Above Destiny

Chapter 628 What makes humans so different from beasts?
Two million six hundred thousand people.

This was the second day, and the reports from the Federation and the Empire contained a rough estimate of the number of patients infected with blood thirst in the White Kingdom... 2.6 million.

In other words, one in ten Bai people suffers from hemothrombosis!

This was thanks to the 'swift response' of both the Empire and the Federation. The Restoration Front's actions were detected early on; otherwise, the situation might have been even worse.

But isn't it bad now?

The moment Sheikh Li awakened Shangri-La, more than 900,000 people died as a result. Of the remaining people, the vast majority were still in the incubation period, while more than 120,000 people directly developed the disease or even reached the late stage. And this number is only a conservative estimate.

In reality, there will only be more.

It's only a matter of time before mild cases turn into severe cases.

Moreover, don't forget that the souls of the Bai people are bound by a blood oath of wolves! In other words, the spread of blood thirst disease doesn't require air or contact at all; it's purely a matter of chance!

Not to mention the catalytic effect of the chaotic environment and the allure of the forest kingdom...

One month.

According to both sides' estimates, if this problem is not fundamentally resolved within a month, the entire Baibang will become an absolute hell!

A wolf kingdom where everyone eats each other...

Fortunately, it was discovered early. If Sheikh had been able to prepare for a longer period, the latent thirst for blood might have spread and covered the entire White State. At that time, Shangri-La would have been completely transformed into a forest kingdom, covering the White State, and the third wolf demon would have been born.

Even now, the situation remains far from optimistic.

The giant tree still exists within the cage.

Shangri-La is but an illusion; the true foundation always resides in the soul of every Bai person. It is rooted in suffering and despair, firmly established upon the Bai people.

For example, a deep-seated disease that penetrates to the bone marrow strikes like a landslide; how can it be solved simply and cleanly with a single missile?

The area shrouded by the giant trees of Shangri-La is known as the Kingdom of the Forest.

Even though it is far from complete, it still possesses a repulsive force...

“Last night, the Federation and the Empire, along with the hunters from the two families in the Wilderness, Cave Corner and Hunter's Finger, had already stormed in once.”

Tong Shan, whose eyes were dark from a meeting that lasted all night, knew that what could leave even a transcendent chosen one exhausted was clearly not good news: "We fought a battle, but there was no result."

Ji Jue asked curiously, "Can't beat them?"

"Whether we can win or not depends on whether the other side is willing to fight... In the Forest Kingdom, it's not just wolves; countless old ghosts from the Four Divisions and Six Sects are hiding there, huddled up and not showing their faces, taking advantage of the terrain to outlast the eagles."

Tong Shan's expression was gloomy: "The Forest Kingdom is the territory of wolves. The chosen ones will be rejected to some extent, and the stronger the rejection, the more severe it will be. Those below the Celestial level are not too bad, but those above the Celestial level have too much pressure to bear. If we really have to fight, the situation will be too unfavorable for us."

It's the other way around.

In the past, it was the wicked who were suppressed in the mortal world, but now, within the Forest Kingdom, it is the Chosen Ones' turn to experience the luxurious feast under the vortex.

Ji Jue thought for a moment, speechless, and couldn't help but laugh, "If we can't make a decisive decision through a high-level player, then we can only resort to a war of attrition using footmen, right?"

Tong Shan nodded.

"That's probably what they're thinking too."

Ji Jue's smile faded, and Tong Shan remained silent.

do not know what to say.

Besides, who can really say what the Federation and the Empire are thinking?

Ji Jue didn't ask any more questions. The two of them silently picked up their teacups and drank the cold tea.

"How is the situation at the front-line base?" Ji Jue asked finally.

"The losses were considerable, but fortunately, the overall situation has been stabilized."

Tong Shan sighed, "If it weren't for your creation, I don't know how bad the situation would have been. The garrison originally planned to give you some money to settle the matter, but Director Lin got you a commendation from the military in the name of the Security Bureau. I guess you don't care about promotions like rank. You can go and browse the garrison's warehouse later and see if there's anything you need. Just take whatever you want."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Ji Jue laughed. "Please thank Supervisor Lin for me."

"We're all family, there's no need to be so polite."

