Cosmic Demon

Chapter 227 Little Qin Returns Home, Internet Addict Old Man!

The long steel train passed through the tunnel, and darkness instantly filled the carriages.

Qin Shi sat upright in the window seat, closing his eyes in meditation.

The spiritual energy gathered between the eyebrows rippled outwards.

As if it were a tangible object, it steadily grasped the steaming teacup on the round table.

"Phew! The core of the Hundred Forms Refinement Technique truly lies in the word 'fusion'!"

Qin Shi opened his eyes, picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and let the rich flavor linger on his lips and teeth.

Two days ago, he had a battle of wits with Yu Li, and he imprinted the opponent's mental energy "Myriad Manifestations Wind Array" into his mind and fused it into his myriad manifestations. He felt that he had made great progress.

"The four fundamental forces of wind, fire, mountain, and forest are the foundation of all phenomena. We still need to compete with more masters and learn their skills."

Qin Shi thought to himself that he had broken through the divine barrier and had the ability to resonate, which was equivalent to having a permanent enlightenment buff.

Even if it is a unique skill passed down, one can quickly understand it and copy the moves.

"No wonder He Lanchan was called the 'Little Thief Saint' before he became famous. Thinking about it this way, it's probably because Old He was always stealing knowledge."

Qin Shi pondered, "The divine presence within the inner realm, the residual resonance—this is inherently a heaven-defying technique."

If one performs exceptionally well, drawing on the strengths of many schools of thought, one could even establish one's own school of thought.

Old He was able to elevate the Hong Sheng True Transmission Hundred Forms Refinement Technique to an unbelievably high level.

That's precisely what it's based on.

"But I heard that the New Martial Arts School is pushing for copyright action on its teaching materials, advocating the purchase of genuine copies to prevent the rampant spread of various martial arts techniques... If Old He were alive today, he would probably have lost a lot of money."

After finishing his tea, Qin Shi stopped his wandering thoughts and began to organize his findings from the trip to the central city.

First, we need to resolve the Ying family's issue. There may still be hidden dangers, but those are things we need to consider later.

Secondly, the divine crystal bestowed by the Taijun allowed the monument panel to undergo an upgrade, from the "embryo" level to the "infant" level.

"Furthermore, after gaining the recognition of the central city, we can officially step onto the main stage of Hengzhou, which is of utmost importance."

Qin Shi deeply understood that, within the social system of the new Eastern Xia, it was absolutely impossible to avoid the "officialdom."

The government's attitude and support are key to obtaining resources and training.

This is similar to the old saying that one should learn both literary and martial arts and then sell them to the emperor.

"Being in the city's sights also means that I'm on the governor's whitelist. In the past, anyone who saw me as a thorn in their side could try every means to erase my existence by violence."

But now, we must consider the will of the Governor's Office. The power of a planetary governor extends not only to the administrative upstarts under their jurisdiction but also to the Imperial Capital.

Qin Shi pondered that this was probably one of the reasons why Ying Huang, the first successor of the Ying clan, strongly advocated reconciliation with the Nanhuang Dojo.

Stepping into the city center automatically places you in the "sunshine-level" category.

In addition to enjoying high-level protection from the Security Department, they also have various "privileges," especially in official units, where they can almost always get the green light.

"Thinking about it this way, I am also a 'seed' of Dongxia."

I once read in an extracurricular book that during the first millennium of the establishment of the New Eastern Xia, the nine generals jointly passed the "Fire Seed Project".

By increasing investment in education, we cultivate a continuous stream of fresh talent, and then select the most gifted and promising individuals from among them. They will be specially recruited into the "Torch Class" in the capital, becoming brilliant sparks that illuminate the galaxy.

These young talents have all emerged from fierce competition among the thirty-two administrative districts to secure their positions at the top!

Xin Dongxia values ​​it highly, and any abnormal extinguishing of any spark will be met with a vicious attack from the court.

Even at the end of the first millennium, an exploration of the stars led to the loss of contact between three sparks. An investigation revealed that it was the work of a powerful group that specialized in plundering merchant alliances.

This prompted the three major battle groups to dispatch their fleets, and the Supreme Commander issued the first "extermination order" since the establishment of New Eastern Xia, blasting the desolate planet where the Great Tyrant Group was stationed to pieces with an orbital strike.

Afterwards, Xindongxia launched a very thorough "anti-gang campaign".

Each major battle group was like it had been injected with chicken blood, unleashing its full force.

During those days, even a dog passing by would get kicked twice, let alone those super powers that dominated the galaxy.

Therefore, becoming a "seed" of the new Dongxia can be said to be like having a very useful "protective charm".

This is what Qin Shi values ​​most, and what the Nanhuang Martial Arts Academy most hopes to see.

