Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 603
"But they didn't know that my head was much clearer than theirs. I knew that we could not defeat the humans in a regular war!
"In the scourges of beast tides during the Battle of Dawn, I tested multiple secret techniques that I got from the legacy of Chaos, and I modified and strengthened them. The improvement is obvious!
"The 'Nether World Watch', whose combat ability has been boosted by the demon cores, is just one of my achievements. Stronger forces are still hiding in the darkness right now!"
"Are you not afraid that the resources of the Nether Spring Kingdom will be overly consumed?" the Fire Ant King said coldly.
Elder Nether Spring laughed. "As you said in the beginning, we are both chaotic-blood demons. The secret cannot be kept forever. When the truth is out, will the nobles and generals of the Nether Spring Kingdom listen to my command?
"Since it is destined that I cannot win their support, I might as well regard them all as 'fertilizers' that can be used to build up my own forces!"
The Fire Ant King sighed. "That explains a lot. No wonder the officers that belonged to the Nether Spring Kingdom surrendered the leadership of the coalition army of the demon race without much struggling after the Battle of Dawn. I was also told that you made a deal with Jin Tuyi and agreed on his 'Red Tide Plan'.
"Before, it baffled me why you would compromise all of a sudden.
"Now, I've realized it. Both the Battle of Dawn and the Red Tide Plan, and maybe even the coalition army of the demon race, mean little to you. They are just your disguises."
"Exactly."
Elder Nether Spring sneered. "Jin Tuyi wants to be the commander-in-chief of the coalition army of the demon race. Then just let him be. He wants to implement the so-called 'Red Tide Plan'. Let him have it. When his 'red tide' floods into the central land of the Star Glory Federation, it will be the time when my real plan is activated!"
The Fire Ant King narrowed his eyes and said, "Brother, why are you telling me everything so frankly?"
"Will you believe me if I say that I want to cooperate with you sincerely?" Elder Nether Spring said softly.
The Fire Ant King was amused. He glanced over his own body and sneered. "Here and now, 'cooperation' doesn't seem to be very convincing for me."
"It was wrong of me not to have told you everything earlier," Elder Nether Spring replied calmly, "but I had my own concerns.
"Firstly, at that time, I was carrying out my own secret plans, and I needed a target to shift the Pantheon of Demons' attention.
"Your Blade of Chaos was the perfect target.
"Therefore, I turned a blind eye to the rise of the Blade of Chaos and even gave you a hand when nobody noticed to help Void Turmoil City and the Blade of Chaos expand rapidly. As I expected, you became a major headache for the Pantheon of Demons in only decades.
"As a result, with the threat of the Blade of Chaos inside the Blood Demon Sector and the coveting of the Star Glory Federation outside, the Pantheon of Demons had no time or resources to investigate me. Also, a lot of my research and operations could be conducted under the pretext of 'striking the Blade of Chaos and the Star Glory Federation'.
"We must calculate risks before we do anything. If I cooperated with you decades ago, we would have been putting all our eggs in one basket. Should anything have gone wrong, all of our endeavors would've been in vain."
"Is that why you killed my subordinates, beat me heavily, and even crippled me?"
"How can we have a guileless conversation if not so?" Elder Nether Spring said. "I know you too well. Like me, you are ambitious and not willing to be below anybody! You won't agree to cooperate with me unless you don't have a second option.
"Moreover, most of your subordinates are not dead. They are merely captives for now.
"If you agree to cooperate with me, I will set them free immediately. When the real Demon God Virus is successfully produced, they can be the first batch to be injected and become the most perfect life form!
"You can have the privilege, too!
"You and I have stayed in the stage of demon emperor for many years. I know that you've tried countless kinds of strengthening drugs. Yet, you failed to improve your expertise to any higher level. Are you willing to be restricted to the insignificant demon emperor stage forever? Do you not want to grasp the strength that the Pangu Clan once did in the primeval era or even surpass the Pangu Clan and march into the ultimate level that nobody has ever set foot in?"
The Fire Ant King was breathing heavily, his voice coarse. "What do you want?"
Elder Nether Spring licked his lips and said, "I want the secret techniques through which you developed your demonic plants in Void Turmoil City and your formulas to produce the strengthening drugs.
"I know that the Blade of Chaos has countless secret bureaus and spies in every place of the Blood Demon Sector. Tell of all the information.
"I also know that you had a secret research center outside of Void Turmoil City, which was perhaps your real nest. I want the coordinates of the place and your latest research progress.
"Of course, I will not be taking away your belongings for nothing. You will have my own research products, too. It will do us both good if we exchange the information we know!"
The Fire Ant King stared at Elder Nether Spring for a long time. He shook the chains on his body and said, "My current appearance is not suitable for negotiations."
"Naturally," Elder Nether Spring said, "I cannot unlock the venom chains. But you can clear the shackles carved with spiritual stripes yourself."
While talking, he snapped his fingers, and the tentacles that were brimming with neurons were loosened from the Fire Ant King and retreated to the corners of the prison cell.
The Fire Ant King heaved a long sigh in relief and took off the remaining shackles on this body before he hesitated and said, "Everything you said is too unbelievable. I need to think about it for a while."
