Seeing that the assassin's reaction was exactly as he had expected, Yang Hongtao was overjoyed and quickly took two steps to hide on the other side of the transformer.
In this way, the two were now facing off against each other across the transformer, both armed and neither daring to show themselves, while neither could see the other.
Although Yang Hongtao's eyes could not see the other party, his keen soul power had a stronger ability to observe and see through things than his eyes.
Yang Hongtao had already tried it. When his soul power was sufficient, if he condensed his soul power into a single line, it could project a distance of eleven or twelve meters. It was not impossible to go further, but for every little distance beyond that, the consumption of soul power would increase exponentially, making it completely not worth the effort.
Fortunately, the transformer was only six or seven meters long, so Yang Hongtao didn't have to exert much effort to get a clear picture of the assassin hiding on the other side. When he discovered that the guy had pressed his entire body against the transformer's outer casing, a sinister smile crept onto his lips.
If you keep chasing me like this, I'll show you how to electrocute you...
Although Yang Hongtao had never killed anyone, which of the hundreds of remnant souls he had merged with were kind-hearted men and women in life? And since they all ended up being executed, almost every one of them had at least one life on their hands.
After absorbing the memories of these people, even if Yang Hongtao wasn't corrupted into being cruel and bloodthirsty, he was at least able to calmly face the life and death of others.
Moreover, this guy in front of him has been chasing him time and time again, trying to kill Yang Hongtao. Yang Hongtao wouldn't feel any guilt even if he killed this kind of person a hundred times.
So when Yang Hongtao confirmed that the assassin's body was in contact with the transformer, he immediately and without hesitation used his soul power to send a request to the independent soul of the transformer component he had just created—to change the tilt angle of a terminal...
However, after Yang Hongtao made the request, he only felt the terminal tremble slightly before returning to normal, without tilting even slightly.
Yang Hongtao could sense that the weak, independent soul did not intend to refuse his request, but... it seemed completely powerless!
Holy crap, this can't be that bad! Although the cost of creating this independent soul is small, it's still incredibly useless! If it can't even do something this simple, what's the point of me creating it?!
Yang Hongtao was both anxious and angry, extremely annoyed. However, after thinking about it, he understood the crux of the problem. He estimated that the failure this time had little to do with how much soul power the independent soul entity had consumed. It was probably mainly due to the nature of the request he made.
As with the previous two instances, whether it was the safe or the cell phone, the requests Yang Hongtao made were abilities that the items inherently possessed. It's just that these abilities were previously operated by humans, but now they are controlled autonomously by the independent soul within the item.
However, Yang Hongtao's request to the transformer part is a bit unreasonable! The same request would be useless even if it were sent to the independent soul entity inside the phone that consumed the most of Yang Hongtao's soul power and generated the strongest spirituality.
A mobile phone can possess sentience and consciousness, and can control itself to turn on and off and make calls, but if you want this mobile phone to jump to the ground and take a few steps on its own... that's completely impossible.
No matter how smart a mobile phone is, it can't change the fact that it doesn't have hands or feet. Even if it really wants to take a few steps, it still needs feet to move!
Now, Yang Hongtao wants to make the terminals on the transformer components tilt on their own. This is no different from making a mobile phone take two steps by itself. It's like trying to make a physical movement, which is naturally as difficult as climbing to the heavens!
Volume 1 The Rebirth of a Prodigy Chapter 33 Electrocute You
Yang Hongtao never imagined that all his efforts would be in vain, and that he would waste so much of his soul power.
Although creating an independent soul on the transformer's components consumes far less soul power than capturing the safe and the cell phone, it's still almost as much as the soul energy gained from fusing one or two remnant souls. Yang Hongtao naturally felt very distressed about wasting it like this.
Yang Hongtao, unwilling to give up, once again condensed his soul power into a line to peer through and observe the internal condition of the transformer. He suddenly discovered that the independent soul entity generated within that component was perhaps too weak, thus its dependence on him, the main soul, was stronger, and its natural repulsion was also weaker. When Yang Hongtao's condensed soul power accidentally touched the component, it was not repelled but instead showed signs of sticking together. At the same time, the entire component seemed to vibrate slightly due to the contact between the two soul energies.
How could this happen!
