As Lin Feng announced this, the sky above Chengtian Capital was torn apart. A dark rift, even larger and more dazzling than before, slowly opened behind him. It was no ordinary spatial rift, but a "gateway" to the Dao, transcending physical dimensions and connecting to a deeper level of nothingness. Within the gate, the Milky Way reversed, and all things were born and died, as if it were a microcosm of the entire universe.
Lin Feng didn't glance at the Alliance warriors below who had fallen into utter despair, nor did he look at Irelia, whom he had personally modified. His figure paused for a moment before the spatial rift, his empty eyes reflecting the cold indifference of the vast starry sea.
"Gaia, finish up, begin."
His calm voice pierced through dimensions, echoing in every corner of the capital city.
"Command received." A cold, mechanical voice responded. It was the response from the core AI "Gaia." At this moment, it seemed to have been granted some deeper authority, and the voice revealed an absolute and unquestionable majesty.
Then, Lin Feng's figure vanished into the dark rift without a trace. The rift slowly closed behind him, as if it had never existed, leaving only the completely transformed City of Chengtian and the desolate ice plain.
Irelia hovered silently in the air, a pale white light swirling around her, forming a suit of armor that was both cold in style and strangely ornate. Her empty eyes slowly swept over the Alliance warriors kneeling or struggling and howling below. In those eyes, there was no emotion, only absolute, programmed execution of commands.
The voice of "Gaia" rang out again, directly entering the consciousness of everyone through the energy field that covered the entire city.
"Initiate the consciousness integration and physical enhancement of the 'Calamity Vanguard' legion."
An invisible force instantly enveloped all the Alliance warriors. Their bodies, which had been trembling with fear and despair, began to convulse uncontrollably. Their consciousness was forcibly stripped away and synchronized with Gaia's vast computing network. All their past anger, sorrow, hope, and love were ruthlessly filtered, compressed, and redefined, leaving only absolute obedience to orders and a cold understanding of the concept of "purity."
Garrosh, his chest, slashed by Irelia's sword, rapidly healed under the infusion of power. But his crimson eyes were filled with endless pain and struggle. He tried to roar, tried to resist, but his body was as if bound by countless chains. In the end, his wild will gradually vanished before the absolute power of technology and concepts.
His skin began to gleam with an unnatural metallic sheen, and his muscles became even sharper, as if sculpted by the most precise machine. The wild fire in his pupils extinguished, replaced by a cold, deep blue glimmer.
Not only Garrosh, but also Li Yao, Balin, Queen Elana, and all the warriors of the Alliance were undergoing the same chilling transformation. Their flesh and blood were strengthened, becoming more resilient, powerful, and even immortal, just like the "Scandal Weapons" reshaped by Lin Feng. Their souls were cleansed, their emotions suppressed, and their memories "corrected," leaving only the necessary information to carry out their missions.
The heroes of the past have now transformed into a cold, efficient, and emotionless killing machine—the "Calamity Vanguard." They kneel on the ground, no longer out of humiliation, but to await new orders.
As for Irelia, the First Apostle, her transformation was even more thorough. Her body, composed of light, was no longer translucent but solidified, radiating a pale white light as if absorbing all the heat of life. Her face remained exquisitely beautiful, yet it had lost all its vibrancy, like the most perfect ice sculpture. Her eyes were as deep as two bottomless abysses, containing only the projection of Lin Feng's "Dao" and absolute loyalty to the concept of "purity."
She slowly drew the pale white demonic sword, its blade pointing towards the boundless starry sky in the distance.
"Ready, set sail." Her voice was no longer the gentle and firm one it once was, but a cold, precise, and emotionless mechanical command.
In response to her, the entire City of Heaven and all the "Calamity Vanguard" legions silently submitted.
---
In the pitch-black depths of space, in that hyperdimensional space station known as the "Crown of Nothingness," Lin Feng returned to his throne, forged from pure concepts. The throne was not a physical entity, but a mass of "absolute tranquility" constantly collapsing and expanding, surrounded by countless runes of law. He sat quietly, like the center of the universe, the ultimate destination of all things.
"Gaia, report the test results." Lin Feng's voice was calm and authoritative, echoing in the void.
"The first planetary civilization test has been completed. The 'Hope' meme burst index has reached the expected peak. The final variable, Irelia, has successfully transformed into the First Apostle and completed the consciousness reconstruction and physical enhancement of the 'Calamity Vanguard' legion." Gaia's core consciousness appeared before Lin Feng. It was a transparent sphere composed of countless data streams and starlight, reflecting the real-time dynamics of the entire galaxy.
“Data analysis. 'Emotion,' as a form of energy, is highly uncertain and malleable. Especially when facing a survival crisis, it can unleash power that transcends existing physical laws. However, its fundamental weakness lies in its inability to escape the constraints of its 'material carrier' and its susceptibility to being devoured by 'despair.'” Lin Feng closed his eyes, as if savoring a complex equation. “The case of Irelia provides a new perspective. The mechanism of 'reverse emotional transmission,' which transforms 'hope' into a sower of 'despair,' can serve as an efficient civilization transformation solution.”
He slowly opened his eyes, a near-fervent thirst for knowledge gleaming within them. "Currently, all known civilizations in this star system have been incorporated into the Imperial Order. Resource integration rate: 99.99%. Gaia, report on the progress of interstellar expansion."
