124: Chapter 44: The Hidden Sect 124: Chapter 44: The Hidden Sect “Who are you?”

Xiang Shan replied thus.

Although replying could potentially expose himself to attack, this risk was already within his considerations.

The maximum combat power that this city could mobilize was just so-so.

After all, the Lord had already taken most of the martial power to surround and suppress a certain Famed Hero.

It was precisely because of this that he had come here.

As for Yuki and that little one, there was no need to worry for the time being.

Even if something really happened to him, those two Heroes could take care of them for a while.

In recent days, Xiang Shan had almost forcefully crammed the basics of martial arts into Yuki.

It could be said that Yuki’s foundation was more solid than most martial artists of this era.

Even if he would self-study afterward, he had the chance to find open blockchains on the internet and identify most of the traps with malicious intent by himself.

Yet, this expert who navigated the internet using inner strength was the first person he had seen whose inner strength surpassed his own current level.

Until now, Xiang Shan had never encountered anyone with higher inner strength than himself.

Whether it was those bandits in Green Forest, the Pursuers among the Guardians, or even the two Heroes, Huang Ouguang and Cui Hai, none had such inner strength.

And, in a certain sense, “the strength of inner strength” meant “the strength of the ability to obtain information.”

In the information era, hackers were the individuals with the strongest ability to obtain information.

They could pry the information they wanted from various servers while ensuring that the information they already had wasn’t ruthlessly erased by the government.

They constantly acquired and meticulously protected it.

This was the wealth that only experts of the Internal sect could possess.

The higher the inner strength, the more one knew.

Xiang Shan was anxiously seeking to understand some information to refine his judgment of the situation and plan for the future.

This was his best opportunity.

Then, his prosthetic body showed a sharp increase in downloaded data.

A certain sensation…

like warm tides rushed in from all directions.

This operation didn’t carry much hostility, but Xiang Shan quickly built a simulation machine to wrap those incoming data packets.

Of course, this might not be of much use.

Just like what Xiang Shan had told Yuki at first, the first lesson for a Hero was to use meditation techniques to break through the simulated Illusory Realm.

In the ancient days, when humanity had just begun the information revolution, viruses that could break through virtual machines had already come into existence.

But still, it was better than having nothing at all.

Fortunately, the information was nothing more than detailed materials.

Afterward, that will disappeared without a trace.

Xiang Shan examined each character of the data file from the ground up until he was sure there was no virus.

Then he carefully pinched a spare chip and opened it.

Inside was a tutorial.

It was about the latest version of the “Network Meditation Room.”

Xiang Shan quickly read through the material, then learned and mastered it.

He reconstructed his own Network Meditation Room and once again extended his will, letting his thoughts continuously jump between various hypertexts, hoping to encounter once more the person he had just spoken to.

But this time, it was fruitless.

……………………………

This occurred roughly fifty minutes later.

A man with a pale complexion opened his eyes.

His first reflex was to touch his own face.

In front of him was a screen, showing his own face synchronized as if it were a mirror.

Then, the man gingerly unplugged the charging cable inserted in the back of his head and slowly walked out of the room.

His biological brain was not within this prosthetic body, but elsewhere.

This prosthetic body was only for easing emotions and maintaining his increasingly thin humanity.

He patted his face.

This was the closest to a real sensation.

Beyond the narrow room was a small corridor, with a slender window only a dozen centimeters wide.

A girl stood there, staring outside.

“No matter how much you watch, it’s just that,” the man shook his head.

“This place’s scenery won’t change, right?

It’s just fog and more fog.”

“Who knows?” the girl replied.

“Maybe the next moment, a little mold or lichen will appear?”

“That’s wishful thinking,” the man scoffed.

The girl shook her head, “You have no romance.” She then turned around.

The man noticed clear seams at the edges of the girl’s cheeks—indicating that her face was also an industrial product in need of replacement.

The girl asked, “Have you completed your task?”

“Almost, but I’ve found more loopholes,” the man said.

“The Mena Project is after all a marginal one, unlikely to be overseen by many Internal experts.

It’s just a pity that we have no chance to physically steal the data…

Ah, it’s ultimately too far.”

“Hm?

According to the usual schedule, you wouldn’t come out until three hours into tomorrow.

Was there an emergency?”

The man shrugged, “One of my avatars noticed the appearance of a Beta Version of the Network Meditation Room within the limits of Pine Eagle City, not far from the Mena Project server.

While hopping through hypertexts, I sniffed his trail and then cut off that side’s monitoring of him.

