[Time until the Young King Bug extermination battle: 26 hours.]
Master Wang, who had been forging all night, carried a large sword wrapped in black cloth out of the supply station's workshop. He had a serious expression and a determined gaze, mentally reviewing the situation once more.
[If we take out the basic cultivation method and spread it, the Thirteenth Institute could learn to use Qi. They might produce a few real Yuan Ying-level monsters who could gain control over the world, and then the Daoist Master would be in trouble.]
This won’t work.
[If we bring out the crystal core artifacts and let Ling Tong prove their power and effectiveness against blade beasts, it would boost our value and strengthen the military's resolve to resist the Thirteenth Institute's headquarters. I can then control the progress of the artifacts and enhance my cultivation.]
This will work!
There was also a key point. Once the crystal core artifacts were revealed, the military would have a way to utilize crystal core energy, naturally breaking the monopoly that spirit users had over them. That would give him more chances to gather crystal cores!
In Wang Daolong's eyes, the so-called rules and laws were all based on strength.
Therefore!
Wang Jixuan gently shook the sword handle, and the black cloth covering the large sword fell away, revealing its true form.
Its design was somewhat ordinary, made of common iron, with a double-edged blade that was sixteen centimeters wide. The handle could be held with one or two hands, and the blade had a ten-centimeter-wide center that seemed to be covered with a layer of skin, embedded with two segments of a special dragon's skull.
The blade had a basic symmetrical beauty, with a slightly rounded tip. Lines resembling electric shocks stretched from the spine to the edges and tip of the sword.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Wang Jixuan twirled the sword, holding the large blade in his right hand and offering it to Ling Tong.
Ling Tong took it with both hands, her mechanical arm gripping the handle and raising it in front of her. The blade shimmered with a light blue glow, similar to the situation with the Demon-Slaying Dagger.
The spiritual energy in the air slowly flowed into the sword.
Ling Tong swung it a few times; the weight of the large sword posed no burden for her mechanical arm.
A few people gathered around to take a closer look, and Uncle Tai and Zhou Zhengde brought over a thick piece of blade beast exoskeleton.
Ling Tong held the sword forward and lightly touched it. The bright blue spiritual light released small ripples, as if she were poking a piece of white paper, easily piercing through the blade beast's bone.
Ling Tong pulled out the long sword, and the blue light on it brightened.
A smile was hard to contain on her lips.
Uncle Tai shouted, “Let’s do a continuous chopping test!”
“Okay,” Ling Tong replied, waiting for her energy to recharge before swinging again.
Wang Daolong was not in a hurry, standing aside with his hands behind his back, smiling as he watched this group of inexperienced people.
What a sight!
After a simple test, the large sword could absorb spiritual energy from the air and could be swung three times in a row, easily breaking through the blade beast's exoskeleton, after which it needed twelve seconds to recharge.
After one or two swings, it could recharge itself from the air at any time.
Ling Tong was very pleased with it: “It really is a precious treasure.”
“Cough!”
Wang Daolong cleared his throat:
“Very good, you’ve figured out its basic use as a weapon.”
He looked around and focused on Captain Zheng, saying seriously, “Captain Zheng, before I show you its true form, I need to confirm something with you.”
“What is it? Your gaze is making me a bit uneasy,” Zheng said, swallowing nervously.
Wang Jixuan stared into Zheng's eyes:
“I suggest you hide, because what I’m about to show could be sensitive information. If it leaks, your identity might be questioned first.
“If you choose to stay, I will treat you as a true comrade.”
Zheng asked quietly, “So do you want me to stay or to hide?”
Wang Jixuan smiled but didn’t answer.
Everyone looked at Zheng.
Zheng pondered; he wasn’t stupid, he could sense the underlying meaning.
He realized that if he stayed to witness what was coming, it would mean he had to completely sever ties with Professor Zhuang.
Professor Zhuang was not just his creator; he was also his teacher, savior, and longtime friend…
Due to the Kong Nu incident, Professor Zhuang had lost control over the spirit users at the D5 front, and Zheng no longer needed to report to him.
Zheng understood that this was the best opportunity to enter the inner circle of this powerful figure…
“Then I’ll step back.”
Zheng took two steps back and turned to return to his room.
Wang Jixuan didn’t stop him.
This was also for Zheng's sake, to avoid him getting into unnecessary trouble.
Zhou Zhengde yawned and asked, “What is it? You’re making me curious.”
“A type of crystal core processing technology.”
Wang Jixuan instructed, “Maximize the confidentiality measures here.”
“Okay,” Ling Tong said, using her mechanical arm to activate the electromagnetic shield for the supply station.
