King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 268

Elder Sahan, revered as the messenger of the gods by the Egyptian people, failed to provide adequate protection. Instead, he allowed innocent laborers and soldiers to perish, leaving not even a trace of their remains. His sinister intentions are utterly obvious. If Tina were standing here today, she would likely have already drawn her gun on him.

He chuckled and looked up, "Mr. Feng, those things are in the past. Besides, the total number of people on Earth has long exceeded the physical limit of four billion. The excess should be digested in a reasonable way. Otherwise, one day, the fixed structure of Earth will suffer unpredictable destruction. At that time, Earth will no longer exist, and the place where you are standing will become part of a cosmic black hole. No one will remember this blue planet that once shone with a mesmerizing light."

I could no longer put on a smile; I could only stare at him coldly.

"What I'm doing is rescuing the planet's elite from the idiots; they are Earth's hope. According to the master's plan, as long as these people are taken away from this misery, even if Earth is destroyed, a second Earth can be built in the same location, where these people can continue to multiply and thrive—Mr. Feng, that is the growth model that advanced beings in the universe should follow. Right now, Earth is nothing but a dirty, chaotic, and smelly place firmly occupied by garbage and idiots."

The blue light in Sahan's eyes grew brighter and brighter, carrying a mesmerizing and captivating quality.

The great god Tu Liehan's spaceship once carried many Earthlings who were willing to accept "alienation," and these were the elite members of human society, but I do not think that these people's choice was correct.

"I will repeat it one last time: take me to see the great god Tu Liehan, or bring him to me." I stepped deeper into the passageway, sensing that the great god Tu Liehan was somewhere in the darkness ahead.

Sahan shifted his body, blocking my path, and placed his hands on my shoulders: "Mr. Feng, calm down. This is on the Saturn spacecraft. Everything must be done according to the rules!" He was a head taller than me. After bending forward slightly, our faces were less than two feet apart, which was already the perfect range to perform martial arts such as "Soul Capture Technique".

The blue light in his eyes suddenly shone brightly, like sapphires illuminated by two high-intensity spotlights, crystal clear and with mesmerizing light and shadow.

“Look at me…give me your heart, and we will go to paradise…to heaven, to be with the clouds…look at me…” His voice was soft and full of inexplicable allure.

I stood quietly, staring intently at him.

“The night sky is dark, a storm is coming. Only by flying away from this place… can you live forever. Believe me… I can fulfill all your dreams, because I am God’s messenger, sent by God to rescue the lambs by the water… Come…” He continued to murmur, his hands clasped behind my neck, his palms carrying a strange chill.

"Can you... help me find Suren?" I blurted out.

“Anything… as long as you tell me, I will surely fulfill your request. You see… come to our planet, entrust your soul to me with peace of mind, and everything will be different from before.” His head gradually lowered, his forehead almost touching the top of my head.

I knew that was the crucial moment when he was channeling his full power into his "Soul-Capturing Technique." I spun around and pounced behind him, my right palm striking his "Dazhui" acupoint on the back of his neck with a resounding "smack." He wanted to subdue me with hypnosis or some kind of technique, to brainwash me—that was a terrible mistake. Even the most illustrious figures, once they enter the process of aging, can no longer keep up with the times. Like him, he had terribly underestimated my abilities.

"Oh—" Sahan sighed, his body trembled, and he staggered back against the wall.

From the moment I broke through the wall of the small building until I arrived here, I didn't know much about the underground world before me. After all, the moment I came down the escalator, I was led into the passageway by the great god Tu Liehan. Looking to the left from the corridor, all I could see was pitch black, a deep and cold deathly black that sent chills down my spine if I looked at it for too long.

To the right was the room Sahan had once invited me into. I grabbed his wrist and quickly slipped inside to avoid being noticed by others.

“It’s already…the final moment of destruction. If we can’t seize the energy, everything will eventually turn to dust…I see the end of the world, the end of the world…” His lips moved slowly as he broke free from my hand and collapsed onto a swivel chair by the door.

