Chapter 187: Cutting off the Source

“For any Martial Artist, the core foundations are the Dantian and Internal Energy. All future technologies, whether firearms or exoskeleton suits, rely on the theories centered around Internal Energy.”

“Yet, Wandering Light clearly restricts this path of development. Otherwise, instead of these useless foes, I’d be facing endless waves of battle robots, intercontinental cruise missiles, aerospace carriers (of both sky and space), and other terrifyingly advanced weapons.”

“My method, then, is to cut off their source. Render their most relied-upon Internal Energy useless. Turn the Dantian into a burden.”

“Deprived of their foundation, they are nothing but helpless cattle, waiting to be slaughtered.”

On Chen Xiyi’s palm, a Gu Insect so small it was invisible to the naked eye was slowly being crafted.

He had seen what happened to people whose Dantians were destroyed. Not only did their Internal Energy dissipate, they became physically weak and prone to sickness. Even a Postnatal Warrior, robbed of their Dantian, became a sickly invalid. Though their physical bodies remained, it was as if they were under a persistent weakening curse.

The reason was simple. It wasn’t just a cracked Dantian; rupturing any internal organ would leave a normal person incapacitated. For all its mystery, the Dantian was still just an organ, not something separate from the human body. When Chen Xiyi crafted Gu Martial Artists, he considered the whole person, never selecting organs in isolation.

“Maybe, thirty-thousand years in the future, techniques to heal the Dantian are common. But they still need time for treatment.”

Chen Xiyi placed the newly crafted Gu Insect on his palm, beginning a further process of refinement.

“The targets are the Postnatal, the Innate, and the Grandmasters. The Body Forging level can be skipped; they simply can’t stir up much trouble.”

“I’ll call it the Force-Devouring Gu. Devouring a person’s vital strength.”

The minuscule, beetle-like Gu Insect, barely visible to the eye, opened its wings. Chen Xiyi sent it flying out of the Five Immortals Cave Shelter.

…

“Captain, we can’t breach this Miaojiang Five Immortals Cave. Seems like something’s blocking it.” A young man clad in exoskeleton suit sounded deeply frustrated. This was the first time he’d encountered such a situation.

The middle-aged Captain was equally vexed. Internal Energy cannons had bombarded the place non-stop for nearly a whole day, yet it stood unyielding. Nearly a thousand personnel were gathered here, working around the clock. Though he didn’t know why High Command deemed this place so crucial, the sheer stubbornness of its defense proved it was no ordinary location. “Keep firing! High Command hasn’t ordered a retreat, we don’t stop. Cough~” Mid-sentence, the Captain coughed, probably from dust kicked up by the bombardment. He waved it off; minor discomfort wasn’t worth noting.

“Yes, Captain.” The young man, frustration plain on his face, simply obeyed.

Ten minutes later, something changed. Cold sweat broke out on the Captain’s forehead. His face paled noticeably.

“Take over for me,” he grabbed his nearby deputy, his voice laced with sudden weakness. “I’m heading to the medics. No idea why, I suddenly feel… unsteady.”

“That weak? Didn’t see you sneaking off for… stress relief last night,” the Deputy teased, but seeing the Captain’s condition worsen, added, “Go on, get checked.”

“Cough~ Maybe a chill. Getting old, can’t keep up with you youngsters like I used to.” As the Captain coughed again, a stream of fine, invisible dust particles expelled from his nose and mouth, scattering through the air. Unnoticed by the Deputy, they were inhaled with his next breath.

The Captain staggered away, leaning heavily. His uncomfortable cough continued, his body feeling heavier with every step. By the time he reached the medical tents, he looked deathly pale.

Seeing him, the medic, a fellow Martial Artist, swiftly helped him onto a cot and began examinations. Yet, whether probing with Internal Energy or scanning with instruments, nothing unusual showed. The Captain seemed unnervingly healthy.

“Likely an allergic reaction. Something inherent to your body, Internal Energy can’t fix. Did you eat anything unusual?” As he spoke, the medic skillfully administered an injection. Almost immediately, the Captain’s symptoms eased noticeably.

“Ate nothing special. Just the usual barracks rations. Stuff I’ve eaten countless times before.” With every word the Captain spoke, more invisible dust drifted from his mouth and nose, dispersing nearby. “Never had allergies! How does this appear so suddenly?”

The medic found it odd. “Not an allergy? Could be the new environment then. Though this ‘environmental sickness’ feels a bit peculiar. Bone tired, yet your Internal Energy levels are rising! Once you’re better, get checked for special physiques. This might be a blessing in disguise.” He reassured the Captain, “Relax, I’ve checked thoroughly. Nothing wrong other than adjusting to this place. Just rest; it’ll pass. Nothing major.”

The sleeping injection worked quickly. Moments later, the Captain was deeply asleep. The medic shook his head with a smile. “Exhausted. Last night’s siege must have really worn him out.” He attributed it solely to fatigue.

He didn’t know that their leaders had exploited Wandering Light to open a channel back to history, precisely to the very dawn of the Mythic Era. A slight pity; arriving earlier might have ensured Wandering Light’s permanent Demise. Excitement flickered in the medic’s eyes. This world was wonderful! Compared to their origins, it was paradise incarnate. The air, the food… simple foods like millet here far surpassed the rancid taste of black algae back home. Their old world: no sun, no rain, plant life nearly extinct. Water? Only palatable after extensive, intensive filtration, carrying a brutal, unnatural tang. Plentiful plants dead; animals following suit. Survivors were scarce mutants carefully selected by harsh evolution. There, everyone called their homeland the Fallen Land. This place… was the New World. Young or old, they raced to get here; a brief life as cannon fodder here beats rotting away in the Fallen Land. The people? Fewer. Their strength? Less developed. Utterly incapable of stopping waves of invasion. Technically, 30,000 years in the past, this should be their history – ancestors guaranteed success through survival. But facing their own ruin soon? Who cares about “bowing to ancestors” 30 millennia old! Names forgotten, lineages unknown.