"Of course." Elder Nether Spring agreed quickly. "I'll have to spend another few days in the Mausoleum of Chaos until the corpse of Chaos is dug out. I believe that there should be enough time for you to consider everything carefully.
"As long as you are open to cooperate, I'm willing to share all our discoveries on the body of Chaos!
"Haven't you been craving to find out the reason Chaos created the demon race?"
The Fire Ant King looked at him. "What if I say no after I consider everything carefully?"
Elder Nether Spring smiled. "The elites of the Blade of Chaos you brought with you are among the best experts of the chaotic-blood demons. They will be the perfect test subjects for me.
"You, too. I have never used an experiment subject in the demon emperor stage before.
"I almost can't wait to find out what a marvelous 'weapon' I can make based on such an test subject like you!"
"You are quite straightforward," the Fire Ant King observed.
"Because there is no need for lies now."
The tusk cage behind him opened again. Elder Nether Spring bowed with a smile and walked out without looking back.
His lower half body stilled soaked in the acids, the Fire Ant King warmed up his arms and legs that had been paralyzed for a long time, deep in thought.
Li Yao was quite anxious. If the Fire Ant King decided to work with Elder Nether Spring, it would certainly be not good news for the Heaven's Origin Sector.
But he was more worried that Elder Nether Spring had not really gone away yet. Neltharion kept hidden for more than an hour before it flew to the Fire Ant King's face carefully.
A cluster of vague demonic energy immediately enveloped Neltharion.
The tentacles of neurons that tied the Fire Ant King up had been loosened, allowing him to move and manipulate his demonic energy more conveniently.
Li Yao hurried to ask, "Do you believe in Elder Nether Spring?"
"He must've been speaking the truth. Making up such a quirky lie brings him no benefits."
The face of the Fire Ant King was solemn, and his eyes were flickering fast. He was obviously improving his computational ability to the peak.
"Are you planning to cooperate with him?" Li Yao was suddenly alarmed.
"Just because he was speaking the truth doesn't mean he was speaking the whole truth," the Fire Ant King said calmly. "The most brilliant lie is to make a hundred true statements after swapping the sequences of two of them. The conclusion made might be the opposite of the truth."
Li Yao was confused. "What do you mean?"
"It's simple. If Nether Spring really wants to cooperate with me, he does not need to make it so complicated at all. He knows that I am willing to pay everything for the survival of the chaotic-blood demons. Then, why did we have to attack each other?
"As long as he tells me that he has been developing a new Demon God Virus that can significantly enhance the combat ability of the chaotic-blood demons, is there any reason why I wouldn't cooperate with him?
"He has clarified all the details but did not explain the reason of our conflict in a convincing way.
"Therefore, my conclusion is that he kept several pieces of key information to himself, some facts that I would definitely not cooperate with him if I knew!
"Therefore, he does not mean to cooperate with me at all. He merely wants to get the files of the Blade of Chaos and my research products. That's all.
"I believe that if I was fooled by him and offered all my secret techniques and files to him for 'communication', my subordinates and I would end up being his experiment subjects immediately!"
Li Yao thought quickly and asked, "Therefore, we can still cooperate?"
"Whether or not we can cooperate depends on what you want exactly," the Fire Ant King said coldly. "If you've snuck into the Blood Demon Sector for the purpose of conquering my homeland and smearing the brains of the demons on your tracks and sabers, is there any particular reason why I should cooperate with you? I will still be killed when the army of human beings marches close!
"Also, please cut the crap like you are helping the chaotic-blood demons to fight against the high-level demons due to your sense of justice. The demon race is a whole. If all the high-level demons are butchered, the low-level demons will be meat on the chopper block that is completely at the mercy of you."
Chapter 909: Weird Bronze Gate! |
Li Yao sighed and said, "You won't believe it even if I say that I have no ill intentions for the Blood Demon Sector. However, since both the Blood Demon Sector and the Heaven's Origin Sector are capable and boast great potential. The ultimate war between the two Sectors will last decades, and no matter which side wins the war in the end, it will suffer billions of casualties. The surviving civilization will even regress to hundreds of years ago. Do you agree?"
The Fire Ant King thought for a moment and replied, "I do."
"But an apocalypse is coming within ten years"
The Fire Ant King was shocked. "What!"
"Believe it or not, in ten years at most, or three to five years if it is fast, an apocalypse will fall upon us," said Li Yao. "The apocalypse will only be a scout. A hundred years later, an apocalypse that is larger in scale and can potentially destroy an entire world will arrive. Or rather, it is already on the trajectory of attack right now, and its target is the Heaven's Origin Sector and the Blood Demon Sector!
"You want your compatriots, the chaotic-blood demons, to survive. I also want my compatriots, people of the Heaven's Origin Sector and all human beings, to survive. This is why I am here in the Blood Demon Sector!"
The Fire Ant King was silent for such a long time that Li Yao almost thought that the guy did not believe him at all. Then, he suddenly said, "Tell me more about the apocalypse."
Li Yao did not reveal his identity, nor did he mention the name of the 'Imperium of True Human Beings'. However, he compressed the entire story into a few critical, concise points and told them to the Fire Ant King.
