I changed the world.

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As soon as Zhu Yingwei finished speaking, she heard a sword cry. A chill ran through her, and she quickly looked up. Only then did she realize that behind her senior brother, in the void, an ancient longsword was suspended in mid-air. Blue lightning flickered on the blade. Just seeing it made her feel as if countless sharp sword energies were densely packed in the surrounding void, as if they wanted to penetrate her flesh and bones. It was as if she would be cut in two if she moved even slightly.

The sword had been hidden there until now, when it seemed to hear Zhu Yingwei's words and began to vibrate and hum, as if it had been offended in some way.

Zhu Yingwei was like a mouse being watched by a raccoon, too afraid to move, and cold sweat instantly soaked her forehead.

Zhang Jing seemed to sense Zhu Yingwei's unusual behavior. He glanced back, coughed lightly, and another sword rang out before disappearing again. He didn't explain, but simply waved his hand gently: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Chapter 572 Heading to the Beacon Tower

Without saying another word, Zhang Jing stood up and said, "Time is of the essence, so I won't stay any longer."

"Thank you so much, Senior Brother!" Upon hearing this, Zhu Yingwei was at a loss for words, so she simply bowed again. When she stood up, Zhang Jing was no longer in the room.

Zhu Yingwei hurried to the window, opened it, and looked around. It was completely silent outside, except for the occasional chirping of insects. Only then did she realize that her senior brother had really left.

Senior Brother...you truly have the air of a sword immortal!

Zhu Yingwei subconsciously cupped her face and thought that the entertainment industry in this world was quite developed, and there were many elements related to sword immortals in games and movies. Zhu Yingwei had been a game enthusiast before, but after she started cultivating, her time became too tight every day, and she gradually distanced herself from games.

Thinking of the long sword hovering behind her senior brother, Zhu Yingwei felt a chill run down her spine, as if there were still sharp swords blocking her way. However, amidst the fear, she also felt a sense of anticipation, wondering when she too could be as cool and powerful as her senior brother!

Thinking of this, she subconsciously looked up at the sky again. The night sky was as clear as ever, dotted with stars. No one would have imagined that a huge crisis was brewing in the depths of the starry sky!

***

承和三十七年西历2016年3月31日05:19太阳系边疆古柏行星碎片带

On an asteroid located hundreds of kilometers away from Fengsui Fortress, two figures dressed in Taoist robes suddenly appeared.

Vacuum, weightlessness, cosmic rays, low temperature, and extremely harsh environments.

Without a spacesuit, if an ordinary human on Earth were exposed to this environment, the huge pressure difference between the vacuum and the human body would cause a low-pressure effect, which would cause bodily fluids to boil. In this state, the body's blood, saliva, tissue fluid, and other bodily fluids would boil, just like boiling water. The boiling bodily fluids would produce a large amount of steam, as if inflating the entire body.

Then comes the loss of pressure, gas leakage, rupture of the alveoli that exchange gases, and then the eardrums and venous sinuses of the blood vessels rupture due to the rapid loss of pressure, causing bleeding from all seven orifices...

During decompression, due to oxygen deficiency, all the oxygen in the blood and alveoli is drawn out to maintain survival. After about ten seconds, brain hypoxia leads to coma. After coma, the body loses consciousness and prepares to face death.

However, this did not happen to the two Taoist priests on the asteroid.

These two men were Zhang Jing and Zhang Taihe.

For Zhang Jing, agreeing to Zhu Yingwei's request was merely a favor. Regardless of whether she had asked him for a favor before, he had to resolve this issue. Judging from the nature of the wish-granting document, it was best not to avoid such matters, otherwise, more troublesome situations would likely arise. Of course, a necessary reprimand was also necessary to ensure that the newly joined junior disciples maintained a certain level of respect for the sect.

The asteroid beneath his feet was not large and its gravity was extremely weak, causing Zhang Jing to be in a state of almost complete weightlessness, which was somewhat similar to being in water, but also quite different.

There was no particularly painful experience. His seven orifices closed naturally. Zhang Jing could even feel that an extremely tough membrane had formed and closed his eyes, yet miraculously, it did not affect his vision.

The supply of oxygen had long been cut off, yet enormous energy was drawn from the void, causing the body's functions to operate more smoothly without any discomfort.

In this environment, he could clearly see that, without the protection of an atmosphere, all sorts of cosmic rays were relentlessly scorching everything around them like heavenly fire. If it were an ordinary person's skin, it would rapidly develop into cancer under such conditions. However, for Zhang Jing, the dragon-scale-like structure under his skin blocked all rays and drastic temperature changes. In fact, it absorbed, decomposed, and devoured these rays, transforming them into energy within his body.

In some ways, Zhang Jing felt that this environment was even more suitable for him than Earth; to put it another way, it was like a fish entering water. Communication with the void had become much smoother and less hindranced.

The teleportation function of the cave covers the entire solar system. The Kuber planetary fragment belt is basically located at the edge of the teleportation range. If you want to travel to a more distant area, you will need to use other methods.

