by <unknown>
"Now, the things that I promised you are becoming reality one by one. Everything is under our control. What's there to be worried about?"
"Of course, I trust you," Ye Changkong said. "However, according to the weather report, a nearby underground volcano seems like it will erupt soon, which will likely to raise a large tsunami. Also, a superstorm is taking place not far away and is estimated to arrive at the place in one day. Should the shell break and the seawater pour in, it would be a catastrophe for us."
"I have asked them to be prepared in advance," Lu Zui said. "The shell has been strengthened multiple times. It is enough to resist the biggest tsunami and storm now. Everything will be alright."
Chapter 1105: Confrontation of Beliefs! |
After some casual talk, the two of them said 'slay the evil, and save the federation' to each other before Lu Zui returned to his shuttle and headed for the capital city.
Watching him leave, Li Yao gritted his teeth and decided not to follow him.
Judging from their conversation, there seemed to be an important base in a certain ocean, and a certain medicine produced in the base was everything for their plan!
Also, it sounded that they were very confident about the war and certain that it would not harm the federation's interests.
Then again, it was back to the question that baffled Li Yao, which was the motive of the Patriots Partnership.
Maybe, Lu Zui and Ye Changkong did hate the demons' guts and in no way would like the two Sectors to collaborate.
However, Li Yao believed that, with the vision and deduction ability of the Nascent Soul Stage, now that they knew the inside information of the Blood Demon Sector and that the Demon God Virus was savaging, it would not be difficult for them to infer that a great war would only ruin the Blood Demon Sector and kill the vast majority of the demons.
The Blood Demon Sector had a harsh environment in the first place, which was too unfavorable for normal human beings to develop.
If all the demons were killed, nobody would be able to be sent to the resource planets, too. Then, what could the federation possibly gain from the war?
No benefits, and a lot of resources would be wasted. Then, the federation after victory would not be stronger but weaker. How could it expect to resist the Imperium of True Human Beings?
Even if Lu Zui and Ye Changkong had been completely swallowed by their hatred and turned into Abysses in a different sense, there was no way that they would seek their revenge with the destruction of the federation as the price.
It meant that there must be something critical that made them believe that the war was not purely one of revenge but one of great benefit to the federation.
Therefore, even a hero such as Ye Changkong went against his creed as a Cultivator, his responsibility as a soldier, and his conscience as a human being, and attacked thousands of innocent compatriots!
The 'medicine' might be the 'something critical'.
Therefore, Li Yao weighed his options for a moment and abandoned investigating Lu Zui.
It was useless to go to Lu Zui now. His combat ability was not high, but he was too cunning to leak any evidence to Li Yao. Killing him would be not helpful, either. It would only pour more furious fuel to the war machine!
Locating the base in the ocean and finding out the truth about the 'medicine' was the only solution to the scheme!
At this moment, Li Yao finally confirmed that the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators such as Lu Zui and Ye Changkong really had a certain firm belief. They had no doubt that they were rescuing the federation and creating a future that was more brilliant!
The airship slowly landed on the hospital affiliated to the Secret Sword Bureau.
Up to now, the chaos yesterday had left more than fifty thousand casualties. All the hospitals in the capital city were packed. The hospital under the Secret Sword Bureau's name was opened to public, too.
Countless ordinary people were gathered in the place. In the mess, Li Yao snuck out easily.
Huh. This is weird.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but he sensed that the Secret Sword Agents nearby were much fewer now. He did not feel much pressure even though the hospital was the Secret Sword Bureau's property.
What is Guo Chunfeng doing right now? Where has he moved those people to? To chase after me in the underground district? Li Yao scratched his head. This feels off. Is this the best Guo Chunfeng can do? It doesn't seem to fit with his performance a few days ago. Has he lost his mind in anger because he can't catch me after such a long time?
Li Yao was a human being after all, and his computational ability was finite. Now that Lu Zui had become his primary target, he could only leave Guo Chunfeng alone for the moment.
After all, Guo Chunfeng's idiotic decision would only make his operations easier.
He found a cable again and reached out to Professor Mo Xuan in the same way.
"Professor, I need you to look for a set of coordinates in the ocean.
"I am not clear where it is exactly, but it should be a certain base on or at the bottom of an ocean, or a man-made island. Also, in one day, an underground volcano will erupt. A superstorm will drop by, too!
"Check if there is any location that meets the conditions!"
After swallowing the 'star child', Professor Mo Xuan's computational ability had soared. He was now essentially a walking crystal processor. Soon, he gave the answer.
"In the ocean near 111 degrees east longitude and thirty-four degrees north latitude, an underground volcano is now in the active period and estimated to erupt in the next few days. Also, a superstorm named 'Cuckoo' is taking shape nearby and will likely pass the place.
"The area is a thousand kilometers away from the east coastline of the federation. There are no islands nearby, but there is an enclosed undersea mining base!"
