Chapter 1977 - 1564: Withstanding
After hearing this, Su Mo’s expression became increasingly uneasy. Worrying that the old man might be lying in the lab like last time, he spoke solemnly.
"What if I insist on seeing him?"
"Su Mo, you’re being too much. We usually turn a blind eye to your antics, but this time, the adults have made it clear that no one should be seen. If you dare to barge in, don’t blame us for being rude."
Kathuler angrily warned Su Mo, while his subordinates behind him drew their weapons one by one.
Beside them, Coret narrowed his eyes, his gaze flickering, as if pondering something.
Su Mo’s expression changed; he weighed the situation and then shouted loudly.
"Old man! Old man!"
"What are you doing!"
Kathuler’s face turned green.
At this moment, the study door opened, and the old man walked out in loose clothing, coughing as he hoarsely spoke.
"No need to shout."
Kathuler and Coret saw the old man come out and hurriedly responded in panic.
"Sir, Su Mo is being too much, completely ignoring advice and disturbing the..."
The old man raised his hand to interrupt them, hoarsely saying, "Su Mo stays, everyone else leaves!"
"Yes."
Kathuler hesitated slightly but quickly replied respectfully.
Though Coret was displeased, he nonetheless hurried away with Kathuler and the others, leaving only Su Mo and the old man in the entire building.
Su Mo took a careful look at the old man, whose expression was indeed haggard, making it seem as though he was truly ill. He quickly asked.
"Master, are you feeling unwell?"
"It’s just like that. Speak, what is it you want?"
The old man asked between coughs.
"Shall we talk in your study?"
Su Mo looked around cautiously and suggested.
The old man lifted his head to glance at Su Mo, expressionless, and then walked toward the study.
Su Mo immediately followed.
Soon, the two arrived in the study, and the old man spoke hoarsely.
"What’s the matter? You can speak now."
"For you."
Su Mo placed the mechanical box he was holding on the counter, a slight smile appearing on his face as he spoke.
The old man gave Su Mo a suspicious look, stretched out his aged hand, and opened the box. The moment he saw the stone tablet inside, his pupils contracted.
His aged body trembled slightly, and then he tilted his head back, bursting into laughter.
"Haha! Haha! Heaven helps me! Haha!... "
It was Su Mo’s first time seeing the old man so out of character, not expecting the old man’s obsession with the stone tablet to run so deep.
The old man laughed for a long time, his laughter transitioning from initial excitement and joy to a sorrowful tone, like a hero in decline.
After a long while, the old man gradually calmed down.
Su Mo asked with some concern.
"Master, are you all right?"
"I’m fine, you’ve done well."
The old man replied hoarsely.
"This stone tablet should be the one you were looking for, right?"
Su Mo tried to ask.
"That’s right. How did you get it from Icaroya?"
The old man, having calmed down, looked up at Su Mo. He knew better than anyone the temperament of Icaroya; she wouldn’t give it up easily.
"I found the piece Icaroya wanted and brought it to her, so she gave it to me."
Su Mo didn’t hide the truth and simply explained to the old man.
"Well done."
The old man nodded heavily in response.
Su Mo hesitated for a moment but still asked, "Master, what exactly is recorded on this stone tablet? Is it really that important?"
"That’s not for you to ask. In any case, this stone tablet is exceedingly important to me. Unless it’s crucial, don’t disturb me for a while; I have to study this stone tablet carefully, to decode its hidden information."
The old man hoarsely told Su Mo.
"Alright, I understand. Then I’ll leave now."
Su Mo didn’t linger any longer, turning to leave.
Shortly after, Su Mo walked alone onto the street, which was crowded with people.
But everyone looked unusually anxious and uneasy.
At this moment, they seemed like headless flies, not knowing what to do, filled with confusion.
Su Mo was also surprised by the crowd’s reaction. He initially thought that after Icaroya’s declaration, everyone would be extremely angry and protest, even leaving Star Ring City immediately, but the result was apparently not so.
Now, instead, the fleet leaving Star Ring City had decreased, and the voices demanding to leave on the forums had also diminished, which seemed especially ironic.
Su Mo looked at this scene and let out a slight sigh.
The creator, Swallower, spoke in a subdued tone: "I find it a bit incomprehensible."
"What’s incomprehensible?"
"You were always concerned about Icaroya before, unwilling to bring out the stone tablet. How is it after Icaroya’s seemingly insane proclamation, you suddenly changed your mind?"
"I can’t explain it. I just followed my heart and intuition."
"Don’t you think it’s foolish?"
"It is quite foolish, but there’s one thing I can’t understand. Given that Negative Energy Pollution is unsolvable and the Negative Universe is a gas chamber, why does Icaroya, who knows the inside story better than anyone, insist on risking life and reputation, stubbornly sticking to one path alone? What’s her aim?"
Su Mo inquired calmly.
The creator, Swallower, fell silent, and after a long time responded.
"Also to become a god, I suppose."
"Do you believe it?"
Su Mo sighed helplessly and continued walking forward quietly.
...
Days later.
Far away at the Negative God Universe Center on the Negative God Star, there were sudden intense tremors, like a rapidly beating heart.
The massive Negative God Star seemed like an accented blood globe, becoming extraordinarily flirtatious and blood-red, as innumerable crimson halos exploded in an instant, sweeping across the starry sky in all directions.
Mijak Star Sea.
At a glance, the entire Star Sea was teeming with countless Spirit Touchers, Wind Shuttle-class ships, Dandelion Fortresses, etc., in numbers too numerous to count.
It’s almost as if all the Eternal Sleep Clan’s forces in the Negative Universe are focused here.
At this moment, a spectacular scene could be seen: countless transparent threads linking all the Spirit Touchers, ships, and fortresses, with all the Eternal Sleep Clan forces in a neural network link state.
Just then, a terrifying Negative Energy tide surged in, sweeping across the Eternal Sleep Clan forces in the cosmic red glow.
At this moment, each Spirit Toucher began to have their neural lines stained red from within, their eyes turning red.
At this point, the invisible neural network erupted with dazzling spiritual energy, beginning to cleanse all members of the Eternal Sleep Clan.
One could see that after being refreshed, the previously polluted neural lines of the Spirit Touchers immediately returned to normal.
Of course, there were also some Spirit Touchers so severely polluted that the spiritual energy cleanse could not fully take effect; their bodies continuously oozed polluted blood stains, struggling and trembling relentlessly.
At this instance, the nearest Spirit Toucher to them immediately severed the connection.
The next second, the disconnected Spirit Toucher burst into flames instantly, being executed by spiritual energy on the spot.
In fact, part of the reason why the Eternal Sleep Clan dares to heavily develop the Negative Universe is because they can rely on the spiritual network, to perform spiritual energy refreshing, minimizing the impact of Negative Energy Pollution. If their shell becomes polluted, they can simply change it.
Soon, they managed to collectively resist the surge of negative energies.
...