Chapter 336: The Grand Plan: Gifts and Sneak Ahead

Every time Wu Chang entered Underground Shelter No. 88, he could clearly sense its changes.

Less than a month had passed since his last visit, yet the entire shelter's aesthetic had shifted entirely.

Previously, the underground shelter existed in the end times, and every design had to prioritize utility.

Whether urban infrastructure, vehicles, or mecha designs, their shapes were brutally rugged, sharply angular.

Colors used were mostly deep, dark, saturated with a sense of decay.

But this time entering the underground shelter, the city's sharp angles had noticeably diminished, replaced by smoother curves.

Numerous buildings and urban facilities had been rebuilt, with brighter hues applied to surfaces, giving the city a vitality that defied the end times.

As before, as soon as Wu Chang entered the underground shelter, He Yun sensed his presence and drove an empty vehicle to pick him up.

Wu Chang boarded the empty vehicle, glanced at He Yun in her white lab coat across from him, and said:

"Young Lady He Yun, you've clearly mastered the essence of my cousin's research."

He Yun looked at Wu Chang in surprise, "You can see traces of those studies in the city planning?"

In her mind, Wu Chang should not have been so attuned to technology.

Wu Chang shrugged and said, "No, I can't see them."

"But I know that if you hadn't made progress in those studies, you'd still be locked in your lab, too busy to come pick me up."

He Yun's lips curled upward, her eyes narrowing as she smiled and asked:

"Still sulking because I ignored you last time?"

Wu Chang snorted, "I'm just stating facts."

The route of the empty vehicle to the research institute had changed; to facilitate movement between the first and second underground levels, He Yun had built a new large passage at the city's center.

On the way to the second underground level, Wu Chang saw numerous shelter residents driving engineering vehicles, streaming in batches through the passage toward the second level.

At first, he assumed the manufacturing base was entering its final sprint phase, working overtime to complete construction.

But upon entering the second underground level, he saw that all planned factory buildings in the manufacturing base had already been completed, and all production lines were already operational.

Wu Chang watched the engineering vehicle convoy drive deep into the second level and asked:

"Where are they going? Expanding the second underground level?"

He Yun said, "No, their task is to build the third underground level."

"Third underground level?" Wu Chang frowned. "Do you need that much space?"

The underground shelter wasn't short on space; even the first level could be divided into suburbs, proving ample living capacity.

Even if they started promoting three children per family now, it would take decades to fill the first level with the current population.

Why was He Yun skipping the second level entirely and starting construction on the third?

Was it to accommodate refugees from other underground shelters?

He Yun looked at Wu Chang and said in a mysterious tone:

"The third underground level isn't for people—it's for a massive project, larger than connecting the Desire Stele to the underground shelter's energy grid."

Wu Chang raised an eyebrow and asked, "Tell me more?"

Connecting the Desire Stele to the underground shelter's energy grid directly triggered a dimensional ascension—macroscopically, it was equivalent to a technological evolution of the dimension.

A project larger than that—what was He Yun planning? To ascend the dimension straight to Abyss Level Three?

He Yun bluntly uttered four words: "Surface Purification."

Wu Chang froze for a moment. When he first gained temporary Administrator privileges and accessed the Administrator's perspective, he had seen the surface of the underground shelter's dimension.

He remembered the scene: a desolate surface covered in ruins, blanketed by a layer of dead gray dust—not mere pollution, but absolute death.

The death of the surface.

For the vast majority of people in the underground shelter dimension, securing enough energy and stable survival was already the limit of their imagination.

Many who had seen the surface didn't even dare whisper those four words—"Surface Purification"—in prayer to the gods, fearing the gods would reply, "Let's talk about your wish to rule the world instead."

Only He Yun hadn't abandoned hope—and had already begun preparing to act.

Damn, this kind of world-altering audacity… somehow looks kind of cool.

"I can only say—you're exactly who I expected."

He Yun smiled and said, "I owe it largely to you. Your cousin, in his attempts to condense divinity through technology, conducted countless experiments and hypotheses that greatly inspired me."

Wu Chang asked curiously, "Can you translate that into something I can understand? Just explain it simply."

He Yun said, "Of course. Come with me to the lab later—I'll show you the details."

The empty vehicle stopped at the central laboratory. Wu Chang looked around and felt the manufacturing base was unusually quiet.

Not only were there far fewer people, but many of the areas once filled with mecha had been emptied.

When he last came here, he'd seen He Yi training mecha pilots nearby—today, they were nowhere to be seen.

He asked casually, "Young Lady He Yun, where's your brother?"

He had become a Martial Arts Master now; this visit also carried the intention of seeking a challenge.

Now he had both the mechanism and the martial techniques—he didn't believe He Yi could still use raw stats to treat him like a punching bag.

He Yun replied, "He took a team out."

"Are those attackers who target underground shelters back again?" Wu Chang frowned.

He remembered He Yun and her brother mentioning a group of dangerous individuals in the underground shelter dimension who specialized in attacking shelters—several shelters near No. 88 had already fallen to them.

They had also set their sights on No. 88, and under their pressure, the shelter's energy demands surged, prompting He Yun to attempt the instance promotion plan.

