CHAPTER 1095: CHAPTER 104: NICE

"Gene Tax," the only tax under Yawgmoth’s rule, and "Gene Welfare," one of the few obligations of the Civilization Protectors, are both accomplished through the medium of "babies." The Human Gene Bank Defense Force randomly collects healthy babies from various settlements around the world. After marking them, they are uniformly transported, and the data is aggregated for research. This vast endeavor is shared by dozens of Scientific Knight Orders.

These Scientific Knight Orders all have a common characteristic: Their predecessors were research institutions and project teams of the Superman Enterprise.

Among them, the Soul of Light, Bloodline Blessing, and Life Furnace are the most prominent. It is said that the research institutions before these three Knight Orders were personally recruited by the Martial Ancestor. During the era when humans transitioned from "Homo sapiens" to "Benchmark Man," these research institutions contributed significantly.

The Life Furnace used to be responsible for developing standardized processes and cost compression research for gene modification surgery.

Meanwhile, Bloodline Blessing explored more possibilities in gene modification surgery.

This rich history continues to this day.

However, the reputation of the Bloodline Blessing Knight Order has now become quite terrifying. The current research areas of this Knight Order include the development of "gene modification surgery," "tracing the source of the Human Gene Bank," and "organizing all related technologies of gene modification surgery." This Scientific Knight Order even actively ventures into the asteroid belt or Venus’s surface to hunt Heroes as research materials.

For other Scientific Knight Orders, "Martial Arts Cultivation" is just an unimportant bonus item. But in Bloodline Blessing, martial arts proficiency directly relates to the success and survival rates of "field research," making it half a hard indicator—unless one’s academic level is strong enough to succeed without doing field research.

Logically speaking, this Knight Order should be the Martial Ancestor’s primary target. The group’s research level and data completeness on gene modification surgery should be the highest in the Solar System. But there are two unfortunate things. Firstly, this group is tough. Secondly, their Knight Order’s territory is not on Earth. They have only a temporary base on Earth, occasionally investigating the genetic mobility phenomenon among Earth Heroes (in layman’s terms, understanding which gene modification surgeries are common among Heroes, what gene fragments are used), and still have to place orders with other groups.

The Life Furnace Knight Order’s base is located at the edge of the ground portion of the Space Elevator. This location is most convenient for the transport of babies. Babies in shallow hibernation are placed in basic containers and directly transported here. After completing basic sampling, the data is uploaded, aggregated, and then distributed according to certain standards, artificially increasing the genetic flow among human groups in this way.

"...And now, I still cannot determine Yawgmoth’s reason for doing this," said Niyaguti. "I don’t have the conditions for large-scale collection and analysis of genetic samples, so I don’t even know if he wants to strengthen the genetic backdoor or eliminate the genetic backdoor."

"It’s not very meaningful; neither will change the fact that he’s essentially a scoundrel." Xiang Shan assessed the base, "Speaking of which, you’ve surely had designs on this Knight Order for a long time."

This is an underground base, very close to the Furnace Knight Order’s base.

With the transportation power available to a Hero, establishing a permanent base is not an easy task. The existence of a global satellite monitoring system makes it difficult for Heroes to transport materials.

However, this underground base in front of Xiang Shan is very complete. Although the inner walls are not sturdy, and the internal space is relatively dispersed, it is large enough, with well-stocked supplies, making it sufficient for several Sky Warriors to prepare here before crossing the First Layer Heavenly Land.

There’s even a reserve of fusion fuel and plenty of ammunition. There is a large supply of chemical fuel used in small missiles.

"About forty years, I guess," Niyaguti said. "When I realized ’gene modification surgery has become a shortfall of the Hero Faction,’ I wanted to do ’academic exchange.’ But the defense force here is too strong. There are at least four recorded First Heavenly Layer Warriors—these four Warriors are not listed in the sequence of the Human Gene Bank Defense Force, but are multiples of the Scientific Knight Order. There are three First Heavenly Layer Warriors stationed here permanently in the Gene Bank Defense Force, and each time a hibernating baby is sent here, at least two senior Military Officers escort. Therefore, most of the time, there are nine First Heavenly Layer Warriors here. The permanent force is around ten thousand strong, and here, it is only eight kilometers from the Space Elevator, so calling the Space Elevator Escort Air Force takes just a few minutes."

"Hmm."

"You really are calm," Niyaguti sighed, "Are you not anxious about using this armored force for the reconnaissance you’re about to do?"

Xiang Shan and Niyaguti both replaced their First Heavenly Layer prosthetic bodies with regular prosthetic bodies fitted with nuclear batteries.

