by <unknown>
Li Yao thought about asking the two little fellows if the old grandpas falling from the sky were sealed in silver coffins that spurted out buffer air currents or opened parachutes when they were close to the ground, and if the coffins were filled with sticky gel.
However, on second thought, if a lot of 'old grandpas' did exist in this place, he would certainly find out once he was outside. There was no need for him to ask the question in a hurry.
While he was pondering, the mental devil suddenly said, "I suddenly thought of something. The 'Grandpa Plan' in the Tinder Base was carried out under the guidance of Professor Mo Xuan, who had already been corrupted by the extraterrestrial devils back then."
"So what?"
"In case you have forgotten," the mental devil said, "'Extraterrestrial Devil Mo Xuan' is not a simple combination of Professor Mo Xuan and extraterrestrial devils but has a lot of memory pieces of the star child, an elite scout from the Imperium of True Human Beings.
"Therefore, is it possible that some sort of 'Grandpa Plan' existed in the Imperium of True Human Beings in the first place, and Extraterrestrial Devil Mo Xuan only duplicated it and made a second 'Grandpa Plan' in the Star Glory Federation with the prior knowledge?"
"Are you suggesting that the so-called 'old grandpas' were sent to the Martial Meritocrats Sector by the Immortal Cultivators on purpose? But why?" Li Yao asked.
"Didn't you already learn from Su Changfa and Di Feiwen that the Martial Meritocrats Sector today had turned into a laboratory of new techniques and magical equipment for the Imperium of True Human Beings?" the mental devil remarked. "Everything we have seen in the Martial Meritocrats Sector after sneaking in fits their claim.
"How can you find out the greatest power and potential of a new technique or a piece of new magical equipment? Of course, it is an option to force the slaves of the Martial Meritocrats Sector to train and fight one another. However, will the slaves train themselves crazily from the bottom of their hearts when it is against their own will?
"You can lead a cow to a river, but you cannot force it to drink water. If it were me, I wouldn't adopt such a simple and straightforward approach.
"I would find a way to create an extreme and secluded environment in the Martial Meritocrats Sector, forcing all the people there to have to compete with each other over the highly-insufficient resources.
"Strength. Strength is the only rule of the world. Everybody craves strength and will not hesitate to get strength whatever it takes.
"Then, I would ask some people to fall from the sky with the new techniques and new magical equipment to be tested, disseminating all the techniques and magical equipment. Instead of waiting for my coercion, the people there would practice the highly unstable techniques that have been just invented, driven by their survival instincts, or use the magical equipment that may have fatal shortcomings despite their amazing power."
"Therefore," Li Yao said, "the old planet of the Martial Meritocrats Sector, or the Land of Sins today, is an enormous test field for real-life weapons, and the 'old grandpas from the sky' are responsible for disseminating the techniques and magical equipment to be tested."
"Yes. Perhaps, those 'old grandpas' do not know the first thing about their fate. Didn't you hear what the brat named 'Han Te' said in the beginning? Most of the grandpas lost their memories, but they remembered all the techniques and secret arts clearly. They even knew the locations of some 'treasuries' and offered to teach the villagers the most incredible arts.
"This is highly unreasonable. If they lost all their memories, why could they still remember the techniques and secret arts? Even if they are aware of the techniques and secret arts based on their natural instincts, there is no reason they would teach other people all their skills and even reveal the most important treasuries, right?
"If there were only a few people who behaved like that, we might say that those 'old grandpas' were kind-hearted and generous. But if there are so many grandpas that every village has a couple, and they are all so selfless and friendly, it is simply too weird to be believed.
"I assume that the memories of the 'old grandpas' were mostly sealed or even cleared by the Immortal Cultivators before they were tossed into the atmosphere. They might also have been implanted with the knowledge of various unstable techniques and secret arts as well as the instructions to disseminate the knowledge!"
Li Yao pondered for a moment, with cold ripples spreading out of his soul.