If they showed up now, they'd be incredibly lucky—there's no sea to be seen in the end times underground shelter; sending them into the Blind Abyss would make them weep with gratitude.

He Yun understood Wu Chang's implication and shook her head:

"Dealing with them is just He Yi's post-meal exercise. After I enhanced his mecha using your cousin's technology, those rats can't even scratch him. Eighty percent of the attack groups targeting the shelter have already been eliminated by him."

"He took the team to the surface primarily to collect samples and record surface data. As for what I'll use them for—you'll see soon enough."

He Yun brought Wu Chang to her laboratory, where a cube-shaped metal container floated atop her workbench.

She poured soil retrieved from the surface into the cube, inserted a fresh flower into it, and within a few breaths, the flower withered completely, turning the same dead gray as the soil and scattering among it.

"Surface soil is severely contaminated—it contains some incomprehensible component. Any living thing introduced into it becomes infected, dies, and is eventually assimilated into it."

Then she pressed a button on the control panel, channeling energy from the Desire Stele into the metal container.

Under the influx of energy, the dead gray within the soil reversed, turning a pale brown.

When she inserted another flower this time, it held out for five minutes before beginning to decay, and only withered and died after nearly fifteen minutes.

More importantly, the withered flower retained its original colors and was not assimilated by the soil.

Wu Chang stared, eyes wide—he clearly saw that He Yun's demonstration was not simply about using energy to kill the contaminated parts of the soil.

She had separated the faith energy from the Desire Stele, infused it into the metal container, and the container condensed that faith energy into something resembling divine power, using it to purify the soil.

In a certain sense, the metal box floating on the workbench was, in essence, a "semi-god."

A manufactured semi-god—this method made Wu Chang think of Schurz's primal weapons and degenerate monsters.

If before, on the empty train, he had joked that He Yun had mastered Schurz's research, now it seemed she had truly grasped its essence.

In the metal container, he saw not only the shadow of primal weapons but also He Yun's own invention: "techno-mysticism."

She hadn't just learned Schurz's work—she had perfectly integrated it into her own knowledge system.

More importantly, how many days had passed since then?

In that time, even with his brain, he couldn't finish a semester's required courses—let alone earn automatic graduate admission.

"How did you do it?"

He Yun explained:

"In your cousin's research, a large portion focused on gods—or rather, a force called divine power."

"This force is extraordinary. I still cannot understand its principles or explain its existence, but it truly behaves like power only a god could wield—capable of nearly anything, depending on the guiding conditions."

"Even the mysterious components in surface soil dissolve under its cleansing."

Wu Chang's expression turned strangely uneasy. The idea of using scientific methods to decipher the principles of divine power sounded absurd, yet somehow, his intuition told him He Yun might actually pull it off.

"So the thing you're building on the third underground level is just a larger version of this metal box?"

He Yun said:

"You can understand it that way."

Wu Chang rubbed his face—he realized He Yun's ceiling was higher than he'd imagined.

"I have a question: the faith energy within the Desire Stele isn't infinite. It's sufficient for the underground shelter for now, but far from enough to purify the surface."

"How do you plan to solve the faith energy problem?"

At the mention of faith energy, He Yun offered a pleading smile and said:

"The project on the third underground level is still just a prototype. To fully realize it, I need your help with two things."

Wu Chang looked at He Yun helplessly. All her earlier setup, her demonstration of surface purification—it had clearly been leading up to this question.

"Fine, what do you want me to do?"

He Yun said:

"First, I need to visit the plane your cousin is in. The birth of technology is deeply tied to its native plane—different living environments, different historical paths, and vastly different technological theories emerge as a result."

"I must see that plane firsthand. Only through systematic study of its technological system can I better understand his research."

Wu Chang grunted. Even the first condition was tricky. He didn't answer directly but asked:

"What's the second?"

He Yun's face flushed slightly with embarrassment:

"The second favor is what you just mentioned—faith energy."

"To gather faith energy, you need to collect faith. I don't understand religion, but you have someone who does—the little girl who's been with you since birth, the one who's essentially a god—I believe her name is Ailin, right?"

"I want her to come to my world and preach, helping me collect faith energy."

Wu Chang sighed. He'd already suspected He Yun would suggest this the moment he mentioned the lack of faith energy.

The favor He Yun wanted was, in fact, one and the same thing.

That was merging the underground shelter into Ailin's grand divine realm—exactly why he had come.

But before he could speak, He Yun had already brought it up.

He wore a troubled expression and said:

"There is a way—but you may not like it."

He Yun asked: "What way?"

Wu Chang briefly explained to He Yun about the grand divine realm he and Ailin were building, and the events in recent planes.

"Just like Gao Mu and the Kingdom of Orgre, if you merge the underground shelter into the grand divine realm, the planes within it will become interconnected."

"Then I can take you to my cousin's plane, and Ailin can absorb faith energy here. But…"

He Yun asked, puzzled: "But what? She doesn't want to come?"

Wu Chang shook his head: "It's not her problem—it's yours. I just said Ailin has strong influence. I'm worried that if she comes to the underground shelter, she'll undermine your position as leader."

