Once again, Xiang Shan t Tao Enhai. At this mont, Tao Enhai was in a transparent jar, imrsed in a pale yellow solution. The density of this solution was ticulously adjusted, slightly lower than the density of Tao Enhai’s brain. After attaching various external devices, Tao Enhai’s brain achieved a kind of balance, free from any pressure.
In front of this jar, an AR model appeared in Xiang Shan’s field of view.
Xiang Shan waved a hand: "Hey, Doctor Tao, it’s nice to see you."
Tao Enhai’s expression was complex: "Yes, seeing each other again so soon."
"Soon? It feels like a lot has happened." Xiang Shan had also changed bodies at this mont, sending his First Heavenly Layer prosthetic body for maintenance. The external components and armor on his head were also removed. But compared to this prosthetic body with a shoulder height of 160 centiters, his head-to-body ratio didn’t seem quite right.
"A lot of things?" Tao Enhai laughed, "Nothing much happened on my side. I was in a coma for quite a long ti. When I woke up again, it was Niyaguti asking to sign an inford consent form. Then it was intermittent awakenings..."
Xiang Shan said: "It hasn’t been easy for you."
Tao Enhai nodded, then hesitated: "About your prosthetic eye... you haven’t told Niyaguti?"
Xiang Shan crossed his arms: "This sort of thing, it’s enough for to know. There’s no need for everyone to know."
Tao Enhai stared at Xiang Shan, contemplating for a mont: "The Ninth Martial God... I’ve heard about the Paradox City incident. Have you co into contact with the Ninth Martial God?"
"That’s right, I have." Xiang Shan nodded at his own head, "I even copied a version of him. If you want, I can switch to another one of to talk."
Tao Enhai was startled: "What?"
"Personality Mask, and so on. It’s basically equivalent to the Ninth Martial God himself. Considering he doesn’t have a biological brain, you can even consider that the Ninth Martial God is with now."
Tao Enhai’s expression turned quite complex: "No need... no need. My views on ’personality’ are still... quite traditional."
"In reality, a Personality Mask is not about switching personalities but mapping and adjusting the ’personality’ part that others can perceive. Even without switching the Personality Mask, I rember the concert on Mars and the things we did there."
Tao Enhai found it unbelievable: "You... know the true identity of the Ninth Martial God, right?"
Xiang Shan nodded.
"Do you still think he is Xiang Shan?"
"Without a doubt." Xiang Shan said, "It’s unrelated to his so-called ’true identity’ or ’essence.’ His actions, his way of living are all ’Xiang Shan,’ which is beyond essence. What everyone calls ’personality’ is just ’the personality that others can identify’ in general terms. I can assert, the Ninth Martial God is Xiang Shan—though a bit foolish, unable to see through Yawgmoth’s tricks."
Tao Enhai sighed, "You... indeed resemble Xiang Shan."
"Of course."
"Not like that, but more like..." Tao Enhai looked for a word to describe but didn’t know how to say it. He gestured vaguely with his arms before giving up. Tao Enhai changed the topic, "Your original pair of eyes, they’re kept in this room. This is the safest corner of the facility. Do you want to take them back?"
Xiang Shan shrugged: "The current pair performs better. That pair, if you think it has historical value, keep them."
Tao Enhai shook his head: "That pair of prosthetic eyes indeed disappeared with the original Xiang Shan and are likely not replicas—even if they are replicas, it must be made by one of the original creators who knows almost every detail."
"And either way, it’s unlikely they’d appear on you."
Xiang Shan nodded: "I understand, I understand. ’Being Xiang Shan’s prosthetic eyes’ ans my creators are related to Yawgmoth; ’Being a high-quality replica’ signifies so old friends are working in secrecy."
Tao Enhai sighed: "You... honestly, I think your likelihood of being the original Xiang Shan is almost zero."
"Mm." Xiang Shan nodded as if discussing sothing unrelated to himself or the Martial Arts School, "Reasons?"
"As the once fastest Martial Artist, Xiang Shan could withstand missile-level G-forces and higher space combat acceleration. At speeds a hundred tis the speed of sound, he could still dodge small celestial bodies in space effortlessly—while you..." Tao Enhai paused, "couldn’t handle the acceleration of Great Hero Baiman’s sprint in the atmosphere, showing concussion symptoms."
Xiang Shan nodded: "That’s indeed true."
Clearly, this is the difference in the degree of enhancent.
It’s similar with Hiroshi Matsushima. Hiroshi Matsushima’s external strength is technically flawless, even Xiang Shan, who absorbed two hundred years of martial evolution, can’t say he’s superior.
But it stops at "the technical level."
Hiroshi Matsushima’s neural reflexes and brain modification degree are inferior to those of the sa level Martial Artists. If it were the King of Godspeed, even if he could see the inconsistencies in the King of Godspeed’s moves, he wouldn’t have ti to react. Even if given a prosthetic body of the sa level to match the King of Godspeed’s speed...
He would probably faint first.
Back in the day, Xiang Shan made many modifications to his brain. So of those techniques now seem to produce low benefits, affecting the sustained performance of Inner Strength. Many even thought his modifications were unnecessary because the G-forces his brain could handle exceeded contemporary spacecraft limits—his brain modifications had surpassed the limits of spacecraft of that era.
"Probably just a usual radical move by the Martial Ancestor."
That was the thought back then.
And then there was the cosmic war.
Without gravity wells or atmospheric resistance, cosmic warfare was much faster than surface planetary battles.
Even "space warfare from two hundred years ago" and "current surface planetary combat"
Yet, the Twelfth Martial God showed concussion symptoms due to a First Heavenly Layer Martial Artist’s sprint on the surface.
In Tao Enhai’s perspective, this only indicated one thing—this biological brain, no matter how similar to the previous Xiang Shan, had undoubtedly missed so modifications.
However, at this mont, what Xiang Shan thought was...
—Suppose there is a behind-the-scenes manipulator... Why would this mysterious manipulator, capable of doing everything perfectly, leave such an obvious flaw?
—In my genetic modifications, is there a project conflicting with "glial cell hardening"?
Reviews
All reviews (0)