193: Chapter 192 The Roar from Underground

Listening to Xiao Xia recount the details of the incident, the story was bizarre and full of twists, yet carried a certain weight. Knowing the whole affair started because of Xiao Xia made it much simpler to handle. First, no one, including Xiao Xia, knew anything about the contents of the mechanism box; it was only valued because of the Taoist's corpse. This meant one could simply place a processed precious treasure inside the original mechanism box to satisfy the Supervision Department, allowing the hide array map to be pocketed secretly.

In ancient times, the most precious treasures were nothing more than top-grade gemstones or legendary weapons. Among things he could produce, only a weapon fit the identity of that Taoist. Another possibility for what might be inside would be a memento or a token, such as a love token or a commemorative portrait. However, since he was a member of the Supervision Department, he couldn't pit his own people until they spat blood, so he could only choose a weapon. Placing a powerful weapon in the mechanism box would serve as compensation for the Supervision Department.

To increase credibility, he had to create a legendary divine weapon. There was no other way; that Taoist seemed quite formidable, and an ordinary weapon wouldn't warrant such attention. Among China's Ten Great Divine Swords, only the Yuchang Sword had been unearthed so far, while the others remained missing. But even the shortest, the Yuchang Sword, wouldn't fit in the mechanism box. Besides swords, there were only sabers. After searching the AI's database for information on famous ancient sabers, he finally decided to manufacture it based on the design of the 'Kunwu Blade.'

The Kunwu Blade first appeared in ancient myths and legends. According to the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas: Classic of the Central Mountains': 'Two hundred miles west of the Yi River lies Mount Kunwu, which abounds in red copper. Guo Pu of the Jin Dynasty noted: This mountain produces famous copper, red as fire; when used to make a blade, it cuts jade as if slicing through mud.' However, accounts of the Kunwu Blade's origin vary greatly. The earliest can be traced back to King Mu of Zhou, while the most recent appeared as the carving knife of the Ming Dynasty jade carving master Lu Zigang. But Cao Xiao guessed that the real Kunwu Blade in history had long since vanished or rusted away. Regardless, that wasn't important; Cao Xiao was merely using the name of the Kunwu Blade to fabricate a new one.

He chose a simple, straight-edged ancient design and used the hardest variety of the X1 Series Super Alloy to manufacture it. This alloy reached a level of hardness that industrial cutting tools could not penetrate, making it easy to cut through gold and jade. After being treated with Cao Xiao's unique aging technique, no flaws would be seen. Now, the headache was how to handle Xiao Xia's physical condition. He had taken the array map from the mechanism box; he couldn't just stand by and watch Xiao Xia die. If it were a simple virus or bacteria, it would be easy to solve, but he knew nothing about things like curses and didn't know where to start. All he could do now was give Xiao Xia's body a thorough examination, including a detailed check of his brainwaves and magnetic field.

The AI's research on the human body was only at a theoretical level, so everything had to start from scratch. Fortunately, this was a hospital with many patients to serve as control subjects. The human body is an incredibly complex physiological circulatory system; no matter how powerful the Super Industrial Mother Machine was, it couldn't fully research it in a short time. What was being done now was simply identifying the abnormalities in Xiao Xia's body. This only required a general survey to detect the balance values of various physiological data for comparative analysis. However, the premise was being able to detect the 'curse.' Cao Xiao wasn't sure if this would work and could only wait for the test results.

During the examination, Xiao Xia showed some discomfort, but it only lasted about ten minutes. Cao Xiao chatted with him casually, mentioning Xiao Pinger and the large sum of money. Initially, Xiao Xia firmly refused to accept it, saying the mechanism box belonged to the state and he couldn't take this windfall. Cao Xiao fabricated some so-called facts and used a set of twisted logic to sway him. Xiao Xia eventually agreed to keep the money and followed Cao Xiao's suggestion to invest 3.5 billion into Chen Huaiming's company. Chen Huaiming's listed company had decent prospects, and this investment would yield about a 26% stake. As long as Chen Huaiming's company didn't go bankrupt, even without dividends, the money would at least retain its value. The shares would be put in Xiao Pinger's name, so she would never have to worry about money again. Cao Xiao's persuasion also had a selfish motive; it was a reward for Chen Huaiming taking the blame today.

