Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

"As I recall, the skull of the Demonic Halberd Pig is the hardest, right?"

Hiding behind Theresa, Princess Summer observed the skull that had been carved with weird codes carefully and mumbled, "It can pierce through the scales and fur on the head and carve the information directly into the hardest bones. What kind of magic can do that? Also, why did you do it?"

"It is a code and a brand.

Theresa thought for a moment and said, "For example, the rancher of the livestock will leave his mark on the bottom of the livestock or the horses to mark or count. Of course, the code is more complicated and contains a lot of information. Maybe it can be remotely controlled, too.

"The reason it can be stamped on the skull through the scales and the fur is that it was stamped before the scales and the fur grew out.

"Huh?"

Princess Summer's eyes bulged. "You mean, when the Demonic Halberd Pig was just born?"

"No, earlier than that."

Theresa seemed to have thought of something. "It must've been generated in its embryonic stage, or even directly through the genetic information, instead of being branded."

Princess Summer did not know what 'genetic information' was.

However, she had heard a lot of weird terms from Theresa over the past few days. Princess Summer was no longer surprised.

"So, the Demonic Halberd Pig is a man-made monster and a battle weapon?"

The concept of man-made devils was not unfamiliar in the Jadeite Continent. According to the bards, the cunning and unpardonable devils could create monsters for killing, which was not unusual.

"Man-made is man-made. However, I'm afraid that its original purpose was not to fight."

Patting the butt of the Demonic Halberd Pig, Theresa suddenly changed the topic. "Sister Summer, do you know the difference between a domestic pig and a boar?"

"Well—"

Princess Summer did not understand why Theresa suddenly brought up the topic.

Moreover, the meat that the high society of the Jadeite Continent ate was mostly beef and mutton. They rarely ate pork. Whether it was domesticated pigs or wild boars, they could not be cooked. The smell of meat was too strong.

Princess Summer shook her head.

"The domesticated pig has narrow shoulders, broad buttocks, and a triangular shape from head to tail. On the other hand, the boar has broad shoulders, narrow hips, and powerful muscles. It is most suitable for sprinting and ramming. From head to tail, it is an upside-down triangle.

Theresa pointed at the Demonic Halberd Pig and said, "Look at this demonic beast. Although it has grown tusks, scales, and bone spurs that look like halberds and looks untamable, if you observe it carefully, you will notice that its shoulders are narrow, its waist is broad, and its ass is fat. It is clearly a product of man-made domestication or even genetic modification. For some reason, it has returned to the wilderness and is showing signs of anti-taming.

"It was exactly because it was not a biological weapon that it was so clumsy during the sprint. It could only walk in a straight line, but it was not very good at turning corners. It could fall down at any moment, which was why we were able to eliminate it easily.

"In other words, no matter how hideous and terrifying it appeared to be just now, I believe that it was conceived or 'manufactured' to serve as a fat, juicy food.

"Hey hey hey!"

This time, Princess Summer was truly shocked and found it hard to believe. She stammered, "Why did somebody make such a ferocious animal as food? Wait. That's not the point. The point is, can food be 'manufactured'? The food that it produces has left a mark on the skull. Why is it allowed to run around and regain its wildness?"

"Of course, food can be made. If one day we want to take a look at the dazzling stars in the sky, synthetic food and high-efficiency circulation systems are both essential technologies.

Theresa looked around and said, "Sister Summer, you should be able to tell that we are not in a vast world but in a magnificent super-large enclosed structure that looks like a palace of giants, right?"

Princess Summer was not a fool. She nodded and said, "Yes. This is probably the underground. The bards call the Blood Demon Sector 'Abyss' or 'Hell'. Naturally, it is dark and tortuous.

"Then, in such a world where there is no sunlight, ordinary crops will not be able to survive, and there shouldn't be too many animals. It will be difficult to capture pigs, dogs, cattle, and sheep.

"Therefore, most of the food sources, except for the fungi and moss that require neither sunlight nor heat to thrive, can only be synthesized," Theresa said.

"However, there is a problem with the synthesized food in general, which is that it is too unpalatable. The so-called tasteless food is like eating candles.

Princess Summer burst into laughter.

"Nonsense."

She said, "There is no food that smells like candles."

Theresa pursed her lips.

Back in the badlands, she had eaten a lot of tasteless synthesized food. She had had enough of the tasteless and dry taste.

"The people who created the Blood Demon Sector in the past must've found the smell of synthesized food unbearable, too. Therefore, they manufactured livestock with their excellent technology.

Theresa mumbled to herself, "The lifespan of this Demonic Halberd Pig won't be very long. At most, it will be in its teens or twenties. In other words, even after thousands of years, the 'Fresh Food Automatic Manufacturing System' in the Blood Demon Sector is still functioning. Moreover, it is highly-skilled and self-controlled.

"However, some… bad things happened in this place before, which led to the loss of order. The delicious food that was supposed to be made for human beings escaped and degenerated into the most brutal demon beasts.

"It was definitely not a day or two ago that food turned into magical beasts. The collapse of the order of the Blood Demon Sector could've been thousands of years ago.

"Anyways, if I can find the 'Automatic Fresh Food Manufacturing System' that manufactures the Demonic Halberd Pigs, I should be able to trace it back to the central hub, control center, mainframe crystal processor, or magical energy optical brain. Chances are that I will be able to find a starship, or at least a long-distance communicator!"

"Teresa, what are you whispering to yourself about?" Princess Summer pouted. For some reason, she felt that Theresa had a lot of secrets that she would like to share with her.

"Nothing. The meat has been cut off. Let's go now."

Theresa stood straight and looked at the neatly-arranged dome of light. She said confidently, "Let's find Black Jack and the rest of them and go to the center of the Blood Demon Sector together!"