by <unknown>
The underground towns, on the other hand, did not have a name, only a number. But according to the sizes and digits of the numbers, one could still see the difference.
The one-digit underground towns, numbered from "0" to "9", had the most important underground fortresses and strongholds of the capital, with all kinds of magical equipment, supplies, and training facilities. The defense system here was even more flawless than the cities on the ground so that most of the Immortal Cultivators could evacuate to the towns and continue the resistance should the cities be conquered by powerful enemies.
The two-digit towns from the 10th district to the 99th district were generally the areas where the bankrupted Immortal Cultivators and the brainworkers among hominoids lived. There were also all kinds of large public facilities, such as hospitals, schools, and ventilation bases that delivered fresh air to the deeper parts nonstop.
Dongfang Renxin chose to set up his secret institute in a two-digit town because only two-digit towns could support such a massive hospital. For the fourth-tier areas from the 100th district to the 999th district, which were the places where the industrial workers among hominoids lived, they could not support large hospitals at all.
However, the three-digit areas where the industrial workers lived were not the most miserable and barren areas.
Below their feet, in the underground mines and rocks more than five thousand meters deep, there were four-digit and five-digit towns. Those towns, like forgotten corners, had been abandoned by the upper class of the Imperium completely. They did not even have the value to be exploited, and they were simply left to live and die on their own.
Li Yao had been quite interested in the four-digit and five-digit areas that were at least five thousand meters below the ground. He tried to gather materials about the places, but the only things he found were rumors. It was said that the lost people in the abysses had retrograded, their most fundamental intelligence gone. They were like the "wolf kids", who were abandoned in the jungle as infants and raised up by animals. They had the appearances of human beings but the souls of beasts. Those ignorant, uncivilized creatures were also the best evidence to prove that "true human beings" and "hominoids" were not the same species, and that "hominoids" were essentially a beast that looked very much like a human, nothing more.
The forsaken people deep below the ground were to the Immortal Cultivators what ants deep inside the mud next to their feet were to elephants. The latter completely ignored the former and were not even interested in wasting some strength to stomp on them.
It never occurred to Li Yao that Long Yangjun had set up her nest in a five-digit town. What were the residents here who had been "abandoned by the civilization" like? What was Long Yangjun's so-called "scheme"?
Li Yao's head began to hurt again. Frowning, he tried to crawl out of the medical pool and cleaned his body with Li Jialing's help. Putting on the mustard-seed combat suit and all the Cosmos Rings, ensuring that his crystal suit could be activated and put on at any moment, he was finally refreshed and asked, "What is this place? Where did Dongfang Mingyue go?"
"I don't know how I should describe it. I used to live on the ground and in starships all the time. It has never occurred to me that there are such places in a civilized world, or humans living in such a way."
Li Jialing hesitated for a long time but did not know what to say. He simply said, "Now that you are awake, Brother Yao, you can take your time and see for yourself. That… Sister Dongfang reminded me when she left that Brother Yao was free to go wherever you wanted to go. Everything that you are interested in is open to you too. It doesn't matter if you want to go to her either. All in all, everything is free.
"However, let's leave that aside for now. Brother Yao, are you sure you are really alright? Should we scan you with medical magical equipment? Sister Dongfang informed me of the whole battle. I did not know Brother Yao was so strong that you could even blow Blackstar the Great away. That was really… really—"
Glancing at the medical magical equipment nearby that was rusted and dusted, Li Yao shook his head. "There's no need for that. I should be fine. Even though my wounds are not healed yet, they won't help much… Why are you staring at my head?"
"Nothing, nothing."
The little lion shook his head hard and said in a hurry, "I'm just saying that Brother Yao can take your time to treat your wounds. Whenever you need to deduce or calculate anything with your brain, you can just ask me to help you instead. Do not savage your brain cells for the unimportant issues. However gifted and distinguished you are, you must pay attention to your health!"
