A Grand Show (Part 2)

A series of lightning bolts seemed to be struggling to pull the heavens and earth closer together.

Amidst the flashes of lightning, the thick clouds swirling and turning in the sky seemed to be brewing endless energy capable of devouring everything.

On the ground and in the mountains and forests, all kinds of plants underwent bizarre and exaggerated changes, baring their fangs and claws, as if they had come alive, displaying their equally ferocious vitality to the raging lightning.

Mr. Liang, who was at the center of the lightning storm, experienced and witnessed this scene firsthand. His emotions gradually changed from initial shock to confusion and bewilderment.

After all, he could already sense that the faint halo around him allowed him to stay safely in the center of the lightning storm. The violent lightning, which seemed to tear everything apart and destroy everything, would not approach him or hit him. Xiang Kun was just "demonstrating" all of this to him.

But this world, these mountains and forests, all these scenes, all this strangeness, gave him a feeling of being in another world.

If it weren't for the fact that he could still see Xiang Kun floating in the air with electric lights trailing behind his head when he looked up, Mr. Liang's first reaction to this scene would probably be that he had traveled through time.

Has Xiang Kun really only been a "Blood-feeding Creature" for a little over a year?

Were the other "Blood-feeding Creature" that Xiang Kun devoured really only the few recorded in his document?

He doesn't appear to have mutated any special organs, so how did he manage that?

Did he secretly swallow Thor?

Mr. Liang couldn't help but turn his gaze to the strangely shaped plants. When he first entered the mountain that afternoon and arrived at this area, these trees, grasses, and shrubs all looked perfectly normal. Their sudden transformation into something almost supernatural must be related to Xiang Kun's actions.

Looking back, the strange thunderstorms that occurred earlier in Wushu Mountain, and the lightning storms that appeared in Purple Huan Mountain and Chongyun Mountain, all had the common characteristic of occurring in the mountains.

It seems that the lightning storm Xiang Kun unleashed really was related to the mountains and forests?

But he still couldn't imagine what the relationship was.

The number of "Blood-feeding Creature" he had seen, studied, and learned about through the materials left by Academician Shen was already in the hundreds. So many "Blood-feeding Creature," with various transformation types and mutation directions, yet none of them could help him understand what Xiang Kun was doing now, or the strange phenomenon he was exhibiting.

Because special abilities that come from mutations are not magic. Even illusions and hypnosis require the transmission of information through various sensory channels to be triggered. They always have a way and means of being realized.

If Xiang Kun only releases an electric arc or a momentary high-voltage electric shock, he can roughly deduce the mutated and evolved abilities of Xiang Kun, their possible formation methods, and structural principles.

But now... the world has changed color, the wind is rising and the clouds are surging, lightning is flashing and thunder is roaring, as if the end of the world has arrived, as if it were a scene from a primordial otherworld, which should not be caused by a single living being.

The electrical discharge between the clouds and the ground gradually subsided. Although there were still flashes of lightning in the clouds and faint rumbling in the sky, compared to the devastating lightning storm that had just struck, it could be said to have returned to "calm."

Xiang Kun landed back on the ground, and the "electric hair" behind his head disappeared. He looked no different from before, just a slightly stronger ordinary human male.

Large raindrops poured down from the sky, pattering against the leaves and branches of the surrounding trees, but neither Xiang Kun nor Mr. Liang seemed to care.

"How... did you do that?" Mr. Liang couldn't help but ask.

Although he knew that asking this question would completely shatter his previous image as a controller who knew everything about Xiang Kun and the secrets of the "Blood-feeding Creature," from the moment Xiang Kun the sky and the lightning storm descended, it was impossible for him to maintain that image in front of Xiang Kun.

"You'll find out later," Xiang Kun said. "Right now, let's discuss the 'Ultimate Predator' you mentioned."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Liang said, "Although the scene just now... was very impressive, it could draw upon the power of heaven and earth, it was very powerful. But don't forget what I told you before, the 'Ultimate Predator' exists in everyone's body, whether it's a 'Blood-feeding Creature' or an ordinary creature. As long as your body contains carbon-containing compounds, there is a high possibility that it can control your life and death. This isn't about brute force, but rather a realm we don't yet understand. It might even know we're discussing it now, but we just haven't figured out how it works."

Although Xiang Kun's abilities made Mr. Liang realize that he was no match for him, and that Xiang Kun had forged a different path of mutation and evolution that was both astonishing and awe-inspiring, Mr. Liang still firmly believed that his path was still the most promising way to break free from the control of the "Ultimate Predator."

