Chapter 318: A Few Years Later
Chapter 318: A Few Years Later
Half an hour later...
Star Sea Corporation, Mech Construction Factory.
"What? There was a spy infiltration?"
Fang Xing had just finished dealing with the Blood Flesh Progeny and was greeted by news that furrowed his brows.
"Yes," Wei Jiali adjusted her glasses, "Fortunately, it was discovered in time, and Miss Nan Gong offered her assistance... The spy didn't cause any damage."
"Where is the person?"
Fang Xing looked at Nan Gong Xue.
"He committed suicide," Nan Gong Xue frowned, "Do we need the security department of the Nine Swords Academy to step in and investigate?"
"Thank you, but it's not necessary for now," Fang Xing waved his hand.
He had a hunch that this Demon God Progeny incident and the spy infiltration were somehow connected, making it seem too coincidental.
'If it was just a new type of inhibitor, the Martial Saint's background, along with the support of the two top-tier universities, would be enough to secure it...'
'But add in the unknown foreign Demon God materials, and it becomes a bit too eye-catching, doesn't it?'
'Wait, with the current level of secrecy in the lab, it's probably just a suspicion, right?'
'In that case, we'll deal with it as it comes...'
...
Meanwhile, on Evil Dragon Star, a wormhole.
A spaceship resembling a pitch-black evil dragon slowly emerged from the wormhole.
Inside the ship, in a grand hall.
A martial artist with sparse hair and an appearance resembling a little old man sat cross-legged.
His head was large, his body thin, and he looked very aged, but his eyes were bright.
Martial Dao aura surrounded him, causing the void to ripple slightly.
"Martial Saint Wu Yong, this time you will serve as the prosecutor, heading to White Bird Star in the Evil Dragon Star System to verify the spoils and accomplishments," the mechanical voice of the Omniscient Mind announced.
Every time a Demon God Progeny-level attack occurred, the standard procedure was to report it, have the Federation confirm the results, and then, after deliberation, distribute rewards and allocate the spoils.
The combination of rewards and punishments, controlled by the Federation's ruling officers, was a sign of a stable regime.
If subordinates were to directly divide up the spoils, it would indicate a problem with the foundation of governance.
Of course, there were exceptions to the rule.
When a Martial Saint was involved, ordinary Federation officials wouldn't dare to interfere.
This was when a new balancing force was required.
Considering that Martial Saint Zhou Yehua needed to remain on Evil Dragon Star, Martial Saint Wu Yong was chosen for this mission.
"Fang Xing, becoming a Martial Saint at just over fifty years old, what a genius..."
Wu Yong looked at Fang Xing's resume, his expression unreadable, "During his university years, he even killed his mentor Wei Shentong?... The young Martial Saint is a rising star in our lineage, even though he's been stuck at the Martial Saint barrier for a long time, with his Great Vajra Body, he'll become a powerful Martial Saint once he breaks through. Now that he's dead, it's all for nothing..."
With the Federation's technology, cloning Wei Shentong would be easy.
But whether he could cultivate to the Great Vajra Realm again was a different story.
Moreover, it would require a significant investment of resources, making it a poor investment.
And cloning wasn't the same as resurrection.
Even high-level cultivators, once dead, were truly gone.
"It's strange that it's my turn to conduct the review... If it's not our faction pushing for it, then it must be another faction trying to stir up trouble."
A glint of light flashed in Wu Yong's seemingly cloudy old eyes.
Having reached the Martial Saint realm, he was no ordinary cultivator, and although the mission was supposedly assigned randomly by the Omniscient Mind, who would believe that?
"Do they want me to test the strength of this new Martial Saint? How interesting..."
Wu Yong's knuckles cracked, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
...
"A federal prosecutor is coming?"
On White Bird Star, Fang Xing also received this news from various channels.
"It doesn't seem to be about that Blood Flesh Progeny," he sighed, rubbing his temples.
But this was a routine probe, and an overly aggressive response wasn't warranted.
"It seems your factory has attracted a lot of attention."
Nan Gong Xue, standing nearby, took off her glasses, "What do you think? Should we eliminate that person?"
"What are you talking about? He's a Martial Saint," Fang Xing glared at Nan Gong Xue.
The Sword Saints of the Nine Swords Academy were all a bit eccentric.
"How boring..."
Nan Gong Xue yawned, put her glasses back on, and instantly transformed into a rustic scholar girl, sealing away her charm.
...
Several hours later...
Star River Island.
A spaceship resembling a black dragon slowly docked.
The spaceship's cabin door opened automatically, and out stepped Wu Yong!
"Martial Saint Wu, welcome!" Fang Xing greeted him with a smile.
"Martial Saint Fang!"
Wu Yong also revealed a hint of a smile and extended his hand.
As their hands clasped, it seemed as if the void itself trembled.
