I Take Life Seriously Chapter 106: The Growth of Evil (Part 2)

At this moment, Elder A, though no longer uttering a single word, harbored an intensifying spirit of contention. Anxiety and delusions rapidly burgeoned within him, inexplicably giving rise to fear and hatred toward the five-dimensional spatial thought model and Zhang Mingjing.

Within him, the negative rotational energy was quietly surging at an alarming rate.

According to Zhang Yidao’s Taoist theory, he was on the brink of spiritual deviation, dangerously close to demonic possession.

Five-dimensional spatial lifeforms inherently divide into positive rotational energy lifeforms and negative rotational energy lifeforms.

For instance, these elders were purely positive rotational energy beings, while the temporal-spatial monsters contained a vast amount of negative rotational energy, categorizing them as negative rotational energy lifeforms.

There existed yet another form: purely negative rotational energy lifeforms—immensely powerful and rare, such as the being who once valiantly sacrificed itself for the five-dimensional spatial thought model’s origin.

Should Elder A’s body gradually accumulate a significant quantity of negative rotational energy, and one day, this negative energy surpasses the positive, he would transform into a negative rotational energy lifeform.

If he were to mutate suddenly into a purely negative rotational energy entity, he would become what the five-dimensional space termed a “demon.”

At that moment, he would likely be the one attempting to alter the current order of the five-dimensional space.

In sum, according to dogmatic understanding, whether human beings of three-dimensional space or lifeforms of five-dimensional space, even a single evil thought—no matter how slight, even mere anxiety—inevitably invites unforeseen complications.

...

Since the temporal-spatial monster codes share data among themselves, the second batch of such codes learned from previous mistakes and became far more calculating.

Once implanted within a host, they did not rush to release their energy or immediately begin transforming the host. Instead, they accompanied the host’s life for a period to confirm the host’s true strength before fully exploiting them.

Today, on the Rainbow Star of a different temporal-space, Ling—the woman who had once encountered Zhang Mingjing, chieftain of a southern red tribe and the tribe’s strongest cultivator—faced dire trouble.

Previously, the temporal-spatial monster codes implanted within her and her loyal dog, Big Fang, were of an extremely weak energy level. Coupled with their successful cultivation, they narrowly avoided the temptation and control of the codes.

Subsequently, she evaded a relentless pursuit by malevolent cultivators allied with the temporal-spatial monster codes and returned to her tribe.

Unbeknownst to her, the second batch of temporal-spatial monster codes had already arrived.

This time, over a hundred fragments infiltrated Rainbow Star.

Upon arrival, the codes immediately contacted the remnants of the first batch, exchanged information, then implanted themselves in several Rainbow Star cultivators. They disguised themselves as divine emissaries, enticing hosts with promises of godhood to serve them.

In truth, they were but temporarily lurking inside these cultivators, waiting for truly suitable hosts to abandon the old and embrace the new, demonstrating their growing cunning.

Within Ling’s tribe, three vile tribesmen had been each implanted with moderately weak temporal-spatial monster codes, becoming mindless slaves under their influence.

Yet, these three codes collectively coveted Ling’s exceptional physical and spiritual attributes. They had no intention of forcibly taking over her body, for they detected a faint temporal-spatial code already residing within her. By simply supplying energy to and cooperating with this existing code, they could share her body.

Hence, the three codes deceived the three vile tribesmen into attacking Ling. Despite repeated defeats over three hours, Ling’s advantage was not overwhelming, and the outcome remained uncertain.

The three deceived tribesmen were grievously injured but repeatedly received small energy boosts from the temporal-spatial codes, akin to being repeatedly injected with adrenaline, enabling them to fight on for countless rounds. The codes also deflected many of Ling’s attacks, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted.

Now, the three tribesmen had surrounded Ling and Big Fang, preparing for another fierce assault aimed at capturing her.

Panting heavily, Ling struggled to breathe, utterly exhausted yet unyielding.

Big Fang, gravely wounded from protecting her, bore a resolute gaze that spoke of dying for righteousness.

Simultaneously, the three tribesmen launched their attacks from three directions, each unleashing their signature moves.

With a final surge of strength, Big Fang charged fiercely at one tribesman. A crisp cracking sound echoed as the man’s sternum and ribs shattered, collapsing to the ground near death. In that instant, Big Fang himself fell, blood spurting from his mouth, his skull fractured—he had died.

“Big Fang!” Ling cried out in exhaustion, but before she could reach him, two tribesmen closed in and entangled her.