The room was empty, the walls a deep, somber gray-white. I glanced warily at the ceiling, wary of any surveillance cameras, but the roof was also gray-white, smooth and clean.

"How can we get closer to the 'Asian Gear'? How can we break through that crystal wall?" I asked in a low voice.

When his "soul-capturing technique" is suddenly reversed by an external force, the caster's thoughts will undergo a sudden change, entering a deep hypnotic semi-comatose state, and the most secret thoughts in their heart will be spoken without any restraint.

“We can’t…we can’t get through this…this is also a problem that’s troubling us…” He shook his head, his gray robe rustling loudly, and his hands waving in front of his chest.

"What about the master? He can't do anything either?" I pressed further.

The Tu Liehan God's spacecraft traveled back from the distant future through time and space. I don't believe that with their advanced technology, they would be powerless to do anything about things on Earth.

“We need energy…energy…the Earth is about to be destroyed, we need to go into space…the ‘Big Seven’, the ‘Big Seven’ is coming…coming…” He struggled to lift his head, his eyelids were extremely heavy, and he was almost about to fall into a complete coma.

The great god Turkham said that energy comes from the gears of Asia. Hearing the term "Great Seven" repeatedly uttered by Sahan, I suddenly felt the threat of death.

For a long time, Scalpel, Suren, and I have paid great attention to the two prophecies in "The Centuries"—the "Great Catastrophe of 1999" and the "Great Seven"—that are closely related to the fate of Earth. Everything in the universe has a life force. For example, Earth condensed and formed in the universe, giving rise to primitive life, which then evolved and grew to its present state along with the calendar created by Earthlings. Where there is "birth," there is also "death." Its so-called death is destruction. Whether it is the destruction of humanity or the disintegration of the planet, it is the final end of this history of civilization.

Sahan suddenly raised his head, and the veins on his forehead bulged out like a dozen thick, intertwined earthworms.

"Find the savior! Find the savior! We don't want to see Earth disappear either, hurry and find... the savior..."

I leaned closer to him and poked his philtrum with my little finger to temporarily wake him from his coma.

"Who is the savior? Where is he?" I controlled the chaotic and anxious emotions in my mind. Everyone was talking about the fate of the earth and shouting "Save the earth!", but no one had ever been able to systematically explain how the magical destruction of the "Big Seven" came about.

He suddenly raised his hand, grabbed my shirt, and bulged his eyes out: "You... Yang Tian, it's you, you all... your intelligence! Do you think you're Earthlings? No, no, no, you're not... You are the masters of Earth! For hundreds of millions of years, you have been the masters... Above the nine heavens, below the nine earths, in the nine springs, only you control the operation of Earth! Hahahaha—"

I raised my hand and pressed it on the Baihui acupoint on the top of his head. I felt the intense heat coming from my palm, which was enough to prove that his brain activity was in a boiling state like a volcanic eruption.

His maniacal laughter lasted for more than a minute until the true energy I transmitted into his body began to take effect, at which point he let out a loud burp and suddenly stopped laughing.

"Look, this is the destruction of the earth." He regained his senses and turned a black knob on his right with a somber expression.

The wall lit up, revealing a miniature image of outer space. Planets of varying sizes and colors were scattered across the gray sky, mostly grayish-white, with a few displaying a terrifying fiery red, like giant embers just pulled from a furnace.

The Earth is still blue, an image familiar to all humankind. Covered by mountains, seas, and lakes, it is full of vibrant life.

"We will witness an explosion, a violent explosion from within the Earth's core, equivalent to the power of two trillion heavy bombs. To put it another way, it's roughly the combined destructive force of all the nuclear weapons humanity possesses detonating simultaneously a thousand times. In the history of the universe, at least 100,000 planets have experienced such explosions, resulting in black holes of varying sizes. However, this time is different. Based on planetary trajectories, the destruction of Earth will directly lead to the imbalance of the solar system; none of the nine planets will be spared..."