'A warning?'
Feeling the powerful force transmitted through their palms, Fang Xing smiled faintly and channeled the Fire Profound Mystery.
Crack!
A piercing sound of bones breaking echoed.
Wu Yong's expression changed, and he discreetly withdrew his hand, his mind filled with tumultuous thoughts: 'How old is he... to be able to surpass me?'
With just this brief exchange, Wu Yong realized that he was no match for Fang Xing.
In the ancient martial arts, there were ways to discern one's strength through such hand-to-hand contact.
This single grip made him aware that if it were a life-and-death battle, Fang Xing might very well beat him to death!
Thinking about their age difference, Wu Yong suddenly felt like he had lived his entire life in vain.
"Martial Saint Wu, please... I'm ready for the banquet."
Fang Xing's face was filled with a smile, as if he hadn't been the one who had just demonstrated his superiority.
"Mm-hmm."
Wu Yong nodded in agreement.
For a Martial Saint's physique and recovery ability, a broken bone was not a significant issue, and he had already healed almost completely.
At this moment, after some internal deliberation, he decided to take a different approach.
'If Fang Xing is weak, I might be able to forcefully demand an inspection of the factory... But now? It's best to handle this officially.'
The upper echelons of the Federation operated with a subtle and complex set of unspoken rules, like a gentle spring breeze bringing change.
For instance, when he received this task, there was no mention of the Mech Construction Factory.
If Wu Yong could suppress Fang Xing, he could conduct a thorough investigation.
But if he couldn't, then he would have to honestly calculate the Blood Flesh Progeny's merits and then leave.
Of course, Wu Yong could also use his official status to forcefully search the factory.
But in that case, he would have to bear the consequences himself!
...
In the reception room, Fang Xing personally accompanied them, and Davis and the others were all present.
"This time, with the appearance of the Blood Flesh Progeny, everyone's response was commendable... The one who contributed the most was, of course, Martial Saint Fang."
After the banquet, Wu Yong went to examine the Demon God Progeny's body and then proceeded with the official merit calculation.
"Martial Saint Fang, how do you plan to handle this Blood Flesh Progeny? According to the Intelligent Brain's calculations, you can claim 89.6% of the Blood Flesh Progeny's merits! The Federation encourages Martial Saints to turn in all spoils of war, and in doing so, the merits gained can be increased by 30%... If Martial Saint Fang requires items like the Essence Refiner, you can also place an advance order for one..."
Hearing this, Nan Gong Xue, who was acting as Fang Xing's secretary, lit up with anticipation and looked at Fang Xing with longing.
The Essence Refiner required the Demon God Progeny as raw material and had a very low yield.
Even with the background of the Nine Swords Academy, she would have to wait in line for it.
But now, it was a perfect opportunity to jump the queue!
"I need to keep half of the Blood Flesh Progeny's materials to craft my exclusive mecha."
Fang Xing thought for a moment and then spoke up, "Is the remaining share enough to exchange for an Essence Refiner?"
"A Blood Flesh Progeny can usually only refine two or three Essence Refiners, and this one isn't very strong, so the yield will be even lower, maybe just one or two..."
Wu Yong shook his head.
Such top-tier resources were highly sought after.
Even Martial Saints and Martial Gods had disciples, juniors, relatives, and friends to consider...
"According to the Intelligent Brain's calculations, Martial Saint Fang, the share you are turning in is not enough to exchange for an Essence Refiner. However... you can secure priority!"
He smiled slightly, "If it's for Miss Nan Gong, with the backing of the Nine Swords Academy, it's enough to move her up to the top three in the queue. The next time, it will definitely be her turn."
"Agreed."
After seeking Nan Gong Xue's opinion, Fang Xing readily agreed.
He was doing a favor, and he knew that after giving the reservation to Nan Gong Xue, she would have to repay him with contributions, perhaps even more...
After Fang Xing's business was concluded, it was Davis's turn. They only received a promotion and a raise, without even a share of the Blood Flesh Progeny's merits. Some of the Federation's top resources were never made available to the public, and Fang Xing had managed to carve out a tiny opening in these layers of restrictions solely due to his unparalleled talent and astonishing cultivation speed.
'This Wu Yong seems to be quite reasonable and understanding...'
Looking at the amiable Wu Yong, Fang Xing thought to himself, 'Or perhaps... when you become powerful enough, you'll find that everyone around you is kind?'
...
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
After Wu Yong's departure, Nan Gong Xue also left.
She had obtained the breakthrough opportunity that other Vajra Realm martial artists desperately sought. She was ready to return to the Nine Swords Academy to seclude herself and make a full-force push for the Martial Saint Realm!
One could say that Fang Xing's breakthrough had inspired her.
This woman is a prodigy of the Nine Swords Academy, and she is also a proud individual.
