Chapter 516: Heaven-Connecting Jianmu Project Version 72.0 (Ended in Failure)

Through extensive experimentation, Qi Suian used the genetic bloodlines of Spirit Master humans and the Ginseng Fruit Tree clan to induce a Spiritual Power mutation, creating a unique, altered genetic template.

He used this template to begin genetically analyzing and decrypting the Heavenly Dao Wooden Man.

Qi Suian had also tried experimenting on Spirit Masters with mixed bloodlines who had fallen into a vegetative state.

However, the results were not ideal. After all, their bloodlines didn’t originate from the Celestial Pavilion Leader—that specific Ginseng Fruit Tree—but were instead the product of acquired genetic modification.

Thus, only the Heavenly Dao Wooden Man met the criteria to be the primary test subject.

The experiment went smoothly. Using a clever shortcut, Qi Suian broke through the genetic encryption on the Heavenly Dao Wooden Man, obtaining a file whose contents he found a bit baffling.

“World-Connecting Jianmu Project, Version 72.0 (Ended in Failure).” Qi Suian’s eye twitched. ‘What the hell is this?’

‘I thought this was about the Ginseng Fruit Tree. How did it get sidetracked to the World-Connecting Jianmu?’

‘But on second thought, it’s not entirely impossible. Why else would it have the ‘Ended in Failure’ suffix?’

Qi Suian then began to review the contents, which contained a vast amount of experimental data. The main focus was on using a world tree for self-enhancement.

However, the experiment ultimately failed, leading to the creation of the Ginseng Fruit Tree, which was then casually placed in this universe by its creator.

“Oh, so Zhen Yuanzi started growing a Jianmu?” Qi Suian scratched his head. Jianmu was its name in Eastern mythology; in Western fantasy, it was called the World Tree.

The data didn’t specify how the creator had obtained the World Tree. In fact, they hadn’t even used the tree itself, but rather a single leaf.

‘Too bad it doesn’t say where they plucked it from. Otherwise, I’d have to… stay far, far away.’ Qi Suian knew his own limits.

A being who could conduct experiments on a cosmic scale only possessed a single leaf. Qi Suian would have to have a death wish to go anywhere near them.

‘Still, this data is a godsend for me. Even though the experiment failed, the process itself is invaluable.’ Qi Suian mused. It involved a wealth of data on world principles and cosmic development.

‘So, does that mean the predecessors of these Ginseng Fruit Trees were, in fact, incomplete Jianmu?’

‘No wonder they possess such immense power, enough to dominate a universe. They really were born from good stock.’

Despite their current decline, the experimental records confirmed it: their bodies truly contained a portion of the Jianmu’s genes.

Furthermore, according to the final failure report, this wasn’t the first strain of Ginseng Fruit Tree. There had been hundreds of different varieties before it.

They simply existed in different worlds. In those with fantasy or cultivation settings, they were bona fide Spiritual Roots of Heaven and Earth.

In other settings, like Western fantasy or urban worlds, they took on different forms. In the former, they were often wise Elders; in the latter, they might appear as harbingers of a spiritual reawakening, and so on.

So, they weren’t limited to being just one cosmic species. Their “market” was so vast that they didn’t have to worry about competition.

‘With this experimental report, the efficiency of my own self-analysis and adaptation will increase at least a hundredfold.’

‘It will also be a great help in understanding the technology behind the Doomsday Game.’

Since the experiments were conducted across multiple worlds, the project required a high degree of adaptability and stealth.

Stealth was particularly crucial; without it, the project would be easily detected by the worlds themselves.

By learning from its strengths and compensating for his own weaknesses, Qi Suian could accelerate his efforts to decipher the Doomsday Game’s power and technology.

‘Hmm? The Doomsday Game seems to be recovering a little too quickly lately.’

‘It’s still just barely hanging on, but its breath is no longer as faint as a silken thread.’ Qi Suian noted after a quick check.

It was probably related to his own actions. His spreading of the > had intensified humanity’s apocalypse, which naturally helped the Doomsday Game feed and recover.

After all, the ‘doomsday’ in its name wasn’t just for decoration.

But its injuries were so severe that this bit of recovery was merely a drop in the bucket.

Still, the Doomsday Game was certainly dedicated. Even in its current state, it continued to maintain the stealth field that protected both it and Qi Suian.

Not that it wanted to, but it did so for its own survival.

Otherwise, if they were exposed to this world, it would be forced to breathe its last.

Generally, as long as Qi Suian didn’t go too far, the Doomsday Game would choose to endure his actions.

That was why Qi Suian periodically siphoned off a bit of its technology for his own research.

‘Looks like I need to give it another slap, before it recovers enough strength to bite back.’ As he said this, Qi Suian punched the Doomsday Game that was coiled around his body.

The blow instantly squeezed out the bit of energy it had just managed to gather.

‘There, that should give you some more time to recover.’ After landing the punch, Qi Suian felt much more refreshed.

With that, Qi Suian returned to his research on the World-Connecting Jianmu Project.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Dao Wooden Man regained consciousness. Only his head remained; the rest of his body had been consumed as experimental materials.

How else would Qi Suian have obtained the “World-Connecting Jianmu Project, Version 72.0 (Ended in Failure)” file?

