Chapter 1140: Chapter 149: Elder Zhendan
The Leader of the Life Furnace Knights Order, Edicara, lightly tapped the ground with his toes, and his body glided several tens of feet across the space, thus crossing the docking corridor and entering the spaceport. Beside him were three other people, but all three voluntarily stayed three feet behind Edicara.
Such was the awe-inspiring wisdom that the great Leader’s dignity brought.
Although these three were theoretically equal in rank to him as leaders, there was a gulf-like difference between the great and lesser Orders. Knights born in a great Order are received with almost fawning hospitality when they visit other Orders.
The Life Furnace Knights Order is the great Order among the great ones, even partially undertaking work related to Gene Tax.
Edicara doesn’t actually dislike this “separate ntality.” This ntality provides the Scientific Knights with additional motivation to charge towards unknown borders.
After passing through the corridor into the port, Edicara gazed through the side glass porthole. Above them, there was an even longer corridor. These corridors seed like umbilical cords, continuously transporting goods from this level of the spacecraft, the “placenta,” to the spaceport.
Those goods ca from Mars. Resources that are difficult to extract or already depleted on Earth, advanced weaponry that Earth lacks manufacturing conditions for, and the population from Mars—or, as seen in the anthropology Knights’ eyes, “genetic flow.” The terrifying distance in space is enough to completely nullify the value of most resources. Most things’ utility value is nowhere close to justifying the cost of interstellar transport.
And because of cost issues, even esteed individuals must often travel in super-large spacecraft for interstellar movent.
In such a place as space, where there’s almost no resistance and almost no gravity well, the mass utilization factor of spaceship naturally has to be as large as possible. The transport cost of small spacecraft can be prohibitively high. Large spacecraft, too, must ensure their payload is greater than their own weight by a certain multiple—it’s precisely this restriction that compels the Human Gene Bank guardians to fill the load with civilians, distributing the unassigned interstellar movent seats on various planets through a lottery.
After passing through an intersection, the other three leaders of the Scientific Knights Order parted ways with Edicara. The headquarters of the other three’s Orders were mostly in the New World or North Asia. They would head to the inner ring of the spaceport, where their spacecraft awaited. The system would plot a correct re-entry orbit for them—in today’s age, atmospheric effects on spacecraft are minimal; the true danger lies in the nurous groups of space debris outside the atmosphere. This year, the amount of debris in Earth’s orbit has dramatically increased.
Spacecraft need to exercise extra caution.
Which, in Edicara’s view, is also a symbol of honor.
The headquarters of the Life Furnace Knights Order is located closest to the space elevator, a testant to their involvent in critical Gene Tax work in the Earth area.
They are esteed by Yawgmoth.
This is the spaceport Calidasa—forrly known as “Earth No. 3 Space Elevator” docking spaceport, once hailed with the reputation of a “crown.” It seed to float serenely in the dark night like a crown. As the generations of space debris increased, it gave ground dwellers the illusion that there was a miniature star sea between it and Earth.
In the corridor from “VIP area” to “center zone,” a stretch of transparent corridor offered a view of the Life Furnace Knights Order headquarters. It was a high-rise piercing through the cloud layers, and even celestial phenona struggled to obscure this human creation.
Edicara felt sowhat concerned at this mont.
“I really don’t know what’s happening in the Order, unable to report in the communications…”
Edicara was returning from an academic event on Mars. There was a communication delay of several to more than ten minutes between Earth and Mars, making it hard for Edicara to firmly control the affairs within the Knights Order while on Mars. Although Vice Captain Parmion and others regularly submitted reports to him, the effect is ultimately inferior to face-to-face inquiries.
Not to ntion their recent report subtly hinted at “sothing quite good happened in the group, but can’t be clarified in the report.”
Before this, communications from the Six Dragons Sect were mixed within the dedicated Scientific Knights Order chain for transmission. This data dedicated to the Scientific Knights Order flowed continuously across the interstellar; King Aqini had neither reason nor ability to intervene. Originally, this was the safest communication thod, with the only flaw being slowness.
