"That power?" Ren Yuanhao didn't quite understand, but at least he had found someone to lead him in.
Moreover, the person speaking was none other than Dr. Rossis, who was serving as a judge with him today.
He nodded along with Rossis's words. Rossis knew the pain this guy went through when such a situation occurred, but he feigned nonchalance to maintain his image. This made Rossis laugh heartily. He immediately entered a string of numbers and performed an iris scan. The seemingly unremarkable door then emitted a burst of white mist that enveloped them. Rossis then led Ren Yuanhao inside.
The passageway was long, with five doors set up along the way, each with a different password that was refreshed daily. Even more astonishingly, merely entering the correct password was not enough to gain entry; an iris scan was also required.
This made Ren Yuanhao cherish the opportunity even more and also extremely certain that this was likely the location of the so-called 'terminal'.
He calmed his mind and followed the man, rapidly traversing the narrow, dark passageway.
After about three to four minutes, the two finally reached the end of the passageway.
At the end, there was a final access door. This door had even higher requirements: fingerprint, iris scan, and most outrageously, a 32-digit password.
Ren Yuanhao felt his mind go blank. If it weren't for these doctor-monsters possessing extraordinary memory, they probably wouldn't even be able to remember the password.
"Jello, you probably can't understand how we men with brains bigger than our bodies remember these things, can you?"
Ren Yuanhao nodded.
"Ah, I'll tell you, as long as it's a number, it has its pattern. And the password generation is also a conversion by a computer using binary algorithms. As long as you understand computer language, even seemingly random numbers generated by it can be easily remembered."
"Damn it, man, don't talk to me in riddles. Haven't you seen how big this guy is? Does he have such a good brain to remember all this?"
Ren Yuanhao couldn't help but grumble.
"Never mind, I know you won't understand even if I explain. Come in, want to tour first, or get your injection?"
Ren Yuanhao pretended to roar, "No rush."
"Hey, I know you have a loud voice, but the people here are ordinary folks. It'll be troublesome if you scare them later."
Rossis walked alongside Ren Yuanhao into the massive underground laboratory. Its scale was far greater than the laboratory Ren Yuanhao had first entered beneath the dilapidated church in Aid City. The sheer size made their voices echo empty.
Soon, Ren Yuanhao discovered a strange apparatus, resembling a torture device from "Saw." Once a person sat on it, various precisely designed tools would descend upon them. Some could cut open the brain, others were responsible for tearing the lips, some for slicing off eyelids, and others were ready to knock out teeth at any moment.
Ren Yuanhao shivered involuntarily.
Fortunately, Rossis beside him didn't notice.
"Look, the true qi in your bodies is separated from this device. Pretty cool, huh?"
As soon as Rossis said this, Ren Yuanhao felt a warmth surge in his chest. The man, who had just been bound to the seat, looked like a drained toy. As the bottom slot opened, he was immediately discarded.
Even more shocking was that there were at least a hundred such devices here, always attended by technicians maintaining them, as if it were an assembly line operation in a factory.
Furthermore, Ren Yuanhao noticed that the failure rate of these devices was extremely high. Some cultivators even retained consciousness during the extraction process. If the machinery malfunctioned, they could even reflexively struggle to get up from the device, their faces contorted like demons.
Ren Yuanhao knew very well that for a cultivator, true qi was almost intrinsically linked to their vital essence. The plundering of true qi would most likely turn them into someone weaker than an ordinary person. However, such beings were considered 'garbage' by these meticulous staff. And garbage naturally had its place.
Therefore, once their true qi was stripped away, these cultivators had only death awaiting them. Although Ren Yuanhao hadn't personally witnessed the disposal method, the brutality was imaginable.
"You seem very curious about this thing, huh? Stop looking. This stuff is kind of disgusting to think about sometimes, but for your well-being, it's fine if these people die. Nothing to regret."
Rossis's words were no different from those of a murderous demon.
"Speaking of which, this world is quite fair. Although espers have abilities that surpass ordinary cultivators, their true qi is far inferior. Under normal circumstances, if cultivators were a bit more resilient, espers wouldn't stand a chance. So, you should all thank these devices for giving you true qi comparable to high-level cultivators."
Ren Yuanhao suppressed his anger and, listening to Rossis's explanation, walked a few more steps to see a huge machine room!
"Could this be the so-called terminal?"
His gaze locked onto the machine room, unable to move away.
"Jello, the data inside here is our Grey Wolf's most precious possession." Rossis said with pride. "Do you know that Dr. William has been researching the Mandara gene for over ten years? If it weren't for the opportune encounter with the current 'Emperor,' the Mandara gene might not have been revealed."
Rossis didn't notice Ren Yuanhao's expression. For a fleeting moment, Ren Yuanhao felt an urge to act immediately.
He felt this was an excellent opportunity, and the iris scans, fingerprints, and complex, shifting passwords were impossible to replicate. Even if he knew the location, entering would be as difficult as ascending to heaven!
This thought ignited in his heart. Now he just needed someone to help him make a decision or to commit.
"It's quite spacious in here. I wonder if there's a place to pee~"
Ren Yuanhao, barely imitating Jello's tone, found an excuse.
"Yes, it's just around the corner from here."
Rossis pointed towards the brightly lit passageway ahead and said with a grin.
Ren Yuanhao felt as if he had received a great pardon and rushed towards the restroom.
Finally finding refuge in the high-tech restroom, Ren Yuanhao was finally able to suppress the shock in his heart and slowly ponder the steps for destruction, rescue, and escape.
He needed a quieter environment and more time, so he connected to the system's illusion.
"Beep beep, are you ready to take action immediately?"
"That's right. I've got the entire laboratory mapped out. The laboratory is like a large gourd hanging from a vine. The entrance is winding and long. Entering the gourd's mouth leads to the first large space, which is where the Mandara gene is produced and extracted. The left side is responsible for testing gene purity, the right side is for purely experimental purposes. Further inside is the true qi extraction area. This place is vast, with equipment arranged in a circular pattern. The top section is equivalent to a super large furnace that contains the true qi."