Chapter 30: Rebirth of Jinlan
When Beichen and his group returned from Chiyue, it was already night. The place where they landed from the sky was near the Jiluo Empire. They could hear the howling of a giant beast coming from the ground from several thousand meters away.
"Did our last battle last this long?!"
Beichen clenched his fists on the dragon's back in frustration. He hadn't felt a moment had passed, but before he knew it, it was already dark!
"What do you think?"
Yaye patted the back of her head in a funny way.
"We destroyed such a massive fortress—intercepting an attack and destroying the turrets in just half a day is already quite impressive. Besides, even if we had more time, what else could we accomplish with our physical strength? Are you planning on destroying all the newly born Berserker Iron Ghosts by yourself?"
"But—"
"Didn't you say you weren't the savior?"
Gu Yinyue interrupted quietly from the side.
"The difficulties of the violent iron ghosts must be overcome by the people themselves, isn't that what you said? We have done everything we can to the best of our ability."
Beichen was stunned for a moment and was about to nod, but then shook his head seriously.
"No, there is one more important thing."
"That's not the master's task, it's mine."
Xiang Ying held her hand with a gentle smile, and bent down to touch Yagard's dragon scales.
"Agad, please take us to Chita."
Everyone returned to the central control room of the transformed weapon (war weapon) again.
The room was the same as when they left, but now it was brightly lit, and almost all the equipment was lit up. Next to the central point in the middle, there were several huge devices carrying Protoss Ore, and Xiaxue was standing in front of the main computer, busy operating something.
"It seems that the state just now was not used to create Wanzu at all, but to revive Theresa."
Beichen smiled bitterly, shook his head and took a few steps forward.
"You're so late. I was planning to stand up there myself if you guys didn't come over."
Xiaxue stopped moving, turned around and smiled at Beichen. There was no trace of dejection between her brows, as if the person who was sobbing in Beichen's arms a few hours ago was completely different from him.
"I've warmed you up, shall we begin? The production period hasn't expired yet, so if we kill Wan Zu's old body now, we might be able to save thousands of lives."
"I'm ready."
Xiang Ying took a step forward with a determined look.
"Are you really going in?" Xiaxue stared at the figure opposite with a complicated expression. "Honestly, Xiangying, I'm very jealous of you. You stole my contractor and my position as the top combat weapon. Although I don't care about rankings, considering the former, it really seems like you exist just to mock me."
"Xiaxue..."
"But even though I'm jealous, I won't let this kind of thinking sway my views."
The black-haired, golden-eyed Star Vein raised his head and smiled proudly.
"I must warn you up front. If you go in, there's a good chance you won't be able to return. You can imagine how much impact it would have on a new tree trunk this large, acting as the central point."
"I know, that's why we mobilized the whole world before we came out."
"Even so, there are still risks. Is this really a good idea? You still have a future to look forward to, and you still have a master and brothers who care about you."
Xiaxue said this, touching his nose with a hint of self-mockery.
"Fear of death isn't a bad thing. Just tell me you don't want to die, and I can go in for you. Besides you, I'm the only one who can meet the central point standards. I made this device for myself when I first made it."
“…”
Xiang Ying was silent.
"Let me go. My master and I have a life contract. If my vitality runs low, everyone will share theirs with me. My chances of survival will be much greater than if you go. Xiaxue, no one is without value in this world. Have you forgotten the scene at the opening of the Latia Martial Arts Tournament? All you had to do was stand out and smile, and so many people would go crazy for you. What would they do if you gave up so easily? Having died once, I'm insensitive to that feeling. I'm different from you—you went in with the intention of dying, while I went in with the intention of surviving."
Xiaxue was stunned for a moment by Xiang Ying's words, then suddenly reached out and patted Xiang Ying's shoulder hard.
"Okay, you're really brave. I'll oblige you once again and give you this glorious position!"
He said, taking a few steps back.
"Stand up. Once the energy reaches the standard, the aggregation will begin automatically."
Xiang Ying nodded to Xiaxue, then turned around and stared at the people behind him for a few seconds. Finally, he walked up to Beichen, leaned over and kissed her gently.
"Wait until I come back, Master."
"Um."
Beichen didn't say much, just responded softly, staring into Xiang Ying's eyes with a smile, and nodded vigorously.