However, with the announcent of all Six Dragons Sect contact thods by The Twelfth Martial God, this thod also had to cease. King Aqini only needed to search the data stream for compliant Six Dragons Sect communication patterns in The Twelfth Martial God’s broadcast content to act effectively. The ssage from The Twelfth Martial God could only be transmitted at sub-light speed. It took at least a few minutes to reach other planets. Many mbers of the Six Dragons Sect desperately wished to invent Faster-than-light thods to intercept their ssages sent a few minutes prior.
Thankfully, King Aqini was distracted by the Martial Gods and didn’t delve deeper, and the Scientific Knights Orders tidied up the aftermath.
“A good thing, but can’t be stated in the report,” signifying it’s related to the Six Dragons Sect’s ascension endeavors and is positive news.
However…
Edicara couldn’t fathom what good deed Earth-based Six Dragons Sect mbers could accomplish under such circumstances.
A huge figure caught up from behind Edicara. It was Bodhi Dharma Gao Tian, the stationed Military Officer of the port. Gao Tian was an old friend of Edicara. Due to work, they t occasionally. Gao Tian said to Edicara, “Sir, there’s so ti until the next high-cabin space elevator descent. Would you like to have a drink?”
“No.” Edicara waved his hand, “I’ve been away from the Order for too long. There’s still half a second delay between here and the ground. Half a second is still too high. I need to listen to the mbers’ reports face-to-face. I’ll read mories instead.”
“I’ll have soone arrange a special Prosthetic Body in the high cabin. Let’s go down together.” Gao Tian said, “I’ve longed to feel Mother’s gravity again.”
Very strange. Gao Tian’s attitude was overly forceful. Edicara discreetly analyzed the situation, his Prosthetic Eye scanning Gao Tian’s movents. Fortunately, on the surface his opponent showed no intention of attack.
Even though Edicara’s Prosthetic Body was of high specifications with quality materials, its power section was still conventional, capable of overwhelming regular Jianghu individuals. But Gao Tian, as a high-ranking Military Officer, must be equipped with a First Heavenly Layer Prosthetic Body with Pseudo Star Device. If the two were to fight, it would be a one-sided crush.
—It doesn’t seem that King Aqini ordered my arrest?
Edicara nodded: “Let’s stick to the old rules then. Lots of ice, extra sugar in black tea.”
Edicara’s Prosthetic Body was a regular humanoid shape, with the head preserving the Scientific Knight’s usual style—facial features were a non-detailed relief. Due to the need to move again in a weightless environnt, the back interface was equipped with magnetic chain weapons. Two magnetic chain weapons, agile like octopus tentacles, wrapped around Edicara’s arm then swiftly flew through the corridor like lightning, quickly arriving at the VIP waiting area.
Bodhi Dharma Gao Tian said: “You’re pretty composed, seeing wrap you with magnetic chain weapons, yet you didn’t flinch.”
“Hmm, it is your first ti doing this.” Edicara nodded, “But you followed the King, fought with the Seventh Martial God, a Hero. If you truly intended to attack , how could I remain unhard?”
“At that ti, I was an unknown, not qualified to show myself before the Martial God. rely a pawn.”
In front of the tal door, the two paused for a mont. The subtle noises of the space station seed to mask their ntal activities.
“Speaking of Martial Gods…” Edicara proactively brought up the topic, “Is there another Martial God from Earth? It’s really unsettling.”
“Indeed.”
“Moreover, the Martial God also did sothing major.”
“Attacking the Secluded Crane Knight Order?”
“No, that’s nothing major. I’ve t the leader and vice-captain of the Secluded Crane Knight Order; they aren’t an especially remarkable group. I’m stronger than all of them alone,” Edicara said, “but I heard that after that, he did sothing related to us, the Scientific Knights. After that incident, I could clearly feel our king’s control over us strengthening. It’s practically targeted harassnt. A disaster out of nowhere.”
The double-layered door slowly opened in front of them, revealing a small hall of over two hundred square ters.
In the center of the hall was a round table, on which several transparent packaging bags were placed, each containing a dish. Two figures were already sitting face-to-face on either side of the table.
Gao Tian and Edicara did not sit at the table but instead walked to the corner, standing in front of pre-set interfaces.
They imdiately took control of the two prosthetic bodies on the edge of the dining table.
These two prosthetic bodies were highly similar in appearance to humans. Gao Tian was a young man with brown skin, black curly hair, and thin lips, while Edicara had beautiful red hair.
