Now was hardly the time for daydreaming; the enemy's approach was imminent. "All we can do now is pray that Longtian buys us enough time," Niro murmured.
Pushing that massive blast door open once more! Niro and Xingchen, along with the others, found themselves back in the secret storeroom they had visited previously.
This time, however, Meimei, Lili, and the rugged, bearded man had joined them. To Xingchen’s surprise, this man, who looked every bit like an orangutan, was actually a renowned Alchemist (the scientists of the Wolong World).
Meimei and Lili called him Uncle Jin. They, too, were stunned when they saw the three suits of armor.
"Are these our secret weapons?" Meimei and Lili exclaimed in unison. "Yes," Niro confirmed.
"Originally, we had ample time for testing and fine-tuning, but Longtian's unexpected engagement, coupled with the Xiangtian Division launching their attack sooner than anticipated, means we have to deploy them immediately." "This is truly a matter of life and death," Nya sighed mournfully. "Let’s use this time wisely and get suited up," Niro instructed.
"Suited up?" Xingchen was perplexed. "What do you mean by suited up?" "You don't even know about the suit-up process?" Meimei asked, astonished.
"Whether it’s the Enhanced Fengtian or the Raging Thunder Set, after putting them on, a period of acclimatization is required to buffer the immense power contained within the suits," Niro explained. "A break-in period, you mean?" Xingchen suddenly understood.
"Precisely," Niro said. "Suits of different tiers have vastly different energy fluctuations.
If they aren't controlled carefully, the result is what you see in them." Niro gestured toward the three lifeless figures inside the crystal pillars. "So you must be extremely cautious." Though many questions lingered, Xingchen knew this wasn't the time to delve into specifics.
"Then let’s begin." "Remember, you have a maximum of three hours to adapt to wearing these suits," Niro stated gravely. "Initiate suit-up: Magic Array." "Suit-up Magic Array activated," a gentle female voice echoed from some unseen corner.
Xingchen recognized it as the base’s main computer controlling the system. In the Wolong World, Xingchen had grown accustomed to its baffling phenomena.
Technology and magic—two seemingly unrelated civilizations—had merged miraculously here. To Xingchen, it all seemed profoundly wondrous and perfectly executed.
Perhaps, years in the future, Earth might follow a similar path toward the perfect synthesis of technology and magic, even though the people of this world seemed to have lost the capacity for evolution and procreation. Xingchen didn't know the cause of all this, but he couldn't deny that their synthesized techno-magical civilization was truly flawless.
Previously, Xingchen had assumed that by foregoing gunpowder—what Earth considered conventional weaponry—their arsenal would be weak. But after witnessing the terrifying Fire Dragon Legion, Xingchen had completely revised his perception of the Wolong World.
Perhaps, apart from weapons capable of absolute annihilation like nuclear bombs, 21st-century humanity possessed no conventional weapon that could stand against the bio-engineered soldiers of the Wolong World. Fusion Magic Array, Activate!
In the center of the hall, a colossal magic array materialized, outlined as if woven from golden threads. At its very heart were three small circles, each perfectly sized to accommodate one person.
"Go inside," Niro commanded solemnly. "Yes," Nya and Lanqi stepped quickly into the array.
It seemed they were already quite familiar with this 'suit-up' procedure. Though Xingchen understood nothing, he quickly followed in their footsteps.
The instant he stepped onto the array, Xingchen felt an overwhelmingly dense surge of magical energy saturate the surrounding space. Of course, all Xingchen could truly perceive was the intense fluctuation, but these magical currents failed to affect him in the slightest.
In contrast, Nya and Lanqi’s faces were grave, even showing strained grimaces and painful twitching as they endured. Did these magical fluctuations actually cause physical harm?
In that moment, Xingchen’s unique resistance to magic suddenly flashed in his mind. Outside the array, Niro and the others also noticed Xingchen’s extraordinary composure.
"Strange, the Fusion Magic Array seems to have no effect on him," Uncle Jin hesitated. "What is going on?" Meimei was equally incredulous.
"The Fusion Magic Array is designed to inject sufficient energy into the armor while simultaneously neutralizing the magical corrosion inherent to the armor itself. Its intensity is staggering!
Even Lanqi and Nya, with their enhanced physiques, have to endure considerable suffering, yet he looks completely unaffected." "We don't have time to worry about that now," Niro said sternly. "Armor deployment, commence." Inside the magic array, streams of dazzling, iridescent light flowed.
All Xingchen could see was a continuous, flashing kaleidoscope of color; he couldn't make out anything outside. Yet, he could clearly hear the painful groans of Nya and Lanqi beside him.
Then, Xingchen felt a sudden tightening around his body! Unbeknownst to him, a layer of hard material seemed to have encased him completely.
Upon looking closely, it was a suit of armor gleaming with a faint, cyan light! Ah!
The Raging Thunder Set! Xingchen was momentarily stunned.
When did this get put on me? I didn't even realize it.
The thought had barely flashed through his mind when— An immensely violent surge of power erupted throughout his entire being! Like a rampaging demonic beast, it charged recklessly through his body!
