Chapter 1742
Chapter 1742 - 1738: Birth
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When the hatching pool finally began to boil, everyone let out a sigh of relief.
On one hand, it was because the resources were finally in place—who knows how many "years" it had taken to gather them—vast amounts of Rule-Level items and rare materials, all non-renewable, resources that would be impossible to procure again in the short term.
On the other hand, as time went on, the oceans had begun to show clear signs of spiraling out of control.
This wasn’t a result of excessive power being devoted to the project... With the mobilization capacity of the entire Eastern Country, and even the world, this project—one so complex that Lu Ping’an could no longer comprehend it—did not actually disrupt the overall battlefield planning. After all, there were dozens of other projects of the same or higher tier.
However, many projects had reached a point where they could no longer proceed—not because they were entirely hopeless, but because no sign of hope could be seen in the short term. Time was too tight; even the optimists estimated that if the issues weren’t resolved within the next month, it wouldn’t be worth resolving at all.
Meanwhile, human advanced combat forces were growing weary and injured, while the malicious dragons and snakes reproduced in excess. The efficiency of hunting them had already fallen behind the pace of their reproduction.
Currently, humanity’s primary strategic objective was to relocate the New Gods and eliminate those New Gods that had spiraled out of control, cutting off the dragons and snakes’ access to "food supplies" and slowing their expansion rate. It was clear to anyone that the strategic posture had shifted entirely to one of defense.
Or to put it another way—this was the "hold on for one more day" stage, delaying as much time as possible.
If the situation reached the next critical juncture, there would no longer be any attempts to salvage the situation; people would simply start discussing interstellar migration. Whatever could be saved would be saved.
It’s worth mentioning that during Lu Ping’an’s dual-role work in hunting and research, the frontline finally delivered some good news.
The "Golden Crow" had apparently been successfully hunted... Why only "apparently"? Because the messages sent back were vague, lacking detailed battle reports or evidence of the world-level shockwaves typically caused by a god-level entity’s demise.
"If it had died on the surface, it might’ve blown a hole right through Earth Star and indirectly destroyed the world."
"They might’ve sent it to a different space... maybe. But there should’ve been some feedback. Why is there no information at all?"
The big shots speculated briefly, but their primary interest lay in the Firebird’s materials. Some had even submitted applications, though no responses had been received.
Finally, three days ago, a "delivery" arrived—a heavily sealed container wrapped in over seven layers of packaging, bound tightly with at least six types of curse-technique bindings.
When opened, it revealed a vial of blood—or rather, "flame" that was actively "burning."
The moment Lu Ping’an laid eyes on it, he felt a visceral urge—a primal instinct urging him to drink it. But in the very next moment, his rational mind warned him: You’ll die. You’ll die completely and thoroughly.
And yet, that biological instinct for evolutionary desire was impossible to suppress...
"Lucky for me, I’m blind. I don’t have to look."
Cracking a dark joke, Lu Ping’an shut down his "perception," warding off the impulse.
It was the primal instinct of flame evolution, a longing among beings of the same path for ascension to a superior form... But if he truly consumed it, it wouldn’t turn a Little Flame into a big fire; it would result in an explosion that blew the furnace apart entirely.
"That blood of the Golden Crow..."
There was no need to guess. Such outrageous materials were exceedingly rare on Earth, and their delivery here left little to interpret.
Almost immediately, the researchers plunged into manic fervor—many attempted to delve into the secrets of the God Above Gods, even hoping to replicate some sort of genetic life form. However, the substance truly represented the "Flame Ion State," and most life systems achieved nothing from it... or at least, outwardly, these big shots revealed no real gains.
Judging by the gleam of undisguised joy in some individuals’ eyes, though, someone had undoubtedly uncovered something significant.
From this material, Lu Ping’an gleaned some subtle insights and information...
"Uh... It isn’t dead..."
When he touched the blazing liquid flame, Lu Ping’an faintly sensed that the fire’s source still lived... In fact, he even felt that its condition was exceptionally well.
Lu Ping’an suspected the other big shots might have similar inklings. But given the circumstances, it was wiser to speak less—rarely did news of a "successful hunt" brighten morale as much as this did.
With the northern extinction crisis resolved, more forces could be drawn back to provide support—a clear positive development.
"Whether it fled or surrendered doesn’t matter, as long as the problems are solved. No need to overthink it..."
Moreover, the addition of this blood had undeniably accelerated the hatching process.
This was the root cause behind the project’s continued consumption of resources. The more informed one was, the better they understood just how "illogical" this life-material fusion truly was.
"Probably only someone utterly ignorant of life could defy all reason and conjure this ’World’s Reason’..."
This perspective gained wide acceptance—not as a dismissal of Lu Ping’an’s capabilities, but rather as a deep-seated envy and anticipation.
The knowledgeable, on the other hand, were hindered by "cognitive bias." Like materialists confronting something supernatural, their instinct was to deny or nitpick... not that this was inherently problematic. But if the supernatural was undeniably real and cognition reigned supreme in the Extraordinary World, how could one convince themselves to believe in what they inherently rejected?
Typically, those in advanced life systems capable of creating new life forms had a profound understanding of life itself. Concepts like "how the skeleton should be arranged," "whether this structure can support the weight," or "whether a heart-lung-liver-gallbladder combination would burden the organism’s functionality" were ingrained into their souls.
These "cognitive frameworks" ultimately limited their potential, reducing their creations to mere modifications of their own "human" templates. A childlike imagination, paradoxically, left more untapped possibilities in creation.
At such moments, "ignorance" became a peculiar form of fortune. For Lu Ping’an, a blank slate, his Awakening was the most illogical and "foolproof mode" imaginable.
Such "illogical life-material fusion," where "spending points could patch all weaknesses" and "providing nutrition and materials allowed life to grow into exactly what it needed to be," shattered every convention of high-tier life systems. Little wonder it sparked envy.
As a result, a near-infinite amount of Life Points and top-tier materials were poured into this endeavor.
𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
"They long for miracles, even though they don’t believe in miracles themselves... Investing in me is simply a last resort for the unfortunate, one final gamble on the table."
Lu Ping’an was remarkably composed about it.
"Do you believe in miracles?"
"... Truthfully, not really."
"Then why do you keep trying? Why devote endless resources and time like this?"
"Because this isn’t a miracle... What they see as a miracle, to me, is simply something that will inevitably come to pass. Ha, if even I don’t believe in it, how could it possibly happen?"
Watching the newborn gradually break free from its cocoon, Lu Ping’an spoke calmly.
— End of Chapter 1742 —