Chapter 102

"Oh?"

Lin Qing couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, sizing up Chen Guang. "So certain?"

Chen Guang said slowly: "Before your gene awakening, you already unlocked all third-tier gene abilities of the Celestial Orb Sovereign bloodline, and even cultivated the original 'Zi Zai Shen' to the instinctive level—such potential, the Star Transmission Tower will surely recognize you."

"How do you know I unlocked all third-tier gene abilities of the Celestial Orb Sovereign?" Lin Qing asked, puzzled.

"So you didn't know?" Chen Guang said. "To unlock the core gene ability of any bloodline tier, you must first unlock all other abilities within that tier."

"I see…"

Lin Qing finally understood, shaking his head: "The bloodline evolution method doesn't mention this."

"Most people, even after injecting the bloodline evolution serum and practicing the bloodline evolution method, can only unlock one or two gene abilities," Chen Guang said. "It's not common knowledge—no mention is normal."

Lin Qing nodded in understanding.

"Fortunately, you have the 'Instant Light' ability—otherwise, even fourth-tier gene abilities wouldn't suffice," Chen Guang murmured.

"Luck," Lin Qing also understood this.

His movement speed of dozens of machs was far below one-tenth of even a Patrol Envoy's.

He could achieve this terrifying speed only because Instant Light allowed his body to briefly transform into energy, though during that phase, he couldn't affect reality and could only sustain it for an instant.

Thus, it was only suitable for escape or gaining the initiative.

Lin Qing stood at the entrance of the core control room, observed carefully, confirmed there was no issue, then stepped quickly into the dim core control room, glancing around and finding nothing but equipment and instruments he couldn't understand.

He asked: "Where is the Star Transmission Tower?"

"Look."

Chen Guang tapped a finger against the wall; a metal panel slid slowly aside, revealing a hidden compartment.

Inside the compartment lay stacks of documents.

But no crystal-like tower was found.

"I don't see it?" Lin Qing asked, puzzled.

Chen Guang pointed inside the compartment: "The Star Transmission Tower is embedded within the alloy plate behind it, cast as a single integrated unit, as sturdy as the laser channel—your Formless Edge ability can't damage this grade of alloy."

She glanced at Lin Qing. "But as soon as you approach within about thirty centimeters of the Star Transmission Tower, it will sense you; once it recognizes you as its master, it will immediately dematerialize and merge into your body."

Lin Qing frowned: "If it can merge into the body, why did Dr. Chu Hui go to all this trouble?"

"Father said there are powerful beings in the Urban Zone capable of forcibly scanning inside a person's body—hiding it inside isn't safe enough," Chen Guang said. "That's why he devised this method to conceal the Star Transmission Tower."

Lin Qing understood.

Even if an enemy forcibly broke in and discovered the compartment, they'd assume it was meant to hide these classified documents.

In truth, the Star Transmission Tower was hidden within the alloy plate.

"Clever."

Lin Qing nodded slightly, then sighed: "But I still don't know what the Star Transmission Tower actually does."

Chen Guang said: "The Star Transmission Tower's primary functions are trial and inheritance—to cultivate and select suitable candidates for divine offices."

"Divine offices?" Lin Qing was confused.

"If you were at the Patrol Headquarters, you'd learn these things once you reached the level of Patrol Envoy."

Chen Guang looked at him. "You know, the origin of combat techniques actually comes from stellar evolutionary paths, right?"

"A little," Lin Qing nodded.

Chen Guang said: "These evolutionary paths are, in essence, various 'stellar divine offices.'"

She paused. "For example, my father once held the basic divine office of 'Scholar'; after breaking the gene limit, he assumed the primal-level divine office of 'Gene Prophet'—that's why he achieved such mastery in genetics."

"Scholar? Gene Prophet?"

Lin Qing said with interest: "Who defined these professions?"

Chen Guang shook her head. "I don't know."

"Aren't you the Star Transmission Tower's AI?" Lin Qing glanced at her.

"My creation was solely to guide candidates along the path to divine office."

