Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 966
However, for Li Yao and Long Yangjun, two 'observers' who had grasped higher clearances, such a dark forest was obviously nonexistent.
They could see the whereabouts of almost every 'dark hunter' from the ubiquitous surveillance cameras.
Li Yao even saw that two Cultivators, one with the Great Qian Dynasty and the other belonging to Ghost Qin, were hiding themselves with an armor of the Pangu Clan and remains of the Nuwa Clan respectively just one corner away from each other. At such a close distance, they waited attentively and nervously for the possible prey.
Perhaps, for them, it was an ambush and a hunt that would decide whether or not they would live. Whoever ran out of patience and dashed around the corner first would embrace death first!
However, from Li Yao's perspective, he only felt that the two Cultivators that had only one wall between them were as hilarious as clowns.
The more nervous and solemn they appeared, and the more anxious they were about the incoming enemy, the more hilarious they were!
Despite the extreme tension on board, the small dark forest on the Nuwa warship made Li Yao think of a lot of things beyond his control.
He recalled the dialogue that he had with Pirate Potentate Bai Xinghe on Spider Den in the past.
Chapter 1487: Warehouse of the Colossi! |
Bai Xinghe had once systematically introduced the Dark Forest Theory to Li Yao, which was proposed by the cosmologist Liu the Prier in the Star Ocean Imperium.
The theory was based on the premise that the total resources in the universe was limited. Even if some of the resources were renewable, the speed of such renewal was still extremely low and could not meet the demand of various civilizations in different phases. For multiple civilizations, if they were caught in the state of 'chain of suspicion' because they lacked sufficient instruments of communication at the beginning and failed to figure out if the other civilizations were hostile, hiding themselves as much as possible and striking all the targets that exposed themselves was the most rational, optimal, and yet helpless choice.
Under such a theory, the relation of the countless civilizations in the universe would be exactly like the Nuwa warship, where everybody was carefully lurking in the darkness without saying anything or moving. They tried their best to preserve themselves and waited for other people to attack one another so that they could swoop in at the end.
Those who were bold and arrogant enough to summon their companions promptly were often the primary targets for the dark hunters and would be wiped out in the first round of strikes.
It seemed to be a very reasonable theory.
Li Yao, however, did not like the Dark Forest Theory.
Not at all.
He had once established the organization named Skyfire, hoping that he could turn into a spark that would ignite the weeds, bushes, and trees in the dark forest, until the entire dark forest was burnt to the ground!
However, there was a difference between ideals and reality. However hard he considered, he felt that the Dark Forest Theory was at least self-consistent even if it was not flawless.
Was theory really coherent? How should it be cracked?
At this moment, after he witnessed the small dark forest on the Nuwa warship as an 'observer', Li Yao finally thought of two interesting questions.
Firstly, just like Long Yangjun and him, two 'observers' who had higher clearances, existed in the small dark forest, was it possible that certain 'observer civilizations' of higher levels existed in the real, boundless universe?
If that was the case, every dangerous hunter in the dark universe was actually a clown performing in an invisible spotlight.
They were hiding, ambushing, deceiving, misleading, attacking, and conducting all the other seemingly mysterious and unpredictable operations with all their wisdom and efforts. However, chances were that they were being scrutinized under the 'surveillance camera' of a certain observer civilization and only raised a round of chuckles at some point in the deep universe!
Then, closing the doors and fighting each other under the guidance of the Dark Forest Theory would be a meaningless endeavor.
It was the right path to be united and find the 'observer civilization'!
The level of the observer civilization was not necessarily higher than the civilizations being observed. It was very possible that the observer civilizations only gained access to certain clearances by accident, which allowed their observation.
It was just like right now. Li Yao and Long Yangjun's combat ability was not higher than the overall combat ability of the thousands of Cultivators outside.
They were not stronger, smarter, or swifter than those outside. They just had some 'information' that was of paramount importance.
If the thousands of Cultivators outside could be united, even if Li Yao and Long Yangjun could see their every action clearly, they would still be able to break the gates of the bridge and annihilate the two of them!
It was a pity that, because of the Dark Forest Theory, the thousands of Cultivators could in no way join hands, at least not before they realized the existence of the 'observers'.
Then, the 'observers' would be able to set up traps unhurriedly and exploit the victims in secret by taking advantage of the asymmetric information!
Were the same things happening in the real universe?
Was the Dark Forest Theory a truth, or was it a certain 'virous thought' disseminated by an 'observer civilization' intentionally so that it could take advantage when the countless civilizations in the sea of stars slammed the door in each other's faces and killed each other?
Secondly, even if the 'Dark Forest Theory' applied to certain local areas, such as the narrow pathways and dark cabins on the Nuwa warship, could the Nuwa warship stand for the whole world?
No. Beyond the Nuwa warship, there was a world that was hundreds of times broader, where everybody had enough room to do anything that they wanted!
Was it possible that the three thousand Sectors that human beings were familiar with were just a 'Nuwa warship'? Or maybe they were just a tiny cabin on the Nuwa warship!
