When Li Yao found Xu Zhicheng, the Grand Guardian of Nepenthe was commanding the workers and the spiritual puppets to work furiously. Even he himself was sweating hard on a crystal tank that had been smashed into garbage. He dismantled the crystal tank into the most fundamental components with the claws and the drill of spiritual energy, before he packed them up and took them away.
Although he had been tortured by the Immortal Cultivators a few days ago, there was an unhealthy excitement in his mind at this moment. Ignoring everybody's request for him to take a good rest and treat his wounds, he was still in the frontline cleaning the battlefield.
In his own words, he couldn't have felt more comfortable to dismantle the Immortal Cultivators' Great Iron Plants in person and move them to the town of the underground hominoids. How could anything happen to him?
"Fellow Cultivator Li!"
Seeing that Li Yao had come with the two little fellows, Xu Zhicheng jumped off the crystal tank with a smile and strode to Li Yao's front in only two steps. He was so agile that he did not look like an old man who had been tortured at all.
He wiped his hands on his clothes, not knowing how he should express his gratitude to Li Yao. In the end, he simply bowed to Li Yao and said, "Thank — Thank you so much. You have saved everybody in the Great Iron Plants!"
"Grand Guardian Xu, that's unnecessary!"
Li Yao blushed. Although he was indeed older than the guy, considering the hundred years of hibernation, he certainly hadn't been awake as long as the guy did. Besides, Xu Zhicheng had been tortured in the underground world and had just been subjected to the soul-searching techniques of the Immortal Cultivators. His hair was gray, and his face was full of wrinkles. He looked about the same as his grandfather. How could he accept such a great gift?
"If only I had come earlier."
Li Yao gnashed his teeth. "Although we have driven away the Immortal Cultivators, so many innocent people were still killed. Some were even killed in the battles of the Colossi."
"That's unavoidable. The Great Iron Plants is a burning nest of iron that has to be filled with the lives of countless people as fuel every day."
Xu Zhicheng said, "We realized it on the day we launched the uprising. Nobody from the top to the bottom was scared of death. What mattered was that we had to die a meaningful death. Right now, the Great Iron Plants has finally been completely destroyed. I believe that the deceased workers will certainly be able to rest in peace. They will all thank Fellow Cultivator Li, Fellow Cultivator Li, and the Serenity Seraph for everything that you've done."
Li Yao sighed and said, "How's the collection of assets going? We cannot stay here for too long. Although it is a heavy blow for the Immortal Cultivators to lose two Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators and three Colossi all of a sudden, and they may not be able to gather a new legion for the time being, it's better to be safe than sorry. The sooner we evacuate, the better."
I didn't know that the Immortal Cultivators had accumulated so many resources here. They are enough for the residents of dozens of towns to eat and drink for a year and a half. If they are more frugal, they will be able to help more people. "
Xu Zhicheng said with a smile, "It's all thanks to the spiritual puppets that Fellow Cultivator Li brought. They are truly awesome! Without the spiritual puppets, the workers like us wouldn't have been able to move everything in ten days. "
Li Yao thought of something and asked, "Grand Guardian Xu, I wonder, what's your impression of spiritual puppets?"
Xu Zhicheng was slightly dazed. Glancing at Li Yao, he asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"Nothing. We're just chatting."
Li Yao said, "I'm asking, do you like spiritual puppets? What's your opinion on such human-shaped magical equipment?"
Xu Zhicheng frowned and pondered for a long time. Then he said solemnly, "I don't know. The underground workers like us have very complicated feelings about spiritual puppets.
"Rationally speaking, we know that spiritual puppets are just tools and unthinking iron lumps. However, in most of the mines and factories, the large-scale appearance of spiritual puppets means that the workers will either lose their jobs or have to work hard in order to compete with the spiritual puppets. However, there is always a limit to how hard the workers can tap their potentials, and the spiritual puppets are getting more and more advanced with each generation.
"One day, the spiritual puppets will be so advanced that we cannot catch up with them even if we squeeze our flesh and bones dry, won't they? By then, the high and mighty Immortal Cultivators will certainly replace all human beings with spiritual puppets. Then, how will the poor workers like us live? How will we make a living?
"From that point of view, the underground workers are instinctively disgusted and wary of the spiritual puppets because they are our direct competitors.
"It is needless to say that the Immortal Cultivators such as Li Minghui, who are unwilling to spend money to improve our benefits and benefits, have purchased tremendous spiritual puppets for battle to manage and suppress us. Whenever we make a mistake, or even spend a little too long in the toilet, we will be whipped mercilessly by the spiritual puppets.
"Although they knew that it was a cold, empty tin can, when electric arcs were dancing and cracking whips were slapping the spine brutally, almost tearing the person into halves, who could remain absolutely rational?
"Therefore, it is almost inevitable that we hate the spiritual puppets.
"However, when the spiritual puppets serve us and are even under our control, how useful can they be?
