Chapter 607 - 545: Programmatic Rigor

Chapter 607: Chapter 545: Programmatic Rigor

But it was clear that the meticulous, flawless perfection of a Spirit Plant Puppet was precisely due to its lack of Spiritual Wisdom—to its programmatic nature.

A being with Spiritual Wisdom would find it very difficult to achieve the same rigid, programmatic, and meticulous nature of a Puppet.

Yet, the rigid behavior of these Sand-tailed Scorpions seemed no different from that of a Puppet.

’Judging by this rigidity, it’s as if what’s controlling this swarm isn’t a Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother with Spiritual Wisdom rivaling a human’s, but just a fixed program... much like a Puppet’s Heart!’

’Is the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother itself like this, or...?’

Chu Mu’s brow furrowed. His understanding of Sand-tailed Scorpions came only from fragmented records in ancient texts.

He wasn’t sure if this kind of rigid, programmatic behavior was natural for a Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother.

After all, the Sand-tailed Scorpion Race was unique. To control and propagate such an endless number of scorpions, it was possible that the Spiritual Wisdom of the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother—the core of the entire race—was simply different from that of other creatures.

’It’s possible that the legendary Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother hasn’t paid me any real attention at all. This might just be an autonomous response from a sliver of its consciousness.’

’Or is it as I suspect? That the one controlling these Sand-tailed Scorpions isn’t the legendary Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother, but just a fixed program.’

’My entering this Desert Sea must have triggered this fixed program’s alert. Then, under the program’s control, this endless swarm of Sand-tailed Scorpions began a systematic hunt for me...’

’That seems quite possible, too.’

If he remembered correctly, the Jade Scroll from the Xie Family had referred to this Ruins Cave Mansion as a "Relic Trial"!

Entering this Ruins Cave Mansion meant beginning its trial.

And this trial would even vary from person to person.

All of this had been recorded clearly on that Jade Scroll.

’This vast Desert Sea, these endless Sand-tailed Scorpions, all programmatically controlled to form a trial... it’s certainly not impossible.’

’But if that’s the case, then... where is the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother?’

’This Ruins Cave Mansion has existed for so long. Without a Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother, where did all these countless Sand-tailed Scorpions come from?’

’Or perhaps... the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother is being controlled? A slave?’

Riddled with doubts, Chu Mu scanned his surroundings. The Sand-tailed Scorpion Tide was still boundless, and there was still no end in sight to the vast Desert Sea.

Nine days and one night, a bloody path stretching for thousands of miles... yet his situation hadn’t changed in the slightest.

No matter how many Sand-tailed Scorpions he slaughtered, it seemed to be nothing more than a drop in the ocean, utterly futile.

This current discovery didn’t seem to be of much use to him either.

After all, a Spiritual Demon might make mistakes or become careless. But if this was truly a rigid, programmatic system, then there would be no oversights, no accidents.

’Annihilating me is its supreme mission. And centered on that mission, it will hunt me to the death, without question.’

This dead end seemed even more hopeless.

’However...’

Just then, Chu Mu seemed to think of something, and his eyes suddenly lit up. But as he looked at the endless horde of Sand-tailed Scorpions before him, his expression immediately became uncertain.

Soon, however, he appeared to have made a decision. This time, he didn’t continue fleeing down the bloody path.

Instead, he stopped. As his blade flowed, he began to probe them, again and again.

For a Puppet Master like him, this kind of rigid, programmatic behavior was an all-too-familiar concept.

Excluding Low Tier Puppets that lacked a Puppet Core, the most crucial component of any Puppet that possessed one was undoubtedly the Puppet’s Heart.

It was like the smart devices from his previous life—the core chip, the intelligent program, was the very soul of any such device.

Puppets, of course, were the same.

When any Puppet was first refined, its mission would have been clearly inscribed within its Puppet’s Heart.

After a Puppet was created, its behavioral logic, aside from its master’s commands, would rigidly and strictly follow the program in its Puppet’s Heart.

It could not deviate in the slightest!

This was what he wanted to test.