Looking at the rising power of New East Xia, even the Nine Clans would not want to be bitten by the mad dog of the Court of Judgments, and end up in the Council of Deliberations.

"Next, as long as I maintain my best performance in the Great Exploration Movement, I will continue to be the coolest guy."

Qin Shi's lips curled up, revealing a slight smile.

"The young spark of hope—who else but me!"

……

……

"Director, are you still on sick leave today?"

In the central city's government compound, after passing through multiple security checks, the secretary met Mo Qihuan, who was trimming plants in the back garden.

Ever since that divine machine from the Nanhuang Taoist Academy took off and broke through the blockade of Hengzhou's rising star, the Director of Education submitted a sick leave note to the Governor-General's Office, no longer sitting in the Education Department building to oversee affairs.

"After working so hard for so long, it's time for this old body to retire and rest. Let the younger generation have a chance, that's what the Governor-General often says."

Mo Qihuan was focused on pruning the plants and didn't notice his secretary's arrival, nor did he ask any questions.

"Director, without your leadership, the Education Department is like a machine without oil, running very slowly. Several important projects that were supposed to be launched have been delayed and cannot be pushed forward."

The secretary bowed and earnestly requested:

"We are far from mature in our work, and without your guidance, Director, we are bound to make mistakes and stumble into pitfalls."

Mo Qihuan, dressed in a sweater, trousers, and slippers, looked like a retired old man at home. His eyes were fixed on the green plants, as if he was thinking about which direction to start with to prune the messy branches and leaves.

"What about the Governor's Office? What's their statement?"

A long time passed, until the secretary's back started to ache slightly, before Mo Qihuan finally asked a question.

"The Governor's Mansion is peaceful. The Governor didn't even show up for this commendation ceremony, and I guess he won't show up again in the future."

The secretary carefully considered her answer.

"Then I'll continue to rest at home."

Mo Qihuan said.

"As Ying Shuai once said, Xinghai can exist even without anyone. I've been in charge of the Education Department for so many years, it's time for me to relinquish some power. Besides, I'm almost at retirement age anyway, so this is just a way to get used to retirement life in advance."

The secretary looked troubled. The Education Department had always been dominated by Mo Qihuan, but now that the director was unemployed, all the work could not be carried out.

"Director..."

"Let's go back."

Mo Qihuan said meaningfully.

"If the central city truly needs me, it will naturally speak up."

The secretary silently left the government compound.

click.

The scissors landed on a tangled patch of branches and leaves, neatly and efficiently removing it.

Mo Qihuan straightened up and said:
“It is certainly remarkable for a master to support his apprentice.”

But I'm not bad off either; my son can be a pillar of support for his father. …

……

The special train rumbled over the tracks, and Qin Shi listened to the whistling wind outside the window as he continued to enter the Second Universe through the Yuan Energy Company's "login card".

My consciousness was enveloped in soft white light, as if I were quietly floating in a warm current.

"The Arena feature is now available."

Qin Shi opened his eyes. Compared to the virtual battle room, the second universe presented the "players" in a more perfect and detailed way. He could even freely enter and exit the interior of the world, almost as if he had copied himself from reality.

This time, Qin Shi didn't wander around aimlessly. During his time in the central city, he spent his days surfing the internet searching for information about the Great Universe Server.

So they headed straight for the arena.

"There are quite a variety of fighting styles: weapon combat, hand-to-hand combat, human-beast combat, life-or-death battles..."

Qin Shi was of a high rank, and with his substantial Void Coin assets, he received VIP treatment as soon as he entered the arena.

"Guest, the arena holds a 'Peak Tournament' every three months, lasting for two weeks. The strongest warrior can take away nine hundred Void Coins from here."

The guide who was assigned to us gave us a warm introduction.

Qin Shi curiously released his spiritual power, enveloping the honey-skinned, hot-bodied, petite "female guide" in his mind.

They were found to be indistinguishable from real people, possessing independent spiritual consciousness and physical constitution.

This made him once again marvel at the boundless power of the divine pillars.

What does "team battle" mean?

Qin Shi pointed to a corner of the leaderboard and asked softly.

“The arena is not just for individual battles. Every thirty years, a ‘Hundred Regiments Assault’ is held, which lasts for seven to eight years and is considered a major event.”

The guide explained carefully.

"However, the most intense and captivating competition is the 'national war.' But such large-scale 'competition' is generally inaccessible to the average person."

Qin Shi glanced at the various teams on the leaderboard, such as "Lionheart Team," "Iron Cavalry Team," and "War Maniac Team," each with an increasingly imposing name.

Upon closer inspection, most of them were at an amateur level.

Only large groups with hundreds or thousands of members have relatively strong overall strength.

"Based on my level, if I grind a bit more, I should be able to become the vice leader of a thousand-person guild."

