A More Sinister Motive
A More Sinister Motive
There was a large number of open sections behind the thick isolation wall. Ninety percent of the space in these large sections was occupied by various biological living things, an incredible ecosystem that had been in existence for 10,000 years. It was a well-contained specimen library.
Shocked by what he saw, Hao Ren crossed the isolation door into the specimen library.
"Living tissues," Anthony Alfonso said, following from behind. The old magician bent over to examine the red fiber bundles that grew uncontrollably. He found that these things were not inorganic. They were warm and alive. The shape of the fiber bundles looked more like a hybrid of muscles, nerves, and body fluid conduits. "They have a symbiotic relationship with the spaceship."
"This spaceship is very special in that it is half-machine, half-living thing." Galazur was slightly amazed. "No wonder the MDT hasn't been able to crack the rest of the control system of the spaceship. There are two completely independent systems. The other half of the control is with the living tissues."
Hao Ren looked up. There were so many red fiber bundles that the cabin had almost turned into a scary, twisted jungle. Steel structure integrating with the living tissue was barely visible. But red was not the only color around here; there seemed to be something else in the distance.
He quickly walked forward. On the other side of the interlaced red fiber bundles, there was another group of living-tissue ducts that emanated a pale blue glow. This new fibrous structure was slimmer, and it had a little metallic luster, but its shape was similar to the red fiber bundles. Ellipsoidal crystal containers were also present in between these light blue ducts. Just as the ones on the side of the red fibrous bundles, these neatly arranged crystalline containers also contained living tissue. But these organisms were different.
They were more metallic in texture.
"This is a storage area for silicon-based organisms." The MDT came up from behind and concluded. "The Seed of Origin could likely give birth to silicon-based organisms, as long as they land on the right planet. Basically, as long as it is a creature with a physical body, no living organisms that the Seed of Origin could not reproduce. Life created by the goddess of creation is pretty complete. I think there should be other specimen storage areas in other compartments."
Hao Ren walked about the compartment looking at the specimens without saying a word. Most specimen containers were empty and only having traces of organic residue. It took him a long time to find one that was not empty. He stopped in front of a crystalline container that contained a silicon-based organism immersed in a solution. The strange long-bodied creature had a smooth appearance and a pale silver complexion. The slender back was covered with a translucent crystalline carapace. Hao Ren curiously got closer for better observation. But before he could take a good look at it, the solution in the container suddenly turned turbid.
In the blink of an eye, the turbid solution had corroded the living organism entirely, leaving behind only some black organic residue.
"The last Krypton people in the world has died," Whitey was heard saying from behind. "He must have buried himself in a shelter deep underground, but time has caught up with him."
"What is this place?" Hao Ren suddenly turned around his head and looked at the white light floating behind him.
"The ceremonial hall of the Ultimate Absolution. All races created by the mother of all beings have a place here, and through a great ritual, continue to receive the console from the Mother of All Beings. And those who are guilty are also permanently forgiven here," Whitey replied softly while it continued to float into the cabin. "There is no need to worry about the specimens in the containers. They are non-biological, a symbolic idol made up of an accumulation of the life-source substance. They are used here to monitor the condition of those races."
With Whitey leading the way, they continued to explore deep into this labyrinth of specimens. The area got narrower as they went, so Lily had to shapeshift back to her usual form and ruin another dress in the process. "Look at that!" Nangong Wuyue suddenly shouted.
Hao Ren looked at the direction where her finger was pointing. He froze.
In a carbon-based bio-storage container immersed a humanoid. This humanoid had pale golden skin, blond hair, almost perfect facial features, and well-proportioned body as if a god coming out of ancient Greek sculpture. This figure was hard to miss: it was the god killer.
"He shouldn't look like this, but the specimens in the ceremonial hall will completely alter their DNA sequencing to into the appearance of the race they mirror. So shortly after the completion of the ceremonial hall, the specimen changed," Whitey explained casually.
But this was not the reply Hao Ren was looking for. What shocked him most was that the deicide was placed in the sacred place where the guardian guarded. There was no way that guardians like Ymir and Yggdrasil would allow this specimen to be placed here.
"Is the treacherous child in the sequence of Ultimate Absolution?"
"It made me really sad, but this is the will of Mother of All Beings," Whitey replied softly.
Hao Ren could not help but think of the scene of the deicide he had seen in the illusion. Some footage flashed across his mind.
The goddess of creation had uttered one word before she died: forgive.
And also the divine words spoke into the soul of Zhao Xi: I forgive my children for all the wrongs, I will forgive them forever.
Now it seemed that these were not as simple as last words. They were part of a powerful ritual!
"What is the Ultimate Absolution?" Hao Ren asked.
Whitey had brought them to the core area of the cabin. Multiple fiber bundles lined up symmetrically all around, and a silver-white platform was on the circular open space in the center. On the platform inlaid a fist-sized transparent crystal, where there was a blood drop-like liquid inside.
Vivian froze when she saw the red liquid. She felt that some kind of homologous power was calling herself from the crystal. She instantly knew what it was: the blood of the goddess of creation.
It was not ordinary lifeblood but the divine blood directly from the goddess of creation.
"How do you completely get rid of a god and all her influence?" Whitey suddenly said.
"Completely get rid of a god?" Hao Ren could not make head or tail of it.
"Not only the god but also her influence, which is even more important." Whitey sounded solemn his voice. "It is difficult to destroy a god. Gods are powerful, omnipotent, and have the authority to change laws. Unless you also have control of the laws of the universe, it is difficult to leave even a scar on a god. But it is much easier to destroy a god than destroy her influence. Committing deicide is the first step to sin. The most fundamental purpose of the rebellion ten thousand years ago was far more evil than the act of deicide itself: it was to get rid of all traces of God."
Obviously, Galazur knew gods better than Hao Ren did. The dragon queen had vaguely guessed Whitey's meaning. Knowing that Hao Ren and the others were none the wiser, she began to explain to them, "When talking about the influence of a god, it is not just the "influence" you used to understand. It is of something more far-reaching. The existence of the gods in itself equates to the operation of universal laws. Their words and deeds represent the evolution of the world, their influence is in the realm of the rules. Or simply put, they influence the state of the world. Getting rid of the influence of gods is essentially erasing the changes the gods have in the world and cutting off the future destiny that the world is having with gods. Take our goddess as an example. If her influence in this universe disappears, then the universe is not just losing a guardian, but also the weakening or even disappearance of the arcane magic in the world. The cosmic phenomena exist because of the existence of Raven 12345 will also end. What is even scarier is that when the universe faces some terrible disasters from the outside, it will be like a sitting duck waiting to be slaughtered by cattle."
"That sounds really scary," Lily said.
"So... the deicidal event of ten thousand years ago was just a prelude? There is a much more sinister motive behind all this?"
"Exactly."