Seeing that he was caught in a long silence, the two little fellows thought that he did not believe what they had said and was still hesitating.
They looked at each other. Liu Li nodded. Han Te cleared his throat and said, "If you don't trust us, let me tell you a great secret. In fact, my master—Liu Li's father and the leader of the Village of Peace—is also an old grandpa from the sky!"
"…What?"
Han Te grinned and blinked. He was about to talk when his body trembled, and his eyes narrowed into two lines. The rune arrays on his storm bolter glowed again, and the most dangerous spiritual energy was condensing around the barrel.
Liu Li exclaimed in shock. She picked up the flower that could purge the environment and quickly put her mask on.
Chiliu! Chiliu! Chiliu! Chiliu!
From the dark gaps in the ruins behind the three of them, an enormous lizard more than three meters tall, with a body as red as fire mixed with bright purple, circular stripes, crawled out and stared at them with its four dim, yellow eyes.
"It's a Thunder Salamander. Judging from the color of the electric stripes, it seems to be a female one in the middle of the spawning period. This is getting tricky."
Han Te was still on one knee and lowered half of his body down, glaring at the opponent like a young wolf that had just grown up. He said in a low voice, "Liu Li, the old grandpa has just woken up. Based on how feeble his remaining soul is, he must have little combat ability right now. You and the old grandpa will retreat slowly until you are a hundred meters away. Then, you will run to the exit as fast as you can. I will catch up with you very soon. As long as we reach outside, we will be safe. The Thunder Salamanders rarely leave the dark environment."
"My little friend…" Li Yao said.
"Hush. Old grandpa," Han Te interrupted, "I know that you must've been a very awesome expert in the past, or your remaining soul wouldn't have survived to this day. It is a pity that the body you chose for yourself at the critical moment was too weak and has corroded over hundreds of years. You are certainly no match for the Thunder Salamander. Let's get out of here first!"
"I know that," Li Yao said. "I only want to remind you that there is another one that seems even greater than this beast crouching on the ruins to your left."
"What!"
While the exclamations of the two young fellows were still echoing in the darkness, tremendous electric currents and fiery light like a volcano erupted from the ruins to the left of them.
In the middle of the chaotic lightning and fire, a ferocious shadow lunged at the three of them!
Chapter 1952: Terrible Red Flashes! |
"Run!"
Han Te's exclamation and his bullets roared out at the same out, only to be torn into shreds by the Thunder Salamander's sharp claws. Before he pulled the trigger again, the storm bolter was already chopped in half by the claw that was soaked in electric arcs and flames.
Right before the Thunder Salamander laid its claws on Liu Li, Han Te charged forward and stopped it. The two of them rolled into a cluster of lightning and fire.
The mask that covered his face was torn off again, revealing a face that was as angry as an animal. Countless veins were protruding from his burnt, scarred cheeks, like snakes that would dash out of his body at any moment.
The right half of his body was also covered by dancing electric arcs, which were even condensed into the form of blades and armor, helping him to resist the sharp claws and tusks of the Thunder Salamander.
The guy and the lizard were actually on
par in the fight.
But the other Thunder Salamander that showed up and distracted their attention launched an attack, too.
Its bloody mouth was opened to the maximum, and a red ball of light inside its throat got brighter and brighter, as if it were magma that had been highly compressed and condensed.
"Ahhh!" Holding her head, Liu Li began to scream.
At first, Li Yao thought that the girl was so scared that she was out of her mind, but then his soul sensed overwhelming quakes. A weird but powerful strength was released from the depths of the girl's brain. The very special magnetic field imposed strong 'interference' on the spiritual energy reactions that were quickly expanding inside the throat of the Thunder Salamander.
Boom!
The fireball exploded inside the Thunder Salamander's throat directly, causing it to writhe on the ground in pain. Its six claws cramped violently, and the weird tails with long bone spurs waved crazily, blowing off tremendous broken rocks.