This prosthetic body truly represents the designer’s cultivation. It indeed crammed the highest possible configuration into the smallest volume.

Niyaguti waved his arms, changing several stances. Meanwhile, Xiang Shan made small jumps with both feet, swinging his arms to get accustomed to the new body.

Niyaguti glanced at Xiang Shan: "You seem quite accustomed to this... body switching."

"Strictly speaking, ’this I’ spends more time using conventional prosthetics than First Heavenly Layer prosthetics."

"Many Warriors, once they get used to powerful prosthetics, are reluctant to use weaker ones. Moving from powerful prosthetics to weaker ones gives them a sense of great loss, accompanied by tremendous anxiety, as if without that powerful strength, their life safety can’t be guaranteed." Niyaguti waved one hand, making a random gesture, "You adapted well."

"Maybe because I retained some memories of being Homo sapiens. I know what it feels like to be Homo sapiens." Xiang Shan spread his hands, then donned a camouflage net like sand, leaving through an exit.

The first sight was a scene of yellow sand. After the dust storm passed, Xiang Shan saw the distant gigantic structure.

That was the Space Elevator.

The Space Elevator’s base is a massive ring structure with a diameter of five kilometers, with several colossal buildings over ten thousand meters high distributed around this huge structure. The interior of each building is powered by gigantic transformation reactors. Numerous cables hang down from the sky. These cables are made of monocrystalline carbon fibers, far exceeding the weight of steel. Gigantic elevator cabins, akin to residences in old times, move up and down the elevator—but at such distances, they seem like slight dewdrops on a plant’s roots.

This structure is too enormous. Even from a few kilometers away, it still seems unreal. Those black cables, like a jungle, look like a "texture error" in the real world from a distance.

The black cables in the sky converge into a stream, quickly thinning out, gradually lost in the blue sky.

Outside this massive ring are countless troops and numerous containers.

The dispatch of those containers is rapid; some are sent up the elevator, some are sent to various locations. This scene even gives Xiang Shan the illusion of a flourishing commercial port from the early 21st century.

Its throughput is more frightening than any seaport of the old era.

Xiang Shan clicked his tongue in wonder: "If David saw this... if the David from three hundred years ago saw this, he might cry."

"Indeed. The location was chosen by you guys over three hundred years ago." Niyaguti then looked in another direction, "Really hope you left some backdoor."

"Don’t say I don’t remember. Even if I did, Old Dog Hartman would probably replace the intelligent system entirely." Xiang Shan glanced a few more times: "This number of troops far exceeds what a city can handle. Can they manage it? Can they defend it?"

"If Hartman blew up the elevator himself, it actually wouldn’t be bad. It would greatly reduce the Protectors’ control over Earth, allowing the Heroes to openly stir up trouble. But over a hundred years ago, they suffered a similar setback on Venus."

"Do we have a backup plan to blow up the elevator?"

"There is one." Niyaguti’s tone was complex, "But at this stage, I think we shouldn’t blow it up. The Heroes must uphold a grand virtue, the liberation of all humanity as a virtue. In this situation, the idea of ’peaceful coexistence’ will shake the flag’s existence’s meaning."

"Tut-tut, such a reasonable judgment. Your own judgment? Or did someone say it?"

Niyaguti looked at Xiang Shan, her demeanor somewhat peculiar.

Consequently, Xiang Shan understood: "Okay, which me?"

"Sixth Martial God..." Niyaguti seemed to choke up, "How can you so calmly ask ’which me’ such a strange question?"

"When you know you’ve revived at least ten times, each time as a hero, you should get used to it." Xiang Shan added, "Though there were also a few scoundrels, don’t use individual cases to represent the group."

Finally, Xiang Shan said: "So you worked on heroics with the Sixth Martial God?"

"Those were long-gone days." Niyaguti pointed to the other side: "That is our target this time."

It was a building... or two buildings? The two buildings presented a double-helix structure intertwining together. Even with the technological standards of this era, this structure still challenges materials science. Xiang Shan could even see giant steel cables extending from the ground to the floors.

This way of reinforcement, whether to call it primitive or not, truly opened Xiang Shan’s eyes.

"Won’t this reinforcement add extra weight? How is this building supported?"

"Uh... It’s said there is a design to fill hydrogen gas bags in specific areas to share the weight."

Xiang Shan stroked his chin: "Then, one last question."

"What?"

"I actually have no impression of this." Xiang Shan fell into deep thought, "Tut-tut, does the memory deletion by the Holy Lord include this Order of Knights?"

"Darn, inside it must be all Six Dragons Sect."

Xiang Shan paused: "No, I should say..."

"Hooray, inside it’s all Six Dragons Sect!"