Chapter 585: Secret Domination
As he stepped out of the spaceship, a blue-white energy shield automatically emerged from the surface of his body, isolating himself from the surrounding high-temperature radiation.
On the crimson crystal floating in front of him was a luxurious spaceship that was two-thirds destroyed.
Some materials that are not resistant to high temperatures have melted into liquid, and only the basic framework is still barely holding on under the high temperature radiation, but it has also turned red.
His men, wearing heat-resistant combat uniforms, cleaned out several blackened and charred corpses.
One of them was the most conspicuous and was picked out. It had shrunk to almost one-fifth of its original size.
"Bertrand..." Clarkson's figure fell, with sadness in his eyes.
"According to the data, the eruption period of the Takambaya interstellar volcano is about 136 years. Lord Portland must have come here to watch the eruption..." His subordinates mobilized the specially made smart terminal.
"However, this eruption occurred about six months earlier than originally estimated, so..."
"So, my grandson was killed by an accident caused by a premature eruption?" Clarkson said calmly.
The subordinate's expression changed slightly, and he said with a stiff upper lip: "From the current perspective, this is the case."
"But I don't believe it..." Clarkson's face was gloomy, but he didn't take any further action. He just asked his men to carry the body to the deepest part of the spacecraft.
After telling all his men to get out, he and a withered, charred corpse were the only ones left in the room.
As the hatch locked, Clarkson circled the body, his palms stroking the uneven, carbonized skin.
Then, his body melted like some kind of liquid and gradually merged into the corpse.
Mercury-like ripples appeared on the surface of the charred body, and the burnt skin rolled up like sticky asphalt.
The originally carbonized knuckles suddenly made a crackling sound like popcorn, and countless translucent bionic cells grew wildly along the atrophied blood vessels of the corpse.
Black vortices gathered deep in the eye sockets, and the facial skin, which had finally been reconstructed, was a pale pink like frozen pork, with crimson energy mycelium constantly oozing out of the pores.
This is a secret that Clarkson has never told anyone. It is also his unique talent. It can be said to be a superpower, but it is not quite the same.
He can extract some information about the deceased from his body, and even disguise himself temporarily.
It was through this that he earned his first pot of gold and grew step by step to this point.
He also tried to develop it, but this special ability could not be enhanced.
This is his trump card. Even at this level, he has used this ability to accomplish many things.
And everyone who knew is dead.
"Let me see what's going on..." Clarkson's eyes suddenly became dazed, as if he was trapped in a strange passage, and his vision was blurred.
Bertrand seemed to be in danger, but it was definitely not at this volcano. Many powerful life forms gathered around it...
“…Stop…Who are you?”
"...My father will kill you..."
The scene was blurry and brief, and Bertrand's body suddenly exploded.
The body was too mutilated and very little information could be extracted.
Clarkson's body reappeared, his face grim. "How dare you kill my people..."
He opened his smart terminal and issued a command, "Check Bertrand's flight path. I need to know any anomalies that occurred at any point along the way."
There was a response soon, and Bertrand's continuous communication on the spacecraft was interrupted in four places in total.
The replies after communication was restored were all about encountering void turbulence and the like.
The place where the accident happened will not be outside these four coordinates.
Clarkson's eyes flashed coldly, "I want to see who has such courage."
………
The much-anticipated duel for the board seats did not disappoint, with seven battles and fourteen higher life forms, each with its own characteristics, a feast for the eyes.
However, it caused heavy losses to many people.
Because of previous estimates and various insider information, the people from the three major civilizations are almost certain to win.
Therefore, the odds are terrible, basically 1.1:5, 1.2:6, etc.
Many people, with the idea of earning some living expenses, invested a lot of money and bet on the people from the three major civilizations, but the result was a big upset.
Of course, those who wanted to earn a living basically didn't invest much, but it was a waste of money, and they all cursed the three major civilizations for not living up to their expectations on the interstellar network.
"F*ck, it was just like what he was hyping up beforehand, some bullshit King of Winter."
"No, the three major civilizations were doing this interstellar live broadcast. I really thought they were quite capable. And then there were those stupid experts who were showing off their achievements and talking about data, but the results were nothing like what they said."