"Li Minghui purchased a batch of spiritual puppets that were made of heatproof composite ceramics for disaster relief. They were designed to rescue people in mine accidents and fires. Of course, he did not care about the lives of the workers. He only did not want the disaster to expand. However, when the spiritual puppets passed through the flames and appeared at the disaster site, spurting out foam and gel that were of extremely low temperature, can you imagine the ecstasy of the workers?
"At that time, the spiritual puppets were like deities that had descended from the sky. As a result, the workers truly worshiped the spiritual puppets for disaster relief as deities. They offered tributes to them every festival and even dressed them up, hoping that they could save more people faster and more efficiently when the disaster happened.
"Even such an unreasonable and narrow-minded Immortal Cultivator as Li Minghui understood the humble mentality of the workers and agreed to let the workers dress and worship the spiritual puppets for disaster relief.
"What we are seeing right now is even more so. What the spiritual puppets are collecting and transporting is not assets but the hope for the survival of countless underground people! With those spiritual puppets, perhaps tens of thousands of people will survive. Even if those iron cans were butchering us blatantly a moment ago, so what? They are empty tools in the first place!
"Getting to the bottom of it, the underground people love and hate the spiritual puppets. Who can say for sure? As for whether they are good or bad, it all depends on who is in control of them, doesn't it? "
Xu Zhicheng had been the Grand Guardian of Nepenthe for a few years, and he had advanced into the Refinement Stage himself. His mind was rather clear. Even Li Yao had a lot of feelings after hearing his well-organized speech.
Thinking for a moment, Li Yao summoned his courage and asked, "Then, if the spiritual puppets are not in the hands of anybody but themselves, what do you think, Grand Guardian Xu?"
"Not in the hands of anybody?"
Xu Zhicheng bulged his eyes and was even more confused. "What do you mean?"
"I almost forgot to introduce them. They are my children."
Li Yao pushed the two little fellows out. "Xiaoming, Wenwen, greet Grandpa Xu."
"Nice to meet you, Grandpa Xu!"
The two little fellows greeted quickly. Even the few spiritual puppets nearby that were idle bowed to Xu Zhicheng at the same time.
"Your children!"
Xu Zhicheng was even more surprised. Looking at the two little fellows, he mumbled, "They are such little children, and you have been bringing them with you to take part in such a dangerous battle? That's really …"
"They are different from regular children. You will understand if you hear me out."
Li Yao cut the beginning and the end and repeated what he said to Long Yangjun a moment ago.
Of course, it was unnecessary for Xu Zhicheng to know the existence of the Xing Yao Federation for now. Li Yao skipped the parts that had nothing to do with the topic, too. He simply told Xu Zhicheng a few key points.
Xu Zhicheng had been listening carefully, but it was not hard to tell from his confused eyes that he did not understand what Li Yao said.
"Well, I know that it is hard to understand …" Li Yao said in embarrassment.
"It is indeed hard to understand."
Pondering for a long time, Xu Zhicheng asked politely, "Fellow Cultivator Li, I've been living below the ground all my life, and my knowledge is naturally incomparable to that of the people on the ground or even the travelers in the sea of stars. Can you please tell me in the simplest terms what's the biggest difference between the two children and regular children?"
"The biggest difference is …"
Li Yao pondered for a moment and said, "Regular children are born with bodies of flesh and blood first before they slowly condense their souls. But they condense their souls first before they are born with bodies of flesh and blood."
"Okay. I get it now."
Xu Zhicheng nodded and said, "But what is the so-called 'soul' exactly?"
Li Yao was dazed for a moment before he said, "The definition of the soul is ever-changing, and there are many different opinions. If I have to explain it in detail, even a hundred books will not be enough. I dare not claim that I know all the answers, either!
"Since Fellow Cultivator Li does not know exactly what the 'soul' is exactly, what's the difference between the soul being born before the body or the soul being born after the body?"
Xu Zhicheng said, "I'm an uncouth man who has been mining below the ground all my life. I really don't understand the complicated and unpredictable 'soul', 'body', and 'consciousness'. I don't understand why you are so troubled and worried either. Let's say that the two children are born with souls before their bodies. So what?"
"Then, they will boast extremely powerful abilities to hack, manipulate, and sabotage the Spiritual Nexus, including the ability to control a thousand or even ten thousand spiritual puppets at the same time."
Li Yao thought for a long time and said, "They will be 'extremely, extremely powerful'. They may even be stronger than everybody in the entire world. Does it really matter?"
"Got it. Too much strength is not a good thing."
Xu Zhicheng finally understood Li Yao's concerns. "Similar things happened in the underground towns before. The children who were highly talented in training were often taken away from their parents by the Immortal Cultivators and sold to the noble families on the surface of the planet as servants or foster sons. All in all, they were hired thugs of all kinds. The luckier ones would send money and letters every year, but the unluckier ones would never be heard from again.
"Therefore, many families below the ground often hide their children's potentials after they discover that they are talented in training. They would rather the children be clumsy and live their whole life below the ground in peace.
"But some parents would rather endure the pain of separation, hoping that their children can go to the surface of the planet and have a chance to live a better life.
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