He Yun replied dismissively:

"If everyone thinks she's better suited to lead, I'm happy to give her the position."

Wu Chang looked at He Yun curiously—he could tell she meant it.

"You've built this place over so long. You've poured your heart into it, risked your life countless times. Wouldn't you feel resentment if someone else took it from you?"

He Yun said matter-of-factly:

"I seek the ultimate truth of science, not to be a king hiding underground. If her arrival makes this place better and aids my research, that's perfect."

"If you need me to, I can even hide our relationship from her."

Wu Chang couldn't help asking:

"Aren't you jealous?"

He Yun smiled at Wu Chang and replied, "Jealous? Of you, or of the underground shelter?"

Wu Chang's thoughts were exposed; for a moment he felt guilty, then snapped in embarrassment:

"Both."

He Yun stepped before Wu Chang and said slowly:

"I don't do meaningless things. You once said her existence is bound to you—if I say I dislike her, will you give her up for me?"

"Obviously not. And if you truly had to choose between us, I'd lose. Rather than waste energy on a battle I can't win, I'd use your guilt to gain advantages elsewhere."

Wu Chang sighed, "You're openly discussing how to manipulate me—isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

He Yun leaned close to Wu Chang and asked, "Will you feel guilty?"

Wu Chang scratched his head and said, "To be honest, yes—that's why I prepared a gift."

He Yun asked curiously, "What gift?"

Wu Chang took out the Chairman badge of Saint Song Corp, then a ring-shaped piece of deep-sea sunken iron, mounted the badge onto the ring, and slipped it onto He Yun's finger like a ring.

"You gave me the underground shelter, and I never had anything to give back. Wear it—you're now a director of my cousin's company. You'll need it when you go over."

He Yun looked at the badge-ring—more precisely, at the ring itself—and her cheeks flushed slightly:

"Is this your hush money?"

Wu Chang frowned, "What hush?"

He Yun blinked playfully, "The hush money for hiding our relationship."

Wu Chang shook his head, "I never planned to hide any relationship. I did it—I have nothing to deny."

Children pick one. Adults? I want both.

He Yun looked at Wu Chang in surprise and said, "But many people will think your behavior is inappropriate—even Erin."

Wu Chang wrinkled his nose, snapped his fingers—and instantly, a title shimmering with rainbow effects appeared above his head.

"Violator."

He Yun looked up at the colorful characters above Wu Chang—beyond her understanding.

She couldn't grasp what those three characters meant; the strokes forming them seemed to align with the truth of the world, profoundly mysterious.

"'Violator'—what does that mean?"

Wu Chang grinned, "It's proof the world allows me to break rules. My existence is meant to defy every regulation."

He Yun stared at the "Violator" title, smiled, and shook her head, "I think I like this version of you better—the one who wants to break all rules. You just said you did it and have nothing to deny, right?"

Wu Chang dismissed the flashy title above his head and answered instinctively, "Of course."

He Yun pressed close to Wu Chang and whispered, "What did you do?"

"I…" Wu Chang fell silent, mouth open, frozen—right, what had he done?

The next moment, He Yun sealed his lips with a kiss.

After a kiss so deep it nearly choked even Wu Chang, the deep-sea aberration, he gasped for air and asked:

"Wait, aren't we moving a bit too fast?"

He Yun pulled away just long enough to unlock the bedroom's password lock, her tone suggestive: "You're this flustered—and you haven't even made a move on Erin yet?"

Wu Chang said, "I'm a gentleman."

He Yun shoved hard, sending Wu Chang sprawling onto the bed.

"A gentleman? I like that. Since I can't stay by your side like her, isn't it reasonable for the neglected one to sneak ahead a little?"

Wu Chang had no reply, stammering, "I still believe in fair competition."

He Yun shook her head, picked up a tablet from the bedside, and opened a research file.

"Fine. If that's how you feel, I'll just wait for fair competition later."

Wu Chang sat up and grabbed her wrist, laughing nervously, "Actually, it doesn't have to be fair—I'm a Violator."

In the time that followed, Wu Chang felt as if he had returned to the Lost Continent, reliving the state of mind he had when watching the Martial Star Lord's techniques.

Every movement reached the origin of life; through simple yet profound understanding, the theoretical knowledge he'd accumulated over twenty years gradually transformed into practical experience, as if, in a single moment, he had entered the Dao—and heaven and earth had widened.

Practice yields true knowledge. Now he finally understood why Fang Hui had dismissed Old Four's insights in the dorm.

The teacher's lessons weren't wrong—good memory isn't better than bad notes; studying without practicing is useless.

In the great harmony of life, Wu Chang learned much on his journey—and overnight, he became my lord.

Late at night, Wu Chang held He Yun, lost in a sweet dream.

He was about to review the knowledge he'd just gained in his dream—when suddenly, the scene shifted. The full, toned He Yun became a middle-aged man, face caked in blood.

This sudden change jolted Wu Chang awake.

Bad luck—every time I come to the underground shelter, I run into this guy being chased.

(End of Chapter)