He had been the test subject, after all.

“Did you find anything?” the Heavenly Dao Wooden Man asked as soon as he woke, demanding to know the results.

Qi Suian just shook his head. “Nothing.”

He couldn’t possibly tell the Heavenly Dao Wooden Man the truth. The information was too sensitive. If he handed it over, what if the Wooden Man’s main body had some kind of sudden epiphany?

It was best to keep such things hidden.

The Heavenly Dao Wooden Man carefully observed Qi Suian’s expression. He didn’t seem to be lying, so the Wooden Man could only sigh.

“What a shame. It would have been wonderful if you had succeeded.”

Qi Suian offered a word of “comfort.” “Listen to yourself. If it were that easy, why would your main body have struggled for so long to no avail?”

“I’ve only been studying you for a short time. Your main body has been researching itself for ages without any breakthroughs. You shouldn’t have been pinning your hopes on me.”

The Heavenly Dao Wooden Man had to agree. Qi Suian’s words had struck a chord.

“What now? What do you plan to do with me?” The Heavenly Dao Wooden Man knew he didn’t have much value left.

Therefore, death was the most likely outcome.

For him, however, death was not an unacceptable outcome. He was not an independent life form, but a derivative created from the body of the Celestial Pavilion Leader, Celestial Dao.

He was as insignificant as a fingernail or a strand of hair.

“I’m sending you on your way, of course. What else would I do with you?”

“Unless you have some other ideas?” Their collaboration had been reasonably pleasant, so Qi Suian asked casually.

“No ideas,” the Heavenly Dao Wooden Man said calmly. He certainly wasn’t going to tell Qi Suian any of his master’s secrets.

From a factional standpoint, they were on opposite sides.

“When you die, will your main body receive your memories?” Qi Suian asked the crucial question.

The Heavenly Dao Wooden Man didn’t answer. The question concerned his main body’s interests; either a “yes” or a “no” would have consequences.

So, he simply remained silent.

Seeing this, Qi Suian didn’t press the matter. ‘If he won’t talk, he won’t talk. It doesn’t matter to me anyway.’

“Well then, it’s been a pleasure working with you. Hope we get the chance to meet again,” Qi Suian said, then immediately smashed the Heavenly Dao Wooden Man’s head into dust.

He was well and truly dead.

Then, reaching out, he snatched a frequency of consciousness—a wave of Spirit—out of the air.

It was incredibly fast. Only someone with Qi Suian’s power could have caught it; most wouldn’t have even had time to perceive it.

Qi Suian glanced at it, then crushed it in his hand.

‘That’s good news. The connection between Celestial Dao—that particular Ginseng Fruit Tree—and the Heavenly Dao Wooden Man isn’t real-time. It’s a post-mortem data transfer.’

‘So, he’ll only know that his clone is gone, not why it’s gone.’ Qi Suian thought the Heavenly Dao Wooden Man really lived up to his name. ‘What a blockhead. So straightforward.’

Since the Celestial Pavilion Leader wouldn’t receive the information, the upcoming sneak attack by Fei would go much more smoothly.

‘Fei should arrive in a month or so at the most.’

‘Before then, Zuo Fan should have finished using those two enhancement materials, Xu Ziyang and Mu Can.’

‘And then, the cross-server battle begins.’

Before, Qi Suian was just doing this for fun. Not anymore. He was now using “apocalypse logic” to try and hack the Doomsday Game, with the ultimate goal of devouring it entirely.

Beating it up before yielded no real benefits, aside from letting off some steam.

Now that he wanted real benefits, he had to offer some bait first.

He wasn’t the great sage Jiang Taigong, who could catch fish with a straight, unbaited hook.

You have to give in order to receive; first, you must be willing to sacrifice.

—————–

‘It’s dead, but no memories were transmitted back. It must have been a very thorough death.’

On the homeworld of the Ginseng Fruit Tree clan, the last of their kind, Celestial Dao, sensed the death of the wooden man clone he had dispatched.

Unfortunately, the death had been so complete that no memories had been transmitted back.

‘This is direct proof that something terrible has happened on Red Meteor.’

Celestial Dao knew perfectly well how powerful his wooden man clone was. To put it bluntly, the Spirit Masters of five planets combined couldn’t have defeated it.

Therefore, it wasn’t just capable of investigating; annihilating the entire planet of Red Meteor wouldn’t have been a difficult task for the clone.

And yet, it had died without sending back any memories.

What could this be, if not a catastrophe?

‘In that case, it’s time to accelerate the plan.’

‘Of the Five Elements Spiritual Treasures, only the Pure Yang Fire Seed remains to be claimed.’

‘I shall retrieve it myself.’ Celestial Dao understood that he could delay no longer.

Otherwise, events would spiral beyond his control—a possibility he could not tolerate.

After all, he had prepared for so many years, laying his plans meticulously. How could he possibly give up now?

If the original plan was at risk, he would simply act ahead of schedule and catch his opponent completely off guard.

As long as he succeeded, his name—Celestial Dao—would become an undeniable reality.

“Then… let it begin.” As Celestial Dao’s voice fell, every one of the human faces on its body snapped open their eyes and began to frantically tear themselves away from its trunk.