Only thing is, the distance was too great, preventing me from fully unleashing my inner strength.

My avatar did manage to send out the latest version of the Network Meditation Room though.”

“Beta Version…” the girl exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes, the Beta Version, and it’s one of the last few versions of that,” the man said.

“It’s the final work of the golden age of martial arts.

I believe its era can be traced back to the time of the Martial Ancestor.”

The girl’s expression became serious, “To think it has appeared again?

The master had spent so much effort to clean up those outdated versions’ data on the internet to prevent harm to the curious teens who step into this world.

There should be very little accurate information remaining…”

“Even the master can’t possibly eliminate all the copies on the internet,” the man shrugged.

“But now, the most reliable way to obtain it…

should be a fork of ‘that’ blockchain, right?”

“Good heavens, forget about that,” the man shrugged again.

“‘That’ blockchain, with its numerous soft and hard forks, has almost turned into a large maze, alright.

It’s very difficult for either the master or the other experiencers from that time to enter a specific fork and drag out specific data from it.”

The girl stared at the man, “I don’t think you’re being sincere with that statement.”

The man sighed, “Forget it.

Anyway, I still have to report this matter to the master.

Junior sister, please step aside.”

The girl shouted, “Brother, do you not think ‘The Return of the Martial God’ is a good thing?”

The man shrugged, “Who knows?”

……………………………

Xiang Shan had no way of knowing about this conversation that took place in a distant region.

He wandered on the spot for about two hours, waiting in vain for a further response.

Finally, Xiang Shan confirmed something.

“Am I being pitied by someone?”

He said to himself.

There was a feeling of both amusement and frustration.

He had long anticipated that his knowledge might be a bit behind the times…

but now he seemed to have a clear understanding of it.

“Good,” Xiang Shan said.

“I’ve also identified a usable Network Meditation Room, and checked the network conditions here.”

In areas where the network is highly developed, using internal skills poses a problem—you become the target of a joint counterattack by masters from all over.

It’s not just local masters; even those on the opposite side of the earth, or on the Moon, can send their inner strength here through satellite signals and servers to help the local powerhouses resist outside attacks.

The last time he made off with the Welfare Officer’s Ground Effect Vehicle, he encountered this problem.

Only that time, he disconnected from the internet in time and thus avoided the issue.

But now, he still needed to be somewhat cautious.

After confirming this, Xiang Shan headed towards the agreed-upon location on the ground.

The closer one got to the city center, the more prominent the gigantic anti-aircraft guns on the ground became.

Those electromagnetic guns, tall like slanted towers, could accelerate massive metal blocks to supersonic speeds.

Apart from having to be mindful of the building walls, they had virtually no defects and were a terrifying means of defense.

The gun turrets of these electromagnetic guns were thick, standing over ten meters tall and often the tallest structures in a block.

In the air, there were also several unmanned drones buzzing swiftly like a swarm of bees.

Occasionally, residents using gliders could be seen flying across the sky.

These people were errand runners for the residents of the ninetieth floor.

For cybernetically enhanced people, falling from a height of several meters to the ground is not fatal.

Therefore, for a minority of high-rise residents, the unpowered glider is a feasible means of transportation.

Soon, Xiang Shan found the Pine Eagle Building.

This Pine Eagle Building was the lord’s government office.

There was a layer of excrement on the ground, and many stains on the walls, but these were concentrated below the fiftieth floor.

Above the fiftieth floor, they were rare to see.

Moreover, there was a clear dividing line between the faade decorations of above and below the hundredth floor.

After circling around the perimeter, Xiang Shan quickly found Cui Hai sitting on a clean set of steps.

When Cui Hai saw Xiang Shan, he stood up and greeted him.

As Xiang Shan approached, he asked, “What did you just etch on the ground?”

As he was approaching, Xiang Shan saw Cui Hai’s fingers quivering non-stop as they touched the ground.

On closer inspection, it turned out to be a QR code.

The QR code was shallowly etched into the cement wall, with the white debris gently wiped away, leaving a faint impression that would likely become invisible after a day or two.

Xiang Shan deciphered it but didn’t find any specific meaning.

Cui Hai explained, “This is a covert signal for meeting used by our sect.

This little thing wouldn’t bother posing a problem to a senior like you.”

Xiang Shan nodded, “Have you found anyone from your sect?”

Cui Hai shook his head, “I haven’t seen any other signals, nor do I know if there are any other survivors.”

Xiang Shan nodded again, “We’ll have a chance to look for them later.

For now, let’s find a place to rest.”