Only I Walk Alone

Wu Ge and Xiao Chao engaged in a discussion about the concept of spirit.

Xiao Chao responded, “Although I cannot fully understand the spirit, ancient texts have completely recorded the methods of spiritual cultivation, which are the summation of countless generations of cultivators. So, even if I cannot comprehend the spirit, I can teach you these methods.”

Wu Ge understood that it wasn’t Xiao Chao directly instructing him, but rather like Xiao Chao handing him a textbook for self-study, supplemented by analyses from generations of cultivators. With Xiao Chao’s extensive knowledge of the human body, it served as a learning machine.

Armed with reference books, expert analyses, and a learning machine, Wu Ge found he had all he needed to succeed.

Xiao Chao mentioned, “Since I am not a true cultivator, the process of cultivation will depend on your perception. However, I see no issue with this, as you are using a combination of cultivation and genetic modification for immortality, giving you ample time to ponder over the matter.”

Wu Ge said, “Then tell me about the method of cultivation quickly. I want to understand what this mysterious cultivation is all about.”

Xiao Chao began explaining, “Cultivation speaks of both the physical and spiritual realms, but its ultimate goal is to enhance the spirit, then use will to change genes and achieve longevity. Therefore, whether it’s mental or physical training, the end goal is the same…”

Through vivid explanations, including Power Points and animations on television, Wu Ge got a basic understanding of spiritual cultivation.

In essence, it involved meditation, chanting, martial arts practice, and later, experiencing the vicissitudes of life to train the heart. It required enduring loneliness, maintaining purity of thought, and achieving a thorough connection of intentions.

In short, the goal was to train and strengthen the spirit.

Xiao Chao also provided examples, mentioning mythical creatures like monsters, vampires, and werewolves, which were either humans with spiritual issues or animals mutated after consuming strange plants.

Besides these legendary beings, there were seers, psychics, and individuals with clairvoyance reported in the news, either having undergone special spiritual training or born with strong mental powers.

Xiao Chao concluded, “Those with troubled thoughts exhibit strange behaviors, and those with disturbed spirits undergo physical transformations.”

After Xiao Chao’s explanation, Wu Ge understood cultivation.

From that day, Wu Ge began studying cultivation. Xiao Chao said, “Once you fully grasp this method, it becomes a process of accumulation. You must meditate and practice daily. Success in any endeavor requires persistent effort.”

Xiao Chao’s concept of cultivation didn’t involve traditional stages like Foundation Building, Core Formation, or Nascent Soul. It focused solely on persistence: a decade as if a day, a century as if a day.

Unbeknownst to him, seven days passed, and Wu Ge finally arrived at the secret base described by Xiao Chao.

Wu Ge initially thought the base would be underground, but it turned out to be a vast city surrounded by hundred-meter-high steel walls, with numerous robots maintaining the fortifications and turrets dotting the steel walls.

Inside the walls, Wu Ge saw lush fields, a small hill with a luxurious villa atop it.

A mechanical maid presented Wu Ge with a map of this human habitat, showing farms, ranches, lakes, hills, villas, sports fields, racetracks, and towers.

“Is this the secret base you mentioned?” Wu Ge asked.

Xiao Chao replied, “The real secret base is a hundred meters underground, beneath this land. Everything on the surface is created for human habitation.”

Wu Ge was driven to the villa, where he saw seven or eight maid-like figures, each exemplifying the epitome of female human beauty, with fair, smooth skin, beautiful, lively eyes, and welcoming smiles, but none were truly human.

The leading maid approached Wu Ge with a sweet smile and said, “We are the maid team that will take care of Wu Ge from now on. If Wu Ge is dissatisfied, you can request a change at any time. We can fulfill all of your needs.”

Indeed, this maid team could satisfy all of Wu Ge’s needs. Except for lacking a human brain, they were similar to humans in all other aspects. They had excellent cooking skills, were hardworking, and did not require rest, making them perfect in almost every way.

The only flaw was that they were not truly human.

Wu Ge asked, “When will the immortality project begin? I want to start military training immediately after achieving physical immortality.”

The maid replied, “The equipment is ready, and we expect to start in three days. Before the plan begins, Xiao Chao needs to collect your genetic information to create the immortality virus.”

“Immortality virus?” Wu Ge was puzzled. “What’s that?”

The maid explained, “The immortality virus is a virus designed to modify human genes. According to biological knowledge, viruses can invade the cell nucleus of a human body, then start transcribing their own genetic material, replicating within the human body and causing harm. However, the immortality virus is different. The genes within the immortality virus are entirely the experimenter’s own, except the genetic sequences related to death have been removed. Therefore, the DNA transcribed by the immortality virus constitutes normal human DNA and forms normal cells, except…”

Wu Ge roughly understood. The immortality virus uses the virus’s method of invading the cell nucleus to create genes that do not carry the death segment, allowing the new cells produced also to lack the death code. By replacing all the body’s cells with these undying cells, one achieves immortality, somewhat like a scientific approach to transcendence, but…

Wu Ge asked, “Except what?”

Xiao Chao said, “Before using the immortality virus, I must ask you a question. This question was set by the inventor of the immortality virus as a mandatory query. Those who cannot answer it correctly are not permitted to use the immortality virus!”