Forty millenniums of cul.., p.650
Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 650
However, anybody would be stuffed if they ate ten loaves of breads in one minute!
'If a Nascent Soul Stage can kill a demon general easily in one second, he will easily take down sixty demon generals in one minute' was equally hilarious as 'Jack can eat one loaf of bread in a minute, so he can eat sixty loaves of bread in an hour'!
In a modern war, the role of the super experts was irreplaceable, but it did not mean that super experts were invincible and could do whatever they pleased. In a suitable environment, with appropriate arrangements, tremendous ordinary soldiers would have a chance to exhaust a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator or a demon emperor, too. Or rather, like bread, they 'stuffed' the enemies with their own lives!
"Alright. Let's talk about the possibility of disguise and infiltration," Li Yao said helplessly. "Is there any way for us to pretend to be the workers of the Pantheon of Demons?
"Other than the demon kings and demon emperors, there are certainly workers in the Pantheon of Demons, right? For example, demon emperors need to eat and poop, too, which means that they need cooks and cleaners, right? These workers cannot live on the floating mountains, can they?
"Furthermore, to maintain the normal functions of the floating mountains, the assets consumed every day must be astronomical. The garbage must be enormous, too. Therefore, many carriers are bound to deliver assets and carry garbage away on a daily basis, too. Can we work on that?"
"It is very difficult," Jin Xinyue replied. "Of course, there are a lot of workers such as cooks and cleaners in the headquarters of the Pantheon of Demons and the command center of the coalition army. Most of them live in the messy, crowded lower city. Every morning, special commuting beasts will bring them to the floating mountains at the periphery where they will be strictly examined before being sent to the central floating mountains together.
"The examinations on them are extremely rigorous. Not only will their blood, hair, fingerprints, irises, and voiceprint be tested, even their excrement will sometimes be tested, too. The headquarters of the Pantheon of Demons has domesticated countless demon beasts with sharp noses, including dung beetles whose genes have been specially modified. If so much as the scent of their excrement is any different from the day before, they will immediately be caught!
"Besides, although there are many workers, few can really meet the highest leaders such as my father. The examinations on such workers are ten times more stringent than those on the regular workers. They are essentially being scanned by demonic rays from inside to outside every day!
"It is impossible to sneak in by pretending to be one of them!"
Li Yao ground his teeth hard. "What about ventilation tubes? There's a complicated ventilation system in every floating mountain, right?"
Li Yao had a thing for ventilation tubes.
Jin Xinyue shook her head and said, "The ventilation tubes are the highlights of the defense system. More than ten different defense measures have been adopted in the ventilation tubes in the headquarters of the Pantheon of Demons. For example, high-voltage electric arcs in the ventilate tubes and pumping the air with high-speed fans. The iron gauze behind the fans has small holes, too, and can perceive anything that passes through, including a fly. Besides, the Flying Spirit Eyes and the demon beasts that are highly sensitive to heat and smell are distributed around the key nodes of the ventilate tubes.
"Let's put it this way. If an intruder is unafraid of high-voltage electric shot, does not emit heat or smell, has a size smaller than a fly, and boasts a stealth ability all the way, there is a one in ten thousand likelihood that they can get in.
"However, the structural design of the ventilation tubes is top secret. There are too many branches, some of which are real, and some are false, like a maze. Even I don't know the correct design. If an intruder moves into a wrong branch in carelessness, they will find themself in the most terrifying traps!"
"If that's the case, the headquarters of the Pantheon of Demons is indeed impregnable," Li Yao said. "I have no choice except to perform my ultimate skill now!"
"What! You have a solution despite such difficulties, Master? That's indeed marvelous of you!"
"How about we write a letter to your father?"
"…"
"Or in some other way. He must have a public communication channel, right? In the Heaven's Origin Sector, we have things like 'Speaker Hotline' or 'Speaker Mailbox'. We can even initiate online petitions. As long as the number of voters surpasses a certain threshold, the motion will be delivered to the Speaker of Parliament directly!"
