The Monster is Coming

Chapter 468 Dual-Thread Sword Forging, The Voice of Enlightenment

The fall of Huixin was like a cold winter tide, sweeping through New Star Valley.

The morale of the research department, in particular, suffered a heavy blow.

The leader who guided them to explore the mysteries of life's evolution was ultimately devoured by the power she pursued, leaving all researchers bewildered and doubting themselves.

After the grief, Fierce Claw demonstrated the responsibility expected of a leader.

Instead of using this opportunity to suppress the research department, it proactively stabilized the remaining structure of the "Spark Program," which was teetering on the brink of collapse due to the loss of its core.

It understands that the path of wisdom may be radical, but the direction of exploring the essence of life has been proven to be crucial to the future of the community, and we cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Subsequently, with Tu Hu's support, and after rigorous screening and evaluation, a young scholar named "Jing Si" was brought to the forefront.

She was one of Huixin's assistants, but her personality was completely different from her mentor's.

He is thoughtful, calm, cautious, and even somewhat conservative.

But her thirst for knowledge was no less than her wisdom, and she placed even greater emphasis on the completeness of theories.

Witnessing Huixin lose control firsthand instilled in her a sense of awe for power.

Jing Si inherited a mess on the verge of disbanding, filled with pessimism, and a word of advice from Tu Hu:
"Remembering the lessons of wisdom, we must go further, but we cannot fall halfway."

Jing Si did not immediately restart radical genetic research.

The first thing she did was lead the research team to work through the night to organize and then seal away Huixin's experimental data on the "Shadow Beast" and related high-risk gene chimerism, listing it as taboo.

However, this information was not deleted. The purpose of preserving the information is to warn future generations and prevent them from repeating the same mistakes.

Then, she turned her attention back to the vast knowledge base of the Dreamweaver Clan.

This time, she avoided the dangerous territory of directly rewriting life's blueprint and focused on an ancient system known to the Dreamweavers as the "Psionic Blood Refining Method".

This method does not require gene modification; it focuses on guiding life to actively refine the ubiquitous free energy in the environment, gradually nourishing its own flesh and blood.

This is a gentle path of evolution from the inside out, requiring one to resonate with the energy of heaven and earth, rather than tyrannical plundering and alteration.

Driven by Jing Si, the Spark Project was renamed "The Path to Enlightenment," and its research focus shifted entirely to the organization and verification of the Blood Refining Technique, as well as its improvement and optimization to suit the Rongling Clan.

This path is far more difficult and slower than Huixin's genetic modification.

Initial progress was almost imperceptible.

Researchers need to first sense and guide the ethereal "spiritual energy" to explore energy flow routes suitable for the physical structure of the Rongling people.

Failure becomes the norm, and many times people can't even get started.

Some radical generals under Lie Zhao often ridiculed this, believing it to be a waste of resources.

But Jing Si withstood the pressure.

With the unwavering support of Tu Hu and the trust placed in her by Lie Zhao, she led her team steadily and surely, drawing the first basic energy cycle diagram applicable to the Rongling tribe, and creating the "Spirit-Guiding Breathing Method" and the "Body-Forging Stance".

Although those who have persisted in cultivation for a long time cannot obtain extraordinary power immediately, they generally feel that their energy is more abundant, their recovery speed from injuries is slightly improved, and their perception of energy has become more acute.

Some with better talent can even condense a faint energy glow on their body surface. Although it is not enough to be used in combat, it symbolizes the feasibility of this path.

The success of meditation transforms the path of introspection from a sudden, instantaneous leap into a gradual, persistent effort.

Meanwhile, Fierce Claw's "Thunder Armor Project" continues to advance rapidly.

Based on feedback from the first generation of combat, the Thunder Armor II was gradually deployed, with enhanced joint flexibility and the addition of a small arm-mounted energy shield generator.

The military forces of Nova Valley, armed with exoskeleton armor, are becoming increasingly elite.

The development of civilization during this period exhibited a dualistic pattern.

On one side is the external technological power represented by Fierce Claw, whose steel torrents are changing rapidly.

On the other hand, there is the path of inner evolution guided by quiet contemplation, which is slow yet deeply rooted.

The tragedy of Huixin served as a wake-up call, prompting Xinxing Valley to abandon the crazy shortcuts in its pursuit of power and instead climb with a more steady approach.