The damage of such an extent was not enough to completely deprive the Thunder Salamander of its combat ability. The pain deep to the bones in fact completely triggered its aggressiveness. The deep purple stripes on the surface of its body emitted soul-stirring fluorescence, and blood mixed with saliva dripped from the tusks.
Liu Li seemed to have used up all her strength in that scream. She staggered two steps back and collapsed on the ground. Her breath became so feeble that she did not even have the strength to lift her arm.
"Liu Li, go now!"
Han Te's right arm activated a saber of electric arcs more than two meters long, which glowed glamorously in the darkness. After three shocking collisions, his chest was left with a deep wound by the Thunder Salamander, but he managed to chop off the strongest foreclaw of the beast, too.
Seeing that his junior sister had collapsed to the ground, the young man was so anxious that he kicked a twisted rebar into the collapsing rocks while he shouted, "Come on, you two pieces of cr*p. Come and get me. Your father is here!"
While kicking the rebar, he threw out tremendous electric arcs, continuing to draw the attention of the two ferocious beasts. He then slowly moved away from the exit, into the darkness.
The two Thunder Salamanders were indeed attracted by his roars and ignored Liu Li and Li Yao.
"That's right. Come here. Come to your father!"
Han Te's face that was filled with blood gradually disappeared into the darkness. Bulging his eyes that were as huge as bells, he hinted at Liu Li, Now is the time. Run!
Liu Li gripped her wrist hard and sobbed soundless. With the last bit of her strength, she managed to stand to her feet again.
Han Te smiled brilliantly. His two irregular dimples seemed to be saying, That's right, Liu Li, run. As your senior brother, I will certainly help you keep the two beasts occupied!
Right before the two Thunder Salamanders were about to be lured into the deeper part of the underground ruins that was even more rough and complicated, a calm, metallic voice suddenly echoed behind them. "My young friends…"
At such a critical moment, the voice was as loud as a rumbling thunder. The two Thunder Salamanders immediately turned around and looked at where Liu Li was.
Dumbfounded, Han Te stared at Li Yao, feeling like crying.
"Sorry to interrupt your self-sacrifice," Li Yao said, "but I only want to tell you that there are actually three Thunder Salamanders in total. The last one of them, which is also the biggest and strongest one and must be some sort of leader of the hunting team, has been hiding on our escape route. This is a very delicate trap. They have eradicated the prey's hope of survival since the very beginning."
Han Te's pupils constricted violently.
Liu Li widened her eyes in disbelief.
The third Thunder Salamander slowly surfaced in the darkness.
It was much greater in size than the previous two Thunder Salamanders and covered in a dark golden shell that looked like a reactive armor made of metal. The enormous sarcoma above its head was pulsing like a heart. After every 'beat', it would send out sparks that turned into blue flames on the ground.
Like a king of the Thunder Salamanders, it slithered to the two little fellows with the glamorous crown over its head unhurriedly, staring at the two of them from the high stance, as if being swallowed by it would be the greatest honor of their entire life.
"This… this is not a Thunder Salamander but its mutated, evolved species—the Thunder Juggernaut!" Han Te seemed to have been kicked right in the throat. His voice was completely twisted. "I might have been able to compete with the beast three years ago, but right now…"
"Senior Brother…" Liu Li called him in a low voice, hinting that Han Te need not say anything. The young man and the girl leaned against each other and abandoned their futile struggle. Illuminated by the deep blue light of the Thunder Salamanders, their faces were brimming with desperation.
"Is that so?" Li Yao twisted the tracks and moved with some difficulty on the uneven ruins while he observed the enormous slaughtering machine in front of him with great interest. "What an interesting little creature. Judging from its posture, it is not a natural species."
The Thunder Juggernaut was infuriated by the hideous appearance of Li Yao and his peaceful attitude. With the sound of boiling magma spurting out of its throat, the sarcoma above its head expanded incessantly and soon became larger than its head.
