Chapter 608 - 546: Proof of Identity

Chapter 608: Chapter 546: Proof of Identity

After a brief observation, Chu Mu took a single step, appearing before one of the Sand-tailed Scorpions.

The number of Sand-tailed Scorpions that had fallen at his hands over the past few days was already countless.

However, this was undoubtedly the first time he could observe one so closely at his leisure.

The Sand-tailed Scorpion’s form wasn’t particularly strange.

To use a common analogy, the Sand-tailed Scorpion looked just like a mundane scorpion, magnified several hundred times.

The only differences were the coloration of its entire body and... its Cultivation, a trait unique to a Demon Beast.

And...

With a flicker of thought, Chu Mu’s vast Divine Sense swept out, instantly enveloping the Sand-tailed Scorpion completely.

In the unseen ether, a faint, intermittent connection seemed to manifest within his Divine Sense Perception.

As his Divine Sense spread, every Sand-tailed Scorpion trapped within the Grand Array seemed like a marionette.

Faintly, an almost imperceptible thread extended from an unknown direction, sinking into the Sea of Consciousness of each Sand-tailed Scorpion.

When the Spiritual Radiance Blessing descended, this perception grew even more distinct.

Chu Mu perceived with extreme subtlety, capturing every minute fluctuation and ultimately inscribing it all onto a blank Jade Scroll he held.

Under the cognitive leap granted by the Spiritual Radiance Blessing, Chu Mu was utterly and completely focused.

He had temporarily pushed the surging Beast Tide outside the Grand Array to the back of his mind. He merely consumed Elixirs from time to time to maintain the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Array, holding it in a stalemate against the endless Sand-tailed Scorpion Tide.

All his attention was focused on these Sand-tailed Scorpions.

This was a deathtrap. If he continued this aimless slaughter, he would inevitably be worn down bit by bit until his resources ran dry, and he would die filled with regret.

The only thing he could do was gamble.

Gamble on a single possibility...

The blazing sun hung high over the boundless Desert Sea.

A scorching crimson radiance, with the Nine Dragons spiraling within, stood firm in the vast Desert Sea, centered on the towering Ancient Tower.

Amidst the endless Beast Tide, the scorching crimson light and the towering Ancient Tower were like a lone skiff in a tsunami, a lighthouse that seemed ready to be overwhelmed at any moment, yet somehow continued to stand tall.

As time went on, the dozens of Sand-tailed Scorpions trapped in the Grand Array—be they Tier Three, Tier Two, or even Tier One—became like laboratory specimens. Under the influence of the Spiritual Radiance Blessing, Chu Mu observed and dissected them one by one, from the outside in. He meticulously analyzed everything, from their Demon Bodies and Magical Power all the way to their Seas of Consciousness.

He recorded every single finding, no matter how small, inscribing it all into the Jade Scroll.

Lost in such deep concentration, time flew by. He consumed his few remaining Elixirs one after another without hesitation, fueling the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Array. Amidst the endless bloodshed, the array carved out a relatively peaceful space for him to work.

「In the blink of an eye, more than ten hours had passed.」

When Chu Mu finally lowered the Jade Scroll, only three of the dozens of imprisoned Sand-tailed Scorpions remained within the Grand Array.

A Tier One, a Tier Two, and a Tier Three.

The three Sand-tailed Scorpions, sandy-yellow and silver-white among them, stood motionless in various parts of the Grand Array, bound by crimson chains.

The Spiritual Radiance had not yet faded. Chu Mu glanced casually at the three captive Sand-tailed Scorpions, then, after a moment of contemplation, his gaze fixed on the Jade Scroll in his hand.

’What I have to bet on is actually quite simple.’

’This programmatic rigidity and precision must exist entirely within its programming. Anything outside the program might as well not exist.’

’Ever since I arrived, I’ve faced a relentless, kill-or-be-killed onslaught.’

’There’s no doubt that for an outside intruder like me, the program’s logic is a simple, relentless command: hunt and kill until I’m dead.’

’But what if I weren’t an intruder? What if I were... a "Sand-tailed Scorpion"?’

’What then?’

’If the entity controlling this endless tide of Sand-tailed Scorpions is truly just a fixed program, then based on my understanding of such rigid systems...’

’...this relentless pursuit would undoubtedly fizzle out and simply end.’

’After all, if the target vanishes, a rigid program’s logic would first be to search. It would use its various programmed methods to investigate, and if that search turns up nothing, the process would have to terminate.’

’Even if it’s not the programmatic logic I’m predicting—even if the legendary Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother is personally in control—judging by the rigid, programmatic behavior I’ve observed, my deception might still have a chance of success.’

’And as for the deception itself...’

’... a single Heavenly Deceit Pill... can deceive even the heavens!’

’But even with a pill that can deceive the heavens, there’s still one major problem I need to solve.’

’Every single Sand-tailed Scorpion is clearly connected to that entity hidden in the depths.’

’Whether that hidden entity is the actual Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother or just a piece of programmatic logic, this connection undoubtedly serves as a kind of proof of identity.’

’Even if I use the Heavenly Deceit Pill to disguise myself as a Sand-tailed Scorpion, if I lack that connection—that proof of identity—then no matter what the hidden entity is, my transformed self will be seen as... a heretic to be hunted down relentlessly!’

’This connection... it isn’t Divine Sense. It must be something in the psychic or spiritual realm...’

Chu Mu was lost in thought. Aided by the Spiritual Radiance Blessing, his ideas surged like a tidal wave, all revolving around this central problem as he formulated one potential solution after another.

This hopeless situation once again made Chu Mu deeply appreciate the importance of a solid foundation of knowledge.

Before long, thanks to his extensive knowledge, a rough outline of a plan began to form in his mind.

Chu Mu scanned his surroundings. The endless horde of Sand-tailed Scorpions now covered every inch of his field of vision.

’With such a massive number of scorpions, and therefore a massive number of connections, it’s impossible to maintain precise, detailed control over each individual one.’

’It’s just like with Puppets in the Cultivation Immortal Realm; even a Puppet Master can’t control too many at once.’

’Every Puppet one performs Refinement on occupies a portion of their Divine Sense.’

’And a Cultivator’s Divine Sense is finite.’

’Once that limit is reached, adding more Puppets doesn’t increase Combat Power—it just becomes an undeniable burden!’

’Even if the Sand-tailed Scorpions are unique, using some kind of psychic link with unimaginable properties...’

’...but the Cultivation Immortal Realm still abides by a form of conservation of Energy. Nothing comes from nothing. There have to be limits, there has to be a cost.’

’My counterfeit connection doesn’t need to be perfect. A vague, approximate link should be enough to serve as my proof of identity after I’m disguised.’

Chu Mu pursed his lips and looked up at the firmament.

According to his observations, the final destination of those faint, intermittent connections was this very same bizarre sky.

’It seems,’ he thought, ’this further corroborates my theory...’

...