Chapter 697: Narcissus
Chapter 697: Narcissus
Inside the main office of the Lian Wei Zhong Yu Branch, a female assistant stood before Yang Ling. She bowed slightly, then handed over a translated telegram from headquarters.
"Miss, the Jinbei Dao Government's search team for the relic might already be dispatched, and Lian Wei Zhong Yu will definitely be involved. Therefore, headquarters hopes that before our second batch of personnel arrives, we initiate the backup plan and take action first. This matter will be led by you, Miss."
Yang Ling took the telegram, glanced at it, and asked, "But to initiate the plan, we'll need a lot of high-energy nutrients. Do we have enough in storage?"
The assistant replied, "It's already been prepared in advance. Although the Processing Bureau has tightened the blockade and even confiscated some under the pretext of inspection, those were all prepared beforehand for the inspection. Before that, the company had stored sufficient amounts for our operation."
After speaking, she looked at Yang Ling, seemingly waiting for her confirmation.
Yang Ling whispered, "I'll follow the plan."
The assistant said no more. She bowed again, took the telegram from Yang Ling's hand, and then left with the same expression she had when she arrived.
After the assistant left, Yang Ling walked to the desk, opened a drawer, and took out a box of pills. She then entered the private elevator reserved for her.
As the elevator descended floor by floor, she eventually reached the underground hall. Her footsteps echoed clearly in the vast and dimly lit underground space.
She walked straight to the porcelain jar containing the active consciousness embryo. With a tap on the world credential, she waited for a while, and soon, a large amount of high-energy nutrient fluid, glowing with a neon-like radiance, flowed out from the tubes connected to the jar and into the embryo.
Although this active consciousness was still in its embryonic form, it had been specially prepared to be accelerated by a large amount of high-energy nutrient fluid. While it might not reach its full potential, it could be supplemented by other means to achieve the combat strength expected of an active consciousness.
Although this would weaken the vitality and potential of the active consciousness, the company's goal was the relic, and compared to a third-level relic, the sacrifice of an active consciousness was well worth it.
At this moment, Yang Ling took out a pill the size of her thumb from the box and swallowed it. Within seconds, she felt dizzy, her breathing quickened, and various strange sounds filled her ears.
In front of her, a bizarre scene appeared. The massive porcelain jar seemed to disappear, revealing what looked like a scaleless fish with smooth skin and limbs. Its conical head was raised, staring intently, but the image quickly vanished, returning to its previous state.
This spiritual resonance induced a strong nausea, causing Yang Ling to cover her mouth and take a few steps forward. She then reached out and placed her hand on the porcelain jar.
As more high-energy nutrients were pumped into the jar, a glow emanated from within. After an unknown duration, sounds emerged from the jar, and a peculiar creature slowly crawled out from the opening at the top.
At first glance, the creature resembled a fish, measuring about three meters from head to tail. It had a slender yet powerful abdomen, slightly smaller head, and indented ear holes on both sides. Its streamlined body was smooth, hard, and covered in a flowing, bluish-black radiance.
When it took deep breaths, its skin glowed with a soft neon-like radiance. After detaching itself from the nutrient-supplying tubes, it lightly hopped down, sticking closely to the jar's wall.
Yang Ling kept her eyes closed, her mind still blurry from the effects of the pill.
The creature circled around her once before slowly sticking close to her side. Its ribs slowly opened, revealing a white, soft interior cavity with numerous long tendrils extending outward, some of which pierced Yang Ling's skin and limbs.
Yang Ling regained some clarity and raised her hand to examine the tendrils connecting her to the smooth surface of the porcelain jar. Without turning back, she took a deep breath, opened her arms, and leaned back, entering the creature's body and merging with the soft tissues within.
She then witnessed the ribs slowly closing, enveloping her entirely. In that moment, she felt a sudden unification of their bodies and consciousness, as if they had instantly merged into one, and she seemed to possess an incredibly vibrant and powerful body.
This active consciousness of Lian Wei Zhong Yu, 'Narcissus,' when combined with someone like Yang Ling, who possesses attuned spiritual power, can unleash immense combat strength. Both parties can draw strength from each other.
