Reversing Falsehood and Preserving Truth: All Gods and Gods Are in My Hands

"Wait! Look at the stone mortar!"

Liu Jiaqi's exclamation broke the silence. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a pool of milky white liquid seeping from the bottom of the stone mortar. It was as delicate as solidified fat and emitted a refreshing fragrance, as if it contained endless vitality. This was a stark contrast to the strange phenomenon of extracting life force earlier.

Sun Ruliang immediately brought the instrument probe closer, the data on the screen jumping wildly, his voice trembling with excitement: "It's highly concentrated life essence! It can not only replenish vitality, but even strengthen the body or extend lifespan!"

Shen Che raised his hand to stop Zhao Changfeng, who was about to step forward. He then grasped the stone pestle, its dark shadows, like ink, swirling around it and seeping into the pestle's veins. "This is no ordinary stone pestle. It's a life force converter. It draws the life force of the pounder and converts it into grain essence, but the conversion efficiency is extremely low. Most of the energy is lost in the process."

"Using our life force to pound grain, and then replenishing it with grain essence, seems balanced, but in reality, the conversion efficiency is extremely low," Sun Ruliang continued his analysis, his tone tinged with resentment. "In the long run, we'll eventually be worn down!"

"Unless..." Shen Che stared at the stone mortar and pestle, "we find the right operating principle."

"Why don't we try it together?" Liu Jiaqi's eyes lit up. "Simultaneously inputting powers of different attributes might trigger a synergistic effect and improve conversion efficiency!"

"Give it a try!" Shen Che made a decisive move and gripped the stone pestle again. Lin Yue's power to control wood, Zhao Changfeng's power to control wind, Liu Jiaqi's power to heal, Shen Che's power to hunt shadows, and the energy that Sun Ruliang extracted with the instrument—the five energies converged like streams and were simultaneously injected into the stone pestle.

The stone pestle instantly lit up with a five-colored light, its patterns flowing as if they had come alive. Shen Che lowered his wrist, and the stone pestle slammed heavily onto the grains. The grains transformed into five streams of light, precisely shooting into the bodies of the five people. No life force was drained; instead, a warm energy flowed along their meridians, instantly restoring most of their previously consumed strength.

"It's done!" Sun Ruliang shouted excitedly. The instrument screen showed that the life force of the five people was steadily recovering. "As long as the energy is input synchronously, it can perfectly match the rules here. Not only will it not consume life force, but it will also be nourished!"

What followed turned into a meticulously coordinated operation.

The five people need to precisely control the intensity and timing of energy output; even a slight increase or decrease will lead to failure.

At first, there were a few mishaps in their coordination, and some of their life force was still being extracted. However, with the help of Liu Jiaqi's healing ability and Lin Yue's life perception, their coordination became more and more tacit. Their movements were as smooth as flowing water, with the ears of grain falling, energy being injected, and the pestle being pounded, all done in one smooth motion.

When the last ear of grain transformed into a stream of light and merged into their bodies, the power within the five individuals reached a complete balance. They could even vaguely sense the flow of each other's energy, as if forming an invisible energy loop that allowed them to merge their abilities in a short time.

The stone mortar in the center of the threshing ground slowly cracked open, and five crystal-clear grains of millet floated up, radiating a warm spiritual light, and automatically flew into the bodies of the five people.

The moment they merged into each other's bodies, a mysterious connection spread among the five of them. Without words, they could understand each other's thoughts, and their tacit understanding reached a level of perfect harmony.

"Only one more level left."

Liu Jiaqi looked at the dark gate at the end of the valley. Inside the gate was chaos, and faint whispers could be heard, exuding a more intense sense of oppression than any of the previous checkpoints—the Millet Gate was waiting ahead.

Shen Che took a deep breath, the shadowy aura around him becoming increasingly condensed, and he stepped into the thick darkness first:

"Walk."

at the same time--

Deep within the cave where Chen Mo and his companions were, the world beyond the stone door was far larger than they had imagined.

This is not a natural cave, but a secret base that has been artificially excavated, reinforced, and divided into multiple areas.

