"Master, the spread of the poison has attracted the attention of the Star Lord's Mansion." Ye Tiandi said in a low voice with a hint of hesitation, "Should we restrain ourselves a little to avoid exposing our plan?"
Ming Xuanzi slowly stopped his movements and turned around. The mechanized half of his face gleamed with a cold metallic sheen. His lifeless mechanical eyes stared at Ye Tiandi, as if they could see through every turmoil in his heart. A hint of impatience and indifference flashed in his other flesh-and-blood eye. "Star Lord Mansion?" Ming Xuanzi scoffed, his voice as harsh as the scraping of metal. "Decadent creatures! They can't even understand the core logic of the poison. What's there to fear? In this new era of the intertwined internet and psychic energy, their concepts are already outdated. They can't even discern our true purpose. What right do they have to threaten us?"
Ye Tiandi pursed his lips and frowned, clearly disagreeing with his master's contempt. However, his tone remained cautious: "Master, I understand what you mean. But if they discover the full extent of the plan and unite with the major sects to encircle and suppress us, I'm afraid it will affect the operation of the Mother Gu core, and may even..."
"Ridiculous!" Ming Xuanzi abruptly stood up, his mechanized body emitting a dull metallic clang. His voice suddenly rose, echoing through the empty core chamber, oppressive like thunder. "Emperor of Heaven, you overestimate their power! Those so-called 'cultivator leaders' of the Star Lord Mansion are nothing but a bunch of covetous scoundrels who cling to the status quo. They have never understood where true power comes from! Psychic energy? Gu Dao? No, these are merely tools! Only absolute control can bring you and me to greatness."
Ming Xuanzi's words were tinged with a fanatical obsession, his gaze sharp and cold, as if he were observing a game destined for victory. The rune chains suspended in the air suddenly accelerated, their light leaping like lightning, illuminating the entire core room in a blood-red hue, like a silent judgment.
Ye Tiandi took a deep breath and suppressed the uneasiness in his heart. He lowered his head, a trace of struggle flashed across his eyes, but his tone remained respectful: "Master, I understand what you taught me."
Ming Xuanzi gazed at him coldly, seemingly aware of Ye Tiandi's attitude, but he didn't delve into it. He turned back to the Mother Gu core, his mechanized fingers tapping the virtual screen, adjusting the data with skillful and cold movements. "Tiandi," his voice had returned to its low, calm tone, exuding an unquestionable majesty. "Your mission is to ensure that no outsiders can interfere with our experiments. Anyone who attempts to obstruct us, whether they are spies from the Star Lord's Mansion or so-called righteous cultivators, regardless of status, will be killed without mercy."
Ye Tiandi raised his head slightly, observing Ming Xuanzi's mechanically altered figure. His fists clenched silently within his sleeves, his knuckles turning faintly white. He knew the Master before him was no longer the elder who had taught him the truth, but a mechanized monster driven by boundless ambition and power. He opened his mouth, as if about to say something, but ultimately remained silent, simply bowing his head and respectfully responding, "Yes, Master."
Ming Xuanzi didn't turn back, continuing to adjust the parameters of the mother insect's core. The psychic network model on the screen gradually dimmed, and the red mark representing the poisonous insect spread at an ever-increasing rate, gradually eroding Yunxuanxing's psychic network. The spreading red was like a burning hellfire, transforming the entire planet into a dead zone.
Ye Tiandi slowly turned and left the Mother Gu core chamber. The door slowly closed behind him, and the radiance of the psychic runes spread from the doorframe like ripples before disappearing completely. He stood on the high platform of the Hundred Star Sect. A cold wind blew from the mountaintop, ruffling his black and gold robes, leaving him like a lonely silhouette.
Looking down from the high platform, the entire sect's buildings were shrouded in the thin light curtain of the spiritual energy barrier, appearing empty and silent. Above the sky, nebulae were faintly visible, and the once prosperous Yunxuan Star now looked extremely dim in the eyes of Ye Tiandi.
He slowly raised his head, gazing at the distant horizon, a complex mix of emotions swirling in his eyes. His hands clenched involuntarily, his nails digging into his palms, yet he seemed oblivious. "Power... is it really the only answer?" he murmured, his voice carried away by the wind into the night sky.
A cold wind blew, and Ye Tiandi's figure seemed particularly lonely under the vast sky. The endless stars reflected his conflicted gaze, as if the heavens and the earth were questioning: In the face of absolute power, does humanity still have room for struggle?
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