Chapter 534
Chapter 534 - 514: Unexpected
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Lu Ping’an’s temporary residence was surrounded by various varieties of Lamplight Grass.
They lit up the area as bright as day, creating a rare source of light in the long night.
Many wealthy families and aristocrats also had firewood and oil lamps burning constantly, but those who lit their homes as brightly as Lu Ping’an did were a rare few.
After all, with the passage of time through the long night, any object with the ability to illuminate became increasingly expensive. As lamp oil reserves dwindled, lighting up one’s home became more a symbol of status rather than a practical necessity.
Nowadays, lamp oil for lighting has become a military supply restricted by the territories, and even the fastidious nobles and rich merchants have gone crazy for firewood, which they once sneered at.
Incidentally, due to the shortage of "firewood", many logging teams recently set out for the Ashen Forest... only to vanish. However, the current Schlei Domain could not spare any knights to search for them.
The Lamplight Spark at Lu Ping’an’s place was simple: he only needed to "ignite and recharge" every few days to keep them bright, and they would also provide warmth and dispel filth.
Of course, he didn’t bring out these failed breeds and experimental products to show off. In the end, his courtyard was self-contained... which meant a completely independent courtyard, with foundations based on the natural laws of an Earth-like world, unaffected by local erosion. That piece of land did not possess the natural laws of the Silent Mountain Range World.
This was a good thing in most cases, but it became somewhat delicate when cultivating native plants.
Lu Ping’an planted these low-level experimental species here to observe their changes and adaptability under natural conditions, and to let them adapt to the local environment, seeking interesting natural mutations that might fit in with the local "rules."
Although all of them were Lamplight Grass, these Magic Plants from the same mother source had different grafting parent species and cultivation methods, and could even be considered completely different Magic Plants. Some were ground shrubs, and some were tulips... Lu Ping’an wanted to see which ones could better adapt to the local environment.
This experiment only began a week ago, and for the first three days, more than half of the plants perished every day. However, Lu Ping’an re-cultivated and grafted the surviving species, then nurtured their offspring and reintroduced them to the experiment. The survival rate gradually improved.
Now, even though Lu Ping’an accelerated the internal elimination process with his abilities, the daily survival rate had exceeded 90%... With more time, these plants could be directly released into nature to observe their natural evolution.
Such results indicated that Lu Ping’an’s experiment had reached a conclusion, at least for now. The newborn Magic Plants could survive in the local natural environment and undergo natural evolution.
"... The recent experiments have gone smoothly..."
It could be an illusion, or perhaps Lu Ping’an’s plan to "produce some results related to Holy Fire and make use of this heavenly fortune" really had succeeded, as his recent progress had been very smooth.
"This is Lamplight Grass No. 47, which can now produce fire on its own. Although the power is weak to the point of being negligible, it is a very promising future parent."
Lu Ping’an displayed on the table a small lamp whose fragile light seemed like it could go out at any moment. Its faint white glow had a different sun-like hue from its siblings.
Despite its weakness, the fact that it could produce fire on its own (albeit requiring nutrient supplementation) made it an exceptionally promising species.
"This is Lamplight Grass No. 118, a third-tier Magic Plant... In your terms, it would be a high-level demon on the edge of Great Knight level. It is a photophobic, pyrophobic Magic Plant that cannot produce fire itself but can gather fire in its fruit, delivering a powerful blow to nearby life. It has quite impressive destructive power. Heh, eternal Fireball Spell."
"This is Lamplight Grass No. 292, a long-lasting plant, which is undergoing a ’fire quenching’ test. It has been 27 hours since it last received a light source, but it still can emit light and fire. I plan to cultivate it into a long-term usable light source."
"This is Lamplight Grass No. 345..."
With some visitors around, Lu Ping’an took the opportunity to introduce the fruits of his research from the past week and a half.
There were nearly 400 established species, and those deemed low-value "failures" or "potential-less" by Lu Ping’an were casually planted nearby, left to fend for themselves and perhaps mutate in unexpected ways worth salvaging.
