Chapter 1653
"Are you curious? There's no harm in telling you: I implanted those source positive circulation cores into my body, so my mecha shares many similarities with battle armor. Only then would I be able to immediately release my mecha at will,
" Ling Zichen said in a casual manner.
Tang Wulin's eyelids spasmed slightly upon hearing this. This woman really was insane! Having just faced the power of a source positive circulation core, he had come to realize just how formidable it could be, yet she had implanted something dangerous into her own body. If any energy instability were to occur, the outcome would be very obvious. She really did have a death wish!
Ling Zichen rolled her eyes in an exasperated manner.
"What are you looking at? I don't care even if you regard me as a robot. What's so important about the human body? The most important thing is my research. If I can use source positive circulation cores to replace my life force, I may even be able to attain immortality and live longer than you!
"
Tang Wulin couldn't help but heave a resigned sigh.
"You're more of a monster than I am; I think you should come to our academy.
"
For some reason, he couldn't help but admire this woman. How could one not admire someone so dedicated to their research that they were on the brink of insanity? It was no wonder that the two Limit Douluos had looked so resigned when discussing her.
"Do you have any good suggestions for our operation?
" Tang Wulin asked.
Ling Zichen shrugged in response.
"Simple; you take me to Eternal Heaven, and I guarantee you I'll be able to bring it back. However, once we bring it back, you have to give it to me for research.
"
Tang Wulin's brows furrowed slightly as he said,
"I can give it to you for research if you can ensure absolute safety.
"
Ling Zichen was growing rather impatient.
"Alright, you sound like a broken record. Do you really think I want to die? I still want to do a few more years of research; I'll be careful.
"
Tang Wulin said,
"Alright, then rest in the academy for now, and once we devise a plan, I'll call you up to come with us.
"
Ling Zichen nodded in response, but it was clear that her mind had already drifted elsewhere, and Tang Wulin didn't want to know what she was thinking about at all. After all, the thought process of an insane person was completely different from that of a normal person.
Back in the day, his teacher, Feng Wuyu, had been renowned as a madman, but in comparison to this madwoman, Feng Wuyu was completely tame and normal.
If possible, Tang Wulin really didn't want to allow her to stay in the academy as he was afraid that she would suddenly set off a massive explosion someday.
After organizing a place for Ling Zichen to stay, Tang Wulin immediately departed and heaved a sigh of relief. Interacting with her, even for such a short time, was even more exhausting than facing elemental tribulations.
Even now, Tang Wulin was certain that her spear possessed explosive power equivalent to that of a ninth-grade soul missile; it was just that she had chosen not to detonate it.
He dialed a number on his soul communicator, and soon, Zang Xin's gentle voice rang out from the other end.
"Wulin.
"
"How's the situation going on your end, Your Majesty?
" Tang Wulin asked.
Zang Xin replied,
"Everything's progressing roughly as planned. The federation has requested our Tang Sect to directly participate in this war and to provide weapons for the united fleet at a discounted price. On top of that, they demand that we supply at least 300 mecha pilots, and once the war ends, the Tang Sect will be vindicated. Cao Dezhi has already agreed to all of those conditions. Obviously, they're not going to let us know where Eternal Heaven is being kept, nor did they tell us their exact plan; all they did was ask us to prepare our troops and await further notice.
"
Tang Wulin said,
"So they're already guarding against us. Have any leads been found?
"
Zang Xin replied,
"We did manage to find some. At this point, we're basically certain that the Sea God Legion is responsible for transporting Eternal Heaven. We don't know the exact destination location, but it should be within Bright City. We have our own hidden satellites, so we'll know as soon as a large legion begins to mobilize. However, we think that there's a very good chance that the federation will transport Eternal Heaven in secret; perhaps they won't even move it at all and will simply use its name as intimidation. In any case, we're lacking concrete information, and that will make your operation a lot more difficult.
"
Tang Wulin's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this. This was indeed the main issue: how could they devise a plan without accurate information?
"Has Zichen visited you yet?
" Zang Xin asked.
A wry smile appeared on Tang Wulin's face upon hearing this.
"You really set me a difficult problem, Your Majesty! That woman is insane, and not just a little insane, either!
"
"Hahaha!
" Zang Xin couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Wulin, don't forget that you are the Tang Sect Master. Cao Dezhi and I are both old men now, so you'll have to support the Tang Sect in the future. Zichen is indeed a little insane, but she's always been our Tang Sect's leading researcher, so do bear with her. By the way, she still doesn't have any children yet, so you can help her out if you'd like; I'm sure she'd be willing to accept your genes.
"
Tang Wulin's expression immediately darkened upon hearing this, and if it weren't for the fact that he was speaking to a senior, he would've most likely already snapped.
"Your Majesty, that woman is a human bomb! Aren't you worried at all?
"
Zang Xin was silent for a moment before replying,
"Wulin, I know your first impression of her isn't very positive, but I have to tell you that Zichen is a good girl. She's very kind at heart and loves her research. Do you think she wants to be like this? During one of the research projects, the equipment suddenly malfunctioned, and all of the source positive circulation cores began to resonate with one another, making an explosion imminent. If the explosion had taken place, all of the researchers would have perished, and the damage caused to our Tang Sect would've surpassed even that of the bombing.
"At the time, she implanted those things into her own body, connecting her own life force with all of the source positive circulation cores. Yes, she can no longer be considered as a human right now, but you have to remember that her actions saved thousands of Tang Sect researchers. Zichen is the undisputed lead researcher in the Tang Sect, and her influence, authority, and reputation in the Tang Sect's research centers exceed even ours. Everything she did was for our Tang Sect. To put it more directly, she is a hero of our Tang Sect.
"
A tingling sensation ran through Tang Wulin's entire body upon hearing this, and he reflexively pursed his lips.
Of course, he wasn't going to doubt Zang Xin's words, and as he thought back to how he had treated Ling Zichen, a sense of guilt began to well up in his heart.
"She used to be a very slender girl, and her figure only changed after she implanted the source positive circulation cores into herself. The process altered her body significantly, and according to our calculations, she most likely won't live until 50 as she's expended too much of her life force fusing with those source positive circulation cores.
" A forlorn tone crept into Zang Xin's voice as he spoke.
Tang Wulin asked,
"Can't her life force be replenished? The tree of life...
"