Li Yao steered Neltharion to circle around the Fire Ant King three times, observing the structure of the 'Venomous Scorpion Bone Biting Shackle' on the surface in detail.
His eyes were beaming with delight.
In the past ten years, while I was working hard, other people have been training crazily, too. This is not a piece of magical equipment; this is a conundrum that he has posed for other refiners!
At first glance, it is just a piece of plain confining magical equipment. The spiritual stripes and rune arrays on it have all been used for hundreds of years. The only distinctive part might be that they are more precise than usual.
However, Jiang Shaoyang has conducted the tiniest modifications with the thinnest strokes on thirty-nine rune arrays. On nine of the rune arrays, he even entirely changed the flow of the circuits of spiritual energy by 'short-circuiting' and 'reconnecting', which are adjustments in the micrometer level.
Take this 'Nine Gloomy Bone Biting Array' for example. According to the general design, its spiritual energy should be running clockwise. If anybody wants to crack it, they should do it reversely, anticlockwise.
However, with the help of only three crystal wires that are only visible under a microscope, Jiang Shaoyang has changed the flow of spiritual energy from clockwise to anticlockwise!
As a result, if the cracker inputs the spiritual energy anticlockwise, not only would they fail to crack the rune array, they would also be accelerating the activation of it!
This is sordid. Too sordid. I didn't know that the big, bald Jiang Shaoyang had come a refiner of the same type as me ten years later!
This 'Nine Gloomy Bone Biting Array', on the other hand, is simply the crudest and most straightforward one of all his traps.
Huh. Not right. It is not as simple as that. Not only has he changed the flow of spiritual energy from clockwise to anticlockwise, he has also changed the overall structure from the shape of a swastika to a hexagon? The swastikas on the surface are just disguises!
Li Yao was so stunned that he was sweating hard.
Are you kidding me? This is rather impressive. What did Jin Xinyue go through exactly in the past ten years? No wonder his 'Venomous Scorpion Bone Biting Shackle' goes undefeated in the entire federation, and even his uncle 'Supernova' Jiang Sheng as well as the entire Refining Department of Deep Sea University failed to crack it!
While Li Yao was amazed. The Fire Ant King sent another message over. "Why are you not talking?"
"Excuse me. I'm hooked. Let me study it for another three minutes."
Li Yao activated a mystic ray from Neltharion and scanned the 'Venomous Scorpion Bone Biting Shackle' in the Fire Ant King's body.
He saw that the legs of the scorpion were deeply embedded into the Fire Ant King's body, only 0.1 millimeters away from the few main organs.
The dangerous tail even circled around the Fire Ant King's spine before it eventually pierced through the cervical vertebra, only to nail into the back of his head.
It would have been quite a headache whether a demon emperor or a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator was confined by such a piece of magical equipment.
Also, there was no telling what kind of materials the magical equipment was built with, but when Li Yao increased the level of the mystic ray, trying to pry into the internal structure of the 'Venomous Scorpion Bone Biting Shackle', some of the critical parts were blocked!
This is getting trickier now. Even if I can open the shell of the 'Venomous Scorpion Bone Biting Shackle', Jiang Shaoyang has certainly deployed even more sordid and dangerous traps inside!
Damn. Elder Nether Spring was oversimplifying the job. It requires much more work to crack the magical equipment than unlocking a hundred rune arrays in one second!
Unlocking a hundred rune arrays in a second would be a piece of cake for an expert of refining such as 'Supernova' Jiang Sheng, but it is just an appetizer before the main dish!
Jiang Shaoyang, very impressive. The magical equipment you've made deserves to be called a national treasure of the Star Glory Federation!
The Fire Ant King sent yet another message anxiously. "What are you doing?"
"I am studying the 'Venomous Scorpion Bone Biting Shackle' wholeheartedly, and I am thinking of a brand new plan," Li Yao said solemnly. "Fire Ant King, the 'Venomous Scorpion Bone Biting Shackle' has disrupted our operation. So, I have drafted a new plan for you.
"Elder Nether Spring is still hoping to exploit the information in your head right now. Therefore, 'Mad Medic' Lu Wuxin will not slay you today. He will torture you for another week or so.
"It means that we have a week for our new plan!
"In the week, you will tell me all the valuable information in your head, such as the locations of the secret bureaus of the Blade of Chaos, the contacts of all the spies, the top secret formulas of the strengthening drugs, and the methods to develop the demonic plants quickly. Also, don't forget your secret treasuries, vaults, or safes where you keep your unparalleled techniques!
"Then, you will appoint me as the next leader of the 'Blade of Chaos'!
"I will figure out a way to rescue our brothers of the Blade of Chaos and let the Blade of Chaos work together with the Star Glory Federation to overthrow the Pantheon of Demons' reign so that the last wills of God Chaos and you will be fulfilled, and you will be avenged. How does it sound?"