He wanted to know if the Sand-tailed Scorpions’ rigid behavior was due to the unique nature of their Spiritual Wisdom, or if it was, as he suspected, a programmatic rigidity.

Although, he had no way of telling the difference between the two.

After all, his knowledge and understanding of the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother were... limited.

’I can only test it as much as possible, make an educated guess, and... gamble on one possibility!’

In a hopeless situation like this, all he could do was gamble!

Gamble that this rigid behavior was truly just programmatic!

If it really was programmatic, then for him, it would be a sudden turn for the better—a path to survival from a dead end!

His gaze grew resolute. Chu Mu raised his hand, and several Qingyun Pills entered his mouth. Under the Refinement of his Magical Power, the surging Medicinal Power from the Qingyun Pills erupted within him.

Even without the effects of Pill Patterns, the Qingyun Pills he had personally refined were no ordinary items. By consuming a large number of elixirs without regard for the cost, his nearly depleted Essence, Qi, and Spirit rapidly refilled under the surge of Medicinal Power.

Once his reserves reached a critical point, Chu Mu didn’t hesitate. With a flicker of his thoughts, the Three-foot Blade in his hand vanished abruptly, like a phantom bubble.

Under the scorching sun, Chu Mu once again left himself wide open, his defenses completely exposed.

And the relentless Sand-tailed Scorpion Tide reacted with the same rigid, programmatic response. Targeting his exposed state, they unleashed a chain of killing blows, one after another.

The same reaction played out once again.

But this time, Chu Mu didn’t slaughter them, nor did he conserve his Magical Power. Following his low shout, the towering phantom of an Ancient Tower appeared behind him with shocking suddenness.

In just an instant, the phantom tower solidified. A magnificent Ancient Tower, hundreds of feet tall, now stood beneath the sky.

At the same time, scorching crimson flames filled the sky. As Fire Dragons coiled and danced, the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Array formed in an instant.

In that same instant, the Ancient Tower suppressed and sealed everything within a thousand-foot radius.

Meanwhile, the endless Sand-tailed Scorpion Tide, now thousands of feet away, was blocked outside, surging forward wave after relentless wave.

It was like a scene playing out again. Any Sand-tailed Scorpion that charged forward was like a moth to a flame before the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Array. The moment they touched the scorching crimson light, they were refined into ash and scattered with the swirling sand, utterly annihilated.

But the price Chu Mu paid for this continuous Refinement and annihilation was a terrifying drain on his Magical Power and Divine Sense.

This was the fundamental reason why he had previously dismissed the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Array and struggled on with just himself and his saber.

In this endless Beast Tide, the disadvantage of such a terrifying rate of consumption was self-evident.

Now, however, Chu Mu paid it no mind. The surging Medicinal Power in his Dantian erupted, replenishing what he lost to the terrifying consumption.

Chu Mu, meanwhile, turned his gaze to the Sand-tailed Scorpions trapped and suppressed within the Grand Array.

Two Tier Three Sand-tailed Scorpions, twenty-eight Tier Two Sand-tailed Scorpions, and sixteen Tier One Sand-tailed Scorpions.

And this was merely a minuscule, insignificant drop in the bucket compared to the endless Sand-tailed Scorpion Tide.

If not for his Unrivaled Attack power, backed by his Sword Intent...

...a Beast Tide of this magnitude would have long since overwhelmed him completely.

Of course, his greatest fortune lay with these Tier Three Sand-tailed Scorpions.

They had a Spatial Attribute and could appear and disappear like phantoms, but their physical bodies were extremely fragile. Moreover, their abilities happened to be countered by him, so they didn’t pose much of a threat.

Furthermore, these spatial Sand-tailed Scorpions weren’t fully participating in the Beast Tide. Their main purpose seemed to be to intimidate him and prevent his escape.

Otherwise, if they had been any other kind of Tier Three Sand-tailed Scorpion—even if they were just advanced versions of the common ones—and had swarmed him all at once on top of this endless Beast Tide...

...no matter how many tricks he had up his sleeve, he would have likely died filled with regret.

It was precisely because of all this that he had managed to survive this relentless siege until now...

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