Chapter 315: 315. Arrive at the nuclear power station
Blue Star, Yukolun
Amidst the snow-covered pine forest, a green light gate appeared, and subsequently one person and three birds emerged.
Over the past few months, the three Spiritual Sparrowhawks had grown once more, reaching a length of 1.9 meters with a wingspan exceeding four meters.
Now, if they stood upright, they would be taller than Lu Yao. Moreover, their feathers, sharp beaks, and talons reflected a metallic luster under the sunlight.
In the icy and snowy environment, they were clearly excited. Looking around cheerfully, they could hardly wait to soar into the sky.
Lu Yao took out the Wing-Suit Flight Suit and put it on.
He had specifically brought back the Spiritual Sparrowhawks to make haste on his journey—to head for the "Futaba Nuclear Power Station" in He Kingdom.
This was a magical nuclear power station that still operated its reactor core, even after a level 7 accident had occurred.
Also, there was a Star Alliance Country air force base nearby, where he could get his hands on a few more aircraft to play with—all plans were already in place!
Lu Yao stretched out his arms, and Ji Xiang and Ru Yi immediately grasped onto him, flapping their wings and lifting off, their strong gusts sweeping countless snow from the ground.
The Spiritual Sparrowhawks let out high-pitched cries, adjusting their form to ascend at "optimal rate of climb speed," and within less than five minutes, they reached an altitude of ten thousand meters, flapping their wings toward their destination.
As their size increased, so did their strength. Even while carrying Lu Yao, they could fly at a speed of 400 kilometers per hour.
When catching the updrafts and following winds, they could go even faster, reaching speeds of 450 kilometers per hour.
"By that calculation, your diving speed must be over 800 kilometers per hour now."
The three Spiritual Sparrowhawks had consumed a vast amount of resources and energy, but the investment was worth it. They had now become indispensable members who would play an even greater role in the future.
One man and three birds sped towards their destination, only stopping for a while when passing the Ice City in the Northern Xia Country.
Lu Yao entered the city and emptied a supermarket, placing everything into the "Space-Time Bubble."
The energy of the Star Key was nearly exhausted, with only 5% left.
However, Lu Yao wasn't concerned, since the nuclear power station he was heading to was still undergoing a chain reaction capable of powerful and fast charging—he could afford the consumption.
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After making the necessary preparations, they set off again; and three hours later, they finally arrived at their destination—the "Futaba Nuclear Power Station" in He Kingdom.
Similar to Chernobyl, there had been a severe nuclear leak here. The surrounding area had long been deserted, resembling a ghost town.
Lu Yao landed in advance and ordered the Spiritual Sparrowhawks to stay away from the area.
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It was uncertain whether a body before the Blood-Exchange Realm could resist radiation contamination.
Although the Marrow Cleansing had made him quite formidable, it was better to play it safe and avoid unnecessary risks.
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Before coming, Lu Yao had gathered a massive amount of information about the Futaba Nuclear Power Station from the internet. The more he read, the more astonished he became—it was hard to imagine that such absurd things were still happening in society today.
Nuclear accidents are categorized into seven levels, with level 7 being a major accident, indicating that nuclear contamination has completely leaked and will adversely affect more than one country.
So far on Blue Star, there had been two such incidents: one at Chernobyl, and the other right here at the Futaba Nuclear Power Station.
When the Chernobyl accident occurred, the Iron Alliance mobilized hundreds of thousands of people who bravely and tirelessly built a sarcophagus, efficiently shielding the deadly radiation.
To this day, the scars are gradually healing.
However, the Futaba Nuclear Power Station is a rarity in the world.
Normally, nuclear power plant personnel are supposed to be professionals in related fields.
Yet, Futaba Nuclear Power Station was staffed by a bunch of labor dispatch workers, subcontracted at least four times over.
Some even got their pay from labor companies on a daily basis, giving you an idea of their professional qualifications.
Moreover, under the pressure from the Star Alliance, the power station purchased the "Mark I" reactor model, which was poorly designed and highly prone to explosions.
With such a combination of risk factors, an accident was inevitable.
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A tsunami triggered by an earthquake caused the reactor's cooling system to fail, and the intense heat increased the pressure inside the safety shell to over 600 kilopascals, twice the design limit for safety!
The temporary workers on site were completely at a loss, and all ran away on the spot.
At that time, the accident was only at level 5.
If only a suicide squad could be organized... There was no need for tens of thousands like the Iron Alliance; just a few would suffice to rush in to release pressure from the exhaust valves, and maybe there would have been hope.
Thus, the power company hired gangs to kidnap a group of bankrupt individuals who owed high-interest debts, and sent them in wearing protective suits...
After a series of reckless operations, the three "Mark-I" units, plagued with design flaws, predictably exploded one after another.
Meanwhile, the government of He Kingdom was too busy shifting blame and caught up in party strife.
Thus, what was originally a controllable level 5 nuclear leak turned into a disaster worsening the entire Pacific Ocean.
To this day, the fission reactions in the three reactor cores have not stopped. With their intense heat, they continue to melt the soil beneath them, making their way toward the earth's core...
If left unchecked, they will seep into the groundwater and enter Blue Star's water cycle, permanently altering the entire human DNA reservoir, posing a massive hidden danger!
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At this moment, Lu Yao had arrived here.
Within 20 kilometers of this cursed place, it was a no-go zone with not a single hair to be found.
Passing a row of huge water tanks, which were filled with nuclear wastewater with nowhere to go, the government of He Kingdom planned to discharge it directly into the ocean...
Lu Yao sighed and arrived at unit 1.
There had been a hydrogen explosion here, leaving the entire unit top completely exposed.
As expected, the air was filled with high levels of radiation, but Lu Yao didn't mind and went straight into the interior of the unit.
The interior was covered in rubble and various broken cables.
The reactor core was easy to find; everything around the core had melted due to the high temperatures during the accident, then cooled down to form a strange black-gray material, similar to the "elephant's foot" in the Chernobyl sarcophagus.
He came to a spot resembling a pool, which was where the reactor core originally was, and where the concentration of radiation reached its peak.
The bottom was filled with black-gray material formed by the cooled magma, with a hole dug out on top.
Previously, He Kingdom had sent down a robot to inspect the situation.
As soon as Lu Yao leaned over to look into the hole, the breath that came out from it felt refreshingly cool!
"That's powerful! This is a reactor core still undergoing a chain reaction!"
Unless the fuel was exhausted, the fission reaction of the core would not stop.
If the radiation from Chernobyl felt lifeless, like boiling water, then the radiation still undergoing a fission reaction was like an ice-cold cola, thrillingly cool to the core!
The radiation was potent enough, and Lu Yao didn't go down, but he started to cultivate right there.
The reactor core could melt soil, indicating temperatures of at least 3000 degrees; it's better not to tempt death. He would wait until he was stronger before attempting anything further,
The Empress Dowager could withstand cruise missiles, whose explosions also generate high temperatures, so it's certain that someone at the Golden Body Realm wouldn't fear such heat.
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Laying aside his thoughts, Lu Yao focused closely on breaking through to the next realm.
In the radiation density of 500 roentgens per hour, Lu Yao's body once again became excited.
Just like last time, it was akin to riding a rocket, he just needed to control the direction.
Aperture Points were cleansed and penetrated one after another, and on that very day, Lu Yao penetrated ten!
"Good, finish the rest in three days, then head to the Star Alliance Country's military base to steal an airplane!"
Having eaten his fill before arriving, Lu Yao concentrated on cultivating for three days until he finally reached the last and most difficult step of breaking through—penetrating the Bridge of Heaven and Earth!
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