In fact, even the elders of ninja clans don't know much about the Metal Element Technique. The Metal Element is the most difficult of the five elements to master. However, Ling Yun's intuition tells him that this ability to penetrate metal is completely different from the Metal Element Technique. It seems like he is inside the metal, but it is actually just an illusion created by a barrier. The real place should be an unobstructed passage.
The panoramic view extends the analysis results of the replicated ability, forming a penetrating overhead view. Ling Yun then realized that the passageway directly connected to the entrance of the overlapping space's barrier was itself an infinite, non-repeating circle, while the real passages were distributed on the walls of the passageway. If someone unaware of this, simply walking around the passageway would immediately alert the underground space's security forces.
The metal passage soon came to an end, and a soft light appeared in front of Ling Yun. After exiting the passage, a large glass elevator appeared in front of Ling Yun. There was no one inside, and there were no buttons on the side wall next to the elevator, only an automatic card reader. It seemed to be an elevator passage specifically for staff inside the barrier to enter and exit.
After thinking for a moment, Ling Yun swiped the same access card data into the sensor. The green light on the sensor flashed for a moment and then beeped. The two glass doors slowly opened, but Ling Yun did not go in immediately. Instead, he stood outside the elevator door and waited quietly for a moment. Just as the elevator door was about to close, he slipped inside. In the instant he entered, he transformed into a tall, deep-set-eyed, and muscular foreigner, who was none other than Dr. Black.
The elevator began its descent silently. There were no floor buttons or emergency call buttons inside, only a small pinhole camera tucked away in a corner. To Ling Yun's surprise, the elevator doors were one-way; one could see in from the outside, but not from the inside. However, this didn't escape Ling Yun's notice, given his panoramic vision. With just a slight expansion of his field of vision, Ling Yun quickly discovered the entire underground area of the Special Abilities Bureau.
This is a vast underground base, as massive as the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, extending hundreds of meters underground. Its space is vast and expansive; Ling Yun roughly estimates it to be at least tens of square kilometers, comparable to even the most powerful military bases.
After the elevator traversed a thick layer of earth and soil hundreds of meters deep, it passed through several spacious and brightly lit offices resembling giant offices. The panoramic view revealed nearly a hundred staff members in white coats busily working inside, all of whom were ordinary people. Occasionally, a few idle individuals in blue uniforms appeared, but they were all superhumans, though all were at the lowest level, so much so that Ling Yun's senses barely detected them.
With a soft hum, the elevator finally stopped its steady descent. Ling Yun scanned the panoramic view downwards and realized they had reached the bottom floor. Ling Yun silently counted; this massive underground base had eight floors in total, like a pagoda. Each floor doubled in size, and by the eighth floor, it was several times larger than the first. The ceiling heights also varied, from a few meters to a staggering twenty meters.
The overlapping space barrier is like a transparent glass dome that extends from the ground to the bottom, enveloping the entire underground base. In addition to its basic functions such as overlapping, invisibility, and verification, the barrier also has some basic architectural functions. The entire underground base has no load-bearing structure; all the weight is borne by the barrier. A nuclear power room with a size of only fifty square meters solves the energy problem.
The elevator doors slowly opened, and two staff members in white coats were waiting at the elevator entrance. They didn't notice Ling Yun, who had disappeared again inside. They gestured for each other to enter, and then stepped into the elevator one after the other.
Chapter 368 Biochemical Cloning
Up to this point, Ling Yun couldn't discern any connection between this underground base and the US Superpower Bureau. It didn't resemble the Superpower Bureau at all; it seemed more like a highly classified research institute. Although the panoramic view revealed a few idle superpowered individuals, they were merely ordinary, barely even rank of lieutenant-level, half-baked. If the US Superpower Bureau only had this many people, how could it possibly compete with other superpowered organizations?