Xiang Kun looked up and squinted at the sky, his face splattered with rain. Then, the strange and huge crooked trees around him began to "move," their branches and leaves growing rapidly above him and Mr. Liang, extending and intertwining, soon "weaving" into a high-altitude rain shelter.

Although it couldn't completely keep out the rain, and a few raindrops were still falling, it was enough to leave Mr. Liang was looking up, speechless and grinning from ear to ear once again.

"I don't know," Xiang Kun suddenly said.

Mr. Liang paused, looked away from the sky, and said to Xiang Kun, "No rush. If you want to know more about the 'Ultimate Predator,' I can tell you slowly later."

He is now increasingly satisfied with Xiang Kun. After reviewing Xiang Kun's self-research and experimental documents, he considered having Xiang Kun join "Shenxing Technology," the "Non-Normal Biology Research Center," and the special research project established by Academician Shen.

His original plan for this contact with Xiang Kun was to involve a series of observations and audits, gradually letting Xiang Kun understand what they were doing, the nature of "Blood-feeding Creature," and the existence of the "Ultimate Predator," before starting to engage with his plans to develop "Biological Component" and other projects that break free from the limitations of carbon-based life.

But Xiang Kun's lightning storm not only shocked his understanding but also shattered his plans.

There's nothing left to observe or assess; he's absolutely certain that Xiang Kun is the most suitable successor for him.

However, Xiang Kun gently shook his head. "No, what I mean is, the 'Ultimate Predator' won't know what we've been doing here."

"You probably don't know how terrifying the 'Ultimate Predator' is. More than forty years ago, it..."

"I know how the 'Ultimate Predator' operates within other organisms, I know how it 'monitors' human research on 'Blood-feeding Creature,' and I also know how it determines the life and death of other organisms." Xiang Kun didn't wait for Mr. Liang to ask further questions or raise doubts before giving his answer directly:

"When humans study 'Blood-feeding Creature,' they inevitably conduct various experiments. These experiments cause specific changes in the factors left by the 'Ultimate Predator' within the 'Blood-feeding Creature,' making the 'Ultimate Predator' aware that someone has explored this area. At that time, it will synthesize specific compounds through factors in the 'Blood-feeding Creature' and other organisms, and then rapidly replicate them in a short period of time, forming specific hormones, macromolecules, and even micro-organs, affecting human consciousness..."

"You mean, the 'Ultimate Predator' actually monitors other creatures through their senses? How do you know that? As far as I know, the first phase of your Research Base has only just been completed, and you still have very few experimental instruments and equipment," Mr. Liang asked. In fact, what Xiang Kun said was somewhat similar to what he and Academician Shen had researched and speculated about.

Xiang Kun said, "Yes, but no. The 'Ultimate Predator' doesn't directly rely on other organisms to collect sensory information. It probably can't fully understand the sensory information of humans or other organisms. Instead, it directly influences organisms at a physiological level through substances synthesized within their bodies, allowing the organisms to help it make 'decision-making' decisions."

"For example, if a 'Blood-feeding Creature' is discovered by some human researchers and related studies and experiments are conducted, it triggers a factor response left in the body by the 'Ultimate Predator.' This will activate specific factors in the bodies of all humans within a certain range around the 'Blood-feeding Creature,' causing them to have special physiological reactions to the 'Blood-feeding Creature' and related information. Then, they will think and determine who knows this information, and help the 'Ultimate Predator' to target and accurately activate the factors in those targets, synthesizing a certain deadly compound to kill them."

"If it is in an 'awakened' state, it will be able to actively influence other organisms, causing them to act 'spontaneously' to gather information and make judgments. It's like if the 'Ultimate Predator' factor in your body is activated, it doesn't steal your sensory information and pass it on to the 'Ultimate Predator,' but rather makes you mark me and actively think about who might know my secrets, who you have told, and then mark them as well. Then, the 'Ultimate Predator' will activate the special factors in us."

"Sometimes, it can even perform more complex manipulations by controlling the dual influence of other 'Blood-feeding Creature' parasitizing other 'Blood-feeding Creature'."

Xiang Kun's statement actually verifies many of Mr. Liang's conjectures, and can be corroborated by a lot of information and data that he and Academician Shen know.

Mr. Liang was somewhat convinced, but he wondered how Xiang Kun knew. They had so many resources, information, and data, yet their deductions were far inferior to Xiang Kun's.

