Shi Lang finished speaking his piece, and the leaders began to discuss the situation and plausible scenarios they could come up with to make a better decision. After six hours, they all agreed to the suggestions.
The federation would be evacuated, and the movement on all the planets was simultaneous. The evacuation was going to be carried out in three stages. First will be sending out the major part of core condensation forces. They will go over to the planets and secure the land by deploying barrier arrays and securing a defendable outpost.
The second part will include the deployment of engineers and doctors. Who will create a bare minimum infrastructure with sustainability in mind while the doctors search the place for medicinal elements? These elements will aid the people in case any unknown illness strikes them.
The third part will be the civilians. They can all carry their fortune or riches using their space rings. The economic system will be the same, and the governments have reached out to private merchants and other wealthy people to dedicate their space vessels to the cause.
After Shi Lang’s speech, the impact was immediate, and the people stepped up to help. They did not wish to die. Plus, they feared that failing to help the people in such a critical movement would affect their status.
Well, the rich are always about status and money. After the discussion, a few core condensation warriors were chosen from all races to guide their people. Shi Lang did not say much during the twelve hours while all these things were being implemented.
Unity looked at him and asked, “Tell us, what is it.”
Shi Lang looked at her and shook his head, “I cannot tell you all anything, but I can show you. Wait till there are only people above the primordial soul realm left. You will have to pledge that this thing should not leak out. If anyone dared to, then may they turn to ashes.”
Unity was surprised, but she did not push things further and spread the word. Everyone was not a fool. They could all detect something wrong when they looked at the humble Shi Lang. This guy was the Ace of Terrans. People might not know him much, but those close to him knew. Shi Lang’s aura would have been enough to spark the people’s souls, but this man asked for evacuation.
Something was wrong. Shi Lang did not say anything. An entire day had passed, and the evacuation had begun. Finally, Shi Lang used his finger to manipulate the image transmission array with his index finger and said, “Whatever you all will see is a memory of mine. I will project this directly inside your soul sea, so do not resist and trust me.”𝒪𝔳𝑙xt.𝗰𝔬𝓜
The people nodded, and everyone suddenly entered a trance.
…
When the people woke from the trance, they stood in the sea of stars. Before them stood Shi Lang and Amelia. The two were covered with various array runes. These runes were not carved on spirit stones or anything else but their flesh. The people were shocked, and Shi Lang said, “These arrays hide us from the demon’s vision. We did this because the enemy was always watching us. You are about to see a scouting mission we carried out behind the enemy lines.”
Amelia said, “That dark planet you see is the demon den. The enemy also lives there.”
That said, the couple moved through space riding a meteor, and Shi Lang and Amelia broke a fragment of it when the meteor passed by the planet. They manipulated it to enter the atmosphere of the enemy planet.
Shi Lang said, “We named this planet the gloom star. Every particle of air in this place is contaminated with demonic energy. We must develop a method to avoid exposure, or the spiritual energy will not be enough to sustain us here.”
The people knew this memory fragment only gave them details and information about the enemy. The couple landed on the ground instantaneously. Their bodies were covered in a shallow black fog.
Amelia said, “On one of our battles, we both were infected by a contagious array pattern this demon had cast to kill the failing troops. We extracted this demonic energy from those array maps. This is the second layer of camouflage. We have placed the enemy at a godly level, where he can sense everything. So this demonic energy will give us some time.”
The two people advanced and came across a minor demon. The creature was ugly. It seemed to have crept out of a horror movie. This thing had two long legs and one whip-like tail. Three sets of arms, and the face was a bizarre mash of flesh. Shi Lang wanted to test the strength of this thing when suddenly, the demon screeched and dashed away.
Amelia and Shi Lang took cover and spotted a twice larger demon chasing the abomination. The hunt was completed in a few moments—afterward, the bigger demon at the small one.
At this moment, Shi Lang said, “Observe this moment.”
The bigger demon’s body sent a wave of dark energy. It was like a shockwave. Shi Lang said, “That is the sign of ascension.”
Amelia picked up and said, “These creatures thrive on cannibalism. The more they eat, the stronger and smarter they become.”
Shi Lang said, “However, they do not have to face the heavenly tribulation when they go ahead in their path of cultivation. Now see.”
The scene changed, and Shi Lang was battling with a demon. This thing was twice bigger than the one that came out as the hunter. Amelia said, “What you are watching is a category four demon. Look at the anatomy of this thing.”
The people observed and found that the demon looked much like a humanoid. Amelia said, “This thing is capable of killing a core condensation in one hit, and these creatures make up the majority of the population of this planet. This was why Shi Lang asked you to hold back the core condensation warriors.”
The people understood things better now. Shi Lang fled the scene after leaving a deep wound on the beast. Then he secretly followed it. He said, “The way they recover from injuries is simple.”
The injured demon consumed a minor demon, and the gash on its chest vanished as if it had never existed. Shi Lang said, “We need a planetary array to deal with the demonic energy in this place, and even then, we can only restrain their power to some extent. The highest level of a demon soldier this place shelters can kill an early Mahayana cultivator if they are given a chance.”
After a short pause, Shi Lang said, “The biggest threat we face is the leader of these creatures. I call him the archdemon, and he has never shown himself to us while we were here.”
The memory came to a stop, and gradually, people woke up. They could not help but shiver to imagine how Shi Lang and Amelia spent their time in that harsh environment to gather information.
Shi Lang said, “We were exposed to demonic energy while I was fighting with these creatures.”
Shi Tao was in the crowd watching all this with red eyes. Amelia said, “Shi Lang took seven years to wash away every wisp of the spirit energy from his body and soul. This was why he was away from home these past few years. Otherwise, we intended to return and teach everyone about the things we had learned.”
The people understood the pains Shi Lang took. Suddenly Unity asked, “How did you wash away the demonic energy?”
Shi Lang said, “I refined my body with sword intent.”
The people gasped. The pain from being infected by sword intent was known to the sword practitioners, and Shi Lang went through this for seven years. This was unimaginable. The people could not help but look at Shi Lang in awe. The reputation he once had was established again.
Shi Lang did not say anything for a short while. Amelia patted his back gently. Shi Lang said, “Ever since I almost lost my sanity under the demonic influence. I have become somewhat different. You can see me as some trauma patient who has yet to move on from the painful reality of those moments. When demonic energy infects you, it shows you bizarre and horrible things. Things that can make you end your life.
The sense of cultivation goes askew; even more, than that, your emotions are everywhere. Now that we have to go and face that thing, I hope you all can come up with some solutions so that none of the people face what I did.
I am fine with all the pain, but I cannot watch my brothers and sisters go out there and suffer.”
Amelia said, “I have one task for you all. When you fight side by side, and if you sense that your comrade has been infected. Do not delay and pull them back. I have refined purification talismans, but they are effective only when used under five minutes of infection. I hope this glimpse have made you all realize the horror we will be facing there.”