Tu Hu often stood on a high point in the city, looking at the two roads that were completely different yet parallel, and silently drank his wine.

In his eyes, the Rongling civilization is becoming more resilient through setbacks.

In the long journey of civilization, it is too difficult to avoid making mistakes.

The important thing is to learn from mistakes and adjust course.

The peace of Xinxing Valley did not come out of thin air. What is engraved in the genes of the people, besides the thirst for knowledge, is the deep-seated blood feud that has never been extinguished.

"Fight back to Star Valley, and pay for this blood debt!"

This has become an obsession in the bloodline of every generation of Rongling, and it also inspires them to continue to grow.

In the years that followed, in order to support the ever-increasing consumption of resources and to reclaim lost territory, war, like the shadow of civilization, was a constant companion.

The war also led to a rapid iteration of the Rongling tribe's military capabilities.

During this period, in order to seize a canyon rich in "soft silver" mineral veins, Nova Valley and the underground race "Earth Drought" engaged in a long and brutal tug-of-war.

The Earth-Dwelling Clan, with their familiarity with the terrain, inflicted heavy losses on the Thunder Armored Forces led by Fierce Claw in the narrow underground space.

Targeted research was immediately launched.

The Jing Si team analyzed the characteristics of this race and improved the "Spirit-Guiding Breathing Technique," enabling warriors to more keenly sense abnormal energy beneath their feet and avoid danger in advance.

The real breakthrough came from the Claw's military-industrial complex.

They developed a heavy drilling unit called "Breakthrough".

Based on an enhanced version of the Thunder Armor chassis, the front end is equipped with an ultra-high-speed rotating drill bit that can quickly tear through rock layers and release directional shock waves from the drill bit tip to interfere with or even paralyze the abilities of the Earth-Dry Clan.

When the "Breakbreakers" led the Thunder Armor Warriors, like an iron torrent, they pierced through the core lair of the Earth-Dry Clan, ending the years-long war with a complete victory for New Star Valley.

The vital mineral veins were firmly controlled by the Rongling civilization.

Furthermore, in the process of expanding towards Star Valley, New Star Valley inevitably infringed upon the interests of the "Winged Beast Clan".

These air-dominant creatures constantly harass ground troops with their mobility and bombard them with explosive fireballs, causing problems for their expansion.

Conventional energy attacks are largely ineffective against high-speed flying units.

The Claws desperately need a way to counter aerial units.

This time, a researcher named "Qingsi" provided assistance.

He led the team to develop the "Sky-Binding Net" projector.

Mounted on a heavy vehicle, it can project a continuously spreading energy net into the air.

Any winged beast that enters this area will have its bio-energy field severely disturbed, causing unstable flight and even a brief loss of balance, resulting in a fall.

Although it cannot directly kill, the "Binding Net" greatly restricts the winged beast's maneuverability advantage.

With the support of ground troops' energy attacks, Nova Valley gradually gained the initiative in the airspace battle, forcing the Winged Beasts back step by step.

When their expansion reached a vast swampy area reeking of decay, the Rongling tribe angered the Swamp Tribe who lived there.

These creatures resemble giant slimes, capable of lurking deep within swamps, spraying highly corrosive and mentally polluting slime, and dissolving dead organisms to convert them into corruptible energy.

Conventional energy shots were ineffective against their jelly-like bodies. The Thunder Armor's mobility was greatly reduced after it got stuck in the mud, and the warriors also had to constantly resist the corrosive effects of mental pollution. The battle was once at a stalemate.

Faced with such a bizarre and tenacious enemy, Nova Valley's response system once again operated efficiently.

The Jing Si team improved the part of the "Blood Refining Method" that resists mental pollution, and also extracted an ingredient from plants unique to swamps to make a temporary anti-pollution agent.

The military industry department of Fierce Claw followed suit, demonstrating strong targeted research and development capabilities.

They analyzed the "swamp tribe's" fear of high temperatures and quickly developed a design scheme for the "purifying flame jet".

This heavy weapon for individual soldiers combines the violent energy of the Fire Crystal with the stable radiance of the purified Light Stone, and sprays out a stream of incandescent energy with purifying properties.

This "purifying flame" can effectively evaporate the bodies of the Swampthroat Clan, purify polluted areas, and has a strong inhibitory effect on corruption properties.

