The Taoist of the Phantom World
Chapter 39

Cultivating Life but Not Nature: The First Great Flaw of Cultivation

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Raccoon City, Riverside District, was home to fifty thousand people.

At this moment, the district's main roads were barricaded by cars, sandbags, and fences.

Armed guards stood watch at street corners, rooftops, and intersections.

Their clothing varied, but Tai Chi-patterned armbands were tied around their arms, marking them as members of the same organization.

"They're here!" someone on a rooftop shouted after lowering his binoculars.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A group of grotesquely shaped zombies appeared ahead.

Under the crowd's overwhelming firepower, the zombies were swiftly wiped out.

Invisible Yin energy gathered in the center of the district.

Outside the camp, Yaksha led evil ghosts on hunts in every direction, including armed forces sent by the Umbrella Corporation.

Ghosts could harm people when they manifested, but they could also be harmed.

Yet in this chaotic age, there was no shortage of ghosts and gods. The Yin energy left behind after ghosts died continually nurtured the Lower-Altar Troops.

Besides the combat units, there were construction crews. They used underground garages and the basements of high-rise buildings to dig out one shelter after another.

In the basement, the Red Queen's projection floated in midair.

"Based on our current productive capacity, if there truly is a nuclear explosion like the one you described, Mr. Daoist, we can only make the main command center withstand the impact at ground zero."

"The main command center can hold at most eight hundred people."

"As for everyone else, I recommend dispersing them. Use the basements of high-rise buildings and underground garages, stay away from strategic locations, and do not attempt to withstand a nuclear blast. The focus should be on defending against the blast's affected range..."

Deep within the basement stood rows upon rows of densely packed instruments.

Huang Bai had assembled a scientific team to devote themselves to researching the T-virus.

The Red Queen terminal directed the researchers from one side.

They discovered that Alice's genes were perfectly compatible with the virus's mutated strain. After fusion, it granted extraordinary reflexes, recovery, strength, and even supernatural abilities.

Using the adaptability of Alice's genes, they developed the first enhancement serum.

At this moment, Huang Bai lay on an operating table as the mutated strain was slowly injected into his body.

Before this, prisoners from the Umbrella Corporation had already been used to test the mutated strain. Without exception, every attempt had failed.

One test subject after another suffered mental breakdowns and became puppets without self-awareness.

Others could not explain the symptoms, but Huang Bai saw the reason.

"Cultivate nature but not life, and even the Ten-Thousand-Calamity Yin Spirit cannot enter sainthood. Cultivate life but not nature—this is the first great flaw of cultivation."

Huang Bai saw that after their bodies were enhanced, their souls could not withstand the collapse caused by such powerful flesh.

Fortunately, his divine soul was powerful, so he had no need to worry about that.

Whoosh!

The serum entered his body. Huang Bai closed his eyes and sensed the profound, mysterious changes taking place within his flesh.

Every inch of his flesh and blood was strengthened. His vital energy surged through his meridians, transforming his body bit by bit.

This was another form of External Elixir.

Huang Bai was still following the path of the External Elixir, using external objects to strengthen his body.

Outside, a new development had emerged.

A helicopter circled overhead, and voices came through its radio.

"Congress has decided to destroy Raccoon City with a nuclear bomb to prevent the virus from leaking. We must capture the Myth test subject."

The Myth test subject was the Umbrella Corporation's designation for Huang Bai.

A cage was lowered from the helicopter.

Inside the cage was a monster three meters tall, with enormous claws, a machine gun slung over its shoulder, and armor covering its body.

The monsters appeared to have been sedated. The instant the cage landed, they woke up.

Roar!!

The monster let out a deafening roar, sending waves of dust rolling through the air.

This was the Umbrella Corporation's strongest weapon—the Tyrant.

The Tyrant possessed over ten tons of strength, an indestructible body, and a circulatory system with multiple hearts.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Everyone hurriedly opened fire. Even under the concentrated barrage, they could not inflict any damage on the Tyrant. Instead, they were suppressed by the firepower from its shoulder.

The Tyrant moved with terrifying speed. Its claws tore apart every obstacle in its path, effortlessly shredding even thick concrete, while the machine gun on its shoulder suppressed long-range fire.

