CHAPTER 1096: CHAPTER 105: DELIBERATION AND ANOMALIES

There is definitely a presence of the Six Dragons Sect within the Life Furnace Knights Order, and their proportion is absolutely not low.

Xiang Shan certainly can find the memory of the Life Furnace Knights Order under "knowledge," but it’s limited to just "knowledge." In the records left by the Holy Lord, there isn’t any "experience" related intelligence about this Order, nor is there any knowledge associated with it.

This is not normal. Truly.

Anyone who sees this super-sized illegal building (although in this era there are no "regulations" to violate) would be deeply impressed. The design blueprints of this Order’s headquarters, in the past, could have driven at least a hundred Homo sapiens-era review officials insane. And if this building were completed, the fines alone could easily fatten up many local regulatory departments.

It’s just that this era is too free; there’s nothing left.

Seeing this extremely awkward building, one would inevitably have a very deep impression. It is a miracle of engineering and a realization of humanity’s madness and arrogance.

If the Holy Lord had been around this area, he would certainly be deeply impressed.

Of course, the Holy Lord may have been created by the Six Dragons Sect Leader on Earth, rather than descending to Earth from the Space Elevator. Therefore, it’s indeed possible that the Holy Lord’s pseudo-personality mask has never seen this headquarters.

But still, the Holy Lord knows absolutely nothing about the research scope of this Order.

And according to Xiang Shan’s understanding of modern AI, this shows that in the Holy Lord’s data, the intelligence related to the "Life Furnace Knights Order" is strongly associated with the "Six Dragons Sect" organization, containing too much data that cannot be revealed to the Martial God.

As Xiang Shan’s intrusion to snatch the data was a sudden event, the Holy Lord did not have time to alter the memory and could only completely delete it.

Of course, that relied on Xiang Shan first convincing the Holy Lord that Yang Mengying was truly in the hands of Xiang Shan, the Martial God. And the Holy Lord also completely believed that if Yang Mengying became a hostage, Xiang Shan, the Martial God, indeed posed the risk of killing her.

This was a "Xiang Shan" against "Xiang Shan" game. The Holy Lord Xiang Shan had to carefully deliberate, thinking about the limits of Xiang Shan, the Martial God, and how much information must be handed over to temporarily preserve Yang Mengying’s life.

The Holy Lord understood the behavioral logic of the Martial God. And the Martial God could also understand the behavioral logic of the Holy Lord. Kanhara Shinhara calling the Holy Lord "Xiang Shan from a parallel world" has some basis. In reality, Xiang Shan indeed has the potential to become like the Holy Lord/Six Dragons Sect Leader. They are two similar individuals with the same starting point who ended up on opposite sides of critical events, growing into opposite entities.

This is simply a self-to-self game.

In the end, the Holy Lord threw out the most crucial information, bringing the Six Dragons Sect to a halt.

Because he knew what extent Xiang Shan could go to in ruthlessness and selflessness.

But based on this, he undoubtedly must have hidden something as well.

"Ascension" is the long-cherished wish of the Six Dragons Sect Leader... and indeed, of all the upper echelons of the Six Dragons Sect.

The Holy Lord will exert every effort to protect this aspect.

Even if it only slightly delays the Martial God Xiang Shan’s investigation.

"Think carefully, that girl Kotoba traveling back and forth from Earth, the safest channel is indeed here. No matter how rockets are built elsewhere, there’s the risk of being shot down—either by the government or by the Hero. Too many variables." Xiang Shan looked at the space elevator in the distance. "But what if she had a stable passage that could take her directly between space and the ground?"

Niyaguti mused: "It really is. Babies from other human colonies, and those sent to the Ark from Earth, all have to pass through the Life Furnace Knights Order and depart from here. Very stable. However, the babies should be heading to Venus..."

"Just transferring at the spaceport at the end of the space elevator."

"Yes, that was foolish of me." Niyaguti nodded and then sighed, "The flaw in this dedicated channel is much larger than I imagined... I always thought this route was the well-guarded type."

"Depends on who it’s for," Xiang Shan replied.

To take the Life Furnace Knights Order into one’s fold means secretly mastering a stable channel, allowing for travel between the ground and space right under Old Dog Hartman’s nose.

Xiang Shan thought, if he were the Six Dragons Sect Leader, he would certainly move to infiltrate the Life Furnace Knights Order first.

And the Holy Lord’s suspicious behavior clearly reveals one thing.

This Order must be filled with the Six Dragons Sect.

Xiang Shan had a change of mind and instantly had an idea.

"I already have a plan to capture the research base of this Scientific Knight Order," Xiang Shan said. "Nia, the technological disparity transformation you have been thinking about can also be patched up together. Now we only need to consider one issue—how to attack this Order."

