Yama Rising

Neither of the Yama-Kings immediately said anything, but both of them had thought of many things.

After a long while, Qin Ye finally asked, "Did the image that the Aurogon see involve me extracting immortal energy directly from the heavenly waterfall? Wouldn't that result in even higher costs? If the Aurogon was able to foresee this, then there's no reason why it wouldn't be aware of our true objective."

The ultimate goal was to use the new energy resource to establish dragon jade supremacy, as well as all of the new industries that would be powered by the energy resource, thereby allowing the Cathayan Underworld to dominate the entire global market. Once dragon jade supremacy was established, the Cathayan Underworld's rise would be unstoppable!

Ksitigarbha didn't answer Qin Ye's questions. Instead, he swept his gaze over the heavenly soldiers in the sky before asking, "Do you know who they are?"

Qin Ye shook his head in response.

Ksitigarbha lowered his head as a faint smile appeared on his face. "I finally understand what the Aurogon was talking about now. This is not an infeasible plan, but it'll have to wait. The top priority right now is to test whether immortal energy can act as the membrane of the new energy resource! Where is the laboratory? Take me there!"

Qin Ye naturally wasn't going to refuse. This was the final step to completing the new energy resource, and if that step could be completed here, then the rise of the Cathayan Underworld would be all but assured!

Thus, the two Yama-Kings immediately traveled to the laboratory. Qin Ye had only left not long ago, so the laboratory still hadn't been cleaned up, nor had it been repaired yet. Of course, none of the scientists had left, and they were still locked in heated discussions.

Thus, no one noticed the arrival of the two Yama-Kings, and in the end, Qin Ye had to clear his throat a few times to grab their attention.

Right as everyone's gaze fell upon Ksitigarbha, all of the scientists drew a sharp breath, and a wave of emotions immediately swept over Zu Chongzhi and Lu Ban. "Did... Didn't you..."

Ksitigarbha shook his head with a faint smile as he swept a placid gaze across all of the scientists present. "Long time no see, everyone."

This was Ksitigarbha, one of the past rulers of the Cathayan Underworld!

All of the scientists immediately set their discussions aside before extending a respectful bow in unison. "Lord Ksitigarbha."

"This isn't the time for sentimental reunions." Qin Ye snapped his fingers urgently, and the servants who were in the process of cleaning up the laboratory were instantly whisked away like paper cranes, immediately following which the door slammed shut.

A serious atmosphere descended over the entire room, and all of the scientists seemed to have sensed something as they turned toward Qin Ye in unison.

Qin Ye wasted no time and cut straight to the chase. "During the initial stages of our research, we managed to break the new energy resource down into three components. Do you still remember that?"

Was their plan feasible? All they needed was an answer to that question.

Either they completely pushed open the gate to the new era or returned to the drawing board to devise new strategies.

In any case, Qin Ye didn't want to wait any longer.

Before any of the scientists had a chance to reply, he continued, "Through those three components, we ascertained that the new energy resource is based on string theory. The explosion that just took place was most likely a result of an inability to contain the released energy of the new energy resource. You haven't found a suitable membrane, which is why you haven't been able to contain the new energy resource, isn't that right?"

String theory?!

All of the foreign scientists immediately turned to look at the Cathayan Underworld's scientists with stunned expressions.

This was the core of the entire new energy resource plan, the part that they hadn't been able to come into contact with. The Cathayan Underworld's scientists had never told them about the supporting theory behind the new energy resource, and only now did they discover that it was string theory instead of particle theory!

This was a completely different theory on the fundamental makeup of all matter in the world!

This piece of news was like a bombshell that left them reeling, and they wanted to say something, but were completely unable to. Their throats had run completely dry, and they were staring intently at Qin Ye, unwilling to look away even for a single instant.

Everyone realized that the fact that Qin Ye was disclosing this piece of knowledge to everyone now was an indication that he wanted to complete this new energy resource right away!

This thought surged through everyone's bodies like an electric current. Major scientific developments often arose at the most unexpected of times, and if they could succeed here, then they were going to be the witnesses of the new era's arrival!

"Are we doing this right now? But... I haven't had a chance to mentally prepare myself at all!" Franklin's hands were trembling so violently that it looked as if he were suffering from spasms, and he was gasping for air like a fish out of water.

Right before everyone's expectant eyes, Qin Ye instructed, "Activate the machinery!"

The electric generator hadn't been destroyed during the explosion, and tremors immediately ran through the entire hall at his behest.

All of the foreign scientists gathered in the laboratory were very proud and dignified characters under normal circumstances, but they had no thoughts of refusing at all as they all gathered in front of a control panel.

Volta took a deep breath before pressing the switch with a trembling finger. In the face of an important experiment, all scientists would inevitably be struck by nerves and anxiety.

Even though the entire world had gone silent, the commotion in their own hearts was so loud that they couldn't hear anything else, and all of them were staring intently at Qin Ye, waiting for further instructions.

Qin Ye was standing at the center of the laboratory, right next to the massive crater in the ground, and after exchanging a glance with Ksitigarbha, he raised a hand high up into the air.

"Recreate the Genesis experiment."

His voice was very quiet, but it echoed like the strike of a gong throughout the entire laboratory, and his instruction was very short and concise, but it was also completely implacable. "Three."

Volta could feel chills running down his own spine as his trembling finger hovered above the button.

"Two."

All of the scientists were biting down on their own lower lips, while the netherfire in their eyes had sprung up to three meters in height.

"One! Begin the experiment!"

With the fall of Qin Ye's hand, all of the buttons were pressed at the same time, and a series of golden Yin runes instantly lit up behind the slightly cracked panel of reinforced glass.

