roccoschili Chapter 795 - 795: A Century, Energy and Blood Equipments Technology_1
Chapter 795 - 795: A Century, Energy and Blood Equipments Technology_1
A century passed in a flash, and the decline of Martial Arts did not hinder the development of the Great Zhao Country. Instead, it implemented various strategies of the Martial Gods, embarking on a new technological path.Changing the mindset regarding existing technology was not difficult. Freed from the confines of Martial Arts, firearms naturally took center stage.
As for Martial Arts, only a few practitioners remained.
The vast majority of Martial Artists had become a thing of the past. Due to a lack of resources, even those who embarked on the path of Martial Arts found it extremely difficult, transforming from a minority into a rarity.
None of the twelve Martial Sovereigns of the past had managed to break through and become Martial Gods during Chang Yan's lifetime. They remained trapped in the Sovereign Realm, now nearing the end of their lives.
Martial Gods could live for a thousand years, but Martial Sovereigns only for five hundred.
Their aged appearance was also due to resource scarcity.
The stronger a Martial Artist, the more nutrients they needed to sustain themselves. This required a significant amount of high-nutrient Natural Treasures—and the key was large quantities.
After losing the Catacombs, even attempts at self-cultivation could not fully satisfy the needs of the Martial Sovereigns, ultimately leading to a decline in their energy and blood.
This was true for most Martial Artists.
They were also actively trying to restore the original resource environment. There had been some success, but in terms of yield, it was incapable of supporting all Martial Artists.
For a thousand years, with demand exceeding supply, the burden of resource production had been shifted to the Catacombs. There was no capacity to transfer it back immediately, especially since the Catacombs had been sealed off, making any transition impossible.
Ultimately, the Martial Artists were decimated.
Martial Artists still existed, but they had gradually become remnants of a bygone era, while technology thrived.
Furthermore, technology had absorbed various advantages from Martial Artists, eventually leading to the creation of a unique biological weapon: Energy and Blood Equipments. These weapons excelled in the form of firearms powered by thunder and fire.
This, of course, was a high-level adjustment by the Great Zhao Country. Their development of technology was essentially to defend against the invasion of the Gigantic Microbial Ecosystem from the Catacombs. Even after a century, many had almost forgotten this threat.
After all, those at the bottom echelons of society had not personally experienced it, so how could they maintain a sense of caution? Even if such caution had existed, a century had passed, and most had let down their guard.
The Catacombs had become mere records—text, photographs, and videos. The new generation of the Human Clan only knew that the glory of Martial Artists had met its end in those bygone years.
It's been a hundred years, He Bo thought as he watched the news. He had already stepped down from the center of power. The other eleven Martial Sovereigns had also retired behind the scenes, no longer interfering with the development of the Great Zhao Country.
Under their leadership, whether willingly or not, other countries had all been incorporated into the Great Zhao Country when they ushered in the technological era.
Many problems were encountered during the transition, but with the strength of the Martial Sovereigns and the sealing of the Catacombs, the new policies were successfully enforced.
Fortunately, it had all been worthwhile, and the entire Human Clan prospered. Initially, He Bo had thought Chang Yan's instructions were a mistake. It wasn't until the powerful Energy and Blood Equipments—on par with Martial Gods—were created that he was truly astounded.
The ranking system for the Equipments inherited the ranks of Martial Artists.
However, wearing these Equipments required far stricter aptitudes and training regimens compared to becoming a Martial Artist. The benefit, though, was that it allowed for mass production.
In its prime, there had been no more than thirty-six Martial Gods. Now, however, there were eight thousand units of Martial God-level Energy and Blood Equipments, with ten thousand personnel capable of operating them, and an additional two thousand in reserve.
It was as if they possessed eight thousand Martial God equivalents—something unimaginable in the past.
The number of Energy and Blood Equipments of other ranks was countless, constituting a truly formidable force.
Unfortunately, development stopped at the Martial God-level. Creating even more powerful Energy and Blood Equipment seemed too difficult.
After all, the development of Equipments for ranks from Martial Student to Martial God had benefited from following the established path of Martial Artists, facilitating their successful creation within a century. Now, this path had reached its equivalent end. What came next would depend solely on their own efforts.