Yang Hongtao was slightly taken aback, then his heart leaped with joy. It seemed that even something without hands and feet could not be completely incapable of physical movement after gaining sentience. Since trembling could occur, why couldn't it tilt? Moreover, it now appeared that this originally lifeless object could not simply move physically after gaining a soul; it also needed at least a controllable driving force.
Although there is plenty of electrical energy flowing inside the transformer, this energy is beyond Yang Hongtao's control.
Fortunately, there is another type of energy that Yang Hongtao can control freely, namely his soul power. Although this energy feels somewhat ethereal, it is real and can generate a certain physical force when applied to physical objects. The vibration of the component just now is enough to prove everything.
Of course, relying on the power of the soul to convert into energy is not very efficient, but there is no other good way at the moment, so we have to give it a try.
A continuous stream of soul power began to surge from Yang Hongtao's forehead once again, rushing towards the terminals inside the transformer.
Yang Hongtao initially intended to use this soul power like qigong, relying on this ethereal energy impact to forcefully knock down the terminal.
However, after trying it a few times, Yang Hongtao realized how foolish this approach was. The nature and function of energy are different. For example, the characteristics of light energy are that it can be used for illumination and that it is fast.
Therefore, if you want to utilize light energy, you should start from these two aspects. If you insist on using light energy to heat matter, although it will produce a little effect, the waste of this energy is astonishing.
Using soul power as a power source is the same as using light energy as a heat source. The efficiency is naturally hopeless. Yang Hongtao estimated that even if he gave up all the soul power in his body, it would still not be enough to bend that terminal to the required angle.
Just as Yang Hongtao was feeling very discouraged and about to give up, he suddenly felt that his control over the independent soul within that component had increased significantly.
This transformation was probably due to his constant dispatch of soul power to impact this direction. Although the impact process consumed a lot of energy, it also allowed a portion of the soul power to be directly absorbed by the independent soul within this component.
After absorbing a large amount of soul power, the independent soul naturally became much stronger and more spiritual. However, it was also assimilated to Yang Hongtao, the main soul, and almost became a puppet under Yang Hongtao's control.
It felt like this independent soul was still a relatively independent existence, but its dependence on Yang Hongtao, the main soul, had become even stronger.
If Yang Hongtao used to need to make a request to get this independent soul to do something, now he can simply issue an order.
Although these two statements seem to lead to the same result, they are actually worlds apart. Requests can be rejected, while commands must be obeyed. Even if a request is executed immediately, the efficiency of execution will be completely different.
Yang Hongtao now sensed the difference between the two points. When Yang Hongtao felt that he could directly issue commands to the independent soul within the component, he quickly discovered that the command was executed from within by the independent soul. Consuming the same amount of soul power, the effect achieved was hundreds of times stronger than when he directly used soul power from the outside to impact it.
The soul power was still being consumed at the same rate, but the terminal block had begun to tilt slowly at a visible speed...
The young assassin hid behind the transformer, keeping a close eye on Yang Hongtao's movements. He sensed that Yang Hongtao was lurking motionless on the other side of the transformer, which gave him a headache.
If I had known this target was so capable, I definitely wouldn't have accepted this mission under any circumstances.
Even if they were to accept the task, they wouldn't offer such a paltry reward of a mere 300,000.
The intelligence was seriously flawed! Who said this guy was just an unloved rich kid who couldn't do anything but eat, drink, gamble, and whore? He clearly received training that was almost on par with professional assassins! Judging from his reactions today, his reaction speed and marksmanship are both astonishing.
Moreover, his investigative and intelligence capabilities are equally terrifying. Almost no one knows this young assassin's phone number except for the organization that he contacts, but Yang Hongtao just called him and even guessed that he probably works in a restaurant or similar place!
Could it be that someone within the organization betrayed me? Otherwise, how could they possibly know my phone number?
In fact, Yang Hongtao certainly didn't have any intelligence network, let alone any helpers in that assassin organization.
But since he was able to create an independent soul within the assassin's phone, what information in that phone could possibly be kept from Yang Hongtao?
The poor assassin never imagined that such an incredible ability existed in the world. Naturally, he couldn't fathom the reason behind it, and the more he couldn't understand it, the more frightened he became.
