by <unknown>
Unlikely. If he was the last trump card, why did he join such a daily battle that mattered little to the war as a whole? Why did he have no backup and seem to be entirely fighting on his own?
…
Because the hall of the Meeting of the Next Millennium in Heavenly Saints City was spacious enough to land large crystal warships and the conference rooms were advanced enough to accommodate tens of thousands of Cultivators simultaneously, it had been serving as the command center for the war against the Immortal Cultivators since the Edge Sharpeners' Meeting ended five years ago.
Inside the command center, the thousands of light beams were displaying the battle pictures captured three hours ago repetitively.
Most of the videos had been captured by the Exos, the Grand Illusionary Soldiers, and the crystal warships. Since the enemy had been too fast and the battlefield too complex, almost all the pictures were fuzzy and barely distinguishable.
Countless experts of crystal processors were trying everything they could to retrieve the key information from the fuzzy videos and compare it with the files in the database.
Xiao Xuance, as well as the leadership of the six sects of Heavenly Saints City, the Star Fighters' Alliance, and the Glorious Sunlight Group, had arrived in the place. They were all frowning, deep in thought.
A new expert in the Nascent Soul Stage had appeared. It was too important an issue to be handled by Xiao Xuance alone.
Besides, the Cultivators from various sects had seen the enemy in person on the battlefield. It was impossible for Xiao Xuance, who also had no reason, to cover the incident up now.
"When a worm is killed, its body might still be cramping. Since the army of the Grand Illusionary Soldiers was established, the war has been going very well, or too well, some might say.
"Right now, the Temple of Immortals has finally revealed their last strength. It appears that the final battle will not be as smooth as the previous ones!"
It was Si Koulie, leader of the Star Fighters' Alliance, who was speaking coldly while crossing his arms next to Xiao Xuance.
The Star Fighters' Alliance was made of twenty-eight important sects in the other space zones. It was safe to say that the organization was an alliance of the middle and small sects of the Flying Star Sector.
Five years ago, he had been selfless enough to withdraw from the competition and support Xiao Xuance. It was why the Grand Illusionary Soldier Project had been carried out without much trouble.
Because of his high prestige in the six sects of Heavenly Saints City and the various smaller sects in the other space zones, Si Koulie naturally became the second in command, only below Xiao Xuance.
With a gloomy face, Xiao Xuance stared at the ever-changing picture, the senile plaques on his face getting even darker. He did not say anything for a long time, but his eyebrows became continually more furrowed.
Soon, more than ten light beams were enlarged, and the image was enhanced. More and more details were revealed.
"The results are in!"
One of the Cultivators in charge of the crystal processors stood up and said, "We have analyzed the pictures taken by hundreds of crystal cameras and overlapped them dynamically. Then we optimized the details with data association. A clear static image has been generated. We are still working on the dynamic image.
"Please take a look everybody, this is the enemy's crystal suit."
A fuzzy figure was displayed on the light beams from different angles.
Although most parts of the figure were covered in red mist, six intimidating limbs were protruding out.
What Rong Jun mistook for the limbs of a spider turned out to be six magnificent dragons, whose six bloody mouths were biting glittering balls respectively.
All the Cultivators gasped.
"The Dragon King Battlesuit!"
Chapter 776: The Gone Starship |
Bai Xinghe's Dragon King Battlesuit was one of the most distinctive crystal suits of the Flying Star Sector. The dragon-like artificial limbs that could be dated back to the Star Ocean Imperium were unique and could not be found anywhere else.
A hundred super crystal processors were overloading, trying to run computations in order to compare the image with the files of the Dragon King Battlesuit that had been collected earlier.
Ten minutes, a conclusion was out. The artificial limbs were more than 95% similar to the components of the Dragon King Battlesuit!
In the meantime, the preliminary computations on the speed, strength, and combat ability had yielded results, too.
"Long Feihu is in the high level of the Core Formation Stage and has dominated the Heavenly Sword Arena for decades. His combat ability is very high, but he was crushed by the mysterious expert after one attack!