Thus, when Xiang Ying stood on the small round platform under the golden ball of light, the most important "creation" and "rebirth" of Senagade in ten thousand years began.
In the dazzling light, countless tiny branches of Star Spirit Ore stretched out from the sphere above his head and connected to Xiang Ying's body. The bottom of the small round platform emitted a bright light, and the four huge pedestals around it, which were filled with Star Spirit Ore, also glowed. The golden threads that sprang out from them formed a thin net in the air, wrapping Xiang Ying's entire body in it.
Then, the "aggregation" began.
First, the steel floor about one meter outside the platform under Xiang Ying's feet began to twist and deform. Then, like mushrooms after rain, the steel was decomposed and melted, turning into huge transparent tree trunks like Star Spirit Ore. They rushed out one after another and twisted together, instantly forming an indoor jungle in the room like a tropical rainforest!
Perhaps it was because the condensation point was Xiangying, although these tree trunks were growing with terrifying momentum, they simultaneously bypassed the bodies of Beichen and others, forming a vacuum zone around them.
Then, with this as the focus, Chita underwent a shocking change.
The silvery-white translucent tree trunks gathered together, spread, assimilated the surrounding equipment, and transformed it into the raw materials for condensing the body. It grew wildly and expanded to every part of Chita.
Absorb, condense, combine, transform—and then recreate.
Expand, spread, stretch, shape—and then occupy.
In a few minutes, the towering tower was like a pillar of vines, entwined and merged with the huge silver-white tree trunk like a snake;
The smaller buildings floating around the giant tower became the footholds of the trees. Thousands of silvery-white threads danced, supporting the weight of gravity. The weight even pushed them down dozens or even hundreds of meters.
The tips of the branches that had already climbed to the top were still stretching towards the horizon without satisfaction, one split into two, two split into four, four split into eight, and finally, they turned into a silvery-white, gorgeous crown with countless tips;
The roots that had already wrapped around the bottom also intertwined and turned into thick giant trees, extending desperately towards the desert below Chita.
Farther, farther, farther.
The tree trunk seemed to be singing a song of infinite longing for life, making a pleasant sound, spanning a thousand meters, a hundred meters, ten meters, five meters, one meter, and finally taking root in the vast sand.
The roar of new life began.
The moment the new tree trunk touched the ground, the warriors of the world raised their heads and looked in a certain direction at the same time - that was where Chita was.
Those who were guarding their masters folded their arms around them, and those who were held in their masters' hands roared excitedly in the telepathic communication channel. Those without masters immediately and cautiously retreated to a safe area, waiting for something to happen. And those who were retreating from the enemy, in the midst of the enemy's sudden frenzy and anxiety, excitedly reminded their masters in trembling voices:
"here we go!"
Therefore, all the spiritual warriors holding weapons remembered the words they were asked to do in the early morning.
──Only today, please believe me.
Those were the words spoken to them in a sincere tone by the Red Moon Priestess who was prophesied to destroy this era.
Some people heard the live broadcast through Lingjing Tianxiang, while others received the highest-level orders from the royal family and on-site intelligence conveyed by insiders.
It is impossible to verify how many of them actually believe in the unlucky witch in the prophecy.
But some of them also thought of it.
This woman is not only a Red Moon Priestess, but also a king who conquered a country with her own hands.
She opened the prelude to the Protoss Revolution and strangled a plague caused by war sickness in the cradle. She participated in the Latia martial arts competition wearing an iron helmet and even shouted hilarious jokes in front of many people. She knew Xiaxue and the kings of many countries, and even had a new first war weapon as a weapon.
When she smiled, her eyes were so gentle and sharp, with a look that could illuminate other people's lives.
Well, I'll trust you and take a look at it once.
The Lingwu Division issued contract orders. Some ordered the weapons to use advanced energy-consuming skills, some ordered the weapons to protect the loss of star spiritual power in their bodies, and some smarter ones brought the crystals of the Disaster Emperor and placed them next to the weapons.
As for those ownerless weapons, many chose to self-harm to weaken the star spirit power in their bodies - the energy was used for repair, and less could be extracted - and the reason why they were willing to do so was because, at that moment, they saw the form of the newly born Wanzu through the connection.
──Help her. You must help her.
The warriors who helped the warriors improve their social status significantly during the Protoss Revolution were thinking about the same thing with almost the same boiling emotions.
You have helped us so much, this time, it's our turn to help you!
