Emperor Ye Tian sat in his spacious yet cold residence. The room exuded luxury, yet lacked a trace of warmth. Psionic crystals were inlaid on the walls, emitting a cold blue glow. The light and shadows cast on the beautifully carved obsidian floor, exuding a chilling sense of oppression. Outside the window, the Baixing Sect's main hall was shrouded in a dense psychic mist. A low humming sound of surging psychic energy could be heard faintly in the distance. Deep within the mist, a scarlet light flashed from time to time, like a heartbeat from the abyss, chilling to the bone. Emperor Ye Tian stared at the light silently. He knew that it was the energy fluctuations released by the Mother Gu core when it was operating. It was the core of the Baixing Sect's entire plan—and the shackles from which he could not escape.
He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, but he couldn't calm the complex emotions in his heart. Fragments of memory came flooding back like a tide, dragging him back to the moment a few days ago that was destined to change everything.
That day, Ming Xuanzi decided to undergo transformation, taking his first step into the abyss of power. Ye Tiandi stood in the corner of the laboratory, witnessing everything and could never forget it.
The metal walls of the laboratory appeared smooth and cold under the psychic light. The psychic array on the ceiling flickered continuously, emitting a low-pitched hum. On the mechanical table in the center of the laboratory, Ming Xuanzi's body was bound by countless psychic rune chains. The chains wriggled as if alive, each one piercing into flesh and deep into the bone marrow. The chains emitted an eerie red light, accompanied by a sharp, high-frequency mechanical sound. Each input of energy caused Ming Xuanzi's body to tremble violently. His muscles tensed, veins bulged on his forehead, and his lips turned white from the exertion, but he never uttered a single groan of pain.
On the main console, a researcher from the extreme technology school was shrouded in a psychic shield. He had an indifferent expression and a tone as cold as a machine: "Ming Xuanzi's body has completed the first stage of fusion of psychic energy and machinery. The current indicators are below the critical value. Activate the core module of the mother insect." His fingers tapped on the console, making a crisp sound. The psychic parameters on the screen kept jumping, and the light of the rune chain gradually strengthened.
"Activate the core module of the mother insect." The mechanical voice echoed in the laboratory, filled with a cold and oppressive feeling.
The rune chains suddenly tightened, piercing Ming Xuanzi's body like a snake snaking its prey. Amidst a crimson glow, the piercing sound of metal and flesh intertwining was unbearable, the result of a frenzied fusion of psychic energy and mechanical power. Ming Xuanzi's body suddenly arched back, his knuckles cracking with horrifying pain, but he clenched his teeth and remained silent. His face gradually became shrouded in crimson light, the mechanical transformation gradually eroding his original human features.
Ye Tiandi stood aside, gazing gravely at his master. His hands clenched involuntarily, his nails digging deep into his palms, but the pain couldn't ease the turmoil in his heart. He lowered his head, averting his gaze, unable to bear it any longer, yet he couldn't stop the pounding sound in his ears.
"Master said that this is the price of pursuing power." Ye Tiandi muttered to himself, his voice so low that even he couldn't hear it clearly. "But is such power really worth it?"
Ye Tiandi awoke from his memories, only to be brought back to the cold reality. He opened his eyes, his brow furrowed slightly, his gaze filled with unconcealed fatigue and depression. He turned his gaze once again to the window. The crimson light in the depths of the main hall still flickered, like a demonic gaze watching everything with cold eyes.
At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed from outside. The door swung open gently, propelled by spiritual energy. A core disciple, dressed in the garb of the Baixing Sect's inner sect, strode in, his face tinged with excitement yet a touch of nervousness. He cupped his hands and saluted Ye Tiandi. "Senior Brother Ye, the seventh trial run of the Mother Gu program has been completed! According to the latest data, coverage has reached 33%, and the spread is steadily increasing!"
"33%..." Ye Tiandi repeated the number softly, his voice unrecognizable as either joy or anger. He rose from his chair and walked slowly but steadily to the window, his hands folded in front of him. His gaze once again fell on the location of the Mother Gu core deep within the sect.
He pondered for a moment and asked, "During the trial run, were there any abnormal fluctuations?"
The disciple was visibly stunned, then shook his head, a hint of unease in his voice: "Not yet. But the spread seems to be slowing down. Some nodes in the psychic network seem to have developed a low-level resistance to the poison. The research team is urgently analyzing the cause, which may be related to the self-repair function of the psychic nodes."
"Self-repair function?" Ye Tiandi frowned slightly, his tone without a trace of emotion. "Sooner or later, the reaction of these nodes will be broken through by the mother insect program. Tell the research team not to make a fuss and continue to move forward with the plan."
"Yes, Senior Brother Ye!" The disciple hurriedly nodded in agreement, but from his slightly stiff tone and movements, Emperor Ye Tian still sensed a hint of uneasiness.
Ye Tiandi watched his disciple's departing back with a cold gaze, but he said nothing more. He knew that as the Mother Gu program spread, the entire Baixing Sect, and even the entire Yunxuan Star's spiritual energy network, would be gradually devoured. But he couldn't ignore an indescribable feeling within him: a mixture of doubt and conflict, like a hidden fire buried deep within him, ready to ignite at any moment.
A cold breeze blew in from the window, ruffling his black-gold robes and bringing a chill. He looked up at the sky. A psionic mist drifted among the stars, shrouding the once-brilliant starlight in layers of shadow, seeming distant and illusory. His gaze grew deeper, and he whispered to himself, "Is power... really the only answer?"
His words drifted away with the wind, unheard by anyone. Deep within the Hundred Star Sect, the crimson light continued to flicker coldly, as if responding to his question, yet also silently mocking his contradictions.
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