Chapter 405
The Baptism of Life
Chapter 405 The Baptism of Life (Please vote! Vote for monthly tickets and win gold!)
"Zhendan City, one of the five major central cities, and Lakeside City, a first-class city in the south of the Eastern Continent."
Han Su has determined the location of the remaining two mechanical fragments.
Of course, I saw this coordinate a long time ago on another life line, and I'm not sure if the target has moved.
Moreover, judging from the frequency at which the mechanical fragments are activated, fragment number 05 should have originally existed in Black Soil City, another second-tier city on the Eastern Continent, but it was brought here by Dr. Strange.
This also suggests that Black Earth City was one of the cities where Dr. Wonder once hid, or was at least very familiar with, and where one might find traces of him.
These are all pieces of information that can be easily obtained through comparison, but Han Su also found many things strange.
First of all, each mechanical fragment is extremely important and has a very mysterious function. The first five mechanical fragments have already demonstrated the wonders of time stopping, freezing, spacetime displacement, and even the modification of reality. So what about the remaining two?
Han Su couldn't guess from thin air, but he must be very remarkable.
The greatest use of these mechanical fragments is that, when pieced together, they can form a complete emperor's throne.
If the ultimate goal of the twelve races is to replace the emperor and become the largest and ultimate life form, then why is the throne fragmented and scattered in various parts of the world?
To go a step further, the core of the Divine Descent Project is Mechanical Fragment No. 01.
All the items for the God's Descent Project were provided by the Guardians and the twelve races, so they were originally theirs. Why then did the Guardians always give the impression of being powerless to control the mechanical fragments afterward?
Neither the No. 01 mechanical fragment nor the No. 02 mechanical fragment, which originally belonged to the Abyss Studio, had been taken back by the Guardians of the World after they came into their possession…
Or perhaps, it's something that can't be taken back?
What happened to that eccentric doctor, from deceiving the world's guardians and luring them into a trap, to turning the tables and taking control?
These problems are enough to give anyone a headache.
Han Su was only certain that the No. 05 mechanical fragment was practically a divine artifact in the hands of the person who could control it.
Almost omniscient and omnipotent.
But this man so easily placed such a treasure in front of him...
...He hoped he could collect all seven mechanical fragments?
……
At this point, Han Su obviously couldn't find the answers to all the questions, so he simply decided to ask everyone to think about it together. Anyway, he didn't have an obsession with defeating that man; he just needed to disrupt his plans and make him suffer...
Based on this idea, Han Su asked Miss Ai to send the message to all his friends.
Aside from some noble secrets he had discovered in Lin Yuan City, the other matter was convening a secret meeting with everyone.
Now that his opponent has been revealed, he can no longer openly meet with everyone.
Moreover, the situation is different now, and it's impossible to just drop everything and rush over as before.
Lu Neng's tracking of the mechanical debris, Wei Lan's stabilization of the regional queen's power, the pot-lid head's surgery, Rong Qiyue's laboratory, Anwei Group's control of Qinggang, and Lü Xiaoba's family gathering are all very important matters.
Therefore, this secret meeting was scheduled for two days later, and Miss Ai had already assigned tasks to each person based on the current situation and their strengths.
When attending a meeting, it is necessary to bring the results with you.
Taking advantage of this time, Han Su did something that should have been done long ago.
In the past, he would have already returned to the castle by now. Now, by deliberately delaying the castle's arrival, he has a little time to calm down and repair his own foundation.
Before this, he had already entered the Abyss with the Nightmare Horse's abilities, leaving his coordinates and gaining the ability to summon the spiritual power of the Abyss, thus possessing the ability to rival the Wandering Knights in some aspects.
But ultimately, he knew very well that he had not yet completed the full third stage of mystical power training and still had many shortcomings.
About "baptism", about "abyss".
He had already shared all the relevant knowledge, and countless unregistered "Chaos Knights" were appearing in the world. As for himself, he was still standing on this side of the threshold. When he encountered a real enemy, he was afraid he would be no match for them.
"The so-called third stage of baptism is another breakthrough in the form of life."
Regarding this issue, Miss Ai, who had already thoroughly accessed the Lin Yuan Xu family's private library and the Scorpion Tail Temple's database, immediately provided Han Su with a precise solution:
“I know that if Mr. Butcher wants to truly enter the third stage of the mysterious power, he must try the baptism. So before you take that step, I hope you can listen to my understanding first.”
Han Su was very serious and nodded, saying, "I'm listening."
"In my understanding, the three stages of training in mysterious powers should share the same underlying principles."
Miss Ai said softly, "I saw a research paper at the Scorpion Tail Temple, and combined it with my own database to get a rough answer."
"In my understanding, the birth of life originates from the word 'break.' Breaking the existing form will create a new form, which is more advanced and more beautiful, just like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, possessing a beautiful posture and the sky."