Equipped with "Purifying Flame Throwers," the Thunder Armor Squad, like a mobile sacred flame, turned the filthy swamp into scorched earth, eradicating the threat of the Swampthroat Clan.

This area, which was originally considered inaccessible, was transformed into a new resource point and a frontline war zone after the war.

However, the war was not without its challenges. During their expansion, the Rongling tribe suffered heavy losses in a fungal forest filled with highly poisonous spores due to a lack of understanding of their environment.

They also underestimated the bizarre abilities of a spirit race that excelled at mental attacks, leading to the mental breakdown of several elite squads.

Every failure is a tempering process.

The Velvet Spirits, led by Fierce Claw, will immediately adjust their tactics, while the Silent Team will seek biological or spiritual means of countermeasures and rapidly improve their technology.

They learn from their mistakes and evolve from their failures.

The continuous wars tempered the soul of the people.

The "trial of adulthood" set by Tu Hu back then has not been worn down by complacency after more than a hundred years of trials and tribulations. Instead, it has become even more rigorous under the tempering of the fire of revenge.

Every young spirit about to come of age, whether they go to the battlefield or the research lab, must, in the presence of their elders, venture alone into the dangerous wilderness, rely on their own strength, wisdom and courage to hunt a ferocious beast, and then bring back their most representative trophy to hang in their room.

The adulthood trial is a hurdle in the growth of the new generation of the Rongling tribe, and a true test of life and death.

Injuries and even deaths are common during trials.

But it is precisely the pressure of facing death that allows the new generation of Rongling to deeply understand the meaning of strength and forge an iron will before even stepping into their jobs.

Those who return from the hunt will have an extra little ornament on their earlobes: a miniature broken spear-shaped earring made from animal bone.

This "broken spear earring" carries the heaviest memories of the tribe.

Its prototype comes from the spear that broke in the final battle of Star Valley by the first battle leader, Alan.

It symbolizes the heroic sacrifice of Alan and all the original warriors to protect the flame of their race.

It is also a testament to the darkest moment in the history of our people, and a monument to the indomitable will of our ancestors.

Later, Tu Hu handed A Lan's broken spear to Lan Xing.

Therefore, the broken spear is not only a token of succession for the second-generation leader, but also a symbol of the inheritance of the will for revenge.

Tu Hu would often secretly follow the new generation of trial participants, watching the young figures unleash their potential in times of crisis and seek a way to survive in desperate situations.

But he never offered any help.

Even as he watched claws tear apart a young body and heard desperate cries echoing through the forest, he stood silently in the shadows, feeling only that the wine in the flask had become even more bitter.

This is his attitude towards the future of civilization.

It is understood that "safety net" is a deadly corrosive agent to the will of civilization.

If children know there will always be a hand supporting them, then trials will become a rehearsal, courage will be mixed with performance, and decisions will lose their do-or-die weight.

What he wanted was not a carefully pruned bonsai in a greenhouse, but a wild grass that could struggle to ignite a spark even in icy plains, deserts, and mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

The trembling when facing death alone, the quick wit squeezed out in desperate situations... these are, in Tu Hu's view, important components of the legacy.

The fall of Xingxing Valley taught him a lesson: the continuation of civilization cannot be achieved by taking any chances.

What he was protecting was not the safety of any individual, but the very essence of this group that allowed them to survive in a cruel world: the savage vitality that dared to face death and fight on.

What is forged is an iron will, and the belief in revenge is the blazing furnace; together, they forge the sword of civilization.

Tu Hu often stood in front of the holographic sand table in the command center, watching the blue light representing the control area of ​​Xinxing Valley steadily extend inch by inch towards the direction of Xinxing Valley in his memory.

The journey home is still long.

The blood debt has not yet been repaid.

But hope has been forged ever more clearly amidst the flames of war and bloodshed.

The times are progressing steadily forward.

Just as Fierce Claw and Quiet Contemplation were leading the paths of force and evolution forward steadily, a young fourth-generation scholar named "Enlightened One" discovered a crucial research direction that had been overlooked by his predecessors: information transmission, in the Dreamweaver Crystal Knowledge Base stored in the archives.

Qiming grew up listening to the legendary stories of second and third generation scholars. He was naturally curious and had an active mind. Like an engineer full of exploration, he was obsessed with transforming knowledge into things that would make life more convenient.

