199: The Mystery of the Lost Territory, Qinghai
Waiting for them? What does this mean?
With doubts in their minds, the group entered the room.
Tang Tingzhi dismissed the bystanders and only kept the key figures from various organizations. As everyone settled in the living room, Mr. Sun’s profound gaze swept across them before resting on Zhuang Yao. He smiled, “Well, such a young cerebral domain evolutionist, you have potential.” Mr. Sun appeared entirely unpretentious, like an ordinary elder. If he walked down the street, no one would believe he was a cerebral domain evolutionist.
Zhuang Yao asked, “Mr. Sun, you mentioned you were waiting for us. Have you heard about us?”
“I’ve heard a little, but I don’t have specific details about individuals. I simply know that sooner or later, the central authority would send a truly capable team to Qinghai. When that time comes, our opportunity to break through the Qinghai barrier will arrive. It’s been two years, and I’ve been waiting all this time.”
“How can you be so sure that we truly have the capability? That Lord Ming doesn’t really trust us.”
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Mr. Sun narrowed his eyes. “The situation you described has occurred. During Rong Lan’s advancement, his body was blown to pieces. We all thought he had died, but he transformed into a beam of light. A few days later, his body slowly reassembled.”
The group was astonished. Cheng Tianbi spoke gravely, “Elementalization?”
Mr. Sun affirmed, “Exactly, elementalization. Not just him, the city lord in the western area also experienced the same situation during advancement. After complete bodily explosion and elementalization, their bodies returned to normal after three days. Therefore, the situation you described is not nonexistent. While a small portion of mutant individuals face life-threatening danger during advancement, two-thirds of them survive. And these two natural-force evolutionists have advanced three times without any harm.”
Zhuang Yao said gravely, “They’ve indeed reached the Fourth Stage.”
“Do you refer to it as ‘Stages’? Is there any specific term?”
“There are many terms. We can discuss them gradually.” Zhuang Yao glanced at Cong Xia. “I never thought that such a thing would happen during the advancement of natural-force evolutionists. However, I’m afraid no one would dare take such risks and explode completely, and then…”
Cong Xia nodded. “Mr. Sun, after their first advancement and bodily recovery, can they achieve complete elementalization?”
“No, it’s partial bodily elementalization. Only after their second advancement can they achieve complete elementalization.”
“If, as we suspect, breaking through the Third Stage is required for full-body elementalization.” Zhuang Yao chuckled mockingly. “It seems Zhuang Yu went through a lot for nothing. Zhou Fenglan probably can’t die at all.”
“I heard that there are many natural-force evolutionists in Beijing?”
“Beijing has five, Chongqing has one, Russia and the United States each have one, along with the two in Qinghai, totaling ten.”
Mr. Sun nodded. “Consistent with what she told me.”
“Who?”
“A young Russian girl, a wood elemental natural-force evolutionist.”
Cheng Tianbi inquired further, “Where is she?”
“In the western area. Do you know her?”
“We don’t, but she’s a fellow natural-force evolutionist of my element. We’re entrusted by the Moscow government to help her leave Qinghai.”
“She’s safe now and is also searching for a way to leave Qinghai.” Mr. Sun was secretly delighted. “The timing is truly here.”
“We will definitely leave this place.”
“I’ve already told you the reasons they need the Puppet Jades. But what about you? You’ve collected the Puppet Jades, even coming to the dangerous Qinghai to find them. What’s your purpose?”
Tang Tingzhi and Zhuang Yao exchanged a glance. Tang Tingzhi organized his thoughts and shared with Mr. Sun all the research outcomes from the past two years that didn’t involve major secrets. They could tell that both city lords of the eastern and western areas respected Mr. Sun. They needed to convince him first to have any hope of obtaining the Puppet Jades without bloodshed.
Mr. Sun listened attentively, asked insightful questions, and went straight to the core. The communication between cerebral domain evolutionists was truly remarkable, with their thoughts leaping vastly. Many things weren’t clear to them, yet others had already figured it out entirely. Their efficiency in communication was incredibly high, with not a single word wasted.
After hearing them out, Mr. Sun’s face was flushed with excitement. His hands trembled slightly, just like Tang Tingzhi and Zhuang Yao. For them, absorbing new knowledge or information was akin to plants absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. It provided them with unexpected satisfaction and fulfillment. He looked at Cong Xia. “So, you’re saying that all natural-force evolutionists can safely pass through their advancements with your assistance. You possess a unique ability distinct from everyone else?”
