Technological explosion, or rather, power explosion. Jiang Liu learned another term and theory. He had encountered it before: Hong Yi, the protagonist of the "Yang Shen" world, and Wang Chao from "Dragon and Snake," who broke through the upper limit of the world's power in a short period of time, reaching an unbelievable level.
Leah gazed at the dazzling fireworks, then said in a deep voice, "Our wizarding world, to be precise, is now in the Third Wizarding Era. In the First Era, the ancient wizards were destroyed by a terrifying civilization, a world where cultivation was based on the Dao. The Second Era was a period of destruction and technological explosion; a not-so-powerful plane saw the emergence of a powerful civilization in a short time—the Singer Civilization. In this battle, the wizards suffered heavy losses. Therefore, once a world is abandoned and no longer has wizards stationed there, it must be completely destroyed..."
Chapter 299 Soul Judgment
The Dark Forest Theory!
The noun that had appeared in the text suddenly popped into Jiang Liu's mind.
The universe is a dark forest, and every civilization is an armed hunter, sneaking through the woods like a ghost, gently parting the branches that block its path, trying its best not to make a sound, and even breathing must be done with caution: it must be careful, because there are hunters like it sneaking around in the forest, and if it discovers other life, there is only one thing it can do: shoot and destroy it.
In this forest, others are hell, an eternal threat. Any life that exposes its existence will soon be destroyed. This is the picture of cosmic civilization.
Survival is an eternal theme!
Jiang Liu seemed to understand something, yet he didn't understand anything at all!
However, Middle-earth was completely destroyed in the blink of an eye!
The fireworks were dazzling, seemingly a tribute to the destruction of a world.
The destruction of Middle-earth weighed heavily on Jiang Liu's mind. He didn't consider changing it, nor did he have the power to do so. His own problems remained unresolved; the greatest test was yet to come.
The second interrogation began.
You will die!
Grote, with a cigar in his mouth, made a throat-slitting gesture toward Jiang Liu.
Jiang Liu sneered and said in a low voice, "You too!"
"Go in! The Heavenly Spirit is already waiting for you!"
The one speaking to Jiang Liu was also an Autobot. It seems that this seventh-ring True Spirit Wizard must have participated in the war against Cybertron thirty years ago, which is why he was able to capture so many Autobots.
Standing once again in the spacious hall, facing them were the three Stigmata Wizards and Lia. Lia was now wearing a wizard's robe, a symbol of a Stigmata Wizard. Having broken through to the third ring, she was naturally a fourth-ring Stigmata Wizard and thus qualified to stand here.
Jiang Liu glanced over and noticed a mysterious tattoo at the corner of her eye. It was formed from the will of a wizard, representing her identity as a holy wizard and the great fortune bestowed by the wizard's heavenly way.
"You are the Soul Wizard Grimm!"
The voice came from all directions, penetrating straight into the soul. Without a doubt, the speaker was the true spirit wizard "Apocalypse".
Although he hadn't appeared, there was no doubt that this powerful wizard was currently observing him with his spiritual power. Jiang Liu dared not be careless and cautiously said, "Respected Apocalyptic True Spirit, Third Ring Soul Wizard Green, I accept the scrutiny of the Great Will!"
"After discussions with the other Stigmata Wizards, I will soon conduct a soul trial on you. Under the witness of the great wizard's will, we will determine whether you are related to the death of the bloodline wizard Soren! You have the right to apply for compensation after being found not guilty! I... the True Spirit Wizard Apocalypse, will compensate you for the damage to your soul in accordance with the treaty of the Wizard Alliance! If you have no objections, please state your request!"
Jiang Liu expressed extreme "unwillingness" and said, "I have no objection! I hope that after I am found not guilty, Grote should accept the appropriate punishment."
"Slandering any wizard will naturally incur punishment. He will compensate you double for the harm you have suffered, and will also be sent to the most dangerous plane to expand the wizarding world for thirty years... Name the compensation you require!"
"Gourmet cells! I need gourmet cells that can make up for my damaged value..." Jiang Liu shouted.
"Gourmet Cells?" Everyone looked at Jiang Liu in surprise, even Leah was somewhat astonished.
"I see. No wonder you don't object to this trial... Gourmet Cells, these are priceless treasures. Within the Wizard Alliance, they require a hundred years of merit to exchange for. You can't obtain them at your current level. Are you asking for an exorbitant price, or are you simply ignorant and fearless... Fine, I'll grant your wish! Four Saints, we will witness this soul trial together. Do you have any objections?"
“No objection!” Jiang Liu said.
"A great will, to judge the soul of the man before you... Judge him whether he has fallen into darkness! Judge him whether he murdered the bloodline wizard Sauron!"
