Chapter 318: Red Radiance
A string of questions surfaced in Bai Mo's mind. Too many mysteries still lay hidden behind the creature that called itself "Gaia".
Regarding the transaction between them, or rather, Gaia's unilateral threat, he decided to wait and see, temporarily ceasing to interfere in related matters. The other party possessed power exceeding his own; presumably, it was unwilling to pay too great a price to act, which was why it chose to appear and negotiate.
Given its vast scale, the death of hundreds of thousands of humans was no different from shedding a few strands of hair. In its eyes, the casualties caused by the Spirit Devourer were entirely insignificant.
"You aren't worthy of being called 'Tianming'," Bai Mo muttered, sitting in the basement and quietly watching the news from various regions. "The instincts represented by genes are too far removed from the rationality and will of intelligent life itself."
After Gaia selected its so-called "Tianming protagonist," it controlled the hormone secretions of everyone the protagonist could come into contact with, influencing their emotions, and weaving every story around the protagonist with its terrifying computational power.
Everyone around the protagonist, unless specifically designated by Gaia as an antagonist, came with an inherent affinity bonus, instinctively causing them to perceive the protagonist as likely a good person at first sight.
Then, as time passed, this instinctive feeling was continuously reinforced. As long as the protagonist chosen by Gaia didn't actively court death, a large number of supporting characters would eventually be drawn in by their "personal charisma," "leader's demeanor," and "kingly aura," and pledge their allegiance.
Conversely, more powerful antagonists would often find trouble brewing within their own ranks. Some disgruntled subordinates, spurred on by Gaia's manipulation of their rage, would commit impulsive foolish acts, ultimately benefiting the protagonist.
Thanks to all sorts of opportune coincidences, the person it selected would almost certainly stand out. The genetic control method left no trace, as no one could truly discern whether those thoughts were genuinely "their own".
And the obsession of life with reproduction—how much of it stemmed from the individual's true emotions, and how much was Gaia's own desire for its continued existence—was likewise an unsolved mystery, or perhaps the two could no longer be distinguished.
"Who are you?" Feng Buhui asked, looking at the mysterious black-clad figure who had rescued him.
"Chen Kedi."
"Do you wish to liberate humanity from the exploitation of class?" Chen Kedi continued earnestly, gazing into Feng Buhui's eyes. And from the other's gaze, Feng Buhui seemed to see a sickle and an axe shimmering with a vivid red light.
"The vast majority of the working people should not be exploited by a small handful of capital owners and corrupt governments, for in essence, this is nothing more than plunder carried out through violence."
"They rely on violence to establish a set of distribution rules that protect their own interests, forcing everyone to comply, and seizing everything they desire, all under the euphemism of 'legality.'"
"Especially after the advent of the new era, this handful of individuals used the power of the state to nationalize Spirit Stones and a series of other resources, then levied extremely high prices on them, exchanging small amounts of related materials for the long years of labor of ordinary people."
"For example, Spirit Stones, which have an extremely low extraction cost, are directly priced at one hundred Huaxia Coins per gram on the Contribution Point System. Utilizing this massive 'scissor gap,' they once again harvest the wealth of the common people, while they themselves grow fat and bloated through oppression..."
"These selfish parasites attempt to establish an eternal order, ensuring they forever stand at the top of the food chain."
"We should overthrow this increasingly autocratic military government and establish a regime that truly belongs to the people!"
Chen Kedi passionately expounded his views to Feng Buhui. His magnetic voice seemed to possess a magical quality, opening a new door for Feng Buhui, who had been engrossed in natural sciences since childhood and paid little attention to ideological and political matters.
"Mr. Chen, what kind of society do you wish to create? And by what means?" Feng Buhui pressed on.
"Greedy, incompetent officials and capitalists should not exist. They are meaningless to the advancement of this society, merely trash that exploits the people purely by manipulating distribution methods!"
"For years, I've been pondering how to achieve all this, how to ensure our future leaders would never be corrupted. Three years ago, I finally found the answer—Red Radiance."
"This cultivation method, which I created, grants greater power only to those who steadfastly uphold the common belief we swore upon at the very beginning. Those with selfish thoughts or evil intentions in their hearts will never be able to cultivate even a shred of its power." Chen Kedi produced something and tossed it to Feng Buhui with one hand.
"Even if our former comrades were to fall into depravity one day, the power gained from cultivating Red Radiance would continuously diminish. The more severe their depravity, the more power they would lose."
"As long as we hold true to our original ideals and let everyone cultivate it, we will surely be able to create a better world!"
While speaking casually, Chen Kedi displayed his formidable strength. Simply standing there, the tangible pressure emanating from him made it difficult for Feng Buhui, still an ordinary person, to breathe.
"Why did you choose me?"
"Because it was precisely you who spread the Spirit Devourer virus, sounding the death knell for those greedy parasites."
"The Spirit Devourer has no effect on cultivators of Red Radiance?"
"None. Because we do not seek immortality; rather, we seek to dedicate our entire lives to this noble cause. Therefore, all evils shall be repelled, and no poison shall invade us!"
The cultivation method created by Chen Kedi theoretically allowed every ordinary person with the same belief to cultivate and gain power. However, as a trade-off, Red Radiance did not extend the cultivator's lifespan; like ordinary people, they still only had a few decades of life.
"Comrade Feng Buhui, are you now willing to join us and dedicate yourself to the cause of human liberation?" Chen Kedi extended his hand to him.
"Of course!" Feng Buhui firmly declared, grasping Chen Kedi's outstretched right hand.
He could now be said to be at his wit's end; his strategy of feigning beggary and homelessness for days was about to fail. To find Feng Buhui, the Huaxia Federation had dispatched tens of thousands of soldiers, conducting a dragnet search point by point, temporarily detaining every person who could not provide valid identification documents, without missing a single one.
Having suffered heavy losses, Huaxia, which had begun military rule, adopted even more stringent measures.
Had Chen Kedi not rescued him from the encirclement of countless pursuers, he would certainly be on his last breath under their brutal interrogation by now. The best outcome would merely be to silently disappear in some corner after losing his usefulness.
Even more likely, Feng Buhui himself would have to pay for the deaths of countless ability users, ultimately facing public execution as a warning to others.
Comments