"Powerful defense rune arrays have been established on every star beacon. They should be enough to resist a full-strength shot from the main gun of a crystal warship or the fiercest attack from the peak of the Core Formation Stage. Yet, they were shattered by him within a breath!
"The combat ability the man demonstrated in the minute is definitely in the Nascent Soul Stage!"
Very soon, more and more videos, files, and data were manifested.
The picture from Long Feihu's crystal camera caught everyone's attention.
Long Feihu was very experienced. When he realized that he was no match for his enemy, he kept moving his head according to the trajectory of the enemy's movement. Therefore, his crystal camera captured a relatively stable video clip of 2.1 seconds.
Other than the visible light, the crystal cameras could also capture and analyze invisible light.
For some advanced crystal cameras, they had been installed with special rune arrays to record the various radiations released when spiritual energy was flowing.
By analyzing the radiations, one would be able to tell the route of the enemy's spiritual energy.
There was such a crystal camera on Long Feihu's crystal suit.
"The mode of the mysterious expert's spiritual energy is 75% similar to Bai Xinghe's 'Tyrannical Ocean Arts'. It is safe to say that they are the same Cultivation art.
"The 'Tyrannical Ocean Arts' is Bai Xinghe's personal skill. It is said that he inherited the knowledge from Yan Xinjian, the supreme space pirate five hundred years ago. Bai Xinghe never taught the technique to anybody. Even Bai Wulei, his first true disciple, never had the privilege to learn it!"
The weird conclusions cast the command center in a weird silence.
The Cultivators had collected a lot of intelligence about the great strife on Spider Den five years ago. They knew that Bai Xinghe had ended on bad terms with the Immortal Cultivators because of the competition of power and had been killed.
But now, Bai Xinghe, who had disappeared for five years, reappeared in front of everyone?
"I suggest—"
Noticing that Xiao Xuance did not say anything for a long time, Si Koulie spoke seriously. "Bai Xinghe or not, the man has a combat ability at least in the Nascent Soul Stage. He must not be let go of easily!
"We should establish a rapid-response squad targeting the mysterious expert to collect his data, search for his location, run pertinent rehearsals, and draft several plans to capture or kill him!
"The man must have certain plans on his mind now that he has suddenly shown up. We must prepare ourselves early in case we are caught off guard!"
Xiao Xuance frowned but quickly stabilized his facial expression. His eyes, which were wavering just now, suddenly became resolute again. He nodded and said, "Leader Si is right. A man in the Nascent Soul Stage whose identity and purpose are unknown is indeed troublesome. We should make plans and strategies in advance so that he does not become an unexpected factor in our final battle. As for the members of the rapid-response squad…"
Before Xiao Xuance opened his mouth, Si Koulie interrupted him, "The enemy is in the Nascent Soul Stage. Naturally, all the experts in the Nascent Soul Stage on our side must be involved. Other than them, all the elites in
other fields should be included, especially the experts adept at tracking and monitoring!"
Si Koulie's propose was reasonable. Xiao Xuance found no reason to object. Therefore, he agreed quickly. "Alright!"
…
Three hours later, in the headquarters of the Storm Prison Pirate Gang in Capital Nest on Spider Den, Fengyu Zhong was pacing back and forth with great anxiety. He coughed every now and then, making his hunched back even more hunched.
Ever since killing Bai Xinghe and becoming the de facto ruler of Spider Den five years ago, the new king of space pirates had never been more restless.
In front of Fengyu Zhong, the air above a light beam projector suddenly twisted. Blue smoke seemed to be popping up.
A moment later, the smoke condensed into an empty shadow.
Fengyu Zhong was refreshed. He stepped forward and bowed. "Lotus King!"
The Lotus King was emotionless, as if he were wearing a badly-made mast. He asked straightforwardly, "Was Bai Xinghe really killed by you five years ago?"
