CHAPTER 115: CHAPTER 115: INFORMATION GAP OVERWHELMING (THREE MORE UPDATES)

EDITOR: DRAGON BOAT TRANSLATION

In reality, Ren Suo had leveraged his understanding of information disparity to wedge himself into the national intelligence department and gained favor from his superiors with his extraordinary "spoiler" ability.

Now, in the game, Ren Suo was also able to leverage this advantage of information disparity to establish cooperation with the future officials of Mysterious Country.

Only Ren Suo knew a critical fact: whether the Devouring the Spirit of the World was activated or not, all Spirit Treasuries would inevitably erupt. This would ultimately cause the overall Spiritual Energy of the world to rise by one level.

But the people in the game did not know that.

The officials of Mysterious Country did not know it either.

However, this did not prevent the officials of Mysterious Country from using this opportunity to exploit the Pangolins, who were "Fairy Palace Envoys."

Ren Suo also greatly hoped to use official channels to make activating the Devouring the Spirit of the World a smoother process.

However, out of curiosity, Ren Suo had the Pangolin ask, "Why... don’t you stop... us... from igniting... the Spirit Vein? Aren’t human nations... hostile?"

Old Zhao countered with a question, "If we stopped you, would you give up this chance for Shape-shifting?"

The Pangolin replied, "I... don’t know."

Old Zhao continued, "Moreover, even if we stopped you, consider this: since the Fairy Palace exists, there might be other such organizations. Two Spirit Veins have already been ignited. We’ve detected a noticeable rise in Spiritual Energy, and other countries must have too."

"They will consider the situations in Mysterious Country and Britain and will naturally investigate their own Spirit Veins. Britain’s Big Ben, Mysterious Country’s Inheritance Fire... The locations of Spirit Veins in their own countries aren’t actually that hard to find."

"Rather than letting them discover the secrets of ’Sealing’ Spirit Veins, it’s better to let you ignite them directly. We can then use diplomacy to seize greater benefits."

"So, what do you mean?"

The Pangolin replied, "It’s... possible... but I don’t guarantee... success."

Then the Pangolin lay down in the coffin pit in the bedroom. Ren Suo fast-forwarded 30 minutes, then had the Pangolin get up.

The Pangolin reported, "They... can only... wait... 20 days. After 20 days... they will... act... on their own."

Old Zhao sighed in relief. "Twenty days is a bit tight... but it should be sufficient. Any other demands?"

Ren Suo blinked. Through the Pangolin, he said, "It would be best... if we could... get access to... the region’s... national treasures."

Old Zhao seemed somewhat surprised but didn’t say much. "Wait for our good news then... By the way, does every country have a Spirit Vein?"

Ren Suo took a deep breath. He didn’t know either.

Having conducted no field scouting, Ren Suo didn’t know where the Spirit Veins were; he could only speculate.

Luckily, he had already laid the groundwork, so the Pangolin’s speculative statements shouldn’t cause much trouble.

The Pangolin said, "I only know that... in terms of... land area... population... national power... those ranked... in the top... have... Spirit Veins."

This was also Ren Suo’s speculation.

It was unquestionable that Mysterious Country had a Spirit Vein; this was even mentioned in "Over My Dead Body."

As for other countries, that was hard to say.

The Red Fox’s search for a Spirit Vein in London, for instance, was purely luck-based. After all, Britain didn’t rank high in land area or population. Its national power was merely adequate, though it had a long history and, crucially, was on a separate continent, not the European Continent.

Ren Suo estimated there might be only one Spirit Vein on the European Continent, but whether it was in Germany, France, or Italy was still unclear.

Hearing the Pangolin’s statement, Old Zhao nodded and asked, "Can you provide a list of specific countries?"

Ren Suo himself wanted to know this information too!

The Pangolin immediately said, "No... they are afraid... the countries... may take... precautions... early. But... the Pacific Federation... Brazil... Russia... should have them."

The discussion concluded. Old Zhao and the others stated they would negotiate with other countries as soon as possible and provide results within 20 days.

Old Zhao also hinted that they should avoid igniting Spirit Veins for the next few days. Other countries were unaware that this was a man-made phenomenon, let alone that a group of small animals was igniting Spirit Veins to achieve Shape-shifting.

They wanted to use this information disparity. It would make it more convenient for them—and for the small animals of the Fairy Palace—to ignite Spirit Veins and secure greater benefits.

This effectively meant Ren Suo was aligning his mission timeline with that of Mysterious Country’s officials. The information disparity he utilized became the same leverage Mysterious Country would use in its negotiations with other nations.

Old Zhao made no secret of the fact that Mysterious Country stood to gain significantly from this diplomacy. He stated bluntly, "This is a mutually beneficial transaction; we each take what we need."

Naturally, Ren Suo was overjoyed. If Mysterious Country could settle matters with major nations like Russia, the Pacific Federation, and Brazil within 20 days, it would be like effortlessly pocketing several trump cards.

The 20-day limit was because five days of the month had already passed. Ren Suo needed to reserve another five days to ignite the Spirit Veins, not even accounting for travel time.

However, could this game really be that simple? Could he easily clear this game just by connecting with a country’s officials?

But now that the Pangolin had struck a deal with Mysterious Country’s officials, Ren Suo had no choice but to see this path through to the end.

So, he controlled the Red Fox, continuing to ’farm’ museums in London. Occasionally, he even encountered a few gentlemen who fancied themselves quite suave.

Gentlemen flaunting their wealth were one thing, but those boasting of antiques were not to be missed. Under Ren Suo’s control, the Red Fox would follow them to their villas and lock them in the bathroom overnight. Then, the Red Fox would sleep among the antiques, absorbing Spiritual Energy before casually departing.

