Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 675
"Is that so?"
Scratching his chin, Elder Nether Spring was deep in thought, the antennae on his forehead shivering in rattling noises.
A terrible smile appeared on Lu Wuxin's jumbled face. "Hehehehe. I know what you're worried about, Elder. You are scared that Jin Tuyi is pretending to be sick, right?
"Rest assured, Elder. He is certainly not pretending!
"Jin Tuyi's personal doctor has been compromised since long ago. I studied his every examination result personally. His brain indeed has pathological changes, which cannot be faked by any technique.
"Moreover, Jin Tuyi is taking pills to suppress his braincell activity every day. Such medication can paralyze his braincells and force part of them into the hibernation state. They are like a buffer for his brain.
"Of course, the medication will affect his thinking ability, but it is the only treatment to slow down the attack of cerebral sclerosis.
"Over the past few months, Jin Tuyi has been taking larger and larger dosages, which indicates that he was aware of the seriousness of his condition, too.
"How can such a guy, whose brain is almost broken, fight against Elder?"
Elder Nether Spring hesitated and said, "Of course, I know that Jin Tuyi is suffering from cerebral sclerosis. However, perhaps because the Spore Stratagem is about to be activated, I am a bit anxious and have an ominous feeling.
"I'm thinking about one thing. Even if Jin Tuyi is really a victim of cerebral sclerosis, is it possible for him to suddenly unleash unparalleled computational ability and see through everything?"
"Absolutely not!" 'Mad Medic' Lu Wuxin shook his head hard. "This is my specialty. Please trust my professionalism, Elder.
"Cerebral sclerosis is the lesion of the braincells that have overloaded for too long. The degraded cells envelop the healthy braincells like thin, icy shells, making the brain seem to be frozen.
"Imagine this. What will happen if a man stretches his body violently when his body has been frozen in ice that's less than minus a hundred degrees?
"He will taste excruciating pain, and his body might crumble directly!
"Those suffering from cerebral sclerosis, when thinking hard, will feel similar excruciating pain. The pain comes directly from the central nerves and is ten times sharper than any pain we can possibly describe!"
"Suppose Jin Tuyi can resist the pain," Elder Nether Spring said coldly.
Lu Wuxin smiled and replied, "Even if he can resist the pain, he will not choose to, unless—"
Elder Nether Spring raised his eyebrow. "Unless what?"
"Unless he intends to become a moron who doesn't know how to wipe his ass when he shits in his pants a year and a half later."
Elder Nether Spring was still silent, but the gloom on his face gradually cleared.
"Elder, I think that you are overthinking." Lu Wuxin was an expert in the level of demon emperor. He was also the supervisor of the experiments of the Demon God Virus. Therefore, he was blunter in the way he spoke. "Wasn't his cerebral sclerosis an important factor when we chose him to be our puppet?
"It was exactly because his computational ability and thinking ability plummeted due to cerebral sclerosis that we contributed so much in secret and made him the commander-in-chief of the coalition army of demons. That way, it would be easier for us to infiltrate and manipulate the Pantheon of Demons.
"In terms of strength, the Gold Crow Kingdom is the weakest of the four superpowers, and he ranks last among the four giants of the Blood Demon Sector personally, too.
"In terms of support, most of his trusted subordinates have been compromised by all. His every move is right under our control. Few of his subordinates are absolutely loyal to him!
"In terms of strategy, for such a guy whose computational ability has plummeted and who risks turning into a moron at any moment because of cerebral sclerosis, isn't every move he has taken within Elder's predictions? Has he ever noticed the first clue of our scheme?
"He is absolutely no match for Elder in terms of strength, support, and strategy. What can he utilize to fight against Elder and the Spore Stratagem?"
He was saying exactly what Elder Nether Spring was thinking. Finally, Elder Nether Spring put on an undisguised smiled and said, "There are still the last four hours.
"In four hours, a new era will come!"
Chapter 1023: A Storm Is Coming |
At 8:27 p.m. on May 12…
There were two hours to go before the Blood Demon's Smile.
