[Vol. 6] Chapter 217: The Untamable Wolf
Demonic Entities, or Evil Spirits, is a name known to almost every inhabitant of the [Ancient Spirit Realm]. Their sudden arrival brought destruction to civilization, countless disasters, and irreversible changes. Over time, their immense power and mysterious nature became an accepted fact within scholarly circles.
Research on “Evil Spirits” began a thousand years ago and has never ceased. The people of the [Ancient Spirit Realm] have been exploring their origins, the source of their power, and every aspect of their existence. They have drawn inspiration and knowledge from these entities, even finding ways to utilize their strength.
Power itself is neither inherently good nor evil. What matters is how people use it.
Guided by this philosophy, the technology known as [Heaven’s Eye] was created.
Few, including its operators, realize that the core of [Heaven’s Eye], the revolutionary innovation that brought immense convenience to military, daily life, and other fields is entirely derived from the concept of “Evil Spirits”.
Evil Spirits are entities born naturally from the warped laws of the [Ancient Spirit Realm]. In this sense, as long as specific conditions are met, they can appear anywhere in the most hostile environments across the continent and move freely. This unique characteristic was the foundation upon which the [Heaven’s Eye] was designed.
The method involves artificially cultivating specific Evil Spirits, selectively breeding and adjusting them to suppress their destructive nature while utilizing their nearly omnipresent traits to achieve the surveillance and reconnaissance effects of the "Eye."
In simpler terms, it’s not unlike humans using carrier pigeons or hunting dogs for assistance. Except the subjects in this case are far more dangerous and infinitely harder to control.
As guardians of the [Ancient Spirit Realm], the creation of such a technology could not escape the attention of Spirit Veil Immortal Island. However, rather than forcibly intervening in the development of the lower realm, they issued a stern warning. They cautioned the four nations to use this power sparingly and responsibly and declared that if any problems arose from its use, the Immortal Island would not provide assistance to clean up the aftermath.
As a result, the leaders of the four nations in the [Ancient Spirit Realm] reached a consensus early on: the core principles of the [Heaven’s Eye] technology would be strictly regulated and kept secret, and its use would be avoided unless absolutely necessary.
Everyone knew the dangers of Evil Spirits. This force, which had brought the [Ancient Spirit Realm] to ruin a thousand years ago, was treated with the utmost caution by all.
"So… are you saying these jars contain Evil Spirits?"
"Essentially, yes," Mo Ziqing replied. "But their official name is [Eye Spirits]. They are the core of the [Heaven’s Eye] technology. Miss Violet, you’re aware that cats and lions are related, right? The [Eye Spirits] follow a similar principle."
He tapped the lid of one of the metal jars. The sealing paper, drawn with vermillion runes and infused with blood, gleamed faintly under the candlelight, emanating an eerie and unsettling aura.
Before Violet could respond, Xiao Kong furrowed her brow and interjected sharply.
"You’re playing with fire. [Evil Spirits] cannot be domesticated. They are born from [destruction], and no amount of effort can change their inherent nature. Trying to tame them is fundamentally flawed. Evil Spirits themselves are a mistake, a force of annihilation. The idea that power is neutral, neither good nor evil, doesn’t apply to entities created by the laws of destruction."
"Indeed…" Mo Ziqing sighed. "Miss Kong, your argument mirrors the very stance Spirit Veil Immortal Island took when they first learned of this. But in practice, the Heaven’s Eye technology has brought immense convenience to our lives. It’s a prize too tempting to give up, even with its risks."
The elder rubbed his temples with a weary smile.
"Thanks to Heaven’s Eye, we can safely explore perilous places and even the furthest corners of the [Ancient Spirit Realm] without significant risk. We can locate key individuals across vast distances in moments of crisis. We can even do things like record images and broadcast them for others to see. Just like you’ve witnessed during the tournament."
"This convenience was critical in helping the Four Nations recover quickly after the great calamity. Without it, our current prosperity would have been nearly impossible. So, tell me, if you were the Saint of any of the Four Nations, would you abandon such a technology simply out of fear, especially when it appears to carry no immediate risks?"
"Even if most nations adhere to the Immortal Island’s warning and ban the use of Heaven’s Eye, all it would take is for one nation to break that rule and gain massive benefits. The others would inevitably follow suit. It’s only a matter of time."
"This is human nature. No one can remain perfectly rational forever, especially when faced with undeniable advantages. Even the Four Saints, as noble as they are, are ultimately human. And for those of us below them, rationality is even harder to maintain."
Violet, her expression blank, responded coldly.
"So now you’re paying the price for the benefits you seized prematurely."
The bitterness on Mo Ziqing’s face deepened.
"Exactly. As it turns out, the warnings from Spirit Veil Immortal Island were right. We thought we had tamed the ‘Evil Spirits’, suppressing their destructive nature. But the truth is, they can never be tamed. They were merely lying in wait, pretending to be harmless until the critical moment when they could erupt with devastating force."
"What was the purpose of the building that exploded?"
"…It was a workshop and storage facility for [Eye Spirits]. In the [Heaven’s Eye] system, there are two types of [Eye Spirits]. The first type is the [mothers], which are used to receive and store information. They’re fewer in number, heavily guarded, and kept in central facilities like this one."
"The second type, the [children], are the ones actually used for surveillance. They’re far more numerous and frequently deployed. Typically, they’re kept in storage facilities until needed, at which point they’re released to carry out their tasks."
"You understand that with the [Four Saints' Immortal Selection Ceremony] in full swing and Xingyuan City bustling with all kinds of people, the [Heaven’s Eye] has been running constantly. It’s not just being used to broadcast the tournament and relay information. It’s also critical for monitoring the city and preventing any potential disturbances."
"But now, the [Heaven’s Eye] has suddenly collapsed. All contact with the deployed [Eye Spirits] has been lost, and the storage facility has been destroyed in an explosion. For us, who rely on this system to monitor crises, it’s as though we’ve been blinded and deafened. Even if we restart the system, there will be a gap in which certain individuals could act unnoticed."
Violet, now understanding the situation, nodded slightly and pointed out another critical issue.
"A facility storing [Eye Spirits] would have been heavily secured. There’s no way something like this could happen without warning unless either the perpetrator was extraordinarily powerful or there was an internal issue. Which do you think it is?"
Mo Ziqing’s face grew solemn as he answered.
"I’ve been leading a team stationed nearby all day, and at no point did we receive any distress calls or warnings from the facility. But just before the incident, all connections between this central room and the Eye Spirit mothers and children were abruptly severed. Immediately afterward, there was a massive explosion and fire."
"It’s clear that some external force forcibly intervened in the [Heaven’s Eye], seized control, and detonated the Eye Spirit children in the storage facility. The precision and speed required for such an act make it impossible to have been improvised or accidental."
"Perhaps... we have been monitored by [Evil Spirits] for a very long time."