Chapter 155: Butcher's Pagoda of Flesh and Blood

Dense, light-blue spots of light emitted a dazzling brilliance within the cell fluid. Violent currents surged outward along the cytoskeleton, and the three-phase axis myofilaments, which were a hundred times harder than steel, began an unstoppable slide. The contraction of the muscles caused the entire planet to groan.

The miniature controllable nuclear fusion mitochondria could confine deuterium molecules for nuclear fusion via a miniature strong magnetic field, absorb the generated thermal energy with a damping force field, inversely generate vibrational energy, and then convert it into electrical energy through nano-piezoelectric plates. Ultimately, the violent energy shuttling through the superconducting loops allowed the nuclear-magnetic silicified muscle to exert a force a million times greater than biological energy.

This was a magnificent creation that could almost be called the power of gods; any creature possessing such mitochondria would richly deserve to be called a deity.

Following its reinvigoration, Adonsa became even more adept at manufacturing microscopic molecular components. The components formed by nanomaterials completely met all the rigorous hard requirements needed for nuclear fusion. Superconducting, supermagnetic, super-solid, and super-pressure—these miraculous properties left everything just a step away from completion.

With Adonsa having captured the condensed nuclear fusion battery, simulated microscopic nuclear explosions with the aid of the Prophet Quinn's knowledge, and pieced together various firsthand close-range data, the technological bottleneck was smoothly and effortlessly surpassed.

The epoch-making miniature nuclear fusion mitochondrion was finally born!

This symbolized the complete overhaul of Adonsa's energy system, eliminating any shackles on its activities within the galaxy and taking the first step toward the sea of stars.

Yet this was merely the first step. The universe and starry sky were vast beyond measure; no matter how arrogant a lifeform might be, it had to remain humble, and Adonsa was no exception.

Adonsa's spores took root and sprouted across the entire world. The energy provided by the miniature nuclear fusion mitochondria gave a tiny spore the confidence to take root in the most barren soil.

A massive amount of silicates, metal ores, and demonic energy crystals from the Earth's crust were devoured and absorbed by Adonsa, subsequently transforming to fill out Adonsa's flesh and blood.

Icy winds howled, and dark clouds pressed down upon the realm.

The entire world seemed to sense the changes brought about by Adonsa.

In truth, it was simply because Adonsa's massive remodeling of the surface generated atmospheric convection, causing the wind and clouds to roll turbulently.

Adonsa's devouring and transformation accelerated increasingly, and the subterranean demons were captured and consumed by countless masses of flesh and blood.

Lons Hans sensed this spectacle and looked toward Adonsa in exasperation.

Before he could speak, Adonsa preempted him: "The demons... Do you truly consider the demons to be your kin?"

Lons Hans gritted his teeth and said, "As long as the Soul Celestial Sphere can be retrieved and their memories returned to them..."

Adonsa laughed heartily: "Do you want this group of maggots hiding in the underworld to realize how pathetic they are? Do you want these monsters, who wallow in eating raw meat and drinking blood, devouring flesh raw, and are even inferior to primitives, to taste the flavor of civilization? Do you want them to tell themselves that they are ignorant, barbaric, weak, and shameful existences? How could you be so cruel? You are crueler than I am; you are the true demon!"

Lons Hans struck his bone staff against the ground, turning the surrounding expanse of flesh and blood into fine powder, and raged desperately, "They are not shameful! They are Skalana's final hope!"

"Hope? Are you deceiving yourself? In the new world you are plotting, do they truly have a place? Can a group of monsters polluted by demonic energy crystals genuinely make you sigh with complete satisfaction: 'Ah, this world has been saved by me'?"

"I—"

"Let me teach you what hope truly is."

The layered muscles and mesenchymal tissue of the flesh-and-blood mountain range abruptly retracted. The central peak caved in to form a massive whirlpool, and at the very instant its retraction reached its limit, it propelled outward. Amidst the roaring hurricane, a gigantic cylindrical shadow rose from the ground, directly bridging heaven and earth to construct a towering pagoda.

No, it was a pagoda of flesh and blood.

The tower body, which should have been adorned with statues of gods and buddhas, was instead replaced by bulging cyst-like pods, each the size of a person, within which small, curled-up entities were faintly visible.

These were wombs of flesh and blood, where tiny embryos rapidly grew and developed until adulthood, at which point they could be implanted with the memories of any Skalana and step forth from the womb created by Adonsa.

"I long ago excised and reverted all mutations in the demon genome, cross-referencing the gene sequences of a thousand demons. Combined with the one hundred thousand demons I just gathered from across the globe, it is enough for me to perfectly reconstruct the original genome of the Skalana people."

Adonsa extended a single, snail-like eye stalk to look at Lons Hans: "Now, tell me, what remaining value do these demons possess?"

Lons Hans's breathing hitched, rendering him momentarily incapable of thought.

This was entirely natural. Long before cloning technology emerged—or even before it was conceived—people held a very tangible panic and apprehension toward cloning-themed artistic works, empathizing deeply with scenarios where clones replaced their original selves.

Theoretically speaking, is another you who possesses the exact same memories and physical body truly you?

Can you genuinely articulate or perceive the difference between him and you?

I think, therefore I am; then should two identical souls be considered the same?

If the original body is slain, can the replica be considered one's former self?

This simple question could branch out into countless versions, dragging the wisest moralists and philosophers into the quagmire of sophistry.

Powerful though he was, capable of plucking stars and capturing the moon, Lons Hans was, after all, merely an archmage nurtured by medieval culture, and for a moment he found himself unable to accept this dual interrogation of morality and philosophy.

Yet it mattered little; Adonsa was not engaging in discourse to solicit his opinion in the first place, but merely hoping to make the subsequent plan proceed more smoothly.

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The survivors Roger, Angolora, Old Tie, and Xu Xiaoke watched anxiously as the flesh and blood around them proliferated incessantly. Their footing grew scarcer and scarcer, until they ultimately had no choice but to harden their hearts and step directly onto the fleshy earth.

The soft, warm texture beneath their feet caused Angolora to close his eyes, feeling almost as if he were descending into hell.

A few seconds later, he opened his eyes with pale lips, gazing at this brand-new world teeming with an evil aura.

An endless expanse of flesh and blood had replaced the gray-white terrain, pulsing rhythmically from time to time and transmitting heart-paltering tremors.

A muffled rumbling emanated from deep underground, though what manner of immense transformation was occurring remained unknown.

Roger muttered, "Adonsa... is devouring this planet? What on earth will this planet become?"

Angolora said bitterly, "Tier Seven... Why would an existence like this not go to the noble district instead of coming to our Tier Three to slaughter newbies!"

Roger smiled wryly, "You cannot put it that way. Only the power of Tier Seven can thoroughly unearth the side quests of this world; otherwise, given our strength, we would likely have been wiped out entirely by the Prophet Quinn in the Land of Gods."

Angolora glared resentfully at the gray-red hue beneath his feet, hesitating repeatedly before finally abandoning the thought of even stamping his foot: "If Adonsa hadn't gone on a rampage provoking the entire world, how could it have provoked so many monsters?"

Old Tie the panda let out a couple of grunts, seemingly telling Angolora to keep his voice down.

Angolora's anger flared: "You coward, how could it possibly hear anything from here!"

At that moment, a sound resembling the buzzing of a swarm of insects echoed: "I heard it."

Angolora shrank his neck, apprehensively clutching his grand staff, and leaped onto Old Tie's back to sit upright with a solemn expression.

Yet when he turned his head, he saw Xu Xiaoke clutching his stomach with laughter; it was evidently he who had pinched his voice to toy with Angolora.