Chapter 985

After entering the conference room, Fang Yue scanned the room and saw the chairmen's tense, forced calm expressions.

What are they plotting again?

A flash of cold light passed through Fang Yue's eyes, gone in an instant.

At that moment, the General Chairman Jiang Wanchun spoke.

"Fang Yue, I heard you want to cross the passage with your bare body to reach that world. But according to our knowledge, this method is impossible."

Jiang Wanchun didn't waste time; he immediately projected a virtual image, releasing their internal data and footage.

In the footage, there was an open space, and in the center floated a crack in the air.

Like a smooth mirror struck by a pebble, leaving behind a strange, unsettling mark.

This is the passage.

Then, the experiment began.

First, small animals like white mice were driven by Joint Association researchers into the passage—and were instantly shredded to death, leaving almost no remains.

Next came a sped-up montage: as the Weirdness Line increased, the test animals progressed from cockroaches and rats to cats, dogs, domestic pigs, monkeys, apes, tigers, and elephants.

When the accelerated footage returned to normal playback speed, the virtual image showed human experiments.

One researcher volunteered to be the first test subject; subtitles displayed his identity.

"Su Lanmei, 55 years old, graduated from Xing Yan University in Huaguo, ranked first in the Xing Yan Award and the Wancai Award during school, joined the Jianghai First Research Institute of Huaguo after graduating with outstanding results… Outstanding scientist, linguist, materials scientist of Huaguo…"

Row upon row of honors, like medals laid for martyrs, were officially recorded.

As the subtitles appeared, the researcher donned a thick, heavy protective suit—obviously designed with multiple functions: blocking pathogen intrusion, resisting blade wounds, reducing bullet impact, and more.

But when the researcher named Su Lanmei stepped into the two-meter-wide passage entrance, he was shredded.

In an instant, his body was twisted into a knot, reduced to hundreds of fragments.

Blood splattered across the surveillance screen, the image went black, and the subtitles ended abruptly.

Undoubtedly, this was one of the most memorable probes in history—a pit dug with the life of a great man.

When facing the unknown, humanity, in its utter desperation, often carves a path forward step by step with such primitive methods.

Humanity's current advancement proves this method's feasibility—yet the number of lives sacrificed has been far too great.

After Su Lanmei's death footage ended, a row of data appeared.

"Torque 100000 Mei, Rotational Speed 100000 Mei, Kinetic Energy 100000 Mei… I miss my grandson…"

Seeing this image, Fang Yue froze.

"What is this?" he asked Jiang Wanchun.

The latter sighed, paused the playback, and replied: "Fang Yue, why do you think we agreed to let such an outstanding researcher risk himself?"

"…To collect data?"

"Half right. Strictly speaking, we initially sent condemned prisoners to probe the 【Otherworld Passage】, but gained zero information—everyone died instantly upon contact, leaving us helpless. At that time, Researcher Su Lanmei proposed a hypothesis."

"What hypothesis?"

Jiang Wanchun looked at Fang Yue: "Human thought is faster than physical reaction. The more willing one is to think, the smarter one is, the more active the mind, the faster information travels."

Fang Yue's expression changed—he began to understand.

"So, Researcher Su Lanmei had us add a brain-monitoring device to the protective suit and established a new unit standard—Mei."

"One Mei equals the current human technological limit for rotational speed, torque, and kinetic energy."

"He succeeded. As a scientist, he kept his brain active even at the moment of death, using detection equipment to feed us data."

"Then he died—for all of humanity."

Jiang Wanchun gave a self-deprecating smile: "The human body is amazing, isn't it?"

"…I deeply admire him," Fang Yue said after a pause.

Jiang Wanchun shook his head slightly, said nothing, and continued.

"Current technology has detected forces ten thousand times the measured limit. Do you know what that means?"

"…Touch it and you die."

"No—it's Zhenjiu. The maximum torque we've recorded exists only in labs, powered by maximum nuclear fission energy—the strongest torque we've ever achieved. We call that… one Mei. That kinetic energy? One Mei of kinetic energy. Now you understand."

According to Su Lanmei's feedback data, the 【Otherworld Passage】 generated a force one hundred thousand times greater than one Mei—in an instant.

This gap of Zhenjiu made us fully believe the Cheater's claims—and we deployed Weird Objects en masse. In a sense, Su Lanmei's death marked the true beginning of our war against that world!

Fang Yue frowned.

"That doesn't make sense. I remember the passage opening was only two or three months ago…"

"Two or three months ago?"

Jiang Wanchun grinned, his smile dark: "It was much, much earlier than you think. But that's not the point. What you need to understand is this: crossing the passage means certain death."

As he spoke, Jiang Wanchun resumed the footage.

This time, they sent in prisoners wearing different protective suits. Occasionally, subtitles appeared—indicating researchers. But no matter how the suits changed… the measured values kept rising as the 【Otherworld Passage】 expanded!

"Using Su Lanmei's death data as the baseline—setting it as zero—current 【Otherworld Passage】 power is now a hundred million times greater! And according to recent detection, this number keeps surging: rising every second, every minute, tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold, as the Weirdness Line climbs and the passage grows!"

"That's no longer something humanity can comprehend."

"That's why I say your idea of smuggling yourself across is suicide."

Jiang Wanchun delivered his final verdict, and the virtual image went dark.

Though the Joint Association has many conflicts with Fang Yue, in research, it is far beyond the capability of any lone individual like him.

It is the power of an entire nation!

Honestly, seeing these results, these research figures, even Fang Yue himself wavered.

He had indeed gained immense power in Lan Hai World, growing strong enough to stand just one step away from the legendary Rain Level.

But… had he truly become strong enough to cross a spatial rift?

According to legend, only immortals could shatter the veil of space, right? He was merely a high-level Cloud Realm cultivator…

I have to admit, Fang Yue retreated.

But the face that reappeared in his mind made him catch his breath.

When he looked up again, his gaze had grown resolute.

"I'll give it a try."

I have a Strange Spirit Root—I possess something with the same nature as the strange ones. I have a chance to cross that nearly impossible barrier!

Recommend a book, *The Emperor*, Old Wang's new novel, a veteran author, unquestionably good.

Synopsis:

Returned to the late Ming dynasty, reduced to slavery.

If an emperor can be a beggar, a Jian slave, a rebel bandit, why not a household servant?

(End of chapter)