107: Chapter 107 The Navel of the World? No, it's an Ignition Switch
East Sea Branch Campus (Formerly the Ancient God Skin Care Center).
The sea breeze carried a hint of saltiness, but the previous stench was gone. On the beach, thousands of sleek and well-fed Abyss Tentacle Monsters were currently lined up in a neat square formation. After the baptism of that "Insect Tide Buffet," they had evolved. Their originally slimy surfaces had grown a layer of shiny black chitinous exoskeleton, making them look as if they were wearing heavy biochemical armor. Moreover, they seemed to have awakened a certain "service consciousness," using their extra tentacles to hold rags and vigorously wipe the exposed "Ancient God Skin."
"Wipe it cleaner! The moss in that crack hasn't been picked out yet!" The Great Zhou Dynasty Prime Minister (Director of the External Relations Department) paced around with his hands behind his back like a supervisor. "The Dean said this is a 'cultural relic.' It's going to be developed into a 5A-grade scenic spot in the future, so it must be kept as clean as new!"
"Roar—! (By your command!)" The Tentacle Monsters were full of energy. Some even turned their tentacles into polishing wheels, buffing that blue-gray metallic skin until it was so shiny it could be used as a mirror.
...
Second floor of the Scripture Pavilion, Dean's Office.
Li Mo wasn't paying attention to the cleaning work in the East Sea; his focus was entirely on a holographic map in front of him. It was the Structural Diagram of the pangu-003 Biological Battleship that he had just restored using the Eye of Truth combined with the text on the Ancient God Skin.
"No wonder..." Li Mo's finger slid across the Zhongzhou region on the map, the corners of his mouth curling up wildly, his eyes filled with a sense of absurdity after discovering the truth. "No wonder Zhongzhou has the densest Spiritual Qi, and no wonder the Wanfa Immortal Sect insists on guarding that position."
On the structural diagram, the core location of the entire Zhongzhou continent—the site of the "Ascension Platform" that the Wanfa Immortal Sect was so proud of—was marked with a large red warning symbol.
[Core Component: Antimatter Psionic Engine · Ignition Port.] [Current Status: Severely Blocked.] [Reason for Blockage: Covered by a large number of illegal buildings (Wanfa Immortal Sect's Great Sect Array), and a large number of "microorganisms" (Cultivators) are extracting fuel (Spiritual Qi) here for their own reproduction (Cultivate).] [Consequence: Excessive engine pressure; a backfire (world destruction) could occur at any time.]
"Good heavens." Li Mo pushed up his glasses. "These people took the ship's 'exhaust pipe' for a feng shui treasure land, built houses on it, inhaled exhaust fumes every day, and still thought they were going to achieve Ascension?"
How was this Cultivate? This was "dying in creative ways"! If they were allowed to keep blocking it like this, never mind an abyss invasion, the ship would explode on its own.
Beep— An emergency task popped up on the System panel.
[Main Quest Updated: Restart the ship.] [Phase One: Unblock the Ignition Port.] [Objective: Demolish all illegal buildings in the core area of Zhongzhou (Wanfa Immortal Sect), clear the blockages, and press the ignition switch.] [Time Limit: 30 days (The Ancient God can't hold it in much longer; it's about to explode).]
"Thirty days..." Li Mo rubbed his chin. A conventional attack would definitely be too late. The Wanfa Immortal Sect was, after all, the overlord of Zhongzhou with deep foundations. If it really came to a head-on clash, even with "Plants vs. Zombies" and the army of Tentacle Monsters, it would take half a year to a year. He had to use some "unconventional" means.
"Squeak." The Treasure-Seeking Rat handed him a cup of tea and pointed out the window. Outside, students in the square were cheering over their "midterm exam" results.
"I've got it." Li Mo's eyes lit up. Since it was a "Technical Academy," there had to be "school-enterprise cooperation" and "field internships."
He picked up a pen and wrote a new directive on a red-headed document: "Notice Regarding the Formation of the 'Zhongzhou Infrastructure Safety Inspection Group' by Tianhe Academy."
...
Half an hour later, the campus-wide broadcast rang out again.
"Ahem, attention all faculty and students." "In view of the recent deterioration of the world's geographical environment, it has been determined that a certain 'nail house' in Zhongzhou (Wanfa Immortal Sect) has illegally occupied public facilities, leading to the blockage of the world's meridians." "To maintain world peace and stability, the Academy has decided to launch a 'forced demolition... oh no, safety rectification' operation."