His expression calmed down, and he walked in front of the image, pointing to the Earth.

Suddenly, a dazzling light shot out from the Earth, silently piercing the sky and illuminating all the nearby planets. After the light flashed, the Earth disappeared, leaving only a circular gray shadow where it had stood.

"The great god Tu Liehan said that Earth would successfully avoid the 'Great Seven' disaster, and then its technological civilization would continue to be passed down forever, which led to the Saturnian civilization, right?"

I remember the detailed conversation I had with him when I left the Pyramid of Turkham. The reason why the Saturnians came to Earth was to explore the secret of how Earthlings successfully resolved the 'Great Seven Number'.

Sahan nodded, puzzled. "Yes, Master said so, but he has now discovered that the evolutionary laws of life on Earth are not immutable. We are about to reach the critical point of destruction, the 'Great Seven,' and no miracle has occurred. Therefore, we can only risk ascending to the surface to seize the energy of the 'Asian Gear,' hoping to temporarily escape this place—"

“No, Sahan, you’re wrong. Leaving Earth isn’t enough to guarantee our survival. After Earth is destroyed, cosmic civilization will also stop developing, or even operate in reverse. All evolution will become regression, and all planets that have already given rise to life will gradually reverse. That’s the most terrifying thing.”

The great god Tu Liehan slowly strolled out from the corner and smiled kindly at me.

I suddenly felt a little ashamed: "You've been watching us the whole time?" His presence was less noticeable than a speck of dust. After he entered the room, I didn't even notice him. That was a truly masterful technique of invisibility.

“Wind, otherwise how could Sahan have been so easily hypnotized by you? As the first alienation target I chose, his intelligence is three hundred times greater than that of an ordinary Earthling, and his action ability is a record-breaking seven thousand times greater. In the Earthlings’ lexicon, people like him are usually called ‘supermen.’ I just want to use his way of speaking to tell you a truth—the great destruction is coming, and the last chance may or may not exist; it is no longer within our control…”

He stood with his arms crossed in the light and shadow, looking utterly desolate.

When the Earth suddenly disappeared from the screen, I felt the whole room tremble, as if an immense, indescribable force was surging forth from the infinite depths of the Earth's interior. The incredibly weighty theme of "Earth's destruction" suddenly leaped vividly from the science fiction director's script.

"Are you scared?" He smiled bitterly. At this moment, he didn't seem like an alien from a science fiction novel, but rather one of our kind who were no different from any other Earthling.

I shook my head silently. In the face of such an unprecedented disaster, personal fear is meaningless.

“You’re not like Earthlings, at least not like Sahan and his ilk—quickly escaping foreseeable danger and joining my ‘alienation’ program; nor are you like ordinary Earthlings, knowing that destruction will one day come, yet still idly indulging in sensual pleasures and revelry. In the long history of Earth, I have also seen many outliers like you, whose thoughts are never limited to the gains and losses of a particular time or place, but rather look to the nation, the international community, all of humanity, and even the entire universe. They are ‘giants’ in a sense, not just ‘superhuman’ individual heroes. Wind, if Earth hadn’t been destroyed so soon, one day you would also have become one of the ‘giants’…”

He walked to the right side of the room and touched a switch. Immediately, a deep, dark well appeared on the screen.

Sahan immediately hissed, then shuddered and took a step back.

"You felt it?" The bitter smile of the Great God Tu Liehan deepened.

The camera kept zooming towards the bottom of the well, but I felt that the well had no bottom. Even if the depth of the probe exceeded the diameter of the Earth, it would never reach the bottom of the well.

Part Two: Asian Gears, Chapter Ten: Trapped and Breaking Through the Formation

“Was that the beginning of destruction? I saw fire, death, the undulating expanse, the baby sleeping sweetly in the womb, and the sea receding into land and then rising into the ocean until the entire field of vision was filled with the shimmering sea, with no trace of land left. Our future is to live in a world of water—” Sahan murmured as he walked toward the wall and touched the well with both hands.

