Chapter 225: Spy
Their discussion came to naught. While Bai Mo supported developing Spirit Qi cultivation methods that were more universal and equally effective for ordinary people, the issue of consumption was clearly an unavoidable hurdle.
The current number of Ability Users on the entire planet might seem astonishing, but in reality, they comprise less than two percent of the total population.
After enduring disaster, Earth still had a population exceeding six billion, yet corresponding to that, there were fewer than a hundred million Ability Users.
Once everyone began to heavily consume Spirit Qi for their cultivation, the demand for Spirit Qi would inevitably skyrocket, undoubtedly bringing a terrifying impact to the existing high-Spirit Qi environment.
According to Bai Mo's estimates, if the Spirit Qi concentration dropped to one-third of its original level, the peak of passive evolution would likely recede to the Spirit Animation Stage, and the Life Field Stage would become a massive barrier, requiring active cultivation to have a chance at breakthrough.
“According to the latest report from the atmospheric monitoring department, atmospheric methane concentrations at high altitudes in various regions have shown abnormal increases, nearly ten times higher than normal values, with a slow upward trend. As a powerful greenhouse gas, this could have a significant impact on the climate and other aspects...”
In the offices of Zilu Sea, a group of people were discussing this issue, which could potentially affect the entire nation’s agriculture.
“Research by various international survey teams has largely confirmed the source of the methane as the Arctic Ocean. Their ultimate conclusion is that the massive amounts of combustible ice, or methane hydrates, stored at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean, have released their methane, causing the current consequences.”
“According to Bai Mo’s report, the Sea Race did indeed execute a plan on the seabed, but its specific contents are unknown. Regarding this incident, could it be...” Chen Bo put forward this view.
“It seems the Sea Race is determined to wage a long-term war against us, resorting to such a circuitous tactic.”
“So, how should we deal with it? That’s the key.”
“There’s no good solution. We can only assemble a support-oriented Ability User team to artificially intervene in weather phenomena with aircraft in necessary areas.”
“Are there any preliminary results in the development of gene weapons against the Sea Race?” Ye Zi, still wrapped in bandages, asked the head of the Spirit Energy Research Institute.
“The diversity of marine life is too complex. They are composed of countless species. If we were to truly develop a universal gene weapon, it’s very likely that even we humans would suffer.”
“Within three years, we should see results for gene weapons targeting specific species.”
“Did he intervene?” Ye Zi asked a somewhat perplexing question.
“Deputy Director Bai Mo? He had some discussions with us, but he didn’t truly intervene in the research. I really don’t know how his mind is structured to be knowledgeable in so many fields.”
“If you could break through to the hundred-thought level of the “Thousand Souls Sutra,” you would understand. Ability Users at the ten-thought level already have an information reception speed four to five times that of ordinary people.” Wen Jian, who had officially entered the core of power after breaking through to the Xuanhua Stage, said, “As for the hundred-thought level... as far as I know, only he has reached it so far.”
Although Wen Jian was still only an alternate in the Seven-Person Council, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would definitely secure a position in the rotation two years from now.
Hua Taishan’s death and the breakthroughs of others had slowly begun to marginalize Cheng Mu and the others, who could only rely on their vast network of influence to barely sustain themselves.
Unlike Ye Zi, who had advanced using heavenly materials and earthly treasures, the progress of their brain’s Spirit Energy transformation had become an insurmountable chasm for them. They hadn’t even accumulated enough to attempt a desperate breakthrough. Thus, facing the bandaged Ye Zi, and the stern-faced Chen Bo and Wen Jian, they couldn’t help but feel a little lacking in confidence.
Time thus slowly slipped away in these recurring meetings; in the blink of an eye, two more months had passed.
“The higher the current physical constitution, the harder it is to open subsequent acupoints?” During this period, Bai Mo painstakingly attempted breakthroughs nearly twenty times, expending a large amount of spirit materials, before barely managing to open the fifth acupoint.
Originally, his breakthrough wouldn’t have been so difficult, but precisely because he completed his breakthrough to the Xuanhua Stage on the battlefield, his physical constitution improved once again, forcibly raising the difficulty for him.
“Regardless of whether a cultivator’s power is gained through previous acupoint cultivation, the stronger a person is, the harder it becomes to track the acupoints contained within the body with mental energy. Dao Wu Shuangxiu is extremely difficult.”
“Unless Spirit Hub cultivation only focuses on strengthening mental will, but that’s also impossible; the evolution of life essence will inevitably bring relatively balanced growth.”
After gaining a wealth of Hua Taishan’s thoughts and experience, Bai Mo also understood that after breaking through to the ninth acupoint, Hua Taishan had already reached the end of the first stage of the acupoint system that he himself had envisioned.
He participated in the war precisely to find a sufficiently hard whetstone, to allow himself to achieve the envisioned nine-acupoint convergence in battle, thereby impacting the tenth acupoint, allowing his Dharma Body to materialize from the illusory, and interfering with the material world through the power of will.
It was a pity that Bai Mo possessed extensive experience regarding the subsequent acupoints, but his own power had already raised the threshold for breaking through acupoints too high, leaving him for a time to only sigh in dismay at his unattainable goal.
“Reporting, Master Ling Tian, after several years of construction, our Zerg base has completed the task of transforming New Zealand’s South Island into our main stronghold. Next, we will continue construction on the North Island.”
Under Seres’s special “care,” the entire nation of New Zealand in Oceania had been cleared, and all survivors had fled to other countries by plane.
As for Ling Tian, who had received the Zerg legacy, he had spent these past few years working as a foreman on New Zealand’s South Island, meticulously transforming it into an impregnable stronghold.
“Ling Yi, when can we return to human society? Even with so many Blade Queens accompanying me, if I don’t return to my hometown in glory, what’s the difference between me and a salted fish?”
“Master, you need to become even stronger to truly become part of the upper echelon in the new human society. If you return now, you might encounter danger.”
Over two years of continuous use of gene optimization fluid had accumulated Ling Tian’s physical attributes to a level comparable to an Unmelting Realm Ability User.
However, Seres could not allow the puppet it controlled to become stronger than itself. It had to keep the other party within its control, and so Ling Tian remained stuck at this level.
“That’s true. This isn’t like the novels, where they almost always transmigrate to magic worlds and can easily accept the concept of summoners. But this is information-advanced Earth. Even if I explain it as my own ability, it would still easily arouse suspicion from those with ulterior motives...” He felt a sense of resentment towards the well-informed Earth for the first time.
“Master, this problem might be solvable. You could train three miniature Void-Concealing Worms to hide a small number of Zerg soldiers inside them, and then the Blade Queens could put away their combat armor and transform into ordinary human forms...”
These, naturally, were ideas concocted by Seres, who remotely controlled everything, to re-arrange this laborer, who had overseen the stronghold’s construction for several years, to return to human society and become an unwitting, invisible spy.
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