Blinking, Li Yao stared at Li Jialing suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. I'm just saying that you should take care of yourself."
Choked for a long time, Li Jialing finally said, "If you don't take care of yourself, how can you fight Blackstar the Great next time?"
"Right, speaking of which, I wonder if Dongfang Mingyue has told you yet—"
Li Yao said in a hurry, "But after the battle ten days ago, we were already certain that your mother had been haunted since decades ago—no, since more than a hundred years ago when she explored the Supreme Emperor's mausoleum, except that it did not attack her until the recent decades. Therefore, it was not her own wish to kill you!"
Biting his lips, Li Jialing seemed both comforted and sad. He said in a low voice, "I know. If possible, I will certainly drive Blackstar the Great's remaining soul out of the queen's body!"
Li Yao shook his head. "Driving him out won't be enough, because you are very likely to be a carrier that he has carefully prepared for himself. Should he escape from the queen's body only to dash into yours later, the consequences will be even more severe.
"Thankfully, Blackstar the Great's remaining soul must've suffered grave wounds in the battle too, which will probably slow down his schemes for a while and give us some time of rest. We can figure out what he is up to exactly and come up with a solution!
"But first of all, let's sort out all the cards we have in our hands now. Since this place is Dongfang Mingyue's nest, is there any workshop with advanced facilities that can repair the Colossi?"
Li Jialing shook his head quickly. "No, there is only a small refining workshop here, which can repair crystal suits at best but can do nothing about Colossi."
"Fine."
Li Yao thought for a moment and realized that it did make sense. The super workshops where the Colossi could be maintained required enormous space, a steady supply of spiritual energy, and the technical support of a whole team. It was indeed not something that could be found in Long Yangjun's secret base.
"What do you have here, then?"
He asked helplessly.
Before Li Jialing replied, soft door knocks echoed outside.
It was a little girl in a gray cape who pushed the door and walked in. She had a face that had never seen any sunlight and was almost transparent. The veins that were vaguely blue were clear, and her pupils that were slightly red were immediately gathered into two red beans, suggesting that she was not used to the light. But there was no expression of discomfort on her face at all. She bowed at the two of them first and then left a giant tray before them, before she said, "Please help yourselves, honorable guests."
Li Jialing thanked her. The little girl did not say anything else but simply walked backward until she was out of the room.
Having lived tens of thousands of meters below the ground for years, never been to the ground and never touched the real sunlight, she already looked slightly different from the people on the ground and in the shallower underground towns.
Her tone was filled with a hollow and monotonous air, like the water drops on the stalactites deep below the ground dripping on the rocks that were as smooth as jade. It was both pleasant and weird.
Li Yao studied the identity of the girl and the habit of underground humans with great interest. From her politeness, it could easily be told that she was not a "human-
shaped beast" that the Immortal Cultivators slandered.
The big metal tray before him was supposed to be a smooth industrial product, but it must've been used for thousands of years because there were dents everywhere. However, the edge of the tray was polished so clearly that it could reflect the light.
On the metal tray, it was a large bowl of paste that was thicker than porridge and a roasted beast leg that smelled delicious. Roasting was certainly not a skill to be underestimated. In fact, the development level of a civilization could often be seen from the complexity of their culinary arts.
It was impossible for a primeval species who feasted on raw meat and blood to be adept at cooking. A civilization that was aware of dozens of cooking techniques and hundreds of condiments must be a highly-developed civilization.
Chapter 2342: Serenity Seraph |
"This porridge is a hybrid of gigantic rock worms and mosses. It is the main food in this area. Although it may not taste very good, it contains a lot of nutrition."
Li Jialing explained earnestly, "The roasted meat here is the back leg of a Red Lizard. The Red Lizards are the main vehicles in this place. They hop forward with their strong back legs. Therefore, their legs are the most muscular parts of their body and a delicious food when roasted with the magma that has just consolidated. People here might not even get the chance to have it once a year. Enjoy it while it is hot!"