"Of course, there is a communication system based on a super large biochemical neural network in the Blood Demon Sector, and many ways to contact my father. But as the commander-in-chief of the coalition army, he must be very busy now. All the messages that are sent to him will be handled through the command center. How should we introduce ourselves? We can't tell them that you are an unparalleled expert from the Heaven's Origin Sector and that you would like to speak to the commander-in-chief of the coalition army, can we?
"Besides, we are still unclear on how many of my father's trusted subordinates have been compromised by Elder Nether Spring.
"Given the horror of Elder Nether Spring's Spore Stratagem, it is impossible for him to have not made preparations to deal with my father!
"Think about it. When I met you for the first time, Master, the hunters after me included my big brother, Jin Wuxu, who is my father's most trusted eldest son, and the Mirage Falcons, the best troop of the Feather Clan!
"If even my big brother Jin Wuxu has joined Elder Nether Spring, there will be no way that we can contact my father through regular channels!"
Li Yao frowned. "Speaking of which, I do have another question. Is it possible that your father has joined Elder Nether Spring's cause, too?"
Jin Xinyue shook her head quickly. "Absolutely impossible. My father… How should I put it? He is a guy who values the interests of the demon race the most. There is no way that he would conspire with Elder Nether Spring. However, I don't know whether or not they have been taking advantage of each other."
Li Yao thought for a moment and said, "What if we make it big?
"For example, I can produce a batch of special crystal bombs, which will display enormous characters in the sky like colorful fireworks after they are detonated. With the precise explosions of hundreds of bombs, we will be able to send out a message of a few sentences!
"If we detonate the bombs in the lower city, you father will definitely see the message in the air clearly, right?"
Li Yao had played the move on Iron Plateau once before, and its result was rather satisfactory.
Jin Xinyue thought for a moment and nodded. "It's a last resort if we don't have any other choices, but the information contained in a few sentences is too limited. It's impossible to describe the whole thing clearly!
"Besides, we are now faced with a problem that is barely solvable. Elder Nether Spring has basically blocked every option. We only have some solid evidence if we show up in front of my father in person!"
Jin Xinyue pointed at herself and then Li Yao. "I've turned from a demon into a human being, and Master can trigger such intense 'demonic energy' as a Cultivator. That is enough to prove theory that human beings and demons are of the same origin.
"Although there is still a long way to go from proving the same-origin theory to proving the existence of the Spore Stratagem, we will at least plant a seed of suspicion in my father's heart! My father will be too prudent to neglect it!
"If it is just a few pieces of information in the sky, Elder Nether Spring can easily ask his accomplices to explain or rectify them.
"More importantly, we don't have much time. The Red Tide Plan might break out at any moment. Once the main force of the coalition army of demons is teleported to the east of the Star Glory Federation through wormholes, everything will be too late!"
Li Yao realized that it did make sense. It would be child's play if he could stop a military decision that would determine the future of a Sector by only a few words in the sky.
"What about habits and hobbies? Will your father leave the headquarters of the Pantheon of Demons to train in the outside world?"
Jin Xinyue shook her head. "The headquarters of the Pantheon of Demons have the best training facilities. This is the critical moment before a great war. I don't see any reason for my father to go out without a good reason.
"As for hobbies… He is like a cold machine. Power is his only hobby. Anyway, in my every memory of him, he is working, working, and working!"
They were at an impasse. Li Yao scratched his head and pursued further, "He does not have any hobby at all? Clothes, food, or anything that can be helpful!"
Jin Xinyue hesitated for a moment. "Well. If we are talking about hobbies…"
Chapter 983: Point of Breakthrough |
"My father is not interested in the addictive cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. He does not have any passion for girls or gambling, either. He is not even a maniac in training. He does not have any long-lasting habit, except that he likes to eat a 'Star Spot Red Fire Oyster' as a snack after work every day."
Li Yao raised his eyebrow. "What is a Star Spot Red Fire Oyster? Is it very precious?"
