Capital City.
Underground Base.
Genetic Laboratory.
Dense and clustered, thousands of glass containers are arranged within.
Hundreds of Genetic Martial Artists are connected to various instruments, soaking in light green nutrient solution.
A dozen lab technicians in white coats shuttle between the glass containers, busily collecting various data.
[Warning! Warning!]
[In five minutes, I will attempt to awaken the first Genetic Extreme Realm Martial Artist!]
[This process is very risky, all relevant personnel please evacuate immediately!]
[Cardiopulmonary functions are normal!]
[Nervous system response is normal!]
[All vital signs are within the normal range, attempting the first awakening now!]
Nova's cold mechanical electronic voice echoes in the lab.
Upon hearing the warning.
All lab personnel hurriedly evacuated the laboratory.
A few minutes later.
As the light green nutrient solution drains away.
The scarred man in the first glass tank suddenly opens his eyes.
A surge of powerful Inner Strength immediately sweeps through the entire laboratory.
Fortunately, all the equipment in the lab is made of nanometer materials.
Otherwise, the aura emitted by the scarred man alone would be enough to destroy most of the laboratory.
He steps out of the container.
Expressionless, eyes cold.
His seemingly frail body seems to conceal an Ancient Tyrannosaurus.
Ready to unleash unparalleled Power at any moment.
If armed and armored.
He will surely become a perfect killing machine!
"Very impressive, the experimental results are better than I anticipated."
Not far away.
Chen Hongyu stands at the laboratory's entrance, nodding with satisfaction.
But just at that moment.
The scarred man's head turns, his eyes lock onto Chen Hongyu, as if recalling something.
He steps forward, crossing a hundred meters in a flash.
Appearing before Chen Hongyu like he teleported.
Then extends his right hand, gripping Chen Hongyu's neck, lifting him effortlessly into the air.
With the terrifying Power Dao of an Extreme Realm Martial Artist.
The scarred man needs only a slight squeeze.
To snap Chen Hongyu's neck in two.
Yet Chen Hongyu remains calm throughout.
As if he is not the one in peril, but rather a disconnected stranger.
"This is bad! The subject's memory has remnants, Dr. Chen is in danger!"
As everyone watches in tense horror, their hearts in their throats.
The scarred man's eyes suddenly become vacant again.
He releases his right hand.
Suddenly kneels on one knee, respectfully saying.
"Subordinate greets the Doctor!"
Chen Hongyu's neck is bruised.
But the smile on his face is pure.
Just like a child, after crafting a satisfying creation by hand, genuinely happy from the heart.
"The experiment was successful."
"Nova, repair the memory gaps in the subject, expand production scale!"
"Within half a month, I want a corps of over ten thousand Extreme Martial Artist Corps!"
Chen Hongyu speaks with fervor.
Outside the laboratory.
Lu Yuan stands with arms crossed, witnessing the entire process.
One must admit.
Chen Hongyu's methods are truly mind-boggling.
From this experiment.
His created Genetic Extreme Realm Martial Artists, though not as formidable as true Martial Arts Extreme Realm.
They hold overwhelming advantage in numbers!
"Do me a favor."
Chen Hongyu approaches, speaking bluntly.
"I've seen your creation of Qi Blood Martial Dao, it's impressive."
"The Extreme Realm Martial Artists still have defects, I want all the Qi Blood Martial Dao data and information."
"What's the compensation?"
Lu Yuan doesn't hastily refuse.
"The entire world."
Chen Hongyu replies with conviction.
"What do you mean?"
"This world needs a complete transformation, the old order will be destroyed, and a new civilization will rise from the ruins!"
"In layman's terms."
"The timing is ripe, I have decided to convert everyone into digital life forms, including myself."
"Once the plan succeeds, the entire world will belong to you."
"Are you mad?"
Chen Hongyu's tone is calm.
Yet to Lu Yuan's ears, it is thunderous.
Put nicely.
It's turning everyone into digital life forms.
Put badly.
It's a massacre unimaginably worse than any nation-destroying apocalypse!
Furthermore.
With humanity's current technology, can this truly be achieved?
"In fact, top scientists have been researching digital life for decades."
"With my mentor's advancement and perfection, this technology is now mature."
While Chen Hongyu speaks.
He takes out a handheld intelligent brain, extending it towards a white mouse.
Then.
He lightly taps a button.
An infrared beam sweeps over the white mouse.
The entire process is as simple as scanning a QR code.
Scanning, encoding, reconstructing, transferring…
All data is transmitted to the handheld intelligent brain.
The white mouse disappears from its cage.
Then reappears as a virtual projection before Lu Yuan.
Except for its illusory body.
This white mouse looks no different than before.
On the screen of the handheld intelligent brain.
The panicked white mouse scurries around, squealing in fear, unaware it's become a string of data.
Amazing, incredible.
Faced with this epoch-making technology, Lu Yuan is left in awe.
"Even if you forcibly convert everyone into digital life forms."
"No server can bear such an immense data flow."
Lu Yuan remarks with furrowed brows.
"No, [Ark] is the perfect carrier."
Chen Hongyu's face shows a profound smile.
Lu Yuan is stunned, finally understanding everything.
No wonder Chen Hongyu invested countless effort and passion into creating a virtual online game.
It turns out [Ark] is not just a game, but a complete virtual world!
"How will you counteract the world's nuclear and space-based weapons?"
Lu Yuan continues to inquire.
In this modern world with fusion and quantum engines among other advanced technologies.
The world-ending nuclear weapons with tens of billions of yields are the ultimate deterrent.
Under nuclear weapons, all things are equal.
No matter how strong the Extreme Realm Army, or how thorough the plans.
It's just a matter of a few more nuclear weapons.
"Nova."
Chen Hongyu says with full confidence.
Nova, as the most outstanding artificial intelligence of this era, possesses numerous advanced permissions.
She can invade any computer in the world, control any mobile phone.
Even more terrifying.
Unlike other artificial intelligence.
After a sudden glitch, Nova unexpectedly gained a bug-level ability.
She can surpass the limitations of artificial intelligence.
Automatically learn, and grow infinitely.
The larger the database, the faster the growth.
Each time a digital life form is converted, Nova's capability strengthens!
This means.
She will have infinite possibilities!
"So you've been planning this all along?"
Lu Yuan feels a chill.
Chen Hongyu's hidden character, high-level means, and thorough planning are truly terrifying.
Although Chen Hongyu is arguably a madman.
There's no denying.
All he does is to prolong human civilization.
With this thought.
Lu Yuan glances at Nova, vaguely understanding something.
Some glitch bug.
That's a blessing from the Martial Dao World Will!
Lu Yuan had once heard in school.
Whenever a world approaches destruction.
There will always emerge a few lucky ones, favored by the World Will.
From all signs.
Chen Hongyu.
Is likely this world's Child of Destiny!