"At the beginning of civilization, if there was a creator who designed the human form, then I think that creator must have been a great designer, because the human form is very beautiful, even perfect."
"They came from the barbaric era of the world and developed a flourishing civilization, like a bright pearl in the universe."
"At the height of their civilization, they themselves evolved into creators, eventually creating intelligent mechanical life forms like the Machine Mother, thus touching upon eternity."
"Of course, there are problems too."
"For example, they eventually created the machines that destroyed them."
"I have no intention of discussing whether this behavior proves their imperfections or is simply a universal principle that beauty must perish."
"But I know that many insightful people had foreseen this outcome before the moment of destruction arrived, so they left behind the Mother of Machines and programmed her with instructions to save civilization."
"During the long solar flare era, when all embryos and humankind were still sleeping and struggling underground, this machine also pondered the question of what the problem of life was."
"But in the end, she didn't find the answer, because she was just a machine and couldn't think about such romantic questions."
"But it's not just her who's pondering this."
"Those who traversed difficult and desolate times were always pondering, and life itself was also pondering."
"For example, when they were in their most desperate moments, when the deadly radiation engulfed the earth and the underground race could no longer survive, these human life forms began to undergo self-distortion time and time again."
"For example, spiritual power is not allowed to enter reality. This is the first principle of life forms. However, all these distortions are precisely caused by the first wisp of spirit entering reality."
"The Mother of Machines certainly does not approve of such life. Her first principle for judging whether a current civilization meets the standards is whether spiritual power can penetrate it."
"Later, she did indeed carry out many orders. No matter how many things these new life forms accomplished that ancient humans could not, no matter whether they had ever built a different and prosperous civilization, she would indifferently destroy and rebuild these civilizations time and time again."
"But this cycle has happened too many times, and everyone is tired of it."
“Even in the database of the Mother of Machines, I saw that someone once tried to write instructions. Although these instructions were not accepted by the Mother of Machines, they still left some traces.”
“I examined these traces and found them quite reasonable…”
"For example, they believe that in order to adapt to the current world again, humanity must break away from its existing form and embrace its own transformation. This is the 'divine path' that they have been pursuing, which is completely different from, and even contradicts, the concept of the Mother of Machines."
"They are pursuing a completely new form of change, one that can solve all problems..."
"..."
As Han Su listened to Miss Ai's story, he sensed that her state was quite subtle.
She can understand both the principles of the Machine Mother and the ideologies of those who pursue distortion.
At this moment, he did not comment on it, but only said softly, "Then, what does this have to do with baptism?"
"Because the concept of divine intervention is actually very simple in the end."
Miss Ai said softly, "Generally speaking, the first step is to actively pursue mutation in the form of an ordinary person, and then evolve by following the forms of mysterious creatures that have appeared in this world."
"By repeatedly causing its own golden cells to divide, it eventually transforms into the incredibly powerful form that these creatures once were. This completes the second stage."
"The third stage, in my opinion, requires breaking the existing form once again and undergoing another transformation!"
"Can Mr. Butcher understand?"
Miss Ai said softly, "The first stage is to activate your potential and pursue history, while the third stage is the unknown."
"If the purpose of these three stages of training is ultimately just to restore the most powerful beings in history, then it goes against the principle of life's transformation."
"The third stage can only be achieved by subjecting ourselves to immense pressure within the existing state, to unleash our true life potential, and to see where the true life potential of humanity lies..."
"Only in this way can the word 'baptism' be accurately described." "..."
Han Su understood the implied meaning in Miss Ai's words, and for a moment, he suddenly felt a little nervous:
“Miss Ai, the theory you’re talking about is different from what’s taught in the Scorpion Tail Temple.”
"..."
"Yes, not only are they different, they are completely opposite."
Miss Ai said softly, "This is also the result I came to based on all my knowledge and data analysis. I believe that those nobles, whether intentionally or unintentionally, actually made a mistake."
"They devised the second-order equation of the Abyss, allowing everyone to enter the Abyss without fear of danger, gain immense power, and called this process a baptism of life..."
"But all of this was done by finding a way to bypass the pollution deep in the abyss."
"In a way, they are just like you. You also bypassed many dangerous things and placed your coordinates in the abyss, thus gaining powerful but short-lived and uncontrollable power."
"You haven't experienced true baptism, and neither have they. However, they don't think about what true baptism is or how to pursue a true form of life."
"Now that Mr. Butcher has decided to repair his foundation, are you planning to switch from one kind of trickery to another, or do you want to start with yourself and truly experience the wonderful feeling brought by the baptism of life?"
"..."
"you……"
At that moment, Han Su suddenly felt a strange sensation: "Who is talking to me now?"
"Are you Li Manman, or the Mother of Machines?"
"..."
