Him and their stars.

Chapter 2161 Twenty Thousand Defective Products and the Last Work

"Is this what Xia Li saw before?" Yu Lian thought to himself.

This is a silent steel forest, where life support systems operate in those machines that resemble mechanical trees, yet they make almost no sound, and the occasional fluid fluctuations are incredibly smooth.

However, it's precisely because there was absolutely no background noise that it was so eerie.

Yu Lian also clearly sensed it; the place was permeated with a peculiar aura, a mixture of spiritual energy and life force, vibrant and intense, yet icy cold and devoid of any vitality. Therefore, there was no sign of burgeoning life, but rather an overly cloying, artificial sweetness.

This is what cakes taste like when too much artificial sweetener is added.

Of course, such dense "life force" should have attracted the attention of powerful beings in the Void Realm, but it didn't here. It's probably because they installed a stone hat array or some other means of concealment.

"A clone warehouse? A battery farm? That's really anti-civilization."

Speaking of which, the Comina, renowned throughout the galaxy for their biotechnology, once developed a similar bio-battery technology. During the primordial era of galactic exploration, they even went so far as to use criminals and slaves as bio-batteries, euphemistically calling it a form of disguised forced labor.

Their methods were later popularized by the Ero Empire. At the height of this military empire, they used not only criminals and slaves, but even prisoners of war.

This technology was later phased out, not because the righteous Empire and Alliance destroyed the Ero people, but simply because it was too inefficient.

However, during the war that destroyed the Ero Empire, a mad scientist did propose that using ordinary people's bio-batteries was inefficient and the potential energy conversion was unsatisfactory, but that using psionicists might be able to solve this problem.

After all, even a novice at the first level has at least 300 billion more pseudo-neurons generated by spirituality than an ordinary person—of course, this is just a conjecture that has not been fully confirmed—and the energy generated by their intracranial activity must also expand by orders of magnitude.

This argument is utterly anti-civilizational. After all, ordinary people might just be consumables, but when it comes to psionicists, it inevitably resonates with the rulers. Furthermore, with the establishment of the Galactic Civilization Council after the war, the era of barbaric exploration during the Age of Exploration came to an end, and international law was introduced into the universe. Thus, bio-battery technology became just another historical entry in the encyclopedia of science and technology.

"However, I knew that all the forbidden experiments that were supposedly buried would always be dug up by the villains and realized!" Yu Lian looked at this daunting yet magnificent steel forest. While feeling that he had indeed seen this scene in a movie, he also clearly felt a surge of energy.

This isn't one of those inefficient biological batteries. Even the neutrino engines on a god-level planet are only this efficient.

As for where this energy is flowing to, I can't sense it yet.

He just felt that if a few more octopus robots floated in the sky, the scene would feel even more familiar.

Just as Yu Lian had this thought, he heard several heavy footsteps coming from the "forest." Upon closer inspection, he saw several headless, stout, humanoid puppets with thick limbs and arms. Needless to say, they were a combination of mechanical and alchemical techniques, and also the maintenance technicians of this forest. Perhaps they also served as protectors.

Yu Lian observed them and felt that these guys were quite lethal just based on their size and structure.

However, although they clearly "saw" themselves, they did not react in any other way and continued to walk in the forest, simply executing the existing program instructions without any emotion.

He then felt a numbing sensation flow from his spine to his entire body. This was, of course, an instinctive alertness triggered by his battle-hardened experience.

Yu Lian suppressed the pounding in his heart, his gaze sweeping across the "forest" that stretched to the edge of his vision like lightning, finally settling on the highest mountain on the island.

It sits in the very center of the island, surrounded by steel mechanical "trees" and countless "emperors".

Of course, it's more like a small hill, only four or five hundred meters high, than a mountain. Its summit has been neatly leveled, clearly indicating that it has been artificially created.

With a thought, Yu Lian teleported directly to the mountaintop via a force field—this was probably why he was growing to like the virtual realm more and more.

In the real physical world, if a force field jump exceeds 100 meters, one would have to worry about its impact on air currents, ecology, and even plants on the surface of a planet. Conversely, in outer space, one is more free to jump, but one still has to be careful not to jump too far and not be able to return to the ship.

In this subtle world of ether and mysterious particles, high-ranking psionic beings move with surprising ease and grace.

