Chapter 330 - 231: The Butterfly Effect?
Chapter 330: Chapter 231: The Butterfly Effect?
’Is this from a "Vanguard Team"? Or is it a stray egg that drifted or wandered away from the periphery of the Black Mist Star Realm? Was it captured by the Solar System’s gravity and accidentally entered Earth’s atmosphere?’
This species’ young could reach speeds of 1 to 3 Mach, and adults could hit a staggering 10 Mach. At that speed, even Li Xiang wouldn’t be able to handle it. However, as far as Li Xiang knew, their juvenile stage was very long. He hadn’t studied the specifics, but it was at least five or six years.
In any case, the sooner he caught it, the better.
Li Xiang held the cracked eggshell, bringing it close to his nose to carefully sniff the scent of the remaining fluid. As a Tier Seven Transcendent, his sense of smell was incredibly sharp, even better than a police dog’s. When tracking prey, the first step was always to start with scent and tracks.
But then... Li Xiang looked around in a daze. Amid the strong wind and heavy snow, how could there be any tracks left?
Li Xiang felt a headache coming on. ’How could this thing be here nine years early? Did it always exist, but the information was just too tightly controlled for me to know? Or has my rebirth altered the course of history?’
After all, the theory of the butterfly effect was widely accepted.
The butterfly effect isn’t just a scientific theory, but also a philosophical one. It describes a phenomenon of chaos, suggesting that the development of all things involves both constants and variables. While the trajectory of an event’s development follows certain patterns, there are also unpredictable "variables" at play.
As the saying goes, a tiny deviation can lead to a world of difference. A minuscule change in detail could result in a completely different outcome.
It’s like how a butterfly suddenly flapping its wings in South America could potentially trigger a tornado in Texas in the United States.
As a reborn butterfly himself, Li Xiang had no idea how many times he had flapped his wings.
Perhaps the Solar System’s movement speed was relatively fixed, and it would still enter that "boundless" Black Mist Star Realm that "spanned an unknown number of light-years" in nine years. However, the "storms and blizzards"—the trials and tribulations—experienced along the way would definitely be different from his previous life.
’That thing seems to have a particular fondness for Electric Energy. It also likes to parasitize humans and devour their internal organs... It’s especially drawn to crowded, bustling places. And... most importantly, it has a natural "Invisibility" characteristic. Existing radar or infrared systems can’t detect it.’ Li Xiang’s own sets of Extraordinary Armor were just like that; perhaps they were derived from the same technology.
He carefully recalled the knowledge he possessed from his past life, and the more he thought, the more alarmed he became.
Day had now broken. Li Xiang deactivated his Giant Whale Sacred Armor and searched the vicinity, hoping to find any suspicious scents or tracks.
He did indeed find a few, but they were sporadic, very far apart, and scattered in every direction, failing to form a coherent trail.
’This thing will most likely head to Rongcheng. It’s the largest city for hundreds of miles, densely populated, and has the most abundant Electric Energy.’ Li Xiang pulled out his phone, deciding to call for backup. This was too difficult to handle on his own.
The moment he took out his phone, a flood of messages popped up. One was from Xu Xuan: "Brother Xiang, interested in coming to Rongcheng for a hunt? Something happened at the wildlife park. A large number of beasts escaped. Catching them will definitely be more interesting than hunting wild boars."
They had previously agreed to team up and go out for fun when it started snowing heavily, but Li Xiang later backed out, leaving Xu Xuan feeling dejected. Now, with such a perfect opportunity, he was all fired up again.
On one hand, it was incredibly exciting. On the other, it was a way to help the wildlife park and protect the lives of Rongcheng’s residents, which was very meaningful.
Many special police officers had been dispatched, but there was no way they could round up all the animals in a short time. That’s why Xu Xuan had frantically called Li Xiang first thing in the morning after getting the news. When the call didn’t go through, he sent several messages.
"Brother Xiang, I know it’s not good to disturb your sleep, but if we’re late, they’ll all be caught, and we’ll miss out on the action."
In truth, Xu Xuan and Zhang Youyou could have taken people to catch the animals themselves, but without Li Xiang’s participation, it wouldn’t be as much fun. It was like playing mahjong during the New Year; you could grab any group of people to play, but playing with special people made it exceptionally enjoyable.
Li Xiang called Xu Xuan back and told him that he was already in Rongcheng.
Xu Xuan was delighted. "Ah? Great minds think alike! You got here so fast?"
Li Xiang shook his head and said, "There’s a much bigger crisis involved. Where are you? It’s not convenient to talk over the phone. I’ll come find you."
"Uh, Youyou and I are at our new place. The address is..." Xu Xuan then gave him the address.
"Is the balcony enclosed with windows?" Li Xiang asked.
"Yes."
"Open a window. I’ll be there in three minutes." After saying that, Li Xiang hung up.
At that moment, Xu Xuan and Zhang Youyou were still in bed. Zhang Youyou had been leaning in and had heard the gist of the conversation. The two of them exchanged a look, immediately jumped out of bed, and scrambled to get dressed and wash up.
Otherwise, it would be awkward if Li Xiang arrived while they were still naked.
And Li Xiang had a very particular "hobby": he preferred coming through windows over using the front door.
Xu Xuan was fast. He was done with everything in two minutes and went to slide open the balcony window. But Zhang Youyou, being a woman and wanting to get ready for Li Xiang’s visit, took a bit longer to freshen up and was still busy in the bathroom.
This was a large, single-story apartment on the twenty-eighth floor, covering four or five hundred square meters. The south-facing balcony alone was two meters wide and over ten meters long, and the north-facing one was about the same.
