Within Ming Shi Town, Xu Yun steadily directed the others in setting up defenses. Only after most of the undead were eliminated did they truly enter the town to begin sampling and investigation.
She was still a young girl when she first joined Xin Huo, but now, she was nearing adulthood.
She had also begun to shoulder responsibilities independently long ago.
Initially, Xu Yun lacked confidence, feeling quite foolish. However, she didn't want to be a burden to her brother, nor did she want to disappoint the hopes of the mentor who had saved them.
She had served as a training camp instructor and as Yin Ling's assistant, learning a great deal through her work and missions.
She had experienced much, which was why she appeared more mature and steady.
As for deliberately dressing herself up to look more reliable, that… was not worth mentioning.
Xu Yun's gaze swept over her surroundings, forcing herself to take in every detail. Her lips were pursed, her expression grave.
The town was littered with gnawed corpses, and black and red blood flowed everywhere, staining even the small stream within the town.
These scenes all spoke of the brutality of the situation at the time.
Xu Yun fell silent for a moment, then slowly walked to the stream and crouched down.
"This stream… something is wrong."
…
Xu Yun was not a standout member of the organization, merely an unremarkable medical operative. However, she was an awakened Six-Awakener, having served as Yin Ling's assistant for years, accumulating extensive practical and research experience.
She might not be exceptional at treatment, but when it came to research and investigation, she was more capable than anyone imagined.
Upon entering Ming Shi Town, in addition to basic investigation and sampling, Xu Yun quickly identified the crux of the problem.
"This stream carries a scent of pollution."
"Perhaps, this is the source of the undead disaster?"
She mused.
But this was a secondary disaster triggered by an evil god's catastrophic manifestation, not simply polluted water. She immediately collected tons of stream water from various locations and packed dozens of corpses.
Two Xin Huo elites immediately transported the materials back to the academy.
Xu Yun led the remaining personnel and conducted research in Ming Shi Town for another two days. They packed up their equipment and left just two hours before the Water Color Federation's investigation team arrived, avoiding any encounter with the team from the Water Color Federation's capital.
However, before departing, Xu Yun left behind numerous investigative clues.
…
Xin Huo Secret Realm, Base, Yin Ling's Laboratory.
A research study on disaster materials quickly commenced, and Mentor Fang was unfortunately roped into helping.
Time was tight, and Yin Ling was short-staffed. Although Xin Huo now had an abundance of Six-Awakeners and even rare Mythics, truly skilled professionals in specialized fields were still few and far between.
Yin Ling was the "big cat."
And Fang, as he was known, could be considered one of the few "small cats."
He wasn't an expert in anything, but he knew a little about everything. Especially after returning from the instance dimensions, he could be considered a high-level talent across multiple fields.
When Yin Ling needed help with research, what else could he do? Of course, he agreed.
"Mentor, extract cells from experiment subject 009 and test their viability."
"Mentor, collect blood from experiment subject 012; we need to perform eight tests on it."
"Mentor, please help reconstruct experiment subject 003 to temporarily revive it."
"Mentor, …"
"Mentor, …"
"Mentor, …" x99!
Fang You had to manifest multiple clones using his skills to perform operations simultaneously, and complex micro-management at that.
He was still swamped.
He suspected Yin Ling had finally found an opportunity to overwork him to death, but seeing Yin Ling also manifest two clones and completely engrossed in her busy research, he felt it wasn't the case.
No proof could be found.
Mentor Fang's thoughts drifted.
Within the vast laboratory, there weren't many figures. Aside from Fang You and Yin Ling's clones, there were only two young women in white coats assisting.
In Yin Ling's words:
"Their skill level isn't high enough to help without getting in the way. Besides, we have dear Mentor Fang here. You can handle a hundred people by yourself. I'm sure it'll be fine~ Right, everyone~?"
This mentor suspected he was being treated like a workhorse, but looking at the two young women with their adoring, wide eyes, Fang You remained silent.
To be fair, him being able to handle a hundred high-level talents wasn't an exaggeration.
He had six clones, making it seven people working simultaneously, including his main body.
He could also use incredibly convenient skills like 'Invisible Hand' and 'Telekinesis,' making his efficiency as a workhorse skyrocket.
Countless objects whizzed through the laboratory, entering various expensive instruments.
These instruments had an extraordinary origin.