"Not very precious," Jin Xinyue said. "The Star Spot Red Fire Oyster is a sea animal that grows in the 'Red Fire Bay', a bay on the coastline of the Gold Crow Kingdom. It is both fresh and succulent. Just cut it open with a knife and dip it in the local seawater, and the food will be ready.
"It is said that a half-active volcano is at the bottom of the Red Fire Bay. The special minerals spurted out by the undersea volcano add different constituents to the water there, which is the cause of such a delicious food.
"Personally, I've never been a fan of it.
"The Star Spot Red Fire Oyster is a popular dish among the nobles of the Gold Crow Kingdom, not only because its flavor, but also because of the fun you have when you eat it.
"First of all, the shell of the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster has stripes that looks like fire and shooting stars. The stripes of every Star Spot Red Fire Oyster are entirely different. Everybody can enjoy and appreciate the stripes before they eat the food. The shells can be used to make decorations. It is quite an elegant lifestyle.
"Secondly, the two pieces of the shell of the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster bite each other very hard. One can only open them by the special knife with special techniques and patience. If one is really skilled, there will be a pleasant sound when the oyster is opened. However, if one opens it with brute force, they will not have the privilege of hearing the sound.
"Most importantly, there are occasionally crystals that look like pearls in the meat of the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster. We call them the 'Red Balls'. The Red Balls are not anything precious, but they are extremely brilliant and beautiful. On their face, there are ever-changing patterns. If you aim the balls at the source of light, you will see a different pattern in every different angle. It could not be more spectacular.
"According to the traditions of the Gold Crow Kingdom, it is a very auspicious sign to meet a 'Red Ball' in the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster. There are even legends where the Red Balls were used in fortune telling in ancient times.
"Therefore, many experts of the Feather Clan have a habit of eating the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster every day. They might not be attracted by the flavor of the delicious food but are merely relaxing themselves with the tedious process of eating and the leisure when playing with the shell and the Red Ball.
"My father is no exception. Although he appears to be a machine, he is a living creature after all. After a day of busy work handling all kinds of affairs, he tends to be anxious and exhausted, too. Therefore, it has become a special relaxation method for him to have some Star Spot Red Fire Oysters every night."
Li Yao narrowed his eyes, in which brilliance was bouncing like fire. He pondered and asked, "Is the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster your father eats unusual? Is it the same as what others eat?"
Jin Xinyue thought hard for a moment. "The Star Spot Red Fire Oyster only grows in the Red Fire Bay because it requires the nourishment of the undersea volcano. It cannot be farmed. The productivity is quite low.
"My father is the leader of the Feather Clan. Naturally, the Star Spot Red Fire Oysters that are the largest and looks most splendid, and those that the experienced fishermen believe to have 'Red Balls', are specially supplied to him."
"Then, according to your estimation, after your father became the commander-in-chief of the coalition army of demons, even though he is far away from the Gold Crow Kingdom, do you think he will still keep the habit?"
Jin Xinyue nodded. "I think he will. Before he became the commander-in-chief, my father often went to Heavenly Path City for business and sometimes lived in Heavenly Path City for a long time. At that time, special flying demon beasts were designated to ship the Star Spot Red Fire Oysters to him by air. After all, the Gold Crow King masters the forces in the sky. Transportation by air is quite convenient and not very costly. Since he is the leader of the Feather Clan, such a hobby is not too extravagant."
Li Yao blinked. "The food is delivered by air every day, not every few days?"
Jin Xinyue smiled and said, "You may not know this, Master, but the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster is the most vulnerable food. Once it leaves the seawater where it grows, it will decay within a few hours. Even if it is soaked in the original seawater, it will still not survive one day. Keeping them in the preservation rune arrays does not help, either.
"Freezing rune arrays can make the food last longer, but freezing and unfreezing will rid the food of its original flavor. With my father's identity and position, wouldn't be beneath him to eat such food?
