘Dark Iron Ore’ for the extraordinary realm, they are nonetheless indispensable.

Rare earths, in particular, are vital raw materials for manufacturing electronic devices, magnetic materials, optical components, and other high-tech products.

Moreover, compared to distant Mars, developing lunar resources is much easier.

A few trips by a transport ship, delivering SCVs and equipment, would suffice to establish a simple resource extraction base.

With this in mind, Jiang Chen no longer hesitated and instructed, “Include lunar resource extraction in the plan. You handle the specifics.”

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“It’s added to the schedule, with priority set to sequence eight.” Jarvis sent the updated plan to Jiang Chen.

According to the priorities, the top task is the Mars resource development plan, which includes dozens of branches: repairing the ‘Energy Towers,’ building ships, selecting base locations, configuring mining teams, and more.

Second in line is clearing all monsters from South America, bringing the continent entirely under the base’s control.

Next are ‘hunting king-level monsters for alchemical materials,’ ‘perfecting superweapon design,’ ‘upgrading Jarvis’s main body,’ ‘in-depth analysis of properties of 1,297 discovered extraordinary materials,’ and ‘tracking the activities of the Golden-Horned Beast.’

There are more than a hundred minor objectives afterward, but their priority is much lower; many are ‘non-essential’ and can remain incomplete without consequence.

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With the experience of the first ship, scaling up production was much easier.

Before Luo Feng emerged from Site No. 9, Jiang Chen had already overhauled the base’s production and construction methods, replacing the single-function assembly lines with numerous modular units.

Some produced chips, others precision components, and others specialized materials. By combining these modules, a variety of finished products could be manufactured with ease.

Of course, auxiliary robots and Jarvis’s assistance were indispensable.

When necessary, simply pausing certain projects and merging their modules into higher-priority tasks would greatly boost productivity.

The highest priority task now is Mars development, so increasing the number of transport ships is paramount.

Under Jarvis’s calculations and coordination of the base’s production assignments, eight ships could be produced every ten days.

As for materials, most could be sourced from various mines on the South American plateau; only a small amount needed to be imported, and the consumption was minimal.

A fleet of several dozen ships shuttled ceaselessly between Earth and Mars, and in just over two months, the Martian ‘Dark Iron Ore’ mines resumed operation, supplying vast quantities of metal materials.