Then, in front of Ling Tong, Zhou Zhengde, Wu Man, and Uncle Tai, Wang Daolong took out two nearly depleted crystal cores from his pocket, clasped his hands together, and slowly pulled them apart like playing an accordion.
A few green talismans floated out, and the two crystal cores hovered in front of the talismans.
Wang Jixuan's eyes glimmered with golden light.
His fingers wavered slightly, and the spiritual energy inside the crystal cores was quickly released. He didn’t waste any time, directly absorbing that energy.
In just over twenty seconds, the two crystal cores made crackling sounds, and tiny cracks appeared on their surfaces.
“Reveal!”
Wang Jixuan said softly, and a talisman emitted a faint green light.
Everyone was shocked!
Two semi-transparent, miniature blade beasts, one a basic low-level blade beast and the other a low-level mimic blade beast, slowly crawled out from the shattered crystal cores!
The souls of the blade beasts!
They roared at Wang Jixuan and shot toward his forehead!
Wang Daolong casually said, “Lock.”
The second talisman was activated, and two thin chains appeared out of nowhere, binding the two blade beast souls together and pulling them back to the talisman.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Ling Tong stared intently at Wang Jixuan's actions.
The two crystal cores fell to the ground with a clink, and Wang Jixuan used his right hand to summon a small cage that Uncle Tai had prepared, which contained a “classic laboratory version” white mouse.
“Look,” Wang Jixuan said simply, pressing the mimic blade beast's soul into the mouse's body.
The next second, the mouse began to tremble uncontrollably, its body bloating and filling with blood, suddenly crashing against the iron cage, gnawing and squeaking in distress, and then with a pop, its head exploded.
The blade beast's soul flew out again, still charging at Wang Jixuan.
Wang Jixuan raised his finger, blocking the blade beast's soul, his fingertip glowing faintly, and gently tapped it.
The blade beast's soul exploded.
Wan Xiao Qi couldn't help but shiver a few times.
Wang Jixuan smiled and explained:
“Although I don’t understand the infusion experiments for spirit users, I think you should now understand why the success rate of such experiments is so low.
“The incomplete souls of blade beasts hide inside crystal cores; they have no consciousness. Once the core's energy is drained, they jump out to attack.
“This seems to be a mechanism for blade beasts to prevent humans from using their crystal cores.”
Zhou Zhengde asked anxiously, “Can we tell the military about this, that there are blade beast souls in the crystal cores?”
“I’m showing you this because I assume the commander already knows.”
Wang Jixuan replied quickly:
“And I’ve noticed that many soldiers like to wear pendants like Zheng’s as a mark of honor.
“I previously reported this to Commander Ling; that’s why they shouldn’t be worn.
“However, in a natural environment, the spiritual energy in crystal cores won’t be completely depleted; it’s just a concern.”
“I’ll call right away!”
Zhou Zhengde turned to run but was stopped by Wang Jixuan.
“There’s still part of the demonstration left, Zhengde, don’t rush.”
Zhou Zhengde held his impatience as everyone’s gaze fell on the remaining mimic blade beast soul.
Wang Daolong took out a Demon-Slaying Dagger he had crafted and slowly approached the soul, gently poking it a few times.
The soul showed no reaction; the dagger simply passed through.
Then, Wang Jixuan pulled out a black disc about ten centimeters in diameter, clearly made from the exoskeleton of a blade beast.
The disc emitted a pale yellow glow.
It slowly approached the soul, which was visibly pushed and squeezed. The soul kept crashing into the disc, leaving eight trigrams imprints on it.
A faint ripple spread out, dismembering and shattering the blade beast's soul, and several talismans were also pushed aside.
“The Eight Trigrams Guardian Disk, like the Demon-Slaying Dagger, uses air energy recovery.”
Wang Daolong tossed the disk to Ling Tong.
“It’s just a small gadget; it can resist the impact of ordinary souls and effectively defend against the mental attacks of blade beasts.
“Keep it with you, preferably close to your head.”
“Okay,” Ling Tong replied, then handed the disk to Sister Wan.
How to integrate this disk into the Battle Maiden's mechanical arm was now Sister Wan and Uncle Tai's task.
Wan Xiao Qi quietly pinched her own neck, wishing to die to amuse the commander and teacher.
Uncle Tai ran his fingers through his sparse gray hair.
He had helped set up the venue earlier, so he could count as a contributor!
Suddenly, Zhou Zhengde's communicator vibrated. He took it out, frowned, and said, “That officer is a bit annoying; he wants to talk to us. What should we do?”
(End of Chapter)