With controllable nuclear fusion mastered, energy was no longer an issue for Jiulong.
Infinite energy meant infinite productivity.
In Fang Zheng's memory, this passage leading into the base had always been brightly lit, as if it were day. But the passage Chen Luo was walking through now was pitch black and dim, devoid of any light.
Chen Luo casually cast a Light spell. But the moment Chen Luo connected with the void with his will and created a ball of light with his magic, the surrounding darkness seemed to come alive, suppressing the light to within a three-meter radius around Chen Luo: xxs壹贰
"This darkness... its essence is extremely high..."
Chen Luo pointed casually, and the Light spell's orb of light floated quietly beside him, automatically moving forward as Chen Luo walked.
The Eye of Truth, even with this meager light, could still see a hundred meters away. However, compared to its previous ability to monitor the state of an entire city, it was greatly suppressed.
Chen Luo walked slowly towards the depths of the passage. According to Fang Zheng's memory, the end of the passage was the true entrance to Jiulong's headquarters.
After walking for about a thousand meters, a massive metal gate, a hundred zhang tall, appeared before Chen Luo.
The gate was a hundred zhang high, as thick as a city wall, and its material was a special alloy mixed with Heart Soul Steel, making its strength terrifying.
But Chen Luo paid no attention to this colossal gate, which could be called the Wall of Sighs. His gaze was fixed on the faint black aura seeping from the gaps in the giant gate.
The darkness in the passage seemed to be merely residual ripples.
"Jiulong... does it truly still exist?"
Gazing at the wisps of black aura seeping out, Chen Luo couldn't help but wonder.
Now, upon approaching the giant gate, Chen Luo could clearly sense an extremely dense aura of death emanating from the other side.
The black aura, which was overflowing from inside the gate, seemed to have been stimulated by Chen Luo's arrival.
These auras, deeper than the darkness within the passage, instantly transformed into writhing, hissing snake-like black smoke, ferociously biting towards Chen Luo!
Chen Luo, who was sensing the state within the gate, saw this anomaly and casually waved his hand. These terrifying black auras were completely dissolved by his vital energy.
Chen Luo flexed his joints, then looked at the colossal Wall of Sighs before him with a displeased gaze:
"Let me see what exactly you are up to!"
Fist clenched, elbow drawn back, punch thrown!
Dense vital energy converged at the tip of Chen Luo's fist. With a single punch, the grand and yang vital energy formed a visible blood-red giant fist.
Wherever the giant fist passed, the surrounding black aura was instantly annihilated.
BOOM!!!
The air in the passage was instantly evacuated!
The fierce fist of vital energy slammed heavily onto the giant gate!
Amidst the explosion, this nearly ten-thousand-ton giant gate did not even last for a moment before being shattered into countless fragments.
The steel fragments, enveloped by the power of vital energy, transformed into crimson meteors, plummeting fiercely behind the gate!
WHOOSH!!
As if hot oil had been poured into a raging fire!
The even deeper darkness behind the gate, in collision with the vital energy, churned violently.
In the vision of the Eye of Truth, the churning darkness was clearly composed of screaming human figures!
The moment Chen Luo observed them, they seemed to have sensed him as well.
In the next instant, from all directions, above and below, countless black figures surged towards Chen Luo madly.
And as these figures approached, the final thoughts of countless people before their deaths echoed in Chen Luo's mind!
"Ahhh!! Long live Jiulong!"
"Eternal life! Humanity will achieve eternal life!!!"
"I'm melting! Praise Lord Long Jiu!!!"
"The ultimate evolution! Ahhh!! So beautiful!!!"
"Jiulong is humanity's true future!!!!"
Within the phantoms of lingering thoughts in the darkness, there was not the slightest trace of resentment.
Chen Luo, after astonishingly clearing the lingering thoughts in his mind, unexpectedly discovered that these people seemed to have died willingly.
They were even like fanatical believers, still praising Jiulong at the moment of their death.
Witnessing such an eerie scene, Chen Luo's gaze grew even colder:
"Ridiculous. If it were truly a willing sacrifice, why would these thoughts linger here and transform into such fierce black shadows?"
[You have been attacked by "Lingering Shadow"]
[You have obtained partial information about "Lingering Shadow"]
[Name]: Lingering Shadow
[Level]: None
[Description]: The remaining residue after being devoured by Long Jiu??
[Evaluation]: Death is not the end
Casually shattering another wave of lingering shadows surging from all directions, Chen Luo gained a deeper understanding of Jiulong's perversion:
"These people were killed by Long Jiu, and before killing them, their minds and spirits were distorted."
"This distortion even made them maintain their worship of Jiulong until death."
"But, if they truly sacrificed themselves out of worship!"
"Why are you so unwilling!!!"
Analyzing to the end, Chen Luo roared at the surging black tide!
The words of a strong individual carried a mental will far beyond that of ordinary people.
The surging black tide, under Chen Luo's questioning, suddenly stagnated.
The distortion in their souls, under the questioning of the vital energy powerhouse, began to loosen.
Within these lingering shadows, the remnants left after being devoured, other voices echoed for the first time:
"Praise Long Jiu! Praise Jiulong! Praise..."
"...It hurts... it hurts so much!! Don't eat me!!!"
"Let me go!! Sir!! Please let me go!!!"
"Ahhh!! Dead!! Everyone is dead!!!"
"Hahaha! Evolution! Evolution? Jiulong's evolution! Long Jiu's evolution!!"
"So, we were all just livestock? I am unwilling..."
The roaring lingering shadows gradually developed more emotions.
But being rootless water, once they developed these emotions, it would only lead to their swifter demise!
As if infected, centered around Chen Luo, layers of lingering shadows no longer attacked with the ferocity of fanatical believers.
The lingering shadows, like a tide in an ocean, simply stood in place. Amidst the surge of countless emotions,
In endless sorrow, fear, and unwillingness, they met their soul's complete demise...
The darkness gradually receded...
The ball of light beside Chen Luo gradually illuminated everything before him.
Chen Luo now stood on a massive metal platform, with the blasted metal gate and the long passage behind him.
Less than a hundred meters in front of him was a vertical cliff.
And as Chen Luo gazed into the distance, guided by the light emitted by his Light spell.
What he saw was a city.
A dead city.