After waiting a full twenty minutes, Cao Xiao finally saw the test results. The root of the problem was found, and the AI provided a solution, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. Xiao Xia's physical issues weren't caused by bacteria or viruses, but by a special frequency of bioelectricity lurking in his body. This bioelectricity was completely different from normal human bioelectricity; it was more like an energy body with a certain consciousness that could disable or even assimilate human bioelectricity, causing complete physiological system chaos and conflict. It continuously consumed energy from all organs and tissues and even transmitted the converted energy out of thin air to a receiving source in the form of particle resonance, much like wireless charging, turning Xiao Xia's body into a power source. This reminded Cao Xiao of the Northern Dark Profound Skill from martial arts novels, but a wireless version. This unique energy, its conversion form, and its transmission method were miraculous. If mastered and applied, it would trigger a technological storm and could even solve the future energy crisis on Earth. For industries like transportation, electronics, and aerospace, it would be nothing less than an industrial revolution.

A strange frequency was also hidden in Xiao Xia's brainwaves. During detection, that frequency actually produced a resistant wave, attempting to stop the industrial mother machine's probe. However, that was like an ant trying to shake a giant tree. With dozens of nuclear fusion reactors providing energy, not only was this frequency analyzed, but the AI also autonomously cleared it from Xiao Xia's brainwaves.

With the mental issues resolved, the physical problems were a bit tricky. Xiao Xia's physical state was already very fragile; he didn't dare to experiment blindly before researching it thoroughly. The solution provided by the AI was to replicate the same energy in his own body and, under the suppression of the array map, extract the energy from Xiao Xia's body by simulating the receiving resonance frequency. But he didn't dare risk his own body. After a moment of thought, he turned his attention to the array map. According to his estimation, the bioelectric energy in Xiao Xia's body should be what the supernatural world calls Yin Qi. The Eight Extremes Yin-Devouring Array map could restrain this Yin Qi, but he couldn't activate it yet; he only had the effect of the treasure's own aura. Thus, if he could simulate the aura of the Eight Extremes Yin-Devouring Array and amplify it, he might be able to use that aura to destroy that energy.

So, Cao Xiao put the array map into his space for the AI to probe and study. Unknowingly, it was already the early hours of the morning. After talking for a long time, the two finally realized they had forgotten Xiao Pinger and her mother outside, leaving them to worry for nothing.

Seeing Cao Xiao and her father talking and laughing, Xiao Pinger wasn't angry and politely peeled fruit for Cao Xiao. Since the matter wasn't finished, Cao Xiao had to stay there shamelessly. He ignored several phone calls until the AI finally gave a positive result. Only then did Cao Xiao speak to Xiao Xia: "Mr. Xiao, I can actually solve your physical problem."

"What? Mr. Cao Xiao, you're not joking? I know your identity, but..." Xiao Xia was first shocked upon hearing this, but his subsequent reaction was disbelief.

Cao Xiao knew Xiao Xia didn't believe that someone so young could solve a problem that even the seniors of the Supervision Department were helpless against. He still smiled and said, "Heh. Every profession has its specialists. Just because they can't do it doesn't mean I can't. Why not give it a try?"

"True! Anyway, I'm already someone counting down the days until I die. If there's a chance to live, there's no harm in trying. What needs to be prepared? I'll have someone bring it over," Xiao Xia said nonchalantly.

Hearing that Xiao Xia still didn't believe him, Cao Xiao didn't mind and said seriously, "Nothing needs to be prepared. We can start immediately, but I hope you can keep it a secret."

"That's no problem. Pinger, go outside with your mother and don't let anyone disturb us. Don't worry, it's fine!" Xiao Xia replied to Cao Xiao and then spoke to Xiao Pinger.

Xiao Pinger didn't understand how Cao Xiao could treat illnesses, nor did she know the mechanism box was in his hands. But now, Cao Xiao was her father's only hope for recovery. As she walked out reluctantly, she said, "Cao Xiao, you must cure Daddy. As long as you..."

"Don't worry! It'll be fine in a moment!" Cao Xiao interrupted her, otherwise, he really didn't know what embarrassing things this silly girl might say.

"What do I need to do?" Xiao Xia said, lying on the bed.

"Nothing, just close your eyes," Cao Xiao said.

