Chapter 919 - 707: The Fox’s Mother (Part 2)
The wisp of aura he sensed was coming from even further below.
Throughout the whole process, Shen Li didn’t show the slightest abnormality, as if he really was just an Ordinary visitor, so he didn’t arouse the Hand of Creation’s suspicion.
After both sides finished the cooperation procedures, the staff escorted him out.
However, in reality, Shen Li did not leave.
Shen Tang had previously prepared a Substitute Puppet for him, and had also obtained a large number of Concealing Talismans from the System Mall. Coupled with the tools she made using her Space Ability, they had long been fully prepared for this visit.
Shen Li let the puppet leave in place of his real body, while he himself silently concealed himself inside the laboratory.
Over this past month, he tried every possible method and finally found the real underground laboratory, successfully infiltrating the lowest level.
The further in he went, the stronger the resonance in his bloodline became.
Shen Li held his breath, almost unable to control his wildly pounding heart.
In the innermost room, a huge glass pod was slowly suspended above the office area, filled with a semi-transparent liquid inside, and a vague figure could be seen within.
The closer he got, the clearer the view; there was actually a person locked inside!
A living, breathing female.
Her body was pierced all over with tubes, bright red liquid continuously being drawn out of them—her blood was being extracted without pause.
Shen Li stared blankly at that frail figure in the pod, as if his breath had been clamped off; his throat was so parched he couldn’t make a single sound.
His chest heaved violently, his fingers clenched into a death grip, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
No one knew how long this female had been locked here, bled like an experimental subject. Her body was already shriveled beyond recognition. Her skin was a sickly ghastly white, her bones starkly visible; if not for the faint rise and fall of her chest, at first glance she looked exactly like a living corpse.
Even after being tormented to this extent, one could still see how strikingly beautiful her features had once been.
More importantly, her face was exactly the same as the portrait Shen Li had obtained back then in the Imperial Mausoleum!
She was the Late Empress who had vanished twenty years ago, Su Jiu.
She was also his mother!
In that instant, the gentle yet blurry figure in his memories suddenly became clear.
This mother who had left when he was still a child, whom he had always believed to be long dead, was actually still alive!
Looking at the dense tangle of blood-drawing tubes on her body, Shen Li’s aura surged violently. His scarlet eyes turned into vertical pupils, and towering fury blazed up within him.
He no longer concealed himself; with one palm he smashed the glass pod to pieces.
Crash!
The liquid surged out. He rushed forward, catching that falling, barely-breathing body.
[Warning! Warning! An intruder is abducting the experimental subject—]
The laboratory was instantly flooded with flashing red light, alarms blaring everywhere.
Large numbers of Beastmen surged toward this place.
Shen Li could no longer be bothered to put on an act. Murderous intent surged in his long, fox-like eyes; his heart had long been devoured by rage. A sky-filling sea of flames roared out, and the entire laboratory was swallowed in blazing fire.
"Ah!"
The staff screamed in panic.
They desperately tried to extinguish the flames, but this fire was sinister as hell; no matter whether they used Ordinary methods or superpowers, they couldn’t put it out.
Large quantities of research data and materials were reduced to ash in the flames.
A Beastman roared, "It’s that Shen Li! He didn’t leave... he’s been lurking here the whole time! Kill him!"
Ten blazing tails swept out like blades, carrying a tidal wave of flame that violently blasted batch after batch of Beastmen away.
Though Shen Li wished he could slaughter them all, he knew this was not the time for a prolonged battle. Taking advantage of the chaos, he charged toward the laboratory’s Teleportation Array. The staff tried to shut down the array, but they were a step too late.
Shen Li disappeared in the light.
They wanted to chase after him, but before they could reach the Teleportation Array, they heard a deafening boom, and the entire array was blown to pieces on the spot!
...
On the other side, Shen Tang was resting in the palace when she suddenly heard a commotion outside.
Only when she went out did she learn that someone said there had been an explosion in the city, and the military had gone to provide support.
A bad feeling rose in Shen Tang’s heart, and she hurried over as well.
The explosion site was an abandoned park.
But having once been to the Hand of Creation Laboratory, Shen Tang knew very well that this park was only a disguise; their laboratory base was very likely right beneath it.
In the billowing thick smoke, a tall, familiar red figure gradually emerged.
It was precisely Shen Li, who had been missing for nearly more than a month.
He had come back!
Shen Tang hurriedly rushed up. "Shen Li!"
But his condition was far from good; his robes were torn, his body wounded, and he was actually holding someone in his arms.
Judging from the slender frame and bones, it should be a female, but her hair had fallen out, she wore a loose, ill-fitting robe, and she was so emaciated she was almost unrecognizable.
Shen Tang froze, but the moment she clearly saw the other’s face, her eyes flew wide open, utterly stunned in disbelief.