Chapter 229 - 192: Taiyi-Zero Learns to Be Human

Chapter 229: Chapter 192: Taiyi-Zero Learns to Be Human

At the Physics Department, Zhang Ji found Taiyi-Zero.

It was thriving there, shooting the breeze with the scientists every day, guiding their research on Spiritual Technology, and even holding its own in conversations with Iver.

In terms of age, it had certainly accumulated a wealth of knowledge. Coupled with its powerful learning ability, it was no surprise it could hoodwink these youngsters.

"You look like you’re adjusting quite well here. How about I arrange a job for you here later?" Zhang Ji asked.

"Sure, but I want a position as a department head, at least," Taiyi-Zero said.

"No problem. How about I set you up with your own research institute?" said Zhang Ji.

"You’re quite generous," Taiyi-Zero said. "By the way, that guy Iver is a real talent. Can he work with me?"

"What do you mean?" Zhang Ji asked, a bit puzzled. "He caught your eye? What’s so special about him?"

"His ideas are wildly imaginative, really interesting," Taiyi-Zero said. "If I have his help, making my ’toys’ in the future will be much easier."

"If he’s willing, it’s not out of the question. But we’d have to wait until he finishes the project he’s currently working on," Zhang Ji said.

"That Fusion Reactor project is basically complete. Using Tier Four Hundred Refinement Profound Gold as the main material, combined with his containment method, it can achieve a decent power output. The miniaturization is still in progress, but that’s also simple. Just stick it in a folding Space Box. It’s a crude but effective solution. For future optimizations, you could just add a folding shell to the device itself..." said Taiyi-Zero.

Hearing this, Zhang Ji got the general idea.

After they chatted for a while, Zhang Ji got to the point. "My cultivation has improved significantly recently. I plan to open your box."

"Just don’t use *that* move," Taiyi-Zero said. "I don’t want to be turned directly into particles of increasing entropy."

"What’s all this nonsense?" Zhang Ji raised an eyebrow, snatching the floating Dun-Jia Array Box out of the air. Then he said, "Relax. No need for such a big fuss. I might just be able to pry it open with my bare hands."

"This is Tier Six Immortal Copper! You’re going to pry it open with your bare hands? Do you think you’re an Immortal...?"

"CREAK~!"

The instant Taiyi-Zero finished speaking, the Dun-Jia Array Box actually started to deform in Zhang Ji’s bare hands.

"I can’t even tear it open. The tensile strength is a bit too high, isn’t it?" Zhang Ji frowned.

"How did you do that?" Taiyi-Zero said, shocked. "You deformed Immortal Copper with your bare hands? Have you been body-forging? No, that’s not right. What kind of body-forging technique has this effect?"

"Be careful. I’m going to try another method," Zhang Ji said.

"What are you going to do? Please be gentle, I’m scared!!!"

Taiyi-Zero was so scared its True Spirit was trembling. Anyone who saw a beast of a man who could bend Immortal Copper with his bare hands, who was now about to ’give you a massage’, would be terrified.

A wisp of dark energy flared at Zhang Ji’s fingertip. It was a little red, a little black. If one had to describe it, it would be a deep, mystic black.

This was the external manifestation of Primordial Energy. It was different from the dark purple Chaos Element, but both were extremely profound.

True Chaos would be pure, pitch black—a mixture of everything, devoid of color.

"What strange energy, HISS..."

Taiyi-Zero tried to probe the essence of this energy with its Divine Thought, but the moment it made contact, its Divine Soul Particles were annihilated on the spot.

Zhang Ji warned, "Don’t probe it recklessly. Be careful it doesn’t follow your spirit particles and annihilate your Spirit Body altogether."

He wasn’t just fearmongering.

Both Primordial Energy and the Chaos Element have extremely strong chain-reaction properties.

Once contaminated, it could easily spread along matter and destroy everything.

Of course, the world would generally repair and control itself, preventing infinite proliferation. If the amount wasn’t large enough, it would spread for tens of miles at most.

But that was terrifying enough.

After warning Taiyi-Zero, the Primordial Energy at Zhang Ji’s fingertip formed a blade and gently sliced at the surface of the Immortal Copper Dun-Jia Array Box.

Under the blade’s edge, not even the Immortal Copper could hold up. Its surface material was being annihilated, and the Array patterns on it could not be maintained. Before long, Zhang Ji had cut an opening.

It wasn’t very large, only the length of an index finger, but the entire Array pattern was damaged, no longer able to form an effective seal.

Then, he gently pried it open with both hands.

"CRACK~!"

And just like that, the Dun-Jia Array Box was opened.

Inside, countless complex mechanisms and Array patterns were revealed. The interior was incredibly intricate, even possessing spatial properties.

It contained layers of folded space, with countless Spirit Patterns overlapping within.

At the same time, a cyan-green spiritual light shot out from within.

"Freedom, freedom!!"

Taiyi-Zero circled in the air, instantly flying dozens of miles away, freely enjoying the sky and the world.

Zhang Ji didn’t stop it, letting it vent.

After a long time, Taiyi-Zero returned to Zhang Ji’s side.

Zhang Ji examined it closely. Its main body, the Suantian Compass, looked like a bronze compass slightly larger than his palm, inscribed with fine Array patterns—a masterpiece of an Ancient Cultivator.

