While fully analyzing the vibration data, Tom allocated corresponding industrial resources and immediately began manufacturing more proton decay detectors.

With the successful detection of proton decay, Tom knew that all fundamental obstacles on his path to conquering the Unified Field Formula had been removed.

All he needed to do next was proceed step by step. He only needed to build more high-pressure proton decay detectors, slowly observe the patterns of proton decay, understand its process, clarify its data, and then gradually incorporate it into the existing theoretical framework, thus completing the entire theory.

The path ahead, while difficult and extremely complex, involving immense engineering and computational effort, would definitely yield a concrete result if pursued. Unlike before, when the direction was unknown and the outcome uncertain.

At this moment, the clone where Tom's consciousness resided once again cast his gaze upon the vast, star-filled cosmos.

Detecting proton decay was a monumental breakthrough in scientific research, but it also signified something else.

The fate of the universe.

It could be said that once proton decay was confirmed, Tom could also determine the future fate and ultimate end of the universe.

Heat death.

Magnetic monopoles confirmed the reality of cosmic inflation, directly proving that the universe is continuously expanding.

Proton decay, on the other hand, directly confirmed that nothing in the universe can exist forever.

If even protons can decay, what can exist forever?

In the distant future, hydrogen in the universe will become increasingly scarce, as stars primarily use hydrogen as fuel.

They will gradually be converted into other elements, and eventually, all stars in the universe will extinguish.

Due to the influence of gravitational waves and gravity disturbances, planets, stellar remnants, and the like will also deviate from their current orbits, becoming free-floating celestial bodies traversing the universe, and even galaxies will cease to exist.

After 10^{37} years, approximately half of the protons in the universe will have decayed. By then, even stellar remnants, planets, and asteroids will disintegrate.

Because the protons that compose them have "escaped."

If protons did not decay, then based on their own gravity, they could exist almost forever.

However, it is regrettable that Tom has now confirmed that protons decay. Thus, their fate, and the fate of the universe, are already sealed.

In the distant future, all macroscopic celestial bodies in the universe will completely disintegrate. Even black holes will slowly disappear due to the existence of Hawking radiation.

The universe will eventually only contain photons and leptons, becoming a thick "soup" that will almost never change, and then exist forever.

Using the word "forever" here seems inaccurate, as it is a word describing time, and in a universe that will never change again, time has lost its meaning, or rather, time has ceased to exist.

Gazing at the starry sky, at the brilliant stars, the endless celestial bodies, and the magnificent galaxies, Tom was filled with emotion.

No matter how great or magnificent an existence, it cannot withstand the passage of time.

And the cause of this outcome was merely the tiny proton.

"That's at least 10^{41} years from now, too far for me," Tom sighed.

"For now, I should focus on my own tasks and first achieve the breakthrough to a Strong Nuclear Civilization.

After all, there isn't much time left before the Mechanical Disaster fleet returns…"

While undertaking immense scientific research tasks, Tom also began large-scale construction.

Thus, one super-giant proton decay detector after another was completed, with hundreds of billions to trillions of tons of ultra-pure hydrogen being injected into them.

The faint vibrations caused by proton decay were observed by Tom repeatedly.

Based on continuously improved detection methods, through observing these vibrations, Tom gradually understood the specific pattern of proton decay.

Although he could not directly observe the Light Neutrino, Tom still accurately determined its properties through indirect means and incorporated them into the existing theoretical framework.

Thus, Tom's Unified Field Theory gradually improved.

Until now, Tom finally had enough data and methods to truly calculate the precise value of the Unified Field Scale!

The so-called Unified Field Scale refers to the energy intensity at which the Strong Nuclear Force and the electroweak force would unify.

Clearly, only by determining this data could Tom begin the research and development of a particle collider, attempting to reproduce this energy level, truly observe the phenomenon of the unification of the three fundamental forces in experiments, and observe the process of the separation of the three fundamental forces as the energy level subsequently decreases, as well as the various subatomic particles born during this process, truly understanding their mechanisms and principles.

Achieving such a high energy scale is clearly an extremely difficult task.

How could the energy level from a few hundred quintillionths of a second after the Big Bang be easily reproduced?

Of course, Tom did not need to reproduce the total energy, only the energy level at an extremely small scale.

Otherwise, let alone Tom, even the super civilization he knew of that could use supernova explosions as weapons, or the Evil Eye Civilization that had transformed an entire galaxy, would likely be unable to do so.

After a series of calculations, Tom gasped, as if in pain.

The calculations showed that with Tom's current technological and industrial capabilities, it was indeed possible to achieve this energy level.

It only required building a particle collider with a total length of 1000 kilometers, powered by 100 large nuclear fusion power plants, and a total mass of over 400 million tons.

This was not comparable to a spaceship primarily composed of external armor and internal mechanical structures.

Of that 400 million tons, almost 80% or more would have to consist of extremely precise and advanced instruments.

The difficulty of its manufacture can be imagined.

"A particle collider weighing over 400 million tons… For an ordinary Electroweak Civilization, it would probably take hundreds of years of dedicated effort to build.

Even for me, while simultaneously carrying out other construction and research, it would take at least a decade or more to complete.

The development of technology is truly arduous."

Tom sighed and once again selected a suitable site for construction, beginning the project.

Ten-odd years quietly passed, and this unprecedentedly massive particle collider was finally completed.

After all inspections and debugging were finished, Tom eagerly began the first particle collision experiment.

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