According to Professor Mo Xuan, a hundred years ago, at the bottom of the ocean, a manganese titanium mother lode had been discovered. Then, a mining company under the Green Thunder Sect had won the exploitation rights after bidding.
The Green Thunder Sect had established an enormous undersea mining base that had functioned for seventy years. Thirty years ago, the mother lodes had gradually run dry. The cost would have been too high if the mines had been dug any deeper. Therefore, the mining base had been temporarily sealed and would be developed again when the cost was lower because of the advancement of technology.
Since it was only temporarily sealed, all the facilities were still intact and could be put back into use at any time.
Next, Professor Mo Xuan threw out a piece of critical information.
The ownership and the development right of the undersea mining base were all the Green Thunder Sect's.
The current leader of the Green Thunder Sect, whose name was Xie Dongting, was 142 years old and an admin-type Cultivator at the peak of the Core Formation Stage.
He was a war orphan adopted by Lu Zui and his wife a hundred and thirty years ago. He was one of Lu Zui's oldest, most powerful foster sons!
This is the place!
Li Yao was certain that he was onto something real now.
After settling the cooperation plans with Professor Mo Xuan, Li Yao acquired a clean crystal processor and searched for the information about the undersea mining base on the Spiritual Nexus.
Then, he went back to the street and headed toward the airport of the capital city.
Five hundred years of war bred the shocking tenacity of the federal citizens and their unbendable spirits. Despite the chaos yesterday, the street today was still packed, even more lively than the day before.
The proud citizens were declaring their scorn and contempt to all the enemies in such a way!
Among the skyscrapers, all the light beams were displaying the news that the expedition motion had been passed.
Some of the light beams were displaying troops marching forward unstoppably in roaring sandstorm.
The federal army had two drills in the capital city a
nd on the Grand Desolate Plateau at the same time with the code name 'Furious Fist'!
Hundreds of sects had declared through the media that they would dedicate all their resources to the war. All Cultivators would be under the command the federal army and shatter the Blood Demon Sector!
The storm of war had enveloped the entire capital city. On his way down the street, Li Yao could see nothing except excited citizens and angry soldiers below the Rising Dragon of the Nine Stars flags.
Also, there were a lot of young men wearing school uniforms who were giving speeches. Some of them even concluded ten bloody crimes of the demon race according to the five hundred years of history of the federation.
Noises suddenly echoed in the crowd of students in the front. There seemed to be an argument.
Li Yao vaguely heard something. He moved over and check.
He saw that a female student, wearing a white long skirt, trying to reaffirm her point despite the rebuttals. "I only want everybody to calm down and give it a second thought. According to the news that Li Yao brought back from the Flying Star Sector. In another few years, a 'minor apocalypse' will arrive!
"How can we resist the minor apocalypse if a total war breaks out right now?"
"You don't know what you are talking about!"
In front of the girl were a few brawny guys. The most ferocious-looking one of them shouted, "It is exactly because the minor apocalypse is coming that we must march into the Blood Demon Sector as soon as possible and finish the monsters once and for all!
"Only by doing so can we be focused on the minor apocalypse!
"Otherwise, what if the monsters stab us in the back when we are resisting the minor apocalypse?"
His words raised a round of cheers. A lot of them were echoing, "Once and for all! Once and for all!"
The girl was overwhelmed and stammered, "You are too reckless. Can we please calm down and work something out together?"
"Reckless?" The guy's face immediately turned red in fury.
Right at the moment, somebody in the crowd shouted, "I know her. Her father is Professor Xue of East Sea University, a famous pacifist!"
In the federation today, 'pacifist' was definitely not a word of approval.
His friends around him eyed the girl in contempt and said coldly, "Ah Zheng's father passed away in the disaster three months ago. Do you know how it feels?
"The pacifists like you have never tasted the feeling of pain. You are yelling 'peace', 'caution', and 'calm' every day. It's easy for you to say because it was not your family who were killed!"
The girl had already closed her eyes resolutely and braced herself for a beating.
Such an outcome was beyond her expectation. She was dumbfounded with confusion all over her face, not knowing how she should face the guy who was crying in front of her.
Li Yao frowned and squeezed out of the crowd.
So, was this the source of the belief for the 'patriots' such as Lu Zui and Ye Changkong?
Were they really capable of leading the federation to the path of rise for a bright future through a war of revenge?
Li Yao did not know the answer.
He only believed that the real Star Glory Federation, a country that represented the fire of humanity, would never rise in lies, nor was it possible to grow up with the blood of countless innocent victims as the fertilizer!
If the father who died in the beast tide knew this in the heaven, he would not want his son to be involved in a war that was founded on lies or even to be killed by the lies, would he?
Li Yao was not willing, nor was he qualified, to disapprove of the guy's hatred, but the simplest hatred of the countless innocent people like the guy had been taken advantage of by Lu Zui and his lot!
Coming to such a realization, Li Yao loathed Lu Zui even more.
He finally understood that his belief and Lu Zui's were the completely opposite of each other. There was no room for reconciliation at all.
