He is the leader of the Tantric sect in Chagdu.

Chapter 136 Tilting and Cold Candle

In the past two months, Golden Dawn has carried out a series of expansion plans for the bottom nest. While there have been some results, to be more precise, they have been rather subtle.

The special envoy responsible for the handover with Cardinal Heavy Industries was Ankasha, the head of the R&D department. With the backing of a World Wing, he completed his mission quite well, and the giant corporation quickly handed over the relevant permissions for the lower dome.

But it differs from what Ai envisioned—

The veil that cuts through the bottom nest is not as "simple" as previously imagined. Similar to the wall that divides "sexuality: language," it is also, in Cardinal Heavy Industries' words, a "door" related to the mystical medium.

After further in-depth communication and studying the detailed information sent by the other party, Golden Dawn also came to a helpless conclusion: even giant corporations did not have complete control over the right of free passage through this wall.

They can only exchange the most basic information with the bottom nest by exploiting loopholes in the rules—that is, by exploiting bugs.

It's just that he's used bugs more often than most factions, so he seems more skilled at it than most.

Once someone goes down there, the only way to get back is probably to be refreshed at the foundation's headquarters.

At first, Ai Yi thought that some old foxes were trying to block her way. After all, if it was a one-way passage and no one could come up, what was the deal with those creatures that appeared in her house?

But according to Ankasha, a person present at the scene—at least Cardinal Heavy Industries is still very sincere in wanting to cooperate—

Or perhaps the other party was also disgusted by the mechanism of that wall, and was unable to carry out in-depth work for a long time, so they proposed the "bottom nest co-governance" and "technical alliance" to the Golden Dawn - a policy that sounds a bit out of the ordinary.

—But this makes how those swapped beings "came up" an unsolved mystery for a short time. Only if Ai goes down to the lower level in person can there be a further explanation.

"Isn't this just utterly disgusting—"

The fox was very dissatisfied, but for the time being he could only stare blankly at the huge cake that was the bottom nest. Symbolically speaking, he also insisted on sending a few specialists to scout the location every now and then, and then waiting for the communication cycle of once every half month, before he could barely establish a short-term contact with extremely high latency.

Unfortunately, this communication also contained little of substance—most of it was still a report on the "catastrophe" that occurred two months prior.

At the end of last year, a project in the Underhive that had been built with all its resources suffered an unknown "destruction"—the collapse of the colossal structure called the "Holy Ring," which plunged the entire Underhive into chaos, almost destroying the original order and making reconstruction extremely difficult.

They originally wanted to make a fortune, but the people they sent there all ended up in disaster relief.

—I inexplicably gained a lot of merit.

Thinking about this, Ai sighed, feeling slightly depressed, but it didn't affect her mood too much.

Fortunately, the established giants in the upper city still have a "strange sense of pride" at this stage, and they dislike or even disdain associating with the bottom nest, which gave him time to develop secretly.

Of course, there was also a bit of guilt involved—

"What I really want to know is, where did that girl Aina go—"

The fox's lips twitched a few times. "I remember when I was adjusting her low-level logs, I was a little too casual. Now that I think about it, it's like I dropped a huge time bomb. I'm afraid it might explode at any moment—"

But it probably won't be that fast.

Ai Yi harbored a侥幸心理 (a gambler's mentality):

—Isn't she just a slightly more resilient, slightly less morally upright, slightly more confused, a little bit eccentric, a little more of a fun-loving, and slightly more destructive pretty girl?

—Those who did not die.

The fox comforted itself.

-perhaps.

However, looking at it from another angle, a curtain that splits the entire hive in two is clearly a creation related to the Foundation trying to break their technological blockade. Just like shaking their mystical hegemony, it is a long-term and ambitious goal that requires long-term efforts.

Moreover, that wall is also related to a cardinal. This was deduced from the data of Cardinal Heavy Industries regarding the origin of the "Angern Wall".

Disliking the filth and baseness that sink to the bottom, the king appealed to the "Supreme Divinity and Doctrine," requesting that His great power maintain this barrier, eternally preventing the upward movement of impurities and ensuring its perpetual stability.

Qiong, a principle concerning bloodline theory, dislikes change and abhors rebellion, is a principle of innate sublimity and eternal closure. Judging from its definition, it is a principle that Ai Yi does not particularly like.

The newborn dome is a dead thing that has sunk to the ground, a rigid skeleton that has completely deviated from the "old dome" that "Eden" holds.

The understanding interpreted by the sky, wind, echoes, and songs—the dogma—is completely different from the doctrines depicted in His "new dome."

If the sky once symbolized numerous changes, boundless lightness, and infinite possibilities for growth, singing praises of leaps and ascents, then the dome proves that "the innate sublimity born from the top, and the nobility that exists only at the tip."

If analyzed from the perspective of "sublimity," the sky is a criterion associated with "nobility," while on the side of "blockade"—

It is a force closely related to "control, containment, and law".