"Therefore, when he lived in Heavenly Path City, the flying demon beasts shipped the raw Star Spot Red Fire Oysters as quickly as possible, sometimes with the help of teleportation arrays, at dusk every day. They would only need three hours to get to him."
After hearing that, Li Yao took a long breath in relief. His lips curled into a mysterious smile as he said, "Therefore, after the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster is fished up, it will be shipped to your father as quickly as possible. Since the time is very short, there will not be too many examination procedures, will there?"
Jin Xinyue was dazed. She bulged her eyes and exclaimed, "Master, do you want—"
Li Yao thought for a moment and confirmed with her, "Is it possible that somebody will open all the Star Spot Red Fire Oysters first so that you father will enjoy the meat directly?"
Jin Xinyue shook her head quickly. "Absolutely not. When the nobles of the Gold Crow Kingdom enjoy the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster, it is the appearance of the food that they savor first. Then, they will have their fun by opening the shell slowly and looking for the 'Red Ball'. It is not just the mouthful of meat that they are interested in. If the Star Spot Red Fire Oysters are opened in advance, the flavor of the meat will certainly change after it is exposed to the air for a long time, not to mention that all the fun will be gone. Wouldn't it be a huge bummer?
"Everybody eats the food on their own. It is a tradition that has lasted thousands of years."
"Then we've got a solution!" Li Yao slapped his thigh and took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Listen up. This is what we are going to do next.
"First of all, I am going to pump a syringe of blood and marrow from you. Rest assured. You are now in the Core Formation Stage after all. The marrow you lose will be refilled after a moment of rest.
"I planned to bring you back to the last base of the Blade of Chaos, but things have changed now. We cannot stay here for long, and there is no time for such a long journey.
"We can only store your blood and marrow in special biochemical storage tanks and put the tanks in the third rendezvous point so that Yuchi Ba and the rest of them will bring them back to the base.
"The Fire Ant King has already grasped a lot of experimental data and files regarding the 'Demon God Virus', including most of the genome. Soon, they will also have your blood and marrow, which contain the Divine Blood of Chaos. Let's hope that they can produce vaccines and antidotes as quickly as possible!
"I will brief them on our latest progress and upcoming operations. I believe that Han Tuhu and Suo Chaolong, as two experts in tactics, will know what to do next!
"After the storage tanks are ready, we will go to Heavenly Path City and sneak into the crowded lower city, where we will make the most thorough preparations for our meeting with your father!
"After everything is set, we will go to the Red Fire Bay!
"But first of all, do you know of a place that houses tremendous crystals and magical equipment? Debris from the Heaven's Origin Sector will work, too. I am in need of a lot of materials!"
Jin Xinyue was dazed for a moment before she replied, "A thousand and four hundred kilometers to our southeast, there is Ultimate Arms City. A great number of weapons, guns, crystal tanks, and even crystal suits that were captured in the Heaven's Origin Sector are piled up there.
"All the magical equipment that is captured will be examined and tested in Ultimate Arms City. The repairable equipment will be picked out for the use of the coalition army of demons. The trophies that are beyond repair will serve as 'targets' or be dismantled into raw materials. Sometimes, they are replicated, too.
"Over the past hundreds of years, the Heaven's Origin Sector has gradually surpassed the Blood Demon Sector in terms of weapon technology. This is more or less a way to supplement the gears of the coalition army of demons.
"But I wonder, what do you need the debris for?"
"I am going to produce bombs." Li Yao licked his lips and said casually, "More crystal bombs."
…
Ten days later, in the upper district of Heavenly Path City…
As the 'Red Tide Plan' was gradually set in motion, a second command center had been established in the commander-in-chief's office. The vast commander center was packed with the biochemical brains that boasted the highest performance. Countless biochemical nerves were crawling on the walls like crimson vines. There were even the mainframe crystal processors that had been smuggled or captured from the Heaven's Origin Sector. Light beams were blossoming above the heads of the thousand staff and generals. The bouncing numbers and changing shadows interweaved into unpredictable expressions on their faces.