...No, no, I mustn't get carried away, or I'll forget that I'm a normal human being. Yu Lian thought to himself, forcing himself to focus on the current situation.

Sure enough, the ground at the mountaintop was a deliberately cleared circular area, its surface a strange, mirror-like metal. A figure stood there quietly, as if it had been waiting for him for a long time.

He was also young, possessing the same appearance as Emperor Elisel in his prime, and dressed in a solemn black uniform with gold trim, befitting an Imperial Grand Marshal.

Unlike the lifeless "batteries" in the other culture tanks, he stared at Yu Lian with his eyes open and a mysterious smile on his lips.

Or rather, looking down on Yulian from a high vantage point.

This is an overly standard ruler's behavior, perfectly consistent with his own perception of this evil slave owner.

"Welcome to my 'Primarch Chamber,' Yu Lianqing." The young emperor nodded slightly, his voice as loud and clear as a young man's, yet with a gentle rhythm, carrying a sense of worldly experience and majesty.

In short, it sounds pretentious.

Yu Lian suddenly realized that even such a feudal slave owner had something he could learn from. He was still young, but if he learned to speak and act like this guy, it would definitely greatly increase his authority and mystique, right?

On the other hand, as a member of the people, why should I imitate the behavior of feudal rulers?

Yu Lian carefully examined his mindset, glanced at the emperor again, and then looked down from the edge of the mountaintop onto the towering mechanical forest: "These are the so-called Primarchs?"

The emperor laughed frankly: "I had hoped for this, but unfortunately it wasn't successful. This place is nothing more than an abandoned site for a failed work."

"A failed work?"

"Yes! I didn't want you to come here. So many failures, I'm afraid you'll be laughing at me for the rest of the century," Emperor Elisher said helplessly, spreading his hands.

"As you wish." Yu Lian gave the emperor a thumbs-up and let out a contemptuous sneer: "Who told you to launch a sneak attack? If you hadn't launched a sneak attack, you wouldn't have been killed by your master, and I wouldn't have been able to track you down by smell."

"I must admit, I was indeed furious." The emperor frankly acknowledged his loss of composure: "High-ranking psionicists consider themselves gods. When their spiritual power reaches a certain level, they can seize the power of the ethereal realm and create their own small world. This world is the basis and evidence of our fusion with the power of the subspace, and can also be considered another body. In your Earthly terms, it would be another kind of golden body." Oh, so this can be considered a golden body? Although something sounds off, once you accept this premise, it vaguely seems to make sense.

"And so, immortality came into being," the emperor added.

"So, the ninth ring of immortality is achieved by creating a small world within the virtual realm? Also, Master's dojo was already under construction during the War of Independence. At that time, he only had eight rings."

"This, after all, has a significant impact on myself. Look, you've destroyed my domain, and I'm clearly much weaker now," the emperor argued spiritedly. Of course, he was a bit overly enthusiastic.

The emperor continued, "I truly never expected that there would be a method of using small worlds to collide and attract the intervention of the Void Realm King to break the deadlock. This is far more ruthless than those methods of disintegration and mutual destruction."

At this point, his words carried a hint of respect: "But have you considered that while this approach might severely damage me, it would also be a sacrifice of your own lifespan and destiny?"

Unexpectedly, his master's attitude was so nonchalant, yet the sacrifice he made was so profound. Yu Lian lowered his eyelids slightly, hiding his worry in his heart. He, a mere eighth-ringed cultivator, had no right to hesitate or waver in the decision of the true god.

"Where are Feifei and the girls?"

“You can just say the girls, there’s no need to specifically emphasize her. Anyway, that girl isn’t here,” the emperor said.

Yu Lian responded with a blank, emotionless face.

The emperor, with his characteristic magnanimity, admitted his defeat: "They routed me. There was no other way; I had to manage several battlefields simultaneously, and even I was simply overwhelmed. Therefore, I needed to change my tactics. In comparison, you remain the most troublesome opponent. Now that I have extricated myself from my domain of conflict, I should naturally devote most of my energy to dealing with you. This is a basic and wise choice."

Yu Lian gazed at Emperor Elither, a glint of inspiration forming in his eyes: "Should I be flattered?"

“You deserve all my admiration and all my hostility, so there is no need to belittle yourself. Also…” At this point, a trace of melancholy flashed across the emperor’s face: “I am very lonely. The only one I can talk and laugh with so freely is you.”

