Behind it, the methods for summoning and controlling heroes, researched by the priests of the Divine Dragon Empire fifteen thousand years ago, were recorded! The process of their research into these methods was also documented!
It could be said that the script carved upon this stele was more akin to a historical novel! From the stele, I finally understood how the priests of the Divine Dragon Empire had researched these mysterious heroes fifteen millennia ago!
According to the inscription! Fifteen thousand years ago, to combat the Demon Dragon Cult Master, the Divine Dragon priests, unable to find a complete method of control over the heroes, were forced to take the desperate risk of awakening one of their warrior heroes named Zhan Lang!
Zhan Lang displayed astonishing combat prowess! In only three moves, he severely wounded the Demon Dragon Cult Master!
Fortunately, the Cult Master could fly and narrowly escaped with his life, but ultimately, due to the severity of his injuries, he fell into the Crimson Sea and was captured by the Divine Dragon Empire! However, the matter did not end there; the true disaster was only just beginning!
Because he was awakened without the correct method of control, the hero did not pursue the Demon Dragon Cult Master after injuring him but instead began a frenzied attack on those nearby! Feng Xiao had told me about this part of history, but the stele’s account was far more detailed!
Later, Feng Tian, the warrior who awakened Zhan Lang, managed to stop the out-of-control hero but paid the ultimate price—his life! When the main body dies, the hero loses its animating power; this was the only way to halt an uncontrolled hero!
Following this, the priests of the Divine Dragon Empire, based on the intelligence they possessed, began more in-depth research into how to further control the heroes, eventually succeeding in creating the Spirit Orb, though this research was terminated due to a prisoner riot while it was still in the experimental phase! The inscription on the stele only chronicled events up to this point, with no continuation!
This gave me pause! Should I really awaken the hero?
What if she proves uncontrollable after being awakened! But upon reflection!
Although the Demon Dragon Cult Master had been defeated, I couldn't guarantee that other heroes wouldn't fall into the hands of the Beastmen. If that were the case, perhaps the only force capable of opposing a hero would be another hero!
In this regard, humanity truly stood at a moment of life-or-death crisis. My awakening of the hero seemed almost inevitable, especially since I had come this far and couldn't easily give up.
Whatever fate holds, good or ill, I must face it—damn it, I'll just risk it! It's just one life!
Once my decision was made, I felt considerably calmer! Next, I began the steps to awaken the hero according to the stele’s instructions!
The hero is a vessel of ancient spirit mediumism, requiring the power of the corresponding Night Luminous Pearl to awaken her! And for the Night Luminous Pearl to exert its power, it must be activated by human blood!
I carefully nicked my finger, letting blood drip onto the Night Luminous Pearl! Drip!
The blood that landed on the pearl vanished almost instantly, as if falling onto a sponge, with no reaction whatsoever! Strange!
Was my blood supply insufficient! Helpless, I channeled the Dou Qi within me to accelerate the blood flow.
Instantly, the blood flowing from my finger resembled a continuous stream, yet this unassuming Night Luminous Pearl acted like a bloodthirsty abyss; every drop of blood that touched it rapidly seeped in and disappeared! Good heavens, you can drink that much!
If this continues, I’ll bleed out and lose my life! After quite some time, seemingly satisfied with the amount absorbed, the dripping blood no longer seeped into the pearl but ran down its smooth surface to the ground!
That should be enough! I quickly stanched the wound!
Cautiously, I observed the Night Luminous Pearl and the statue! Soon, the Night Luminous Pearl reacted violently, emitting a brilliant azure light, dazzling like a blue sun, washing the entire world in a strange, translucent blue!
A powerful surge of energy immediately erupted and began to circle rapidly around the statue; I could even feel the magical fluctuations contained within it! Gradually, these magical fluctuations grew stronger and stronger, to the point where the entire space seemed on the verge of being crushed by the sheer intensity of the dense magical waves!
Wow, the intensity of this magical wave is no less than that generated by the over ten thousand people powering the Thunder Formation back then! Is this the terrifying demonic power contained within the blue Night Luminous Pearl!
Finally, this powerful magical surge seemed to reach its peak and ceased climbing. It then coalesced into a stable magical field, enveloping the statue completely!
Next came the incantation! This chant was the very one I had memorized when I acquired the Night Luminous Pearl in the King's Forbidden Ground!
Though archaic and difficult, I could recite it perfectly, not missing a single syllable! As the chant’s strange tonal waves resonated, the blue magical light surrounding the statue grew increasingly strong and volatile!
When I uttered the final note! Bang!
Thunder! The magical light wave, having reached its extreme limit, finally exploded!
Although I was prepared and had conjured my protective Dou Qi, I was still violently thrown back several steps by the powerful shockwave before managing to plant my feet firmly! Dust billowed, and the blue light faded!
But the scene before me left me utterly dumbfounded! At some unknown point, where the explosion had occurred, a breathtakingly beautiful figure, ethereal and dreamlike, suddenly stood before me.
Hair of deep azure, like flowing clouds, cascaded down to her waist! What a peerless beauty!
I have seen countless beautiful women, yet I had never beheld such a dreamlike, illusory beauty! Her eyes were closed, possessing a pure and fragile beauty, like a water lily, evoking a heart-wrenching sense of pity.
Was this the legendary hero of antiquity? This truly surprised me!
Despite being clad in the Phoenix Sky Demonic Armor and wielding the Heaven Suppressing Sword at this moment, my impression was far from that of a powerful martial expert! However, this perception was swiftly shattered!