Despite his fear, now that his real-life identity had been exposed, even if it weren't for completing the mission, he couldn't let Yang Hongtao go any further. In any case, one of these two people had to disappear completely today!
After calming down slightly, the assassin assessed the situation and realized that forcing his way through the transformer from both sides would most likely be futile.
The other party's pistol didn't look like a toy gun, and his marksmanship was definitely not that of a novice. Taking any rash action would only be suicide! However, doing nothing and just dragging things out with the other party was obviously not a solution either. After all, he was a killer with blood on his hands. Although he wasn't carrying a gun, he was even more nervous than Yang Hongtao, who was illegally possessing a gun.
After hesitating for a moment, the young assassin decided to quietly climb up the transformer in front of him. If he could deceive Yang Hongtao and give him a chance to suddenly launch a cross-shaped dart from above, then everything would be foolproof. At the very least, he could take advantage of the terrain, and then Yang Hongtao below would have nowhere to hide!
Thinking of this, the young assassin perked up, put one of the darts back into his waistband, held only one in his right hand, and then climbed up quickly, clinging to the protruding part of the transformer.
One centimeter, two centimeters... When Yang Hongtao's soul power had been consumed by about two-thirds, the sturdy terminal finally tilted to one side according to Yang Hongtao's wishes.
The high-voltage arc had already begun to wreak havoc between the two points, but a little bit of power was still needed to directly supply the high-voltage electricity to the transformer's casing.
Yang Hongtao dared not be careless. Before completing the task, he paused slightly, quietly took two steps back to keep a certain distance between himself and the transformer, and raised one foot to stand on one leg. This way, even if there was a pressure difference on the ground, he would not be seriously injured as he only had one foot on the ground.
After making these preparations, Yang Hongtao quickly diverted a wisp of his soul power to observe the young assassin's movements through the bulky transformer.
He had to make sure the young assassin's body was still in contact with the transformer so that his move would be effective. Otherwise, if the guy realized the danger of the transformer and backed away like he did, all his efforts would be in vain.
To Yang Hongtao's surprise, he discovered that the creature was like a gecko, silently and slowly climbing up the transformer.
Holy crap, they actually pulled this trick on me!
Yang Hongtao was startled when he saw this. He thought to himself that it was fortunate that he had acted quickly enough. Otherwise, if he had hesitated any longer, this kid might have suddenly delivered a fatal blow from above, which would have been no fun at all!
Fortunately, the timing was perfect. Just as I was about to apply high voltage to the transformer casing, that guy climbed onto the transformer on his own.
Yang Hongtao was initially worried that if only a small part of this guy's body was in contact with the transformer's outer shell, with his skills as a professional assassin, he might be able to break free from the high-voltage current's attraction when it came! But now, this guy has climbed all over the transformer. If he doesn't get electrocuted to death, it would be an absolute injustice!
Volume 1 The Rebirth of a Prodigy Chapter 34 Fusion of a New Soul
Yang Hongtao chuckled inwardly and waited a little longer until he sensed with his soul power that the young assassin had already climbed most of his body onto the top of the transformer. Then, he channeled his soul power into the component inside the transformer again and, with a burst of energy, pushed the terminal block into the intended position.
"Buzz—buzz—" A loud electrical sound suddenly rang out from the transformer's casing. The young assassin, who was lying on the transformer, shuddered. The hair on his head stood up like Zhang Fei, and his muscles rippled violently.
He opened his mouth instinctively, wanting to call for help, but his vocal cords and trachea had completely spasmed, and he couldn't make a sound at all. Just a few seconds later, the poor killer's convulsions slowed down, and then he emitted a pungent, acrid smell and started emitting black smoke.
Wow, this high-voltage electricity is amazing! It actually burned a grown person to a crisp in no time?
Yang Hongtao was stunned by the scene. Then, when he looked up, he saw a transparent shadow slowly rise from the young assassin's body, float blankly in mid-air, and circle around the corpse on the transformer.
This must be the killer's soul!
This was the first time Yang Hongtao had ever seen a newly deceased soul at night. Since there was no sunlight at night, it shouldn't dissipate so quickly. He wondered what would happen to the soul if it didn't dissipate anytime soon.
Do Black and White Impermanence, Ox-Head and Horse-Face really exist in this world? I wonder if this newborn soul will be taken to another world?