"You mean it's not 'awakened' right now, and we haven't conducted any experiments to trigger the reaction of the specific factors it left in our bodies, so it won't know what we say or do here?" Mr. Liang said. He felt that the "awakened state" Xiang Kun mentioned should be the same as the "sensitive state" described by Academician Shen. Xiang Kun was indeed quite knowledgeable about the "Ultimate Predator."

Xiang Kun said, "No, it's already in an 'awakened state'."

Mr. Liang was surprised by Xiang Kun's response, and his mouth stretched from ear to ear.

Xiang Kun spread his hands, gesturing for Mr. Liang to look around. "This place can help us isolate ourselves from the influence of the 'Ultimate Predator.' Mr. Liang, you told me before that you believe what causes us and other creatures to mutate into 'Blood-feeding Creature' is a High-Dimensional Factor. I also have my own theory or conjecture. I call that mutation-inducing substance 'Consciousness-Entangled Particle.' As the name suggests, it has a direct relationship with our consciousness."

Xiang Kun held up a finger and slowed his speech, saying, "Consciousness is the only reason we can make 'Consciousness-Entangled Particle' or 'High-Dimensional Factor' work in this world."

"Mr. Liang, all living things have consciousness. Humans have consciousness, birds and beasts, other animals also have consciousness, even flowers, trees, bacteria, viruses, and so on. However, their consciousness is too simple to be judged by the general human perception system, almost zero. But if it exceeds the general human perception system, it is too complex and difficult for ordinary people to understand."

"The 'Ultimate Predator' is no exception; it also relies on its consciousness to control the 'High-Dimensional Factor.' I have found a way to capture the consciousness of the 'Ultimate Predator,' but its fragmented existence, with countless parts scattered in various places, means that its normal consciousness activity is also a distributed network structure. I cannot strike it all at once for the time being. I must make it actively generate a concentrated and intense consciousness response in order to truly produce an effect."

"For its consciousness to actively mount a sufficiently strong and focused response, I believe it is most likely to occur during its iterative absorption, or what you call 'phased transformation'."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Liang suddenly said, "Did you deliberately lead me here?"

Xiang Kun readily admitted, "Yes, I need your help."

Mr. Liang nodded thoughtfully. "You need to undergo a sufficiently high-level transformation to meet the 'predation' requirements of the 'Ultimate Predator' before it will react violently to your senses, as you said... Therefore, you need a sufficiently 'high-level' bloodline to help you through this high-level transformation. And I am the most suitable bloodline. Are you... sure this method will work?"

For a moment, Mr. Liang felt desolate and melancholy, his heart filled with a sense of contradiction and struggle. If Xiang Kun simply wanted to devour him and overcome his current limit, then even if he couldn't defeat Xiang Kun, even if he was countered in terms of characteristics, even if he was struck by lightning and turned into charred remains, he would definitely fight to the end.

If Xiang Kun's goal was to break the "Ultimate Predator's " hold on all creatures, he couldn't help but hesitate, because that was one of his goals in the first place.

He didn't believe Xiang Kun was trying to trick him into offering himself, because Xiang Kun had already demonstrated his ability to completely suppress him. Through his investigation of Xiang Kun's resume, social connections, and various other information, he also didn't believe that Xiang Kun was the kind of selfish and treacherous person.

Just as he struggled with whether to sacrifice himself, pondered whether Xiang Kun could shoulder enough responsibility without him, whether he could maintain the secret department of "Shenxing Technology," whether he could get along with Old He, and what would happen if the plan failed and they were all swallowed by the "Ultimate Predator," Xiang Kun smiled and said:

"Mr. Liang, you've misunderstood. It's you, not me, who needs to undergo a higher-level transformation."

Mr. Liang was taken aback, and subconsciously said, "No, you can't just leave like this..."

Xiang Kun smiled wryly, "I'm not asking you to devour me. I have other ways to help you with the transformation."

After he finished speaking, he clapped his hands.

In the distance, various crooked trees began to sway again, falling to the side to reveal a road. On the green road surface, the soil bulged up and then moved rapidly, as if a giant underground worm was drilling a hole.

The raised earthen mound grew larger as it approached Mr. Liang, then the soil cracked, revealing a spherical object tightly wrapped in roots and covered with a dense cluster of tiny beads.

With Xiang Kun hand, all the orbs floated into the air, their roots opening to the side to reveal the wilted, terrified "mutated birds" inside.

He's gone to great lengths these past few days to bring this guy from the mountains of a neighboring province and hide him here.