Because those eyes, those suddenly opened, azure eyes, were like ten thousand years of frost, seeming to encompass the entire world within them, scorning all creation, holding dominion over life and death. An involuntary chill ran down my spine—an urge not to approach, not to profane!
After enduring countless hardships, I had finally awakened the slumbering hero! I couldn't articulate my current emotions—a mixture of excitement, agitation, and unease!
Added to all this was an overwhelming impulse to shout out loud with unrestrained joy! Yet, the deep, cold eyes of the Moon Shadow before me pressed down like an iceberg, making it hard to breathe.
Even standing still, I instinctively felt that the being before me—no, that gaze was not something any living creature could possess! Deep, cold, and hollow—like a machine!
A machine filled with killing intent, existing only for slaughter! Is this the aura of an ancient hero?
Is this the aura of an ancient hero! I forced down my surging excitement, utterly unsure of what to do next!
At that moment, the Night Luminous Pearl underwent another strange transformation, once again illuminating the entire underground palace with a powerful light before shooting towards my head with a swoosh! Ah!
I didn't even have time to react! A tearing pain shot through my head, as if something was being forcibly stuffed into my mind!
But this agonizing pain quickly vanished, replaced by a gentle, warm surge of energy that permeated my entire brain and then spread throughout my body! A strange vision suddenly flashed in my mind, like a three-dimensional holographic projection, showing a figure!
And the appearance of this figure was none other than myself! Yes, it was me!
Clad in the Phoenix Sky Demonic Armor, the Dragon Shadow Sword strapped to my back! Looking around with an anxious expression!
Everything felt somewhat familiar, yet simultaneously vague! Just then, a soft female voice echoed in my mind!
It was fluent modern Mandarin, long unheard! And striking modern Chinese characters appeared in the three-dimensional space of my mind!
Hero System Fusion Complete! Consciousness Share Enabled!
Visual Share Enabled! Origin Power Share Enabled!
Magic God System Activated! Unit XY080 All-Purpose Terrestrial Bio-Mechanical Warrior!
Codename Moon Shadow Activated! Current Default Combat System is Magic God System!
Current Default Control Mode is Standby Mode! Without specific instruction, Moon Shadow will enter Destruction Mode in five minutes!
Please select a control mode! Destruction Mode—Activate Destruction Mode.
Bio-Mechanical Warrior Moon Shadow will assess the situation and act autonomously. Without specific supplemental instructions, it will destroy all detected biological life!
Destruction Mode will last for two hours. If Moon Shadow has not received further instructions or is disabled by accident after two hours, it will automatically enter Planet Destruction Mode!
Planet Destruction—Activate Planet Destruction. Bio-Mechanical Warrior Moon Shadow will execute Destruction Mode indefinitely until the planet's vital energy field reaches zero, rendering it a dead star!
Follow Mode—Activate Follow Mode. Bio-Mechanical Warrior Moon Shadow will remain inseparable from the main body.
In Follow Mode, Moon Shadow will not initiate any attacks! Guardian Mode—Activate Guardian Mode.
Bio-Mechanical Warrior Moon Shadow will execute defensive operations at a designated location. Without specific assessment instructions, any life form or moving object entering that territory will be deemed hostile by Moon Shadow and attacked!
Follow Guardian—Activate Follow Guardian. Bio-Mechanical Warrior Moon Shadow will follow the main body and protect it from any harm!
Any entity attacking the main body will be considered an act of aggression and targeted by Moon Shadow! Lock Attack—Activate Lock Attack.
Bio-Mechanical Warrior Moon Shadow will forcefully attack the specific target designated by the main body until it is destroyed! Exchange Mode—Activate Exchange Mode.
The consciousness between Bio-Mechanical Warrior Moon Shadow and the main body will swap. The main body will then be able to freely control Moon Shadow’s body!
Transform Disguise—Activate Transformation Mode. Bio-Mechanical Warrior Moon Shadow will freely alter its appearance according to the main body’s will to achieve camouflage purposes!
Special Mode—Activate Special Mode. Bio-Mechanical Warrior Moon Shadow will execute an action script edited by the main body.
Please note the script editing format, or it may lead to system corruption and trigger Moon Shadow’s self-destruction! Holy cow!
This is a hero? This is too incredible!
It’s practically a clone of a smart robotic weapon from a modern sci-fi film! Could the Wolong Villa actually be aliens from another galaxy!
Even I, being well-traveled, was genuinely terrified by this discovery! Just as I stood there, dumbfounded by this sudden revelation, the gentle female voice spoke again in my mind: "Standby System duration: four minutes.
Destruction Mode will initiate in one minute. You have sixty seconds to input a new control mode…" "What, Destruction Mode?" I almost jumped up.
"Damn it, what the hell is this nonsense?" "What Destruction Mode? Damn it, what kind of game is this?" It sounded as if the previous recording was replaying in my head, and then the female voice continued: "Instruction cannot be determined.
Moon Shadow will continue the countdown to Destruction Mode. You have forty seconds remaining to input a new command.
Countdown: 40 seconds, 39 seconds, 38 seconds." "Hey, wait a minute." Now I was truly frightened. Was I about to be destroyed by her Destruction Mode immediately after awakening her?
Suddenly, I recalled that terrifying history Feng Xiao had spoken of—the hero awakened fifteen thousand years ago had apparently lost control. Perhaps they were victims of this damned Destruction Mode.
"Hey, wait a minute," the voice continued. "Instruction cannot be determined.
Moon Shadow will continue the countdown to Destruction Mode. You have thirty seconds remaining to change the command.
Countdown continuing." "No way, am I really going to be done in by her like this?" At this point, my face turned green with fright!