The internal structure of the nether bell was very delicate. It was almost undetectable under the naked eye. Every mechanical and electrical part was thin like a strand of hair. He could only see the details under a high-level magnifying scope. It was akin to a compressed version of an entire communication system.
It was difficult to imagine how advanced the technology was to compress a communication device, which was usually a few cubic meters, into a small bell without compromising on any of the circuits and parts.
Xia Fei took a deep breath. His fingers were agile and steady. He could not afford to make any mistakes. Even the slightest shudder of his wrist was going to cut countless parts, making it impossible to recover them.
Xia Fei placed the nether bell on the desk and used the high-density recording system to record the whole process. He could still refer to the recording if he failed to assemble the parts the right way.
He just needed to familiarize himself with the device as much as possible. He had to find out why its signal was able to remain free from interference and the difference in technology between it and the super radar system. Perhaps there was something he could learn from the structure of the nether bell. These were Xia Fei’s concerns.
As a matter of fact, there was a certain risk in disassembling such a delicate communication device. He might damage the circuits if he was careless. The more delicate a device was, the more important it would be. Xia Fei was well aware of it, yet his strong urge to learn new things was driving him to figure out the device’s secrets.
Visiting an unfamiliar place to learn the culture of the locals was called exploring. Disassembling an unknown machinery was exploring, too. Xia Fei slowly broke down the device with great passion. Every time he noticed a part with an impressive design and analyzed its functionalities, he would record his discoveries in his microcomputer.
Xia Fei enjoyed exploring the unknown. He also enjoyed discovering problems that he could not solve. He was disassembling the device while learning and taking notes.
Time gradually passed. It took Xia Fei three days and nights just to disassemble a single nether bell. Xia Fei was a speed ability user, meaning that his speed and reaction were a lot quicker than most people. Even the most skillful watchsmith could not match Xia Fei’s efficiency.
It was important to remain focused and keep a clear head when learning and exploring. It had been five days since Xia Fei got any rest after going to the Nameless planet. Even the best brain would be overwhelmed by fatigue. Xia Fei carefully placed the parts he removed in a transparent box and labeled them so it was easier to identify each when needed.
Four hours had already passed by the time he was done. Xia Fei knew he should get some rest. After all, he was not a superhuman; he was not as efficient when he was tired.
Xia Fei recalled the process of disassembling the silver nether bell while he was lying in bed. He grouped the problems he had solved and the things he needed to keep an eye on further separately before falling into deep sleep.
‘The silver nether bell is only the ancillary component. What is it going to be like when I disassemble the black source component?’ Xia Fei could not help but think. Normally, the source component was much more complicated than the ancillary component. It seemed that he would have to disassemble the black nether bell in the lab. After all, he was lacking the proper tools for the job. It was inappropriate for him to disassemble the black nether bell without the right tools.
Xia Fei was very efficient with his work. It was the same when he was resting.
A few hours later, Xia Fei woke up energetically. He took a shower instead of continuing his experiments on the nether bell. He changed into a fresh set of clothes. In two hours, he would arrive at the Heaven Execution Training Camp on Hek. The experiments on the nether bell were a lengthy project. He could not afford to rush it.
Xia Fei went to the command deck to check the logs. He sat on the captain’s seat and lit a cigarette as he waited patiently. He had not seen Chen Dong and Moon Song for some time. He wondered how they were doing. He was intrigued by the mysterious underground chamber of the library. The section of the corridor that existed for no reason. There must be some secret to why the architect had designed the corridor like that.
Since Qin Mang was not around, Xia Fei blatantly carried a detector to the corridor to search around just to satisfy his curiosity.
However, Xia Fei suddenly recalled the package that Shadowless had given him prior to his departure. He was so busy contacting the others and disassembling the nether bell after boarding Vampire that he had completely forgotten about such an important thing.
Xia Fei took out a package from his spatial ring with a grin.
Phantom was very curious about its content, too. He was secretly observing Xia Fei on the side.
Xia Fei opened the package. Inside it was a manual that was as thick as a dictionary. It was wrapped in a black leather. He soon picked up the special scent of the papers.
The manual was surprisingly well-preserved. There was not a single scratch on its cover, yet it did not have a title. It was impossible to tell what the manual was about.