Cong Xia nodded.
“From what source does this ability stem?”
Cong Xia said, “Mr. Sun, I can’t tell you about this for the time being. Not only you, but many others here also don’t know.”
Yao Qianjiang shrugged. “Indeed, everyone in Beijing is curious about how you acquired this ability.”
Mr. Sun chuckled. “It’s okay. I believe that someday you’ll tell me.” He sighed. “I never thought the outside world would change so rapidly – the Great Wild Goose Pagoda infested with insects, giant pine trees, and approaching marine creatures. I really wish to leave here and contribute my brain for the sake of humanity. Otherwise, at my age, what’s the difference between being alive or dead?”
Tang Tingzhi said earnestly, “We will definitely leave here, and Beijing needs you too.”
“Mr. Sun, may I ask… is this your first advancement?”
Mr. Sun responded, “It’s my second time. Every advancement, I thought I was going to die, my mind overwhelmed with so much information that it felt like it would explode.” He chuckled and shook his head. “I never thought I’d live this long.”
“So, it’s the third tier…”
“I didn’t expect people outside to evolve so slowly. Many Qinghai mutants died during advancement, but new mutations kept occurring. The survivors evolved to higher levels. However, each advancement became progressively more difficult, and the time it took grew longer. The city lords of both sides recently broke through to the fourth tier. At this rate, breaking through to the fifth tier might take three or four years.”
“How many people in Qinghai have surpassed the third and fourth tiers?”
“Only those two are at the fourth tier because the Puppet Jades are with them. As for the third tier, from what I know, there are no more than six. There should have been more, but during the critical point of reaching the second-tier advancement, half of them died from bodily explosion. Currently, those at the second tier are numerous, very many. We broke through to the second tier one year after the earthquake and then reached the third tier in another year. Thanks to the effects of the Puppet Jades, Rong Lan and the others evolved rapidly.”
“That’s incredibly fast…” Zhuang Yao commented, “Golmud, do you often go there? Is that where the concentration of Cambrian energy is highest? That’s why those higher-level mutants always go there for practice?”
Mr. Sun’s expression changed slightly. “You could put it that way. Golmud has the best environment for evolution. We don’t engage in what you would call ‘practice,’ but as long as you stay in that area, the energy core will continuously absorb energy, promoting evolution. Therefore, the higher-level mutants prefer to go to Golmud. However, only higher-level mutants can go because Golmud is a terrifying place akin to hell. Every living thing you can see there, be it animals or plants, can devour humans. Without strength, survival there is impossible.”
“Both city lords already have Puppet Jades. Why would they still risk going to Golmud?”
Mr. Sun wryly smiled. “Greed.”
Everyone understood.
Mr. Sun continued, “If indeed sealing the Puppet Jades is necessary to prevent this catastrophe, then we must visit the ‘restricted zone’ once. And even if not for that, you must go for the Puppet Jades.”
“The ‘restricted zone’ is?”
“The epicenter, young comrade, didn’t you come with that scientific expedition team? You should know, right? It’s likely where you originally excavated the Puppet Jades. Even now, somewhere underground in the ‘restricted zone,’ two Puppet Jades are still buried. However, no one has been able to retrieve them. The danger in the ‘restricted zone’ even surpasses that of Qinghai Lake. I’ve always wanted to go in and study, but it’s impossible. Yet, if we don’t go there, how can we unravel the mysteries of the Puppet Jades?”
Cheng Tianbi nodded. “So, the ‘restricted zone’ is the uninhabited area of Golmud, quite far from the city center.”
Cong Xia inquired, “Has even the Master not been there?”
“He has, in the form of elementalization for investigation. If Golmud is hell, then the ‘restricted zone’ is the purgatory within hell. Even Rong Lan doesn’t dare to appear in human form inside it, let alone retrieve the Puppet Jades.”
Cheng Tianbi solemnly commented, “It seems that the enemies we’ve encountered so far are small fries compared to these.”
Mr. Sun responded, “Not entirely. At least, that giant tree you mentioned, could dominate in Qinghai, where there isn’t such a large tree.”
“That means the Puppet Jade in Qinghai Lake is relatively easier to obtain. It seems we should start there.”