This also allowed Zhang Jing and Zhang Taihe to easily arrive at this location on the edge of the solar system. The reason they did not teleport directly to Fengsui Fortress was to learn more about the extent to which the situation had deteriorated.

With no atmospheric obstruction and excellent visibility, Zhang Jing activated his pupil technique, his eyes blazing with fire, and began to observe his surroundings. Soon, he located the target's position.

It wasn't that the beacon tower was particularly conspicuous, but rather that, in Zhang Jing's eyes, that area of ​​space was already in a state of deep "erosion."

A large, spiderweb-like mass of material entangled and sealed off an area centered on the beacon tower and the surrounding asteroid. Zhang Jing's first impression was of a large, spotted spider he had once seen in the wild, whose webs could seal off a huge area between tree branches to capture flying insects.

Zhang Jing could even sense that the dense, thread-like material that made up the spider web was not a pure substance, but rather a material that existed between reality and illusion.

"What is this thing..." Zhang Jing frowned and observed it carefully.

"It hasn't fully emerged yet; its true form is still hiding in the void," Zhang Taihe replied from the side. Conversations in space are naturally conducted via telepathy, not voice, thus ensuring the secrecy of the conversation.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jing nodded and said, "Perhaps it's not just the void, but something even deeper..."

At this time, although Zhang Jing was still at the third level, his understanding of the essence of gods had greatly improved due to the recognition of the Heavenly Punishment Sword as its master and the constant communication and integration with it every day. Therefore, he could no longer be regarded as a simple third-level cultivator.

Zhang Jing could also see that the surrounding space was being constantly permeated. It was clear that the unknown entity was very patient and cunning, not in a hurry to descend into this world, but hiding in the void. It was even possible that it had kept part of its original body in a deeper layer of the void.

Zhang Jing now naturally knew what that meant. It meant that this was not just an ordinary void creature, but that it had reached a higher level in some aspects.

Chapter 573 Anchor

In recent days, as Zhang Jing has gained a deeper understanding and familiarity with the divine weapon, the Heavenly Punishment Sword, he has also acquired much knowledge that he could not fully comprehend before.

Zhang Jing had previously learned that the concept of "Abyss Surface" existed at the bottom of this world. It was a place that was more like the source of the deepest projection of the biological spirit, which could be inaccurately described as a concept of the bottom consciousness of the world.

This is a level that only gods can reach. If it weren't for the Heavenly Punishment Sword, Zhang Jing would be far from being able to reach the surface of the abyss at his current stage.

At this moment, Zhang Jing's understanding of the Abyss was more profound than before. In his current understanding, the so-called Abyss and the Void were not two completely independent concepts, but rather a gradual relationship.

The void is like a vast ocean. Humanity's previous warp jumps were like sailing on the sea, propelled by strong currents and winds to reach more distant regions. However, humanity's current understanding of the warp is actually limited to the "surface" area of ​​the warp.

The subspace also contains deeper layers underwater, which Zhang Jing understands to be more like the "deep sea." In fact, the subspace is a process of gradually deepening, just like the real ocean. Larger creatures usually exist in areas far from the surface, and in the subspace, even more terrifying beings also exist in the deep sea.

In a sense, the deepest part of the deep sea is the surface of the abyss.

And the gods exist attached to the surface of the abyss.

Generally speaking, those unknown gods and beings in the deep sea are actually difficult to appear easily on the surface of the world, and especially difficult to penetrate the void and descend into the real world.

In such circumstances, these powerful beings often construct their own "anchors," relying on certain beliefs, corruptions, or rituals in the real world to build more anchor points, making it easier for them to rise and thus gain the opportunity to descend.

This is why many cult rituals are intolerable to people, because their essence is to construct an "anchor" for the descent of evil gods. Or rather, those cult members themselves have become an "anchor" in a certain sense.

In Zhang Jing's view, the unknown entity before him had already set up its anchor. However, it did not rush to descend into this world, but chose to linger on the edge of the world. It extended part of its body out of the void, while the other part remained hidden in the void.

Perhaps it is observing the world and civilization more closely, or perhaps it feels that this is a safer model.

Zhang Jing couldn't tell what it was thinking, but there was no doubt that this guy wasn't brainless like the monsters in many movies and TV shows.

"Teacher, what do you think?" Zhang Jing asked Zhang Taihe beside him after observing for a while.

“It is spying on this world and trying to turn it into resources for its own growth.” Zhang Taihe stroked his beard and said, “We need to completely solve it and not let it escape, otherwise, it will become a long-term problem.”

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"Where's the medic? Give me another sedative!" Major Wang Hanjun gritted his teeth and said into the helmet's communication channel. His voice was somewhat muffled, due to repeatedly biting his tongue.

"Major, you have already used five times the recommended dose of sedative. You can't use any more! You can't use any more!" A military doctor wearing a combat spacesuit with a blue gourd-shaped armband crossed his arms and made several "X" gestures to him.