Tong Shan shook his head and sighed, "Manager Lin doesn't find many people pleasing to the eye. In his own words, among a field full of insects, it feels kind to occasionally see a few people who look human... In a mess, it's already good enough to achieve something."

"I haven't done anything, have I?"

Have you ever traded stocks?

Tong Shan suddenly asked.

Ji Jue shook his head subconsciously, then immediately understood what he meant.

Regardless of what you've done.

Sometimes, even if you do nothing, you've already gained an innate advantage over 99% of people.

The standard for judging wins and losses is sometimes profit, and sometimes, it's the amount of harm done...

From this perspective, even with all the negative labels attached to Ji Jue—federal lackey, arms dealer, association craftsman, and factory capitalist—he can still be considered a conscience of Tacheng and a benevolent person of Baibang.

"How ridiculous," Ji Jue chuckled softly.

Tong Shan didn't speak, and silently drank his tea.

Ji Jue got up, said goodbye, and left.

Stepping out of the door, the streets of the front-line base were bustling with people, as a large number of reinforcements had rushed to the scene, and the traffic stretched to the horizon.

The mess had been completely cleaned up, and even the broken walls had been repaired. Only the bloodstains still on the yellow earth could tell what had happened.

In the distance, the sky, once blazing under the scorching sun, gradually darkened. Amidst the swirling clouds, a towering tree shone brightly, becoming faintly clearer...

In the forest kingdom, wolves sing joyfully.

In the distance, faint crackling and thunder rumbled in the wind, and the earth trembled slightly. Even as the layers of barbed wire were being erected on the outer perimeter of the blockade, people were already attempting to break through.

It's not from the inside out, but from the outside in.

They wanted to rush inside.

The vast majority were infected individuals driven by the thirst for blood, instinctively yearning to return to the forest kingdom...

While the internal blockade was impregnable, the external interception was only barely effective.

The area under lockdown is almost half the size of Haizhou, and the terrain is complex with numerous mountains and rivers. In such a vast area, barbed wire and sentry posts are practically useless, serving no purpose whatsoever.

Similarly, they didn't care at all.

Ji Jue paused for a moment, then continued forward.

Since arriving in Middle-earth, his worldview has been constantly challenged, and he has gradually learned a universally applicable principle in the midst of chaos: when faced with a complex situation and discovering some foolish actions that he cannot understand, do not look at the process or execution, but look at the result.

Let's see what the result is.

And now, preliminary results are already before him.

If the Empire and the Federation were prepared, why did the front-line bases suffer such heavy losses when facing the first wave of attack?
Moreover, how could a frontline base be so empty that night? All the Security Bureau members, including Tong Shan, were away on missions, and apart from Tian Yuan Zhi Lu who stayed behind for defense, there wasn't even a single Celestial Being in the command center.
Even more surprisingly, wolves infiltrated the area...

Isn't this a bit too outrageous?

Or is it that... from the very beginning, this massive frontline base was just a decoy, a pawn thrown out to attract fire?
A consumable item?

If that's the case, then it makes perfect sense.

Since it's a consumable item, there's no need to invest too much effort and energy. Just make it look like a decoration and leave it there. If it breaks, so be it. If it's not completely broken, you can still piece it back together and continue using it.

It's not that our army didn't try hard enough, but that the locals were too despicable. Who could have imagined that?

As everyone can see, my losses were also quite severe!
A wolf killed 72 members of my Lian family. The bodies were being pushed out of the house in a cart... It's only natural that I would retaliate in kind, right?

Of course, all of this is predicated on the fact that the Federation and the Empire had already made preparations.

So, before asking whether it is true or not, let's first ask if it exists.

Is that true?
Ji Jue didn't know, but hadn't the Federation and the Empire done this kind of thing countless times? When it came to reputation, these two precious things had never disappointed Ji Jue.

No matter how maliciously he speculates, he can't keep up with the bottom lines of both sides. Does he expect Ji Jue to believe in truth, goodness, and beauty?
Okay, let's assume, for example, that neither side is prepared!

But before that question, there was an even more crucial one…

—How did Sheikhi escape that night?!

Please, you guys are the prestigious Tengen!

