roccoschili Chapter 797 - 797: Meteorites from Outer Space_1
Chapter 797 - 797: Meteorites from Outer Space_1
Since the first entrance to the Underworld appeared, more such entrances have gradually emerged around the world, and hordes of monsters have flooded the surface.In the beginning, the Cultivator Soldiers handled the situation capably, even easily gaining the upper hand.
However, as monster numbers increased, the enemies became more numerous and powerful. The situation shifted from an advantage to a stalemate, and now it's caught in a seesaw battle.
Nonetheless, with external pressure, technology began to advance rapidly. The number of Cultivator Soldiers significantly increased, showing signs of a potential counteroffensive.
This could be seen as a rebound from rock bottom.
However, the situation within Great Zhao Country was not so calm. Dongfang Xiang was at the center of the storm. What was once a favorable situation was now incurring massive expenses, even if it wasn't entirely an uphill battle.
"That concludes today's meeting." Dongfang Xiang rubbed his temples, looking a bit tired. After all, he wasn't a Cultivator Soldier, just an ordinary person.
Of course, Cultivator Soldiers were also ordinary people, not Martial Artists; they simply underwent various training regimens that made their physical fitness far exceed that of ordinary individuals.
"Great Commander, please wait a moment. We've just received a report from the Astronomical Observatory." The secretary rushed in anxiously without even knocking.
Dongfang Xiang, who had stood up and was about to leave, paused. Then, with a gesture of his hand, he signaled for everyone to sit down again.
"What report?" Dongfang Xiang inquired.
The secretary quickly projected the report onto a screen. It displayed a blurry image, resembling a cluster of golden light specks.
Everyone watched this scene in confusion. As they were not astronomy specialists, they naturally didn't quite understand what these things signified.
"According to the Astronomical Observatory, each of these golden specks of light is a meteorite, and they are currently heading towards us."
"The Impact event will cause a large amount of dust to enter the atmosphere, blocking the Sun for up to one year."
"In addition, a large amount of sulfuric acid entering the stratosphere in aerosol form will reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the ground by 10% to 20%, hindering plant photosynthesis."
"It may take nearly a decade for the aerosols in the stratosphere to completely settle. This will cause a massive disappearance of plants and phytoplankton, leading to the extinction of herbivores and predators in the upper layers of the food chain."
"These are the long-term effects. Furthermore, within hours of the Impact, large amounts of infrared radiation will penetrate the atmosphere, harming exposed organisms. The Impact itself and the subsequent falling ejecta will trigger global firestorms."
"And then there's acid rain..."
Listening to the secretary's report, everyone fell silent.
They had experienced meteorite impacts before, but never one this terrifying.
"Can the Cultivator Soldiers deal with it?" Dongfang Xiang asked the crucial question. Their only military power now consisted of the Cultivator Soldiers.
"We don't have a definitive answer yet, but according to the Astronomical Observatory's estimates, this cluster of golden meteorites will arrive within three days at most."
"Besides the ecological impact, it might also affect our financial and economic systems because these meteorites are very likely to be... Gold." The secretary paused here.
If that much Gold were to fall, our financial system would truly collapse.
Our current currency is pegged to Gold.
"That's not the primary concern now. We can address the financial impact after the ecological crisis is resolved." Dongfang Xiang was somewhat exasperated. Of all times to worry about finance!
"How many Cultivator Soldiers can we spare?" Dongfang Xiang then asked the attendees.
Everyone attending this meeting held significant power and authority. Some were even directly responsible for strategic command, deployment, and other matters concerning the Underworld.
"I'm afraid the outlook isn't optimistic," one official sighed. "If we reassign more than ten percent of our forces, problems will inevitably arise on the main battlefield."
"I recall our advisors assessing that the Cavernous Micro-Ecology possesses a collective consciousness. Could we potentially cooperate and arrange a temporary ceasefire?" Dongfang Xiang asked.
"Once the ecology changes, not only will we be affected, but the other side will inevitably be affected too."
Dongfang Xiang's idea was sound, but it was immediately refuted by some of those present.
"I'm afraid not. Although we refer to their domain as the Underworld, our current data indicates that the Underworld is clearly a Different Space, separate from our surface world."
"Therefore, what affects our world won't necessarily extend to the Underworld," an official stated calmly.