Yang Ling adjusted slightly and naturally formed a stance with her limbs firmly planted on the ground, as if they had always been a part of her body, without a hint of awkwardness.
She gracefully took a few steps forward, her movements light and nearly silent as she landed. She felt as if she could walk freely on walls and ceilings, an ability she had gained from her field perception organ, which allowed her to clearly receive and probe information from the outside world.
As she moved, the colorful tendrils of her chin trembled slightly, sensing something. This organ provided her with a heightened awareness of her surroundings.
Soon, footsteps approached from above. Upon noticing them, the fin-like appendages on her back, resembling a flowing ribbon, stirred. The colors on her body gradually faded, as if blending into the air.
"Narcissus" possessed powerful invisibility capabilities, significantly enhancing her survival chances in the Convergence Zone. The primary objective upon entering this zone was not to defeat powerful enemies but to survive first and foremost.
The footsteps grew closer, and the female assistant walked below. She looked at the severed veins hanging outside the porcelain jar, walked over, and stepped onto the steel structure. Peering inside, she found it empty.
Suddenly, she felt something and looked up. In a place that had been empty a moment ago, a streamlined head resembling an eagle or a fish slowly materialized before her, followed by the entire body. A pair of narrow, green eyes stared directly at her.
Far from being afraid, she revealed a fervent gaze and said, "Miss, have you successfully merged?"
Soon, a psychic message was transmitted to her world credential.
"Yes."
The female assistant, usually indifferent, now showed an incredibly excited expression. She bowed and said, "Director Yang will be very pleased to see your high degree of attunement."
"I need to eat."
"Eat?"
The female assistant straightened up, her eyes gleaming with a peculiar light.
"Everything is already prepared."
Two days later, on October 3rd.
At 7 a.m., a sightseeing mini airship took off from the port in Jiyang District as usual and hovered high above the open sea.
Chen Chuan stood in the cabin of the airship, brandishing the Snow Lady Sword with a flourish, and slashed forward. Instantly, a rift was cut open, and a blinding light spilled out.
Over the past few days, the Snow Lady Sword had absorbed the remaining high-energy nutrient agents, and the existence of the rift could now easily be maintained for more than four hours.
In the 16th and 19th editions, the book was error-free!
This meant he could use the entire morning for cultivation.
However, with the growth of the Snow Lady Sword, he could maintain the rift for even longer if he wished. The reason he didn't keep it open for that long was that a prolonged existence might attract the attention of something on the other side. If not handled carefully, it could also expose the rift, making it counterproductive.
So, the current duration was just right.
He sat down in place, placed the Snow Lady Sword beside him, and began his mental cultivation for the day.
Four hours passed in a flash, and as his cultivation was about to end, he suddenly sensed a chill and a vague shadow flickering within the rift. Simultaneously, intense waves of distortion appeared on his body.
He had witnessed similar phenomena in the past, but today's visitor seemed more formidable.
He grabbed the Snow Lady Sword, stood up, and focused his gaze on the rift. Suddenly, it was as if an invisible force had slammed into the rift, halting its closure.
He stared intently, sensing something pushing from within, but his vision revealed nothing. On the ground, a distorted shadow was cast.
"Clang..."
He drew the Snow Lady Sword from its scabbard, and before the scabbard touched the ground, he raised the sword and slashed at the rift!
As he executed this strike, an inexplicable feeling arose within him, and his eyes flashed. His mental energy surged forth, following the path of the original opening.
The strike entered the rift from above and ended precisely at its lower end. As the sword's momentum dissipated, the rift vanished, as if erased by an eraser from the air.
The invisible entity beneath his feet also disappeared, leaving only a faint trace of scorching and corrosion on the floor where the shadow had been, proof of its presence.
Chen Chuan maintained his stance for a moment and then looked down at the Snow Lady Sword in his hand.
Apparently, this sword could do more than just cut open rifts; it could also mend them, preventing their spontaneous closure. He had been unable to do this before due to his insufficient strength. But now, he realized that even the split offspring of the Mother Worm could easily accomplish such a task, let alone the more mysterious entity within the sword.
His heart stirred with excitement. If this were the case, the possibilities for manipulation and utilization would be far greater.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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