Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 613
Later, his exploration must've succeeded, at least during the first time. He really found 'Kunlun' and managed to excavate the remains of the enormous body of the Pangu Clan from 'Kunlun'.
It is not hard to imagine that he also retrieved a lot of legacies of the Pangu Clan from 'Kunlun' together with the remains!
Later, he studied the legacies at the center of the White Silver Death Desert below the Star Swallowing Sea, hoping to find a way to defeat the Ultimate One Demons. He also created countless dangerous biochemical weapons!
Li Yao suddenly realized why Ba Yanzhi had chosen to establish his base in such a desolate, unpopulated place.
It was because Ba Yanzhi had been studying the most contagious, lethal stuff. Only the depths of the Star Swallowing Sea surrounded by the White Silver Death Deserver where no creatures could survive was secure enough!
In such a place, even if there was an accident, the venomous gas and poison would not affect the outside world!
As it turned out, accidents did take place later.
At first, it was not the leakage of venomous fog or poison but that Ba Yanzhi's body could not hold it together any longer.
He had triggered too many primeval cells. The 'genetic locks' that controlled his body had all been shattered, forcing him to return to the original point of life and turn into a pool of thick fluid.
Maybe, that was why he was addressed as Chaos.
No nose, no mouth, no hands, no feet, and not a hole on his body. Were they the descriptions for Chaos in the ancient legends?
However, Ba Yanzhi, who was in the form of Chaos, had not died yet. His unbelievable resolution supported the fire of his life to continue burning. He went on carrying out his research, and he saved his life story, the truth of the birth of the demon race, and the primeval star map that marked the location of Kunlun inside the Hidden Star Box.
Perhaps, his research could have succeeded, and Ba Yanzhi's subordinates who had received a lot of legacies of the Pangu Clan had their chances to defeat the Ultimate One Demons.
But an expected accident suddenly destroyed the entire base. A certain weird virus spread out in the enclose base unstoppably, triggering even crazier mutations inside the bodies of the Cultivators and the demons, who killed each other until none were left.
At last, the branch of demons under Ba Yanzhi's command was buried deep inside the great desert of a remote world along with all their secrets.
As for Ba Yanzhi himself, he was addressed by the rulers of the following era, the winners, as Chaos and vilified as a dreadful destroyer!
Chapter 924: The Only Hope! |
Li Yao could not even begin to imagine how sorrowful, painful, and desperate Ba Yanzhi must have been when his cells crumbled, turning him into a pool of dirty 'gene soup', and was forced to hide twenty thousand meters below ground without access to sunlight for the rest of his life.
Just the thought of such a miserable future was enough to drive someone crazy.
Even so, Ba Yanzhi did not give up resistance. He carved the feelings when he drank the 'Divine Water of Kunlun' of different formulas on the wall of the secret chamber, hoping to give some enlightenment to the latecomers.
When the Nether World Watch was scanning the tiny letters, Li Yao had taken the opportunity to study all the content and commit it to memory.
Ba Yanzhi's writing style had the distinctive feature of the ancient Cultivators. Modern demons and Cultivators might not have understood what he was talking about, but Li Yao could see through it after a quick glance.
Also, right now, he had received the legacy of Ba Yanzhi's memory pieces and perceived a lot of new things from Ba Yanzhi's lifelong story.
It is a pity that Senior Ba Yanzhi failed to witness the success of his cause!
Li Yao had mixed feelings. His thoughts flew back to somewhere far, far away.
After Ba Yanzhi turned into 'Chaos', he had clearly continued his rebellion and caused a lot of trouble for the Ultimate One Demons.
According to the history books of the Star Glory Federation, forty thousand years ago, after the world of Cultivators collapsed, to fight for the control over the three thousand Sectors, the demons had a civil war that lasted hundreds of years.
The ancient ferocious demon 'Skeleton Dragon' that Li Yao met on Boneyard was one of the competitors at the time.