The Federation and the Empire, the representatives of the two poles of the world, two major forces, the entire garrison of the Tower City, so many Celestials, and even the Hunter's Finger and Cave Corner families as the main forces, you can't even take down Sheikhi by playing the sidelines.

As for that? !

Is it that they can't take it, or that they don't want to take it?

What is it that makes both sides unwilling to go all out to eliminate Sheikh, a nobody, even given the possibility that Sheikh might have stolen the fusion bomb?
It can't be because he's still useful, can it?
What use is he? Oh, right, he can also spread blood thirst disease. What a coincidence! We didn't expect that a Sheikh would cause such a huge disaster. It seems that he is going to kill all the people of Baibang. It's terrible!

This is terrible... It's really bad. We don't even need to massacre them. It seems like the White Gang's troubles are resolving themselves. It's a pity that this trouble was discovered too early. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so troublesome, and the White Gang might have been wiped out quickly.

Even more maliciously, one might think—is all of this, this spreading thirst for blood, really the work of the White Bond Restoration Front?

Just kidding, what right does the Restoration Front have to deserve this?

Is it possible to accomplish anything in this world simply by risking your life?
If you make too many bombs, does that mean you can do advanced mathematics?
The exploitation and spread of hemothrombosis can be said to be a simple matter of words, but what about the process? Where did the process go?
After being a terrorist for so long, did you suddenly become an expert in biology without any instruction? What did the hospital do to make you look down on them so much?
If the White House is so trashy, why bother with the Nine Evils? They might as well be Sheikh's firearms!

Even if you gave those idiots from the Restoration Front a hundred thousand years, would they ever understand what protein electrophoresis and membrane transfer procedures are?!
Even consulting an expert won't help!

This involves countless subjects within biology, as well as spirituality, life science, and physical intuition. Could one or two people possibly understand it?
A variant of hemothrombosis catalyzes something that sounds simple!
To accomplish all this, what is needed is a long-term stable environment, hundreds of years of academic heritage and accumulation, advanced industries capable of building all this sophisticated equipment, and even a large pool of highly skilled talents from hundreds of thousands of university students, as well as their close collaboration, security and supplies for the entire project...

Even an order that cannot be disobeyed.

Okay, that's all for the Federation and Empire's ID numbers.

Look at those biochemistry labs in the Federation and Empire military bases. If you said they were just for show, would anyone believe you?

Regardless of whether it was a loss of technology or the theft of samples, the fact remains that it ultimately fell into the hands of the White Nationalist Front.

Otherwise... why would that old dog Fan Yun feel disgusted with Ji Jue for accidentally digging up the mutant wolf?!
To put it bluntly, no matter how much influence Ji Jue has, to a high-ranking official like Fan Yun, he's nothing more than someone Fan Yun can easily manipulate. If anything displeases him, banishing Ji Jue from Tacheng, or even from the Central Plains, is just a matter of a word. Why would he suppress his anger and malice?
Oh, Giegie is so angry but can't retaliate? Could it be because I almost ruined your shady business?

If that were the case, Ji Jue would actually begin to admire them.

Who said Tengen is incompetent?
This is what they call a skilled warrior who achieves no great feats, and a skilled healer who has no illustrious name!
Only idiots constantly complain about their messy affairs, while the real beasts have already done all the disgusting things long before you even realize it. Just from these few glimpses, Ji Jue couldn't help but want to applaud—all that effort, time, and evil was spent, just to subtly force Bai Bang to his doom…

Therefore, even enemies like the Restoration Front can be exploited!
That's really amazing!

Before the future war even breaks out, both sides have already begun clearing the area.

Eliminate the unstable factors of Bai Bang and Bai Wang first, in order to avoid changes and instability later, and to remove this great scourge in advance.

Through gradual and persistent influence, such a significant event has now been accomplished without anyone noticing, and without even a trace of trouble being inflicted on the Empire or the Federation.

But what is the purpose?

There was only one thing that Ji Jue couldn't understand.

What exactly are the Federation and the Empire's aims in Middle-earth? Is it really necessary to ignite resources? Minerals? Even if resources were doubled, it wouldn't amount to much, and even if there were more, why go through all this trouble?