In the Hive, the institution that deeply studies the Criteria of the Sky is one of the Foundation's "Three Pillars": the Asylum. The "Doctrine" they are responsible for communicating and handing over is the one most involved and deeply connected with the Supreme Deity of Lolanda Hallownest.

The "Law of Survival" inscribed on the outer wall of the hive city, and the "Triple Supremacy Law" that forms its core, are mysterious laws constructed by using the power of dogma as a guide.

They are also known as the "Permanent Great Secret Instrument".

The specific principle is to study the "dogma" in the form of a grand ceremony, to solidify the established commandments at the bottom of the Holy Nest, and to enforce them equally and forcefully on all life.

Ai had previously seen one of the supreme laws, the "unipolar human rights bill" concerning "distinguishing between different races by language"—clearly, this was a "higher-level method of utilizing mysterious forces."

At least for now, the fox only has a preliminary understanding; it's still a ways off from mastering the techniques at the same level.

Gray might understand, as he has this knowledge in his reserves, but Ai Yi can't explain it in simpler terms: the required level for legendary skills is too high, and they can't be unlocked yet.

It's as disheartening as a baby not understanding advanced mathematics.

To awaken a mysterious talent, a bit of madness might lead to some progress, but learning is not something that can be improved by being "mad".

As people often say, "When I go crazy, I can do anything!"

—But I'm bad at math; if I don't know math, I just don't know it.

The same applies to mysticism.

The level of advancement in the "budding" stage determines the upper limit of the fox's current thinking and perception: this is the "upper limit of inspiration." Just as a two-dimensional creature may try to understand dimensions, it cannot truly see "height beyond length and width."

The nascent soul, though already far superior to mortals, is still unable to glimpse the more fundamental aspects of the spiritual realm, which lie upstream.

Study—understand—master—build within the realm of intangible arts. Every step deeper into the "mystery" is blocked by an unseen chasm.

Using programming as an analogy, the principles and techniques are like a pre-packaged code and icon, just waiting for you to click and enter the interface of a "finished app". You only need to know how to use it, and you don't need to understand how the masters made it.

The edifices of ritual studies and occultism are like programming languages ​​such as Java and C++—tools for manipulating power, full of possibilities for exploitation and shaping, waiting for apprentices who haven't yet gone bald to engage in endless creation and cultivation.

Being able to understand binary code means you can read binary code, but does that mean you can write code yourself?

The fact that the fox could print out "helloworld" without a systematic tutorial is already considered a gift, but Gray is even more extraordinary. In Ai's previous life's worldview, he had handcrafted an entire nuclear fusion facility in a university laboratory.

It's the kind that's ready to use right away.

—Oh wow, there are such cheaters? Then why am I even living in the market?

The differences between people are so great that they can be frightening. Fortunately, Ai Yi doesn't think he's stupid, and besides, he's started his own business, so he can keep up with the general environment.

In the past two months, besides being busy with the Golden Dawn project, Fox has also kept up with his own studies—the second base has been completely solidified, and the desire for control and change has been largely digested.

He felt himself had swelled up—not counting external forces like the gray matter and the crown of karma, Ai's power in this cycle had reached a certain limit: the body, nourished by the body of the serpent god, made his physical strength—should be about the same as Pikachu in its charged state.

That beautiful, fluffy tail, when used as the "steel tail," could easily sweep through a row of steel bars.

Of course, the fox doesn't really appreciate this crude fighting style anymore—the dual-path mechanism that Aiyi has developed makes the framework of the first stage almost unable to limit his superpowers.

Two months ago, along with the completion of the Pure White Tantra, the tilting of the "Path of Heavenly Light" was also completed: "Heavenly Light".

—Phase One: Cold Candle—Inherent Characteristics—

—Basic Enhancement: All "Lamp" skills have improved effects, increased Secret Essence capacity, and increased Mystery.

—The Vessel of Light: Glass vessels are transparent and pure. You are inherently capable of transmitting all light, and the path of light flowing outward from you seems to become even purer after being extracted by you. (Add the root word for "knowledge flowing from your source":)

[North] The messages you spread are easier to understand and more likely to be respected.

—Cold Candle Flame: The candle flame is cold, a temperature that cannot be felt no matter how close you get, a temperature that cannot reach anywhere else even when pressed against your skin, unless it burns within my body and melts in my compassion—only when it is ignited from the inside out, perhaps it is truly warm (Permanent trait, mystery level determination).

—Humble Mercy: The drooping sun is a posture bound to you: the sacrifices he received are shared with you—karma and blood are the equivalent of mercy, I return mercy to them, that is the miracle I promised—(The karmic and blood sacrifices you received are regarded as stored secrets and influences.)