Inside the mobile laboratory on 'Chaos' of Skyfire, on the light beam of the microscopes, many cells whose edges were blurred as if they had grown tremendous tentacles were popping up. Those cells were swallowing the healthy cells around them like ravenous animals that had been injected with too much exhilarant.
As they swallowed and transformed the normal cells, the drop of blood placed inside the microscope was gradually enveloped in a weird, demonic purple color.
Suddenly—
A brand-new blue material appeared on the light beam. It was more than ten times smaller than the crazy cells, but it was crawling into the crazy cells agilely. Very soon, it spread out into a membrane on the surface of the cell and enshrouded all the dispersing tentacles, gradually stabilizing the crazy cells.
However, one could easily tell that the cells purged by the blue material were slightly different from the normal cells.
Jin Xinyue, Han Tuhu, and Suo Chaolong were standing in front of the glass wall of the mobile laboratory while they listened to the introduction of the specialist of the Blade of Chaos.
"The development of the Chaos Serum has made significant progress. In simulations, it is already good enough to restore cells that have contracted the Demon God Virus. Theoretically speaking, it can be used to treat the patients and the carriers of the virus.
"However, since the serum originates from the Divine Blood of Chaos, and its mechanism is to reduce the cells to their fundamental state, there will be some… side effects."
Jin Xinyue frowned. "What kind of side effects?"
"When restoring mutated cells that have been infected by the Demon God Virus, it will restore the healthy cells around them, too, into the… relatively primitive state."
Han Tuhu and Suo Chaolong looked at each other in bewilderment. "What do you meant by 'relatively primitive state'?"
"It's—" The specialist of the Blade of Chaos tried to find an appropriate way to phrase it. "Generally speaking, the subject will be more similar to human beings."
Jin Xinyue was frowning harder and harder. "Like me right now?"
The specialist of the Blade of Chaos nodded. "More frankly speaking, the Chaos Serum is just a duplicate of the Divine Blood of Chaos. That's why we've developed it so fast.
"The so-called Divine Blood of Chaos was in fact medication that 'Chaos' Ba Yanzhi produced for himself in order to maintain his form as a human being without crumbling.
"Therefore, if we get to the bottom of it, maintaining the form of a human being is actually the main effect of the Divine Blood of Chaos, and resisting the Demon God Virus is in fact just a side effect."
Suo Chaolong sniffed. "This is good. We are rats on the street in the first place, and all the other demons consider us traitors.
"Now, the Chaos Serum we've developed even boasts such a side effect. How are we going to convince the leadership of the demon race to promote the drugs that will turn their people from demons into human beings?"
Han Tuhu, on the other hand, beamed with joy. He was a human being from the Heaven's Origin Sector, and he had been craving to be restored to the normal appearance of one. Naturally, he did not have such concerns, but he thought of a different question. "How is the productivity of the Chaos Serum? Is it possible to be manufactured?"
"Of course not." The specialist of the Blade of Chaos sighed and replied helplessly, "The production of a small scale in a laboratory is totally different from manufacturing it in a factory. With the manpower and resources under our control right now, there is no way that we can manufacture the serum in a year and a half."
Jin Xinyue pondered for a moment and asked, "What manpower and resources do we need to manufacture the serum?"
The specialist of the Blade of Chaos stared at her and replied, "If we have the support of the entire Blood Demon Sector, and the few largest biochemical factories among the four superpowers help, we might be able to manufacture the serum very soon."
Clearly, Jin Xinyue was not expecting such an answer.
Han Tuhu smiled bitterly. "It seems that we've been caught in a dead loop now. A world war between the Heaven's Origin Sector and the Blood Demon Sector will break out in two hours. How can us traitors and spies win the support of the entire Blood Demon Sector, and how can we persuade the demon emperors who hate human beings to let their people inject drugs that will turn them into human beings?"