It seemed as if ten thousand lightning bolts had been hidden inside!
Li Yao slightly adjusted the crystal cameras of the 'Universal Janitor' and stared at the opponent without blinking, examining the flow and model of spiritual energy inside the mutated beast.
He discovered that he had new perceptions of strength, battle, and the judgement of the enemy's capability and his own after ascending into the Divinity Transformation Stage. He did not even need to observe with his naked eye. It would be much more accurate and efficient to directly sense the flow and expansion of spiritual energy.
The Thunder Juggernaut was about to launch the craziest attack.
However, it seemed to have sensed something. In an exclamation of shock, it turned around and ran away immediately without even looking at the two companions that were left behind. The sarcoma on its head withered instantly, too.
It had sensed the terror of the existence hiding inside the garbage.
But it was too late.
In the eyes of Han Te and Liu Li, they only saw three clusters of red light dash out of the body of the Universal Janitor all of a sudden and cover the three mutated beasts including the Thunder Juggernaut. Not only were the beasts all frozen, they even staggered and floated in midair.
The next second, the dark red clusters turned into thousands of red flashes that shone dazzlingly inside the bodies of the three mutated beasts. Then, the three of them were dissected neatly and completely into meat pieces no larger than the fingernail.
"Ew!"
Han Te and Liu Li were both dumbfounded, feeling that they were caught in a nightmare. Although they had seen a lot of bloody and brutal scenes during the years of struggle in the Land of Sins, the weird sight before their eyes was still far beyond what they could bear. Looking at each other, they trembled hard and threw up hard.
Li Yao had no time to care about the reactions of the two young fellows. While testing the brand-new ways to attack with his soul, he studied the structures of the three mutated beasts.
The red flashes that had dissected the mutated beasts accurately just now were created by manipulating countless tiny grains of dust and kneading them into long threads ten times thinner than the air before triggering a high-frequency vibration, leading to friction between the dust and the air at a temperature of thousands of degrees.
The threads of dust were close to the molecular level in the first place like the sharpest blades. Once they were heated to the limits, they were naturally invincible. Even the hardest armor and shell were not enough to stop them.
The only shortcoming was that t
he dust's mass was little to none, and it would perish 0.1 seconds after vibrating in the air at a high frequency.
But more waves of dust threads would immediately follow up, cutting all the targets like burning sabers.
At least right now, Li Yao was very satisfied with the effect of his new attack.
As for the structure of the three slightly abnormal mutated beasts, there were no secrets before his dissection. All the details were revealed.
His guess was correct. None of the three mutated beasts were natural. They had not even mutated purely because of radiation.
Li Yao discovered very sophisticated magical equipment units in their bones and throats that could strengthen their bodies, improve their speed and strength, and allow them to launch attacks similar to a volcanic eruption.
Somebody seemed to be running experiments to create a perfect half-flesh, half-mechanical war machine by combining the most ferocious mutated beasts and magical equipment.
Li Yao found three very precise chips from the depths of the brain of the three beasts. Judging from the rune arrays carved on them and the fundamental architecture, they should be some sort of chips to scan and store data, which could record the details of their battle.
Thankfully, the radiation in the area was very serious. Li Yao did not perceive the existence of the Spiritual Nexus. The three chips could not upload the battle data in real time.
Perhaps some instructions had been written into the chips to force the beasts that had been implanted with the chips to appear at an empty, uninterrupted spot every once in a while so that the Immortal Cultivators could show up to collect all the battle data during the last period.
Pa!
The three chips before Li Yao were crushed into pieces by nonexistent hands, turning into three flames of fury.
Chapter 1953: Fatal Shortcomings of the Unparalleled Arts |
On the black shell of the spiritual puppet that had been sealed in the gloomy world for hundreds of years, dark red fire was dancing. Together with the pieces of the Thunder Salamanders that were still floating in midair behind, they constituted a nightmarish picture.