Ling’s legwork was superb, and she wielded illusions skillfully, but utterly drained, her leg strikes held no deterrent against two foes. Illusionary techniques consumed vast energy; she desperately cast one to escape, but within two seconds, the temporal-spatial codes saw through it.

The tribesmen pursued and resumed their entanglement.

“Better surrender!” one snarled.

“Yeah! Ling, you won’t escape today!” the other growled fiercely.

Between breaths, Ling gasped, “What do the codes inside you want by capturing me? Do you even know?”

“Hmph! Dare to call the divine emissary merely a code? How disrespectful.”

“No wonder the divine emissary said you offended the gods, so they sent us to punish you. If we capture you, we’ll be blessed with divine power and become gods ourselves.”

“Hmph! Fools, what’s inside you is no divine emissary but an evil program. As scholars and cultivators, you can’t even tell? You’re truly bewitched.”

“Ha ha ha... ignorant woman,” the two tribesmen were fully brainwashed and sneered dismissively.

If Ling were not so drained, and if the two codes had not secretly bolstered the tribesmen, she could have easily subdued them. Now, mourning Big Fang, she was powerless to convert grief into strength or tap into deeper reserves, gradually losing ground.

Then, astonishingly, the tribesman whom Big Fang had battered barely alive staggered back to his feet. The temporal-spatial code had injected energy and severed pain signals, making him swell with false strength like an inflated doll, enabling him to stand again.

He lunged toward Ling, scolding, “See? If not for the divine emissary’s rescue, I’d be dead long ago. Why don’t you surrender and repent to the emissary?”

“Hmph! I think you’re blinded by greed,” Ling retorted sharply.

At that moment, the three tribesmen’s codes simultaneously commanded, “Stop wasting time, seize her!”

Without hesitation, the three tribesmen charged recklessly at Ling.

After a fierce battle of strength and sorcery, Ling was finally captured.

As they restrained her, the temporal-spatial codes inside the tribesmen immediately supplied energy to the faint code within Ling, revitalizing and strengthening it.

Then, the code inside her spoke with a threatening yet triumphant tone, “Heh heh, after all this struggle, I have finally won! Now, I give you one last choice: cooperate with me to become a stronger being on Rainbow Star, even attain godhood when you acquire the energy sphere, or be corrupted by me, becoming my puppet—a mere walking corpse.”

Ling refused to yield but dreaded corruption even more. Her tone softened slightly, deliberately questioning inwardly, “You could have corrupted me outright. Why go through the trouble of cooperation? There’s more to this, isn’t there?”

“Corrupting you is easy, but your potential is impressive, and we treasure talent—we hate wasting resources. If you cooperate, our combined strength far exceeds what corruption alone offers, and you’ll have the chance to become a god. It’s the best of both worlds. Why not?”

“How can I trust you’ll keep your word? What if, upon gaining the energy sphere, you betray or kill me?”

“Ha ha ha... So that’s why you hesitate to cooperate?”

“Anyone would worry about that, especially since you were once too weak to be trusted.”

“Ha ha ha... do you trust me now?”

“Judging by your current strength, I can partly trust but not completely.”

“Ha ha ha... rest assured! The energy within the energy sphere is enough for both of us to ascend to five-dimensional space.”

“You’re not deceiving me?”

Ling’s voice softened again, feigning trust. Her plan was gradually forming in her mind.

“Hmph! If I were you, I’d seize this chance immediately. Otherwise, with your own cultivation, don’t even dream of five-dimensional space in a thousand years. Think carefully—I have little patience.”

Ling possessed a secret technique that shielded her thoughts from easy reading by the temporal-spatial codes, so they remained unaware of her true intentions.

But she knew that continued resistance meant inevitable corruption, for she was a prize for these malevolent codes—a corpse still stronger than any of the three tribesmen before her. They would never let her go.

Corruption would force her into unknown evils, so her plan was to feign compliance and then find a way to break free from the codes’ control.

After a brief hesitation, Ling said inwardly to the code, “Very well... for the chance to become a god, I agree to cooperate with you.”

“Ha ha ha... your choice is wise!”

The code inside her laughed gleefully as the codes within the three tribesmen began pouring continuous energy into her and her internal code.

The influx of energy reached the limits her body could bear, a torment like being scorched by flames and slashed by countless blades. She soon succumbed to unbearable pain and fainted.

As Ling hovered on the edge of consciousness, she heard the voice of the code within her again.

“You’re awake?”

“I fainted... How long was I out?”

“Over six hours.”

“So long...”

“Yes.”