Why did both sides implicitly conclude that a war between them was inevitable?
Can't think clearly.

Even after racking his brains, Ji Jue couldn't find the answer.

But that doesn't change anything...

He paused, turned around, and looked at the television set deep inside the barracks—on the screen, spokespeople from the Empire and the Federation were unanimously condemning the White Bond Restoration Front's acts of terrorism. The broadcast also included accusations and announcements from the White Bond Restoration Front, alternating between the two.

One face after another appeared, their skin color, appearance, and age all very different, but they had only one thing in common.

"You bunch of beasts, you fucking deserve to die..."

Ji Jue murmured softly, sincerely hoping for a gunshot from tens of thousands of miles away.

Nirvana!
What the hell are we waiting for?
I have plenty of guns, as many as you want, so let's get this going!
Unfortunately, he remained in Nirvana.

In contrast, the emergence of the Forest Kingdom stirred up the entire Central Plains!
In particular, when the first white deer to enter the Forest Kingdom for the bounty, after killing a monstrous wolf, discovered that its spiritual quality and progress had increased significantly...

The desolate area was in an uproar.

All the wild white deer went completely mad!
"Yes, that's right."

On the phone, An Neng, who seemed to have not slept for several days, sighed, "Within the Forest Kingdom, as long as you kill an enemy, whether it is a white deer or a wolf, or even if the opponent is a monster, you can increase your own power... The only difference is that the white deer and the wolf receive the greatest increase."

"are you crazy!"

Ji Jue was shocked and couldn't understand: "How could something like this be leaked everywhere?"

"Such a big thing, do you really think you can cover it up?"

An Neng calmly retorted, "Huangji is not Tianyuan; they don't have that habit of hiding things. According to the leader's orders, rather than trying to cover things up, it's better to resolve the root of the problem as soon as possible before cleaning up the mess."

Otherwise, as long as Shangri-La, no, the kingdom in the forest, exists, it will always be a hidden danger.

"What, you're interested, kid? Weren't you looking for wolves before? Now it's nothing special. Want me to give you a couple?"

"No need, they're all artificially bred. They're more like mad dogs than wolves."

Ji Jue sighed and hung up the phone.

Staring at the screen in front of me.

Silence for a long time.

On the satellite cloud image on the screen, a dark spot has taken root and is constantly shifting, always trying to spread...

Shangri-La.

In the legends circulating in the Central Plains, it was also called the Garden of Bliss. The words were beautiful, but unfortunately, the White Pavilion later ruined them, making them smell terrible. The two things are completely unrelated.

Now, Shangri-La is starting to smell bad too.

Ultimately, its original meaning is "the sun and moon in one's heart"—meaning that no matter how dark and turbulent the outside world is, as long as the light in one's heart shines, one will not hesitate or waver.

And this brilliance comes from what is called determination and understanding.

The compassionate and benevolent Lord of the past used this as a source, bestowing it upon his followers, enabling the delirious and mad beasts to realize their true nature. Over the long course of time, this created a pure land and realm that does not exist in the material world.

It has no substance whatsoever; it is purely a product of spiritual transformation.

Its power lies in using spirit to overshadow reality, in using its own determination and yearning to modify the world before it—how could the forest kingdom created by Shangri-La, which has been tainted by the oath of wolf blood, be a paradise on earth?!

Just by looking at the outward signs, one can tell that the power being nurtured by the forest kingdom, no, by the forest wolf...

The mountain wolf is known for its strength and speed, the heart wolf for its camouflage and concealment, and the forest wolf, which has not yet been born, is probably best known for its plunder!
The moment the third wolf appeared, the lurking wolves began to use this mechanism as a weapon to encroach on the wilderness of the White Deer.

As the wild beasts devoured each other, their greed and gluttony grew unchecked.

Once inside the Forest Kingdom, as long as both sides recognize each other as enemies, they can plunder power from each other through struggle and battle, regardless of who they are.

The whole process resembled a sacrifice and ritual, an offering to the wolves in the forest.

The power gained by the killer is merely superficial; the vast majority of lives and souls are absorbed by the Forest Kingdom to undergo transformation and give birth to the third, unfinished wolf.

Just thinking about it makes you realize how deadly the temptation is.