Now that he thought of it, the so-called civil war could have been the competition between the 'Chaos Demons' and the 'Ultimate One Demons'. Judging from the appearance of Skeleton Dragon, it was most likely a general of the 'Chaos Demons' or the 'Ultimate One Demons', or even an extremely powerful, experimental weapon that had gone out of control and grown independent self-awareness for some reason, say, the destruction of the 'Chaos Demons'.
After Ba Yanzhi perished, the Ultimate One Demons secured the final victory of the civil war. They established an enormous Demon Beast Empire and ruled over the sea of stars for thirty thousand years in the Era of Doom when the spiritual energy was low.
During the long time, the Ultimate One Demons gradually evolved into the saint-blood demons and the silver-blood demons, who continued living their extravagant, aristocratic lives. The mortals in the past, on the other hand, were modified into bronze-blood demons and black-blood demons, and they asked to mine, farm, and fight.
When the system developed to the highest point, the Pantheon of Demons and the 'Four Pillars System' were founded. It was claimed that the social class of every demon was destined and unchangeable. The saint-blood demons would always be saint-blood demons, and it was their natural privilege to enjoy their life. The black-blood demons would always be black-blood demons, and being enslaved was their eternal fate that nobody could defy!
However, a lie was always a lie. No matter how different they appeared to be, they were human beings to their bones. They were human beings who were showing different features of the cell because of genetic modification.
Therefore, the demons of different social classes could mate and give birth to offspring. Due to the different genetic features inside the body of the offspring, it was possible that the original appearance of the cells was restored. It was even possible that higher strength that did not belong to them was activated, thereby exposing the lies of the saint-blood demons and threatening their reign.
It was why the 'hybrids' were called 'chaotic-blood demons' and were despised as the filthiest lowborn, the 'untouchable'!
Such a reign is really dreadful. Too dreadful!
Li Yao's chest was heaving. The history of the past forty thousand years condensed into a sharp longsword and cut apart the bafflements inside his brain, but a new question occurred to him.
Are the saint-blood demons really extinct?
The history books of both the Star Glory Federation and the Flying Star Sector stated that, after the Star Ocean Imperium was established, the Supreme Emperor led an enormous army and marched through the universe, executing all the saint-blood demons in the worlds that he passed and eventually wiping out all the saint-blood demons!
But right now, Li Yao had new doubts.
As the saying goes, even a rotten boat will have several useful nails. The saint-blood demons ruled over the sea of stars for thirty thousand years and collected the wealth of all the three thousand Sectors. There was bound to be a huge amount of resources.
Despite the change of dynasties, the astronomical wealth and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were unlikely to vanish into thin air!
With such enormous resources in their possession, there were certain unlimited experts among the saint-blood demons. How come the saint-blood demons failed to resist at all when the Star Ocean Imperium rose and suffered such crushing defeats when the Supreme Emperor united the universe in only several hundred years?
Is it possible—
Li Yao thought of a terrifying possibility and was immediately frightened.
Is it possible that the Cultivators of the Ultimate One Sect in the beginning, the Ultimate One Demons later, and the saint-blood demons in the end, were not wiped out at all?
Just as the leader of the Ultimate One Set said, forty thousand years ago, it was the Era of Doom when the spiritual energy was dry. The old methods of training and the outdated life form were no long fit for the environment. Only by evolving into a brand-new form and adopting a new training system could they expect to survive in a harsh world where there was little spiritual energy and resources!
After a rest of more than thirty thousand years, the spiritual energy in the universe was getting dense again. Also, the wastelands caused by the wars of the ancient Cultivators were revived by the black-blood demons at the cost of countless lives.
Naturally, the rulers needed another evolution to change into a life form that was more suitable for the new world!
Therefore, the saint-blood demons did not go extinct at all. They merely thought that the potential of the 'demons' had been fully exploited and that they were no longer used to the environment. Therefore, like caterpillars breaking out of their cocoons, they turned into human beings again, or perhap, an even stronger life form!