They were replicas of blueprints Fang You had forcibly memorized from the Kandra Empire and had Master Wang Chui recreate.
These instruments were not cutting-edge in the Kandra Empire, and he couldn't acquire the truly advanced ones. However, in the current world, they were almost the most sophisticated instruments available. Paired with the Xin Huo base's internal equipment, research efficiency was maximized.
Double the efficiency.
Three days later, Yin Ling's Laboratory.
"Phew~ I can't anymore."
After seventy-two hours of sleepless work, the two young assistants, only Five-Awakeners and Six-Awakeners, had their hair damp with sweat. They slumped limply before a workbench, unwilling to get up.
Yet, their brows also held expressions of excitement.
In just three days, they had made a breakthrough discovery! Of course, this was mainly thanks to the contributions of the mentor and Teacher Yin Ling.
Yin Ling also showed signs of fatigue, strands of sweat-dampened hair clinging to her forehead, cheeks, and collarbone. She casually pushed them aside, leaned against the operating table, and unceremoniously pulled open her white coat collar, propping her long legs, encased in black stockings, onto the console.
She stretched fiercely and looked at Fang You, who had also recalled his clones.
"Mentor, I have three pieces of bad news and one piece of good news. Which do you want to hear first?"
I don't want to hear any of them, is that an option!
Although he had participated, Fang You was actually unclear about the experimental results. The entire process had been too busy, and the most challenging parts had been handled by Yin Ling, so he hadn't paid much attention.
He trusted Yin Ling.
Despite her slacking, laziness, bossiness, lack of decorum, and frequent poison-making… she was generally reliable in important matters.
She said,
"The first piece of bad news is that the pollution source of the undead disaster is 99% likely to be from that stream."
"The second piece of bad news is that these polluted undead, if not killed, will become tougher and stronger over time. In other words, they are evolving."
"The good news is that we can purify the polluted stream water. Yes, using one of our organization's basic skills, 'Purification.' However, Awakened below the Mythic realm will find it difficult to completely cleanse the filth; only a Mythic can truly do it."
Fang You sat in his chair.
He wanted to shift into a more comfortable reclining position, but considering that besides Yin Ling, there were two assistants present, he needed to maintain his mentor persona. He merely shifted slightly, resting his elbows on the armrests, his hand supporting his chin.
He pondered.
Suddenly, he snapped back to attention, "Wait, there's still one more piece of bad news?"
Yin Ling manipulated healing water into a soft, water-ball shape and washed her face. "Well, the third piece of bad news is that this purification is only temporary, as the Black River hangs high in the sky, continuously spreading its influence."
"Moreover, the affected area is not limited to Ming Shi Town; that's just where it broke out earliest… And according to our experiments, under the Black River's catastrophic manifestation, any stream or river will be affected. The influence might be through a medium that is difficult to detect or describe, possibly related to the laws of the Ninth Realm or the authority of the Tenth Realm."
Having said that, she took two long gulps of the Water of Life and then looked intently at Fang You.
She was likely waiting for Mentor Fang to confirm or deny her speculation. After all, she was only a Seven-Awakened Mythic.
But Mentor Fang was also only a Seven-Awakened Mythic.
Laws? Authority?
This mentor had no idea!
…
The undead disaster was indeed not confined to Ming Shi Town.
During these three days of experimentation, Little Huan had already gathered information about disasters occurring in two other oases.
And this was only what was publicly known.
The Mysterious World held countless oases that perished silently without a ripple, and their numbers were not few.
The Yun Hui Great Domain and its surroundings were beginning to panic.
They didn't understand the cause of the undead disaster, but they had heard rumors of its rapid spread.
Ming Shi Town, an upper-tier oasis, and especially the Level 6 oasis, Phosphorescent City, were in a state of extreme panic.
However, before Xu Yun left, she had provided some clues. The Water Color Federation, being a super oasis, quickly identified the characteristics of the disaster.
The Seven Great Nations were not slow either; they were simply less severely affected.
They immediately issued orders prohibiting the use of any river water, switching to lakes and wells instead. They also organized a group of powerful individuals with healing and purification abilities to try and cleanse the water sources.
However, this was like trying to bail out a sinking ship with a teacup.
Yin Ling's research found that only the purification of a Mythic could truly be effective. Furthermore, purifying an entire great river and keeping it pure for a period would require immense power, something only a Mythic could achieve.