Chen Guang said: "Any Star Transmission Tower candidate can, at any time, completely erase my consciousness—equivalent to a factory reset—restoring me to initial settings and redefining my appearance. When Dr. Chu Hui acquired me, I was in initial state; he awakened me, gave me a name, designed my appearance, and instructed me to call him Father."

"I see…" Lin Qing understood.

"In short, stellar divine offices are the strongest, most potent evolutionary paths in the cosmos."

Chen Guang said: "On Earth, nearly all combat techniques, cultivation methods, and pharmaceuticals largely originate from the requirements or derivatives of these stellar divine offices."

Lin Qing pondered.

No wonder—after the apocalypse ended, within just a few decades, combat techniques, technological artifacts, and gene technologies had already emerged.

He'd originally thought they came from extraterrestrial civilizations; now it seemed… mostly due to stellar divine offices? "Of course, the Star Transmission Tower is merely for training and refining you."

Chen Guang said: "It cannot grant you direct divine office—it's like a vocational training institution. With it, your chance of obtaining a stellar divine office increases tenfold, a hundredfold."

Lin Qing nodded slightly, grasping the Tower's importance, and asked: "Approaching thirty centimeters is enough for recognition?"

"Yes, just reach your hand into the compartment," Chen Guang said.

Lin Qing hesitated, not rushing to recognize it; instead, he glanced back at the control room door and asked: "How long does recognition take? Should I close the door first?"

He remembered Chen Guang saying that after disabling the laser defense, the control room door would open—and similarly, the laser channel could only restart after the door closed again.

One of the two had to be off at all times.

But he hadn't found the door-closing button.

Also, this side-sliding door couldn't be forcibly shut.

"Can't be closed."

Chen Guang shook her head. "You forcibly breached the laser channel without Father's bio-crystal—you can't take control of the room. But in twenty minutes, the control room door will automatically close, and the laser channel will reactivate."

"So if I'm locked inside, can I open the door from within?" Lin Qing exclaimed.

"It can't be opened either."

Chen Guang said, "You don't have a bio-chip. You can only manually shut off the lasers via the button outside the door; only then will the control room's main door open automatically."

Hearing this, Lin Qing sighed slightly in relief and said, "Then can you control a robot to come over? Let the robot stand within one meter of the door. If the door closes, it can open it for me."

Within one meter of the end of the laser corridor, the lasers won't pass through, so the robot can stay there safely.

"I know. I've already sent a mechanical guard rushing over."

Chen Guang nodded slightly. "When Father first bonded with it, it took only about ten minutes, so it should be about the same. I will help you seal all passages leading to this core control room. Even a high-ranking Inspector would have to exert tremendous effort to force the door open."

"Then I'll begin."

Lin Qing took a deep breath. "No one should be coming. If we're discovered, then we can only..."

If someone approaches this place within the twenty minutes after the laser corridor shuts down, they will definitely be detected.

However, this core control room is located in the center of the second floor of the research institute, and there's no benefit to it, so no one should be coming.

Even if discovered, he was prepared to deal with it.

Lin Qing cleared his mind, walked over immediately, and thrust his hand into the hidden compartment.

An invisible wave spread out. In a daze before his eyes, he saw a palm-sized crystal seven-story pagoda, crystal clear and exquisitely beautiful, with faint points of starlight floating and flickering within.

"Is this the Star-Transmitting Pagoda?"

The next moment, surging starlight suddenly erupted from the Star-Transmitting Pagoda inside the metal plate of the hidden compartment, completely engulfing him.

Lin Qing immediately closed his eyes.

Chen Guang silently watched Lin Qing's state, a hint of excitement appearing in her eyes.

This was the purpose and meaning of her existence. Being able to meet a suitable candidate again had also given her a direction.

"Hmm?"

After a while, Chen Guang suddenly turned her head slightly, looking toward a direction outside the core control room.

That was the 'Animal Breeding Zone,' also the place used to raise those bio-weapons.