In terms of craftsmanship, it was exquisite. The materials were top-tier Tier Six materials. It was just one step away from birthing a compatible, top-tier Artifact Spirit and potentially becoming a Tier Six Spiritual Artifact.

However, the divine prognosticator from the Celestial Secret Pavilion back then had failed to achieve that final step, and now, it would never have the chance.

Because this top-tier Artifact Spirit was planning to change bodies.

"When do I get my new body?" Taiyi-Zero asked.

"It’s almost ready. I’ll take you to see it," said Zhang Ji.

They then arrived at Robby’s location.

Taiyi-Zero’s new body had been personally crafted by Robby.

The technical complexity wasn’t too high, however. Void-soil was activated, then shaped and manufactured. A set of artificial Alchemy Organs were added as an operating system. The overall strength was relatively low, with a combat power of B-rank at most. For Taiyi-Zero, this was an Epic-level downgrade.

But this was the best they could do for now. It had potential for growth later on.

It could function as a real human body, capable of cultivation, evolution, and the like.

It even had a Spirit Root inside.

The only problem was...

"Why is it so small?" Taiyi-Zero complained, looking at the body of a seven or eight-year-old child.

"That’s all the material I had. There’s no more. You can figure out how to upgrade it yourself later, or maybe if you absorb more Spiritual Qi, it should be able to grow a bit," Zhang Ji said.

"What about... *that*? Can’t you make it bigger?" Taiyi-Zero asked Zhang Ji.

"Huh?" Zhang Ji raised an eyebrow, momentarily stunned by the creature’s words. His face darkened as he said, "It would be disproportional, you know? Besides, are you sure you could even use it with that face?"

"I don’t care. Anyway, they say it’s better for a man’s to be bigger," Taiyi-Zero said.

"Go talk to Robby about it yourself. I’m not dealing with this."

Zhang Ji didn’t want to discuss this issue with Taiyi-Zero; he found it utterly bizarre.

Taiyi-Zero, however, felt no such reservation and immediately turned to find Robby, who was still studying the Shennong Cauldron.

「Two days later.」

Zhang Ji performed the procedure for Taiyi-Zero.

Its new body was already clothed. Outwardly, it was impossible to tell if there was any difference from before, but Zhang Ji knew it had gotten its wish.

’Such a precocious little imp.’

Sighing, Zhang Ji raised his hand and pulled a cluster of Spirit Body Particles out from the Suantian Compass.

Then he stuffed it directly into the new body.

Throughout the entire process, Taiyi-Zero didn’t even have the ability to resist.

Zhang Ji did it with great ease.

This technique of grabbing a Spirit Body was, in essence, an application of Spiritual Power.

As long as one’s Spirit strength was high enough and their Control Power was sufficiently fine-tuned, it was a simple matter.

Inside the new physique, Taiyi-Zero’s Spirit Body gradually filled the entire form.

Nearby, a slightly excited Robby was also watching, eager to see the results of his work.

After about ten breaths, Taiyi-Zero’s eyes suddenly snapped open.

A moment later, his body began to move.

The first thing he did was sit up. He stared blankly for a moment, then began to touch his own body, pinching here, pulling there, letting out strange cries from time to time.

"Pain! So this is how much it hurts to be pinched? Is this the feeling of bleeding? I think I feel hungry? Is there anything to eat?"

"Yes, I’ve prepared some."

Robby immediately brought over some food, with all sorts of flavors.

"Sweet, sour, so this is what salt tastes like? This one is chewy, this soup is delicious, what’s this..."

Taiyi-Zero was thrilled, curiously trying all the different foods on the tray.

"That’s a decorative prop, you can’t eat it..." Robby reminded him.

But his warning came too late. Taiyi-Zero had already eaten it.

"Alright, thankfully this system’s digestive ability is strong enough... There shouldn’t be any indigestion issues. But I’d think you’d know what’s inedible, right?" Robby said with a strange expression.

"I just wanted to see what would happen. Do you think I’ll get sick?" Taiyi-Zero asked.

"Theoretically, not likely. But if you want, I can inject you with a special virus. There are no major side effects, your bodily systems will just be disordered for a while. It’d be a novel experience," Robby said. "Besides, I’m quite interested in the experimental data."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Taiyi-Zero said, excitedly squeezing up next to Robby.

Never had there been such an enthusiastic test subject.

Zhang Ji didn’t pay them much more mind. Taiyi-Zero was possibly even more familiar with this environment than he was. What he needed to do next was to take the Suantian Compass to Shen Xi to be installed as an external processing unit.

With the Hedao Jade Slip and now the Suantian Compass, there was no telling to what extent Shen Xi’s computing power would increase.

The installation process was quick. Having the experience of installing the Hedao Jade Slip, the relevant personnel from the Physics Department finished the job in half a day.

Zhang Ji ran a test on the spot. Here in the Supreme Capital, with the Spiritual Energy Reactor and power supply pushed to their limits, Shen Xi was only able to exert about 27% of its maximum computing power.

The calculation progress for the [Qiankun Nine Heavens Void Tide-Inducing Array] skyrocketed.

At this rate, the initial construction of the Array model would be completed within half a month.

"Excellent. After this is calculated, we can start deducing the array body for the Sword Bone," Zhang Ji said with satisfaction.