Cold alloy walls replaced the rough rock walls, and overhead were LED light strips emitting a pale white glow. The air was filled with a mixture of disinfectant, metal corrosion, and an indescribable, ethereal, and fishy smell.

In the central control room, a middle-aged man in his fifties was standing in front of the surveillance wall—the very "Doctor" who planned the hospital bombing.

Years of indoor work have made his skin so pale it's almost transparent, with the pale blue veins under his skin clearly visible. His meticulously combed silver hair complements his frameless gold-rimmed glasses perfectly, but his gray-blue eyes behind the lenses are as cold as if they were being examined under a microscope, devoid of any human emotion or warmth.

The monitoring wall consists of dozens of screens that display real-time images of various parts of the cave. One of them is fixed on the entrance of the underground river, where the water is calm and still, yet exudes an unsettling stillness.

"Doctor, the search of areas A-7 to A-11 is complete. No trace of the target was found." An operator reported nervously, his voice trembling. "The downstream current of the underground river is too fast. Two underwater robots were swept away. The remaining data transmitted back shows zero life signals."

They used thermal imaging, sonar, and aura wave detectors, but the boy who fell into the dark river seemed to have vanished into thin air.

The doctor adjusted his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses sharp as a hawk's, but deep within them lay a barely perceptible hint of irritation and... a barely perceptible excitement: "This sample is indeed extraordinary! Not only does it possess the power of two Great Daos, but it also managed to escape from the armed squad's encirclement, and even disappeared right under our noses using the underground river... This vitality, this adaptability, far surpasses any previous experimental subject."

He muttered to himself, then his tone turned icy as he gave the order: "Abandon the active search for this sample. The lower reaches of the underground river lead to unknown underground waters; the chances of survival are slim, and even if it survives, we won't be able to find it in a short time. Now, the highest priority task is to deal with the impending invasion by the Chinese Shouzhen Bureau."

"Activate the 'Bastion Protocol'." The doctor's voice echoed throughout the base via loudspeakers.

"Cease all non-essential research immediately and initiate evacuation preparations!"

"First and second squads, proceed to the entrance area immediately, establish defensive positions using the fortifications, and activate heavy weapons!"

"Third team, assist the researchers in the cleanup and withdrawal, and destroy the secondary experimental data!"

On the screen, the black-clad armed personnel who had been waiting in the laboratory moved swiftly and methodically. They were no longer carrying ordinary firearms, but large-caliber armor-piercing rifles, grenade launchers, and even individual rocket launchers. Hidden weapon platforms on the alloy walls emerged one after another, their muzzles gleaming coldly, forming a comprehensive network of fire.

"Experimental subject management team, inspect the restraint collars and suppression agent systems of all 'tamed units'!" The doctor continued, his tone chillingly calm. "Activate the 'Fang' series in Zone B and the 'Fortress' series in Zone C, raising them to Level One combat readiness. After the defense line is breached, guide them to intercept the intruders according to the pre-arranged plan!"

The surveillance footage switched, showing several cages slowly opening, revealing two different types of enhanced ethereal spirits inside—

One type has exposed fangs and is covered in bone spurs;

Another type has a metallic sheen and is as heavy as a rock, which is the normal size version of the modified ethereal spirit outside the stone gate that has been implanted with Dao patterns.

"Data Department, execute the first phase of the 'Cicada Metamorphosis' plan!" The doctor's fingers tapped rapidly on the console. "Encrypt and compress core experimental data, gene sequences, and Dao grafting parameters, and synchronize them to headquarters for backup via satellite link. Initiate the base self-destruct preparatory command; the authorization password is under my control."

He stared at the image of the stone gate on the screen, a cold smile playing on his lips. He knew better than anyone the value of this base; if it fell, he couldn't afford to leave behind any crucial evidence.

At the cave entrance, Chen Mo's tactical deployment was nearing completion. Su Wan's spiritual silver light suddenly trembled violently, her face ashen: "There are dense life forms gathering behind the stone door!"

Old Han raised a hand to wipe the frost from the corner of his mouth, his eyes sharp as ice blades: "Unleash your full domain power, move out!"

Before the words were even finished, a sudden surge of ice and snow rushed towards the cave entrance, signaling the imminent outbreak of a fierce battle of surprise attack and defense.