It is quite plausible on second thought.
The rise of the Star Ocean Imperium was too fast and brief. Its heyday lasted for only a hundred years before the nation crumbled after a failed expedition. Also, there were too many uncanny facts about the great expedition that could not be explained.
Who can say that the saint-blood demons were not fanning the flames?
Maybe, the chaotic world after the Star Ocean Imperium collapsed was the best culture dish for the 'evolution' of the saint-blood demons!
In the universe today, although the saint-blood demons are no more, the 'winners' according to the leader of the Ultimate One Sect are still there. Are the doings of the Immortal Cultivators of the Imperium of True Human Beings any different from the saint-blood demons?
For a moment, the leader of the Ultimate One Demons who was wearing the armor of dragon scales and the image of Xiao Xuance gradually melded into one. They were both laughing gloatingly toward Li Yao.
There are no distinctions between humans and demons, deities and devils. There are only winners and losers!
You are all ants!
Li Yao felt that the blood over all his body was spurting up toward his head from which a spring seemed to be bursting out. Feeling choked, he bellowed and jerked up, jumping out of the sand that was almost ten meters deep in only one leap!
Hu!
Lying on the desert, Li Yao stretched out his limbs and looked up at the night sky.
The universe was as boundless as ever, and the bloody moon was shining hideously.
Maybe, in the depths of the boundless universe, the Ultimate One Demons in the past had already established enormous forces that might have different appearances but in fact believed in the same ideology to their bones!
Maybe, such forces were swallowing the stars and contaminating the universe like cancer!
Li Yao watched and thought in silence, with equally scorching flames burning in his eyes that were two different colors.
He suddenly stood up and placed the crystal brain that stored Ba Yanzhi's billions of telepathic thoughts on the desert squarely. He suddenly kneeled down and bowed toward the Hidden Star Box respectfully.
Li Yao did not know why he did it.
Perhaps, it was for Ba Yanzhi's hilarious dream, the fantasy that 9,999 people out of ten thousand could have enough food instead of one!
"Senior Ba, thank you. I finally know what I should do right now under your enlightenment," Li Yao mumbled to himself. The bouncing flames inside his eyes were gradually condensed into sharp brilliance.
"Since many innocent ordinary people were fooled into turning into demons forty thousand years ago, and now that the universe is much more stable, with denser spiritual energy and a less harsh environment, I will help the ordinary people restore their original appearances now that the Era of Doom is over!
"Since Jin Xinyue could turn from a demon into a human being, so can the other demons!
"Aside from the silver-blood demons who are proud of their noble bloodlines, I cannot tolerate a human being modified into mouthless, mindless giant insects creeping on the ground!"
Taking a long breath, Li Yao was making plans solemnly, but his eyes suddenly froze.
Wait. A bloody moon?
I have stayed in this place for twelve hours!
Li Yao almost jumped up to his feet.
He had only planned to get a general idea of what was stored inside the Hidden Star Box. He did not expect that the power of the Hidden Star Box would be so high that he was kept in the deep meditative state for the entire day.
He was wondering what was happening right now to Elder Nether Spring and the Fire Ant King.
Li Yao immediately thought of something related to Elder Nether Spring.
He finally understood what Elder Nether Spring was going through all that trouble for.
Elder Nether Spring was not a historian. The truth of the origin of the demon race was not worth the power and investment he had dedicated to the cause at all.
What he was looking for was the star map leading to 'Kunlun'!
Elder Nether Spring's purpose is the Kunlun Warship. He wants to have the Kunlun Warship and believes that the Kunlun Warship can help him realize the rise of 'the third life form'!
Li Yao's body felt hot, and his mouth was dry. According to the memory pieces of Ba Yanzhi, the Kunlun Warship was exactly buried, or collapsed, somewhere in the Blood Demon Sector.
