Chapter 716: Harvesting (Part 2)

It made sense when you thought about it. With the power of a Divinity Transformation cultivator, who could even roam the Void, how could they possibly be unable to monitor the other side of the sea?

Perhaps the Red Earth Civilization, with its lack of cultivators and its single-minded focus on technology, was just one of their experiments. They might be using it to explore what the future of the Cultivation Realm should be after the Spiritual Qi runs dry, all to ensure the eternal stability of the Immortal Sects’ order.

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

In a flash, numerous speculations surfaced in Lü Zhong’s mind.

As for the actual truth, he would likely find the answers he sought simply by visiting the Red Earth Alliance.

‘But I’ll have to be wary of the Immortal Sects’ lapdogs.’

Although it was just a possibility, Lü Zhong decided to err on the side of caution. He would send an Incarnation to act on his behalf while his true body remained hidden, lest a Divinity Transformation cultivator corner him directly.

Cangmingzi wasn’t a fool; he wouldn’t repeat the mistake of being so arrogant and careless.

If it happened again, Lü Zhong estimated, he would be a dead man.

Meanwhile, Bai Shuyun and Zang Jian were quite astonished.

The words of this Senior “Cangmingzi” were concise and remarkably well-reasoned. In a brief but compelling speech, he had unfurled a tapestry of the Cultivation Realm before them, revealing a corner of an ancient cultivation civilization.

With both host and guest pleased, a banquet was held on the Seeking Immortality Ship that evening.

Seeing their relationship grow closer, Bai Shuyun took the opportunity to make a request: to restore power to the Seeking Immortality Ship.

“I’m curious, what kind of power source do you use?” Lü Zhong asked.

Hearing this, Zang Jian exchanged a look with Bai Shuyun. After reaching an unspoken agreement, he said, “Senior Cangmingzi, the Red Earth Alliance currently utilizes Sun Furnace technology. It’s an energy technology developed based on observing the sun, capable of providing the Seeking Immortality Ship with a continuous source of power.”

‘This is their power source?’ Lü Zhong was slightly surprised.

‘They’ve even mastered something akin to nuclear fusion technology. No wonder they could build a colossal ship, nearly a kilometer long. It seems the technological level of this Red Earth Alliance is nothing to scoff at.’

‘In other words, they aren’t far from being ‘harvested’ by the Divinity Transformation cultivators of the Immortal Sects.’

“So, what part is damaged? Let me be blunt: I can’t repair a Sun Furnace, not unless you’re willing to provide the complete schematics.” Lü Zhong wasn’t so arrogant as to think a Nascent Soul Cultivator was omnipotent, even if hand-carving an integrated circuit wasn’t truly a difficult task for him.

“This…” Hearing that, Bai Shuyun felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head.

Fortunately, he hadn’t held out much hope in the first place. The main drive shaft used by the exploration vessel was a marine-grade shaft painstakingly manufactured by combining a vast array of the Red Earth Alliance’s most advanced and sophisticated technologies. It was the only thing capable of driving a colossal ship of nearly a million tons.

That was precisely why there was no spare shaft on board.

Gritting his teeth, Bai Shuyun decided to take a long shot and tell him the truth.

“Just a shaft? That, I can handle,” Lü Zhong said confidently.

Later, in the engine room, he saw the main shaft. It was snapped in the middle and twisted like a pretzel. He couldn’t help but frown slightly, but it was only a slight frown. After confirming the operational requirements of the shaft, he used the Sleeve Universe Technique to store it away.

“Give me one month.”

With those words, Lü Zhong vanished.

He left the two men staring at each other in bewilderment.

“I’m not seeing things, am I? The Senior can actually use Instant Teleportation! That’s a technology even the Alliance Science Academy hasn’t been able to achieve!” Zang Jian’s eyes were wide with shock, his face a mask of disbelief.

“You’re not seeing things. And he did it entirely through his own power.”

Bai Shuyun’s expression was grave. As an Alliance Soldier, he knew what this implied.

It meant that if this Senior Cangmingzi so wished, he could use Instant Teleportation to obliterate the entire crew of the Seeking Immortality Ship, including himself, at any moment.

Effortlessly!

At that thought, his back was instantly drenched in cold sweat.

Meanwhile, Lü Zhong found a deserted island.

