Three months had whisked by in a flurry, heralding the end of spring and the impending arrival of summer.
In the past, Gu Hang had pondered this issue.
The seasonal cycle on Rage Owl Star was almost identical to that of Earth as he remembered it. However, that was the peculiar part: Wasn't this an alien planet? How could things like the length of the day and seasonal changes be so similar?
Later, he recalled a very likely answer from his memory: It was the human pioneers of old who had shaped it this way.
It was before The Emperor became The Emperor, known as the Golden Age of mankind.
In that Golden Age, humans stepped out from their Ancestral Star, became the masters of the universe with their powerful technology, their profound exploration of Spiritual Energy, and the assistance of super-intelligent AI.
They opened numerous Spiritual Energy tunnels, traveled at faster-than-light speeds, and transformed one promising planet after another into environments similar to the Human Ancestral Star using climate modification and orbital change technologies.
And then, all of a sudden, at some point, a colossal disaster put an end to everything. The civilization of the Golden Age collapsed in a very short time.
The vast, unified, and efficient Human Federation disintegrated, faster-than-light travel technologies became ineffective, and each human colony planet instantly turned into an isolated island in the cold and dark universe, until The Emperor emerged, the Human Empire was established, and the myriad worlds of humanity were once again united.
The Golden Age, that was now an era beyond verification. The research related to it was the most arcane part of historical archaeology.
As far as current knowledge was concerned, the collapse of the Golden Age was related to two wars against some alien forces; the core reason was the rebellion of artificial intelligence.
And now within the Human Empire, computer technology was strictly taboo, because in this age, all computer electronics were at risk of 'rebelling'. Even in a physically disconnected state, the infiltration of Spiritual Energy could cause electronic demons to enter, lie dormant, and cause significant damage at critical times.
The humans of today would rather develop and use servocranium, an apparently inhumane wetware, to achieve similar effects than dare to use electronic computers.
Without electronic computers, there was obviously a considerable negative impact on societal production; many things in Gu Hang's memory couldn't be reproduced at all.
He had no intention of challenging the Empire's ban in this area, nor did he desire to witness firsthand just what these 'electronic demons' were all about.
At present, the various developments on Rage Owl Star were smooth sailing, and Gu Hang had no interest in seeking any additional thrills. It was a blessing in disguise not to have those monsters knocking on his door; he had no interest in courting trouble.
Focusing on farming, steadily advancing, everything was just fine.
In this period, the entire Alliance did indeed enjoy a rather tranquil existence.
That isn't to say there weren't any events within the Alliance. On the contrary, the changes within the Alliance were significant, and describing them as transformative day by day was not an exaggeration.
There was a war raging in the east, and it was almost over.
Before departing, Yan Fangxu had made a bold vow, claiming that pacifying the Eastern Provinces would take only three months.
As it turned out, his promise was indeed on the verge of being fulfilled.
The east hadn't encountered any monsters, just the routine survivors of the wastelands, who were swiftly swept aside.
Now, in the east, the frameworks for three new provinces had been erected.
Adjacent to Gaota Province was Xiongya Province; to the south by the sea, bordering Beiqing Valley, lay Nanwan Province; and in the far northeast was Tea View Province. The names of these areas were derived from the most famous cities in the region during the era before the collapse.
By now, officials from the Alliance had moved in and were establishing the ruling structure of the Alliance in the three Eastern Provinces. The Central Group Army would continue to be stationed there for some time: on one hand, there were still some matters to settle; on the other, they had to wait for the construction of local defenses in the Eastern Provinces.
In short, they weren't in a hurry to return.
At the Alliance Capital, there was still a regular garrison stationed, and several new main force divisions had been formed, so there wasn't any concern about the defense of the core regions.
By now, it's fair to say that the Eastern Provinces had been pacified, with six million people brought under the rule of the Alliance.
At this juncture, the process of unifying the entire planet was more than halfway complete.
The Western Desert and The Northlands remain, and the last three places to the west of the continent. Judging by the population, the approximate forty million people on the planet, over twenty million were now under the rule of the Alliance.
Changes were abundant even in the core region of the Alliance.
Weixing City continued to absorb a steady stream of population and launched several new industries, especially the military industrial production of the 'Lion Tank'. Within all the mechanized composite brigades, there were tank companies allocated to the five major combat battalions. And now, these tank companies could finally live up to their name.
Each company comprised of three 'Lions', truly formidable in siege warfare; when necessary, the combined force of eighteen Lions formed an even more terrifying armored horde.
Don't consider the Lion Tank as just an ordinary little tank.
A Lion Tank crew consisted of nine people, necessitating coordination to effectively operate the tank. Labeled a 'light' tank, it was nevertheless twice the size of a 'Challenger' Tank. When it moved, it resembled a steel fortress shifting across the field.