After she took over the intelligent system of this underground research institute, she could naturally view the situation in every area within the institute.

Those massive animals in the Animal Breeding Zone were originally locked in cages. It was she who specifically controlled the cages to open and release those massive genetically modified animals, preventing the bio-weapons from being seized.

These animals were products created by Dr. Chu Hui using his professional abilities before his death, even more terrifying than mechanical guards.

But at this moment, she discovered that the bio-weapon had ultimately been obtained by someone.

"Could it be him?"

However, she didn't care about the ownership of the bio-weapon. She had done her best and had not violated Father's orders.

The underground research institute is divided into four floors. This Animal Breeding Zone occupies almost the entire fourth floor, 堪称 the largest area of the institute, with a ceiling height even exceeding sixty meters.

It resembles a true primeval forest, with huge trees growing everywhere.

At this moment, in this Animal Breeding Zone, one could see that massive cages had been opened.

There were huge beasts resembling lions and tigers; there were giant elephants resembling ancient mammoths but ten times larger, their bodies covered in scales; there were massive pythons thicker than water vats, with fierce single horns growing on their heads; and there were huge golden-crowned eagles...

One by one, these massive beasts and birds of prey charged recklessly through this artificial jungle, searching for the humans hiding there.

Behind a patch of concealed grass, dozens of human figures were seen hiding there.

It was none other than that mixed-blood youth from the Vitas family in the urban circle, along with his two bodyguards and five High Inspectors.

At this moment, the five High Inspectors all looked exhausted; one even had a slightly pale complexion and was drinking Zhihe potion, clearly suffering from not-inconsiderable injuries.

The entire group was hiding within the grass, quietly observing the exit not far away.

Everyone had also sprayed a layer of pale white powder on themselves to prevent scent leakage.

At the exit, a huge mammoth was crouching guard. On a tree not far away, a massive python, its color close to that of the tree, was coiled. In the sky, a huge bird of prey resembling a pterosaur was circling.

At a glance, more than ten fierce beasts were lurking just at the exit.

"Dr. Chu Hui's expertise in genetics is indeed extraordinary."

The mixed-blood youth frowned slightly: "They are just some Earth-native creatures mixed with extraterrestrial genes, yet they can gain intelligence and become so fierce and huge? And they are all just food?"

Although they are just food, they are powerful enough.

The High Inspectors who managed to survive until now were almost all elites among High Inspectors. Each of them possessed strength close to his own, but in a one-on-one fight, they might not even be able to defeat any single one of these fierce beasts here.

There was no way. With such a huge disparity in size, human attacks became mere tickling.

"Proceed according to the plan. Next, it will trouble all of you Inspectors."

The mixed-blood youth glanced at the five High Inspectors and said in a deep voice, "Luo Wu has already obtained the bio-weapon. If we cannot eliminate him within the research institute, it will be a huge trouble."

He said earnestly, "I, Feiwen Vitas, on behalf of the Vitas family, guarantee to all of you that I will never forget everyone's help today."

His voice did not spread out; it was transmitted only to the five High Inspectors.

The five High Inspectors showed a hint of joy. Although none dared to speak, they all nodded slightly.

This young master of the Vitas family had a method to control the transmission of sound; they could not do that.

Even though the other party was merely a figure outside the core layer of the Vitas family, to them, that was a person of status higher than an Inspector, with connections, circles, and resources far exceeding their own level.

Having the honor of helping such a great person was an opportunity for them as well.

Naturally, they would not refuse. They even put aside the攻关 of the gene laboratory side to come first and help this young master of the Vitas family.

"Thank you very much." The mixed-blood youth immediately responded with a smile.

Although these so-called High Inspectors, in his eyes, were just lowly commoners destined to become livestock in five years, that didn't stop him from making use of them as waste materials for now.

And he was different. After taking the bio-weapon back this time, his future would be even brighter.

Suddenly—

"Whoosh!"

A human figure suddenly shot out from the depths of the jungle, charging toward the narrow exit of the Animal Breeding Zone.