While reviewing the materials, he noticed that as the territory of Xinxing Valley expanded and the number of satellite settlements increased, relying on manpower and transportation to transmit information was inefficient and prone to delays.

A small animal horde struck a border settlement, but the signal flare was not detected in time due to the rain, resulting in insufficient support and causing losses that could have been avoided.

This matter touched Qiming.

He turned his gaze to the crystal tower in the center of the clan's territory, which emitted a gentle energy day and night.

This tower was originally built to stably extract and store the energy of the earth's veins, but after studying the Dream Weavers' information on information transmission, Qiming had a bold idea: could the crystal tower be used as a central hub to establish an instant communication network covering the entire territory?

His research was also fraught with challenges.

How to convert complex information into signals that can be carried by energy, and how to solve the problem of energy attenuation in long-distance transmission, including how to manufacture terminal equipment that can receive and analyze these signals... all kinds of problems arise.

Qiming led his small team to conduct research on this.

It has experienced countless failures, including signal distortion, transmission interruption, and even equipment overload and burnout.

The turning point came when they gained a deeper understanding of a technique called "psychic coding" among the Dreamweavers.

Information is decomposed into different energy fluctuation frequencies, encoded, and then transmitted. It is then restored at the receiving end using a pre-set "decoding chip".

When the energy pattern displaying "Test Successful" was stably displayed on a prototype screen the size of a palm and then on another prototype a hundred meters away, Qiming's team officially completed the breakthrough from scratch.

With this as a foundation, the subsequent progress was unstoppable.

They improved the power amplification and relay technology, and used the bases distributed in various locations as signal relay stations, successfully covering the entire Nova Valley and its main satellite settlements with communication coverage.

The first practical "Lingyutong" communicator was manufactured.

It resembles a heavy metal plaque, with a screen displaying energy patterns on the front and simple buttons on the side for inputting information. Although it can only transmit text and simple symbols and needs to return to the vicinity of the energy node periodically for recharging, it has completely changed the way the tribe communicates.

Border warnings can be transmitted back to the central command instantly, resource allocation can be carried out in real time, connections between settlements have become unprecedentedly close, and information barriers have been broken down.

The New Star Valley has been integrated into a highly efficient whole.

The Claws' army is also equipped with a military version of "Spiritual Communication," which greatly increases battlefield coordination efficiency.

The research team at Jing Si was also able to share real-time data on the "blood refining" experiences of people from various settlements, which accelerated the research process.

Qiming's success propelled the Rongling civilization to a new level.

In addition to survival, war, and individual evolution, they also began to build the infrastructure that supports the efficient operation of society.

As the New Year approaches, Tu Hu receives a special gift.

A specially made "spiritual communicator" for him.

The communicator I received was thicker and heavier than the standard model. The shell was made of old wood from Xingxing Valley and Xincheng alloy, and the edges were polished to a very smooth finish. Holding it in my hand, I felt as if I were on a journey across time.

He started the device following the instructions.

The energy screen lit up with a soft light, and then a series of messages popped up:

Fierce Claw: Lord Tiger, Happy New Year! Everything is peaceful on the border. The test of Thunder Armor Type III went smoothly. We await your return for inspection.

Jing Si: Tiger, everything is going smoothly as you instructed. The new breathing method has been popularized among the younger generation and is working well. Please take care.

Qiming: Happy New Year, Ancestor! The communication network coverage has expanded again. I'll come to visit you after the New Year.

Qin Si: Tiger, a new batch of berries has been harvested. I'll make you some new wine after the New Year, hehe.

Battle Nursery (collective message): Happy New Year, Ancestors!
Each message, without fancy words, was like a cluster of bonfires in winter, carrying the concerns of different children, transcending spatial distance, and warmly gathering in his palm.

Tu Hu stared at the constantly changing words, his gaze lingering for a moment on the phrase "ancestor," a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

I looked up and gazed out the window.

The night sky over Xinxing Valley is illuminated by the energy fireworks of the celebration, with vibrant colors rippling across the energy barrier.

Laughter and cheerful voices drifted from within the city, mingling with simple greetings coming from the communicator in my hand.

These children are protecting the spark of civilization better and better in their own way.

He put away the Spirit Communication Device and drank the remaining wine in his cup in one gulp.

This time, besides the burning pain, what rolled down my throat was also a mellow warmth accumulated over the years.

(End of this chapter)