Human beings, civilizations, universe, that was really…
"Hey!" Long Yangjun glared at Li Yao. With obvious discontent and suspicion, she asked, "You aren't daydreaming, are you?"
"Huh?" Li Yao swallowed his drool and hurried to shake his head. "No, of course not. I was thinking about very important strategic questions that concern our future!"
"You can stop thinking about that. We don't have a future!" Long Yangjun pulled dozens of golden threads with both hands and enlarged a cluster of light beams. The Half-Step Grand Illusionary Land was displayed clearly. She pointed at it and said, "Look at this. A warehouse of the Cloud Qin Gold Statues!"
There are really Colossi!
All the complicated feelings about the Dark Forest Theory in Li Yao's head instantly vanished. His eyes were glittering like a weasel that had run into a roast chicken.
He discovered that the cabin displayed on the light beam was in the middle section of the Nuwa warship. It was the largest, most spacious cabin on the warship, which was as magnificent as an arena for the giants!
The entire cabin was covered in a bluish mist that was similar to the air in the bridge. It could vaguely be seen that human-shaped dents were collapsing inwardly on the wall around. The smaller dents were around twenty meters tall, and the largest of them were more than sixty meters tall. They should be the garages where the Colossi were stored.
At the center of the warehouse, many platforms that looked like enormous altars were lying. Hundreds of interconnected rails could be found on every platform. The rails were either teeming with complicated runes or installed with a myriad of tools that could glide along the rails.
Some of the ragged Colossi that were riddled with holes were placed on some of the platforms. Their shells had almost been entirely broken, and the internal components that could not have been more precise were revealed. Those Colossi must have been under maintenance.
Some of the platforms were heaved high and vertical to the ground. Some of the Colossi that were done with their maintenance were standing quietly on them.
After hundreds of thousands of years, the metal shells of the Colossi had already turned lackluster. Some parts of them were even seriously rusted.
However, a dominating aura was silently leaking from every gap on their body.
Although they were just on the light beam, Li Yao could still feel an intense urge that made his heart pound and his blood boil. He was thirstier than ever!
Suddenly, his eyes fell to the end of the warehouse.
There, a Colossus that should have been done with its maintenance was ensconced on a unique platform that looked like a throne made of black iron.
The Colossus was about thirty meters tall, but its torso and limbs were extremely thin, which made it look like an enormous skeleton made of black iron. Outside of the long, slender bones, there was a layer of scale armor that looked like black feathers, making the Colossus seem to be donned in a broad cape or cloak.
There was nothing on the narrow, slim face on the skull except for a deep, cross-shaped dent that divided the facial cover into four parts. A red crystal camera was embedded in the center of the dent, not in the color of burning fire but more like frozen magma and dried blood!
Although the Colossus was hibernating, the crimson crystal camera still gave Li Yao the feeling that it was beating fast like the powerful heart of a ferocious beast!
Other than that, quite a few whips condensed from red crystals were entangled in rings on the limbs and torso of the Colossi that looked like a black skeleton.
They looked both like vines on the bones of a boa and the veins and nerves of the Colossi that had been exposed to the air!
The color and design of the red crystals were very similar to the style of Long Yangjun's crystal suit. They must have been a regular material of the Nuwa Clan's blades.
However, in terms of permeability and the facet smoothness, they were apparently much better than Long Yangjun's crystal suit.
Elegant, mysterious, cruel, dominating… The Colossus that looked like a black skeleton, surrounded by the deep red vipers, was crouching higher on the throne like a king of the universe and stared at all the other Colossi in derision!
Li Yao's eyes were glued to the Colossi. He found it impossible to move them away at all.
After seeing the Colossus, he suddenly felt that all the Colossi that he had ever used in the past, including Draconic Phoenix, were not nearly as intriguing as this one.
He could not hold himself from extending his arm through the light beam to touch the shell of the black skeleton and the 'veins' and 'nerves' made of the crimson crystals!
It's mine. I'm definitely going to get it!
A thunderous storm was blowing inside Li Yao's head!
It was not until he heard the laughter and the curses in the warehouse of the Colossi that Li Yao finally broke free from his brief trance. He enlarged the somewhat fuzzy details to get a clear look at the people who were hiding near the Colossi, the remains of the Pangu Clan and the Nuwa Clan, and the corners of the maintenance platforms.
The locals of the Ancient Sages Sector had beaten them to the warehouse of the Colossi!
Li Yao was slightly dazed for a moment. Then he immediately realized that it had nothing to do with luck. The main reason was that the maintenance warehouse for the Colossi took up too much room. Also, to make it easier for the Colossi to enter and exit the warship, broad pathways to every corner of the warship had been established. It was barely possible to overlook such an enormous cabin!
"Qi Zhongdao, Yan Liren, Ba Xiaoyu, Master Bitter Cicada. All four great experts are here!" Long Yangjun adjusted the angle and resolution of the surveillance picture carefully and locked onto the super experts one after another. "Han Baling, Qi Changsheng, and Wan Mingzhu have arrived, too. This is rather intense. A battle is going to break out at any time!"