"Is that so?"
Having slept for a long time, Li Yao indeed felt that he was starving. He fetched the porridge and the back leg of the Red Lizard and started to gobble them. The porridge indeed tasted rather bad, like half-frozen candles, and only had a slightly salty flavor. The roasted meat tasted much better. It was chewy and covered his mouth with scrumptious aromas, making him feel even more hungry.
Li Yao did not really care much about the flavor. He had eaten synthetic food that tasted even more awful than candles too many times. The only thing that concerned him was the refill of energy. While drinking the porridge, he observed, "Why are they made of common ingredients? This place is Dongfang Mingyue's nest after all. Does she not have any high-energy nutrition drugs? She can't be that petty, right?"
"Huh…"
Li Jialing said dutifully, "There was in the beginning. However, during the days you were unconscious, Brother Yao, you swallowed dozens of high-energy nutrition drugs more than what common trainers would've had every day. As it turned out, you exhausted all of Sister Mingyue's storages. She jumped up and down in fury. That's why… there's no more of them now."
Li Yao coughed and changed the topic in embarrassment. "Right. Do you know the girl who came to drop the food a moment ago? Why was her attitude so weird and cold as if somebody owes her thousands of dollars? Are we not welcomed in this place?"
"That is not exactly the case."
Li Jialing shook his head and said, "Sister Mingyue boasts a high prestige in this place. Many residents of the underground world are her believers, including those who have been serving us. We are both the honorable guests brought over by Sister Mingyue. They cannot welcome us enough. Why would they reject us?
"It's just that Sister Mingyue's believers are all the same. They must repress their feelings. Even if they are very delighted in their heart, they will not show much of it on the surface."
Li Yao stopped attacking the leg of the Red Lizard. Chewing the meat fiber among his teeth, he found that it did not sound right. "Believers? What believers?"
"Believers of Nepenthe."
Li Jialing said quickly, "Nepenthe is a religion that Sister Mingyue founded a few years back at the deepest part below the ground. It has been developing very fast in various areas below the ground. Not only are her believers everywhere in the abyssal towns numbered larger than 10,000, but even the four-digit and even three-digit towns that are closer to the sunlight have a lot of people who joined Nepenthe too.
"Right, those believers all call her…'Serenity Seraph'. Although she is not exactly the leader, she is the spiritual symbol of Nepenthe. People here believe in her."
"What the heck?"
Li Yao tossed the leg of the Red Lizard that only had the bone left now onto the tray and frowned. "Nepenthe? 'Serenity Seraph'? She really can't change her habit of propagating superstitions anywhere she goes!
"Come on, tell me about it. What are the philosophies of this 'Nepenthe'? How exactly did she attract followers?"
With an even more complicated expression, Li Jialing weighed his words for a long time before he finally said carefully, "The main idea of Nepenthe basically claims that the feelings and desires of human beings are the sources of all pains. If the reality cannot be changed, as long as the feelings and desires are suppressed and eradicated as much as possible, one will also be able to destroy all pains and enjoy a carefree new life."
Li Yao was astounded.
His eyes and his mouth gradually widened, as if he were going to swallow Li Jialing.
"What?"
Li Yao grabbed the leg bone and waved it as if it were a saber. "Eliminating feelings and emotions equal to eliminating pains? A 'carefree new life'? Is—Is it any different from the claim of the Covenant Alliance?"
Considering the "scheme" that Long Yangjun mentioned ten days ago, Li Yao immediately felt that his back was covered in a cold sweat. The porridge and roasted meat that he had a moment ago seemed to have turned into poisons.
"Sister Mingyue said that her claim was slightly different from the ideas of the Covenant Alliance."
Thinking for a moment, Li Jialing said, "If the Covenant Alliance wants to destroy 100% of mankind's feelings and emotions, turning human beings into detached puppets, she only wants to destroy 90% of the feelings and desires. No, not exactly 'destroy', but repressed.