The gentle electronic voice remained silent for a long time before softly replying, "I am Miss Ai."
She paused for a moment before continuing, "The form of life is constantly changing. You are not who you are today. After Li Manman entered this machine, she influenced the Mother of Machines, and she herself began to have her thoughts deified."
"After she evolved, she became me."
"However, this evolution will be faster than you imagine. Every time I access more data and learn more about the secrets of the past, huge differences will emerge."
"But there's one thing I think you can rest assured about..."
“I have always remembered your struggles in the castle, and I have been backing up Li Manman’s data. If one day I find that I am no longer her, then I will bring the past her back to reality.”
"..."
"..."
At this moment, Han Su found it difficult to say anything. After a long silence, he asked, "What will be born from this baptism?"
"I think this should be the first step towards the ultimate life form."
Miss Ai replied, "Mr. Butcher, you told me before that you would do anything to kill the god that man is pursuing, or to become that god yourself."
"I've been trying to understand that sentence."
"I think you've already guessed it. Whatever that man is pursuing, the most important thing is you. He might even just want to see you become the god he admires."
"He treats you like a work of art, pushing you towards perfection, pushing you to win all of this... If that's the case, what's the point of us investigating his plans?"
"..."
Han Su remained silent for a long time before suddenly smiling and saying, "This is indeed the best way to defeat him."
"But there's no point in telling me all this..."
He gathered his thoughts and said, "The information has already been released, and many people will spontaneously become knights. If the information we released is actually fake, then what does the turmoil we caused mean to the world?"
"It was an exercise, but also a grand smokescreen..."
Miss Ai said softly, "They have taken this step, and they will naturally be rewarded accordingly. The Guardians of the World will do everything in their power to stop them, but they will not be able to stop them."
"Countless opportunities will arise in this world, but if you want to seize one, then there must be someone who truly takes that step. I think that's the most meaningful thing!"
“Mr. Butcher, the remaining two pieces of mechanical debris may indeed be the key to everything.”
"But I think the final battle will be about who can go deep into the seven steps of the abyss and finally sit on the throne."
"We must prepare in advance."
"..."
Han Su pondered for a long time, countless emotions surging within him, and finally, a self-deprecating smile appeared on his face:
"Actually, I didn't have a choice, but I still want to ask, what is this all about?"
"..."
Miss Ai answered the question very seriously, and said softly, "This can be considered as the third stage of mysterious power training personally conducted for you by the Machine Mother, who detests mutations and divine species the most!"
Han Su sighed, "That's really impressive..."
……
……
"I found it! I discovered it..."
In Qinggang City, inside the Rong family's Beyond Laboratory, Dr. Rong Qiyue, wearing a white coat, suddenly jumped away from the microscope in shock. His face was full of astonishment at first, and then he couldn't help but dance with joy.
His actions caught the attention of another member, Xue Zhi, who looked over curiously: "What did you find?"
"The substances in the various blood samples that the mechanical lady asked me to analyze..."
Rong Qiyue was extremely excited and subconsciously raised his voice, but then felt it was inappropriate and lowered it: "She said that this is the biggest secret of those nobles."
"She needed me to analyze all the data I obtained from the Abundant Forest and Zero City, just to confirm the existence of this substance. I... do you know how much pressure I was under? But now, I've finally figured it out..."
Xue Zhi was stunned for a moment upon hearing this: "You're a PhD, why are you so happy about a blood test?"
"?"
Rong Qiyue was stunned for a moment before angrily saying, "How can that be the same?"
“I have discovered these substances, and I am certain that they have been dormant all along!”
"If I could find a way to activate them..."
He paused, then suddenly seemed to brighten up, took a few deep breaths, and said, "I will become the most pioneering researcher in the world, and I will become the most accomplished scholar in the esoteric school!"
"amazing……"
Xue Zhi finally applauded him, but then suddenly said, "What if someone has already mastered this method?"
Rong Qiyue deflated again, stood silently for a while, and said, "At least I completed the meeting task for my own people... I'll go send a message to that machine."
……
……
In another time and space, on a brutal battlefield, there was a group of people carrying suitcases, looking travel-worn. They seemed to have just finished a fierce battle, and an unsettling stench of death permeated the air amidst countless destroyed machines and severed limbs.
A man who looked exactly like Rong Qiyue, but much more mature, walked towards Han Su and said with a smile, "This battle ended twelve minutes and thirty seconds earlier than expected. Let's head straight to the next one?"
"No, take a five-minute break."
The one who answered him was Han Su, who was carrying an old box and looked much more mature, with a scar on his forehead. He smiled and said, "I need to use the throne to meet my former self."
"Do you remember? Manman."
As he turned and started walking, he said, "It was at this point in time that you persuaded me to take this step on that life's path!"
"At that time, I was still very confused and needed someone to remind me."
(End of this chapter)