Infinite Sun in the East China Sea

Chapter 404 Severing Bonds
"Yes, I was never her from the beginning!"

Zhao Yingkong lowered her eyes.

"At that moment, she hated you, and she hated herself. Her final choice was cowardice and escape... These extreme negative emotions, with the help of Rui Kong's spiritual power, transformed into me!"

After recalling her true memories once again, Zhao Yingkong recognized another version of herself.

Their skills are decent, but their mentality is a complete mess!
Faced with an irreversible tragedy, there's nothing that can be done but make a fuss.

Zhao Yingkong learned a lot about cultivation in the East China Sea team and quickly analyzed reality.

She is like the inner demon of the original Zhao Yingkong, but she is not an inner demon.

More like... one of the Three Corpses.

In the world of "A Chinese Ghost Story", Zhao Yingkong had heard about this cultivation method from the demons and monsters who died at her hands. By severing the three corpses, one can instantly become a saint. Even in a world where the supernatural has declined, as long as one severs the three corpses, one can still obtain absolute power.

However, the practice of severing the three corpses is extremely dangerous.

The original Zhao Yingkong created herself not because she severed her three corpses, but just as even a monkey could randomly play Shakespeare's masterpieces by typing on a keyboard, the original Zhao Yingkong may have accidentally and coincidentally accomplished something similar.

“When the ‘cowardly Zhao Yingkong’ is no longer cowardly and faces her cruel fate, then she will naturally break free from her obsession by choosing to hide… What a despicable fellow! Let me help her heal her spiritual defects.”

"This process... seems to only require killing me?" The clone Zhao Zhuikong's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but ask, "Our genes are different from normal people. Just making up for our mental defects probably won't be enough to overcome our inner demons. Do you have a solution right now?"

"You don't need to worry about that." Xu Feng's figure appeared in the cabin.

He had completely figured out how the two Zhao Yingkongs overcame their inner demons.

It's not about two personalities that have reached the early stage of the fourth level complementing each other; that method would only create a madman with an even worse mind.

The emergence of her second personality brought Zhao Yingkong's spiritual transformation to the real world. The growth of her second personality was about breaking through her obsessions. In the original story, her experience in the Zhongzhou team was the entire process of overcoming her inner demons.

While it may have been a clever trick, the crucial process of overcoming inner demons and breaking free from obsessions was not omitted in the slightest.

Furthermore, the abilities, experiences, and lineage involved in the entire process of taking shortcuts are all extremely important and indispensable. Apart from the main god space, it is impossible to replicate them anywhere else.

Xu Feng casually patted the clone Zhao Zhuikong: "It's about time... Zhao Zhuikong, it's time to hit the road!"

"and many more……"

The clone Zhao Zhuikong took a step forward. He could die, he could become points for the East Sea team, but he had to die at Ying Kong's hands!
"Damn it, don't you know how important it is to have Sakura kill me? A mere B-rank side quest is nothing compared to the inner demon!"

However, after using the "inch step" technique several times, the clone Zhao Zhuikong found himself still in the same spot.

Space confinement.

That bastard from the East China Sea team has even better spatial abilities than his "inch-step" technique!

Zhao Zhuikong glanced at his sister out of the corner of his eye. If she made a move, perhaps there would still be a sliver of a chance...

Even though he opened his chest, his sister, who could make up for her flaw by killing him, remained standing behind that hateful figure, showing no intention of accepting his kindness.

The gaze directed at him was neither that of his brother nor that of his enemy.

Instead, it was as if they were looking at a stranger.

"Why……"

When the palms closed, the clone Zhao Zhuikong felt as if Mount Tai was pressing down on him. In an instant, he was crushed into nothingness.

Xu Feng looked at the little assassin: "You don't mind if I kill him, do you?"

“She’s the one who’ll mind.” Zhao Yingkong stared at the spot where the clone Zhao Zhuikong had disappeared. “Killing Zhao Zhuikong was one of her obsessions, but not mine!”

"Moreover, that won't overcome your inner demons..."

Xu Feng asked, "And what about your obsession?"

"do not know."

A slight smile appeared on Zhao Yingkong's face: "I don't want to strengthen the Holy Demon Embryo anymore... That kind of physique is just too boring!"

Actually, she had some suspicions.

However, inner demons and obsessions are ultimately personal matters. If you can openly tell others about them, then they can't be called inner demons and obsessions.