Throughout the introductions, Prince Pantai, the nominal leader, became drowsy and unfocused. His sister told him to go off and play.
Meanwhile, the other guests listened attentively, asking detailed questions about the progress of the research.
"... Combat application? You’ve got to be joking. It’s too early for that. According to the experimental procedures of us Eastern Country people, it would take an average of four to five years before the first Holy Fire Magic Plant with combat value can be produced."
Lu Ping’an spoke like a researcher solely interested in study, turning his achievements into academic research.
Of course, anyone who believed it would be a real fool.
However, the uneasiness and fear within the guests did not dissipate with their visit; on the contrary, the more they saw, the more alarmed they became.
In the past, it would have been a grave sin not to study the Holy Fire according to the sacred texts of the Eternal Scorching Sun Church... there wouldn’t even be a need for the Church’s judgement as the rampant Holy Flames would naturally burn any blasphemers.
Yet using plants to manipulate the Holy Fire was more than just heresy - it was outright blasphemy... and yet he succeeded!
If this was in the past, many people might have wondered why he hadn’t been struck down by divine punishment, but now, how he managed to achieve all this was even more incomprehensible.
"...What could have ignited the Holy Fire in plants? Such a blasphemous act, yet there are still Holy Fire Knights under his command..."
While the devout may consider the act blasphemous, others more astute sense a vital clue - the technical medium that acts as a breakthrough.
The Holy Fire was supposed to be under the control of priests with faith coordinates, which was a network that only souls could connect to. If one were to sever that connection to the mass-produced Holy Fire network... Lu Ping’an should still have a "lighter" and a "gas network" at hand.
"Only a Divine descendant who has mastered the ability to generate Holy Flames on their own can explain this... My Lord, has the Sun not abandoned this world?"
The old prophet suddenly understood, and tears filled his eyes.
He didn’t have much confidence in his own prophecy... The world’s fate had become a tangled mess, and the accuracy of new prophecies was likely fifty-fifty.
Although the Rainbow Prophet was a guide of destiny, he was ultimately a guardian of social order. Their mission was to guide "heroes" and identify "evils" that needed to be eliminated in advance.
After the True Gods disappeared, they fell into conflict and chaos. Some chose to do nothing, while others continued their work... But those who glimpsed the future and destiny perhaps were the most despairing.
As one of the remaining faction, the elderly man in front of them seemed to be instinctively fulfilling his duties.
"The inheritor of the Sun God? Haha, what a joke."
Lu Ping’an touched his chin, finding the prophecy unreliable. He did not hesitate to refuse the old prophet’s suggestion.
"Not to mention this title that sounds like a complete scam, just the fact of you searching for the Sun God’s inheritor... Ha, you don’t think this world can be saved, do you?"
Lu Ping’an’s words were cruel, but realistic.
"The Seven Disasters prophecy has spread from the Holy City to here, and I believe you’ve all seen it. While the first three disasters can be endured and dealt with, by the Fourth Disaster and the Fifth Disaster, it’s pretty much hopeless. I would advise you all to face reality."
Compared to the upcoming catastrophes, the first three were considered mild cases of "World Apocalypse"... Lu Ping’an planned to flee when the Fourth Disaster began, as any further delay would make things beyond repair.
Facing the guests who regained hope, Lu Ping’an spared no mercy.
He had no intention of letting these people continue pursuing the mythical inheritor of the Sun God, as it seemed nothing more than a bottomless pit.
He didn’t even plan to mention the Beast God, even though in his own estimation, the "relic of the Beast God" should have been the goal of the prophecy.
"Let them search for the Beast God? It’s like inviting trouble, and those underground explorers and tomb raiders are each more troublesome than the last. It’s best not to disturb the peaceful slumber of the old Beast God."
Unbeknownst to Lu Ping’an, some had already gone to disturb it... While he didn’t want to bother the Beast God’s remains, "it" may not stay quietly underground.
The sudden opening of the door and the hurried knight rushing in marked the arrival of something unexpected.
"...Outside the city, a large number of undead have appeared?"
— End of Chapter 534 —