"… It does not sound cool!"
"Alright. Then I guess we will have to stick to our original plan."
The Fire Ant King was dazed. "The original plan?"
"The original plan is that I will investigate the environment nearby with Neltharion and try to locate the captives.
"Right. Since this is the base of the Nether World Watch and Elder Nether Spring's secret nest and a lot of terrible experiments are being conducted in this place, the biochemical brains and crystal processors of high computational ability are mandatory.
"A lot of Elder Nether Spring's secrets must be stored in the devices!
"After I get you out, the two of us will go on a rampage and turn the place upside-down. Then, we will rescue the captives, steal the biochemical brains or crystal processors, and eventually flee through one of Elder Nether Spring's devilish warships!
"The area around the North Pole is frequented by billowing wind all year long. The magnetic field here is in disorder, too. It is very inconvenient to communicate with the outside world. I believe that this is one of the reasons Elder Nether Spring established his nest in this place.
"However, as a result, no matter how much trouble we make in this place, Elder Nether Spring is not likely to detect it soon. Even if he detects it, it will still take him some time to return!"
"Wait!" The Elder Nether Spring frowned. "The biggest problem right now is, how are you going to get me out of the 'Venomous Scorpion Bone Biting Shackle'? The controller of the magical equipment is in the hands of 'Mad Medic' Lu Wuxin.
"Don't underestimate him because his nickname is 'Mad Medic'. He has transplanted the organs of many experts into his body and seems to have injected countless kinds of strengthening drugs. Eight years ago, his combat ability was already in the high level of the demon king state. Now that he has taken Elder Nether Spring's side and is the supervisor of Elder Nether Spring's secret nest, he must be stronger than before. Chances are that he is an out-and-out demon emperor right now!
"It will not be easy for you to rob him of the controller.
"Besides, this is a piece of magical equipment made by 'Solar Eclipse' Jiang Shaoyang, who wouldn't have been so simpleminded as to ignore the possibility that the controller could be stolen. I estimate that there are some verification rune arrays on the controller, and there is nothing you will be able to do even if you have it!"
"I know," Li Yao said. "That was why I asked whether or not you would like to pass on the leadership of the Blade of Chaos to me, Fire Ant King. Rest assured. I will certainly kill Elder Nether Spring one day and avenge you!"
"… I would prefer another method."
"Then, you leave me no choice. I will have to try cracking the 'Venomous Scorpion Bone Biting Shackle' with brute force!"
The Fire Ant King was dazed. He asked in disbelief, "Are you confident?"
Li Yao smiled positively. "Rest assured, Fire Ant King. In fact, I am quite an experienced refiner myself, and I have a profound understanding about all kinds of explosive magical equipment. As for the refining style of 'Solar Eclipse' Jiang Shaoyang, I have studied a thing or two about it before. So…"
The Fire Ant King was overjoyed. "So?"
"So, even if the brute-force cracking fails," Li Yao said, "I am totally confident that the damage of the crystal bombs will be concentrated on your body, and I will certainly be unaffected!
"Which means that I will still have chance to rescue your subordinates, the elites of the Blade of Chaos!
"However, in case of an accident, I still strongly suggest that you leave a testament to pass on the leadership of the Blade of Chaos to me so that the Blade of Chaos will not collapse because of the lack of a commander!"
The Fire Ant King had no words.
Li Yao licked his lips. "Alright. Fire Ant King, you can think how to unlock the barriers that Elder Nether Spring imposed on your body right now. I will have Neltharion explore the surroundings while I figure out how to deal with the 'Venomous Scorpion Bone Biting Shackle'."
Li Yao had never forgotten the declaration that he made in public when he was young and proud.
Defeat the Refining Department of Deep Sea University, the holy land of refiners!
What if I can crack a piece of magical equipment that even 'Supernova' Jiang Sheng and the entire Refining Department of Deep Sea University can't?
Neltharion flew up agilely and drifted around the chamber.
The gate of the chamber was not made of bars—it was fully-enclosed. It was impossible to get out of the chamber through the gate unless 'Mad Medic' Lu Wuxin was opening the gate and getting in.
However, 'Mad Medic' Lu Wuxin could be an expert in the demon emperor level, too. It was too risky to fly above his head.
The 'Nether World', Elder Nether Spring's nest, was established based on Ba Yanzhi's war base forty thousand years ago. Many buildings here were actually the relics from that time and a very vintage style. Also, because of the frigidness of the North Pole, where a drop of water might be frozen before it hit the ground, the ceiling of every chamber was installed with ventilation and heating tubes.
Li Yao soon found the entrance of a ventilation tube at the southeast corner of the chamber.
The ventilate tube was only one inch in diameter. It was impossible for a demon or a human being to pass through unless they had practiced certain secret arts such as 'Bone Shrinking Arts' or 'Bone Softening Techniques'.
Of course, that was not a problem for Neltharion.