Chapter 1488: Quarrel! |
Long Yangjun was wrong about one thing.
The battle was not going to break out; the battle had already broken out in the fiercest way.
Right when Li Yao and Long Yangjun snuck into the bridge, the Three Saints—including Qi Zhongdao, Master Bitter Cicada, and the elders and leaders of the six major sects—as well as the experts from the Ghost Qin, the Heaven Battering Army, and the White Lotus Cult commanded by the three rapscallions, altogether about a hundred people, had already broken away from the trap of the 'dark forest' and entered the warehouse of the Colossi through two different pathways!
Hardly had they recovered from the shock of discovering dozens of Cloud Qin Gold Statues when they noticed each other.
The fiercest battle immediately broke out!
Broken limbs and pieces of magical equipment covered the ground. The traces after serious explosions were clear, too. They were all indicative enough of the intensity of the battle!
Even the super experts on the two sides, such as Qi Zhongdao and Han Baling, were not unharmed following the previous confrontation.
Qi Zhongdao's left shoulder had caved in. Weird black gas was slowly spreading out from his broken bones where his blood was also leaking out. The black gas condensed into a hideous images of snakes, bugs, rats, and other pests in midair. He had obviously been invaded by some sort of extremely eccentric fire that was corrupting his body.
Of his eighteen pearls the size of fists, Master Bitter Cicada had only thirteen left. The other five had turned gray and looked like rocks that were riddled with holes. There was not the slightest sign of spiritual waves anymore.
Ba Xiaoyu the Beggar's face had become so green that fluids threatened to drip off at any moment. It was cramping beyond his control every now and then. The greenness was also marching toward the depths of his eyes. It appeared to be an extremely weird, lethal poison!
The Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators of the six major sects were all wounded, too. Some suffered colorful poisons, some were struggling with fiendish fires or mists, and some were riddled with holes that were deep to the bones. They could not have looked more devastated.
As for the three rapscallions, they were no better.
Han Baling's chest had deeply collapsed, as if he had been hit hard by a meteor that was rushing close. All his ribs had broken.
There was also a long, narrow wound caused by a sword on his waist. Although the bleeding had stopped, half of his bear-hide robe was already soaked in blood. It was not hard to imagine how heavily he had been wounded back then.
Wan Mingzhu was even more heavily wounded. 'Shattered' was not nearly sufficient to describe her appearance. Her head had completely fallen down, her skull blown to smithereens. Her right arm was missing. There was also a deep hole the size of a bowl on her abdomen through which one could see what was on her back from her front.
She was a spectral Cultivator, and the body was nothing but a shell for her. So, the seemingly heavy wounds were not critical.
However, the gloomy brilliance shooting out of her dry eyes was much more lackluster than before. It was shaking like a candle in a storm, as if she could not support the broken body any longer.
Qi Changsheng boasted an indestructible body blessed by the fire fiend. Theoretically speaking, he should not have been scared of any physical attacks.
However, he was coughing hard nonstop, and he seemed to be vomiting his internal organs out as pus after every cough. White steam was spreading out from his every pore, and his entire body seemed to be melting!
The three rapscallions were already as miserable as that. Naturally, their trusted subordinates were even more severely maimed.
Many of them had broken their limbs, and their blood had almost run dry. They were merely standing on their feet because of their worship toward their leader and their greed for the Cloud Qin Gold Statues.
Li Yao and Long Yangjun looked at each other. They each immediately understood what the other was thinking.
If the two of them did not reach a deal but had started a fight, what had happened to the people in the light beam would have happened to them, too!
The warriors on Qi Zhongdao's side and on Han Baling's side, having just endured a gruesome battle, were all hiding behind the maintenance platforms and the Cloud Qin Gold Statues for a brief rest.
They had all paid a great price in order to break free from the battle. Looking at their own wretched appearances in silence, none of them wanted to fight again.
"Master Righteous One!"
Squatting behind the round shield on the arm of a Cloud Qin Gold Statue, Han Baling shouted when he only showed the bloodstained bear head on his head. "Are you really obstinate enough to go against the Cloud Qin and seek your own death? What benefits can you get if we die with each other? In the end, it will be those from the six major sects behind you who take all the advantage!
"Hehe. I discovered just now that the few Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators from the Grand Mystery Sect, the Purple Pole Sword Sect, and Thunderstorm Valley were certainly not doing their best. They are definitely not as heavily wounded as they appear to be. It's just some bruises. They may look unsteady and lethargic right now, but I assure you that they will jump to their feet gleefully the moment that you die!"
Qi Zhongdao's face was gloomy. He did not respond, nor did he look at the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators of the major sects who looked rather ill at ease behind him.
"Master Righteous One, Fellow Cultivator Qi!"
Han Baling waved his blade and continued shouting. "The Cultivation sects are the cancer of the world. Nobody will benefit from those Cultivation sects if they continue their existence. You must understand it better than anybody else as the leader of the Great Qian Cultivators, right? Have you not suffered enough from the ungrateful, treacherous, and downright despicable Cultivators? Why are you still standing on their side and fighting against us?