'If a Nascent Soul Stage can kill a demon general easily in one second, he will easily take down sixty demon generals in one minute' was equally hilarious as 'Jack can eat one loaf of bread in a minute, so he can eat sixty loaves of bread in an hour'!
In a modern war, the role of the super experts was irreplaceable, but it did not mean that super experts were invincible and could do whatever they pleased. In a suitable environment, with appropriate arrangements, tremendous ordinary soldiers would have a chance to exhaust a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator or a demon emperor, too. Or rather, like bread, they 'stuffed' the enemies with their own lives!
"Alright. Let's talk about the possibility of disguise and infiltration," Li Yao said helplessly. "Is there any way for us to pretend to be the workers of the Pantheon of Demons?
"Other than the demon kings and demon emperors, there are certainly workers in the Pantheon of Demons, right? For example, demon emperors need to eat and poop, too, which means that they need cooks and cleaners, right? These workers cannot live on the floating mountains, can they?
"Furthermore, to maintain the normal functions of the floating mountains, the assets consumed every day must be astronomical. The garbage must be enormous, too. Therefore, many carriers are bound to deliver assets and carry garbage away on a daily basis, too. Can we work on that?"
"It is very difficult," Jin Xinyue replied. "Of course, there are a lot of workers such as cooks and cleaners in the headquarters of the Pantheon of Demons and the command center of the coalition army. Most of them live in the messy, crowded lower city. Every morning, special commuting beasts will bring them to the floating mountains at the periphery where they will be strictly examined before being sent to the central floating mountains together.
"The examinations on them are extremely rigorous. Not only will their blood, hair, fingerprints, irises, and voiceprint be tested, even their excrement will sometimes be tested, too. The headquarters of the Pantheon of Demons has domesticated countless demon beasts with sharp noses, including dung beetles whose genes have been specially modified. If so much as the scent of their excrement is any different from the day before, they will immediately be caught!
"Besides, although there are many workers, few can really meet the highest leaders such as my father. The examinations on such workers are ten times more stringent than those on the regular workers. They are essentially being scanned by demonic rays from inside to outside every day!
"It is impossible to sneak in by pretending to be one of them!"
Li Yao ground his teeth hard. "What about ventilation tubes? There's a complicated ventilation system in every floating mountain, right?"
Li Yao had a thing for ventilation tubes.
Jin Xinyue shook her head and said, "The ventilation tubes are the highlights of the defense system. More than ten different defense measures have been adopted in the ventilation tubes in the headquarters of the Pantheon of Demons. For example, high-voltage electric arcs in the ventilate tubes and pumping the air with high-speed fans. The iron gauze behind the fans has small holes, too, and can perceive anything that passes through, including a fly. Besides, the Flying Spirit Eyes and the demon beasts that are highly sensitive to heat and smell are distributed around the key nodes of the ventilate tubes.
"Let's put it this way. If an intruder is unafraid of high-voltage electric shot, does not emit heat or smell, has a size smaller than a fly, and boasts a stealth ability all the way, there is a one in ten thousand likelihood that they can get in.
"However, the structural design of the ventilation tubes is top secret. There are too many branches, some of which are real, and some are false, like a maze. Even I don't know the correct design. If an intruder moves into a wrong branch in carelessness, they will find themself in the most terrifying traps!"
"If that's the case, the headquarters of the Pantheon of Demons is indeed impregnable," Li Yao said. "I have no choice except to perform my ultimate skill now!"
"What! You have a solution despite such difficulties, Master? That's indeed marvelous of you!"
"How about we write a letter to your father?"
"…"
"Or in some other way. He must have a public communication channel, right? In the Heaven's Origin Sector, we have things like 'Speaker Hotline' or 'Speaker Mailbox'. We can even initiate online petitions. As long as the number of voters surpasses a certain threshold, the motion will be delivered to the Speaker of Parliament directly!"