Even for a Mythic, it wouldn't be easy.
The Seven Great Nations had many powerful individuals and vast resources. How many Mythics did these two super oases, Water Color Federation and Frost Leaf City, have?
These two super oases began to experience widespread panic.
However, the situation was even worse in the great and small oases that were not part of Frost Leaf City or the Water Color Federation.
They had no power to resist this natural disaster and could only lie down and let it ravage them. They wanted to seek rescue from their suzerain nations, but those nations were struggling to cope themselves, let alone spare time for them.
At this moment, Xin Huo Academy students descended the mountain.
Investigation teams scattered, gathering information. Little Huan compiled and integrated the gathered information, then created tasks that were posted on the organization's panel and the academy's task hall.
Soon, rescue teams departed from the academy, heading to various locations.
Fang You also used his organization's official members as anchors, descending upon certain great oases and dispensing his purification power.
It came swiftly.
It also left swiftly.
It was at this time that many ordinary people and low-level Awakened in the Falling Maple Great Domain and surrounding regions truly discovered the existence of Xin Huo Academy.
Countless forces sought aid from Xin Huo Academy.
However, even with all their students mobilized, the extent of what Xin Huo could accomplish remained extremely limited.
In the face of a natural disaster, they could only do their human best.
"Day 59 of the Black River Disaster: Two more small oases in the Falling Maple Great Domain have succumbed to the undead disaster."
"Day 61 of the Black River Disaster: Shi Yunxi purified the water source pollution of a small oasis, but discovered that even with the pollution removed, the small oasis had little capacity to survive under the disaster's influence."
"Day 62 of the Black River Disaster: Rescue teams discovered that many towns had descended into chaos, with some turning into bandits, acting with impunity. Order was collapsing and would likely do so in the near future."
Merely purifying the filth was not enough to save the world!
But in this era, ordinary people and low-level Awakened had no ability to travel the wilderness. They were born wherever they were, and they lived their lives there.
Xin Huo Academy had the capability to transport refugees, but at present, even the Seven Great Nations would not accept them.
The institutions under the academy's jurisdiction could not accommodate so many disaster victims.
After all, the academy did not have its own oasis.
Then…
They would operate an oasis themselves!
"Rescuing the distressed and saving people, what I can do is merely a drop in the bucket, only able to save a corner of the Falling Maple Great Domain… But I cannot refrain from acting just because the effect is weak. The flames of hope are also gathered by small clusters, to form a vigorous bonfire."
"Moreover, manpower is also a resource."
Farming, textiles, mining, construction – every industry requires workers.
The manufacture of potions, forging of equipment, and engraving of rituals all required specialized talents to stand out from the masses.
Many countries had limited populations, not because they didn't want to have more children, but because they couldn't afford to raise them.
They could afford it themselves.
"For sentiment, for reason, we must save!"
He still remembered that the current priority was to increase his strength and not to do anything beyond his capabilities.
But with whatever strength he possessed, he must do what he could.
And Xin Huo was an organization with strength.
With this thought, he arrived at a previously marked, hidden oasis and incorporated it into the 'Base System,' using the 'Popularity' supply that had been stored for a long time.
"Notification: Oasis No. 4 has been promoted to Lv4."
The capacity of the oasis was still limited. However, a small oasis itself did not have many inhabitants; a few hundred, a few thousand, or twenty to thirty thousand people, when gathered, could squeeze into a Level 4 oasis.
This was certainly not a long-term solution.
He had also considered transporting disaster victims to Blue Star.
—Blue Star's area had expanded many times over. People had not only stepped out of their base cities and reclaimed lost territories but were also exploring new continents.
Blue Star had sufficient space, sufficient food, and also needed a large population.
Accommodating some aliens should not be a problem. At most, new cities would need to be built.
The problem was: Blue Star was very far from the Falling Maple Great Domain. Even traveling by White Shark-class airship required a long journey, and the energy consumption during that time was immeasurable.
Even using the academy's secret realm as a transport ship would be difficult.
Only Little Huan could travel back and forth between Blue Star and the Falling Maple Great Domain in a short time. But he couldn't treat Little Huan as a transport ship.
This was neither logical nor practical.
Since that was the case, they would use Oasis No. 4 as an intermediate transfer point!
