Chapter 127 Ransom raiders will even pry up the floor tiles.

The internal structure of the Tianli Research Institute branch was filled with a cyberpunk-style coldness and precision.

Countless blue fiber-optic cables flowed along the walls like blood vessels, while giant petri dishes held various nauseating organs and limbs.

But at this moment, this sci-fi horror atmosphere was being rapidly dismantled by Jiang Chen's group, turning it into something resembling a "Double 11 Mega Sale."

"This titanium alloy console has good material—dismantle it! I'll melt it down later to make a reinforced frame for my bed."

"Those quantum computers over there—I don't know how to use them, but they look expensive. Take them away! Selling them to the National Academy of Sciences should net us quite a few contribution points."

"What's this? High-energy nutrient solution? Iliya, bottle it up. We'll drink it like soda when we get back."

Like a bandit raiding a village, Jiang Chen directed Su Qingyue and Iliya in a carpet-style looting.

Su Qingyue had originally wanted to maintain her poise as a young lady from a prestigious family, but after calculating that the market value of this equipment exceeded five billion Great Xia Coins, she decisively transformed into a shrewd financial manager, even starting to use her spatial ring to pack the decorative lights on the walls.

"Jiang Chen, come look at this!"

Suddenly, Mu Qingxue, standing in the deepest part of the main control room, let out an exclamation.

Holding his pillow, Jiang Chen sauntered over. "What's up? Did you find a vault?"

"Something more important than a vault." Mu Qingxue pointed to a massive transparent cylindrical device ahead.

Inside the device, a fist-sized deep blue crystal floated. There was no liquid around it, yet the surrounding air condensed into visible ice mist due to the extreme cold. Even from several meters away, Jiang Chen could feel a bone-chilling frost.

[System Notification: Top-tier sleep-aid material detected—ten thousand years profound ice soul.]

[Effect: Extreme low temperature. Can perfectly suppress the Yang Fire agitation within the host's body and significantly increase the recovery speed of Mental Energy. It is one of the core components for crafting the "Six-Harmonies Divine Bed."]

Jiang Chen's eyes lit up instantly, even brighter than when he saw the tens of billions worth of equipment.

"Good stuff!" Jiang Chen gulped. "With this thing, I won't even need the AC in summer. Sleeping while hugging this would be absolutely amazing!"

"This is the research institute's energy core. Once removed, the entire base will self-destruct." Mu Qingxue frowned. Although she possessed the Profound Yin Ice Body and desired it greatly, her reason told her it was dangerous. "Furthermore, this chill is too intense. Even for me, direct contact would freeze my Meridians."

"It's fine, I have a way."

Jiang Chen snapped his fingers and stepped forward. "Wifey, come here."

Mu Qingxue froze, her pretty face instantly flushing. "Who... who are you calling..."

"You're the only one here with a Profound Yin Ice Body; if not you, then who?" Jiang Chen pulled Mu Qingxue's hand righteously and brought her in front of him. "Listen, the Second Law of Thermodynamics tells us to neutralize heat and cold. In a moment, I'll wrap it with Mental Energy, and you'll be responsible for guiding the chill into your body. I'll hold you from behind and use my blood-qi power to protect your heart's Meridians."

"What... what kind of method is this!" Mu Qingxue was dying of embarrassment and indignation; he was clearly trying to take advantage of her!

"This is called the 'Scientific Dismantling Method of the Double Heavens of Ice and Fire'." Jiang Chen spoke nonsense with a straight face. "Hurry up, or the base's self-destruct System will activate."

Saying so, Jiang Chen didn't give Mu Qingxue a chance to argue and directly wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind.

In that instant, a scalding masculine aura enveloped Mu Qingxue. Jiang Chen's chest pressed against her back, and the intense rush of hormones made her body go soft, nearly causing her to lose her footing.

"Focus, calm your mind." Jiang Chen's voice sounded in her ear, accompanied by a warm current of air that made her earlobes burn.

Mu Qingxue bit her red lip, suppressed her inner shyness, and reached out with trembling hands toward the ten thousand years profound ice soul.

Buzz!

A terrifying cold current erupted instantly, surging into Mu Qingxue's body through her arms.

Even with her Profound Yin Ice Body, she felt as if her blood was about to freeze at this moment.

Just then, a warm current flowed from her waist.

Jiang Chen circulated the Blood-Qi Chapter of the "Supreme Nightmare Art." A majestic, dragon-like blood-qi power continuously poured into Mu Qingxue's body, meeting and fusing with the extreme chill in her Dantian.

The intertwining of ice and fire.

The collision of cold and heat.

Mu Qingxue couldn't help but let out a suppressed soft moan. The sensation was so wondrous, it felt as if her Soul was trembling.

As the chill was absorbed, her cultivation Bottleneck actually loosened. Her cultivation, which had just broken through to the first level of the Grandmaster Realm, was now advancing toward the second level!

"Withdraw!"

With a low shout from Jiang Chen, the light of the ten thousand years profound ice soul dimmed, and it landed submissively in Mu Qingxue's hand.

"Phew... done." Jiang Chen let go and sighed with satisfaction. "The feel is really no—cough, I mean, the coordination was great."

Mu Qingxue's face was so red it looked like it might bleed. She glared at him fiercely, but it lacked any real sting; instead, it carried a hint of allure.

She carefully put away the Ice Soul, thinking to herself: That feeling just now... didn't seem too bad?

"There's another document here." Su Qingyue's voice broke the ambiguous atmosphere.

She held a red file folder labeled "Top Secret," her face somewhat pale.

Jiang Chen took the folder and pulled out the document.

The first page was a blurry photo of a person's back. It looked ordinary, yet it gave off an extremely dangerous feeling.

Below it was only a single line:

[God-Creation Project: Final Phase]

[Codename 001: God's Vessel. Perfect Fusion completed. Currently lurking within the human high-level leadership. Identity: Unknown.]

"Number 001..." Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes, a playful arc curling at the corners of his mouth. "It seems the Tianli Research Institute is playing a very big game. Even that Number 002 monster from earlier was just a gatekeeper. This Number 001... are they trying to become a god?"

"Whether it becomes a god or a ghost, I don't care." Jiang Chen casually tossed the file into his spatial ring. "As long as it doesn't disturb my sleep, it could poke a hole in the sky for all I care. But if it dares to touch my bed..."

A cold, sharp glint flashed in Jiang Chen's eyes.

"I'll let him know what a true nightmare is."

Rumble—

Muffled explosions echoed from deep within the base—a precursor to the self-destruct sequence activating after losing its core.

"Withdraw! Is everything packed?"

"Even the carpets have been rolled up and taken!" Iliya wagged her tail excitedly.

"Excellent. This trip was worth it. Let's go!"

Clutching his pillow, Jiang Chen led the girls and their mountain of loot out of the research institute in a grand manner before the flames swallowed everything.