Chapter 343 - 238: Another Extraterrestrial Meteor
Chapter 343: Chapter 238: Another Extraterrestrial Meteor
Later, whenever Li Xiang recalled the events, his eyes would fill with tears.
’It’s not like we can’t celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival,’ he thought.
’Even without a real Moon, we could have an Extraordinary Being skilled in Illusion Techniques manifest a bright one with their Superpower. It wouldn’t have to be too big, just hanging high in the base’s main hall. We could create a scene so realistic it would be indistinguishable from the genuine article. That way, every child who’s never seen the Moon could come admire it, eat mooncakes, and hear the stories of Chang’e Flying to the Moon, Wu Gang chopping the osmanthus tree, and the Jade Rabbit pounding medicine.’
This was hope. The passing on of a civilization.
What Li Xiang wanted to do was not simply ensure everyone’s survival. He wanted them to live with hope and fight with hope, until human civilization could be restored, ushering in a brand-new era.
’Of course, if our technology is well-preserved, we could also use holographic projections, the Metaverse, or other methods for the experience.’
As for the Qingming Festival, that went without saying.
It was something that couldn’t be stopped, even with an official ban.
Throughout history, during many times of suffering—times filled with danger and uncertainty, when people starved and lived hand-to-mouth—they would still spontaneously perform the related rituals on this day. Even if they couldn’t visit the graves or afford to burn paper money, they would at least kneel and kowtow.
These festivals were a part of Chinese civilization—a truly vital element that had influenced one generation after another.
The more difficult the times, the greater the need for spiritual support and psychological balance. And these festivals, with their sense of ritual, were the best way to achieve that.
Amidst the ice and snow, Li Xiang prepared cured fish, then began his Cultivation.
His Cultivation still consisted mostly of doing various chores: tending the vegetable garden, clearing the accumulated snow, and so on.
After days of heavy snow that refused to melt, Li Xiang piled it all up from the front and back yards, building an Ice and Snow Castle.
For the arid regions of the great Northwest, this snow was a precious resource. It would be collected and stored in water cellars, ready for use once it melted in the warmth of spring.
A water cellar, as its name suggests, is a cistern for collecting rainwater. It’s shaped like a gourd, with a narrow mouth and bottom but a wide middle. The depth is also critical and must meet specific standards.
The cool, low temperatures underground prevent water stored for long periods in a proper cellar from growing moldy or spoiling. However, if the depth doesn’t meet the required standards, the water will go bad over time.
Although many places now have running water, water from these cellars is better for watering flowers and vegetables. Frugal families also use it for bathing and flushing toilets, saving a good deal on their water bills.
However, Li Xiang’s hometown had plenty of water, so there was no need to collect this snow.
As Li Xiang worked, his Breathing Technique naturally merged with his every move. The Spiritual Power within him surged relentlessly, like the great Yangtze River. Suddenly, he felt a warm current welling up in his upper left abdomen, around his spleen, as if a Spiritual Power Vortex was about to form.
This was a sign of a breakthrough.
Li Xiang had experienced this situation countless times, so he wasn’t the least bit flustered. He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and focused his mind. Slowly circulating his Breathing Technique and using specific movements to guide the energy, he finally managed to smooth out the vortex’s formation after expending considerable effort.
’Hmph. Finally suppressed it again. I’ve successfully stopped the "agitation" to break through to the Eighth Tier.’
If his fellow Extraordinary Beings from his past life saw this, they would probably be stunned.
After all, any other Extraordinary Being who encountered such an opportunity would be desperate to condense a Spiritual Power Vortex. Each new vortex meant advancing a Tier—it was an incredibly rare chance. Most people couldn’t advance even if they wanted to.
But Li Xiang was taking a steady and solid approach. He felt he needed to polish his foundation further, to let his power settle more, so he suppressed the breakthrough.
He was a chosen one, with a system to back him up and an endless supply of Spiritual Medicine. He was never worried about being unable to advance.
This was far from the first time he’d done something like this. Counting this instance, it was the fourth time he had suppressed his breakthrough to the Eighth Tier. He felt he might not be able to hold it back much longer before it erupted.
This was his self-realized "Art of Suppression." The key was to hold back and stabilize for as long as possible. Only when he absolutely couldn’t contain it any longer would he let go. The release would be more satisfying. No—the breakthrough would be stronger!
At the same Realm, his strength would be greater.
He had shared this secret with Luo Feifei and Jiang Cai’Er, instructing them to do the same. He gave them detailed instructions, including how to stabilize their minds, how to guide the flow of Spiritual Power, the specific rhythms and tempos involved... It was far too comprehensive to be explained in just a few words.
It was what one might call a secret art, something he wouldn’t teach to anyone who wasn’t an absolute genius or a very close friend.
’Hmph. By analogy, this "Art of Suppression" could be applied to other things as well.’
Li Xiang went to check on the little White Elephant.
The little White Elephant, its mother, and the entire herd were now living on the China-Laos Border, in a wild elephant nature reserve inside Chinese territory. Being farther south, it was warmer. Although they had also gotten a few heavy snows, it had already melted and the temperatures were rising. The forecast called for more rain and snow in a few days, but overall, it was still warmer than Sichuan Province.