With a flick of his sleeve, he released the main shaft. Looking at the two “pretzel” pieces, a smile touched his lips. ‘I never would have thought the Red Earth Alliance’s metallurgical skills were so advanced they could refine something like Iron Essence. Although they are fundamentally two different things, their material properties are nearly identical.’

‘More importantly…’

Lü Zhong channeled his Magical Power into it and found it flowed without any obstruction.

Clearly, the material was conductive to Spiritual Qi.

‘A superior material like this… forget using it for a ship’s shaft. If one were to use it to refine a Magical Treasure and inscribe a Restriction Array on it, the results would likely be excellent.’

‘This might be part of the reason why the Immortal Sects are so powerful and have endured for so long. Otherwise, it’s hard to explain how Central Earth has maintained its advantage throughout such a long history. Perhaps it’s the result of harvesting the Red Earth Civilization.’

Thinking of this, Lü Zhong couldn’t help but feel a sense of sorrow for the Red Earth People.

A civilization flourishes through its development, yet it is also destroyed because of it—an endless cycle of Reincarnation.

Sighing, he levitated the fifty-ton main shaft, then exhaled a stream of Purple Gold Extreme Fire and began repairing it according to the specifications. To prevent any future issues, he went ahead and inscribed an Array on it. It would consume Spiritual Qi, but this would serve to greatly reinforce it.

As for durability, it would hold up for a month or so without a problem.

In less than an ancient hour, Lü Zhong had finished the repairs.

It was a perfect job.

Then, he waited. After a full month had passed, he dispatched an Incarnation to return the repaired main shaft, while his true body remained on the island to meditate.

…

RUMBLE!!!

Seeing the main engine running smoothly, the expressions on the faces of Bai Shuyun, Zang Jian, and the rest of the crew could only be described as priceless. It was the look of someone who had just watched another person casually accomplish something they had considered impossible.

It was a complex mixture of shock and awe.

Lü Zhong took in their expressions, feeling quite satisfied.

He had always understood one simple truth: if you want respect, words are not enough. You have to display your strength.

The Instant Teleportation was part of it;

and now, repairing the main shaft was too.

The result was obvious. He had succeeded.

With memories from his past life, Lü Zhong could clearly understand what everyone was feeling at this moment.

If before, the people of the Red Earth Alliance had viewed “Cangmingzi” as a powerful, inhuman individual from a cultivation civilization, feeling only fear and respect for his immense strength, now they were truly won over—impressed not just by his astounding power, but also by his metallurgical skill.

The change in their attitude quickly became apparent.

Lü Zhong received the highest level of courtesy.

With the main shaft repaired, the Seeking Immortality Ship finally regained its mobility. It slowly backed out of the bay, then turned and, under the propulsion of its immense power, sailed straight east.

According to Bai Shuyun, they were heading directly to the Red Earth Alliance’s forward outpost—White Night Island.

Along the way, Lü Zhong also managed to inquire about the exploration fleet’s true purpose. It wasn’t actually to seek immortals. The Alliance had dispatched a large number of fleets to find a cure for the “Heartless Disease.”

According to Zang Jian, the Heartless Disease had been on the Alliance’s radar ever since it was first discovered thirteen hundred years ago. The symptoms included fits of mania, a complete loss of reason, and extreme aggression.

At first, there were only sporadic cases.

Because of this, the Alliance’s Central Medical Academy speculated that the disease had appeared even earlier, possibly as far back as two thousand years ago.

Even when the epidemic later spread, the medical academy simply considered it a new type of “mental illness.”

Unknown, but not frightening.

They were confident it would, like incurable diseases of the past, eventually be solved by the medical academy.

However, reality dealt the Central Medical Academy a slap in the face. One hundred and ninety-four years ago, the Heartless Disease saw a massive outbreak, causing countless deaths and injuries.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Lü Zhong couldn’t help but think:

‘Isn’t this so-called Heartless Disease just the Soul Loss Syndrome that’s prevalent in Central Earth? And the date of the major outbreak coincides perfectly with Hei Ming Daoist’s Ascension. That would explain why the Central Earth Divinity Transformation cultivators are so fixated on Ascension. They must have noticed something from what’s happening with the Red Earth Alliance.’

‘Those Divinity Transformation cultivators probably considered saving this realm at first.’

‘Not for the common people, but to preserve their own order.’

‘But as fate would have it, they lost the legacy concerning the Land of Immortal Arrival.’