“That’s true. I didn’t know much about your situation before I suggested you strengthen this physique. Now that I think about it, it’s really not suitable for you.” Xu Feng said, “This time you’ve had a great harvest. You can make further progress in your cultivation techniques. You can cultivate with me in the future.”

All twelve members of the Demon Team have become side story characters.

These twelve individuals possess exceptional talent among all the reincarnation teams, naturally unlocking their genetic potential and each possessing the potential to complete a B-level side quest.

Although some of the kills belong to Xiangzi, Xiangzi's side story is no different from his side story.

This already constitutes one S-rank and one A-rank side story.

Add to that the rewards for completing the mission, the rewards for wiping out the Demon Team, the rewards for killing the Insect God... the total of the eighteen members of the East Sea Team is a number that even Xu Feng couldn't help but get excited about.

The Sixteen Contemplations Sutra of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is a very good S-level practice.

Xu Feng's current strength is actually based on this technique, but he is about to reach the end of this technique, so it is imperative to exchange for a higher-level technique.

"Cultivation?" Zhao Yingkong nodded.

She is now stronger than Zhao Zhuikong and the other Zhao Yingkong, and she has reached this level by following the path of cultivation.

"The entire Demon Team is dead, so no one will interfere with our mission anymore... Even for me, it will take quite a while to complete the East Blue Team's mission!"

The task assigned to the East China Sea team by the main god was outrageous.

In the entire cycle of reincarnation, only the East Sea team probably has a chance to complete this mission. Other reincarnation teams would likely struggle to even eliminate a single insect on a planet. "Unless you have an attack capability that covers the entire Milky Way's spiral arm, it will take a very long time. Right now, I'm still a bit weak... Even with all my efforts, I can barely destroy a weaker star."

Xu Feng said with a smile, "Ying Kong can continue her training during this time."

The main god does restrict the reincarnators from cultivating during missions, but the restriction is very limited, mainly based on the world's rejection of foreign invaders. Xu Feng is currently able to break this restriction, so assisting his teammates in cultivation is not too difficult.

"How long can we cultivate in this world?" Zhao Yingkong asked.

"The Zerg have a very long history, and with the Zerg spreading from their breeding grounds, there are just too many planets to track. Even with a large number of combat systems to assist, it would take at least five years to sweep through the entire Milky Way," Xu Feng replied.

"Actually, too much time isn't entirely a good thing... Before we leave, the souls of those in the Demon Team will be in a state of nothingness until the God of God settles the score... However, even I would find it difficult to keep those in the Demon Team in that state indefinitely."

"Either be resurrected immediately, or die even more completely, so completely that even I cannot be resurrected."

This is the benefit of voluntary surrender that the clone Ming Yanwei foresaw. After voluntary surrender, the soul suffers less damage during the death process, allowing the soul to remain in a state of true death but not quite dead for a long time.

Xu Feng could not revive the Demon Team members before the East China Sea Team completed its mission... The insectoids on Planet Klandav were extinct, so the Demon Team's mission was effectively completed. Once the Demon Team members were resurrected, it would be as if the mission was completed instantly, and they would immediately return to the Main God Space.

After finally wiping out that entire reincarnation team, how could they possibly revive another person?!
"To be reborn in this world..."

Zhao Yingkong said, "That's a good choice. The Demon Team is lucky."

Cleansing the entire Milky Way galaxy of Zerg is an exceptionally long process.

Fortunately, ordinary Zerg cannot traverse the stars like humans can travel back and forth in spaceships. Zerg often need to parasitize asteroids with their eggs or spend a lot of resources to create giant warships when traveling in space, which makes every space trip valuable.

Both of these targets are enormous and easy to find.

The Zerg swarm that radiated outwards from Krenduff, the 'infection source zero,' covered only a little over ten thousand planets.

Led by human warships, the seeds of the mechanical construction legion swept towards the planets infected by the insects, rapidly annihilating the insectoid population on those planets.

Among them are planets that possess the will of a secondary insect god, similar to that of the planet Krendav.

The planet itself became extremely sturdy under the influence of those extraordinary beings, making it impossible for ordinary planet-destroying weapons to destroy it.

Xu Feng has to use most of his energy for time travel and information observation... If he were to take action himself, the rate at which his true essence is consumed would be much faster, and the East China Sea team would take even longer to complete the mission.