Perhaps the powerful individuals are hidden in some enclosed room within the underground base; he just hasn't found them yet. Ling Yun thought to himself. After all, the area is vast, and the technology and barrier techniques are constantly evolving, so Ling Yun didn't dare to act rashly. He only roughly scanned the panoramic view. Because the barriers set up by the US Bureau of Supernatural Abilities themselves have a shielding effect, many areas were only vaguely glimpsed.
Moreover, the aura of the super-strong expert who abducted Xia Lan disappeared within the underground base. No matter what, they had to find Xia Lan first. A glint flashed in Ling Yun's eyes, and his invisible figure swiftly entered the main hall on the last underground level.
Compared to the upper floors, the lighting on the last floor was dim. The thousands of square meters of gray-brown cement floor were empty, like an unfinished construction site. The hall was rectangular, with dozens of tightly closed iron doors distributed along the walls at equal intervals.
Ling Yun's brows first relaxed, then furrowed again. He had just sensed Xia Lan's faint presence briefly, but for some reason, it vanished immediately. Regardless, a weight was lifted from Ling Yun's heart. As long as Xia Lan was alive, things would be much easier. He had little interaction with Xia Lan before, but this young woman had risked her life to save him and Xiao Rou. Ling Yun accepted this act of kindness, and even if it cost him his life, he had to rescue her.
He realized he had come to the right place; Xia Lan was indeed in this underground base. Ling Yun discreetly probed each door with his senses, carefully using his microscopic perception to avoid the presence of any super-powerful beings inside. Unless one possessed an exceptionally sensitive and powerful sense, it would be impossible for them to detect his exploration.
After trying more than a dozen iron gates, Xia Lan was not found inside. Some gates were completely silent, seemingly empty like the hall itself, while others emitted a rather rough and powerful aura, as if an extremely volatile creature was imprisoned inside. Ling Yun didn't know what kind of creature was inside. Although he was very curious, he held back, as finding Xia Lan's aura was still the top priority at the moment.
"Number 11 has been stable, how could it suddenly change?" An angry voice suddenly rang out, startling Ling Yun. He had just heard this voice before; wasn't it that old man Blake's voice?
"Doctor, I checked the gene sequence database. There was a small error in the sequencing of the temperature-controlled gene molecules, which caused the gene collapse. This means our research is not yet complete; the docking of the superpowered gene and the normal gene cannot be done naturally and seamlessly." A pleasant female voice rang out, serious and clear, with the demeanor of a synthesized female. It was Connie, the female assistant who exposed Blake smoking outside the barrier.
Ling Yun's curiosity was piqued. He was a bioengineering major, and although he hadn't taken many professional courses, his understanding of genes far surpassed normal theory. Moreover, with the Hand of God, Ling Yun could actually access the most microscopic level of genes, and he had personally modified his own and Xiao Rou's genes, and completely successfully. In a sense, Ling Yun was the world's number one person in terms of genes.
Hearing Blanco and Connie discussing such profound questions, Ling Yun immediately became interested. The sound was coming from inside an iron door. The enclosure here should have been very well sealed, but for some reason, Blanco and Connie's voices still came through clearly. In fact, even in a completely enclosed space, Ling Yun could clearly hear what they were talking about.
After the microscopic perception silently penetrated the iron gate, it presented everything inside to Ling Yun's mind.
Behind the iron gate was a huge laboratory, no less spacious and bright than the outer hall. The ceiling and walls were made of expensive luminescent materials, emitting a soft, snow-white light that illuminated the entire laboratory. Various electronic instruments, whose names I didn't know, were connected to black wires all around, and a slight humming sound emanated from them.
Near the two ends of the narrow section were rows of nutrient vessels, each three meters tall, filled with a dark blue nutrient solution. To Ling Yun's shock, these vessels contained rows of completely naked, unconscious human bodies, all bald and with their eyes closed. Dozens of colorful rubber cables were wrapped around their limbs and waists, some even extending into their nostrils and mouths. All the bodies appeared to be completely unaware, slowly bobbing and undulating in the nutrient solution as it was constantly being replenished.