This appearance was based on the most aesthetically pleasing human form among the “possible appearances” predicted from their genetic makeup. The tongues in the mouths of these prosthetic bodies, and even the mucosa in the esophagus, were cultivated using differentiated gel cells to ensure that taste signals were almost identical to their natural selves.
Edicara pressed a bag of black tea into a porcelain tea bowl. In a zero-gravity environnt, the bagged drink seed to float up. But with a slight tremor of his wrist, Edicara neutralized this force. He slowly brought the tea bowl to his mouth, then bit into the opening of the soft bag, sipping the iced tea slowly.
The instinctive pleasure brought by sweetness was also perfectly simulated by the program.
This is the so-called prosthetic body for psychological adjustnt—prosthetic bodies designed for pleasure alone are too decadent, too unseemly for the spotlight. Idealists generally disdain such things. The leaders of the Scientific Knight Order and the defenders of the Human Gene Bank certainly should not do so. However, human instinct is considered lowly in this respect. Humans must use similar behaviors for self-regulation and inner relief to calm their heart thought. This is also a kind of psychological therapy, occasionally used even by heroes.
Gao Tian chewed on a piece of asparagus. As the elevator started, the food and tea drifted slightly off the table.
Gao Tian swallowed the item. The ferntation tank built into this prosthetic body could quickly decompose food into usable organic resources. Even “peristalsis” was chanically simulated, so swallowing remained an easy task even in zero gravity.
Gao Tian put down the soft can and asked, “Are you from the Six Dragons Sect?”
Six Dragons Sect Elder Edicara was quite surprised, “What? You suspect I’m from the Six Dragons Sect? Why?”
“The Martial God broke with his first disciple.”
“Kanhara Shinhara? I heard about it. The Martial God voluntarily exposed this forr hero’s joining of the Six Dragons Sect.”
“Hmm, but at the sa ti, the Martial God also ntioned so details,” Gao Tian said, “The Flower of Rhetoric, shouldn’t have been on Earth for long, right? A heroic figure like her wouldn’t hide in such a place, would she?”
“Hard to say, the Six Dragons Sect’s secret organization, when hidden, is highly destructive—especially to people’s trust,” Edicara hinted, “You see, even King Aqini only learned of the Six Dragons Sect’s existence this year, right?”
“Strictly speaking, not this year, but … it wasn’t until the Twelfth Martial God’s broadcast that the King knew such an organization had developed to such a terrifying extent, even absorbing dangerous elents like the Flower of Rhetoric. What they intend to do is unimaginable.”
Six Dragons Sect Elder Edicara nodded, “Indeed, that’s true.”
“Ever since the king shared the intelligence he had internally, I’ve been pondering one thing. If Kanhara Shinhara and other Six Dragons Sect mbers visited Earth multiple tis, how did they get here?”
“You an … the space elevator?”
“Before the Twelfth Martial God destroyed the satellite network, our surveillance was so tight. No spaceship or rocket could secretly launch,” said Bodhi Dharma Gao Tian, “I think, is it possible it was here? Is this my problem?”
“You’re … suspecting ?” Edicara countered.
Gao Tian nodded, “I believe my deploynts are not at fault. And based on the known intelligence, the core of the Six Dragons Sect is the Scientific Knight.”
“You …” Edicara hesitated for a mont, then said, “Maybe there’s such a person among my subordinates … damn, I can’t guarantee it myself.”
“And what about you? Old friend, how are you handling the defense of the Gene Bank?”
“? You should trust !”
“Then, I trust you,” Gao Tian’s manipulated prosthetic body smiled.
——No, you don’t trust .
Edicara actually understood Gao Tian’s hidden aning.
Bodhi Dharma Gao Tian wasn’t sure if Edicara was … or maybe he was quite certain, but hadn’t caught any evidence.
It’s just that Lord Bodhi Dharma Gao Tian doesn’t care.
He just released a “warning” signal.
——If it’s really you, then you’d better clean up quickly.
Elder Zhendan sighed and began to ticulously plan whom to clean and whom to keep.
——What a nuisance, hopefully the “good deeds” within the Knight Order will be a pleasant surprise.
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