Translator: CinderTL
Whoosh!
That day, the red maple aircraft slowly descended, landing within the Flame Tiger Sect's Mountain Gate.
Tap-tap!
Chen Feng stepped out of the cabin and gave a simple order for Cao Tong and the others to withdraw.
After bidding farewell to Han Chao and his escort, he returned to his courtyard residence.
The system interface instantly materialized before him, displaying the nourishment gained from the battle.
[Azure Armor LV8: 14/100]
The Azure Armor's progress was barely perceptible. The two peak sixth-tier Cyborgs had proven almost useless to its advancement.
As for the Legendary being whose consciousness had descended, though enraged, it had not instilled fear.
His gaze shifted downward.
[Heart of Glory LV6: 46/100]
[Steel Bones LV7: 18/100]
The Heart of Glory and Steel Bones had each progressed noticeably. The rainbow iron components of the Legendary-grade Cyborg body had proven to be decent nourishment.
"That mechanical body was barely at the Legendary level," Chen Feng mused. "The rainbow iron within was likely only second-tier, similar to ordinary melting-grade rainbow iron."
As he pondered, a blue light flickered into existence, coalescing into the phantom of a petite girl.
"You possess the ability to awaken supernatural powers?"
The Star Spirit floated into existence, her large eyes blinking as she scrutinized Chen Feng with renewed curiosity.
She had clearly observed how the Legendary Body, capable of hosting consciousness descent, had shattered so rapidly. The metallic elements within it had been subtly absorbed by Chen Feng.
This power differed from martial arts and bore a striking resemblance to the individual supernatural abilities she had observed in other civilizations.
Yet, according to her data collected on Earth, there had never been a documented case of supernatural awakening in this world.
"Could it be a Fragment of Divinity?" she mused, her eyes narrowing in thought. Due to gaps in her database, she couldn't confirm her hypothesis.
Chen Feng didn't bother explaining. Instead, he interrupted her train of thought to inquire about the special technology enabling consciousness descent.
If such effortless descent were truly possible without cost, his assessment of the Roth Family's capabilities would need to be revised upward.
"It's not quite as exaggerated as that," the Star Spirit replied, shaking her head. "Theoretically, infinite descents are possible without depleting the Origin of Consciousness."
"However, refining rainbow iron requires vast quantities of metal ore. The material is both expensive and scarce, making unlimited use impossible."
"For example, now that you've destroyed that mechanical body, it can no longer be reused. If the enemy wants to descend their consciousness again, they'll have to pay a tremendous price to prepare another body."
Chen Feng nodded thoughtfully. This limitation wasn't much different from that of ordinary cyborgs.
Both required mechanical bodies to serve as vessels for consciousness, naturally making them subject to the constraints of metal materials.
"Consciousness descent is primarily used for assassinations, exploring dangerous territories, and other situations where preserving the Source Consciousness is paramount."
"Alternatively, it allows for immediate descent into a backup body upon losing the primary host, ensuring continued combat power and eliminating the vulnerable period of rebuilding a new body."
The Star Spirit revealed most of the truth while also warning, "In practice, unless there are exceptional circumstances, few Third-Tier Legendary-grade powerhouses would descend into bodies weaker than their consciousness level."
"In my opinion, the body you destroyed earlier was likely just the enemy's backup."
"His main body must be at least a Second-Tier Legendary Body."
So that's it, Chen Feng thought, his doubts completely dispelled.
Earlier, the chaotic crowd had prevented him from questioning the anomaly he sensed. Now, however, he finally had the time to inquire.
"At this level, wouldn't they be nearly impossible to kill?" he asked, hitting on the crucial point.
If the enemy remained hidden, operating solely through backup bodies and only projecting fragments of their consciousness each time, complete annihilation would be virtually impossible.
"That's true, but consciousness descent has its drawbacks," the Star Spirit replied, shaking her head. Her small face grew serious as she explained earnestly, "The world is fair—every gain comes with a price."
"Second and Third-Tier Legendary Consciousnesses possess stable properties, allowing them to project their consciousness over great distances without the Origin cost of each download."
"But because of this stability, their consciousness can no longer be perfectly replicated."
Chen Feng's gaze sharpened as he pondered this. He understood the implication: because their consciousness could no longer be perfectly replicated, they effectively had only one life.
Once completely destroyed, there would be no chance of resurrection, truly vanishing from this world.
In contrast, lower-tier cyborgs, though each replication and consciousness download drained their spiritual Origin, retained backups. Theoretically, they could be revived indefinitely, as long as their Origin wasn't completely depleted.
For example, many of the cyborgs Chen Feng had previously killed were merely rendered unconscious, their replicated consciousness extinguished, and their Origin weakened. They sank into the deepest depths of the Deep Sea, unable to be easily awakened.
This wasn't true death.
"Each has its advantages and disadvantages," Chen Feng murmured, shaking his head as he sorted through the information.
He wasn't overly concerned.
His innate talent, Wrath of the Storm, was naturally effective against spiritual consciousness.
Moreover, with the right approach—such as luring the enemy into a full descent or locating the core Deep Sea device—he might still have a chance to eliminate them.