Biochemical clones! The thought immediately popped into Ling Yun's mind. If he hadn't stumbled upon the underground headquarters of the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities today, he truly wouldn't have discovered this fact that could shock the entire world. It seems Deputy Chief Arbitrator Theodore was right; the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities does indeed have its own trump card, but this trump card is far too astonishing!
Standing beside Blake was a tall, blonde woman, also wearing gold-rimmed glasses. She appeared to be around thirty years old, with delicate features, but her face was cold and expressionless. This must be Connie, the assistant Dr. Blake had mentioned. At this moment, she was intently looking at something on a massive, high-tech computer, her slender fingers occasionally tapping on the keyboard. The sixty-inch LCD screen displayed two genetic sketches. Ling Yun immediately recognized that one was the genetic sequence of an ordinary person, and the other was the genetic sequence of a person with superpowers.
Connie tried to splice the two different gene sequences together on the computer, but no matter how hard she tried, changing the position and angle, the different gene molecules had no matching properties and would immediately repel each other if they got close.
Ling Yun shook his head inwardly. Genes can only be changed at the microscopic level. If one cannot delve into the microscopic level, everything is meaningless. What Connie did was tantamount to barbarically kneading two gene sequences together, so it was impossible to successfully splice them together. Although she had analyzed the gene sequences of ordinary people and those with superpowers separately, this was only the first step in a long journey. Success was still a long way off. Moreover, science had not yet developed to the point where it could detect deeper levels of material foundations. Connie naturally could not know the microscopic world. Presumably, this was also a problem that was troubling Dr. Blake.
“Oh, I see.” Dr. Black’s tone softened. He nodded noncommittally, with an expression of expectation. “Normal. If the minute details cannot be resolved, our experiment cannot continue. Connie, let’s pause the experiment of cloning superhumans for now. Let’s go on vacation for a while, give our brains a rest, and then we’ll get back to work.”
"Doctor!" Connie's eyes widened in disbelief. "Now is the time for us to put in even more effort to overcome this challenge. How can we rest? Didn't you say that success comes from 99% hard work? If we give up when we encounter difficulties, how can we do a good job of the experiment? I think we can definitely take down the final stronghold in one go." As she spoke, the female assistant confidently raised her small fist.
“You only told me half of what I meant. Success comes not only from 99 percent diligence but also from 1 percent inspiration. Most importantly, without that 1 percent inspiration, the 99 percent diligence is just a waste of effort,” the doctor said leisurely. “Scientific research requires a balance between work and rest. It’s not about working overtime to see results. Besides, our research has reached a bottleneck. This is not a problem that can be solved by diligence and thinking alone. Our current methods are not yet capable of reaching that level, so let’s put it aside for now. I will personally talk to the director. We can’t let the billions of dollars in research funding each year go to waste. We can put it into other projects first.”
“But Doctor,” Connie said anxiously, “you are a genius. In less than ten years, you have made the technology of cloning quite successful. We can now not only mass-produce clones, but also enhance their strength and speed within a certain range. In a sense, they are superhumans. I believe that as long as you work harder, you will definitely be able to clone real superhumans.”
Dr. Blake looked helplessly at her gleaming eyes: "Connie, how many times have I said it? Cloning ordinary people and cloning superhumans are two different concepts. Everything we've done hasn't exceeded the limits of cloning theory; at most, we've advanced it a few steps ahead. As for the enhancements in strength and speed, those are just external chemical methods, not real genetic changes. To clone superhumans, we must be able to operate at the microscopic genetic level. But right now, we can't even fully analyze the genetic sequence of superhumans, so how can we operate at the microscopic level? This is far beyond our modern scientific level. Can you imagine a medieval knight shooting with a Barrett? That's the realm of God, not something we can reach."
“Doctor, I believe you will have a way.” Connie remained unmoved and continued, her eyes shining. “You are an authority and a top scientist in the field of biological cloning, you are sure to be able to innovate. Besides, we can now observe at the microscopic level and produce electronic microorganisms like ants. As long as we combine the two, we can definitely adjust the genes of ordinary people into the genes of superhumans at the microscopic level.”