"According to Sister Mingyue, if there were enough resources for everyone to release their feelings and desires freely, it would certainly be unnecessary to repress anything, and everybody could be the truest and freest version of themselves. But what if the resources are insufficient? In order to avoid unnecessary conflicts and pains, one should keep only 90%, 80%, 70%… and so on of their feelings and reduce the demand for unnecessary resources. It is just a helpless choice!"
Li Yao was stunned for a long time. "Isn't that still the Covenant Alliance's theory under disguise? There's no fundamental difference at all!"
Li Jialing nodded his head and bit his lips. "In fact, when she told that to me, that was how I refuted her with courage. But she simply replied with a smile that there was nothing she could do if I thought that way, and that I could regard her as a spy from the Covenant Alliance."
"A spy from the Covenant Alliance?"
Greatly shocked, Li Yao smashed his fists. "Great. The evil she-fiend has finally revealed her real face! But wait. By logic, should she be engaged in the superstitious activities below the ground stealthily and planning the shocking great operations, only to be exposed and sabotaged by me at the last moment? Why has she confessed everything dutifully before I even begin to investigate and infiltrate?
"What then? She said that she was a spy of the Covenant Alliance, and then what happened? Did she say anything else? Did you firmly resist her?"
"How could I resist her?"
Li Jialing replied pensively, "Her combat ability was obviously higher than mine. She did not need to take action but only stared at my neck with a smile, and I already felt that my neck and spine were going to be broken by her telepathically. Besides, this is her territory. You were not up yet, and she appeared all candid and unharmful. What could I have done?
"As to whether or not she is a spy of the Covenant Alliance and her purpose, she did not say anything but simply let me ask you. She said that you would tell me everything, including her real name. She is not the real Dongfang Mingyue, and the two of you have known each other for a long time as good friends, right?"
Li Yao: "Well…"
Li Jialing: "Right, she also said that you would start jibber-jabber after a 'well' every time. She a
sked me to not believe anything you would say after a 'well'."
Li Yao: "…"
Li Jialing: "In fact, I do not need her to remind me that Brother Yao has the habit of bragging and chattering on. But sometimes, seeing how happy you are when you are swanking, I feel that it will be too awkward if I point it out, so I simply echo with you in case the atmosphere gets too weird.
"After all, Li Lingfeng and Wuying Lan's years of refinements on me were certainly not for nothing. I am just young and inexperienced, but I'm certainly not an idiot."
Li Yao: "Enough. We are in the middle of an emergency. Let's save the crap and get back to the topic. That woman is indeed not really Dongfang Mingyue. Her name is 'Long Yangjun'. I can't tell you much about her identity and origins except that she is an extremely dangerous and dreadful woman."
Li Jialing asked, "Even more dreadful than Blackstar the Great?"
"They are dreadful in two different ways and cannot be compared in such a simple way."
Thinking for a moment, Li Yao said, "I can only say that I would rather be faced with the Flying Star Sector that is fully armed and backed by thousands of troops than confront Long Yangjun who is smiling with no weapons in her hands at all. But of course, if she is really on the Covenant Alliance's side trying to brainwash everyone into emotionless and desireless dummies, I will certainly fight her to the end however dreadful she is!"
Li Jialing was rather astonished. "So to speak, she is really from the Covenant Alliance? Then, how exactly did she sneak into the Imperium and even win the trust of the prime minister? And how did you become best friends with such a dangerous person, Brother Yao?"
Li Yao thought for a moment and realized that it was inaccurate to say that Long Yangjun was a "spy of the Covenant Alliance". That was almost an insult.
Long Yangjun was an elite warrior of the Nuwa civilization who was corrupted by the Pangu Clan. In terms of bloodlines, techniques, and ideas, the Pangu Clan and the Nuwa Clan were fifty-fifty in her.