Immediately dismissing these thoughts, Chen Feng stopped dwelling on the matter.
Glancing at the Star Spirit, he knew this technology was likely stored in her database.
In other words, consciousness descent wouldn't remain exclusive to the Platinum Federation. Once the upcoming trade was completed, the Red Nation would likely achieve this capability as well.
"Hah!"
Chen Feng exhaled a breath of stale air.
He sat cross-legged in the courtyard, calming his mind and gradually acclimating to every ounce of his newfound power.
Muscle, blood, cells.
Previously, in his haste to secure cooperation, he had only performed a cursory perception, his control over his body still imperfect.
Now, finally with a brief respite, he could focus on refining his control, once again compressing his life magnetic field to its absolute limit.
As dusk gradually fell, Chen Feng remained with his eyes tightly shut.
He received the shared vision from their mental link, revealing the situation within the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm. Stone Statue No. 2 remained hidden within Heaven's Fall Mountain.
The Star Spirit had also withdrawn all its computational power and magnetic field, now residing within his consciousness.
He had promised her that he would take her to another world within two days at the latest to search for the world ark.
This would allow her to complete her database information and provide him with the opportunity to acquire new resources.
Suddenly, a series of images flashed through Chen Feng's mind:
The Roth Family, masters of consciousness descent, with the foundation of a Second-Tier or Third-Tier Legendary-grade power.
The Black Tide threat, drawing ever closer, having already locked onto Earth's spatial coordinates.
In that instant, his decision was made. Without hesitation, he prepared everything, sank his consciousness, and initiated a second Dream Incursion.
Buzz!
In an instant, the sky shimmered, and the world shifted.
When he opened his eyes again, he had already entered the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm.
A powerful sense of rejection surged around him, and for a moment, a malevolent force seemed to try to mark him.
But it was quickly suppressed.
Within the Black Dream Space, the silver dagger suddenly solidified, as if returning to its rightful dimension and coming to life.
The Power of the Holy Sword contained within it rapidly dispersed, dispelling most of the discomfort.
"It's a world ark!"
At the same moment, a phantom materialized before him.
A petite girl in blue robes beamed with delight, her Star Spirit face radiating excitement and elation.
Seeing this, Chen Feng's gaze sharpened momentarily before relaxing.
The Star Spirit could indeed enter the Secret Realm World with him.
His eyes swept across the interior of the Heaven's Fall.
The walls, forged from a dark brown alloy, were solid and unyielding.
White light patterns flowed vertically like charged currents, as if tiny crystalline conduits were embedded within the walls.
Glowing symbols adorned the walls: suns, moons, stars, rivers, skies, and earth. A pyramid-shaped world ark and a black War Fortress loomed across the sky, hovering above the world.
Below the central altar, an Ancient Taiduo People with three eyes on its forehead received the worship of kneeling figures, while creatures from the star realm prostrated themselves in reverence.
"We're so lucky! We found it right away, and it's in the central control room!"
"Wait, something's wrong! Did you already know about this?"
The Star Spirit's eyes scanned the surroundings with blue light, quickly identifying the key elements. She turned to Chen Feng and received a nod in response.
"It's just a guess," he said calmly, his gaze settling on the center of the spacious room.
A half-meter-thick pillar of white light still stood there—a cylindrical device identical to the one in the Radiant Light Secret Realm's Inverted Pyramid. However, the Fragment of Divinity it once contained had been taken by Chen Feng during his previous departure.
"You really are something," the Star Spirit remarked, satisfied with his explanation.
Her ethereal form flickered, and she swiftly materialized before the cylindrical device, her excitement palpable.
As she began to operate the device, a virtual keyboard appeared, accompanied by strings of invisible blue light code that hovered in mid-air.
"I'm analyzing the ark's status to determine its model," she explained, perhaps sensing Chen Feng's curiosity. "Good news—its intelligence is dormant. Give me a little time, and I'll have the results soon."
Her fingers flew across the virtual keyboard, moving so rapidly they were a blur to the naked eye.
In an instant, a blue light screen materialized, projecting a three-dimensional pyramid.
Data streams from various energy, defense, and armament systems modules cascaded across the screen, forming clear, columnar charts.
Seeing this, Chen Feng didn't interrupt. Instead, through their shared vision, he surveyed the surroundings of Heaven's Fall Mountain.
Several Serpentfolk patrol teams ascended the rugged mountain paths, while others circled overhead on Winged Serpents, their expressions vigilant.
The Small Stone Statues hidden within the cliffside rocks remained dormant, though some quietly opened their stone eyes, peering through the mid-mountain cloud layer to observe the terrain below.
Serpent-folk Camps were entrenched at the mountain's base, sealing off both flanks. Powerful auras flickered intermittently, revealing the presence of numerous elite Serpentfolk warriors.
Farther afield, the vast earth fissure, a canyon-like natural fortress, continued to witness the relentless southward march of the Serpentfolk Army.
With a flash of insight, Chen Feng grasped the situation.
Moments later, the Star Spirit's excited voice rang in his ears:
"Got it!"
(End of the Chapter)
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