If a thought is a point of light, then Senagad has now turned into a sea of light.
If we were to connect these thoughts, then Chita today would surely be the most dazzling and magnificent place in the world, the place where the colors of life are maximized and most intensely displayed.
The blessings and prayers of 5 billion lives turned into an effective barrier, slowing down the concentrated extraction of star spiritual power, and allowing Xiang Ying, who was in the cocoon of light, to maintain his consciousness.
In fact, at the moment when the tree roots touched the ground, his consciousness was indeed cut off because the energy impact was too strong.
During that time, he felt like he had lost himself, like duckweed on a lake, floating aimlessly in a sea of highly concentrated energy blocks, unable to think, judge, or be awake - but in the countless energy lines connected to his body, he heard countless voices, some of which were particularly loud, making him desperately cheer up and try to regain consciousness.
"New Life Center, keep going!!"
"Become a better Protoss Mine than you are now, and create even more powerful companions!"
"You have my life force in your body now, so don't waste it."
"I saw it! Just now, you were so beautiful! And the silver-white tree floating in the sky!!"
"If this disaster is over, we'll be able to survive, right? So we have to hold on!"
"I'm helping out while I'm hungry! Just get this shit done, asshole!"
"come on!!"
"To live and step into a new era—that's pretty cool, isn't it!?"
That is the voice of our brothers and sisters of War Weapon from all over the world.
"You even dare to take my energy, you are quite courageous."
That was the sound of the west wind, calm yet with a hint of worry.
"Those who have died once are not qualified to die a second time."
"That's right, little loach is waiting for you to go back and sharpen your sword!"
That was the Gemini's trembling voice, pretending to be calm and teasing.
"Those who are better than me, please don't lose in a place like this. It will bring shame to me."
That was Xiaxue's aristocratic tone with a hint of sarcasm.
"Si Xiangying, did I allow you to pass out?! If you don't wake up soon, I'll kick your Armstrong Spin Cannon apart!"
That was Yaye's somewhat angry roar.
"Xiang Ying, don't forget Xiaochen's expression at that time. Never let her show that expression again."
It was a rare voice to hear Longyun's serious and low voice.
"Are you so embarrassed by Wan Zu's body? Don't forget how you climbed to the position of the number one combat weapon."
It was Naraka's still sharp and touching voice.
Then, he tried his best to mobilize his thinking and find his own existence in the sea of highly concentrated energy.
Then, he heard a voice from the telepathic communication channel.
With those words, the voice, appearance and smile of his beloved appeared clearly on the surface of his memory.
"To stop being stepped on, we will work together, risking everything, working with all our souls, until we become strong enough to shake the heavens and the earth!"
He suddenly opened his eyes.
Then, in the giant cocoon of light, he opened his arms and shouted silently with his soul.
Master, we are truly shaking the heavens and the earth now! !
As Xiang Ying shouted, the land where the giant tree took root - originally a desert - began to undergo earth-shaking changes.
First, beautiful golden star spiritual power lights extended from the roots of the tree. Then, the star spiritual power lights turned into beautiful unknown golden crystals, like a mirror, covering the entire desert land and stretching towards the end of the horizon. Then, the crystal mirror melted into a wonderful liquid and poured into the sea of sand. In an instant, the sand underwent a qualitative change, from sparse and dry particles to moist dark soil.
Then, at that moment, a miracle happened.
New green grass leaves grew rapidly from the ground, expanding outward with the tree roots as the center. The green circular area was extending from the tree roots in all directions at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Delicate buds formed in the grass, grew, stretched, and finally blossomed, dots of bright color, like bright lights at night, rapidly lighting up from the inside out;
Stout trees grew up in an instant, their canopies forming a dark mass from point to surface, with fluorescent fruits gleaming among them.
From the sunken part of the ground, crystal clear water oozed out, expanding and flowing outwards, forming a gurgling stream;
Unknown crystal cones appeared one after another in the jungle, and then countless tiny luminous mosses covered them;
And at that moment, the golden, breath-like light danced and fluttered, occupying the entire land—
Finally, the crown of the huge branches began to sparkle at the top - like tens of millions of crystal flowers blooming at the same time, the crystal leaves at the tip of the Star Spirit Mine that produced weapons were also recreated in this gorgeous and luxurious beauty that cannot be described in words.