The Fire Ant King did not care about the details. Maybe it was because he knew that Li Yao would not answer his questions honestly even if he asked. Instead, he inquired on the technical and crucial issues.
Their communication went on for a whole night. The indifference on the Fire Ant King's face finally changed.
"If we are to cooperate, I must be freed from the cage at first," the Fire Ant King said. "But more importantly, we must find out the information that Nether Spring did not tell us. I have a feeling that his plan to create a third perfect life form that is above the demon race and human beings has a certain dangerous air to it. It is certainly not as wonderful as his description."
Deep inside the underground world, Li Yao pressed his left temple, his crimson left eye shining nonstop.
"Elder Nether Spring will be preparing to excavate the body of Chaos in the coming days. I have a plan."
…
Three days later, the underground temple of the Mausoleum of Chaos had become vastly different after extensive exploration and excavation.
A few permanent research laboratories and training rooms had been established in a corner of the temple. Elder Nether Spring's most loyal researchers would stay there and continue their studies of the legacy of Chaos in the future.
A portion of the magical equipment, relics, and research files, on the other hand, had been divided, packed, and delivered to the devilish warship above the Star Swallowing Sea through the soft tubes. They were going to be transported to the more advanced research centers.
The capability of the Nether World Watch was much higher than the elites of the Blade of Chaos. Their efficiency in exploring the underground world was much higher, too. In less than three days, they had completed the preliminary survey of the entire Mausoleum of Chaos.
As they expected, they also discovered the secret chamber deep below the temple and far away from the main body of the mausoleum.
"Master Chu, according to your studies, that will be the place where 'Chaos' was buried, right?" Elder Nether Spring asked Chu Zhengqing rather respectfully.
Chu Zhengqing and his daughter Chu Feiyin were two researchers in Elder Nether Spring's research centers in the first place. They were all pure scholars in the academic world who were dedicated to the exploration of the mysteries of Chaos, and it did not seem to bother them who their employer was. After they were 'rescued', they went back to work without any hesitation.
"Yes."
Chu Zhengqing scanned the detailed picture of the fault that had just been drawn on his retina. Flames seemed to be dripping from his eyes as he mumbled to himself, "According to legend, Chaos suffered heavy wounds during battle and had to hide deep below the ground where there was no sunlight or radiation.
"This secret chamber in the abyss should be the place of his burial!"
"Excellent. Today, let's go to the origin of the demon race and uncover the truth!" Elder Nether Spring waved his hands. "Despot, Swirl, prepare for the exploration!"
"Understood!"
'Despot' and 'Swirl', two captains of the Nether World Watch, immediately issued a series of commands to their subordinates.
The exploration team made of professional soldiers was soon gathered, too.
The main force of the exploration team was naturally the soldiers of the Nether World Watch, who had been strengthened by the demon cores. To avoid the possible poison and venom deep inside the Mausoleum of Chaos, they were all wearing fully-enclosed protective suits that were similar to the garments of the elites of the Blade of Chaos but much more advanced. They were also carrying the oxygen cylinders from the Heaven's Origin Sector that would prevent them from inhaling the dirty air inside the tomb.
Other than that, they were manipulating a large batch of snakes, bugs, rats, mosquitoes, and even some beast puppets from the Heaven's Origin Sector.
The lifeless beast puppets that were purely made of metals and crystals were naturally the best choices to explore the ancient tomb.
Even so, Elder Nether Spring was still not relieved. He asked Despot and Swirl to pick out thirty captives and force them to walk in front of the soldiers of the Nether World Watch.
It was also one of the reasons Elder Nether Spring had kept so many captives alive.
An hour later, the hundred members of the exploration team entered the center of the third floor of the Mausoleum of Chaos.
The third floor was filled with black rocks that seemed to be able to absorb all light. Even the brightness of the extremely penetrative searchlights and the fireflies was devoured by the wall.
All the members of the exploration team were soaked in a dim fog. They had to keep an eye on their companions all the time, or they might lose their way and fall into the endless darkness.
The center of the darkness was a square that was not large in scale. The ground of the square seemed to have been made by an enormous black rock hundreds of meters in length and width. There was not the tiniest joint on it.
The ground of the square was embedded with a huge, round, bronze gate that was approximately ten meters in diameter, carved with complicated spiritual stripes and patterns. A lot of the pictures were rather eerie and gloomy.
"The pathway leading to the tomb of Chaos should be past the bronze gate. The spiritual stripes on the gate are partly the password to open the gate and partly the rune arrays to prevent the radiation and telepathic thoughts of the outside world from leaking in."
Chu Zhengqing and his daughter, along with several other experts, crouched before the bronze gate and touched it carefully. A moment later, they duplicated all the pictures on the bronze gate.
The pictures were similar to the wall paintings inside the underground temple. Several of them were telling a whole story.
However, after they analyzed the story, everybody felt creepy.
The first picture carved on the bronze gate was a human being who had stretched out his arms and legs. A drop of a bright golden liquid was about to fall upon his head, and the man opened his mouth wide, apparently trying to swallow the liquid.