In an instant, a pure white light enveloped the river.
The wizard's will swept over, like a mountain pressing down on the river. An immense pressure suddenly enveloped his entire body, instantly immobilizing him. Then, the wizard's will invaded his soul, reaching its very depths.
It seemed that everything about him was exposed to the judgment of the great wizard's will, with no privacy or concealment whatsoever.
Jiang Liu's wisp of divine consciousness had long been hidden by "the one who escaped," and the wizard's will condensed by the seventh-ring true spirit wizard could not detect it.
Three seconds passed, ten seconds passed... the white light still enveloped the river.
Just as Leah was about to speak, the old man beside her pressed her hand down and shook his head slightly.
Enveloped in white light, Jiang Liu began to bleed from his seven orifices.
“Damn it, this is going to kill me! Is it trying to destroy the foundation of my cultivation? Grote, you old man, the Mechanical Heart... If I don't avenge this, I, Jiang Liu, will write my name backwards!”
The soul was constantly damaged by the white light, but not completely destroyed. Clearly, although the True Spirit Wizard had great power, he could not arbitrarily take the life of a third-ring wizard.
"Unfortunately, you tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice instead. Although the injury to the soul is terrible, it is not difficult for me to recover from such damage... Moreover, you have given me a thorough understanding of the will of the wizard's heaven!"
Just after fifteen seconds had passed, Leah suddenly spoke up: "Great Apocalyptic Spirit, time has reached the limit for a third-circle wizard. Are you really going to destroy a gifted soul wizard?"
The white light abruptly stopped, and the seventh-ring wizard who had never appeared before transmitted his voice: "Eclipse Lydia, I never kill any wizard unless he is guilty!"
"Soul Wizard Grimm, by the will of the Great Spirit Wizard, I, the True Spirit Wizard Apocalypse, declare you innocent!"
The sound gradually faded away. Jiang Liu was barely able to stand. The blood flowing from his seven orifices had turned black, making him look extremely terrifying.
Jiang Liu's legs seemed a little weak, but he stood firm and grinned maliciously, "Heh... how should we deal with Grote's false accusations against me?"
The voice of the True Spirit Wizard did not reappear.
“He will compensate you for two hundred years of merit…” The stigmata of the “Mechanical Heart” had a very ugly expression, but still maintained its dignity.
Leah smiled broadly and then said, "I don't think his achievements are two hundred years old..."
"Then I, Mechanical Heart, will make up for it, and you won't be left out!"
After saying that, he and the Ouroboros stigmata turned and left.
"Is a two-hundred-year achievement really that valuable?" Jiang Liu asked Liya.
"Very high? Heh... I spent thirty years in Middle-earth, and even with the treasures I contributed, I only accumulated eighty years of merit... But do you think a mere two hundred years of merit plus the Gourmet Cells can offset your damage? You've severed your foundation. With your talent and your youthful capital, if you had advanced to the Saintly Mark before the age of thirty, you would have gained the attention of the Great Will and accumulated even greater fortune. But now, your soul is injured. Although it can recover, how long will it take? Ten years, thirty years? You've gained these things, but you've lost much more..."
"The Mechanical Heart is cutting off your path to cultivation, and you're still gloating! You'd better watch yourself! The Mechanical Heart won't let you off easy. Like I said before, I recommend you join the Seven Rings Tower!"
"I'm used to being free!"
Jiang Liu still refused Lia's offer. He had too many secrets, and joining the "Seventh Ring Tower" would inevitably impose restrictions and put him through trials. He didn't have time to waste.
Chapter 300 Gourmet Cells
Having endured the judgment of a wizard's great will, the soul is severely damaged. Although it can recover over time, for an ordinary wizard, it would take at least ten years. Unless one obtains a supreme treasure for restoring the soul, or possesses a cultivation technique like Jiang Liu's, the soul cannot be restored.
According to Jiang Liu's understanding, the cultivation system of wizards is quite different from that of cultivators and Qi refiners. If Qi refiners cultivate from the inside out, achieving transcendence and spiritual sublimation through understanding the "Dao," they do not care about the physical body.
Therefore, wizards gain powerful strength from the outside in by modifying their bloodline and controlling the elements.
The bloodline of a wizard, encompassing all things, is indeed suitable for absorbing powerful bloodlines to achieve self-enhancement.
Therefore, the world of wizards, in its study of the soul and its understanding of the Tao, is not as advanced as the world of "Journey to the West" or even "Shushan".
Jiang Liu was not concerned about the damage to his soul. He said that it would take less than a year, let alone ten years, and he could recover in a month.
Jiang Liu was not in a hurry to heal his soul injury; a small trinket caught his attention.