“Madman.” Dr. Blake muttered under his breath, frowning, but when he turned around, his face was beaming with a warm smile: “Connie, thank you for your encouragement. I think with your support, I’m not far from the Nobel Prize in Biology.”
“You will definitely succeed, Doctor. I will be your most steadfast supporter.” Connie looked up at the Doctor excitedly, her eyes now shining with adoration.
The doctor's body trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly. He then subtly moved a few steps away from his fervent female assistant, reluctantly pulling out a cigarette case from his lab coat. Just as he was about to light one, he suddenly remembered that smoking was strictly prohibited in the laboratory, and reluctantly put the case back. He pondered how to persuade his assistant, who was once again hunched over her computer, to stop her pointless work.
In Dr. Blake's view, the research on cloning superhumans could be put to a temporary halt. It wasn't that he didn't want to continue the research; even setting aside professional considerations and interests, he should continue his work for the sake of his tens of millions of dollars in personal salary each year.
However, current research is based on a deep and meticulous understanding of matter. In other words, it is almost impossible to conduct experiments on the microscopic world of genetic information as if it were the normal world. Although human optical microscopes can see the genetic map and draw out the entire genetic sketch, the most detailed gene sequencing has a rigorous scientific system. How can the genetic system formed by nature over millions of years be so easily reassembled and recombined? Reckless attempts will only waste millions of dollars worth of experimental materials.
Moreover, these are just the most basic problems encountered in the experiments. Even if they are solved, how can genes be adjusted at the microscopic level? And how can we ensure that gene recombination will not cause problems after adjustment? These questions involve major breakthroughs in human life sciences. If Blake can solve these problems, he will be another Newton or another Einstein. Why would he need to conduct experiments in the underground base of the American Bureau of Paranormal Abilities?
As for other issues involving politics, economics, and law, let's leave them aside; those are not issues scientists should worry about. However, biochemical cloning has actually exceeded the bottom line of humanity. Although governments around the world outwardly express their opposition, they are all secretly conducting research behind closed doors. But this must never be brought into the open, otherwise, if exposed by the media, even the president will be in deep trouble.
Was he destined to remain an underground scientist forever? Dr. Blake thought irritably, glancing involuntarily at Connie.
Connie wasn't unaware of these questions, but the single-minded female assistant firmly believed she could overcome them. Did she see me as God, or just an ordinary researcher? Dr. Blake gave a wry smile.
A clear voice suddenly rang out: "Doctor, Connie, I heard what you said. My personal opinion is that the research should continue. I don't know much about the biological field, but if you encounter a bottleneck, it might be better to take a break and try another path. I'll take my leave now."
Ling Yun was suddenly stunned. He had been using his senses to observe the entire laboratory and was certain that only the Doctor and Connie were inside. However, this voice came out of nowhere, and he didn't even notice it.
Chapter 369 Gene Collapse
This is almost impossible. Although the Eye of Illusion hasn't been activated, someone who can completely block Ling Yun's microscopic perception and make him unaware of anything shouldn't exist in this world. Even the strongest person like Tang Tiejin can only sense, not block, the virus. This has little to do with strength; it's like a physically strong person can protect against viruses and bacteria, but cannot prevent them from entering their body.
However, Ling Yun immediately understood where the problem lay. It turned out that there were indeed only Dr. Blake and Connie in the laboratory, but the sound was coming from a nutrient dish. A tall male test subject suddenly opened his eyes without warning, pulled out all the tubes and wires inserted into his body, and then leaped from the three-meter-high tempered glass nutrient dish. His body, dripping with countless nutrient solutions, landed silently in front of Dr. Blake and Connie, his naked body facing the two scientists openly, even though there was another woman among them.
The microscopic perception only swept across the numerous nutrient dishes. Although the test subjects were all full of life, they were all in a dormant state. Therefore, Ling Yun did not notice anything unusual about the male test subject. Judging from his tone, he seemed to be a superhuman from the American Superhuman Bureau.