The rest of the afternoon passed in the academy with a restored calm.
However, within the council, a group of elderly men stared at the man before them with faces ashen, their expressions truly indescribable in their unpleasantness!
"Don't talk nonsense, how could we deliberately send you to your death? Although you are not from a noble family of our Central Planet, your talent has been recorded by us. It was you who chose to go to the Eighth Prison, and you accepted the institute's mission yourself. How could it be that we deliberately sent you to your death!"
"There is absolutely no possibility of such a thing!"
The tone of these elderly men was almost gritted with teeth. If they hadn't known in their hearts that they couldn't defeat the man before them, they would have likely attacked him directly.
The young man before them let out a sneer. A hint of coldness and disdain flickered across his exquisitely handsome face. He sneered, each word chilling enough to make one shiver uncontrollably.
"Oh?"
"Absolutely no possibility of such a thing?"
"Then, you are also completely unaware of what is being researched in that institute?"
"If you don't know, I can tell you. It is all clearly recorded in my photonic computer. You can see it for yourselves."
The young man let out a cold snort, then, without the slightest hesitation, tossed the photonic computer in his hand forward. In mid-air, a fully immersive holographic projection immediately appeared. Upon seeing the institute,
Those elders from the council and the military coughed. They had initially intended to maintain their dignity, but they did not expect that in the next moment, an unforeseen change would suddenly occur.
In the corridor, a vast sea of insects broke through the massive alloy doors and surged towards them, revealing their ferocious mouthparts as if to suck out their blood and souls. The terrifying scene was enough to plunge one into a nightmare.
The complexions of these elders immediately turned incredibly ugly, their faces changing drastically. After a long pause, they finally spoke.
"How could this be..."
"The insectoids are gone."
"Weren't the insectoids completely annihilated?"
"How could they have returned?"
Ling Kuang maintained his utterly arrogant expression.
"If it weren't for me, any one of you present would have met a fate worse than death. Even Yang Lanyan and the military's Altus could not have withstood such a vast number of evolved, terrifying mutated insectoids."
"If I hadn't broken through again, I fear I would have been trapped here."
"And monitoring the movements of the institute and laboratories is your job! Such a grave oversight in your work. If these insectoids were allowed to break out, at least several star systems would be in jeopardy."
"Do you still dare to claim innocence?"
He stared coldly at the so-called high-ranking officials of the human race before him.
However, his aura was so powerful that it forcefully suppressed everyone present. Every single person there, despite holding high positions for a long time, felt as if they couldn't lift their heads in front of him, gazing into his cold, slightly mocking eyes, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable.
After a considerable pause, they let out wry smiles.
They looked at Yang Lanyan. The only one capable of withstanding Ling Kuang's aura was this most outstanding noble of the Central Planet!
Yang Lanyan indeed spoke, saying to Ling Kuang.
"Since you have completed the mission, we will acknowledge your merit. As for the matter of the insectoids, we will naturally discuss it and devise a new solution."
"I do not believe our council has any oversights in matters such as these. There is likely a misunderstanding involved. You do not need to use this as a pretext to accuse our council."
"Now that your mission is complete, I believe—"
Yang Lanyan paused, then slowly raised his head to look at Ling Kuang.
"Since your mission is complete, I believe it is time for you to leave."
"You should return to your Eighth Prison."
Yang Lanyan's intentions were clear; he wanted to drive Ling Kuang away! Once Ling Kuang discovered that the female beast he was looking for had arrived on the Central Planet, he didn't know how he would go mad or disrupt things.
Yang Lanyan also hadn't expected that an institute so fraught with crisis couldn't contain him.
Just as Ling Kuang had said, Yang Lanyan had indeed known about some issues with the institute for a long time. However, because the institute was backed by powerful figures in the military, he couldn't interfere too much. He hadn't expected it to lead to such a disaster. When he learned that the insectoid specimens there had not been destroyed,
And due to operational errors, the cellular activity of the insectoid specimens was revived, and they broke through numerous barriers, beginning to consume the researchers within.
The situation was completely out of control.
The first person he thought of who could handle such a situation was Ling Kuang.
What he had envisioned was that Ling Kuang would be trapped in the institute for a long time, and when he was completely isolated and helpless, he would send a distress signal to the Central Planet.
Then he would go to rescue Ling Kuang.
But he had never imagined—
Ling Kuang could actually break out through his personal, superior combat abilities!
Not only had he dealt with the rampant high-level mutated insectoids in that institute,
But he had also presented evidence of the insectoid rampage and accused the council of mishandling the situation, allowing the insectoids to proliferate. Faced with his accusations, Yang Lanyan could only forcefully confront him!
However, his status was that of a council executive.
He was not qualified to accuse him or question him!
According to wartime treatment, he had to obey all his commands.
Yang Lanyan had thought it through perfectly.
But how could Ling Kuang be someone who obeyed his every command? He sneered, watching the man before him gritting his teeth and issuing orders. He leaned closer to him, his tone filled with utter disdain.
"Are you insane?"
"Do you think you can command me?"
"Who do you think you are?"
He reached out, his finger almost poking his chest. This was clearly an insult. Yang Lanyan's eyes instantly turned blood red, and Ling Kuang's fingertip slowly rose, pointing towards his eyes, as he spoke.
"Why do you want me to return to the Eighth Prison?"
"I thought, with your scumbag personality, you'd be eager to send me to my death as a scapegoat, to have me exterminate the insectoids for you."
"Or is it that—you're afraid I'll discover the secrets you've hidden, and spread them far and wide, letting the entire universe know that you are nothing but a group of hypocrites, ungrateful jackals with dog hearts, only chasing fame and profit, and completely disregarding the safety and future of humankind!"
As soon as he said this,
The entire group opposite him turned livid!