Cough.

“Strange, my throat itches a bit.” The medic frowned. “Didn’t catch something from him? But I’m a Grandmaster Martial Artist! A simple cold shouldn’t threaten me.” He checked himself thoroughly. Finding nothing, he sighed. “Must be adjusting to this era after all. Environment differences; a wave of weakness lies heavy upon being here? Yet strength remains naturally high.” He recalled leaders’ warnings about disease outbreaks. Carrying futuristic germs back 30,000 years could devastate native populations lacking immunity. Conversely, ancient pathogens could potentially harm invaders. But casualties remained controlled; among warriors, only post-Innate and Grandmasters with potent Internal Energy could reduce dangers significantly. However, exposure was unavoidable, leading to adaptation symptoms like weakness, easily cured by rest. Thus, the medics dismissed the Captain’s weakness as simple adaptation… entirely unrelated to unseen bugs continuously spreading with every cough in their tents. Believing his own condition wasn’t severe, the medic gave himself a quick injection and didn’t trouble his mind further. His symptoms felt comparatively lighter – merely a slight cough without weakness comparable to the Captain’s collapse.

…

“The Force-Devouring Gu is operational. Breeding has commenced. Some died through incompatibility, but most completed initial evolution upon the first host. Subsequent generations carrying on requiring repeated new hosts?” Chen Xiyi monitored vast data streams flowing onto his System interface, tracking every individual Gu Insect crafted. The Force-Devouring Gu belonged to Gu variation Chen Xiyi innovated using Magical Power infusion, enabling operational perfection feedback and eventual harvesting as valuable Nourishment Resources later. Otherwise, sheer waste!

Terrifying adaptability, potent camouflage, deep infiltration ability, exponential breeding speed – each Force-Devouring Gu surged with competitive survival instinct. Unless you were an adept Qi Refiner, detection proved impossible; beyond mere Gu insects, they became synthetic weapons fused with advanced cultivation tech beyond surface Martial Arts levels entirely. Belonging solely to Chen Xiyi’s innovations like the earlier Internal Energy Gu.

Eventually grown into formidable creations born of chaos.

“Within three hours, most targeted invaders shall carry Force-Devouring Gu breeding internally. By then, third-generation mutation kicks in.”

Chen Xiyi meticulously calculated repercussions based on returned data. Spreading pattern seemed unstoppable once mounted upon foot soldiers. High Command officials would become victims eventually; distance mattered less against covertly multiplying foes globally.

“With contagious vectors so high and advanced Gu mutations, Force-Devouring Gu shall afflict eighty percent of post-Body Forging warriors within ten days. Active pathogens showing weakness only after fifteen-day incubation. Within a month, half combatants potentially rendered inert? Not just killed casually; actual battlefield disabilities targeting martial-progression ranks crippling troop rotations to a snail’s pace.” Primary hosts like the Captain exhibit chills and weakness because first-generation Gu violently parasitize Dantian tissues – triggering organ function collapse. Second generation learned subtlety; symptoms primarily mild coughing minimizing detectable weakness. Final parasitizing generations pursued stealth above all. Third-generation Gu would cease causing irritation entirely. Instead, they nested silently inside Dantians, mimicking pure Internal Energy perfectly. That explained the medic’s observation earlier: Force-Devouring Gu reproducing within rapidly multiplied, generating false signals resembling Internal Energy surges felt by unsuspecting hosts.

Then came danger amplified. Force-Devouring Gu disguised perfectly as Internal Energy circulated naturally along cultivation meridians during routine Martial Artist training sessions. Each Internal Energy cycle carried hidden Force-Devouring Gu swarms colonizing untouched tissues near Dantian pathways. Practitioners unknowingly created cultivation-size breeding zones rather than cultivating actual strength. Worse, forcefully expelling Internal Energy aided Force-Devouring Gu shedding offspring across distances impossible pre-hosts. True capability to breed exponentially through martial disciplines rendered victims unaware breathing weapons soon doomed vast martial bases slowly.

“For perfect adaptation, Force-Devouring Gu require roughly three more significant evolutionary adjustments due to living technology gaps spanning… well, Time distortions from thirty millennia. Adapting fully demands additional mutated generations developed concerning time-phasing unknown invaders brought upon ancient soil. Current generations must match future warriors’ biologically enhanced qualities. With collective generations efficiently feeding data back to Chen Xiyi, continuous improvements outpaced invaders’ defensive strategies. Estimated timeframe for stabilizing full Gu combat efficiency? By dawn of the following morning, latest generations, refined through triple evolution cycles domestically, would hit peak contagion levels hidden within commanding posts potentially. Advancement pace was staggering indeed.” Chen Xiyi eyed projected time counters ticking steadily down upon System diagrams; final populations became almost entirely host-vectors within mere hours unless drastic measures like burning all suspected personnel immediately occurred. A solution invaders hardly considered through excessive, overpowering technological hauteur embracing their downfall even before first symptoms peaked weeks later. Disasters came invisibly.