"I am flattered and find it hard to understand," Yu Lian said.

"Yes. Why is that? Could it be fate, something truly wondrous?"

Yu Lian is now certain that the person he is talking to is indeed the emperor's soul, the same soul that had chatted and laughed with him in the Dragon Palace and fought him for three hundred rounds.

The current emperor now possesses a new body—a young, robust, and perfect one.

But Yu Lian still felt that something was wrong. The sense of oppression he felt was not even as strong as when he was in his ghostly state.

Facing Yu Lian's scrutinizing gaze, the emperor generously opened his arms, as if to let Yu Lian see clearly: "Compared to the next batch, this body can be considered a first-class product. So it can still be put to use."

Yu Lian continued to sizing the other person up and down rather impolitely, confirming that this was indeed the body of a near-perfect psychic. The rivers of spiritual energy flowed and circulated within the unseen neural network, forming a profound and vast energy system.

Those muscles and bones, nourished by spirituality, were so strong that they seemed to have been forged from zero-element metal.

This is a statue that appears to be an immortal deity.

However, that sense of incongruity remained, and it became even more pronounced.

Compared to the aged emperors he had seen before, this emperor, who was as perfect as a god, was still somewhat lacking.

"I know what you're wondering about." Emperor Elisher seemed to see right through Yu Lian's thoughts and sighed. "But I am also in despair. Yu Lian, of course I want to tell you that these bodies you see are nothing but failed products of the 'Primarchy Project,' the remnants that had to be born on the path to the highest realm. They were supposed to be the price that had to be paid. But until now, I haven't seen any chance of success! Is such failure really necessary?"

Although that's what they say, Yu Lian felt that this person was clearly enjoying it very much.

The emperor chuckled and casually walked to Yu Lian's side, also looking down at the boundless forest of cultivation tanks. In a conversational tone, he said, "One hundred and fifty years of effort, I've used vast resources, employed the most advanced biotechnology and alchemical techniques, yet over a million individuals have been produced, all of them defective, only fit to serve as fuel for biological batteries. As for the level two good ones, there are only 20,002, barely enough to accommodate my soul avatar."

His tone was full of struggle and resentment, much like an A-share retail investor who failed in their investment but couldn't bring themselves to leave due to high sunk costs.

Of course, the final numbers made Yu Lian's eyebrows twitch: "Wasn't there any particularly successful final work?"

"The final masterpiece? You mean such a top-quality product?" The emperor stretched his body in his current state: "In 150 years, only four such examples have been created. The failure rate is even higher than when demigods challenge the ninth ring."

Who the hell can accept such a "final work"?

Yu Lian then said, "What do you mean by success? You don't mean you're hoping to grow a nine-ring paddlestone out of a petri dish, do you?"

"Of course, that's what I hoped for, but this goal, like truth itself, is truly elusive." The emperor shook his head heavily. "Even this final creation, once completed, will only be able to barely contain ninety percent of my spirit, making it almost impossible to regain my full strength. I once thought that through diligent cultivation, I could eventually allow the new body to adapt to my soul and restore my power. Unfortunately, the facts prove me wrong. The most advanced technology may be able to replicate the body's cells, but is the body's adaptability to the spirit, its perception of the universe, truly determined by those biological cells that our technology can observe?"

Yu Lian immediately understood why the emperor had failed.

The origin of a person's adaptability to psychic energy remains a mystery. Some say it comes from bloodlines or cells, and the union of high-level psychics can indeed give birth to psychic-sensitive individuals.

Even for aristocratic families like the Dawn Dragon and Rainbow Rose, which have existed for thousands of years, there is never a shortage of "duds," and there are always grassroots psychics who climb to the top.

Considering that many psionic families relied on brute force to complete the early accumulation of resources during the Galactic Age of Exploration, it is difficult to prove that their so-called "abundance of experts" was not simply a result of resource accumulation.

And now, the "defects" of these clones of the emperor seem to prove this point once again.

"So, the true Primarch Project? And Fifi..."

“That girl is a perfect clone of Empress Iwenya, and of course a perfect original. However, she and her companions were not born through the clumsy technology of us mortals, but still relied on the power of the Enlightened Ones’ relics.”

(End of this chapter)