Inside the factory, Fang Xing glanced at his exclusive mech, which was already taking shape.
The black armor plates were being installed piece by piece, resembling a menacing giant.
"Boss, the construction of your exclusive mech is already over 50% complete!"
Dr. Wang's face lit up with joy, and he lowered his voice, "Due to the highly compatible materials used, the construction difficulty has been greatly reduced..."
Although it was publicly announced that the mech used the Blood Flesh Progeny as its core, in reality, Fang Xing's mech didn't use any materials from that weakling.
The core was still the Pale Progeny, while the critical components were made from the Pale Mother, making future upgrades more convenient. The compatibility of these materials brought unexpected benefits.
If not for Fang Xing's inability to withstand the promotion due to not having reached the Martial God level yet, he would have even considered using the Transcender as the main material to create an exclusive Martial God-level mech!
"In another ten years, it will definitely be completed."
Dr. Wang assured him with a delighted expression.
"Ten years, not too long..."
Fang Xing sighed.
Currently, his Cultivation Avatar was still diligently cultivating in Dark Kun Island and had not yet reached the pinnacle of Nascent Soul Initial Stage.
As for his Original Body?
It had made tremendous progress.
Fang Xing's consciousness focused on his attribute panel:
[Name: Fang Xing]
[Age: 55]
[Occupation: Immortal Warrior]
[Eighth Stage: Martial Saint]
[Martial Will Secret Pattern: 199/200 (Proficient)]
[Celestial Martial Nine Absolutes: 1125/2000 (Master)]
[Great Sun Bodhimanda Mantra: 366/400 (Master)]
[Heavenly Mother Virtue Golden Lotus Twin Guardian Scripture: 1/400 (Master)]
[Great Sun Buddha Palm: 7/200 (Proficient)]
[Fire Mystic Arts: 17/100 (Skilled)]
[Gates of the Multiverse: 99/100]
...
"I'm already 55 this year, and in ten years, I'll only be 65. I'll still be young and can contribute more to the Bluesky Federation..."
Fang Xing, still a doctoral student, was destined to stay at the university after graduation, and he shamelessly thought about completely avoiding his military service.
"Spending these few years, in addition to advancing the Great Sun Buddha Palm and Fire Mystic Arts each by one level, the most important thing is that I've perfected the 'Celestial Martial Nine Absolutes'!"
The 'Celestial Martial Nine Absolutes' was Fang Xing's ultimate skill, integrating the Dragon Tiger Post and Dragon Elephant Vajra Unbreakable Divine Technique, both Master-level techniques, into his previous Celestial Martial Seven Absolutes.
Nine is the ultimate number! Even if he incorporates more martial arts essences in the future, it will still be the Celestial Martial Nine Absolutes!
Unless there's some earth-shattering change, it might be renamed as 'Ten Absolutes Martial Arts' or something similar...
"Finally, the Gates of the Multiverse is about to reach perfection again, and I can visit the Daxia Universe at least one more time..."
Fang Xing's heart couldn't help but surge with excitement.
The 'Skilled' level in Fire Mystic Arts had brought him tremendous benefits, enhancing his strength in all aspects!
'This is because I don't have any inheritance manuals and can only comprehend it on my own, which is why my progress is so slow... If I were in the Primordial Weight Temple, I might have already reached the Master level.'
The 'Skilled' level in Fire Mystic Arts also brought him a greater harvest—Fang Xing vaguely felt that his affinity for fire was extremely high.
Through constant comprehension of the Mystic Arts, he even glimpsed the path beyond the Martial God.
"The cultivation of Martial Saint is very simple; it's all about mastering the Great Sun Buddha Palm. Once I reach the Master or even the Master level, I will be able to condense the Great Sun Buddha Incarnation and achieve the Martial God realm!"
"Of course, for my Great Sun Buddha Palm to advance to the Master level, I must first raise the Great Sun Bodhimanda Mantra to the Master level, but that's not far off..."
"When the Great Sun Bodhimanda Mantra reaches the Master level, it brings the Great Sun Buddha essence... What about the Master level? Could it be that I'll directly condense the Great Sun Buddha Divinity and become a Demon God?"
"No, do true Transcenders have something like a 'Divinity'? It seems they only have something called 'Authority'..."
Authority is the highly condensed form of a specific aspect of the rules! As Fang Xing delved deeper into the Fire Mystic Arts, he even saw the path to condensing his own Authority!
"The Immortal Warrior's path is just one way, and it's not foolproof!"
"With the Bluesky Federation's efforts, they still haven't determined the path beyond the Martial God, so I can't afford to be careless..."
"Outside of the Immortal Warrior's path, I must have another insurance policy... For example, obtaining the promotion system of the Daxia Universe!"
Fang Xing's eyes were filled with anticipation.
(End of Chapter)
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