Following close behind came waves of excruciating, indescribable pain. Caught completely off guard, he nearly passed out from the intensity!
He felt as if he were being torn to shreds, every fiber of his body screaming with agony. A sudden rush of heat poured into him, spreading rapidly like liquid mercury.
His meridians and bones felt as if they had been flooded with molten iron—burning, scorching, and piercingly painful. Not good.
If this continues, I’ll be killed by the pain. The Nine Dragons Guarding Body within him instinctively unleashed its defense!
But at that very moment! Xingchen began to feel a profound hollowness within himself, while his consciousness sharpened to an unprecedented clarity!
His eyes saw nothing; his mind became a chaotic, dark void! However, this state did not last long!
Xingchen was certainly not unfamiliar with this peculiar sensation! Turtle Breath, Dragon Slumber!
Yes, this was the fourth time Xingchen had entered the Turtle Breath, Dragon Slumber state! But the previous three times, he had entered it automatically, while critically injured and unconscious.
Never once had he entered it while fully conscious! He hadn't expected the true Turtle Breath, Dragon Slumber to be this miraculous—it was as if his soul and body had separated, plunging him into an impossibly wondrous spiritual world!
In Xingchen’s understanding, this was his own inner, subconscious realm! Therefore, instead of panic, Xingchen remained calm, observing and waiting for whatever came next.
In the boundless chaos and darkness, a soft glow suddenly illuminated the void. Upon closer inspection, this light took on a humanoid shape, hanging like a brilliant pearl suspended in the night sky—it was radiating light.
That is! That is Yueying!
In an instant, Xingchen suddenly felt with absolute certainty that the light was intimately familiar, intensely close! It really is Yueying!
That familiar aura, that exquisitely rendered face—it was almost unbelievable! For some inexplicable reason, Xingchen was suddenly overcome with the urge to weep hot tears!
There was no logical basis for it, but Xingchen believed this was no hallucination! It was real!
Yueying was truly alive! "What in the world is happening!" Xingchen thought, sending a mental query immediately to Lan Ye.
"Where is this place?" "This is a nano-space connected to the spiritual world," Lan Ye’s voice responded, as expected. "Nano-space?
So, this is Yueying's sanctuary inside the Luminous Orb?" Xingchen asked, delighted. "She is Yueying, and she is alive, right?" "Yes," Lan Ye confirmed.
"Yueying has always been alive; she merely lost her physical body. What you see now is her most genuine and primordial spiritual data form.
Before she was atomized, Yueying transmitted her mental data here in the form of data streams and preserved it." "Mental data? What is that?" Xingchen struggled to grasp the concept.
"Mental data is the substance that your human cognition recognizes as akin to a soul," Lan Ye explained. "Are you saying I am currently seeing Yueying's soul?" Xingchen asked.
"Precisely," Lan Ye replied. "Incredible.
What kind of world is this?" Although he was experiencing it firsthand, Xingchen still struggled to fully comprehend how this mysterious space he occupied actually functioned. "The nano-space is a superimposed reality connecting the spiritual (data) and the material (physical)," Lan Ye clarified.
"It functions much like a computer's hard drive, capable of storing a specific amount of data. Currently, you exist in a soul-data state within the Luminous Orb’s 'hard drive,' which is why you can perceive Yueying’s truest, original state." Xingchen understood only partially, but one thing was certain: Yueying was alive, truly alive—and that was what mattered most.
"Yueying currently exists in the form of mental data," Xingchen mused mentally. "Does this mean that if a suitable body were found, her soul could be transplanted onto a physical form, allowing her to be resurrected?" "Theoretically, yes," Lan Ye responded.
"But for Yueying to be truly resurrected, we must find a bio-construct whose energy fluctuations align closely with the Luminous Orb's—specifically, a body from the same model, the XY080 Yueying series bio-soldier." "That’s too easy!" Xingchen exclaimed, overjoyed. "Can't we just have Niro and the others manufacture one?" This unexpected discovery made Xingchen ecstatic!
"Those matters can wait," Lan Ye cautioned. "You are currently in the energy injection guidance mode.
Please maintain control." Lan Ye’s words instantly reminded Xingchen that he was still seemingly within the Fusion Magic Array! He quickly gathered his thoughts, observing this world with meticulous care!
Countless streams of energy manifested with unbelievable clarity within Xingchen’s conscious world! They resembled a giant river of light flowing slowly, surging in all directions within this mysterious realm.
Xingchen could clearly see these massive rivers flow toward an area resembling a vast sea, before slowly branching off into four distinct tributaries! Though he had no logical basis for it, Xingchen distinctly understood that the area resembling the sea was his internal Dantian, and the four tributaries corresponded to the pathways leading to his four limbs.
As the incoming energy intensified, Xingchen began to perceive his physical body distinctly! Curiously, the agonizing pain he had felt earlier had vanished, replaced by an indescribable sense of smooth comfort!
All that remained was the single light cluster, growing ever brighter, tightly enveloping Xingchen, shielding him from the viscous, murky substance surrounding him. "Energy transmission complete!
Fusion adjustment complete, one hundred percent!"