"The 'Zhongzhou Engineering Team' is now being formed. Places are limited, so sign up quickly." "Leading instructors: Butcher Xiao (responsible for demolition), Lei Wanjun (responsible for blasting)." "Special consultants: Those evolved 'Abyss Cleaners' (Tentacle Monsters)."
"The slogan is: For the sake of the world, please move out."
...
Zhongzhou, Wanfa Immortal Sect.
Although the news of the total annihilation of the "Heavenly Punishment Fleet" hadn't fully spread yet, an atmosphere called "panic" had already enveloped the entire Sect. True Lord Tianfa (Sect Head) sat in the main hall, looking at the group of Elders arguing below, his face so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.
"Sect Head! That Southern Desolate Demonic Cult has gone too far! Not only did they detain our people, but they also... they also..." An Elder choked up, "They stripped our battleships into scrap metal, and supposedly they're melting them down into some kind of 'tractors'!"
"Report—!!!" A scout stumbled into the hall, waving a large, glowing piece of paper (sent urgently by Li Mo using a "Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman").
"Sect Head! That... that Tianhe Academy sent a document!" "What is it? A declaration of war?!" True Lord Tianfa stood up abruptly, his spiritual power surging around him. "How bold! We haven't even gone looking for them yet, and they dare to send a declaration of war first? Read it!"
The scout tremblingly unfolded the paper. There was no murderous "fight to the death" on the paper, only a few extremely standard-formatted Song-style characters, even stamped with a large red official seal:
[Notice for Mandatory Demolition of Illegal Structures within a Time Limit]
[Target: Wanfa Immortal Sect.] [Violation Facts: Your Sect's location choice seriously violates Article 1 of the "Ship Safety Management Regulations." By privately occupying and obstructing the "Ignition Port," the engine cannot start, which not only affects the normal operation of the world but also poses a major safety hazard.] [Rectification Requirements: Please demolish all structures (including but not limited to the Ancestral Hall, Ascension Platform, and Treasure Pavilion) on your own within three days, and evacuate personnel to a safe area (it is suggested to move to the North Pole for mining).] [Consequences of Non-compliance: We will take mandatory measures, and all demolition costs incurred (including explosives, labor, and mental distress fees) will be borne entirely by your side.]
[Signed: Tianhe Academy Logistics and Security Department (Publicity).]
Silence. A deathly silence.
Everyone thought they had misheard. Illegal structures? Safety hazards? Their Wanfa Immortal Sect had stood in Zhongzhou for ten thousand years and was a pillar of the Cultivation World! That whatever-academy actually said they were "illegal constructions"? And wanted them to move to the North Pole?!
"Too much! This is too much!!!" True Lord Tianfa was so angry he spat out a mouthful of old blood, tearing the "Notice" to shreds. "This is an insult! This is a blatant insult!" "Pass down the order! Activate the Sect Protection Array! Awaken all the sleeping Grand Elders!" "I want to see how they plan to 'forcefully demolish' us!"
...
Three days later.
The border of Zhongzhou. The expected army of Cultivators did not appear. What appeared on the horizon was an "engineering convoy" with an extremely bizarre art style.
Leading the charge were several hundred massive "Bio-Tanks" modified from Void Realm Demon Pigs. They were clad in heavy armor and carried huge spiritual power buckets on their backs. In the middle was a "multi-functional work group" composed of Tentacle Monsters. Each hand (tentacle) held a different tool: pneumatic picks, electric drills, sledgehammers, and even megaphones. At the very rear of the procession was a massive mobile fortress floating in mid-air—it was Li Mo who had moved a branch of the Scripture Pavilion (actually a command room converted from a container) over.
Atop the command room, Butcher Xiao wore a hard hat and held a megaphone, his voice echoing through the clouds:
"Listen up, Wanfa Immortal Sect ahead!" "Your houses have seriously affected the world's 'breathing'!" "Since you refuse to move, we'll just have to help you!" "Prepare—start the demolition music!"
Boom-tss-da-tss! Boom-tss-da-tss! Deafening disco music instantly covered the entire battlefield. With the boost of the BGM, thousands of Tentacle Monsters brandished sledgehammers and marched with an arrogant stride toward the Wanfa Immortal Sect's Sect Protection Array... and launched a charge.
"One, two, three! Demolish!"
An absurd war titled "Demolishing Your Home to Save the World" officially broke out.