Although these gaming experiences were trivial, Ren Suo found an unexpected amusement in duping these people.

Ren Suo didn’t fast-forward the game. He simply watched as these seemingly refined gentlemen, portly merchants, and vulgar uncles knelt and fawned over the Red Fox. They were then directed to collect antiques and celebrity memorabilia, making the Red Fox seem like a queen.

His control method relied entirely on the "Charm" command, devoid of any actual cunning or strategy.

But those gentlemen would never know what kind of man stood behind the goddess they worshipped.jpg

***

"Finally, it’s finished..."

In the suburbs of Sky Capital, an underground research institute lay hidden, guarded by Mysterious Country’s military. Inside, hundreds of Spiritual Energy researchers, working on a secret mission, gazed at the nearly distorted biological masterpiece of Spiritual Energy before them. It was proof that their dark eye bags and sparse hair had not been sacrificed in vain.

Before them stood a colossal iron throne, nearly three meters tall. Countless tubes snaked from its back, resembling twisted blood vessels and nerves, channeling the life force of the young man on the throne to the surface of the ground above.

The ground beneath the throne was etched with mysterious symbols in Brand Silver. The researchers had yet to fully understand their significance, but putting them to use was not difficult.

"Ren, from today onwards, you must not leave this ’Dispersing Spirit Iron Throne.’"

An elderly, white-haired researcher explained, "The Dispersing Spirit Iron Throne will permanently absorb the Qi Cyclones from your body. It will guide the refined Spiritual Energy to the ground’s surface above, providing soldiers with cultivation aptitude the most exceptional spiritual cultivation environment."

"However, at the same time, you will no longer suffer the life-threatening aspect of your bloodline."

Ren leaned back against the iron throne. He gazed at the countless tubes in the ceiling and sighed, "Is it really true? Can it really be solved so simply?"

"Based on your physical condition, we believe the Ren Family curse in ’Over My Dead Body’ is half-true and half-false."

The old researcher continued, "You indeed possess the Champion Bloodline. However, you do not bear Emperor Guangwu’s shackles. You don’t need to be a Slayer of Monsters and Demons, nor do you owe allegiance to the Liu Imperial Family. You have no such ideological burden."

"Therefore, either Guangwu’s shackles are a fabrication, or... the Ren Family, over two thousand years, completely deciphered Guangwu’s shackles. Yet, they still couldn’t overcome their bloodline’s curse and could only resort to suppressing Spirit Veins to live a normal life."

"But that was only because the scientific development of their era hadn’t reached a level capable of solving this problem."

The old researcher adjusted his glasses. "They didn’t know why the Champion Bloodline would self-destruct around age 23 or 24. But after studying your body, we’ve found the reason. The self-destruction of the Champion Bloodline is very likely due to an incompatibility between one’s internal Spiritual Power and the external environment’s Spiritual Energy concentration."

"The world’s Spiritual Energy concentration determines the upper limit of an individual’s Spiritual Power concentration. If an individual’s concentration exceeds the range permitted by the world, it’s like a single drop of pure water suddenly appearing in a bottle of ink."

Ren laughed. "That’s the first time I’ve heard that analogy."

The old researcher also laughed. "But it’s true. This world doesn’t permit a ’Genius’ whose Spiritual Energy exceeds the allowed range. If one appears, the world can only... contaminate it."

"The Champion Bloodline actually awakens completely at age 24, inheriting an automatic cultivation ability so potent it seems to defy nature. Consequently, at that age, it swiftly allows one to cultivate to a terrifying state and doesn’t stop, eventually breaking the allowed range of Spiritual Energy."

"Then, the Qi Cyclone within the Champion Bloodline bearer’s body would collapse. The massive Spiritual Power would backlash upon them, resulting in what’s known as ’Turning to Ashes.’"

"Moreover, even before the revival of Spiritual Energy, the Champion Bloodline would awaken all the same, just that the harm caused would be far less."

The old researcher produced a document. "Generation after generation, the direct descendants of the Ren Family were all individuals of extraordinary genius and astounding intelligence. However, they often became physically weak after age 24, some even contracting severe illnesses. The lucky ones rarely lived past 50, while the unlucky ones didn’t make it past 30. All of this is backlash caused by the external Spiritual Energy."

"Now that we know the root cause, this Dispersing Spirit Iron Throne has been created. It can detect the external Spiritual Energy environment and directly reduce the Qi Cyclone in your body, keeping your Spiritual Power at a safe level."

The old researcher laughed heartily. "It might seem like the cruelest of torture devices for a Cultivator, but for you, it couldn’t be more suitable!"

Ren looked at his own hands. "So, as long as I maintain this level of strength, I can live safely for the rest of my life? I can personally research Spells and cast them? I could even join the battlefield and become a significant combat power?"

"Of course," the old researcher affirmed. "The only problem is that you cannot leave the throne for now. But with your strength, using Scouting Magic and your Perception Ability, you can still provide Shelter for this entire military district."

"If you want to become a significant combat power... you’ll have to wait for Spiritual Energy to continue its revival."

Ren blinked. "If Spiritual Energy continues to revive, can my own power’s upper limit also continue to increase?"

"Yes." The old researcher nodded. "You are different from others. Others reach your current state because that’s the limit they can achieve. You, however, are at this state simply because the world only *allows* you to be at this level."

"When Spiritual Energy continues its revival and the world’s permissible upper limit rises... then, even just sitting here, you could become the guardian deity of Sky Capital! You would transform into a sword that strikes Intimidation into all other countries!"