—The Illuminati says: Light can only enter the eyes because of my permission; once I revoke that permission, even if your eyes are the brightest, even if they are more transparent than the finest glass, no light can pass through. (Perceptual deprivation, cognitive shielding)

—Brother Men has your back! (Special): When you stand within the area bathed in radiant light, when you are draped in pure white robes, your secret energy output is always capped at the "limited reserve." (Even as a mere sprout, Brother Men can still afford to support you!)

Phase Two: Servant of Light—You need to study the "lamp" more deeply: inhumanity, understanding, enlightenment—or a universal illumination, all of which will become interpretations of the principles of the law.

—Essential: The Gift of Growth, the Triple Foundation.

When Ai first saw the panel, she was clearly captivated by the last item.

—Holy crap, Infinite Power!

"Wait a minute—" But he quickly realized what was happening.

"So you mean—they won't supply me anymore after I upgrade?" Ai tried to bargain with Xiaobai, but the latter easily brushed it off.

"It's not that your brother is stingy, but if I give you too much of this secret essence, I'm afraid you'll develop a lazy and lazy habit of not wanting to work hard—but it's not entirely unnecessarily unnecessarily negotiable. Think about that Grand Judge who had a perpetual motion machine in his pocket—if you go and get me 5% furnace core access, I'll supply you with blue bars all the way up to the third stage!"

"hehe----"

The fox ended the conversation with a forced smile—and during this time, he had almost gotten used to his new level of strength.

Although there are no enemies for him to practice against, a simple estimate would be a bit unfair to use his peers in the first stage as a reference point. As for the second stage, [Growth], Ai doesn't know much about that level yet, so he can't guarantee that he's invincible beyond his level.

But if we were to face that snake god now, we'd kill it in a heartbeat.

Current panel:

++Name: Ai Yi++Mystic Energy Level: First Stage - Budding++Foundation: Understanding, Strictness++Original Text: Pure White Secret Sequence++Secret Essence: 400 (Output Limit) / 400 (Reserve Limit)

++Nourishment: Transformation, Control, Exploration++Pathways: Revelation, Dark Raven, Dawn, Cold Candle - Ability Section -

++Intellectual Category: General Outline of Mysticism - Alchemy (Proficient), Ritual Studies (Proficient), Mystic Item Identification (Proficient), Ritual Implements (Introductory), Mystic Module Assembly (Proficient), Mystic Loop Construction (Introductory)

Beginner → Master → Ascendant → Pinnacle → Prototype → Beyond Special Intelligence: [Crimson Alchemy - Dissolving, Extracting, Fuding, Crystallizing] (Jade Path)

++Skills: [Deep Dive], [Insight], [Silence], [Birdsong], [Moth's Fantasy - Containment], [Camouflage], [Lure], [Wriggling], [Lightforging], [Scale and Feather Techniques]

Special Skills: [Vibration Technique], [Dissecting the Slug's Sacrum], [Gospels]

Besides the enhancements visible on the panel, there are many hidden enhancements—Ai climbed up from the sofa and casually unfolded the mechanical wings behind her. Accompanied by a faint flash of light, complex and gorgeous loops flowed between the gaps in the metal wings, mimicking the structure and function of blood vessels, circulating and transporting pure secret essence between the vessel and her body.

The already symbiotic condensed organ: Remnant Machine, and the occult techniques I'm currently learning: Drawing Mystic Circuits 0

Just like the fan on a graphics card or extra RAM in a computer: for a mystic, while the original body is useful, it is still lacking in certain aspects, so similar modifications are common.

This is an external kit that almost completely replaces the original physiological structure. It uses the flow of secret essence to temporarily replace the body's energy consumption, allowing one's maximum output to double in a short period of time.

—Please, the phase transition was really cool!

Ai Yi also worked hard and successfully handcrafted a "second stage" set for herself.

He had already envisioned the scene: when the righteous heroes who were vanquishing the Demon King finally brought the boss to near-death, the fox would stretch out its wings, light effects would burst out, the health bar would instantly be fully restored, and a bunch of berserk buffs would appear in the status bar—and then the hero team would be wiped out on the spot.

"Oh ho————"

Looking at Ai Yi who was always grinning foolishly, even the carefree Lin was a little worried about Yi Miya's hibernation. Everyone else was too busy to take care of him, and there really was no one at home to keep an eye on him. This guy seemed to be letting himself go a bit lately.

I'm afraid that after a while they'll degenerate into wild foxes.

"I see you're just idling around anyway."

After thinking for a moment, Lin suddenly remembered a task that she could easily pass to Ai Yi. "Perfect timing. The Giant Enterprise Alliance has been nagging me lately about wanting to meet that envoy. I won't trouble Ankasha with the arrangements at next week's party. You can go there yourself."

"Huh?" Ai was a little confused.

"A cocktail party?"

The next second, he jumped barefoot from the sofa to the ground—wearing a pair of light brown snowflake cotton lantern pants, looking no more than 13 years old, and pointed to his own nose.

"Me—me?"