Once Oasis No. 4 was upgraded to Level 7 and the secret realm passage was opened, they could transport large numbers of people using Winged Serpent-class trains.
The plan was in motion.
But this was merely a desperate resistance.
Fang You gazed at the Black River hanging in the sky, once again experiencing humanity's powerlessness in the face of an evil god's catastrophe.
But, one day, he would surely…
Cut down the Black River with his sword!
He thought.
The Black River churned with waves, as if extinguishing worlds.
…
Crimson Sand Secret Realm.
This was one of the Crimson Sand Kingdom's foundations, an ancient secret realm that had been operated for tens of thousands of years.
Unlike most oases in the Crimson Sand Kingdom, which were rather barren, this secret realm was lush with vegetation and filled with the songs of birds and the fragrance of flowers. Naturally, it was completely unaffected by the Black River's catastrophic manifestation.
However, the secret realm had a limited capacity for population, and the Crimson Sand royal family had never considered letting outsiders seek refuge within the secret realm.
"Three small towns within our Crimson Sand borders have also experienced the undead disaster, but they were suppressed in time and did not spread throughout the entire territory," said a Mythic with a turban around his head.
However, while the disaster could be suppressed, people's hearts could not. Now, many small towns within Crimson Sand were beginning to panic. No one wanted to wake up one morning to find their neighbor had become an undead and bitten their throat.
"This is a natural disaster; we can only wait for it to recede on its own," said the old king of Crimson Sand.
The turbaned Mythic hesitated for a moment and then said, "I heard that Xin Huo Academy is currently eradicating disasters everywhere."
"Yes…" The old king paused. "Xin Huo Academy's methods are somewhat foolish, but also admirable. However, they are too idealistic. They are indeed strong, but even with more than ten Mythic-level combatants, they are still insignificant in the face of this natural disaster."
"They are a group of respectable, but not worth emulating, idealists."
"Idealists… are not necessarily bad, but how long can they maintain it? The original purpose of the Human Alliance was to resist evil god disasters and build a prosperous human homeland together, and the human powers at that time also acted accordingly. Yet now, Alliance seats have become symbols of status and power."
"...Of course, we are among those who pursue status and power."
The old king shook his head.
In his youth, he was also full of passion, aiming to reform the entire society. But only as he grew older did he understand that there were too many helplessness in the world, and ideals were just ideals.
When one aged, experienced setbacks, and lost loved ones, even the hottest blood would eventually cool, wouldn't it?
…
Xin Huo Academy, in front of the Memorial Stele.
"You should understand that the path ahead holds not only power but also heavy responsibility."
Before him stood four students who had passed the screening and were eligible for admission.
Two of them had special identities.
Prince Artura of the Crimson Sand Kingdom, the eighteenth prince!
Princess Mia of the Cloud Map Kingdom, the sixteenth princess!
Artura had indeed hesitated. He understood very well that he was first and foremost a prince of the Crimson Sand Kingdom and had benefited from many royal resources; therefore, he had a responsibility to repay them.
But the scenes he had witnessed during his rescue missions over these days were unforgettable.
He tossed and turned in the deep of night, the tragic sights flashing before his eyes.
Buildings in ruins, human corpses mangled.
A mother holding her child, buried under rubble; an Awakened covered in blood, tightly clutching the undead before them until death; a comrade fighting alone for a thousand miles, a mentor splitting the heavens with a single sword to annihilate enemies.
But there were also villains who, taking advantage of the collapse of order, engaged in arson and looting; nobles who still only cared for their own enjoyment, disregarding the lives of commoners.
Indifference, ignorance, evasion, internal strife.
Artura had seen too much during this period.
He should have remained silent.
But he found he didn't want to be silent. Silence was too stifling, so stifling it ached in his chest.
He looked towards the figure not far away.
"Esteemed Dean, I understand what I am doing. If the Crimson Sand Kingdom faces danger, I will fulfill my responsibility as a prince. But beyond that, I also want to fulfill the responsibility of a powerful human being."
"I want to become stronger."
"I want to possess the power to fight against disasters."
"I…"
Perhaps in the future, he would encounter many setbacks, and the path ahead would be dark and fraught with disaster.
He might someday regret it, feel sorrow, but…
The fire of the academy burned fiercely, like the sun.
Standing in the sun, even if his blood wasn't hot enough, it wouldn't cool down, would it?
Yes, it wouldn't.