Chapter 2657

"And what else?" This small matter isn't worth Duanmu Heng personally reporting to Him.

"More than ten days ago, the Earth Mother appeared in Cangyan Ju City, and the city walls completely faded. Even the salt on the plains couldn't be washed away." Duanmu Heng spoke loudly, "I judge that at most four months, at least two months, the Earth Mother will return to her birthplace."

Helu Tian fell silent for a long time, then asked him just three words:

"Are you sure?"

Those short three words brought endless pressure upon Duanmu Heng.

He knew that as long as he gave an affirmative answer, the gods and the Heavenly Palace would mobilize vast resources around that answer, making massive preparations.

This would certainly become the largest and most important operation in nearly two hundred years for the Heavenly Palace!

Conversely, if Duanmu Heng's judgment were wrong, even if he were smashed to pieces, it would not be enough to make up for such a mistake!

Yet he had pondered this for three years; he should have confidence in himself.

Success or failure, victory or defeat, being smashed to pieces or rising smoothly to prominence—all hinged on this one gamble.

Duanmu Heng's mind turned over and over, finally settling into a calm, focused reply:

"I am sure!"

"Good." Helu Tian was even more concise; after saying this word, the candle ash scattered.

It departed.

Duanmu Heng spread his hands, seeing his palms were all sweaty.

He knew a series of plans was about to unfold. This included arrangements he knew of, and certainly also those he did not.

They would interlock like turning gears, jointly pushing all events toward the direction anticipated by the Lord of Lingxu Heaven.

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Boundless Sea, No Fixed Abode, Lingyun Palace.

After being ransacked once by the Nine Abysses Great Emperor, Lingyun Palace still bore its original name, but its location had completely changed. Whether in heaven or on earth, few knew where it was.

Its new location had no distinction between day and night; the daylight remained almost constantly at the brightness of mid-afternoon (3–5 PM).

As Xiao Ping hurried past the medicinal garden, her shadow stretched long and fell upon a giant carnivorous plant, which snapped shut with a pa-da sound.

This was a plant altered by divine blood; one snap could break a person's arm.

Xiao Ping kept her eyes straight ahead, passed through a damp corridor, and then arrived at the Quiet Heart Pavilion.

Inside the pavilion stood only a divine shrine, housing several statues.

She closed the doors and windows, lit incense before the shrine, stepped back two paces, and stood with hands clasped in reverence.

When the solitary smoke suddenly twisted, she bowed her head and said: "Lord Helu Tian, have you summoned me?"

Previously, Lingyun Palace depended on Helu Tian's Cloud Terrace; the terrace's interior was Helu Tian's domain, and this great god was always present. Communication with Helu Tian required only speaking aloud—no such hassle was needed.

Now things are very different. Since Helu Tian's divinity was trapped by He Lingchuan using a BUG in Xiaxia Bay, the Cloud Terrace cannot shift position. Lingyun Palace lost this intermediary, and communicating with Helu Tian must now follow standard procedures, which consume considerable energy.

Helu Tian spoke concisely: "Experimental progress, and the condition of the Hidden God's bodily fragments."

Xiao Ping took this as just another routine report. The gods closely monitored the divine body experiments; previously they inquired about progress once every three months, now shortened to once a month. She could sense the Sacred Lord's urgency, but truly did not know what new developments could be reported in such a short interval; the previous two inquiries lasted less than half a quarter-hour, basically just going through the motions.

However, this time there truly was something new.

"Very smooth. We have optimized the experimental body that succeeded half a year ago. The latest batch totals thirty-seven specimens; their bodies are stable, neither deformed nor mutated, and their minds remain steady at the level of human children aged eight to eleven, capable of normal conversation with us, just like Ah Lian back then."

After Duan He Yun was captured, Xiao Ping naturally rose to prominence, becoming the head of Lingyun Palace from his deputy. She understood his research approach best, and herself being a rare genius, in terms of seniority and ability, she is the best successor Duan He Yun could have.

"Although Master Duan is absent, his breakthrough results have become the most important foundation for Lingyun Palace's research. Following his line of thought, I have expanded upon it for three years; success is now only half a step away." Xiao Ping also felt deeply moved, "There are no substantial obstacles ahead anymore."

Three years ago, Lingyun Palace's divine body research frequently produced various deformed specimens. After all, the leap from the Hidden God's fungal-insect body to a human body is truly immense, not to mention humans possess complex brains and highly sensitive nerves.

Three years later, the divine bodies developed by Lingyun Palace have trended toward stability; each one resembles a human, and the deformation rate has dropped significantly.

"The final hurdle before us is how to amplify the force the divine body can withstand." Xiao Ping said solemnly, "Regarding this, I already reported it last time; the direction is clear, and it is also a difficulty soon to be overcome."

"This point, I estimate, Cangyan also knows."

Nine Abysses captured Duan He Yun, thus grasping Lingyun Palace's experimental progress at that time, and it is not difficult to infer the current stage of divine body research.

Helu Tian pressed further: "How much longer until completion?"

"Three to five months."

"Accelerate the progress." Helu Tian urged, "It's too long."

Three to five months still long? Xiao Ping startled.

This is the ultimate difficulty of the Divine Descent Plan—how could it be so easily overcome! Three to five months is already an astonishing speed.

The gods formerly were not as impatient as they are now; it seems the rumors she heard contain some truth—the situation in the Heavenly Realm indeed leaves the Lingxu divinities harried and frustrated, thus urging the Divine Descent Plan forward.

Helu Tian paid no heed to what she was thinking, then asked: "What about the temperament of the experimental bodies?"

"Like ordinary children—some lively, some introverted, some curious, some with strong destructive impulses. This month, another seven caretakers died due to accidents." Xiao Ping answered truthfully, "Previously, experimental bodies had to be destroyed after three months of birth; now the longest allowed is one month before they must be scrapped, otherwise, as they grow stronger later, they become harder to control."

Those are future gods' bodies!

Of course the bodies the gods will use must be formidable; these children, when they throw tantrums, few can withstand them.

Helu Tian immediately said: "From now on, do not destroy the experimental bodies produced; prepare them for deployment."

"Yes." Xiao Ping felt a slight surprise—so soon they'd be put to use? "But over time, I fear our strength may no longer suffice to control them..."

"You need not worry; we will assign additional strength ourselves." Speaking thus, Helu Tian suddenly fell silent.

"??" Xiao Ping inexplicably felt a premonition that He was about to say something earth-shattering.

She did not know whether Helu Tian had gone to consult with other gods; after a long while, He spoke again:

"Seriously estimate, with the current stock of Hidden God's fragments, how many divine bodies can be manufactured?"

(End of Chapter)