Having already died once, Yang Hongtao naturally cared more about such matters than ordinary people. Therefore, he couldn't care about anything else for a moment, and just looked up at the ethereal soul in the air, wanting to see what kind of fate awaited the assassin's soul after death.
However, to Yang Hongtao's surprise, the assassin's spirit quickly recovered from its dazed state. After circling his corpse twice, it suddenly turned around, looked at Yang Hongtao standing below, and let out a series of eerie cries.
Yang Hongtao was taken aback by what he saw, thinking to himself: He really is a fierce person, even in death he is a fierce ghost! He regained consciousness so quickly?
Yang Hongtao had witnessed the execution of death row inmates several times. He observed that the souls of those who died were usually in a daze for a long time, unable to do anything except linger over their corpses or the place of their death. Even the fastest to regain consciousness would take at least eight to ten minutes before they realized they were dead! Of course... Yang Hongtao himself was an exception. His soul was bound to the bullet by his own six-syllable mantra, and he remained perfectly conscious from beginning to end, without a moment's distraction.
Although the assassin's performance was not as good as Yang Hongtao's, it was several times stronger than any of the death row inmates Yang Hongtao had ever seen. He regained consciousness in just a minute or two. It seems this ghost is no ordinary person!
"squeak--"
The ethereal soul seemed to know that Yang Hongtao was behind his death. As soon as it saw Yang Hongtao, a fierce glint flashed in its eyes. It let out a sharp shriek, and its transparent form leaped down from the air, extending its two ghostly claws to viciously grab Yang Hongtao's neck.
"Wow, they're really risking their lives!"
Yang Hongtao was startled by what he saw. His soul power had shrunk to an all-time low after the previous depletion. However, he sensed that his remaining soul power was much stronger than the assassin's soul. Therefore, no matter how ferocious the ghost was, it couldn't possibly harm him. He estimated that as soon as the assassin's ghostly claws touched Yang Hongtao's body, they would bounce away like a ball. Yang Hongtao shouldn't be afraid of this ghost at all.
However, Yang Hongtao didn't want to risk letting those ghostly claws scratch his neck, even if they didn't hurt him! Just thinking about it was unsettling, wasn't it?
Yang Hongtao originally wanted to use the soul power in his body to block this newly born evil spirit, but he had just consumed too much soul power and was now feeling a bit weak. He estimated that even if he used all the remaining soul power, he might not be able to subdue this fierce evil spirit. In the end, he would only be reducing his soul power reserves by a lot.
If all else fails, we'll have to merge with this evil spirit!
Originally, Yang Hongtao didn't intend to do anything to the assassin's soul, but he didn't expect that the evil spirit would refuse to let him go. As a result, Yang Hongtao naturally had no room for mercy!
In fact, after turning over a new leaf, Yang Hongtao had always been somewhat conflicted, especially after discovering that his current soul power could actually create independent soul entities, which often put him in a dilemma.
On the one hand, he knew how important this soul power was to him; as long as he had enough soul power, he could possess godlike strength.
But... his soul power is limited right now, and every little bit he uses diminishes it. If he doesn't get replenished, his soul power will probably drop to the same level as an ordinary person, or even less, after using it once more.
To replenish and strengthen his soul power, he could only continue to devour and merge with newly born souls. Regardless of whether this was in accordance with the laws of nature or whether it was too immoral, the only way he could devour other souls was by reciting the Six-Syllable Mantra.
But when he thought of the scene when he was shot at the execution ground... the bullet hadn't even hit his body yet, but his soul had already been condensed and bound by the six-syllable mantra he had recited.
This means that... strictly speaking, he didn't die by being shot in his previous life, but was actually condensed to death by the soul-binding power of the Six-Syllable Mantra. Even if the armed police officer behind him hadn't fired, he would already be a dead man whose soul and body were separated!
The problem now is... if he still wants to devour and merge with other souls while he is still alive, will reciting that magical six-syllable mantra cause him to repeat the same mistake, separating his body and soul again and becoming neither alive nor dead?
It's been less than a day since Yang Hongtao was reborn as a human, but this troublesome problem has been tormenting him for a long time, and he still can't make up his mind.
However, when the assassin's ghost rushed straight at him, Yang Hongtao immediately made up his mind.