Qin Shi's self-assessment.

He watched past "team battle videos" with great interest and found that those thousand-person teams were well-organized and operated, especially in terms of offense and defense, demonstrating quite good professional qualities.

"Are these regimental commanders some kind of alt accounts of those bigwigs in the military? Are they using this place as a sandbox simulation to kill time?"

A thought suddenly popped into Qin Shi's head.

"Are there any records of national wars? I'd like to see them."

He asked the guide.

"The national war cycle is very long, and recording it is quite laborious, plus many clients are unwilling to disclose it..."

The guide looked troubled.

"I can add money."

Qin Shi narrowed his eyes.

"In that case, I'll try my best to think of a solution."

The guide had a sweet smile.

The world is in decline!

Even the "native NPCs" have learned how to skim profits!

Qin Shi sighed softly, the longer he stayed on the Great Universe Server, the harder it was for him to regard this place as a so-called "game world".

After a short while, he was led to a private screening room to watch the "national wars" he had fought in the past.

According to the arena's requirements, the minimum requirement for participating in the national war is to command three thousand-man regiments and possess five cities with a population of tens of thousands.

Then, territories are allocated, and free mode begins. During this time, players need to train combat units, build infrastructure, and engage in various gameplay elements such as diplomacy, alliances, attacks, and flag-planting.

"It's quite similar to that game from my past life where you'd stay up all night playing just one round."

Qin Shi patiently watched several large-scale national wars from beginning to end.

"Feng State? Feng Army? This one is really powerful! They can achieve extraordinary results in both small-scale battles and large-scale all-out warfare."

Qin Shi gradually noticed a rising star in the national war, a force called "Feng Guo". Initially, its territory and military strength were not outstanding, but it was extremely good at development and expanded its territory very quickly.

"This Fengtian army was commanded in a very unified manner, with clear plans for advance and retreat, and it liked to use risky tactics such as cutting off supplies and flanking the enemy."

As expected, Feng State won the battle for supremacy, destroyed the other states, and completed the unification of the country.

"This national war is indeed painstaking and laborious. From beginning to end, it would take almost half a year in reality."

Qin Shi watched it at double speed, and he felt that the configuration of the Fengtian Army looked somewhat familiar.

While other countries focus on technological advancement, Fengguo takes a different approach, emphasizing the cultivation of martial arts. It uses a small number of advanced aircraft as spearheads to withstand the onslaught of fire from airships, cannons, tanks, and warships.

They would rather suffer heavy losses than change their plans.

"Isn't this similar to the situation of Hengzhou Nova? Because the Star God is in slumber, it has been forced to implement a dual blockade of electronics and energy."

Qin Shi inexplicably took notice of this Fengtian army and asked the guide for relevant records about them.

……

……

Central City, Governor's Mansion.

The Tai Jun, dressed in a long robe and tall crown, walked among them, as if he were the true master of this rising star in Hengzhou and the highest center of power.

Thai Jun slowly walked into a room deep inside the Governor's Mansion, which was, to be precise, a large room comparable in size to a football field.

The elderly man with a full head of silver hair was lying in the cabin, his consciousness projecting outwards like a blazing sun, radiating tangible light.

Such immense spiritual power multiplied into countless forms, like invisible threads connecting the login devices of one vast cosmic server after another.

Densely packed, like a matrix!
"Hey Artest, what's the matter this time?"

The blazing sun suddenly leaped, and the silver-haired old man's consciousness retreated into his body. At the same time, he opened his eyes, sat up from the cabin, and looked at Tai Jun passing through the forest-like matrix.

With a plain and unsmiling face, the Thai king said helplessly:
“Governor, you can’t stay in the secondary world of the Great Universe Server forever. You are the actual ruler of Hengzhou New Star. The Great Expansion Movement is imminent, and many things require your decision.”

The silver-haired old man shook his head and smiled:
"I am well aware of my own limitations. My domestic affairs skills are very mediocre. If I were to handle the various matters of Hengzhou Rising Star, I would definitely make a mess of it."

"Atai, I've told you so many times, just treat me like a stamp, use me however you like."

Taijun sighed deeply, revealing such obvious frustration for the first time as an active consciousness.

Our planetary governor is quite rare; he's neither obsessed with power nor ambitious, and all he wants to do is stay in the vast universe server and "play games."

"Atai, you don't know, my simulation is almost complete. Based on the general situation of Hengzhou Rising Star, I'm training troops, increasing manpower, and opening up two battlefields, the western and eastern fronts..."

The silver-haired old man smiled with delight and said in a deep voice:
"It's just a little bit short. If we consider the Star God as the hypothetical enemy, I need a bomb, a super bomb that can blow Him up."

(End of this chapter)