Xu Xuan didn’t know which direction Li Xiang would come from, so he opened windows on both the north and south balconies. A cold wind immediately howled through the apartment.
Fortunately, he and his wife were both Extraordinary Beings and weren’t afraid of the cold.
Right at the three-minute mark, a figure flashed and vaulted in through the south balcony window. It was Li Xiang. He had given the couple three minutes precisely so they would have time to get dressed. In reality, he could have arrived much faster.
At his speed, it was difficult for ordinary surveillance cameras and the naked human eye to even catch a glimpse of him.
Furthermore, he was spotless. There wasn’t a trace of mud or snow on him, not even on his shoes. This was partly due to his speed and partly because a jolt of Spiritual Power could shake off any grime.
Xu Xuan’s floors were immaculate, complete with underfloor heating, but Li Xiang’s shoes left no footprints as he walked on them.
Xu Xuan closed the front and back windows, then took out some tea leaves to brew for his guest.
"Don’t trouble yourself. I’ll make this quick. Where’s Youyou?" Li Xiang asked.
Xu Xuan replied, "She’s still getting ready in the bathroom."
Li Xiang smiled. "Have her come out and join us. This is important."
"I’ll go get her." Soon, Xu Xuan brought Zhang Youyou over.
"Take a look at this." Li Xiang took out the cracked eggshell from the wildlife park and placed it on the coffee table.
"What is it?"
Xu Xuan and Zhang Youyou exchanged confused glances. Li Xiang gave them a brief explanation, and after hearing it, both their expressions turned exceptionally grave.
"Not even radar works? Then how do we find it?"
Xu Xuan had a personal combat radar at home. He had gotten one for Li Xiang last time and naturally got one for himself to play with. He brought it over and turned it on. Sure enough, Xu Xuan and Zhang Youyou were dumbfounded. The eggshell was right in front of them, he even waved it around, but the radar couldn’t detect it at all.
"Can you give this to me? It could be very useful," Xu Xuan asked.
Li Xiang broke off a small piece and said, "The rest is yours."
"Thanks. This is great material. Maybe the researchers can figure something out from it. It could be a more advanced Invisibility technology, or maybe a more advanced detection technology. If this kind of creature shows up again in the future, we might have high-tech equipment to detect them," Xu Xuan explained.
"I know, that’s why I’m giving it to you. As for the other small piece, I have a use for it," Li Xiang nodded. This could be considered his small contribution to the country. He would never hand over his Armor, but the eggshell of an Exotic Beast was acceptable.
If they could really develop something from it, it would be a huge asset during the future Apocalypse.
"So how do we catch... that thing?" Zhang Youyou asked.
"I suspect that thing will hide in Rongcheng. It’s best if it’s still in the city; otherwise, it will be a huge problem," Li Xiang said thoughtfully. "I need you to use your connections to closely monitor the city’s power grid. If any area shows a sudden, massive spike in electricity consumption, notify me immediately. Also, I need to borrow your place for a bit. Some helpers will be here soon."
"Oh, okay." Xu Xuan and Zhang Youyou indicated they understood. They assumed the helpers Li Xiang had called were Lei Jiaming, Lei Xiaohui, Yao Yao, and Zhao Xueqing, since they were all Extraordinary Beings too.
’If not them, then maybe his Extraordinary Pets?’
But Li Xiang had just said that even his own sense of smell was useless, so a pet’s might not be any better.
Besides, the pets had to guard the house. It was more likely that people were coming.
"I need to go see my grandfather. Brother Xiang, I won’t be able to keep you company. Youyou, please take good care of Brother Xiang." Xu Xuan excused himself to Li Xiang, picked up the eggshell, put it in a bag, and hurried out the door.
Zhang Youyou brought out a variety of snacks, brewed some tea, and kept Li Xiang company. They ate and chatted, and she also asked him for advice on some Cultivation-related questions.
During this time, Xu Xuan called. He said the electricity monitoring was set up and under close watch. They would be notified immediately of any anomalies. He added that he couldn’t come back just yet as he needed to assist with reporting some matters.
Li Xiang instructed, "Don’t mention my involvement."
Xu Xuan: "...I’ll figure something out. But my grandfather knows."
"The fewer people who know, the better," Li Xiang said.
"Alright." Xu Xuan felt a bit troubled. How could he possibly keep something like this completely under wraps? He could only try to limit the knowledge to a few core individuals.
Moreover, if this operation was successful, there would inevitably be rewards based on merit. He didn’t want Li Xiang to get nothing out of it. If he took all the credit, it might create a rift between him and Li Xiang.
It would be terrible for a grudge to form between friends.
When Li Xiang heard Xu Xuan’s thoughts, he couldn’t help but smile. "You can have the credit." With his current power, Li Xiang naturally preferred to work alone rather than be constrained by others.
Joining the establishment might be a dream for many, but to Li Xiang, what was that? He didn’t need it.
Given enough time, he himself would become the system.
Xu Xuan shook his head. "No way, that won’t work. I’ll discuss it with my grandfather again, try to figure something out."
"Suit yourself. It’s best if I’m not involved." Li Xiang shook his head. The situation had developed in a somewhat unexpected way, but regardless, now that his strength had increased, it didn’t really matter.
However, the creature was likely being very cautious on its first arrival on Earth. Over an hour had passed, and no anomalies had been detected.
About another half-hour later, the doorbell rang. Zhang Youyou ran to get it, assuming Xu Xuan had rushed out without his keys. But when she opened the door, she saw a woman, completely bundled up from head to toe.