Ling Kuang's insults were too vicious!
"You are slandering! How could we not consider the future of humankind?"
"Are you insane?"
Ling Kuang's expression remained exceedingly indifferent. He let out a soft哼, the cold glint in his eyes leaving no doubt that he would act against anyone in this world who displeased him!
"I am not insane."
"Since you summoned me to the Central Planet, you should know."
"From the moment I arrived here."
"Everything should be decided by me."
"You cannot control me."
"No one can be a master above my head!"
"I will investigate the matter of the insectoids myself and see who harbors such deep hatred towards me and wishes to use a borrowed knife to kill!"
He looked at Yang Lanyan. In that instant, Yang Lanyan felt as if a primordial beast was ferociously lunging at him, wanting to tear at his flesh and soul. The terrifying intensity was even more terrifying than facing countless alien insects firsthand.
He even broke out in a cold sweat. He had to bite his tongue to suppress the fear in his heart. Only then did he realize that Ling Kuang's mention of breaking through was indeed true!
He was now infinitely more powerful than when they had last met!
At their level, every step forward was a qualitative leap. If, originally, Ling Kuang was someone he could barely contend with,
Then now, he was even more dazzling and brilliant, like a star, absolutely beyond his ability to rival!
Such a person...
So powerful...
How could he be so powerful!
Yang Lanyan couldn't articulate whether his feelings were jealousy or fear. He stood there, speaking numbly,
"No one wants to use a borrowed knife to kill."
"But if you remain on the Central Planet, then if humanity faces a crisis, you cannot refuse to help."
"Since you have mastered such great power, you naturally must contribute to all of humanity..."
He spoke this sentence instinctively, a sudden flash of inspiration. He had intended to morally blackmail the man before him, but he hadn't expected him to let out a cold snort with chilling content.
"Contribute to all of humanity?"
"Has all of humanity contributed anything to me?"
"It was because the Central Planet could not accommodate me that I went to the Eighth Prison myself."
"The prosperity and liveliness of the Central Planet have nothing to do with me."
"Both my parents are dead, and I have lived a solitary life, never having taken any benefits from humanity—instead, you, all these years, have continuously conducted research using the blood extracted from me, treating me as a blood bag, wanting to research methods to enhance your own abilities."
"Over the years, the number of potions you've made with my blood is countless. Each of you wishes to possess the same talent as me."
"But waste is waste after all. No one can learn even half of my essence, nor master even a fraction of my strengths."
"It is truly laughable."
"Don't you find it laughable?"
"Extracting my blood and bone marrow, trying every means to seize my abilities, tripping me up, wanting to see me fall. Do you, my own kind, deserve me to shed blood and sweat for you?"
Yang Lanyan's heart tightened.
"How could you not be worthy? You are human after all!"
"What, are you going to become an insectoid?"
"If one is not of our kind, their heart will surely be different. Our extraction of your blood and bone marrow is for the future of humanity. If sacrificing one of you can secure the greater picture, humanity will surely erect a monument for you in the future and remember your merits."
"After a hundred years, someone will remember your name and offer sacrifices..."
Ling Kuang's eyes were filled with mockery.
"Why don't you go?"
"Why don't you die?"
"A bunch of scoundrels."
"You are simply bullying me for being an orphan, for having no backing, for thinking my origins are humble and that I can be manipulated at your will."
"Humanity erecting a monument for me—hahaha, I never cared for it!"
"I said, no one can ever control me!"
As he spoke these words, the air around them seemed to freeze solid, and the ground before him began to crack inch by inch. His anger could even transform into a tangible entity!
The big shots from the council and the military wanted to approach, but they couldn't get within ten meters of his body. They could only feel a mysterious and powerful force rippling from him.
He looked at Yang Lanyan.
"I know your council has a way to contact that mysterious existence in the Steel City."
"You say he is a sacred existence of humanity, yet you sealed him in the Steel City, forbidding him from coming to the Central City?"
"That is because you are afraid he will dilute your authority!"
As soon as he said this, the complexions of the council members turned even uglier.
"You—you stop talking nonsense."
"That is respect..."
He, however, merely looked down coldly upon this group of hypocrites.
"I want to see him."
"I need to find someone and borrow the power of his SkyNet."
"Otherwise, don't blame me if I cause chaos in your Central City."
"I am also very curious, with my current strength, how many people will you need to deploy to stop me!"
These words were a blatant threat, but even knowing he was threatening them, they were helpless against his threat, because he was simply too powerful.
They had no way back then.
And even less so now!
Yang Lanyan looked at the spirited man before him, at the ground cracking inch by inch before him, and at his merciless words. He was silent for a long time. After a while, he finally spoke.
"You do not need to borrow the power of the SkyNet."
"Every use of the SkyNet's power consumes an unimaginable amount of energy, enough to sustain the planet's operation for a hundred years."
"Such a strategic weapon, used to find someone, is too wasteful."
Ling Kuang sneered.
"The energy of this planet, in my heart, how can it compare to the person I wish to find?"
The council members' expressions changed. They didn't expect him to utter such a mad statement. Was he insane? How could he be so extreme, lacking any sense of the bigger picture?
Ling Kuang, however, looked at Yang Lanyan.
"The Magnesium Peptide Crystal that I found for you is enough to activate the SkyNet ten times."
"I am still speaking politely now, but my patience is limited."
Magnesium Peptide Crystal?
Upon hearing Ling Kuang mention the Magnesium Peptide Crystal, Yang Lanyan's expression changed once more. After a long while, he took a deep breath, his voice considerably lower.
"You want to find her..."
"Why?"
Ling Kuang felt he was asking a superfluous question.
"I am looking for my female beast, it is only natural, why do I need to ask why?"
"She is my female beast, she is my woman!"
"Of course I have to find her!"