Chapter 203: The Ontology Attack
How could a First Class God compare to a God King? The previous Sea God was indeed powerful, but he remained a First Class God despite years of cultivation and was never able to break through to the level of a God King. However, Tang San intended to shatter that limitation because he wanted to defeat the God of Destruction. Only by elevating the Sea God position to God King level, combining it with his other divine authority, did he believe he would stand a chance against the God of Destruction.
For now, he was nowhere near the power of the original Asura God and had no way of truly competing with the God of Destruction. That meant he had to resort to small schemes and tactics to counter Destruction direct combat was out of the question. If they fought, he would undoubtedly lose.
"I need to contact Zhou Weiqing and have him find evidence of any violations committed by the God of Destruction. With that, I can attack him in the God Realm Committee and attempt to reclaim the God Realm Hub!" Tang San thought to himself.
Sun Moon Empire, Underground
Du Busi stood inside a burrowing soul tool, watching as the soil and rock in front of him were continuously crushed. His brows furrowed in impatience. "How much longer until we reach the underground of Mingde Hall? This is way too slow."
The Ontology Sect had infiltrated the Sun Moon Empire with a singular goal to seize the hundred thousand year old soul beast embryo. They had swiftly reached the outskirts of Mingdu and begun tunneling directly toward Mingde Hall using burrowing soul tools, hoping to avoid detection and execute their plan in secrecy.
After all, this was Mingdu, a city teeming with powerful individuals. Du Busi believed that, given the Sun Moon Empire's heavy emphasis on soul tool technology, there likely wouldn't be anyone whose cultivation surpassed his own. However, battle wasn't always determined by cultivation alone. If the Ontology Sect was discovered by a Rank Nine Soul Engineer, they could easily be subjected to a full scale bombardment from soul tools, forcing them to retreat.
If that happened, Du Busi would rather abandon the mission than proceed recklessly. The Ontology Sect had very few members, and if too many of them perished, it would be a devastating blow to their future.
Despite their efforts, an entire day had already passed since they began tunneling, and they still hadn't reached Mingde Hall. This delay was testing Du Busi's patience if they had simply flown there, they would have arrived long ago.
The burrowing soul tool's operator, a middle aged man, responded to Du Busi's complaints with a helpless smile. "Sect Master, it's not that I'm not trying. This burrowing soul tool is just too weak. Before I joined the Ontology Sect, I used to operate other specialized burrowing tools. I can say with certainty that the ones from Star Luo Empire are far inferior to the Sun Moon Empire's. In the field of soul tools, the Sun Moon Empire stands far above the rest. Star Luo Empire can only follow in their shadow."
Du Busi was momentarily speechless, realizing that Xu Jiawei might have been too unreliable. He decided to remain silent, allowing the operator to continue their slow tunneling.
A While Later, Beneath Mingde Hall
The Ontology Sect had finally reached their destination. Under Du Busi's command, the sect members began executing their plan.
"Aotian, I will bring back the hundred thousand year soul beast embryo for you. Once you awaken your twin martial souls, the Ontology Sect will have an even brighter future," Du Busi thought to himself, determination flashing in his eyes.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy
Mingde Hall, the forefront of the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool research, housed some of the brightest minds in the empire. The researchers here enjoyed significant privileges, as the Sun Moon Empire prioritized soul engineering above all else, setting it apart from the other three empires.
Huo Yuhao, wearing a white soul tool helmet, walked alongside other researchers inside Mingde Hall, inspecting its defensive measures. He knew the Ontology Sect would inevitably come for the so called "hundred thousand year soul beast embryo."
He had already ordered defensive preparations in advance, ensuring that Mingde Hall's personnel and valuable research materials were well protected. Though the embryo had long since become Huo Yuhao's soul spirit and even dropped a soul bone the knowledge of this was extremely limited, making leaks unlikely.
Huo Yuhao stopped in front of a metallic silver grey wall, reaching out to touch its surface. It was cool, hard, and smooth.
This wall was made from a rare metal, designed to prevent enemy intrusion. However, even rare metals had their limits. This specially forged soul tool barrier had defensive capabilities equivalent to an ordinary Rank Nine protective soul barrier.
Huo Yuhao doubted it would hold the Ontology Sect for long. Their ranks were filled with powerful fighters, and given enough time, they would break through. After inspecting the fortifications for a while longer, he returned to his workstation and began engraving core formations onto a soul tool using a carving knife.
Mingde Hall's defense strategy was straightforward. First, it relied on these fortifications, the primary line of defense. Second, several elite soul engineer battalions were stationed nearby, ready to provide immediate reinforcements. The researchers themselves, however, were generally poor at combat.
Having spent years confined to laboratories, they led comfortable lives with few opportunities for actual battle. As a result, their combat instincts had dulled significantly. Even the most skilled soul masters would lose their edge if they didn't engage in real fights over time.
To compensate, high ranking guardians were also stationed in the area. If a powerful enemy appeared, these guardians would ensure Huo Yuhao's safety. Furthermore, they had a direct means of contacting Kong Deming. If he arrived with his team of Rank Nine Soul Engineers, they would be able to surround and eliminate any intruders.
Suddenly
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Four consecutive explosions erupted outside the massive Mingde Hall research base. The sheer force of the blasts warped the metallic silver grey walls, making them look as if they had been savagely battered by some unknown force.
Inside the hall, however, there were no immediate casualties. Still, the unexpected attack left the researchers in a state of shock. Panic spread as they hastily activated their soul barriers and grabbed soul cannons, pointing them toward the source of the noise.
Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly. If these researchers started shooting, their accuracy would likely be abysmal most hadn't participated in real combat for years.
His eyes gleamed with golden light as he activated Spiritual Detection Sharing, instantly linking his mind with the researchers present. He spoke with authority, "Based on my scans, we are under attack. Protect yourselves as much as possible. Activate your protective soul barriers and invincible shields immediately. Do not prioritize attacking focus on survival.
"We will evacuate through the hidden passageways while securing the soul tools in the laboratory."
Huo Yuhao could escape at any time with the help of the Plane Consciousness, even if Du Busi himself stood in his way. However, he wanted to win the researchers over first. By protecting them now, he could later recruit those who were competent into the Spirit Pagoda.
He avoided using the Necromantic Half Plane to transport them, mainly because their backgrounds were too complex. Some were trustworthy, while others were not.
After all, these researchers had not been personally vetted by Kong Deming.
(End of chapter.)
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