Mr. Sun said, “Getting that Puppet Jade isn’t difficult. The problem is that the two sides haven’t been willing to cooperate. If they teamed up, I would even dare to venture into the ‘restricted zone.’ Now with you here, even the water creatures at the bottom of Qinghai Lake aren’t a problem. I have a way to deal with them.”
“Mr. Sun, what progress have you made in your research on the Qinghai barrier? Why do you believe the barrier is caused by the energy field of the Puppet Jades?”
Mr. Sun’s tone turned grave. “I’ve been studying the Qinghai barrier for two years, and I’ve finally come to a preliminary conclusion. The Qinghai barrier can interfere with people’s brainwaves, something that brain-evolved individuals can achieve. However, the barrier’s capability surpasses ours by millions of times. It can make people lose their sense of direction, doubt the truthfulness of their memories, and even induce hallucinations. The barrier is intangible; the mist is just an illusion to deceive us. The barrier acts upon the human brain. There’s nothing blocking you from leaving Qinghai; it’s that you unwittingly bring yourself back, not realizing it.”
Everyone displayed looks of astonishment.
Mr. Sun sighed, “When I arrived at this conclusion, I felt quite disheartened. I’m the only brain-evolved individual in Qinghai, and by your standards, I might be the most evolved one in the world. I can control other people’s brainwaves, but under the influence of the Qinghai barrier, I can’t even control myself. Besides the energy field created by the Puppet Jades, what other force could achieve this?”
Wu Yu frowned, “Why would the Puppet Jades create such a barrier? Could it be because the Puppet Jades are too concentrated?”
Cheng Tianbi shook his head, “That shouldn’t be it. The Puppet Jades in Beijing are more concentrated.”
Yao Qianjiang said, “But the Puppet Jades in Beijing are wrapped in the soft metal brought back before the earthquake. Maybe it’s because of this that a barrier wasn’t created in Beijing?”
“That’s a possibility. So we need to figure out how to collect the Puppet Jades…”
Mr. Sun stated, “Collecting them presents another major problem. Unless we can find the soft metal you mentioned in the ‘restricted zone’ as well, otherwise, we still won’t be able to shield the energy field produced by the Puppet Jades. Frankly speaking, I’m more inclined towards leaving this place, preparing more thoroughly, and then heading to the ‘restricted zone.’ But now, it seems contradictory.”
Cong Xia whispered, “Shielding the Puppet Jades, I think I might have a solution.”
Mr. Sun looked at him in surprise, “You have a solution?”
Cong Xia casually replied, “I’m not certain, but the probability is high.”
Cheng Tianbi and others naturally understood he was referring to the Ancient Jade. Indeed, the ancient jade could shield the energy of the Puppet Jades, at least blocking the interaction between several Puppet Jades. This should achieve the goal of shielding the energy field.
Mr. Sun said, “Alright, in that case, our goal is clear now. Gather the five Puppet Jades, shield the energy field. If even this can’t break the Qinghai barrier, then this land is cursed by the heavens.”
Tang Tingzhi said, “Mr. Sun, we can still try with the Puppet Jade in Qinghai Lake. However, for the Golmud ‘restricted zone,’ we might need the cooperation of the Masters to explore such dangerous terrain. Ultimately, they need to simultaneously hand over the Puppet Jades. If you can’t persuade them, all our efforts would be in vain.”
“I understand. I will convince them. Qinghai is the most severely affected by Cambrian energy. The environment is terrible; no one wants to stay here for a lifetime. I believe, for this common goal, they will cooperate.”
“Cooperation alone isn’t enough,” Zhuang Yao’s young face looked serious, “They must agree to hand over the Puppet Jades to the military after leaving Qinghai. Otherwise, they will be enemies of the military.”
Mr. Sun fell silent for a moment, “I will find a way.”
Zhuang Yao said, “Mr. Sun, go talk to them. You’re the only one who can make this happen. For our common goal, for the future of humanity.”
Mr. Sun nodded, “Leave it to me.” He stood up, “We’ve discussed a lot today. Let me go back and organize my thoughts. I’ll come back another day to discuss the Qinghai Lake matter with you.”
“Mr. Sun,” Zhuang Yao also stood up, looking up at him, his eyes round and bright, adorably innocent, “I want to know your current strength.”
Mr. Sun affectionately patted his head, “Do you want to try? But it will be uncomfortable.”
“Let me give it a try.”