One Tyrant was the equal of an elite army.

Roar!

Yaksha led the Vicious Ghosts in surrounding the Tyrant, and a battle between monsters began.

Ordinary Vicious Ghosts could not even approach the Tyrant. The blood energy around it was their natural nemesis; only Yaksha could contend with it.

Before long, the Vicious Ghosts were rapidly depleted, their Yin energy returning to the Dharma Altar.

Aboard the helicopter, Umbrella Corporation personnel watched their masterpiece with satisfaction.

"The Myth test subject can control spiritual entities. If we capture that cunning fellow, we will become the Gods of the new world."

For that purpose, they had deployed the powerful Tyrant, the pinnacle of modern biotechnology.

The first underground level.

It was gloomy and sinister. Emerald Yin energy spread throughout the chamber, making the dim candlelight appear even more eerie.

A black altar was enshrined atop the Dharma Altar.

Ghosts appeared above the black altar from time to time, then swiftly joined the battle.

As Yin energy gathered, the soil within the altar transformed into an eerie green.

If Huang Bai had been here, he would have recognized it as Hundred-Year Yin Soil, soil from the Underworld.

With this Yin Soil, ghosts could truly rest in peace. They no longer needed external Yin energy to continue existing. This was the foundation possessed only by sects with a hundred years of history.

It was a foundation equivalent to blood-sacrificing ten thousand people.

Yet Huang Bai had achieved it effortlessly in this world.

The instant the Hundred-Year Yin Soil formed, Huang Bai happened to awaken.

"I think you should go up and help. The people above can't hold out any longer," the Red Queen said emotionlessly.

"No rush."

Huang Bai stretched out his hands, took out a small knife, and cut himself. The wound slowly healed.

Incredible recovery, incredible endurance, sensory perception, and awareness.

The mutated viral strain truly was impressive.

He looked into the mirror again. The emerald green in his eyes had vanished.

"Not bad. Very good."

Roar!

The Tyrant grabbed Yaksha's chains and flung him away, then leaped to the final line of defense.

At that moment, the nearby wall rippled, and Huang Bai stepped through it.

The moment they met, lightning flew from Huang Bai's palm. The thunderbolt crashed down and instantly blasted apart the Tyrant's head.

Although the White Crane Boy's Palm Thunder could only be used once a day, its power was truly extraordinary.

"Quick! Run!"

Seeing this, the people in the helicopter decisively fled.

At the same time, a new star rose over Nevada and flew toward Raccoon City.

"Trying to run?"

Whoosh!

Huang Bai's divine soul left his body and soared into the sky.

The people inside the helicopter saw the Daoist wielding a bronze sword as he slashed at them.

"It's over."

Boom!

The helicopter exploded, turning into smoke and dust that filled the sky.

His soul returned to his body. Huang Bai glanced at the thin white line in the distance. If he had guessed correctly, it was a nuclear weapon.

"Time to leave."

He would not put himself in danger.

Although the Red Queen had said the underground facilities could withstand a nuclear blast, what if there were ten atomic bombs?

This was merely a world with no mission requirements. He had achieved his goal anyway: not only had his body been enhanced, but the hundred-year Dharma Altar had also been refined successfully.

If he had the chance in the future, he would certainly return here.

Huang Bai returned underground, picked up the Dharma Altar, carried a case containing a single T-virus mutated strain, and said to everyone:

"My time is almost up. You have now developed an antivirus serum as well. I'll leave what comes next to you."

Huang Bai spoke to everyone.

"Where are you going, Mr. Daoist?" Alice asked.

"A distant world."

Huang Bai looked into the distance, then lit sandalwood incense and watched everyone close the alloy doors.

Soon, the sandalwood incense burned away rapidly. The Heavenly Dao Talisman Edict slowly lit up, and his figure gradually faded.

The Red Queen broadcast the events outside.

Everyone watched Huang Bai vanish without explanation, heading for an unknown dimension.

In this world, his Myth would forever remain.

Boom!

Before leaving, Huang Bai vaguely saw a brilliant explosion, radiant as the sun, sweeping in all directions.

"Just how far must one cultivate to withstand a nuclear blast?"

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