What dispelled Jiang Liu's desire to retreat and recover was a blue object the size of a pea in his hand, which made him fall into deep thought.
This thing is the "Gourmet Cell," a treasure given to him as compensation by the seventh-circle True Spirit Wizard, Apocalypse. According to him, it is worth a hundred years of merit.
Merit is a qualitative assessment by the Wizarding League of a wizard's contributions, equivalent to money or credits. One hundred years of merit is a lot; Leah, for example, guarded Middle-earth for thirty years and contributed a great deal of treasure, only to earn eighty years of merit. This shows how precious merit is, and even more so, how valuable "Gourmet Cells" are.
He inquired about some information from Leah, who also gave him a dozen or so books about the research findings on "gourmet cells".
After finishing the book, Jiang Liu fell into deep thought.
These gourmet cells originated from a place called the Gourmet Realm, which, according to legend, was discovered by the god of food, Acacia, in a type of jellyfish in the deep sea—the Phantom Jellyfish. The god of food discovered that the cells inside the jellyfish were more active than those of ordinary fish, and that the limbs of the Phantom Jellyfish would regenerate after being eaten, and that animals that ate the jellyfish would become even more delicious.
They also discovered that life forms that eat phantom jellyfish can evolve as a result.
Later, through Acacia's research, gourmet cells were implanted into the human body, which activated human cells. Human life could evolve after consuming gourmet food, and at the same time, human strength would surpass that of ordinary humans, exceeding human limits.
After the wizards invaded the Gourmet World, years of research revealed that Gourmet Cells exist within the human body in the form of demons, granting their hosts immense power. However, if the demons within cannot be suppressed, even wizards can be possessed and their bodies devoured by the demons.
"Appetite is the source of power, achieving evolution through special delicacies. But as one grows stronger, the demon within also grows stronger, and then the gourmet cells replace all the cells in the body... Truly a demon! No wonder even wizards dare not easily fuse with gourmet cells..."
Jiang Liu looked at the cluster of blue cells in his palm, comparing it with the information in the book, and thought to himself, "The most powerful food demons are black and white, followed by blue, red, and other colors. The desire to eat is a pure survival instinct, naturally incredibly strong. Let's see if it's stronger than the inner demon or the heavenly demon..."
The process involves fusing "food cells," or more accurately, having "food cells" devour their own cells and then replace the devoured cells.
By further replacing a certain organ, one can gain the corresponding abilities of the "Gourmet Demon".
For a host who obtains "Gourmet Cells," once the "Gourmet Cells" have replaced all other cells, the demon fully awakens and completely takes over the host. Whether the demon takes over the host or the host depends on the will of both parties.
Jiang Liu was quite adept at dealing with inner demons and celestial demons, so he wasn't too worried.
The moment the "food cells" merged into his body, Jiang Liu felt an immense hunger.
Desire makes people powerful.
The world is as big as your heart.
After the blue "gourmet cells" devoured a small cluster of cells in the body, the "gourmet demon" was released from Pandora's box. A blue demon with horns appeared in Jiang Liu's sea of consciousness, letting out a wild, savage laugh.
Jiang Liu sneered, his Dao heart stirred, and suddenly, golden light seemed to bloom between his brows, his eyes becoming deep and indifferent, as if he were a god looking down at the heavens. Instantly, a tortoise-snake image condensed in his sea of consciousness, this was the true form of the True Martial Emperor, and then it transformed into a figure wearing a black robe, an indescribable majesty surging forth.
This majesty was the awe-inspiring power of a god-king who reigns over all heavens. The sea of consciousness instantly froze, and the image of the blue demon exploded, scattering into countless fragments.
"Huh! The demon didn't die, but returned to the gourmet cell. How amazing! Is it waiting to regenerate its power? Hmm... I'm so hungry! Luckily, I prepared enough food..."
Having studied "gourmet cells" for so many years, the wizard has provided a detailed description of the reactions after consuming them.
The most important of these is hunger!
Intense hunger!
Jiang Liu devoured the high-calorie food he had prepared. Although he was full, he sensed that there was no sign of evolution in his "food cells".
"Indeed, only gourmet food can drive cell evolution! That old man named Zeus, perhaps the food he makes can evolve gourmet cells... or maybe a rare treasure like Dragon Tooth Rice can too!"
Sensing his body's absorption of food energy, Jiang Liu immediately noticed the enormous changes his body had undergone after acquiring the "gourmet cells." If the energy absorption and utilization rate was previously 0%, it was now 0.
The body's strength and recovery speed have also been greatly enhanced.
After taking out the crystal ball and sensing it, Jiang Liu gained a clear understanding of the abilities of the "Gourmet Cells":
Mental strength: 46
Magic Power: 4525