That was a young and muscular man; at this moment his face was deathly pale, as if he had lost too much blood, and he looked somewhat weak.

It was none other than Luo Wu of the Primitive Research Institute.

The massive mammoth was about to swing its trunk, but it noticed that the figure in front held a scarlet red long staff; the terrifying aura emanating from that staff instantly made it instinctively fearful, and it subconsciously stepped aside. The pterosaur about to dive from the sky also frantically flapped its wings, daring not to approach.

One by one, the huge mutated beasts retreated due to instinctive fear; although they did not fear this human, the human was holding a terrifying existence that they regarded as food.

"As expected!"

Seeing this, Luo Wu glanced at the scarlet red long staff in his hand and, filled with joy, rushed toward the exit ahead.

Just then—

"Act!"

Dozens of figures suddenly darted out from the nearby bushes, charging at Luo Wu simultaneously.

Luo Wu's eyes changed, but facing the assault of so many powerful opponents of similar strength, he dared not engage and could only desperately rush toward the exit of the animal breeding zone.

Fortunately, these huge mutated beasts dared not provoke him; one by one, they turned even more furious and charged at the others.

Five Senior Inspectors gritted their teeth and immediately charged to meet these mutated beasts.

Meanwhile, the mixed-blood youth, accompanied by two bodyguards, took advantage of the Senior Inspectors holding back the fierce wild beasts to chase after Luo Wu and rush toward the exit of the animal breeding zone.

In the blink of an eye, Luo Wu, the mixed-blood youth, and his two bodyguards—four figures—had burst out of the animal breeding zone.

Before the Senior Inspectors could shake off these beasts and escape, a massive python had already coiled around the doorway, which was merely two or three meters high, completely blocking their path.

One by one, the Senior Inspectors sighed inwardly; it seemed they would have to find another opportunity.

However...

According to the plan, this was exactly what they intended to do.

Five minutes later.

"Luo Wu, stop running; you have no chance of leaving."

After chasing all the way to the third floor, the mixed-blood youth looked at Luo Wu, who had stopped ahead, and chuckled softly: "You were already severely injured; even if I gave you a bio-weapon, you couldn't use it. Hand it over, and I'll let you live."

"Zhi Xing Nu, do you think I would believe your words?" Luo Wu's face was deathly pale, yet he still looked mockingly at the mixed-blood youth.

The term 'Zhi Xing Nu' instantly made the mixed-blood youth's expression change slightly; he spoke coldly, "Then die."

He took a deep breath and suddenly emitted a nearly inaudible high-pitched shriek; sharp ultrasonic waves instantly erupted, sweeping over Luo Wu immediately.

Luo Wu was about to act but felt his head spin, his vision went black, and he nearly fainted.

At that very moment, the mixed-blood youth's two bodyguards charged forward simultaneously.

"Get lost!!"

Luo Wu roared in anger and violently swung the scarlet red long staff in his hand.

At the same time, the scarlet red light on the surface of the staff flowed like fresh blood, as if receiving some kind of replenishment; this also made Luo Wu's face turn even paler, and even his black hair began to turn gray at an extreme speed.

Three minutes later.

Luo Wu stumbled along the pristine white floor of the institute's second level; at this moment, his head was covered in white hair, his skin was covered in wrinkles, and he had become utterly weak, like a dying candle in the wind.

He knew he was about to die.

The price of using this semi-finished product bio-weapon was the consumption of life; he was already severely injured, had barely managed to kill the mixed-blood youth's two bodyguards, and after repelling the mixed-blood youth, he had already reached his limit.

But he did not want that bio-weapon to fall into the hands of that Zhi Xing Nu.

So...

He remembered the laser corridor in the institute's core control room; if he threw it into the laser corridor, perhaps the laser corridor could destroy this semi-finished product bio-weapon?

Having used this bio-weapon along the way to break through several doors consecutively, he finally arrived at the central position of this second level.

"Almost there..."

The world before Luo Wu's eyes spun wildly; his vitality was nearly drained, and he could no longer hold on.