Niyaguti instantly understood Xiang Shan’s idea. She decisively shook her head: "I cannot agree. Xiang Shan, your plan is too risky. Before discussing the strategy, we should first discuss ’whether or not to do it.’

"It’s something that must be done." Xiang Shan said without hesitation, "The reason we came here is to find a way to obtain data related to gene modification surgery. To seize that data, we have to face the Life Furnace Knights Order. Whether by using a First Heavenly Layer prosthetic body to charge in or by infiltrating, we have to confront it."

If this part of the data is missing...

Xiang Shan would need a long time to study his genetic data and design a bespoke gene modification surgery plan. With the resources that Hero can muster, doing so is unrealistic. Moreover, the opportunity that arose from the destruction of the global satellite network won’t come again.

Xiang Shan must complete the modification surgery before the Protectors rebuild the system.

Niyaguti said, "But the risk of losing the Martial God..."

"At least that bastard Yog was right about one thing." Xiang Shan sighed, "You Heroes should also get used to the idea that ’the Martial God can die.’ Is it worth mourning if the Martial God dies in battle?"

"Isn’t it worth it?"

"Life is precious because it only happens once. For someone who has been reborn eleven times, life is not precious at all," Xiang Shan said, "Being unable to fight denies the meaning of a Martial God’s existence."

Niyaguti was silent for a moment, then nodded, "Alright. Indeed, I should have realized long ago... The Martial God, after all, is such a being."

"As long as you know."

"Do you have a plan?"

"The entire Six Dragons Sect comes from ’Xiang Shan’s design, Xiang Shan’s sense of humor." Xiang Shan said this with a rather helpless tone, "I only have a side understanding of the organizational structure of the Six Dragons Sect, but I can roughly understand its operational logic. I will disguise myself as a member of the Six Dragons Sect’s scientific line to seek help here."

Niyaguti seemed speechless, "A ’wild researcher’? How could there be such a thing? Wouldn’t a researcher come from learning and communicating within the scientific community? How could something like this suddenly pop up?"

"But as a secret organization, the Six Dragons Sect indeed has some unknown research projects," Xiang Shan said, "Like those intelligent squids. Most researchers within the Six Dragons Sect have visible identities in the Scientific Knight Order, but some members separate from this social connection to perform more taboo research for the Six Dragons Sect."

"Then, as it happens, some research bases conducting taboo research were wiped out recently by passing Heroes. More unfortunately, few managed to escape from those mobile research bases. Furthermore, part of their memory coincidentally ended up in my hands—even though most of them erased their memories from electronic devices, at least I have a list."

"Those members of the Six Dragons Sect who were studying squid civilization that you eliminated, huh." Niyaguti nodded, "Then you still need to explain a few issues. There are many Scientific Knight Order stations on the way from the submarine accident location to here. Even if there are few from the Six Dragons Sect, it’s not possible to have none. Why would a ’researcher of the intelligent squid project’ come all the way here to seek help?"

"Nonsense, how would a ’researcher of the intelligent squid project’ know the full picture of the Six Dragons Sect? Remember that the Holy Lord ultimately invalidated all of the Six Dragons Sect’s verification means? So, no one within the Six Dragons Sect can verify each other anymore. That’s why I, as a ’squid project member,’ wandered here from place to place."

"Why come here?"

"Clearly, ’I’ am going to Mars." Xiang Shan nodded, "Hmm, hmm, I think that reason seems quite good."

With just a few words, the two of them settled on the rough strategy for action.

Finally, Xiang Shan said, "Then I’ll trouble you, Nia. I’ll temporarily lend you my two prosthetic bodies. Try to leave traces within a range of thirty kilometers."

To make a reputation for the Martial God Xiang Shan!

...........................

Two Scientific Knights were handing over duties to the new Armed Military Officer guarding the Gene Bank. A new batch of Gene Tax infants had arrived. Most trivial matters would be arranged by AI, making the work atmosphere among the three relatively relaxed.

"I heard the Heroes here have been quite active recently," one Scientific Knight remarked.

"They’ve always been active," the senior officer said, "It’s just that you Scientific Knights don’t pay attention."

"I don’t deny that point. But even here, the alarm was sounded three days ago," the other Scientific Knight raised his head, with a tone of regret, "We were scrambling to evacuate."

"Three days ago... Ah, you mean..."

"Yes, that’s right." The second Scientific Knight’s tone was somewhat desolate, "The Martial God was rumored to have appeared. The Martial God! Only a few dozen kilometers away."

"Rumored to have appeared..."

"We cannot afford to ignore it. Have you heard about the Secluded Crane Knight Order of the new continent? They’ve been wrecked terribly. And that was a major Order."

The tone faintly carried a feeling of relief and lingering fear that "a natural disaster was only a few kilometers away from us."

At this moment, a soldier came running over, saying, "Officer, there’s an anomaly. We lack inner strength, please take a look."