The appearance of the mysterious expert in the Nascent Soul Stage baffled the space pirates, too. Fengyu Zhong had watched the battle videos more than half a day ago many times. He knew that the Lotus King would ask the question and therefore answered quickly, "He should be dead. After we escaped from the underground fortress, we studied the videos together repetitively. Bai Xinghe was hit by me and the Black King at the same time. More than half of his heart was blown up, and his internal organs were mostly burnt into ashes. It is impossible that he survived."
The Lotus King said coldly, "But you never found the body."
"It could not be helped," Fengyu Zhong said. "The entire underground fortress was filled with water and blocked by rocks and mud. It was like fishing up a needle in an ocean.
"Besides, there were terrifying beasts below ground, which were likely to have already devoured Bai Xinghe's body. If so, we would not have found the body even if we turned the fortress upside down."
The Lotus King nodded and approved of the reply. He suddenly changed the topic and asked, "There's something that is quite odd. The mysterious expert halted for 2.7 seconds after destroying two star beacons, as if he was catching his breath.
"Too many things could happen in a battlefield quickly. The standstill of almost three seconds was enough for many experts to lock onto him. Why did he do that?"
Fengyu Zhong was dazed, not sure what the Lotus King meant.
The Lotus King continued. "Regarding the anomaly, I've come up with three possibilities. Now, I want to discuss with you and see if there's a fourth one.
"Firstly, the man was Bai Xinghe. He was heavily wounded by you and the Black King five years ago but not killed. He snuck underground and treated his wounds in his nest. Now, his wounds have recovered, and he's out for revenge."
Fengyu Zhong shook his head and said, "Unlikely. His heart exploded, his internal organs were burnt, his spine was shattered into smithereens, and even his 'Nascent Soul' was blown into pieces. Such fatal wounds cannot be recovered within five years."
His expression unchanged, the Lotus King continued. "Secondly, the man was not Bai Xinghe but Bai Xinghe's secret disciple, or somebody who accidentally inherited Bai Xinghe's knowledge."
Fengyu Zhong thought for a moment and replied, "It's a more plausible possibility, but there are many suspicious points. Bai Xinghe had a disciple in the Nascent Soul Stage whom he kept a secret for decades? Why didn't he summon his disciple in the great strife five years ago?
"As to the possibility that somebody found Bai Xinghe's legacy after he died and Cultivated to the Nascent Soul Stage in only five years… That's simply absurd!"
The Lotus King continued. "Then, there's only the last possibility. Under the collective attack of you and the Black King, Bai Xinghe was killed, but then he reincarnated in a different body!"
Fengyu Zhong's eyes beamed with interest. "Possession?"
He smashed the desk hard and exclaimed, "Right. Right. Everything makes sense now if it was possession. At that time, the Black King and I failed to exterminate him, and he fled with the last bit of his vitality. Then, he found an appropriate body and performed the secret arts of possession, reincarnating himself in the body of someone else!"
The Lotus King asked, "Is there a fourth possibility?"
Fengyu Zhong pondered for a moment and shook his head. "No. Absolutely not!"
"Alright!" The Lotus King quickly made the decision. "Then, with the three possibilities in mind, we will make a set of plans to deal with the man!
"But first, we must make one thing clear. Whether he is Bai Xinghe who hasn't recovered from his wounds, or he is Bai Xinghe's disciple, or he is Bai Xinghe's reincarnation in someone's body, the real problem is, how high is his Cultivation?"
Fengyu Zhong's brows furrowed as he said, "I see what you are getting at, Lotus King. If Bai Xinghe hasn't recovered from his wounds, it is unlikely that he is at his peak state even if he has been treating himself for five years.
"If he is Bai Xinghe's disciple, it is unlikely that he has advanced into the Nascent Soul Stage after only five years.
"The same goes for reincarnation. Since he has possessed the body for only five years, even if his soul is in the Nascent Soul Stage, his body won't be half as strong as it used to be.
"Therefore, the man is probably not really in the Nascent Soul Stage. He simply stimulated himself to the Nascent Soul Stage with a certain secret art!"