This meant the surface Human Clan would suffer devastating losses. In contrast, the Cavernous Micro-Ecology from the Underworld would, at most, lose the forces it had deployed to the surface. Even if these forces were its main strength, its home territory, serving as its logistical base, would remain unaffected and recover much faster than the humans.
Dongfang Xiang did not question their assessment but quietly contemplated his strategy.
"We need to confront the meteorite swarm head-on, but we cannot drag the Cavernous Micro-Ecology into suffering the same damage."
"In that case, what if we aim to harm them, even if it brings us no direct benefit?" Dongfang Xiang stated his plan. Since we cannot ensure our own survival, the alternative is to drag the enemy into the quagmire with us, forcing them to endure this calamity alongside us. Rather than seeking a complete solution for ourselves, it's better to weaken the enemy.
"We can first attempt to make contact. If they refuse to cooperate, we can rupture the boundaries of the Underworld, thereby increasing its exposure to the Impact," another official suggested.
The Underworld was indeed a Different Space, separate from theirs, yet this didn't mean it would be completely unaffected.
The current entrances to the Underworld, even the smallest, were a hundred kilometers wide, with the largest spanning thousands of kilometers. It would be untrue to claim they wouldn't be affected at all.
After all, closing these entrances was now impossible. When the meteorites struck, the devastation would inevitably penetrate into that Different Space, posing a definite threat to them.
"We only need to persuade the Cavernous Micro-Ecology to agree to a temporary ceasefire. Then, the Cultivator Soldiers can be reassigned and will be able to easily shatter the meteorites."
The official's suggestion still prioritized preserving the ecosystem.
The Cultivator Soldiers were immensely powerful. If they weren't currently tied down by the Cavernous Micro-Ecology, dealing with these meteorites wouldn't fundamentally be a major problem.
"Will twenty-four hours be enough for you?" Dongfang Xiang looked at the person who had made the suggestion. Since you suggested it, you'll naturally be the one to carry it out.
The official pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Twelve hours will be sufficient. We can also prepare the weakening strategy in advance, in case negotiations fail."
A full day wouldn't even be necessary; half a day would suffice. It was merely a matter of arranging someone to communicate with the collective consciousness of the Cavernous Micro-Ecology. If it was willing, an agreement could be reached in one or two hours. If not, the matter would be concluded in three minutes. A refusal to communicate would clearly signify its rejection of their proposal. As for delaying for political reasons—what time was there for such maneuvers? The end of the world was imminent. One misstep, and they could all perish. Delay was simply not an option.
"Good. I'll await your news." Hearing this, Dongfang Xiang felt a sense of relief. At least, in the face of a life-or-death crisis, no one was being muddle-headed.
Several people then excused themselves from the meeting. A matter of this magnitude couldn't be handled by just one person; it required further planning and coordination.
"Next..." Dongfang Xiang began to speak again. Regardless of whether communication with the Cavernous Micro-Ecology's consciousness was successful, they needed contingency plans. Thus, they had to discuss new procedures and countermeasures.
...
In the Underworld, the colossal Flesh and Blood Relic suspended in the sky opened a single eye. Its other aspect, a bizarre personification of mercy, appeared even more grotesquely twisted.
"Finally back. How can the time flow rate even change like this?" Wang Linchi had temporarily lodged his consciousness within the Flesh and Blood Relic. His previous physical form had already completely assimilated the entire Underworld. This thing can serve as a vessel for the Heaven and Man Five Decay in the future.
"I'm back a bit late, but fortunately, the automated programs executed well."
After Wang Linchi's consciousness had previously entered a state of slumber, he had withdrawn and paid no further attention to it. All affairs were left to the Soul Computer. Thankfully, no bugs occurred, and development and invasion proceeded normally.
According to his previous estimates of the time-flow ratio, he should have returned within a century. However, a century had already passed by the time he actually came back, indicating that further changes had occurred in this Martial Arts World.
"Good heavens! Martial Artists have declined, Energy and Blood Equipments have taken center stage, and they're mass-producing Martial Gods?" Wang Linchi reviewed the data from the intervening years. He skipped over the details of the developmental process. There wasn't much to see as long as the outcomes matched his expectations.
Conversely, the Human Clan on the surface, as if using a cheat code, hadn't weakened at all. In fact, over the past hundred years, they had grown even more powerful than before.
However, this came at a considerable cost, including environmental pollution, resource depletion, and societal structural changes, among other things.