"Where does it lead?" I was not affected by Sahan's pessimism.

“It’s endless, like the concept of ‘infinite loop’ in human mathematics, going from ‘smallest to largest’ and then back to ‘smallest’. It’s not about size, length, or thickness; it’s just a channel, omnipresent and ever-present on this planet. It’s the lifeblood and meridians of the Earth.” The Great God Tu Liehan spoke in an extremely calm tone, as if he were a medical expert describing a rational and professional proposition.

"I understand." I sighed.

Sahanho turned around: "What do you understand? Mr. Wind, tell me the answer, tell me—" Three deep wrinkles appeared on his forehead, etched into his flesh, more conspicuous than three knife scars.

"If the earth's veins are severed, the earth will surely die. Even if it doesn't explode or vanish into thin air in the universe, it will no longer have any meaning for us humans. Therefore, the explosion is secondary; the destruction of humanity is the greatest crisis." In my view, if humanity ceases to exist, our yearning, imagination, and exploration of the universe will be like water without a source or a tree without roots; our very existence will become an unknown.

"You're wrong too, Wind. As Saturnian beings whose technological civilization far surpasses that of Earthlings, we care about the future of the entire universe. Now it seems that if there were a way to save the other planets in the solar system, even at the cost of destroying Earth, I would do it without hesitation." The Great God Tu Liehan smiled and lightly tapped the wall.

"Destroy the Earth?" I calmly countered.

The ancients said, "When the map is unrolled, the dagger is revealed." I know that the great god Tu Liehan will eventually reveal his true purpose.

A sudden silence fell over the room, with only the well on the screen stretching endlessly downwards, leading into the unknown, dark distance.

He nodded slightly: "You heard me right."

"Destruction is absolute, and it will come one day; existence is relative, and can only be maintained on the fragile coordinate of time. Mr. Wind, in my opinion, humanity does not necessarily have to depend on the Earth for survival. During my master's 'evolution,' I have felt unprecedented passion and joy—" Sahan turned around, no longer frowning, a wistful smile appearing on his lips. He spread his arms and flapped them up and down. "I can fly in the sky like a bird, read extensively like a computer and have a photographic memory, be free from disease and live forever, and eliminate all desires of love, hate, resentment, and hatred... In short, after 'evolution,' I am very happy. Compared to the time I spent trapped in the Earth world before, I have been 'reborn.'"

The awkward silence continued. The Great God of Earth, Tu Liehan, raised an eyebrow: "Wind, the ideals of Earthlings are actually very simple. Take Sahan, for example; they only seek to be superior to their kind, to stand out from the crowd. And I made him achieve that. He lives happily, enjoying the changes brought about by Saturnian technology. Actually, I know you're not happy at all. Why can't you relax, transcend the mundane world, and rise to the level of us Saturnians?"

I sighed, ending all the irrelevant topics: "I just want to find Suren, can you help me?"

While Suren is still suffering on the other side of the Crystal Wall, I do not wish to discuss the grand topic of the rise and fall of humanity at this moment. How can one sweep the world if one cannot even sweep one's own room? Everything should be discussed after Suren is freed.

Although the "ley lines" are mysterious, they have existed for hundreds of millions of years, and their existence cannot be determined overnight. Moreover, this so-called "determination" should not be made by the Saturnians.

The Great God Tu Liehan shrugged: "I can't do it. At least for now, with the spacecraft's dwindling energy, there's nothing I can do."

I changed my approach and asked, "Tell me, how did these crystal walls appear? Were they present at the same time as the formation of the Earth? Or are those strange obstacles part of the 'Asian Gear'?"