"Of course, there is a communication system based on a super large biochemical neural network in the Blood Demon Sector, and many ways to contact my father. But as the commander-in-chief of the coalition army, he must be very busy now. All the messages that are sent to him will be handled through the command center. How should we introduce ourselves? We can't tell them that you are an unparalleled expert from the Heaven's Origin Sector and that you would like to speak to the commander-in-chief of the coalition army, can we?
"Besides, we are still unclear on how many of my father's trusted subordinates have been compromised by Elder Nether Spring.
"Given the horror of Elder Nether Spring's Spore Stratagem, it is impossible for him to have not made preparations to deal with my father!
"Think about it. When I met you for the first time, Master, the hunters after me included my big brother, Jin Wuxu, who is my father's most trusted eldest son, and the Mirage Falcons, the best troop of the Feather Clan!
"If even my big brother Jin Wuxu has joined Elder Nether Spring, there will be no way that we can contact my father through regular channels!"
Li Yao frowned. "Speaking of which, I do have another question. Is it possible that your father has joined Elder Nether Spring's cause, too?"
Jin Xinyue shook her head quickly. "Absolutely impossible. My father… How should I put it? He is a guy who values the interests of the demon race the most. There is no way that he would conspire with Elder Nether Spring. However, I don't know whether or not they have been taking advantage of each other."
Li Yao thought for a moment and said, "What if we make it big?
"For example, I can produce a batch of special crystal bombs, which will display enormous characters in the sky like colorful fireworks after they are detonated. With the precise explosions of hundreds of bombs, we will be able to send out a message of a few sentences!
"If we detonate the bombs in the lower city, you father will definitely see the message in the air clearly, right?"
Li Yao had played the move on Iron Plateau once before, and its result was rather satisfactory.
Jin Xinyue thought for a moment and nodded. "It's a last resort if we don't have any other choices, but the information contained in a few sentences is too limited. It's impossible to describe the whole thing clearly!
"Besides, we are now faced with a problem that is barely solvable. Elder Nether Spring has basically blocked every option. We only have some solid evidence if we show up in front of my father in person!"
Jin Xinyue pointed at herself and then Li Yao. "I've turned from a demon into a human being, and Master can trigger such intense 'demonic energy' as a Cultivator. That is enough to prove theory that human beings and demons are of the same origin.
"Although there is still a long way to go from proving the same-origin theory to proving the existence of the Spore Stratagem, we will at least plant a seed of suspicion in my father's heart! My father will be too prudent to neglect it!
"If it is just a few pieces of information in the sky, Elder Nether Spring can easily ask his accomplices to explain or rectify them.
"More importantly, we don't have much time. The Red Tide Plan might break out at any moment. Once the main force of the coalition army of demons is teleported to the east of the Star Glory Federation through wormholes, everything will be too late!"
Li Yao realized that it did make sense. It would be child's play if he could stop a military decision that would determine the future of a Sector by only a few words in the sky.
"What about habits and hobbies? Will your father leave the headquarters of the Pantheon of Demons to train in the outside world?"
Jin Xinyue shook her head. "The headquarters of the Pantheon of Demons have the best training facilities. This is the critical moment before a great war. I don't see any reason for my father to go out without a good reason.
"As for hobbies… He is like a cold machine. Power is his only hobby. Anyway, in my every memory of him, he is working, working, and working!"
They were at an impasse. Li Yao scratched his head and pursued further, "He does not have any hobby at all? Clothes, food, or anything that can be helpful!"
Jin Xinyue hesitated for a moment. "Well. If we are talking about hobbies…"
Chapter 983: Point of Breakthrough |
"My father is not interested in the addictive cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. He does not have any passion for girls or gambling, either. He is not even a maniac in training. He does not have any long-lasting habit, except that he likes to eat a 'Star Spot Red Fire Oyster' as a snack after work every day."
Li Yao raised his eyebrow. "What is a Star Spot Red Fire Oyster? Is it very precious?"