Mr. Sun smiled. Suddenly, the seemingly ordinary old man emitted astonishing energy from his body. Immediately, everyone in the room felt dizzy and disoriented. The images before them multiplied, and then everything went black. When their vision returned, they found themselves looking down on an image of Zhuang Yao! The surprised expression on Zhuang Yao’s face seemed frozen, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Shortly after, everything went black again, and their vision returned to normal. The dizziness had vanished.
Zhuang Yao exclaimed, “Did you… did you share your sight?”
Mr. Sun smiled and said, “Yes, the images you just saw were what I saw at that time. This is just a part of my abilities after reaching the third tier. I can also share my other senses. The more people there are, the shorter the duration. At the same time, I can now control some lower-level mutant creatures. The so-called cerebral evolution involves developing and manipulating the cerebral domain. From this, many abilities arise that can serve as defensive weapons. In a team, they can also facilitate wireless communication and command. I believe that when breaking through the fourth tier, the attack capabilities of cerebral evolutionists won’t be limited to self-defense. Instead, they will truly possess combat power.”
Tang Tingzhi and Zhuang Yao’s eyes sparkled. Their expectations for advancement had reached unprecedented heights. The abilities gained at the third tier would bring them personal and team enhancements of a qualitative nature. They wouldn’t just be advisors; they would become an effective fighting force in the team, able to protect themselves during combat and avoid becoming a burden to others.
How could this not make them excited!
Mr. Sun patted Zhuang Yao’s shoulder with a smile, “You’re quite something, young one. Before I retired, I was a teacher, teaching kids like you. Seeing you reminds me of my students… Ah, you’re quite remarkable. You young people are humanity’s hope. Make sure to live well.”
After seeing off Mr. Sun, the group gathered in the living room and remained silent for a long time.
Finally, it was Deng Xiao who broke the silence, “Little Zhuang Yao, if you really break through the third tier, don’t experiment on me, okay?”
Zhuang Yao glanced at him, “What’s the matter, feeling scared?”
“Bro, I’m usually nice to you, right? I always think of you when I have something good. Just don’t use me for experiments; I have an image to maintain.”
Zhuang Yao smirked, “I can’t promise that. Take care of yourself.”
Deng Xiao put on a mournful expression, “You’re not cute at all, kid. You’re not even as good as Abu.”
Thinking of Abu, Zhuang Yao’s face couldn’t hide his delight, “In that case, if I can break through the third tier, I’ll definitely find a way to help Abu advance safely.”
“Right, the third-tier cerebral evolutionist’s capabilities are really beyond expectations. They’re almost unstoppable. They can even let others see what’s in their eyes. Won’t that mean Abu can see what we see? Just by sharing the five senses, this alone can significantly enhance Abu’s learning ability and intelligence.”
“Absolutely, I must break through the third tier as soon as possible.”
Zhuang Yao’s thoughts mirrored those of everyone present. Nothing can enhance their abilities more than advancing!
Wu Yu said, “By the way, Mr. Sun mentioned that Jacqueline is in the western region. Shouldn’t we find her? With her abilities combined with Cheng Tianbi’s, they would form a formidable force.”
Tang Tingzhi said, “Right now, it’s obviously not feasible. Master Ming is very averse to the western region. If we rashly go there now, it will definitely displease him. Let’s see if Mr. Sun can persuade them to cooperate first.”
Zhuang Yao asked, “Do you think there’s much hope?”
Tang Tingzhi shook his head, “Very little. I don’t know the root cause of their conflicts, but some conflicts are irreconcilable.”
Zhuang Yao nodded, “If they refuse to cooperate, then there’s no other way but to resort to force.”
Everyone understood the implications of confronting either Master Ming or the Xuan Master, but they had so many challenges to face that the impact had numbed them. There was almost no reaction upon hearing this.
They continued to discuss the matter of Qinghai Lake. The general direction of their plans remained similar to before. Yao Qianjiang’s ability to transform into a water elemental form was undoubtedly their most advantageous force against Qinghai Lake. If Mr. Sun could provide any better strategies, their chances of success would be even more certain.
For the next few days, they stayed in the Express Hotel, practicing almost without leaving their rooms. The speed of cultivation in Qinghai was much faster than anywhere else, and no one was willing to waste such a good opportunity.
After a few days, Meng Qing arrived once again, inviting them to dine at the Ming Residence to discuss the matter of Qinghai Lake.
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