Chapter 209: Even the Ultimate Cannot Escape Disaster

Mountain‑top Cave Monster: Master, how long does a fight usually take between strongmen of your level?

Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: You mean Yin Shenli? It'll probably take two or three days.

Mountain‑top Cave Monster: Huh? Master, how did you know?

Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Because she's live‑streaming; she said she'd rest a bit and continue fighting, and she just went online now.

Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le sent you a link.

Wang Wu was originally quite melancholy, or rather quite worried—worried about his master's safety, worried that she might lose, worried about many things.

Until he clicked into his master's live‑stream room.

"Family, click follow, click follow, I'm about to kill that ugly monster on the other side for you. Look, look at this monster—though it's called a monster, it looks so ugly, not at all like my disciple, so I think this guy definitely isn't a monster."

"Family, send more gifts, watch me kill him outright!"

This is master Yin Shenli's live‑stream room, hosted on the Doulu Platform. She has done a few streams before, but only rarely and briefly, with few viewers.

Mostly it's some of her sect's disciples watching. As the head of the Yin Extreme Divine Sect, Yin Shenli is extremely popular within the sect, because she is both powerful and has outstanding looks and temperament.

Although her looks aren't at the monster‑level that Wang Wu's group has, they're already top‑tier.

Moreover, to be honest, once appearance reaches a certain level, there's no real superiority in facial features; she has monster‑level looks, just perhaps a bit lacking in some aspects.

But for the overwhelming majority of disciples of the Yin Extreme Divine Sect, what attracts them most about head Yin Shenli is definitely her formidable strength.

After all, people join a sect to practice martial arts, not to join just to see a beautiful female head.

When Wang Wu saw Yin Shenli, with only half a face left, speaking energetically into the stream, his lingering anxiety finally eased.

So Wang Wu began watching the stream, and on the side went back to the prison, found Yuan Xiangzi and brought her out.

Half an hour later, it must be said the monster opposite was cooperating, letting Yin Shenli fight him for a while before stopping, then spouting nonsense into the phone's live‑stream.

After the nonsense ended, the human and the monster resumed fighting.

Today is a very special day for Yin Shenli; it's clear she's in a great mood. The current viewer count probably already exceeds the total number of viewers from all her previous streams combined.

This is a world‑shaking battle of Fuyu‑level formidable strongmen, a genuine fight with real weapons, flesh flying, life‑and‑death combat, completely unlike the fake battles in virtual space.

Although it isn't a true life‑or‑death skirmish, before the fight Qiong Ji regained his senses; he doesn't really intend to settle matters with this woman, since there's no real grievance and he's no fool.

"What trash, you can fight this kind of opponent for so long, you still call yourself a Fuyu master? Truly damn garbage."

At that moment, Wang Wu was about to send a bullet comment to cheer his master, when he suddenly caught sight of this comment.

Even though bullet comments don't show usernames, for some reason, the instant he saw the comment, Wang Wu thought of someone.

Indeed, it was his benefactor, the man who gave him legitimate protective power in this world—the number‑one assassin.

Wu Yun.

Even though these guys are petty, money‑obsessed, vengeful, and sell things at exorbitant prices, Wang Wu still feels deeply grateful to him.

After all, that also counts as a life‑saving favor—the technique.

Even though it was merely the external version of the Extreme Heaven Vajra Gate technique found online, the kind anyone can download for free.

At that time Wang Wu's internet was unstable and many things couldn't be found; without him, Wang Wu might not have obtained the technique so quickly.

"Ch…"

When he saw that comment, Wang Wu couldn't help but smile knowingly.

"Wh—what's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

The voice of Yuan Xiangzi came from ahead; Wang Wu put down his phone, looked at her, smiled, then pinched her nose.

"It's fine, you eat yours."

In the stream, the battle continued; because the broadcast is open to everyone, the combat speed can be adjusted, allowing all viewers to see every detail of their fight.

As for why a single phone can directly film a fight between two Fuyu‑level strongmen so clearly, isn't that what a camera does? Moreover, Yin Shenli's phone is very expensive.

What's the pixel count? Wang Wu can't recall, just that it's high. Besides, his master's phone doesn't even have a 'pixel' notion; a single photo can basically be enlarged infinitely.

He also forgot the exact brand; Wang Wu's own phone, having traveled with him from his hometown, has apparently evolved into the same model used on Earth by master Yin Shenli.

The phones there were produced on a manufacturing line from the Human Empire era; as for design, the first phone's design was entrusted to the city's master‑control AI—yes, the master‑control AI.

The AI is the highest administrator of a city after the Human Empire's fall. Although New Humans hold ultimate authority to shut it down at any time and can intervene in its policies.

Each city has a supreme master‑control AI, she or he overseeing every aspect of the city. These master‑control AIs are self‑aware 'Awakened Machines', as Old Humans used to call them.

Old Humans, though delusional, treated robots differently from other civilizations at the time; in the Old Human Empire, robots with self‑awareness held the same status as other Old Humans.

This naturally includes the master‑control AIs of each city.

Having an AI with emotions and a soul manage every facet of a city sounds like a questionable idea.

Yet the Human Empire's several‑hundred‑million‑year history has shown that it's actually a good idea.

It remains so today, with no change.

Of course, New Humans and Old Humans still have obvious differences, even though the AI sees no distinction. For example, Old Humans generally dislike moving the moon… ahem… they're better at handling and commanding AI.