The great god Tu Liehan paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled bitterly: "Feng, these questions have no answers, just like Earthlings arguing about 'which came first, the chicken or the egg'. There is no answer. This matter itself is a living example of 'existence is truth'."

I was taken aback for a moment, then I realized: "Don't think about it, just do it, right?"

If you face a difficult problem, then try your best to solve it. If you do it correctly, then you will get the answer of "you did it right"; if you do it wrong, then you will get the answer of "you did it wrong". Before taking action, you cannot predict the outcome. This is the meaning of the answer from the great god Tu Liehan.

"Yes." He frowned and answered with only this one word.

A man in a gray robe hurried through the corridor and whispered a few words in Sahan's ear.

Sahan's expression changed: "Master, they can't break through Alpha's formation. The venomous insects seem endless, and the formation's changes are beyond the capabilities of a computer program. I think we should retreat for now and wait for a better opportunity." His face was full of shame.

My guess was right. Alpha's "Heavenly Spinning Dragon Control Array" contained extremely complex variations. The knowledge he possessed belonged to the essence of Guiguzi's Qimen Dunjia, not the incomplete parts learned by later generations. As a master to his apprentice, victory was naturally assured.

The Earth God, Tu Liehan, paced back and forth a few steps, then shook his head thoughtfully: "This is our last chance. The energy storage pod has been issuing consecutive warnings of its critical limit. If we don't want to fall into the depths of the earth's veins forever and perish with the planet, we must continue our efforts."

His imposing aura was waning, and at such a critical juncture of "survival or destruction," people from any planet would likely become anxious without exception.

“Dragon Tree Monk, tell Youlian to launch a ‘suicide attack’ and tear open a gap in the gate of life. If necessary, unleash an energy blast to create an opening. This is everyone’s only way to survive now.” Sahan patted the gray-robed man on the shoulder.

The man in the gray robe silently turned around and strode out.

"Nagarjuna" is a common pseudonym among Thai monks. As far as I know, there are at least eleven high-ranking monks named "Nagarjuna" in Thailand, all of whom live in seclusion in the "Buddha Relic Pagoda" outside Bangkok. Now I suspect that the one in front of me might be one of these reclusive monks.

Monks retreat into seclusion to resolve their life's dilemmas. If Saturnians could easily answer their questions, nine times out of ten they would become followers of the great god Saturn and completely abandon their original faith.

Suddenly, I really wanted to see what the "mutation" process of the Saturnians was like, that it could make so many peerless masters who roamed the world fall for them?

"If my elder brother were to meet the great god Tu Liehan, what kind of story would unfold between them?"

The gray-robed man's footsteps faded away, and the room fell silent again.

The well in the picture keeps changing as the camera zooms in. If you look at it for a few more seconds, you will be mesmerized, as if you have fallen into the well and are sliding into a bottomless abyss.

"How can I help you?" I don't even need to ask; I can guess the answer. They want to rush into Alpha's world to pave the way for seizing the "Asian Gear." Of course, so far, neither Alpha nor the Turks have been able to break through the barrier and enter the other side of the cave.

He laughed: "Help me with what? You know it, you just don't want to."

I nodded gently: "Perhaps we all share a common enemy, the six-armed monster Illusion Demon. If we can reconcile, we will surely destroy the Illusion Demon and become comrades on the same front."

Alpha has imprisoned the six-armed monster, but cannot completely destroy it, making it an intractable threat that can never be removed, thus preventing them from entering the sealed gate. They all need to draw upon the immense Earth energy from the "Asian Gear," but for the time being, none of them can get close to it.

"Of course I would—"

“Of course we are willing—” he and Elder Sahan replied eagerly.

"As long as the enemy exists, the variables will increase exponentially. I hope that the Illusion Demon will never exist again in the world. Only then will the Egyptian desert be completely at peace, free from sandstorms, and people will live in peace and prosperity, with nations coexisting in harmony. Wind, I would like to ask you to convey my opinion to Alpha: open that defensive passage so that our aircraft can go up."