The two beliefs had to crash into each other brutally, until one of them was blown into smithereens!
Chapter 1106: Nine-Headed Ocean Monster! |
One day later, a thousand and three hundred kilometers away from the eastern coastline of the Star Glory Federation…
Although the majority of the federation was based on the continent, its terrain included a lot of pearl-like islands on the vast ocean east of the continent, too.
The essence of the resources in the ocean was condensed around the islands. Also, there were the precious relics left by the Far East Demon Kingdom. Therefore, the part of the terrain was quite important to the federation.
Towns had been established on many islands. There was even a city with a population of more than 1.5 million on the largest islands.
Therefore, countless airships were coming to and from the islands, carrying enormous assets and resources.
At this moment, a crystal airship leaving from the capital city was cruising in the sky like a tortoise that had grown wings.
The horizon was already occupied by the dark clouds. Thunder was roaring, and lightning was flashing. Superstorm Cuckoo was raging on the ocean and raising surging tides.
Deep inside the ocean, the undercurrents were running in a mess, too. One of the undersea volcanoes had become active and was blowing out the most scorching and violent force at the center of the planet crazily. The volcanic eruption together with the tectonic movements led to a destructive tsunami!
To avoid the natural disasters, the crystal airship lowered its altitude and accelerated, trying to reach the destination before the arrival of the superstorm and the tsunami.
Right then, below the crystal airship, in the gap between the undercarriage, something fell down into the ocean.
The surging spiritual energy caused by the natural disasters was scouring the area earlier than the superstorm and the tsunami did. The surveillance magical equipment on the crystal airship was all jammed and did not notice the anomaly.
Huala!
The object did not cause a splash when it hit the surging ocean. It was swallowed by the seawater and sank straight to the bottom.
Li Yao successfully dived into the depths of the ocean.
Shua!
It was not until he reached the bottom of the ocean that he retrieved the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit, activated the crystal processor, and scanned the undersea terrain.
Bo! Bo! Bo!
On the light beam, the map of the undersea terrain was getting clear. The glimmering debris of a mother lode appeared on one corner of the light beam.
Li Yao retrieved dozens of balls from the Cosmos Ring and released them. Then, the balls filled with gas slowly floated to the surface of the ocean.
They were the meteorological balls that could capture the weather data and analyze the intensity of the superstorm and the tsunami.
After releasing almost ten balls, Li Yao activated the undersea thruster unit that he had installed earlier. Then, he swam amid the undercurrents like a huge fish.
Very soon, he found the debris of an enormous mother lode.
According to the files that Professor Mo Xuan had offered to him, it was the debris of the manganese titanium mother lode that had been discovered a hundred years earlier.
The mother lode, which had been drained, was several hundred kilometers long. Like a dragon that was empty, it was lying on the folds at the bottom of the ocean quietly.
Li Yao snuck into the mother lode and traced it back to its source. Swimming and releasing the meteorological balls, he found the undersea mining base at the end of the mother lode an hour later.
The mining base was designed in a radiative fashion and looked like an enormous crab that had spread out all its limbs. It was a big undersea city.
There was also a tube refined out of super tensile metals leading to the surface of the ocean, where a vast floating platform was established.
Li Yao sensed very intense spiritual waves. Many crystal warships designed for undersea uses and elite
Exos with impressive spiritual waves were patrolling nearby.
The large air circulation rune arrays, which could absorb oxygen from the seawater and refill the fresh air in the base, were also sending out intense spiritual waves. They were hissing on Li Yao's crystal processor, indicating that they had been activated to the maximum.
After observing for a while, Li Yao noticed that at least a hundred Exos and almost ten crystal warships were building up bulwarks around the undersea mining base.
Although the tsunami and the superstorm mattered little to the bottom of the ocean, they were still implementing the safety measures dutifully. It was not hard to tell that the base was very important to them, and no accidents were allowed to happen.
This meant that Li Yao had come to the right place.
The undersea mining base that belonged to the Green Thunder Sect had been sealed for decades, during which time the mining technology of the federation did not make any major breakthrough. From the business point of view, the place was still worthless to be developed.
What was it that made the undersea mining base run again and need to be so well protected?
Lurking in a deep trench, Li Yao released an extremely feeble mystic ray and scanned all the details of the undersea mining base coldly, including the weakest defensive regions.
Half an hour later, he collected all the data he needed and left for a location three hundred kilometers away that he had calculated earlier.
The Broken Vein Trench, more than 55,700 meters deep, the third deepest trench that the federation has discovered on this planet so far!
Floating above the Broken Vein Trench, Li Yao observed the glamorous view below him.
The Broken Vein Trench was like a dark abyss. Even the seawater nearby would be falling down incessantly when it reached the place, leading to the splendid scenery of 'undersea waterfall'.
Even Li Yao was awed by the magnificence for a moment and had a shuddering feeling that he was going to be absorbed by the trench into the core of the planet.
There was no telling how many secrets were concealed in the deep ocean or how many blood-freezing beasts were lurking in it!