Chapter 4596: Technological Inheritance
Chapter 4596: Technological Inheritance
A smile tugged at the corner of Lu Yin's mouth as he stared at the beetle within the liquid. "I never thought that the ruler of a mighty technological fishing civilization would actually be an insect."
The beetle stared at Lu Yin with both eyes. "Human civilization."
"That's right."
"Do you discriminate against other lifeforms?"
"No. I am just surprised."
For the situation it was facing, the beetle was exceptionally calm. "You may discriminate if you wish because this technology was not created by us. It came from this imperial vessel."
Lu Yin nodded and casually took a seat. "Go on."
The beetle did not hide anything. It had expected this day to eventually come, and it simply had not expected it to arrive so quickly. "My species is called the Radiance's End, and I am the ruler of the Radiance's End Civilization, the Radiant Lord. We have never revealed our true forms to any outsiders, always taking the appearance of creatures of light.
"This imperial vessel is also the origin of the Radiance's End Civilization. Countless years ago, I found this ship buried beneath the soil. I entered it and managed to receive the inheritance of this technology, which I used to found the Radiance's End Civilization. From that moment on, we set foot on the path of conquering the cosmos..."
Lu Yin silently listened to the history of the rise of a civilization. Throughout the entire telling, his greatest impression was that this was a legend. This beetle was a true legend.
Lu Yin believed that he had been exceptionally lucky in regards to the opportunities that he had received, but even he had needed to rise up step by step to reach his current level, and he had repeatedly faced the risk of death. Without a bit of luck, he would have died long ago.
But what about this beetle? From the moment it inherited the technology of this imperial vessel, it had never encountered any genuine setbacks. Even when it had used its civilization, its efforts had only ever caused some minor trouble.
It was only at this moment that the beetle’s luck had run out.
Before encountering Lu Yin, this technological civilization had reached its current height without ever facing a single crisis.
These beetles did not cultivate, but with the help of technology, they could live for several hundred years while the Radiant Lord could live forever due to the green liquid.
Lu Yin asked about the substance. It turned out that this green liquid was made from pure life. The stronger the lifeform, the more vitality that could be extracted and converted into this liquid. Immortals were especially effective.
This liquid was essentially a fusion of liquefied Immortal matter and Lifeforce. As long as a creature remained within the liquid, it would not die.
Unfortunately, this liquid meant little to a cultivation civilization. What meaning was there in exchanging the life of an Immortal for the immortality of an ordinary creature? The cost was too extravagant. Even if a hostile Immortal was used, it first needed to be suppressed, and such a battle would require a price in the form of lengthened karmic chains. Even just that price would be considered unbearable.
This was something that only a technological civilization could use.
"There are three categories of weapons in this imperial vessel's armory: conventional weapons, which includes Radiance, anti-radiance weapons, and Crystal Fall. Even Cosmic Shear is only the ultimate conventional weapon.
"Then, there is the law-based weapon, which we call Reproduction. Its purpose is to break the laws that govern biological reproduction, causing a certain life-form, or rather, a certain species, to lose its ability to reproduce."
Lu Yin arched a brow. "When you fought against the Lepidarch, did a king vessel fire that weapon?"
The Radiant Lord answered, "Yes. That weapon posed no threat to the Immortal being. We were merely hoping that a miracle might occur, or that we could use the weapon to demonstrate our power."
"Continue."
"The final type of weapon is the cognition weapon. It is also the strongest weapon in the imperial vessel's armory. Thus far, we have only fired it twice, and the second time was just now. A so-called cognition weapon alters the arrangement of matter that composes a lifeform itself. In simple terms, it changes the being’s very genetic code, altering the characteristics of its species. When a lifeform is no longer the same as what it recognizes itself to be, can it still resist?"
Lu Yin stared blankly at the Radiant Lord. "Is that possible?"
The Radiant Lord replied, "You have already seen the answer for yourself. If I have guessed correctly, the Immortal being that forced us to change direction was you. Our battle against that other Immortal being was always under your control."