Even if it was not on the planet below his feet, it had to be somewhere in the planets, satellites, or world fragments that were close to the Blood Demon Planet!
Judging from the research projects inside the Mausoleum of Chaos, there were indeed a lot of mysteries hidden in the Kunlun Warship, many of which were far more advanced than the technology of the Heaven's Origin Sector, the Blood Demon Sector, and the Flying Star Sector.
Before, I only wanted to end the war between the Heaven's Origin Sector and the Blood Demon Sector as quickly as possible and focus our strength on the vanguard of the Imperium of True Human Beings.
However, considering the formidability of the 'star child', even the Heaven's Origin Sector, the Blood Demon Sector, and the Flying Star Sector combined might not be a match for the vanguard of the Imperium of True Human Beings.
Even if we defeat the vanguard miraculously, we will still be dead for sure when the expedition fleet of the Imperium of True Human Beings comes in a hundred years!
Kunlun! Kunlun is our only hope!
I must find Kunlun!
Chapter 925: No Hole to Sneak In |
However, as Li Yao reflected on the star map that was etched into the deepest part of his brain, he realized that it was complicated and barely understandable, like a ball of thread that had been burnt.
Everybody had their specialties. Li Yao was not good at analyzing star maps, and he could not infer the specific coordinates of the so-called 'Kunlun' or find the method to reach the place.
It seems that I'll have to hand over the star map to the 'Occult Orbs Fellowship' or Professor Mo Xuan when I'm back in the Heaven's Origin Sector and ask them to analyze it with the central crystal processors, Li Yao thought to himself.
Since Elder Nether Spring knew about such a mysterious item as the star map of Kunlun, he certainly knew a lot of other secrets.
Maybe, Elder Nether Spring was related to the Ultimate One Demons. At the very least, he must have received some of the legacies of the Ultimate One Demons.
I have to find a way to elicit more information from Elder Nether Spring!
Li Yao snapped his finger and summoned Black Wing. He rushed toward the Mausoleum of Chaos at the highest speed.
In case the enemy detected him, when he was still hundreds of kilometers away from the Mausoleum of Chaos, Li Yao hid Black Wing and took out an optical camouflage cape that could completely conceal one's scent. He covered himself up without leaving the smallest gap and blended into the desert while crawling forward against the ground.
It took him three hours to slowly move to the side of the Star Swallowing Sea, but the view in the lake gave him quite a surprise.
In the vast Star Swallowing Sea, dozens of enormous floating islands supported by airbags were connected to each other by iron chains, constituting what seemed to be a castle on the water.
Countless relics and treasures gradually surfaced inside much smaller airbags. They were fished up by the chains and piled up in the floating island. Following which, they were delivered to the devilish warship in midair.
Countless soldiers of the Nether World Watch were busy going about their work in order, like ants who were moving their home.
Elder Nether Spring is going to run away? Li Yao pondered.
…
On a gray devilish warship that had no marks of any emblems, Elder Nether Spring observed the scene of the delivery through the biochemical eyes that were embedded on the warship, his hands behind his back. His face was as cold as ice.
Despot and Swirl stood behind him respectfully, not even daring to breath too loudly.
Swirl had just finished her treatment in a biochemical slot. Her shattered wings had not entirely recovered yet, and they were cramping now and then beyond her control.
"How much longer will it take before we pack up and ship away all the important facilities and corpses inside the Mausoleum of Chaos?" Elder Nether Spring asked coldly.
"One day and one night, at least."
Swirl lowered her head and said, "There are too many items inside the Mausoleum of Chaos. We have to examine them carefully to determine the real relics that are of value. One day and one night is already our best."
"I'll give you twenty hours. We will take off in twenty hours!"
Elder Nether Spring made the call. "If there's no time for examination, don't examine it. Speed is what matters most right now. After we take off, blow up the dome of the Mausoleum of Chaos and let the Star Swallowing Sea drown it!"