Even diligent rulers like Lord Wu He of Yun Guang City delegate many tasks to the AI while they themselves only propose and draft policies, then let the AI review and suggest revisions.

As for trivial matters, various lawsuits and civil disputes, they're basically handled by the city AI, whose mediation far surpasses that of human mediators.

It sounds as if New Humans have become giant infants who have everything handed to them, leaving everything except fighting to the AI; in fact, that's largely true… ahem, of course it's not actually so.

AI certainly can't replace humans in every aspect; if everything were left to AI, a lot of idle people in the city would start causing trouble.

Old Humans perished because of this; as the last surviving sprouts of human civilization, the AI in every city is extremely strict toward the humans within its city.

You must find something to do; you can also do nothing, just lounge, eat, drink, and indulge all day.

But absolutely, absolutely, absolutely must not spend idle days shouting for battle and killing.

One must not repeat the Old Humans' mistakes.

Fortunately, New Humans are relatively less delusional.

This also reassures the master‑control AIs of the major cities.

The information channels between cities within the Solar System are mutually open, and city AIs also communicate with each other.

Even though they have self‑awareness and a soul, robots and humans still have obvious differences. Their greatest difference lies in how they handle matters and in their thought patterns.

In terms of "innovation," robots—or rather AI—are indeed slightly weaker than humans.

The battle between Yin Shenli and Qiong Ji was extremely fast, yet it still could not determine a winner. This also made Wang Wu more curious about that strangely ugly demonic race.

This guy doesn't look like much, but his strength is indeed there, and he doesn't seem weaker than the master, does he?

He still remembers that at the time the master looked down on this person, thinking that the guy wouldn't be his opponent,

When one's strength reaches the level of Yin Shenli and Qiong Ji, if neither side's power exceeds the other's by much, the battle is destined to last a fairly long time.

Because you first have to deplete the opponent's stamina bar, break their defense, and only then can you start attacking their health bar.

As for the length of that health bar? That's something you can decide.

When strength reaches their realm, both the health‑bar length and the defense are astonishing.

The New Humans' martial civilization is only about a thousand years old, yet in such a short span it has reached a level that would normally require ten million years of development, showing that New Humans are indeed exceptionally gifted and strong.

Nevertheless, the Wind Nation is a star‑system‑level demonic race civilization that has developed for ten million years—a transcendent civilization. If it were so easily crushed by Yin Shenli's two‑thousand‑year martial civilization, that would be hard to accept.

"Ha ha! Die!!!"

At that moment, Wang Wu's phone rang with Yin Shenli's insanely frantic voice.

"Annihilate! The cosmos!"

The law of entropy increase shows that the universe's evolution depends on the flow and transformation of energy; a static system will tend toward Heat Death.

The universe exists because of motion, and continues because of motion.

When everything falls into stillness, it also means the end of all things.

The cultivation method of the Yin Extreme Divine Sect primarily practices Mysterious Yin; by stereotype, Yin should be associated with softness, coldness, and extreme chill.

But at this moment, even though separated by a screen, Wang Wu still felt heat, that…

He finds it hard to say what it is; it should be heat, at least his perception tells him it must be "heat".

Yet at the same time, he also has an indescribable feeling.

Um, this feeling might also be linked to some sensations in his body right now… um, never mind, that's digressing.

But one thing he can be certain of is:

On the other side of the screen lies ultimate silence, extinction, and nothingness.

In an instant, Wang Wu's mind jolted; amid the simultaneous burst of body and brain, a word flashed in his thoughts:

"Heat Death"

When entropy in the universe reaches its maximum, all other usable energy will be fully converted into heat; all matter's temperature reaches thermal equilibrium, and no energy remains to sustain motion or life.

This is the end of everything.

When Heat Death arrives, all life forms that depend on energy gradients inevitably perish, spacetime collapses, and the universe falls into eternal stillness.

When everything no longer flows and falls into stagnation, time naturally loses its meaning.

At this moment, not only the universe on the screen but also Wang Wu beyond the screen is likewise stuck in stagnation.

"Guh… um!"

It wasn't until a full three minutes later that his stalled thoughts began to turn again.

"Cough! Cough cough! Cough!"

The one coughing isn't Wang Wu; it must be someone next door. Who could it be? Hard to guess.

The screen in front of him kept flashing bullet comments nonstop from just now until now; several times the familiar comments appeared. Though the words differed, Wang Wu could instantly tell they came from the same person.

Who is it? So hard to guess.

Wang Wu can be certain that the universe within the livestream's screen has already entered a terminal state.

And this terminal state is the so‑called "Heat Death".

Yet in such an environment, Wang Wu saw two things still in "motion".

One was Yin Shenli, the other was Qiong Ji.

Relative to life itself, when they reached the stage of Yin Shenli and Qiong Ji, they also attained a level called "Transcendence".

It is neither existence nor "non‑existence".

Even in a realm where all differences vanish and meaning loses its ground, amid ultimate annihilation, they still move freely.

And this also made Wang Wu think of other things.

Namely the "Three Calamities" and "Eight Difficulties" he had previously only briefly learned about in this universe.

Even a "life" that has reached this level cannot escape one layer of the "Demon Calamity" among the three.

Could this be something more terrifying than Heat Death?

Wang Wu doesn't know, nor can he explain.

He only knows that the outcome is still undecided.

(End of chapter)