Lu Yin nodded. "So the Lepidarch froze because its own lifeform was altered and it was unable to control its new lifeform?"
"Yes. Its appearance did not change, but all the matter that composed its body was altered. An ant can run very fast, but if that ant becomes a turtle, can it still run as fast? That is the essence of this weapon," the Radiant Lord explained.
Lu Yin took a deep breath. That was absolutely terrifying. There was no other description for it. It sounded simple, but not even the Lepidarch had been able to detect what had caused it to freeze. If Lu Yin were targeted by that weapon, he might not detect the cause either. He would simply stand in place and allow himself to be slaughtered. Of course, that still required the imperial vessel to be capable of injuring his body. After all, regardless of whether it was Lu Yin or the Lepidarch, the imperial vessel would not be able to kill them even if they stood frozen in place.
However, what if they faced an opponent that was not the imperial vessel but a peak two-law powerhouse? As soon as the cognition weapon was fired, if one was unable to even move, the battle would instantly end.
Lu Yin grew solemn as he stared at the beetle. "You really went ahead and shared everything. You aren’t trying to hide anything?"
The Radiant Lord helplessly replied, "I don’t dare to hide anything. My life is already in your hands."
"What are the armory’s current reserves?"
"Not much. Cosmic Shear can continue to be replaced as it is used, but only one use of the cognition weapon remains. We do not know how to manufacture it. When we first obtained the imperial vessel, there were only three uses."
"Who did you use the first one on?" Lu Yin asked curiously.
The Radiant Lord hesitated for a moment. "The first time, I launched the weapon as an experiment."
Lu Yin really wanted to slap the bug dead. This cognition weapon was far too terrifying, and yet it had actually used one of the three chances for an experiment. What a pity.
To Lu Yin, the imperial vessel had become his, as had the technological fishing civilization. Naturally, the cognition weapon was also part of his acquisition.
The Radiant Lord next proceeded to demonstrate its control of the imperial vessel and the capabilities of the technological fishing civilization to Lu Yin. Its ultimate purpose of showing all this was to ensure that Lu Yin clearly understood the importance of the imperial vessel.
"My life is linked to this vessel. If I die, the imperial vessel will deactivate, permanently," the Radiant Lord told Lu Yin.
It had been completely honest up to this point and had purposely demonstrated the imperial vessel's capabilities all for this one purpose. Only by making sure that Lu Yin valued the imperial vessel could the Radiant Lord itself hold value.
Lu Yin looked at the beetle and smirked. "Do you think that I care a great deal about this imperial vessel? Or rather, do you think that I believe you?"
The Radiant Lord said, "You may choose not to believe me, and you may also kill me. I am merely telling you what will follow, if you can accept it."
Lu Yin walked closer to the green liquid and stared at the Radiant Lord. The beetle stared back.
After quite a while, Lu Yin said, "From this moment on, the Radiance's End Civilization will continue, but it will belong to my human civilization. Do you have any objections?"
"No." The Radiant Lord had no choice. This was the outcome that it had obtained in exchange for its own life and the value of the imperial vessel. Freedom was impossible, but mere survival was good enough.
Lu Yin said, "I want you to use this imperial vessel's technology to help my human civilization improve its level of technology. I have many things for you to work on."
"Command us as you wish." The Radiant Lord was very reasonable.
Soon, Lu Yin teleported all the way back to the Trio with the imperial vessel. Seeing the unfamiliar sky of an unknown universe left all the creatures of the Radiance's End Civilization badly shaken.
Teleportation was truly simple and without any flourishes, and yet that was also what made it so shocking. Even the Radiant Lord, who controlled the imperial vessel's cognition weapon, could not imagine how such an innate gift could exist.
As for the origin of the imperial vessel, the Radiant Lord knew nothing about it, so naturally, Lu Yin could not learn anything either.
But he did keep that matter in mind.
