Chapter 1663: Old Thing

Facing Zhang Yi's question, Deng Shentong hid nothing, smiling as he nodded.

"This is all thanks to you."

Deng Shentong spoke sincerely. If Zhang Yi hadn't stepped in to help, bringing him to Neon to obtain that True Dragon Specimen, he never would have had the chance to achieve his own breakthrough.

Zhang Yi asked curiously, "What's your ability index at now?"

Deng Shentong replied, "After precise calculations, my ability index is around 11,000 points."

At that point, he couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

Zhang Yi was somewhat surprised. "That low?"

He rubbed his nose. Although Deng Shentong had indeed ascended to the Epsilon realm and shed the level of an ant, looking at the current situation, he clearly wasn't qualified to serve as a main force.

Deng Shentong smiled faintly. "My ascension was rather special, but it's not as bad as it sounds. Perhaps in the war to come, I'll be able to play some role."

Deng Shentong's ascension relied on external forces. That girl named Amber carried what appeared to be dragon bloodline, and using the DNA within the True Dragon Specimen, her ability was stimulated into atavism.

Her supernatural ability was auxiliary in nature, so her own combat prowess wasn't strong.

Deng Shentong became the bound partner of her ability, and only through that achieved his breakthrough, which was why his ability index was relatively low.

Compared to someone like Zhang Yi, a naturally gifted one, or those who opened their Genetic Lock through the God Essence, his breakthrough came faster, though it was inevitable that his power level would have some gap.

Hearing Deng Shentong say this, Zhang Yi couldn't help asking, "You still have tricks up your sleeve, right? Deng Corporation Technology, or that mysterious binding-type girlfriend of yours?"

Deng Shentong shrugged. "That, I'd like to keep a secret for now. But then," his expression turned grave, "as things stand now, my power is roughly only enough for self-protection."

"Because the main battlefield ahead is still the domain of you veteran Epsilons."

"My primary mission is to protect Blizzard City. Of course, you can also count me as a hidden card. When the time comes that I'm needed, I'll step in."

Deng Shentong's breakthrough in strength was naturally a good thing, but Zhang Yi didn't have time to wait for him to grow, at least not for now he'd be of much use.

Except, one thing came to mind.

Zhang Yi looked at Deng Shentong, his eyes narrowing slightly, his gaze sharp as he asked:

"Do you still remember that clone of Yuan Kongye in Blizzard City?"

If even Deng Shentong had broken through to Epsilon, then that clone of Yuan Kongye, Zhu Yu, who had once made Zhang Yi deeply wary, what level of power had she reached by now?

Zhang Yi would never forget her.

Yuan Kongye's ability was among the very top of all Transcendents Zhang Yi had ever seen.

The ability trait of rapidly growing by absorbing others' abilities and Essence could let her break through to unimaginable levels at the fastest possible speed.

There was no grudge between Zhang Yi and Zhu Yu.

It was just that he understood Zhu Yu was the killer trump card Zhu Zheng had painstakingly cultivated.

Although things were going fairly well between him and Zhu Zheng for now, no one was willing to remain beneath another for long, especially a former overlord who had once been so domineering.

So if one day Zhu Yu possessed a certain level of power, then when that time came, Zhu Zheng would slowly seize back the initiative between the two of them.

Deng Shentong frowned, shaking his head.

"No news about her at all."

"That person's existence has always been a mystery in Blizzard City. I only saw her once myself. That was probably during the turbulent period in Blizzard City when Zhu Zheng deliberately displayed his military might to intimidate the other factions."

"But after that, that person completely disappeared."

"My guess is she was hidden away by Zhu Zheng, being cultivated in secret."

As he said this, Deng Shentong smiled, but his expression was somewhat solemn as he said, "Who knows, maybe Blizzard City already has two Epsilon-class Transcendents including me!"

Zhang Yi abruptly turned around, his eyes fixed on Deng Shentong, a dangerous aura emanating from his body.

Deng Shentong stepped back repeatedly, waving his hands. "Hey, hey, hey, boss, don't make that face. I'm getting a bit scared."

Zhang Yi's reaction wasn't aimed at Deng Shentong, of course.

After pondering for a moment, he slowly said, "Science and technology are the primary productive forces. In the early days of the apocalypse, the Jiangnan Region was always at the bottom among the six major regions of Huaxu Nation because it had no Epsilon-class Transcendents."

"But it seems you people were the first to break through in the genetic field, mastering the method to create Epsilon-class Transcendents!"

Even if Zhu Yu carried Yuan Kongye's genes, making a quasi-Epsilon break through to the Epsilon realm was no easy feat.

For example, Huahua and Liang Yue by Zhang Yi's side had taken considerable time to do so even with the help of the God Essence.

Deng Shentong said, "I have no idea about the progress of Blizzard City's Scientific Research Department, but as for Deng Corporation Technology, I only managed to ascend by borrowing Amber's ability."

He looked down at his slender, fair palm. "This power is indeed intoxicating, but my ascension isn't pure."

A dangerous glint flickered in Zhang Yi's eyes.

"Should I just head straight to Blizzard City and ask Zhu Zheng to clarify things?"

It couldn't yet be determined if Zhu Zheng had truly succeeded in cultivating Zhu Yu.

However, intelligence obtained from the underground world confirmed that the ancient civilization had already mastered the method to create the God Essence and the Rite Spirit.

So theoretically speaking, the modern era with its more advanced science and technology could also possess such techniques.

Deng Shentong was greatly startled. "Hey, hey, I'm telling you, brother. At a time like this, doing that isn't really appropriate, is it?"

With a formidable enemy at the gates, if Zhang Yi barged into Blizzard City and stirred up conflict, he'd indeed easily become the target of everyone's criticism.

Zhang Yi smiled faintly. "Relax, I know what I'm doing."

"If one day, Zhu Zheng's research truly bears fruit, he'll be unable to hold himself back and jump out on his own."

Zhang Yi walked to the window, looking out at the massive Tianshui Fortress already fully constructed outside, and leisurely picked up the hot coffee from the table, taking a sip.

"I've even started looking forward to it."

...

Three days later, East Sea City.

A colossal warship emerged from the seawater, like an enormous indescribable sea beast, appearing at the port of East Sea City.

Even Xuanwu, before it, looked like an underage little turtle.

Colombia's Navy's largest amphibious warship, the Nautilus, had come to the soil of Huaxu Nation for the first time.

And at the port, East China Sea Major Region's Supreme Commander Li Guangxiao led a group of officers, solemnly lined up here to welcome Colombia's reinforcements.

Xuanwu hovered over the East Sea City harbor with a grave expression, neither humble nor overbearing.