Suo Chaolong gnashed his teeth. "Damn it. Elder Nether Spring's plan is indeed immaculate after such a long time of preparation. It all depends on whether or not Li Yao can blow up the Eye of Blood Demon in time!"
Jin Xinyue clenched her fists. "Master certain will, but we must figure out a way to manufacture the Chaos Serum and spread it out successfully!"
…
At 9:22 p.m. on May 12…
There was one hour to go before the Blood Demon's Smile.
Along the eastern coastline of the Star Glory Federation in the Heaven's Origin Sector, the surging tides were slapping the reefs, threatening an unattractive village that was hazy in the sprinkle.
A fisherman, whose trousers had been rolled up to his knees, with mud all over his feet, was squatting on the coast and staring at the ocean, deep in thought, as if he was rather worried that he would not be able to sail for fishing for a while.
Nobody knew that the crappy old man with a wrinkled face and yellow teeth was actually Ye Qingzhou, the leader of the Thousand Cranes Alliance, a top ten super sect of the Star Glory Federation, and a battle-type Cultivator in the Nascent Soul Stage!
Very soon, a younger fisherman wearing a cowl walked close and said in a low voice, "Master, Vast Ocean Sect's 'Secondary Destruction Divine Boat' has searched the offshore area three times and failed to locate the 'counterattack bases' of the Far East Demon Kingdom. No intense demonic energy was detected, either. There's no telling when those wretched demons will show up!"
"Be patient. They will certainly show up in a day or two." Ye Qingzhou smiled casually. "The fake attack in the northern battlefield has met a fiasco, and it has successfully lured a lot of our troops to chase after them on the Grand Desolate Plateau. If they are really a distraction for us, the main force will certainly take action in a day or two. Otherwise, when the federal army in the northern battlefield retreats, won't all their endeavors be in vain?"
"It is said that the Blood Demon Sector is getting serious this time. All the available forces will be coming at us," the young Cultivator said worriedly.
"What about all the available forces?" Ye Qingzhou narrowed his eyes, his fighting will cutting the ocean's spray that had splashed onto the shore into pieces. "Right now, fifty percent of the federal army and more than sixty percent of the battle-type Cultivators have been gathered along the coastline. The few coastal cities and large ports are all on full alert. We will regret it if they don't come with all their available forces!
"Hehe. If the pests of the Blood Demon Sector dare to emerge from the ocean, they will have the same ending as the scumbags of the Far East Demon Kingdom five hundred years ago!"
The Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator Ye Qingzhou raised his eyes and stared at the horizon of the ocean, waiting in confidence.
Beneath the small village, within the secret base behind the ridge of the mountain, and among the seemingly unprepared ports, countless soldiers of the federal army and Cultivators were also staring at the ocean, waiting for the army that would never show up in the ocean.
…
At 9:52 p.m. on May 12…
There was half an hour to go before the Blood Demon's Smile.
The capital city of the Star Glory Federation was a super metropolis with a population of more than seventy million. The fall of night did not lower the liveliness of the city at all. Instead, the shining neon lights and the incessant fireworks blossoming in the sky added to its glamour.
In the sky, countless shuttles were dashing agilely among the fireworks with colorful exhaust flames behind them.
On the ground, every mall and plaza was teeming with people whose excitement was not in the least troubled by sleepiness. They were all blushing, shouting, and dancing.
"Great victory!"
"We've won the battle!"
"We've won! We've won!"
On the enormous light beams floating on the walls of the skyscrapers, the delighted hosts were reading the same news repetitively. After half a month of bloody war, the federation had secured a decisive victory and crushed the main force of the incoming enemy in the second battle to protect the Grand Desolate Plateau.
Right now, the valiant soldiers and Cultivators were chasing after the remnants of the enemy on the vast Grand Desolate Plateau. It would not be long before they were kicked back to their nest!
"The greedy ambitions of the demon clan have failed yet another time. This is not going to be their last failure, but it will be the beginning of their final failure!"
The host spoke assuredly. With the hundreds of pictures where the federal soldiers and the Cultivators were fighting bravely under the Giant Blade Pass, such a victory was even more persuasive and impressive.