Seeing that the laser corridor where the core control room was located was right ahead, his final obsession drove his broken body to continue forcing himself forward.

When he reached the entrance of the laser corridor, he couldn't help but pause in confusion.

"Hmm?"

Luo Wu stared blankly at the dim laser corridor, suspecting that perhaps his vision was failing due to excessive consumption of vitality.

The laser corridor, which had remained bright before, why was it so dim now?

Unable to believe it, he immediately took out a dagger hidden on his person and threw it into the laser corridor.

But with a clatter, the alloy dagger landed inside the laser corridor yet did not trigger any attack from the laser corridor.

How was he supposed to destroy this bio-weapon now? "Whoosh!"

A streak of cold light suddenly flew over, plunging deep into Luo Wu's back, causing blood to spray instantly.

Luo Wu stumbled and immediately fell to the ground; the dark red long staff also slipped from his grasp.

The dark red long staff began to slowly deform, as if about to awaken and become a living creature.

At the same time, a thread of golden silk flew over at extreme speed, stuck to the dark red long staff like spider silk, and sucked it into his hand.

"Haha..."

Amidst the low chuckle, the mixed-blood youth walked out holding the dark red long staff; the dark red long staff instantly began to change drastically, quickly transforming into a rope that looped around his hand.

"Luo Wu, you are truly mad; you dared to use such a semi-finished product bio-weapon?"

The mixed-blood youth looked at Luo Wu lying on the ground and walked over with a smile, "It doesn't matter; I will make it perfect. Thank you for feeding it. You such livestock are only fit to be its food. When I..."

He suddenly stopped, frowning as he looked at the dim laser corridor before him.

He had naturally witnessed the power of this laser corridor, but with his methods, he could not enter, so he had no choice but to temporarily give up.

But he understood in his heart that perhaps the great secret of this institute was hidden within this core control room.

Even if he didn't think a treasure like the Star-Transmitting Pagoda would be hidden here, he had still thought to himself—

What if? And now, this laser corridor had actually shut down? The mixed-blood youth, disregarding Luo Wu who was already on the brink of death, quickly strode to the laser corridor. With a single extension of his hand, a wisp of golden thread flew straight inside.

But this time, it did not trigger the laser's attack.

"The laser corridor has actually shut down? Could there be some problem at the research institute?"

The mixed-blood youth's heart surged with wild joy, and he immediately walked into the laser corridor.

The corridor was merely a dozen meters long; with a few steps, he could already see the core control room.

However—

"Hmm?"

The mixed-blood youth discovered that inside the dim core control room, there was actually a human figure, who seemed to be rummaging through something in a hidden compartment within the wall.

Although the nanomachines within his body could not connect to external signals, he still recognized the person at a glance: this was the small Patrol Captain who had been beside Inspector Tang earlier.

At that time, he had also glanced at the data for this small Patrol Captain.

What was his name again?

Oh right... it was 'Lin Qing'? The mixed-blood youth relaxed slightly and spoke: "Patrol Captain Lin Qing? How did you get in?"

In the dimness, Lin Qing turned his expressionless face toward the mixed-blood youth, then revealed a look of surprise, and immediately said: "It's the young master of the Vitas family? I don't know what happened either. As soon as I arrived, I found this laser corridor was shut down, so I came in to search, and discovered this hidden compartment."

He hesitated for a moment, then took out the documents from the hidden compartment and respectfully said: "Young Master Vitas, these seem to be the confidential files of this research institute. I am willing to present them all to you."

"Oh?"

The mixed-blood youth smiled and shook his head: "No need. I have no interest in these. You take them; I'll just search a bit more."

Lin Qing exclaimed with joy: "Thank you, Young Master Vitas."

The mixed-blood youth smiled and hummed in acknowledgment.

Yet in his heart, a spark of killing intent arose: "This commoner... the laser corridor shutting down so strangely, and he just happens to appear here? Never mind, it doesn't matter... What if he really has the Star-Transmitting Pagoda on him? Killing him will tell."