Energy and Blood Equipments indeed offer a promising path, a wider road than that of a Martial Artist, He Bo mused, looking at the news broadcast. It's just this environmental pollution... He was alarmed by the reports of appalling pollution from chemical industries and energy-related activities in various places.
The strength of Energy and Blood Equipments didn't come from nowhere; they required sufficient energy for maintenance. How else could an ordinary person exert power comparable to a Martial God? They had to rely on external sources for energy replenishment.
Thankfully, Martial God-level Energy and Blood Equipments can solve these pollution problems. Otherwise, we might be in real trouble, He Bo thought. Although concerned, he took no steps to stop it.
Efforts to mitigate environmental pollution were underway, albeit slowly. The Great Zhao Country kept this series of concerns in mind.
"You shouldn't worry so much. We've already retired. Just focus on living out the rest of our days well," Geng Ran, who was also one of the twelve Martial Sovereigns, said, having overheard He Bo's musings.
Theoretically, they still had three hundred years of lifespan remaining. However, due to their inability to eat their fill and a serious decline in their energy and blood, they were left with only fifty to sixty years to live.
With the Great Zhao Country's current technology, it was impossible to satisfy the nutrient needs of a Martial Sovereign. Their only hope would have been to consume the energy used by the Energy and Blood Equipments, but this wasn't feasible. They were humans, not machines; they couldn't consume just anything, and even if they could, they wouldn't be able to digest it.
With insufficient energy and blood, their lifespans naturally decreased.
The five-hundred-year lifespan of a Martial Sovereign assumed they were in a normal, healthy state, not their current weakened condition.
"Right. I wonder if eight thousand Martial God-level Energy and Blood Equipments could break through the Catacombs," He Bo asked with a laugh.
"I'm not sure, but you shouldn't dwell on it. The Catacombs are a thing of the past," Geng Ran replied dismissively.
All entrances to the Catacombs had long been shattered. They couldn't go back even if they wanted to.
"However, if the Catacombs reappear, perhaps we'll have a chance to retrieve the remains of our comrades who perished there." Geng Ran wasn't overly concerned, but he did believe the Human Clan was now more than capable of dealing with the Catacombs.
Eight thousand Martial God equivalents—not eight, nor eighty. Even if all the Alien Kings from past to present were combined, their numbers wouldn't match, not even by a fraction.
As for the Gigantic Microbial Ecosystem, they weren't very clear on the details. They had only heard Chang Yan speak of it, and it hadn't left a deep impression.
Without personal experience, they couldn't truly grasp its terrifying nature. Besides, a hundred years had passed, and even they had gradually let down their guard.
That defeat back then utterly ruined the future for Martial Artists, He Bo sighed internally. If the entrances to the Catacombs hadn't been shattered, I might be a Martial God by now. Of course, I might also still be trapped as a Martial Sovereign. It's anyone's guess.
「Latest News: An unknown fissure has appeared on Jingping Mountain. Preliminary investigation suggests it might be an entrance to the Catacombs, similar to those from a century ago. The research team has...」
The two were chatting idly when the abrupt news broadcast caught their attention. He Bo and Geng Ran both stopped talking and watched intently.
How... how is this possible! He Bo was horrified. We clearly shattered all the entrances back then!
It seems trouble is brewing again, Geng Ran thought, his expression grim. Although they believed the Great Zhao Country could now deal with the Catacombs, they would rather not face them so soon.
The Great Zhao Country was in a period of rapid development; it was not the right time for war.
Despite having retired, they still cared deeply about the Great Zhao Country's development. Having been in power for so many years, they clearly understood the situation. This was a golden age of development; if it were interrupted, there was no telling what might happen.
It's a live broadcast. Let's hope there are no issues, He Bo thought, quickly regaining his composure as his expression slowly calmed.
Geng Ran picked up the latest smartphone and sent a message to the other ten aging Martial Sovereigns, telling them to tune into the news channel.
Someone's trying to get a bigger piece of the pie, Geng Ran mused. A public revelation of the Catacombs would mean that a nationwide effort to exploit them was next.
After all, the Catacombs had once nurtured a vast number of Martial Artists. If the Great Zhao Country developed them, they might not be able to advance the Energy and Blood Equipments to the next level, but they could certainly increase their numbers with ease.
Times have changed. I wonder if they can deal with the Gigantic Microbial Ecosystem, He Bo hoped for success, yet an ominous premonition stirred within him.