"Not very precious," Jin Xinyue said. "The Star Spot Red Fire Oyster is a sea animal that grows in the 'Red Fire Bay', a bay on the coastline of the Gold Crow Kingdom. It is both fresh and succulent. Just cut it open with a knife and dip it in the local seawater, and the food will be ready.
"It is said that a half-active volcano is at the bottom of the Red Fire Bay. The special minerals spurted out by the undersea volcano add different constituents to the water there, which is the cause of such a delicious food.
"Personally, I've never been a fan of it.
"The Star Spot Red Fire Oyster is a popular dish among the nobles of the Gold Crow Kingdom, not only because its flavor, but also because of the fun you have when you eat it.
"First of all, the shell of the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster has stripes that looks like fire and shooting stars. The stripes of every Star Spot Red Fire Oyster are entirely different. Everybody can enjoy and appreciate the stripes before they eat the food. The shells can be used to make decorations. It is quite an elegant lifestyle.
"Secondly, the two pieces of the shell of the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster bite each other very hard. One can only open them by the special knife with special techniques and patience. If one is really skilled, there will be a pleasant sound when the oyster is opened. However, if one opens it with brute force, they will not have the privilege of hearing the sound.
"Most importantly, there are occasionally crystals that look like pearls in the meat of the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster. We call them the 'Red Balls'. The Red Balls are not anything precious, but they are extremely brilliant and beautiful. On their face, there are ever-changing patterns. If you aim the balls at the source of light, you will see a different pattern in every different angle. It could not be more spectacular.
"According to the traditions of the Gold Crow Kingdom, it is a very auspicious sign to meet a 'Red Ball' in the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster. There are even legends where the Red Balls were used in fortune telling in ancient times.
"Therefore, many experts of the Feather Clan have a habit of eating the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster every day. They might not be attracted by the flavor of the delicious food but are merely relaxing themselves with the tedious process of eating and the leisure when playing with the shell and the Red Ball.
"My father is no exception. Although he appears to be a machine, he is a living creature after all. After a day of busy work handling all kinds of affairs, he tends to be anxious and exhausted, too. Therefore, it has become a special relaxation method for him to have some Star Spot Red Fire Oysters every night."
Li Yao narrowed his eyes, in which brilliance was bouncing like fire. He pondered and asked, "Is the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster your father eats unusual? Is it the same as what others eat?"
Jin Xinyue thought hard for a moment. "The Star Spot Red Fire Oyster only grows in the Red Fire Bay because it requires the nourishment of the undersea volcano. It cannot be farmed. The productivity is quite low.
"My father is the leader of the Feather Clan. Naturally, the Star Spot Red Fire Oysters that are the largest and looks most splendid, and those that the experienced fishermen believe to have 'Red Balls', are specially supplied to him."
"Then, according to your estimation, after your father became the commander-in-chief of the coalition army of demons, even though he is far away from the Gold Crow Kingdom, do you think he will still keep the habit?"
Jin Xinyue nodded. "I think he will. Before he became the commander-in-chief, my father often went to Heavenly Path City for business and sometimes lived in Heavenly Path City for a long time. At that time, special flying demon beasts were designated to ship the Star Spot Red Fire Oysters to him by air. After all, the Gold Crow King masters the forces in the sky. Transportation by air is quite convenient and not very costly. Since he is the leader of the Feather Clan, such a hobby is not too extravagant."
Li Yao blinked. "The food is delivered by air every day, not every few days?"
Jin Xinyue smiled and said, "You may not know this, Master, but the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster is the most vulnerable food. Once it leaves the seawater where it grows, it will decay within a few hours. Even if it is soaked in the original seawater, it will still not survive one day. Keeping them in the preservation rune arrays does not help, either.
"Freezing rune arrays can make the food last longer, but freezing and unfreezing will rid the food of its original flavor. With my father's identity and position, wouldn't be beneath him to eat such food?