To him, a mere city patrol captain from outside the metropolitan circle was no different from an ant by the roadside.

Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, he could not let it pass! Trampling a single ant casually in exchange for a one-in-ten-thousand chance of winning the jackpot—who would not be willing? The mixed-blood youth maintained his smile, watched Lin Qing walk out of the core control room, and began to gather his strength.

Just at that moment—

A pale green light suddenly bloomed. In the flash of that light, he was horrified to discover that Lin Qing had already appeared before his eyes!

Within those cold pupils lay nothing but inhuman pale green.

Immediately, he felt his body grow light, as if he were flying, and only then did he see a headless body gushing blood wildly.

"How is this possible? This commoner..."

The face of the mixed-blood youth's flying head was filled with fear, and his eyes held a trace of shock.

Then, he lost consciousness.

In an instant, Lin Qing and the mixed-blood youth passed each other, and then Lin Qing turned his head back with cold eyes for a glance.

And before his eyes, two lines of prompts were slowly vanishing.

【Order Level decreased by 1.9 levels】

【Order Level increased by 1.9 levels】

"I did nothing, yet you still wanted to kill me?"

Lin Qing's heart was ice-cold: "You thought I wouldn't dare kill you? Just a small figure from a metropolitan family?"

No matter how well he pretended, he could not hide the change in Order Level.

Since the other party wanted to kill him, he naturally struck first.

"As for what comes next..."

Lin Qing glanced at the mixed-blood youth's corpse.

"The Senior Patrol Captains are still in the animal breeding area on the fourth floor." Chen Guang's voice sounded in his mind, "You have enough time to act."

Lin Qing said nothing; he simply picked up the suppressed crimson biological weapon, dragged the mixed-blood youth's corpse, kicked the head out of the corridor with one foot, and then walked outside the laser corridor.

Outside the laser corridor, the dying Luo Wu lay on the ground, staring somewhat dazedly at the mixed-blood youth's head rolling to his feet, and could not help but look up at Lin Qing.

Lin Qing casually tossed the mixed-blood youth's corpse in front of him and asked: "From the Primitive Research Institute?"

"Yes." Luo Wu looked at Lin Qing with strange eyes and asked: "Did you kill him?"

"Yes." Lin Qing said: "I know you are about to die. Is there any way to save you?"

Luo Wu fell silent for a moment, then shook his head: "My life force is exhausted; there is no saving me."

"That's good."

Lin Qing nodded slightly and said: "I know he forced you to your death. Can you do me a favor?"

Luo Wu smiled; on his pale, withered face, the smile was brilliant: "I understand your meaning. That Zhi Xing Nu was killed by me, Luo Wu. I would be more than happy."

"Do you have any last wishes?" Lin Qing asked.

"Speaking them out means nothing; they cannot be fulfilled anyway." Luo Wu shook his head. "I just want freedom; I don't want to be a slave..."

"Who wants to be a slave?" Lin Qing casually handed him the biological weapon and said: "You still seem quite spirited; you should still have the strength to set up the scene, right?"

"Enough."

Luo Wu looked at the mixed-blood youth's corpse before him, activated his remaining mysterious energy, transformed the crimson biological weapon into a long staff, and then, with his last strength, smashed the head and neck into meat paste, splashing blood everywhere, crushing even a biological crystal chip into powder along with it.

Only then did he lie down weakly and begin to quietly await death.

Lin Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

This way, when those five Senior Patrol Captains came searching, they would believe that Luo Wu was the one who killed the mixed-blood youth, exhausting his last life to perish together with him.

And the blood inside the laser corridor would be cleaned up once the laser corridor restarted.

Then, let Chen Guang clear all the surveillance records of the entire research institute and shut down the monitoring.

"I'm leaving." Lin Qing looked at Luo Wu. "Go to sleep."

"Good." Luo Wu revealed a faint smile. "I haven't had a dream in a long time. This dream will surely be long; I hope it is a pleasant one."

"Sweet dreams."

Lin Qing gave him one last look before turning and departing.

(End of this chapter)