Chapter 791: Fear
However, to integrate into human society, the vast majority of them would only revert to their beast forms within the territory of the Tian Sheng Yu. In human-dominated areas, they invariably adopted human forms through the Hua Xing Jue.
After all, all facilities in human territories were designed with normal individuals in mind; a ten-meter-tall giant bear, for instance, could hardly fit through a mere three-meter-high revolving door.
Human cities, ultimately, were built for humans.
Fortunately, only a minority of high-tier beastfolk resisted transforming into humans. The mid to low-tier beastfolk had long since been thoroughly 'human-worshipping dogs' by human culture, some even permanently embedding the Hua Xing Jue onto themselves to settle directly into human society.
Of course, reproductive isolation still existed, but within the vast empire, there was never a shortage of orphans whose parents died in accidents; adopting one was sufficient.
If truly wealthy, one could also purchase the services of the Imperial Genetic Technology Research Institute for one-on-one gene fusion, or what was colloquially known as "human transmutation." However, whether the result was a man-headed dog or a dog-headed man, only the heavens knew.
Beyond ensuring that the genetic material originated from both parents, the Imperial Genetic Technology Research Institute guaranteed nothing else.
Gene combinations that defied reproductive isolation were, by their very nature, going against the natural order.
...
According to their agreement with Bai Mo, the initial decade was his allocated time, preventing others from deploying their subordinates to the Dao Chen Realm. Their original intention of establishing a permanent base in the Dao Chen Realm had, therefore, to be postponed.
"Scouting."
"Identifying easily invadable worlds nearby."
"Ling, what about you?" Ji Erke Fu countered, turning the question back to Xu Xuanling.
"I've already made arrangements with them," Xu Xuanling replied, "these ten years will be dedicated to re-establishing the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Da Zhen."
The Zhou Tian Xing Dou Da Zhen was originally conceived by the Empire's Immortals as a super array to harness the power of millions of cultivators and counter the threat posed by Bai Mo.
It was anchored by twelve seven-stage True Immortals serving as array pivots, each wielding a formation flag. Under each flag, 129,600 cultivators acted as "companion stars," forming a cohesive whole.
After numerous expert calculations, this Zhou Tian Xing Dou Da Zhen, at full output, was deemed capable of sustained confrontation with early eighth-stage entities, and even in the face of mid-eighth-stage existences, it could endure for an entire day.
Their reasoning was that as long as they didn't foolishly challenge Bai Mo's true body, which resided far off on the Sun, his projected avatars were generally at most early eighth-stage, Four-Calamity level. The Zhou Tian Xing Dou Da Zhen would be sufficient to deal with them.
However, the time, manpower, and material resources required for this array were immense, enough to deplete years of reserves from an entire superpower.
"Forming an array?"
"I have a vague premonition that he won't remain in the Dao Chen Realm for long. Once he departs, we will immediately face the pressure from Yisisi," Xu Xuanling stated.
"I fear that's more than just a premonition."
Among the True Immortals, it was common knowledge that Xu Xuanling shared a favorable relationship with Bai Mo, and she was also responsible for the daily affairs of the Land of White. Thus, they were more inclined to believe that Bai Mo had privy her to additional information.
"Regardless of whether she is right or wrong, one thing is certain: we cannot perpetually hide behind his tiger's skin. The Zerg Mother is no fool; it won't be long before she realizes we are not truly on the same side."
"By that time, whether he is present or not, the Zerg Mother's demeanor towards us will shift. At the very least, she certainly won't be so forthcoming with the down payment for the Purple-Green Great Medicine."
In recent negotiations, Yisisi had provided them with several decades' worth of compensation in a single advance payment, a gesture that inevitably sparked some peculiar thoughts among the Empire's True Immortals.
"Have you already begun consuming those Great Medicines?"
"Care to guess?"
These True Immortals, who had risen step by step since the Spirit River Autumn, were, to be frank, all masters of intrigue. As they frequently left contingencies within their own cultivation techniques and elixirs, they were naturally disinclined to blindly trust anything given by others.
Even the methods for achieving immortality left behind by Bai Mo were almost never adopted wholesale; most individuals would reverse-engineer the underlying principles and then redesign a path best suited to their individual circumstances.
"I will certainly not touch the Purple-Green Great Medicine it provides, but the naturally occurring Purple-Green Spirit Elixir is indeed a treasure." Green Wizard King Ying Huo's left hand transformed into a section of a tree trunk, then his right hand reached into the hollow of his left hand, drawing out a white jade bottle.
"This is a wisp of Purple-Green Spirit Elixir that one of my sub-bodies chanced upon in a certain valley."
"It can be considered a unique immortal material, bearing some resemblance to the Spirit Stones used by mortals. For us, refining a single wisp for a mere quarter of an hour can equate to ten days of arduous cultivation. If there were a continuous supply of Purple-Green Spirit Elixir, I am confident we could reach the realm of a Three-Calamity True Immortal in less than fifty years."
"..."
Upon hearing this, everyone present fell into contemplation.
Unlike the cultivators of the Dao Chen Realm and the Zerg Mother Yisisi, they, protected by the True Spirit Barrier, had no need to fear the erosion of Daoization for an extended period. For them, Purple-Green Spirit Elixir was not an indispensable resource, and its allure was consequently far lower.
This was something even Yisisi herself had not anticipated: that a mere civilization, barely two hundred years into its cultivation journey, could actually devise a True Spirit Barrier capable of isolating the power of Daoization.
Even if this isolation was merely temporary, in a sense, it was an isolation akin to drinking poison to quench thirst.
For the True Spirit Barrier was, in essence, merely a "dam" constructed between the cultivator's conscious true spirit and the surging flood of Daoization power. The waters beyond the dam, in fact, continued to accumulate ceaselessly.
The day the dam could no longer withstand the perpetually increasing pressure and crumbled, the accumulated Daoization power would sweep over them in a single, devastating surge. Neither heaven nor earth could save them; they would instantly return to oblivion.
Yet, the time afforded for those behind the dam to strive was, after all, considerably extended.
...
The Spectral Desert.
The black, ominous winds, unchanging since time immemorial, welcomed a new guest today.
This desert, known as a death zone for all living beings, was perennially scoured by a bone-stripping and soul-devouring black wind. Ordinary individuals, devoid of magical power, would find nothing remaining of themselves—neither soul nor flesh—after being swept by this gale.
Innumerable unconscious wraiths drifted within the wind, instinctively assaulting any life they perceived as "alive."
"What a truly remarkable place." Bai Mo casually extended a hand into the wind, seemingly capturing something.
The black smoke in his hand writhed as if it were a struggling fish.
Within Bai Mo's emotional perception, before his arrival, the black winds of the Spectral Desert possessed no discernible emotions whatsoever.
There was no joy, no fear, no hatred.
Their assaults on living beings were as natural as water droplets plunging into boiling oil and erupting.
However, once Bai Mo stepped inside, he observed that centered around him, an emotion, specifically "fear," began to unfurl across the desert.
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