"Wow!"
"That's what I'm talking about. Beat those sons of bi*ches back to their nest!"
"Dad, Uncle Cultivator's sword is so big and so awesome. I am going to be an Uncle Cultivator when I'm older, too!"
The kids who were riding their father's necks were as excited as during a holiday. They opened their arms and rushed on the street aglow with colorful lights, regarding their fathers as horses and flying swords.
Of course, it was not the whole truth of the war.
But for the success of the ambush in the eastern coastline, such a strategical deception was very important.
Moreover, it was not a complete deception but a celebration of the real victory, one which had been held a few days in advance.
Now that the real plan of the coalition army of demons had been grasped and the main force of the federation had been gathered along the coastline to ambush them, would it not be a matter of time before the real victory came?
Right now, even most of the government officials in the skyscrapers at the central district of the capital city thought so. They were confidently waiting for the news that the coalition army of demons had landed from the ocean.
BOOM! CRACK!
The sky was suddenly consumed by dark clouds, as if countless black, ferocious beasts had gathered. They swallowed all the fireworks that had been lit for the victory celebration.
The lightning among the clouds was writhing crazily like deep purple serpents. Now and then, the lightning split into hundreds of electric arcs that were much thinner like the venom spurted out by a viper, spraying on the prosperous city and raising dazzling sparks on the lightning rods. The whole city was illuminated into paleness.
Tick-tock! Tick-tock! Tick-tock!
The drops of stinky rainwater were already bashing the windows of the skyscrapers hard.
A storm was coming.
Chapter 1024: First Wave of Teleportation, Begin! |
At 10:42 p.m. on May 12…
The trajectories of the three satellites of the Blood Demon Planet were getting closer and closer. Under the mutual influence of their attraction forces, the trajectories were slowly deformed and drawing weird curves as if manipulated by an invisible giant hand. They were about to hit each other.
The three satellites were so close to each other that their surfaces had been ripped apart. Tremendous rocks and crystal mines soared into the sky, blew up, and darted toward the other two satellites, like shining exhausting flames.
From the other two satellites, a great mass of materials was escaping, too, and flying toward the satellite, joining together like rivers.
The crystal powder, and other elements, on different satellites had chemical reactions in the vacuum and turned into colorful high-energy particles. Three ribbons of light, which looked like three giant snakes biting each other's tails, were spreading out!
It was the unique phenomenon when the three satellites of the Blood Demon Sector aligned.
On the Blood Moon Planet, where the Eye of Blood Demon was located, the wind was howling, and the rain was pouring. Dark clouds were rolling like angry dragons. Lightning was hissing like shocked snakes.
The earth was shaking. Countless animals were fleeing. The smaller rocks all slowly flew up into the sky toward the dark clouds. The dark clouds, in the meantime, were revolving and rolling until in the end dozens of enormous cantilevers were formed, attracting all the dark clouds in the thousand square kilometers nearby. They were getting more and more intense!
The bloody lake was also surging with waves. The devastating tides were shooting hundreds of meters into the sky nonstop, as if dragons made of lake water were soaring up. The lake water did not fall down until a long time later, producing what seemed to be a ladder leading to an alien world!
Deep inside the bloody lake, the turbulence was raging, and the undercurrents were running everywhere. The translucent rune beasts were absorbed by the swirl. During the high-speed revolutions, the demonic stripes carved into them were emitting the most enticing brilliance, illuminating the rune arrays embedded on the dome of the building right under the lake like beams of light.
Protected by the crystal shell, the rune arrays were like the eggs of devils that had been deeply buried in the mud at the bottom of the lake. Something seemed to be about to break out of the eggs because huge bubbles were popping up nonstop.
Gudu! Gudu! Gudu!
Bubbles, containing countless demonic stripes, surfaced in the lake, making it appear to be boiling. A huge amount of lake water was vaporized by the demonic stripes and formed a layer of intense red mist some ten meters above the lake.
