Molting the Mortal Coil

Chapter 1031: Tests

The presenter was astounded at the sudden power in his hands. As someone who had always been a weak mortal this was a rush hed never felt. His aptitude for bonding with Gu was extremely low and so hed never been given one of his own. In Xuanyuan, compatibility with Gu was what determined who became Cultivators rather than cultivation talent like in Tianxia. The less compatible they were, the more expensive it would be to raise the Gu. These costs rose exponentially with each rank, so it wasnt worth the investment for anyone that didnt have much future hope. On the other hand, it also meant that most people would eventually save up to have one or two first rank Gu to extend their lifespan. This presenter specifically was hoping to build up enough goodwill to get access to a higher quality Gu.

More and more lightning bolts shot out, splashing all over the target in rapid succession as the presenter enjoyed a taste of power. Sage didnt stop him, as it was also a good example of how much power a single Blastid held. It was a tier three Spirit Insect and had far more than just a few Spirit Stones worth of energy. Most Magical Tools wouldnt hold more than a few Spirit Stones worth of energy on their own, as they were usually powered by their wielder.

Sage picked up another one of the rifle sized Blastids and then snatched the other out of the presenters hands. He gave him the new one and pointed to the target. Without any other prompting the man started firing again, this time launching fist sized rocks at high speed. Sage let the man keep firing as he turned to the rest of the crowd, The Earth, Metal, and Wood natured Blastids are a bit different as they create solid materials. They arent as efficient as they also need to launch the solid projectiles they create. There are also other variants not meant only for combat. There is another Earth natured one that creates a mortar for brick and stone work.

After dozens of rocks had smashed onto the target, Sage finally stopped the presenter. Again, he reclaimed the Blastid and picked up a much larger one, holding it up to the presenter's shoulder and telling the man where to place his hands. Then when he was ready and in position, Sage nodded to him. The activation spot was the same as the others, it was simply larger. The shape of the Blastids legs were different as at this size it had to be carried at the hip or up over the shoulder. The shoulder cannon Blastid was at the fourth tier, and of the most simple fire nature. Even so, when it was activated a huge ball of flame was released, completely sheathing the target with fire. After a second and third shot, Sage stopped the presenter and had him set the large bug down. The flames that were still burning on the target were hot enough to turn the stone target dummy into a pile of molten lava.

Lastly, there are the fifth and sixth tier of Blastid. The sixth is still quite rare, but the fifth is not.

Sage brought out a large object covered with a sheet. Then he pulled off the sheet, unveiling a huge Blastid as large as the whole table. It was already pointing in the general direction of the second stone target dummy, but still needed a little more aiming. Sage directed the presenter, having him push on the large cannon-like abdomen of the Blastid to more fine tune the aiming of the big bug.

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As you can see, the main downside is the large size as it makes it difficult to aim, but there are different techniques and methods to deal with that.

The last part of the demonstration was to have the presenter press the same spot on the Blastid that made it activate. With a single press, an attack equivalent to a Core Formation Cultivator was released. In this case a wave of cold shot forth, ice formed instantly upon the ground, while snow billowed forth into the air. It spread out in a narrow cone, forming an instant path from the Blastid out to the target and then back to the wall far behind it. The target was covered completely in ice a few inches thick, just like the floor and the wall. The layer of ice upon the floor perfectly highlighted everywhere the attack struck. Using cold for this fifth rank attack was chosen specifically so that it would leave behind this obvious mark of how much area it could attack at once.

These Blastids were created to raise the quality of life for the commoners. The first, second and some of the third tier are excellent in this regard. As for the rest, theyre strategic weapons as they allow even mortals to pose a threat to the rest of us. Their perception and speed might not be able to keep up with us, but if you equip thousands of them with third tier Blastids it will create quite the formidable force. Especially if theyre supported by the more powerful ones.

With the demonstration complete, Sage left out the table full of Blastids as well as the large cannon sized one. Leaving them for the Die Clan to confirm his tests. He didnt want them suspecting him of pulling any tricks so it was better to let them confirm everything themselves. Sage left the demonstration area and returned to the more central area of the hall, following the Elders back over. Some of the people in the room stayed by the testing area and brought out more targets to test upon.

A pair of servants brought out a chair, setting it at the bottom of the raised platform where the Elder were sitting. Then small tea tables were brought out for the three of them and the previously imposing hall suddenly felt intimate. He no longer felt he was being judged by a royal court and instead just having tea with his seniors. They werent all sitting at the same table, but a few steps up and a dozen feet away was much less imposing than before. Especially since most of the people in the room were still gathered around all the new toys.

Youve put on quite the show, Lang Sheng. What exactly is your goal? Lunwen told us you wished to trade us the methods to raise these Blastids of yours, but what is it you want in return?

I will provide the breeding methods for Blastids to you. In return, I want to access your clan history. The beginning of your clan, the Gu, and how they work. I believe we descend from a similar source and want to gather more clues. Also, I think we should combine our strengths, but Im not foolish enough to think either of us will share all our secrets so quickly. I dont want to know anything about your most powerful Gu and techniques, just the historical secrets. Afterwards, Ill share the secret of sixth tier Blastids with you.

Sage put a juicy deal on the table of the Die Clan. He was going to give them a whole new type of creature that could be just as useful as Gu, but for tools instead of cultivation. In return they just had to share some of their secret history books. The value of these two things were not the same. They would be foolish not to take such a deal, at least if they believed what they could do. Sage was sure to leave out many different types of samples so they could confirm his claims and make sure they believed him. The only reason Sage offered them such beneficial terms was that he wanted to spread Blastids. They were common in the Inner World, but there were also many other interesting technologies there. He was curious to see how far they could be taken if they were given more attention without the distraction of bio-computers and a massive entertainment industry.