"Hey, that's awesome! I went all-in on the underdog and became financially free."
"Where did this gambler come from... so crazy? He'll be on the rooftop sooner or later."
Many people like to watch the fun of the three major civilizations and discuss them with great interest.
Soon, the Higher Joint Organization issued a related announcement:
"[Preliminary Resolution on Expanding Ordinary Members' Voting Rights]"
The first one did not attract much attention and was an internal matter.
But the second one is different -
[Resolution on rejecting the X-level life forms of the three major civilizations from joining the Higher Life Forms United Organization]
The heat of the duel live broadcast had not yet faded, and it soon ignited the interstellar world, setting off an even greater wave of discussion.
"Fuck! X-level life forms from the three major civilizations are forbidden from joining. They're so fierce! Are they going to start a direct war?"
"Ghost, even someone like me can smell something different. I hope we're not going to really fight. I'm a little scared."
"...Rumor has it, this incident is said to be related to Qinglong..."
"Where the hell did this gossip come from? The live broadcast incident also said it was related to Qinglong. How come everything is related to him?"
“…”
The three major civilizations have been dominating the interstellar space for a long time. Hegemony and long-arm jurisdiction are their daily habits.
Most people have already adapted to it, so when a troublemaker suddenly appears, they are a little at a loss, or even a little panicked.
This triggered a series of tidal reactions. In just three days, the prices of various precious metals skyrocketed, and the prices of tickets for interstellar travel more than doubled.
The concepts of various refuge capsules and refuge spacecraft are very popular.
However, in the eyes of some higher-level forces or civilizations, the situation is very clear. In this game, the three major civilizations have fallen into a disadvantage.
At the same time, they also clearly understood that the three major civilizations would inevitably retaliate.
However, the number of envoys heading to the Mechanical Royal Court suddenly increased several times.
…
In the imperial capital, Adam rubbed his brows and looked unhappy. He had just been scolded by Malcolm and Gutierrez.
He was criticized for pushing for the establishment of the United Organization of Higher Life Forms for his own selfish desires, and now this organization has become too powerful to be eliminated.
"...You don't have to worry about it. After all, no one knew at the beginning that the Azure Dragon would hide so deeply."
Costat's voice came from the virtual screen in front of Adam.
"That's not what I care about." Adam shook his head. If he had the chance again, he would choose to do the same.
The current trouble has to be dealt with by the three major civilizations together. If this organization had not been exposed in the first place, he would have been the only one in trouble.
Costat remained silent. Knowing what Adam was concerned about, he couldn't help but say, "Qinglong is clearly stalling for time. Our energy is being stretched thin. If he delays us until we win the Diglas Crown, we'll be in trouble."
"Not bad." Adam sighed.
I am not afraid of Qinglong's hysterical revenge, but I am afraid of Qinglong's step-by-step arrangements.
What does this mean?
This means that the other party still has cards to play and there is a target in front of them.
"How long will it take for those chosen ones to arrive?" Adam asked.
"It's still more than a month away," Adam responded. "Once we arrive, we'll immediately explore the Holy Castle again to confirm whether Abel's information is correct."
"If Azure Dragon's true form is indeed not among them, then it will be much easier. We only need to isolate the Holy Castle to end Azure Dragon's hope."
"Whether we find Azure Dragon or not, we've solved a major hidden danger."
Although Qinglong was suspected to be involved in the challenge, he might have used other means and not Qinglong's true body.
"Hmm..." Adam nodded, then shook his head. "This is good news, but it's also bad news."
"If Qinglong isn't inside, then we can only continue looking for him."
Costat was helpless and felt exhausted. When had they ever faced such a situation before? No matter whether they moved forward or backward, or swayed left or right, there would always be something unsatisfactory.
"However, this time, Gutierrez is truly frightened," Adam said. "With Azure Dragon's actions, the higher life forms' united organization might even have the potential to shake up the Star Alliance's organizational structure."
"Qinglong... really..."
Adam didn't know what to say. He thought his vision was too good to have chosen such a difficult person.
Because of his previous recommendation, Malcolm and Gutierrez both believed that the Empire still had a lot of information hidden.
Kostat tacitly didn't respond, but instead asked, "Who will we attack next?"