No matter how great the harm and consequences may be, there will always be people who will take the risk.

What's even more terrifying is that the mutual cannibalism between the white deer and the wolf is a cycle and circulation between the highest good and the greatest evil.

Therefore, theoretically speaking, the gift from the Kingdom of the Forest carries no risk of corruption!
Imagine, no consequences, no cost, you can become stronger just by killing... For those who crave power, it's like heaven!
If Ji Jue weren't Yu Jin, he probably wouldn't be able to resist such a swift and easy 'simple mode'. Killing is given positive feedback, predation is given legitimacy, and slaughter is given meaning. Killing then becomes a matter of course.

kill! kill! kill! kill!

At the front-line base, Ji Jue sat behind the counter, able to see the anticipation and fervor on every cheerful face.

A large number of Chosen Ones are converging at an alarming rate.

To break through limits, to gain greater power, to eradicate the influence of the Great Evil in the mortal world... the reasons are endless!

But there is only one purpose.

kill!

Just kill them and that's it.

On the very day the news leaked, someone in the Forest Kingdom broke through the Rebirth Rank and entered the Transcendent Realm!

Nowadays, almost everyone on the streets has some blood on their clothes, but their faces all bear the same smiles and joy.

The joy of harvest.

It is foreseeable that once the news spreads further, almost all the Chosen Ones who are stuck at a difficult level will rush to the Forest Kingdom at all costs to seize this precious opportunity. They will only regret that they have not killed enough people!

But is there really no cost?

After getting used to the experience of gaining levels and experience by killing, who could go back to the past? Who could endure the stagnation and waiting for who knows how many years before reaching a pass?
What we call a gain is itself part of the price we pay!

Even if you see it clearly, what can you do?

Can we stop them?

Ji Jue closed his eyes and sighed wearily.

Amidst the hustle and bustle outside the window, a familiar scent of bodhi leaves wafts through the air.

Right across from him, in the bustling workshop sales area, the gaunt monk quietly watched all this, sighing silently, and no one paid any attention.

It's as if it doesn't exist.

Only Ji Jue's eyes were slightly opened.

Amidst the indifference, doubt began to surface.

boom! ! ! !

Beneath the canopy of the giant tree, on the wasteland, the calamity beast roared, fell backward to the sky, and was devoured by hundreds of ghouls created by the thirst for blood.

A series of wolf howls rang out, and crimson bristles gradually grew from between the flesh and blood, transforming into wolves under the transformation of the wolf blood oath.

But before long, these rabid dogs will be hunted down and killed by the intruders. Perhaps one real wolf will emerge from among hundreds or thousands of rabid dogs, or perhaps not, but it doesn't matter.

In the wilderness, in the dense forest, in the mountains and caves.

At this moment, fighting is taking place everywhere in the forest.

The bombing by the Federation and the Empire, the harassment by the Vengeance Front, the infiltration of the White Deer and the traps and counterattacks of the Wolves.

Even death, death and death.

Intruders and aberrants are killing others or facing death with terrifying efficiency, yet more people are constantly emerging, converging, and intruding.

Everyone is fighting, everyone is waiting.

Everyone was indulging in a voracious feast, yet at the same time, everyone was secretly enduring...

Wolves and deer roam this desolate land, locked in a fierce battle.

Only fresh blood seeped into the earth continuously, gradually dried up, and then surged forth again beneath the giant tree.

Thousands of strands of blood, without a sound, flowed upwards along the branches of the giant tree, gathering on the withered corpse, and then spreading out to countless branches.

And so, amidst the countless pulses and the flow of blood, a deep, muffled heartbeat finally resounded from the corpse, like a thunderclap.

On the withered corpse, the fingers twitched for a moment again.

It's like struggling in a nightmare from which you can't wake up.

What is the slight difference between humans and animals?

On the altar, Sheikhi coldly observed everything, only letting out a mocking sigh: "Ha, if only I had understood this principle sooner, I wouldn't have fallen to this state."

No one responded.

No one knows whether he was mocking the deceased White King or his former self.

Only the blood-stained wind from afar blew again, sweeping through the branches of the phantom and emitting a mournful howl.

Like a wolf.

(End of this chapter)