The Yin runes quickly multiplied in number and became brighter and brighter, forming a river of dazzling golden light!

Within the radiant golden river, two particularly complex Yin runes slowly arose before approaching one another like the sun and the moon. As they drew closer and closer to each other, the first sparks finally appeared on their surfaces.

Zap...

It was like the first flame that had arisen from the first human who had decided that it was a good idea to rub two sticks together for an extended period of time.

All of the scientists present had already witnessed this scene countless times, yet they had never been as nervous as they were now as they stared intently at the two Yin runes.

The sound of zapping electricity grew louder and louder, and two Yin runes had already transitioned from a golden color into bright blue and silver. Arcs of electricity were quickly flying in all directions, rapidly filling the entirety of the Yin runes.

Now!

Qin Ye nodded at Ksitigarbha, and Ksitigarbha immediately joined his palms together, following which a ring of pristine white immortal energy erupted forth in all directions!

It was as if a gust of fierce wind had swept through the laboratory, and all of the scientists frantically shielded their own faces as their clothes flapped violently around them. However, no one wanted to miss this potentially monumental scene, and they were all staring intently at the panel of reinforced glass from the gaps between their arms and fingers.

"Is this immortal energy?" Lu Ban murmured to himself in a slightly hoarse voice. Just now, he had been struck by a sensation that he had never felt before.

Was this going to work?

This was the final step that they had envisioned. If they couldn't complete it, then they would have to take at least several more years to find a suitable membrane from the countless Yin runes in the first and second layers.

However, if they could succeed here, then he wouldn't have any regrets even if he were to disintegrate amid this burst of dazzling light!

Right in front of everyone's expectant eyes, the white immortal energy surged over to the panel of reinforced glass, then passed through it as if it didn't even exist.

Time seemed to have completely fallen still in this instant.

Emoven had clapped her hands over her own mouth, while Franklin was looking on with tightly clenched fists, and all of the other scientists had already put down their trembling arms as they leaned forward involuntarily, staring intently at the gate leading to the future standing right ahead of them.

Would the gate be flung open or swing shut firmly in their faces?

Five seconds later, a burst of bright blue light filled the entire room.

"My god..." Emoven's hands were still clasped over her own mouth as she walked forward in a mechanical manner. Beside her, Volta raised his head to look beyond the panel of reinforced glass in a slack-jawed manner.

Furthermore, Thomson's mouth gaped open, and he swayed unsteadily before his legs gave out under him, sending him tumbling to the ground. Dirac was shaking his head in awe and disbelief as he also looked on with incredulity in his eyes.

All of the people in the laboratory, including Qin Ye and Ksitigarbha, were basked under the glorious blue light.

Right in front of them, the pure white immortal energy had draped itself over the two Yin runes like a thin veil.

The two Yin runes had been extremely volatile just a moment ago, yet now, they were beginning to slowly fuse as one!

The electric currents were no longer violent, and it was as if a pure white veil of moonlight had settled over a calm and placid sea, presenting an indescribably beautiful sight to behold.

Deathly silence.

After a long while, Zu Chongzhi finally broke the silence in a dazed manner. "Did we succeed?"

"I think so..." Lu Ban replied in a slack-jawed manner as he stared intently at the pair of fusing Yin runes. "This is string fusion!"

His voice was growing louder and louder as he yelled with excitement, "It's taken less than a minute for them to form electricity-like energy strings! We did it! We really did it!!"

"Wait!!" Franklin was screeching like a banshee as he clawed at his own scalp while the netherfire in his eyes were burning like torches. "Test its wattage!! We have to make sure that it's not going to dissipate! Who's recording the statistics from the experiment?!"

All of the scientists exchanged a few astonished glances before instantly rushing over to the control panels, following which a series of voices that were filled with irrepressible excitement immediately rang out.

"My god, I struggle to fathom even divine deities creating anything more perfect than this!" Volta yelled. "There's no energy escapage at all! It's perfect!"

Emoven looked as if she were about to go insane as she yelled, "Just a single Yin rune is yielding a reading of 100 watts! This is insane! This is tens of thousands of times more power than that of the individual particles in the mortal realm!"

"There's no sign of fission at all! It's a perfect fusion, and there's no energy leakage whatsoever! We're witnessing the birth of a brand new Yin rune, one that was born solely for the purpose of generating the new energy resource!"

Right at this moment, the bright blue light behind the glass window flickered violently, and no more than a few seconds later, a brand new Yin rune that no one had ever seen before finally appeared beyond the pane of glass.

It was like the sun, and it attracted everyone's undivided attention.

It was so grand and majestic and perfect, displaying no signs to indicate that it had been assembled.

In this instant, it was as if the sound of a new era's arrival could be physically heard in the hall.

"We did it..." Qin Ye heaved a long sigh of relief amid the complete silence.

He could clearly sense that this was a perfect and whole Yin rune. Furthermore, every single inch of it was pulsing with immense energy.

This was the energy resource of the underworld, and it appeared directly in the form of a Yin rune rather than in any physical state.

Three and a half years of tireless effort, and the seed of the new energy resource had finally bloomed into a beautiful flower after being watered by so much blood, sweat, and tears.

"We did it!" Zu Chongzhi and Lu Ban made their way over to the panel of glass to stare at the Yin rune beyond it with slack-jawed expressions. A few seconds later, the two of them locked each other in a tight embrace before jumping up and down excitedly like a pair of kids. Their voices were breaking as if they were going through puberty again as they yelled with all their might, "We did it! We did it!! We are the first witnesses of the birth of the new energy resource! We are the ones who have ushered in the new era that the entire world has waited for for several thousand years!"