"Therefore, when he lived in Heavenly Path City, the flying demon beasts shipped the raw Star Spot Red Fire Oysters as quickly as possible, sometimes with the help of teleportation arrays, at dusk every day. They would only need three hours to get to him."
After hearing that, Li Yao took a long breath in relief. His lips curled into a mysterious smile as he said, "Therefore, after the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster is fished up, it will be shipped to your father as quickly as possible. Since the time is very short, there will not be too many examination procedures, will there?"
Jin Xinyue was dazed. She bulged her eyes and exclaimed, "Master, do you want—"
Li Yao thought for a moment and confirmed with her, "Is it possible that somebody will open all the Star Spot Red Fire Oysters first so that you father will enjoy the meat directly?"
Jin Xinyue shook her head quickly. "Absolutely not. When the nobles of the Gold Crow Kingdom enjoy the Star Spot Red Fire Oyster, it is the appearance of the food that they savor first. Then, they will have their fun by opening the shell slowly and looking for the 'Red Ball'. It is not just the mouthful of meat that they are interested in. If the Star Spot Red Fire Oysters are opened in advance, the flavor of the meat will certainly change after it is exposed to the air for a long time, not to mention that all the fun will be gone. Wouldn't it be a huge bummer?
"Everybody eats the food on their own. It is a tradition that has lasted thousands of years."
"Then we've got a solution!" Li Yao slapped his thigh and took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Listen up. This is what we are going to do next.
"First of all, I am going to pump a syringe of blood and marrow from you. Rest assured. You are now in the Core Formation Stage after all. The marrow you lose will be refilled after a moment of rest.
"I planned to bring you back to the last base of the Blade of Chaos, but things have changed now. We cannot stay here for long, and there is no time for such a long journey.
"We can only store your blood and marrow in special biochemical storage tanks and put the tanks in the third rendezvous point so that Yuchi Ba and the rest of them will bring them back to the base.
"The Fire Ant King has already grasped a lot of experimental data and files regarding the 'Demon God Virus', including most of the genome. Soon, they will also have your blood and marrow, which contain the Divine Blood of Chaos. Let's hope that they can produce vaccines and antidotes as quickly as possible!
"I will brief them on our latest progress and upcoming operations. I believe that Han Tuhu and Suo Chaolong, as two experts in tactics, will know what to do next!
"After the storage tanks are ready, we will go to Heavenly Path City and sneak into the crowded lower city, where we will make the most thorough preparations for our meeting with your father!
"After everything is set, we will go to the Red Fire Bay!
"But first of all, do you know of a place that houses tremendous crystals and magical equipment? Debris from the Heaven's Origin Sector will work, too. I am in need of a lot of materials!"
Jin Xinyue was dazed for a moment before she replied, "A thousand and four hundred kilometers to our southeast, there is Ultimate Arms City. A great number of weapons, guns, crystal tanks, and even crystal suits that were captured in the Heaven's Origin Sector are piled up there.
"All the magical equipment that is captured will be examined and tested in Ultimate Arms City. The repairable equipment will be picked out for the use of the coalition army of demons. The trophies that are beyond repair will serve as 'targets' or be dismantled into raw materials. Sometimes, they are replicated, too.
"Over the past hundreds of years, the Heaven's Origin Sector has gradually surpassed the Blood Demon Sector in terms of weapon technology. This is more or less a way to supplement the gears of the coalition army of demons.
"But I wonder, what do you need the debris for?"
"I am going to produce bombs." Li Yao licked his lips and said casually, "More crystal bombs."
…
Ten days later, in the upper district of Heavenly Path City…
As the 'Red Tide Plan' was gradually set in motion, a second command center had been established in the commander-in-chief's office. The vast commander center was packed with the biochemical brains that boasted the highest performance. Countless biochemical nerves were crawling on the walls like crimson vines. There were even the mainframe crystal processors that had been smuggled or captured from the Heaven's Origin Sector. Light beams were blossoming above the heads of the thousand staff and generals. The bouncing numbers and changing shadows interweaved into unpredictable expressions on their faces.