"Exactly," The Lotus King said. "It was why he was stiffened for 2.7 seconds after a fierce battle.
"He was exhausted and ran out of strength. Maybe it was because his soul has not adapted to his body yet. Maybe it was because of the recoil of his secret art!
"However, we have to verify our deductions with further investigation. Let's not jump to conclusions!
"All in all, the man is an unexpected factor. His threat to us is greater than anybody else's. We have to concentrate most of our attention on him. Find out his real capability first and draft an effective plan of annihilation. Also, lock onto him as soon as possible, whatever the cost. I need to know where he is hiding!"
"Lotus King!" Fengyu Zhong hesitated for a moment but still spoke the truth. "Half an hour ago, I received a message that a 'Swift Sparrow'-level crystal warship of the Purple Fire Pirate Gang is gone."
Lightning was flashing in the Lotus King's eyes as he demanded, "What do you mean by 'gone'?"
"The crystal warship had undergone tremendous modifications and joined the battlefield as a medical starship. Its mission was to aid the recovery of the exhausted Immortal Cultivators," Fengyu Zhong explained. "If somebody important was heavily wounded, they could board on the starship and return to Spider Den quickly.
"Therefore, the starship had a high speed.
"Also, in case it was harassed by the Cultivators, the space jump system of the starship remained on all the time. As soon as it was surrounded by the enemy, it could jump out quickly!
"The medical starship has been gone for two and a half hours. At first, we thought that it had been blown up by the Cultivators. But after we scoured the battlefield, we found no debris from it. Judging from the video captured by the crystal warships nearby, the missing starship was not bombarded heavily. It is unlikely that the starship was completely wiped out.
"It just vanished mysteriously, as if it escaped from the Spider Den Space Zone through space jumps without a good reason."
Chapter 777: Our Cause Will Succeed! |
Ever since the Grand Illusionary Soldiers were promoted on a large scale and the Immortal Cultivators experienced continuous failures, the Cultivators had locked almost all the space zones. A lot of secret sailing routes and nests had been discovered.
Therefore, unless it was absolutely necessary, the space pirates would not jump out of the Spider Den Space Zone, because other space zones were even more dangerous. It was easy to jump out, but to return to Spider Den would be quite difficult.
"What's you
r opinion about the whole event?" the Lotus King asked. "What's the purpose of the man who seems to be Bai Xinghe?"
"My speculation is that he was trying to hijack a crystal warship in the chaos and escape from the Spider Den Space Zone," Fengyu Zhong said. "He destroyed two star beacons and tore a giant hole in the defense line of the Cultivators. Our morale was boosted, too.
"At that time, many people did not know who he was and thought that he was an expert from the Temple of Immortals. Therefore, they all charged forward in order to cover him.
"I think that he entered the medical starship openly with the excuse that he was in dire need of treatment because of the heavy wounds he suffered when he destroyed the star beacons.
"After he boarded the medical starship, he invaded the bridge, captured the captain and the sailors, and initiated a space jump.
"If he was really Bai Xinghe's reincarnation and had a capability close to the Nascent Soul Stage, it would not have been hard for him to control a medical starship."
The Lotus King gave no comment and simply said, "I need the files of the medical starship, including its number, features, personnel, and all the information about its mainframe crystal processor!"
"Understood. I'll send over every detail of the medical starship within half a day!"
Fengyu Zhong hesitated for a moment. A drop of cold sweat appeared on the tip of his nose, but he summoned his courage and said, "Lotus King, we've been grasped by desperation. Today, we suffered heavy losses and are running out of food and ammunition. Right now, the morale on Spider Den has hit rock bottom. Many people are fighting like caged beasts, and many more are simply waiting to be killed!
"With everything coming this far, do we really need to care about a mysterious expert? Even if he is really Bai Xinghe, can the situation get any worse?"
The Lotus King's eyes suddenly turned sharp; two lotuses seemed to be blossoming in them. He said, "Captain Fengyu, firm your belief. Do not lose your hope in our victory. Moreover, do not fall in the last darkness before the dawn!"