After all, the imperial vessel must have belonged to another technological civilization. If just the imperial vessel alone had managed to make the Radiance's End Civilization so powerful, how powerful must the original civilization have been? Were cognition weapons that civilization's strongest weapons? Had that civilization already been destroyed?
When Lu Yin brought the technological fishing civilization back to the Trio, humanity erupted with excitement. Everyone knew that a technological fishing civilization had always been watching them like a tiger eyeing its prey. Even if that foreign civilization had lost its status as a valid threat as humanity gained more and more powerhouses, it was still a fishing civilization, and a technological one at that. The benefits of bringing such a civilization to serve humanity could be foreseen.
The Trio had many planets and parallel universes that pursued technological development, and they all emerged at this time.
In particular, the Infinity Empire was very interested. They had been the first to study the Radiance's End Civilization’s technology, and they had already gained some understanding of it. The more they understood, the more amazed that they became. Now that the Radiance's End Civilization had been captured and brought over, the Infinity Empire could completely transform its own technology.
Technology could improve the overall quality of life for a civilization, and the changes would be seen in every area.
Lu Yin also ordered resources to be supplied to the imperial vessel, telling it to prioritize producing more Cosmic Shears. He did not need many vessels, and producing king vessels consumed too many resources. The imperial vessel alone was enough.
The imperial vessel's armory could store a great many Cosmic Shears. Provided enough resources, his previous dream would not be impossible to realize.
Whoever tried to cause trouble for the human civilization in the future could simply be met with 100 Cosmic Shears, which would not increase any karmic chains. Just the thought of such a future was exciting.
This was the greatest advantage of a technological civilization.
Having dealt with the technological fishing civilization, which could also be considered eliminating a major hidden threat, Lu Yin returned to the Sea of Karma and looked at the Lepidarch lying there. It was already awake.
The Lepidarch's feelings at this moment were no different from what Devouring Trace had felt before. The creature was both confused by Lu Yin's identity as a human being while simultaneously terrified by the number of Immortal beings that this human civilization possessed.
One Immortal being after another surrounded the butterfly, and the Lepidarch sadly understood that, unless it returned to its peak and used everything that it had ever accumulated to touch the level of a three-law Immortal’s combat power, it would have no ability to fight its way out.
This was clearly a fishing civilization.
Lu Yin stared at the Lepidarch. "I’ve already dealt with that technological fishing civilization, and next, it’s your turn, Lepidarch."
The Lepidarch stared at Lu Yin. "What is your relationship with that skeleton creature?"
Lu Yin did not waste words. He simply took out the Champions' Stage Purgatory and threw the Lepidarch inside. The creature was completely unable to resist at this point.
Seeing his Karmic Dao surge, Lu Yin made sure to suppress its spread. Although his karma was still increasing, no one else could see exactly by how much. Only Lu Yin alone knew just what absurd heights his karma had reached.
The Lepidarch was absolutely not younger than Devouring Trace. The Abyssal and the Lepidarch combined allowed Lu Yin's Karmic Dao to reach an unprecedented level of strength. However, no matter how strong his Karmic Dao became, his karmic chain prevented him from being able to act. Even if he allowed Green Lotus to use the excessive karma and integrate it into the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm, the mere use of Lu Yin’s power would still increase his karmic chain.
Once the Karmic Dao stopped increasing, the Lepidarch again fell into the Sea of Karma.
Compared to Devouring Trace, the Lepidarch’s condition was much worse after its experience in the Champions' Stage Purgatory.
Weakly, it looked up at Lu Yin. "Karma... You also wield the power of karma."
With his hands clasped behind his back, Lu Yin looked at the Lepidarch. "This time, this is truly the end. As an Immortal who gave rise to a fishing civilization, you deserve respect, but only the respect that any Immortal deserves. That is simply the way of the cosmos."
With that, others stepped out from behind him. They were Qing Xing, the Great Master, and others who, by relying on the Nirvana Tree Path, had elevated their power to the peak Dukkha level.
Killing the Lepidarch would be left to them.