In just a few minutes, Chita seemed to have become part of the giant tree, wrapped in its transparent branches, and the vast desert beneath his feet instantly transformed into a primeval forest!
In the darkness of the night, the pure white trunk of the newborn tree emits a soft, vibrant and fresh light. Leptons of various colors form visible light bands swirling around the tree, as if whispering inaudible to humans, giving endless blessings to this new life center and singing for it.
Everything in Senagard was boiling at this moment.
No matter how close or far away from this new life center,
Humans inexplicably shed tears because of the fluctuations of spirit particles in the air.
The violent iron ghost let out anxious and desperate cries, running around like a headless fly.
The possessed Moon Envoy uneasily retreated into a hiding spot.
Birds, hawks and falcons flapped their wings and circled in the sky.
Wild beasts howled, roared and cried out one after another in the mountains.
The trees, flowers and rocks exuded little streams of star power in the night.
The Tuling tribesmen from all over the country formed a feast team in ecstasy and sang the hymn of stars from ancient times.
The weapons all faced the same direction, roaring excitedly with the same joy and the same sense of relief as if something had been released.
Roar────
The cry that came from deep within his heart drifted farther and farther in the air, passing layer by layer, and finally, it reached the foot of the newly grown silver-white giant tree.
The new body of Wanzu was thus completed.
However, while everything was celebrating and rejoicing, the atmosphere in the core of Chita was not so relaxed.
Because, the secret code spirit crystal on Beichen's waist transmitted an urgent report from Glenshe - just when the reconstruction of the new Wanzu was almost completed, he, Reddis and Galina had not had time to dismantle the control device at the root of the old Wanzu, and it was destroyed by the violent iron ghosts that poured into the underground base. 70% of Wanzu's body was blown up and the damage was very serious. I am afraid that it will not be able to bear the production task of the Star Spirit Mine in the short term.
Therefore, Wanzu's consciousness has come into contact with the new Wanzu through the roots underground and moved into the new body.
However, because of this change, this new body will no longer be a temporary body, but must become the new pillar of life for a long time to maintain the ecological balance of Senagard.
Wan Zu cannot go back, so the central point cannot be removed - that is to say, Xiang Ying must continue to stay in Wan Zu's body and cannot leave the central point.
Beichen's face was a little pale, and she looked at Xiang Ying, who was standing in the cocoon of light and looking at her, somewhat at a loss.
He was still awake, still alive. He had survived countless hardships and come this far, but would he be trapped here forever because of the change from a temporary body to a formal one?
Let Xiang Ying come out?
Beichen couldn't say such cruel words.
Words like "I don't need a world without you" sound cool in novels and comics, but if she really has to become an executioner who kills billions of lives, she can't do it.
Without Wan Zu, no new war machines would be born in Senagard. Even if Poison Moon's possessed moon could be shut down to maintain a balanced manufacturing function, what would happen to the war machines that were already born and alive? Even if Xiang Ying could stay by her side, how long would their days be together? And what about the innocent people of Elytheon who accompanied her in conquering the world?
What's more, if she said that, would she still be the Xiang Beichen that Xiang Ying loved?
But, but──
She pursed her lips and stared at Jian in pain, with blood streaked from the corners of her mouth.
Even if they knew this, how unfair would it be to Xiang Ying to be sacrificed and forever imprisoned at that central point?! How cruel it would be to them, who had finally been together after so much effort!
Is reality really so real that people must be forced to choose between the two?!
Isn’t there a way to have the best of both worlds?!
"So, you're still so naive. I told you a long time ago that you won't achieve anything great if you keep doing that."
An unfamiliar voice rang out from the other end of the hall, which had become an indoor jungle. Everyone turned sharply to look and discovered that, behind a crystalline tree trunk, a warrior with light blue hair was standing. Although his face was unfamiliar, his temperament seemed familiar.
Gu Yinyue frowned: Isn't this the guy who followed Su Mo recently? Why is he here?
Beichen's next words made everyone's expression change:
"At this point, you're here to stir things up again, Ling Shuang. Why is it that every time you appear, the timing is always so coincidental, you?"
Following these words, Heihuo and Sujie jumped reflexively and stood by Beichen, while Yagard walked to the vicinity of the central point to protect Xiangying who was unable to move.
"Do you regret not blowing my head off after blowing my chest off?"