At this point, the extraordinary army's mechanical construction legion and mechanical combat legion are needed.

A stronger Insect God would require the intervention of the Seraphim. With three thousand Seraphim attacking together, it wouldn't be difficult to create a breach in the planetary defenses.

The weaker Zerg Gods only require human troops to intervene.

After Chu Xuan, the clone of the Demon Team, took over the human forces, the combat power of humans in the Starship Troopers world increased significantly. Star Destroyers became widespread, and the number of warriors with unlocked genetic locks increased considerably.

After Xu Feng took over the business left behind by the clone Chu Xuan, humanity in this world underwent another evolution.

The "Binding Garment," a combat system developed based on the C-level item "Mysterious Tuxedo," is more than just a technological product. Made of nano-metal, the "Binding Garment" constructs a second meridian within the target's body after entering the body, and through this second meridian, it stimulates the cultivation of the body's original meridians.

The controlled person can quickly cultivate internal energy.

Moreover, this auxiliary technique created by Xu Feng is also related to technology.

For example, one can stimulate the whole body with electrical current to make nerve response extremely fast; one can also use a special diet to form a protective layer like metal on the bones and body surface...

The gene-locked army under the command of the clone Chu Xuan still needs a long period of training, while the human legion under Xu Feng's command is much simpler. It only requires injecting nano-metals into the target's body. Even the frail Lin Daiyu can exert a strength no less than Lin Chong with the help of these seemingly small pieces of equipment.

This equipment can turn half of humanity into battle-hardened warriors!

Often, no injection is needed; the 'restraint garment' is hidden in food, water, or clothing, and it takes effect once it comes into contact with the subject.

These extraordinary powerhouses, when combined with technological weapons, possess considerable combat strength—a first-tier gene lock, at least comparable to B-level internal energy, coupled with defensive capabilities akin to a minor Golden Bell Shield. Even without technological weapons, these warriors' strength wouldn't be much different from the main combat force of an ordinary squad.

Xu Feng endowed these warriors with extraordinary abilities primarily to enable them to effectively resist the spiritual erosion of the Insect God.

It wouldn't be difficult for these heavily armed humans to create opportunities for their planet-destroying weapons to take effect on the planet inhabited by the insect god.

Large-scale mechanical and biological forces were responsible for clearing out the vast majority of the Zerg, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, this would have been enough to wipe out the Zerg within the planet.

But there are just too many Zerg in this world.

There will always be some insects that mutate into all sorts of weird abilities.

To ensure no Zerg are missed and to avoid having to clean up again, the Jade Towers will clean up the battlefield. The various undead within the towers will devour the corpses and barely surviving Zerg on the Zerg planets, transforming those into undead to fight against their former kin.

With tens of thousands of planets and an almost endless supply of Zerg corpses, the eighteen floors of the tower were practically transformed into eighteen miniature worlds.

This allows the Jade Tower to instantly project the image of the undead world onto the entire planet after it is moved to the insect planet, turning all life forms that have multiplied on those planets into undead.

In the second year of the 'Zerg Cleanup' campaign, the seventh combat system was introduced.

A cerebrate captive carrying a 'mental virus' is cruising across various insect planets. This virus is called 'Elysium'. Once infected, the thoughts of countless dying insects appear in ordinary insects. Under the threat of death, they are born with a single thought: to reproduce.

But such reproduction cannot bring about the birth of life; it only exhausts the last of these insects' strength.

The 'Elysium' virus takes longer to clear the Zerg from planets than other combat systems, but this method clears planets more thoroughly. No matter where the Zerg hide, they cannot avoid being affected by the mental power of the virus-carrying cerebrates.

Most of the members of the East Sea Team did not participate in the war against the Zerg. Although the reincarnators who became stronger through modification were powerful, they performed worse than the Creators on the battlefield, and even the bloody scenes made some people uncomfortable.

Only a few, including Yoichi Sato, Hirotaka Matsuoka, and Muneto Mitarai, attempted to hone their skills on the insectoid battlefield.

This war lasted a very long time.

The vast majority of reincarnators' time from entering the God Space to their death is less than that of the East Sea team in this match.

These individuals gained quite a bit; they all unlocked their gene locks on the battlefield, with Matsuoka Jinxiao, who had the best aptitude, even unlocking his second-tier gene lock.

(End of this chapter)