Xia Fei flipped through the pages indifferently when a page suddenly flew out of the manual. It was a message left by Shadowless for him.
“This manual records an evil illusion ability called Delusion. It allows the user to inflict illusions on the target with its mental strength. I know you are unwilling to share it, but I noticed that your mental strength is very outstanding in addition to your speed ability. If I’m not mistaken, you must have some kind of psychokinetic ability, so this manual is perfect for you.
“I’ve also written some secret techniques that might save your life or give you the chance to take your enemy down with you in the last page, including the Life Erupting technique, which every Deathguard of our sect has learned. I have to remind you that everything in this manual is considered evil and forbidden. Not only do they harm your body, they may even disrupt your mind and make you lose yourself.
“I will never impart Delusion to a normal disciple, but I noticed that your will is quite outstanding and you intend to remain neutral. Perhaps the ability is suitable for you. I’ll let you decide yourself. Best of luck.”
Xia Fei took a deep breath and slowly closed the manual. He had first claimed the belongings of Slaughtershadow from the Assassin Sect. The man was without a doubt an evil bloke. The things he left behind were extremely cruel, too, and now, the manual which Shadowless had gifted him was suitable for an evil person, too. Was he really that evil?
“Shadowless copied the manual by hand. How was he able to read it if he is blind?” Phantom asked curiously.
Xia Fei shook his head. “I don’t think Master Shadowless is blind. If I’m not mistaken, both his eyes and his legs aren’t working because of some ability he learned.”
“Ability?” Phantom asked.
“Did you forget? Some factions in the Alliance have secret abilities that one can only learn by paying a huge price. I believe my master learned something similar, too, so his body isn’t working properly as a consequence. Didn’t you notice how strange the way Shadowless walks? He’s dragging his other foot with the foot at the front.
“However, every stride of his doesn’t cover the same distance. A real cripple should walk at a steady pace if he’s been like that for many years. The distance that each of his steps covers shouldn’t deviate by more than fifteen percent, so I’ve got the feeling that it’s not that he can’t use his right leg but he’s purposely refraining from using it.
“As for his eyes, a blind will get used to listening with their ears, since it’s their main method to feel the surroundings. When talking to people, a blind will turn to his side and stick their ears forward, but Shadowless was facing us directly. It’s like the case of his right leg, he can still see with his eyes, but for some reason, he’s refraining from using them.”
Phantom suddenly slapped his leg and said, “That’s right. No wonder his residence has always been so clean. Even the roof is spotless. Clearly, he’s not blind, but he’s only pretending to be one.”
Xia Fei smiled. “The things you mention aren’t enough to prove it. Some people have extremely sharp senses. They can see their surroundings even with their eyes closed. They may even see better than those with perfect vision. Besides, knowing how outstanding Shadowless’s cultivation is, he definitely won’t have trouble cleaning a residence. You can’t just look at the surface to learn a person’s true nature. You must observe the details.”
Phantom reflected on Xia Fei’s words and could not help but agree with him.
There were indeed some special abilities in the universe; for example, the Deathguards of the Assassin Sect had the ability to sacrifice their lives in exchange for a significant boost to their strength for a short period. The stronger the user’s cultivation, the greater the increase.
Every technique with effects similar to it was generally known as ‘blood inheriting’. However, the blood-inheriting technique that the Deathguards of the Assassin Sect learned was quite extreme. There were other techniques that sacrificed a body part in exchange for power. They only needed to sacrifice the functionalities of a certain body part to use the abilities.
The ability that Shadowless practiced was most likely from this category. Even though he was behaving like a real handicapped during his normal routines, his vision would instantly restore while his strength would escalate when he was in a serious battle.
When he was out of battle, he would have to suffer the consequences of learning the forbidden ability. He could not utilize the body parts he had sacrificed. Otherwise, his life would be in danger.
“I didn’t expect Master Shadowless to have practiced some mysterious evil technique, too. The Assassin Sect has always forbidden its disciples from learning these things,” Phantom said.
Xia Fei smiled. “You have no right to judge the others. If you didn’t learn an evil ability, you wouldn’t be here now. It’s difficult to strictly obey rules in this world that follows the law of the jungle. No one can do it. Even if you do, the world is only going to call you inflexible.”
Vampire did another warp jump, and it finally reached Hek, which Xia Fei was familiar with, after leaving the wormhole.