"It's not a person..." Adam shook his head, "but an area, the Chaos Star Gap."
Costat's heart fluttered as he listened to Adam continue, "The Chaos Star Gap houses wanted criminals from many civilizations, and they have a legitimate reason."
"It's also where the Mechanical Royal Court is located. Many higher life forms have close ties with Li Qinglong."
"Anduin and Azure Dragon have a good personal relationship. Sheffield is preparing X-level gene seeds for Azure Dragon. This place is equivalent to a small lair for Azure Dragon."
Costat nodded involuntarily. He had not originally thought of wiping out the entire Chaos Star Gap, but was still thinking about a few certain people.
If you look at it from a broader perspective, Chaos Star Gap is indeed a perfect target.
"However, attacking so many X-level life forms at once, the Higher Alliance..."
Having said that, Costata paused. He never thought that one day he would say these words.
When attacking X-level life forms, one actually has to be wary of the joint organization of higher life forms.
"This is another advantage of the Chaos Star Gap. Every life form in it is related to Azure Dragon. If the resistance is fierce, we can retreat to the second best option and only target a certain life form." Adam saw it clearly.
"For the United Organization of Higher Life Forms, forcing us to make concessions is enough to satisfy many people."
"Even though Qinglong has a lot of prestige now, if they really fight with us, those people still won't take action."
The initial target should naturally be as big as possible to leave some buffer space. If you only kill a few people, it will be difficult to retreat.
Costat couldn't help but admire it.
Yes, their three major civilizations have not declined yet. They were just slapped in the face by Qinglong a few times, but they were not deeply hurt.
The foundation is still there, and it is impossible for those people to really charge for Qinglong.
As long as Qinglong's momentum is interrupted, we can naturally turn around and slowly destroy this organization.
"I understand. I'll arrange it right away." Costat nodded. Just as he was about to end the call, he suddenly remembered and reported in a low voice:
"By the way, the Titan branch named Morris is willing to speak."
"He has one request, though."
Adam looked at him in surprise. "What request?"
…
Li Ming has been very busy recently.
In the more than half a month after the end of the board seat challenge, he attended no less than twenty small gatherings.
Of course, he is in the identity of Qinglong, and those who participate in the party are all X-level life forms.
The Mechanical Royal Court's decline was not only wiped out, but it became even more prosperous than before, with a large number of orders coming in like snowflakes.
Even if we work at full capacity, orders will still have to wait for half a year.
Ulrich was almost going crazy, excited and nervous.
Li Ming finally had some free time today and stopped all external activities. Half a month of socializing was enough.
With the help of [Star of Eternal Silence], his development progress has jumped to 57% and will soon be close to the 60% mark.
However, he didn't have too much time to relax, as someone contacted him through the secret channel. It was the navigator.
After the communication was connected, there was only a single sound wave line. The other party came straight to the point, "Clarkson has already joined the game. I estimate that in a month at most, he will find the place where Bertrand died."
The navigator was quite hesitant and very curious about where exactly it was.
He didn't know the exact coordinates, but just followed Qinglong's instructions, selected a suitable person, and found a way to influence the voyage.
But after thinking it over again and again, I didn't ask.
Li Ming's eyes gleamed slightly, and he couldn't help but admire, "Your Excellency's ability to get things done is truly remarkable. No wonder you've been able to develop Pioneer to this point."
The navigator was silent for a moment before saying, "Your Excellency Qinglong is the true hero. He is the King Slayer, the Divine Craftsman, the Mechanical Lord, the Giant Splitter, and now the Lord of Secrets..."
He naturally also knew about the series of events that happened some time ago. It was truly astonishing and he had to admit it.
Li Ming's face looked a little strange, as these were all his titles.
He didn't know it at first, but after frequently attending various parties during this period, he gradually realized that he had a series of titles.
The secret master is naturally the recent challenge to manipulate the board seats.
Ordinary people don’t know, but higher life forms basically know it.
"But..." The navigator had a conflict with him after all, so he didn't praise him too much. He changed the subject and said:
"But you'd better not let your guard down now. What may seem like flourishing flowers is actually a raging fire."
(End of this chapter)
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