From north to south, there was a temperature gradient, and the patterns of rain and snow were not the same. The only commonality was that the entire globe was getting colder.
An "expert" had commented that global cooling wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. We could just increase carbon emissions. No need to be so careful anymore.
’Actually, that expert had stumbled upon a grain of truth. Increasing carbon emissions would accelerate development across the board. With the Apocalypse on its way, who gives a damn about carbon emissions?’
Li Xiang wouldn’t play favorites, so he also went to Siberia to visit Little Golden Tiger, Little Fenghu, and the Tiger Mother.
This litter of tigers was stronger than the White Elephant and her calf. First, Little Golden Tiger’s potential reached the Saint Tier. Second, there were three of them—a whole family of Exotic Beasts.
The Tiger Mother was a Snow Demon Tiger, and Little Fenghu was a Red-Striped Phoenix-Winged Tiger, which could potentially evolve wings in the future. As the saying goes, "adding wings to a tiger," it would be able to fly without even reaching Saint Tier. Little Golden Tiger, on the other hand, seemed to possess both Wind and Lightning Attributes, a top-tier fighter with the potential to reach the Twenty-second Tier.
Naturally, Li Xiang didn’t visit his adorable pets empty-handed. He gifted each of them some Spiritual Medicine, guided their Breathing Technique Cultivation, and spent time playing and interacting with them to deepen their bond.
The elephants were relatively docile, but the tigers were far more mischievous, leaping and pouncing with remarkable agility.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t feasible to bring them back to Li Family Village, so for now, he had to let them live in the wild.
Li Xiang had initially considered guiding the tigers to migrate toward the Northeast. It would be safer once they were inside China, where there were virtually no poachers. But on second thought, he realized tigers were different. They were born fighters. A harsher environment would only serve to hone their skills and make them stronger. So, he decided to let nature take its course.
Besides, after consuming his Spiritual Medicine and practicing the Breathing Technique, their power would only continue to grow. They would have no reason to fear poachers.
Xu Xuan called. He said something important had come up and asked Li Xiang to meet him in Rongcheng.
"It’s not convenient to talk in detail over the phone. But we received news that a meteor also fell in the United States a few days ago, and then some incidents occurred in the surrounding towns. Come over and we can talk specifics."
Li Xiang fell silent, his brow furrowing slightly. He’d long had a feeling there wasn’t just one of those scattered beast eggs floating in space. As time passed, they were bound to run into more.
’I just didn’t expect another one to show up so soon.’
"Alright, I’ll head over right away." Li Xiang set off for Rongcheng alone. First, he needed to get a handle on the situation.
In Rongcheng, Xu Xuan took him to meet Elder Xu and several other seniors. They held a meeting.
"The Capital City wants you to lead a team to investigate. If it’s an Exotic Beast, the best-case scenario is bringing it back alive. We can’t let the Americans capture it—not that they’d be able to anyway."
Li Xiang pondered for a moment and said, "In a foreign country, with many unknown factors and without the strong support and coordination we have at home, I can’t guarantee a live capture."
’Because this type of Space Exotic Beast has an extremely high upper limit, far surpassing any of Earth’s Mutated Creatures. The system reward for killing one would be immense. Giving the last live one to the country for research was actually a huge sacrifice on my part.’
’So this time, I want to kill it.’
Besides, what he said was true. Operating in a foreign country, he’d be on unfamiliar ground. The Americans certainly wouldn’t mobilize resources to help; they’d more likely try to obstruct him and throw a wrench in the works. The mission would be far more difficult than one in China.
Elder Xu nodded in understanding. "If a live capture isn’t possible, a corpse will do. Above all, prioritize your own safety. The one in the Capital City has given his word: complete this mission, and you will be handsomely rewarded."
This Space Exotic Beast involved new technologies and new materials. Researching them could put our country far ahead of others. The nation across the ocean has always been China’s number one rival, so we must snatch this opportunity.
Furthermore, we can’t just let this thing grow unchecked. It may be in the United States now, and all the victims may be Americans, but Earth is a small place. At the creature’s speed, it could easily make its way to China in the future.
For reasons both public and private, Li Xiang felt this trip was necessary.
Afterward, Elder Xu laid out a few more details. He explained that their cover identities had already been arranged. They would be traveling under the guise of an official business trip for technical exchange. Li Xiang’s group wouldn’t be going alone; other personnel would accompany the team.
While China and the United States were competitors, they still cooperated in many fields.
This time, there was a cooperative forum and conference on energy being held in San Francisco, California. Li Xiang and his team would be attending under the identities of technical experts, engineers, administrative assistants, and security personnel.
Xu Xuan and Zhang Youyou would be going as well.
Although the mission was filled with danger, it was an excellent opportunity to earn military honors. Since the Xu Family and Zhang Family were fortunate enough to have two such Extraordinary Beings, it was only natural for them to participate.
For one, both Xu Xuan and Zhang Youyou were eager to go and didn’t want to miss out. For another, their family elders were also supportive.
True elites aren’t raised in a greenhouse.
With their family backgrounds, they could do nothing at all—just "lie flat"—and as long as they didn’t make any huge mistakes, they could live a life of comfort and even hold high-ranking positions. However, that kind of life didn’t meet the qualifications for a future family heir.
Moreover, the personage in the Capital City was also keeping a close eye on this operation.