Placing his hand on Xiao Xia's forehead, Cao Xiao muttered under his breath, uttering strange syllables he had made up. Simultaneously, a majestic, vast, ancient, and masculine aura radiated from his body, growing increasingly grand. Suddenly, Xiao Xia's body began to twitch, and an expression of extreme agony appeared on his face. He let out a heart-wrenching scream, tears flowing from the pain. His eyes snapped open, and his hands tried to push away the hand Cao Xiao had on his forehead. When he couldn't move it, he began to scratch and claw with great force, showing strength unlike that of a patient. Cao Xiao had to use both hands to barely restrain him, getting several bloody scratches on his own hands. Fortunately, Xiao Xia only struggled for a moment before fainting.

Under the AI's monitoring, Xiao Xia's bodily functions were rapidly recovering, and the energy in his body was being swiftly suppressed and destroyed. However, a small remaining portion was very stubborn, consciously gathering together and moving toward the brain. Seeing it was about to reach the head without dissipating, Cao Xiao knew that with that energy's destructive power, it could instantly kill a large number of brain cells, likely causing permanent brain damage or even total loss of function, leaving Xiao Xia worse off than a vegetable. In desperation, Cao Xiao steeled himself and adopted the previous plan provided by the AI. He integrated a similar energy into his own body and simulated the resonance frequency of that energy transmission to forcibly absorb the stubborn clump of energy.

As expected, the energy in Xiao Xia's body offered no resistance and merged into the energy clump within Cao Xiao's body without warning. But an accident occurred just as Cao Xiao prepared to remove the energy clump: a very strong resistant consciousness emerged. This was something Cao Xiao hadn't anticipated. The energy clump he created had no consciousness, but now that this conscious energy had entered, the entire mass possessed a consciousness. Guided by this consciousness, it fought against the aura of the Eight Extremes Yin-Devouring Array in his body. Furthermore, mysterious energy was continuously being transmitted from the void, making the energy clump stronger and stronger. It began to devour the energy in Cao Xiao's body tissues, damaging his body. Cao Xiao felt as if a fire was burning inside him, the pain unbearable. He couldn't muster a shred of strength and collapsed onto the floor.

This sudden situation caught Cao Xiao off guard, but fortunately, his mind remained clear. In a flash, he realized the cause. Seeing the aura of the Eight Extremes Yin-Devouring Array showing signs of faltering, he immediately ordered an increase in energy output. As the array's aura grew stronger, the Yin energy was continuously annihilated. Simultaneously, an unexpectedly comfortable sensation spread through his body. The AI informed him that as the two energies clashed, the annihilation of the Yin energy produced an unknown energy. This unknown energy was harmless; instead, it was repairing the damaged tissues in his body and even carried a miraculous strengthening effect. After absorbing this energy, his cells became tougher and more active.

Instantly, Cao Xiao thought of many possibilities. He had likely stumbled upon a stroke of luck that others could only dream of. Although his body still ached, he had regained some strength. He struggled to crawl up from the floor and sat in a chair, a bold idea suddenly forming in his mind. Since this energy was beneficial to the body, why not take the opportunity to absorb more? The source transmitting energy out of thin air to the Yin energy clump in his body should be the Taoist corpse Xiao Xia mentioned. That corpse absorbed energy by corroding human bodies with Yin energy. Now that he had mastered this method of energy absorption, he could use the miraculous energy produced by its annihilation to benefit himself. Therefore, he needed to continuously draw Yin energy from that side to replenish the consumption. Although the industrial mother machine could also create this Yin energy, absorbing it from there would weaken the energy in the Taoist corpse, reducing its threat. Why not do it?

He acted on the thought, but first had to control the energy clump in his body, constraining it to move according to his will and increasing the Yang aura of the Eight Extremes Yin-Devouring Array to envelop and compress the Yin energy. As the Yang aura increased, the Yin energy clump also accelerated its draw from the source, growing larger. The Yin and Yang energies continuously clashed and annihilated, rapidly producing the miraculous repair and strengthening energy. This process lasted for over ten minutes, and the miraculous energy had spread throughout his entire body. Cao Xiao's body absorbed it hungrily like a parched sponge. After another ten minutes, Cao Xiao not only regained his strength but his entire body felt incredibly comfortable, as if filled with vitality and power.

Meanwhile, in that Tang Dynasty royal tomb in distant Shangqiu, Xijing, an ancient corpse suddenly woke up. It abruptly let out a terrifying roar. If Xiao Xia were present, he would have discovered that the corpse was no longer in its original transparent state...