Ling Shuang didn't care about everyone's reaction and just smiled casually.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so lucky. My crystal core is in my head, not my chest. ...Okay, enough with the digression. Your attitude is very rude to those who come to help you."
"Help us?"
Black Fate sneered bitterly.
"My body was remade by Sumo. He originally planned to make me the second 'All-Hateful One' to fight against you. But since Senagad was defeated, my mission was also abandoned. So, now I am a Star Killer-level guy."
Following these words, his figure disappeared from the spot and appeared behind Yagad!!
Yagad's expression changed drastically, and he turned around to grab him—but he was one step faster and stepped into the cocoon of light at the central point! !
"Towards the Shadow --!!!"
Beichen screamed with an ugly expression, then froze.
Xiang Ying was pushed out with a look of astonishment, while the light cocoon dimmed slightly before regaining its brightness, as if it had accepted a new central point.
...What's going on? He's standing inside in Xiang Ying's place?!
"Xiang Beichen, aren't you going to forget me and ignore me?"
Ling Shuang's voice came through the layers of light. His voice was soft and gentle—even Beichen, who had shared a bed with him, had never heard him speak in such a tone.
Then, the strange face showed a familiar, strange and sinister smile across the light.
"I want to see how you can forget me if I become the life center of all things."
“You—!!”
Because he was too surprised and shocked by the result, Beichen stared and couldn't say a word for a while.
However, Ling Shuang stretched out a hand in the light and clenched it tightly. With this action, layers of ice cones emerged from the ground on the outside of the cocoon, wrapping the cocoon to prevent Beichen and others from getting close. Finally, the golden central point, seen from a distance, became a huge demon flower with light as the pistil and ice cones as petals.
The ice was not cold, but extremely hard. Yaye cut it with his sickle without even leaving a scratch.
As the central point changed, the trunk of Wanzu's tree also underwent subtle changes - on the ground at the roots of the tree, light blue crystals that looked like ice but would not melt emerged from the ground, and the golden light of the crown of the tree was also stained with faint silver-blue spots, adding a sense of weirdness to the holy scenery.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything."
Ling Shuang was on the opposite side of the ice and made a sound through Wanzu's tree trunk.
"I won't apologize to any of you, and I don't regret anything I've done. Now, I'm just changing my tactics. ... I want to become something you can't ignore, something that has the power to influence the world, and continue to realize my ideals."
He said this and closed his eyes.
"If we change little by little, one day, we can make the warriors the race that dominates the world."
"But Ling Shuang, didn't you notice?"
Beichen took a step closer with an expressionless face.
"This idea that other races deserve to be eliminated and that they themselves are the masters of the world is exactly what the humans you hate the most have."
Ling Shuang opened her eyes and looked at Beichen a few times.
"Then find a way to stop me before the war machine completely takes over the world. What I want is actually very simple."
However, Beichen quickly answered.
"I won't easily forgive what you've done, but I still want to thank you for saving Xiang Ying this time. Even if I hate you, I won't ignore you anymore."
"...Okay, I got what I wanted. Hate. Hate forever. If you stop hating, I will take the whole world with me."
Ling Shuang chuckled, then closed her eyes and said nothing more.
"His spirit can't withstand the energy shock, and I'm afraid he won't wake up in the near future."
His voice was replaced by the voice of Wan Zu.
"He has a very complicated mental state and a ridiculous past, but no matter what, he did help you a lot this time."
"So the psychology of humans and weapons is still very interesting to study."
"I don't quite understand this subtle mentality."
"Even though he's in so much pain, he's still unwilling to correct himself or repent, and he plunges headfirst into the villain path until the end. It's actually quite admirable."
"Miko, you must have a strange constitution to be able to attract such a strange creature."
"I said..."
Black Huo couldn't help but raise his hand with an embarrassed look.
"...Before you enthusiastically analyze the psychology of humans and war machines... shouldn't you have something else to say, Master Wanzu?"
"Yeah, you got a new body! This isn't just about wearing a wig or cutting your nails! You got a new body!"
Su Jie also started complaining.
"I didn't realize that our ancestor of all things is actually a gossipy type who is very interested in other people's love journeys?"
Naraka sneered and crossed his arms.
"Even so, we can't find another female or male Wanzu to mate with you."
Xifeng also added attacks with an expressionless face.
『…』
So the talkative Wan Zu shut up instantly.
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