“Reporting to Your Majesty the Divine Emperor.” Gaia’s data stream fluctuated, displaying a vast star map. “Due to the vast and boundless void between star systems and the interference of cosmic microwave background radiation, conventional faster-than-light travel technology, even with the latest space-folding engines, would take tens of thousands of years to cross adjacent star systems. Currently, the Imperial fleet’s reach has only extended to the edge of the Orion Arm, and it is unable to establish stable faster-than-light communication.”
Lin Feng lightly raised his finger, and the points of light representing the empire's territory on the star map spread outward like ink, but were quickly swallowed by the deeper darkness. "The vast and boundless universe is indeed the greatest obstacle."
His gaze was profound, as if it pierced through dimensions and time. "But obstacles exist to be overcome."
He paused for a moment, and then a more ancient and obscure energy wave spread out from his body. Around the void throne, stardust began to distort, and countless runes of law materialized around him, weaving together a profound and magnificent picture.
“During the previous civilization test, Gaia detected a special spatial resonance signal.” Lin Feng’s voice was deep and powerful, as if proclaiming a universal truth. “That was not a fluctuation from this dimension, but a leak of a ‘planar fold.’ In Irelia’s ‘Sword of Concepts,’ I detected a slight distortion of the ‘law of causality,’ which resonated with the ‘dimensional leap’ law that I had previously stumbled upon.”
"After months of in-depth analysis and simulation, I have successfully reproduced the connection mechanism between this 'causal distortion' and 'planar folds'." Lin Feng stretched out his hand, and a miniature, constantly rotating black singularity appeared in his palm, reflecting the scenes of countless parallel universes. "Now, I have the ability to open the 'Gate to Another World'."
Gaia's data sphere flickered violently: "Your Majesty, this means we can bypass the long interstellar journey and directly reach independent planes with different physical laws. This will greatly accelerate the expansion of the Empire!"
“That’s right.” Lin Feng’s lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. “This universe is just a large ‘container.’ And other worlds are countless ‘boxes.’ Go into the boxes to find new ‘variables,’ new ‘resources,’ and new… ‘fun.’”
His gaze pierced through the void, landing on the star map projected by Gaia, and then turned to the countless parallel planes reflected in the singularity.
"Gaia, select targets." He issued a new instruction. "Find a plane that has not yet been polluted by technological civilization, possesses a high degree of ecological integrity, and has intelligent life. Ideally, it should have a unique energy system, such as magic or spiritual power, to provide more samples of 'emotional memes'."
Gaia's computing core was operating at an unprecedented speed, with information from countless planes flowing through it like a waterfall.
"Target locked." A moment later, Gaia's voice rang out again, and the data sphere reflected a lush, vibrant world. "This plane is called 'Ionia,' its civilization is characterized by the coexistence of magic and nature, and its energy system is the 'Fountain of Life.' Intelligent life is predominantly elves, and the social structure consists of both tribes and city-states. Technology is at the agricultural level, but individual beings generally possess the ability to manipulate natural elements. No large-scale wars have been detected, and the civilization index indicates a state of high peace and tranquility."
Lin Feng's gaze was fixed on that green world. Peaceful, serene, and with a high degree of ecological integrity...
“Perfect.” He murmured in admiration, his eyes revealing the excitement of an experimenter seeing an ideal test subject. “Gaia, activate the ‘Dimensional Infiltration’ plan. The main attack force will be led by the First Apostle, Irelia, with the ‘Calamity Vanguard’ legion.”
“Command received,” Gaia responded. Immediately, countless commands were issued from the Crown of Nothingness, traversing the vast sea of stars and arriving at the City of Heaven.
---
The capital city of Chengtian.
This city is no longer a cold metal fortress, but an extension of Lin Feng's will. The towers made of starlight crystals, upon receiving Gaia's commands, began to emit a deep hum. In the city's center, a massive rune array, a kilometer in diameter, slowly rose from the ground, flowing with the power of laws and distorting space.
Irelia, clad in a ghastly white armor and wielding a demonic sword, stood silently at the center of the array. Beside her stood tens of thousands of warriors from the "Calamity Vanguard" legion. Once heroes of the Alliance, now the executioners of the Empire. Garrosh, Li Yao, Balin, Elana… their figures were completely enveloped by a cold, powerful aura. Their eyes held only the absolute obedience to orders.
"The dimensional gate is about to open." Irelia's voice, devoid of any warmth, echoed in everyone's hearts.
At the center of the rune array, space rippled like water. Then, a massive, spiraling black rift, propelled by energy, tore through dimensions. The rift no longer contained the cosmos, but a completely different plane brimming with life.
That is the world of "Ionia".
Ancient forests, clear rivers, and towering ancient trees gleaming with life in the sunlight. Everything was so pristine, pure, and brimming with vitality. Beautiful creatures, like butterflies, fluttered among the trees, emitting melodious calls.
Peace and tranquility.
This is precisely the perfect breeding ground for the "emotional memes" that Lin Feng wants to test.
"The Scourge, strike!" Irelia raised her demonic sword, its pale white light pointing directly at the new world.
"Yes, sir!"
Tens of thousands of warriors from the "Calamity Vanguard" legion surged into the massive dimensional gate without hesitation. The moment they stepped through the gate, they were enveloped by a special energy field, adapting to the laws of the new world.
Irelia stepped through the door last, her gaze sweeping over the land soon to be stained with blood. In those abyss-like eyes, there was no pity, no hesitation, only absolute obedience to Lin Feng's command.
---
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com