"Your body can't handle it; it will cause permanent damage!!" To emphasize his professionalism, the military doctor even patted his chest.

"Damn it... these hallucinations are getting stronger!" Major Wang Hanjun slapped his head. Initially, the intense pain and sedatives were enough to keep him conscious, but now, as time went on, the hallucinations were becoming increasingly intense. At the same time, these hallucinations were becoming more and more cunning and bizarre, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between illusion and reality...

"Forget about the damage, don't worry about the damage! Use it immediately!" Wang Hanjun slammed his hand on the medic's shoulder, emphasizing his words. The scenery in front of him was shaking violently, making him extremely uncomfortable and increasingly irritable. The soldiers around him appeared distorted and grotesque, which made him feel extremely uneasy.

Finally, the military doctor, unable to resist his superior's insistence, took out another sedative and inserted it into the injection port on the spacesuit...

This specialized combat spacesuit features an exoskeleton design for power output, with small jet packs on the back providing short-range afterburners. Critical areas are protected by ballistic layers, making it impossible for any medication to reach the skin underneath without being injected through a specific route. Because of this, aside from sedatives, Wang Hanjun mostly had to stimulate his pain receptors by biting his tongue, as he couldn't remove the spacesuit during combat to use other methods to stimulate himself.

After the sedative was injected, the scenery in his eyes became increasingly dark red, but the distortion gradually faded. Wang Hanjun didn't know how long he could hold out this time. He took a deep breath and turned to look at the distant space.

A massive starship lay silently outside the spaceport, its surface covered with layers upon layers of silk threads, like a cocoon caught by a spider, tightly bound by spider silk.

That was the Earth Defense Force's cruiser Salzburg. Although this warship, which defied orders and rushed out of the harbor, managed to destroy the Suifenhe test ship with all its might, it did not seem to bring about any change in the overall situation.

The only hope now is that the country can make as many preparations as possible. As for rescue... Major Wang Hanjun has given up all hope.

He heard a faint, whispering sound, as if a long-lost friend was talking to him. However, having gained some experience, Wang Hanjun tried his best not to listen to the sound and looked for other things to distract himself.

He glanced to the side, where Major Zhang Chengxi sat listlessly, the slight gravity requiring the aid of grappling hooks to keep him afloat. Due to excessive blood loss, injuries, and an overdose of medication, his condition was far worse than Wang Hanjun's, rendering him incapable of normal combat.

"Boyu (Zhang Chengxi's courtesy name is Boyu), how are you feeling?" Wang Hanjun switched channels.

There was a moment of silence on the communicator, and just when he thought Zhang Chengxi had fainted, a weak voice came through: "...Don't worry, she's not dead...Don't worry about me, just do your own thing..."

Chapter 574 What exactly are these guys?!

"Then take care of yourself..." Wang Hanjun gritted his teeth and looked towards the base again. In his field of vision, the surface of the asteroid was covered with a large number of filamentous substances, and the base buildings in the distance were also wrapped in layers of filamentous substances. Even around him, there was a lot of this substance.

Some soldiers tried to come into contact with this substance, and it's said that after contact, whispers became much clearer. However, that soldier quickly mutated, and then... nothing more.

Wang Hanjun had tried, but this substance was extremely difficult to remove, and they currently did not have a good way to remove it in large quantities, so they could only order people to avoid touching it.

A cry of alarm came through the earpiece. Not far to the right, gravel flew and dust billowed up. Wang Hanjun quickly turned his head and found that another soldier had mutated, and the surrounding soldiers were firing at him.

Everyone here is on the verge of a mental breakdown, and could turn into a monster at any moment...

"Everyone, please pay attention, and I'll emphasize this again: constantly assess your mental state and be mindful of using sedatives. Hang in there! Support will be available!"

At that moment, everyone heard a melodious and ethereal singing voice coming from afar, as if a soprano in an opera house was singing...

However, everyone knew that this was space, and they were in a vacuum environment outdoors, where sound waves could not be transmitted!

As the seemingly soul-stirring "song" rang out, the scenery in many people's eyes began to distort. The surrounding objects seemed to become bizarre, as if some strange monster was lurking within them, watching them with malice.

About thirty meters away from Wang Hanjun, a soldier seemed to have seen something terrifying and began to fire fiercely at a meteorite next to him. He then swept his gun across his comrade. Wang Hanjun's orderly instinctively made a tactical maneuver and pulled him to the ground.

At that moment, another soldier next to the first soldier rushed forward without hesitation, grabbed his crazed comrade, and tried to tackle him to the ground.

"Monster!! Let's all perish together!!" Wang Hanjun could clearly hear the roar coming from his earpiece, followed by shrapnel flying everywhere...

The soldier who was being held detonated his hand grenade. Although he and the soldier who tried to tackle him blocked most of the shrapnel, it still hit another soldier nearby, piercing his leg spacesuit. That soldier immediately fell to the ground, but fortunately, the self-sealing design of his combat spacesuit prevented him from immediately losing pressure...